The Lurking Fear - Group 6

[meatbabies]

Nightmare becomes reality....

[roster: Leader - Echo, Adam Park, Billy Cranston, Cissie King-Jones, Jamie McCrimmon]

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Blue Ranger Gone Bad

[meatbabies]

One hero stands alone. He falls.

Descent

[meatbabies]

Billy Cranston's mind is assaulted, fought for, and claimed.

[morphitudinous]

In the moment that reality starts to fade, Billy clings to the desperate hope that he can survive---and then the familiar but long-lost sensation of teleportation washes over him, pulling him up and out of the hallway.

Then---impossibly---he's standing in a very familiar place. An endless sky of stars stretches out from the circular blue platform he stands on. Shining columns of light stretch up from the abyss, pointing to a long blue surrounded by rays of light. The face within is wise, old, and troubled. Zordon.

The six standing in front of him are familiar. In red is Jason. In yellow is Trini. In black is Zack. In pink is Kimberly. In green is Tommy. But in blue is...Adam? This isn't right, Billy's mind protests. I need to find the truth and break away. I'm aboard Stacy. This is a trap.

"Everyone, what's going on?" The last few nightmares have silenced him. This one does not.

[meatbabies]

[morphitudinous]

What?

"Adam, what are you talking about? I'm your friend. We're working together aboard Stacy, remember? This isn't real. The Nightmare King's trying to trap us!"

[meatbabies]

[morphitudinous]

Billy flinches, looking hurt. Kim's one of his best friends. Why doesn't she trust him? He's drawn further into the argument, almost forgetting that none of this is real.

"I'm not working for Lord Zedd! Where on earth did you get that idea?"

[meatbabies]

[meatbabies]

[morphitudinous]

Billy flops to the ground bonelessly, still shellshocked from Zack and Trini's assault.

"No, please! I swear to you that I honestly have no idea what crimes you're all accusing me of! Zedd's tricked you!"

[meatbabies]

[morphitudinous]

Ah!

He doesn't bother to resist the assault, still reeling from the broken nose. How did it come to this? Did he really turn to evil when the Ohm attacked? How are the Rangers still alive if Stacy didn't rescue them? Nothing makes sense, but it's getting harder and harder to think.

Calling on his last resort, Billy asks the old sage for advice. "Zordon, please show me what happened. I swear I don't understand!"

[meatbabies]

[morphitudinous]

Billy comes to consciousness again some time later, a faint buzzing sensation in the back of his head. He feels as though he's been unconscious for some time, allowing the new 'reality' to sink in. The Rangers are his enemies, he sided with Zedd and Rita to fight the Ohm...something isn't right. Deep inside, he's screaming that none of this is real.

[meatbabies]

"Would you really turn your back on your saviors?"

Lord Zedd's voice boomed in his ear, the mass of muscle and metal advancing upon them. He looked Billy over, then promptly planted his head in his palm.

[morphitudinous]

What was Lord Zedd trying to say? Berating him one moment, then treating him like a son the next. How bizarre---another reason this was all wrong.

"What are you talking about? I don't remember agreeing to work for you, or taking orders from Goldar, or anything! You're lying."

Yet a creeping feeling in his heart told him not to be so sure...