Hey guys, sorry to keep you waiting but there's actually been some excitement around here lately, so I've been busy. But, I have bee writing in between and the reason why this chapter took so long was because I just was not satisfied with it. So, I revised it and reworked and pretty much can't stand to read it anymore, but I hope you guys like it. There's nothing like a fresh point of view. However, the reviews did not go unoticed because once again I fell in love with them. In particular, I was speechless at the kind words of Ravena Storm, thank you for both reviews they really made an impact. But, of course that's not to say that the rest of you are under appreciated because you're all my friends. I'll shut up now, I promise. Enjoy!
Kimberly let out the most terrifying cry as the mutant creature violently pulled her down the porch steps of Tommy's home. She hit the ground with a loud thud as an intense pain shot up her tailbone and then distributed itself evenly throughout the rest of her body. Beside her, Tommy had never even given the monster, Velmore a chance to get a good grip on him but the monster's flunkies weren't far behind and soon swarmed the wooden porch. Tommy was attacked on all three sides and using his quick thinking and agility he was able to take out the green goon beside him with one punch. The useless attacker was soon followed by the second creep who had made the mistake of grabbing Tommy's right arm, his strongest arm. Using leverage from the monster in front of him, Tommy managed to ram the two into each other head first, and with a bang the problem was solved.
Tommy had been prepared for the attack from the moment it began due to the fact that he had seen Velmore's silhouette on top of his roof as Kimberly and he drove up to the house. Velmore hadn't been real obvious; Tommy had just been real observant. At first the moving shadow on the roof startled Tommy but he didn't let on because he thought it best that he take the monster by surprise just as the monster had planned on taking he and Kimberly by surprise. Tommy quickly considered letting Kimberly in on the secret but it had been a while since she had been in on the action and he feared that she may have become alarmed and therefore would have blown their cover.
All the while Tommy was helping Kimberly search for her overnight bag in the trunk he had been listening to the sounds around him. He heard Velmore's silver cleats scrap across the coarse shingles on the roof. To his left was the sound of some leafs rustling in a group of bushes. To his right, he heard the crunch of footsteps across the gravel on the side of the house. And on the dirt driveway he noticed a pair of footprints leading to the very tall grass at the edge of his front yard; it was the perfect cover.
Tommy had been relieved that Kimberly had seemed so relaxed and casual as they mounted the steps because the monster would suspect nothing. But, he unfortunately had not calculated that Velmore would swoop down and grab both Kimberly and he simultaneously, leaving Tommy no opportunity to protect Kimberly. He had planned on quickly pushing Kimberly to the ground before she ever even laid eyes on the monster, but his plan was a bust when he had to dodge the slimy claw himself.
Now that the trio of pathetic sidekicks were still spinning from Tommy's surprise, Tommy had the chance to attempt to free Kimberly, who now struggled on the dirt trying her best to break free of the monster's hold. Tommy kicked the green blob square in the back of the head, a blow that would surely knock the goon's socks off. However, to Tommy's surprise his foot only passed through the mass of ooze and exited through the monster's face leaving it unscorned and immediately regenerated. The creature turned to Tommy, agitated with the former ranger's attempt, and without a second thought the monster launched a third arm out of his torso. The tentacle wrapped around Tommy so tightly that he could barely breathe. He choked and gagged as his air tunnel became smaller and smaller.
Meanwhile, Kimberly continued to kick, scream, and struggle with the monster, but on the ground she had no advantage. However, after witnessing Tommy's foot pass completely through the creatures head she was enlightened with and idea. First, she needed somebody or something to distract the slimy bully's attention away from her. Thinking fast she yelled out to Tommy.
"Tommy, use your morpher!"
Tommy stared at her bewildered, he didn't have any powers anymore, but he soon caught on as he realized that Velmore didn't know that. The creature immediately turned his attention towards Tommy who was pretending to access his back pocket with little success. In the meantime, Kimberly took the opportunity to reach for her duffel bag which had busted open, ejecting various garments and hair care products all over the ground. Kimberly finally settled on a sweater, and wrapping it around the monster's tentacle she tied the sleeves into a knot and with all of the strength that she could muster up she tightened the knot, causing the knot to shrink and then slice the green limb in half. Unable to rejoin together because of the fabric between the two halves, the tentacle remained split and Kimberly was freed. The disconnected tentacle around her waist immediately turned to slim and before Kimberly knew it she was dripping with gew.
"Yuck!" she declared as she rose from the ground, determined not to let the mutant get the best of her again. She quickly ran back behind the car and hoped the monster would lose interest in her long enough for her come up with some way to help Tommy.
Velmore was not injured, just frustrated that the girl had once again slipped through his fingers, literally. But he had no intentions of giving up; he just needed to get rid of the pesky Dr. Oliver who was still secure in his grasp. Regenerating his lost appendage, Velmore restored his tentacle quickly and used it to cover Dr. Oliver's face. Just as the monster began releasing the poisonous toxins through his vanes, quickly making their way to his pores, he was once again sliced in two, actually three. Kimberly swung fast and hard, down upon the long tentacles and without any reservations the steel pipe had severed both of Velmore's arms off and Tommy was released but he was also unfortunately dripping with slime.
Tommy reacted fast, paying no mind to the icky coating which draped him and he jumped off the porch, stopping only to grab Kimberly's hand. She matched his pace exactly as the couple rounded the corner of the house and worked their way deeper and deeper into the forest.
"Tommy, I don't think we can out run him," she said, huffing and puffing, but still far from exhaustion.
"Never say never," replied Tommy as he jumped down off the tiny cliff, taking Kimberly with him.
Kimberly screamed, she hadn't realized that the ground dropped off and floating in mid air was the last thing she expected. It had been too long since she'd had such a rush and she loved it. But, she could hear and smell the monster trailing behind them, which left her little opportunity to savor the moment.
"Come on!" yelled Tommy, yanking Kimberly off the ground from the squatting position, which she had landed in. He jerked her left, and then right, and then left again as the monster continued to gain on them.
"You'll be sorry you ever ran away from me you pathetic humans!" yelled Velmore as he picked up speed.
"I seriously doubt that!" shouted Kimberly back over her shoulder. "Who is this guy anyway?" she asked Tommy loudly. But before Tommy could answer Velmore supplied her with and adequate answer.
"They call me Velmore, loyal servant to the most powerful Lord in this galaxy and every other galaxy in the Sonar Quadrin!" Velmore began to transform, bubbling and shifting as he grew in size and caught up to his prey.
"Work's for me," replied Kimberly and Tommy agreed with a grunt.
With one final effort the monster transformed into a gigantic mass of slime, all of the silver, which had adorned him, was overtaken with green slime as a sheet of jello gushed up like an ocean wave amidst the forest. It closed in on Tommy and Kimberly, coating trees, bushes, and anything in its path. Just as it hovered above the couple, the rock wall just ahead of them opened up and the couple was safe within the chamber before the slime could reach them. Velmore slimed the rock entrance with a grotesque sounding splat. Immediately reforming himself, he desperately searched for a way inside the closed wall but there was none to be found.
"What in the hell was that?" asked Kimberly as she struggled to catch her breath. She was forced to lean up against the rock wall to stay on her feet. "I mean, I know who he is but what in the hell is he!" she asked again.
"You got me," replied Tommy, examining himself and the green gel he was drenched in, "but he sure stinks." Tommy preferred to block out everything the monster had said about his identity, at least for now.
"Yeah no kidding," replied Kimberly, also enamored with the green substance, she quickly sheded her sweatshirt, hoping that it would relieve her of some of the unbearable funk. "So, where are we?" she asked, adjusting her light pink, tank top.
Tommy watched Kimberly tug and twist the thin cotton shirt, instantly reminding him of the woman's perfect figure, which was nothing short of any man's greatest fantasy. Kimberly looked up at him, not expecting to find him gawking but was surprised by the goofy grin across his face. She raised her eyebrows at him, questioning his expression. Caught off guard, Tommy changed the topic fast, clearing his throat. He hoped Kimberly hadn't noticed the various shads of red which his face had turned "Well, this is it Kim. Welcome to my underground chamber of command, I guess you can call it."
Kimberly giggled at Tommy's pathetic recovery as she surveillanced the room. It was constructed entirely of stone; gadgets and machines were strewn throughout the chamber, and there was even a weight machine or two. "I have to say Dr. Oliver, I am impressed." Kimberly stepped into the center of the room, checking out all 360 degrees.
Tommy followed her up to the control panel, amused by her expression, which soon became very serious and he could have sworn that there was water in Kimberly's eyes. "What? Not flashy enough for you?" he chuckled at his own joke.
"No," responded Kimberly softly, almost in a whisper, "it's perfect, absolutely perfect." She stared at the monitors and the control panel with such adoration that you would have thought that it was made of gold. "I'm sorry Tommy, I don't mean to be so emotional. It's just that," she paused for a moment, "It's just that it's all so spectacular."
"Yeah, Haley sure knows her stuff," said Tommy proudly.
"No, I don't just mean that," began Kimberly again, "I mean what you have done for all of us. I guess it never really clicked what you have taken on this past year, with a new team and all. I mean, gosh, this is your life! You've been down here countless hours, watching the backs of every person on this planet while the rest of us haven't lifted a finger." Kimberly turned and looked at Tommy, he returned her gaze. "I'm sorry," she admitted sweetly.
Tommy didn't know how to respond to Kimberly's gesture, she was just so genuine. He really didn't mind doing it all but it would have been nice to have had a little assistance from another veteran ranger. Standing in silence, Tommy finally knew exactly what he was supposed to say "You know Kim, out of all of the guys, I'm glad it's you that I'm here with."
Kimberly smiled up at him with great appreciation, "Me too," she said wiping some of the green gew off of Tommy's cheek with the sleeve of her sweatshirt. Their eyes locked tightly and for just a moment everything was just as it had been before, it was as if nothing had ever changed. And for a split second Tommy had forgotten that Kimberly Hart was no longer his girlfriend. But it didn't take him long to recall a beautiful young woman named Heather.
"So, enough chitchat, let's get the show on the road," he said, flipping on the main control and shrugging off the 'moment' as if it was nothing at all.
"Right," replied Kimberly, taking a seat. His avoidance hurt just a tad, but none the less, it was still pain. "I guess I should probably hold off on the shower, since those goons might still be outside the house." Kimberly had been dying for a shower, but she was beginning to feel a connection with Tommy that she feared might break if she gave it just the slightest opportunity.
"Good idea, " replied Tommy, already engaged in the control panel. "Now, let's see…okay, we're on-line." Tommy starred at the computer screen intently; he was beginning to remind Kimberly of Billy. The couple worked diligently for about a half-hour. Tommy did most of the work since he was familiar with the system but not familiar enough.
"Damn!" he cursed, frustrated that he really had no idea where to start. "Kim, this is useless without any leads to go on! I mean we don't even know who in the hell is responsible for all of this in the first place."
"Yes we do," replied Kimberly, trying to keep the mood light, she knew how wishy washy Tommy's temper could be, "It's the most powerful lord in this galaxy and every other galaxy in the Sonar Quadrin," she mockingly imitated Velmore's husky voice, following her imitation with a childish giggle. It didn't take her long to see the annoyed expression on Tommy's face and she immediately straitened up before he had a chance to scold her. "Did you tap into the morphing grid?" she asked, with every attempt to sound serious, but honestly she was clueless as to what they had done up to this point.
"Of course I did," replied Tommy, massaging his temples, "but there's no sign of any kind of a disturbance or even of anything new."
"Well then what do we do?" asked Kimberly, with a small hint of defeat in her voice. If Tommy couldn't figure this thing out then all hope was lost because her knowledge of computers only went as far as e-mail.
"I guess we wait," replied Tommy, banging his fist down lightly on the consul. He closed his eyes, willing the situation to just solve itself.
"Wait for what Tommy? For the guys to just magically appear at the front door?"
"No," answered Tommy with agitation, "but, how in the hell can we find them if we have no clue where to look, huh?" he snapped at her.
"Just simmer down Tommy," she began in her defense, "there's no reason to get short with me. It's not my fault-"
"Simmer down?" cut in Tommy, not caring that he was about to escalate a monstrous argument. "What? You think this is nothing to get frustrated about? News flash Kimberly, this is real. Our friends may even be-" he stopped himself before he said something he might regret.
"Are friends might be what?" questioned Kimberly fiercely, "Go ahead Tommy, say it! Boy you really think I'm and idiot don't you? I know this is real, I'm the one who spent the last few days just sick with worry, running around the West Coast looking for everyone. While you were on vacation, busy getting la-" Kimberly stopped herself, she knew that mentioning the girlfriend was only going to make things worse.
"Busy getting what!" yelled Tommy, egging Kimberly on. How dare she even consider bringing Heather into this mess, she had nothing to do with anything.
Kimberly hated Tommy's temper but she had one of her own, and she shot back at him with no intention of holding back, "You were busy getting-"
Once again Kimberly was cut off before she could dig herself into a hole that she would surely never get out of, but Tommy didn't interrupt her. Instead she was interrupted by the loud cry of the alarm. Covering her ears, her eyes darted to the monitor. Tommy began typing fiercely and only seconds later he had the most wonderful news.
"It's a signal, and if I'm not mistaken, it's from Billy."
Clink, clank, clink, clank…the mutant guard, part of the species known as slops entered the chamber in which the former team of heroes was being held captive. The friends immediately grew silent the moment they heard even the slightest sign of life outside of their circle. Waiting in anticipation, no one moved a muscle as the slop moved from one candelabra to the next, lighting the otherwise pitch-black room. Slowly but surely the chamber was unveiled to the rangers, constructed of stones and marble, the room was as dreary and unwelcoming as they had all imagined. Soon a small army of slops entered the room, each one assigned to a specific human.
Full of curiosity, the rangers were more puzzled than frightened. The creatures were ugly but they didn't appear hostile and one by one the possibility of a revolt entered the rangers' minds. Jason knew that no one was going to make a move without his consent, which meant that it was his call. He decided to take things slow and just play it by ear.
The slops stepped up to their designated prisoner and without a sound unlocked the shackles, which had anchored the humans to the walls. One by one, sighs of appreciation echoed through the chamber. Preparing to give the signal Jason demanded his friends' attention by releasing a sigh much louder than anyone else's, once the last ranger was unshackled. Tensing up, the rangers knew that this might be their only chance for survival.
"Now!" yelled Jason as he used the palm of his hand to hit the chin of the slop in front of him, causing the mutant's head to jerk back and allowing Jason to follow up with a spinning kick directly into the guard's stomach. The guard fell forward but only out of surprise because the impact was hardly worth struggling over. Unfortunately, Jason had overlooked one small detail when he gave his signal and that was that some of them had not eaten or even drunken water in nearly four days. He and the others were so weak that their efforts had done nothing but agitate the slops. Adam had given it a good effort and was the closest to triumph, but he was quickly brought to his knees when his assigned guard struck the back of his legs so hard that they were knocked out from under him. The rest of the team was only more pathetic and soon the room was filled with cries of pain and defeat from the humans, while the guards cheered and disciplined their captures. It was complete chaos that was brought to a sudden halt when the slops' leader entered the chamber.
"Silence!" he ordered, raising his polished golden staff in the air and slamming it down on the marble floor so loudly that the rangers were sure the floor was going to split in half.
Slowly, the guards jerked the rangers to their feet and then ordered them to their knees as they processed the sight in front of them. Jason was in utter astonishment as he came face to face with the villain who could only be compared to his predecessor. The room was in complete silence as the evil lord managed to stare down every ranger at the exact same time. Katherine found herself shaking with fear, while Aisha closed her eyes attempting to visualize herself anywhere but here. Billy studied the being with his eyes carefully. Although amazed, Billy maintained the rationality he was known for and simply looked at the situation like one would examine a science project. Zack on the other hand, blinked with disbelief, it couldn't be. He had definitely never signed up for this guy. Trini felt the same way, but she was willing to accept her fate, even if it meant standing up to the mass of pure terror in front of her. Rocky, although scared shitless, couldn't help but comment.
"You all owe me fifty bucks," he declared without thought, referring to the bet he had and only he had made just a couple of hours ago. At this point, there was only slight evidence to suggest that their captor was none other than Lord Zedd himself.
Jason quickly shushed Rocky, but it was too late, the monster had already approached Rocky. As he starred down at the man, Rocky was speechless and very upset with his uncontrollable loud mouth. He would have apologized but he couldn't find his voice. The evil master hovered above Rocky, threatening him without words until finally he spoke.
"I don't recall giving you permission to speak," declared the monster. Rocky just stared at him with a terrified expression. "Ha, ha, ha…" the villain laughed, piercing the ears of the former rangers and filling their thoughts with memories that were better forgotten. "It's settled then," continued the monster, "he shall be the first to go!" With the declaration the room shook and the lights flickered as Rocky's life suddenly flashed before him. He had this sinking feeling in his gut that no one was going to bail him out this time.
"Not if I have anything to say about it!" interrupted Jason from the other side of the room. He was still on his knees but struggled with the slop beside him to rise from the ground.
The monster quickly made his way to the original red ranger and standing directly in front of Jason he ordered his servant to allow the man to rise. Once on his feet, Jason refused to back down. He looked the beast in the face, matching him eye to eye.
"I'm not afraid of you," he announced not only to the villain but also to the entire room. He wasn't about to let the rangers see him fold, not now.
"Oh you're not are you?" questioned the evil lord, taking one step closer to his sworn enemy.
"No" replied Jason, matching his step and taking another one closer.
"Well then perhaps that's just because I have yet to introduce myself," replied the monster. "Let it be known to all who cross my path that I am Lord Xarr, master of the Sonar Quadrin and brother of Lord Zedd!" Once again the chamber shook, matching the monster's intensity.
Jason was not phased by Lord Xarr's declaration but now the whole situation was beginning to make sense, right down to the shinny golden 'X' which perched atop Lord Xarr's staff. It was an exact replica of Lord Zedd's, only gold.
Zack was relieved to discover that he hadn't gone crazy and Lord Zedd had not in fact been resurrected from the good. Instead, his own flesh and blood took his place and he was nothing to shrug over. Lord Xarr stood tall, taller than his brother did; he was covered head to toe in golden hardware that sparkled in the firelight. The 'X' above his head twinkled eerily, sending a chill up Aisha's spine. Lord Xarr's flesh was not red like his brother's had been, instead it was charred black, as black as the room had been before the candles were lit. Aside from those slight differences, the monster was a carbon copy of his brother, his eyeshield a scarlet red tint, concealing the monster's twisted soul.