Chapter 18- Trapped
An insistent bleeping cut through Jason's awareness. It was his shift on watch duty, along with Ethan who was fiddling away on his laptop in the corner of the lab, while the others were upstairs trying to sleep or at least occupy themselves with something meaningful while waiting from Mesogog to make a move. The first Red Ranger blinked once or twice to snap him from his stupor and pulled his legs down from where they rested casually on the console, if Hayley caught him she'd probably kick his ass again for 'treating state of the art equipment like a footstool.'
"Looks like we've got something!" He called to Ethan as well as the others above. Tommy, unsurprisingly was by his side in a moment, followed by a half awake Conner and Kira, with Hayley bringing up the rear with cups of coffee.
"It's about time." Ethan muttered, then realised how awful that sounded seeing as Kim's life was on the line. He tried to back-pedal but Conner silenced him with a shake of the head.
"I called Billy, he's going to stay on video-link with you so we can update him on Kim's condition if anything… goes wrong." Tommy said hesitantly, choosing to ignore Ethan's utterance. "He should make contact with you any time now. Hayley, is everything set for you to call up an invisiportal?"
Hayley had taken a seat in front of the console and was back typing away.
"I think I can open one up, but if you take too long Tommy, Mesogog's going to detect it."
"Then I'll be quick." Tommy said simply. "Open it up outside, near the back wall, that way we won't be risking any unwanted guests in here." Hayley nodded dutifully and began typing on the keyboard, trying to break into the invisiportal network to open one. Tommy pushed a button on the wall and it raised itself open with the grinding of stone on stone. The six observed a swirling green vortex take shape in the clearing outside the lab and Tommy stepped towards it. Jason put a hand on his shoulder to halt him.
"Bro, be careful." He said seriously.
"I always am." Tommy smiled. "Dino Thunder, Power Up!" He adopted his Ranger form and stepped into the portal, disappearing in a flash of green.
The darkness was a little less potent when Kim opened her eyes, which she took to mean that morning was nearing if not already there. She had not intended to fall asleep, but it appeared that she hadn't had much choice in the matter, the stress of the afternoon before had drained her physically and emotionally. It was freezing in the cell and she hugged herself tightly, rubbing her arms with her hands to try and generate some heat. She guessed five-star hospitality wasn't high on Mesogog's list of priorities, seeing as how she probably wouldn't be alive for much longer anyway she supposed it didn't really matter.
She stood and stretched her legs, noting the wispy clouds her breath made in the cold air of the cell and hoping that the life-force extractor was a little warmer as that was where her last moments would be spent. Then she scolded herself,
"Why am I thinking like that? Quit being morbid Kimberly Ann Hart, this is not the end! Tommy is out there, and Jason, and they are not gonna let you die in here! …And now I'm talking to myself, great." She began pacing round the cell trying to figure a way she could help the Rangers get her out. She heard footsteps in the hallway outside and her heart leapt into her throat, maybe it was Tommy, maybe they'd found a way in!
"Help! Help me! Tommy!" She called, running for the door and hammering on it once more. To her shock the door slid open at her touch and she tumbled out into the hallway. Her gymnastics training took over and she went into a roll, bringing herself up smoothly to her feet. The footsteps outside her cell however had not been Tommy and merely patrolling Tyrannodrones. She was not allowed time, however, to question why she was out of her cell as the drones rushed towards her to engage her in battle. Kim's legs still felt weak from the earlier battle and from sitting with them tucked under her while she slept, so she realised the fight wouldn't last long if she couldn't even the odds. She needed to find a place to morph or she would be recaptured easily and put back into the cell. She ducked under the high blow from one and elbowed it in the gut as she did, sliding underneath the splayed legs of a second. She rose to her feet and kicked the surprised drone in the back, sending him toppling forward into his companion. She heard the sound of more clawed feet beating towards her from one hallway so ducked into an adjoining passage.
"Ninja Ranger Power!" She intoned, and felt herself strengthened by the ancient spirit inside her as she released its power. She turned and saw the drones spilling down the corridor behind her, so set off at a sprint towards the other end, hoping to find an exit sign to tell her how to get off this godforsaken rock, though she found that unlikely.
What was Tommy blabbering about Invisible port holes that can take you from one place to another or something? She wondered, coming to a fork in the corridor and choosing the right corridor.
Power Ranger's gotta do what's right doesn't she? She quipped to herself as she rounded another bend, this time banging straight into a solid chest. She bit back a cry of surprise but recoiled backwards, halted in her retreat by an iron grip.
She raised her eyes, dreading what she would find. "Tommy?!" She did cry out this time looking into the familiar visor, never having been more relieved to see her ex-boyfriend.
"In the flesh Princess." She could hear the smile behind his helmet.
"God it's good to see you." She exhaled shakily, holding onto his hand where it rested on her shoulder.
"Feeling's mutual, now c'mon we've gotta get outta here." He said, before a large crash at the other end of the corridor announced the Tyrannodrones had caught up with them.
"Whoah." He exclaimed, pulling her back, placing himself in front of her in the path of the drones. "I see we've got company from your end too."
"Too?" Kim said weakly, turning to see another group of drones emerge from the way Tommy had come.
"Afraid so. Brachio Staff!" He called, drawing his weapon and pointing it at the group of Tyrannodrones that had been following him. "Wind Strike, full power!" Suddenly a fierce wind knocked the approaching drones off their feet and sent them crashing into the back wall with a flash of energy.
"C'mon, we've got to get back to the invisi-portal Hayley opened, it's this way." Tommy instructed the Pink Ninja, and led the way back past the neutralised drones into a wide hallway similar to the one where Kim had been locked up. Kim noticed that all of these corridors were decorated in the same way, not at all. Just silver walls and control panels, no windows or nice pictures of flowers in vases, that was for sure.
"Aww man, now which hallway was it?" Tommy groaned, glancing at the openings to four other corridors that led away from this one as well as the many closed doors which Kim guessed were cells like hers.
"I think you will find that it does not matter Dr Oliver." They spun as they heard Zeltrax's metallic voice from their left. "All roads lead to only one place for the two of you."
"Back off Zeltrax, you really don't wanna get in my way today." Tommy snapped dangerously.
"I will take my chances. Attack!" He commanded, and the Tyrannodrones reappeared around them, surging into the hallway and effectively separating the two as they branched out to attack.
Kim used the suit-decoy trick to leave a copy of her suit in one place to be attacked while she reappeared behind the drones, taking them out with her boomerang.
"Two for the price of one. That's my kinda deal." She smirked, kicking an approaching creature in the chest.
Tommy leapt into the air and Power Kicked a drone back before whipping his staff around to trip up two others, punching and kicking a path back to the portal. He realised belatedly that Kim was no longer beside him and called to her,
"Kim, over here!" The Pink Ranger nodded at his shout and used a ninja slide-teleport to move closer to him, but found her way blocked by a newly arrived Elsa.
"Was wondering when your skanky ass would show up." Kim growled, "You're in my way."
"Leaving so soon Pink Ranger? I'm afraid your presence is required for a little longer." Elsa mock-pouted, then swung her sword towards the young woman's head. Kim narrowly dodged and then backflipped away, kicking the cyborg in the chin as she did, causing her to stagger back in a daze.
"Elsa!" Zeltrax called in concern, rushing to his partner's aid. Kimberly raised a brow at this but shrugged and adopted her fighting stance once more.
"You'll pay for that you puny Power puff." Elsa snarled, as she and Zeltrax both levelled their weapons at her.
"Sorry, wrong genre, you're looking for animation?" Kim quipped, though not too confident at the sight of two powerful weapons aimed in her direction, with no room to dodge as the drones were tight around her. She was starting to feel light-headed after using a teleport and her decoy suit, she remembered Billy's warnings about expending her energy. She swayed slightly, almost falling backwards into the throng of drones around her but catching herself just in time.
Tommy saw Kim sway and the danger she was in, so twirling his Brachio Staff he cut through the swath of drones milling around waiting for the kill to reach her. As the two cyborgs unleashed their energy blasts at the Pink Ranger Tommy leapt to push her out of the way, catching the blast in the stomach as he did.
"Tommy!" Kim screamed, being pushed back into the drones who scattered at the energy blast and Tommy's leap as the Black Ranger hit the ground hard with a groan, his hands clutching his stomach. She reached for him but found her arms grabbed and restrained behind her by Elsa and Zeltrax.
"Master Mesogog is expecting you, it would not do to be late." Elsa smirked and motioned to the prone Tommy lying on the ground.
"Dispose of him." She commanded a group of the drones who lifted the Black Ranger and slung him into an empty cell behind them.
"Tommy! No, get off me, let me go, Tommy!" Kim struggled, lashing her legs back trying to force the two henchmen to relinquish their grip, but they seemed to be determined to ignore her blows and cries completely. Her vision swam again from her energy loss, she obviously needed time she didn't have to recharge in order to fight again. She caught one last glance at her dazed ex as he groggily sat up, before the cell door slid shut upon him and she was dragged unceremoniously down the hall towards the life-force extractor and her apparent doom.
Hayley, Jason and the three newest Rangers crowded anxiously around the main computer console awaiting some indication that Tommy had got to Kim. On one of the side screens via video-link Billy Cranston was shown, also watching the systems on his end of the proceedings.
"He's been gone too long." Kira murmured, "Shouldn't he have been back by now?"
"These things take time Kira, maybe he hasn't found Kimberly's cell yet." Hayley reassured the Yellow Ranger, who had voiced a concern that everyone shared. She knew they were just clutching at straws, Tommy had been gone over half an hour with no radio-contact and visuals down because of Mesogog's barriers… it wasn't looking good.
"Maybe we should send someone in after him?" Conner suggested.
Jason recognised this situation well, for he had been in Tommy's position many years ago when he went to try and retrieve the Green Candle to save Green Ranger's powers…and failed.
"We'll give him a little longer." He said resolutely, quieting any protests the others may have voiced. Billy looked at him in understanding, remembering the incident that the others would not know. He and Jason were both Kim's oldest friends, she was like a sister to them and the thought of losing her was not to be entertained.
The sandy haired man addressed them all but he was looking at Jason sincerely. "For Kimberly's sake, he won't fail."
Kim struggled and writhed in the cyborgs' combined iron grip, panicking somewhat as they moved through the large double doors that apparently led to Mesogog's main chamber. She glanced around, seeing all manner of strange machines and substances kept in bottles on shelves. The room seemed very clinical and everything was stainless steel and rather reminded Kim of a school kitchen, only with more ugly lizard creatures.
She drew back further towards her restrainers when Mesogog appeared unnervingly right in front of her quick as a snake.
"It…is about time." He was addressing Zeltrax and Elsa now, and Kim wondered if he was aware of their little altercation in the hallway. Her mind flew back to Tommy in concern at the thought.
Zeltrax bowed, taking Kim down and up with him, much to her annoyance, but it was his next words that caught her.
"She took the bait my Lord, as did Dr. Oliver."
Mesogog hissed in satisfaction and drew up close to Kimberly's face. "Two…for the price of one. That's my kind of deal." He leered and Kim seethed, Mesogog obviously having observed everything including her cocky words to the Tyrannodrones.
"You're not gonna get away with this lizard-breath, the Rangers will stop you." Kim said more bravely than she felt.
"Once I have drained you dry…your little friends will be powerless to do anything, except observe the destruction of your world…and the rise of mine."
Kim growled, "You goddamn son of a-"
"Language... Ms Hart!" Mesogog cut her off, "There are children watching." He said mockingly. "Strap her in." He motioned over to the corner of the room and Kim saw a large metal table with leather bonds to apparently hold her down.
Zeltrax and Elsa obliged in dragging her over to the slab while Mesogog presided over them conducting his own commentary on the proceedings.
"Dr Oliver no doubt informed you about our life-force extractor here…" He smirked as Kim was violently flipped onto the table by Elsa, the wind knocked out of her with the force of the landing as the two cyborgs began securing the straps around her. Fighting through the haze that swam in front of her vision Kim began kicking and trying to sit back up but was too late as the bonds were secured over her chest, hands, waist and legs.
"…But we made a few…modifications in his absence. We have discovered that this design is more conducive in siphoning off the energy… I should imagine it brings back many…fond memories, doesn't it, Pink Ranger?" Mesogog smirked as he lowered a drill-like device pulsating with energy towards Kim's chest. She could feel the raw power radiating from the point, and tried to press back into the table to escape it.
Kim closed her eyes, trying to fight away the rising panic that swelled in her chest. Mesogog knew about the last time she lost her powers? A table similar to this in the hold of the enemy, her powers slowly being robbed from her while she approached death. Her breathing quickened as did her heartbeat and she knew that this time Tommy wouldn't be saving her. Her Ninja suit seemed suffocating in the throes of her fear.
"Say goodbye Pink Ranger." Mesogog sneered and then thrust the tip into contact with Kim's chest.
A blinding pain erupted within her such as she had never felt before, it felt as if someone had thrown petrol on her then lit a match. Her body felt like it was being pulled forward but she could not move, and it felt like the force of gravity was crushing her. Kim could not bite back the scream that tore from her throat unbidden as her back arched up and her body strained against the leather bonds of its own will. She could see the encroaching darkness before her but fought as hard as she could to stay awake, even through the unbearable pain- her mind told her if she allowed the darkness to swallow her she would never escape it. The pain did not lessen in fact it seemed to intensify as the darkness approached and she could feel the rapid beating of her heart throbbing her entire body as if she was made of paper.
At a more insistant pull from whatever was trying to draw her to it she was ripped out of conciousness and into the oppressive darkness, a single tear escaping from her closed brown eye and a single thought in her mind...
Tommy...