Author's Notes: Hi, readers. Here's chapter thirty-two of "Running From Here." Ranger action continues in this chapter. This crossover has four chapters to go before it is finished. Stay tuned for chapter thirty-three.
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Chapter 32: The Final Twist
Lex was still typing on the computer in the control room seven minutes later. She mumbled inaudible words. Tim stood behind her. He began whimpering and shaking quite a bit. John was seated on the desk. Ian stood next to the broken window. He watched Penny and Princess carefully. He could hear the sounds of fighting and yelling.
"Damn! I can hear everything!" Ian whispered and took a deep breath.
"There is plenty more where that came from, Ian," John replied and licked his lips.
All of a sudden, Billy was thrown into the stairs. Scorpina rushed at him, slamming him against it. He sunk to the floor with a loud groan. She proceeded to land punch after punch on him. He shoved her away with his foot. He was about to get up when two Putties tackled him to the floor. They punched him multiple times. They forced him to his feet and threw him into the wall. He fell on his side with a loud groan.
"You will get your karma, Blue Ranger," Scorpina said, walking up to him. "Yes, you—"
Suddenly, Alan and Ellie grabbed Scorpina and spun her around. They punched her in the face. He slammed the butt of the rifle into her nose, causing her to stumble backward. She snarled and tossed lightning at the floor in front of them. It exploded, throwing them onto a table. It broke underneath their weight. Two Putties forced them to their feet. They threw them down the hallway.
Alan and Ellie barely regained their footing. Scorpina approached them and backhanded them across their cheeks. She kicked their feet out from underneath them. Billy came up behind her and wrapped his arm around her throat. She flipped him over on his back. She gave him three punches to his stomach while yelling like a maniac. The Putties turned toward the broken window. They began making their way toward the door.
"Oh, shit! The Putties are coming!" Ian blurted out alarmingly.
"Hurry up, Lex!" Tim shouted in great fear. "Please!"
"Shut the heck up, Timmy! I am working as fast as I can!" Lex yelled angrily. "Your yelling in my ear is not helping at all!"
"But the monsters—" Tim started.
"Darn it, Timmy!" John yelled frustratingly. "Just be quiet! Let your sister work!"
Tim held up his hands and looked away. Screeching caught his attention. He looked toward the door window. Penny and Princess charged at the Putties. They received kicks to their faces from them, causing them to come to a halt. They shook their heads rapidly. They looked at them, anger filling their eyes. They flared their nostrils.
The Putties attempted to punch their targets, but they missed when Penny and Princess ducked. The Velociraptors snapped their jaws at them. The Putties jumped back, barely missed being bitten. They grabbed them in headlocks. They wrestled them to their knees. Penny and Princess snarled in much determination. They pulled themselves out of the Putties' grasp.
Penny and Princess swung their tails, hitting the Putties in their faces. They crouched to the ground. They moved their hands outward while growling with much ferocity. They leapt on them, pinning them to the ground. They slammed their hands on their targets' chests. The Putties fell apart almost immediately. Penny and Princess raised their heads and roared in victory.
The Velociraptors saw two more Putties coming their way. They swung their tails, hitting them in their faces in which it forced them to come to a halt. The Putties attempted to punch them, but their opponents deflected them with swings of their hands. Penny and Princess rammed their heads into their enemies' chests. The Putties broke into pieces. Penny and Princess purred in much excitement.
Without warning, an energy ball struck Penny in the head. She fell down unconscious. Princess growled in alarm. Another ball hit her in the temple. She growled before falling down and losing consciousness. Ian gasped fearfully when he saw Scorpina come into view with her armed hand outstretched. He went over to a broom near the door and grabbed it. He looked at the others, his heart beating fast.
"Stay here," Ian commanded firmly. "I will handle that bitch."
Ian went to the door, opening it. He raced outside and swung it at Scorpina, who deflected it with her sword. She punched him in the face. She gave him a backhand to the cheek. He made another swing with his weapon, catching hers as she aimed it at his head. They struggled to gain the upper hand. They gritted their teeth rather tightly. They flared their nostrils, their eyes showing much fierceness.
"You're not getting into that room," Ian said in determination.
Scorpina chuckled in sarcasm. "Sure, I am not."
Scorpina swung her sword around, knocking the broom out of Ian's hand. He threw a punch, nailing her in the jaw. She snarled and gave him a slap to the cheek. He jammed his thumbs into her eyes with a loud yell. She cried out in pain. She rubbed at them frantically. He swung his arm at her feet, sweeping them out from underneath her. He curled his hand into a fist, his breathing very hard and heavy.
Scorpina gave Ian a punch to the face, knocking him back. She jumped to her feet to kick him in the stomach. She wrapped her arms around his waist. She rushed him toward the wall, slamming him against it. He sank to the floor with a loud groan. She flared her nostrils. Tim saw the whole thing happen. He turned to Lex and slammed his hand on the seat. He whimpered loudly and stomped his foot.
"Come on, Lex!" Tim yelled in much fear.
"Hush, Timmy! Please!" Lex said, speeding up her typing.
John swallowed hard and held up his hand. "Just be patient, my boy. Please."
Scorpina started making her way toward the door. She heard yelling and saw Billy, Alan, and Ellie coming her way. She formed a fireball and threw it at the floor in front of them. It exploded, knocking them off their feet. She turned toward the door. Loud beeping sounded, causing Lex to squeal excitedly.
"I got in!" Lex yelled.
"Yes!" Tim cried in relief.
Just then, Alpha appeared on the screen. He raised his arms high as John came to Lex's side. Tim formed a big smile on his face.
"Ay-yi-yi-yi! You managed to hack into the system, Lex!" Alpha yelled in great joy.
"You must be Alpha," Lex responded, panting heavily.
"Yes, I am," Alpha admitted with a chuckle. "I am so glad you and your friends are okay."
"Scorpina is about to break into the room!" John yelled as he looked over his shoulder at the scorpion-woman raising her armed hand.
"Alpha, teleport the survivors and Power Rangers to the Command Center immediately!" Zordon commanded.
"Right!" Alpha said and pressed buttons.
John, Lex, Tim, Ian, Billy, Alan, and Ellie teleported away just as Scorpina blasted the door off its hinges with a fireball. She gasped in much shock while stepping inside. The computer screen switched off almost immediately.
"No!" Scorpina screamed in rage. "This can't be!"
Scorpina punched the doorway frustratingly. Squatt and Baboo came running into the room. They stopped at her side, their pants coming hard and heavy. They shook their heads rapidly.
"We saw the other Power Rangers teleport away, Scorpina!" Squatt shouted in anger.
"I can't believe it!" Baboo added.
Squatt whimpered in great fear. "Zedd won't be happy at all!"
Scorpina nodded in agreement. "You are right."
The trio heard growling and spotted Penny and Princess getting up. They looked at each other.
"We better get the hell out of here ourselves!" Baboo cried in fear.
"Those Velociraptors are going to come after us for sure!" Squatt added.
Scorpina snorted. "Let's go now!"
Scorpina, Baboo, and Squatt teleported out of sight. Penny and Princess walked into the room. They looked around, letting out sad growls. They heard distant growling and raced down the hallway. They headed through the main room and outside. They jumped off the top of the stairs as Rexy and Mia shook their heads. They landed gracefully near them.
Rexy and Mia looked at Penny and Princess. They growled to them rather softly. The Velociraptors chirped to them before nodding slowly. They looked toward the doors. They blinked twice before tilting their heads slightly. Rexy turned around and walked away. Mia started going after her. Penny and Princess headed in another direction.
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Zedd paced back and forth on the Lunar Palace's balcony five minutes later. Scorpina, Squatt, and Baboo watched him carefully from close to the stairs. He stopped pacing and looked at the trio. He yelled in much frustration and raised his hand and staff into the air. He slammed it into the floor, causing them to jump in fright. He glowed bright red.
"I can't believe this! We were so close to victory on Isla Nublar!" Zedd yelled in much rage. He emitted a fierce growl while curling his hand into a fist. "I need to destroy something this instant!"
Zedd glanced at a Putty and aimed his staff at it. He shot lightning at it, hitting it in its chest. It fell to pieces almost immediately. The other Putties broke into a series of gibbers. Scorpina, Squatt, and Baboo glanced at them for thirty seconds before turning back to him.
"I understand you're very angry, my lord. You still need to calm down. It's not good for your health," Scorpina insisted.
"I don't give a shit if it isn't good for my health, Scorpina! I will show as much anger as I want!" Zedd yelled, planting his staff into the floor and glowing bright red. "You were so close to getting our prey, and you let them slip right through your fingers!"
"I know, and I am sorry. I wasn't expecting Lex to successfully hack into the Command Center's computer and establish contact with Zordon and Alpha," Scorpina explained, her breathing turning into shudders. "It happened so fast that I didn't have time to blink. Please, forgive me."
"You shall be forgiven, Scorpina," Zedd said, his anger subsiding. Suddenly, it returned just as intense. She formed a fireball in her hand. "That is after you get a taste of this fireball!"
Zedd threw the fireball at the floor in front of Scorpina, who was knocked off her feet by its explosion. She struggled to stand. He walked down the stairs and came close to her.
"Let that be a reminder for you never to fail me again! Do you understand?" Zedd shouted, glowing bright red.
"Yes, sir!" Scorpina said while standing up
"Thank you," Zedd said.
Squatt snickered. "You were really toasted!"
Baboo clapped twice. "You sure were!"
"Shut up, you idiots!" Scorpina screeched as she glared at the dimwits. "You are just as responsible for this failure as I am!"
"It's more your fault than it is ours!" Squatt pointed out in a blunt way.
"You led the attack! You insisted we go slowly!" Baboo insisted, pointing his finger at her. "Yes siree."
Scorpina gritted her teeth and held up a fist. "Why I ought to—"
Zedd snarled. "Shut up right!"
Scorpina, Squatt, and Baboo held up their hands. They knew when not to argue with their emperor anymore. They put them down. Zedd focused his attention on the dimwitted duo. He couldn't help but chuckle.
"I will commend Squatt and Baboo for doing as they were instructed. That was an enormous feat for two people as brainless as you are," Zedd complimented warmly.
"Thanks, Lord Zedd!" Baboo said excitedly.
"We are so grateful to you for your compliment," Squatt added, stepping forward.
"Suck-ups," Scorpina mumbled with a snort.
"I heard that, Scorpina!" Zedd snapped, moving closer to her. "Your friends deserve to be complimented for completing their tasks. They made the perfect bait for Tommy, Kimberly, and Jason."
"Of course," Scorpina said with a nod.
"It was nice to see them participate in the fight as well," Zedd added.
"It was so much fun fighting those Power Punks!" Squatt commented, punching at the air.
"It sure was!" Baboo agreed, nodding rapidly. "I would love to pummel them again."
"Me too," Squatt responded and jumped into the air. He landed on his butt instead of his feet. He groaned painfully. "Ouch."
Zedd turned to the stairs and walked up them. He went to the railing as Squatt got up. He beamed his visor to Earth. He could see Goldar and Tigton throwing fireballs at fleeing civilians. Their targets ducked, causing them to miss. They resumed running. They were screaming and crying.
"It's time to make my other soldiers grow and destroy Downtown Angel Grove," Zedd said, turning off his visor. He held up his hand and formed a growth bomb in it. He threw it to Earth. He repeated his actions. "Goldar and Tigton will succeed where the others failed."
Zedd took hold of the railing and gripped tightly. He emitted a soft growl before leaning downward somewhat.