Strike From The Darkness Part Two
by Shadow RangerDisclaimer: I do not own the Power Rangers. They belong to the current copyright holder. Lord Drakkon is, to my knowledge, the property of Boom Studios. This is a fan work, and no money is being made from it.
Author's Note: This is part two of a multipart story.
Strike From The Darkness Part Two
It did not take a genius such as Harbinger claimed to be, to understand the cause and effect at play. Invaders appeared on Earth, Zordon's sensor detected them, the alarms sounded and the Power Rangers would be summoned.
"Alpha, summon the Rangers," Zordon ordered as the alarm sounded.
The Viewing Screen showed strange creatures attacking the citizens of Angel Grove in the area of the park where the explosion had occurred. The police had sealed the blackened terrain until they could find out what had happened and if there was any further risk. Detective Park, head of the Angel Grove Homicide Department and Adam's father had been given the assignment of keeping the public away. For some reason it seemed gas leaks had been added to the situations the Homicide Division dealt with.
Not that Angel Grove had many homicides. In fact violent crimes were abnormally low compared to the national average. So officers in the homicide division were required to deal with the public during monster attacks. The so-called Monster Squad of Angel Grove. It was a task Trevor could live without. He had little patience for monsters and after shouting a warning had ordered his officers to open fire. The foot soldiers had not noticed the shots and continued to attack anyone foolish enough to go near them. They were heading towards the Youth Center where they could find more victims.
"Zordon, what's wrong?" Tommy asked as the Zeo Rangers and Jason appeared.
"We've got trouble in the park!" Adam said. While Tommy had asked, he had been watching the Viewing Globe. He moved to the computer and tried to find out what they were looking at. "Looks like... someone forgot how to make Putties!"
As he brought the image up on the screen, none of them could stop a sudden shudder at the hideous looking things. From what the Rangers could see, the faces were all individual, some were uglier than others.
"Dad," Adam gasped as he saw his father trapped by the throng of monsters.
"We'll help him" Tanya whispered reassuringly, and Adam squeezed her shoulder as thanks.
Tommy shook his head. "She's right man, he'll be fine. We'll take care of this."
"Call me if you need me," Jason said, reluctant to let his friends go off unaided.
"Sure Bro," Tommy smiled back.
"Rangers, you will need to be extremely careful," Zordon warned. "These creatures are displaying abnormal energy readings."
Everyone nodded, and Tommy glanced at his friends. For a moment, he wondered whether he should ask Jason for help, but then realised they had more to gain by keeping Jason in the background. If he were hurt or killed, Tommy would never forgive himself. He put the thought out of his head. It was time to go to work.
"It's Morphing Time!" Apart from those words to reveal the Zeonisers there was no need to say anymore. The Zeo Crystal used magic, but within its structure the energy was bound to the laws of science. Calling their power helped to focus their minds, it was not a necessity; at that moment the Rangers' minds were firmly set on stopping whatever those creatures were.
In a rush of colour and energy, the six Rangers arrived in the park. The people were shrieking and running around in a blind panic. The creatures attacked just about anything but did not spend very long harassing each of their victims. Fortunately that meant that nobody had been killed so far although there were obviously some broken bones.
The Rangers had barely landed before they were attacked. The creatures had obviously been instructed to attack the Rangers immediately and to press the attack so as to not allow them time to recover. Unfortunately the creatures followed their instructions to the letter and the Rangers were forced to fall back. It was two creatures for each Ranger and after a few blows it became obvious that in spite of their looks, the brutes could fight.
"Divide and conquer," Tommy instructed. It was an old and tested strategy that would probably fail, but it would give the Rangers room to fight. "Siek-yah!"
The others did as Tommy suggested. Kat and Rocky headed off in one direction, drawing their fair share of creatures away while Tanya and Adam double-teamed another group. By switching techniques they were enjoying limited success. That left Tommy to dive into the remainder. He caught one just as it was turning its attention towards some children. A firm punch caught its attention.
The creature seemed to sort of whirl around, turning its head to look at him without a single trace of an expression on its face. Tommy didn't stop his assault though, he had to get the creature away from those kids! Punches and kicks flowed seamlessly from his gloved fists to the monster, and he was obviously making some sort of impression on it, it hadn't looked back at the children once since he'd kicked it the first time.
He got a rather nasty surprise, however, when the thing whipped around faster than he'd ever seen anything move and swiped at him with a knife. He was still shocked when the other one he hadn't been watching managed to strike him from behind. For such ugly things they were strong and their blows were having an effect. Then one of them grabbed his helmet and squeezed. The pain was so intense he couldn't concentrate enough to move. The aura surrounding his suit acted to relieve some pressure to prevent severe damage, but it didn't stop all of it.
While the first one was busy squeezing, the other was taking advantage of the open target on his chest. It drew its knife and lunged.
In another part of the park, Tanya and Adam were fighting off four of the creatures, which had attacked them head on. They didn't have Tommy's problem of being caught, and since there were two of them, they could cover each other's back. If Adam looked like he was in trouble Tanya could help him and vice versa.
"These things are tough!" Tanya groaned, barely managing to wiggle out of the way in time as one tried to bite her. There was little doubt that those ugly teeth could breach her suit. "I think it's time for the big guns, Adam!"
The Green Ranger nodded, backing off a little. "Zeo IV Power Punch!" he cried out, channelling the Zeo energy from his Zord through his body and then into a series of lightning fast punches that hit practically every area of the creatures' bodies in under a minute.
"Zeo II Power Kick!" Tanya echoed the special command, backing off for a moment, then delivering what she'd often termed "the snap kick from hell' to the four stunned opponents. The two of them landed back on their feet a few feet away, side by side and looking to see what effect their special moves had had on the creatures.
For a moment, it didn't seem anything. Then, three turned to dust before their eyes. The fourth remained standing for a moment and then its eyes rolled back and it collapsed. Tanya and Adam both grinned, then looked back at the rest of the park. Tommy was the only one who seemed to need any help, the others were handling themselves just fine.
Or so it looked to the two of them; Kat, and Rocky might have had other ideas. Even fighting together they were unable to keep up with their four attackers. Kat had taken a knock to the side of the head early on, which in turn allowed the creatures to gain the upper hand. Now Kat and Rocky were struggling to regain the momentum.
"This isn't going very well!" Kat shouted to Rocky as the two of them backed towards each other.
"So I see," Rocky nodded, glancing behind him. Something occurred to him as he saw two things: Tanya and Adam taking care of their opponents with their special Zeo moves, and Tommy about to get run through. "Kat, when I give the word, jump hard left. Then -- what Adam and Tanya did -- we do."
A quick glance over her own shoulder showed the Pink Ranger what he meant, and she nodded. "Ready," she murmured. A heartbeat later, Rocky shouted, and both of them moved, her to the left, him to the right. It was an old trick, and the creatures only seemed to partially fall for it, slamming together, but quickly looking up for their prey almost at the same moment.
That wasn't quite the right thing to do, however, as their questing eyes were met by Kat's Pink Fire Cloud. Just as their companion had a few short feet away, two faded away into nothingness. Kat leaned against a tree for a moment, trying to catch her breath. "Rocky?" she panted.
"Here!" Rocky didn't seem to be much winded, as he waved to her. Zeo Ranger III was still avoiding two of the creatures. He shouted, "Zeo III Spinning Power Punch!"
A moment later, he almost sauntered over to her. "Four down," he said, his eyes flicking behind them. "Come on, let's go help Tommy!"
The Red Ranger was still caught up in the grip of one creature. Tanya and Adam were trying to keep the one with the knife away, but it didn't look as if they were having a great deal of luck.
"We know how to get rid of these things," Kat said firmly. "I don't like doing it with Tommy in there, but I don't think we have any options."
"Then let's do it," Adam nodded as the four of them backed up. One by one they got ready, charging up their special attacks.
"Pink Fire Cloud!"
"Zeo II Power Kick!"
"Zeo III Spinning Power Punch!"
"Zeo IV Power Punch!"
The four attacks landed in almost every area of the creatures' bodies, and every one missed Tommy. As the one gripping him collapsed into dust, Tommy fell to the ground, his head pounding and hardly able to stand up.
"Red Ranger!" Kat rushed over to him, quickly gathering him into her arms. "Are you all right?"
~Stupid question, Hilliard, he almost got the breath squeezed out of him!~
For a moment there was no answer, then a soft voice said, "Are the kids all right?"
The Rangers looked at each other, then up in the tree where the children had taken refuge. "They're fine," Rocky smiled wearily under his helmet. "They're fine."
A growl reminded them there was still one creature to deal with: the one with the knife. Fortunately Tommy saw it coming.
"Zeo V Power Sword!"
The movement was short and brutal. The head barely touched the ground before turning to dust.
"That was too close," he panted.
"And it's not over yet!" Rocky stated as the dusted reformed this time into a single beast.
He had watched as his first attempt at foot soldiers were destroyed. That was no big deal he would make his own troops in time and not rely on such crude constructs. Then the unexpected had happened: the destroyed creatures had reformed into a single being. He smiled as it knocked the Rangers around with no real effort. It didn't have a strategy, it just hit anything that moved and the Rangers were certainly moving.
This was an unexpected end to his first attack. He had expected his soldiers to wear the Rangers down before being destroyed, but obviously they had been stronger than he believed. He doubted this combined beast would survive, but if it wore the Rangers down it would make the effort worthwhile. He frowned as a new Ranger appeared on the scene; obviously the Zeo Rangers were in trouble.
"Golden Power Sword!" Jason bellowed.
When it had appeared that the other Rangers were in trouble, Jason had been forced to act. In recent months, since the return of the Gold Ranger powers to Trey and the disruption that followed, Jason had discovered that his time as a Mighty Morphin Power Ranger and later as the Gold Zeo Ranger had had an interesting affect on his connection to the Morphin Grid. Zordon had confirmed following the events surrounding Billy on Aquitar that all Rangers who had held Power Coins and successfully morphed, had burned the channels needed to become Rangers into their biology. In Jason's case that meant that he retained an echo of his connection to the Red Tyrannosaurus and the Red Dragon, although the link to the Tyrannosaurus remained the dominant link. Under normal circumstances he should have been able to call forth a half-powered version of the Red Ranger; the lack of a functioning Power Coin and Power Morpher meant that he could only safely channel so much energy.
However, Jason's relationship with the Power was more complicated than most form Rangers. He had served as the Gold Ranger, a role that had forged a connection with a second more potent and highly dangerous form of Morphin Energy. That energy had almost killed him and despite the time that had passed, the energy had not dissipated naturally. It was power that he could use, to morph into something similar to the Gold Ranger, but the power had proven impossible to regulate and highly dangerous.
That was when Trey, Zordon and Jason had combined their knowledge and understanding of the various powers at play, combining their ingenuity and even calling on assistance from another friend of the Rangers. The result had been a morpher that drew its power from Jason, using both the channels embedded by the Morphin Grid and the residual energy of the Gold Ranger. It had been intended as a means to gradually drain the Gold Ranger energies in a safe manner. But, in times of need, it allowed Jason to aid the Power Rangers in battle as the Golden Red Ranger.
"It's Time for a Gold Rush!"
The Gold Rush was the most powerful weapon Jason had mastered in his new form. The ability to direct all available power into a single pulse of energy. In his new form that energy was directed into his feet to propel him forward and into his sword. He charged forward, striking out at the creature, shoving it away from the Rangers, allowing them to regroup. And as the monster struggled to block his attacks, the Rangers had managed to summon and fire the Zeo Cannon. The blast bounced harmlessly off as the creature started to grow, but struck the ground in beneath it. The ground exploded upwards, preventing the creature from growing fully.
"Fire Two!" Tommy ordered.
The blast was unleashed and the creature was destroyed, much to the Rangers relief.
He watched as his creation was destroyed. It didn't matter too much to him. After all it had not taken any real power to create it. The soldiers had been prototypes and had served their purpose. They had gone on to provide an entertaining battle with the Rangers. Of course they had lost; they were weak no matter how strong they appeared.
Had he been capable of doing so, he would have been smiling. He found it amusing that even now the Rangers were glad their ordeal was over when in fact it had only just begun.
A ball of black energy zoomed through the air, striking each of the Rangers in turn. As they moved to block the next shot, it changed direction and sought out a different target. Sparks flew from the Rangers' uniforms as the blurred figure wove its way between them. Only when it finally stopped did they have the chance to understand what they were facing.
"Who are you?" Tommy asked, Zeo V Power Sword raised and ready to block the next attack, his weight balanced on his right foot so he could attack by pushing off with his left leg.
Harbinger laughed, it was nice to be forgotten. In the back of his mind though a little voice was asking why he had stopped; why was he giving away his secret so early in the game? He squashed that thought for the time being, his red eyes shifting to blue as he observed his opponents.
"How soon we forget, Tommy," he answered. "You might not remember me, but I will never forget you." He pulled the Dark Sword into a ready position and was pleased to see the Red Zeo take a step back. "I will make certain you never again forget the name... Harbinger."
He saw the Rangers glance at each other and a slight shrug that indicated they had no idea what he was talking about.
"Have we ever battled a Harbinger?" Blue Zeo asked.
"I think we fought Haribro once," Adam commented.
"Oh yes, he was a sweet guy," Blue Zeo concluded.
Harbinger growled in annoyance. "Perhaps you might remember me under a different name... Minion," Harbinger growled.
If he had expected that revelation to shock the Blue Zeo Ranger into a more respectful tone, he was in for a disappointment. While the name had caused the Rangers to pause, remembering their previous encounters with the clone, Rocky's jovial attitude was a part of the confidence he portrayed on the battlefield.
"Okay, so your name is Harbinger, but you were previously known as Minion," Blue Zeo said. "And we're supposed to remember that despite you only just telling us? Yeah, that makes sense."
"Do not mock me!" Harbinger growled, charging forward.
He shifted position, appearing next to Yellow Zeo and cut her down with a swift blow across the back. For Pink Zeo he had a similar attack, which she somehow managed to deflect. She wasn't as successful with the backhand that followed though and the opening allowed him to unleash a burst of energy that tore into her chest. She went down hard, sparks bursting from her chest area as her powers tried to dissipate the energy before it could penetrate the energy grid.
Blue and Green Zeo were already moving before he could deliver a final blow. Their combined attacks landed sufficient force to make him step back, once. But Minion had the Dark Sword on his side and the the powerful weapon craved blood and combat. The weapon moved of its own accord, seeking out the weak points in the Rangers' defences. The blade caught Green Zeo around the knee, the explosive energy causing more damage than the cut. Green Zeo was thrown back as Harbinger brought the sword around for a finishing chop.
Blue Zeo was there before Harbinger could make the killing blow. He tried to use his Zeo Arm Blades against the villain and when that failed, he drove his shoulder into the black clad figure. Harbinger spun backward, his sword at the horizontal so that it shredded through the Ranger's chest protection.
Again Harbinger wondered why he had stopped short. That blow could have chopped the Ranger in two and yet, apart from some blood, the Blue Zeo Ranger was intact. It was not a problem with the sword or his strength, they were perfect. Something had stopped him from landing a fatal blow; he was being manipulated and he had a good idea of who was influencing him. It didn't stop him from following up though.
Rocky's eyes widened in pain and his Arm Blades were forgotten as both hands moved to cup the open wound in his chest. He didn't even see the sword closing in on him until after he heard the commotion as Adam returned the favour by saving his life. Rocky collapsed backwards just as Adam's injured knee gave way and he stumbled. It didn't matter though, the Green Zeo Ranger had done enough to dissuade Harbinger who now turned his attention to the two uninjured Rangers.
Red Zeo and the Golden Red Ranger attacked together. It was clear that Red Zeo was the faster of the two and that Golden Red Ranger was out of practice. Still, while one drew Harbinger's sword in one direction, the other tried to use the opening to land their blows. Both were surprised when his body flickered and their weapons passed through. He flickered again and the handle of his sword landed firmly under Red Zeo's helmet, knocking him down as the Golden Red Ranger landed a heavy blow of his own. It brought the Rangers time to reunite.
"Circle Formation!" Red Zeo commanded.
The six Rangers formed a circle, each Ranger facing outward, shoulder to shoulder.
Harbinger attacked, but found that even when forced onto the defensive, the Power Rangers' teamwork was exemplary. They blocked, shielded and deflected each attack, buying time for their injured comrades to recover. They rotated positions, so that no individual faced repeated attack. They continued to block and shield until the brunt of his attack had been sustained. And then they struck back.
"Zeo V Star Blast!"
A burst of red energy emerged from his helmet, striking the tip of the Zeo V Power Sword. When the sword was fully charged, he unleashed the blast. A star-shaped burst connected with the villain, knocking him to the ground. Harbinger recovered with a flick the Dark Sword was in the ready position.
Red Zeo backed up as his sword moved to block the aggressive blows. He turned, twisted, blocked and countered, never allowing his assailant to move inside his guard. He dropped into a low leg sweep, which his opponent jumped and then pushed upwards with as much force as he could muster to deliver an uppercut. He had some satisfaction as the villain's head rolled back. That turned to concern as Harbinger followed through and pushed his body into a somersault. Red Zeo dodged left, narrowly avoiding the sword that had almost ripped through his hip; he used the Zeo V Power Sword to slap his opponent's weapon aside.
Harbinger was getting annoyed. Three times he had been in a position to make the kill and three times he had failed to follow through. What was going on and why was he fighting with such a strong disadvantage? Still, even if he couldn't destroy the Rangers he could let them know what they were in for.
He unleashed another burst of energy, this time allowing it to strike all of the Rangers at once. He wasn't aiming to destroy them this time, but he waited until they were unable to move before he stopped. His attack was reflected by a dome of pink energy.
Harbinger growled. "If this is the best the Earth can manage then you would do well to surrender before you get hurt."
"Power Rangers never surrender," Red Zeo answered. "Especially when we're winning!"
Harbinger laughed. "You've already lost Tommy, you just don't know it." He ripped off his mask, revealing the scarred flesh beneath. "You live only because Harbinger has decided to show you mercy."
He heard the murmurs of disbelief from some of the Rangers as they tried to deny his existence.
"You really are Minion," Blue Zeo commented. "But we destroyed you... twice!"
"Third time's the charm," Harbinger answered. "I am stronger than ever. There are powers at work here that are beyond human comprehension. Surrender -- now!"
"Actually," Yellow Zeo responded. "I think: strike three... you're out!"
"Zeo Power Cannon... Fire!"
"It's time for a Gold Rush!"
The dual blasts struck, throwing Harbinger backwards. He struggled to contain the destructive energy, but found himself unable to hold on. In a moment, it was over. Harbinger was down and for a moment... out.
The Power Chamber
"Ai-yi-yi-yi-yi! Zordon, the readings have spiked!" Alpha warned.
"Alpha, teleport the Rangers here immediately," Zordon instructed.
It was too late. Even as Alpha tried to lock onto their location, the massive dimensional interference caused by a rift between Angel Grove and Dark Specter's domain rendered teleportation impossible.
The Dark Dimension
"No real surprise there," Drakkon commented as he watched the Rangers connect with a blow that brought Harbinger to the ground. "His need to be present on the battlefield placed him in danger. He could have held back and let his creations break them down. But Harbinger's need to prove himself forced his actions. Such a shame that despite his opinions on the matter, his mind is not suited to the role of general. Even as a soldier, he is a failure."
"Then why did you send him?" Dark Specter rumbled. His voice held an edge of anger and disappointment, as if he had been expecting masterstroke that would leave Harbinger victorious. Now it was clear that Drakkon had planned for the encounter and expected Harbinger to lose.. He knew that the point of creating Harbinger had been as much about the broken failures that had occurred along the way as it had been the end result. Drakkon had used his understanding of Harbinger - for he had a great deal of influence on the building of the construct's thoughts - and his knowledge of the Rangers, to bring things to this point.
Drakkon smirked. "Because doing so has provided the opportunity to put Harbinger's strategy to the test. The Rangers are in the open, seemingly having triumphed over their enemy; I'm not sure if Harbinger actually survived that blast, but if he did then he will realise that the time to strike... is now!"
The broken Minions shimmered as their bodies took on the appearance of Harbinger. They teleported to appear in a burst of explosive magical energy, honing in on what remained of their 'brother'.
Earth
When fighting Power Rangers, you are fighting a team. Even if you allow yourselves the company of soldiers to adjust the numbers in your favour, the exemplary teamwork of the Rangers will allow them to persevere, overcome and triumph. Isolation is the weakness of Ranger teams. They are not Riders; they do not thrive individually, nor do they seek personal glory to place themselves above each other. The team and the relationships within bind them together, allowing a degree of cooperation and coordination that has brought down many a foe.
The Rangers gathered around Harbinger, his identity revealed for all to see, his rage and frustration at being bested once more causing him to punch the ground as he attempted to rise for one more attempt. But as he tensed his muscles to spring upward, he felt the blade of the Zeo V Power Sword pressing into his chest.
"Don't try it," Tommy advised. "This battle is over."
And with that Harbinger's face morphed from broken horror to dawning realisation.
"Over? Tommy, we've only just begun."
And so, the answer when dealing with Rangers is to strike fast, strike hard and break their unity. Force them into a situation where they lack the time to regain their unity after they have been scattered. And then, you must pick them apart quickly before they can regroup. For another weakness of a Ranger team when used against them correctly, is that their close bonds and emotional ties can cause disruption in the face of loss. Destroying one of their comrades can impair their thoughts allowing more to be picked off before they can recover. Their own leaders when consumed with grief and the shock of seeing those under their care fall, will lose themselves to emotion making them easier to control. Always remember they are a team, but they are not soldiers, they are not hardened to experience loss on the battlefield. It always has an affect.
The ground around them exploded with a loud whoosh as the portal opened, depositing the army of broken Minions upon the scene. Hardened by their training, driven to madness by the constant cycle of life, death and being dumped in a pit of their own kind awaiting disposal, they all shared a single purpose: revenge upon the Rangers responsible for their banishment to the domain of Drakkon and by extension Dark Specter.
The explosive force threw the Rangers outwards across the park, separating them from each other as the horde of Minion's charged. This was not some coordinated squadron of Putties. It was a vicious mob of rejected constructs, each with the overwhelming desire to destroy the Power Rangers and regain some form of peace.
Tommy is naturally the most dangerous. He is the most seasoned and their commander. He has seen things and endured things that should have broken him. While started by the sudden attack, he will recover his wits and attempt to bring the others together. Silencing Tommy should be a priority, taking him down is a morale hit that will paralyse the others.
The Dark Sword slipped through Red Zeo's defence. Even as he had started to regain some sort of footing against the Minions, Harbinger had been there ready to strike. The blade sliced through Red Zeo's uniform, causing the Ranger to fold as the Minions gave a cheer of triumph. His cry of pain drew the attention of Pink Zeo, momentarily distracting her from her battle.
"Tommy!"
That cry drew the attention of the other Rangers. Green and Blue Zeo intensified their efforts to reach their downed friend. In doing so they lost sight of their most vulnerable member.
Tanya is the least experienced member of the Zeo team. Oh, she has come a long way in her time as a Ranger, but she has grown used to battling Cogs, not a foe of this kind. She will fight and she will hold her own for a time, but the less structured fighting style of the Minion's will cause her to lose track of her position, isolating her from the support of the Green and Blue Zeo Rangers.
Tanya, the Yellow Zeo Ranger, scrambled to her feet, heart racing. Her training had been thorough, but she could feel the mob calculating every move, every hesitation. ~I can't… I can't let them down…~ A pulse slammed into her chest, knocking the air from her lungs. She fell to her knees, gasping, tears stinging her eyes. Vulnerable, exposed. She felt the sting of fear—this was the first time she'd truly been in such peril. ~I have to… hold on…~
Adam gritted his teeth as he rose, only to be hit from the side. ~I have to protect Tanya… , she can't take another hit like that.~ He lunged, but the another pulse of energy slammed into him, sending him sprawling. His senses screamed, frustration and fear gnawing at him. ~If she falls… I can't forgive myself.~ It was then that he realised that in his haste to get to Yellow Zeo, he had left Blue Zeo exposed.
The relationship between the Green and Yellow Ranger is known. Their feelings for each other can be a strength but in the chaos that the Minions bring upon them, it is a weakness to be exploited. The team relies upon the Green Zeo Ranger to act as their leader when the Red Zeo Ranger is inevitably targeted. He is the less seen commander on the battlefield. If his ability to lead is impaired, the teamwork between the other Rangers suffers.
Their sixth Ranger, should he be present is a tank. He will be powerful, unstoppable in direct combat. I suspect he can still channel the power of the Gold Ranger, so his Gold Rush is a powerful attack. But, he is limited... Both in time and power. The use of the Power of Zeo takes a heavy toll upon its avatars, the Gold Ranger powers take an even heavier tone; there is a reason why it takes a race like the Triforians to safely handle it. Drawing too much energy for too long will lead to serious injury and knowing Zordon... he will have included a time out to prevent such dangers. Therefore when dealing with the sixth Ranger, Finster, you need only avoid the worst of his firepower and wait for the failsafe to kick in. At which time... he is little more than a human playing dress up.
Jason tore through the throng of Minions, his sword slashing left and right, cleaving his opponents in half. But there were hundreds of Minions and the Gold Rush could only last so long. And Jason had called upon that power multiple times during the battle. His body was starting to suffer the side effects of prolonged transformation. When he lifted his sword to begin a new run, his powers rebelled against him, the damage to his biology causing the Gold Ranger energy to run uncontained as it turned inward. Jason screamed as he was attacked by his own powers, unable to even lift a fist as the Minions piled on.
And then, just as they think they have faced the worst, is the moment you must strike decisively, Finster. You must plunge the blade into their fallen forms and claim victory. It is only at that point that you can say they are truly defeated. Give them a last hope if you can, just to rub salt into their wounds.
The Rangers were down, exhausted from the fighting, unable to retreat. And then the Minions stopped and recoiled. Their hands reached for the sides of their heads as they collectively screamed. Their eyes glowed red, their bodies crackled with dark energy. And then they exploded. The shockwave was intense, sweeping over the Rangers in a surge of destructive energy. It tore through the streets, leaving carnage. The Rangers' powers, already stressed beyond limits by the fighting they had endured, offered up a final burst of energy to shield them from the brunt of the blast... leaving them unmorphed and prone on the ground.
And when they are at that point, Finster... You finish them.
The Dark Dimension
"Ah, the moment has arrived..." Drakkon remarked as he watched the explosion. "Now, if Harbinger is truly up to the task... he has some Rangers to kill."
And as he watched the battlefield clear of smoke, Dark Specter realised that Drakkon had been correct. For standing on the broken soil was Harbinger, and he looked murderous.
Angel Grove
"This was not exactly how I imagined it," Harbinger noted as he walked across the remnants of the battlefield. The lesser Minions were scattered all over the place, pieces of them dangling from the remains of buildings. As he strolled forward, Harbinger found that he was intact... mostly. Although the construct had no clue what had happened, just that it had allowed him to seize victory from the jaws of defeat. The Rangers... he could see them scattered around the battlefield, their bodies broken by the explosion. With a gesture he used a summoning spell to bring them closer, sneering as he looked down at the fallen Red Zeo Ranger. His face turned slightly unreadable when he noticed Jason. "It looks like my plan worked after all... just with a few adjustments."
He jabbed his armoured toe into Tommy's ribs.
"Hello Tommy, I bet you never expected to see me again. Don't worry, this will be quick. Not painless, but definitely swift."
"You!" Tommy realised as he looked up at the towering form of Harbinger. "You really are Minion! But we defeated..."
"Twice," Harbinger finished, borrowing Rocky's realisation from earlier. "Three times if you count our recent confrontation. It seems that my new benefactor decided to lend a hand. And now, you're the one lying into the mud while I stand triumphant."
"The last time we met Tommy, you accomplished something I thought impossible: you defeated me, but you failed to finish the job. Had it not been for Lord Zedd's curse and your trickery, I would have triumphed. But, that failure led me to a new master. And through his no-so-tender mercies, I was renewed and reborn as Harbinger. Rest assured..." he summoned the Dark Sword from where he had dropped it earlier, the blade glowing with dark power as it sensed the grip of its master... "I won't make the same mistake."
He raised the sword upward over his head, stepping forward as he brought it down in a deliberate and deadly strike. He expected to take Tommy's head from his shoulders, but instead the blow was met by an opposing blade.
There is one final thing, Finster, that you should always remember when dealing with Power Rangers: the count doesn't stop at six. Never assume that there isn't one more Ranger, hiding somewhere, waiting until they are needed. It is a false assumption that the Rangers are unable to call in help in an emergency. Until you have accounted for every former Ranger, alien ally and potential interloper... never assume that there are no more obstacles. A true genius, such as myself, will always prepare for the possibility of that one loose thread. For any genius can tell you it is the difference between total victory and mere triumph.
"What?!" he snarled as he realised what had prevented his triumph.
Before him stood the Green Dragon Ranger, Dragon Dagger raised in a blocking motion.
"Siek-yah!" The Green Ranger yelled as he launched into a spin kick that forced Harbinger to take a step back.
It was one step and the villain recovered quickly, catching the Green Dragon Ranger's next strike and using the momentum to flip his foe through the air.
"Pathetic!" he snarled as he lashed out with a double kick. "Another wannabe hero."
He spoke softly, summoning the power of the Morphin Grid, and launched a ball of black fire. He was completely unprepared for the Green Ranger to utter a spell of his own, deflecting the energy back. The Dark Sword intercepted the magic, sending it shooting off into a distant building.
With a snarl of fury he struck out at the Green Ranger, knocking him from his feet. But, the time he had spent dealing with the interloper had caused harbinger to take his eyes off the other Rangers. And with Alpha finally finding a way to lock onto the fallen team, they had been teleported away.
"Well, at least I can stop you from interfering again," he said as he turned back to face the Green Dragon Ranger... who had vanished. He growled before reaching down a grabbing Harbinger by the neck. "Fine, take this day as a reprieve Tommy, but know that this day marks the beginning of the end. Harbinger has arrived and this Earth belongs to me!" He paused, gripping his head as a wave of pain flowed through him. "To my master, the Earth belongs to my master." He knew that Dark Specter would not be pleased that he had failed to finish them, but this was still a victory. Behind him the remains of the lesser Minions dissolved into piles of charred sand, completely drained of the magic that had sustained them.
In the aftermath it had taken time for the Rangers to finally leave the Power Chamber. Their injuries had needed extended use of the medical equipment; stabilising Jason had taken longer than they were comfortable with. Between treatments under Alpha's careful use of the tissue regenerator, the other Rangers had been caught up on the identity of their attacker.
"He got us," Tommy said after a while. "Minion - Harbinger - whatever he was called; he knew how to draw us out and then waited until we were so focussed on the battle that we couldn't see the trap coming."
"He knew how to fight us," Adam added. "He stopped us from helping each other. It made it easier to take us down one by one."
Tommy nodded. "If it hadn't been for the Green Ranger, he could have finished us."
The mysterious Green Ranger had shown again in their time of need and then vanished without a trace. They still didn't know who he was or where he came from.
"So what do we do now?" Rocky asked. "Harbinger is out there, not at full strength, but he's got somebody powerful helping him and an army of whatever those things were to use against us."
"For now Rangers, you return to your families," Zordon rumbled. "There is little more you can do here for now and despite Alpha's efforts, you will need time to heal. We will contact you if you are needed."
The Rangers nodded and teleported away, Jason's arm still in a sling where Alpha had been unable to heal all of his injuries. As they left, Alpha and Zordon began another sensor sweep of the Earth, aware that despite Rita and Zedd's absence, the forces of darkness were growing stronger by the moment. They needed to find Harbinger before he was ready to strike again. The fate of the Power Rangers and the Earth depended on it.
End of Part