Author's Notes: Hi, readers. Here's chapter fifteen of "Running From Here." This chapter features Ranger action. I am so glad to have finally gotten to this point regarding the Power Rangers attempting to rescue the Jurassic Park survivors. Stay tuned for chapter sixteen.
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Chapter 15: Falling into a Trap
A Stegosaurus wandered through another part of the rainforest. It swung its tail from side to side. It stopped at a bush and licked its lips. It grabbed a mouthful of leaves. It chewed them quickly before swallowing with a loud gulp. It got another mouthful and proceeded to chew. It spotted a subadult Stegosaurus coming its way.
The subadult stopped next to the bush and sniffed the leaves. It grabbed a leaf-filled branch. It tugged hard, tearing the branch off. It gobbled its meal down very quickly. It raised its head high, a loud bellowing coming from it. The adult mimicked its movements. It shook its head before grabbed a leaf-filled branch and tearing it off.
The duo heard loud footsteps approaching. They observed Tommy, Kim, Jason, Rexy, Billy, Mia, and Zack passing them a short distance away. Rexy shook her head, her nostrils flaring. Mia mimicked her both ways. Jason and Billy petted their mounts' necks. They gave them gentle pats before placing their hands on the backs of their heads.
"We will get to our friends soon, Rexy. I promise," Jason assured.
"I hope so," Rexy growled in impatience. "It sucks this forest is so thick in many places."
"I know," Jason agreed. "You never know what could be hiding around the next corner."
"Like a Tyrannosaurus, a Utahraptor, a Velociraptor, or an Allosaurus," Rexy responded with a loud snort.
He nudged her sides gently. "Exactly."
"Have you ever been in a large forest?" Rexy wondered.
"Yes, I have. I have gone camping with my parents several times. They taught me how to live off the land," Jason explained swiftly.
"You probably could live here. There are lots of edible plants to eat. Some even hold water," Rexy said.
"That's good," Jason said with a smile.
She rumbled. "Agreed."
Jason scratched Rexy's neck, earning a pleasurable rumble from her. Mia bobbed her head three times before Billy took hold of her frill with both hands. She looked up at the sky.
"It is a good thing the sun is shining today. It would be hard for us to get through this forest if it was pouring down rain. The mud would be sticking to us everywhere," Mia grumbled annoyingly.
"I know what you mean, Mia," Billy said while patting her frill gently. "I have been caught in several sudden thunderstorms. The ground became muddy very quickly in every one of them. It stuck to my shoes. It was hard to get off."
"I can pull my feet out of mud holes unless they are deep. Then it becomes difficult," Mia commented as she flared her nostrils.
"Even with boots, it can be hard to get out of a deep mud hole," Billy said, rolling his eyes. "I have been in a situation like that before. I nearly lost my boot pulling it out of a mud hole."
"Just don't end up in quicksand. You will sink faster than a stone does," Mia warned sternly.
"Believe me. I won't go near a quicksand pit," Billy said, holding up his hand.
"Good for you," Mia said, looking up at him and giving him a wink.
The entire group came to a stop at the sound of talking. Tommy took two steps forward. He felt his heart skip a beat or two. He looked around, taking three deep breaths.
"That sounds like the Jurassic Park survivors," Tommy said, his hand curling into a fist.
"Thank God, Tommy," Kim whispered, her voice filled with relief. She clasped her hands together and swallowed hard. "I was beginning to think we'd never reach them."
"We shouldn't charge in with these dinosaurs, Tommy. Rexy and Mia might frighten them," Zack suggested.
"I agree with Zack, Tommy," Trini replied and shuddered softly.
"Okay," Tommy said, nodding. He shifted his attention to Jason and Billy. "Jason, Billy, tell Rexy and Mia they need to stay here. The foliage is more than thick enough to conceal them."
Jason and Billy nodded at the White Ranger. They looked down at Rexy and Mia. They touched their necks. They ran their hands up and down them. They gave them gentle pats.
"You guys need to stay here," Jason whispered and emitted a heavy sigh.
"We can't risk you scaring the survivors," Billy added sadly.
Rexy looked up at Jason. "Okay."
Mia eyed Billy. "We will stay here."
Rexy moved close to the ground, allowing Jason to jump off her. Mia mimicked her movements for Billy to do the same. Jason and Billy went to Tommy's side.
"Be careful, guys. Don't make any sudden movements that will alert our enemies," Tommy commanded firmly.
"You got it, Tommy," Jason said, giving a thumbs-up.
Zack punched his fist into his hand. "Let's do it."
Trini gave a sharp nod. "Yeah."
Tommy waved his hand toward himself as he took the lead. Jason and Billy followed him close behind. Zack, Kim, and Trini brought up the rear. Rexy and Mia returned to their full heights.
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John, Lex, Tim, Alan, Ellie, and Ian scanned their surroundings. They had heard the sound of distant talking and growling. They wondered if the Power Rangers were nearby. They had a feeling that dinosaurs had accompanied them. They wondered how the team was able to gain their trust when they couldn't. John glanced up at the sun.
"It is going to be dark soon," John whispered nervously.
"That's not good, Grandpa," Lex mumbled, cringing a bit.
"That means many nocturnal predators will come out," Alan added and bit his lip.
"If anything—" Ellie started.
Suddenly, Tommy, Kim, Jason, Trini, Billy, and Zack came out of the thick undergrowth. They made their way toward the survivors. Ian sighed in much relief.
"The Power Rangers are finally here!" Ian yelled excitedly.
"We've got to warn them that it's a trap," Tim pointed out seriously.
Ellie nodded rapidly. "Yes, we must."
Tommy, Kim, Jason, Trini, Billy, and Zack picked up their pace. They tilted their heads somewhat. Kim laid her hand over her heart, a relieved sigh leaving her mouth. Billy turned off his device and slipped it into his belt.
"The survivors appear to be unharmed," Kim whispered in gentleness.
"Curse Lord Zedd for bringing them to this island," Zack hissed.
Jason exhaled. "Let's go free them."
John, Lex, Tim, Alan, Ellie, and Ian shook their heads rapidly. They tried to move a little bit, but the ropes were too tight around them.
"Don't come any closer!" Alan called frantically.
"It's a trap!" Ellie screamed.
Lightning hit the ground in front of the Rangers. It exploded, knocking them off their feet. They stood up as the smoke cleared quickly. Goldar, Scorpina, Tigton, and the Putties appeared from out of nowhere.
"Greetings, Power Twerps!" Goldar yelled with an evil laugh.
"It's so nice of you to join the party!" Tigton added and growled loudly.
Tommy hissed in fierceness. "You should be ashamed of yourselves for kidnapping these people, especially the kids!"
"They were traumatized from being on this island before! You were willing to make it worse!" Billy added.
"We are proud we did that!" Scorpina shouted.
Goldar curled his lips into a snarl. "That's enough! Putties, get those bastards!"
The Putties charged at the Rangers, as did they with them. Tommy performed a back flip and punched a Putty in the face. He grabbed its arm to twist it around and go under it. He rolled over its back. He used his arm to trip it up. Another Putty grabbed him from the side. It wrapped its arms around him. He pushed it away and performed a roundhouse kick. He took hold of its arm. He twirled it around three times before letting go of it. It crashed into a bush and did a flip over it.
"I hope those leaves tasted good, claybrain!" Tommy said, waving at the Putty. "Oh, yes."
Just then, a Putty jumped on Tommy from the side. It started beating on him with its fists. He grabbed its head in which he pushed it away. He took hold of its arm to kick it in the side. He headbutted it very hard. He swung his arm at its feet. He swept them out from underneath it. He jammed his elbow into its chest and immobilized it.
Another Putty leaped on Tommy from a tree branch. It punched him in the face He got out of its grasp. He delivered a series of punches to its stomach. He jumped over its head. He took hold of its arms. He jumped behind it, throwing it into the air when he landed. It flew upward, hitting its head on a tree branch. It ended up in a heap on the ground. He spotted another Putty coming his way. He raced toward it.
Kim kicked a Putty in the back. She front-flipped as another lunged at her. She cartwheeled and backflipped past two Putties as they charged at her. They skidded to a halt before spinning around. They emitted angry garbles. They raced for their quarry. She stopped them in their tracks with a roundhouse kick to their faces. She kicked their feet out from underneath them. She laughed in victory.
"I hope you have a nice nap," Kim joked. "Yep, yep, yep."
All of a sudden, Goldar ambushed Kim and grabbed her arms. She struggled against his grasp to no avail.
"Struggle as much as you like! I am not letting you go!" Goldar shouted.
"I will get away from you!" Kim said in determination. "By doing this, that is!"
Kim stepped on Goldar's foot. She felt his grip on her loosening. She repeated her action, making him let go of her. She spun around with a snarl. She clasped her hands together to swing them upward. She hit him in the chin, knocking him back. He regained his bearings just in time to see her foot coming at his face. He caught it in his hand. He pushed it away. She stumbled off to the side.
Kim saw Goldar swinging his sword at her. She leapt over his head. She turned her body to where she was facing him. He stopped in his tracks, turning around. He raced for her. She kicked him in the face to stop him in his tracks. She punched him in the same area. He snarled and tackled her to the ground. He landed three punches on her before being thrown off by her. She stood up and went into another fighting stance. He got to his feet and aimed a fist for her. He was met with one to the face from her. He fell on his back.
"Nothing like a knuckle sandwich, is there?" Kim said, a smirk crossing her lips. She spotted a Putty heading for her and went to deal with it.
Jason tossed a Putty aside. He backflipped when another one rushed at him. Two Putties tackled him from a tree branch. They took turns kicking and punching him. He wiggled out of their grasp. He jumped back as the first Putty tried to grab him. He kicked it in the face twice. He punched it in the side. It threw a punch, scoring a hit to his face. It attempted another shot to the same area, only for him to deflect it with his hand. He grabbed its ankles to pull its feet out from underneath it.
The second Putty grabbed Jason. It wrapped its arms around him and squeezed tightly. He hit in the chest with his elbow. He felt its grip loosening and did it again. This freed him from its grasp. He spun around and performed a series of punches to its face. It backhanded him very hard. He stumbled backward, but he didn't fall. He stopped it with a fist to between its eyes when it charged at him. He didn't see its companion coming up behind him. Billy rammed himself into it. This sent it crashing sideways into a bush. Jason peered over his shoulder at him. He gave him a thumbs-up.
"Thanks, buddy!" Jason called.
"No problem," Billy said and looked toward the survivors. "We have a clear path to Alan, Ellie, John, Lex, Tim, and Ian!"
Jason nodded. "Let's go free them!"
Jason and Billy raced toward Alan, Ellie, John, Lex, Tim, and Ian. Two Putties jumped into their path. They threw punches at them. Jason and Billy held up their arms, blocking them. They took hold of their wrists. They flipped them over on their backs. They jammed their elbows into their chests, immobilizing them. They went over to the survivors. They got their Blade Blasters.
Jason cut John and Ian free after going over to them. Billy mimicked his actions with Lex, Tim, Alan, and Ellie. Alan, Ellie, John, Lex, Tim, and Ian stood up. John got his cane and planted it into the ground. He, his friends, and his grandchildren came together as Jason and Billy rushed over to them. They panted hard and fast.
"Thank you for helping us, Power Rangers," John said gratefully.
"We're sorry we baited you into a trap," Lex apologized with guilt.
"It's not your fault," Jason assured, sheathing his Blade Blaster along with Billy. "You didn't…"
As Jason continued to talk, four Putties sneaked up behind him and Billy. John noticed them and let out a quiet gasp. He was about to say something when Rexy appeared and grabbed a Putty in her jaws. This caused the others to scatter. She shook it from side to side. It eventually fell apart. She growled in confusion. Alan, Ellie, John, Lex, Tim, and Ian felt their jaws drop to the ground.
"Rexy took care of that Putty!" Tim blurted out.
"How did she—" Ellie started.
Jason held up his hand. "We will explain later."
Rexy growled as she eyed three Putties coming her way. She glanced at the survivors. She motioned toward her tail with her head. Soft rumbles came from her. John realized what she was doing.
"She wants us to get behind her," John said. "Come on!"
"Just watch out for her tail," Lex said. "It could hit us."
Alan, Ellie, John, Lex, Tim, and Ian rushed behind Rexy. Jason and Billy stepped in front of her. They stared down the Putties as they got closer to them. Rexy stepped forward and leaned down. She grabbed the first Putty. She did a side-to-side shake until it fell apart. She repeated her actions with the second and third Putties. She roared in a bit of triumph. Jason and Billy tried not to smile, but they couldn't help themselves.
"Rexy seems to be enjoying fighting the Putties," Jason suggested.
"I'll say," Billy agreed. "She's—"
Rexy let out a painful roar when an energy wave hit her in the side. She turned toward Scorpina, who had her armed hand outstretched while standing not far from her. She roared angrily and began to head toward her. Scorpina formed an energy ball in her hand. She threw it at Rexy, hitting her in between the eyes. Rexy fell on her side. She ended up landing on two Putties in which it made them fall apart. She lost consciousness. Jason and Billy gasped in horror, as did John, Lex, Tim, Alan, Ellie, and Ian.
"You will pay for that, Scorpina!" Jason declared.
"Come and get me!" Scorpina taunted and waved her hand toward herself. "I dare you."
Jason and Billy rushed for their enemy. Scorpina fired a beam of red energy at them. They jumped upward, barely avoiding it. They headed for her in which they kicked her down. They landed gracefully and balled their hands into fists. She recovered quickly and emitted a loud snarl. They raced for her. She swung her sword at them, striking them in their chests. She delivered multiple punches to their faces. She gave both of them hard headbutts before slamming her fists in the sides of their heads. This caused them to collide with each other and end up in a heap on the ground.
Scorpina was about to charge her sword with lightning when Zack and Trini rushed in and rammed themselves into her. She stumbled off to the side, barely regaining her footing. They grabbed her and performed three punches to her face. They backhanded her across the cheek very hard. They jumped into the air to double dropkick her. She went flying backward. She crashed into a charging Putty. They ended up in a heap on the ground. Zack and Trini landed in a graceful way.
"Don't forget about getting up from your nap, Scorpina," Zack joked with a snicker.
"We hope you have a nice one," Trini added. "Oh, yes."
Zack and Trini heard screaming and saw six Putties beating on the survivors with their fists. They were about to head toward them when fireballs hit them in their sides. They went flying in which they smashed their heads on small boulders. They fell on the ground. Tigton arrived with his hands outstretched. He laughed in evilness.
"We must pay attention, Rangers," Tigton said, growling softly. "Otherwise, look what happens."
All of a sudden, Mia stuck her nose underneath Tigton with a loud bellow. She managed to get him on her head. She ducked it, throwing him upward. He screamed as he flew through the air. He crashed into the ground. She snorted in satisfaction before turning toward the Putties terrorizing John, Lex, Tim, Alan, Ellie, and Ian. She bellowed angrily, getting their attention. They looked toward her, seeing her dig her hoof through the soil.
The Putties garbled and gibbered to themselves. They charged at the Triceratops while waving their arms about. Mia did the same, lowering her head. She knocked them down one at a time with the exception of the last one. She rammed her horn into its chest. It fell apart immediately. She skidded to a halt. She swung her tail as two Putties came from the side. She struck them in their chests. They broke into pieces.
Mia glanced at John, Lex, Tim, Alan, Ellie, and Ian. She shook her head before emitting a very soft snort. She went over to them as they dusted themselves off. She bellowed her concern to them. John approached her and touched her nose horn. He pressed his lips together. Lex and Tim came to his side. They proceeded to pet her.
"Thank you for helping us, Mia," John said gratefully.
An energy wave hit Mia in the side. She turned to look at Goldar and growled angrily at him. She charged toward him. He formed an energy ball in his hand. He tossed it at her, hitting her in between the eyes. She fell on her stomach, losing consciousness. John let out a horrified gasp. He shot an angry look at Goldar, who snarled.
"How dare you hurt Mia, Goldar!" John yelled while shaking his cane at his captor.
"Come and get me, old man!" Goldar taunted. "I dare you!"
"Not today, Goldar!" a male voice yelled.
Tommy smacked Goldar in the face with his fist. Goldar recovered quickly and proceeded to fight him. Kim and Zack took on Tigton and Scorpina. Jason, Trini, and Billy rushed to John, Lex, Tim, Alan, Ellie, and Ian.
"Are you all right?" Jason asked.
"We are fine," Ian answered truthfully.
"We better contact Zordon," Trini said urgently. "We need to get these people out of here."
"Zordon, come in," Jason said, bringing his communicator to his face. "We need you to teleport the survivors off the island." He gasped shockingly when only beeping sounded. "Zordon? My communicator is jammed."
"Mine is too!" Trini cried and touched her communicator in which beeps came from it.
"I am going to try to teleport out," Billy suggested and touched his Morpher with both hands. He looked down horrifyingly when he got only beeps. "Oh, no. I can't teleport out!"
"Yes! Our enemies have discovered they are trapped!" Goldar yelled victoriously as he tossed Tommy aside. He glanced toward Tigton and Scorpina, seeing them knock Kim and Zack down. "It's time to go home!"
"Yes!" Tigton shouted while going to his comrade's side along with Scorpina and the Putties.
"See you later, Rangers!" Goldar called with an evil laugh. "We hope you enjoy your stay in Jurassic Park!"
The Rangers observed their enemies vanishing from sight. Tommy punched the ground in frustration before getting up.
"Damn it! I can't believe we are trapped!" Tommy yelled.
"Lord Zedd must've encased the island in a force field that blocked access to the Command Center after we arrived!" Kim cried, standing up along with Zack. "He made it invisible, so we wouldn't know until it was too late!"
Jason punched his fist into his hand. "It burns me up we did not notice at all!"
Tommy, Kim, and Zack headed over to the others. He was about to say something when groaning sounded. Everyone turned to see Rexy and Mia waking up.
"Look. Rexy and Mia are okay!" Tim yelled in relief.
"Those energy balls just stunned them," John said, swallowing hard.
Jason and Billy ran to Rexy and Mia, whom both rose to their feet at a steady pace. The dinosaurs shook their heads before opening their mouths slightly. They were petted by their friends.
"Thank God you are okay," Jason whispered warmly.
"It takes more than energy to get rid of us," Rexy responded.
Billy sighed heavily. "We have bad news. We are trapped on the island in a force field."
Mia bellowed alarmingly. "What?"
"It was a trap. We fell for it," Jason said shamefully.
"We are so sorry we got our friends trapped here," Billy apologized.
"We should've paid attention better," Jason added.
Rexy snorted. "It is not your fault. You didn't know."
Clearing throats came out of nowhere. Jason and Billy glanced at John, Lex, Tim, Alan, Ellie, and Ian. The survivors took three steps forward.
"I want to let Rexy and Mia know that we are grateful to them for trying to protect us," John said honestly.
"Thank you," Jason responded.
"Now, tell us how you are able to talk to Rexy and Mia," Ellie suggested while crossing her arms.
"It is complicated, but here it goes," Billy said and cleared his throat. He proceeded to talk about the team's Power Coins.
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Zedd stared at Earth from the Lunar Palace's balcony twenty minutes later. He had his hand on the railing. Goldar, Scorpina, and Tigton stood close to the stairs. Squatt and Baboo were near them. They gibbered while shaking quite a bit. Zedd turned around and approached the edge of the first stair. He laughed very evilly and raised his arm and staff high.
"I want to congratulate on a job well done, Goldar, Scorpina, Tigton!" Zedd shouted proudly and planted his staff into the floor. "The Power Rangers are officially trapped on Isla Nublar with the Jurassic Park survivors!"
"Thank you, my liege," Goldar responded.
"The dinosaurs were not too much trouble to fight. That's for sure," Scorpina added, smiling.
"Rexy and Mia went down when you and Goldar hit them with energy balls," Tigton said and imitated an explosion. "Of course, it only stunned them for a time."
"That was the intention, butthead," Scorpina snapped, glaring at him.
"You picked that up from Lex, didn't you?" Tigton said with a snicker.
"I guess I did," Scorpina said, giving a shrug.
"Humanoids tend to imitate what they hear from humans," Zedd admitted while tightening his grip on his staff. "It's not unusual. I have done it myself."
"When you hear Squatt say 'D'oh,' you know he has been watching too much of The Simpsons," Goldar pointed out truthfully.
"Yes, Goldar," Zedd grumbled and groaned annoyingly. "I have heard it several times since I got here."
"D'oh!" Squatt said and chuckled to himself.
"Shut up, nimrod," Zedd retorted with a glare. "I mean it."
Squatt held up his hands and looked away. He shifted his attention back to Zedd, who emitted a soft growl. He and Baboo took two steps forward. They clasped their hands together.
"You should know the Power Rangers and their friends will head straight for the Visitor Center. They could try to establish contact with Zordon there," Squatt pointed out seriously.
"Squatt's right," Baboo agreed. "Billy and Lex are expert hackers. Where there is a will, there is a way."
Zedd growled. "I am not worried about that. The group is miles away from that place. It will be getting dark soon. They will have to stop somewhere for the night and rest, especially the children. Lex and Tim cannot move as quickly as the adults can."
"They can ride either Rexy or Mia to rest their legs," Baboo commented.
"I know, dummy," Zedd hissed in irritation. "Those dinosaurs trust the Rangers, though it is not fully. They can still turn on them on a dime."
Goldar held up his hand. "So, what will we do in the meantime?"
"You, Scorpina, and Tigton will head to Angel Grove Park and terrorize the civilians there. You will do so until I tell you to pull back. Is that clear?" Zedd asked.
"Yes, sir," Tigton said, saluting him.
Scorpina clenched her teeth. "I say we go now. I want to cause some destruction."
"Yeah! Me too!" Tigton cheered in great eagerness.
"Then go now," Zedd commanded in sternness. "Time is wasting away. Take some Putties as well."
Goldar let out a loud whistle. Thirteen Putties gathered around him, Scorpina, and Tigton. They teleported out of the palace. Zedd came down the stairs. He looked at Squatt and Baboo after he reached the bottom.
"The Rangers will have no idea that my warriors are rampaging in Angel Grove," Zedd said, laughing evilly.
"They sure won't!" Squatt agreed and jumped into the air. He landed on his butt and hit his head against the floor. "Ouch!"
"That's what you get for jumping into the air, idiot," Zedd snapped in annoyance.
Squatt sat up and rubbed the back of his head. "Unfortunately."
"At least he is not flat like a pancake," Baboo said in relief.
"Of course not," Zedd commented with a soft growl. "He would need to be steamrolled for that to happen."
"Hey, I am not a cartoon character!" Squatt yelled while getting up. "A steamroller would kill me!"
Zedd hissed. "I know that. I do not need to be reminded. I suggest you keep your mouth shut for a while. Is that clear?"
Squatt nodded rapidly. Zedd turned around and went up the stairs as he growled in a soft way. He approached the railing and grabbed it.