Disclaimer: I do not own, or claim to own, or desire to own or make any money off the Power Rangers concepts and characters presented in this story. While the main characters and situation are new, and the timeline of this story differs from the television show, the majority of this stuff is owned by Saban and Disney (cause Disney owns everything). Any character you've never seen on screen is mine.
Power Rangers: Geo-Force
Chapter 25: Beak and Claws, Hooves and Horn
Craig Kingsley, the new Black Geo-Force Ranger, struggled in the grip of the Biorg, Cephalorax's vine-like tentacles. The nearly seven foot tall creature was probably the most hideous thing Craig's father, the twisted bio-cybernetic mutant Dr. Jackson Kingsley, had ever created. Cephalorax was a combination of advanced cybernetics and mutated plant, human, and animal, specifically squid, DNA. It looked like something out of a Lovecraftian nightmare. And, it was crushing the life out of Craig, even through his Ranger armor. As he struggled, Craig wondered if every Ranger had this rough a first day on the job.
"We've got to get him loose!" yelled Andrea Eastman, Geo-Force Yellow Ranger.
"Power strikes?" suggested the Green Ranger, Conrad Mason.
"We can't risk it, we might hit Craig," replied the team's leader, Red Ranger Tyler Forge.
"Any other ideas?" asked Nia Chen, the Blue Ranger.
"I have one," spoke up the new White Ranger, Craig's twin sister Melissa. "Tidal Bow!" With that command, a silver and white recurve bow appeared in her hands, her Power Weapon. She touched the bowstring, and a glowing silver arrow appeared. She drew and yelled, "Craig, head right!"
Craig responded to his sister's command by tilting his head as far right as it would go, in the same instant Melissa released the arrow. Craig's movement exposed just enough of Cephalorax's head. The arrow impacted with a small explosion. It didn't seem enough to do the Biorg much damage, but caused it enough pain to drop Craig, who jumped away and joined the other Rangers.
Craig looked at his sister, "Thanks sis."
"No problem," the White Ranger responded.
"Chat later guys, here he comes," interjected Tyler. "Power Weapons everyone! Inferno Sword!" In a flash of fire, Tyler created his long sword.
A shaft of water shot from Nia's hands and solidified, "Tsunami Lance!"
A green flash accompanied Conrad's manifestation of his weapon, "Quake Hammer!"
Sparks of lightening jumped from Andrea's hands as she called for the "Tornado Sais!"
Craig seemed to pause for a moment with uncertainty, looking at the other Rangers. Then, it suddenly seemed to hit him and he yelled, "Nova Sabers!" In flashes of golden light, twin black-handled, gold-bladed short swords appeared in his hands.
Cephalorax was on them. The Rangers counter-attacked with their weapons. Nia and Andrea tried a double team with sais and lance, but the Biorg blocked Nia's attack with the thick scales on the back of his forearm, and covered Andrea's helmet in a burst of thick ink, then knocked both of the girls away. Conrad rushed in and smashed Cephalorax in the chest with his hammer. Cephalorax staggered and Tyler leapt in, slashing with his sword, severing several vine-tentacles. But he wasn't able to get clear fast enough, as Cephalorax backhanded him. Tyler went flying and smashed through the cab of a large forklift parked nearby. The Biorg then lashed out at Conrad with vine-tentacles . . . as the ones Tyler had severed grew back. Conrad blocked with the handle of his hammer, and Cephalorax's tentacles wrapped around it, but then the Biorg channeled huge amounts of energy through the tentacles and into the hammer, and therefore into Conrad, who was knocked back by a series of small explosions.
In a gurgling voice, Cephalorax said, "That just leaves the newbies," and advanced on Craig and Melissa.
Craig jumped in front of his sister, "Missy, get to somewhere you can fire at it safely!"
"No need," Melissa responded as, with a flick of her wrist, her bow's string retracted. She leapt up and over her brother, coming down with a powerful slash to Cephalorax's torso. What the other Rangers had assumed was just silver edging on the outside of her bow was actually a blade, and Melissa now wielded the Tidal Bow as a double-bladed, one-handed sword.
Craig joined his sister, slashing away with his twin short swords, until he realized that he could link the two swords together by their pommels and use them as a short double-bladed lance.
Unfortunately, the twins were not fast enough to do Cephalorax any real damage. The mutated squid DNA used in its creation gave the Biorg hyper-accelerated healing. Every cut closed almost as soon as it was made. Every severed tentacle growing back almost instantaneously. Finally, in massive strikes of tentacle and claw, Cephalorax sent the Black and White Rangers flying.
The Rangers, including a de-inked Andrea, regrouped.
"We're not getting anywhere! It heals too fast," announced Craig.
"Well, there's one way to hurt it a lot all at once. Let's bring 'em together!" Tyler commanded.
"Quake Hammer!" Conrad threw his weapon into the air, where it transformed into a barrel, handle, and base.
"Tornado Sais!" Andrea's twin weapons attached to the hammer face, above the handle/barrel.
"Tsunami Lance!" Nia split her weapon in two. The blade ends attached to the sides of the hammer, creating two side barrels.
Tyler leapt up, "Inferno Sword!" He locked his sword flat side down on top of the assembled weapon, dropping back down to the ground with it in his hands.
Suddenly, Craig announced, "We're with you! Nova Sabers!" He attached the swords to each other, the edge of one connected to the flat of the other, then turning the edge-on blade's handle down.
Melissa added, "Tidal Bow!" connecting her weapon to the linked sword.
The other Rangers looked as Melissa took the new weapon and Craig took up a position behind her, hands on her shoulders. "Spirit Crossbow!" the twins announced in unison.
The four original Geo-Force Rangers followed up with, "Quadra-Force Cannon!"
As one, the six Rangers yelled out, "Fire!" as Tyler and Melissa pulled the triggers. Two titanic spheres of energy erupted from the weapons; one a mingling of red, green, yellow, and blue; the other a swirl of silver and gold. Both spheres slammed into Cephalorax with a massive explosion, as the cannon and crossbow broke back into their component parts.
In his hidden layer, Doctor Kingsley watched Cephalorax's destruction. "Not so fast children. There's one more upgrade you haven't seen yet." He pressed a button in the arm of his throne.
In response to a remote signal, deep within Cephalorax's cybernetic skeleton, a vial of a green, luminous substance was ruptured. The serum flooded through the Biorg's remains. The Rangers turned to the sound of a roar, and witnessed Cephalorax reform and expand to a hulking forty-story height.
Tyler didn't even blink, "Geo-Zords, Arise!"
The Fire Drake, Auroch, Thunderbird, and Leviathan Geo-Zords, titanic mechanized battle machines, appeared and the Rangers leapt into their respective cockpits.
Tyler started to issue the command to form the Megazord, but was interrupted when his Fire Drake Zord was caught in the grip of Cephalorax's vine-like tentacles. The Biorg channeled massive amounts of energy through those tentacles. Systems all over the Fire Drake sparked and shorted.
Over the comm-link, Tyler could hear Conrad yell, "Let go of him!" as the Auroch Zord charged. However, the Auroch was never able to connect with Cephalorax, because the Fire Drake connected with it first, as the Biorg threw one Zord into the other.
On the ground, Craig and Melissa stood by, watching. "We've got to help them!" yelled Melissa.
"I know! Do we have Zords?" responded Craig.
Suddenly, over the communicators built into their helmets, a voice neither of them recognized said, "Yes, you do." Suddenly, information flowed across the inside of their visors.
Craig looked to the sky and yelled, "Gryphon Spirit Zord! Arise!" It seemed to explode out of the sun. The giant mecha had the gleaming gold head, talons, and wings of an eagle, fronting the powerful body of a black lion.
Melissa looked to the horizon and called, "Unicorn Spirit Zord! Arise!" A flash of silver-white light answered her, and the sound of massive hoof beats. From over the horizon, the massive silver and white equine mecha galloped. And from its forehead extended a powerful silver horn.
The twins leapt to their respective cockpits. "Hang on guys," Craig called over the comm-links, "Spirit Zords to the rescue!"
The Gryphon dove, banked, and slashed Cephalorax with its powerful talons, then cleared out as the Unicorn charged in, planted its fore hooves, spun, and delivered a thunderous double rear hoof kick to the Biorg, which sent it flying. However, Cephalorax wasn't down for the count, and the twins weren't done yet.
The Gryphon flew up, and Craig commanded, "Mega Solar Flare!" The Zord opened its beak and a ball of golden plasma, like a miniature sun, built up and launched into Cephalorax. The Biorg staggered again and came away smoking.
Melissa was close on her brother's heels with "Mega Lunar Slice!" The Unicorn's horn built up a tremendous charge of silver energy, and then it reared up on its back hooves, threw its head forward, and sent a curving blade of energy right into Cephalorax, cutting the Biorg deeply and knocking it down again.
"Now sis, while it's down," Craig called over the comm-link, "Spirit Megazord Mode!"
The Unicorn's head separated as its body began to fold and transform, becoming a pelvis and legs. The Gryphon head folded in as the rest of its body transformed, becoming a winged torso, the lion hind legs becoming arms. The Gryphon locked down on the Unicorn, and then the Unicorn's head locked down, transforming into a helmeted head for the Megazord.
In their joint cockpit, Craig and Melissa, the Black Ranger and White Ranger, stood side-by-side at their control crystals.
"Spirit Megazord online and battle ready!" Craig announced.
"Mega Spirit Lance!" Melissa commanded. The Megazord brought forth its weapon, a lance composed of the Gryphon's lion tail, tipped with the Unicorn's horn.
Cephalorax was now on its feet again, and seeing the new Megazord, charged. Craig and Melissa intercepted the charge with two quick slashes of their lance. Cephalorax staggered back.
"I am getting sick of looking at this thing!" Melissa said.
"Then let's finish it!" answered Craig.
Together they commanded, "Karmic Strike!" The Megazord opened its wings and leapt into the air, charging the Mega Spirit Lance as it went. At the apex of the leap, it held the Lance up and the sun and the moon seemed to lend it their power. The Spirit Megazord dived Lance-first into Cephalorax, destroying the Biorg in a massive release of energy. When the smoke cleared, the Spirit Megazord stood majestically alone.