POWER RANGERS: BREAKDOWN
- Part 2: Falling Apart
Written by DTM666
Disclaimer: The author would like to clarify that Power Rangers and its characters is owned by BVS Entertainment and not the author.
Note: Any reviews or criticisms would be greatly appreciated. Please?
---
Thomas Oliver... retired Power Ranger. There's a thought after a few months, he has gotten used to. It's happened to him thrice before, but that was due to the fact that his powers were stripped from him. Of course, he always found himself bouncing back into the fold with newer, stronger powers.
This time, however, he willingly chose to walk away.
Handing over his Turbo key and morpher to a head-strong teenager named T.J. Johnson felt more like a relief than something painful, but Tommy had way too much free time on his hands now that racing season had begun. His uncle had urged him to go for a career, but Tommy politely declined, saying it was not for him and that he planned on helping his friend Rocky DeSantos open up a karate school in the suburban area.
Tonight, he has other things to worry about. This would be his first true date with Katherine Hillard, a girl who, besides being a fellow former Ranger, was also the current love of his life. While they have been out to a movie or a short meal, this would be the first time they'd be able to do something uninterrupted. Considering that Kat would be leaving for England in a few days time, this would be the last chance they have of having time to themselves.
So Tommy had dressed in a rarely used dark red suit jacket, dark green shirt with white tie, and dark red slacks. Tommy even tied his hair into a ponytail and used some hairspray to give his hair a silky slick appearance, something he hadn't done in quite some time. After forty-five minutes of preparation, Tommy headed for his black jeep and took off.
Now if only he can get there in time.
---
Kat Hillard... retired Power Ranger. A thought that even after a few months, she still hasn't been able to get used to. Despite having willfully passed on her Turbo key and morpher to a worthy candidate in a teenager named Cassie Chan, she has had times when she felt empty with being called into action. The Ranger business, given its risks and dangers, was a thrill and to be able to live a normal life seemed rather boring to Kat. Being accepted into the Dance Academy in England didn't change that.
But tonight would more than make up for it, for she would finally be able to get a first true date with Tommy without having it be interrupted by alien threats or evil spells, a few days before she prepares to leave. After some time picking out an outfit to wear, Kat opted for a simple one-piece black dress and black shoes, with a pair of dark pink earrings. While fixing up her hair, the phone rang. Kat considered answering it, but decided against it.
Let them leave a message, she thought, I don't want to be late.
After three rings, the answering machine made one bleep followed by Kat's mother's voice. "Hi, you've reached the Hillard residence. Unfortunately, no one's home to take your call. Please leave a message after the beep."
After the beep, all that followed was a heavy sigh and that's all. At first Kat found it peculiar because anyone in this town who called anyone left many long (sometimes too long for their own good, Kat thought) messages. Kat could have concluded that it was a long-distance call, but then she'd have to wonder why anyone would waste money just to hang up. Her thoughts faded when she heard some knocks on the front door, which only made Kat agitated than usual.
I'll try and make him leave quickly without hurting his feelings, she thought as she marched to the door.
Kat's agitated frown was quickly replaced with a wider-than-usual smile as she opened the door, revealing a young slender mailman holding a parcel wrapped in brown paper. Kat cocked her head a bit as the mailman nervously thought of something to say.
"Is there a Katherine Hillard living in this residence?" the mailman asked, rather timidly.
"That's me." Kat answered.
The mailman let out a relieved smile and extended the box to Kat. "This package is for you, ma'am." he said more cheerfully but still rather nervous.
Kat openly plucked the box from the mailman's hands and suddenly noticed how heavy the package was. She also noticed the dark, wet spots on the brown paper; probably where the young man's sweaty hands held it. Gently, she placed the parcel near the main closet and turned her attention back to the mail.
"Thanks." she said. "Listen, I have to be on a date, but I'm sure my date isn't going to be there on time, so would you like to rest for a while? Have a glass of water?"
The mailman shook his head nervously. "No, no. I have to get going. Good day, ma'am."
He soon took off almost manically, earning a look of bewilderment on Kat's face. She merely shrugged and closed the door behind her. Picking up the heavy parcel, Kat carried it to the kitchen and placed it on the counter. She thought of waiting until after her date to open the package up, but again, she had a feeling Tommy would be late.
With a butterknife she pulled out of the sink full of dirty dishes and other utensils, Kat cut off the wire that was tied around the parcel. Once that was done, she ripped off the brown paper, revealing a fine-crafted silver chest with several inscriptions on the side she didn't recognize anyway. After some hesitation, Kat opened the chest and...
---
After some time, Tommy made it to the small French restaurant. He used to take Kimberly, his first girlfriend, here along with Zack and birthday girl Angela, whom Zack was always trying to get on a date with. Suffice to say, that didn't turn out too well, thanks to Rita Repulsa's usual shenanigans. He checked to see if Kat was anywhere nearby, but was surprised that she wasn't her. He checked the time and was equally amazed.
Amazing, he thought, I'm actually early.
Approaching the nearest table, Tommy pulled a chair carefully and sat down. He took a moment to look around and found that a few years hasn't changed this place one bit. From the corner of his eye, he noticed the waiter, a slim gentleman in his late twenties, approaching his table.
"Excusez-moi, monsieur." the waiter asked with a heavy French accent, "Are you ready to order?"
"Actually, I'm waiting for someone." Tommy answered politely, "but could I have a glass of water? I'm feeling a little sweaty."
The waiter shot an understanding smile at the young man and promptly nodded before walking towards the back. Tommy rubbed his hands together, smiling in anticipation for what may be his first uninterrupted romantic dinner with Katherine. Once again, thoughts of his former Ranger life came up, but he pushed them away.
Am I getting that nostalgic already? he thought.
---
The past year has been a bore for former empress Rita Repulsa. Other than a quick skirmish with the Rangers early during the year, nothing of note had occurred on their front. Claiming control of their home to finally wreck havoc on Earth, Zedd decided to lay low, much to her dismay. Every time Rita had proposed a plan of attack against either the Power Rangers or the space pirate called Divatox, Zedd would shoot it down, going as far as to threaten to send her back into her dumpster prison if she tried anything behind his back. Rita, for the most part, agreed to back off from the Rangers, but not without questioning Zedd's fortitude. That's all Rita has really done ever since Zedd's battle.
Checking the balcony, she noticed a strange illuminous being appearing before her, claiming to be a messenger from the Cimmerian planet. She heard his message, smiled wickedly, and sent the messenger away. Clearly, this was worth sharing with Zedd. Rita quickly walked over to the master bedroom, where Lord Zedd was sleeping.
---
A brutal battle with his hated adversary. Zedd recalled the fight clearly as if it happened just a short while ago, because that's the only thing that ever crosses his mind when he sleeps. He remembered the battered Ranger and his vain efforts. He remembered the brutality the two had caused. He remembered delivering the crippling blow that finally knocked the Ranger down on his back, vulnerable to the killing blow. Then he remembered not capitalizing on the opening, feeling a bit of pity for the fallen Ranger. He recalled his friends showing up, ready to defend their great leader, and recalled sending them home when he should have taken them out.
To this day, he could never figure out why he didn't.
"Zedd." the witch tugged on Zedd's blanket, prompting the fleshman to wake up, but not enough to get out of bed.
"What is it, Rita?" he asked.
"Eltare has been conquered by Dark Specter's forces." Rita shrieked, "The Alliance has finally taken control of that wretched planet after many failed attempts!"
"So what?" Zedd asked, sounding uninterested in Eltare's capture.
Rita leaned closer to Zedd's ear (what's left of it) and whispered, "Zordon's been captured."
"WHAT?!" Zedd sat up instantly, not believing what he had heard.
"Zordon has been captured, Zeddy!" Rita cried out in excitement, "And we've been invited to Dark Specter's party at the Cimmerian planet!!"
Damn, Zedd thought, this is the last thing I needed.
Rather than convey his disappointment in recent events, Zedd simply got out of bed and headed for the organic shower chamber in the back, his unintelligible mumbling confusing Rita, who thought it was good news. She didn't push it, however. She sped out of the master bedroom to find something ugly to wear for Dark Specter's party.
---
Two hours passed and Tommy, on his third glass of water, still waits for Katherine to show up. He knew that Kat would somehow be delayed because of the heavy traffic, but he didn't think it would take her this long. He then jokingly assumed that Kat adopted his knack for tardiness, or rather she would purposely show up late in spite of it, but he also knew that would never be the case. After some time, he couldn't help himself and called for the waiter, who arrived promptly.
"Can I have a coffee?"
The waiter raised an eyebrow. "Monsieur wants to skip the main meal?"
"The monsieur is waiting for the mademoiselle to show up." he replied, "I'm sure she won't mind if I had a cup."
"Je comprends," the waiter said, "I'll be back."
Tommy nodded as the waiter went to the back and almost half a minute later, brought back a regular-sized mug of black coffee. Tommy thanked the waiter and gave him a two dollar bill for a tip, which delighted the waiter. Tommy waited patiently, taking small sips of his coffee as the minutes flew by. Over time, the minutes seemed like days and soon Tommy was starting to feel worried, as if something bad could have happened. Or maybe she's had second thoughts...
The sudden ringing of his new cell phone almost startled Tommy, but was enough to break his line of thought. He hadn't been used to it, but at least he didn't have to worry about hiding out to talk into a communicator. Tommy pulled out the small compact phone and flipped open the receiver.
"Hello?"
"That you, Tommy?" It was Rocky, although from his sad tone, Tommy didn't immediately recognized his voice.
"Rocky?" Tommy asked. "What's wrong?"
A hesitant silence on Rocky's side, something that did not sit well with the former Green Ranger, especially when that silence came from someone who loved to engage in meaningless (and sometimes, not so meaningless) conversation.
"Tommy?" he said nervously, "Have you heard from Kat?"
"I've been waiting two hours for her." Tommy said, trying to sound humorous, "Maybe I'm misunderstood her and I'm really late as usual."
Rocky ignored Tommy and spoke uneasily, "Tommy. I tried calling her house to ask her for something, but I got no signal."
Tommy nearly choked on his water upon hearing Rocky, but didn't seem too worried. Maybe phone line was cut off, he thought.
"Did you try a communicator?" he suggested. Despite not being Rangers, they were still able to use communicators thanks to a specialized network Billy had recently developed.
"That was the next thing I did." the former Red/Blue Ranger answered, "Nothing."
Time seemed to stop in Tommy's eyes; the whole world crashing down on him. Rocky kept mentioning his name, but Tommy couldn't hear him. His heart grew heavy with unbearable pain and anxiety. After a moment of stillness, Tommy shut off his phone, got up, and ran out of the cafe, jumping right into the driver's seat of his jeep. Tommy panically inserted the key into the ignition and soon sped down the street, avoiding other cars. He knew he was breaking speed limits and some nearby driver he cut off gave Tommy the middle finger, but he didn't care. Not now.
When he parked the car, he turned his head to Kat's house. The smoke was too thick to see everything, but what he could see did not please him.
The house was missing and in its place was a huge crater.
"Kat." he called out worriedly. There was no answer.
Kicking the car door open, Tommy leapt out and ran towards the huge crater to check further. Whatever used to occupy this space no longer exists. Nothing remains. No ruins. No debris. Not even a common stone was there. Everything was gone, nothing was left untouched. Just one big burn mark and a giant hole in the ground was all that remained of Kat's house. Tommy hopelessly slumped onto his knees, fighting off the urge to cry. But it was too much; tears began to drip down his face and his heart was pounding heavily, knowing he can't do much of anything at this point. Tommy began to breath heavily, those breaths turning to snorts, and finally from the top of his lungs, he let out a scream of rage. Of a savage animal who had just lost his mate.
An inhuman scream that even the deaf could hear.
---
In the forest area of Angel Grove Park, a small shuttle landed on the most smooth surface in that patch. The side doors slowly slid open and out walked the clone, now bearing a full beard as opposed to the goatee he was sporting short of a year ago. When the clone was out, the door slid shut and the shuttle quickly went into stealth mode, vanishing into thin air to avoid detection.
The clone walked through the quiet and calm park, his red cloak contrasting the dark tones of the night. He studied the surrounding area of the park. Other than the occasional homeless person scurrying garbage cans for edible food, the place was practically devoid of people. The clone didn't expect to find anyone; it was late and people do spend time sleeping or going to strip clubs.
Suddenly, he heard a rageful scream, the likes of which he had never heard before. After a moment, the clone seemed to recognize the inhuman scream and a devilish smirk slowly formed on his face.
To be continued...