The Lurking Fear - Group 6
Nightmare becomes reality....
[roster: Leader - Echo, Adam Park, Billy Cranston, Cissie King-Jones, Jamie McCrimmon]
[roster: Leader - Echo, Adam Park, Billy Cranston, Cissie King-Jones, Jamie McCrimmon]
Adam is the first to detect the intruder's presence. He turns, moves protectively in front of the others, and glares.
"What right do you have to be here, after everything you've done? Get out!"
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"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!"
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"Ah!"
Kimberly turns around next, tensing up. She's obviously preparing for another fight.
"Guys, don't listen to him! Zedd still thinks he can fool us."
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"I'm not working for Lord Zedd! Where on earth did you get that idea?"
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Zack and Jason face him next, moving protectively in front of the others. Billy tenses, then gets the surprise of his life when the Black Ranger kicks him ferociously into one of the control panels.
"Don't play dumb, man. You know exactly what you did. When those beetle creeps attacked, you left us. You went running to Zedd, and now you're his...what was that word, Trini?"
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"Vassal," Trini informs, an uncharacteristic scowl on her face. "You betrayed us, Billy. You killed our parents!"
With a howl of despair she launches at him, raining down ferocious punches and kicks.
Jason pulls the struggling Yellow Ranger back, shaking his head.
"I don't believe you, man. You were our brother, I taught you better than that!" The pain in his eyes shines clearly.
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"No, please! I swear to you that I honestly have no idea what crimes you're all accusing me of! Zedd's tricked you!"
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"Has he?"
Growling angrily, Tommy swoops in and seizes Billy's shirt collar, holding him above the ground. "We've been through this before. You come crawling back to us, begging our forgiveness and pretending not to know what happened, but it's always the same! We still haven't repaired Alpha from the last time!"
He spins on his heel and throws Billy into another control panel, then pounces and shoves the Blue Ranger's head against the wall.
"You're scum, Billy. One alien attack scares you and you go running off to Zedd. We would've helped you, man. Geeks are all the same. You go running off to the strongest protector." He punctuates his point by punching Billy in the face, quite cleanly breaking his nose.
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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!"
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"Observe the viewing globe," Zordon instructs somberly.
A video plays. Billy sees the beginnings of the Ohm attack. The high school crumbles, the Youth Center falls, Ernie and his teachers are dead. Bulk and Skull are viciously ripped apart. The Rangers are desperately holding off the attack, but they won't last long.
Lord Zedd and Rita Repulsa descend then, stopping the Ohm assault with their magic. The Rangers finally have time to breathe. An offer is made---if they call a ceasefire, Rita and Zedd can keep the Ohm at bay forever. Most of the Rangers refuse. Billy accepts, feeling that nothing is worth the destruction of their planet.
At first, nothing happens. The Blue Power is transferred to Adam, Billy moves to their Moon Palace. Monster attacks spread around the world---minor at first, but growing in intensity. But Angel Grove is kept safe for now.
Eventually, they advance on Angel Grove, and this is where they are now, the Rangers continuing to be thorns in Rita and Zedd's sides. Billy attempts to infiltrate the Rangers several times, each time feigning innocence and begging for their forgiveness. They fall for it twice---and disaster ensues. Because of him, Alpha and the Zords are gone.
When the vision finishes, a cage descends to ensnare the former Blue Ranger. He stares blankly, and then the sensation of teleportation whisks him away again.
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But then the pain fades, catching his attention. His nose, cuts, and bruises are healed, and someone leans over him with a look of concern.
Rita. Billy flinches away from her, jumping into a defensive position and nearly impaling herself on her decorative chest spikes in the process. "You caused this! If you don't reverse it now, I will!!"
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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.
"GOLDAR! I can't believe that bumbling buffoon thought trying the infiltration plan again was a good idea. Now Billy, son, you're safe now."
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"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...
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"We suspected that floating know-it-all meat glob would hurt your head," Rita crooned, helping Zedd with a spell-casting. And he saw.
Earth is starting to crumble. Casualties pile on every day. The Rangers are haggard and desperate. Yet eventually...
Rita and Zedd have a plan. They combine their sorcery and force the enemy out, determined to conquer Earth for themselves...but it will take years to drive the Ohm away.
For a time, the team resists the offer of a ceasefire, encouraged by their Zordon to keep fighting. Then, Billy's family is murdered and all hell breaks loose. Desperate to do something, he makes an attempt to convince the team to give it a try. Months of trouble had worn down his faith in his abilities, and in his desperation, ANYTHING they might be able to do to help someone was worth trying. The team refused. Billy went alone.
Over time, the Rangers proved that they prioritized upholding their morals over protecting the planet. Working alone against the Ohm, Billy came to realize this too. His lifelong friends slowly became pitiable fools, then obstacles, then enemies.
And soon, just the same, his sworn enemies became friends.
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Yet the doubt sliding like water into his mind slips in undetected, lowering his guard bit by bit. As he clamors for the strength to force this abomination away from him, he's fighting the wrong battle.
And losing.
And lost, as a sudden spell from the sky encases his body. The 'memories' force their way inside, the emotions lock into place like a straight jacket, and the moralistic and kind Billy is suppressed by the force of the spell, locked inside the cage of his own mind.
A new warrior emerges: calm, intelligent, focused, and evil. From the inside, the transition is a violent storm. From the outside, though? Completely silent. In the blink of an eye, a hero dies and a villain is born.
Are you ready?
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