A/N: Hello everyone. It is once again update time, and I am proud of myself for not taking too long to get this next chapter out to you. I received a lot of feedback on the previous chapter, and I am more than pleased that you all enjoyed reading the last chapter. Destroying the Megaship was a concept I struggled with for a while; but in the end, I decided it would add to the severity of the situation. The Master is the toughest foe the rangers have ever had to face before, so I have to make her plans even more sinister and diabolical than those of any villains in the past.
So as of right now, Reefside is an apocalyptic wasteland, the Megaship has crashed into the moon, and Tommy is still under Rita and Zedd's evil spell. With Luna and Inferna attacking in Reefside, and Goldar wreaking havoc in the desert, will the veteran rangers be able to save Angel Grove from suffering a similar fate?
Read on and find out!
~*~*~*~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 or been changed. 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 cannot accept that, you might as well click away now.
- I WILL NOT BE INCLUDING ANY OF THE RANGERS FROM ANY POWER RANGERS SEASON THAT TAKES PLACE AFTER DINO THUNDER.
- I have changed Tommy's profession from being a science teacher to him being a history teacher. For one, I am HORRIBLE with science & chemistry, and I felt that writing about history would be easier for me. Besides, even though paleontology is a science of sorts, I feel that discussing dinosaurs has a historical aspect to it as well. So hey, it works!
- Tommy x Kimberly are the main paring in this story, but there are may other pairings that will be used as well. For obvious reasons, their relationship is going to be a bit rocky at the get go, and it will take a while for the pairing to actually take root. So please, be patient with me and enjoy the ride until we get there. There will be heartbreak, romance, and plenty of drama for you all to enjoy.
- Although I edit this story frequently, I do tend to make a mistake or two from time to time. If you happen to spot one that I have missed, kindly let me know so I can take care of it immediately. Do not insult my intelligence or my skills as a writer for such minor mistakes. It is quite unnecessary.
- Finally, I have made this story a personal challenge for myself, and I am attempting to write the entire story in the present tense. I wanted this story to feel as though it were happening right before our very eyes. It has been tricky, and I tend to mess up my tensing from time to time, but I have enjoyed this little challenge nonetheless. It will probably take some getting used to on your part, but I hope that it will eventually start to grow on you.
~*~*~*~Thanks for Reading!~*~*~*~
Disclaimer: I do not own the popular television series, Power Rangers. It is based off of a brilliant Japanese series, known as the Super Sentai series. I do not own rights to any of show's characters or fictional settings. They are being used in my story for entertainment purposes only.
As for elements in this story, I am the creator of Molly Hart, Samara Scott, Austin Scott, and many other original characters that are featured in this story. I am also the sole creator of this plot and all of its elements.
DO NOT REPRODUCE OR USE ANY ASPECT OF THIS STORY WITHOUT MY WRITTEN PERMISSION. Please, and thank you very much. Happy Reading!
"Desert Heat"
Dana hummed softly to herself as sat beside Austin, her fingers holding onto a yellow crayon as she colors in the background of a coloring page. Dana spares a glance at Austin, who is busy coloring his own coloring page with a black crayon. Dana cannot help but to giggle at the sight, being that Austin has colored over the picture's outlining, making the original image unrecognizable. The blonde beauty looks across the room to where Ashley is sitting with her children, reading a book, while Adam and Tanya's boys sit just a few feet away from her playing with plastic dinosaurs while Billy's wife, Susan, is sitting on the floor beside them. Dana finds the entire scene to be rather calming; and for a moment, she closes her eyes to pretend that the Master is not on his way to destroy the earth, and this is how things truly should be.
Dana is pulled from her thoughts when Ashley says the words: "The End," and closes the hard-covered Frog and Toad storybook. Kerri begins clapping her hands before asking her mother if they can read another story. Ashley asks her daughter to wait, before standing to her feet and walking over to Dana.
"How are things going over here?" the former Yellow Ranger asks, as she folds her arms over her chest and looks down at the drawings on the table.
"Austin is a very talented artist." Dana says with a bit of lighthearted laughter. "I think his picture should go on the fridge in the lounge. What do you think?"
Ashley crouches down beside Austin, smiling when the little boy lets out a giggle. Austin pushes the coloring page across the tabletop for Ashley to see, his smile growing when he watches Ashley pick it up.
"It is very good Austin." Ashley compliments the boy, as she ruffles his hair. The strawberry brunette then sits the picture down and slides it back to the toddler. "Why don't you color me a picture next?"
Austin nods his head before resuming his masterpiece. Ashley stands back to her feet, and Dana stands up as well. Ashley lets out a winded sound, a look of discomfort on her face. She peeks over at Dana, who is watching her with concern; but before she can insist on being alright, Dana has pulled her chair around the table for Ashley to sit in. Ashley gives the Pink Ranger a grateful look before slowly taking a seat.
"You should take it easy for a while." Dana suggests. "You've been on babysitting duty all morning."
"What choice do I have?" Ashley says with a small laugh. "Everyone took off to stop the Master's attack on Angel Grove. I obviously can't be of any help, so the least I can do is keep an eye on the kiddos."
"Why don't you relax for a few minutes? I'll go ahead and brew you a cup of tea, and I'll get the kids some snacks. Sound good?"
Ashley nods before leaning back in her chair, and resting her hands over the small baby bump that is starting to show through her sunflower-patterned sundress. She gives Dana a smile of thanks, before the Pink Ranger turns and heads out into the hallway. The Pink Ranger's heels click loudly against the metal flooring of the Command Center hallway, reminding her of when she walked the halls of the Aqua Base a few years back. A smile graces her lips as she thinks back to her time spent as the medically-talented Pink Ranger.
She had been just twenty years old at the time, a young paramedic who was still working her way through medical school, with a high intellect that made her not only the smartest, but the youngest out of her classmates. Being a Lightspeed Ranger had been overwhelming at first, especially because she had greatly lacked the fighting skills that being a ranger required; but a few months into the stint, she had made the Pink Ranger Powers her own. She helped to vanquish demons, she took down enemy after enemy, she freed her long-lost brother from the side of evil, and she had made friends with the unlikeliest of people. Now, here she is four years later, a fully licensed pediatrician, an honorary Power Ranger, and wife to one of Mariner Bay's greatest firemen. She is more than satisfied with how her life has been going, and it is only just beginning. She can only hope that the Master will be stopped before she has the chance to take all of this away from her.
Dana is yanked from her train of thought when she bumps right into someone. She lets out a surprised yelp and falls backwards, but she is caught before she hits the floor. She looks up and lets out a sigh of relief, before giggling at the curious look on her husband's face. Carter helps her stand upright before laughing alongside her.
"What has you so spaced out, dare I ask?" he says before folding his arms across her chest.
"I was just thinking back to the days we spent on the Aqua Base." Dana says with a shrug, as she continues to walk towards the kitchen. She hears Carter's boots as he catches up to her, the Red Ranger falling in step beside her.
"I think about those days a lot too." he admits. "Being here at the original Command Center definitely makes me think about the days when we fought against Queen Bansheera and her army. Although fighting against Vypra and those other demons seemed far more simpler than what we're dealing with now."
Dana nods before heading into the kitchen. Carter leans up against the counter and watches as Dana puts a silver teapot on the provided electric stove. She then walks over to one of the many cardboard supply boxes sitting on the counter, just opposite of where Carter is currently standing. Carter watches his wife silently as she begins digging through the boxes. She finally pulls out a box of green tea bags and a box of Welch's fruit snacks. The tea kettle begins to whistle just as Dana finishes dividing fruit snacks to take back to the makeshift daycare down the hallway.
"Let me get that." Carter says when he sees her scrambling to sit everything down. Carter walks over to an overhead cabinet, above the sink, and pulls down a ceramic blue coffee mug. He then pours hot water into the cup before taking it over to Dana. Dana thanks him before dropping the tea bag in, a smile spreading across her face when she gets a whiff of the medicinal brew.
"I'm assuming this is for Ashley?" Carter asks as his thoughts turn towards the expecting mother. "How's she doing?"
"She's exhausted, but who can blame her?" Dana asks as she gathers the fruit snacks, and motions for him to follow her back to the daycare. "I'd be stressed out too if I was pregnant and miles away from you. I can't even begin to imagine how she must be feeling. Andros has got to be worried sick about her too, being all the way up in space while she's down here."
"I don't know how he does it." Carter says, his brow lined with worry. "If I knew you were carrying my child, there is no way I would be able to be thousands of miles away from you. I'd never let you out of my sight."
Dana squeals and starts laughing uncontrollably as Carter wraps his free arm around her waist and peppers kisses against her cheek and neck. A smile warms the Red Ranger's lips at the melodic sound, and he nuzzles his nose against her shoulder before taking a deep breath, inhaling the scent of her floral-scented perfume.
"Carter...?" Dana says quietly. "We're going to be okay, aren't we?"
The Red Ranger thinks over his words, a heavy feeling weighing down in his stomach. He wants so badly to tell Dana that this battle is nothing to worry about, but he knows he would be lying. A few days ago at the warehouse, Conner had informed them of how great a threat the Master was, and how she had every intention of destroying life on earth. If she has enough power to resurrect their former enemies, she has the power to defeat the Power Rangers, and that scared him to death.
Dana and Carter have been married for a little over a year, and their lives together are just starting. They just purchased their first home last summer, on the north side of Mariner Bay, and they were still remodeling their kitchen. They had adopted a Black Labrador just last month, and named him Marley. The dog is supposed to be starting obedience training last week. Dana is the head of the pediatrics unit at Mariner County Hospital, and he is the chief of the town's fire department. They are both doing well in their careers, they have upstanding social lives, and they are happy. More importantly, they had recently been discussing the prospect of having children. Now, there is a chance that all of their dreams and everything they have worked so hard for could cease to exist.
Not wanting to worry his wife, Carter presses a kiss to her forehead. "Let's get these snacks back to Ashley and the kids."
Dana bites her bottom lip, but nods her head slowly. She then turns around and heads for the daycare center, the doors whooshing open as she and Carter step into the room. Ashley looks up and smiles in greeting. While Dana passes the fruit snacks out to the children, Carter walks over to Ashley and passes her the ceramic mug. Ashley nods her head in silent thanks, before lifting the cup to her lips. Just as Carter is turning around to check on Dana, his communicator starts to beep.
"This is Carter." he answers, just as Dana and Ashley crowd around him.
"Carter, it's Chad. Get to the Power Chamber right now. Something's come up."
"Dana and I will be right there." he says before cutting off the link. "Sorry Ashley. It looks like we have to go."
"Don't worry about me." Ashley reassures them before walking back to sit down. "Susan and I will handle things here. Go on."
Carter and Dana nod before turning around and running for the Power Chamber.
Five beams of multicolored light fly through the sky of the Angel Grove Desert, before coming to a stop in the middle of the desert. When the light fades away, Kimberly, Trini, Justin, Adam, and Aisha appear in their physical forms. Kimberly shields her eyes from the beaming sun, as she looks out into the miles of desert stretching out all around her. She can hear the familiar screech of Tanga Warriors just behind her, and spins around quickly. About a mile away, she can see Goldar approaching with an entire flock of Tangas, the bird-human hybrids' annoying screeching growing louder.
"You guys, over there." Kimberly says as she points at their approaching enemies. The others turn around, their eyes narrowing when they see Goldar and his troops.
"So that's the infamous Goldar?" Justin says as he crosses his arms. "He doesn't look so tough."
"So what's the game plan?" Zack asks as everyone raises their arms in defense. "Take out the Tangas and the go for Goldar?"
"You know Goldar isn't going to freely stand by and wait for us to finish fighting." Aisha points out.
"You guys can take on Goldar." Kimberly says, silencing everyone. "Leave the Tangas to me."
"Kimberly, you can't seriously be thinking of taking all of those Tangas on by yourself." Trini says, appalled by the very idea. "You'll be overpowered."
"Don't worry about me Trini. I can handle them on my own."
The rangers stop talking as Goldar and the Tangas finally reach them. There is a tense silence for a while, as Goldar looks over the faces of his old foes, his lips curling up into a smile. The golden wolf catches sight of Kimberly glaring at him, out the corner of his eye, and he lets out a small laugh.
"Well, if it isn't the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. What's the matter? Still holding a grudge after all these years?"
"If anyone should be holding a grudge right now, it's you Goldar." Zack says as he points an accusatory finger in his direction. "Or have you forgotten how many times we've kicked your sorry ass?"
"As I recall, you imbeciles never managed to best me in battle." Goldar says, as he throws his head back and laughs. "I don't see Jason or that pain in the ass, Tommy Oliver, anywhere around. How do you expect to beat me?"
Kimberly's eye twitches angrily, at the mentioning of Jason and Tommy. Did he have to bring the two of them up and bring her teammates spirits down? They can take Goldar down without relying on Jason or Tommy to save the day.
"What's the matter Kimmie?" Goldar says, pulling the Pink Ranger from her thoughts. "Did I say something wrong? You aren't still upset over Tommy willingly choosing to serve Rita and Zedd, are you?"
"He didn't willingly join their side, and you know that." Kimberly snaps, taking a bold step forward. "Tommy did what he had to do to save our daughter's life. He sacrificed himself with no other choice."
"If that's what you want to believe." the gold-armored villain speaks, drawing his sword from its sheath. "Tangas, let us waste away these foolish humans in the name of our honorable Master."
"Kim, are you sure you can handle the Tangas alone?" Trini asks one final time, a frown on her face with worry.
"Trust me you guys, I'll be fine. Now go. Ninja Ranger Power, now!"
The others stand back and watch as Kimberly's pink ninja gi appears in place of her clothing, her face obscured from sight. With a battle cry, Kimberly runs towards the Tanga Warriors and flips into a back handspring, the bird-human hybrids crowding around her in a circle. While Kimberly begins fending off her attackers, the other rangers move into position, revealing their morphers.
"Let's do it guys." Justin shouts, taking the lead of the group. "Shift Into Turbo! Lightning Blaster, Turbo Power!"
Zack, Aisha, and Trini nod before following Justin's actions and activating their own morphers, and joining the Blue Turbo Ranger as the Green Turbo, Yellow Turbo, and Yellow Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.
"Dune Star, Turbo Power!"
"Desert Thunder, Turbo Power!"
"It's Morphin Time - Saber-tooth Tiger!"
Goldar eagerly awaits the rangers as their Power Suits flash over their bodies and take on solid form. He then raises his sword, prepared for their oncoming attacks. Trini summons her Power Daggers to her hands and begins swinging them around, agility in her movements, as she moves lightly on her feet. Goldar blocks the daggers with the blade of his sword, laughing excitedly at the thrill of being able to fight once more. With a steady swing of his sword, Goldar nicks the end of Trini's left dagger, nearly knocking it from her grasp. Trini tries to steady herself, and gasps when she sees Goldar coming at her with another swing. She raises her arms to try and shield herself from the attack, only to look up when Justin jumps in front of her and blocks the blade, his Turbo Hand Blasters taking the hit.
The Blue Ranger kicks Goldar in his stomach, sending Goldar back a few feet, but the wolf warrior manages to catch himself just before he can fall to the ground. With an angry growl, he stands to his feet and charges back towards the Yellow and Blue Rangers. Justin raises his Hand Blasters and open fires on Goldar, sand and dust spitting up into the air as Goldar dodges each blast from the cannon. Satisfied over evading the blasts, Goldar leaps up into the air and takes flight. He then dives back towards the ground, blade extended, as he closes in on a fleeing Justin and Trini. Just before he can take a swing, Zack fires off his Turbo Thunder Cannon, getting a direct hit. Goldar cries out in pain as he spirals through the air and slams into the ground. Sore and completely humiliated, he looks up at the rangers as they approach him.
"You really think you've got be beat, do you?" he asks before standing onto his wobbly legs. "Let's see how you can handle a powerful duo. Rito Repulso, I summon thee!"
Zack raises an eyebrow at the mentioning of Rito's name. Although he had not gotten the chance to fight against the skeletal creature, he had heard plenty of stories about Rita Repulsa's rotting corpse of a brother. The rangers watch as an invisi-portal appears to the right of Goldar, and Rito steps through laughing maniacally. The skeleton's eyes are glowing an ominous red as he swings his sword around playfully.
"Longtime no see Power Rangers." he says as Goldar joins him in laughter, standing to his feet to join Rito by his side. "Well Goldar, it looks like you needed me help after all, huh?"
"Would you shut your mouth you arrogant moron." Goldar growls. "You know our orders, now help me."
Aisha summons the Turbo Star Chargers to her hands before moving to stand beside the others. "Kimberly is managing fine on her own, but she'll tire out if we leave her by herself for much longer. We have to take these two out now."
"Trini and I will take Goldar." Zack says. "Justin, you and Aisha can handle Rito. Sound like a plan?"
The other rangers nod their heads, none of them opposed to the idea of attacking each of Zedd's henchmen at a two-to-one ratio. They then break off into their assigned pairs, weapons drawn, and begin to openly attack Goldar and Rito.
Meanwhile, Kimberly is fairing well against the flock of Tanga Warriors, the Pink Ranger having successfully taken down eight of the original twenty. Using her laser beam powers, Kimberly manages to reduce another Tanga to a pile of black feathers and smoke, before she takes off running towards a boulder nearby. Using her ninja abilities, Kimberly leaps high into the air and lands on top of the boulder. The Tangas jump after her as they try to tackle her to the round, but Kimberly manages to defend herself with a few sweep kicks and open-palmed thrusts.
"That's right Tangas." she says quietly as her eyes dart around the area for any signs of a new invisi-portal forming. She has made herself an open target, which would make this the perfect opportunity for the Evil White Falcon Ranger to make his appearance once more. Using herself as bait is the only way she can ensure that Tommy's possessed form will reveal itself to her, and she intends to do whatever it takes to bring him back to the side of light and good.
Kimberly is suddenly jarred from her thoughts when a Tanga latches onto her shoulders and lifts her up into the air. The Pink Ranger shrieks in surprise as the Tanga carries her away from her friends, and over the miles of sand and desert. The Pink Crane looks over her shoulder to where her friends can still be seen fighting with Rita and Goldar, none of them having even noticed her sudden trip into the air. The whole situation reminds the Pink Ranger of similar circumstances, on the planet Phaedos, when she and her friends had first been introduced to the Tanga Warriors. She had been grabbed then as well, only to be released when Dulcea split her staff into two and swung the sticks around, creating a whistling sound powerful enough to make the birds flee. This time, Kimberly knows she has to figure a way out of this situation on her own.
"Let me go you stupid bird!" she shouts as she grips its ankles tightly. The Bird's talons dig deeper into her shoulders, pulling a pained cry from her lips, and she clenches her teeth together. Kimberly's eyes widen in horror when she realizes that the Tanga is taking her towards a giant gorge. Thinking quickly Kimberly charges her hands with the same energy used to charge her Ninja Laser Power, concentrating the energy towards the middle of her palms. She holds onto the energy, rather than releasing it, and she can feel her palms starting to burn from the power she is holding. Just as she had hoped for, the Tanga squawks loudly and releases the Pink Ranger. Kimberly's stomach flips over as she is sent hurtling towards the ground, her scream echoing throughout the surrounding area. In just thirty seconds, she is going to splatter against the bottom of the gorge, and the thought nearly makes her sick. Thinking quickly, she reaches into the pocket of her gi and grabs hold of her morpher.
"It's Morphing Time!" she shouts, as she struggles to get the hand motions right. "Pink Ranger Power!"
Kimberly's body is enveloped by a quick, pink flash as she morphs into her Power Suit. The familiar surge of energy washes over her body, making her feel stronger and more alert than in her Ninja Ranger, and even her human form. Just as her body makes its descent into the gorge, Kimberly pulls out her Pterodactyl Thunder Whip and aims at a large root that is jutting out the side of the cavern wall. The pink whip quickly flies out of the Power Weapon and wraps tightly around the branch. Kimberly squeezes her eyes shut, mentally praying that the whip will not snap from the force she is falling at. Thankfully, the whip holds, and Kimberly's body jerks to a stop, her arms vibrating painfully from the force. Slowly, she wills her eyes to open, and she feels her heart jump into her throat, the urge to faint struggling to take over her. Taking a deep breath, Kimberly gets a hold of her emotions and quickly surveys her surroundings. She is too far down from the top of the gorge to climb up, so her only option is to climb down. She smiles when she notices a small ledge about two feet below her. With a wriggle of her wrists, Kimberly retracts the Thunder Whip and drops safely down onto the ledge.
Carter and Dana rush through the sliding doors of the Power Chamber, the two of them stopping when they hear the Command Center's alarms going off. The rest of their teammates are standing around the viewing globe with Alpha 5, Demitria watching them through her energy tube.
"What's going on?" Carter asks as he and Dana join the others.
"Ai, yi, yi, yi, yi, my sensors indicate that there is an attack out in the desert." Alpha 5 says as he waves his arms around. "It looks like the Master has sent Trakeena into the desert with a fleet of Stingwingers. They're about ten miles out from the Command Center. I just finished teleporting the other rangers out of the Command Center, and I have to wait on the program to recharge itself before sending you all. It could take twenty minutes. Ai, yi, yi, yi, yi!"
"We won't need to be teleported." Carter reassures the foreign robot, as he rests his hand on Alpha 5's shoulder. "We'll just take the Rescue Rover. Just send me the coordinates, and we'll get there before Trakeena closes in on our location."
"Right then." Alpha says as moves over to one of the numerous keyboards, his metal fingers typing away. "I'll send you the coordinates shortly. Good luck rangers."
Carter nods before motioning for his teammates to follow them. The Lightspeed Rangers race through the Power Chamber doors and down the hall, the sound of their footsteps sounding like a stampede as they maneuver their way through the metal hallway. They reach the elevator at the opposite end of the hallway and file inside, slowly making their way down to the large storage area they had entered when they first came to the Command Center. The Rescue Rover can be seen parked by the large sliding doors that open the hidden passage on the side of the Command Center's exterior. Wordlessly, the rangers hop into the jeep and wait for Carter to rev up the engine. Carter then floors the gas pedal and speeds towards the sliding doors.
"Alpha, open the repair bay entrance." Dana speaks into her communicator. A few seconds later, the doorway slides open just enough for Carter to speed through. The Rescue Rover's wheels kick desert sand and dirt up into the air, leaving a long trail of dust behind them, as Carter speeds away from the plateau. They can faintly hear the sound of the hidden entrance sliding shut, over the roar of the Rescue Rover's engines, sealing away the Power Rangers' secret base.
"Alpha just sent me the coordinates to Trakeena's location." Dana says, as she stares down at a handheld tablet in her hands. The others lean over her shoulders, completely mesmerized by the unknown device.
"Where did you get that?" Kelsey asks the question that everyone is curious to know the answer to.
"Alpha 5 gave it to me shortly after our arrival to the Command Center, basically calling me the brains of our group. The technology was developed by the Karovians from Andros's home planet, KO-35. Their society is far more technologically advanced than ours on earth. This tablet is connected to the Command Center's central mainframe, meaning Alpha can send us any information that is programmed into the Power Chamber's computer."
"Useful." Chad says, as he and the others lean back in their seats.
Dana leans over to Carter and holds the tablet up so he can read the information being displayed onscreen. Carter nods after glancing at the screen, before flooring the gas pedal once more. The rangers' hair whips wildly in the wind as Carter races towards their destination; and just a short five minutes later, they can make out the outline of a group of soldiers marching towards them.
"There they are." Joel says, holding his cowboy hat onto his head. "Just up ahead there."
Carter nods before giving the Rescue Rover a little more gas to decrease their travel time. When he is about fifteen yards away from the enemy, he slams his foot on the break and skids to an abrupt stop. The Lightspeed Rangers then jump out of the Rescue Rover, donning their Lightspeed Jackets, and race towards Trakeena and her army.
"Well, you certainly aren't the Galaxy Rangers." Trakeena says as the corner of her mouth turns up into a smirk. "Lucky for me, I can smell the rotten stench of Power Rangers without even trying."
"You don't remember us Trakeena?" Chad asks as he and the others raise their arms in defense. "I'm offended. We certainly remember you and your Stingwingers trying to attack us and the Galactic Rangers."
A look of knowing crosses Trakeena's face, the evil villaness nodding her head as she finally recognizes this group of Power Rangers. "The Lightspeed Rangers. I certainly wasn't expecting to see you again. You helped those meddlesome Galactic Rangers ruin my plans, which makes us sworn enemies. It will bring me great joy to sever your heads from your shoulders. They'll fit nicely on my mantle."
"Let's take them out guys." Carter shouts, giving them the approval to morph.
"Lightspeed Rescue!" the five core Lightspeed Rangers shout, as they morph into their Power Suits.
"Titanium Power!" Ryan shouts individually as he too takes on his ranger form.
"It's going to take a lot more than rainbow-colored suits to stop my plans." Trakeena warns them. "Let's see what you're made of Lightspeed Rangers. Stingwingers, defeat them or die by my hand. You know your orders. Now go!"
Not wanting to disappoint their mistress, the Stingwingers charge towards the Lightspeed Rangers, their talons raised and ready to attack. The Lightspeed Rangers turn to Carter, who nods, giving them the okay to head off and fight. Dana, Chad, Joel, and Kelsey draw their V-Lancers, while Ryan summons his Titanium Laser. Meanwhile, Carter summons his Rescue Blaster and switches it to its baton mode. The Red Ranger stares Trakeena down, the human-bug hybrid licking her lips seductively as she eyes the well-muscled ranger. With a smirk, she raises her right hand above her head and summons a black baton, of her own, into her grasp.
"So you want to dance Red Ranger, huh? Fine then. Let's dance."
"Whatever you want Trakeena."
"Those Tangas are in for one hell of an ass kicking the next time I see them." she mutters as she begins walking along the ledge. "Did they really think they were going to get away with trying to murder me?"
Kimberly walks in silence as she maneuvers her way down to very bottom of the gorge, a ten minute walk at best. When she gets low enough to the ground, she jumps, landing in a crouching position. Slowly, she stands upright and looks around her for any sign of danger. She then presses her right middle and index fingers to the communicator button on the side of her helmet.
"Alpha, it's Kimberly. I'm in a bit of a situation."
"Ai, yi, yi, yi, yi, are you alright Kimberly? I can barely make out the locator signal of your power suit."
Kimberly frowns at this news. She hopes it does not interfere with the next step in her plan. "That's just it Alpha. I was carried away from the others by one of the Tangas, and he tried to drop me into a gorge. I managed to catch myself before hitting the bottom, and I walked the rest of the way down, being that I couldn't climb back out the top. Are you able to teleport me back to the others?"
"It may take some time to find your exact location, but I will work as hard as I can. I've just sent the Lightspeed Rangers out into the desert, so things are still a little crazy around here. Not to mention that the teleportation program hasn't fully recharged. Please, hang tight for a little while longer. I'll contact you as soon as I know more."
"Thanks Alpha. You're the greatest."
Kimberly ends the communication link with a sigh before walking through the gorge, taking in the sights along the way. The rocky walls are a desert orange with small blotches of purple and gray in various spots. There are brambles and tumbleweeds littering the ground, and the occasional skeletal remains of unknown animals. An ominous feeling washes over the Pink Ranger, but she ignores it and continues on, eager to pass the time by staying busy. She spots a natural archway carved through the middle of a collapsed boulder, and she moves towards it to investigate the strange walkway. Slowly, she runs her gloved fingers over the outer edge of the archway, her eyes taking in the beauty of it all.
"Look at you, lost in thought as always." a smooth tenor voice reaches her ears. Kimberly's heart speeds up in her chest as she suddenly feels lightheaded. Slowly, she turns around and sees the evil White Falcon Ranger leaning casually against the wall beside her. She cannot see his face behind his helmet, but she is almost certain that he is smirking at her with menacing, green eyes. She says nothing, her voice caught in her throat, and she mentally curses over how she is behaving. The man before her may be wearing Tommy's suit, and Tommy's body may be inside the suit, but the mind possessing the man before her is not the man that she knows and loves. So why does she still feel like this?
"What's the matter Kim?" he speaks again, causing her to jump. "Aren't you happy to see me?"
Still, she remains silent. She parts her lips and mentally shouts out insults, but she cannot form any kind of verbalization. The evil ranger laughs and stands upright. Slowly, he strides towards her, and she backs away until she is up against the wall beside the archway. The evil White Ranger slaps his right palm against the rock above her, leaning in dangerously close, their helmets just barely touching.
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were expecting me." he says, venom in his seductive voice. "Are you really that desperate to see me again? I'm touched."
Kimberly squeezes her eyes shut, willing herself to try and do something, but she finds herself frozen in place. She had been more than ready to face the evil ranger before. She knows that it is not Tommy, but she still feels this attraction to the evil ranger as though it is her "handsome" behind the helmet, and not Rita and Zedd's mind-controlled puppet. Her heart feels conflicted. Right now, she just wants to be in the ranger's arms and hear him tell her that he loves her more than anything in this world, but she knows that the words would be untrue - lies fabricated to try and sway her way of thinking.
She has to be strong, or risk losing Tommy forever; but can she handle this battle alone?
Kelsey plants her feet firmly on the ground before spinning around quickly, V-Lancer in hand. A group of six Stingwingers run towards the Yellow Ranger, their talons ready to pierce her heart, but they are blown back by a powerful wave of yellow energy that expels from Kelsey's V-Lancer. Two of the six are destroyed, but the remaining four recover and quickly try to take her down. Kelsey smirks before dropping down onto her knees and firing off another energy blast, as though she were shooting off a cannon, destroying the last of them.
"These guys are such weaklings." Kelsey laughs as Dana runs over, the Pink V-Lancer in her grasp. "Compared to the Batlings, the Stingwingers are like fighting a bunch of kindergartners on the playground. We'll have them wiped out in no time at all."
"Our arsenal is way more advanced against these enemies." Dana agrees. "Still, we shouldn't underestimate them. You never know what kind of tricks they may have up their sleeves."
"Look out Dana. Here come some more."
The Yellow and Pink Lightspeed Rangers stand side by side as ten Stingwingers materialize in front of them. Rather than waiting on their enemy to attack, the girls make the first move and slash them down using their V-Lancers. Trakeena watches the girls with a look of disgust on her face, the bug queen furious over having lost a majority of her army.
"What the hell do you all think you're doing?" she roars, her face turning red. "Stop fooling around and destroy the Power Rangers. Are you all trying to make me look bad here?"
"If I were you, I'd be more worried about myself." Carter's voice comes from behind Trakeena, reminding her of the previous battle at hand. She slowly turns around to face Carter, frowning when she sees his V-Lancer aimed at her heart. She smirks before knocking the weapon away with the belly of her staff. She then jumps a few feet back.
"Now, now, now Trakeena." Ryan says as he walks up behind her. "You're the one who came here looking for a fight. Why don't you be a good villain and finish what you started?"
Trakeena looks back and forth between the Red and Silver Lightspeed Rangers as they close in on her. Ryan raises an eyebrow when he realizes that she is not making an effort to move away from them. Rather, she looks as though she wants them to get closer.
"What are you up to?" he asks slowly, his eyes narrowing with suspicion.
Trakeena says nothing before spinning around and charging towards Ryan, her staff held out to her side. With a maniacal laugh, Trakeena makes the first swing and just barely misses hitting Ryan in his side. Ryan sidesteps out of the way, but is kicked in the stomach by the heel of Trakeena's boot. He doubles over in pain, wrapping his arms around his stomach, as he slowly bends over. Trakeena does not give him time to recover as she drops down into a sweep kick, knocking Ryan onto his back. She laughs once more, as she kicks him in the side with the toe of her boot.
Carter growls angrily at the sight of his brother-in-law being overrun, and the Red Ranger rushes towards her. Trakeena hears Carter's approaching footsteps and smirks, turning around to face him. Carter skids to a stop when the villainess twirls the staff above her head. In a flash of ominous purple light, it transforms into a sword. Carter grits his teeth and draws his Thermo Blaster from its holster, his index finger squeezing the trigger repeatedly, unleashing a barrage of red blasts. Trakeena swings her sword, destroying every energy orb that is fired her way. She then vanishes from sight, leaving the Red Ranger confused. Carter runs towards where he last saw Trakeena standing, but he only sees Ryan struggling to sit up.
"Ryan, are you alright?" he asks as he offers the Titanium Ranger his right hand. Ryan nods as Carter wordlessly pulls him onto his feet. Before Carter can say another word, Ryan shouts: "Carter, behind you!"
Carter turns around and gasps at the sight of Trakeena standing directly behind him. Before he can defend himself, or jump out of the way, Trakeena thrusts her arm forward and drives the tip of her sword through Carter's side. Ryan shouts the Red Ranger's name as he slowly sinks down onto his knees, his eyes growing wide when Carter de-morphs. The wound is bleeding horribly, a deep crimson stain spreading across the bottom of his Lightspeed Jacket. Carter presses his hands against the wound to try and slow the building, a strained cry coming through his gritted teeth. Trakeena laughs at the miserable Red Ranger, and then steps over his fallen form, raising her blade towards Ryan's heart.
"Get the hell away from me." Ryan warns her as he draws his Titanium Laser. He squeezes the trigger multiple times, but Trakeena deflects all of his blasts too. With a frustrated growl, he moves in closer and fires again. This time, he manages to shoot her in the wrist, and Trakeena drops her sword with a howl. Ryan ceases fire, but keeps the barrel of the gun aimed right at Trakeena. The bug princess begins laughing insanely, and Ryan's hold on his weapon tightens.
"What the hell is so damn funny?" he snaps, suddenly on edge.
"My goodness Titanium Ranger. Have I gotten under your skin that much? I must say, I am very disappointed at how quickly you can lose your cool. Aren't Power Rangers supposed to stay level-headed during battle? Tell you what. Why don't we play a little game to...calm your nerves?"
"What are you going on about?"
"I'm getting to that part." Trakeena says as she stands up straight. With a flick of her wrist, a small, purple cocoon appears in the palm of her hand. "We're going to play a little game I'd like to call dodge. Let's see how long it takes you to lose your cool this time."
Before Ryan can question her words, Trakeena tosses the cocoon up into the air, allowing it to fall onto the ground. The cocoon rolls a few feet before coming to a stop. It then begins shaking violently, a loud buzzing noise coming from inside. Ryan slowly backs away, while Carter looks over to the cocoon. The cocoon begins shaking violently before it explodes, and a giant purple and black bug emerges from inside it in a cloud of black smoke. The bug begins fluttering through the air, buzzing obnoxiously. Carter and Ryan do not fail to see the large, silver stinger on its rear end.
"Say hello to my special friend, the hornet." Trakeena says as she clasps her hands together. Ryan squeezes the trigger of his Titanium Laser, but the hornet moves out of the way, it's eyes glowing a menacing red. "That's right my little darling. Allow your anger to grow. That no good Power Ranger is trying to end your free flight. What do you say we end things quickly?"
The hornet begins flying around quickly, its buzzing growing louder with agitation. Ryan fires at the hornet again, determined to keep it away from him, but the hornet's buzzing only increases as it begins flying around at random.
"Ryan stop." Carter hisses, as he continues to put pressure on his wound. "You're only aggravating it further.
"What do you want me to do Carter, stand by and get stung?" Ryan asks as he attempts to shoot the hornet down. "I plan on destroying that bug before it even gets the chance."
"Go baby, go!" Trakeena shouts as she pumps her fist in the air. The villain's attention is pulled away from the hornet when she hears Kelsey screeching. She looks over to where she had last seen the Pink and Yellow Lightspeed Rangers, and sees them running towards Ryan. Joel and Chad can be seen fending off the remaining five Stingwingers with their V-Lancers just a short distance behind them.
"What is that thing?" Kelsey shouts. "Oh my God. It's huge!"
"Kelsey, Dana, get out of here!" Carter pleads, but the hornet spots the girls right on cue. The hornet buzzes before diving down towards the girls, but Kelsey and Dana take a swing at the insect with their V-Lancers. The hornet swerves out of the way before diving towards the girls again. Thankfully, Joel and Chad have finished dealing with the remaining Stingwingers, and Chad fires his V-Lancer's laser at the bug, singeing the hornet's wing. The hornet spirals towards the ground, but quickly recovers and charges towards Kelsey. The Yellow Ranger turns towards the buzzing insect and screams, but just before the hornet can reach her, Ryan runs smash into her and pushes her to the ground. Kelsey recovers quickly and sits up just as Ryan screams in pain.
"Ryan, no!" she shouts when she sees the hornet sink its stinger into the Titanium Ranger's leg. The hornet disappears immediately afterward, and Ryan de-morphs, falling to the ground in agony. Kelsey crawls over to Ryan and holds his head in her lap, the Yellow Ranger's hands shaking in a panic when she sees his face twisted in pain. "Ryan, why did you push me out of the way. What were you thinking? Damn it!"
"It looks like my work here is done." Trakeena says before disappearing through an invisi-portal. Carter watches Trakeena disappear before cursing under his breath. Clearly, this had been her plan all along - to use the hornet and sting one of the rangers. The question is why? Why would Trakeena only sting one ranger and leave the rest of them alone?
Carter looks up when he hears Dana and the other rangers power down. Ignoring the pain in his side, he stands to his feet and moves to join them. Dana is holding Ryan's face in between the palms of her hands, tears streaming down her face. Ryan's pupils are enlarged and moving around rapidly while he thrashes around in agony. She can only deduce that the venom is spreading quickly through his body, and without knowing exactly what kind of venom the hornet used, there is no telling just how life-threatening it actually is.
"Ryan, stay with me." Dana pleads. "You have to fight. Do you hear me? Fight it!"
When Ryan continues screaming, Dana scoots back and rolls the leg of Ryan's gray cargo pants up. Kelsey lets out a choked sob when they all see a large, infected bump on Ryan's leg. Ryan's leg is practically translucent - his leg a ghostly white and his veins visible to them all. Rather than being their usual blue hue, the veins are a dark, ominous purple, and some of them black. The bump is oozing a putrid, green liquid, while Ryan's leg twitches uncontrollably.
"This can't be good." Joel says as he shakes his head in disbelief, a troubled look on his face. "Dana, you have to do something."
"I'm thinking." She says as she holds a hand up to silence the Green Ranger. The others are forced to watch Ryan writhing in pain, doing their best to stay strong for their friend who cannot be strong for himself. They are shocked when Dana says: "I have to suck the venom out of the wound."
"Are you insane?" Chad asks, his eyes wide with disbelief. "Dana, you can't ingest that stuff."
"What other choice do I have Chad?" she asks as she glances up at the Blue Ranger. "The longer the venom stays inside his body, the quicker it will take over his central nervous system. At this rate, we could lose him within the next five minutes, and I'm not taking that risk. I would never forgive myself."
Without so much as another word, Dana lowers her head to the puncture wound on Ryan's leg, pressing her lips against the skin as she begins to draw the poison out. The others are quiet as they watch the doctor work, all of them too scared to comment on her actions. Every few seconds, Dana would spit onto the grown to rid her mouth of the venom, and she would go right back to drawing the toxin out of her brother's body. Slowly, color begins to return to Ryan's leg as his screaming dies down to small grunts and shallow breathing.
A full ten minutes go by before Dana finally stops her actions, the Pink Ranger leaning back to sit on her bottom as she breathes heavily. Kelsey runs her fingers through Ryan's hair to try and soothe the now sleeping Titanium Ranger, her eyes clouded with tears. Carter closes his eyes and silently prays that Ryan will pull through. More importantly, he prays that Trakeena's true plans never come into full fruition.
A/N: Is Ryan going to pull through, or has the hornet's poison done more damage than what meets the eye? Will Zack, Trini, Justin, and Aisha manage to defeat Goldar and Rito, or will they be overthrown? Most importantly, will Kimberly be able to put aside her own feelings and fears long enough to put Tommy out of commission? The answer to these questions and more will be revealed to you all shortly. So go ahead and leave me a review, to let me know what you all thought of this chapter. I will see you at the next update!
-KairiAngel13
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