"Heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh…"
A growly laugh coupled with Goldar's wicked, fang-filled smile made Green Ranger's muscles burn even more as he locked hands with him, trying to push up from the pavement.
"Wearing all of that gold proves nothing, traitor," Rita's chief warrior snarled. "You're still just a worthless piece of human filth, just like your friends."
The Green Ranger was bent to one knee, and despite the superpower flowing through him, his arms trembled while he grappled with Goldar. Hayashi growled, keeping the fight going for three more seconds, and then he shifted his weight to his back leg, propelling him to a lunge and his left fist out of the alien's grip and into his right eye. He then let momentum take over, which took him spinning through the air and led his right heel to bash the enemy right in the bridge of his apish nose.
Goldar toppled to the ground outside the shopping center, and Hayashi buckled over, trying to suck in big breaths.
"Traitor, worthless filth, yap, yap yap…" the Ranger huffed, clutching his temple; his head beat like a drum ever since Goldar slammed his palm into it. "Who writes this stuff for you and Rita's other goons? I'm tired of reruns…"
Shaking his head and tightening his muscles, Hayashi burst toward his foe and drew his right fist to his hip, preparing to pummel Goldar as he lay on the ground covering his face. Three steps, two steps, and then Green Ranger was one step away before the ape-griffin leapt up and tackled the him, sending both of them back down. With a demonic gurgle, the monster rained fist after fist into his opposition's chest, but the Dragon Shield merely deflected the blows.
"The only thing that's going to be on repeat is another green fool dying at my hands!" Goldar screamed. Standing up, he caught Hayashi by the arms, neutralizing his movement, and threw him overhead and straight through the window of a hardware store. Goldar tromped to the scene and kicked the closed door off its hinges, growling while the Green Ranger rolled over the shards of glass and tried to steady himself on a bin near the sales counter with his forearms, his fists balled up.
"So much for your karate, just running to punch!" Goldar rasped, clutching his prey by the bottom part of his Dragon Shield. "You..."
"Yeah, you've got some screws loose!" Hayashi shouted as he threw a fistful of screws from the bin into the evil one's face. He then torqued his hips back and levied a right reverse elbow into Goldar's face, and that's when the Ranger conjured up a flurry of offense.
Bam! A left knee to the gut.
Clang! Two punches to his metallic chest and a spin kick to follow up, knocking a staggering Goldar outside, which looked more gloomy than it did a few minutes before.
Fwoosh! The Green Ranger ducked a wild clothesline from Goldar, leaving him room to land a jump hook kick to the back of his head.
"The others would never let me have this much fun with this jerk," Hayashi thought as he ran to retrieve his Dragon Dagger, which still lay on the ground. "But it's time to finish the job they could not!"
He then slid, extending his gloved hand and finally grasping his blade, but the Ranger's smile faded as his Communicator beeped.
"What now?" he asked, giving himself a minute to hold his head again; between the pain from the fight and Eye Guy's magic antagonizing him, it was a wonder how it hadn't burst.
"Hey! Green Ranger! Look out!"
"I've got it, already!" he snapped at the person who yelled at him, also continuing to ignore the cry of his Wrist Communicator. Green Ranger began to twist his vision back around him, having already sensed something amiss, but it was too late for Goldar had summoned his sword in a plume of fire and swung it across the hero's back. Burning sensations and small explosions overtook Hayashi, giving Rita's right-hand creature time to slash his arms and slam the pommel of the weapon into his gut. Even though doubled over, Hayashi executed an outside block to deflect another slash and tried to step to the side, but Goldar pulled him by the arm, wheeled him around, and punched him in the spine.
Hanson, the police officer that had called out to Hayashi, looked on with his partner Marco while the villain let out another roar as the Green Ranger tottered, barely able to stiffen up the arms he raised. Goldar whipped his jagged sword forward, clashing with the Dragon Dagger. He levied heavy swings, but Hayashi was able to fend some of them off with swift cross and vertical slashes. The boy with the power of the dragon parried another sword swing by coming in and drilling his dagger across the upper part of his opponent's chest. Sparks flew as steel razed otherworldly metal, allowing Hayashi to complete another diagonal slash.
"Kid, stop! Your friends need you!" Marco yelled, who then turned to Hanson and shot him a dirty look.
"Later!" Green Ranger shot back, turning to face the officers. This proved to be a misstep for him, though. Two seconds later, Goldar wrapped his left hand around his throat and chokeslammed him through the pavement.
Hayashi seethed and writhed as every part of him throbbed; he could barely keep his eyes open to see the gilded alien raising his sword with both hands, a bright and deadly vision amidst the gray in the sky.
The Communicator continued to beep, but its sounds were joined by the explosiveness of gunfire. The whizzing bullets caused Goldar to move his focus away from the fallen Hayashi as they plunked into the back of his armored head. He moved his hand to his face and conjured six fireballs that rocketed toward the officers in rapid succession, but the two were able to leap away just in time, the flames incinerating a nearby police car.
"Now…" Goldar began, but he was instantly thrown back by a bolt of verdant energy that flew from the blade of the Dragon Dagger. Hayashi then struggled to even sit up, but he finally activated his Communicator.
"What…now…" he grumbled.
"Green Ranger, you must leave this battle and join the other Power Rangers," Zordon instructed. "It is urgent."
"C'mon, just another couple of minutes, Zordon!" Hayashi answered, gritting his teeth. "I can't leave without grinding Goldie into dust!"
"No," the wizard replied sternly. "You will calm yourself now and let this be. The infected humans are starting to rise and attack your friends and others. You must aid them and then rejoin Misty to defeat Dredwing. This is the number-one priority."
They're attacking? And with the sun blocked out, they can…
Despite the sweat that pressed up against his suit-covered body, the news made Green Ranger shiver, his apathy and anger wavering just a tad.
"So that's what you wanted to tell me?" he said to the approaching policemen, who curtly nodded with their firearms drawn at Goldar, who was looking back and forth at the newly alert heroes.
"Sorry," he whispered. "I'll be right there, Zordon."
Hayashi then pushed himself up and pointed his dagger toward Goldar, thinking of something to say to get Goldar away from the city.
"Bad news for you," he began. "Zordon just called to tell me you'll be hosting a party of six Rangers in less than a minute. You want to keep playing host?"
Goldar spat on the ground and chortled. "I've humiliated you enough for now! But don't think I don't see through your bluff. You'll see how you've just lost more than you realize, Ranger!" And with that, he vanished in a fiery cloud.
A few seconds passed, and Hayashi let out a hoarse shout, pounding the concrete with his fist. Hanson and Marco looked at him with knowing frowns, and in the same moment, Green Ranger shot upward in a point of bright light, piercing the darkness.