DAYS OF THE DUMPSTER, Part 2: HARDSHIPS
Angel Grove
The Juice Bar
It is Saturday. The weekends tend to be the busiest days for Ernie. There were exceptions to this sometimes. Holidays. Construction. Private venues. The list of exceptions wasn't very long, but today Ernie found himself locking the doors, and turning around the OPEN sign as he added one more exception to that list.
Ernie makes his way behind the bar and turns on the TV to watch the news as he closes up the register.
"It is a day like no other in the history of our civilization. What began as a spectacle of lights to the enjoyment of sky watchers all along the West Coast became a time of sorrow. After losing communication with the Explorer 7 shuttle, and being left with one last frightening image from space," the newscaster begins as the visual switches back to that of the fallen camera being picked up by Goldar on the moon just before the visual feed is lost, then back to the newscaster.
"NASADA has yet to address the issue further, and all that we are left with is questions and fear. Violence and other acts of depravity have rocked the nation and the world as fear of an alien invasion spreads like wild fire. Beyond these acts, the world has begun experiencing inexplicable devastation including what can only be described as destruction in a region of mountains as far away from the US as Germany, and as close to home as Angel Grove as a historical monument and an industrial building were demolished by forces as of yet unknown. All we are left with is speculation, all revolving around the grotesque image of a creature never before seen in our history. Today Mayor Carrington will be holding a press conference to address the issue of public safety, where she is expected to shed some light on the going's on as well as the actions that will be taken to help secure our way of life--".
Ernie turns the TV off. He only turned it on to see if he might chance upon good news. He feels let down, and in a way, also feels a kind of irony, as all along he had reservations about the Lunar collision and whatever effects it may have on Earth and even life itself.
Now he wishes he can shut off the fear as easily as the TV. He sets the handfuls of money down and takes a seat up at the bar where he rests his head in his hands, sighs, and hopes the sense of doom will end soon. He hopes for salvation.
Downtown Angel Grove
The dust seems to be settling. Unfortunately, this means that the devastation that has occurred here is only that much more apparent.
Destruction. Utter destruction has taken place in the once peaceful city of Angel Grove. Destruction is all that remains of the Fairweather Metal Products processing plant. Nothing is left but ruins that sit perfectly still. And any person who may have been caught in the destruction would be rendered more than powerless. They would be dead. Suddenly a small explosion occurs amongst a pile of debris.
Smoke jettisons about as a result of the explosion, and from it crawls a figure dressed primarily in blue, including a helmet adorned with 3 horns and two eyes, markedly representing a Triceratops dinosaur. It is Billy Cranston, the blue Mighty Morphin Power Ranger. In his hand he holds a red, white and silver side arm, his tool for escape. He inspects the debris for a sign of his peers.
"Jason!" Billy calls out. He receives no answer, and though he doesn't want to, is taken by the fear that he had used to define his purpose for becoming a Power Ranger in the first place. He doesn't want to lose his friends. He is relieved to find that this may not be the case.
A figure dressed in pink, including a white and pink helmet adorned with a depiction of the head of a Pterodactyl, pushes cement and debris off of her small, well-toned frame. Billy runs over to Kimberly, the pink Mighty Morphin Power Ranger.
"Kimberly, are you all right?" Billy asks.
Kim coughs. "I'm not sure. I've had people not be very nice to me before, but I've never actually had anyone drop a building on me. Some days it totally pays to be a gymnast"
Before Billy can respond, two more small explosions ring out and small puffs of smoke are tossed up. Kim and Billy rush over to investigate as Jason, the Red Ranger, steps out from the first cloud of smoke and Zack, the Black ranger helps up his teammate Trini, the Yellow Ranger.
"I'm unable to define the relief I'm feeling to know you guys are all right"
"We're glad to still be in one piece, too, Billy" Zack responds.
"I didn't know we had it in us to make jumps like that. It saved our lives" Trini remarks.
Billy sighs. "It appears we still have yet to understand the limits of these new powers"
"Billy, please. The last time someone used the word 'limits' they vomited part of a skyscraper on us. I am in desperate need of a shower" Kim says.
"We need to regroup back at the Command Center" Jason says.
"Ok. So how do we get there?" Zack asks.
Angel Grove City Hall.
A podium sits atop the steps to the building. Rows of chairs sit beneath and beside it. They are occupied by a few people from the media and people in suits. There are several different news stations preparing to cover the Press Conference. A man in a dark suit and dark glasses escorts Mayor Carrington to the podium.
"I want to thank all of you for participating today. We are experiencing a time of trials and tribulations and it is important that we come together as a community to face such adversity together, if we are to have a real chance at thriving as such a community," the silver haired woman began.
"I'd like to begin by expressing my deepest regrets for those who have undergone losses as a result of what has transpired recently. However, aside from the looting and property damage it appears we have done well in keeping our loved ones safe and out of harm's way.
"I understand there a lot of answers being sought here, and I want everyone to know that I will being doing everything I can to ensure everyone's security. I will open up the floor to questions in hopes shedding light on some of the questions that beg answers".
Hands rise among the crowd. The Press calls out to the Mayor for a chance to speak. Mayor Carrington points to a male in the audience.
"Mayor Carrington, a climate of panic has overrun your city. There appears to be a focus of supernatural incidence that has occurred in Europe as well as here in Angel Grove. Do you believe we are a target for whatever forces are responsible for these incidents?"
"Thank you for your question, sir. There have been 3 incidences of an as of yet unexplained nature. One in Germany, one here in the US, particularly here in Angel Grove. The third being on the moon. Little is known about the nature of these events, but what seems prevalent at such an earlier point in this matter is that these events seem to be occurring at random.
"At this point no one can be sure, but there does not appear to be a continued interest by any perpetrator in these specific areas. Furthermore, there's no indication that anymore events of this sort will ever occur again. At this point I'm not able to say definitively that we are any kind of target," the Mayor answers.
The crowd again calls out for a chance to ask a question of the Mayor. Just then, feedback screeches out noisily, startling the crowd. The scream of a woman behind the crowd formed by the members of the Press catches everyone's attention.
"Is this thing on?" Baboo asks. The crowd seems to gasp in unison at the sight of the skinny, blue furred, vampire like bat-monkey hybrid who taps the top of a microphone he is holding. The members of the Press scatter away.
"Oh, good it works," Baboo goes on as the Mayor's guard grabs her by the arm. "I have a question, Madam Mayor-lady. Would you like to join me for dinner? I've never dined on a Mayor before".
Mayor Carrington's eyes go wide as several bodyguards rush out and down the steps and take aim with guns at the alien.
"Did I say something wrong?" Baboo asks. Several rounds are fired, but none are from the guns of the bodyguards. Several red energy pulses shoot in from the side, disarming and dropping the guards. The Mayor looks over to see a smoking pistol of an odd design in the hands of a short, bulbous alien.
"Oh boy, I love getting a piece of the action," Squatt quips. One bodyguard rushes up to Mayor Carrington and escorts her back around the building as the other guards charge at Squatt.
"Sorry, guys, but I'm not signing autographs today. Putty Patrol, rock and roll!" Squatt stands still as a squadron of gray creatures with stray strips of black along their bodies rush in from either side of him. They pick up chairs and throw them at the bodyguards, warding them off. The Putties have rock-like hands, some with a hard blunt ball, some brandishing long sword-like protrusions.
"Uh-oh. The Mayor-lady's getting away. Rita will not be pleased," Baboo notes. A guard approaches him but he lashes out with a clawed hand, scratching him across the face. "Didn't your mother ever teach you not to hit a guy with a monocle?"
The guard falls, screaming.
Another guard escorts Mayor Carrington toward the back door of a black limousine. "Don't worry, ma'am. We're getting you out of here" he assures her as he opens the door. He peers into the to see if the coast is clear. It isn't.
"Is this your idea of riding in style?" Rita asks as she sits in the back of the limo.
"Who the heck are you?!" the guard reaches into his coat for a gun but doesn't have the chance to actually grab it. Rita points her wand toward him as he uses his free hand to push the Mayor aside.
"Is that a weapon in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?" Rita discharges a blast of energy that seers into the chest of the guard, throwing him backwards into the air. He crashes against a stone pillar and is knocked out cold as Rita climbs out of the limo. Mayor Carrington slowly backs away as Rita approaches her.
"Who are you? What do you want with me?" asks the Mayor.
"Aww, can it, Toots!" Rita demands.
"What part of 'back off' didn't you understand?" comes Jason's voice. Rita and the mayor turn to see the 5 multi-colored heroes standing at the ready.
"This is Rita in the flesh, huh? You don't look so tough," Zack tells the witch.
"No one invited you to this shindig" Rita retorts. "You better not make a mess of things"
"Honey, you made a mess of things when you put on that cone bra, okay? Madonna didn't look cute, what makes you think you can pull it off?" Kim asks.
"Great! I'm getting fashion tips from Gidget in spandex!" Rita crows.
"If you touch the Mayor, you're going to spend the rest of your short life regretting it," Jason warns.
"I'm not going to break a sweat spanking you cantankerous kids. I'm upper class. Thankfully, I brought along a qualified babysitter!" Rita points behind the Rangers and they respond by striking a fight stance. Just then, a fire erupts behind them and manifests into the hulking Goldar. The Rangers turn to find themselves facing the evil alien.
"It's the creature from the news," Billy notes.
"His name is Goldar, you Power Brats. And that sword he's carrying can do more than slice bread," The Ranger's turn back to Rita who grabs the frightened Mayor by the shirt. "Let's hit the road, Honey".
"You're not going anywhere, witch!" Trini cries out. She and the Rangers charge toward Rita who releases another blast from her wand that strikes the Yellow Ranger backward into the air, emitting a shower of sparks upon impact. Yellow Ranger lands and the other Rangers regroup around her to help her up.
"Time for me make a fashionable exit! Come on, Honey! Let's go girl talk!" Rita cackles maniacally as she disappears with Mayor Carrington.
"No!" Red Ranger cries out.
"Yes!" Goldar roars.
The Rangers turn to the gold alien as he lunges for them. The alien lifts his sword and brings it down toward the Pink Ranger who somersaults out of the way. Red Ranger throws a front kick into Goldar's stomach. He is hardly fazed as he swings back with his sword, slashing Red Ranger horizontally across the chest, releasing a shower of sparks as the blade cuts across his protective suit.
"Jason!" Zack cries out. He springs toward Goldar who lunges forward, thrusting his sword straight at the Black Ranger. Zack flips over Goldar and lands behind him as Kimberly kicks Goldar's sword up, but not out of his hand.
Trini follows with a side-kick that lands square in Goldar's chest, as Kim slams her foot down on the back of Goldar's knee. The combined attack deters Goldar's balance and he stumbles backward. Zack takes the opportunity to drop-kick Goldar in the back, staggering him forward.
Goldar uses the momentum to charge toward Kim and Trini, slashing Trini across the chest with his sword, while using his other hand to rake his gilded claws across Kim's chest. The two girls fall in a shower of sparks. Billy is caught off guard by the excitement and is petrified, never before having engaged in a physical battle.
Zack and Jason jump up to Goldar's back and lock up his arms. Goldar struggles momentarily, and then mightily throws his arms forward, simultaneously throwing Zack and Jason forward into the air where they collide together and land near Kim and Trini who rush to their aid.
Goldar brings a hand over his eyes, and then uses it to point at the four rangers as he discharges fiery optic pulses that strike the 4 Rangers, emitting a burst of sparks as they are thrown backward off of their feet. Kim and Zack are sent rolling across the ground as Trini lands on the trunk of the limo and Jason crashes against a window on the side of the vehicle, shattering the glass.
Goldar turns his head and sees the Blue Ranger standing, petrified, behind him. Goldar growls again as he turns to face Billy's direction. He approaches him slowly, eventually finding himself face-to-face with the frightened Ranger. He stands so close to the trembling Ranger that his breath fogs up the outside of the black visor on the Blue Ranger's helmet.
"You!" Goldar growls. "You exemplify everything the Ranger's will ever accomplish by fighting against us. Nothing"
Billy feels as though he should respond but doesn't know how. The other 4 Rangers get to their feet and jog toward Goldar.
"Keep filming!" comes a female's voice. Goldar and the Rangers turn to see a female newscaster climb up the steps on the side of the building and stumble upon the Rangers standing near Goldar.
"We'll have to finish this game another time, Power Rangers! " Goldar growls and teleports away.
"Let's get out of here," Zack advises. "Now that we have a clue how," the 5 Rangers place both hands at either side of their morpher's and are enveloped in light of their respective colors that streak upward at a high rate of speed.
"My goodness. Did you manage at least to catch that light show, Frank?" the reporter asks.
"Got it, Stacy," Frank replies.
"Mr. Anderson is going to have a field day with this," Stacy notes.
Angel Grove.
The Bulkmeier Residence.
Bulk and Skull sit in Bulk's garage playing a video game in which they are teamed together fending off alien enemies.
"You sure this is gonna teach us everything we need to know to survive the invasion, Bulky?" Skull asks.
"I don't see why not. Video games are like the best teachers in the world," Bulk answers.
"Bulky, we've been playing for 6 hours. Can we take a break?"
"What? Fine. Let's take a break" Bulk throws down his control and turns the game off. The news is already in progress on TV.
"Sure we wanna watch this, Bulk?" Skull asks.
"Gotta know what we're up against," Bulk reasons. Skull nods in agreement.
"…new footage showing the alien at the Press Conference held at Noon at City Hall. Aside from more controversial footage of the alien, what is depicted is what looks like some type of color coded militant cohorts of the alien. They are known as the Power Rangers. Not much activity from the beings was witnessed but as we see here, the 6 so-called Ranger's seem to disappear together in a display of light, perhaps somewhat analogous to that of the meteor show which seemed to bring with it the threat of the alien invasion. Whoever these new color-coded entities are, it appears that they participated in the chaos that resulted at the Press Conference.
"Eye witnesses last saw the Mayor fleeing from the attacks, but nothing else is known. As of yet, it appears that the Mayor has been taken, and another frightening event of an unknown nature has been perpetrated against the city of Angel Grove--" Skull turns off the TV.
"I don't want to see anymore. Now we gotta worry about more aliens? Did you see the helmets? What was that about?" Skull asks.
"Power Rangers? You know, I read once about a group of head-hunter's that belonged to some kind of cult that worshipped aliens from another planet," Bulk recalls.
"Bulky, no. I can't live without my head," Skull whimpers.
"Ahh, you wouldn't be missing much anyway," Bulk replies.
The Juice bar.
Ernie turns his TV off.
"Every time I turn this thing on its more bad news. Now we have killer alien to worry about. Oh, man. What's happening in the world?" Ernie wonders.
Rita's Moon palace
Finster's Workshop
"How's it coming along, Finster?" Rita asks her mutt-like mutant alien henchman.
"Oh, it's coming along. I've already been in communication with several others who are willing to help. They shall arrive sometime soon. In the meantime, I thought it best not to let the last of my clay supply collect space dust and have begun crafting several quite nefarious creatures I believe will be to your liking," Finster explains.
"You better be right about that, Finster," Rita warns. Goldar enters.
"Ahh, Goldar, did you escort our guest to her quarter's?" Rita asks her lackey.
"Yes, Empress. I have deposited Mayor Carrington in the Dark Dimension. Even Zordon and his tin can shouldn't be able to find her there," Goldar answers.
"Good. Everything seems to be going according to plan" Rita replies to Goldar as she and him make their way to the balcony. Rita uses her wand to create a display screen depicting Mayor Carrington standing in the smoky Dark Dimension, looking frightened and lost. "Poor thing. She looks scared. I love that!"
The Dark Dimension
Mayor Carrington looks around at her surroundings. Ornate walls with lit sconces fence her in. Gold bars reach across the openings in the walls, barring her in. She approaches the gold bars which are attached to point into a central ornament, a demon face whose mouth is lit with fire. She touches a gold bar and receives an electrical jolt that throws her to the ground. She aches and tries to get to her feet when she bumps into Astronaut #1 & 2 from the Explorer 7.
"Oh dear," she says at the sight of the bound and gagged astronauts. She begins to free them. "Are you men all right?" she asks.
"Oh, god. Thank you," Astronaut #1 gasps, as sweat beads along his forehead.
"We've got to find a way out of this place," Astronaut #2 adds.
"Yes, but how?" the Mayor asks.
"There's got to be a way out," Astronaut #1 says. The three humans look survey their surroundings but see no way out.
The Command Center.
The 5 teens stand in a line before Zordon. They are in their civilian outfits.
"I apologize, guys. I was unable to assist in the battle. I failed," Billy confesses.
"No, Billy. We're a team. We failed. This time. It doesn't mean it'll happen again," Trini reassures.
"We weren't able to stop Rita, Zordon," Jason says.
"Maybe we really weren't cut out for this" Kim wonders aloud.
Billy lowers his head in shame. He is struck with brief flashes taking him back to their first battle with Goldar in which he found himself able to do little more than nothing.
"Rangers. You have done remarkably well for your first battle" Zordon reassures. "It will take growth and studies to be able fulfill these duties. Please remember that this was your first mission, and first encounter with evil beings, especially of the caliber of Rita and her crew. We do not have time for regret. We must plan a means to retrieve Mayor Carrington, for her abduction threatens to intensify the climate of fear on your world".
"Can we track her or Rita using this technology?" Trini asks.
"Ay Yi Yi. I'm afraid not," Alpha answers.
"We lost track of the two immediately upon their teleportation away from Earth. However, this does leave us with a suggestion as to their current location," Zordon elaborated.
"Rita's Moon palace?" Kim asks.
"No. Mayor Carrington would have little chance of survival on the Moon. If Rita's intentions were to kill the Mayor, she would have done so on Earth and taken joy in the grief it would cause. Instead, I believe the Mayor has been taken to Rita's Dark Dimension," Zordon explains.
"Dark Dimension? You mean like Philly?" Zack asks.
"The Dark Dimension is a place existing outside of our space and time. We have always had trouble in analyzing it because we have been unable to discover a means to track it. This is what our task is now," Zordon adds.
"That doesn't sound very reassuring. If you couldn't pull it off for however many years, who's to say we can manage to now?" Kim asks.
"Well, they were at a disadvantage. They didn't have Billy-boy handy to help them. There's a reason we call him the 'Main-Brain'," Zack says as he places a reassuring hand on Billy's shoulder.
Billy sighs. "The battle with Goldar has proved that I'm of little use to the Power Rangers and the entire world".
"Don't say that Billy. You're important. To us and the rest of the world," Jason says.
"Here, Billy. This is a spectral analysis of some of the energies used by Rita in her magic. Perhaps you can use it to come up with something," Alpha wonders.
"Perhaps" Billy looks over the report. "Wait. There isn't a lot here to work with, but the most prevalent display of energy would suggest that these trace energy signatures here could represent the power she uses to teleport. If we can manage to amplify these residual energy signatures, we could use an infusion of tachyon's to decode the molecular pattern, and use the teleporter's annular confinement beam to re-encode the amplified energy and piggy back on the flood of tachyon's to reach through to the Dark Dimension".
"Morphinomenal, Billy!" Kim exclaims.
"Great job, Billy" Alpha adds.
"Yes, Billy. Your contributions are both significant and commendable. I would like for you to assist us here with the implementation of your plan," Zordon requests.
"Zordon, I would be honored to assist you" Billy answers.
"Is there anything we can d--?" Trini is cut off mid-sentence by the Command Center's alarms.
"Two guesses what that means" Zack comments as he and the others move up to the Viewing Globe. Everyone is shocked at what they see.
"No way. I don't believe my eyes" Kim says.
They watch as the door to the rooftop of a building splinter as a security guard is thrown thru it. Out of the hole where the door once was, marches 5 figures, each dressed in a colored uniform almost identical to those possessed by the 5 teens. The only things missing are the morpher's on the belts, and a gun like the one's holstered by the real Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.
"Who are they, Zordon?" Jason asks.
"Undoubtedly a product of Rita's magic" Zordon answers.
"Man, they really wasted that poor guy" Zack observes. They watch as their doubles drag the security guard to the edge of the rooftop.
"Enough is enough. We've got to get out there" Jason tells his team. "I'm thinking we'll stand a better chance here with 5-on-5".
"Jason is correct. Billy, you will join your team on the field. Alpha and I will work on your plan," Zordon instructs.
"Are you sure, Zordon? Logic dictates I would prove to be more useful here at the Command Center," Billy reasons.
"The success rate of the Power Rangers is largely dependent on your functioning as a team. Go now, all of you, and May the Power protect you," Zordon says.
"It's Morphin Time!" Jason shouts. The Rangers reach behind them for the morpher's clipped to the back of their belts.
"Mastodon"
"Pterodactyl"
"Triceratops"
"Saber-Tooth Tiger"
"Tyrannosaurus"
Downtown Angel Grove.
Five colored streaks of light deposit the Power Ranger's onto the rooftop, behind their morphed-less doubles who threaten to toss the battered security guard over the edge. Stacy the reporter and her cameraman Frank pull up in a van and get out of the vehicle to start filming the sight of the morphed-less Ranger's dangling the man over the edge of the building.
"Hold it right there!" Jason demands.
The doubles turn their heads to see the power Rangers standing behind them.
"Well, lookee who's here" the evil duplicate Black Ranger remarks.
"Yeah, lookee who's here. Well, you just said that" Evil Pink says.
"Don't make a stupid move" Jason warns.
"You mean like this?!" Evil Red throws the security guard clear over the edge of the building and he and his team laugh madly with anticipation of the landing.
"They're killing people!" Frank cries.
"The world's seen enough tragedy. We got what we needed. Let's get out of here before we're next" Stacy and Frank load into their van and screech away as the security guard plummets down the side of the tall skyscraper.
"Now Alpha!" Jason cries out. The falling security guard erupts into white light and is whisked away to safety.
"What?!" duplicate Red shouts with fury.
"We won't allow you to continue terrorizing Earth," Jason says.
"And the same goes for Rita," Kim adds.
"And just how do you intend to stop us?" duplicate Blue wonders.
"These might be a good start" Jason answers as he unsheathes his Blade Blaster and pops the blade up. The Evil Rangers charge toward the Power Ranger's as the rest of the team follows Jason's lead and unsheathes their Blade Blaster's as well. The two teams slam against each other like two walls.
Jason stabs forward with his Blade Blaster toward Evil Red. Evil Red swings an outer crescent kick that pushes the blade aside long enough to allow him to throw his other foot into Jason's stomach. He follows the kick with a punch to Jason's faceplate. He tries to punch Jason again but Jason blocks the strike, and then spins into a tornado kick that meets Evil Red's helmet, stunning him momentarily as Jason brings his Blade Blaster down diagonally across his torso. The cut throws off a shower of sparks.
Zack and his duplicate circle each other as, in the background, Kim moves forward swinging her Blade Blaster at her duplicate that evades her by moving backwards in a layout of gymnastics consisting of back-handsprings, back flips, and whip-backs.
"What's the matter, Zack? You look like you've seen a ghost. You and I are two sides of the same coin. Everything about us is the same. The fight capacity. The strength!" duplicates Black taunts.
"Yeah, that might be true. But you're uglier" Zack replies.
Evil Black lunges forward with a jump kick that Zack side steps. Immediately he rushes forward, dragging his Blade Blaster horizontally across Evil Black's stomach, and quickly turns to throw a kick into his back, flipping him forward onto it. Zack swings his Blade Blaster down at his duplicate who stops him by grasping his forearms.
The two struggles and the duplicate ends it by throwing a kick up into Zack's trapezius, forcing him away. Evil Black uses his swinging legs to go into a display of Thomas' flares. Spinning on his hands, Evil Black swings his legs around in a series of powerful kicks, disarming Zack and kicking him in the body and helmet, flooring him.
Kim throws a loose jump kick that Evil Pink side steps. "Come on! You can do better than that, can't you? Or am I just too quick for you?"
"Sweetie, don't confuse being fast and easy with being quick and agile" Kim replies. She swings forward horizontally at her duplicate whose back-handspring brings her out of the way of the Blade Blaster.
"This is pathetic! Is that the best you got? You're not even a match for me. I haven't broken a nail, let alone a sweat. You're making the both of us look bad. I gotta tell you, I'm not very comfortable with this," Evil Pink antagonizes. She rushes forward with a punch toward Kimberly's head.
"Oh, well, please, allow me to help with that," Kim grabs the punch and uses the duplicate's momentum to perform a hip toss that throws her onto her back. "There. You look a lot more comfortable on your back anyway".
"I'm not that easy!" Evil Pink reaches up and grabs Kim by the arm and flips her onto her back. Evil Pink kips up to her feet behind Kim who performs a neck kip to bring herself to her feet. Evil Pink rushes at Kim's back but Kim immediately goes into a back flip and drop-kicks Evil Pink, sending her flying backward into the air.
"Amazing. Who knew trash could be so aerodynamic?" Kim wonders aloud. Suddenly Kim is thrown forward by a kick to the back. She rolls forward and gets onto one knee. She looks up to see duplicate Yellow approach her.
"She might have been easily knocked onto her back, but you should have been busy watching yours," duplicate Yellow continues to approach the fallen Kim.
Trini flips thru the air and lands a double punch to the back of her duplicate's helmet, sending her rolling forward. "That's sound advice. Maybe you should try it sometime".
Duplicate Yellow looks to Trini and then Kim to see she's outmatched.
"Flame Blaster, up!" Trini cries as she whips around her Blade Blaster into Flame Blaster-mode. "Fire!" She triggers a blast of red lasers that zip toward her duplicate who jumps up into a full twist that carries her over the blasts that, instead, strike Kim to the ground in a shower of sparks.
"Kim! No!" Trini cries. She whips the blaster around into its neutral form, holsters it and jumps up into the air to meet her foe. The two Yellow Ranger's sail toward each other and reach forward with a series of punches and kung-fu chops that are all blocked. As they come down they manage to slam a kick into each other. They both land on their upper-backs and immediately kip up to their feet, then somersault past each other.
Evil Blue raises his hands up as he shakes his head. "What's the matter, Billy? You wondering if I share the same fears, the same hesitancies as you? You're about to find out!" Evil Blue charges forward at Billy who wards him away with a swing of his Blade Blaster. Evil Blue lunges forward again, slaps Billy's blade aside and grabs him by the shoulders. He brings Billy down into his knee, and then jump kicks him to the ground.
Billy rolls backward across the rooftop. He stops and looks up to see duplicate Blue approaching. Billy looks behind him to see an odd man watching them from the busted rooftop entrance. "Who is that?"
Billy turns back to see duplicate Blue rush forward at him. He swings a kick at the fallen Billy, who manages to somersault out of the way, and then goes into a sweep that knocks the feet out from under duplicate Blue, taking him onto his back. He immediately kips up and jump kicks Billy in the chest, knocking him backward. Billy lands on his back as his teammates regroup around him and help him up.
"These guys have our fighting abilities," Zack shares with his team.
"Yeah, and they're tricky, too," Kim adds.
"Why, thank you," duplicate Pink replies.
"Not you. You're just a trick," Kim retorts.
"Enough! If you can't work with us, you'll fall before us!" Evil Red shouts.
"If you're really under the impression that you possess the ability to defeat us, you have yet to prove it," Billy counters.
"Then we'll take the opportunity to do so now!" duplicate Blue shouts back. The two teams move toward each other again but are thrown backwards by a fiery eruption occurring between them. The fire manifests into Goldar.
"Goldar," Jason states.
"Stop this!" Goldar demands.
"Not a chance! When I'm done with him, he won't be wearing red, he'll be dripping it!" duplicate Red shouts.
The two teams charge forward again. Goldar growls. He stabs his sword into the rooftop and shakes his claws in front of his face. He thrusts his hands to each side, and discharges electrical energy from his claws that rip into both teams with a shower of sparks that throw them all down. The Power Rangers land up against the edge of the building.
"This stops now! I won't allow a misunderstanding to spoil Rita's rule!" Goldar insists.
"You're the only one Rita rules, Tin Grin" Jason retorts.
"Red Ranger, you are a fool. You lead a team of fools. Have you been so blinded by those dark visors that you can't see what's in front of you?" Goldar asks.
"Goldar, you're so ugly, I'm over here wishing these visors were to dark to see thru," Kim quips. Zack laughs.
Goldar growls with annoyance. "You would believe the air was made of candy if a person with a large enough head and a robot servant told you so".
"What are you talking about?" Jason asks.
"You oppose Rita at the whim of Zordon. He tells you of the atrocities that have occurred at her command. Did he tell you they shared the responsibility of making those commands?" Goldar asks. The Rangers look amongst each other for answers.
"Zordon and Rita-Emperor Zordon and Empress Rita, heralded as the rulers of the United Alliance of Evil. Evil from across the universe held onus to them. It was not until the good wizard Lord Zedd intervened that any being managed to break the two apart and seal them away.
"Before their downfall, Rita and Zordon each owned a team of Power Rangers that served as their own personal fighting force. Those powers are evil, maintained by a force of evil referred to as the Morphin Grid. That evil poisons you, as it has from the moment you first engaged them".
"You're crazy. Why should we believe what you say, Goldar?" Zack asks.
"Because deep down you feel the poison taking you over. The violence, the bloodlust. The desire to fight. It consumes your minds and bodies, until eventually you realize what you have known all along.
"Deception. Hatred. Anger. As long as you wield the Power, you progress toward becoming what it is you were tricked into thinking you were fighting against. The UAE. Exactly what they are trying to re-establish".
"Is that what these feeling are? The desire to engage in this conflict? Are we victims of Zordon's deception?" Billy wonders aloud.
"No. Billy, if that were true you wouldn't have been as frightened as you were to fight Goldar before" Trini tries to reason. "If for some reason Rita and Zordon were trying to reclaim the Power they once had so long ago, why bother resurrecting the Power Rangers? Why give the Power to people they know wouldn't accept the UAE? Have Alpha or Zordon given us any indication they were trying to trick us. Because Goldar has".
Jason ponders the question. He recalls their initial conversation with Zordon and Alpha 5.
"Oh, gee. I do not mean to displease you, but within this Viewing Globe, Zordon and I monitor Earth as we have done for thousands of years. You humans have been a focal point for our observations" Alpha explains.
Jason shakes his head. Zack is deep in thought too. He was always skeptical of the matter. He recalls the events of accepting the Power.
"I am truly pleased. With the Mighty Morphin powers, many things are possible. However, to be allowed to wield them you 5 must accept and uphold 3 very important rules. 1) Never escalate a battle unless forced to do so. 2) Never use your powers for personal gain. 3) You must never reveal your identity as the Power Rangers. Do you Zachary, Kimberly, William, Trini, Jason, accept these terms?" asks Zordon.
"I don't know guys" Zack worries aloud. "The 1st rule seemed a little weird to me. 'Never escalate a battle unless forced to do so'. So, basically, always allow Rita to get the upper hand before we do anything about it? And never use it for personal gain? If we were really chosen for our great attitudes, we wouldn't have to be warned to act in any way that could threaten him, unless he was afraid we would"
Goldar turns to the duplicate Rangers. "Your services aren't needed here. Go away, or I'll cook you alive you and eat you that way".
The duplicate Rangers look amongst themselves, then teleport away.
"What will it be Rangers? Keep the powers and slowly let them eat away at you until you're standing behind me, or cut to the chase and join me now?" Goldar asks.
"Shut up. I've heard enough," Jason walks up to Goldar. They stare each other down creating a tension so thick it threatened to crush them. Then, Jason steps beside Goldar and faces the Rangers.
"Jason, don't do it! You're our leader. You're one of us," Kim begs.
"No. I'm one of them and so are you, so just stop fooling yourselves. Look around you. This place has fallen to this conflict ever since the meteor shower. You want to lay before those with that power, or stand beside them? Personally, I prefer the latter," Jason says.
The other 4 Ranger's are in utter disbelief. Together the 5 of them have been exposed to some of the most intense and frightening of situations as of late. They had been scared together, confused together. With Jason serving as an example, they have been strong together. How could things have turned around like this? How could the nightmare have become this much worse? How could they stand it? How could they stand as anything other than a team?
TO BE CONTINUEDS