Power Rangers: Public Enemies
Chapter 21: Judas and Prometheus
(Author's request: Please do not feel offended by any expressions or ideas presented in this chapter)
Several mosquitoes buzzed around the marshlands. A solitary sniper lays down, disguised by the thicket, awaiting the arrival of the Government's soldiers. The sniper had enough supplies to last her seven days. It was day twelve, and she last saw her companions about a week ago. A mosquito bites her neck, and begins to suck her blood. She smacks the mosquito, killing it. The sudden movement moves the thicket slightly, whilst the slap made a rather small sound.
A bullet flies through the marshland air. It pierces through the sniper's skull, completely passing through to the other side. As the blood from the young sniper pours onto the stagnant water, footsteps can be heard as the person that made the killing shot approaches the body.
A Blue Ranger picks up the body of the eleven year old sniper. He checks around her clothes, looking for a radio, a map, anything. He finds a radio, turns it on, and attempts to communicate with it.
"Alejandra, diga lo que ocurre." A voice answers the call. Using the advanced tracking technology inside his helmet, the Blue Ranger determines the location of the Rebel base. He signals towards his comrades to come pick him up…
Meanwhile, up in space…
Billy met up with General Miles on a small café in San Angeles. In order to be incognito, Billy hid his face behind a newspaper, whilst General Miles hid behind a magazine.
"Well, mister Cranston, things have just plain gotten worse." Wade Miles takes a sip from his drink. "Take a look at this."
Billy takes the folder. He looks inside, and sees many photographs. They are photos of many Ranger teams, each one belonging to some PMC.
"They are called Private Power Rangers (P2R). They utilize a basic access to the Morphing Grid to power their suits. They are equipped with the finest weapons money can buy. We're talking Stockholm Blasters, Philadelphia Personal Cannons, the works. There are currently five P2R teams in action." Wade Miles takes a sip from his drink, never removing his face from the magazine.
"Tell me their names." Billy puts away the photos.
"Laughing Raven's team of P2R was the first to be discovered. They saw a lot of action last week in Africa. Then there's Springfield Star Standard's team of P2R. They made their debut about three days ago in China, helping to quell yet another protest in Tibet. Also, there's Brown Bjorn's team, which helped keep the 'peace' in Croatia the other day. And let's not forget Red Tricolor's team, and how they recently stopped a Chechnyan uprising the other day. And finally, there's Trifecta's team, which is seeing some action in Peru as we speak."
"Three of those PMC's are American companies." Billy does not remove his face from his newspaper. "So, what's the deal?"
"Those Rangers they hired, they are not American citizens. So, the Ranger Act does not apply to them. Also, because they are technically 'International' companies, the Ranger Act would not apply to them unless they ever operated within America, and only if their countries of Origin ever gave the ok."
Billy fixes his glasses. "So, what would happen if America ever decided to hire one of these Rangers?"
"Then the companies would have the Ranger Act either frozen for them, or repealed altogether. Congress would not allow that, even though Sears is salivating over the idea of having that law repealed." Wade Miles takes a sip from his drink. "There is literally nothing the White House can do now."
"Wasn't Sears getting impeached?" Billy drinks his Mystic Water.
"Yeah, but since that whole Piedra del Diablo fiasco, the American public is in a bit of a panic. It's been decided to keep Sears and Irons in office. But to keep him from messing anything up, his Executive powers have been frozen. Not that the American public would know, as far as anyone is concerned, America still has an active president." Wade Miles fixes his sunglasses.
"How ridiculous. The most powerful office in the world is now nothing more than a figurehead." Billy chuckles. "So who's really in chare of America now?"
"Congress." Miles stifles a chuckle.
"Well then, I better hurry up with those crystals, huh?" Billy gets up.
"Yes…please." Wade Miles watches as Billy leaves. He then gets up, and leaves. As he leaves, he sees an American flag fly atop a flag pole. A tear forms in his eye, knowing how far his country has fallen…
Over in the Magic Nexus…
"She hasn't spoken a word since she got here." Clare looks at Madison worriedly.
"Madie! Please, say something!" Vida cried, seeing her sister in such a catatonic state. Madison didn't say a word, simply staring into space with that blank look on her face. Her eyes seemed dead, like her life had been sucked out. Vida hugged her, crying her eyes out.
Chip lay in a corner. His hands had been tied together to a tree, for his own good. Ever since he returned from the Piedra, he had been scrubbing his hands furiously. Three days ago, he scrubbed them so hard, he began to bleed.
Like Madison, Nick had gone mute, and he constantly shook. Xander had become far more paranoid, always looking around him, as if expecting something to come out and grab him. Always checking every nook and cranny, as if expecting to find something.
"Echo, are you there?" Jason communicates telepathically.
"I am in the Sea of Poseidon, Jason." Echo dutifully responds. "Since the Green Energy of Mu has been sacrificed to restore the power of the Magic Nexus, the Guardians of Mu have been reawakening."
"What does that mean for us?" Jason looks to his team, the Mu Rangers.
"Nothing. All it means is that, little by little, most of the Dimensional Walls shall be restored. Your sacrifice has greatly sped up the process."
"How long do you think it will take?" Jason asked telepathically. As far as the other Rangers who had also taken shelter in the magic nexus could tell, Jason was merely thinking.
"No less than a century." Echo responds, but suddenly begins to ponder something troubling. "But…if anyone, or anything ever summons Baal again, the walls will be permanently destroyed."
"Do you really think anything can ever summon that thing again?"
"Yes." Echo closes his eyes. "The Six Crystals of Gaia."
Over in the ruins of Angel Grove…
"Thank you for coming, Kat." Billy throws away his cigarette butt. He picks up another cigarette, and lights it. "Want one?"
"I'm a dancer. We don't smoke." Kat Hillard looks at Billy sternly. "Billy, are you serious about this?"
"Yes, Kat. I am."
"Why?" Kat grabs Billy's cigarette, and throws it away. "And cut this shit out. It will kill you."
"Well Kat, I've been told some very bad news." Billy considers taking out another cigarette. "You know about these Private Rangers?"
"I heard about this Russian team of Rangers that saved some school kids from some Chechnyan terrorists."
"Ah, and did you hear about the Power Rangers that participated in that ethnic war in Africa the other week?" Billy chuckles at Kat's shocked expression.
"Power Rangers don't do that!"
"Yes, we do now." Billy chuckles. "It's a new era, Kat. One brought by Andrew Hartford and his Operation Overdrive."
"No! That team helped save the world from evil!"
"I know. But it laid the groundwork for the future of Power Rangers." Billy puts his lighter away, and drinks his Mystic Water. "Private Power Rangers. Funded by private corporations, rather than public money. For profit. The triumph of capitalism: the privatization of the war between Good and Evil."
"But…" Kat sits down on the ground. She is shocked.
"Kat, do you believe in God?"
"Yes." Kat answers without hesitation.
"And what do you think about Judas?"
"He's a traitor, remember? He sold out Jesus Christ, our Savior."
Billy chuckles again. "Suppose he hadn't done that. How would Jesus have died for our sins?"
"Well…he would have given himself up to the Romans."
"And why didn't he do that earlier? Why wait until Judas sells him out?"
Kat could not answer. "What are you getting at?"
"Kat, I don't believe in God. I believe that we make our own miracles. I believe the Universe exists of its own free will." Billy takes out a cigarette. "But even still I find some pleasure in reading the Bible."
"So…"
"I always found the story of Jesus worthy of my analysis. And one conclusion I came to, is that Judas, not Jesus, is the man who sacrificed himself for our sins. Judas, not Jesus, is the one who saved the world." Billy lights the cigarette.
"That's blasphemy!"
"No, it isn't. Jesus, he resurrected. How can you call something a sacrifice, if it comes undone, just like that? Jesus died, yes. But he came back to life. And this time, he returned immortal, and all powerful."
Kat is agape at what she is hearing.
Billy blows some smoke away. "But Judas, he killed himself, out of guilt. The man Jesus trusted most played the most crucial part in ensuring Humanity would be saved from sin. His reward? His name lives forever in infamy, his every action cursed by those who most likely never read more than three pages of the book they claim is the pillar of their faith."
"What are you trying to tell me?"
"Jesus is all knowing. His judgment should be beyond reproach for all of the Christian faith, yes? Well, he decided Judas was worthy of being his disciple. Why would he do that, if Jesus could have known he was going to betray him?"
Kat does not know what to say.
"When I think of Judas, I think of Prometheus. You know his story, right?"
Kat shakes her head.
"Prometheus was a Titan, son of Iapetus. He saw that humanity was cold, because they didn't have fire. He saw the gods had fire, and they were always warm. So, Prometheus stole some of the fire, and brought it to the human world. For this, Zeus punished him, and chained him to Mount Olympus, ordering a crow to peck at him for all eternity."
"What does Prometheus have to do with Judas?"
Billy throws away the cigarette butt. "Judas, his role was decided for him once he became Jesus' disciple. Jesus knew Judas would betray him. No, Jesus knew Judas would sell him out to the Romans. Why, then, would he allow him to become his disciple? Jesus used Judas, simple as that. Judas played his role. Thanks to him, the Messiah's blood was spilled. And an undeserving humanity was saved from sin. Just like Prometheus. Thanks to Prometheus, an undeserving humanity has fire. And the two of them, for all eternity, shall suffer, while we reap the rewards of their deaths without so much as a second thought, worshiping gods that do nothing."
Kat remains speechless. Billy smiles.
"The greatest heroes are the ones who die in obscurity. Those who gladly choose death, and eternal torment for the greater good." Billy begins to laugh. "Not that I personally believe in God, or any gods. I believe we hold the reins to our future."
Billy smiles at a trembling Kat. He walks over to her, and puts a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Now do you see why I am collecting the Crystals of Gaia?"