A/N: Hey, everyone! I know it's been a few days. I hope all is well and you're safe. Here is another chapter. I hope you enjoy!
Drakkon
The bright streaks of day break coated Angel Grove in a warm glow. The still smouldering ruins of the buildings that had been destroyed earlier were covered in a thick film of dust, those still looking for people who had survived kicking it up as they worked. Now and then, there would be a call for help and people would rush in. Police officers, firemen, and EMTS had been working since my attack, saving whoever they could. I stood on the roof of the warehouse, taking in the view with a smile on my face. This was the work I had done and the havoc I had caused. And this was only the beginning.
The Dragonzord stood high about the ruins, the dust also coating the lower part of its body. It had done well, following my commands without much of a hitch. I felt seventeen driving the beast, reminding me of the power I had at such a young age. Rita had supplied me with a wonderful machine, one that I used to attack the Rangers again and again. It had been the weapon I had used to destroy the Command Center which led to the downfall of Jason and Zordon. It will always have a place in my arsenal and I had plans on using it once I had taken over this world as well.
Behind me, I heard the door open and close. I glanced over my shoulder, seeing Kimberly walking towards me. She was in uniform, her helmet tucked into the crook of her elbow as she walked. I saw a wince on her face that she stifled, no doubt the wound I had inflicted on her causing pain in the suit. I turned back to the town and she stopped next to me, her cape billowing slightly in the sea salt air. I could see the expression on her face as she casted her eyes out. She looked troubled and yet determined, straightening her shoulders.
"This will be our new beginning." I stated, looking back out over Angel Grove. "It's ripe for the taking."
"Yes, Lord Drakkon." She replied, her hand resting on the hilt of her bow at her side. I smirked, enjoying that my message had gotten through to her. She was going to be my only ally here until Finster was able to send over some of my army. It was going to take some time, the portal only transporting one person at a time. With the advancement of my powers in this world, I was able to open my own portal of the grid without the use of a power coin. The only issue was that it moved with each person passing through, unable to pinpoint a stable coordinate. Finster had begun sending troops last night, their numbers growing and coming this way. The Dragonzord would do until they arrive. I had locked it's mechanics before leaving before, it being immobile to anyone but me. Not even Tommy Oliver of this world would be able to awaken it.
"I will lead the attack. I will need you to follow my commands at all times. Once we have them weakened, I will need to move in and seize their power coins. With them, it'll be no question of victory." I cracked my knuckles, dropping my hands down to wear my morpher rested. I morphed, the green uniform of the Green Ranger appearing around me.
"Lord Drakkon, I thought Finster had granted you the power to fully morph." She asked, turning to face me. I nodded, adjusting my gloves.
"That he did. It'll all make sense soon. Let's go." I jumped up on the ledge of the building and flipped off, teleporting half way down. I zipped through the air, heading towards the Dragonzord. I saw the pink flash behind me, telling me that Kimberly was following. I landed on the shoulder of the zord, materializing. Kim landed next to me, her helmet now in place. "Follow me. I am going to the park. We are going to destroy as much as possible on our way." I saw her tense up but she didn't object, only nodding.
"Yes, my lord." She said, jumping from the Zord. I watched as she landed on the ground in front of the towering machine. I climbed into the control panel, sealing the latch behind me. The computer came to life when I touched the helm, the arms rising into the air. I maneuvered them down, the metal claws colliding with the ruins of a taller building that was semi still standing in place. It collapsed in a poof of dust, windows shattering as I did.
Moving forward, I steered for a course towards the center of town. My forces had been advised to meet here, an open area that would provide more of an advantage for us. I swung the tail of the zord back and forth as I made a slow pace towards the park. It cleared everything in its path; buildings, cars, trees. People emerged from them, screaming and racing for cover. I didn't hesitate to lift the foot of the Dragonzord and bring it down on a large group of them. I could hear the screams suddenly stop and a wide smile crossed my lips at the thought of them being silenced forever.
Ahead of me, I saw that Kimberly was running right along and keeping up with me. She was darting past the falling debris, shooting airs towards people as they ran in the streets. She was a very nimble and graceful creature to watch, her moves much like that of a crane in flight. She hopped from the top of a building as I brought it down, riding pieces of it down to the street like a surfer on a wave. On the ground, she continued to attack. My lesson had done it's trick it seemed. She was back to the person I had made her. The fighter that was inside of the small girl who was screaming for an escape. PErhaps she would be able to be released from the spell after this was complete. The effects may have run deep enough for her to realize that she was meant for this life with me.
"Sire." Finster's voice said in my ear. "I have an update for you."
"What is it?" I asked, firing missiles. They whistled through the air and collided with the high school. The left wing of the building exploded, cars lined in the parking lot flying through the air from the impact.
"The portal is rejecting your forces." He said, his voice sounding tired in my ear. "I've done what I've been able to do. If we put too much strain on it, we will not be able to return you and the Ranger Slayer back to our world."
"That's troubling." I muttered, growling under my breath. "Is the portal stable now?"
"For the time being. You will need to return soon. After that, we will be able to re-open it and work on building its strength." I shifted the Dragonzord to the right, the park coming into view beyond the buildings in front of me. Frustration got the best of me and I slammed my hand down on the panel. Two more missiles fired from the chest plate, demolishing the three blocks of houses in front of me. It leveled a path that allowed me to advance without much obstruction in its wake.
"Inform me when the portal will need to be closed. I will work quickly and obtain the coins by then."
"Yes, sire. Please do be careful. I will be unable to communicate with you to bring you back to our world if the portal closes before you return."
"Thank you, Finster."
Just like clockwork, I saw streaks of light moving in the sky. The red, yellow, and blue were there but this time, they were joined by black, pink, and I was happy to see green there. They zigzagged through the sky before landing in the grass of the park. The six of them were in their uniforms, ready for battle. Jason was in the middle, Zack on his right with Billy next to him. On his other side, Kimberly stood and then Tommy. Each was in a stance though they were looking around them at the chaos. Civilians were running all around the area, trying to decide where the safest place would be. I pulled the Dragonzord to a stop, freezing the controls with a wave of my hand. SHoving open the hatch, I climbed from the panel to the top of the head.
"Hey!" Jason's deep voice called, pointing up at me. "Who are you?"
"Don't you worry about that, Rangers." I said, holding my hands out. I felt the power glow through me and a green light enveloped me inside of it, lifting me into the air. I hoovered for a moment, my eyes casted down to them. LEaning forward, I slowly floated down to Earth. I landed on my feet in front of the Zord, my hands resting on my belt. "You will know who I am and you will never forget it, I assure you."
"It doesn't matter who you are because we're going to stop you." Zack said, holding his fist up.
"Right. Like I haven't heard that before." I sighed, bringing my hand to my morpher. "Well, then let me introduce myself to you then." I pressed the button and felt the energy surge through my veins as my regular armor appeared on my skin. "I am Lord Drakkon. I am the ruler of worlds, the victory of thousands, and the destroyer of the Power Rangers." I lowered myself, landing on the cracked asphalt at the feet of the Dragonzord. "If you surrender now, I promise to make your deaths quick and painless."
"I know you're not from around here but we don't give up that easily." Jason called out, reminding me of the stupid remarks he used to make to try to build moral or whatever when they were about to face off against opponets. "We won't stop until you're gone."
"Those are the worlds I was hoping for." I said, cracking my knuckles. I needed to get as many power coins as I could. Finster had said they would be vital for gaining control of the grid. Turning, I saw Kimberly standing off to the side. She held her bow in her hand and she stood at the ready, waiting for my command. I pulled Saba from my waist, nodding at her.
Firing off two arrows, Kim made direct contact with the ground in front of the Rangers. It caused the dirt to fly up in the air in several small explosions. I used the distraction to my benefit, rushing forward. I targeted Trini and Billy first, heading for the two weakest links. I knew that Trini was a skilled fighter but she had a soft spot in protecting the nerd who was unable to fight as well. I brought the blade of Saba down as I flew through the air, landing in front of the two. I caught them by surprise, the two of them flying backwards when the blade slashed through their uniforms. Blood smeared from their wounds, coating the steel blade.
"Trini!" Jason called out, running towards us. I used a counter attack, swinging myself and Saba around. He made his sword appear as well, countering with me. When the two met, sparks flew into the air. I kicked off the ground, colliding my knee into the lower part of his helmet that cased his chin. His head shot back, throwing him off balance. I moved to bring the sword down through his torso but was cut off by the blade of the Dragon dagger.
"I don;t fucking think so." Tommy said, the Green Ranger pushing back against me. "If it's me you want, then let's go."
"I thought you'd never ask." I said, smirking behind my helmet. Flipping backwards, I landed on my feet. To my right, I could see Kimberly was going against Zack and the other Kim, the pink and black Rangers going toe to toe with her. She was firing off arrows rapidly, trying to hit one of them. They managed to move out of the way, her form seeming to be slower than usual. She was favoring her back and was doing her best to avoid close contact with the two. I cursed myself for punishing her before battle. It was a stupid move on my part and would hinder her advances.
"Who are you?" Tommy asked, advancing towards me. He charged with the dagger in hand, attempting to land a kick to my midsection. I stepped back, avoiding the hit and landing one of my own in the middle of his back. He grunted, the pain evident from his flinch.
"I'm surprised you haven't figured that out yet, Tommy. I always thought of you as a quick one. Not a bright guy but one who could eventually figure some stuff out." I replied. I saw Jason, Trini, and Billy behind Tommy, drawing their weapons and heading towards us. That would not do. I wanted this to be a one on one fight. Waving my hand, I started the mechanisms of the Dragonzord again. It let out a loud cry, vibrating the air. The projectiles in the hands cranked out, pointing towards the city below. The three turned their attention to it, skidding to a stop. That would keep them busy until I was through.
"I don't believe you." Tommy said. He moved to attack again, trying to drive the dagger into me. I dodged it, tossing him to the ground. He jumped up quickly, getting back into a fighting stance. Reaching up, I removed my helmet. He took a step back, taking in the sight of himself standing in front of him.
"C'mon, Oliver. Is it really all the awful to believe?" I asked, bringing Saba down. I pulled my dagger out as well, crossing my arms for the attack. He managed to reflect them both. I didn't stop, bringing Saba down again. I nicked his arm this time, bright red blood seeping from a wound that appeared between the split pieces of green spandex. He pushed me back, anger in his yell. Above us, the Dragonzord released its first missile. It screamed through the air until it collided with a group of houses. The explosion shook the ground, rocking everything in the area. Civilians screamed, running from the area. Tommy ran towards me, our daggers colliding in loud metal on metal sounds. "Power is worth it. Think about it, Tommy. It can get you everything you ever wanted. Happiness. Control. Kimberly."
"I already have her." He said through gritted teeth as we pushed out daggers together. His knees bent, me having the upper hand. "She could never love someone like you."
"But she does." I said, applying more pressure. "She's devoted to me and only me. There's no one else she would be loyal to."
"That's what you think." He said, breaking the hold. I took the chance to look over my shoulder. Kimberly was no longer fighting Zack and Kimberly. Instead, she was running full speed towards a younger girl who was standing with a woman who seemed to be hurt. Above them, pieces of a building were falling. The girl was trying to drag the woman to safety. Trini and Billy were also running in that direction, calling out that they were on their way. Rage burned in the pit of my stomach as I saw Kimberly charge forward, forgetting her loyalty to me and the lesson that had been carved into her skin literally two hours ago. She would rather save a strange child than help me win this fight. She had turned her back on me, something she had sworn to never do.
Raising my hand, a green glow encased a large piece of concrete from the building. I brought my hand back and the chunk of building hung in the air for a moment. Kimberly ran harder, everyone's attention turned to see what was happening. Jason let out a loud yell, turning to run forward as well. I opened my palm and the heavy object fell from the sky. It seemed to move in slow motion, the girl and the woman unable to scramble to safety. They disappeared under it, the ground shuddering from the impact. Trini screamed, falling to her knees in the grass. Billy fell next to her, wrapping his arms around her. I watched as the Ranger Slayer stopped, her arms falling to her sides. She also fell to her knees, collapsing to the ground. This Earth's Kimberly let out a loud cry, her hands covering her helmeted face.
"You bastard." Tommy said, turning back to me. "They were innocent!" He attempted to tackle me but it failed, resulting in me being able to sweep his legs out from under him.
"No one is innocent. Each person on this Earth has some type of evil in them. Whether it's jealousy, contempt, or just plain bitterness. Everyone wishes something bad on someone once in their life. Or they seek power that others have taken from them. It's what you wanted, wasn't it? After you were freed from Rita's control. You wished to have it all back so you could complete your mission."
"No." He said, shaking his head.
"Liar. I am you, remember? I know all your emotions and your thoughts because I had them as well. I wished for the power to return and grace me with everything I would. And I did. You could too, Tommy. You could join me. I could give you things you never knew you desired. Adventure. Power. Command. Kimberly could come as well. Together, we could lead an army over anyone who tried to stand in our way. I have control of Rita's forces. Goldar. Lord Zedd. They answer to me. I had the urge and I conquered anything that attempted to extinguish it. Imagine the possibilities. Imagine how we could take over the Morphing Grid together."
"I could never be like you. We may be alike but I could never sink to your level. I chose to fight with the Power Rangers because I knew that I wanted to fix what I had done. I knew that choosing to fight with them was the only way to make up for the cruel actions Rita caused me to do. I will never join forces with you."
"Suit yourself, Tommy. I promise to take good care of your friends though. Especially Kimberly." Grabbing Saba with two hands, I raised it up and readied myself to drive it down.
"NO!" I heard a voice cry. I felt someone collide with me. I stuck my arm out, hitting something with my fingers. When I landed, I saw it was the pink ranger. Her helmet landed next to me, it being the object I had hit with my land. I pulled myself to my feet, grabbing the dagger that had fallen from my hand. Turning, I saw that she was getting to her feet too. As she shifted, she turned her head to look at me.
Time froze when my eyes landed on the face of sixteen year old Kimberly. Her skin looked soft, her cheeks tinted red from the battle. Her long caramel hair was running down her back, the highlight shining as the sun hit them. Her large eyes looked at me with determination, the pools of brown gazing at me with such fierceness I was reminded of a hawk. She made her bow appear, pointing it at me. She was everything that the Ranger Slayer wasn't anymore. She was young, energized, and extremely loyal to Tommy. She had lept in front of an attack just to save him, taking on death itself to make sure he was safe. I felt like I had slipped into a memory, a strange warm feeling filling my chest. Standing in front of me was the reason I had chosen Rita's side and what had led me to everything I had today.
"If you want to kill him, you're gonna have to go through me first, asshole." She said, narrowing her eyes at me.
"Have it your way." I said, shrugging my shoulders. I moved quicker than her, sinking the blade of the dagger into her torso. Her eyes widened as she looked at me, surprised at her features.
"KIM!" Tommy screamed, scrambling to his feet. I caught her as she fell forward, her bow disappearing as she held the wound. I pressed the button on the side of my morpher, teleporting,