Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers. I think Saban owns them again. It was Disney for a while, but whoever owns them, it's definitely not me. I also don't own any song lyrics used.
AN: Here's chapter 24! Enjoy and let me know what you think! Thanks to all the great reviews too and here's notes to those individuals:
Harry2: Yep, it's zord time. Glad you're enjoying the story.
RHatch89: Thanks, glad you're enjoying the story.
MMPRFansince93: Yep, Carly is safe and eventually, they'll find out about theri friends' captivity. And more battle scenes are ahead in this chapter and even the next!
fallingstar22: Yep, Carly is safe now. As for Ronny and Rose, we will soon see. ;)
WideOpenSpacesGirl045: You review made me smile, I'm so glad you're enjoying the story. More battle scenes ahead and I promise I haven't forgotten your story. I set aside links on my ipad of stories to read when I have time and yours is in there. I just haven't had much time to read lately. I am looking forward to yours though and I'll leave you a review when I get to it. :)
garnetred: Yeah, the poor GAMA guardians will soon realize that Gorbin is just sending them to be slaughtered...hopefully. Glad you're enjoying the story. :)
Crimson Rising
Chapter 24: Supermassive Black Hole
Oh baby dont you know I suffer?
Oh baby can you hear me moan?
You caught me under false pretenses
How long before you let me go?
You set my soul alight
You set my soul alight
(You set my soul alight)
Glaciers melting in the dead of night
And the superstars sucked into the supermassive
Supermassive Black Hole
Song: Supermassive Black Hole
Artist: Muse
Ronny and Dax found themselves hurled into the side of a building by Mantissis, while his burmites continued to cut down GAMA guardians all around. The General extracted his tail from another empty guardian uniform, having finished another meal.
"Your energy will be a most welcome addition to my supply, yellow ranger," he hissed, as his tail barreled toward the frozen Overdrive ranger.
"Stego shield!" Kat cried, as her violet shield stopped the dangerous appendage from impaling Ronny.
"Para bow…fire!" Tanya called, as she fired three green arrows at the monster. Sparks ensued, but he stood tall.
"You'll have to do better than that…rangers," he hissed.
"If you say so," Jason cried, as he charged.
"Brachio staff…saber mode!" Jason called, as his staff extended in length, a blade springing forth and he leapt into the air, slashing at the General. Mantissis parried the Gold Dino ranger's blade with his own, as they traded strikes. The Burlot slashed Jason across the chest, sending him flying to the ground, while Trini swung her Ankylo glaive, catching him in the face. He saw his yellowish blood on his fingers and growled, as he slashed viciously at the silver ranger, who managed to block him several times. But the seasoned warrior soon swept her legs out from under her. Trini landed on her back and saw the monster's blade poised to come down on her, when she heard Conner call out to the others.
"Z-Rex blaster!" Conner, Kira, and Ethan called, as they shot the concentrated beam. The bug-like warrior growled in annoyance, as he turned and held his palm out, receiving the attack, and thrusting it back, blowing the three rangers apart in all directions. They landed painfully and Conner struggled to his feet, wielding the Triassic shield. The red ranger charged, Triassic sword ready, only to be blocked by Mantissis with ease.
"Stupid child…you are no match for me," he hissed, as he batted him away. Conner rolled to the ground and started to get up, but felt the Burlot's foot on his helmet.
"Say goodnight, red ranger," he hissed.
"Think again asshole," Jason spat, as he landed a kick to his head, throwing him off Conner.
"Let's bring 'em together guys," Jason called," as he and Trent added their weapons to the Z-Rex blaster. Tanya added her bow across the head of the weapon, Kat attached her sabers on each side next to Kira's Ptera grips and Trini slammed her Ankylo glaive atop Kat's bow.
"Jurassic Canon!" they cried in unison, as they launched the concentrated blast. This one broke through Mantissis' defenses, causing a huge explosion and a cry of pain as well as disbelief from the alien general. When the smoke cleared, Mantissis struggled to pull himself to his feet and the rangers were pleasantly horrified to see one of his arms had been blown completely off and yellowish blood gushed from the open wound.
"Finish him Conner!" Jason called.
"Battleizer!" Conner cried, as his extra armor molded around his body and his canons appeared on his shoulders.
"Battle blast!" Conner cried, wasting no more time. Mantissis cried out again, unable to avoid it, and his voice was squelched with the finality of another massive explosion. As the dust and smoke cleared again, pieces of the alien littered the battlefield, as did the remains of the Tengu birds that had assisted him.
"What a mess," Kira said, wrinkling her nose beneath her helmet.
"Yeah, I miss the days when the villains we face didn't bleed, because they weren't really alive," Trini mentioned, as she felt her husband squeeze her shoulder.
"Come on guys, let's go see if Tommy and the others need help," Jason stated, as they heard a sudden clapping. The rangers turned and Kat felt her heart leap into her throat.
"Bravo rangers…I must say that I am impressed, especially with you my dear Katherine," Malcolm hissed, as several of his goons flanked him.
"Who are you?" Trent demanded, as Jason's helmet folded back.
"Malcolm Renaldi…you've got guts showing your face here," Jason sneered.
"Malcolm…as in the douchebag that's been trying to kill Kat?" Conner asked. Trini nodded.
"Relax Agent Scott…or should I say former agent Scott. I'm just here to talk to my lovely wife," he drawled sarcastically.
"Ex-wife, you bastard," Katherine spat.
"I'm warning you now, Renaldi, walk away or you'll have to be carried away when we get done with you," Jason threatened.
"I acquired these high powered blasters on the black market. I've heard they can take on aliens or even rangers. Just let me talk to Katherine and I won't have my men use them," Malcolm reasoned. The rangers looked at each other, wondering if this guy was really serious about taking them on after what he just witnessed them do to the Burlot General.
The Astro Megaship Mach II soared through hyperspace after barely escaping KO-35 alive. It carried Andros, his wife Ashley, Zhane, and his fiancé Karone. They had set the course for Eltar, hoping it was still untouched by Ivan's forces. Ooze's army had given chase, but the Astro Megaship was too fast and was able to lose them.
"Andros…we're picking up a distress signal," Zhane said, from his seat at the controls.
"Can you pinpoint the origin?" the red space ranger asked.
"Edenoi," Zhane said, as he played the static filled recording.
"We're…attack…please send…help. This is…Prince Dex…please help…" the voice pleaded.
"Prince Dex?" Ashley asked in confusion.
"Also known as the Masked Rider, protector of Edenoi. We can't ignore the call," Andros said.
"Whoa…we barely got ourselves off KO-35 alive and you want to go back into that? Ashley can't even morph with her broken arm," Zhane argued.
"We can't ignore a cry for help, Zhane," Karone said, as she put her hand on his shoulder.
"Karone is right. We're going, even if it's only to find Dex and any survivors we can and take them with us. Karone can use the pink morpher until it can be returned to Cassie," Andros said. Zhane sighed and changed their course.
Tommy felt his armor absorb most of the blow, as Datuun pounded his fist into Tommy's back. The white ranger rolled and leapt to his feet, drawing his Falcon saber to block Datuun's blade.
"You're weak, Terran ranger…simply no match for a seasoned warrior such as me," the green skinned monster hissed.
"Yeah…I've heard that line before. I defeated the ones that said the same thing and you'll be no different. You'll spill no more innocent blood," Tommy hissed back, as he delivered a flying kick to the warrior's abdomen, thrusting him back.
"Spirit Orbs!" Tommy called, as he fired several glowing white energy spheres at his enemy. Datuun growled, as he went about blocking the white ranger's attacks.
"Back off ugly…" Aisha growled, as she kicked the ooze henchmen back and used her telekinesis to lift them off their feet.
"Hey Sha, set them down over there!" she heard her husband called. She sent the creatures sailing into the street, her eyes wide, as she saw her husband lift a car with his bare hands. The two foot soldiers landed at Rocky's feet in a heap. They growled and started to get to their feet, but the red ranger ended their pitiful existence by dropping the car on them. Aisha grimaced at the disgusting crunching and squishing sounds, as purple ooze slowly leaked out from beneath the trashed car. Rocky leapt over the car and joined her, as more creeps surrounded them.
"Man…where do these things keep coming from?" he asked, as one swiped at them. Rocky grabbed their oozing dreadlocks and slammed them together, knocking them into a dazed heap at their feet.
"You're having way too much fun with your super strength," Aisha chided.
"It's awesome!" he cheered.
"Hey Ad, how about a little target practice?" Rocky called, as his best friend, ooze covered boots and all, made his way through the creatures, them dropping around the advancing black ranger.
"Sounds like a plan. Ready when you are," Adam called. Aisha rolled her eyes, as Rocky grabbed one by the dreadlocks and threw him into the air. Adam fired his axe canon and watched the creature explode, raining ooze down on them.
"Aww…gross you guys!" Aisha complained, as their suits were covered in ooze now.
"Okay…maybe that wasn't the best idea," Adam stated.
"Don't be a pansy…it's just a little ooze. Do it again," Rocky said, as he tossed another into the air by its dreadlocks. Adam made the shot, raining ooze down on an unsuspecting Billy and Kimberly, as they arrived to the battlefield via teleportation.
"Ooohhh…" Adam winced.
"ROCKY!" Kim shouted, as she looked at her ooze covered uniform.
"Sorry Kim…" Rocky apologized, as he grabbed another ooze soldier and beamed him into the side of a delivery truck, splattering his remains all over the side.
"He's having way too much fun with this," Adam complained, as he fired, taking potshots at more of them.
"Tell me about it," Aisha said, as she and Billy sliced through a few more, as Kimberly fired her arrows and blew them back with her crane call. Finally, they seemed to stop coming and they joined Tommy, who was struggling against the far superior warrior known as Datuun. Adam, Billy, and Kimberly advanced first, armed with their weapons, but with a swipe of his blade, Datuun slashed all three, first throwing Adam into a nearby park bench. He backhanded Kimberly, sending her rolling to the ground and kneed Billy hard in the abdomen, causing him to double over in pain. Aisha, Rocky and Tommy attacked before the green skinned warrior could use his blade to end the blue ranger, but found themselves tossed away like rag dolls.
"This isn't working," Rocky groaned in pain, as he picked himself up.
"No kidding…we need a new strategy," Tommy said, as he held his chest in pain, even as he pulled himself to his feet.
"So far, Phoenix fire and the power blaster are the only things that have killed any of these creeps," Adam mentioned.
"Yeah, but we can't rely on Hunter all the time to face the Duronians and this guy is stronger than the last," Billy said.
"Power blaster is worth a try though," Kimberly agreed, as they prepared to bring them together. Suddenly, several of Datuun's energy blasts unearthed the ground beneath them.
"I've grown tired of this rangers and my Master has ordered the destruction of this pitiful city," Datuun said, as there was a sudden flash in the sky, as flying fighter jet sized, piloted by various foot soldiers, numbering in the dozens and quickly growing began firing on the city.
"Shit…get the zords and head them off!" Tommy called, as they watched the Duronian General board his own craft and fire directly at them.
"Hayley…please tell me the zords are the way…" Tommy called into his phone.
"They're on the way…" Hayley responded. As she said that, the eerie howl of a wolf sounded, as the wolf zord ran through the streets of San Angeles.
"I'll go find Jason and the others. We're going to need Dino zords too, Hayley," Billy called into his phone, as he boarded the wolf zord
"Carly has that covered for me, they're on the way too. She's quite handy at the controls," Hayley mentioned. The other Ninja zords roared and cawed, as the others disappeared into beams of teleportation, reappearing in the cockpits of their respective zords.
"Okay, Kim and I will take down what we can in the air. You three blast whatever makes it past us," Tommy called, as he fired a round of Falcon missiles. Kim backed him up with crane lasers, pink energy blasting through enemy piloted ships.
"Look Malcolm, you're the least of our problems right now. Get lost or risk getting caught in the crossfire," Jason warned.
"I'm just here to talk to my wife," Malcolm said, feigning innocence with a smug look on this face that Kat wanted to scratch off. Removing her helmet, letting her blonde hair fly free in the evening breeze, she glared daggers at him.
"Ex-wife, you bastard and you are in no position to make demands any longer. I let you hurt me too many times…for too many years, but that's never going to happen again. Your small potatoes compared to what we're dealing with now," Katherine spat.
"I'm ashamed I ever let you do the things you did to me," she added sadly.
"Don't be Kat…none of that is your fault and if Mr. Fancy pants doesn't get his rich boy ass out of here, I just might forget he's not one of Ooze's goons," Tanya spat.
"It's okay T…I'm not afraid of him anymore. He can't hurt me," Kat stated. Malcolm smirked and snorted.
"You really believe that? You're going to hide in that suit forever now?" he taunted.
"I'm not hiding. I've been chosen by the power to protect the Earth from evil and that includes you. I forgot that, because you tried to destroy everything I was…but you couldn't. And now you'll never hurt me or Aiden ever again," Kat said, finally standing up to him.
"That's my girl," Tanya cheered.
"You stupid whore…you think I can't hurt you anymore?" Malcolm spat, getting a crazed look in his eye, as he drew one of the blasters he talked about and fired. But Kat's Stego shield absorbed the laser fire. Jason shook his head in amusement, as he saw Billy's wolf zord arrive and the blue ranger jumped down from the cockpit. Startled by the large zord before him and the advancing ranger, he fired his gun on instinct. Billy scoffed, as the laser bolts bounced harmlessly off his ranger armor.
"Please, it's ranger armor, moron. Anything on the black market was created by amateurs with no knowledge of how to break through the morphing grid," he spat, as he removed his helmet. Billy suspected that GAMA did have weapons they were working on to break through their ranger defenses, but he knew that anything on the black market was nothing that could harm them as long as they were morphed.
"We've got trouble and we need the Dino zords," Billy informed, as they observed the alien fighters.
"The Brachio is on its way with the other zords and it seems that this Brachio zord has been upgraded. There's a warrior mode now so it's no longer just a carrier zord," the voice of Carly Cranston sounded through Billy's phone, which he had on speaker.
"That was fast. You read through zord specs already?" he asked, impressed by his cousin.
"Duh…I am your cousin, genius," came the sassy reply.
"I think I'm going to like that girl," Tanya mentioned.
"Let's go," Jason said, as they ignored the confused and gaping billionaire gangster.
"This isn't over Katherine!" he called, but found himself ignored again.
"It is over if you know what's good for you," Billy said, glaring at him from the base of the wolf zord. Malcolm smirked.
"I'm not afraid of you ranger. I know your code and it doesn't allow you to use your powers for personal gain, especially against your own kind. Fortunately, I don't follow the same idiotic code," Malcolm hissed. Billy shook his head.
"Oh I'm not going to blast you to bits like I could, that's too easy, though it would be quite entertaining," Billy said, with a chuckle.
"It would be like child's play for me to hack into your accounts and send all your precious money bouncing around so many banks that you'd never find it all," Billy threatened.
"You don't have the guts," Malcolm spat, though losing his fortune was positively his greatest fear.
"Leave Kat and Aiden alone or you'll be poor as a mouse," the blue ranger warned, before he took to the controls of his wolf zord and headed off to battle.
"Whoa…check out the giant scorpion," Dustin said, as they arrived in downtown Blue Bay Harbor, at least what was left of it. The sheer destruction was disheartening, especially since it had occurred in just minutes.
"So…how about those zords," Shane suggested. Hunter nodded.
"They're on their way," Hunter replied, indicating the sky, as the wind suddenly picked up. A massive crimson bird flew above them and cawed loudly.
"Dude…that thing's huge!" Dustin cried.
"That's just the carrier zord. It's large enough to accommodate space travel, according to my Uncle, and has firepower of its own. But a smaller version for planetary battles is inside with the other zords," Hunter explained.
"I'm not impressed very often…but wow…" Cam said, taking in the technological wonder before him. Hunter smirked.
"Just wait until you see the other zords," he promised, as Blake teleported in.
"Whoa…looks like I'm just in time," the Navy Thunder ranger said. The ramp dropped on the underside of the Phoenix carrier zord and six smaller zords descended. Leading them was a smaller crimson version of the Phoenix zord, outlined in gold, with an impressive wing span of its own. Following it was a spiraling, spindly navy and chrome dragon zord. Cam's was next and he got the first look at his green and white snow leopard lined in chrome as well. The hawk, lion, and dolphin zords looked similar to their old zords, but slightly larger. Like the other new zords, their colors were muted and the zords had a more chrome-like appearance.
"Whoa…talk about a zord upgrade. No offense Cam," Shane said in awe.
"None taken," Cam replied, his amazement equal to the red ranger's.
"Let's go," Hunter called, as they disappeared into six beams of colored light and each rematerialized in the cockpit of their respective zords.
"This is awesome!" Dustin called, as he took the controls of his new Lion zord, taking point, and charging into downtown. Scorpitron curled its tail and fired purple blasts of energy, causing Dustin's zord to shudder violently.
"Try this on for size, bug breath. Lion lasers!" he called, as he fired yellow energy blasts. The mechanical creature screeched and tromped toward the lion zord, raising its tail to strike.
"Not so fast ugly," Blake called, as his navy dragon roared and breathed navy lightning on the creature. It hissed and roared angrily in response, shooting more lasers, narrowly missing the hawk zord and instead hitting a skyscraper in the business district behind him, causing the tall building to explode and collapse.
"Damn…we need to end this little creep. I have an idea. Tori, hose him down with a water attack!" Cam called.
"One Tsunami…coming right up," Tori called from the controls of the dolphin. The tail of her zord swished and a wave of water doused the creature. Cam's snow leopard ran gracefully through the abandoned streets of Blue Bay Harbor and he shot and ice beam at Scorpitron, causing the water on and around him to freeze, effectively making him immobile.
"That was brilliant, Cam. He's toast now," Hunter called, as he took hold of his control yokes and pressed the red buttons atop each, breathing crimson fire down on the ooze powered creature. It exploded in a brilliant explosion, even its debris turning to ashes as the Phoenix fire swallowed it completely.
"YAY!" the six of them cheered from the cockpits of their respective zords.
"He was a nasty little shit," Shane mentioned.
"Yeah and I have a feeling he was just the tip of the iceberg…look," Cam called, as they saw a large figure appear before them as the smoke cleared.
"It's a zord…" Tori said.
"It looks like Toxa…" Dustin mentioned. He was right, as they noticed the zord held a likeness to her
"You'll pay for destroying one of my father's zords…" Toxa growled from the cockpit of her zord.
"Yeah, we'll see who pays when we take this up a notch," Hunter said, as a gold and crimson disc appeared on his console.
"You guys got your power spheres?" he called through the comm system. He received confirmations, as each of them received the gold power spheres with their respective colors emblazoned on them.
"Locked and dropped," he heard them call, as he placed his in the slot and turned the handle.
"Locked and dropped. Hurricane Inferno Megazord sequence initiated!" Hunter called, as the transformation began.
"Navy dragon…warrior mode!" Blake called, as his zord folded into the warrior version, reminiscent of the same kind of transformation the red dragon thunder zord had once gone through and looked very similar to the red warrior mode, just now navy and chrome in color. The Lion zords reared back on its haunches, folding into one leg, while the Lion head and attached to the shoulder of the navy dragon warrior. Cam's snow leopard reared back onto its haunches as well, forming the other leg, as the navy dragon warrior's legs slid into the more powerful legs. Tori's dolphin zord slid over the other arm, forming the right arm of the Megazord. The hawk zord docked and formed around the head, its wings giving a helmeted appearance, much like it had when forming the Storm Megazord of old. Finally, Hunter's Phoenix circled and docked, the bodice fazed inside the zord, becoming the cockpit. The head of the Phoenix appeared on the chest of the Megazord, while the wings locked into place on the back. The six of them converged into the main cockpit with Hunter.
"All right…let's see what this baby can do!" Dustin said excitedly. Hunter unsheathed the Phoenix saber and slid it into the slot on his controls to the hilt. A zord sized Phoenix saber shimmered to life in the Megazord's hand, cracking with crimson thunder.
Toxa launched a purple energy beam at them, taking them by surprise and nearly toppling the megazord. She cackled from the cockpit of her zord and launched another, but they were ready this time. The Phoenix wings wrapped around the front of the zord, creating a shield that sent her blast back at her own zord. The ground shook violently, as her zord fell on a building in the warehouse district.
"Oooh…she's gonna be pissed when she gets back up," Shane joked. Hunter smirked.
"Then let's piss her off even more. The Phoenix saber can channel all our elements. Focus yours into the colored panel in front of you," Hunter instructed, as he channeled crimson thunder and fire into the console. The others did the same and the saber glowed with power.
"Hurricane Inferno strike!" they called, as they slashed at Toxa's recovering zord. She growled and ejected, as the zord exploded and she faced them herself in an enlarged form.
"I won't be so easily defeated as my zord was," she hissed, as purple lightning erupted from her fingertips and struck the Megazord.
"Shields down to seventy percent," Cam called.
"Stabilizers are kicking in and auto repair is on," Blake informed, as he checked his controls.
"We have more than enough power to take care of you," Hunter told her, as they saw a Duronian appear atop the flat roof of a tall building near them.
"If you're so confident, then you'll let you friends battle Toxa and you'll face me, Phoenix ranger," he called out. It was General Xerxes. Hunter glared and extracted the Phoenix saber, before sheathing it on his back.
"This console allows the Megazord to use any of our weapons to fight," he said, as Shane left his console and took point.
"We got this. Go take care of the green goblin down there," Shane assured him, as his hawk blaster transformed into sword mode, allowing Shane to slide it into the designated slot. An enlarged version appeared in the Megazord's hand. Briefly, Tori's visor slid open, as she grabbed her love's arm. Hunter's helmet folded back, as their eyes met and she kissed him.
"Be careful," she whispered. He smiled and nodded.
"You too," he replied, as he disappeared into a stream of teleportation and landed atop the building just a few feet away, ready to face Xerxes.
"Prepare to meet your end, crimson ranger," Xerxes stated, as he drew his blade. In a flash, Hunter's helmet enclosed his head once again, as he drew the Phoenix saber from the scabbard on his back.
Hunter disappeared into his Ninja streak, as the clanking and scraping of blades, as he went head to head with the General…