Power Rangers: Public Enemies
Episode 25: Civil War, part 3- One minute to midnight
"Those bastards!" Billy slams his fist onto the Holo Deck screen. "Fighting each other..."
"How could things have come to this?" Kat Hillard is in tears. "A civil war between Rangers?"
"Come on Kat, I mean..." Tanya is at a loss for words. "At least...uh..."
"At least YOU'RE safe? At least YOU'RE not fighting?" Billy is furious. "This is the sum of our legacy! This is what we fought for!"
"That's not true!" Zack interrupts. "This is NOT what I fought for! What WE fought for! We fought for a better world! For a world without crime, without hate!"
Billy merely looks at Zack. He goes over to the main console and presses a few buttons. The main screen in the Astro Mega Ship Mark 3's bridge began to show various scenes from the riots of 2010. Specifically, they were scenes from the riots the Power Rangers themselves had quelled...using excessive force.
"Tell me Zack, where in these screens do you see someone fighting for a world without crime?" Billy's icy cold tone hides a man whose idealism has long since died. "Where do you see that world you fought for? Is it here, in this video of twelve men trampling a young girl to death in order to grab a can of expired beets? Is it here, in this video of a boy starving to death inside the shanty tent his family was forced to live in? Or is it...here, in this video of Cole Evans and Dax Lo utilizing their blasters to keep people from killing each other? Is that the world you fought for? Because that's what you all got!"
"I..." Zack is speechless.
"Trini gave her life for this world. She died... protecting the world..." Billy's eyes begin to tear up. "This is the world she fought so hard to protect..."
"Billy..." Kat walks towards Billy, to place a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"No... No, this is not what she fought for... this is not what Zordon gave his life for... This is a nightmare..." Billy slaps away Kat's hand. "But it's OK. The time for the world to wake up will come soon."
"What are you talking about?" Ashley is scared now.
"Simple... All I need is the last Crystal..." Billy begins to chuckle.
It was right then and there that Andros teleported himself unto the bridge. "Hey...found it."
Andros hands Billy the Black Crystal of Gaia. Billy smiles, and walks towards a briefcase he has. He opens the case, and places the Crystal amongst the others. "Andros...you have an impeccable sense of timing..."
He walks towards the teleporter. "I have modified the ship. You will all stay here, where you will be safe. Under NO circumstances are you to return to Earth until Dr. Manx gives the OK, clear?"
"What the hell?" Rocky speaks up. "Billy, the fuck's going on?"
"Rocky...it's best none of you know..." Billy looks away, and activates the teleporter. He arrives amongst the ruins of Angel Grove. "Come midnight... The darkness before dawn..."
Meanwhile, in the Atomic University of Chicago...
"President Sears? We are one minute away from midnight..." Dr. Cora looks worriedly at the Clock.
"Damn it..." George Sears slams his fist unto the table. The Doomsday Clock never lies.
"Well...it's been one minute to midnight for the past 13 years." Jeremy Irons intervenes. "What's so new about it now?"
"Take a look at the second hand." Dr. Cora points to the time on the clock.
"11:59:58?" Irons drops his cigarette. "Shit... is this because of the battle that's going on at Briarwood?"
"The casualties are reaching over a million." Sears speaks up. "Property damage is estimated at 35 Billion and counting. Not to mention how much we've spent on weaponry just for such an occasion..."
"Shit...and this time, there's no way to recover the economy quick enough..." Irons takes out his bourbon. "How many years...?"
"I've run the numbers..." Dr. Cora gulps. "IF this is the only attack, we can expect full recovery in about thirteen years. But..."
"But the Mystic Force is but one team." Sears buries his face in his hands. "And we've got at least three more teams that want a piece of the government."
"Congress has spoken. If the Mystic Force is not stopped...we will repeal the Act, and hire the Private Rangers..." Irons looks away.
"At this rate, only a miracle can save us. Right now, if we can minimize the damage... no, even that will just be a Pyrrhic victory..." Sears lights himself a cigarette. "Patton Oswalt, you lucky son of a bitch..."
Over in Briarwood...
"We just want to help!" Ronny speaks out from the Overdrive Megazord's cockpit.
"Fuck you!" Vida punches the Overdrive Zord, but is herself blasted away by the Rescue Megazord's artillery.
"Right now, they are far beyond help!" Carter Grayson speaks out. "We need to detain them!"
"You have it all wrong!" Bella speaks up from the Poseidon Ultrazord. "They need medical help!"
"And that is what we want to give them!" Taylor speaks from the Kongazord.
"Fuck you! You'll just lock em up again! Just like last time!" Theo yells out from the Jungle Pride Megazord.
"You can't be trusted!" Lilly commands the Jungle Pride Megazord to attack the Rescue Megazord.
"You need to be stopped!" Chad launches another barrage of missiles.
"Please guys! Stop fighting!" Dax is unable to fight his fellow Rangers.
"This has gone way out of hand..." Wind speaks up. "Blaise... what's gonna happen to us?"
"I don't know, Wind... My visions don't go beyond today..." Blaise is crying within his helmet. "Wind... I'm scared."
"Me too, honey." Wind grabs his hand. The blast from the Kongazord knocks them both off the ground.
"Damn it! How the hell is an Ultrazord getting knocked around like this?" Arthur slams his fist unto the control panel. "Yo Echo! The fuck we do now?"
"Stop the fighting." Echo communicates with Arthur telepathically. "The Mystic Force has gone too far. Stop them."
"Are you telling us to sell them out?" Bella is shocked. "I mean..."
"The Mystic Force have killed innocents. In their rage, they have caused much mayhem and destruction. In their insanity, they have become the very enemies the public painted them as." Echo responds.
"But..."
"The Rangers you are fighting against fully intend to send them to a mental hospital, where they may be treated. But make no mistake. Their actions have earned them the righteous fury of the people. Having them locked away in a mental hospital will be an act of mercy."
"No..." Bella responds. "I won't let them. Echo... the Government locked us up when we had done nothing. We have been brutalized, whipped and humiliated, while guiltless. Echo...if we give away the Mystic Force to that same government...well...there will be NO mercy."
"You speak wisely." Echo concedes. "I am sorry..."
"The Government will kill them..." Arthur realizes. "My God...do those other guys even know?"
"Bella... this...it's all my fault..." Kenneth begins to cry. "I thought fighting back would bring us freedom... That killing soldiers..."
"Kenneth... we are all at fault..." Bella wipes a tear from her eye.
"We can't let the other guys get the Mystics." Arthur speaks with determination.
"We need to get them help..." Wind speaks up. At that moment, a blast from the Overdrive Megazord sends the Mu Rangers off the ground. "Shit! This is a fucking war zone!"
"Of course it is!" Arthur snaps back at her. "You blind?"
The Jungle Pride kicks the Overdrive, which is then hit by the Poseidon's blasters. As the Overdrive begins to throw sparks, the Kongazord steps in and punches the Poseidon in the back. In turn, the Rescue Megazord shoots the Poseidon while it is down. That's when Vida swoops down and grabs the Rescue Megazord by the 'neck', lifts it up into the air, and tosses it back. Chip then steps on the Rescue Megazord, and begins to stomp it into submission.
"Ugh..." Blaise holds his head in pain. "My...oh no... Bella! We have to get the hell out of here, NOW!"
"Blaise... did you just have another vision?" Arthur is terrified.
Meanwhile...
"You killed my son..." Andrew Hartford is sweating profusely. His hand hovers over the red button. He presses it. "Die."
Andrew Hartford weeps as he views the small blip on his radar fly off unto its destination. The most terrifying weapon known to man, Hartford built it from spare parts, as well as from certain resources he purchased on the black market. As he weeps, he holds the gun barrel unto his mouth. He opens his mouth, and places the gun inside it...
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("Is this gonna be OK, Sir?")
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("Hey dad! Look, my new book came in the mail!")
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("I'm sorry dad. But I have to do this. It's who I am.")
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("Just do it... MISTER Hartford.")
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("Ugh, I feel like my heart is racing... I have a heart!")
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("Dad! She said yes!")
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Bang.