Crisis on Infinite Earths: Chains of the Past
"Everyone, deep in their hearts, is waiting for the end of the world to come." ~Haruki Murakami
~Dark Forest…
Jaysin fires his dino blaster at The Arbiter who disappears in a flash of blue lighting appearing to the right of Jaysin. Jaysin points his dino blaster to his right and fires. The Arbiter appears in front of him in a flash of blue lighting and snatches his dino blaster out of his hands then punches him in the chest with his other hand.
Sparks fly off of Jaysin's power suit. He goes flying back and lands on the ground face first. Jaysin gets on four looking up to see The Arbiter looking at the black dino blasters and crushes it in his hand. Watching him crush it was like watching a man crush a beer can. The dino blaster sizzles and sparks. The dino blasters pieces get tossed to the ground.
Jaysin quickly gets his feet and races back toward Draven's fortress. The Arbiter looks over to see Jaysin sprinting like a track runner through the dark forest.
"Run, fight, it makes no difference…" The Arbiter says out loud disappearing in another flash of blue lighting. As Jaysin was fighting the pain in his broken ribs he started to feel light headed and see flashes of gold. A memory is brought to mind of him back in highschool, a time before they were power rangers with Zackary and him coming out of the boys locker room from football practice.
Zackary had a shaved head, black t-shirt with blue baggy sweats, and his gear bag. Jaysin had faded sides with his short black hair, red muscle shirt, and black sweats. As they approached the sidewalk a black lamborghini pulls up before them. Jaysin and Zackary look at one another then back at the lamborghini. The passenger windows rolled down and Kim turns her head smiling at the boys. She had short dark brown hair, a black leather jacket, a pink top, with dark blue jeans.
"Oh sweet ride? Didn't know the queen bitch of the cheer leaders was loaded with cash and had this kind of ride" Zackary grins evilly. Kim gives him an angry face and gives him the finger.
"My family is not loaded, I swiped these wheels from the dealership. Care to join me for a joyride baby?" Kim giggles evilly. Zackary smiles stepping forward when Jaysin blocks his path with his right hand.
"I believe she was talking to me Zack my man" Jaysin turns his head and smiles. Zackary looked shocked looking at Jaysin, then at Kim, and then back at Jaysin with his jaw open.
"You and Kim? When? How?" Zackary slapped Jaysin on the back.
"Well are you coming or not baby?" Kim asked impatiently. Jaysin tosses his bag to Zackary then hops in the car through the window making out with Kim in front of Zackary. Sirens could be heard in the background. Kim and Jaysin smile, then Kim burns rubble racing down the streets of Angel Grove with Jaysin in a stolen car being chased by the police. Zackary just shakes his head laughing to himself thinking "Jay, you get all the fun…" Zackary looks up with a thought expression on his face.
Jaysin shakes his head sliding to a stop. "Why did I remember that just now?" Jaysin rubbed his chest painfully looking to his right to see Draven's Fortress in the clearing. Jaysin looks up to see the sky wrapping and distorting reality showing different realities across the multiverse. Jaysin broke into a sprint down the hill when a flash of lighting appeared in front of him with The Arbiter throwing a fast right. Jaysin slide between The Arbiter's legs to one knee grabbing The Arbiter's ankles pulling them up from under him.
The Arbiter fell forward using both his hands to break his fall and springs back up twisting in the air and struck Jaysin in the chest. Jaysin goes tumbling down the hill rolling up against Draven's wall striking his helmet against it. Another memory crawls to the surface of Jaysin's mind…
Jaysin remembers being dropped off for detention after the police chase with Kim. This time he was wearing black shoes, damaged blue jeans, black shirt, with a red flannel unbuttoned shirt. He stops at the water fountain to drink some water when Kim walks by smirking at him. Jaysin smiles evilly throwing up the middle finger at Kim. Kim smiles grabbing his hand and slowly sucks on his finger and winks at him signaling him to follow her to detention.
"You coming baby?" Kim says seductively. Her hair slicked back, wearing her black leather jacket, pink crop top and black leather pants, and boots.
"Hunnie, I'd follow you anywhere" Jaysin says following her. When they walk into detention they see Zackary in the back reclining his chair with his feet cross legged over the desk. Zackary had one diamond earring in his left ear, fresh faded military haircut, dressed in gloss black dress shoes, slacks, and a black silk shirt with, the top button unbuttoned and a loosened tie. Zackary gives Jaysin and Kim the finger. Kim grins walking over to Zackary taking the seat next to him.
Jaysin went to take a step forward when he heard a familiar voice. He turns to his right to see Bulk harassing Billie. Billie was pushed up against the wall, her hair was short dirty blonde color, black square glasses, blue shirt, with blue overalls and a blue sweater. She held her science books close to her chest with Bulk a giant obesse, bald, casually dressed in extra large clothing yelling at Billie. Jaysin narrows his eyes at the scene. He glances around the teacher wasn't around and everyone else clearly ignoring or making fun of Billie's plight.
Jaysin walks over to Bulk grabbing his right hand with his yanking Bulk back. The side bars stopped as everyone turns their head to see what Jaysin was going to do. Billie opens her eyes blinking toward Jaysin who stood between her and Bulk.
"What's going here Bulk?" Jaysin said sternly.
"I was just having words about Billi's latest explosive science experiment and how she didn't listen to the teacher about the mixture and it exploded in the classroom!" Bulk yells out.
"I heard about that, the classroom went up in flames and several students got hurt and smoke inhalation" Jaysin recounts the story from the school paper.
"YES! My best friend Skull was hurt because of this freak! And I'm going to bring her to justice and expose to everyone that she knew exactly what she was doing when she did what she did!" Bulk yelled at Jaysin.
"Well, Billie is under MY protection!" Jaysin says sternly.
"Get out of my face Jaysin! This terrorist needs to answer for what she did!" Bulk yells out.
"I'm in your face what are you going to do about it?" Jaysin challenges him with a wicked grin. Bulk steps up to Jaysin when Zackary and Kim appear behind Bulk catching him off guard.
"You should back off if you know what's good for you" Kim says in an evil tone patting Bulk on his left shoulder spinning around throwing her arms around Jaysin. Kim gives a nasty look toward Billie then smiles sweetly at Bulk. "My boyfriend here will break you in half or my man Zack over their will get stab happy with you" Kim winks at Bulk who has a nervous look about him.
"Yeah, this very knife I pulled in that fight that got me in trouble and sent here" Zackary laughs out loud flicking his butterfly knife open. Bulk narrows his eyes lowers his head slithering off. Jaysin turns to face Billie with Kim and Zackary to either side of him. Jaysin holds out his hand to her.
"You okay Billie?" Jaysin asked in a concerned voice. Billie looks up at him and turned her head away cowering before them.
"You remember me?" Billie looks up fearful.
"How could I forget my childhood friend?" Jaysin smiles at her. Billie smiles back reaching out for his hand.
"Stick with us Billie and no one will mess with you" Zackary adds-in.
"Just remember he is my man! Your not good enough for him and you will never be anything more then his pet charity project" Kim said in a possessive tone. Billie just glares at her then looks up thoughtfully at Jaysin taking his hand as he helps her up off the ground.
Jaysin shivers awake, shaking the warm memory away as the seconds past from when he struck his head. He quickly gets to his feet when a flash of blue lighting appears before him and The Arbiter snatches him up off the ground and puts him through the wall.
Jaysin slides back into the garden struggling to get to his feet with The Arbiter emerging through the dust. Jaysin draws his power sword holding it up charging it with red lighting from the distorted sky. Fire appears in The Arbiter's hand as his sword rematerlizes. He slides his left hand across the blade engulfed with flames. Jaysin and The Arbiter struck the swords across one another, the force of the strike destroyed both swords and the shock wave caused Jaysin to fly back and hit the ground.
The Arbiter staggers himself by leaning forward and bracing himself with his other leg so it looks as if it had no affect on him. The Arbiter lets out an annoyed sigh walking toward Jaysin. He watches the red lighting crouse around his body and in a red light demorphs back into his regular form. Jaysin rolls over on all fours staggering to his feet holding his chest with his right hand staggering to get away.
The Arbiter clenches and unclenches his right fist looking down at the broken sword slightly disturbed his weapon was destroyed along with Jaysin's sword. The Arbiter looks up at the sky reasoning out the Grid is becoming more and more unstable and as that is happening so to weakens his connection to the Grid making him potentially beatable. The Arbiter looked over to Jaysin with renewed vigor to end this now.
Jaysin had fallen into serious danger going against The Arbiter and the Grid. He was all alone. He was surrounded by enemies everywhere and reality on the verge of collapsing on itself. It was the greatest crisis to ever affect the multiverse. With his friends dead, and communications to his Earth cut off no one would be running to his side and protect him from the horror that was behind him. The people he used and took for granted were gone and he now had no one on his side, no one he can order or lead, no one to help him shoulder this threat other then himself.
Jaysin makes it inside the Fortress sliding the orential door when The Arbiter runs his fist through it. Jaysin goes flying into the wall. The Arbiter rips the sliding door off the slider throwing it to the ground.
"RUN JAYSIN! GET UP AND RUN!" Jaysin hears Billie's voice in his head. He knew it was a figment of his fractured mind desperately trying to hold on to something or cope with the hopeless situation he was in, Jaysin gets to his feet stumbling barely missing the hand of The Arbiter. Jaysin stumbles forward running down the hallway looking over his shoulder seeing The Arbiter just standing there menacingly. When Jaysin turns his head to the front he is confronted by another memory of the past…
Jaysin walks into Erine's Juice Bar, where he sees Trinidad Kwan in his kung fu gi practicing his moves. Kim was practicing her gymnastics on the bar, with Zackary in a corner booth with chatting up a storm with some beautiful cheerleaders and preppy girls supplied to him by Kim. Zackary spits his game opening his flask pouring some alcohol in the girl's soda to loosen them up. Jaysin continues to look around to see Billie at a table studying doing Zackary, Kim, hers, and Jaysin's school work. Their agreed upon protection fee, to make sure no one messed with Billie. With Billie doing their school work, they were free to pursue their individual selfish interests. The only one at the time who truly cared about Billie and knew what was going on in her home life and her past was Jaysin. He would protect against any threat for free.
"Trinidad Kwan!" Jaysin calls out to him. Trinidad stops looking over to him with his beautiful spiky asian hair. Zackary, Kim, and Billie glances up keeping an ear open but staying involved in their own interests.
"Jaysin Li Scotts, what does the star quarterback, king of the school, and the jock who dates the head cheerleader and gymnast want with little old me for foregin exchange student?" Trinidad smiles holding out his hands to him.
"I don't know what game your playing but your getting too close to Billie. She is-"
"Let me guess, off limits? Why? You have plans to date her? Oh no that can't be it because you have Kim. So I don't see what the problem is Jay-man!" Trinidad walks around Jaysin playfully punching him in the shoulder. Jaysin gave Trinidad an annoyed look standing there in his white karate pants, black belt, and red muscle shirt.
"All the same, stay away from her!" Jaysin orders. Trinidad and Jaysin stare each other down with other juice bar patrons watching.
"You can't stop her from falling in love or being loved by other people. She doesn't belong to you. Just because you think your a king that doesn't give you the right to do whatever you want!" Trinidad reminds him. Trinidad stands his ground, Jaysin just stares at him then smiles wickedly.
"You want to be friends with Billie and us come and prove it" Jaysin gestures to the mat. Everyone was gathering around and paying attention now. Trinidad takes his place on the mat with Jaysin and they bow. Kim signals and the fight starts. The fight was brutal, in the first round Jaysin knew he couldn't match Trinidad's speed so he psyched him out with with a series of feint attacks over powering Trinidad with his brute strength viciously beating him down in front of everyone.
Kim waited longer then she should have before breaking up the fight and announcing Jaysin the winner of round one. Kim makes out with Jaysin in front of everyone who was chanting Jaysin's name. Trinidad struggles to one knee wiping the blood away from his mouth. Trinidad looks over at Billie who nods at him with her hands clenched to her chest.
"I'm not done yet" Trinidad gets back to his feet. Jaysin smiles, Kim announces the start of round two. This time Trinidad dashed forward with an evil smile on his face using his speed and reflex to predict Jaysin's faints then unleashed a multistrike attack stopping right before the killing blow. Jaysin noticed that, and realized that if this was a real life and death fight Trinidad could have killed him but held back. That weakness Jaysin capitalized on getting back to his feet and over powering Trinidad and defeated him in front of everyone digging his foot in his throat.
Jaysin stares at Trinidad then over at Billie who gave him a pleading look. Jaysin let out a sigh removing his foot from Trinidad picking him up off the ground holding him close. "Congrats, your in. You can be friends with us, but you betray or hurt Billie I'll break you in half" Jaysin whispers into Trinidad's ear then they face the crowd.
Kim and Trinidad hold Jaysin's hands up in victory. After the fight and people scattered about their business, Billie tended to Trinidad's black eyes, busted lip and a bruise on his right temple of his forehead.
"Looked like your plan worked Billie to get me in" Trinidad smiles sweetly at her. Billie smiles back.
"Plan?" Jaysin walks up to them using a wet towel to dab his face injuries he got from Trinidad with Kim and Zackary walking up behind him.
"To get him into the group. I knew you all wouldn't accept him on my count, so we staged this little performance to show you he is worthy to be in association with us" Billie tells them.
"Clever girl" Kim said with a scorned voice.
"I'm sold, Trinidad Kwan is it? Welcome to our-" Jaysin cuts Zackary off and holds up his right hand.
"Answer me something, our fight got heated, you had a chance to deal a killing blow or near killing blow why did you stop?" Jaysin inquires. Trinidad looks up at Jaysin…
"For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing at all, nor do they have any more reward, because all memory of them is forgotten. Also, their love and their hate and their jealousy have already perished, and they no longer have any share in what is done under the sun" Trinidad quotes from the book of evil, written by man but inspired by the Vile God. Jaysin glares at Trinidad in deep thought.
"I see, your a witness of the evil God. I can respect that" Jaysin smiles. They all look at one another with evil smiles. This was the foundation, this was the moment they came together, this was their time and in the years to follow they would become the Power Rangers of Earth 3-29, and hatefully became known as the Ranger Overlords. This was their origin story, but now Jaysin was the only one left running through dark halls trying to evade an interdimensional serial killing power ranger who was as unstoppable and relentless as a terminator...
