Far Beyond Love and Hate 3
Zen Aku: Very perceptive, all will be revealed next chapter…but you win an imaginary cookie for getting that pit down. The Green Ranger was evil to start and the White ranger was always good so I figure the G vs. E thing would go okay.
- Mesogog 's Fortress-
The room had once been a lab that Mesogog had discovered the volatile nature of certain chemicals in. Now the glass roof and long walkways were blackened with ash and scorch marks. The walkways over the crater and pit that had been blasted into the floor shrieked as Paris and Calais strode along the walkway.
"This will do," said Paris.
"Are you sure?" Elsa asked as she looked about with disdain.
"Positive" Paris said as he looked up at the glass dome of the ceiling. "I love the light… but it needs a homey touch". He walked over to a staircase and hopped off it. Calais followed, dressed in a green trailing gown of ivy leaves made from silk and velvet. He hurled an energy bolt at the boards that covered up the glass of side windows. "Light is always important," he said.
Calais lashed a vine tendril at a pipe on the wall, a burst of water bubbled out and began to fill the deep crater. "And water features are in this year" she purred.
"Look we've got a hanging ornament" Paris commented as he zapped free a metal frame that still held old light kits.
"And I simply ADORE these chemical vats" Calais said as her vines pulled three chemical vats back up into position. "But it's missing something" she said.
Paris dusted away some blackened earth. "Mm" he nodded. "I know what…" he scraped away some dirt and dropped in some seeds. "Garden Force can't hold a candle to me…" the plants spread out, blossoming swiftly as they spread their seeds through the earth. Lilly's popped open on the water, the walkway was supported by twisting vines and in the central circle hub of the walkway thorns and briars wrapped around and gave extra support as it reformed the railings.
Vines clung to the glass dome and shone patterns down on the room below. The light kits were filled with a glowing fungus and surrounded by vines. Hanging Garlands draped from the ceiling and walkways… it was beautiful
"Much better" Paris purred.
"Make yourselves at home" muttered Elsa. Zeltrax and Mesogog entered. The dinosaur master looked around.
"I see you've redecorated" he mused. Calais and Paris rose up from the lower floor via a large leaf on a stalk that rose for them. "The temperature is changed…"
"It's not the heat it's the humidity," Paris said as he hopped off the leaf and walked towards his "comrade". "Soon the world will be my greenhouse."
"And the dinosaurs will rule again" Mesogog growled.
"Exactly" chuckled Calais. "And we've already figured out a plan" she walked forwards. "The rangers draw their power entirely from their camaraderie and their Dino gems. We simply separate them from both. Leave the rangers to me"
"The eco-system is in jeopardy from humans…but we'll make it so the humans are in jeopardy from the eco system" cackled Elsa. "I've devised a device that will heat up the world by locking onto and launching into the Ozone Layer. The beam will spread rapidly in a matter of days the planet will be the heat dinosaurs need"
"While the rangers are preoccupied with Calais and my sister," continued Paris. "I'll work on their zords, we need them to bring back dinosaurs. My plan is to use that as a springboard to get them. However the Black Ranger bothers me… we need to distract him. Lure him away from the others, capture him and make sure he can't help them". He looked at Elsa. She stared back.
"No!" she exclaimed.
"He's desperate and a fumbling fool, it'll be easy," Calais said. "I can even dope him with love serum…" Elsa shot her a seething look. "Or maybe not."
"Once we drain the Dino gems I can recreate every single dinosaur you care to mention but we need to cause confusion to do that. Calais will take up a second base to ensure we can capture them easily" Paris said. "I'll work on another project. Once I have the Dino Gem Data, the heat ray and the rangers in discord I'll be able to supply you with a new breed of plant and dinosaur that will rule this world! And best of all… I'll be able to free us both from our human forms!"
"I won't get close to that - Boy Scout!" Elsa exclaimed abruptly.
"You will Elsa" Mesogog snapped. "You have things to attend to as a civilian. Go and do that". Elsa shifted uneasily, turned around and left. Zeltrax watched her leave with the shiny black panel on his face.
"Now…we need to lure the rangers out," murmured Paris. "A nice, beatable monster should do it." Calais giggled.
"I want to use the machine!" she exclaimed.
-Reefside High-
"Ms Randall!" Elsa shuddered and turned to face Tommy.
"I heard you were, eh, in –some bother and I – eh wanted to see if you were okay," he stammered. "I just -"
"I'm fine, I was in trouble because I let two psychotic students into the school and they trashed it, now I have to see to it getting fixed" Elsa said coldly.
"I'll help!" yelped Tommy, and then blushed. "I mean…if you – eh – want me to"
Elsa shifted uneasily. "All right" she said. "Do." As she turned to walk away she spotted Calais down a passage. The plant woman raised a finger and Elsa gritted her teeth. "Come with me" Elsa sighed. "I'll show you what to do…" they walked towards the hall. Elsa smirked, this was her chance – he's be all alone…
"Hey Dr. O!" Conner called. Elsa resisted the urge to blow him into the middle of next week where his homework would be late and she could lock him up in detention. "We're here to help" Conner said.
"Wonderful" Elsa growled.
-Mesogog's fortress-
Zeltrax was being fitted with a new left arm. Calais lowered the welding iron. "This is NOT helping my hair," she snapped. Paris said nothing; he was rubbing his head and shivering. "Oh not again!" groaned Calais as she rushed over. "You can't neglect your injections!" she handed him the injector gun and he pressed it to his neck, the gun hissed, Paris grunted and a flicker of light ran through his veins.
"I'm nearly out" he said, nodding at the case.
"You can get more" Calais said.
"I mightn't have time…"
"You will" Calais said. She turned back to Zeltrax, connected a few wires and smiled. "He's ready" she called, Mesogog entered and nodded.
"Excellent, begin phase one!"
Calais grinned. She sauntered over to the Monster Making Machine and smiled as the Geno-Randomizer whirred up. "We draw them out and then go full on"
"I know where we can get their attention" Paris said.
"Well if kangaroo and a palm tree mutant can help…mixed in with a car piston, then you've got a deal," Calais cackled as she watched the creature step forward. "I give you- eh"
Mesogog cocked his head to one side, the creature had piston arms, a kangaroo head and a mane of palm leaves, its tail was a palm tree and it had piston legs with kangaroo feet, patches of bark decorated its chest and forehead.
"It looks ridiculous," the dinosaur grunted. "What do we call him?"
"Rockem Sockem" said Paris. "Because mother never bought me a set of RS robots because she was afraid they'd affect me negatively…pfft"
"I'm ready to Rock and Sock and ROOOOOOOOOLLLLLL"
"Oh shut up," Paris snorted.
- The Reagent Medical Factory-
Rockem Sockem pounded in the door, laughing as he did. Calais and Paris watched as he burst in and unleashed a coconut bomb on the nearest wall. The scientists and doctors shouted out as they were flung aside.
Calais noticed a guard coming towards her; she swung around and kicked him away, down the hall into a janitor's cupboard. "Time to get attention" Paris said. He closed his eyes and unleashed a beam of green energy into the air from his head. The Halo faded. "They'll get the message."
In the cave Calypso spotted the energy signature. Haley tapped a few keys and locked in on the point. "Reagent Medical Facility?"
"My brother's after Retrodyne-5" Calypso said.
"What is it?" Haley asked. "I haven't heard of it. Well a little on the predecessors that couldn't be released because they were rather volatile…"
"This isn't volatile, just too strong" explained Calypso. "In addition to the bone illness Paris contracted Diabetes when he went off the tracks. The diabetes mutated and Dad discovered that Retrodyne-5 kept it at bay. I stole the supply when Paris went postal" she added. "I hoped it would force him to stop, but he had a small cache of hid own- I guess its run out".
Haley nodded. "I'll call the rangers"
-The Medical Factory-
"Let's do this fast" decided Conner as they reached the Facility. "Principal Randall might notice we've left the team of helpers soon"
"Here we go" a voice called. Everyone looked up. Calais waved to them and blew a handful of sparkling dust into the air. "Come and get me" she vanished into the facility on a walkway. Kira launched after her.
"Stay close!" Tommy said as they entered the maze of pathways and grates – that's when the dust appeared. Conner climbed a ladder, Trent ran down a slope, Tommy rushed forwards, and Ethan headed down a corridor and suddenly they were split up.
Ethan looked down. "Trent! Man, am I glad to see you!" he exclaimed as he spotted Trent on the level below. "Hold on! I'll be down in a second!"
"Ethan! Watch yourself!" Trent shouted. Ethan looked over his shoulder and the piston power punch smashed into his body flinging him over the railings. Rockem Sockem leapt after him and landed to lash out with two fists that knocked Trent into a pipe and down a ramp. Trent groaned as he rolled to a halt against a row of barrels. He struggled to his feet…Calais was leaning on the barrels. "Hi there" she purred as she blew the dust at him. His mask flashed pink and gold as the dust curled around it like a serpent on a branch.
"White's such a pure colour" Calais said. "I bet all the girls want to find out what's under it…" she leaned closer. "Come and play in my garden there's more fun on my side of the fence then on your side" she whispered.
"I – I - " Trent began. Calais trailed her hands down his chest.
"Such an impressive physique…so much power…" her fingers left gold and pink trails that danced over his suit. "I need a gardener with creativity…" the little love hearts were dancing in his visor…
"Well I - " he stammered as she leaned in with glowing lips.
"TRENT!" cried Ethan as Rockem Sockem hit the blue ranger with a coconut bomb.
Trent pulled away, flustered, and ran towards the monster. Calais sighed, rolled her eyes and teleported away. Ethan was piston-kicked high into the air; he landed on a catwalk with a groan as Trent attacked with light arrows.
"Oh I love the intelligent type," purred Calais as she straddled the addled blue ranger. "So smart and sophisticated – I've heard all about how you've reached level 56 on The Dreaded Dungeon of Disease…I love that game," she said as she dosed him with her dust. He shuddered as his helmet flickered blue and pink. "But there are better ones to play…like a two player with you and me"
The glow trailed from her fingers.
"You're - evil," murmured Ethan.
"Oh but I'm able to be soooooo good" she whispered.
Ethan shuddered as she leaned in…Kira kicked Calais aside. Calais shrieked in rage and rolled backwards into a flip. She snapped her fingers and Triptoids appeared. "Fine play it your way!" she hissed at Kira. "Later" she murmured and blew a kiss to Ethan.
"Look out for that one" Kira said. "She should carry a surgeon Generals warning"
"She likes Dreaded Dungeon of Disease," sighed Ethan. Kira rolled her eyes and attacked the Triptoids. Below Rockem Sockem vanished into a portal leaving T-Drones and Seedlings to attack the White Ranger.
-Elsewhere-
Paris watched overhead as Zeltrax tapped the keys of the control box.
The vials began to fill and bottle. "I'll take the formula," Paris decided as he slipped the disk from the control box. "Calais" he murmured as he touched his temple. "How fares the battle?"
"I'm going after the two rangers we loathe the most now" she reassured telepathically. "Don't fret. I'll plant my draining kiss on them and morphing won't help them anymore!"
-Else Elsewhere (I don't get it either)-
Conner ducked as the coconut bomb blew up the stairway. Tommy came running but Rockem-Sockem landed a perfect punch to his gut and sent him shooting back the way he came. "Dr O!" Conner shouted. He attacked the monster again.
Tommy had landed in stacked sacks of labels. "Oh poor baby" a voice said. Calais slipped in beside him propping her head on her hand. "Want me to kiss it better?" she doped him up with another plume of lust dust. "I'd be happy to kiss you even if nothings hurt".
Tommy was fluttering, he couldn't think straight. "Oh – um I wouldn't be – I amn't" he grabbed her wrist. "You're evil!"
"Don't get so hung up on it," sighed Calais. Tommy stood up, still holding her wrist.
"You're going to tell me your plan and then you're going down!"
"Only if you ask nicely," Calais sneered. "Actually even then I'd say no!" she smiled sweetly. "I'm a lover and a fighter that's why every Calais Dupont action figure comes with karate kick action!" she kicked him in the ribs and sent him shooting right down the walkway past the fight. "And ten nasty surprises!" she cackled. Rockem Sockem retracted his head into the palm leaves and slammed it back into Conner, sending the Red Ranger flying off the walkway onto a platform over a water tank. There was a whirring noise around him.
Calais was standing on a crane, one foot in the hook and the other curled around the chain as she was lowered onto the walkway. She blew the dust at him. "Feeling okay? Want a cup of cocoa? Tea? Coffee? Me?" she pressed in close as he lifted himself up on the bars.
"Who are you?"
"Calais Dupont" she said. "Pleasures all yours…"
"I – I've never seen anyone like you"
"And you never will" she whispered as she moved in to kiss him. He grabbed her arms and pressed her backwards against the railing on which there was a metal gate that dropped into the water.
"You're not fooling me," he said. "What are you up to?"
"I must be losing my touch" Calais sighed as she silently unlatched the gate; with a swift move she ducked under his arm and swung her leg high into the back of his head. He dropped into the water with a loud splash. Calais shrugged and leapt away.
-The Main Bottling room-
Calais stalked along towards Paris. "They're being real pests" she snarled. "But they just need a stronger dose next time." Paris nodded.
"Mesogog is scanning the battle, everything is going well" Paris said.
"Then we'll know for sure if there's a bigger threat then the black ranger amongst the motley crew" Calais smiled. "Zeltrax?" the cyborg walked over. "Is everything ready?"
"100 prepared" nodded Zeltrax. "We're ready to move out."
"That's what you think!" Calypso leapt from the balcony, morphing into her armoured form and hurling a small bone blade at Zeltrax. He shrieked in shock and stumbled back as the white lightening shook him about.
"Oh it's you" spat Paris as he morphed. He pulled a sword from his body and lunged on the attack. "Let's settle this!" he unleashed a blast of green at her from his blade, she deflected it with a pulse of white power.
Calais sighed and leaned against a wall as they duelled. Trent came running through the door, quick as a whip Calais lurched out, grabbed his arm and judo flipped him over, as he tried to get up she executed two spinning kicks across his body and a power drive kick that sent him flying. The Seedlings lifted him up for her. "Now where were you going?" she laughed.
"I'm going to stop you!" Trent snapped.
"And what about when your friends find out that Daddy is the Dino?" purred Calais. "You should be at his side not trying to hack it"
"I'll free my father!" shouted Trent.
"Not in this lifetime" Calais sneered as she touched his forehead. The dust she blew from her palms curled tightly around his body as Calais' eyes glowed and sent light waves down her arm into his body. "Now kill your friends"
Tommy and the others met up in the main hall to the bottling room. "Trent went on ahead" Kira exclaimed, she sounded panicked. "We had to get in and help him!" the doors opened and Trent walked forwards. "Trent!" Kira exclaimed with great relief.
"Hello – my friends!" snarled Trent. He slashed the arrows at them, flinging them away. Kira ducked in time however and managed to take flight, grabbing Trent in her legs and dragging him to the rafters. Trent slashed at her, she blocked with her grips. "GUYS!" Kira shouted. "Go deal with the bigger problem! I'll be fine!" the purple love hearts around Trent's head popped with a sweet smell as more and more rose. Kira gave a growl and blocked his blade; she swung a leg at his head and kicked him off the rafters onto the level below.
"Trent it's me! Kira! Come on! Remember!" she pleaded. He attacked again; she blocked his sword and swung it away before planting both feet on his chest and knocking him off balance. "Please! Trent!"
Trent raised his sword…Kira didn't try and defend herself as he brought it down…her visor simply opened…the blade stopped inches from her head as purple beads fell off Trent's body and dispersed with a clatter on the ground. "Kira?"
"Trent!" Kira gasped as she hugged him.
"I – I couldn't stop myself – I was watching this all like it was a dream and I couldn't control anything I – I'd never hurt you". Kira just hugged him tighter.
-The Bottling Room-
Paris and Calypso were slashing and striking as the energy blasts from their clashes blasted out in various directions. Seedlings, Triptoids and T-Drones all attacked the other rangers as Rockem Sockem and Tommy threw down with each other.
Paris' blade was knocked away; he pulled on his spinal column and a long staff of bone and green black metal slid out. With a snarl he blasted his sister with Telekinesis and lifted her up before delivering an angry strike to her body. "This is where it ends sister…you should try to win at some point you act as if you can't hit me"
"I don't want to hurt you Paris" Calypso said. "But if I have to" the white light lifted Paris off his feet and spun him in the air before hurling him into a wall. Calypso hurled the seeds into the air; Seedlings with white bone appeared and attacked the other pawns.
"I've got an idea!" said Conner. "I'll go Triassic and take on Paris!"
"It's worth a shot!" Ethan agreed.
Paris picked himself up as the light filled the room…now he was against the Triassic ranger. "Oh goodie" he muttered. "You really can get uglier" the world distorted as they entered a parallel dimension.
Tommy hit Rockem Sockem with all his might and destroyed the monster. In his lair Mesogog snarled and reached for the controls of the Evaporator…then he paused. With a dinosaur grin he pressed the buttons up.
Rockem Sockem shot skywards. "We have to do something!" Ethan exclaimed.
"Leave this one to me!" Calypso said. "I'll call your zords for you!"
"But without Conner…" Ethan began
"You know he's not the alpha and the omega of these things," Calypso said as she pressed buttons on her collar. Her voice changed to Conner's. "Take your cue"
Rockem Sockem faced the zord… he ran forwards… Calypso thrust out her hands and the white energy powered up the Ptera-Boomerang. It slashed right through Rockem Sockem and anti-climactically vaporized him.
"That was - easy" Kira murmured.
In the other world Conner and Paris were battling. Paris slashed Conner twice on the chest then flipped backwards and blasted the ranger with a ball of energy. Conner deflected the blast with his fist and lunged into a tackle at Paris. The spine staff turned limp and Paris whipped it out, catching Conner around the neck and swinging in a full circle before landing and sending a wave of light up the whip to electrocute the Triassic Ranger to his knees.
"One ranger in the grave is almost as good as two in hell," Paris said.
"You know – I used to like you" Conner grunted. "But seeing the psychotic side explains what was wrong with you."
"Oh please, we both know it was because I was captain of the basketball team… soccer and basketball and ne'er the two shall meet," sighed Paris as he replaced his whip in his body and drew his swords from his elbows. "Alas poor Conner I knew him Horatio…of course I only need your skull for that part" he swung. Conner caught the blade and kicked Paris in the knee. They fell on top of each other rolling around, the dimension faded as Paris hit Conner with a glowing fist. Conner grabbed Paris by the throat and hurled him into a pipe. Rockem Sockem exploded, distracting Conner.
"I look forward to that again!" sneered Paris as he blasted Conner with an ivy vine shaped beam of light and teleported away. Conner groaned and slumped to the ground.
-The Lair-
Conner winced as Calypso dabbed the burn on his back. "It's like poison ivy but less itchy and more painful" he grimaced. Calypso showed him the bottle. "Camomile Lotion?"
"It works wonders on my brothers allergens" she said. "Stops them spreading and turning you purple". The others were all at the school pretending Conner had gotten a call to go home. Randall would not soon forget the ditching but Calypso had been very insistent.
"How did he get all that power?" Conner grimaced
"Dad upgraded us every time a new ranger team appeared" she shrugged. "He used to send us along to extract data from battles and made us able to handle ourselves…Paris trained as hard as I did…he's determined to get revenge for fathers death."
"How did you do what the others said you did with the zords?" Conner continued as he put his shirt back on.
"Mimicry. The power up was because my father always believed we should be able to help the rangers if the need ever came around" she shrugged.
"Glad you did" shrugged Conner. "Gracias"
"Denada" she shrugged in reply.
-The High School-
Elsa was seething. Mesogog had contacted her and insisted on her getting Tommy alone for capture. She hated this but she served her master…she didn't want to end up like Zeltrax. She owed him her life – this was how she had to repay him it seemed.
Getting the loner alone proved more difficult then she'd thought. He was always with the other Rangers. Rubbing her forehead Elsa walked into the classroom the fight had broken out with and resisted the urge to rip the board off the wall. She had to get him alone soon.
"Ms Randall?"
"Yes?" she said. Tommy was in the doorway.
"I – I – I was just wondering - "
"What? Spit it out and don't babble? If it's a raise: No. If its time off: No. If it's a new mug: No. If it's about metal detectors: No. So what is it Doctor? Because I've just had most of my school destroyed by a hormone driven psychopathic teenager with removable re-growing bones and a penchant for destruction as well as his sister. Spit it out man I have no time!"
"Will you go out on a date with me?" blurted Tommy.
Elsa stared.
TBC:
Well in the next chapter:
Positively everyone helps Tommy prepare for a date. Calais causes even MORE trouble amongst the males. And Elsa faces the greatest decision of her life: What to wear to dinner with her worst enemy. Because the leathers are out…well at least until the third date.