A/N: Good evening, everyone! Here is the latest installment of Altered/Reality. I would like to dedicate this chapter to the memory of Robert Axelrod. He was the voice actor of Lord Zedd and Finster. He passed away over the weekend at the age of 70. It's always sad to lose a member of the Power Ranger family. Zedd was the first American based villain in the series and one of the best in my book. I hope he is at peace and that his family finds comfort at this time.
Ranger Slayer
I didn't know who he was trying to kid. The moment you looked at Drakkon, you could tell he was more bored than a kid sitting in math class. I watched as he sat in his throne, listening to the general that stood before him rattle on about some kind of attack on forces on the outskirts of our galaxy and how we needed to attack now before whispers of a rebellion reached Earth. Drakkon's eyes looked as if he was inches from falling asleep, not an ounce of care on his features. The pale skin on his face made the purple colored veins pop out more on the lower parts of his cheeks and his neck. In the beginning, they were terrifying to me. I wasn't used to seeing him look like that at all. But now, they were signs of the power that raged inside of him from the morphing grid. His very form radiated the amounts of pure power he had at his disposal, making him the most feared leader on this side of the universe.
Drakkon shifted in his seat, his eyes lazily drifting over towards me as the general continued to speak. I gave him a smirk, rolling my eyes in the direction of the Gergolian, a war driven alien race that lived on an asteroid field just west of Mars. General Ackles looked like he would scare children as a hobby, the large beast resembling that of a rhinoceros. His skin was a sickly green color, a large horn made out of black ivory in the center of his gruesome face. He wore black plated armor, a long sword hanging at his waist. Across the middle of his torso, there was a chrome slated A that stood for his name. It was customary for the Gergolain generals to wear their initials as a sign of power. If you ask me, it was a sign of pride and vanity. The way he held himself told you that he thought the world of himself and that no one was better than him. Even by the way he looked at Drakkon, I knew he thought bowing to the younger man was beneath him. It's been this way since the fall of his people to Drakkon, his entire kingdom taken down by our troops. He had weaseled his way out of a certain death by turning on the other members of his council. He stood by and watched them die, swearing loyalty to our cause. I knew Drakkon could see right through him but decided to keep him around for the use of his military defenses. It was one of the strongest forces to the west of the sun and Drakkon needed to ensure we had coverage in the section of the galaxy. Now with complete control of nearly everything, I was growing weary of the huge, ugly waste of space. They may call me the Ranger Slayer but I assure you that I can kill more than puny humans in spandex.
My mind wandered as I thought of the Rangers. At one time, they had been my friends. Pretty much my family. We had all taken oaths to protect the world with each other, fighting against the evil forces Rita sent to Earth to try to conquer Earth. On paper, it even sounded stupid. Five teenagers with attitude? Please. If you want someone to defend your planet, pick people who are trained for that type of situation. Not five 15 year olds who are trying to figure out puberty. I thought it was stupid then and I still believe it's stupid now, fifteen years later. Zordon should have known better. Maybe then, he wouldn't be completely dead and neither would those he selected as his rangers.
I wasn't thrilled about being a ranger in the beginning. I cared more about little things like shopping and the mall. I did agree though and signed up for the job. Today, I'm glad more than ever that I did. I couldn't imagine Drakkon letting me be by his side if I had been just another civilian on the streets. I'd be nothing to him as a regular girl. No. It worked better that I was one of the elite, carrying a power coin with me that connected me right to the morphing grid. We fought for months as a team, the five of us going up against anything that threatened Earth. And then Rita sent in our biggest challenge yet: another Power Ranger. Green to be exact. He had powers we could only dream of having and he seemed to always be a step ahead of us. His Dragonzord was more powerful than our Megazord as well, easily almost destroying us at each battle. We were lucky to get out by the skin of our teeth each time.
It wasn't until two months into our war against the green ranger that we learned it was a boy named Tommy Oliver. He was the new kid at school, one that I had taken a liking to and had also seemed to catch my eye for long moments in the hallway. I was crushed by the idea of going up against him, knowing that there was a risk that he might die and that I might be aiding to that chance. I begged the rangers to find a way to defeat him without killing him. There had to be a way. There was something about this kid that I just couldn't shake. I'm not a sucker for love by any means but if this was love at first sight, I'd believe it. There was a pull about him that wouldn't release me no matter how hard I fought it. I tried reasoning with him, asking him to not fight against us but with us. He refused, warning me that we were all going to be his next victims.
There was another battle, this time us getting the upper hand. Billy had spent days going over countless hours of battle footage from previous encounters. He theorized that if we destroyed Tommy's Sword of Darkness, we would be able to release him from the spell that Rita had on him. When Tommy attack again, him and Jason fought against one another. Jason was able to break the sword along with the spell. Only, we weren't able to get to Tommy in time before he fled. He disappeared from school, his parents worried about his whereabouts. We searched everywhere we could for him but it was like he just vanished. Fear started to settle in me that he had died and Rita had hid his body somewhere.
Rita did have him alright. She had found a scared, confused, and broken Tommy Oliver free from her spell. Drakkon is unaware how much of this story I know of. The monster creator, Finster, had confided in me about this part of the story in case something were to occur involving Rita and the past. Rita convinced Tommy that joining her fight against good was the only thing he could do to be whole again. That he had done so much evil before that there was no point in changing what his heart really ached for. And Tommy believed her, wanting to get revenge on the Power Rangers for not being able to save him before the worst happened. We were shocked to see him still working with Rita, fully aware that he was no longer under the influence of her spell. He was fighting us as Tommy, nothing controlling his actions but himself.
Even with him still our enemy, he was drawn towards me. There were nights I would wake up and find traces of him in my room. Once, I was walking home from school and he followed for a while. I didn't know what to do. I didn't want the team to know but I didn't want him to stop either. Even during battles, every chance I was able to see him was worth the risk. I knew he felt the same way by the way he would target the other rangers more than me. In a way, he was more gentle when we faced off. We were quickly being shown that our powers were no match to that of him and Rita. She was wiping out parts of the Earth faster than we could protect it. We called on the help of the Alien Rangers to assist us, hoping it would be enough to stop him. Jason was given the mantle of the white Ranger powers, Zordon's last attempt to give us a leg up on Tommy.
It didn't work. Tommy was able to stop the power transfer before it was completed. He killed Jason in front of us all, running his dagger right through him until there wasn't a sign of life in his body. Tommy took the white Ranger powers and Saba, the talking tiger sword that came with it. By doing so, he combined the powers of the White Ranger and the Green Ranger. That was how Lord Drakkon was born. He shed the persona of Tommy Oliver, declaring him dead as he went on to destroy the connection between Earth and Zordon. The Command Center was destroyed and the rest of us rangers ran, hoping to find somewhere to hide to regroup.
That night, we took refuge in an abandoned building on the edge of town. We all took turns doing watch. On my turn, I walked outside and came face to face with the newly named Lord Drakkon. I didn't have a moment to react before he kidnapped me. I found myself on the moon before I could even blink, chained to a wall in the Dark Dimension. He would come see me every so often, not saying much but bringing me food and water. As much as I wanted to avenge my fallen leader and friend, I was concerned about why he had brought me here and why I was still alive. Finally, my question was answered when he asked me to join him. Things are a bit hazy following that but I have been fighting by his side since then.
After joining the side of Lord Drakkon, he felt that he no longer needed to have Rita there with him. He killed her as well, leaving the space on his team for me to fill. He had his servants craft me a new uniform to wear and he gave me my first task: ridding the world of the rest of the Rangers. And I did just that, not asking a single question. I searched the Earth for them, trying to locate Zack, Billy, and Trini. I was able to find them in Angel Grove of all places where they begged for their lives. I killed them with mercy, making sure they didn't suffer for long while they died. I also took out the remaining members of the Alien Rangers, leaving no one alive to tell the horror of their deaths but me.
During this time, Drakkon's reign truly began. He paraded throughout the streets, watching his men round up any humans that survived the war. He sent most of them to camps in Mexico where they worked for their keep. Mostly, they mined for coal and crafted turbines to produce energy. It took a lot of power to connect to the morphing grid like Drakkon does so he requires the manpower to help him with this. The women and children were sent to housing projects in various parts of the country, the boys being sent away to train for the army as soon as they were old enough to. In the beginning. The men tried to have their ways with the captured women but Drakkon slaughter anyone who tried to harm them. I suspected it was the same sliver of him that was still Tommy Oliver, hidden inside of him with a small amount of decency. It was the same place where his mercy resides, poking through now and then when it needed to.
Since our night together the other day where I mistakenly called him Tommy, Drakkon hasn't spoken to me. Sure, we've fucked and I've done his bidding but it was under the pretenses of him not talking. It was driving me insane not having him say my name or speaking to me while we were together. I've chided myself for a long time for making the mistakes, knowing it should have never happened. There was a part of me that sometimes slipped back into a blank part of my past I have troubles remembering. Back when I did everything the Rangers and Zordon told me to do. When I was just the weak and puny Kimberly. I was proud not to be that person anymore, understanding why Drakkon referred to not be known as Tommy. They were our past, two children who didn't have a clue of how the real world worked and how power was the only solution to getting what you wanted. That was something that Drakken had shown me and I've never turned back since.
"Sire, what move would you wish me to make?" General Ackles asked, breaking me from my thoughts. I watched as Drakkon lazily lifted his eyes to look at the general before sighing.
"Have your fleet guard the perimeter. If anyone wishes to come through our territory, give them the option to surrender or be killed. It's not rocket science, Ackles, just because it's in space. Don't come back to my throne room unless you have something important to tell me." Drakkon said, narrowing his eyes. The general took a step back, a look of surprise on his rough face. He quickly overcame it before nodding, turning to step out of the room. He looked at me as he passed, giving a small nodded before exiting the room. Drakkon sighed loudly, leaning back in his throne. "Goldar!" He yelled over his shoulder. In the distance, I could hear the metal sound of boots clumping on the ground. In the left side of the room, a large figure appeared in the doorway.
"Yes, my grace?" The grizzly voice said as the figure entered. He was an erect gorilla, his black fur graying in patches now where it hadn't been before. Gold army covered his body and large wings with black as night feathers were on his back. Bead dull red eyes pierced around the room as he knelt down in front of Drakkon. Goldar, the greatest warrior besides Drakkon, who has ever fought for Rita Repulsa. He had gone up against us as Rangers, his brute strength and battle strategy almost enough to take us out a time or two. When Drakkon had decided to kill Rita, he had given Goldar the option of serving him or dying with his queen. It only took him a matter of seconds to pick Drakkon and the power he held. Goldar is the leader of the sentri soldiers, the army in which Drakkon uses. It is made up of troops dressed in armor fashioned like that of the Power Rangers. There are four main colors, each one decided which tasks were assigned to them. Yellow and Black are foot soldiers, Blue is a more technical approach, and red is the leaders of the army. He elected to not allow pink in the ranks, honoring me and protecting his soldiers from the embarrassment of wearing such a girly color.
"I need you to keep an eye on General Ackles for me. It seems that his loyalty may beginning to waiver. I suspect he is the one who has been helping the rebellion rumors in his quadrant of the galaxy. If you hear wind, I want you to bring him to me." Drakkon ordered, standing from the throne.
"Yes, you're grace." Goldar replied, bowing his head. "I'll ensure that he abides by our rules."
"Has Scorpina returned from her mission yet? I wish to speak to her regarding the status of the work in Mexico."
"No, my grace. She should be returning in a couple days time. Her and her men ran into some more humans who were trying to rebel. They had to rectify the situation before returning." Goldar said, a grin in the corner of his mouth. It made the sharp fang in his mouth protrude slightly. All the help around here is ugly as fuck. It was a wonder that he was married, especially to that of Scorpina. She was a beautiful woman, her choosing the form of that of an Asian woman. Like Goldar, she had worked for Rita, being one of her strongest fighters. I've always suspected she had only joined Drakkon's army because Goldar had instructed her to. Her allegiance to the cause hasn't always been clear. I've seen her and Goldar exchange hushed words in his native tongue, obviously trying to hide something from someone. I don't meddle in these affairs though. It's Drakkon's order.
"See to it that she reports to me when she returns. I want to hear about her efforts." Drakkon said, crossing his arms.
"As you wish, Lord Drakkon." Goldar said, standing as well. "Lord Zedd is here to see you, sire. Should I send him in?" Drakkon nodded, casting his eyes towards me again as he did. Goldar bowed quickly before taking leave, heading out the doorway he had come from. Clasping his hands behind his back, Drakkon walked over towards me and stopped. He didn't look at me, just standing close enough where his hip was almost touching mine as he faced the opposite direction as me. I held my breath, wondering what he was going to do. I despised when he didn't talk to me. It gave me an uneasy feeling in my stomach and almost panic in my entire chest. He was all I had left in this world now and I would die for him. Not having him speaking to me was worse than any kind of torture I've seen him inflict on others and he knew it.
"Have we learned from our mistakes?" He asked, finally turning his eyes so they were casted down towards me. I nodded quickly, my heart beating hard in my chest.
"Yes, my lord." I said softly.
"Good. What Zedd and I need to speak of is in confidence. I need to know I can trust you with that information." He shifted so he was facing me head on. "You're no use to me if I can't trust you."
"I'm sorry. It'll never happen again." I said, holding his gaze.
"For your sake, I hope you're right. It would be a pity to scar up that pretty face that belongs to me." He leaned in and brushed his lips over my right cheek bone. I closed my eyes, taking in the Earthy tones of his scent. With him being so close, I swear I can feel the power raging underneath his skin. He brought his hand up and gingerly wrapped his fingers around my throat, making sure to place his thumb directly over my trachea. "Do you understand?"
"Yes, Lord Drakkon." I breathed, a feeling in my belly forming. I mentally begged for him to touch me more, to take me back to his chambers. Instead, we were interrupted by the sound of clicking metal on stone. Behind Drakkon, I saw another figure appear being led by two senteries in black armor. Between them, Lord Zedd stood. The ugly keeps getting uglier. This guy really took the cake though. His very skin was made out of a red membrane much like that of a human brain. It looked like thick veins the protruded all over his body. He wore chrome metal armor that resembled that of an exoskeleton, the only thing protecting his squishy body and the tubes running all over it that kept him alive from easily being squashed like a bug. On his head, there was a helmet that had a visor with a red protective film over his eyes and a chrome grill where his mouth would be. The top of the helmet had a piece that stuck out of it, a chrome plated Z at the top of it. It matched that of the silver staff in his hand, a large Z on the end of that as well. Lord Zedd was the stuff of children's nightmares. I suspect when he wasn't here, he was hiding in closets or underneath beds, just waiting to scare some kid to death.
"That'll be all." Drakkon said to the foot soldiers who bowed before taking leave. He dropped his hands from me and turned away, leaving me feeling burned. "Zedd, it's good to see you again. I hope this means you've brought me good news." He said, stepping towards Zedd. Lord Zedd was one of the most feared rulers of the galaxy. Even Rita Repulsa had been known to be fearful of him and his control over her. When she enlisted the help of Drakkon after the Ranger broke the spell on Tommy, Rita was pretty proud of herself and figured that she wouldn't need to worry about Zedd anymore. Unfortunately for her, Zedd was one of the reasons why Drakkon decided to kill her. I had been there, listening from the sidelines as the two of them talked about how useless they felt she had become in their mission to conquer the rest of the universe. Though he had been loyal to her after all this time, Drakkon made the final decision. Since then, Zedd has been working on special missions for Drakkon. These were missions he was to keep between Drakkon and him, me being the only other person who was aware of them. Most of the time, it was finding new technology to power the Zords we had taken during the battles and locating new areas of the galaxy to inhabit. This time, I was unsure of what Zedd had been working on. I had been gone on my own mission the last time he was here, Finister telling me of this after the fact. He was unsure of the details of their conversation but did say that Drakkon seemed unamused following the departure. I wondered with interest now what could be the reason for this visit.
"Shall we talk in private?" Zedd's voice said, a rasping growl under his mask. Drakkon nodded, his eyes glowing green. He snapped and a green light shot out of him and around the room. It sealed off the doors ways and the entryways to the room, blocking all noise and light from the outside. I noticed that Zedd's glance seemed to linger of me, his metal fingertips wrapping around his staff. "Are you certain she can be trusted with this?" He asked, nodding towards me.
"Indeed, I am. She's my most trusted ally. I am certain the Ranger Slayer's loyalty is never wavering." Drakkon replied, moving closer to Zedd, his green eyes fading back to brown. "Now, what is the news you've brought me?"
"Nothing pleasant, I am afraid." Zedd replied. "I've searched across our galaxy and the ones surrounding us and I've been in contact with all of the great magic wielding beings I know. It seems that there is no way to recharge the morphing grid." My ears pricked up at that comment. Recharge the morphing grid? I was unaware that it was something that needed to happen. Drakkon shook his head.
"Nonsense. There has to be a way. What happened on Phados? I thought you had men searching for the Great Power there." He said, putting his hands on his hips.
"I did. The woman protecting the planet, Duclea, sacrificed it and herself to ensure it didn't fall into the wrong hands. We only found minor traces of it but not enough to power anything, let alone charge the grid like you need it to. Drakkon, I'm afraid that it's no use." Zedd lowered his voice and his staff. "We can keep taking the power we can from other world beings but eventually, it will run out. We need to begin finding resources besides the grid to power you." Drakkon hissed, pacing the floor.
"That's impossible! My powers come directly from my link to the morphing grid. There is no other way to power me. Without the grid, I will be powerless and more than likely die. There needs to be another way to tap into its power and recharge it. What about the power coins?"
"I've done my research. The only thing keeping the grid alive now is having the three power coins the two of you possess connected. By connecting the other ones, you will completely wipe out the power and the energy there. It's in a fragile state and doing anything to alter it will shatter all of our reality. Even if we wanted to, you are harboring too much energy with your two coins to move forward with the other coins. The grid will fall unless we find another way to gain control of it before it's potential is wasted."
"How long?" Drakkon asked, his voice lowering to almost a soft hush.
"Days. Weeks, if we're lucky." Zedd stated. "I have my greatest allies still looking for a way and another source of power. You will need to reserve what powers you do have to ensure they will last until we can replace it. Once we find a powerful enough power signature, we can repair the damage."
"Reserve my powers? Ha. More like look weak to my enemies. You will continue to find me power to hold me over until something else can charge me." Drakkon demanded, narrowing his eyes at Zedd. "I will not be ended like this because my servants are incompetant to do as they are told."
"Lord Drakkon, I'm telling you this for your own good. We're nothing without and if you have no powers, we will be left vulnerable to everyone. Save your humility and take heed now while you still can!" Zedd pleaded, holding tightly to his staff. "With the weight of our futures on your shoulders, you must remember what is at stake here."
"I'm well aware, Zedd." Drakkon replied, walking towards his throne. "I will do as I can to reserve power. I will also send you more men to help with your efforts. I expect you to report back to me in two days about your progress. Don't forget that I'm not the only one in this room that possess a great power." I saw Zedd prickle up as he realized what Drakkon meant. Lord Zedd did have a great deal of power in him, thanks to years of science and magic developing his position.
"Yes, Lord Drakkon. I will send word immediately." Zedd said, nodding. Drakkon lowered the force field around the room, noise returning like normal. The soldiers reappeared, waiting for Zedd by the doorway. Zedd headed towards them, stopping to turn back and look at Drakkon. "Take caution, Lord Drakkon. Your empire is counting on you."