Pawns
Chapter Thirteen: Face to Face
The scene reminded him so much of a classic Old West showdown, he could almost see tumbleweed drifting across the expanse between them.
Both stood still and wary, waiting for the other to make the first move. They stared at each other with more emotion than could ever be put into words.
Her eyes burned with hate, outrage, and a terrifying anticipation.
His eyes swam in remorse, confusion, and sickening dread.
He was so overwhelmed he actually felt dizzy. Part of him was grateful that she still lived, for at least with life came the smallest glimmer of hope. Hope that she could be freed, that the wonderful girl he'd adored could be restored.
But another part wanted to curse whatever force was responsible for arranging this showdown… whoever moved the pieces of Fate to make him stare into the hate-filled eyes of the girl he once loved more than he could possibly express.
He still did.
"It was funny, actually," Kim drawled, breaking the silence with her sultry alto, "He put up a pretty good fight. But as soon as my blade cut through his armor, all this energy leaked out, and he shrank like a cheap T-shirt in the wash."
She laughed… a deep, indulgent snicker. "Just imagine my surprise when Blue Boy deflated. From then on, he was a pincushion for my swords."
He continued to watch her, balling his fists in a vain effort to quell their shaking. "Why did you do it?" he demanded softly.
"What? Hurt the Smurf? Well, it's nothing personal; just wanted to show you that I meant business." She smiled perversely. "That, and test out my strength against a Power Ranger. I've gotten a lot better since our last fight."
Tommy watched as she yanked the heavy cloak from her shoulders. "I didn't fight you on Muiranthias, Kim. Do you know why?"
Her smile turned into a sneer, her hand unconsciously touching the cheek the Pink Turbo Ranger nearly ripped off her face. "Of course I do: why do you own dirty work when your blonde bitch is more than eager?"
The Red Ranger flinched at the words. "Kat was desperate," he tried to reason, "We had to stop the fighting, to save you and Jason before Maligore woke up. She didn't want to hurt you."
Kimberly sighed dramatically. "You are such a broken record." She reached behind her back, drawing an obsidian archer's bow. "But it doesn't matter. The time for talk was four months ago. Now I'll let the Flame do the talking."
The instant her fingers touched the fine chord, a blaze of fire erupted across the bow, aimed right at the Red Ranger. He barely had the chance to dodge as the arrow streaked through the air, leaving a trail of smoke in its wake.
His breath hitched in surprise when he noticed the melted concrete that marked his previous position.
oooOOOooo
"And remember to go through the wormhole," Scorpina instructed at a painfully slow pace. "If you don't enter at the dead center at more than mach three, you won't make it to M51."
The simpleton saluted from the bottom of the boarding ramp. "So what's in this letter again?"
Goldar's fangs gnashed as he repeated, "An invitation to a victory party."
Rito nodded. "Cool! Am I invited too?"
A cool grin twisted Scorpina's sanguine lip. "Rita will tell you when she opens it; and you know how angry she gets when someone else opens her mail, so…"
"I'll be extra careful," Rito determined, puffing his chest. "You can count on Rito, yessiree!" He pivoted, and marched up the ramp into the one-man vessel. "I'll deliver this baby express! Yeah… I'll even pick up some wrapping paper on Onyx, make it look pretty…"
His voice faded as the hatch sealed closed behind him.
Goldar and Scorpina waved at the ship, false smiles painted on their lips.
"Do you think that fool can make it all the way home by himself?" Scorpina wondered.
"He made it here, didn't he?" the Titan pointed out. "He'll be fine."
The ship's rockets flared to life, blowing smoke into the hangar. Moments later, the sleek vessel lifted off the ground, and disappeared through the gate into the bleak skies.
The moment the roaring of the engines faded, Scorpina heaved a dramatic sigh of relief. "Finally! I think I was killing brain cells every time I spoke to him!"
Goldar released a deep chuckle. "And you only had to tolerate him for a matter of days. Imagine living with him for months." He held his hand in the direction of the exit. "Shall we?"
Scorpina smiled, and stepped past him. Side by side, the gilded pair traversed the winding hallways of the lower levels of Lord Zedd's extravagant Lunar Palace.
The sleek assassin couldn't help a malicious smile. "I must hand it to our Lord. Sending Rita an invitation to his wedding is the utmost in cruelty. If only I could see her face when she reads it!"
Goldar nodded his agreement. "As would I… though I would certainly not want to be within twenty parsecs of that old witch ever again." He then leaned closer to his companion. "Although, now that Rito Revolto is out of our lives, we can speak more freely on this matter. Who is our Lord marrying? How could he possibly find a suitable wife in this sector of the galaxy?"
The lovely assassin answered with a widened grin. "Our Lord plans to make the announcement this very day. In fact, he awaits us in his throne room."
Goldar frowned thoughtfully, pondering the possibilities during the lengthy hike to the high tower. There isn't a halfway decent villainess anywhere near here! I've heard Divatox has been fishing for treasure on Earth, but she is so beneath our Lord it's laughable. Why replace Rita with an even greater whiner? Rumors have spread that Dark Specter's upstart princess Astronema has come of age, but I doubt Specter would agree to such a union…
Before his mind could get any further, the pair reached the large double doors of wrought iron that separated Zedd's seat of power from the remainder of the palace. Shaking his mind clear of speculation, the towering warrior straightened his shoulders and marched into the presence of the Emperor of Evil.
Lord Zedd sat at his throne, his head leaning against one hand as he watched an image magically projected into the air. Beside him, the Kerovan intellectual Egeon stood stiffly, a disinterested frown on his face.
"My Lord?" Scorpina spoke, announcing their presence.
Zedd lifted his free hand, and gestured them to approach. "I trust Rita's brother is gone?"
"Gone, with your invitation," Goldar informed him. "And even if the idiot doesn't make it to M51, he'll never manage to wind his way back here."
"It doesn't matter," Zedd decided, "I would like Rita to read the message, and deal one final blow to her bruised pride, but one way or another she has been humiliated. Behold, my new Queen."
His face alight with curiosity, Goldar hurried to his master's side. His eyes narrowed as he watched the scene displayed before him.
A woman clad entirely in black flipped through the air, delivering powerful blows to what looked like a distracted Red Ranger.
Goldar frowned. I have never seen Tommy fight so poorly. Has she cast some spell on him, slowing his wits?
After a rapid exchange, nearly too quick for the naked eye to properly follow, a particularly nasty blow knocked the Red Ranger off his high horse.
The woman slowed, throwing her long brown hair back with a toss of the head.
Goldar gaped.
"Kimberly?"
Lord Zedd chuckled at the sheer astonishment on his warrior's face. "Why the surprise, Goldar? I have had my eye on her before."
The Titan fought a frown of disapproval. He clearly remembered when Zedd had first deemed to wed the childish Power Ranger. It was right after Tommy had lost the Green Ranger powers forever; somehow, the pure Pink Ranger had attracted the Emperor's eye.
Despite his concerns, Goldar's blind loyalty brought him planetside, to abduct the unwary Pink Ranger when she was alone. He'd even cast a spell on her, intended to make her shed her sweet character, and become a woman fit to wed an Emperor of Evil.
Oddly enough, eventually she did shed that natural purity.
Something tells me there's an interesting story behind this confrontation, he realized, staring agape at the tense battle.
"Now I am ready to collect my Empress," Zedd announced, rising from his throne, "Together, we will topple Zordon's chosen." He leaned over, grasping his silver scepter between muscled fingers. "All I require is the perfect moment to interrupt this little drama."
oooOOOooo
"Tommy, the kid gloves are off! She wasn't going to stop until she killed you."
When Katherine made that declaration, the truth never really sank in. At the time, he was too concerned over Kimberly's injuries to even consider that the Pink Ranger had a point.
Afterward, the battle with Maligore and subsequent disappearance of his ex-girlfriend gave him much greater concerns. He'd never really pondered the spell of Maligore. What exactly did the Flame of Destruction do? Was it truly capable of tearing away the heart of a person?
He had his answer when he saw the brutal beating Justin had endured.
She was vicious. Animalistic. Heartless.
But she was still Kimberly… and he couldn't hurt her.
What was it that crippled him so? True, he still loved her… the deep devotion he thought he had shirked ran just as true as the day he raced into Lord Zedd's Dark Dimension to rescue her.
But it was more than that. It was also guilt.
The guilt that moved him to carry the forged letter in his pocket wherever he went.
"The time for talk was four months ago."
Four months ago, he had received a heart-rending letter from the woman he loved. He tried to distract himself of the pain, first by taking a brief vacation, then in the company of Heather Thompson, and finally… with Kat.
True, his feelings for Kat grew to more than merely that; but that took time. He had chosen to deal with his pain by replacing the one he thought caused it.
He could have dealt with his pain differently. He could've mustered the courage to see her… at least speak to her afterward!
It didn't have to be immediate. He had over three months to act, before Divatox forced their reunion under less than ideal circumstances… to say the least.
Three months… how many times did he wonder about her? How many times did he look at the sky, or the lake in Angel Grove Park, or even her old locker at school, and remember her? How many times did her face pop up in his mind, in his dreams? How many times did he yearn to speak to her… not even for answers, but just to hear her voice?
If he had followed that urge just once, all of this could have been avoided. They could have worked out the misunderstanding. Her heart would've been free of the frustrations and hurt that left her vulnerable to Maligore's evil. Her spirit would've been strong, as it always had been. She would've fought against the evil; fought for her freedom. She would have broken the spell, just as Jason did, with Lerigot's aid-
He hissed in agony, his right hand cradling a painful slash on his left shoulder. His eyes blurred with moisture, sliding from the blood oozing over his pristine gloves, to the one that caused it.
Kimberly smirked with satisfaction, flaming eyes turning to the red stain on the edge of her razor-sharp bow. "Looks like I've shed first blood, Tommy," she noted, "Maybe now you'll stop dancing around me."
Tommy clenched his jaw against the pain, and forced himself to stand tall. His distraction left him wide open for that strike, he had underestimated just how fast she was. And she handled that bow like it was an extension of her body.
He swallowed. This was simply not the time for remorse… though he still felt it weigh him down like a clump of lead in his stomach.
"Turbo Lightning Sword," he forced through clenched teeth. Energy swirled from his palm, forming the Red Turbo Ranger's primary weapon.
He gripped his blade between bloodstained fingers, bending his knees as he prepared himself for what was to come.
She tossed her hair behind her back. "That's more like it!"
Both hands met at the center of her bow, splitting the weapon into two short swords. Her arms hovered at her sides, malicious glee glinting in her ruby eyes as she charged forward.
Tommy met her halfway, watching as one blade arced forward and the other swung behind her. He lifted his sword, letting her first strike glance of the sharp edge, and ducked the follow-up swing. She spun around, bringing both blades to bear at once. He gripped his sword with both hands, angling the long blade to collide with both of the obsidian scythes.
It was a macabre dance made perversely beautiful by the graceful movement, gleaming weapons, and unyielding determination of both combatants. Throughout the battle, Kimberly led, grunting with frustration and effort as she forced Tommy to back away. The Red Ranger remained ever on the defensive, never striking with more force than needed to knock her off balance, and give himself a moment to recover his bearings.
The care he took to not hurt a single hair on Kimberly's head was painfully obvious. Every instance Kimberly punched through his impeccable defense, she'd taunt him with a shallow cut. Much as she did to Justin, she covered much of his body in open wounds, letting the blood gradually sully his luminescent armor.
Yet Tommy would do no such thing. His brilliant silver blade never came in contact with her flesh or clothing, nor did it come close. Instead, his sword served as a shield, blocking her blows as best he could.
He had hoped that his mercy would prove to Kimberly that he didn't want to harm her. She refused to believe his words, but his actions couldn't be denied.
Unfortunately, she interpreted his actions differently.
"You arrogant bastard!" she howled, a nimbus of fire glowing around her eyes, "You think I'm so weak you can beat me without even trying? Fight… back!"
She punctuated her last word with two vicious downward swings, both backed by enough force to topple a redwood. Tommy managed to scramble out of the way with a split-second to spare, letting Kim's blows dig deep into the concrete ground.
Kim growled furiously, struggling to dislodge her swords from the tight sheathes they cleaved into the floor.
"Kim, I'm not trying to beat you! I'm trying to get you back!"
Kim's gaze jumped up at the sound of metal clattering against the ground. She stared at the Red Ranger, who slowly lifted his hands in surrender. His sword lay forsaken at least six feet away from him.
He took a tentative step forward, but her sharp glare froze him in place. "Kim, this isn't you! You're a loving, compassionate person! I don't understand why you're still under Maligore's spell-"
"Don't you dare place the blame!" she snarled, her fists clenched in outrage, "It's your fault! You left me… you made me spiteful, hurt, and weak. The Flame just shed the weakness, burned away the pain, and gave me the strength to do something about it!"
Despite the hundreds of times his own conscience laid such accusations on him, it still stabbed like a dull knife to hear Kimberly say it.
He lowered his hands to his sides. "...you're right."
oooOOOooo
"And now, move your tassels to the other side of your caps."
The sea of students obliged, sliding the dangling ornaments to the right of the center peak.
"Class of 1997, I'm proud of each and every one of you. I salute you, and wish you good luck in whatever the future holds!"
The throngs of listeners fell into uproarious applause, celebrating the monumental achievement reached after thirteen years of formal schooling. The students threw their caps into the air, filling the canopy with indigo and yellow Frisbees.
Adam cheered just as loudly as the others, pride swelling his heart as he eagerly searched for a good friend to share it with. After a few moments of looking, he felt arms drape his shoulders from behind.
"Tanya!" he greeted, turning into the hug, "Congratulations!"
The Yellow Ranger laughed gleefully. "This is so incredible! Can you believe…?"
Her words were lost when the six-tone signal rang through the cheerful din. Suddenly, all their mirth faded, and two pairs of serious dark brown eyes met.
Adam grabbed her hand. "Let's find Kat and get out of here."
She nodded mutely, hopping over the row of folding chairs between them and following him to the edge of the swarm of graduates.
"There she is!" Tanya noted, pointing to the row of trees behind the large tent. There, Katherine waved at her teammates frantically.
Tanya and Adam raced to join her amid the trees.
"Here," she told them, pointing to dense bushes nearby, "No one will see us."
The trio dodged into the flora, and huddled around Adam, who activated his communicator. "This is Adam."
"ADAM, NOW THAT THE GRADUATION CEREMONY HAS CONCLUDED, YOU AND THE OTHER RANGERS ARE URGENTLY NEEDED AT THE POWER PLANT."
Tanya's eyebrow rose. "What's going on?"
"THIRTY MINUTES AGO, ALPHA DETECTED A TELEPORTATION SIGNAL DESTINED FOR THE ENTRANCE TO THE ENERGY FACILITY. THE POWER RELEASED BY THE GENERATORS DISRUPTS ANY SENSORS, COMMUNICATIONS, OR TELEPORTATION WITHIN THE AREA, MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR US TO DETERMINE THE THREAT REMOTELY. JUSTIN WENT AHEAD TO INVESTIGATE, AND TOMMY JOINED HIM THEREAFTER. WE HAVE HEARD NOTHING FROM EITHER OF THEM YET."
Katherine's gaze darkened. "Can you teleport us directly there once we morph?"
"YES. BE CAREFUL, RANGERS."
The three teens rose to their feet amidst the foliage. After quickly sweeping the area for witnesses, they flexed their wrists, urging their morphers to appear.
"Wind Chaser Turbo Power!"
"Dune Star Turbo Power!"
"Desert Thunder Turbo Power!"
The summoned energies formed cocoons around their bodies, molding armor over their clothing and infusing them with speed and strength far beyond their natural limitations. The instant the transformation was completed, a new wave of power washed over them, sending them on a carrier wave to the gates of the Angel Grove Power Plant.
"No time to waste!" the Green Ranger shouted, bounding over the walls. The Pink and Yellow Rangers were at his heels, following him into the humming facility.
"How are we supposed to find them without any scanners?" Tanya wondered, "This place is enormous!"
As if in answer, a bolt of lightning flashed low in the atmosphere up ahead.
"What was that?" Katherine breathed.
"Lightning… in a cloudless sky," Adam answered, eyes narrowed.
"Let's move," Tanya urged, as the trio vanished into blurs of motion.
oooOOOooo
A bolt of lightning crashed directly overhead, but both ignored it completely.
Silence reigned.
It couldn't have been more than ten seconds since Tommy had made his startling proclamation. Still… the burning silence seemed to stretch into eternity, as he awaited her reaction.
The enraged scowl that had gnarled the spawn of evil's cheek had smoothed, as surprise won out over anger. She stared at the Red Ranger warily, as if he were an asp ready to strike. "What are you playing at?"
He took another slow step forward. This time, she made no move to back away. "No games, Kim." His voice was sure, strong… oddly soothing.
Why did his voice still have the power to wrap around her like a warm blanket?
"I… messed up." His hands rose to his head, unlatching the crimson helmet and sliding it off his face. Dark eyes pleaded with her, helping to freeze her in place.
The gap between them closed to just a few feet. She still didn't pull away.
"I should've called you; tried to work things out between us. I had no idea you were hurting so much." He bit his lip, gazing at her sadly. "I didn't even think it was possible for you to hurt more than I did."
Her lower lip thrust out in an exaggerated pout. "Aww… did poor little Tommy get a boo-boo?"
Her sarcasm was biting, but he didn't let it distract him. "Yes, Kim, I did... because someone lied to me. I don't know who yet, but someone tricked me-"
She interrupted him with a harsh chuckle. "Oh, of course!" she mocked, "It's so obvious! Someone made a clone of me, making you hate me enough to chase after Katherine while I was a continent away! Or, maybe it's the old 'out of sight, out of mind' deal? Only with your memory, you forgot I even existed! So you're innocent… you never meant to drop me like a bad habit!"
She dropped the false humor. "Too bad that doesn't erase the fact that you did"
He opened his mouth to reply, but she promptly shut it with a fierce front kick, targeting the vulnerable solar plexus. Tommy lurched back, stumbling in a haze as tears of pain all but blinded him.
He was so distracted, he had no defense for Kimberly's renewed assault. She mercilessly pounded him without offering a moment to breathe.
It was a roundhouse kick, striking Tommy in his unmasked face, that finally toppled the leader of the Power Rangers.
Dazed and bleeding, and fighting for consciousness, Tommy barely felt it as Kimberly snatched his collar, forcing him to lift his head.
She stared at him for a long moment. Battered, bruised, and bloody… he probably couldn't even see her. Her gaze flashed with the energy of Maligore, drinking in the very picture of her revenge.
And she waited.
She waited for a wash of happiness… of true contentment to flood her veins, and finally ease the stress that corded her every muscle, and addled her mind both at rest and awake.
It didn't come.
oooOOOooo
'Think like a man of action, and act like a man of thought.'
It was a famous quote, though Katherine couldn't recall who first said it. It didn't particularly matter anyway; there was a wealth of wisdom in that phrase, to enrich the life of any man, or woman.
She strove to live by those words. She couldn't just lull herself into a false feeling of security, or shy away from taking action for the better good. Yet, at the same time, she couldn't let her passions reign free, and act or speak without considering the consequences.
However, when she finally disentangled herself from the heavy piping of the power plant, and got a glimpse of the ghastly scene before her… her reason was extinguished by icy fear.
She absorbed it in an instant. She saw Justin, lying frozen like a grisly statue, his small stature leading her to believe the Power had left him. Then she saw Kimberly, straddled over a limp and defenseless Tommy. She saw the blood on his face, the tears in his armor… and the pristine, unmarked skin of the woman who tried so vigorously to rip him to shreds.
Without a blink of the eye, word to her comrades, or even a steadying breath, she drew Windfire in a silent command, and pulled back the cord.
Before either Adam or Tanya could fully discern what was happening, a silver-pink arrow streaked through the air.
The arrow whistled faintly as it parted the air before it, drawing Kimberly's attention… but the spawn of evil had no time to react as the magically-enhanced tip bit deeply into her exposed upper arm.
The terrible shriek that tore through her throat, deepened by the rich voice the Flame granted her, echoed through the hallways.
The force of the blow threw Kimberly off Tommy easily, letting her drop into a shivering, spastic heap nearly two yards distant.
Ruby eyes dripped brilliant flames, her body quaking as she blindly tried to grab the arrow that had torn through skin and muscle to pierce the bone.
The shrieking tapered off soon after, replaced by frenzied whimpers as Kim struggled to pull the arrow from her body.
"Oh God…" Tanya murmured, stepping back in astonishment. She blinked again and again, as if trying to undo the terrifying, merciless action she'd just witnessed.
Had Katherine's aim been mere inches off, the first Pink Ranger could have lain dead before them all.
She numbly watched her best friend slide Windfire over her shoulder, and hurry to check on Tommy.
"Tanya!"
The Yellow Ranger shook herself out of her stupor, and gazed into Adam's opaque visor.
He touched her shoulder in a small gesture of comfort. "Go check on Justin."
She nodded, and hurried to the prone Blue Ranger. Adam watched her, and then turned his eyes to Katherine, Tommy, and Kimberly.
"At least it's finally over," he sighed.
oooOOOooo
The piercing sound of a woman screaming was enough to draw Tommy back to his senses. He groggily opened his eyes, blinking at the vibrant pink that overwhelmed his vision.
"Kim…"
Katherine's face turned to stone. "It's me."
She slid her arm beneath his shoulders, helping him rise. His hands cradled his face, gently probing the swollen, bloody mess Kimberly had left.
"What happened to…?" he started to ask, until the soft whimpers of pain finally penetrated his conscious hearing. He whirled around, and his battered face hung in open shock.
Kimberly lay on her side, heaving painful gulps of air, as her hand squeezed the flesh around the arrow that drove into her arm. Blood poured in rivers from the wound, bathing her flushed skin, matted hair, and black clothes in rich sanguine. The horrible image instantly burned itself into the Red Ranger's brain, sure to haunt his nightmares every night thereafter.
He was so stunned, he merely stared at her, watching her bite her lip furiously as she tried to muffle her agony.
Slowly, he managed to pry his eyes away from Kimberly, and sluggishly turned to Katherine.
She recoiled at the accusation in his eyes. "Don't look at me like that."
"You… you…" He closed his eyes tightly, searching for the rational mind that had abandoned him. He couldn't find it in time to hold back furious words. "You almost killed her!"
She folded her arms tightly. "I hit her in the arm, Tommy, and I recall enough biology to know she has no vital organs between the shoulder and elbow." The defensive sarcasm vanished in a heavy sigh. "What else could I have done to stop her before she finished you off?"
Her argument would have made sense, if Tommy were able to think clearly. Instead of noticing how his girlfriend steeled herself against his words, all he could register was Kimberly, writhing in pain, drowning in hate, slipping even further away from him…
"Dammit, Kat!" he growled, anger numbing the pain of his injuries and lending him the strength to rise to his feet, "She's under a spell… just like you were when Rita turned you into her pet! Did Kim ever try to kill you? What the hell do you have against her, anyway??"
Somewhere in his addled mind, he knew he was being grossly unfair. He knew Katherine wouldn't try to do Kimberly any permanent damage. He knew she had done it to save him… not out of jealousy, revenge, or any other personal reason.
A cold silence fell between them, as Katherine processed the depth of his accusation. Nothing could hurt more than his suspicion… did he have absolutely no faith in her?
"Against her?" Kat repeated, when she finally recovered her voice. "Why? Just because I care enough about you not to watch you skewered like shrimp? Because I was able to take action, when all you could do was stand and watch her beat you to a pulp?? What is your problem??" By now, her voice had risen to a shout. "Do you honestly think you can save her by letting her kill you?"
"Guys!" Adam suddenly shouted, breaking the intense standoff. "This isn't helping anyone!"
Red and Pink turned away from each other, each quietly breathing.
"Let's get Kimberly out of here," the Green Ranger suggested. "Alpha can mend her arm, and hopefully Zordon can figure out how she could still be under Maligore's spell. He's been dead for weeks; it just doesn't make sense."
"Do we have any idea what she was doing here?" Kat questioned.
"Justin was out when I got here," Tommy reported, his gaze lingering on Kimberly. "Adam, come with me to check on Kim. Kat, you look around for anything unusual."
Gee Tommy, could you be a little more vague? she wondered, her anger draining the patience right out of her. She quickly made as much space as possible between herself and the Red Ranger.
oooOOOooo
"Justin? Can you hear me?" Tanya urged, gently patting his face to pull him to consciousness. "Come on, Justin…"
It was beyond sickening to see her young friend mauled, but she had managed to beat down the nausea and methodically check his vitals. He still breathed, albeit shallowly, and his heartbeat was regular. Most of the cuts were shallow enough that they'd already stopped bleeding.
And then, his eyes fluttered.
The Yellow Ranger decided to try and rouse him, and perhaps gain some insight into what happened.
Finally, her diligence paid off, and Justin managed to open his damp, unfocused eyes. She couldn't contain a sigh of relief. "Can you hear me?"
"Tanya," he breathed. He began blinking fiercely, trying to orient himself.
"Do you remember what happened?"
He licked his cracked lips, trying to moisten them enough to articulate. "Generator…" He blinked again, fighting for clarity. "Did something… then saw me…" His breath hitched. "C…cut me…"
Tanya eased the boy into her arms, offering what little consolation she could. "It'll be okay, Justin. We're all here now, and we got Kim. It's over."
He sighed into her chest, the air rustling the long bangs that hung over his face. She gently stroked the back of his head, and slowly lowered him back to the ground. "I'll check out the generator, and see what she did."
She then threw him a reassuring thumbs-up, and turned around. She'd heard the argument escalate between Kat and Tommy, and was silently thankful that Adam managed to distract them before it came to blows. And with everyone's emotions running so high… it wasn't unlikely.
Finally, it looked like everything was going to work out all right. At least it would, once she determined what exactly Kimberly had done to the generator.
She made her way to the web of piping that surrounded the heart of the plant. Yet even amidst the thrumming of the machine, she heard something oddly regular; like a pulse-
-or a tick.
Oh please… no!
Desperately, she searched the area until her gaze fell upon a small box, with red numbers scrolling down.
Two minutes and thirty eight seconds.
Tanya's breath came in shallow gasps as she grabbed the bomb.
Nowhere to throw it, and I can't contact Zordon! she realized, her heartbeat rising, I can't deactivate it on my own…
Without thinking, she burst into a supersonic run, vanishing in a streak of vibrant yellow motion.
Against all odds, despite the panic clouding her mind, she managed to wind her way back through the plant with far less difficulty than it took finding her way inside. Her face lit up with joy as she saw the high gates of the plant draw closer and closer.
She couldn't muster the courage to actually look at the time remaining.
With a grunt of effort, she launched her body into the air, flipping over the gate, and crouching deep to stick her landing. She nestled the bomb to her chest, careful not to accidentally drop it.
"Zordon!" she shouted into her wrist, "I have a bomb!"
The panic was evident in her voice, but Zordon was able to piece together the terrifying situation.
"TANYA, SIT THE BOMB ON THE GROUND, AND MOVE AWAY. ALPHA, SET THE TELEPORTER."
Tanya did as ordered, and made as much room between herself and the bomb as possible. She watched intently as the bomb began to glow with energy.
Finally, it vanished in a white carrier wave.
"Zordon? What did you do?"
"WE TELEPORTED THE BOMB INTO SPACE, WHERE IT CAN DO LITTLE HARM."
With that reassurance, Tanya was able to breathe again.
oooOOOooo
Adam watched, mystified, as the Yellow Ranger raced out of the plant as if the fate of the world depended on it. Part of him worried for her, and urged him to follow. But before he could, Kimberly seemed to emerge from her agonized daze.
"Get… away from me!" she screeched, her demand broken by a gulp of breath.
Tommy chewed his lip in exasperation. "Kim, I swear to God, I want to help you!" Yet with each forward step he took, she kicked her body further away, dragging herself along the cold concrete.
The Red Ranger closed his eyes. He couldn't stomach it. She lay in a puddle of her own blood, the loss of which left her skin pale. With each inch she pulled away, she lengthened the crimson streak that stained the pristine concrete.
Could she even survive such a loss of blood without medical attention?
He couldn't teleport her out, and he flat-out refused to knock her unconscious. The only way to save her was to carry her, kicking and screaming.
He swallowed a breath, and glanced at the Green Ranger. "I'm going to need my helmet."
Adam read the order, and the fierce determination, in Tommy's swollen, narrow eyes. With a quick nod, he hurried to collect the crimson helmet, discarded on the bloodied battlefield.
"Kim, there's no where to go," Tommy said gently, "except with us."
It was that precise moment, during the grim silence that stretched between the estranged lovers, that the orchestrator of all this chaos took center stage. A white-hot flash of lightning forced the Red Ranger to take a step back, shielding his stunned eyes.
When he was finally able to see again, he found himself staring into the fierce ruby visor of the Emperor of Evil.
Lord Zedd, twenty-eighth of the house of Zhept, folded his arms over his proud, muscled chest. Behind him, he heard the startled gasp of his bride-to-be. And before him, he stared pointedly at the thunderstruck leader of the Power Rangers.
"Zedd?" he mumbled, his shock making his expression almost comical.
The Emperor tilted his head as he appraised his foe. "Tommy. As eloquent as ever, I see."
"Tommy!"
The Red Ranger glanced behind him, and a confident grin touched his split lip as the Pink and Green Rangers dashed toward him, taking a battle stance at either side.
Adam offered Tommy his helmet. "Looks like this isn't over yet."
Tommy nodded his thanks, and snapped on his helmet.
"Oh, but I think it is, Rangers. At least for now."
And then, the Rangers got their first taste of Lord Zedd's personal power.
He thrust a single hand forward, the silver tips gleaming with unnatural electricity. The currents of power leapt from each tip like a biting whip, slapping each Ranger with enough energy to fry an elephant.
The three teens screamed as the energy sizzled through their bodies, and then collapsed to the floor.
A satisfied smirk touched Zedd's hidden lip as he watched them struggle to their feet. Now why didn't I do that sooner
Though, mere physical pain wasn't enough. He wanted them all to suffer in mind and spirit, as well as body. And through his master plan, he'd achieved that end... and soon, it would culminate in a final, bloody showdown.
But not yet.
The Emperor turned to his prize.
Kimberly flinched under his gaze, but did her best to hide her fear.
"What do you want, Zedd?" she demanded in a steady voice. She managed to compose herself extraordinarily well for someone fighting for sobriety against mind-numbing pain and panic.
"You."
This time, the spawn of evil made no attempt to hide her true feelings. Her eyes widened, and once again, she bit down against the pain and did her best to crawl away from the simmering menace before her.
"Stay away from her!"
Zedd glanced behind him, watching in amusement as the Red Ranger forced himself to his feet. His body heaved with deep breaths, and his knees shivered as he tried to support his own weight.
His legs buckled, dropping him to his hands and knees in fatigue.
Zedd laughed deeply at the humbled hero, before turning back to his prize. "Perhaps we should continue this conversation somewhere less crowded."
Her flaming eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"I have a doctor at my disposal that can tend your wounds," he informed her, his voice too low for the others to hear, "I am your only escape. Either you come to my palace, or you allow yourself to be dragged back to the Power Chamber."
The Emperor lowered himself to one knee, bringing him eye-level with the young human. Slowly, he offered her his hand.
"It's me... or Tommy."
Kim's lip trembled as she tried to articulate her hatred for the despot. How many times did he try to kill her? She'd almost died in his Dark Dimension, his machine draining the dwindling Pink energy right out of her until Tommy…
She forcibly shoved that memory into the depths of her mind. I was a different person then she rationalized, and so was Tommy.
Was it... even possible... that Zedd was no threat to her? If he truly wanted to kill her, he could have accomplished that easily already. Whatever energy he cast at the Rangers, dropping them like so many flies, would've surely killed her in her weakened state.
The real question was... whom did she hate less? The alien menace that ravaged entire solar systems, or the man who broke her heart?
Slowly, a cold smirk pulled her lip. Anything's better than letting Tommy and Kat get the best of me.
Wordlessly, she touched her fingers to Zedd's palm.
"Kim, no!" Tommy yelled, struggling to regain his equilibrium. This time, he managed to rise to his feet, albeit shakily.
A faint pulse of energy shot from Zedd's hand into Kim. With a soft sigh, she fell into the villain's waiting arms.
"Zedd!" Tommy roared, stumbling toward him, "What did you do to her??"
The Emperor could have easily sent her to the moon as she was, listless on the cold concrete. Yet a malicious smile lit his hidden face at the scene he would act for the distraught Red Ranger.
Gallantly, Zedd lifted the unconscious girl into his arms, letting her head lean against his shoulder.
"My dear boy, I think you've managed to hurt her far more than I ever did," Zedd chuckled, "Is it really a surprise she would choose me?" Then, as instantly as he appeared, the Emperor vanished... taking his prize with him.
To Be Continued…