Copyright: Power Rangers, the name and characters are owned by Saban Entertainment.
***Somewhere on the outskirts of the jungle***
"We are on the right track!" said Jason as he picked up Madison's necklace from the ground.
He, Tommy and Billy continued to chase the ape men through a bare wasteland area of the jungle. The air was thick and there were constant magma eruptions from the ground. It was the perfect home for their simian adversaries.
"Could she really be still alive?" Billy asked.
"I don't know, professor." Jason responded.
"Well if she IS alive..." Tommy interjected. "...we will surely be outnumbered by the beasts!"
"Yeah..." Jason concurred. "Too bad Adam got scared. We could have used an extra gun... Let's move!"
***At the Repulsa village***
"Kimberly?" Tanya had just regained consciousness, only to discover a group of native women decorating her hair and flowers. "My head..."
"You had a nasty bump." Kim comforted her. "Take it easy!"
"Where is Adam and the others?" she murmured.
"They went after Maddie..." Kimberly told her. "The ape men took her."
"I must go and help them! They can all die!"
"Tanya, don't move, you are still weak."
She took a few moments to adapt to her surroundings. "Where are we?"
"The Repulsa village."
Tanya then looked at herself and realized that she had been dressed in an elegant purple dress. "Why am I dressed like this?"
"There is going to be a wedding."
"Who's wedding?" Tanya said, confused.
Kim sighed. "Yours!"
"What!" She began to shout.
"You are going to marry chief Leanbow, by sunset..."
"I won't do it!" Tanya said and got up from her bed.
"I don't think you have a choice."
"I would rather die, than marry that spineless, skewering..."
"Now come on, is that any way to talk about your friend's father?"
"What is wrong with you?"
"One of us needs to remain calm!"
"You are the one who did this to me?"Tanya began to talk in a lower tone. "Didn't you?"
"Me? Don't be absurd!"
"What did you trade me for? Stones? Pearls? Maybe gold?"
"Some has an overactive imagination." Kim replied sarcastically, but then saw that Tanya was not in the mood for such stuff. "We were alone at the tree house and..."
"This is how you bargained your way off the plateau!"
"You were hurt..."
"I was the one thing you COULD trade!"
"Leanbow arrived with his men..."
"Your freedom, for my body!"
"WHAT THE HELL WAS I SUPPOSED TO DO! I mean, when Leanbow arrived with his men, what WAS I supposed to do, all alone?" Kim then took a moment to cool down. "That's what I meant."
"Of course you did." Tanya told her. "Whatever deal you made with him, I suggest you unmake it! Because if I DO marry Leanbow, I am entitled to a wedding present: your head on a pole!"
Kim felt unnerved by her comment. "I didn't knew you were such a hopeless romantic." She then looked at the villagers who were bringing in more flowers and decorations. "I will leave you to get ready."
"Kimberly!" Tanya tried to chase after her, but was stopped by the guards at the entrance.
***The ape men camp***
The team had taken cover behind a large stone, just outside the ape men camp grounds.
"Can you see her?" Billy asked Jason, who was scouting the perimeter with his binoculars.
"Not yet..." Jason responded. He continued to look around, when he heard Madison screaming. She was being carried by several of the creatures. "To the right, next to the fire." He said and handed his binoculars over to Tommy.
He also began to scout the area and saw the ape men carrying her to an stone altar, right next to a dinosaur carcass, it didn't take him long to figure out, what they were going to do with her. "My God!" Tommy gasped, as he saw them putting her on the altar and one of the creatures readying its axe. "She is dinner!"
"I'll give 'em something to eat!" Said Jason and aimed his rifle.
"But they outnumber us ten to one!" Billy stopped him.
"The odds won't get any better!" He responded, as Billy began to look up at the skies. "Say your prayers, professor!"
Billy sighed with a smile. "I think they have already been answered!"
The three looked up and saw Adam coming to their aid with the balloon.
"Adam!" Tommy smiled. "Perfect timing!"
"I take back everything I said about that s.o.b.!" Said Jason and took aim.
The ape men had placed Madison on the altar and one of them was preparing to cut her apart with his axe. At that moment Jason opened fire and shot her executor. Maddie quickly seized the moment and began to run, but the ape men surrounded her. Tommy also opened fire and took down several beasts.
"Cover me!" Jason said and rushed to her aid. The ape men charged at him, but were taken down easily by his M4. "Come on, Maddie! We have a balloon to catch!"
She nodded in response and began to run towards him.
"Guys, hurry!" Said Adam, who began covering them with his pistol from the balloon. "Get on board!"
"Let's go, professor!" Tommy, who had taken down several ape men with his AK, also began to run towards the balloon.
"Tommy, behind you!" Billy screamed as he saw several ape men had flanked him.
Tommy managed to shoot down one of them, but the others managed to knock him to the ground. They were ready to stab him with their daggers, when a single shot managed to knock both of them. The shot came from Billy's shotgun. Realizing what had happened, Tommy gave him a salute as a sign of respect and Billy nodded in response.
"Come on, people!" Jason shouted, as he helped Maddie get up on the balloon. "Do you want to stay here or what?"
"We are coming!" Billy responded.
The ape men took a few moments to regroup and attacked again. Jason aimed at them with his rifle, but quickly realized that its clip was empty. He drew out his pistol and began to shoot with it, while the others were climbing on board.
His pistol had quickly ran out of ammo as well. "Drop the anchors!" Jason shouted and got out his combat knife to cut the ballast bags.
"Behind you!"
Jason turned around, just as one of the ape men managed to get close to him. However he was able used the beast's momentum against it and as it charged it ended up stabbing itself on Jason's knife. Not wanting to stick around for much longer, he jumped on the balloon. As it slowly began to ascend, the ape men began throwing spears at it, but to no avail. The crew was safe. "Home free! I think you dropped this." he told Maddie as he gave her her necklace.
"Thank you!" she replied with a smile.
"Adam is something wrong?" Tommy asked, as he saw the worried expression on his face.
"The hydrogen is running low." Adam said. "I don't think we will be able to stay afloat for long."
"Can it get us to the Repulsa village?"
"Not a chance!" He responded. "I will get us in as close as possible, but it will be nightfall before we make it there..."
To be continued…