Vanguard 33: Part 2
The Rangers tumbled out of the way as the Cambion witch swooped from above trying to skewer them with her blade. She continued to laugh as she made another swooping pass prompting Claire, Danny, and Nick to roll clear and draw their Feather Stinger pistols.
"I've had enough of you!" Danny growled leading the others in leveling their guns, "Fire!"
The three Rangers opened fire, but found their shots deflected away by sweeping motions of Shemhazai's bladed whip.
"You'll have to do better than that Ranger," she mocked, lashing out again with the whip causing the three to dive away again. As they got clear, the Red, Pink, and Gold Rangers took flying leaps with their swords for a follow up attack.
Shemhazai laughed again in glee as the three Rangers struck and her form split into three more copies of the witch. The three Rangers froze in surprise and barely raised their guards in time to fight off the three Shemhazai clones that circled about in midair, still cackling maniacally. As the three Cambion clones along with the real witch swooped together to attack, the six Rangers barely dodged them and regrouped together at the center of the throne room, standing back to back in a small ring.
"Foolish Rangers, you actually think relying on each other's senses will save you?" Shemhazai called swooping around them and creating a circle of rotating mirrors.
The six Rangers looked about in confusion as the moving image of Shemhazai was reflected among the mirrors, disorienting them. In an instant, her whip lashed out, appearing to come from all sides. One by one the confused Rangers were struck and knocked to the ground as the mirrors dispelled and left the witch standing before them.
"Have you had enough yet?" she smirked as the Rangers slowly rose to their feet, "Because I've just begun."
Giving another crack of the whip sword, she broke it apart into several individual glowing blade shards that whirled around her for a moment before flying at the Vanguard Rangers from every direction. Again, they were overwhelmed and struck on all sides by the rapid unpredictable shards until the pieces raced back to the witch and reformed her blade.
As Shemhazai strode forward, she titled her head as she heard Kara begin to laugh quietly to herself. "What's so funny girl?"
The Gold Ranger rose to her feet slowly, "You think you're fast Shemhazai? Just try to catch me." Turning to the other Rangers, she gave a slight nod, "Just follow my lead and wait for the signal to strike."
Shemhazai snarled and lashed her whip sword at the Gold Ranger but Kara channeled her lightning powers to dodge the blow and dart around several of the pillars lining the throne room. The Cambion witch growled and continued to try and strike her target until Kara maneuvered the whip around a pillar and pinned it in place with her twin scimitars.
To the demon's surprise, Kara made a quick agile movement twisting her swords and causing the whip to be pulled taut.
"Rangers! Now!" she called as Nick rose up to strike with his hammer. The Green Ranger delivered a powerful blow on the taut cord and shattered the Counselor's weapon apart.
Shemhazai gave another furious shriek as she tossed the weapon aside and ignited her hands with demonic fire, preparing to hurl searing bolts of magic at the Green and Gold Rangers. As she did, both Danny and Izzy rushed in to block the attack. The Blue Ranger gave a grunt of effort and raised a large swirling shield of water to neutralize the incoming fireballs while Izzy helped steady him. The bolts struck the water with forceful impacts and erupted into clouds of steam which the Pink Ranger blew away with her own wind element.
The moment the blinding smoke cleared, Shemhazai gasped in shock as Danny and Izzy tumbled clear allowing Claire a direct shot at the demon with a supercharged shot from her bow. The White Ranger loosed an arrow and a powerful icy burst of energy struck the Counselor throwing her back up the dais and onto the throne room seat, an ice arrow pinning her side to the chair.
While the ice momentarily transfixed Shemhazai to the chair and crystallized around her body, the wounded demon gave one more burst of counter magic and shattered the ice. As she rose, several golden blaster shots fired from the Red Ranger rang out and struck her, throwing her back down violently into the chair. Shemhazai roared again as the last two shots struck her directly in the forehead, shattering a chunk of her headpiece revealing part of her disfigured face and an ugly red eye underneath the mask.
The stunned Counselor slumped back down in her seat, defeated. "Damn you Rangers… damn you all…" Shemhazai cursed in a feeble raspy hiss.
Joe shook his head at the pitiful demon and twirled his Feather Stinger pistol exactly as Carter Grayson had taught him back in Santa Barbara before holstering it one fluid motion. "It's over Lady Shemhazai. You've lost the tower. Gideon is not coming back to help you."
Just then, a familiar dark laugh was heard causing the six Vanguard Rangers to freeze in dread. The deep laughter continued to reverberate through the entire throne room, as if coming from all sides at once before a luminous translucent figure took shape at the center of the room. His six wings and beautiful fair features were unmistakable… it was Archangel Gideon, or rather some sort of projection of him. He turned his gaze toward the leader of the Vanguard Rangers, "You're mistaken Red Ranger. I gave Shemhazai my solemn word that I would return to help destroy you… and I intend to keep that promise."
From the ruins of the marble throne, Shemhazai raised herself weakly, "Lord Gideon… thank you."
The Archangel turned to his vanquished servant with a mildly amused smile, "No, thank you Shemhazai for being loyal… too loyal."
The Counselor frowned slightly and struggled to rise from the chair, "What? I don't understand…"
"You always thought you were so cunning, when you were really just as great a fool as Abaddon," Gideon laughed, "A loyal and useful one, but a fool nonetheless."
The projection of the Archangel began to idly pace and calmly walked past the Red Ranger toward the throne. "I know how you betrayed Abaddon, Shemhazai. I know the games you played, and the puppets you manipulated… all in an attempt to curry favor with me. But I have no need for such treacherous servants. How long until you grow dissatisfied with your own lot and try to overthrow me next?"
"Lord Gideon… I did it all for you… to help you achieve everything you wanted," Shemhazai cried in alarm with wide eyes.
"No, you did it for yourself." Gideon corrected her, "I have everything I want now... my freedom on Earth, a purged army, and the destruction of all my enemies at once, including you and the Vanguard Rangers."
The Rangers gasped in silent shock watching the drama unfold as the Cambion leadership continued revealing their plots against each other. Finally, Joe spoke up in a forceful voice, "What are you playing at Gideon? You're not even here right now."
The fallen Archangel flashed a sadistic smile, "On the contrary. Look outside the window."
The six Rangers peered out the large throne room window and watched in surprise as they saw Gideon hovering in the distance. He floated in the air with his six wings spread, all while glowing with an unearthly golden yellow aura of light around him. The projection in the throne spoke again addressing everybody, "Lady Shemhazai believed I was re-positioning my soldiers… and I was. With their help, I now have a giant ritual circle to send the Dark Spire crashing back into the maelstrom of the Abyss."
"What? Why would you sacrifice your own stronghold when you just arrived?" Danny asked in confusion.
Gideon laughed, "Now that I am free and my power restored, what use have I for a stronghold? I have the entire world at fingertips. Once the people of this world witness my power and glory, they will build me an even greater palace."
"I still don't understand," Nick growled tightening the grip on his hammer.
The Gold Ranger slowly turned to the projection of Gideon, "I see now. You're going to play the part of the hero before all the people of Hyperion Falls. You want to be the glorious Archangel who appears and throws the demons back in the Abyss for good… so that the world worships you as its savior."
Gideon nodded to Kara with a smile, "It takes an Empyrian to know one. After all, what sense is there in ruling over an empty desolate world?"
"Where are the people of the city?" Izzy demanded with a growl.
"Relocated and safe for now Pink Ranger," Gideon smirked, "As we speak, they are being set free to witness my glory. And if they do not bow down and worship me, then I will make them, until every human knows their place."
Joe clenched his fist in growing anger, "You're completely mad Gideon! We're not going to let that happen!"
"You are in no position to threaten me Red Ranger," Gideon sneered, "In mere moments, the ritual will be complete, and you and everyone else in the Spire will be thrown back into the Abyss… forever."
The projection gave another maniacal laugh and faded as Shemhazai slumped back on the throne room seat, completely giving in to her despair. Meanwhile, the six Rangers gathered together and braced themselves as they felt the entire tower begin to rumble.
"This does not look good," Claire said quickly looking about the throne room, "We've got to find some way out of here before Gideon brings the entire place down on our heads!"
The Green Ranger hefted his weapon and hurried to the window, raising his weapon. "Simple. We smash the glass and fly out."
He took a great swing, but found his strike was halted by a magic force field that had been activated by Gideon. With another growl, he took a few more swings and saw it was pointless. "Damn! He must have activated some sort of ward on the tower."
The Rangers did not have long to respond as the rumbling intensified and they felt the entire tower shake. To their horror, the Dark Spire slowly began to rise from the ground. From the windows, they could see the dark clouds above the tower begin to swirl and open up a violent portal back into the stormy hellish Abyss.
"Cannae," Joe quietly growled to himself invoking his own history reference.
"We are so screwed," Danny muttered in dread before Izzy grabbed his wrist and pulled him toward the throne room doors.
"Come on! The best we can do right now is head down to the ground floor away from that hell gate in the sky."
Claire stopped and glanced at the broken form of Shemhazai still slumping upon the ruined throne, "What about Shemhazai?"
"Forget her," Joe said quickly while waving the rest of his friends after the Pink Ranger, "Follow Izzy. The closer we stay to the ground, the more time we have to figure a way out."
While the Spire continued to creak and rumble violently, the Vanguard Rangers scrambled down the halls and glided down the stairwells with their wings. All about them, the remaining Magogs and demon inhabitants of the tower ran by in a panic, too preoccupied with saving their own lives than stopping a group of angelic intruders.
After making it back down to the base of the tower, the Vanguard Rangers looked on in dismay as several other lesser demons frantically scratched and clawed in desperation at the high stained glass windows as well as the main gate doors. Just like the Rangers, the demons were denied escape from the powerful glowing wards that now blocked the exits of the doomed tower.
The tower shuddered violently causing the six friends to sway and grab each other for balance as the panicked chattering of the demons grew louder around them.
"It would seem Gideon is more determined than we thought," Kara noted grimly, "To go to all this trouble for even just a Pyrrhic victory against us. Not even his own demon garrisons can find a way out."
"We're not going to let Gideon win," the Red Ranger insisted firmly "If we can't break out of the tower with direct force, then we'll have to use magic."
The others watched as he quickly transfigured his Keyrune into Auriel's Trumpet.
"Are you sure about this?" Claire asked hesitantly, "I mean, will that even be enough power to breach the wards?"
Joe took a deep breath and gave a determined look, "It has to be. I'm responsible for this team's safety and I'll be damned if I don't at least try."
The other Rangers stood back as he sounded the trumpet and summoned the Red Seraph armor again. All about the main hall of the Spire, the demon minions suddenly began to flee or cower in fear before the fiery mantle of the Red Ranger. Joe quickly drew his longsword and drove it straight into the front doors, exerting all the magic and strength he could bear against Gideon's sealing wards.
The others watched in awe as the Red Seraphim's glowing wings intensified and the tip of the blazing longsword began to melt through the seal. Danny clenched his fist and strode forward with his own glowing Keyrune, "Come on everyone! He's almost there. Let's give em a hand!"
The other Rangers brought their own powers to bear on the doorway and watched as the six combined elements wore away a section of the wards allowing the Red Ranger to pierce through the thick front doors of the Spire, cutting a hole for them to escape. With another blast of celestial power, the six burst through the opening only to find themselves plummeting back down toward the city below. As they tumbled in midair, the six Rangers saw the Dark Spire continue to rise high into the dark swirling storm clouds above.
Having summoned their own wings to glide back down safely to the roof of a high-rise building, the exhausted Vanguard Rangers looked up in the sky to see the glowing form of Archangel Gideon send the Dark Spire back into the gate to the Abyss. As the fortress tower was absorbed into the hell gate, a terrible thundering sound was heard from the portal as the Spire's superstructure was violently ripped apart and torn asunder by the powerful storms of the hellish sub-dimension.
Upon the destruction of the Dark Spire, the storm clouds dissipated and the skies began to partially clear over the ravaged city. Having exhausted a great deal of their power, the Vanguard Rangers slumped down to the ground to rest and powered down. The Dark Spire may have been gone and the Cambion Generals eliminated, but there was still a greater problem at hand. The presence of a deranged Archangel had made himself known and the final confrontation with their greatest enemy was looming ever closer.
For now, the Vanguard Rangers could only hope they could muster enough strength to ensure the safety of Hyperion Falls and end the millennia old conflict that had been raging between the angels, demons, and humans alike.