The ominous howl sent shivers along Jamie's back and his nerves tingled as if ignited by a match. Standing swiftly from the chair, he clutched Mark's shoulder tightly and his voice had an authoritative air he had never heard from himself.
"Get everyone in here and away from the doors and windows. Keep them as still and quiet as you can. I'll lure it away from town again. Maybe this time, I'll figure out how to destroy it," he ordered.
Mark nodded, eyes wide as again that otherworldly howl rent the air.
"Be careful out there, Jamie," he pleaded, grabbing the man in a quick but tight hug.
The gesture didn't spark the usual flux of emotion at being touched that Jamie usually experienced. He gave a soft smile and nodded.
"Promise," he responded more surely than he felt.
Mark quickly ducked through the door out into the storefront, calling for the patrons to gather in the center of the building; he powered down the lights as he moved amongst the frightened others, helping those who needed assistance.
Peeking carefully around the doorframe to ensure he was unobserved, Jamie pulled the black stone from his pocket.
"Guardian Flame, Celestial Fox! Excite!" he called, gracefully gliding through the power form.
The sleek black and silver suit materialized around his lithe body, the ornately decorated fox-like helmet enclosing his head. Jamie loved the thrill that raced through his body with this new morph, his mind sharpening into laser focus, his confidence and ability to strategize greatly enhanced. It seemed to him that this 'Ranger' form was almost yet another alter trying to take up residence, but he shook the thought away. Not the right time for considering how fucked up his mind was growing.
Gracefully, Jamie raced up the back staircase to exit onto the roof of the store. Rain pelted his helmet and small rivers trickled down the grooves. The wind was almost icy in itself without help from the deluge. Lightning arced brightly through the dark clouds as he scanned his surroundings for the large beast.
The Fox Ranger crouched low against the roof's ledge while he listened intently for howls, barks, or the thudding of large paws. He was certain he had blinded the creature during their last brawl, but it didn't hurt to take care. His breath echoed inside the helmet and the silky uniform clung to his shivering muscles.
Then he saw the nightmarish canine, stalking between buildings; its thick grey coat still adorned with large mats, the leather collar around its neck. The Fox Ranger couldn't see the animal's face yet as it slinked down the pavement, nose sniffing the air. The clack of its claws on the concrete could be heard from where Jamie perched.
"Shit," he hissed to himself. "I forgot how big that thing is!"
Jamie could hear the animal snarl wrathfully; it was punctuated by a sharp bark. The sound of splintering wood came next as the animal swiped a powerful paw at one of the buildings standing nearby before shoving its large upper body through a window. The shattering glass mingled with shrieks of terror from many small voices.
"Hey, mutt! Looking for me?" Jamie bellowed over the rain, leaping up onto the ledge. "Any other body parts you want to lose?"
Jerking itself roughly from the windowsill, blood from fresh cuts marring its scarred muzzle, the thick head locked in his direction. With all the shaggy hair and the minimal lighting available, it was difficult to see the state of the dog's eyes from where he stood.
Leaping from the ledge, Jamie executed a graceful flip, landing in the street a few feet from the angry beast.
"Come on! Come get me! Unless you're too scared!" he taunted, yet inwardly he was horrified at his mockery.
It wasn't in his normal behavior to be so cocky and bold.
'Later. We'll deal with that later,' he scolded himself.
The roar of incensed fury from the dog brought him back to the situation. It bounded towards him, all muscle and thick shaggy coat, muzzle oozing blood and sharp teeth bared.
As the canine rapidly descended on him, Jamie caught sight of the remains of the creature's eyes. What should have been empty, deflated sockets were now filled with overly large, red plastic eyes, the craft type used in a child's stuffed animal. The fixed gaze of the shiny pupils stared sightlessly ahead with blinking no longer an option.
"Alright, that's fucked up," Jamie quipped in horror.
Reaching towards his belt, he pulled out his Blaster style weapon and discharged a blast at the beast's snout. A shower of sparks and smoke exploded in the animal's face as the shot hit its mark. It grunted in pain but barely slowed, the glossy plastic eyes littered with scratches from the ricochet.
"Seriously? What I'd ever do to you, asshole?" the Fox Ranger snarled, legs tensed as the animal pounced wildly at him.
Just as the hound was set to land, Jamie bounded back; once the creature landed, he darted forward, pushing off the snarling muzzle and up over its back. Flipping off the muscular rump, the Fox Ranger twisted around, blasting the raging animal in the back of its head.
The hound spun swiftly, legs clambering as it righted its trajectory towards the little fox.
"Let's take our business elsewhere," Jamie commented. "Follow the fluffy fox, boy!"
Feeling annoyance at once again being chased like helpless prey, he scouted the environment for the perfect place to take on the canine yet again, as well as any potential weapons or surprises that might come in handy.
As he teased the pursing dog towards an empty field, Jamie became aware of a faint, rumbling vibration that came from somewhere to the right and up in the sky.
"Just great, now what!" he panted, glancing back at the frothing creature. "You call for back up already, mutt?"
The only answer was a threatening snarl.
The ship breached the atmosphere of the planet below them as Billy and Skull stood on the bridge watching the progress of the vessel's descent to the surface. The Blue Ranger had pinpointed the coordinates of the alien canine's last known appearance; it showed that the animal had visited a small, rustic town that seemed to have modern technology but preferred a simpler life where possible. Farmlands and wilderness surrounded the area that was populated with small homes and businesses; the more tech-savvy of the buildings appeared to be medical in nature.
Skull's grey eyes glanced toward the other man standing beside him, operating the controls and scanners. He cleared his throat gently, catching Billy's attention.
"Despite our new job as dogcatchers, I'm thrilled to have you here with me," the older man admitted, cheeks flushing. "I wasn't too sure I'd get to see you again."
Billy cast a glance around to ensure they were still alone in the control room. Finding no one else in residence, he moved closer to Skull and relaxed into his side with a soft sigh. It was nice to soak in the serene calmness that the man emanated.
"I'm inclined to agree with you," he whispered. "There aren't too many opportunities to cross dimensions.
Wrapping an arm around his Blue Ranger, Skull also took a moment to enjoy the peaceful silence with just the two of them pressed together snugly.
Finally, the older man managed to ask, "So do you happen to have any theories you haven't shared yet? About this energy signature and the space hound and the new Ranger?"
Billy chewed his lip in thought, considering the myriad of data he had analyzed.
"I do not believe the energy signature is Drakkon himself. It's a facsimile, a good one, at that. I'm not sure how it's stronger than his yet. Or how this canine fits into the picture."
He forced himself to move back toward his scanners, dialing in data to the small screen on the console.
"As for this new Ranger?" He shook his head. "That particular energy hasn't shown up before. Until the threat appeared here."
"With the power coins here destroyed, wouldn't having another Power Ranger be a good thing? Unless of course he's planning to follow Drakkon's playbook?" Skull mused.
Billy pondered the question then shook his head.
"Its doubtful that could come to pass. If the Ranger hadn't used their power until now, I don't see them trying to conquer a universe. But, of course, we don't know how long they've had access to it."
A high-pitched alarm suddenly blared loudly in the small space, making both men jump.
"What's going on, Billy?" Kimberly's voice cut into the calamity as she and the others entered the control room.
The Blue Ranger's expression was furrowed in concentration as he analyzed the new data streaming into the scanners. He gasped in surprise.
"The energy signature is back. The reading is displaying from the same coordinates as before," he advised.
"So that beast is right where we're heading?" she clarified, glancing over at Tommy and Jason.
"Affirmative. I'm also picking up the unknown Ranger's signature as well."
Tommy approached the console.
"How long until we land?" he asked, staring at the readouts in confusion.
The Blue Ranger's fingers manipulated the controls, blue eyes confident as he maneuvered the vessel.
"Setting down in 5 minutes. But be aware, guys. We're going to landing right where these signatures are currently radiating from."
Skull wagged his eyebrows.
"So we get ringside seats, then? Sounds cool!"