A/N: I'm back everyone. Sorry this update took so long; and after that last cliff hanger I left, I can only imagine your frustration. Well, I have finally started my freshman year of college, so I'm getting into the swing of living with my obnoxious roommate, developing a healthy sleeping schedule, writing long papers and most importantly, learning to deal with living without my parents around. The anxiety, stress, nervousness, and tears have finally stopped, and I am actually enjoying myself for a change. So, what better way to celebrate getting over my first week of college than with an update?
REMINDER:
- This story is an AU. It follows the events of the series; but for the sake of my O.C. Molly, the time frame in which each season of Power Rangers has lengthened. So yes, this story does take place during the season of Dino Thunder, but everyone's ages have been altered to better fit this original idea of mine. If you can't accept that, you might as well click away now.
- I have switched Tommy's profession to history at this point because I am HORRIBLE at science & chemistry and felt that writing about history would be a lot easier. Plus, I think that studying dinosaurs and fossils leans more towards the history side of the educational world.
- Tommy x Kimberly are the main pairing of this story, but there are SEVERAL other pairings that will be used during the course of this story as well. For starters, Hayley and Tommy are a couple when this story begins. As with most romances, theirs is going to take a while to blossom. So don't expect things to be all "sunshine and rainbows" in the beginning.
- Although I edit this story frequently, I do tend to make a few mistakes. So if you spot them, KINDLY let me know and I will take care of the issue immediately. Insulting my intelligence or skills as a writer for such minor mistakes is not only rude, but I will not tolerate it.
- Most importantly, I have made this story a personal challenge for myself and have written it ENTIRELY in the present tense so it seems like the story is happening right before your very eyes. It has proven to be a difficult challenge, but fun nonetheless. So I hope you guys like it too.
Disclaimer: I do not own the popular television series Power Rangers, which is based off of the Super Sentai series that air in Japan. I do not own the rights to any of the show's characters that are used in this story. Both aspects are being used for entertainment purposes only. I am the creator of Molly Hart, Samara and Austin Scott, and all other original characters featured in this story. The plot of this story was also developed by me. DO NOT REPRODUCE ANY ASPECT OF THIS STORY. Thank you.
"Luna and Inferna"
Luna and Inferna are two beauties, just as their sisters had been during their previous trip to earth. Luna's bright yellow hair is gathered in a partial ponytail atop her head while the rest of her curly locks cascade down her back and shoulders. She is wearing a cocktail martini dress that is the same shade as her hair, the stretchy material hugging her body so close that there is barely any extra fabric to grab onto. Both of her arms are exposed, the skin decorated with foreign, purple marks and swirls that coordinate with the black and purple pumps on her feet. Inferna's bright orange hair is similar to the flames of a blazing wildfire, sprouting from her scalp almost like the mane of a lion. She is wearing a spaghetti strap orange top beneath a black leather jacket, a skin-tight miniskirt in a dark shade of gray wrapped around her waist and thighs. To complete her look, she is wearing thigh-high black boots.
Inferna crosses her arms across her chest as she watches Luna finish of her electrocution spell that had rendered Kimberly unconscious. The brunette is lying in a heap on the ground, her legs bent at an awkward angle and the ends of her messy ponytail singed. Her body twitches a few times as Luna pulls her hands back and smiles, satisfied with her work.
"That was much easier than I initially thought. She didn't even put up a fight."
"Don't be so smug Luna. You caught her off guard. That is the only reason it was so easy for you. Had she morphed using her powers, things would have been much different."
"Why must you always ruin my good mood?"
"Stop your whining." Inferna snaps. Angry at being insulted, Luna raises her palms towards her sister as they begin to glow yellow with an electric spell. Just before she can fire, Inferna throws her own hand forward, cutting the attack off before her sister can do any damage. Luna scowls at the orange-haired beauty before crossing her arms across her chest.
"You're no fun to work with. I can't wait for Kitana to heal up so we can go back to being partners. She's way more fun to work with."
Inferna rolls her eyes before walking towards Kimberly and nudging the unconscious Pink Ranger with the toe of her boot. When Kimberly gives no response, she sighs before turning back to Luna. "I think she tried to contact someone before you zapped her. The other Power Rangers are probably on their way here to check on her."
All animosity gone, Luna nods her head as she remembers their mission. "We have to get her back to the Master quickly. It's the only way to get in their good graces."
As the two witches get to work summoning enough energy to create an escape portal, Hayley walks out of the sliding cafeteria doors and begins heading for the parking lot. She has managed to calm down a bit since storming off and away from Tommy earlier, but she still can't shake how upset she is. Everything between her and Tommy had been seemingly wonderful. They were living together, working as mentors to the Dino Rangers, and they were happily in love. Had she been a delusional fool to think that she could replace Kimberly in his heart? The veteran ranger and paleontologist had told Hayley about his failed romance with the Pink Ranger at least three times in the many years that she had known him; and when he revealed that he had finally made peace with how things ended between them, she though Kimberly had been erased from his life for good. She should have known that the revelation that the two former Mighty Morphin Power Rangers had conceived a child together was a bad sign.
"Hayley, is that you?" a voice comes from behind her, causing her to pause her stride. Hayley recognizes the voice instantly and turns around, a fake smile plastered on her face to hide all traces of pain from her eyes. Doctor Duncan approaches her wearing his surgical scrubs and lab coat, a protective hair cap on his head. "It really is you. Small world, huh?"
"Hey there David." Hayley says as she wipes at the mascara staining her cheeks. "I never imagined I'd be running into you here. Then again, I shouldn't be surprised. You are the head surgeon at this hospital."
"It's good to see you again Hayley." he says as he offers her a concerned gaze. Hayley quickly looks away, not wanting to show her friend her pain, but he has already seen it. "You've been crying. What's going on?"
"I'm fine David." Hayley says quickly, an exasperated sigh escaping her lips. "I just want to go home and crawl into bed and sleep. It's been a rough day."
"Let me walk you out?" he suggests. She offers him a nod, thinking it couldn't hurt to let him accompany her.
The two of them head for the main entrance in silence, Doctor Duncan sparing the occasional glance in her direction as they head out into the April afternoon. The sky has started to cloud and David's thoughts drift towards the weather channel he had been watching before getting called back in to work. A storm was brewing on the outskirts of town and would undoubtedly reach them within the hour.
"You never did answer my question earlier." he speaks up suddenly, causing Hayley to look at him out the corner of her eye. "You have obviously been crying. What happened?"
"My soon to be ex-boyfriend's daughter is here in the hospital. You probably operated on her - Molly Hart?"
"Wait a minute, you wouldn't happen to be talking about that spiky-haired prick you dumped me for last year, would you?" he asks as they stop walking. When Hayley doesn't respond, he can't help but to smirk. "Well, what happened with you two? Last I had heard, you were the perfect couple - happy and in love, building a future together. I guess things lost their shimmer, huh?"
"You know what David, drop the sarcasm. Can't you see how much this is hurting me?"
Doctor Duncan reaches a hand out and rests it on her shoulder giving her a gentle squeeze. "Look, you can't say I didn't warn you, because I did. I knew that guy was going to break your heart and now look at you? You're way too smart for him anyway Hayley. Find yourself a guy who actually appreciates your smarts, your beauty."
"What, like you did?" Hayley asks with a roll of her eyes. Doctor Duncan drops his hand from her shoulder and rolls his eyes. "Oh please Hayley. I have long since moved on from what we have and I'm very happy with Carrie. I actually plan on proposing to her in just a few short weeks. Look, just because I don't want to be with you, that doesn't mean we can't be friends."
Before Hayley can answer, she can hear the sounds of two women shouting echoing throughout the parking lot. She begins looking around, confusion on her face when suddenly, she sees a bright yellow spark shoot up into the air coming from the right exterior side of the building. Hayley begins jogging towards the light, curiosity overcoming her, Doctor Duncan the furthest thing from her thoughts. He prepares to follow after her, but is stopped by the beeping of his pager, signaling that he is needed in the emergency room. He spares one final glance at the burgundy-haired woman before turning and heading back inside.
As the shouting of the two women gets louder, Hayley slows her pace before peering around the side of the building. She gasps when she spies Luna and Inferna arguing with each other, an unconscious and bruised Kimberly laying on the ground between them. Hayley immediately concludes that the two of them are Comdrites when she sees how strikingly similar they look in comparison to Nebia and Kitana from footage of yesterday's attack. For some reason, they had attacked Kimberly; and as much as Hayley can't stand the woman, she knows she can't allow her to be taken.
Luna and Inferna stop their arguing, Inferna holding a hand up to silence her sister as she raises her wrist up to her face. Hayley can clearly make out a communicator of sorts attached to her wrist. "Empress Rita, we have Kimberly within our possession. We will be returning to the Mothership shortly."
"Excellent job Luna." Rita's screeching voice comes through the speaker. The Master wants you to bring the helpless Pink Princess back to base where you will receive further instructions. We'll be waiting."
Inferna ends the communication link before crouching down to gather Kimberly in her arms. Thinking quickly, Hayley runs around the side of the building and calls out to them. "Hey you two, what do you think you're doing?"
"Why look Inferna, it's an earthling." Luna says in amusement. "I take it Kimberly is a friend of yours?"
"Hardly - she's done nothing but cause me trouble since she came to town." Hayley admits as she skids to a stop a few feet away from the two witches. Luna raises her hand into the air to summon her magic staff before grabbing its hilt with both hands and aiming its tip at Hayley. Realizing that she is defenseless, the genius grabs a large rock from the nearby rock bed and holds it tightly in her hand.
"You have some nerve standing up to me." Luna says with a laugh. "What do you say we cut this conversation short?"
Before Hayley can make a move, Luna fires two electric blasts at the poor human, zapping her with a high voltage of electricity. Hayley screams as her body convulses painfully, an extreme warmth zipping through her veins and dragging pain through her body. When Luna draws back, Hayley falls to the ground, her body shaking from an aftershock. She moans before rolling onto her side, wincing as her skin aches in protest.
"What do you say we have a little fun before we go?" Inferna suggests before setting Kimberly back down on the ground. Luna raises an eyebrow as her sister walks past her and summons her own staff. "It's been so long since we've had a helpless civilian try to take us on. Let's make the most of it."
Molly's head lolls to the side, a goofy expression on her dazed face, as her nurse finishes inserting a syringe filled with heavy duty painkillers into her I.V. She winces, a moan escaping her lips as she turns her head towards the other side of the room where Tommy and the others are standing, worry on their faces. As the teen squeezes her eyes shut, Tommy uses all his will power to stay glued to the spot.
"Is she going to be alright?" he asks while Trent nods in agreement, neither of them liking the current situation.
"Oh, she'll be just fine." The nurse reassures them, a teasing tone to her words. "The pain medication I've given her his strong enough to make her forget she's in pain for a while, but it's going to make her a bit loopy. I must say, I'm impressed she's even awake right now. She should be knocked out cold."
After checking the teen's vitals one last time, the nurse nods at Tommy before leaving the room to make her next set of rounds. Once she's out of sight, Tommy walks over to his drugged-up daughter and smooths down the stray hairs on top of her head. The teen's eyes flutter open at the sudden contact and she starts giggling.
"Hi daddy!" she says cheerfully, her voice like that of an energetic four-year-old. "Have you seen my puppy? His name is Albert!"
"Hey there kiddo." Tommy says as he does his best to suppress his own laughter. "You need to relax now and try to get some sleep, okay?"
"I'm not sleepy daddy." she whines in protest as she shakes her head, the whole action making her dizzy.
Before he can argue with her, his communicator goes off. Suddenly on alert, the others crowd around him as he holds the wristwatch up to his face. "This is Tommy."
"Tommy, you and the others need to get outside. Hurry!" Kimberly's voice comes through the communicator. Before he can even question what is happening, the sounds of Kimberly screaming can be heard, followed by and electric zapping sound. The communication link then dies, leaving Tommy and the others in shock.
"Kimberly? Kimberly, answer me! What's going on?" At this point, the Black Dino Ranger has gone into full panic mode.
"Where did Kimberly go after you all went out in the hallway?" Katherine asks as she turns to Trini and Jason.
"She said she needed some fresh air." Jason says as he checks the straps on his Zeonizer. "Let's go."
"Mom...?" Molly's soft voice echoes throughout the room. "Where are you?"
Tommy turns to Samara and places a hand on her shoulder, all the while trying to maintain his cool. "I need you to stay with Molly please."
Samara doesn't argue and moves to sit beside her best friend, taking her hands into hers and giving them a gentle squeeze. Tommy then motions for the others to follow after him as they rush from the room.
Inferna smirks inwardly as she fires another blast from her staff, throwing Hayley helplessly across the lot and into the side of the building. Hayley is covered in scrapes and bruises and blood is running down the side of her face from a wound to her temple. Miraculously, the genius is still awake and barely hanging onto life as she manages to look up at her attacker. Amused by her strength, Inferna uses her right hand and manipulates the gravity around a group rocks in the flowerbed below the burgundy-haired woman. Thrusting her arm forward, the stones strike Hayley, increasing the bruises and welts on her skin.
"Nice shot." Luna compliments her sister as she stands guard over Kimberly. "You've been improving."
"Hayley?" Tommy shouts as he and the others finally reach the scene. They skid to a stop when they notice the new Comdrites and the Dino Rangers' technical adviser pinned to the wall.
"Look sister dear, more humans." Luna says in amusement as she grips her staff tightly in her hand. "They must have come to save their friends."
"You've got that right." Rocky says as he sizes up and glares at the two of them. "Release Hayley now Carrot-Top."
"Ooh, that's original." Inferna says jokingly before turning her staff on the Red Zeo Ranger. Rocky begins to flail his arms when Inferna uses her staff to spell him, the Hispanic man lifting off of the ground as he begins to float. Aisha and Katherine grab onto him as they try to stop him from floating any higher, but Inferna increases the durability of her spell and forces them away as she lifts Rocky high enough that the others can't grab him.
"I suddenly have a fear of heights." Rocky says as he kicks his feet, desperate to get back down to the others. "Get me down guys, hurry!"
"Well, you two must be Comdrites." Tommy says as he recognizes their faces. Although their hairstyles are different from Nebia and Kitana's, they both have the same faces - the face they share with Astronema / Karone.
"I am Inferna, the witch of the wind, and my yellow-haired companion is my sister Luna - the witch of light."
"Inferna, don't waste your time entertaining these fools." Luna argues as she plants the end of her staff firmly on the ground, her other hand going to her hip. "We have to get the Pink Ranger back to the Master!"
At the mentioning of the missing Pink Ranger, Tommy begins looking around for any signs of the brunette. When he sees her in a slump on the ground, he feels his blood boiling with rage. He runs for her, determined to get her away from the Comdrites, but he is blown back by a strong gust of wind that sends him rolling across the pavement. Katherine forgets about Rocky when she sees Tommy on the ground, and she rushes to his side to help him sit upright.
"Did you seriously think you could just waltz over here and take her?" Luna asks with a laugh. "We won't make it that easy on you."
"What do you want with her?" Tommy asks as he wipes the blood off the small cut on his lip. Katherine helps him to his feet as Luna moves to stand in front of the unconscious Kimberly, blocking her face from view.
"That is for us to know and for you to find out later. The Master is very interested in the Pink Ranger and her capabilities. He wants to meet with her personally."
"Like hell he will." Tommy shouts angrily as he stands to his feet. "You aren't going anywhere. Dino Thunder, Power Up! Hah!"
Tommy morphs into the Black Brachio Ranger in a matter of seconds and raises his arms in defense while the other rangers line up beside him.
"Let's do this guys." Conner says, taking the lead for this mission. "Dino Thunder, Power Up! Hah!"
"White Ranger, Dino Power!" Trent shouts.
Katherine nods to the rest of the rangers as she prepares her Zeonizers. "It's Morphing Time! Zeo Ranger One, Pink!"
"Gold Ranger Power!" Jason says as he swings his arms in front of him.
Excited to finally be fighting as a Ranger again, Trini grabs her old morpher while Aisha takes on the Turbo Morphing Stance, taught to her by Tanya the day before.
"Saber Tooth Tiger!"
"Shift Into Turbo - Dune Star, Turbo Power!"
The six rangers morph into their suits in a bright flash of rainbow-colored light before taking on various fighting stances and staring the two Comdrites down. Intrigued at the sight of the alliance of rangers, Inferna smirks.
"Quantrons, come forth!" she shouts as she holds her right hand up to the sky. In a matter of seconds, a large group of Astronema's former foot soldiers is summoned to the parking lot, their metal helmets and bladed weapons reflecting against the afternoon sun.
"What are those things?" Aisha shouts as the Quantrons release a battle cry and charge towards her and the others like a stampede. "They definitely aren't Putties."
"Looks like we'll have to defeat them the old fashioned way." Jason shouts over the commotion. "Let's wear them down until they retreat."
Agreeing with this plan, the rangers split off as they begin to attack the Quantrons, doing their best to avoid being hit by their bladed weapons. Trent and Conner team up using the Tyranno Staff and the Drago Sword, in addition to their super speed abilities to best the Quantrons. The two teens thank God that their speed is enough to keep them out of harms way, and in less than five minutes, they manage to defeat eight of their fleet of twenty.
Aisha and Trini also decide to team up together, the veteran Yellow Rangers relying on the Power Daggers and Turbo Star Chargers to fend off the Quantrons' weapons. Trini moves her arms about quickly, the blades of her daggers sparking against the saw-like weapon in her enemy's hands before dropping down into the splits to avoid being struck. Quickly, she brings her legs together before executing a sweep kick and knocking the Quantron on its back. She springs back up and jumps into the air, doing an aerial split, as she kicks the blades of two more Quantrons out of their grasp. She then brings her daggers down on the shoulders of both enemies, smirking as they disappear in a flash of light. Aisha is fairing just as well against her opponents, only using her Star Chargers occasionally to do away with them. For the most part, she is using her own personal acrobatic and dancing skills to take the foot soldiers out, a method that is proving to be very effective.
Lastly, Jason is taking on his opponents by himself, not needing help from the others and determined to restore his confidence after being humiliated by Scorpina the day before. Meanwhile, Katherine decides to stay by Tommy's side, knowing that the Brachio Ranger could make a bad call in judgment out of his concern for Kimberly. Summoning her Zeo Power Disk, she holds it in her hands as she stares Luna and Inferna down.
"We have to get Hayley and Kimberly out of here now." Tommy says. "Do you think you can take on Luna? She's tough, but I think Inferna has a shorter fuse."
"I'm on it." Katherine says with a nod of her head before running towards the yellow-haired witch. Tommy stands upright before walking towards Inferna, doing his best to remain intimidating. He stops just a few feet in front of her, raising his arms in defense, as he begins to circle around her. He stops for a split second before charging towards her like an enraged bull. He swings a right hook towards her face, but Inferna surprises him as she catches his fist mid-swing before kicking him in the stomach.
"Didn't your mother teach you to never hit a girl?" she teases before using her staff to blow Tommy back with another wind spell. Before he can recover, she catches both his feet, the wind clasping around his ankles like invisible hands, before tossing him across the lot. "You don't know who you're dealing with Black Ranger. Give up while you still have the chance!"
"Has anyone ever told you you talk too much?" Tommy asks before standing up quickly and kicking the staff from her hand. Hayley hits the ground almost instantly, the energy from the staff no longer in tact, as she curls up into a ball and whimpers. Tommy then hooks Inferna across the face before kicking her with a roundhouse kick. The witch hits the ground, cursing under her breath as Tommy runs past her and gathers Hayley in his arms.
"Hayley, are you alright?" he asks as he stares at her in fear. When he sees her eyes peek open at him, he breathes a sigh of relief. She parts her lips to speak, but he shakes his head, not wanting her to strain herself with words. "You're going to be okay Hayley, I promise."
Thinking quickly Tommy looks towards Katherine who has used a large energy blast from her Zeo Power Disk to counter one of Luna's electricity spells. The yellow-haired witch is struck by Katherine's attack, a scream ripping through her throat as her body surges with pain. As she falls to the ground, Katherine forces her disk back into hiding before looking towards Tommy.
"You have to get Hayley and Kimberly out of here now." he shouts to her. The Pink Ranger nods, understanding the urgency of the situation as she moves over to Kimberly. Tommy watches as Katherine shakes the other Pink Ranger's shoulder, but Kimberly is still knocked out cold.
Tommy looks towards Luna and gasps when he sees that she has recovered from her injuries and is summoning a large spell. Before he can call out to Katherine, a blur of red slams into Luna, knocking her away from the Pink Zeo Ranger. Tommy smiles at the sight of Conner holding onto his Tyranno Staff. He swings his power weapon around like a baton before standing protectively in front of Katherine and Kimberly. Angry over having been interrupted, Luna takes hold of her staff and charges towards Conner. The Red Ranger raises his staff and swings it towards her, but she manages to block it, a loud clanking sound echoing off the surrounding walls. The two of them then begin to swing both their staffs about, eager to get the upper hand over the other, but it would seem that they are evenly matched. For each swing, there is a block, and neither of them seems to be getting anywhere. With this in mind, Luna decides to switch things up. Just as Conner swings at her again, she cartwheels out of the way before dropping down into the splits just as Conner's staff swings over head.
"Nice try slow poke." she teases before grabbing both of his legs between her own and tripping him. Conner falls to the ground but recovers quickly, swinging his staff down at the ground to try and hit the light witch, but Luna has already rolled out of the way by the time he attacks. Just as he prepares to get back on his feet, Luna strikes him with an energy blast. Conner screams as a bolt of lightning passes through his body before he curls up into the fetal position.
"Oh God, that really stung." Conner hisses as he squeezes his eyes shut in pain.
"If you thought that was bad, just wait until you see what else I have in store for you. You're going to be burnt to a crisp by the time we're through."
Conner opens his eyes and weakly takes hold of his Tyranno Staff as he struggles to regain his composure. Blocking the pain from his mind, he stands to his feet and runs towards Luna. He swings his staff, just as he has done plenty of times since they had begun fighting, but he switches tactics and spins around, swinging his arms with great force. As a result, his Tyranno Staff smacks Luna in the back of her head. She stumbles forward, her vision clouded with dark spots as she tries to straighten herself out. Angry over being hurt, she grabs the end of Conner's staff and smirks before sending an electric shock through the metal weapon. Conner cries out, dropping the red staff to the ground as his hands suddenly burn. Luna then seizes the opportunity and takes hold of the abandoned Tyranno staff.
Realizing that his weapon has been taken, Conner quickly moves on to plan B. "Super Dino Mode!" Luna watches with interest as the two-dimensional white spikes on Conner's suit suddenly become three-dimensional, jutting out the sides of his suit and surging with power. "Say your prayers Luna!"
Using his super speed, Conner zips towards Luna and punches her square in the gut, the tip of one of his suit's spikes piercing through the skin of her abdomen. Conner then lets out a yell as he kicks her in her chest with enough force to send her airborne and crashing into the side of the hospital. The bricks of the building dent and crumble at the impact, forming a large hole in the side of the rehabilitation wing. Luna lifts her head weakly, blood oozing from a wound on the back of her head and staining her yellow locks a deep crimson. She growls angrily before standing onto wobbly legs, but she is taken back by surprise as Conner uses his super speed to close the space between them. He then strikes her across the face, her head snapping violently to the left as a loud ringing sounds in her ears.
The yellow-haired beauty spares a glance towards Inferna who is just now recovering from Tommy's roundhouse kick, the orange-haired witch standing to her feet and throwing an energy blast towards the Brachio Ranger and Hayley. Tommy manages to grab Hayley before they can be hit, the two of them rolling across the pavement and out of the way. Tommy says something inaudibly to Hayley who manages to crawl away from him as he summons his Brachio Staff and charges towards Inferna to wear her down. It is obvious that her sister won't be of much help to her now.
Luna turns her attention back to Conner before raising her arms above her head, a large ball of sparking, yellow energy forming. Her arms begin to feel heavy as she realizes that she has used far too much of her magic. Knowing that she only has one shot, she throws the energy orb at Conner. The Red Ranger uses his super speed again and moves out of the way, much to Luna's dismay, and the orb is hurled into the crowd of Quantrons still battling the other ranges. Nearly thirty of the foot soldiers are destroyed by the blast.
"You see Luna, you aren't as fast as you originally thought." Conner says with a smirk as he begins walking towards her. Desperate to save herself, Luna's hold on the Tyranno Staff tightens as she stands to her feet and runs towards Conner. She uses the rest of her magic to charge the Tyranno Staff with another lightning attack, but before she can strike the Red Ranger, he quickly moves out of the way before stepping behind her, wrapping his arms around her neck in a choke hold. The witch drops his staff, sending it clanking to the ground, as her hands move up to try and pry Conner's arms from around her throat. She gasps as she struggles to breathe, and Conner's grip tightens as her vision becomes clouded again.
Suddenly, she finds herself free as Conner pushes her down to the ground, but before she can recoil, she finds the end of his Tyranno Staff right in her face. She slowly lifts her eyes to look at the Red Ranger and swallows a lump in her throat as he glares down at her.
"Tell the Master that should he decide to go through with is plans to destroy the earth, he'll be facing the wrath of the Power Rangers - and you can tell your friend Nebia that she will pay dearly for hurting Kira. Now, leave."
"With pleasure." Luna spits before disappearing in a flash of yellow light.
Conner looks towards Katherine who is sitting with Kimberly's head lying in her lap. He jogs over to the two of them before crouching down and examining Kimberly's injuries. He then looks up to lock gazes with Katherine. "Are you two alright?"
"We are thanks to you." Katherine says with a smile. "You really held your own against Luna. Tommy has definitely trained you well."
"Come on, we should get Ms. Hart back inside." Conner says as he scoops Kimberly up into his arms, amazed by how light she feels in his arms. Motioning with his head for Katherine to follow him, the two of them run over to where Hayley can be seen pulling herself up with the help of a bench. When she sees the Red Dino and Pink Zeo Rangers, she smiles with relief.
"Hayley, are you okay?" Katherine asks.
"I'll be fine." Hayley says, ignoring the metallic taste of blood in her mouth. "What about the two of you?"
"Never better." Katherine says before slinging the woman's arm around her shoulder. "Come on. We have to get you and Kimberly out of here."
Trini runs towards an approaching fleet of Quantrons and smirks as she holds her arms out to the sides. As she runs past the fleet, her daggers strike them, causing five of her opponents to drop to the ground in defeat. Just as she turns around to attack again, another Quantron appears from behind, grabbing her in a Full Nelson. Trini cries out in anger as she tries to pull herself free, but the Quantron's grip tightens as she puts pressure on the back of her neck, feeling tears stinging at the corner of her eyes, Trini is forced down onto her knees, her Power Daggers falling from her grasp.
Hearing his wife cry out, Jason turns around and growls at the sight of her being overpowered by one of the Quantrons. He runs to aide her, but skids to a stop as seven more Quantrons materialize in front of him. Holding onto his Golden Power Staff, Jason swings at the blockade in attempt to break through, but they manage to block his hit with their weapons.
"Trini, hang on!" Jason shouts as he hears her cry out again, but he is thrown back by two of the Quantrons using their weapons. As he hits the ground, Jason can hear the sounds of approaching footsteps from behind him. A hand rests on his shoulder and he looks up, smiling when he sees Adam standing above him.
"What are you doing here?" Jason asks as Adam helps him onto his feet. He then sees Tanya, Billy, Ethan and Justin standing beside him.
"The alarms started going off in Tommy's lab back at the house." Adam explains. "It took about ten minutes for us to figure out how to pull up a viewing image and another five to shut the alarms off, but we caught visual of you guys being attacked by the Comdrites and came to help out. We managed to get a hold of Billy and Ethan along the way."
"And it's a good thing too." Ethan says. "Those Comdrites can be pretty tough to deal with."
"We're down to one it would seem." Justin says as he points across the parking lot to where Inferna and Tommy are busy dancing about with their staffs. "As for these Quantrons, there seems to be no end to them."
"Let's help them out then. Come on guys, it's morphing time!" Adam flicks his wrists, as well as Tanya and Billy, as the three of them summon their Zeonizers. Justin and Ethan lift their sleeves to reveal their morphers as well."
"Zeo Ranger two, yellow!"
"Zeo Ranger three, blue!"
"Zeo Ranger four, green!"
"Shift into Turbo - Mountain Blaster, Turbo Power!"
"Dino Thunder, Power Up! Hah!"
The five rangers quickly morph into their power suits and waste no time joining in on the Quantron Battle. Justin whips out his Auto Blaster and open fires on the foot soldiers, smirking as several explosions begin erupting throughout the area. Adam and Tanya follow suit, using their Zeo Blasters to take out the sea of Quantrons around them. While Billy helps Jason take down the barricade of Quantrons in front of them, Ethan uses his Tricera Shield to barrel through the blockade and quickly goes to Trini's side.
Inferna growls angrily as she struggles to cast another wind manipulation spell to capture Tommy; but with several years of martial arts training and ranger fights under his belt, the Brachio Ranger has managed to adapt to the repetitiveness of her attacks and is dodging them easily. Tommy spares a glance at Rocky who is still being held above ground and realizes that Inferna must be struggling to hold Rocky in containment while attacking her, leaving her at half her fighting capabilities.
"Well, it would appear I have chosen the weakest of the Comdrites to battle." he says with a smirk, eager to cause her to slip even more than she already has. "Come on Inferna, is the best you can do?"
"What did you just say to me?" she snaps, her teeth grit in anger.
"You heard me Inferna - you're weak. I must commend you though for lasting this long. Your friend Luna already ran off with her tail between her legs, leaving you all alone. Some sister, huh?"
"I don't need that light bright to help me. I am much stronger than she is!"
"It seems to me that you're all bark and no bite." Tommy says before rolling out of the way of another attack. "All you can do is levitate me and my friends up into the air or blow us away with wind spells. Luna's powers were far more interesting. I mean, she can electrocute me and my friends with ease. She has you beat."
Inferna's face reddens as she clenches her fists down at her sides. She didn't much like being teased by the Brachio Ranger and her anger has neared its breaking point. Throwing her hands up above her head, she begins to mutter a spell in some ancient language, moving her arms in a circular motion above her as though she is stirring the air. Tommy's smile fades as the sky suddenly darkens as though a storm is approaching. The wind begins to pick up as the area grows cold, leaves and debris blowing across the ground as thunder begins to roll in the background. As the Brachio Ranger looks up at the sky, he is struck by fear at the sight of a funnel cloud beginning to form.
Conner jogs out the back entrance doors, having finished helping Katherine get Kimberly and Hayley inside. He pauses when he sees Tommy staring up at the sky before lifting his own head and seeing the horror taking place. "What the hell is that?" he shouts as he runs over to Tommy.
"She's trying to create a tornado. In a small space like this, it's bound to be catastrophic." Tommy says. "We have to stop her before she finishes the spell."
Conner and Tommy stand side by side as Tommy summons his Brachio Staff back to his hands. He can feel the staff shaking with power as he summons an energy orb, Conner taking a step back to avoid standing in the way. Inferna glances at the two rangers as she continues to form her tornado attack, curious as to what is going on. Conner suddenly rushes towards her using his super speed and she can't help but to laugh at his stupidity. Is he really going to attack her head on?
Dropping one of her hands from her creation, Inferna pushes Conner back with a strong gust of wind. Thankfully, Conner's super speed manages to keep him grounded, and he finishes closing in on her. He swings a right hook at her, striking her in the jaw and causing her teeth to slice painfully through her tongue. Before she can even recover, Tommy throws his energy orb attack right at her, getting a direct hit. Inferna falls to the ground, hitting her head, and Rocky also makes his descent. The Zeo Ranger lands on his knees and takes a shaky breath as he thanks God he is back on the ground.
He spares a glance towards Inferna, sprawled out on her back, as she disappears in a flash of light in defeat. "Thank goodness. I was starting to get airsick up there."
Tommy and Conner look around as the fleet of Quantrons disappear in a flash of light as well, their mission no longer serving purpose without one of the Comdrites around to command them. Realizing that they are finally out of harm's way, Tommy commands for everyone to power down.
"Is everyone alright?" he asks as the other rangers approach him, Rocky and Conner.
"Never better." Tanya says as she gives Tommy a thumbs up. "Those Quantrons were a lot stronger than Cogs, but they were still no match for us."
"Wait a sec, who's this?" Tommy asks as he stares at Justin.
"It's Justin." Adam says with a smile. "Dimitria and Alpha managed to track him down and told him about the Master's plans. He showed up at your place this morning and decided to tag along to help."
Tommy's face is suddenly filled with joy as he moves over to the Blue Turbo Ranger and gives him a hug. "Man Justin, you've really grown up. It's so good to see you."
"I'm glad to see you too." Justin says. "I would have never guessed something like this could happen after the Astro Rangers destroyed Zordon's energy tube and saved the world from Astronema. I was hoping we could all enjoy our retirement, but it looks like we were wrong. Adam and Tanya brought me up to speed and filled in the blanks that Dimitria missed. I'm so sorry about your daughter Tommy."
"Thanks Justin, that means a lot." Before the two of them can finish catching up, Tommy's communicator goes off. Curious as to who can be on the other end, the other rangers crowd around him as he answers. "This is Tommy."
"Tommy, it's Andros. The Megaship's sensors picked up on the attack in Reefside and I wanted to make sure that you guys are okay down there."
"We're doing fine Andros, no worries - but we did just face off with two more Comdrites, Luna and Inferna. They weren't nearly as hard to take down as Nebia and Kitana, but they did put up quite the fight." Andros is silent for a minute and Tommy raises an eyebrow with concern. "Is something wrong?"
"Tommy, I have to talk to you about something important. It has to do with my sister."
A/N: And so ends another chapter. It looks like Luna and Inferna demonstrated some great power, but it still wasn't a match to Nebia and Kitana's. What about Hellina's power? She has been noted as being the strongest of the Comdrites, so her abilities are more than like incomprehensible; and what of the Master's desire to kidnap Kimberly? Could it have something to do with the Pink Dino Gem? The answer to these questions and more will be revealed in the next couple of chapters. Until next time guys!
-KairiAngel13
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