Author's notes – Thanks for reading everybody :). Welcome to the halfway point! Back in Powerless, I teased that eventually, Teresa and Peter would figure out their mutual attraction and grow closer (an observation lampshaded by Aaron, when he points out that it's about time the White and Orange Rangers figured out what everybody else had known for years). Which puts Scott in the situation of watching his sister and his best friend fall for each other. And writing Scott in this story allowed me to find that Scott actually has quite a sense of humour about the whole thing. Anyway, enjoy chapter 4! Feedback welcomed :).
Chapter Four
Outside the cave entrance, Scott paced back and forth in the clearing while Peter sat on a nearby boulder, glancing from his watch to the shadowy tunnel and back again.
"I can't believe Bill's gonna propose to Trini," Peter said. "I always figured they would, but still. It's so romantic."
"I'm more worried that we have to keep it a secret," Scott said.
"I know! We're like the worst secret-keepers on the whole team," Peter added.
"Speak for yourself, Mr I can't go two days without showing somebody my face."
"Hey!" Peter replied indignantly. "It's not always my fault, you know, sometimes." He paused, deflating. "No, that's fair."
"Still, it'll be nice to go to a wedding that doesn't turn into a wild brawl."
"It's not your fault you have a big family," Peter said.
"I do love a good wedding," Scott said, then visibly brightened. "Speaking of which, when are you gonna marry my sister?"
Peter's eyes went wide and he almost toppled backwards off the boulder. "Dude!" he shot back. "We haven't even, I mean, we're only just…dude!"
"I'm sorry," Scott laughed. "I love it when your voice gets all high and squeaky like that. Still, I'm serious. And none of this prioritising your best man crap. I'm equal billing with Jason! I know, but I've known you longer. If he gets the ring, I get the buck's party. That's how it's gonna be."
"Wow," Peter said. "You haven't thought about that at all, have you?"
"I'm just saying."
"I'll book you and Dustin in at the reception," Peter said.
Scott grinned, about to reply when their communicators beeped. Peter immediately stood up and crossed towards the Green Ranger. "Zordon," Peter said, raising his wrist. "We're here. Trini and Bill are still underground, but there's no sign of trouble."
"Unfortunately, trouble has found us," Zordon began. "A Machine Empire monster just touched down in the centre of the city with a squadron of cogs, not two minutes ago."
"We'll teleport back to Caloundra right away," Scott said.
"No," Zordon replied. "They're in Brisbane."
Peter glanced to Scott. "That's closer to us, at least, but why?"
"Brisbane has a population of two million people," Scott said. "Is anyone hurt?"
"So far there's only been minor injuries and some mild property damage," Zordon said. "The city is enacting its evacuation procedures as we speak. The centre of Brisbane should be locked down in a matter of minutes."
"And the target?" Peter asked.
"There doesn't seem to be one," Zordon said. "We're watching the squadron now, but we can't identify a pattern. They're just attacking randomly."
"That is weird," Scott said. "The Machine Empire always has a specific target."
"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Peter asked.
"That they're trying to lure us out?" Scott asked. "Hell yeah I am."
"Alpha and I suspect that as well," Zordon said. "What's your next course of action?"
"See what they want and spring the trap," Peter replied, and high-fived Scott.
"Good thinking," Zordon replied. "Alpha and I will keep an eye on Billy and Trini. I don't like splitting you up, but you're needed in the city. This can't wait."
Peter turned to Scott. "You ready?" he asked.
"Let's do this!" Scott said, and held out his arms.
"You got it," Peter said. "It's morphin' time!"
"Zeo Ranger nine, green!"
"Zeo Ranger ten, orange!"
And morphing in two bright flashes of light, they teleported away.
Brisbane's city centre quickly evacuated as the Machine Empire monster and the army of cogs rampaged down Queen Street, leaving a trail of fiery destruction in their wake as crowds of screaming citizens fled before them. With an orange and silver body, a red jackhammer weapon on one arm and a shiny silver miner's helmet, the robotic beast smashed a shopfront to ruin before firing the lamp on its helmet for an abandoned car by the side of the road, reducing the vehicle to scrap.
Further along the street, a young family stepped out of a department store and gazed around in bafflement at the destruction around them, when they saw the monster and screamed. With no clear path to safety, the young mother pulled her two sons close. The monster let out a metallic roar and thundered towards them, just as twin blurs of orange and green shot past the family. Materialising on the street, the two Rangers slammed their fists into the monster and launched the robot back.
Scott turned to the family. "Get to safety!" he shouted. "Go!"
The younger of the two boys peeked past his mother's legs. "Thank you!" he squeaked, and they raced away.
Scott looked back to Peter as the monster recovered. "What's the deal?" the Green Ranger asked.
"Digster, from the looks of it," Peter replied.
"I thought we scrapped this guy last year?" Scott asked.
"Maybe they're giving us the Machine Empire's greatest hits?" Peter suggested. "This one seems even friendlier than the last version."
"Then let's junk this one too," Scott said.
Across the street, Digster stomped his metallic boot with rage. "Cogs!" he roared. "Get them!"
Scott summoned his Power Staff with a thought, while Peter called his Zeo Power Sword to him in a second. Raising their weapons, the two Rangers charged towards the crowd of opponents.
One of the cogs swung its staff as he approached, but Peter leaped over the move, carving forward with his sword and sending two of the soldiers crashing in a blaze of sparks. He spun to the side, blocked a lunge from the first cog and smashed his fist into the cog's face, before a spinning back kick launched two more off their feet. Dropping to the ground, he traded blows with another two of the soldiers, blocking a blow from the left, striking away the cog on his right before slicing his sword through the first cog and instantly destroying it. A few metres away, Scott held his ground defiantly as the robotic soldiers closed in around him. An adversary suddenly swung high with its staff, but Scott batted the weapon away before striking the cog back, spinning his Power Staff around to destroy two more before sweeping a fourth cog's legs out from under it and pinning it to the ground. Two more attacked from either side, and he ducked instinctively as their batons flashed past his helmet, catching one with a glancing blow from his staff before kicking the second into the side of a building.
Free of opponents, the two Rangers turned back to Digster as the monster advanced, and raised their weapons ready for battle.
The monster's head-lamp fired, forcing the Rangers to leap to safety. Peter recovered and charged back towards the monster, swinging his sword high. With the clanking of well-oiled gears, Digster ducked the blow, blocking Peter's sword with its jackhammer weapon and striking him away. Even as Peter fell, Scott raced forward, spinning his staff above his head. He struck away Digster's jackhammer and rammed the end of the staff into the monster's face. Digster staggered back in a blaze of sparks, but turned to face the Green Ranger with his head-lamp glowing. The street lit up, forcing Scott back. Regrouping, the two Rangers leaped towards the monster with side-by-side high kicks. Digster spun between the moves, catching Scott while he was off-balance and throwing him to the ground. Peter carved his sword for the monster's stomach, but Digster blocked the blow and slashed his jackhammer across Peter's chest, sending the Orange Ranger crashing.
The two Rangers warily kept their distance as the monster closed in.
"I'm really missing our team-mates right about now," Peter said.
Without warning, the ground began violently shaking beneath their feet. Peter and Scott looked around wildly as glass windows shattered and the damaged buildings along the street started to collapse. They turned to Digster and the remaining cogs, but the metal soldiers were in just as much disarray, gazing at the street in confusion as the tremor grew more and more violent with each passing second.
"What did Digster do?" Scott shouted.
"It's not them!" Peter replied. "Look! They're just as surprised as we are! This isn't them!"
"If they're not doing this then who is?" Scott asked.
Their communicators beeped, and Zordon's voice crackled through. "Rangers, watch out!" their mentor said. "This attack isn't the Machine Empire! It's the…!"
Whatever Zordon was about to say was drowned out by a deafening roar as half the street collapsed into a dark chasm that opened before them, throwing up a billowing cloud of smoke and debris. But even as the dust cleared, the ground continued shaking, far more rhythmically than before. From long experience, the Rangers instantly recognised it as the sound of an army marching as one. With Digster and the cogs still behind them, the Rangers could only watch in disbelief as an army of trolls and ogres emerged into the sunshine, marching up out of the tunnel and onto the city street. Dozens of sneering, rocky faces stared at them, with smaller goblins carrying the Troll King's banner on either side of the troops.
"For revenge against the surface scum!" one of the goblins screeched.
Peter raised his communicator. "Uh, Zordon?" he began. "Any sign of Bill and Trini? I think we're gonna need them."
Stowing our torches into our packs, Trini and I stepped out of the tunnel and back into the grassy clearing on the side of Mount Mitchell, taking a few seconds to enjoy the warm sunshine on our arms and legs.
"That's the thing about the sun," Trini said. "You don't really think about it until you're a kilometre underground."
I nodded and raised my communicator. "Zordon, are you there?"
"It's good to hear from you," Zordon replied. "And not a second too soon. I assume you and Trini made it safely back to the surface?"
"Affirmative," I replied. "There was no invasion force at the other end of the tunnel. We're working with the theory that trespassers from the Machine Empire tunnelled into the Troll King's personal treasure chamber and stole a valuable artefact. But we still don't know what it might've been."
Trini glanced around the clearing. "Where are Peter and Scott?" she asked.
"I sent them into Brisbane," Zordon replied. "The situation is more dire than you think. Not only is the city under siege by an army of cogs led by Digster…"
"Digster!" Trini exclaimed. "We should've guessed."
"…but a second army of trolls and ogres has just marched up from the underworld into the city centre," Zordon finished.
I blinked. "This seems to have gone from bad to extremely bad in a short amount of time," I said.
"We'll morph and meet Peter and Scott in the city," Trini said. "Tell the boys we're on our way."
"Just one thing before we go," I said. "Alpha?"
"Yes Billy?" Alpha replied.
"We need to figure out what's going on today," I said quickly. "I doubt very much the Machine Empire has encountered the Troll King before, but they went to a lot of trouble to steal something very specific from a heavily-protected vault. I need you to run a quick search for any unusual events relating to the underworld in the last week or so. If we can determine what Gasket stole, we can figure out what his ultimate goal is."
"Right away!" Alpha said.
Trini turned to me. "Okay Billy, let's go. It's morphin' time!"
"Zeo Ranger two, yellow!"
"Zeo Ranger three, blue!"
And in two bright flashes of light, we teleported away.
To be continued.
