MMPR Revisited
Green with Evil Rescue Part 1
Billy faced a formidable challenge, and he knew it. It wasn't a critique of his combat skills; rather, it was a stark acknowledgment of the situation. He understood this, and more importantly, he feared that both Scorpina and Goldar were acutely aware of it as well. However, he remained resolute, determined to give his all in holding them off until Jason could be found or the rest of the team arrived. Preferably, both would happen.
"You're outclassed," Scorpina stated, her words an observation rather than a question, and a grim truth at that.
"Don't underestimate me," Billy replied, readying his Power Lance before him. The challenge lay in their numbers – there were two of them. To stand any chance, Billy needed to find a way to separate them. His only advantage lay in the surprise of his untested devices.
Goldar, brandishing his sword, charged forward with unrelenting ferocity. Billy deftly met each of Goldar's strikes with his Power Lance, countering the relentless assault with ease. Goldar's predictable style played into Billy's hands. Anticipating Goldar's next move from above, Billy struck low unexpectedly, twirling his lance overhead to connect with a resounding blow to the giant's face.
"You pest!" Goldar bellowed, a mixture of pain and fury in his voice.
"Stoking his anger was a calculated risk," Billy muttered to himself. "Now, his rage will add strength to his attack, but it will diminish his focus. Maintain distance, Billy." Goldar lunged forward again, his strikes heavier but his precision faltering. Billy seized this opportunity to his advantage, breaking his lance into two shorter weapons, gaining the upper hand in the process.
Billy swung one of the shorter lances, meeting Goldar's block. In a surprising move, he pierced the giant's stomach with the other lance and followed it with a powerful kick to Goldar's chest, sending the behemoth crashing to the ground.
As Goldar attempted to rise, Billy retrieved another device from his arsenal. "Mastodon hooks!" he called out, and the capsule transformed into two elongated tusks connected by a chain. Billy hurled the tusks, each landing just outside of Goldar's reach. The chain tightened, immobilizing him.
"You're clever," Scorpina commented suddenly, walking closer. "But it takes more than that to win. You're nothing without your teammates to support you. You don't fight like someone who's a true warrior. You fight to subdue, to halt, but not to kill."
"Killing is a weakness. Anyone can take a life," Billy countered.
"But can you?" Scorpina challenged.
"I've destroyed a handful of Rita's monsters," Billy retorted.
"Did you, or was it your leader's decision?" Scorpina's question struck a nerve, leaving Billy at a loss for words. She was clearly trying to get inside his head. "Could you kill me?" she dared, lowering her weapon and exposing herself to a direct strike. "It would be easy, just do it."
Billy considered her words but recognized her ploy for what it was. Even if he did strike, it wouldn't be that simple. She wouldn't allow it. Opting to play mind games, Billy quickly connected his two lances and made a swift strike at Scorpina's abdomen. Although her armor absorbed most of the impact, it still caught her off guard, causing her to bend in pain and surprise.
Her eyes narrowed, and Billy went for another strike. This time, she raised her weapon to counter and executed a lightning-fast spin kick, forcing Billy to take the hit. He was knocked back, disoriented by the blow. Scorpina regained her composure, licking her lips and flashing a dangerous smile at the Blue Ranger.
"You really think you'd be strong enough to finish me, even if I allowed it?" she hissed.
"I probably won't be the one to destroy you, Scorpina. But you will be defeated, along with Rita and all she stands for," Billy declared.
"Enough of this," Scorpina snapped, twisting her neck to loosen it. She inhaled deeply, her eyes closed, and when they opened, it was clear that she meant business. "Feel my sting." She raised her weapon skyward, and it began to emit a blinding golden light. Swinging it around her, she launched it into the air, sending it slicing toward Billy. The attack hit him square on, enveloping him in excruciating pain.
"What is this...?" Billy groaned, writhing in agony as the pain coursed through his entire body. Even in his suit, he could feel his nervous system under assault. His focus wavered as he struggled to endure the torment. Unbeknownst to him, Scorpina closed in, delivering a brutal kick that sent him sprawling onto the hood of a nearby parked car, setting off its alarm.
Scorpina turned her attention to Goldar, raising her blade menacingly. She examined the restraining material around him, appreciating its strength. Tapping it with her blade yielded no results.
"Fascinating," Scorpina mused.
"Get it off me," Goldar demanded, his tone begrudging. Scorpina shot him a look that prompted what sounded like an apology, though it was barely audible.
"You must learn to control your temper, my love," Scorpina admonished. Goldar said nothing, though he likely would have spewed profanities at anyone else. Scorpina swung her blade down on the steel chain, shattering it into pieces. Goldar rose, dusted himself off, and retrieved his sword.
"Thank you," Goldar muttered reluctantly before turning his attention back to the Blue Ranger.
"I don't know how much more of this I can take…" Billy admitted as he climbed off the car's hood. The effects of Scorpina's attack appeared to be fading, but he remained disoriented.
"Alpha, what's the situation?" Kimberly inquired impatiently. Their infiltration mission had progressed smoothly – they had achieved 100%, secured the disc, and reached the main floor bathroom without detection, thanks to Billy's diversion. However, they hadn't received much help from Alpha, who had misread the security cameras.
"Remind me to ask him how he did that," Zack quipped.
"Rangers, there's a caravan preparing to depart from the base. You need to get on it. Once you're off the base, you'll be able to teleport out and assist Billy," Alpha instructed. "Ayi-yi-yi! It's leaving in two minutes."
"It's never easy…" Zack grumbled.
"The bathroom window appears to lead to an alley connected to the transportation units. You need to enter that alley and wait for your opportunity to board the vehicle," Alpha directed.
"Less than two minutes," Trini emphasized. Without wasting any time, she approached the window, lifted it, and removed the screen silently. Kimberly followed, with Zack bringing up the rear. All three stayed low as they made their way through the alley, hearing the trucks starting and stopping around them.
"Alpha, which one is it?" Trini whispered into her communicator.
"The large one," Alpha responded. The Rangers exchanged glances before scanning the vehicles before them – all of which were considerably large.
"That one?" Kimberly pointed to a truck with its hatch open, the largest of the lot. They agreed and prepared themselves. Their window was rapidly closing.
"Let's move," Zack urged quietly. He crept out of the alley and made his way toward the side of one of the trucks, keeping pace with it. He carefully surveyed the area and saw no one paying attention. With a swift motion, he darted for the adjacent truck and helped Trini and Kimberly inside.
"That went rather smoothly…" Kimberly remarked.
"Let's hope it stays that way," Trini replied. The three of them hid behind some cargo and waited for the vehicle to depart.
"Alpha, we're in the transport," Zack reported.
"Good job, Rangers," Alpha acknowledged. "Right now, I'm aligning the satellites for our previous searches. Hopefully, we'll find a match."
"How's Billy holding up?" Trini asked. Alpha's momentary silence heightened their concern.
"Alpha?" Kimberly prodded.
"Things in Angel Grove are... Ayi-yi-yi," Alpha began, his voice filled with distress. He didn't finish his sentence, but the Rangers could deduce the gravity of the situation. The rear door of the truck slammed shut, and it started moving.
"We're almost there, Billy; just hold on a little longer," Trini murmured, more to reassure herself than anything else. Billy had faced a myriad of challenges, as had they all, but physical combat had never been his forte. While he was brave, he wasn't a fighter in the same mold as Jason.
"He'll be okay, Trini," Zack asserted. "Billy's the smartest guy in the world, probably. Even if he's left with only half a plan, that's likely still better than most fully thought-out ones."
The truck accelerated, indicating that they were likely in the clear. "Rangers, you're good to go!" Alpha informed them, providing a welcome respite.
"Awesome, let's never do that again, guys," Kimberly declared.
"Alright, team, let's rendezvous with Billy," Zack said. He raised his communicator and contacted Alpha. "Alpha, we're en route to Angel Grove City now – please update us on Jason's situation."
"Affirmative – good luck, Rangers. Be cautious," Alpha responded.
"Thanks," Zack acknowledged. "Okay, let's get going." The three Rangers activated their communicators' teleportation function, enveloping themselves in black, pink, and yellow lights that transported them away.
Angel Grove City lay in ruins, with the air filled with the panicked cries of fleeing civilians and the ground shaking from the relentless explosions that erupted every few seconds. Police had arrived on the scene, but they were struggling against Rita's Putty forces.
As Zack, Trini, and Kimberly materialized on the rooftop of a central building, they were greeted by a grim tableau of destruction.
"No, please!" a police officer screamed. Kimberly pointed to the officer, who was facing off against a formidable adversary.
"Now die!" Scorpina laughed, delivering a fatal blow to the officer.
"Scorpina is here?" Kimberly gasped, horrified.
"And Goldar," Zack added, pointing to the golden behemoth across the square. "There's no way Billy could handle both of them."
"Oh, Billy…" Trini sighed. "There he is!" she exclaimed, pointing to the Blue Ranger, still clad in his suit, buried beneath a heap of debris. "Sabre-Toothed Tiger!" Trini shouted, raising her morpher high above her head. She leaped from the rooftop, and the Yellow Ranger suit materialized around her.
"She's not messing around today," Kimberly noted. "Let's go, Zack." Kimberly drew her morpher. "Pterodactyl!"
"Mastodon!" Zack proclaimed as he summoned his morpher. Both of them transformed and leaped from the building, landing beside Trini below. Goldar took notice of the Rangers' arrival and joined Scorpina, who kicked the dead officer's body off her blade.
"How considerate of you to finally join us," Scorpina remarked. "I was growing impatient."
"You think the three of you can take us on?" Goldar taunted, raising his sword.
"Forget the banter, Goldar. We're about to send you packing," Zack retorted. "Kim, get to Billy and make sure he's okay. Then use your Power Bow to clear the area. Trini and I will handle these two, alright?"
"Power Daggers!" Trini summoned her weapons, holding them at the ready. She locked eyes with Zack.
"That's what I like to see – Power Axe!" Zack called forth his weapon and held it in battle stance. "Kim, go!"
"Right!" Kimberly acknowledged before darting off. She swiftly dispatched any Putties that crossed her path, firing her Power Bow with precision and precision, eliminating them one by one.
Reaching Billy's side, Kimberly knelt down, checking his condition. His suit had sustained some superficial damage, but nothing that Alpha couldn't repair.
"Hey…" Billy groaned, his voice laden with pain.
"Oh, Billy. Thank goodness you're alright," Kimberly exclaimed with a mix of relief and concern.
"I wouldn't go that far," Billy admitted, prompting a small, nervous laugh from Kimberly.
"Okay, let's get you out of here," Kimberly declared, rising to her feet and starting to clear away some of the heavier debris that pinned Billy down. Billy squirmed and watched attentively as Zack and Trini engaged in a fierce battle with Goldar and Scorpina on the other side of the complex.
"You're gonna lose, Black Ranger!" Goldar taunted, his confidence unwavering.
Zack and Goldar clashed fiercely, their weapons clashing in a series of rapid strikes. Zack demonstrated formidable skill with his Power Axe, making Goldar's attempts to overpower him considerably more challenging than the monstrous warrior had anticipated.
"Try this on for size!" Zack leaped into the air, executing a series of agile kicks that left Goldar off balance. With a swift spin, he brought the back-end of his Axe crashing into Goldar's face, sending the massive creature tumbling to the ground. "Bet you didn't see that coming. That was for Billy," Zack declared triumphantly before noticing Trini's ongoing struggle with Scorpina.
Trini swung one of her Power Daggers at Scorpina, but the agile villain deftly ducked and delivered a quick, unexpected punch to Trini's stomach, causing her to stagger back.
"Is this really all you have?" Scorpina taunted, her disappointment palpable.
"You don't know all I have," Trini retorted, her voice resolute.
"Show me that pain. The loss of Daniel," Scorpina's mention of Daniel struck Trini like a blow to the heart. She had buried the memories of that painful time, but Scorpina's words unearthed them.
"Don't say his name," Trini growled through clenched teeth, her eyes flashing with anger and sorrow.
"He was an old friend of yours, no?" Scorpina continued, her voice laced with cruel fascination. "A dear, dear friend who saved your life from one of your own, at the cost of his own personal health." Trini's mind raced back to that day, the day Daniel had protected her during the school shooting.
"Yes," Trini replied, her voice barely more than a whisper.
"And then you killed him," Scorpina stated bluntly. "Daniel was nothing more than a pawn. Rita manipulated his weaknesses and wounds, turning him into a weapon for her own sinister purposes. He was weak, and you had to put him out of his misery, for at his core, he was fundamentally evil."
Trini's eyes welled with tears as she struggled to respond. "He wasn't anything like you."
Scorpina moved in closer, invading Trini's personal space. "You're right. I would have destroyed you. But he didn't have the strength to resist Rita's influence. He was a brave soul who fought the darkness consuming him," Scorpina whispered.
"Don't confuse bravery with weakness. He wasn't strong enough to hold on, but he served his purpose. A sacrifice for the sixth ranger," Scorpina concluded, her voice a sinister murmur.
"I said, don't say his name," Trini's voice quivered with a mixture of anger and sadness. She swiftly swung her daggers, hitting Scorpina in the stomach with both blades, causing the villain to stumble back. Then, with a swift move, Trini delivered a powerful right hook to Scorpina's face, her dark hair whipping around as the blow connected.
"My face…" Scorpina muttered, her voice filled with mortification as she touched her cheek with her free hand. "You have no idea what you've just done."
Scorpina charged forward, swinging her blade with a flurry of strikes, but Trini's focus and determination allowed her to parry most of the blows and dodge the rest.
"Need a hand?" Zack's voice cut through the tension as he joined the battle, his presence bringing relief to Trini.
Trini skillfully caught Scorpina's blade between her two daggers, leaving the villain momentarily vulnerable. "Power Axe Cannon!" Zack announced as he transformed his Power Axe into its shotgun mode, unleashing a burst of energy that struck Scorpina point-blank. The blast sent her hurtling through a glass window and crashing into a nearby building, where she landed on and shattered a desk.
Back at Billy's location, Kimberly and Billy were reunited as Trini hugged her fellow Ranger, who winced at the pressure due to his injuries.
"I'm so glad you're alright," Trini said with palpable relief.
"Me too," Billy replied, returning the hug gently.
Meanwhile, Goldar rushed to Scorpina's side, visibly horrified by her condition. He extended his hand to her, and she allowed him to pull her out of the building and back to the ground. Scorpina bore several cuts and scrapes, her previously composed demeanor now showing signs of wear and tear, a development that didn't bode well for the Rangers.
"Feel my sting, Rangers!" Scorpina yelled, launching her boomerang.
"Brace yourselves, guys!" Billy warned just before the inevitable impact. The boomerang struck each of them in succession before returning to its master, leaving the Rangers writhing in pain.
"What's happening to me?" Zack cried out in agony.
"It's part of the attack…it's attacking our central nervous system," Billy tried to explain, but his own pain overwhelmed him.
"Goldar, let's do it," Scorpina commanded, raising her weapon toward the sky. Goldar raised his sword, and a golden energy swirled around their blades before firing at the incapacitated Rangers on the ground.
"Damn it," Zack exclaimed, while the rest of the team screamed in pain. "We need some serious backup…"
"Ayi-yi-yi," Alpha exclaimed, his circuits buzzing with concern as he watched the horrifying spectacle unfold on the viewing globe. He swiftly entered data into the main console, hoping to find a solution. "I've found it! I've found – wait, what did I find?" Alpha paused, reading the data with increasing agitation. "Ayi-yi-yi – I've located the morpher, but Jason isn't using it. Or if he is, I can't tell. But if I focus on retrieving the morpher and it turns out Jason doesn't have it, he could be lost forever."
"You're bringing this up to me now…" Billy responded deliriously. "I can't make a calculated decision in my current state…"
"There's a chance that Jason might already be morphed and waiting for us," Alpha suggested. "It's a 50/50 guess based on my results."
"Alpha, I trust you…just get Jason home," Billy urged.
"Ayi-yi-yi," Alpha muttered as he inputted data into the teleportation grid, using the information he had synchronized with the morphing grid and the NASADA satellites. "I hope this works." Alpha pressed the enter key, and brilliant lights emanated from the teleportation poles positioned around the command center. A white light began to materialize within the command center, its glow intensifying with each passing moment. Something was being transported back.
Alpha watched with bated breath, hoping that when the light cleared, Jason would be there...