Disclaimer: Not mine. Saban's.
Author's Note: Hey look, it's a two dow shay! (Two show day, thanks Lin-Manuel Miranda for teaching me Broadway slang) This chapter takes us to the end of "Edge of Extinction" and then we've got "End of Extinction" and as I told my husband today, "I have no idea how I'm going to fix this! I have time travel and black holes and live dinosaurs to deal with! Plus I've got to give Philip a rounded out ending." So...while I figure that out...enjoy this chapter :)
CHAPTER 31
Martin saw it. He wasn't believing it, but he saw it.
When one of his subordinates had come running into his office, mumbling incoherently about a monster in the sky, his first thought was the kid was drunk.
Now, as he shielded his eyes and looked above the north tower of the castle…he was beginning to wonder if there had been some kind of chemical attack that was making them all hallucinate.
Eighty stories in the air, the Greenzilla let out a roar, its giant tail slicing through the air, narrowly missing a news helicopter that had been foolish enough to fly that evening.
Martin snapped his fingers at the young man who was temporarily in Margaret's position and yelled, "Call the news. Get that thing out of the air!" He gave the boy a slight push back toward the open door of the castle.
This wasn't covered in the castle's standard operating procedures. Martin had no idea what to do. The tail swung again, knocking some of the brickwork off the north tower. Martin dove out of the way, his old leg injury flaring up from the impact.
"Get everyone to the bomb shelters," he barked into his collar. It seemed the best course for the moment, to get them out of the buildings and below ground. Being a central European country, Zandar had largely kept to itself during World War II, but the country's architects and engineers had constructed many bomb shelters around the cities, just in case. Martin remained on the lawn. His phone buzzed in his pocket, the number of a high-ranking army official wanting to know what Philip, technically the country's commander in chief, wanted the military to do.
There was just one problem with that: Philip wasn't even in the country.
Martin pressed the TALK button on the phone, beset by an angry general before he could even say hello. "I don't know what to do," he barked back. "We've initiated evacuation protocols, but there's nothing in the Constitution and bylaws about what to do if a giant lizard is attacking Zandar!" he yelled.
In the air, Martin heard a low roar. Like the sound of fighter jets in formation. "General, do you have aircraft in the vicinity?" he demanded. At the confused 'no' on the other end of the line, Martin's eyes trailed upwards to see something else, a massive something else, in the darkening sky. The purple-and-white machine resembled a jet in some respects, pointed nose, white wings on either side, but Martin had spent enough time around the military to know that jets didn't often come with a wide open jaw and teeth…and were those glowing yellow things on the sides of it eyes?
White-hot laser fire exploded from the purple machine, pounding the green lizard, sending it staggering. Martin watched as the lizard's tentacles (since when did lizards have those….since when were lizards eighty stories tall?!) lashed out at it, but the purple jet pulled up and out of the way. It fired again, a blazing hit of white light from under the jaw-looking part, knocking the green lizard back. It's arm nicked the north tower of the castle and Martin decided that it was probably time to get inside.
His phone rang again, and Martin swore in multiple languages as he answered. "I don't know a goddamned thing, General, and I'm a little busy-"
"Evacuate all citizens to the bomb shelters," a voice commanded him, and Martin nearly dropped his phone.
"Philip?!"
Aboard the PlesioZord, Philip kept one hand on the controls as he spoke to his chief of security. "It's a long story, Martin, but yes. Have you issued evacuation orders?"
Martin's voice still held a hint of surprise. "I-yes, Your Highness. The military is standing by, awaiting orders."
"Keep them out of the air," Philip commanded. "Tank battalions only. And for God's sake tell them to watch where this thing is walking. We will provide air support."
"We?" Martin raised his eye to the sky. "Philip…are….is that…you?"
"Like I said…it's a long story," Philip's voice replied. "Tell the general to get those tanks here as fast as he can. We'll hold him off until he gets here." The lizard's tentacles lashed out again, catching one wing of the purple machine and sending it rocking. "I'm afraid I've got to go, Martin. Stay safe!"
The line went dead and Martin stared up at the battle in the sky, dumbfounded.
Do your job, Martin. Your prince gave you a command. He blinked, then, he was on the phone to the general.
"Plesio Blast!" James commanded, firing at the Greenzilla again. "All this laser is doing is making him mad," James noted, pulling the PlesioZord out of reach of the tentacles again. "We need backup!" he informed Miss Morgan.
Philip watched the cockpit window. Where are those damned tanks?
"As luck would have it, backup's on the way!" the Purple Ranger told the two of them. Philip was pretty sure she didn't mean the Zandarian military.
Something slammed into the Greenzilla, a flash of lead and black. Philip's eyes widened, and his mood instantly improved. "It's the PachyZord!" he realized, pressing the commands to fuse it with the PlesioZord.
James glanced at him. "You're in a good mood," he deadpanned.
Philip clenched a fist. "PachyZord Wrecking Ball!" he ordered, swinging the mace-like weapon out at the Greenzilla, nailing it in the side of its jaw. The Greenzilla howled, and then, to Philip's surprise, turned its' attention to something below them. Philip leaned forward. Eighty stories below them in the streets, he saw flashes of light and smaller explosions at the giant lizard's feet. He pounded the console with a fist. "Backup has arrived!" he announced. He turned to look at James. "Let's finish this once and for all."
James leaned back, amused. "It's your show, Your Highness," he grinned.
Philip thrust out a hand. "Plesio Blast!" The white-hot laser fire was back, and between that and the constant barrage at the Greenzilla's lower half, he prayed that would be enough to destroy it.
Next to him, James tensed, his toes curling into his boots. "Come on," he whispered. "Come on!"
The Greenzilla swung its tentacles trying to trap the PlesioZord, but James always kept it just out of reach. It sidestepped in a strange dance, trying to avoid the tanks below it. And all the while, Philip never let up on the laser cannon, his fingers reaching forward as if he were going to strangle the Greenzilla with his bare hands. This has to end here. If it doesn't…there won't be a Zandar left to rule.
"Philip, I don't-"
Philip gritted his teeth. "This has to work," he ground out.
"Our chargers are dying, Philip, we've put too much into this already!" James countered. "Too much more and we'll dimorph and the Megazord will lose what little power it's got left!"
"We're almost there!" Philip protested.
The Greenzilla whirled to face them, kicking a tank out of the way, and charged directly at the PlesioZord, hissing. There was a burst of white light, a flash of smoke and flame. Philip threw an arm over his visor to shield his eyes. When he put it down again…the skies were clear.
The Greenzilla was gone.
Philip swore in French, and pounded his fist into his hand triumphantly. "Yes!" he exulted. "We did it!"
"Monster extinct," James informed Miss Morgan on the other side of the world. "With a little extra help." He rolled the PlesioZord in a wave at the ground troops below. As it righted itself, Philip called Martin once more.
"Philip, are you all right? There was an explosion-"
"I'm fine, Martin." Philip grinned breathlessly. "Please give the general our thanks. I've got a few more things to take care of. Thomas and Mr. de Latour and I should be back within the week."
"Stay safe," Martin told him, and there was a little extra meaning in the sentiment.
Philip gave him a two-fingered salute, knowing Martin had no way of knowing. "Take care of Zandar while I'm gone," he replied. He hung up and turned to James. "Let's go see if we can assist the others."
James grinned. "Yes, sir."
Philip radioed back to the base, half a world away. "Miss Morgan, where can we help?"
He waited. No response. He frowned, looking at James. "Miss Morgan? Kendall?" he tried again. The answer was only static.
He looked at James. "That cannot be a good sign."
"Change in plans," James agreed, turning the PlesioZord west. Tyler was the first to break radio silence, informing them that Zenowing had taken care of the final Greenzilla, and that everyone was headed back to Amber Beach.
"Just in time," James told his son. "We can't reach Miss Morgan on the comms."
"What?" Tyler replied worriedly. "Okay, we're all going to meet you guys there. Keep trying." He cut the line.
There was a long stretch of silence. James was pushing the Zord as fast as he could. Daylight started peeking its way into the cockpit window.
The radio crackled to life, and Philip nearly collapsed when he heard the voice on the other end. "Rangers! Snide attacked the base. He's got the Dark Energem. Heckyl and I are moving to intercept. Get back here as fast as you can!"
"She's all right!" Philip breathed a sigh of relief. Then he frowned. "Wait…she and Heckyl are after Snide? But-"
"Maybe he decided he didn't want to see another planet destroyed," James offered. "Making up for everything he did as Snide?"
"I'll be very curious to know his motives," Philip noted. "We're nearly there."
The moment they were over Amber Beach, James put the zord in a holding pattern and he and Philip leapt to the ground, making their way toward the sounds of a fight. Philip skidded to a stop in time to see Miss Morgan get blasted by Snide into a car in the parking lot. He took off at a sprint, jumping in front of her and Heckyl, who was grimacing on the ground in pain. Shelby, already morphed and standing defensively, told them, "Be careful, Snide has the Dark Energem."
"We've got six," Philip countered, nodding to himself, James, and Shelby, and Kendall, Koda, and Zenowing, who had just joined them.
"That's not enough power to destroy this!" Snide growled at them, brandishing the Dark Energem like he was daring them to attack.
The ground rumbled, and a shadow fell over the group. Philip craned his neck skyward to see a massive Zord standing over the museum. Tyler's voice rang out, "It's over Snide! We're taking the Dark Energem!"
"No, you're not," Snide countered, not sounding the least bit intimidated. "You're in for a big surprise!"
Philip tensed, his heart pounding. "Magna Beam!" he heard Snide call out.
Nothing happened. "Sledge! Fire the Magna Beam!" he yelled at the sky. Whatever he was waiting for didn't happen.
"Looks like Sledge and Snide had a falling out," James muttered to Philip.
"What a shame," Philip said sarcastically. "What's that saying, the enemy of my enemy-"
"Is definitely not your friend." Heckyl stepped forward, clutching his side. He looked at Snide. "It's because of me you're in this world," he told the metal alien. His eyes narrowed. "And I couldn't be happier to help you leave it!"
"Together!" Tyler called from the MegaZord cockpit. "Let's fry the Dark Energem-and Snide with it!"
Philip stepped up next to Heckyl, his blaster at the ready. Heckyl's palms were glowing a bright aqua blue. Down the line, the other rangers stood in a firing stance, awaiting Tyler's order. "Last chance, Snide," Heckyl warned him.
Snide refused to back down. "I never give up!"
"Neither do we," Tyler's voice echoed. "Titano Cannon! Final Strike!" A barrage of flame and laser erupted from the MegaZord as Philip and the others on the ground opened fire at the same time, everything in their arsenal directly aimed at Snide and the Dark Energem.
When the smoke cleared, there was nothing left of Snide. Nothing except-
"No way." Shelby swore, and that in itself shocked Philip enough to make him demorph and come running. Shelby was crouched down on the ground, her eyes fixed on something in the cracked pavement.
Tyler bent down to pick it out of the blackened cement. "Don't touch it!" Kendall warned, and Tyler jerked his hand back.
"It's not even scratched," he whispered.
"If that blast didn't destroy it," Chase gaped, "then what will?"
"I think I know," Heckyl spoke up from the fringes of the group. The ten Rangers turned to him. "Better late than never, I suppose," he said dryly. "I know you don't trust me. I wouldn't either…after everything. Good intentions or not. But I want to help, now. If you'll let me. I feel…I think I should make amends. Or at least….try."
Tyler raised an eyebrow. "Like you said," he told Heckyl, "Snide was in this world because of you."
"Tyler, he helped run Snide off when he attacked us," Kendall cut in. "I think...I think we can trust him."
"Tyler," James spoke up, looking at his son. "I believe him. I know a little something about wanting to make up for past actions."
"As do I," Philip added. "Sometimes you can spend your whole life trying to make up for your past. It will not change what you've done. However," he glanced at Koda and Ivan with a grim smile, "it can be a start to a better future."
Tyler looked at the three of them, considered it. He looked at Shelby, who gave him a small nod. Then, he offered a hand to Heckyl. "Let's finish this. Together."
Heckyl reached for his hand. As they shook, Philip heard the tone of their communicators. Miss Morgan looked at her screen, her eyes widening. "The base. Fury. We have to go!"
