Chapter 14 - Seize the Day
"Fall back! Fall back!" Cam's voice came out loud from Eric's communicator.
They're giving up, Eric thought as he observed the battle from atop an apartment building. It wasn't an order that he wanted to hear. But he didn't have time to ponder its validity. For at that moment, a pair of Quadrafighters was swooping down to strafe his Q-Rex from behind. "Q-Rex, reverse direction," he cried. "Targets coming from above. Lock lasers and fire." Like a perfectly trained attack dog, the Q-Rex obeyed his words without hesitation. It tilted its shoulder-mounted laser cannons upward, firing two shots that sent the Quadrafighters crashing to the ground in flames.
The Quantasaurus Rex was one of the most powerful Zords from the Time Force fleet, built with technology a thousand years into the future. With its quickness and firepower, it was holding up reasonably well against the Quadrafighters. The same could not be said for the other Zords in the battle. Eric watched the Rhino Pride Megazord flail about as squadrons of Quadrafighters circled it like a swarm of angry hornets. The Rhino Pride possessed incredible strength, and was easily the most well armored Zord in the area. But it was also slow, lumbering about without any way to dodge or retaliate against the fighters. The Quadrafighters joined up to focus their attacks on the Rhino Pride's back. Sparks flew from the Megazord as it stumbled and fell to the ground face first.
Eric knew that it wouldn't be getting up. His eyes shifted to the Silver Guardians up the block. His men had fought valiantly to hold the line, but there was no way that they could stand against the enemy's numbers. Wes must have passed Cam's orders down to the squad level. The Guardians made a hasty retreat, running from the advancing Cogs without bothering to pack up their tripod-mounted cannons. The Cogs in the front line opened fire with their eye lasers, forcing the Guardians to stop running and instead dive to the ground, looking for cover.
"Q-Rex, protect the troops on the ground!" The Q-Rex did as it was told, plowing directly into the enemy's formations. Dozens of Cogs were crushed under its feet, but many more streamed right around it. Robots were relentless, lacking the fear that gripped human soldiers on the battlefield. Most human soldiers, Eric thought. Not me. He tightened his fist as the first group of Guardians fled past him. The orders had been to retreat, but he and the Q-Rex needed to stay so that the others could to do that. His courage and strength were about to be challenged. Eric was determined to show what he was made of. To the enemy, to his troops, to Tommy, and to himself.
He pushed a button on his Quantum Morpher, channeling additional energy into his Zord. "Laser Breath!" he called out. The Q-Rex tilted its head back before swinging it toward the ground, releasing its most powerful Dinosaur Mode attack. A torrent of energy flowed from its mouth, incinerating Cogs all the way up the street. The greater part of this Cog attack had been wiped out in one fell swoop. Eric drew his Quantum Defender and blasted a few that had leaked through, before breathing a sigh of relief.
The air had just finished leaving his mouth when Eric noticed the booming sound approaching from the left. "Oh no," he said, already knowing what it was. He slowly raised his head to gaze upon the Dragonzord. There it was, as terrifying as it was majestic. Just as it had appeared to him so many times at night. Suddenly, it wasn't as easy for him to think about determination and proving himself. Like the Q-Rex, the Dragonzord was a heavy hitter capable of taking on the combined Zords of its fleet. Unlike the Q-Rex, the Dragonzord hadn't recently expended large amounts of energy in pitched battle.
"Q-Rex, attack!" Eric yelled, hoping to compensate by landing the first blow. The Q-Rex lowered its head and charged...straight into the Dragonzord's missiles. His Zord fell to the ground, the first time that it had done so that day. Its momentum caused it to slide, carrying it all the way to the Dragonzord's feet. The Q-Rex tried to stand up, but the Dragonzord stomped it right back down again. "No!" Eric cried as he saw the Dragonzord picking the Q-Rex up and throwing it into the side of a skyscraper.
"Get up Q-Rex! Get up!" The Zord sparked as it rolled on the ground, having taken serious damage already. Eric knew that it wouldn't get to its feet before the Dragonzord dealt the killing blow. He had to do something. I'm a dead man, he thought as he aimed his Quantum Defender. But he and the others would die anyway, if he failed to stop the Dragonzord. "Hey you!" he shouted as he fired a few token shots at the Dragonzord. It stopped and turned its attention to him. Just as he had wanted it to, though he quickly doubted the wisdom of his actions. The Dragonzord's eyes flashed red - that terrible, demonic red - before it reared its head back and released another unsettling shriek.
Run Eric, run. It took him a few seconds before he actually turned around and did so. Eric leaped off of the building right before the Dragonzord smashed it apart. He didn't think it was possible, but the Dragonzord was actually scarier when he didn't look at it. When he just heard its thunderous stomps closing in on him from behind.
"Get up, I need you!" Eric screamed, as debris from the surrounding buildings rained down around him. A chunk of concrete several feet wide slammed down in front of him. Eric jerked back, falling to the ground. As he rolled, he saw the Dragonzord's shadow engulfing the area around him. A footstep came down on his right, then another to his left. Not like this, he thought. Eric reached for something to pull himself up with. But the ground shook, causing him to slip and fall flat on his face. Eric rolled to his back and saw the Dragonzord's gaping maw descending upon him. Blocking out more and more of his surroundings as it lowered, just seconds from condemning him to oblivion. I'm not the hero today, he thought as he closed his eyes.
"Raaar!" Eric opened his eyes as he saw the Q-Rex ramming into the Dragonzord's side at full speed. The Q-Rex continued pushing, smashing the Dragonzord through an overpass.
"Go get 'em boy!" Eric smiled as the Q-Rex bit down on the larger Zord's hand, refusing to let go. But the Dragonzord pounded on the Q-Rex's head with its free hand, before kicking its legs out from under it. Another kick on the Q-Rex's torso sent it rolling down the street. Now the Dragonzord charged, as the Q-Rex got up while facing the opposite direction. "Use your tail!" Eric commanded. His loyal Zord took a blind swing, smacking the Dragonzord away.
Yes!" Eric pumped his fist as he saw the Dragonzord fall. It's not invincible, he thought. I can win this. He ran and leaped toward the Q-Rex's head, drawing his Quantum Defender once again. It was the time, if he were ever going to do it.
But upon landing, Eric once again realized how far ranging this battle was. It had been easy to forget that while being chased by the Dragonzord. But on his perch several dozen feet high, Eric was able to see all the Quadrafighters circling in the air. The ones that had been too busy to shoot at him, while dealing with fliers such as the Bat Zord and the Mystic Garuda. One thing that Eric didn't see was another large Megazord, still standing and able to match up against the Dragonzord. The smaller Zords might be able to fend off the Quadrafighter attack, but there was little chance that they could defeat the enemy's heavy hitter on the ground.
Eric turned back to the Dragonzord. He had only looked away from it for a few moments. But in that time, several other Zords had engaged it. The Red Gorilla held the Dragonzord by its tail, while the Blue Antelope charged at it from the front. The Dragonzord swung its arm, sending the small blue Zord tumbling in the other direction. The Gorilla stubbornly maintained its grip, weighing the Dragonzord down as it turned from left to right. Unable to shake the Gorilla off, the Dragonzord curled the tip of its tail into the red Zord's back and powered up its savage drill weapon. It wasted no time. As the Gorilla fell, the Dragonzord turned and swung its tail into the incoming Mystic Sprite. The Sprite, still rolled up into a pink ball, disappeared into the sky. Home run, Eric thought as he raised his eyebrows.
He suddenly shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts as he saw the Dragonzord turning back to him. Focus you idiot, Eric thought to himself, knowing that he had given up an opportunity to attack from behind. The Dragonzord seemed to grow larger as it closed in on the Q-Rex. Eric braced himself as the two massive war machines collided.
The impact caused his feet to slip, but he was able to grip the Q-Rex with his left hand. Eric reached for his Quantum Defender as he saw the Dragonzord lowering its jaws to consume him. "Back off!" he cried as he fired directly into its face. The Dragonzord shrieked again as it turned away, flailing its arms. Eric gasped while he regained his footing, still in disbelief that he had survived getting so close to that monstrous Zord.
"Ah!" Eric once again braced himself as the Q-Rex took fire from above. Just as he had the other Zords, the Dragonzord still had Quadrafighters to support it. Eric raised his weapon and searched the skies for his attackers. He fired, nailing one of them. But the Q-Rex was hit again and again by other fighters that zoomed by too fast for him to shoot. Eric frantically squeezed off more shots, trying to convince himself that the situation wasn't futile.
The Dragonzord's pounding footsteps suddenly registered in his mind, a moment before that Zord slammed into his again. Eric was thrown from the Q-Rex's head. He slammed into his Zord's back as he fell, managing to grab on halfway down its body. Eric grunted as he holstered his weapon so that he could take hold with both hands. At that moment, he was riding his Zord rather than controlling it. He could do nothing but hold on and feel every bump as the Q-Rex continued to wrestle with the Dragonzord.
"Hang on Eric, I'm on my way!"
"Taylor? How?" Her voice was the last one that he had expected to hear in his helmet.
"I turned back when I heard you were in trouble," she said. "Hayley was nice enough to connect the two of us."
"Get out of here!" Eric yelled. "You've gotta be low on fuel. I can do this!"
"That's not what I heard," Taylor said.
"I can do this!" Eric insisted.
"Don't worry about me," Taylor said, taking his next sentence right out of his mouth. Eric heard automatic cannon fire, moments before he saw two fighter jets buzzing by.
Taylor squeezed her trigger, unleashing a hail of twenty-millimeter shells upon the Dragonzord. Against its dense armor, they might as well have been BB pellets. But Taylor saw the Dragonzord releasing the Q-Rex and turning toward her as she flew past it. That's right, she thought with a smirk on her face. By distracting the Dragonzord for a few seconds, she could be buying Eric the time needed to turn the tables on it.
Danny Boy pulled up to her left, having also made a strafing run. "Whoa! Never thought we'd actually use these guns!"
"Don't get too excited Danny Boy. Two bogeys coming in at two o'clock." Taylor turned hard in their direction. She had already slowed considerably to strafe the Dragonzord, and more turning didn't help her build airspeed. One of the important lessons that had been drilled into her head at the academy was that "speed kills." Everything she had done had been in defiance of that basic concept.
But she still had the ability to reach out and touch the enemy first. Although alien technology made Quadrafighters incredibly fast and maneuverable, the ships were only armed with short-ranged lasers. Taylor flicked a switch, activating her one remaining Sidewinder. It was the last missile that she and Danny Boy had between the two of them, since they had shot off the rest on their way into the city. "Climb Danny, climb. I'm going in. Cover me."
"Will do," the young lieutenant said.
Taylor turned her head to her left, seeing his aircraft falling behind as its nose tilted up toward the sky. From up there, Danny Boy could watch her and pounce on any bogey trying to take her down from behind. Taylor looked forward again and lit her afterburners, accelerating ahead as fast as possible.
Her Sidewinder would only give her one shot before she merged with the enemy. Come get some, she thought as she locked up the closest Quadrafighter. The enemy kept flying straight at her, without any efforts to frustrate her weapons lock. Thankfully, Cogs were far from the smartest pilots out there. Taylor heard a beeping sound as her missile achieved a full lock. "Fox Two!" She was already turning away by the time she saw the missile's gray smoke trail. Her target exploded in a brilliant fireball, but the other Quadrafighter turned hard into her for an attempted gun pass.
"What the-" Taylor rolled her aircraft, narrowly avoiding a collision. She quickly brought her wings level and looked behind her. The Quadrafighter seemed to rotate on its vertical axis as it slid through the air, reversing direction without any actual banking and turning. "Oh that's just not fair," she said as she saw the bogey already gaining on her.
She cut her afterburners, knowing that she would never be able to outrun it. Given what she had just seen, she wouldn't be able to outturn it either. Hope you're as dumb as your friend, Taylor thought as she pulled hard in an attempt to turn away from the Quadrafighters' guns. She dodged the shots, but bled off speed yet again. Hope you're dumber than me. If this Cog pilot were smart, it would climb to create some separation, using its speed to pounce on her much slower plane from above. The Cog's stubborn insistence to keep turning with her was the only reason she was still alive.
"Danny! Danny where are you?" No answer. Their radios were either malfunctioning, or Danny Boy had already screwed up and gotten himself killed. Taylor didn't have time to check her cockpit displays to make sure. She turned again, pulling her control stick as far as it could go. No way you're taking me down, she thought. She always worked better when she was angry rather than afraid. And she knew that if she needed something done, she would have to do it herself.
She dived toward the city, hoping to run the stupid robot into an obstacle. Laser blasts flew out from behind her, exploding against the buildings. The debris was unavoidable. Taylor cursed as she heard concrete fragments smashing against her aircraft, undoubtedly damaging something. But she was still flying, which was the only thing that mattered.
Taylor continued to weave around the skyscrapers, unable to shake the bogey. By now, the energy towers on the ground were firing at her as well. They weren't accurate, but their sheer volume of fire was enough to box her in and limit her ability to turn. This isn't working, Taylor thought as she lit her afterburners again and pulled up toward the sky. If the Quadrafighter were to kill her, it would have to do that on its own merits. One on one, with victory going to the better combination of pilot and machine.
The ground fire thinned out as Taylor pulled away, though the Quadrafighter didn't let up any. She suddenly noticed a light in the corner of her eye. Taylor turned and saw another Quadrafighter, falling and engulfed in flames.
"Break hard left!" Danny Boy suddenly shouted. "Now!"
Taylor didn't hesitate. She banked and pulled back all the way, turning as quickly as her F-22 would allow. More than nine G's, nine times the normal force of gravity, pressed down upon her body. Taylor gritted her teeth in pain, as she felt the blood flowing out of her head. Her vision blurred for a moment as she fought to keep from blacking out. When her eyesight came back to her, she saw another F-22 flying in with its guns blazing. Something exploded behind her.
"Gotcha!" Danny Boy said.
Taylor stabilized her aircraft and exhaled in relief. "Danny, I..." She trailed off, unable to find the right words. "...thank you."
"Sorry Major. I couldn't get a good shot below those buildings. Then I saw another bogey trying to bracket you and I -"
Taylor pulled up next to her wingman. "It's alright Danny," she said as she smiled. Even after saving her and adding two gun kills to his record, Danny Boy was still apologizing. Taylor turned to look at the young lieutenant whom she had helped train herself, smiling and feeling nothing but pride in him. "You did good kid." Danny loosened up and gave her back a rare smile.
He suddenly disappeared in a ball of flame. "DANNY NO!" Taylor shouted. But she had no time to mourn her friend. Instincts kicked in again, taking over her body. A Quadrafighter swept past her in a right turn. By the time she saw it, Taylor had overshot its flight path.
Determined not to let it reverse and get on her six, she pulled her nose up to kill her forward velocity. But this was not like the speed-killing break turns that she had done too many of before. By climbing into the air, she was now instead trading speed for positioning and energy. Taylor rolled in the direction of the bogey, keeping it in her sights as her F-22 turned upside down. The enemy was still in its right turn, although its freaky alien tech was quickly rotating it back in her direction. Taylor pulled back on her stick again, thinking only of revenge.
With gravity assisting her movement, she swooped down on the bogey with the best speed that Earth technology could offer. The Quadrafighter was coming right at her, with no intention to dodge any fire or collision. Just what Taylor wanted to see. She pulled her trigger, as laser blasts lit the air in front of her.
Hayley's jaw dropped as she saw the two blips vanish from her radar. "Taylor! Taylor are you there? Answer me!" No response. I shouldn't have let her come back, Hayley thought. The sickening thought that she had let Taylor return for selfish reasons suddenly entered Hayley's head, but she fought them back. Regardless of her feelings, Hayley had never wanted anything bad to happen to Taylor. No, it was the sound of her voice, Hayley thought. The passion that Taylor had shown, and her sheer determination to fight for Eric, had been too much for Hayley to say no to. Hayley had often wished for that kind of courage. Courage? she thought. I just got someone killed.
"Look!" Cam said. Hayley turned and saw him pointing to his monitor. "Hunter is transmitting his helmet view to us." Hayley saw an F-22 and a Quadrafighter flying directly at each other, firing away. The F-22's cannon fire was right on target, annihilating its opponent. But it also took a laser blast which shot one of its wings clean off. As the fighter tipped toward the ground, something rocketed out from its cockpit.
"She ejected," Hayley said, feeling as if a tremendous weight had been lifted from her.
"Yeah, but she's over enemy territory," Cam said. He turned to another screen, which showed the battle between the Dragonzord and the Q-Rex. "And we have bigger problems right now."
Sparks flew from the badly damaged Q-Rex as the Dragonzord bit down into its neck. Thrashing about like a wild beast, the Dragonzord finally threw the smaller Zord into a nearby building. Explosions filled the screen. The image cleared up after several seconds. Hayley saw the Q-Rex lying on its back, mangled and motionless. "We're next," she said.
Cam was already back on his microphone, issuing orders. "Shane, take your team and cover the southern escape route. Xander, get your people outta there!"
Hayley returned to her station as well. The Dragonzord was rapidly closing in on their position. She searched the map for any Zords that could slow its advance. The Mystic Titans were all down. Same with the Jungle Zords, except for a few fliers that were busy with the Quadrafighters. The enemy fighters had been considerably thinned out, but there were still enough of them to pose a serious threat. Such as the three that were making a beeline straight for the truck.
"Get up Cam! We gotta go!" Hayley grabbed him by the arm and yanked him right out of his chair. "Go!" she cried, pointing toward the exit. Letting Cam slip past her, she turned to pick up her portable battle management computer. It would only take a second to grab it, and it would help so much...
Everything suddenly flipped, as the truck was blasted into the air. Several blurry, painful seconds later, Hayley found herself lying face down against her control console. The trailer had been turned on its side. There was a fire too, which was quickly cutting off her path to the exit. Hayley tried to push herself up, but her leg was stuck under some wreckage. "No!" she screamed, jerking her leg as hard as she could. As she flailed about, Hayley caught a glimpse of her still-functioning sensor display. The three Quadrafighters were turning around, preparing to finish the truck with a second strafing run.
"Hayley!" Cam screamed from behind. She turned her head and saw him reentering the trailer from the outside.
"Get outta here! Save yourself!"
"I'm coming Hayley!" Cam continued into the trailer, struggling to get through the debris.
You fool, Hayley thought. "Don't Cam! You can still fight! Tommy and the others need you! I'm not important!" She repeatedly swung her arm in his direction, in a futile effort to wave him away. He kept coming, shielding his face with his arms as he jumped past the flames. Finally, Cam reached her. "Damn it, Cam! Listen to me!" Hayley pointed to the computer monitor, which showed the incoming Quadrafighters.
Cam's eyes popped out as he suddenly realized the danger. "Samurai Storm, Ranger Form!" he cried, transforming in a flash of light. He freed her leg from the debris with his enhanced Ranger strength, before pulling her to her feet. "Come on!" he yelled as he pushed her in front of him.
Hayley ran as fast as she could, diving past the flames. The explosions came when she had gotten just one foot out of the trailer. Cam tackled her from behind. The two of them hit the ground face down. Everything went dark as his body smothered her. Hayley could feel the heat of the fire washing over them. Cam's arms tightened as he continued to press down, shielding her from the blast. Finally, the heat faded away.
"You were wrong, Hayley," he said, panting. "What you said in there. You were wrong." He got off of her, so that the two of them could stand up.
"What do you mean?" Hayley asked.
"God Hayley, you know what I mean."
Typical Cam. But his words were the sweetest thing that Hayley could remember hearing in a long time. "Cam..." She stepped closer to hug him, but he backed off and held up his arms.
"Uh uh," he said, turning around to show the smoking debris still stuck on the back of his armor. "This might be too hot for you."
Hayley smiled and playfully rolled her eyes. "Yeah, whatever you say." Lasers suddenly struck the ground several feet from them, dragging her mind back into the fight. She turned around, seeing Eric demorphed and sprinting away from a dozen Cogs.
"Hey guys!" he yelled as more lasers flew past him. One blast hit the ground right below his feet, throwing him into the air. Eric rolled past Hayley as he landed. He settled on his back and immediately began to return fire with his Quantum Defender. "A little help here?"
Cam stepped forward, batting away several laser blasts with his Samurai Saber. By then the Cogs had reached them. Eric sprung to his feet and joined Cam in hand-to-hand combat. The boys weren't having much trouble with the robots, but two of them slipped past and charged directly at Hayley. She turned and ran, but an overturned bus blocked her path. A cold metallic hand grabbed her arm from behind. Hayley fell forward and swung her arm as hard as she could, causing the Cog to stumble in front of her. A big chunk of concrete was lying right by her feet. Hayley picked it up with both hands and smashed it into the Cog's head before it could recover. She heard rapid footsteps behind her, each one closer than the last. Hayley screamed as she swung around, hurling the mass of concrete with all her strength.
"Ah!" Cam cried as her projectile slammed into his chest.
"Cam!" Hayley rushed to his side to help him up. "God, I'm so sorry."
"Nice throw," he said as he dusted off his golden armor. "You'll have to make it up for me later."
"Don't worry," Hayley said as she patted Cam on the chest. "I'll make sure to give you one of my famous caramel macchiatos when this is all over. On the house."
"Guys, we don't have time for this," Eric said as he walked up beside them. He turned his head and looked off into the distance. The Dragonzord's footsteps thundered through the air, announcing its imminent arrival. "Let's get going."
"Agreed," Hayley said. The three of them continued to discuss the situation as they made their way toward a group of Silver Guardians. "Our forces are regrouping at fourteenth street. We have a couple minutes before they have to move out."
"Tell Taylor to get outta here," Eric said. "There's nothing more she can do."
"Eric, Taylor was..." Hayley didn't want to say it.
"Taylor was what?" he demanded. "Tell me."
"Taylor was...shot down a few minutes ago. She ejected, but she's north of here. Right in the middle of enemy territory."
"I'm going after her."
"Eric, it's..." Hayley said, catching her tongue before she finished the sentence. It's too dangerous, she thought. You can't do it alone. But she noticed the determined look on his face, and the hint of vulnerability in his voice. This was a man who was unafraid to sacrifice everything for the one he loved. Again, she couldn't find it in herself to say no. "...it's about two miles northwest of here. Good luck."
You're pathetic, Eric thought to himself. He ran down the street with his weapon in hand. The Dragonzord's footsteps were behind him now, moving further and further away. Moving to kill my friends instead. A platoon of Cogs appeared from around the corner. Eric dived behind a parked van, hoping that they wouldn't see him. This far into occupied territory, the enemy could count on having reinforcements. He, on the other hand, could not.
Neither can Taylor, Eric thought as he shook his head. If I had just gotten things done before, we wouldn't be in this mess. He was ashamed of how he had handled himself against the Dragonzord. It was embarrassing to get so much help during that critical part of the battle, and still fail. And now everyone was suffering the consequences of his failure. Consequences that went far beyond his personal humiliation.
Eric pressed himself against the van and raised his weapon as the Cogs moved past him. He held his breath and paid attention to the sound of their synchronized marching, listening for any sound that might indicate that they had seen him. Nothing. The machines kept going on their way. He waited a minute to give himself some distance, before he started moving again.
He moved cautiously, sprinting in spurts and stopping to hide and look ahead every few dozen feet. Around the energy towers that weren't firing anymore, since his allies had been driven far from the area. Past the apartment buildings, full of people looking down on him. Eric wished that they wouldn't. I can't save you people. I don't know if I can save myself. God help you, Taylor.
Several explosions went off ahead. "Quantum Power!" he cried as he ran toward the noise at full speed. He saw Taylor's discarded parachute along the way, burned and shot full of holes. Is it even her up there? Is she even alive? Eric kept running anyway. There was only one way to find out.
He rounded a corner and saw a group of Cogs besieging a dark and empty restaurant. "Heads up!" he shouted as he fired off several blasts. Eric somersaulted forward, converting his Quantum Defender into blade mode while in mid-air. "Yah!" Three quick strokes, three dead Cogs. Eric kicked another Cog away, before hesitating in his attack. She could be hurt in there. I need to get her out as fast as I can. Lasers struck him in the chest before he could act on those thoughts. Eric pushed himself off of the ground. But before he could fully get up again, a bigger, concentrated burst of fire blasted the ground beneath him.
"Aaah!" His arms swung helplessly as he flew through the air. He came down hard on his back, demorphing as he writhed on the ground. A combination of instinct, anger, and fear took over as the robots rushed him. Eric put a Cog's head through a car window, taking its spear as his own. He punched, kicked, and stabbed in a desperate attempt to stay alive. The robots went down one after another, until Eric knew exactly how many remained around him. Six. Five. Four. A Cog grabbed him by the arm, but he slammed it into another nearby car. It tried to get up, but Eric drove his spear right through its chest, pinning it to the vehicle. Three...
Another Cog kicked him in the back of the knee, taking him down. He took a punch in the face, followed by a kick to the stomach that knocked the wind out of him. Eric lied face down on the ground. It's over, he thought. I'm so sorry Taylor. Two of the Cogs lifted Eric by his arms, holding him still as the last one closed in with its spear pointed down at his face. I couldn't save you. I couldn't say 'I love you' before it was too late...
The spear-wielding Cog's face suddenly shattered. It dropped its weapon and wavered as it took several more bullets in the chest, before collapsing. The other Cogs let go of Eric, but within seconds they too fell to the ground. Eric looked up to see Taylor standing over him.
"It's alright Eric. It's me."
"Taylor...you're okay." Eric's feelings of inadequacy faded away, as he felt overwhelmed by the sight of her alive and well. "I, I thought you were..."
"I almost was," Taylor said as she crouched down beside him.
Say it already, Eric thought. But even with all the emotion rushing out of him, the words ironically couldn't come out. "Taylor, I wanna say that I...that I really..."
"It's okay," Taylor said. She held her pistol up and smiled as she slipped the Quantum Defender back into his hand. "I know."
"Let's go people!" Captain Tate shouted from the side of the street. He held a blaster in one hand while waving the other in the direction of the retreat. "Keep moving!"
Hayley proceeded past the Silver Guardian along with Cam and Andrew Hartford. Over three dozen of her allies, Rangers and Guardians, had regrouped here on the outskirts of the city. Some, like Tate, were bravely guarding the rear. Others were so banged up that they had to lean on their friends as they made their way down the street. Yet there were others who may have been worse off, for the Rangers gathered on this street were only half of the original force. Hayley hoped that the Rangers that she didn't see were still fighting on, like the two teams that Tommy had taken to the fortress.
God, I'm blind out here, Hayley thought. All of her command and control systems had been lost in the truck. She had been rendered powerless, with nothing to do but flee from the pursuing enemy forces. The Dragonzord was now close enough that she could feel tremors from its footsteps. Behind her, something exploded. Hayley immediately picked up her pace. Andrew did as well, running right past her.
"He's fast," Hayley said.
"We should be too," Cam replied. "Come on." They had just started running when a laser blast struck the ground in front of them, knocking them both off their feet.
"They're here!" a Guardian shouted. The men began returning fire against the attacking Cogs in a panicked, disorganized manner. But through the robotic army, something else emerged. A blue, streaking object that rapidly cut through the ranks of the exhausted Rangers and Guardians.
"Jeez!" Hayley screamed as the attacker practically mowed her down on its way toward the nearby Ninja Rangers. Hayley looked up and recognized who it was. It's the Slippery Shark! The perfect monster for running down a tired and beaten force. The Wind and Thunder Rangers fought bravely, but they were quickly taken down. Laughing maniacally, the Slippery Shark took off again, sprinting through the rest of the heroes. "He's really fast."
"I got this," Cam said. He stood up and unhooked the gold armor around his torso. The heavy plates fell to the ground, cracking the pavement. "Super Samurai Mode!" Cam took off after the Shark with his own incredible speed. They went up and down the street as two colorful blurs. It wasn't just a chase. They were actually fighting at those speeds, a fact that Hayley was only barely able to make out.
Go get him Cam! Hayley tried to follow the action as the two blew past her. Turning around, she saw the Slippery Shark tumbling out of the air as Cam still streaked on past him. "Yeah! Take him down!"
"Samurai Saber, activate!" Lightning flew from his blade as he infused it with green energy. He spun his saber several times to build momentum, before bringing it down on his opponent. Mortally wounded, the Slippery Shark fell to the ground and exploded. "Yeah!" Cam shouted as he struck a victory pose, as Rangers tended to do. "Still got it!"
"Good job!" Hayley yelled. Her smile faded as she suddenly realized the situation that Cam had gotten into. His duel with the Slippery Shark had taken him back up the street, right into the army that they had been fleeing from. Hayley watched in horror as the Cogs swept over him from behind. Super Samurai Mode was great if extra speed was required. But now Cam was pinned down with no space to run. His lack of armor was now a liability, one that was clearly evident as he took blows from every side.
Two men took Hayley by the arms and helped her up. She tried to resist as they tried to pull her away. "There's too many of them!" Andrew shouted.
"We can't just leave him here!" Hayley yelled back.
"You gave us the orders yourself," Captain Tate said. "Retreat and pull the enemy away from the fortress." The Dragonzord shrieked again, causing all three of them to look up. Hayley saw the mechanical leviathan's upper body, just a few buildings away. "Cam's buying us time," Tate said. "Don't throw that away."
Hayley looked back at Cam again. Tate was right. She couldn't do much to save him. Not against the Dragonzord. And the orders had come from Tommy himself. By drawing the enemy away, by surviving to fight to the last man, the Rangers would hopefully buy Tommy the time he needed to get things done. Such was the sacrifice that was called for in times of dire need. And sacrifice was how she had chosen to live her life. But at that moment, Hayley wondered if running away would be the right type of sacrifice. If there was a chance to save Cam and still get away, she had to take it. If she just left him to die, she would never stop wondering how things could have turned out. Both in this battle, and beyond...
"You guys go," Hayley said. "Do your best to coordinate our forces. In case I don't make it back."
The two men nodded. "Good luck," Andrew said before he and Tate took off.
Hayley bent over to pick up a blaster that had been dropped by one of the Silver Guardians. You picked a great time to do something crazy, she thought to herself. She took a deep breath, before charging forward. Hayley pointed her weapon forward and kept pulling the trigger. She had never practiced her marksmanship, but there were so many Cogs that it was simply impossible to miss.
"What are you doing here?" Cam asked.
"You still haven't tried my caramel macchiato!" Hayley replied. She turned so that she stood back-to-back with him.
"You're nuts!" Cam yelled.
"Maybe I am!" she yelled back. More Cogs were coming, filling in for the ones that she had just gunned down. She kept firing away for what little good it would do. The mechanical horde just kept closing in on them.
The Dragonzord's foot suddenly crashed down nearby, throwing Hayley, Cam, and the Cogs into the air. Hayley winced as she held her head. She had gotten a concussion less than two days ago. As the Dragonzord lifted its foot again, she saw the flattened remnants of the Cogs unlucky enough to be caught under its foot. It looked like a sick joke, mocking her as if the danger wasn't already real enough. Hayley shook her head and came to her senses. I don't have time for this, she thought as she willed herself up. She ran to Cam, kicking a fallen Cog in the head along the way.
"It's coming down again!" Cam shouted. Once again, they narrowly avoided being crushed by the Dragonzord.
"Whoa!" Hayley cried as the two of them rolled away from the impact. They were on the sidewalk now, beneath some mid-sized apartment buildings. "Come on Cam!" They ran as fast as they could. I didn't hear another step, Hayley thought. Maybe it lost sight of us. Her hopes were dashed when she saw the Dragonzord's silver tail swinging out in front of her.
"Get down!" Cam yelled. Hayley hit the sidewalk as the tail swung over her, drilling into the side of the building. She covered her head as the debris rained down around her. There was nothing to protect her except for luck.
Bitter feelings crept up from her, displacing her terror. The damn thing's taking its time with us, Hayley thought. It was the same damn thing that she had marveled at so many years ago, when Tommy had commanded it. So many years chasing Tommy. Now, too soon after she had opened her eyes, her life was about to come full circle in the cruelest of ways.
"Hey look," Cam said as he pointed to the sky.
Hayley saw a Quadrafighter firing on the Dragonzord. "The heck is going on?" she asked. The Quadrafighter didn't pull up as it neared the Dragonzord, continuing instead on a suicidal collision course. Moments before the impact, a small yellow object fell from the fighter. Hayley squinted her eyes as she tried to make out what it was. "It...It's Kira!" she yelled. Kira spread her wings and gained altitude to strafe the Dragonzord with her own blaster. But the mighty Zord was barely fazed by her attacks. As Kira circled around the Dragonzord, it raised its hand and effortlessly smacked her away.
"Ah!" Kira yelled as she slammed into the sidewalk near Hayley and Cam.
"Oh no Kira!" Hayley cried as she rushed to her friend's side. "Are you hurt?"
"I've...been better," Kira mumbled.
"What are you doing here?" Cam asked.
"I came to save you," she snapped back.
"Thanks," Hayley said. "But you'll have to get in line." The three of them all looked up as the shadow of the Dragonzord fell over them again.
Tommy swung his Brachio Staff, taking off the Cog's head. The machine's body twisted around aimlessly as Tommy walked by, before it fell and joined the six others lying on the street. He wasn't far from the Dragonzord now. It had stopped moving just a minute ago, before he had been jumped by those Cogs. Which could only mean one thing... "Come on, Tommy," he said to himself. "Move!"
He holstered his weapon and took off, winding around the massive piles of debris left in the Dragonzord's wake. You did this, he thought to himself. I should've listened. God, Kira. I should've listened. The guilt swept over him even though he knew that it would do no good to focus on it. What's done is done. What mattered most was the moment. The Dragonzord shrieked again. It was right there down the street, along with an army of Cogs. A downed Quadrafighter was blocking his path to them. Tommy leaped over the burning wreck but fell on his way down, clutching his head in agony.
"What...what's going on?" he said as he rolled onto his back. He already knew what it was. It was that same familiar mental presence. Only it was not merely a presence this time. It had a voice, and it was using that voice to force its thoughts into his head.
Stop it Tommy, it said to him. If you ever cared about me or our mission, then stop right now.
"Get out of my head," Tommy said.
Traitor. Have you forgotten what we fought for?
"I know it's you Tom! I know you're not Zordon!"
Laughter filled his head. Bravo Tommy, bravo. Only took you eleven years. Maybe I'm not Zordon. Or maybe...maybe my actions are the only things keeping him alive.
"You're crazy!" Tommy cried. He gnashed his teeth and curled up on the street, trying his best to resist.
Am I? Tom sounded downright cocky. Have you ever thought about what it means to reproduce? Most people think it means kids. But what the word literally means is to duplicate.
"The hell are you talking about?" Tommy asked. He didn't want to be lectured on philosophy, especially not when it was being conveyed in such a painful and violent way.
Given the way most of them turn out, children are a pretty sad excuse for reproduction. Because we're NOT just DNA and walking bags of meat. We're ideas, and values, and goals. That's what we are Tommy. Without those things, we're nothing. But when we spread those ideas, those values of ours, we can extend our existence and live forever.
Tommy used one hand to push himself to his feet, even as he still clutched his head with the other. He tried to walk, but wobbled from side-to-side instead. "What's your point?" he asked as he hunched over.
My point? My point is that Zordon wasn't just some head in a tube. Zordon understood the evil in this universe. He didn't stand by and tolerate it. He never gave up, and he never stopped fighting. And when he fought, he fought to win at ALL costs. THAT is Zordon, in case you've forgotten. And his example is what I live by. I'm doing exactly what he would've wanted. So you see Tommy, I am Zordon now.
"No...you're just...sick," Tommy said as he reeled from the pain. Coming to a stop, he gathered himself and started pushing back against Tom as hard as he could. "You think Zordon wants this?" Tommy yelled. "Zordon did what he had to do! Not what he wanted to do! He did...understand evil. He spent his whole life fighting it...and I want to believe...that he made a difference. What does it say about him...if we still have to do things...just like he did? OR FAR WORSE!"
Tommy heard Tom scream as his own pain faded. Faint whispers continued to run through his head as he stood up straight. No...no, Tom said as he felt the psychic backlash of Tommy's resistance. Or was it pain from seeing the truth in what he had just heard?
Looking around, Tommy remembered that the outskirts of the city were currently uninhabited. That the citizens had been herded inward, as prisoners. He didn't have to worry about collateral damage out there. "This stops now," he said as he drew his Brachio Staff and looked up at the Dragonzord.
Don't do it, Tom meekly said. His voice was even fainter now, as he started slipping away. Remember Zordon, he said. Remember where you started.
Tommy did remember. He had fought through many battles with the Dragonzord. It was the most fearsome of the original Zords, and a source of great pride for him. It was a gift from Zordon, and a symbol of his own power to do good. Tommy had always retained a sentimental fondness for the thing. He remembered how he had saved it from the Thunder Megazord's saber, right after saving Tom. But that was then. His days as the Green Ranger were long gone, and so was Zordon. "Goodbye, old friend," Tommy said before plunging his Brachio Staff into the street.
Purple energy coursed through his body, down the staff and into the ground. "Brachio Staff, Wind Strike!" Tommy called out. A burst of air shot upward at the Dragonzord, striking it in the back. The Dragonzord stumbled and turned its attention to Tommy. He paused for a second as he looked up into the eyes of his beloved Zord.
Keep going, Tommy thought as he returned his attention to the Brachio Staff. "Earthquake!" he cried, causing the ground to split apart. Hundreds of Cogs instantly disappeared, as the Dragonzord itself fell into the fissure. It tried to climb out, but it was too late. "Fire Strike!" Massive flames rose up from the fissure, so intense that they nearly blinded Tommy even through his visor. "Full power!" he screamed, struggling to maintain his grip on the shaking Brachio Staff. The flames burst upward, lifting the Dragonzord into the air. Invisible in the white hot column of burning gas, the Dragonzord cried out one last time. Its cry suddenly ceased, as the fiery column vanished.
Tommy dropped his Brachio Staff and fell on his hands and knees, gasping. "Power down," he said, demorphing to conserve what limited energy he had left. Destroying the Dragonzord had taken a lot out of him, both physically and emotionally. But Tommy also felt a weight being lifted from him, as well as a sense of freedom that he had never known before. Tom's voice was gone now. And so were the chains of the past.
"He's over there!" Kira shouted as she, Hayley, and Cam ran to his side. Kira demorphed as she fell to her knees and embraced him. "You came back for us. Thank you."
"No Kira," Tommy said as he patted her on the back. "Thank you."
Eric helped Taylor past the downed Quadrafighter as the two of them regrouped with the others. He had gotten the radio message from Hayley. The bulk of the Machine forces had been destroyed, and the Dragonzord was no more. Victory was drawing near. The final assault on the fortress was back on.
"Way to go guys!" Taylor shouted as she waved at their friends and allies. There were dozens of them there. Almost everyone had been accounted for, and more were still calling in.
Eric couldn't help but smile as well as he walked by, high-fiving his fellow Rangers and Guardians. Things had not gone as he had planned. He had not triumphed over the Dragonzord in single combat. Taylor had saved him just as much as he had saved her. He wasn't the big hero of this battle...and that was just fine. He didn't need to be.
"Taylor," Tommy said as he approached. Eric stopped and turned around, seeing Tommy smiling at her. "Good to see you in action again," Tommy said, nodding before he turned toward the other arriving Rangers.
"Hey," Eric suddenly said to Taylor. "Did I mention that I love you?"
"Listen, I made some mistakes. I'm really sorry about that. But martial arts isn't about believing in me. It's about believing in yourself, and what you can become."
-Tommy Oliver, "Rita's Pita"
ANGEL GROVE GAZETTE | Sports
Teenager Wins Total Vac 200
By Kurt Layfield
July 20, 1997
Racing fans were not familiar with the name Tommy Oliver, but that changed after yesterday's race. Tommy, an eighteen-year-old fresh out of high school, seized the lead on the forty-fourth lap. He maintained it all the way to the end, crossing the finish line ahead of dozens of more experienced drivers. His performance set a new track record, beating the previous mark by three seconds and earning wild applause from the crowd.
John Rush, Tommy's uncle and owner of the Angel Grove Racing Technologies team that he raced for, was beaming with pride. "I've never seen a new driver throw himself into the sport like this," he said. "It's like he was possessed."
Tommy seemed far less impressed with himself. "It's nothing really," he said, looking almost sullen as he left the track. "I just did what I needed to win. I should've been working this hard all along."
Power Chamber Archives
Transcript of Security Recording #163253
Earth Date: June 14, 1997
[Teleport in: Tommy Oliver]
Alpha 5: Tommy! You're early this week.
Tommy: Hey Alpha. Hey Zordon. I was really looking forward to our usual talk.
Zordon: Of course. Much has happened over the last few weeks.
Tommy: Aw man, these Turbo powers are amazing. And we'll have so much more time after I graduate.
Zordon: I was referring to what you and your friends are doing with your lives. Tell me more about your racing. You enjoy it, don't you Tommy?
Tommy: It's real fun and all, but it doesn't really matter. Not compared to what we're doing here. Let me know what you want from me Zordon. I'm ready to take the next step.
Zordon: I'm sorry Tommy. I don't know how else to say this, but you are not included in my future plans.
Tommy: Whoa, what do you mean?
Alpha 5: Ay-yi-yi!
Zordon: Tommy, the time is near for you to step out into the world. To find your own path in life, and become the person you were meant to be.
Tommy: Don't say that Zordon! This is my path! If I've done anything wrong, just tell me. I promise I'll be better!
Zordon: This is the path that I put you on. And make no mistake Tommy, you have served me and your world very well. But I...regret controlling you as much as I have. Despite everything we've done together, I do not wish my life upon you.
Alpha 5: Listen to Zordon. You always have before.
Tommy: Zordon, please, I'm begging you! I was lost before I came here. Just some aimless loner, learning karate by himself. Winning tournaments, with nothing to really fight for. You gave me friends Zordon. You gave me meaning. Don't take that away.
Zordon: I am not taking away your friends, Tommy. They will be released as well. As for meaning, I leave that up to you. Your friends seem eager to do something new.
Tommy: Aw man, I don't believe this. You can't just let go of us. What about the mission?
Zordon: I will soon ask each of you to search for suitable replacements.
Tommy: So that's it, huh? I messed up a few times, so you're just gonna kick me out?
Alpha 5: Calm down Tommy. It's not like that.
Tommy: No, I won't calm down. This is important.
Zordon: Please Tommy. Your path may very well lead you back to me. But only time will determine that. And if you do eventually return, that time on your own will serve you well as a Ranger.
Tommy: Alright, alright, I get it. Thanks for these four years. I'm outta here.
[Teleport out: Tommy Oliver]
Zordon: He did not respond as I had hoped.
Alpha 5: It's not your fault, Zordon. You raised him well.
Zordon: Perhaps too well.
Alpha 5: Ay-yi-yi. Did we really have to do this?
Zordon: I did not do this for our sake, but for Tommy's. He will find his way. He just needs a chance to do so.