Thank you to everyone who reviewed, and extra thanks to those who sent me birthday wishes, those were unexpected and really sweet of you guys :)
I'm glad you're not all hating on Kira and are understanding where she's coming from, it means I got it across as well as I'd hoped-her desperation, her commitment, and her desire to help. I had a few inquiries as to why her scene with Kaylee was never shown like with the guys, and, well, since I did say something bigger and better was behind all of this, read on to figure out just what the hell went on last chapter.
Trust me ladies and gents, I don't disappoint :)
Here goes Death of the Dino, Part Two.
Death Of The Dino, Part Two
I will be, all that you want, and get myself together
Cause you keep me from falling apart
All my life, I'll be with your forever
To get you through the day, and make everything okay….
Conner's eyes fluttered open, and he squinted as his eyes adjusted to the light in his room in his groggy state. He frowned. He could hear music, but couldn't quite discern where it was coming from.
I thought I had everything, I didn't know what life could bring
But now I see, honestly, you're the one thing I got right
The only one I let inside, now I can breathe cause you're here with me…
He recognized that voice-it was Kira's. Coming to his senses, he looked around frantically, suddenly realizing that song was his ringtone. He found his phone amongst the papers on his desk-which, he realized, he was sitting in front of. Clearly, he'd fallen asleep at his work last night. He pushed the answer button on his phone, bringing it to his ear. "Kira?"
"Close, but no cigar, Jockboy. Kaylee," the Green Ranger's voice floated to him over the line, and his shoulders sagged. "You forgot you changed the ringtone to every caller again, didn't you?"
"Shut up, Kaylee," he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "What's up?"
"Have you, um, have you seen Kira? Recently? Like, last night?"
His mind suddenly flashed back to last night, how he'd been working his butt off on Hayley's research involving Mesogog's invisiportal network and the new vehicle she was constructing. Then he saw Kira, sitting on his desk, wearing that outfit, leaning forward to kiss him and had to screw his eyes shut and think of something to stop his mind from replaying the rest of his dream. Damn you, imagination. He cleared his throat, uncomfortable. "I may have, um, dreamt about her. Funny, huh? I fell asleep over my research and stuff. Why do you ask? And why are you using our cell phones instead of-"
"Conner, you weren't dreaming. And judging by my phone calls to the others, she visited you last."
"What?" he shot forward in his seat, sitting straight up. "What are you talking about, Kayl?"
"Look at your wrist, tool. Anything missing?"
He complied, and brought up his left wrist to take a look-and nearly dropped his phone. "M-m-my Dino Gem is missing!" Suddenly, a thought struck him, and he grinned, his smile stretching from ear to ear. "Holy shit, Kayl, I wasn't dreaming."
"Only you could be happy at a time like this. And I'm sure I know why…"
xX-Death-of-the-Dino-Xx
"Where's Kaylee?" Ethan asked, walking into the Dino Lab to be faced with the other guys and Hayley, but not the girl who had called this meeting.
"She'll be here soon," Hayley said, not turning away from her computer screens to look at him. He took a seat with the rest of the guys, making a half circle at the base of the steps.
"So, how'd she do you in?" Trent asked, and Ethan suddenly looked like he wanted to be crawled into a corner.
"Um, just…just knock-out spray," he sighed, and Trent and Conner attempted not to laugh. "Yeah, I know, laugh at the little guy who didn't fight back."
"Not like you're the only one, bud," Conner shrugged, looking rather relaxed, leaning back in his chair with his arms folded behind his head. A lazy smile wove across his lips.
"I'm sure you did your best, Ethan," Dr. O reached over to pat him on the back, and it brought a slight smile back to the Blue Ranger's lips.
"So…that's it, then? She got all the gems?" Trent shook his head. "She fooled all of you?"
"Don't act like you're so special, dude, you fell first," Conner chuckled, grin stretching from ear to ear as he leaned back further into his chair. Beside him, Ethan's brow curved into a frown and he reached over, thumping the Red Ranger in the shoulder hard enough to send him onto the floor. "What the hell, Ethe!"
"I don't understand why you're not freaking out about this like the rest of us," Ethan glowered. "Kira, our Kira, knocked all of us, stole our gems, and bought them back to the very freak we've been fighting for months now! Instead you're sitting there, grinning your ass off, focusing on…" He paused, his angry frown switching to a confused one. "On what, exactly?"
"She kissed me," Conner winked at the Blue Ranger, pulling himself back onto his chair. "Kira kissed me. More than that, in fact. She basically made out with me, sitting right here." He tapped his lap. "Tell me that doesn't mean something." His grin never faded as Ethan rolled his eyes, and both Dr. O and Trent face-palmed. But it was Kaylee's voice that managed to make that grin disappear, smacking him across the face with reality as she descended the stairs into the lab.
"She was lying, McKnight. Playing you to get what she wanted. Grow up." The boys' collective jaws dropped as she stepped into the lighting of the Dino lab, revealing her entirely black attire. What looked like black combat boots, black jeans, a thick black belt complete with the same hip-pack Kira had been wearing, and a long-sleeve black shirt adorned the petite girl, the only source of her assigned color being the green streak barely visible in her ponytail. Memories from his "dream" flooded back to Conner, who had to screw his eyes shut in an attempt to chase them away. Bad imagination, bad.
"What…what are you wearing?" Ethan spoke first.
"Something perfect for a break-in," she responded, none of her usual bubbly energy contained in her voice. The Dino Rangers exchanged glances, looking confused, while behind her, Dustin, wearing his Earth Sensei uniform, came into the Dino Lab, grinning sheepishly. "Or a break-out, depending on how you look at it."
"What are you talking about, Kaylee?" Conner frowned.
"That's Commander Kaylee to you," she grinned, hands on her hips, managing to look intimidating from her small stature as she regarded her four teammates. She stepped around their chairs, taking the tiny steps two at a time to stand beside Hayley, peering over her shoulder. "Is everything ready?"
"What?" Dr. O practically choked out, standing up from his seat and looking at his long-time friend. "You…you knew what this is all about? You didn't-" but suddenly he stopped talking, his breath hitching in his throat when he spotted the green gem firmly strapped into a plain black bracelet around Kaylee's left wrist that he hadn't noticed when she came in, too perplexed by the outfit. "Kaylee…your gem…" The others noticed it then, too. "But…your phone call… you said Kira came to you first."
"Commander Kaylee," she corrected, turning to face them again as she pulled her regular Dino Bracelet from her hip-pack, switching the gem from one to the other. "And yes, she did-with a plan," she replied. "Not a threat." Her smile practically lit up the room, showing them the bubbly girl was still underneath all that black. "And this really pretty replica of my gem that Hayley here made."
xX-Death-of-the-Dino-Xx
The previous evening…
"Tori, you come home early?" Kaylee frowned at the silhouette.
"Close," Kira's voice met her ears, and her eyes went wide. She dropped the hoodie from her hand, taking a step forward. "Don't." She complied, freezing, watching her best friend carefully. "I think you should take a seat…we need to talk."
And so she did, sensing something was incredibly off about this whole situation, and fearing the worst. She took a seat beside Dustin, whispering to him. "What's going on?"
"No idea," he shrugged. "Went to the washroom and when I came back she was here."
Kaylee tried to pick out her friend in the darkness of that corner, her eyes slowly adjusting, and noticed she was wearing something completely un-Kira-like. "Did you get turned into some freaky 007 Agent? Because it's rude to not have invited me."
"I know this is going to sound weird, but you're going to have to look at each other and talk, not me," Kira told her, but Kaylee hesitated, confused. "Please, just trust me, Kayl." The Green Ranger's fists clenched, and Dustin reached out to clasp his hands around hers, calming her down like he'd done on the park bench.
"Trust you? What I should do is come over there and slap you silly for running off the way you did!"
"I know, I know. It was stupid. But…now I have a chance to make it work in our favour."
"What?" both Dustin and Kaylee's brows creased in confusion.
"I'm supposed to be retrieving the Dino Gems for Mesogog, using them as an exchange for Hunter."
"Is…is that why you're here?" Kaylee squeaked, the very thought of having to fight her best friend being a real drag.
"If that were the case, don't you think I'd of done it already instead of tell you about it?" Kira chuckled. "I'm not one of the bad guys, Kaylee. I don't tell you my master plan before getting my ass kicked."
"Really? Because you kind of look like one." A small smile. Kira deemed it progress. "Why are you sitting in the dark?"
"Mesogog is using those freaky psychic cameras of his to monitor my progress," she began explaining. "They pick up video, but not audio, so…"
"He doesn't know you're here, does he?" Kaylee chanced a look away from Dustin and over to her best friend, and found a slight smile directed at her through the shadows. She watched as Kira reached into a pack at her hip, procuring what looked like a green Dino Gem. Kaylee frowned, looking back to Dustin to keep up the appearance. "What's that?"
"This, is your Dino Gem."
"Um, no it's not," Kaylee corrected, tapping the one on her wrist bracelet. "This is." It was Dustin that caught on first.
"Unless she means that that is the one she's giving to Mesogog."
"Correct," Kira nodded. "I'm leaving it here while I go and…get the others." The pain was evident in her voice. "It's going to have to look like I really betrayed you guys, so, please don't think bad of me for how I get them from the guys."
"It's okay," Kaylee shrugged. "Now what about mine?"
"While I'm gone, I want you to switch yours out with this one so that when I come back to you, last, I'll be stealing the fake. And we'll have to make it look as real as possible."
"Does that mean I get to hit you?" Kaylee bounced in her seat, making Kira laugh.
"Yes. Yes it does."
"Alrighty then, I'm sold. But…when I'm switching my gems, won't Meso-dork see me do it on his freaky little cameras?"
"Pretty sure he'll be watching me take on the guys at that point."
"Okay, then what?"
"Phone up Hayley, she's come up with the rest of the plan already. Most of it, actually," Kira admitted, slipping off the table to stand, leaving the green gem behind. "Let's just say we'll all be paying Mesogog a visit soon enough."
"Oh, oh, oh!" Kaylee raised her hand, but Dustin grabbed it, reminding her she was talking to him, and not the hidden Kira. "Do I, um, do I get an outfit like that? Something totally cool and 007-like?"
"Ask Hayley. I'm sure she can string one together for you, Kayl," Kira shook her head, grinning.
"Oh, oh! And can I call myself Commander Kaylee?" she asked, dropping her voice a pitch to make it sound more serious. "I'll be just like in the spy movies!"
"Dustin, no more Mission Impossible marathons with her, alright…?"
xX-Death-of-the-Dino-Xx
"So I laid low, did the switch and waited for her to come back," Kaylee finished explaining, grinning at the dumb-founded look on most of the guys' faces. "We staged a pretty wicked fight, if I do say so myself. I got to punch her, which was fun. And then I waited until morning to call you guys, and set up the meeting."
"So you lied too?" Conner asked, looking hurt that he'd discovered that whole scene with Kira had his house had in fact been just that.
"Acted," Kaylee corrected him. "We both did. Otherwise Mesogog would've known when he watched her on his freaky mutant camera things." She turned to Hayley, giggling. "I like being all 007, it's really fun!"
"Yeah, Kaylee, you deserve an Oscar or something," Ethan stated, sarcastic in tone, stepping forward. "But what the heck do we do now?"
"That's where I come in," Hayley finally turned to look at the boys, spinning in her chair. Her eyes flickered to Kaylee. "The VelociHummer is ready." She tapped a button on the keyboard and suddenly, the biggest screen in the lab displayed an image of a large, black, armoured Hummer. The computer model rotated, displaying the raptor-like designs painted in dark grey on both sides of the vehicle, just barely visible.
"What the hell is that?" Conner stared, eyebrows raised, but it was Ethan, jaw hanging open, who stepped forward, eyes wide in wonder.
"I feel like I'm Bruce Wayne, and Lucius Fox has just presented me with the army prototype that will become the Batmobile," the boy said, practically salivating. "But instead of being all bat-like, it's all Velociraptor-like… Hayley, have I told you that you're my hero?"
"Yes, but it's nice to hear more than once," she smiled. "Wait until you hear what it's going to be used for."
"BOOM!" Kaylee threw her arms up into the air, abandoning her Commander attitude for a moment before she cleared her throat, folded her arms behind her back, and looked down at her teammates. "Now, we're on a tight schedule, folks. Because once Meso-dork realizes my gem is a fake, things are going to get uglier than him."
xX-Death-of-the-Dino-Xx
Kira peeked around the corner, down the hall, looking left and right for any signs of Tyrannodrones, or Mesogog himself. When she spotted nothing, she darted down the hall, slipping through the door on the right, hoping to God she wouldn't find trouble in the room with Hunter's cage. Thankfully, it was empty save him, who looked up at the sound of the door, his eyes widening.
"You're back!" he shuffled to the bars of the cage, leaning against them and reaching out as she stepped up, their fingers intertwining. He spotted the gems at her waist and his gaze softened. "Kira…you didn't. I hoped Mesogog was lying when he came to taunt me about it."
"It's okay," she whispered, leaning close enough to kiss him between the bars. "I promise everything's going to work out. Trust me?"
"With my life," he nodded, caressing her cheek with his rough fingertips.
"I'll be back, okay? We're getting out of here." She turned away, and he watched as she reached out, touching a button on the panel on her way out. He saw the invisiportal he'd become quite familiar with flash for only a second, and knew she'd re-opened. For what reason, he wasn't sure, but he had a bad feeling as he watched her walk away, the doors sliding shut behind her.
She calmly made her way across the hall and through the next set of doors, expecting Mesogog to be waiting there for her. When she found only the civilian Elsa still strapped to the table, she grinned. Perhaps her luck was looking up. Quickly, she hurried over to the woman's side, shaking her awake.
"Elsa… Elsa, I need you to listen to me," Kira pleaded, eyes darting to the door, trying to listen for any movement beyond it. Finally, the woman's eyes opened, and she groggily looked up at the Yellow Ranger with a frown. "You locked Hunter in that cage, and I'm really hoping sapping your powers hasn't sapped your memory. So I need you to tell me how to get him out."
The woman stared at her curiously for a moment, as if contemplating whether or not it was worth it. Kira groaned. "Please, you owe me that much. I wouldn't be in this position if it weren't for your evil scheming ass." This seemed to spark recognition in the woman's eyes, because her frown faded into a look of guilt.
"I'm sorry," she breathed, fidgeting against the straps that were holding her down. "It…It should be in my pocket, on this side. A key with a circular end. But it requires a charge, and I can't…" she trailed off, sighing as Kira plucked the key from her.
"It's okay, I got it covered," she nodded, slipping the small key into her hip-pack.
"What are you-" But the doors slid open then, revealing Mesogog as he strode in. Kira stood at attention, while Elsa seemed to shrink away.
"You've returned," he hissed, his tongue flicking out as he approached his precious machine, his eyes never leaving the Yellow Ranger. "You have them?"
She stepped back from the table, revealing the five shinning gems at on her belt, and the one on her wrist. "They're all here."
"Excellent," he slithered closer to her, reaching out, but she backed away, shaking her head. "Clever girl, keeping them clossse."
"I'm not stupid," she spat. "I may have betrayed my friends, but I was aware from the beginning you weren't to be trusted."
"Unfortunately for you, there's no escape," he hissed, and she yelped as Tyrannodrones grabbed her from behind. "Take her gem! Get it away from her!" he yelled, and in seconds, the gem was wrenched form the bracelet on her wrist, allowing him to attack her with his mind, bringing her to her knees, cursing. He walked over, a low growl in his throat. "Poor Yellow Ranger," he snickered, leaning down and ripping the other gems from their secured slots on her belt. "So much work for nothing at all." He stood up, marvelling at the six gems in his possession. "Dump her with the Thunder Ninja. She'sssss of no use to me anymore."
She fought halfheartedly against the grip of the monsters, but knew it was of no use. Once they were out the door and in the hall, she gave up, preferring to let it happen. Fighting her way out now wasn't going to benefit the plan whatsoever. Hunter looked up as the Tyrannodrones brought her in, but his face fell immediately, graced with the sight of Kira dragged in by the T-Drones, Dino Gem-less.
"Oh, no, Kira…," he sighed, sad eyes watching his girlfriend as they came closer. He stood up, fists clenched, lightning crackling at his fingertips, but the Tyrannodrones hissed angrily, pulling her back a little.
"Let it happen," she told him, shaking her head. "Trust me, remember?"
After a moment, he nodded, abandoning the lightning and stepping back. One of the Tyrannodrones stepped forward, towards the lock, and for a moment, Kira held back laughter, picturing a T-Drone operating a key. But then she realized, as it reached its arm out, that the top of its claw fit neatly into the lock. A small shock of lightning descended its arm and the door clicked, swinging open. "No wonder I couldn't freaking get it," Hunter muttered as they pitched Kira forth into the cage, and he caught her. "You alright?"
"Better now," she replied, curling up in his arms, struggling to retain the composure she'd fought so well to maintain the last twenty-four hours. She pulled the key she'd gotten from Elsa from the hip-pack, twirling in between her fingers, examining the small piece of metal. The tip was jagged, and she realized it didn't look much like a key at all.
xX-Death-of-the-Dino-Xx
"At lassst, my machine is complete," Mesogog smiled, placing the six gems on the front console of the machine into the respectful spots. "With these gems, my creation will reach full power, and all of Reefside will be transsssformed! After I have won rule over the former humanssss, I will extend my reach to the rest of the world!"
He pulled the lever on his transfiguration beam, firing it up, watching as one by one, the gems began to glow, their power being sucked upwards to fuel his machine. Black, White, Blue, Red, Yellow and lastly-sparks cascaded over the machine, the level snapping back up to its standby position.
The glow of the gems faded, one by one becoming just a bunch of coloured rocks like the green one. And in that moment, Mesogog realized he had been played. A furious roar ripped past his throat and into the air.
xX-Death-of-the-Dino-Xx
"You shouldn't of done this for me," Hunter told Kira, stroking her hair, but she looked up, eyes glistening, and all argument faded as she reached up, running her thumb along his cheek with care.
"She hurt you," Kira whispered. He frowned, because her words sounded a little off. He shook it away, figuring he was imagining things. "Because of me. I had to save you."
"And look where that plan got you," he shook his head, kissing the hand that touched his face. "You're stuck in here with me."
"Not quite," she offered him a grin, and for a moment, he thought he saw something flash behind her teeth, but didn't have time to ask as a furious roar broke through the air, and Kira leaned forward, crashing her lips onto his. Hunter responded eagerly, but barely had time to realize what was going on as the door slid open, and Mesogog stood there with two Tyrannodrones, seething.
"BRING HER!" he bellowed, and the Tyrannodrones obeyed, shuffling forward and opening the cage again. They reached Kira and wrenched her away from Hunter, who tried to stop it from happening, but was beaten back. Her reassuring smile was the last glimpse he caught of her before they dragged her out, the door sliding shut behind them. And then, he realized a metallic taste had filled his mouth.
He believed it was blood, but as his tongue went in search of the injury, it instead found an actual piece of metal. He spat it out into his palm, and his eyes widened when he was faced with a rather deformed key. "No way…"
Kira had gotten thrown in with him, for however briefly, on purpose, to give him the key. It was why she had sounded different while talking-because she'd hidden the key in her mouth to transfer through a kiss. He smiled, pulling himself to his feet using the bars, marvelling at her cleverness. Nothing at all about this whole situation made sense to him, but things were looking up, so who was he to complain?
He reached through the bars, sticking the key into the tiny lock after a few tries, and charged up his lightning, focusing it in the hand that held the key. He let the streak of energy go, swirling around the key and into the lock, and heard a loud click. "Yes!" The door swung open, and for the first time in the last two days, Hunter felt relieved as he stepped out of his prison. He rubbed his hands together, ignoring the slight pain in his ribs that was mostly healed since Elsa had stopped their shock therapy sessions, but wasn't completely gone.
His nerves spiked however, when the invisiportal lit up and he thought about ducking back into the cage. Instead, he charged lightning on both hands, standing at the ready, not really knowing what to expect. The redhead and blonde who stepped through, however, were certainly not on his list of possibilities. "Kaylee?"
"Commander Kaylee for this mission, Bradley," she grinned, motioning to her outfit. His eyes widened when he spotted the green gem her wrist.
"But…Kira had the gems for…," he trailed off, remembering the reptile's fury, and froze.
xX-Death-of-the-Dino-Xx
"You double-crossed me, Yellow Ranger!" Mesogog bellowed, slamming his fist against the counter beside his transfiguration beam, knocking all the vials off the top, sending them cascading to the ground, where they shattered.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Kira smirked, and he narrowed his eyes. A moment later she was crying out as he attacked her psychically, bringing her to her knees in the grasp of the Tyrannodrones. Hissing, he picked up the green gem from his machine, shoving it in her face.
"This caused my machine to crash. It's a fake!" he thundered, throwing it at the wall, where it, too, shattered to pieces, just like the vials. He hissed, furious, looking at the Tyrannodrones that held her. "Leave us." They hesitated. "NOW!"
As soon as the door slid shut behind them, Mesogog grabbed for Kira, but she was already rolling out of the way, her hand darting up, unclipping the restraint at the bottom of Elsa's table, freeing her legs. The woman, who'd been on alert since Mesogog had first roared and stomped off to get Kira, seemed to sense her opportunity and kicked out, slamming her foot into the side of Mesogog's head. He reeled back, snarling, his target suddenly changing.
It gave Kira a moment of reprieve to dive at the gems on his machine, wrenching hers free and slapping it onto her bracelet. "Dino Thunder, Power Up! Ha!" Yellow spandex moulded to her body, her helmet clicking into place over her head as Mesogog turned, eyes wide, reaching out with his mind, trying to attack her psychically. "Too late, Meso-freak. I learned my lessons about people messing with my mind a long time ago." Her Ptera Grips were in her hands a second later and she lunged.
xX-Death-of-the-Dino-Xx
"What's going on?" Hunter asked as Hayley calmly passed between him and Kaylee, headed for the nearest machine. "If Kira handed Mesogog the wrong gem then-"
"Calm down, Hunter," Kaylee smiled sweetly, hands on her hips. "All part of the plan. She'll be fine." She glanced towards Hayley, who had begun typing away at the control panel keyboard, watching data scroll down the screen in front of her, then down at the watch on the wrist opposite from her Dino Gem Bracelet. "Almost ready?"
"Just a moment more…," Hayley whispered, going as fast as she could. "Done!" She twirled, grinning, and deftly caught the two-way radio that Kaylee had pulled from hip-pack and tossed over. "Tommy? The portal's open. Bring her on through."
xX-Death-of-the-Dino-Xx
At the base of Mesogog's fortress, at the bottom of the small hill that led up to it, an invisiportal sparked to life, activated from within the fortress. The VelociHummer came roaring through it, skidding to a sideways stop a few feet later, tires screeching and Dr. Oliver at the wheel. Ethan sat shotgun, while Dustin, Conner and Trent clambered out of the middle, packs filled with charges on their backs.
"Alright, so you know the plan?" the Black Ranger asked the boys, regarding them seriously over Ethan's head. "Just get up there, plant your charges, and come back. No detours."
"I feel singled out," Conner commented, causing Dustin to smirk.
"You think?"
The soccer star casually flipped him off, slinging his backpack on and heading off in their target direction. Chuckling, the Earth Ninja followed him, and after a pitiful look directed at the other two, Trent pursued.
They made it quickly up the hill and to the side of the fortress building, and with a swift look at the eerie trees surrounding them, the three boys got to work, dropping the packs to the ground and unzipping them, digging in. Charge after charge was brought out and scattered around their five meter radius along the building.
But a low growl broke out amongst the trees, and they stopped scattering the charges, frozen in place. "Did that sound kind of…Tyrannodrone-y to you?" Conner hesitated, slowly turning to face the tree line.
He heard Dustin cry out, and the accompanying growl, and looked sideways to see the Earth Ninja dodging a Tyrannodrone that had dropped down from above and tried to take a swipe at his head. "Look out!" the Earth Ninja yelled, and Conner had just enough time to duck and roll before he almost met a similar fate.
The boys rolled towards one another, standing back-to-back, watching as more T-Drones dropped from not only the top of the building, but the tree line on the other side, boxing them in. "This doesn't look good, guys," Trent pointed out.
"Shut up," Conner snapped. "If we're all getting outta here alive, we gotta get through this."
"I agree with Conner," Dustin nodded, the fingers of one hand twitching. From the corner of his eye, Conner noticed the dirt at his friend's feet start to move, and chuckled. "You guys may not be able to morph anymore, but hey, that hasn't stopped me. Still got nifty powers, and that's all you need."
"Ready?" Conner smirked, concentrating, preparing to kick into super-speed and assault the nearest approaching T-Drone.
xX-Death-of-the-Dino-Xx
The passenger door opened and Ethan hopped out, another pack on his shoulders as Dr. O did the same. He took a moment to admire the VelociHummer once more, before slamming his door shut and walking around to meet his mentor. "Ready?"
"Let's go," Dr. O nodded, detonator in hand and pack of charges on his back. He made it two feet before a series of monstrous cries reached their ears, and a wave of Tyrannodrones broke the tree line at the base of hill, headed down towards them. "Crap."
"Did you just say crap?" Ethan frowned, not quite used to his science teacher sounding so…young. Dr. O waved it off with a hand, hands balling into fists. "No connection to the morphing grid, but we can still fight, Ethan. You up to it?"
"Definitely, Dr. O," the blue-clad boy nodded. But they never made it to the Tyrannodrones because an explosion went off, moving the ground beneath their feet. The boys just about fell over as they exchanged looks. "Were those our charges?"
Before Dr. O could answer, the two-way radio at his waist went off. "Bit of a problem, Dr. O," Conner's voice left the small radio. "The T-Drones blew up some of the charges. This isn't looking good."
xX-Death-of-the-Dino-Xx
For a dino-freak who tended to hide away in his fortress and let others do his dirty work, Kira was finding him to be a pretty decent opponent, her Ptera Grips locked against his sharp claws. He leaned forward, pushing her back against the tabletop where the empty Dino bracelets were, hissing at her.
"You know, the hissing thing is getting really old," she groaned. "Honestly, you're not a cat, or a snake. It's just downright annoying."
"You won't find it annoying once your kind startsss doing it," Mesogog cackled. "I will get the Green Ranger's gem once I dispose of you. And then, my machine will be complete."
"Not gonna happen," Kira bit back. She pulled her Ptera Grips out of the way, and momentarily, Mesogog was knocked off balance with nothing to push against. Kira reeled back, and swung her helmet head forward, smashing into his nose-or the general area where he would've had one were he not a dinosauric freak. He fell back, growling, and she twirled her Ptera Grips in her hands, smirking. She lunged forward, but never hit her target.
The whole room shook, knocking both of them off balance and Kira went right past her enemy, slamming her head into the table Elsa lay on. She swore, loudly, but thanked the helmet that encased her head, as the impact wasn't as painful as it could've been. "What the hell," she exclaimed. "They're early!"
"They?" Mesogog shouted, making it around the table-top and grabbing her by the neck, pushing her back against the machine. "What have you done, Yellow Ranger?"
"Invited…some friends," she replied, pushing her Ptera Grips between them, holding him off. To her left, the door slid open, revealing Hayley and Kaylee, Hunter slightly supported between the two women.
"Kira!" the Green Ranger called.
"What the heck are you doing?" Kira looked over. "Tyrannodrones could show up at any moment now that the boys set off the charges early!"
"Tommy said the Tyrannodrones set off some of the boys' charges during the fight!" Hayley replied, tapping the two-way radio at her waist.
"In that case it's only a matter of time before they show up here. Get going!" She dodged as Mesogog reeled back and took a swipe at her head, and spun, still locked with her enemy, gaining the upper hand as she pushed him against his own precious machine.
"No way, we're here for you!" Hunter shook his head, and Kaylee nodded enthusiastically.
"I'm fine," Kira stated, trying to motion to the half-conscious woman on the table. "Get Elsa off of there and get her outta here."
"Exsqueeze me?" Kaylee's eyes bugged out, looking from her morphed best friend to the woman on the table and back. "That is not Emo Barbie."
"Mesogog used her power to kick-start his machine," Kira stated, again switching places with him, her back hitting the machine. "She's human now!" Kaylee nodded, rushing into the room and over to the table-top, reaching out for the clasp still tying her down.
"Hayley, it's Tommy. We've got a problem. The Tyrannodrones Ethan and I were fighting broke the detonator. Our charges and the rest of Conner's are set, but we no longer have a remote way of detonating them."'
"What should we do?" Hayley asked, watching as Kira furiously pushed Mesogog away. Kaylee, meanwhile, had managed to undo Elsa's straps, and was helping her off the table, supporting her on one shoulder.
"The building is crumbling. We've got to get out of here."
"Yesssss," Mesogog cackled, barrelling into Kira and slamming her into his machine. She could feel the gems digging into her back. And suddenly, the solution to their predicament dawned on her.
"Hayley," she called, trying to look around the dino-freak's head to spot the redhead supporting Hunter. "Can we destroy the machine? It's-ow-it's big enough it might gene-ow-generate enough of a blast to set off the—"
"No!" Mesogog shrieked, trying to reach between her Ptera Grips and claw at her.
"Okay, that's it, I've had it with you," Kira snapped, reaching up and hitting the bottom to lower her visor. The others realized what she was planning, and had just enough time to cover their ears before she screamed, waves of yellow crashing into Mesogog. It was at close enough range to send him flying through the air, slamming into the very wall he'd previously shattered the fake green gem against, knocking him out.
Kira turned to Hayley, breathing heavily. "If we overload the machine, will it be enough to set off the other charges and bring this whole thing down?"
Hayley's eyes scanned the machine, ignoring how the ground rocked beneath their feet again; a chunk of ceiling at the far end of the room fell down. She nodded, slowly, aiming a solemn look towards the petite rocker. "It just might work, but, you know what that'll mean, don't you?"
"If all of this is destroyed…if Mesogog's done and we can get rid of this place and everything on this island, it won't matter, right? We won't need them?" Kira sounded hopeful, better than the last two days.
"We…we should tell Tommy," Hayley hesitated. "We should—"
"We don't have time!" Kira shook her head. "I'm sorry."
Tension filled the gap between the two women, the eerie silence disturbed only by the ground shaking beneath their feet. Finally, Hayley nodded. "Alright."
Kira's gaze rounded on Kaylee then, a soft smile adorning her face. "Kayl," she spoke, bringing her best friend's attention up to her. "I need your gem."
"What?" the girl frowned, looking at the green gem on her wrist. "But…you said the fake would do."
"Kaylee," Kira sighed, stepping towards her best friend, offering her hand. "I need you to trust me. I need your gem. And I need you guys to get the hell out of here, because it's going to get loud."
"I…oh," Kaylee needed only a moment to comprehend and she nodded, getting Hayley to support Elsa for a moment, reaching down to her wrist and unclipping her gem from her bracelet. She stared down at it, watching the light reflect off its sparkling surface, and realized this would be the last time she'd ever get this chance. "Goodbye, Spino." In response, a faint roar echoed out from the gem. "I'll miss you too."
Slowly, she reached out, handing the gem to her best friend. But in her best imitation of Conner, she tightened her grip, making Kira stand her ground and look her in the eyes through her open visor. Those suddenly oh-so-serious Kaylee eyes. "If you don't get out in time, so help me God."
"I promise I'll be alright, Kayl-Whale," Kira smiled, before her eyes darted to Hunter. "But you have to promise me…," her eyes found Kaylee's again, "that you won't turn back. You'll keep on going and get everyone out of here." It was a moment before the Green Ranger nodded, shaking on it.
"I promise to get these losers to safety," Kaylee replied. "My job as a Commander and all!"
They beamed at one another before separating, Kira turning back to the machine with Kaylee's gem in hand, and the latter turned to the others, pointing to the door. "Move out, troops!" She softened when she noticed that Hayley was taking Elsa out, leaving Hunter without support again. She went to help, but he waved her off, chuckling.
"I think I'm okay to walk across the hallway."
But as the words escape his mouth, Hayley and Elsa cried out, just barely missing the chunk of ceiling that fell in front of them, blocking their way to the invisiportal in the room Hunter had spent the last two days. Kaylee wanted to punch him in the arm. "You jinxed us," she commented, pushing past him and leading them down the hall.
"Can't you just 'port us out?" he frowned, catching up, but she shook her head.
"Did you miss the part where I just gave my gem to Kira?"
"It has nothing to do with the gem, Kaylee," Hayley spoke up, and they paused, turning to look at the brilliant woman. "When you kids contracted with the gems all that time ago, they bonded to your DNA. Those civilian powers, like your teleportation and Kira's Ptera Scream, they remain even when they're no longer in contact with their original source. They're a part of you now."
"Cool beans," the girl grinned, grabbing onto Hunter's arm, who took Hayley's, and screwed her eyes shut. A second passed, but they remained there. She opened one eye, looking at Hayley. "Um. Are you sure?"
"Positive," she nodded. "You know the invisiportal system has always messed with your powers. Maybe we're just too close to the one in that room that it's affecting you."
"Alright, troops, I say again," Kaylee's hand shot into the air, pointing down the hall. "Move out!" Shaking their heads, the others followed her.
xX-Death-of-the-Dino-Xx
"Okay, Kira, you can do this," Kira breathed, repeating the words to herself like a mantra, approaching the transfiguration beam. She reached out, placing Kaylee's gem in the slot where the fake one had previously resided. Then, she took a deep breath, and powered down, looking at the gem on her bracelet. She plucked it from its resting place, holding it up to the light, watching as it caught it and reflected such brilliant hues of yellow. The image of her Pterodactyl reflected off it, and she heard its faint cry in her ears. It brought tears to the surface.
She remembered the first time she heard it, back when she wanted nothing to do with all this.
She remembered calling out to her Zord for the first time, connecting with it, watching as it responded, gained her colour, and became a part of her.
She remembered the countless times they fought together against their enemies, and thought sadly that she won't ever get to experience that again. "I'm sorry," she stated solemnly, "that we have to part this way. If it were up to me, I'd keep you forever. We all would." She looked down at the other gems, as if she could offer them apologies for their rightful owners never having a say in all this. Her eyes found her gem again. "I thank you, for everything you've done. For all the battles we've fought together. I just need this last one from you. I'm sad to see you go." Slowly, fighting back those tears, she placed the sixth gem on the machine's front, and reached out, pulling the lever into place.
She listened as the machine revved up, sparking to life, and stood back, taking a deep breath, focusing on her gem, readying the Ptera Scream that would overload the system and cause enough of a chain reaction to blow up the machine, taking out the rest of the charges placed around the base and the whole island facility with it.
"NO!" a roar erupted behind her, and she didn't even have the time to turn as Mesogog, conscious again, launched himself at her, claws reaching out and connecting with her back, ripping, tearing, setting her slightly off-kilter.
She screamed.
The blast hit the gems, setting them all off, throwing them into a fierce glare that could blind. But it also went wide, ripping through part of the beam and shredding the entire ceiling above it, continuing into the air for a moment before Kira fell backwards, crashing to the floor.
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?" Mesogog bellowed, standing over her. Despite the fact that her back was screaming its protest, the stone floor cold against her now open back, Kira smiled up at him.
"It's too late, you're finished," she replied, keeping his attention for the few milliseconds long enough for the ceiling above him to finish detaching itself and fall. An unsettling crack rang out in the lab room, and Mesogog collapsed beneath its weight, slamming face-first into the floor. From the rubble, he turned his head to look at her, displaying the disgusting blood oozing from the top of his head as he grinned, spots of black filling the edges of her vision.
"So are you."
Oh NOES! KIRA! What the fffffffffasdsadasdasgsdf!
Well folks, told you there was more than meets the eyes to best friends Kira and Kaylee.
This is by far my favourite chapter in the whole series. No lie. Because it includes the girls taking charge and saving the day right behind the backs of the boys, with the conjoined efforts of Tomb-Raider-Style-Kira, Behind-The-Scenes-Hayley and, Awesome-Commander-Kaylee (yes, I made a terribly punny foreshadowing, Lily and I laughed for quite some time over this particular instance).
That said, everything comes to a climax and resolution in the next chapters, and I can't wait to hear from everyone once it's complete to know just what your thoughts were on the completion of Dino Thunder (disregarding the fact that it took me two long and pitiful years).
Love you all, and next up: Phoenix Rising.
Side Note: I lied. Well, not technically, since I just now split the chapters, but there is in fact TWO more after this, not one. This stems from the fact that this chapter was formerly 11,000 words and the one after was 12,000 and in an effort to decrease the hellishly long chapters (because I myself dislike long-ass chapters that are over 30 pages), I cut up the end of this and attached it to the beginning of the next.