Power Rangers

All That is Gold

Chapter 6

Titan

I flew out the front door, and rushed to my car. I saw something in the corner of my eye, falling from the sky.

Pods!

Hundreds of them!

Falling all over the city!

I dug out my cell phone and called Jerome.

"Yeah?"

"What's going on? I thought they weren't going to arrive for another 2 days!"

"So did we! But apparently they accelerated right before entering our atmosphere. Re-entry seems to increase the pods' structural integrity."

"That's lovely, ain't it?"

"For sure. Where are you?"

"I'm leaving my place now, I had to get a couple things."

"Right. If you plan on joining us, the main command post is in the center of Angel Grove Park. We'll be waiting for you."

"I'm on my way. See you in a few."

I was about to hop in the BMW, when a thought struck me. I mashed the garage door opener until the door actually opened. And there...my brand new jeep 4x4. A little Christmas present to myself. Good thing I filled it up last week.

I tore into the city, racing as fast as I could, trying to get to the command post. Along the way I was having to dodge falling pods, the bugs, and skirmishes involving the bugs getting torn apart by the military.

I'm guessing that they didn't have an exoskeleton.

One final turn to go when –BAM!- a huge artillery strike impacted 3 feet away from me. It sent the jeep, and me, through a storefront, completely obliterating it, and everything else inside.

Dazed and confused, I managed to crawl out from the dust and wreckage. Fortunately I hadn't been hurt, except for a few cuts and bruises.

I staggered into the sunlight, the sounds of battle all around me. All I could keep thinking was that this was the "Day of Destruction" all over again.

But my little excursion wouldn't last.

I managed to get about 10 feet from the crash when a huge, monstrous bug emerged from an alley. It looked like a weird science experiment involving cross breeding a tarantula and a cockroach; the strengths of both, none of the weaknesses.

This freak had to be the queen.

"So...we meet at last Gold Ranger."

"Let's get this over with you monstrous freak!"

" Ooohhh such kind words. But no! Not until you defeat Ultimo!"

"Where is he?"

She didn't respond. Instead she just cackled and melted into the ground. In the same split second, a giant 2 ton boulder was flying at me! I barely dodged in time when another was being hurtled through the sky.

I took off sprinting down the road. I estimated that Ultimo was only 8 blocks away. I hoped I would have enough distance and speed to do what I needed.

As I got closer, I could see it was a huge 30 foot tall, massive legs, and 2 heavily muscled arms that ended in lobster like pincers and 2 scythe-like claws on each wrist.

About half way there, as I was still dodging rocks and other debris this beast was trying to throw at me, I took out the two halves of the zeo morpher and strapped them on.

"IT'S MORPHIN' TIME!"

WOW!

This was great!

Just as quickly, I became the gold ranger for the first time in 20 years!

I had quickly closed on the monster and executed a 40 foot vertical leap.

"Gold zeo staff!"

The familiar staff flashed to life in my hands and I set to immediately overcharge it with a very dangerous static energy.

I landed on one of the monster's claws, jumped again, and firmly planted my staff in its right eye. A little twist, the push of a button, then 100,000 watts of fatal static energy coursed through Ultimo.

I jumped off, landing a good 50 feet away.

The electricity fried the creature's insides, exploding its heart, brain, collapsing its lungs, before leaving a charred carcass in the middle of what was once a busy intersection.

The process took several minutes. Right before the end, I could sense the creature begging for its life, trying to hang on. the gasps and whimpers echoed off the buildings, down the street, which made me feel sorry for it.

I demorphed, and set about trying to figure out what to do next.

Getting to Jerome and helping him at the command post was paramount. From here it would be about a 45 minute walk in the blazing Californian sun.

The only thing to keep me company would be the sounds of battle, the sound of the pods still streaming from the sky at dozens a minute, screams, cries for help...the sound of death.

Day of destruction indeed.