Streaks of Purple Saga Volume Three by Heather Ray (books for students to read txt) 📖

Chapter Thirteen

This sucker's fast!

The Black Ranger, famous for his fast reflexes and even faster tongue, found himself without a witty comment as he tried his best to keep up with the Scarlet Sentinel.

Thankfully, the few seconds Nimrod spent facing off with Billy gave Zack the break he needed to orient himself. He manifested the Power Ax, and managed to angle the dense blade just in time to block Nimrod's powerful weapon.

To his surprise, the collision of steel on steel sent a shockwave through his body. If his elbows weren't locked, the force of Nimrod's hit could very well have knocked Zack's own weapon into his face.

Zack managed to recover fast enough to strike at the Nimrod, but to his horror, he found the weight of the Power Ax too much to properly thrust. Instead of swinging to the side, the weapon dragged him downward with his own momentum, lodging the blade deeply into the grass.

"What gives?" he hissed. He inhaled deeply, and pulled with all his might. But the Power Ax might as well have been Excalibur trapped in a magical stone... it wouldn't budge.

And the Black Ranger was too busy trying to recover his weapon to notice Nimrod's stealth approach...

Chapter Fourteen

Zack!!

"Oh no ya don't, Pebble-Brain!"

Nimrod looked away from her unwary prey just in time to see the Pink Ranger heft her bow, silver arrow gleaming in the sunlight as she took aim.

Both Kim and her target watched as the arrow *thunked* into the ground just in front of the Pink Ranger's white boots.

Kim's jaw went slack as she stared disbelievingly at her arrow.

I... I just didn't have the strength to pull back the chord!

she realized, staring at her shooting hand.

"You want to see a projectile, little girl?" Nimrod asked, struggling against her laughter as she lifted her pole like a javelin, "Happy to oblige!"

Kim froze as Nimrod pulled her throwing arm back...

Chapter Fifteen

"Move!" Jason commanded.

Purple and Yellow sprang into motion, following the directions Red gave them the instant he recognized Kim's danger.

Yellow dashed to Zack, who stood stupefied just feet away from Nimrod, his hand hanging off the handle of his embedded Power Ax.

Red released a fierce growl as he tackled the unprepared Nimrod from behind.

Purple streaked through the air at her top speed, her whip unfurled in her grasp. Then, without getting a chance to take proper aim, she let the leather fly.

The whip smashed into the red pole, the tip wrapping around to hold it securely. And then, Purple pulled.

Kim blinked as the missile suddenly jerked to the side, and fell into Alexis' waiting palm.

"Kim!" Alexis called, dropping the pole and dashing to her friend, "Kim, are you hurt?"

"No," Kim breathed, shaking out of her daze, "But... but something's wrong. I couldn't shoot an arrow! Did you see it, Lex? I never even miss

... but now I can barely hold up the Power Bow..."

Alexis grimaced. It was clear that something

was amiss... for the Blue, Pink, and Black Rangers were completely ineffective against Nimrod. Kim and Zack couldn't seem to handle their own weapons, and Billy never returned after his somersaulting retreat.

This is the first time I don't have Kreia's guidance, but I still knew exactly how to use my whip... my weapon is like an extension of my body. Something must be seriously wrong for Kim and Zack to struggle with theirs.

Alexis sighed deeply, and looked behind her. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw Jason literally lifted off the ground by a kick Nimrod landed in his gut.

The Red Ranger gripped his stomach tenderly, crawling backwards to make some room between them.

"Kim, Jason told us to regroup, and Trini and Zack are heading over to Billy now. You should join them."

"What about you?"

"I'm gonna try and help Jason."

Chapter Sixteen

I think that one cracked a rib...

Jason bit his tongue against a groan of pain, balancing himself on his hands as he launched his feet into the air. The impromptu kick should have taken Nimrod by surprise... should being the operative word.

The Scarlet Sentinel caught the Red Ranger's feet with both hands, a derisive sneer on her face. "Are you absolutely certain you're trying your best?" she sighed, tightening her grip.

Jason ground his teeth, his mind swimming as he felt the pressure against his ankles. She'll rip my feet off... and my armor's not protecting me...

"Power Sword!" he bellowed, holding his hands behind his head. The weapon appeared at his summon after a short hesitation, and Jason growled deep in his throat to muster the strength to thrust the blade at his enemy.

But to his astonishment, he could barely lift the sword off the grass.

Nimrod snickered as Red began squirming desperately. Slowly, she increased the pressure.

But the Red Ranger wasn't out of options yet; he quickly grabbed his Blade Blaster, and fired a thin beam of laser directly between Nimrod's eyes.

However, his aim was off... fortunately, he did manage not to miss Nimrod completely.

The Sentinel hissed, dropping Red's legs to cradle the smoking wound to her left shoulder. Jason held his Blaster steady, pushing himself away from Nimrod on swollen legs.

Chapter Seventeen

The Purple Ranger made a mad dash toward Jason, only to stop short when Nimrod grabbed hold of his feet.

At the Sentinel's leering comment, Alexis' muscles tightened, her hands instinctively hovering five inches apart, fingers bent inward.

By the time Jason called for the Power Sword, sparks of purple flashed down her gloves.

As Jason struggled to lift his primary weapon, a tiny globe of energy began to pool at the center point between her hands.

Once Jason struck Nimrod with his Blade Blaster, a full-fledged Eagleheart Pulse rotated in Alexis' grasp, pulsing with energy like a ticking bomb.

A smirk on her lips, Alexis tensed and let her condensed power fly...

Chapter Eighteen

Nimrod shrieked as a sphere of brilliant, swirling energy smashed into her waist just under the protective casing of granite. The sphere exploded on impact, sending the monster skidding across the hilly park, digging a deep trench in her wake.

To say Jason was surprised by his sudden rescue would be an understatement.

"Jase, did you see

that?" Alexis gushed, suddenly at his side. He hissed loudly when her arm encircled his shoulders.

"You're really hurt," she realized. She gasped when she retracted her hand, now stained with blood.

"Our powers have been compromised," he breathed, "I just don't have the strength or durability I ought to."

She stared at him helplessly, glancing back to make sure Nimrod was still out of commission.

Jason struggled to speak despite gasping for breath. "W...was that...?"

"The Eagleheart Pulse!" she announced proudly, "I didn't think I'd be able to do it, since I've got the Morpher and all, but somehow I retained it! Maybe I do have some access to Kreia's knowledge even though I can't actually hear her in my head like I could before Zordon gave me the Morpher-"

"Alexis,"

Jason uttered. His voice was so stern the Purple Ranger