Billy and I morphed into our uniforms once I joined him in the hangar. He had all the Zords linked to the Command Center, allowing Alpha to control them while we manned ours. It felt funny being back in the pterodactyl after my accident the other night. I didn't let it bother me as I brought her to life, hovering in the hanger while I waited for Billy's signal he was ready. The blue metal triceratops bolted out of the hanger and I followed, the remaining Zords thundering behind me. I had always thought we were quite a sight when we drove our Zords out into the open. The city of Angel Grove was probably used to this by now but anyone who wasn't from here would think it was odd to see giant robots speeding through the sand and heat that separated the Command Center from civilization.
"Kim, our coordinates are approaching." Billy's voice said in my ear piece.
"Just tell me when, Billy." I replied, pressing a few buttons on the console in front of me. In the distance, I could see the faint outline of Angel Grove, the setting sun making it look like a golden city rather than just a bustling town. Billy pulled to a stop, the other Zords joining him. They all formed a line, standing shoulder to shoulder with each other. Billy was in the middle, the yellow saber tooth tiger and the black steel mastodon on his left and the red tyrannosaurs rex on his right. I hovered to the right of the T-Rex, watching the horizon for any signs of Aisha, Rocky and Zack.
"Do you see anything?" I asked, sitting back in my seat.
"Negative." Billy answered, sounding disappointed. "According to their bio-scans, they are approaching the area."
"Where though? I don't see anything." Off in the distance on the left, I saw dust rising into the air. Leaning forward, I squinted to see what it was. I could finally make out the outline of Jason's red truck. Behind it, there was a large armored vehicle following them. Something was also flying in the air above the vehicles. As they grew closer, I could see Zack on the back of the truck. Aisha was sitting in the passenger seat and Rocky was driving like he stole it, speeding as fast as he could towards us. The armored vehicle was a large van type thing, gold and silver steel wrapped around the outside of it. The size of it almost matched that of the mastodon and it seemed to move with ease. I couldn't see inside of it but could tell it wasn't a friendly person behind the wheel. My eyes drifted above the cars to see what was flying above them. I let out a gasp when I realized what or rather who it was. It now made sense what Tommy was trying to tell me back on the Seventh Floor.
"Billy, it's Goldar!" I exclaimed, grimacing at the sight. He was the same ugly and gruesome looking gorilla creature I remembered. His facial features were that of a wolf mixed with an ape, his black hair grayer now. His was dressed in thick gold-plated armor and a matching sword was clutched in his hand as his massive wings flapped towards us.
"Kim, what did you say?" Jason's voice said. Him, Trini and Alpha were listening to our communications at the Command Center.
"Goldar is flying straight towards us." I said, flipping on the switch for the radar that was still connected to my zord. Jason swore under his breath.
"I thought that ugly son of a bitch was dead!" He said.
"Affirmative. He should have been deceased when Zordon's energy was released. It appears his life was reinstituted with everything else when Zordon returned." Billy's voice chimed in.
"Guys! We have some news!" Zack's voice yelled into the communicator. You could hear the rumbling of the engines behind him as he spoke.
"Is it ugly and flying above your head?" I asked.
"Yeah. He sprung out when we were at the hotel. Thought he was dead!"
"We all did." Jason replied, the communicators crackling. Rocky pulled Jason's truck to a stop next to the Zords, the three of them hopping out once it was stopped. They climbed into the mechanic animals, powering them up. Alpha dropped his control on them when they were inside. The large armored vehicle pulled a stop about thirty yards away from us. Goldar stopped as well, landing on top of the large contraption.
"Rangers! You might as well give up now. There is no way you can defeat Empress Rosita and her army." Goldar called, his voice booming out in a way that made my skin crawl.
"Great. She has an army?" Rocky asked through the radios.
"Not that we're aware of. We know she has putties though. It seems they are the same ones her parents used. They must have been in supply after the two were purified." Trini spoke.
"We aren't afraid of you, Goldar. We just want what's best for planet Earth. Give up now and we will see to it you end up in a nice zoo." Rocky called out through the speakers on his T-Rex zord. I heard Jason sigh on his and Trini's end. I knew he would rather be out here fighting rather than at the Command Center. His retorts were always funnier than Rocky's as well.
"Nonsense! The only ones surrendering will be you, Power Rangers!" Goldar replied. He bowed his head, moving to the side as a piece of steel rose from the vehicle he stood on. I realized it was a door opening as a person climbed out of the armored truck. They were dressed in gold plated armor, tightly wrapped around their body. Long black braided hair ran behind their back and on their face was half of a mask, resembling that of Lord Zedd. Rosita smiled up at the Zords, a tall and skinny staff in her hands.
"Is that her?" Aisha asked.
"Affirmative." Billy replied. "She possess Rita's staff as well."
"Perfect." I muttered. I glanced around, looking for any sign of Tommy. Another person emerged from the door behind Rosita. I grimaced when I saw them. It wasn't a person. More like a gross giant. I needed to blink a few times to make sure it wasn't Zedd himself. The ugly figure was a dark purple color, his skin rippling under steel armor that resembled that of a metal exoskeleton. The steel travelled up his body to a visor that wrapped all around his head. Where eyes should have been was red glass, reflecting the sun above all of us.
"Who is that guy?" Aisha asked.
"No idea. He popped up at the hotel as well." Rocky replied. "They called him Strasser I'm thinking."
"He looks like Zedd on a bad day." Zack said.
"Power Rangers, I would like to introduce myself. My name is Rosita, daughter of Lord Zita and Empress Rita. You shall call me Empress Rosita as I take claim of the throne left behind by my royal parents." Rosita called, surprising me with how loud her voice was. I could barely believe she was the same woman from the hotel who was pouring me wine just days before this. "Please let me introduce you to my faithful right hand servant, Count Strasser. He is leading my army against you in this fight. This will be your one and only chance to step down before me. After today, your deaths will be your only surrender."
"Well, she's as dramatic as Zedd and Rita." I said, holding the pterodactyl steady in the air.
"What's our next move?" Zack asked.
"Form the Megazord and show her we aren't playing around." Jason responded.
"We need Megazord power now!" We all exclaimed, shifting our Zords. The five of them instantly began to change. Billy and Aisha's Zords folding, forming into legs. Zack's mastodon split in half, forming the arms and the beginning of the chest plate. Each locked into place around Rocky's Zord, forming the shape of the Megazord. The pterodactyl moved, tilting back as the wings folded in. My chair slid backwards as we attached, stopping in the main control room of the Megazord. Rocky was sitting in the middle, looking out the window at our enemies below. Billy was at his right, manning the right arm. Aisha sat behind the two of them, her duty to run the weapons on that side of the Megazord. On Rocky's left was Zack. He controlled the left side of the Zord. My seat locked into place behind them, placing me in front of the controls for the left side of weapons. They were controls I hadn't used in a long time, but it was all coming back to me as I locked in.
"Suit yourself, rangers." Rosita called, turning to Goldar. She raised her staff and pointed at him. His wings spread, and he flew into the air, his body beginning to grow at an accelerated speed. He grew and grew until he stood the same height as at Megazord, his gold armor shining in the sunlight. He was even uglier now as I could make out his features. Age had not done him well. His hair was greying around his face and his red beady eyes seemed to sag slightly. Goldar pulled his long sword from his belt and ran forward, charging us.
"Power Sword!" Rocky called. Above us, the Power Sword materialized in the sky. Zack raised the arm of the Zord and caught it, everyone bringing the Megazord into a defensive stance. Goldar swung his sword, attempting to bring it down right across the chest of the giant mech. Zack deflected it, the swords colliding in a shower of sparks and a loud thundering sound. Pushing forward, we knocked Goldar back a few steps and swung the Power Sword. He blocked the attack, punching the chest plate with his other hand. The Zord stumbled a few yards backwards until Zack and Billy were able to stabilize it.
"Rangers, you think after all this time you can still fight me?" Goldar asked, swinging his sword again. It connected this time, scrapping against the left arm. There was a terrible crunch sound as it sliced through some of the protective steel of the mastodon. Zack groaned.
"I just waxed her!" He exclaimed. "Goldar, your ass is mine." Pulling the sword back, Zack ran forward and swiped the Power Sword with a quick jab. It hit Goldar in his lower midriff, a painful cry coming from him as he tried to move out of the way. Blood squirted from the small wound, tinting the Power Sword red. Rocky and Billy took the advantage to shove Goldar. He fell back, landing on his behind. His sword clattered loudly to the ground, making the Earth shake for miles. The talons on his feet dug into the ground as he pulled himself back to his feet.
"Pathetic." He called out, spitting blood from his mouth. He let out an enraged holler before running for us again. Aisha shifted next to me, pulling down the levers for the missiles. They shot from the right side of the Megazord, striking Goldar in the chest. He didn't stop though, his charge still coming.
"Shit! Brace for impact!" Rocky cried. Zack raised the sword while he locked his leg in place. Billy did the same, holding the other arm up to steady us for the hit. Reaching out, I grabbed onto the walls, waiting for him to crash into us. I could hear the sound of the metal hit metal before the impact came. The entire Megazord was sent flying backwards, the five of us bouncing around the cockpit like pinballs. Goldar held on to us as the Zords fell backwards. Jumping on top of the mech, he brought down the hilt to his sword. It splintered the glass in the cockpit, alarms echoing around us.
"Hold on!" Billy said, moving his controls. I watched as his side of the body moved, rolling us and Goldar to the left. It shook Goldar off of us.
"I got this." I said, slamming my hand on the red button by my left knee. Power boosters lit up from behind the left arms, giving it more power as Zack swung. It connected to Goldar's chin, sending him rolling back a few more times from the force of the punch. Zack and Billy pulled us back to standing, Goldar still laying on the ground. He slowly moved, trying to pull himself up. He buckled back to his knees though, bracing himself on his sword. His chest heaved up and down as he tried to catch his breath.
"Goldar, I believe it's time to let them play with their friend." Rosita said, raising her staff. Goldar shrank quickly, two putties running over to assist him. Next to Rosita, a green light blurred, and Tommy appeared.
"Tommy!" I called, shoving my head between Rocky and Zack. He stood next to Rosita, dressed in dark green robes that travelled down to his feet. He cracked his knuckles before kneeling before her. My stomach flopped when I saw it.
"My Green Ranger, take care of your little friends."
"If it will please you, my majesty." Tommy replied, standing. He glared up at us, a creepy smirk on his face. Reaching behind him, he pulled out his morpher. "Dragonzord!" With a flash of green light, he morphed into his green uniform. In his right hand, he held the Dragon Dagger.
"Here it comes." Zack said, glancing at me. I couldn't see his face through his helmet, but I knew what he was trying to say. Tommy brought the dagger to his helmet and began playing the familiar tune. It blasted loudly throughout the desert canyon as the ground trembled under us.
"He's calling the Dragonzord. We need to have all systems prepared and weapons online." Billy said, pushing all the buttons on the panel in front of him. We followed his role, turning everything on and drawing power from every source on board. In the distance, I could faintly make out the outline of something coming in our direction. I didn't need to see it to know what it was.
"His most dangerous attack is the tail. He also has missiles in his chest plate. We need to avoid those." Zack said, leaning forward in his chair. The Dragonzord thundered passed Angel Grove, taking large foot steps towards us. As it neared, it's footsteps grew louder. Sweat formed on my brow as the green, black and silver steel machine stopped next to Tommy who jumped into the air. He landed on the head of the Dragonzord before disappearing inside.
"Zack, Billy and Kim, I think you three should take the lead on this one. You have experience fighting that thing." Rocky said, nodding towards Zack.
"Right." Zack replied. He took a deep breath before grabbing ahold of his controls. "Aim everything we have towards the middle of the Zord. It's where the power source is. We take that out, it becomes inoperable, right Billy?"
"Affirmative." Billy responded, grabbing his controls. Aisha pushed the correct sequence of buttons on her side to reload the missiles and to prep them for battle again. Biting my lip, I did the same hoping it wouldn't come to this. The thought of shooting any kind of explosives at Tommy turned my stomach.
"I'm going to try talking to Tommy first." Rocky said. "If we can reason with him, we might avoid this all together." He reached up and turned on the speaker system that amplified his voice as he spoke into the microphone in front of him. "Tommy, we don't need to do this. You're better than that. Come on. It's us."
"The time for talk is over, Rangers. I'm going to destroy you all like I should have the first time. Starting with you, Red Ranger." The Dragonzord pointed at us as Tommy spoke. "The rest of you will shortly follow."
"It's no use. We're going to have to fight." Zack said. "Everyone get ready." There was a collective feeling of dread as we all gripped our controllers. Zack and Billy brought the Megazord forward as Rocky balanced it with his controls. The Dragonzord moved as well, making a beeline towards us. Zack raised the Power Sword, prepared to make a powerful swing. As he brought the sword down, the Dragonzord disappeared in thin air.
"What the hell?!" Rocky exclaimed, frantically looking around. "Where did he go? Can anyone see him?"
"Negative." Billy responding, checking the radar in front of him.
"This happened back on the Seventh Floor." I said. "Tommy just disappeared and then reappeared. Like it was some magic trick." The words no sooner left my mouth when a hit from behind sent the Megazord flying forward. Billy and Zack had little time to stop it, barely getting the arms out to catch us mid-fall. The sound of scrapping steel shot through me, causing me to grimace from the noise. I shifted in my chair, pulling the seat belt tighter around my waist. Something told me that it wasn't going to help much though.
"Push us back up!" Rocky bellowed, pulling hard on his controls. Slowly, the Megazord pushed back using its hydraulic system. It was on it's knees now, Rocky, Billy and Zack trying their best to bring it back to standing. The Dragonzord appeared in front of us, just feet away. Aisha let out a gasp of shock at it's sudden appearance. It was so close to us that we could look into the cockpit of the dragon shaped robotic fighting machine. Inside, I could see Tommy sitting at his control panel. Even though he had his helmet on, I knew he would have an evil smile on his face like he used to when he would attack us in high school.
"He's going to use the missiles!" Aisha cried, pointing at Tommy. We watched as he slammed his fist on a button in front of him. The sound of explosions filled the air as the five explosives in the chest of the Dragonzord launched forward. As they left the chest piece, the Dragonzord and Tommy vanished again.
"Brace yourselves!" Rocky yelled, grabbing on to the support beam above his head. Closing my eyes, I braced myself against the walls next to me. A sudden jerk of the Megazord sent everyone flying back into their seats. There were more exploding sounds as the missiles struck. The sound was almost deafening, the sound of steel breaking and bending as it disintegrated under the force of the weapons. The cockpit began to scream with warning sirens. Opening my eyes, I saw the danger censors were flashing red.
"All controls are down. We're losing power. The mid-section of the Megazord is gone." Billy said, looking at the computer next to him. "We need to evacuate immediately."
"Right." Rocky undid his seat belt and stood, turning his chair towards the back of the cockpit. I did the same, preparing to jump. Aisha let out a terrified scream, causing us all to look up. On the outside of the glass, Tommy was perched there. In his hand, he held his arm out reached and the Dragon dagger was clutched in his fingers. Pointing it right at Rocky, he pressed a button on the side of it. A beam of green light shot out of, crashing through the shatter proof glass. The beam struck Rocky in the right side of his body. He let out a loud cry of pain, collapsing to the ground.
"NO!" Aisha screamed, the air vibrating with a high-pitched volume as she did. Everyone covered their ears, Tommy included as her scream echoed through the air.
"Come on!" Zack said, scooping Rocky up with Billy's help. He opened the back of the Megazord and jumped out, teleporting half way to the ground. Aisha followed behind them quickly. Standing, I shifted towards the doorway. Looking back, I saw Tommy was still standing there just looking in my direction.
"Your time will come, Pink Ranger." He said before teleporting away.