Power Rangers: The First and Last Hope
Chapter
8: Trust in Me
"Can you believe this?" Tristan asked as the newly united five Rangers teleported into the Command Center. "We actually WON a fight for once!"
"Well, we didn't kill the baddie." Ada pointed out.
"But we did send her running back, stupid one-liner and all!" Michi said proudly as she held her Ranger helmet beneath her arm, like so many Rangers before her.
"I just want to know where Neresa is." Jerrelle said as he put his helmet down on the Command Center's computer.
"One-track mind much?" Ada giggled.
Andrew stood silently against the Command Center computer, leaning backwards while staring into the front of his Ranger helmet. He was almost blocking out his teammates' conversation, like he was in some kind of trance.
"You okay?" Michi asked him, looking at him with a puzzled expression.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Andrew replied, quickly snapping out if and placing his helmet onto the top of the computer. "Just lost in thought is all."
"Thinkin' 'bout what?" Michi asked him.
"Is that one really supposed to be our leader?" Andrew said, jerking his head towards Tristan, who decided to switch helmets with his sister and annoy Jerrelle with the mix-and-matched costume. "He seems a bit, well, goofy."
"He is." Michi replied, smiling as she watched him. "I like that about him."
"But shouldn't our leader be someone a bit more, well, serious?" Andrew wondered.
"I don't know, I think Tristan makes a fine leader." Michi said, still smiling as she watched him fool around.
"But will he...in the real heat of battle, when he's tested, will he?"
Michi looked at Andrew, the smile suddenly disappearing from her face. A more serious expression replaced it, and despite her best efforts to reassure both Andrew, and herself...she knew she had no answer to that question.
Suddenly, the alarms in the Command Center went off, alerting everyone inside of it.
"Zordon, what's up?" Tristan asked him as he put his own helmet back on.
"Look at the Viewing Globe and find out for yourself." Zordon simply replied.
All five Rangers turned to face the Viewing Globe, where Drilliago was chasing innocent civilians around Angel Grove, blasting them with blue-colored electricity out of his two drills, sending them to the ground in burned, battered heaps.
"Those poor people!" Michi cried.
"We have to help them!" Andrew said, his fists clenching.
"Guys, this is definitely a trap." Ada pointed out.
"Yeah, why else would they just attack random civilians?" Jerrelle added. "They're trying to lure us out."
"Tristan, you're the leader, what do you think?" Andrew asked him.
Michi shot him a look as he purposely turned his head away.
"Huh? Me?" Tristan asked.
"You're the one in the red spandex, bro." Ada said.
"Well...umm..." Tristan began, and then realized Andrew and Jerrelle were both giving him looks. Looks that said they didn't take him seriously. Tristan saw that same look so many times before in his life...he wasn't about to let anyone else walk over him. If he was the Red Ranger, he was going to lead them, no matter what! "I say we go help those people!"
"And walk right into a trap?" Jerrelle asked in disbelief.
"No, Tristan's made the right decision!" Andrew said. "The decision a Red Ranger SHOULD make- to help those in desperate need!"
Tristan smiled, then clenched his fists.
"It's up to us, guys." Tristan said. "We'll save those people. Back to action!"
Drilliago chased more of the innocent people through the park, zapping them with his electrified drills, before he was met in the back with five blasts of Blade Blaster fire. All five blasts hitting him at once actually managed to do some damage, and the huge metallic Command Beast was not pleased when he turned back around.
"Power Rangers!" Drilliago roared. "It's about time you got here! It's time we settled this!"
"Fine with us!" Andrew replied. "There's five of us, and there's only one of you!"
"I can help even out those odds." came another voice behind them.
All five Rangers turned around...to see Araken standing there, along with a group of Minions, a smirk on Araken's face.
"I told you it was a trap!" Ada hissed.
"You there, where is Neresa!" Jerrelle roared, pointing his Blade Blaster at Araken.
"That's none of your concern." Araken replied. "You're all about to be destroyed anyway. Minions, get them!"
The Minions rushed forward, and each of the Power Rangers ran forward as well to fight them. While they were each knocking down a Minion, however, Araken came up from behind Tristan and turned him around, then slammed his fist into Tristan's mid-section, sending him flying back into the ground! Araken smirked as he walked towards Tristan, who was clearly hurting.
"Urgh, that didn't feel too great." Tristan muttered as he stood up to face Araken.
"There won't be anyone to save you from me this time, Red Ranger!" Araken taunted him, motioning towards the other four Rangers who had their hands full with Drilliago and the Minions.
"Oh yeah?" Tristan asked him. "Well, something's changed since then, Araken. Power Sword!"
The sword appeared in Tristan's hands, and he rushed forward, slashing diagonally across Araken's chest. Sparks flew from the body of the mighty warrior as he was knocked backwards, and his grin was now replaced by a look of anger and frustration.
"I have a sword too, Red Ranger." Araken said. "Perhaps you'd like to be introduced to it now."
A long black sword soon appeared in Araken's hands, and he rushed towards Tristan again. Tristan blocked his initial sword strike with his own sword, but Araken kicked him backwards, then slashed again, catching Tristan across his shoulder and sending him to the ground as sparks flew. The grin returning to Araken's face, he turned around to see how Drilliago was faring against the other Rangers.
Drilliago released two streams of electricity from the drills on his hands, sending all four Rangers flying back to the ground.
"Our leader is supposed to, well, lead us against monsters." Andrew muttered. "Where is he now?"
"Shut up." Ada shot back. "Can't you fight without my little brother here to hold your hand?"
"I don't know about him, but I sure as hell can!" Jerrelle yelled as he stood up. "Power Axe, blaster mode!"
The axe appeared in his hands as he moved it backwards into blaster mode, then fired at Drilliago. Drilliago seemed a bit damaged by the blast, but wasted no time in returning fire with more electricity from his drills, which caught Jerrelle right in the chest and send him back to the ground once more in a smoking heap.
"Jerrelle!" Michi yelled as she rushed to his side.
"This is even easier than I thought it would be!" Drilliago taunted.
Araken, meanwhile, was merely toying with Tristan, placing his foot across the Red Ranger's chest and stepping down, laughing. Tristan grabbed weakly at his powerful calf muscle, but couldn't get it to budge, and laid there in great pain.
"Perhaps it's time I stopped toying with you and finished you off." Araken said as he removed his foot from Tristan's chest. He leaned over and picked Tristan up to his feet by his neck, and held him by there as he struggled weakly. "Pathetic. This is what passes for a leader of the Power Rangers? You're no leader, Red Ranger. You're a pathetic weakling!"
Tristan had just about had it with people questioning his leadership. As he stood there, Araken's throat grasped tightly around his neck, something finally clicked in his mind. He suddenly grabbed at Araken's arm around his throat with renewed strength, and pulled the arm off, before spinning around and landing a roundhouse kick into Araken's chest, knocking the powerful warrior backwards.
"How could you..." Araken began in disbelief. "I felt you struggling, you had no strength left!"
"I have PLENTY of strength left!" Tristan shot back. "I don't care what you or anyone else says- I AM the Red Ranger, I AM the leader of the Power Rangers, and I will NOT let you win!"
Tristan picked his Power Sword up from the ground and rushed towards Araken, slashing at him. Araken was slashed hard across the chest, then again across the shoulder, and finally Tristan leaped into the air with his Power Sword glowing red and brought it down across the chest of Araken one more time. Araken was sent to the ground, sparks flying and smoke pouring from his chest, and enraged look on his face as he looked up at the Red Ranger.
"This isn't over, Red Ranger!" Araken roared, before disappearing in a puff of black smoke.
Tristan turned to his fellow Rangers, still taking a beating from Drilliago. He ran towards Drilliago, Power Sword still drawn.
"Hah, another one for me to blast into oblivion!" Drilliago bragged, and blasted more electricity out of his dual drills towards Tristan.
Tristan, however, deflected the electricity with his still-glowing sword, then leaped into the air, bringing the sword down in a slash across Drilliago's chest. Smoke poured from it as he fell backwards.
"Whoa..." Ada said as she watched her little brother raise the glowing sword up and point it towards Drilliago.
"So that's why he's the leader..." Andrew said.
"He's got such power..." said Michi.
"That's the kind of power I'm going to need to get my revenge..." Jerrelle said under his breath.
"Rangers!" Tristan suddenly yelled, raising his sword into the air. "It's time for us to bring it together!"
"What the hell are you talking about?" Ada asked him.
"I...I don't know where the knowledge came from, but I know how to beat Drilliago!" Tristan said. "We have to bring our weapons together and form the Power Blaster!"
"How are we supposed to do that?" Michi wondered.
"Just follow my lead, guys." Tristan said. "Yell out your weapon's name and throw it into the air!"
"How is THAT supposed to do anything?" Jerrelle huffed.
"Yeah, what are you bro, delusional or something?" Ada added.
Michi looked at Tristan. She wanted to trust him, but she wasn't sure...
"Whatever we're going to do, we'd better do it fast!" she said as she saw Drilliago climb back to his feet.
Andrew looked at Tristan, Power Sword held high in the air, and suddenly something clicked in him. He knew Tristan was right...because Tristan was the Red Ranger. The leader.
"I'm with you Tristan!" Andrew yelled. "Power Lance!"
Andrew took apart his lance into two pieces and tossed it into the air.
"I'll believe in you, Tristan." Michi nodded "Power Daggers!"
Michi tossed her daggers into the air as well, where they floated with Andrew's lance.
"Eh, what the hell, either we beat this thing or we look really stupid, right?" Ada asked no one in particular. "Power Bow!"
As Ada tossed her bow into the air to join the other two weapons, everyone else turned to Jerrelle.
"Oh, fine." Jerrelle finally said. "I give up. Power Axe!"
Jerrelle finally tossed his axe into the air as well, leaving only one weapon left.
This is it... Tristan thought. Time to see if my instincts pay off, or I'm just not cut out to be a leader...
Suddenly nervous, Tristan hesitated. But as he looked at the weapons assembled in the air, and then at the four Rangers who had trusted him enough to toss away the only things capable of protecting them from Drilliago, he knew he had to place that same level of trust in himself...
"Power Sword!" Tristan yelled as he leaped into the air, placing his sword on top to complete the famous Power Blaster. Tristan fell to the ground still holding the Blaster, as each of the Rangers got into a formation with him.
"You're history, Drilliago!" Tristan said as he pointed the blaster. "Power Blaster, fire!"
The Blaster let out its huge beam of energy, catching Drilliago square in the chest. He fell to the ground, sparks flying, before a huge explosion followed.
"Alright!" Michi said happily as the Blaster came apart to give them each back their respective Power Weapons. "We really did it! We beat Drilliago!"
"Isn't that nice." Jerrelle remarked. "I'm sure there's only a whole army more where that came from."
"Oh come on, Jerrelle, don't be such a grump." Ada scolded him.
Tristan, Andrew, and Michi almost did a double-take when ADA of all people was being the voice of positivity. She noticed them staring at her, and shrugged.
"All I'm saying is blowing our first baddie to tiny little pieces is something worth celebrating." Ada said. "Not that I'm not still the sarcastic pessimist here, I am! Err...Tristan, your hero voice sounds stupid!"
"Good to know." Tristan laughed as he picked up his Power Sword.
The other four Rangers each picked up their Power Weapons and turned, walking away. Tristan watched them leave, then looked down at the weapon and smiled.
Thanks, whoever helped me today. Tristan thought. You made me realize that I'm a real leader.
Don't mention it. came a silent voice within Tristan's head. I just happen to know someone who enjoys watching Araken fail miserably.
Tristan laughed to himself as he walked towards the other Rangers...towards HIS Rangers.
"Mia Campbell." came the voice of a very annoyed high school principal. "How many times do I have to tell you not to start fights at school? You'd think with all the crazy stuff going on in the world today you'd have a little restraint..."
Mia turned around to face the tiny principal...well, tiny to her. In her three-inch heels, she stood a towering six-foot-four, making most people quite tiny compared to her. The principal gulped as he saw the impossibly tall 17-year-old point her nose down at him, forgetting how intimidating it was to go face-to-face with the young woman.
"You don't have to tell me again, 'sir'." Mia grinned, the last part said as sarcastically as she possibly could. "I've obviously heard you so well the last fifty times."
"Well, I'll keep saying it until I get through to you!" the principal said, adjusting his tie and trying not to let her show how much she intimidated her. "If you don't, I'll have to..."
"What, expel me?" Mia laughed. "Oh, no, please don't! I only come to this school still when I feel like it because it's fun to push all these weaklings around. Face it, half the school has dropped out already. In this world we live in now, a high school education ain't getting anyone anywhere...thanks to that lovely empire."
Seeing the principal had no reply to her matter-of-fact statement, Mia turned and simply walked away, leaving the small man to simply stand there and fume.
As she pushed apart the double-doors leading to the school's front steps, Mia smiled as she walked past the male classmate she had fought with earlier in the day- complete with two black eyes and his right arm in a cast. She laughed to herself as she saw him almost jump backwards at the sight of her, before practically running to get as far away from her as possible.
Why do you do what you do, Mia? came a silent voice inside her head.
It's all about being the strongest. Mia thought back. Always been about that, always will be.
But you're already the strongest, Mia. it answered.
Am I now? Strong enough to take on that empire?
To do that and more.
Then how do I prove it to everyone else? Mia thought.
Suddenly, a group of Minions teleported into the front yard of the school Mia was standing in.
Start now. it replied.
Mia looked at the Minions...there were five of them, each of the cloaked henchmen looking to her as the clear target for bodily harm.
"Thank you." she said aloud, and smiled again.
Meanwhile, in the crater of the explosion where the Rangers had blasted Drilliago, a single drill began to whirl once again. That drill belonged to Drilliago, weakened, but still very much alive. The Command Beast stood up slowly, revealing the burn marks all over his body, and grunted in a combination of pain and frustration.
"Poor Drilliago." came a tiny little voice from behind him. "He's hurt. The Power Rangers hurt him."
"Who are you?" Drilliago said, annoyed, as he turned to the little girl standing behind him.
She didn't look any different from any other little girl, dressed in a pink dress and her blond hair in ponytails. She smiled sweetly and skipped over to him.
"I'm your friend, Drilliago." the little girl said as she skipped. "And I've come to make it all better."
The little girl suddenly glowed with dark energy, before turning into nothing more than a ball of glowing black energy. The energy ball flew into Drilliago, causing him to glow black...and grow to gigantic heights, his wounds healed as well.
"THAT'S MORE LIKE IT!" Drilliago roared as he looked down at the city, looking so tiny in comparison. "POWER RANGERS, IT'S TIME FOR SOME HEAVY-DUTY PAYBACK!"