Omarnosian10: I have had it with these monkey-fighting snakes on this Monday through Friday story!
Wally: What?
Robin: Samuel L. Jackson? Seriously?!
Omarnosian10: Given the contents of this chapter, I figured it'd be a good intro. Before anyone asked, I reviewed the Young Justice calendar and spontaneously decided to adapt one of the comic-exclusive episodes.
Artemis: Seriously?
Omarnosian10: Blame TIM for moving that comic early in his story and inspiring me for this. ON WITH THE SHOW!
Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice or Power Rangers. All rights go to Brandon Vietti, Greg Wiesman, and Saban. Before editing, portions of this chapter belong to The Incredible Muffin and Moonview. I only own Josh, his OC upgrades, and most of his rogues. Ownerships of OC Power Ranger teams are in Profile.
Chapter 12: Scales
(Minneapolis)
As his minions hacked their way through the jungle, the criminal known as Kobra started to frown. While he had been assured that they were quickly nearing their goal, he still felt like they were taking too long. When one of his cultists had the gall to argue that point, Kobra made an example of that. Seeing their comrade eaten alive by an anaconda had shut the rest up fairly quickly.
"Exalted One. We have arrived at the Temple of the Serpent." announced a cultist, drawing Kobra out of his musings.
"Good," nodded Kobra, stepping into a small clearing, where a massive ziggurat sat; engraved into every side were carvings of snakes, still visible, even after centuries of exposure to the elements. "Is everything prepared for my ascension?"
"Yes, Exalted One. All the reagents have been gathered and are ready for the ceremony." bowed a female cultist.
"Excellent, My time in this fleshly body is at an end; the time for true divinity is now," smirked Kobra.
As his cult hurried to prepare for the ritual, Kobra briefly thought back to his partners; those mysterious figures who had funded his operations, in exchange for support and security. While they were aware of his ambitions—indeed, most of the world knew of his proclamation of godhood—they certainly didn't know that he planned to abandon them for his own agenda. They would certainly disapprove, and might even move to interfere…
He dismissed the thought; even if they knew when he was planning his ascension, only he knew the location of this temple. He glanced down at the two objects in his grasp; a small amulet he'd hung around his neck he acquired from an associate who… procured it from the Tower of Fate, and the snake-like dagger in his hand that some of his cultists had stolen from Gotham. He let a very ungodly grin briefly cross his face; no one could stop him now.
(The Cave)
"Is it just me or is the place quiet?" It's almost been a week since the union of Rhelesia and the minimally contained revelation of a mole among the Team. Presently, the only ones with that knowledge aside from Red Arrow are Steel, Aqualad, and Josh. He promised to investigate it without raising suspicion when the latter was informed of this. Ironically, right now, the former two are absent, with Superboy, Miss Martian, Jasmine (wearing a dark sleeveless top with a white collar and a green tie, a green belt that has a green side skirt cover over a black, pleated skirt, and long black socks and shoes), and Circuit, the former having asked that question.
"I'll explain that in a moment. (brings up holoscreen, showing map of Minneapolis and picture of light-brunette scientist with familiar face) Yesterday, Batman and Robin tried and failed to prevent the abduction of an astronomer by the name of Jason Burr." started Circuit.
"Burr… why does that name sound familiar?" hummed Superboy, arms crossed.
"Jeffrey Burr is Kobra's real name," answered Josh, having done the research.
"Are they related?" asked Miss Martian curiously.
"Funny you should say all that; the abduction was done by none other than Mammoth from Kobra's cult. (picture changes to ornate snake-themed dagger) Simultaneously across Star City, Shimmer's been spotted stealing a dagger-like artifact from the Star City World History Museum." continued Circuit.
"It doesn't take a genius to see that they're connected." sassed Jasmine.
"Batman believes Kobra plans to use them for a ritual to 'ascend to godhood'." finished Circuit. Almost the whole Team stared at the robot.
"He wants to what?" asked Superboy skeptically.
"You didn't hear wrong. (sighs and folds arm) He isn't the first one to try and become a god, and he most certainly won't be the last." conceded Josh, memories of Drakkon and Vrak coming to mind.
"Is that why almost no one's here?" asked Jasmine curiously.
"To prevent our interference, Kobra has launched attacks all over the world, stretching the League thin and every combatant allied with Rangers had to step in. Even Atlantis isn't safe from Kobra," answered Circuit.
"Weirdly makes sense; plenty of reptiles strive underwater, including some kinds of snakes." sighed Miss Martian sadly, remembering the science classes she's taking. Silently, the others wished the Atlantean luck.
"Aside from Batman, Green Arrow, and Flash, who are presently scouting potential locations with their apprentices, the Team will be on its own." finished Circuit.
"Almost like our first mission." smiled Miss Martian.
"Except this time, we're ending this cult once and for all. (summons Gosei Morpher) Given the cult motif, I figured it'd be fitting to even the odds. (opens Morpher before inserting Power Card with a Black Ranger in it) Go Go Megaforce!" Josh thrusts the Morpher forward.
~Megaforce: Black Morphing Sequence~
The current background is the daytime sky. Josh raised his arms by the sides. His Ranger suit formed from the neck down before he jumped and rolled backward mid-air, and a black snake silhouette flew behind him. Josh landed as the snake appeared to bite his head, only to form his helmet.
~End Sequence~
"Venom of the Snake! Megaforce Black!" His costume looks similar to Megaforce Red except for the black replacing the red, a snake in place of the dragon, and the gold emblem on his chest resembling a rose.
"Back in black." chuckled Superboy.
"Well, you're not the only one going for a reptile theme." grinned Jasmine, raising her left forearm. Two bright flashes of light engulfed it and her right palm. After they died down, two new objects were in place. In her right hand is a green orb inside a silver globe with the number '07' engraved. On her forearm was a large red, black, and blue bracer-type Morpher that looked more on the lines of an attack blaster, with a grip under the barrel. In the center was a port where she could attach her orb, in the center of a white-outlined star. The barrel was orange-colored. Jasmine slid the first layer over the orb, making it glow green. Locking the base onto the Morpher port, she moved it like a control switch. She hit the trigger on the sides.
"Unite the Cosmos!"
~Nebula: Chamaeleon/Nebula Green Morphing Sequence~
From the shadow of a bamboo forest, Jasmine slashed the green stars of the Chameleon constellation with a jet-black sword. Each slash added more to her form-fitting armor with a mini skirt. As she finished, Jasmine was given a helmet with a spiral on the top of the visor, and two on each side of her head like hair buns.
~End Sequence~
"Assassin of the Cosmic Guild: Chamaeleon Green!"
"Assassin?" echoed Miss Martian.
"The suit's last user was an assassin who worked against a corrupt government," explained Megaforce Black, recalling the Nebula Rangers' memories. A beep sound came from Circuit.
"Received an update from Batman; Kobra and his men have been spotted in the coordinates he sent me. (optics glow) Connecting nearest Zeta Tubes from those coordinates to the Cave," announced Circuit. Nodding, Megaforce Black faced his team.
"Alright, everyone; we have a god to dethrone."
(Minutes later, Minneapolis Monastery)
The Team and veterans snuck in, crouched, and crept into a large atrium-like room. In the center, they could all see Jason Burr tied down on an altar, Kobra looming over him with the dagger in hand and his followers surrounding them.
"ALL HAIL NĀGĀ-NĀGĀ! ALL HAIL KOBRA!"
"Nāgā-Nāgā?" echoed Chamaeleon Green, confused.
"That's Kobra's 'god name'," answered Artemis sarcastically. Kobra raised his hand, silencing his cult.
"My brother, as an astronomer I believe you'll appreciate the irony—the moon and stars are in alignment for this rite. And I require your blood." smirked the cult leader. Batman and Megaforce Black exchanged looks before nodding; the black-clad heroes determined it was time to announce their presence.
~Battle Song: We Need a Hero by Ron Wasserman~
Batman threw a Batarang while Megaforce Black fired his sidearm (a black gun-like device known as the Mega Blaster), down toward Kobra in an attempt to knock the blade from the man's hand (or in the best-case scenario, destroy it). The cult leader used the ritual dagger to deflect the attacks, sending the projectiles flying into the crowd.
"Intruders!" Cultists whirled on them, charging towards them. The heroes dove over the railing, leaping down to the floor below.
"With the stealth approach out of the way, no need to hold back. Snake Axe!" Summoning a black battle-axe with silver blades, Megaforce Black swings it against Mammoth when the behemoth tries to grab Miss Martian. She smiled at him in gratitude before psychically throwing some cultists away.
"How did you summon your weapon without a Power Card?" asked Chamaeleon Green, keeping cultists away with her Nebula Saber.
"Something I picked up several months ago. (grunts when Mammoth captures him in a bearhug) Along with… this!" Megaforce Black discretely slides a Power Card into his Morpher.
Vinebender Card, Activate!
Vines burst from the ground below Mammoth and ensnared the behemoth. Snarling, Mammoth released the Black Ranger after attempting to break out. Aiming the Morpher at the behemoth, Megaforce Black commanded the vines to throw him into several cultists trying to overwhelm Artemis.
"Thanks!" called Artemis, firing an arrow at a cultist that was gonna sneak attack the Black Ranger.
"You too!" Nodding back, Megaforce Black dismissed the vines and rushed toward a bunch of cultists with his Snake Axe.
"Don't leave me out of the fun! (takes out lavender Spatial Orb numbered '16') Skill Orb On; Serpens!" Loading it into her Morpher, Chamaeleon Green fired numerous spectral snakes that tied down numerous cultists. Seeing almost everyone occupied, Robin repeated what his mentor had done earlier with a birdarang.
~Pause Song~
Kobra blocked the attack with the ritual dagger before slashing his brother's chest. Blood dripping down the dagger, Kobra held the blade over the pot Shimmer held, revealing a cobra inside. The snake opened its mouth and began glowing as soon as the blood hit its tongue. Barely a few seconds had passed before it grew to Megazord-size. With a hiss, the Cobra-Monster smashed through the open atrium they were in and slithered in the direction of the nearest city.
"You've gotta be kidding me!" muttered Flash. Growling, Megaforce Black clenched his fist, head swerving between the giant and the wannabe god.
"Green Ranger, I'm leaving the Megazord battle to you." ordered the Black Ranger. His sister looked at him, astonished under her helmet, before nodding. She then took out four Morph Orbs in addition to her own. The first one is red with a lion face on it numbered '01'. The second one is blue with a wolf head numbered '03'. Third's gold with a weight scale and the number '04'. The last one is silver with a cobra in it marked '06'. One at a time, numerically, she loaded them into her Morpher and tilted them.
"Leo Zord, Lupus Zord, Libra Zord, Ophiucus Zord, Chamaeleon Zord!" At her call, the Green Ranger and, surprisingly, 4 other heroes were engulfed in giant versions of the Morph Orbs, while the interiors turned into cockpits. In a flash of white light, five Zords then appeared around them.
"This is interesting…" The Leo Zord piloted by Batman is the largest present. It was a red, yellow, and silver lion-like vehicle with green eyes. Its front paws acted like wings. On the back were two large connector ports which had a rudder on each port. The orb attached to the center of this mighty Zord.
"I know Kid calls me lone wolf sometimes, but this is ridiculous." The Lupus Zord piloted by Superboy is blue/silver wolf-like with the Orb on the back.
"Why isn't mine animal-based?!" The Libra Zord piloted by Flash is a gold humanoid with the Orb in its chest cavity. It had two plates attached to each hand giving it the appearance of a weight scale.
"At least you're not the one matching tall, green, and ugly." The Ophiucus Zord piloted by Green Arrow has a similar humanoid build to the Libra Zord and matching Orb location, but silver. It had more snake-themed limbs, but it was evident the limbs would combine into a giant python-themed head.
"HEY!" Chamaeleon Green's Zord was green/silver chameleon-like with large red eyes and bronze-colored side panels. It opened its mouth revealing a long silver tongue. Like the Lupus Zord, the Orb is attached to the back.
"Sorry." winced Green Arrow in his cockpit. With that, the Zords took off, firing matching colored energy blasts that struck the Cobra Monster. It hissed, annoyed as it glared at the Zords circling it.
"Wait… we could've used the Zords with you?" blinked Kid Flash, pausing from punching a cultist he caught in a headlock. Curious, the remaining apprentices looked at their leader.
"Yes…" groaned Megaforce Black, blocking bullets with his Axe before using it to bat away a tree that Mammoth threw at him.
"…Then why didn't YOU LET ANY OF US USE THEM AT SANTA PRISCA OR GOTHAM?!" shouted Kid Flash incredulously.
"I didn't trust you or Robin not to try and take them for joy rides," answered Megaforce Black, slicing a pillar this time.
"Why am I singled out with him?!" gawked Robin, leaping off a cultist and kicking another.
"Did you both forget the disaster of Santa Prisca?" scoffed Megaforce Black. Robin and Kid Flash winced. OK, they deserve that.
"As curious as I am to hear that story, I think we have more important things to worry about!" Artemis pointed at Kobra drinking a vial of regular cobra venom mixed with blood from the dagger.
"Gross!" gagged Miss Martian… before paling with the others when Kobra, while muttering an incantation, plunged the dagger into his twin's chest. Before the Team could do anything, a green light began to emanate from the dagger, and they got blinded. Switching to thermal view, Kid Flash got a clear sight of the situation. He could see something glowing white-hot in the cult leader's hand, and around it, a bright cloud of sorts moved towards it as Kobra's form itself began glowing brighter, and larger. Switching his goggles back to normal, Kid Flash's (and others') eyes grew wide as they saw what was in place of the twins.
"My dear brother's sacrifice is complete, and I am now the god I was always fated to be," Looming over everyone is Kobra, now monstrously snake-like, five times his size, retaining his human torso and arms but with a snake's lower body, and head, and spiked hood. "ALL HAIL NĀGĀ-NĀGĀ! ALL HAIL KOBRA!"
"Ok… that's new," murmured Kid Flash.
"That *******… (clenches fist) His own brother… He killed his own family for power…" growled Megaforce Black.
"Josh…" whispered Miss Martian worriedly. The disgust and rage she's feeling coming off her crush got worse when the cultists got on their knees and bowed to their 'god'.
"All hail, Nāgā-Nāgā! All hail, Kobra!"
"We need to move now, while Nāgā-Nāgā basks," reminded Robin. Megaforce Black took a few deep breaths, calming down.
"This false god isn't the only one that can power up," growled Megaforce Black, raising his hand. A black flash of light occurred before a new weapon came to his grasp. It's a white sword with a gold dome as the hilt.
Summon Ultra Zord!
Flying out of nowhere, knocking a few cultists down, and coming into his other hand is a mechanical, red-eyed, black adder snakehead. It shined before turning golden. Megaforce Black then inserts it into the dome of his sword before raising the weapon to the sky.
"Ultra Mode Activate!"
Ultra Mode Morph!
The golden Zord spins in the dome before it flies out of the hilt in a beam of golden light. It begins to surround Megaforce Black, with golden accents covering the edge of his boots, gloves, and shoulders. The golden Zord returns to the front of his chest to complete the armor.
"Rock Power! Ultra Megaforce Black!"
~Change Song: Megaforce Theme~
"Whew…" whistled Kid Flash, impressed along with the Team. Not feeling the same, Mammoth roared before charging at Megaforce Black. Scoffing, the Ranger did the same. He ducked under a swung arm before slashing the behemoth's chest. Surprising to everyone, a cauterized scar is left behind. Roaring in confusion/pain, Mammoth held a hand over it and turned around… only to be greeted by a golden rock-covered punch that sent him into a column. He whined before slumping, knocked out.
"Snake beats Mammoth," taunted Megaforce Black, shaking the material off his hand. Sneering, Shimmer lunged at him from behind. Without looking, the Ranger thrusts the hilt of the Ultra Sword into the cultist's gut. Shimmer gasped in pain/surprise before an energy blast came off the hilt and launched her to a bunch of cultists, knocking them out.
"You think some shiny armor is a match for a god?!" laughed Nāgā-Nāgā before spitting out a stream of boiling purple liquid.
"Black Ranger, look out!" warned the Team. Their worries became unfounded when the liquid washed over their leader harmlessly and fell onto the ground, melting it.
"Acidproof (knocks on armor) and toxin proof among many other things," boasted Megaforce Black. Snarling, Nāgā-Nāgā lashed out with his tail. From his shoulder armor, large golden wings emerged and blocked the tail. Grunting, Megaforce Black skids back a few inches before swatting the tail away.
"Don't leave us out of this dance, Kobramort!" yelled Kid Flash, dashing over to Nāgā-Nāgā. Some cultists opened fire on him, only to be tied by bolas from Robin and knocked out by Artemis' boxing glove arrows. Running up some rubble, Kid Flash speed drill-dived toward Nāgā-Nāgā's head feet first. The deity spat more poison, only for the winds from Kid Flash's spinning to blow it away. The speedster managed to strike Nāgā-Nāgā in the head, disorienting him.
"He's open!" shouted Miss Martian, knocking out cultists with whatever debris she could find with her telekinesis. Nodding, Megaforce Black held a button on his Ultra Sword. The Zord then began spinning at Flash-equivalent speeds.
"Ultra Power Dynamic Strike!" A giant energy beam comes out of the Zord and heads towards Nāgā-Nāgā. The energy beam then turned into a version of the Ultra Snake Zord. Hissing, it struck the deity and the nearest cultists, consuming them in an explosion.
~Pause Song~
"One monster down, one to go!" smirked Artemis.
"With no minions to boot." chuckled Kid Flash, dusting off his hands on a pile of the remaining cultists. Suddenly, a toxic green light emerged from the smoke.
"You may have defeated my worshippers… (Team huddles) But you have not defeated their master! Not their god!" snarled Nāgā-Nāgā, wiping the smoke away with his tail. Much to the Team's horror, the deity seems unscathed other than soot. To make matters worse, the amulet (which grew with him) around his neck shined brighter before dozens of spectral snakes, cobras, serpents, and more emerged from it and enveloped the cultists, including Mammoth and Shimmer. When they withdrew, nothing but clothes were left behind.
"Oh, dude. That is so messed up." paled Kid Flash.
"If you think that's bad…" winced Robin, gesturing to Nāgā-Nāgā. Once the projections retreated into the amulet, it shined brighter. The deity laughed while his body was covered in a toxic green aura before he grew to the same size as his pet. He gained an ornate gold chest piece modeled after a cobra, with emerald eyes matching his on the pectoral area. Also, his gloves and belt turned gold with the buckle turning emerald and emerald snakes adorning his gloves.
"It just got worse." winced Miss Martian. Looking at his team, Megaforce Black sighed.
"Looks like you four are gonna get your wish. (combines Morpher with Ultra Sword) Can't afford to use the basic Gosei Great, so Ultimate'll have to do." commented Megaforce Black, inserting a Power Card into the Gosei Ultra Sword.
Summon Command Ship!
The Ultra Snake Zord shot out of the sword before rocketing upwards and growing to full size. Soon, four more golden Zord heads join it; a green-eyed dragon, a blue-eyed phoenix, a green-eyed tiger, and a green-eyed shark.
"Dibs on the—"
"Kid, if that were all, Martian would be getting the dragon." cut off Megaforce Black. Kid Flash pouts and folds his arms. Miss Martian smiles and blushes at the level of trust.
"Let me guess, the bird's mine?" sighed Robin, rolling his eyes.
"I won't be choosing for most of you like my sister would," answered Megaforce Black.
"In that case, the tiger's mine." grinned Artemis excitedly. She doesn't know why, but something about the animal just calls out to her.
"Guess I'll take the shark." shrugged Kid Flash. The others held a sigh, knowing it was an attempt to tic off Artemis with 'cat hating water' jokes. Suddenly, a large silver command ship emerges from below the clouds. The Zords attached to it in a star formation.
"The Bioship has nothing compared to that." whistled Robin. Miss Martian winces, but couldn't find it in herself to disagree.
"Follow my lead," ordered Megaforce Black before leaping into the Command Ship. Looking at each other before shrugging, the Team jumped and much to their amazement, entered a silver cockpit with five control consoles. Megaforce Black already inserted his Morpher into a port by his console.
"Sweet!" smiled Kid Flash, dashing to the blue controls.
"Yellow, huh?" hummed Artemis, settling into her self-assigned post.
"Dragon's red, right?" asked Miss Martian nervously. At her leader's nod, she smiles and gets to her post. As for Robin…
"The bird's pink?!" The Boy Wonder gawked at the only available console. At Kid Flash and Artemis' snickering, his face turned red. "Anyone willing to switch?"
"No time!" warned Megaforce Black, pulling the Command Ship up in time to dodge a toxic stream. Almost stumbling, Robin complied and got to his post, grumbling.
"How do you work this thing?" asked Miss Martian curiously, holding tight when the Ship swerved to dodge a tail slam. At once, a set of instructions from their leader entered the team's minds. Nodding, they took the controls.
~Continue Song~
"What's the matter, insects? Unable to fight—" Nāgā-Nāgā's taunt was cut off when the Ship began firing at him. Hissing, he shielded himself before slithering back to gain some distance. Unexpectedly, he shimmered out of existence.
"Where'd he go?" gulped Kid Flash, looking around. Suddenly, something struck the Ship.
"We've been hit!" warned Artemis. The Ship was then struck multiple times.
"He must be camouflaging himself like some snakes do!" realized Robin. Without warning, the Ship stopped midair, as if something was holding it.
"And constricting, too!" winced Kid Flash.
"How much is anyone willing to bet Kobra has the powers of the entire snake kingdom?" growled Megaforce Black. The Ship then began to shake.
"We're gonna get crushed!" panicked Artemis. Growling, Megaforce Black messed with his controls.
"Not if I have anything to say about it."
Command Ship, Transform!
The Ship stopped before light burst from it, Nāgā-Nāgā then appearing visible and being launched off it in surprise. Landing by the temple, the 'deity' watched as the Ship began to open up, revealing its limbs. As it travels back down, it lands on its legs and stands tall. The arms manoeuver into place and its weapon detaches from the feet. The Ultra Zords stand open, but close into place to form a flower petal-like face on the chest area. The head pops up and opens out. The Megazord's sabers descend into its hands.
"Gosei Ultimate Megazord, ready!"
"You think your 'Ultimate' machine is a match for a god?" laughed Nāgā-Nāgā, looming over the Megazord. Gosei Ultimate Megazord took a stance.
"You're no god… just a madman drunk on the power you stole…" retorted Megaforce Black. Hissing in anger, Nāgā-Nāgā lunged at Gosei Ultimate Megazord, fangs bared. The Megazord used one sword to block the attempted bite and the other to slash at the 'deity's' chestpiece. The emerald eyes were briefly consumed in scale-like energy. Nāgā-Nāgā pulled back, growling while holding where he was cut.
"You saw that?" asked Robin. Megaforce Black nodded.
"What?" blinked Miss Martian, the others equally confused.
"The amulet might've given him a massive power boost… but it also gave him almost half a dozen weak spots," explained Robin. The others gave Nāgā-Nāgā another before realization struck them.
"The emeralds!"
"Precisely. (nods) I'm guessing that if we hit them all simultaneously, Nāgā-Nāgā will go back to being nothing but a regular Kobra," added Megaforce Black.
"As if I'd let you take my power from me!" scowled Nāgā-Nāgā before vanishing.
"Aw man, not this schtick again!" groaned Kid Flash.
"Don't worry, Kid. (grips controls tightly) Now that this thing is in Megazord mode, we've got the edge. Double Swords Spin Attack!" cried Megaforce Black. At once, Gosei Ultimate Megazord began rapidly spinning, the swords held horizontally. It moved backward for a bit before painful screaming was heard and Nāgā-Nāgā appeared on his back.
"How'd you—"
"You'd really think we'd fall for the same trick twice?" scoffed Robin.
"You aren't the first person I faced with invisibility," added Megaforce Black. Snarling, Nāgā-Nāgā spat globs of poison at Gosei Ultimate Megazord. From the shoulder cannons, pellets of energy shot out and struck the poison, exploding on impact and creating a wall of smoke. Nāgā-Nāgā lunged from above with fangs bared… only to receive a sword to his gut. Gasping in pain, he hauled back, hands over the sword. Before he could try and remove it, the Ultra Zords opened up, revealing blaster ports that shot at him. Hissing, Nāgā-Nāgā shields himself with his arms.
"Time to end this charade once and for all. (takes out Power Card) Ultimate Charge!" announced Megaforce Black, inserting the Card into his Morpher.
Ready!
The Ultra Zords began to glow, detach, and then charge through Nāgā-Nāgā; the Dragon Zord going through the buckle, the Phoenix and Shark Zords moving through the arm braces, and finally, the Snake and Tiger Zords coursing through the eyes. Once they all passed, the emeralds were dimmed and cracked. At the same time, an energy imprint of the Ultra face appeared in front of the 'deity'.
"NO~! How could a god… lose to measly mortals?!" Those were Nāgā-Nāgā's last words before falling and exploding. Suddenly, moaning, toxic green specters came out of it and entered the temple.
~End Song~
"What are they?" shuddered Miss Martian.
"They're everyone Kobra consumed for his power… best guess is that when Nāgā-Nāgā was destroyed, his 'sacrifices' were freed." realized Megaforce Black.
"But what about…" Artemis trailed off upon looking down. When the smoke died down, in Nāgā-Nāgā's place was the Burr twins, both lying on the dirt. While Jason is practically unharmed, save from the sacrificial cut, Kobra on the other hand remains snake-like, only with his upper half looking like his human form and retaining his first size.
"Shouldn't Kobra be normal now?" asked Miss Martian, confused.
"Best guess is that because he was transformed for a while, bits of energy from his godhood clung onto him and gave him the Cheetah treatment," noted Robin. The natives nodded, recalling Wonder Woman's friend-turned-enemy. Megaforce Black made a mental note to check the League's database.
"On another note… (blurs out of Megazord, returns with snake amulet) Souvenir!" cheered Kid Flash… only for it to get snatched by his leader. "HEY!"
"If you want a souvenir so bad, get something from the temple. This is going back to the Tower of Fate." scolded Megaforce Black. Sighing, Robin looked outside.
"I wonder how Batman and the others are doing with that giant snake."
(Earlier, with Nebula Zords)
Things were going badly.
While the heroes had managed to lure the Cobra-Monster away from the city (and any campers, hikers, or other people with outside activities), they weren't making much headway in completely damaging the creature. Any time it was covered in blast wounds, it merely shed its skin, the new one healed and becoming more resistant to blaster fire bit by bit. Eventually, it came to a point when the blasts barely did anything. Not deeming the Zords a threat anymore, the Cobra-Monster began to slither to where it last spotted civilization.
"I'm starting to see why Indiana Jones hates snakes!" groaned Flash, the Libra Zord throwing off dead skin.
"Hope that doesn't include me!" glared Green Arrow, the Ophiucus Zord taking the form of a green-eyed, red sclera, snakehead.
"We need to finish the creature with a single, powerful attack before it can molt and heal again." reminded Batman.
"Bats is right." nodded Chamaeleon Green.
"Is this going where I think it's going?" grinned Superboy.
"Yep! (stretches hands) Follow my lead for this bit. (tinkers with Morph Orb) Activate Nebula Megazord!" called Chamaeleon Green.
~Battle Song: Go Go Power Rangers Remix by Ascending from the Ashes~
The paws on the Leo Zord flipped around, becoming shoulders and revealing two more connector ports. The Ophiucus Zord slipped on, orb into the port, becoming the right arm, while The Chameleon Zord became the left arm. The Libra Zord and Lupus Zord folded inward becoming the legs, while the Lupus head became a foot. Libra attached to the right port, while Lupus became the left leg. To complete the combination, Leo Zord's head rotated 180 degrees around and the jaw dropped down, revealing a silver-colored humanoid face with yellow eyes and a black chin.
"Nebula Megazord, Online!" synced the heroes except for Batman. The Orbs lit up in sequence, signifying its completed combination.
"Wait, why am I the leg?!" questioned Superboy and (ironically) Flash. They were answered when the Libra Zord's discs lowered and spun, with the Lupus Zord pushing down, allowing the Nebula Megazord to race after the Cobra-Monster. "…Never mind."
"Chamaeleon Whiplash!" The silver tongue extended from the Chamaeleon arm, lashing at the Cobra-Monster when it got close. Screeching, the creature faced the machine and flared out its hood… only to be ensnared by the Ophiucus arm.
"You're not going anywhere!" taunted Green Arrow. The Ophiucus arm then threw the Cobra-Monster over the Megazord's head and onto its back.
"Even snakes aren't immune to the paralysis," added Chamaeleon Green. The Cobra-Monster shuddered and slowly slithered upward, already beginning to molt.
"You're not getting away this time!" snarled Superboy, the Lupus leg catching the Cobra-Monster mid-molt. With a backflip, the Nebula Megazord launched the creature into the air.
"Time to end this once and for all! METEOR BREAKER; VENOMOUS FULL MOON BUZZSAW!" shouted Chamaeleon Green. The disks of the Libra Zord spun around and they entered the jaw of the Lupus Zord. The leg then empowered the discs, throwing in a blue-bladed aura. The discs were soon spat out before entering the Ophiucus Zord's fangs, the cobra-themed machine doing the same as the Lupus Zord and mixing the blue-bladed aura with a silver-toxic aura. The Megazord pulled its Ophiucus arm back and thrust it forward, allowing the Libra disc saws to be thrown forward, slicing where the Cobra-Monster was gonna molt. With a hiss, the giant creature blew up. Falling out of the explosion and being caught by the Chamaeleon tongue is a regular cobra, limp from venom.
"Mission Complete!"
~End Theme~
(Present, Monastery)
"What… What happened to my brother?" asked Professor Burr when he woke up to the sight of many heroes, mostly well-known (aside from the Rangers), tying up the cultists (thankfully, returned completely clothed) and the newly-mutated Kobra.
"Let's just say he was given the Cheetah treatment," commented Robin, helping the professor sit up. Burr nods, having worked with the anthropologist a few times before her transformation.
"Who's Cheetah?" asked Chamaeleon Green.
"One of Wonder Woman's enemies, I think?" answered Superboy hesitantly, Cadmus' education of Justice League enemies kicking in.
"I'm sorry," apologized Megaforce Black softly, putting a hand on the professor's shoulder.
"Don't be. (shakes head) The brother I knew was long gone before the man who shares my blood had done this. As far as I'm concerned, Jeffrey Burr is no longer with us." assured Burr. Given what occurred, Megaforce Black could hardly blame the man for the disownment.
"He's right. What matters is that you saved the guy and took down his captors," added Flash, speeding over to them after triple-checking the tied-up villains.
"There are cells waiting for Mammoth and Shimmer at Belle Reve," informed Batman, walking over with Green Arrow in tow.
"And a special one will be prepared for Kobra's new… physique." gestured Green Arrow.
"Any problem?" asked Flash to be sure.
"Problem? For us?" smirked Robin, looking at the brief Gosei Ultimate pilots.
"You kidding? No way," smiled Artemis.
"We had it handled." nodded Miss Martian.
"The whole thing? Kid stuff," scoffed Kid Flash before high-fiving Robin, the cobra's urn under his arm as the souvenir.
(Unknown Location)
Several screens faced each other in a circle, the white silhouettes the only sign of their owners' identities.
"So, one of our allies has fallen," mused the first voice.
"It was a shame that Kobra decided to betray us in his quest for power. But his agenda wasn't going to align with ours for long. A pity that he wasn't able to kill any of those heroes, especially those two Rangers." sighed the second voice.
"Having a god arrayed against us would have been troublesome," scoffed the third voice.
"Remind me again why we can't just break into the Tower again and retake the Amulet of Jörmungandr?" asked the seventh voice, irritated.
"The heroes have likely tightened security in the Tower, so retrieving the Amulet would be more troublesome than last time." answered the second voice.
"That's under the assumption that they haven't relocated it instead as a precaution." suggested the sixth voice.
"Fortunately, Kobra didn't leave us empty-handed." chuckled the third voice. A holoscreen pops up to show Cyversed of various kinds gathering the Cobra-Monster's molted skins along with it and Nāgā-Nāgā's fallen scales.
"Kobra may have fallen," started the first voice, the holoscreen switching to trucks hauling the cargo. "But he has shown that even failure may benefit the Light."
Omarnosian10: Dark Mage Wyvern Lord, if you're reading this, hope you enjoy the tribute.
Wally: Dude, he hasn't updated any of his stories in over a year. What makes you think he'll listen to your callout?
Omarnosian10: A guy can dream, can't he?
Dick: No arguing here.
Conner: So will NEXT chapter be Terrors?
Omarnosian10: Yep. Even if I wanted to make another non-cartoon chapter, and I really don't, that episode takes place two days after this comic.
Megan: Not enough time for anything new.
Omarnosian10: Plus, despite what Robin's TT counterpart says—
Dick: HEY!
Omarnosian10: Even heroes need vacations now and then to destress, relax, heal, etc.
Artemis: Glad to hear that.
Omarnosian10: And before anyone asks why I went straight for Gosei Ultimate and not Gosei Great is because the former is arguably the strongest of the Megaforce Megazords.
Conner: Arguably?
Omarnosian10: There's one more combination that's potentially stronger, but it wasn't adapted from the source material.
Josh: Didn't I—
Omarnosian10: Sh, no spoilers! Anyway, with Kobra becoming a god or god-like, I figured it'd be no holds barred fight.
Wally: No argument about that.
Megan: Will we see any of the other stronger Megazords?
Conner: And pilot them?
Omarnosian10: Yes to her, maybe to him. SMOKEBOMB!