Streaks of Purple Saga Volume Four by Heather Ray (icecream ebook reader .TXT) 📖

steadying breath, and rushed back to his new friend.

Rather than waste the minor advantage surprise afforded him, he silently rushed toward the fighters. He channeled that momentum into a jump kick, connecting with the small of one monster's back, and driving her into her partner.

He then rushed to Zack's side. "Are you okay?'

"Just dandy," Zack heaved, "How 'bout yourself? That kick to the chest was nasty!"

Adam grimaced. "It was, but if it was any lower, I might've broken some ribs."

Zack nodded his understanding.

Adam stole another glance at his partner, curiosity finally overwhelming his focus. "Zack, I have to ask you something."

The young man stiffened. "Yeah?"

"How did you... bend like that?"

The inexplicable tension melted off Zack's face. "Bro, when this is all over, I'm introducing you to the beauty of Hip Hop Kido!"

At that moment, a flash of vibrant blue erupted just feet away. Both young men watched the light take shape, and stared openly at the newly-arrival hero.

"The Blue Ranger!" Adam gasped.

"What's going on?" Zack demanded.

"Both of you need to clear out immediately," Blue advised, spinning his Power Lance, "These are magical creatures from the moon, and are far more dangerous than they appear."

Adam's eyes widened. "Far

more dangerous?"

Zack frowned. "C'mon, Adam. Let's give the man room to work."

Together, Zack and Adam hurried away from the battle site, heading in the general direction of the Youth Center. After about a block, Zack slowed down.

"What?" Adam called, turning to his new friend.

"Listen, Man... I live that way," he explained, pointing down a cross street. "I'm kinda worried about my family, so I think I'll just go home."

Adam nodded. "I'll come with you. Just in case."

Zack's lip quirked. "I appreciate it, but one of us needs to see that the kids got back to the Youth Center safe and sound."

Adam found himself watching Zack's expression carefully. Why was he so nervous? Considering his poise facing evil alien creatures, his sudden discomfiture was inexplicable.

Finally, he nodded. "I'll make sure the kids are okay. Be careful, Zack."

Zack smiled gratefully, grasping Adam's hand and shaking it in earnest. "You too, Adam. And I'll catch ya tomorrow, okay?"

"You got it."

The two young men parted ways, racing to their destinations at breakneck speed. After running half a block, Zack stole a glance behind him. Then, without breaking stride, he dodged between two stores, and dug into his pocket.

"It's Morphin' Time!" he called into the night, "Mastodon!"

Chapter Thirty-One

They're Putties,

Kimberly determined, Just pumped up Putties...

True, Lord Zedd's typical Putty Patroller was far less of a threat. It couldn't speak, couldn't really think, and couldn't improvise. They always bumbled through a fight, falling for the same tricks over and over.

These creatures were much more. Not only could they talk, they were even capable of mockery and wit, not to mention strategy. Plus, their endurance was miles ahead of your average Putty, and they lacked the telltale Z plate on their chest.

But... the streaks on them look like Rita's Putties,

the Pink Ranger noted. Could Finster have baked these?

She deflected the Misfit's fists with her forearm, observing the fighting form with a critical eye. Yet what was most disturbing about the creature was its face. The mounting frustration was evident in the narrow, beady eyes and tightly-pursed lips. Even though the face was clearly constructed from moist clay, it was emotive.

"C'mon, Sweet Cheeks,"

he goaded, "Show me what you got!"

It was so strange to hear a monster leer at her. It almost made her feel awkward, like when she walked past a construction site and fell victim to degrading cat-calls. The Misfits acted far too... human

for comfort.

Not just human...

she realized, They're rude, obnoxious bullies!

Kimberly was so stunned by her conclusion that she left herself wide open for a sharp knee to her solar plexus. Gasping for breath, the Pink Ranger folded.

Chapter Thirty-Two

She seemed to collapse in slow motion. It was surreal, watching her fall forward without the barest sound. No scream of pain, no cry for help. Just... nothing.

And suddenly, Tommy Oliver was terrified.

The Misfit he faced must've sensed his tension, for she released a long, indulgent cackle. "Sorry, Big Guy... this isn't tag team. You wanna tackle my partner, you gotta get through me

first."

It was the single biggest mistake the Misfit could've made.

The White Ranger reached for Saba, clenching the hilt so tightly the sword winced. "You squeezed?" the saber grumbled.

"We gotta make this quick, Saba," Tommy informed his partner. Rather than supply further wry commentary, Saba heeded the dark anger in the White Ranger's tone. Now was not the time for bickering.

The Misfit smirked. "Bring it on!"

The sharp edge of the enchanted saber began to glow with a faint aura. "You asked for it."

Between the fierce slices of heated steel, the Misfit managed a few grunts of pain. As reinforced metal cleaved through joints, even the pliable nature of the clay couldn't keep the being together. She struggled to maintain her balance... to retaliate, only to have each appendage methodically removed from her body. And as each piece slid to the ground, it crumbled to mud.

Tommy spun Saba in his hand, orienting the head upward. Reaching forward, a stream of laser struck the pile, obliterating any vestige of intelligent matter.

Then, the White Ranger quirked his head to the other Misfit.

The last creature took an involuntary step back. That step was soon followed by another, and before long, Misfit was making a hasty retreat into the surrounding shadows.

Chapter Thirty-Three

"And, yet again, you disappoint me, Finster." Lord Zedd stepped away from the parapet, turning his back to the planet that dared to defy his rule. "Why am I not surprised?"

Finster scowled, but put every effort into keeping his voice measured. "All is not lost, Sire."

Zedd responded with a low, chilling laugh. "Oh? I beg to differ, Alchemist. Tommy just annihilated one of your precious Misfits in fourteen seconds. Even someone of your

limited intelligence can calculate how long the remaining five will last!"

"My Misfit has not been annihilated," Finster corrected. "And as Tommy frets over his comrade, not only will my Misfits recuperate, they will retaliate with a force the Rangers cannot hope to conquer."

The Emperor scoffed. "That remains to be seen."

Chapter Thirty-Four

"Kim? Kim!"

"I'm okay, Tommy," she assured him, carefully sitting up from the grass, "That was just stupid. I let my guard down, and the jerk took advantage of it."

While Tommy was unspeakably relieved to see his girlfriend make such a speedy recovery, her comment struck an odd chord. "The 'jerk'?"

She nodded. "Have you noticed how strange these Misfits act? They make fun of us, they hassle us, and they just love sneaky attacks. They're acting like jerks!" She then grabbed Tommy's hand. "Very specific

jerks."

Tommy blinked. "You mean...?"

"Zedd, or Finster, or whoever

has created these monsters from Bulk, Skull, and all the other punks that were attacked last night. I'm sure of it!"

The White Ranger frowned, his concern mounting as he considered the implications.

"These monsters and last night's attacks have

to be related," Kim pressed. "I don't know what has been done

to Skull and the others, but these monsters have... I don't know... a part

of them. The bully part."

"If that's true, then if we destroy the Misfits, we might..." Tommy found he couldn't finish his sentence. Instead, he turned around, looking for the scattered dust that was the remains of one Misfit.

Only, what he saw was far from remains.

"Kim, look!"

The two Rangers watched in silence as the mud specks gathered together, creating an amorphous pile that sat on the grass.

"You thought this was over?"

said the other Misfit, emerging from the surrounding trees to take his place beside his erstwhile partner.

He stood straight, his arms akimbo, as the clay merged with him. His voice deepened, his triumphant laughter rumbling as every muscle beneath his oily exterior inflated to double its breadth.

The nine-foot tall creature folded its thick arms, and stared down at the two shell-shocked Power Rangers. "Time for Round Two..."