Elsa growled in frustration. The Rangers had dispatched the third monster she'd sent down to Reefside. Do they think monsters grow on trees?
Elsa pondered her options. Up until now she'd held the Tyranodrones in reserve. While they served for general search and destroy or snatch and grab missions, they were not effective fighting the Rangers for long periods. For one thing, there seemed to be some scrambled circuits in their restructured DNA that didn't allow them to work as a cohesive unit – they always seemed to fight the Rangers one at a time instead of grouping together to overpower them. It was only under the direction of Zeltrax or Elsa that the Tyranodrones were able to sustain group unity.
But Elsa couldn't take time away from the lab to direct the drones, and Zeltrax wasn't able to function without direct orders from Mesogog. Elsa was not about to disturb the Master with a plea for him to send Zeltrax out with a pack of drones to distract the Rangers. It was her assignment to distract the Rangers, and she would not fail.
Elsa stalked around the lab, tapping her nails on the shelves, looking for inspiration. It wasn't simply a matter of throwing a monster together; there was subtlety involved. But subtlety involved time, and time was lacking. Keep the Rangers busy. So busy they cannot mount a rescue.
Elsa paused in her circuit in front of a glowing blue beaker. She looked at it speculatively. It wasn't so much what was in the beaker, but that it reminded her of another beaker that Mesogog held in his lab. Maybe I've been going about this all wrong. I don't need to defeat the Rangers…just wear them down. She pulled the blue beaker from the shelf. The Master did say to use all the resources at hand. That would include any special resources he's kept in reserve.
Elsa chucked to herself as a plan began to form. It was so utterly simple! They had all been focused for so long on building a bigger and better monster that they never beheld the solution that had been under their noses the whole time.
Elsa placed the blue beaker firmly back on the shelf. She spun on her heel and strode out of her lab toward Mesogog's. "You there!" she snapped at a Tyranodrone, "gather the others, at least fifty, and meet me in the laboratory. Do it NOW!"
The Tyranodrone skittered off as Elsa continued on her way. Maybe Fealdor can suck the energy out of one ex-Ranger, but I will have the distinction of defeating the Dino Rangers once and for all! With that triumphant thought, Elsa hurried on her way.
Elsa's momentum didn't last long. It was as if thinking of Fealdor conjured him up. Suddenly there he was standing before her, all hunched shoulders and reptilian features. Of all of Mesogog's minions, Elsa liked Fealdor the least. He was too quiet and she believed he was always out to undermine her. Well, not this time!
"Get out of my way, toad! I have business to attend to." She snapped.
But Fealdor would not be deterred. Ever since he stepped up to drain the former Ranger, he'd evidenced more of a backbone than he'd ever shown before. It was irritating and a little inconvenient.
"This will just take a moment, Elsa." He replied, refusing to rise to her bait. "And, it might be something you enjoy…" he added slyly. As he held out a cylindrical container and removed the lid, the object inside caught her eye. Almost against her will Elsa's mouth began to quirk in an evil grin. She eyed Fealdor speculatively.
"Who's that for?" she asked.
"Come with me and I will explain." Fealdor cajoled.
Elsa's curiosity got the better of her impatience. She even let Fealdor drone on a while without interrupting. He was sputtering something about the boy refusing to eat, and if he didn't sleep through the night he might not be at full strength the following morning. So, he planned to drug the boy into a good night's sleep. But, he didn't have the dexterity in his hands to handle a needle successfully, especially if the boy struggled. That was why he needed Elsa's help.
Elsa didn't care a whit about his plans – she just wanted to see the look on Tommy's face when, yet again, the former Yellow Ranger was subjected to the will of Mesogog and Tommy could do nothing to stop it. Elsa felt her good mood returning.
Once they arrived at the door of the prisoners' new cell, Fealdor handed over the needle to Elsa. The two Tyranodrones who had been standing guard were given orders to enter the room first and subdue Dr. Oliver. Fealdor would demand that Dustin submit to the injection or risk mortal injury to the Black Ranger. Fealdor had no doubt that the boy's self-sacrificing nature and inability to risk the life of his friend would make the episode relatively quick and easy.
Fealdor needn't have worried. There was no reaction from the prisoners when the Tyranodrones entered the room. In a brief but intense moment of panic, Fealdor thought the Rangers had escaped. Then, as he visually scanned the room, he realized that they were seated on the floor and appeared to be meditating.
Elsa was disappointed with the underwhelming response to their entrance – she'd been prepared with a pun about giving Dustin her "best shot" and now it was wasted. Growling slightly she pushed Fealdor aside and strode across the room toward Tommy and Dustin. "You hardly needed me for this!" she complained. "You could've just hit him on the head and he'd be unconscious for hours."
Dustin, seeming to sense a hostile presence, stirred and moved instinctively away from Elsa as she grabbed his arm. He hadn't quite come to awareness when she knelt beside him and squeezed the plunger on the needle, forcing some of the clear liquid through the top. Much more aware now, Dustin's eye's filled with panic as he tried to push away from Elsa, but she had the advantage of surprise and leverage.
"Sweet dreams, Ranger." Elsa drove the needle viciously into Dustin's arm. Maybe she hadn't had the chance to watch Tommy squirm….but seeing the Yellow Ranger's sincere panic was almost as satisfying.
Elsa rose to her feet, not even bothering to look back and see if Tommy had roused enough to realize what had happened. He wasn't important now. It was time to make her own plans come to fruition.