In his throne room, Drakkon was keeping an eye on the time. The Rangers continued to show him no respect by refusing to acknowledge his deadline and indicate their intent to surrender. In a lot of ways, he already knew they wouldn't. While the Morphing Grid was sometimes mysterious and sometimes made some questionable decisions in who it chose to wield its power, with everything from Jason, a kid from a military family with a strong discipline who had excelled in sports and Martial Arts and been captains in teams all his life who was almost a cliché in how custom-made he seemed to be to the role, so some kid who made the most laughably awful collection agent for a protection racket that ever walked the Earth, but there were a few things that were consistent among all of them. One of those was that they never gave up, even right to the bitter end.
There was no mortal being that knew the Morphing Grid like Drakkon by now. He had been infused with so much of its power, and even traversed the grid itself for so long that he was the closest thing any human would ever come to being one with the Morphing Grid itself. It was the fact that he was close but hadn't managed it that still burned in his soul even now.
He had drifted in a limbo of sorts following his last defeat, not quite gone, his will too strong to simply fade away and disappear into the energy of the Grid. He had been so close he could taste it. He had actually started to accomplish his dream, to shape reality itself to his whims, only to have it taken away from him at the last moment, a tiny shred of doubt being just enough to allow the will of other Rangers to come for him and end his reign. He had long since cast off that doubt, and was not going to allow another team to finish him off again. He had literally existed through sheer force of will alone. No, the Power most certainly did not tolerate cowards.
He watched the time ticking down towards his next deadline, when he would once more send his followers to gather more hostages. The Rangers were bound to be in the middle of some scheme or other, aiming to pull some kind of trick to best them. However, long before his team were the scourge of multiple realities, they were Rangers, and so they all knew what to expect. A little smirk crossed his face as he recalled their days fighting 'The Good Fight', and some of the ridiculous schemes they had not only come up with, but that remarkably actually worked. He was just recalling how one time Zack had actually dared a monster to peck balloons. He didn't know if it was more remarkable that he tried the plan or that the monster actually fell for it.
"Zack, the next deadline is approaching." Drakkon told him. "I think you and Trini should be the next to go."
"But, my Lord, we were so successful." Kimberly said, her brows knitting as she looked to him.
"Come on, Kim, you going to deny Zack a workout he so clearly needs?" Jason stated. The former Black Ranger simply flipped him the bird in response.
"It is true that you did well, but the Rangers have seen you in action now." Drakkon reminded her. "You know how tricky their sort can be. Why keep sending the same servants and allow them to form one of their little schemes?"
"Oh, I am all over this." Zack responded, getting up from his seat. "Trini went to play with the prisoners. I'll just go and find her."
With that, he headed out of the room.
Elsewhere on the ship, Sarah was running for her life, pursued by Drakkon's servant. She had gone to the ship to try and…well…that was the sticking point, she really hadn't gone up there with a plan at all. Even now she was at a loss as to why she had decided to slip into the group of prisoners and stow away on the ship. She'd told herself she was planning something, but from the moment she got there, she was still unsure what if anything drove her to act when she didn't even know what she was wanting to do.
She got into an area of the ship that was full of pipes, pistons and heavy machinery. It was some kind of part of the inner workings of the ship, perhaps part of the engine itself. She'd love to say that she had intended to come here, but the truth was she was still running in a blind panic, trying to get away from Trini.
She still had no idea how Trini had gotten the drop on her. Thanks to her training she was normally quite aware of her surroundings, but Trini had come up behind her almost completely silently. The first she'd known she was even there was when she threw her dagger, narrowly missing her head. Given the fact she'd run what felt like most of the length of the ship though, she was starting to think that missing was intentional. It was clear she enjoyed the chase, and was just waiting on her opportunity to destroy her.
Sarah threw her back against a wall and leaned there, trying to catch her breath. Her heart was pounding like a jackhammer as she tried to catch her breath. She could hear someone coming in. By now, Trini was making little effort to be stealthy, but she still moved as quiet as a panther.
"You know, you've really led me on quite the merry chase." Trini told her with a little smirk as she started to look around the machinery. She started to make her way along the walkway, looking around for signs of her quarry. "You know, we all take joys in different things. Most people are all about the fight, or the victory, but me? I'm all about the chase."
She scanned around, trying to figure out where Sarah might have gone. She slammed the handle of one of her daggers into one of the pistons, the vibrations reverberating through the whole room. Sarah clamped a hand over her mouth to stop her involuntary gasp giving her away. Trini just smiled.
"You know, no matter how many times I do this, no matter how many little Rangers I've run down, I almost feel let down when I finally find them." Trini told her. "To me, the hunt is what's the most fun. I don't know if that's something to do with my powers…personally I just think I love the fear I can smell from them."
Sarah concentrated on her feet, trying to move silently like Brody had taught her. Trini continued to search for her, moving slowly, her gaze swinging from side to side.
"Marco." She called out. "Oh, come on, you're not playing properly. Marco!"
Sarah tried to take the opportunity when it was there, launching herself at Trini's back, but the former Ranger turned around so quickly that as she swing her dagger, Sarah could feel its keen edge slicing through her shirt and barely touching the skin without quite breaking it. She was well aware Trini could have disembowelled her if she had wanted. Trini kicked her back into a safety railing, which shifted a little under the impact. Sarah watched as Trini twirled her daggers.
"Nice try, little girl." Trini mocked her. "But you've stumbled into the big leagues now."
Sarah came back at Trini, attacking her ferociously, trying to keep her eyes on where the knives were. However, it seemed like for every move she made, Trini had at least a dozen counters that she had practiced a hundred times. She spun away, letting out a hiss as Trini sliced her across the cheek. She dabbed her hand to the wound, seeing the blood on her fingers. A superficial wound, another insult more than a serious attempt to harm her. She was playing with her. Sarah glared at her.
"You know, I've done this dance with a number of your former comrades. Even other versions of myself once or twice." Trini taunted her. "Usually…they put up a bit more of a fight."
Sarah spat in Trini's face. The former Yellow Ranger was enraged so much she lunged for her, aiming to run her through in one go. Sarah dodged to the side, letting Trini hit the railing, before leaping up, slamming both her feet into her chest. The force caused the barrier to break, and Trini fell over the edge of the walkway. She morphed into her Ranger mode for protection, before bouncing off a few different surfaces on the way down.
Sarah looked over the edge, seeing Trini had morphed, and was already starting to get up. Her suit was predominantly yellow, with the helmet with a kind of feline visage on it, and long fangs flanking the visor. Her suit also had claws on the ends of the fingers, which were wrapped around her daggers. There were wings attached to the arms, and she had a sword hanging at her hip. She looked up towards Sarah, who didn't wait around to find out how long it would take her get back up. She started to head out, but had to duck as a large axe came her way. Zack's axe hit one of the pipes, splitting it and spewing steam all over him, blinding him long enough for Sarah to escape. As difficult as facing one Ranger was, two would be suicidal. She ran before he could recover. Trini leapt back up to the walkway.
"Didn't you stop her?" Trini yelled at Zack, who was still trying to clear his vision.
"Stop her? What's she even doing her?" He demanded. "How did she get here?"
"Does it matter?" Trini asked him. "We need to get after her and make her regret ever coming here!"
Zack nodded in agreement and morphed. His suit was black, and his helmet had silver crests running along it. He had golden armoured shoulder pads, while his Power Axe was double-headed, and at one end had a green and gold blade, with keys on the side of the blade, and a mouthpiece attached. They both set off to continue their pursuit of Sarah. Trini was having her fun, but no one made a joke of Drakkon's Rangers and lived.
Elsewhere on the ship, Sandy and Monty found their way to the room where the teleporter was kept.
"And Cosmo just…lets you know where he keeps this thing?" She asked.
"I have to know. I'm on production." Monty answered with a shrug. "Along with…everything else too."
"So, how do we get the prisoners from holding to here?" Sandy asked him.
"I'm thinking this is a case of the wise man and the mountain." Monty told her. "If the wise man can't come to the mountain, the mountain must go to the wise man."
"So you want to wheel this thing into holding?" She asked him. "Look, I'm good with the stealth thing but even I'd find wheeling this thing down there without anyone noticing a tall order."
"Well, it's got to be easier than trying to sneak dozens of prisoners to this thing right?" He asked, before a thought came to him. "Unless…we need a distraction right?"
"A distraction would be good." She agreed.
"Well, this thing does things other than just teleport people you know." Monty said with a wry smile.
Just then, Victor was being dragged towards the stage. He'd since been found by some passing kudabots, along with the unconscious stylist and they had reported the matter to Cosmo. Cosmo was keen to kick off the broadcast with his bout with Victor, but he wasn't above accelerating his time scale a little.
"So, are you read for your return to the screen?" Cosmo asked him. Victor struggled in their grip. "I have no idea how you did what you did to my stylist, but I pay him good money to keep me looking this good, and I can't have anyone laying him out when I have a show to do."
"Whatever he's getting paid, he's ripping you off if you think you look good." Victor replied. Cosmo just grinned and headed out onto the stage. The audience exploded with excitement as he strode out onto the stage.
"Ladies and Gentlemonsters, the show of the millennium is still only hours away, but for you, our adoring fans, we have a little appetiser. A special treat if you will, one that I just know you're going to love. Tell me, who do you love more than anything in the universe?"
"COSMO!" They all called out.
"I can't hear you, who do you love?"
"COSMO!" They called out again. Cosmo soaked in the adulation.
"Tonight, for one night only, you all get a very special treat. For many years I've been your host, your guide, your ringmaster of disaster for this carnival of carnage. However, for the first time in many years, for your viewing pleasure, I will return to the arena!"
There was a huge explosion of cheers from the audience as he announced this. There'd already been rumours that Cosmo was going to take part in a bout, but now they were hearing it being confirmed.
"And who is going to be my opponent for this bout? Why, someone I'm sure you'll all remember, someone who had the audacity, the temerity, the sheer rudeness to lay his filthy hands on your favourite host!" He declared. "Give it up, for my victim, Victor Vincent!"
Victor was released from his shackles and shoved out onto the stage. As soon as he was seen, the audience started booing loudly. Any pretence this was anything other than a partisan crowd was quickly melting away. Cosmo pulled off his coat, draping it over the outstretched arms of a waiting kudabot and gestured him to leave, before standing in wait. A buzzer sounded and Victor wasted little time coming over to him.
"You wanted this, well this time I'm going to knock your teeth…"
Victor's swing was ducked, and before he knew it, Cosmo had hit him a good four or five times, ending with a hard kick across the jaw sending him to the floor. Cosmo just chuckled.
"Aw, did you think this would be easy?" He taunted him. "In case you hadn't figured it out, that last time? I LET you hit me. You don't really think I made it to this level in the game just by being a sharp dresser and a gleaming smile do you?"
Victor got up, taking another swing, only for Cosmo to block it and send him staggering with a hard punch to the ribs. Cosmo turned and took in the adulation of the crowd. If he had any lingering doubts that Cosmo had been playing possum the last time, they were gone now.
Sandy was watching as Monty tried to figure out the controls. She was watching the door in case anyone came, but she knew the longer they hung around the more likely it was someone would find them.
"I thought you said you knew how this thing worked." She said impatiently.
"To be fair it was already set up and turned on last time." Monty told her. "Aha! I think we're in business! OK, now all we need is to…"
Just then, Sarah stumbled into the room, out of breath and red-faced. She looked up to Sandy and Monty.
"Oh…I guess you found her then." She panted.
"Yeah, I found her." Monty replied. "Where's Victor?"
"Uh…had to…take a little detour." She gasped as she tried to regain her breath. "You know, psychotic evil Rangers, that kind of thing."
"And this is your rescue plan?" Sandy asked her.
"OK, OK admittedly the word 'plan' might be glorifying it a little bit." Sarah admitted. Just then, Monty shrieked as Zack and Trini came into the room. Sandy and Sarah were standing in defiance, seeing there was nowhere left to run. They quickly adopted a guard. Trini just laughed.
"You remember when we were that optimistic?" She asked him.
"Yeah, glad we grew out of that." Zack said, hefting his axe overhead as he rushed them. Trini watched him closing in.
"ZACK! DON'T TOUCH…!"
Sandy threw her hands in front of her face defensively, at which the Green lightning arced out of her hands once more. Zack was blasted back, straight into Trini, bowling them both out of the door. Sandy looked to them tentatively as Sarah rushed to close and lock the door.
"Uh…OK, I am REALLY going to need to know how I do that!" She remarked.
"Right now, I'll take being alive as a win!" Sarah told her. "OK Monty, you got this thing up and running?"
"Yes, and we're ready to GO!" He said, slamming his hand down on one of the buttons. Both Sandy and Sarah just looked around, bewildered.
"Uh…Monty?" Sandy asked. "We're still here."
"But that wasn't the teleport button." He told her. "That was just a little distraction."
Just then, they heard a loud crash and ship lurched.
"What was that?" Sarah asked.
"That was my distraction." Monty told them. "Something tells me Drakkon's not going to be looking anywhere near us right now! Come on!"
He opened the door, at which they found Trini and Zack had left. The ship lurched again, but this time they decided not to question it. Grabbing the teleporter machine, the three of them pushed it as fast as they could down towards the holding block.
In his throne room, Drakkon was watching the show on his viewing screen, taking amusement in watching Cosmo beat down on Victor. Jason and Kimberly were also watching, sharing some snacks as they laughed at Victor's expense. Only Billy seemed not to be amused.
"This is a waste of time." He snorted. "That idiot's nothing to do with us, why are we wasting our time with him?"
"Billy, you really need to learn how to relax in your old age." Jason responded.
"Was that meant to be a joke?" He snapped. Although he was able to retard the aging process with the Phantom Ranger powers now, he was still a little sensitive about his advanced aging. Drakkon just held up a hand.
"Must you?" He asked in an exasperated tone. "I swear, if I wanted this much bickering I'd have had children. Perhaps I'd have been better off getting pets!"
Just then, they all reacted in alarm as there was a flash of light. A skullgator appeared right in the middle of the throne room.
"Holy SHIT!" Jason yelled as it lunged for him, trying to swallow him in one bite. They all quickly morphed.
"Zack, Trini, get to the throne room!" Drakkon barked over the communicators.
"But, My Lord…"
"NOW!" He demanded.