Son of War
Disclaimer: Anything you can google is not mine.
A/N: Yea, it's been a while. Sorry. You know how it is with school.
Chapter 6 – Cat and Capture
It wasn't until that night when they were eating dinner in his kitchen did Tommy notice that Lori was wearing a cast (she got rid of the sling when she got her powers). At once he demanded the story and Nick gave him an explanation, getting Lori off the hook. If the Earth wasn't on the verge of the destruction, Lori could've sworn Tommy would've grounded her, even though he hasn't officially adopted her yet…in fact he hasn't even talked to her personally about it. He only mentioned it to Justin. Even though she would trust Justin with her life, Lori wasn't really sure how reliable his word could be in this situation.
Tommy told the teens (and preteen, in Lori's case) to resume their normal lives until they get the call. The five Mystics joined Justin, the Reefside students, and the ninjas at Cyberspace while the older, adult Rangers did whatever they did in secret. Lori tried not to think about what Tommy and the others were doing, but she couldn't. She kept spacing out when her friends were talking to her. Her head was drifting.
"Lori…Yo Lori!"
"Huh?" Lori asked, shaken. "What'd you say?"
"What is up with you?" Nick asked. "You've been acting all weird lately."
"Nothing, I'm fine," Lori said.
"Right, and Conner's Albert Einstein," Ethan said sarcastically.
"Hey!" Conner replied.
"Lori's just wondering what the others are up to," Justin told the others.
"You just have to know everything, don't you?" Lori retorted, a little annoyed, but also in a friendly sort of way.
"Hey, is it my fault I know you so well?"
"Uh, yeah!"
"Come on Lori, relax," Connor said. "If they need us, they'll call."
"I know," Lori sighed. "I just don't like to wait around."
"Then don't, let's do something," Hunter suggested.
"What did you have in mind?" Xander asked in his Australian accent.
Blake grinned widely, clapping his big brother on the shoulder. "There's nothing better than getting down and dirty!"
"You sure you want to do this?" Lori asked jokingly, finishing securing her pads. "I don't want to embarrass you too much in front of them."
"Lori, you may be able to beat Dustin on the 125, but you're riding with the big boys now," Hunter said. He and the other ninjas knew that even in a cast, Lori was good enough for the race to be fair. It took some time to convince the others though.
Lori laughed as Dustin smacked Hunter on the arm with a "Hey!"
"No one's bigger than you, huh?" she said to the Crimson Ranger.
"You guys sure you don't want to join us?" Blake asked the other Rangers standing at the sidelines.
"What about you, Nick?" Vida asked. "You ride."
"I ride motorcycles, no dirt bikes," Nick replied.
"What's the difference?" Kira asked.
"Yeah," Madison agreed. "They're both just bikes, right?"
Hunter, Blake, and Dustin stared at them in disbelief.
"You're kidding, right?" Dustin said as the other racers strapped on their helmet and brought down their tinted visors.
CyberCam had driven the Mobile Command Center up to Reefside from Blue Bay Harbor, bringing with him the dirt bikes from Storm Chargers (the extreme sports shop Hunter, Blake, and Dustin work at) as well as the Ninja Rangers' own Tsunami Cycles while Lori went home to get her own bike stored in Tommy's garage. Now Dustin and Lori were riding their own 125s while the Bradley brothers were on their 250s. CyberCam wanted to join the race too, but Cam sent him back to Ninja Ops. Cam was also the flagman.
"Racers ready?" he asked from his spot at the sidelines. He was answered by several revs of the engines. "Go!" Cam shouted, waving the checkered flag.
Four bikes shot forward. They were like blurs, each bike a different color: yellow, navy, crimson, and silver, corresponding with the rider's Ranger colors. The others were cheering on the sidelines (except Cam, who had to remain unbiased), although they weren't really cheering for one person in particular, they were just screaming and shouting and jumping and waving.
The race was short, just two laps around the one-mile-long local race track. Lori didn't even know there was a track in Reefside, but apparently, that was the reason Blake came here in the first place. He was here for a race and met Kira at Cyberspace when she thought he looked familiar. However, they were both surprised when they found out they were both Power Rangers.
Lori was right, she did beat her older friends in the race, but not by as much as she expected, and she didn't exactly embarrass them…not that much. She managed to surpass Hunter and Dustin, but Blake was a pro now, better than he was before when they were just playing, messing around back in Blue Bay Harbor. Also, his bike was bigger than hers, though his had always been. Neither her friends, nor Kelly (the owner of Storm Chargers) thought Lori was ready for a 250, however good she was. But Lori was also lighter than Blake, a lot lighter, and was able to fly higher and farther on that last jump, enabling her to win…by a centimeter.
"Ye-ah!" Lori cheered, punching the air with both fists as her bike came to a slow after passing the start/finish line.
"Whoo!" applauded the others, hopping over the fence to meet her.
The racers took off their helmets, shaking their heads from the heat and gasping for breath.
"Told you I would win," Lori said to her competitors.
"Not by as much as you thought," Blake replied, walking over and tapping a gloved fist to hers.
"Are you blushing, Blake?" Tori teased at his flushed face.
"No, it's hot," he retorted, throwing her a look. "You should know, Ms. Freestyle No-Hand Landing."
"It wasn't that bad, I just took a little spill."
"The fender was facing backwards," Dustin reminded her.
"Shut up! How is it your business?" Tori said, turning to him.
"It was my bike!" Dustin replied.
"That was a long time ago."
"Right," Blake nodded sarcastically.
"Shut up!" Tori shoved him playfully on the shoulder and Blake laughed. "You can't surf, let's put it at that."
Everyone laughed at that one.
"Hey, it's not embarrassing when you lose a good race," Hunter pointed out.
"That's right," Dustin agreed.
"Dude, you came in last," Shane teased.
"I could beat you," Dustin replied.
The ninjas laughed openly, but the others tried to hold it in. Lori noticed that the teams still felt more comfortable with their own. They only teased their teammates and they tried not to laugh at the other Rangers. It made Lori feel a little weird, since all these people were her friends. She was close to all of them, had great memories and relationship with all of them, and she didn't want her friends to be strangers with…well, her friends. And if they were going to fight together as one team, then they have to work together, and trust each other like they were all one team, not three (or four, including the Space Rangers) separate ones that gathered to work together on one big project.
"Uh, guys…" Trent said, interrupting the chattering and breaking Lori's train of thought.
"What? What is it?" Lori asked.
"What's that?" he asked, pointing. Both his voice and his hand seemed to be a little shaken. All the Rangers turned to look. Lori had to stand on her bike to see over some of them.
In front of them was a huge cat. Lori guessed it was a lion, it had a mane. But then, it also had stripes. The most surprising thing however, was that the animal's basecoat was white! Pure white, like snow (with fading tiger stripes). Never had Lori seen such a creature before. It was also the biggest feline Lori had ever seen.
"Cool!" Chip exclaimed.
"You know what that is?" Ethan asked.
"I thought you'd know, Ethan," Connor replied, his eyes (as well as everybody else's) still on the beast.
"Shut up, man."
"Chip?" Lori said, ignoring the bickering duo.
"That's a liger," Chip answered in disbelief.
"A liger?" Cam murmured.
"It's a lion-tiger hybrid," Dustin told him.
"I know what it is," the samurai retorted. "I didn't know you could use the word hybrid though."
"I'm not stupid," Dustin replied.
"Just injudicious," Cam said.
"What does that mean?" Dustin asked, scratching his head.
"Is it just me being sensitive," Trent asked, "or is that thing white?"
Lori felt a little better. At least she wasn't the only one seeing the cat's strange fur color.
"You're right," Chip said. "That's weird. Ligers are usually the sandy color of their fathers."
"White or not, what is a liger doing here?" Lori asked.
"Maybe it's lost? Nick guessed.
Everyone tensed when the hybrid took a step forward. They grabbed the person closest to them. A whimper escaped some of them.
"Maybe it's hungry," Hunter corrected.
"You're a hunter, you should know," Chip said.
"Your name is Chip, doesn't mean you are one," Hunter replied, a little harsher than he had intended, but everyone was a bit preoccupied with the advancing liger to notice.
Lori suppressed a sigh of frustration. She shook her head and jumped off her bike, pushing past the others to get up front.
"Whoa, Lori, what are you doing?!" Maddie asked.
"I'm gonna check it out," Lori answered simply, without looking back.
"Are you crazy? That thing can swallow you whole!" Vida exclaimed.
"Someone's got to do it. And if you guys don't want to…" Slowly, Lori inched forward towards the liger, which had now stopped, looking at the gang, his—Lori looked to make sure—body heaving with each pant.
"Hey boy…" Lori breathed. The beast didn't move as Lori continued to advance, her right arm outstretched. Panting herself, Lori placed her hand on the head of the animal. Her small hand almost disappeared in the liger's thick mane. She felt him flinch slightly under her touch, but then he settled and seemed to enjoy it. Lori heard a purr turn in his throat; the vibration trembling his body enough for her to feel it. She swallowed nervously, but was also strangely hit by a wave of serenity.
The others sighed in relief when they realized that Lori wasn't going to be harmed, at least not by the liger. Cautiously, they took a step forward. As soon as they did, however, the liger advanced as well, moving past Lori and growling at the others, baring his large fangs. At once the other Rangers froze in their steps, but the liger didn't cease until they backed away, then he turned around, pleased with himself, and placed his head back under Lori's hand.
"Okay," Shane said. "Now that was weird."
"What do you think a liger is doing here, at a racetrack, in the middle of the city?" Lori asked, looking back at her friends.
"Maybe it escaped from the zoo?" Kira guessed.
"Is there a zoo here, in Reefside?" asked Blake, "with a liger?"
"How am I supposed to know," Ethan said, "I don't go to the zoo."
"I didn't even know there was a zoo," Connor added.
"Hey don't look at me," Trent said. "I just moved here."
"Several months ago," Lori pointed out.
"Whatever, I barely know this city."
"I'm gonna go look for one," Lori said, "a zoo. And if I can't find one, I'll take him to Animal Control. Someone must know what to do with him. Come on," she added quietly to the liger, beckoning him to follow.
"You sure you want to go alone?" Nick asked worriedly.
Lori shrugged. "I don't think he likes you guys," she said with a slight hint of amusement as the liger snarled at the others when they walked past them. Nick chuckled nervously as the teens watched the little girl walk away with the big cat.
"Finally, she's alone," growled Psycho Red. "Doesn't that girl go anywhere without a posse?"
"She's with that cat," Psycho Blue pointed out.
"We can deal with the cat," Psycho Red replied.
"That's a big cat."
"We can deal with the cat," Psycho Red repeated through clenched teeth (if they even had teeth).
"But we can't with a bunch of kids?" Psycho Yellow said.
"Those so-called kids are the Power Rangers!"
"And we're the Psycho Rangers," said Psycho Pink, "reduced to stalking a baby and waiting for her to be alone before we can nab her."
"That baby has more power than the five of us combined!"
"Then why are we afraid of those Power Brats, when this one has so much more power?" Psycho Black questioned.
"Look, I am the leader, and you will do as I say. Now go get her!" Psycho Red hissed.
With resentment, Psycho Blue led his team out from where they were hiding behind some bushes. They snuck up on the little girl with their super speed. However, when they got close enough to grab her, the cat's ears twitched and spun around. Three Psychos (Black, Yellow, and Pink) pounced on it while at the same time, Psycho Blue jumped on the girl. Immediately, Psycho Red drove them all into the ground, with their captives struggling frivolously in the Psychos iron grips. All this was done in less than 30 seconds and without a single peep.
"Uhhh!"
Lori grunted when the Psychos tossed her on the ground, her hands tied behind her back. The white liger was thrown down beside her, wearing a collar that electrocuted him if he tried anything—which happened several times on their way to…here.
Lori didn't know where she was, or where they were going. All she knew was that she had been ambushed by the Psycho Rangers and brought to wherever they are now. But when she started to feel hot and sweaty, she knew exactly where they were.
"I must say I have to thank you guys," she said as the Psychos prodded her to walk faster, ignoring the fierce snapping from the large feline next to her.
"Why's that?" Psycho Blue couldn't help from asking.
"Well, you've brought me—or you're at least bringing me—to Maligore. It saves me the trouble in tracking him down."
"Ha!" Psycho Blue laughed. "You won't be so thankful when you find out what Maligore has in store for you."
"And you won't be laughing when you see me kick his butt," Lori shot back.
"Y--"
"Shut up!" Psycho Red cried, giving Lori an extra shove, "The both of you!"
Psycho Blue threw his leader a dark look, though you couldn't really tell because of his helmet. Lori bit her lip to suppress a smile. This was good. The more they disagreed with each other, the less in sync they're gonna be, and the easier it'll get to get rid of them.
The Psychos brought their captives to the center of the volcano. The huge stone doors (that stood at least ten feet tall) opened on its own, slowly. Lori and the liger were pushed through to the room on the other side. She was actually kind of surprise to find a dock that allowed them to walk up to the floating throne where Maligore was sitting. Lori almost flinched at the sight of him…almost.
"Finally!" the monster roared. "You disappoint me, Psycho Rangers."
"Sorry, sire," Psycho Red said. Something was a little off, Lori suddenly realized. Psycho Red, from how Andros described him, was the vicious, impatient, evil leader of the Psycho Rangers. Yet this one here, was…well, not exactly vicious. Actually, come to think of it, he was kind of a wuss. The way he acted and spoke was not at all what Lori had expected from the one who disobeyed Astronema because she wouldn't let him destroy Andros soon enough. But before she got any further, she was forced down, kicked behind the knees, making her collapse.
"Bow down to Maligore, the Great Flame of Destruction!" Psycho Red commanded.
"Great Flame of my ass!" Lori replied, spitting in disgust. If Tommy had heard that, she would've been so busted.
The remarked earned Lori a violent kick. "Shut up!"
"Release her!" Maligore commanded, brandishing a claw.
"But sire--" Psycho Red protested.
"Do you think I cannot handle the child?"
"No. Immediately, sir," Psycho Red nodded. He threw Psycho Black a look and he obediently bent down to untie Lori. The liger growled and hissed fiercely. Lori gave him a look to quiet him when Psycho Yellow prepared to kick the animal.
"Shhh!" Lori whispered. The liger whimpered and dropped his head in shame. Lori looked back up at Maligore, getting up to her feet as the thick ropes that bound her dropped to the hot cement floor.
"Now, we are even," the monster said, rising to his feet as well. "Mallory is a part of me, treating her with disrespect is treating me with disrespect."
"Yes sir!" the Psychos saluted.
Maligore waved a claw and the Psychos backed to the stone door, but did not retreat out of it. Lori knew that they still posed a treat and factored them in as her red eyes darted around the room, her sharp mind quickly calculating for a way to escape.
"Well Mallory," Maligore said, motioning at the volcanic room. "Welcome home."
Lori smirked. "Thanks…Dad," she said sarcastically.
"You're welcome."
Lori mentally bit her lip. She didn't know how long this polite façade was going to go, but she knew she was running out of patience for the monster. Even now as she looked at his hideous face she wanted to destroy him right then and there, but she knew that as long as the Psychos were present, she wouldn't be able to overpower Maligore. As if reading her mind the liger beside her fidgeted.
Lori's worries were no longer needed because Maligore also grew tired of acting polite. "Now," he grumbled. "Once I combine us back together, I will have enough power to crush that little monkey and his Golden Key!" Maligore's face was full of hate when he said that last part, clenching his claw. Lori doubted he was talking to her anymore. Then the monster looked up at her. "How do you want to do this, the easy way or the hard way?"
"I'd prefer no way, but…" Lori shrugged.
"You know wise alecks never go very far."
"Neither do lava freaks."
"That's enough. You're my heart so you obviously have no brains."
"Said the big lump of coal."
Maligore released such a ferocious roar that Lori had to admit she was a little intimidated. Even the huge liger next to her seemed scared. The ground began shaking. At first Lori thought it was from Maligore's anger, but then realized it was something must worse.
"The volcano!" she heard the Psychos exclaimed.
It was erupting!
I know nothing about motocross, so point out any mistakes you see. Otherwise, thanks for hanging tight. Review!