Streaks of Purple Saga Volume Four by Heather Ray (best color ebook reader txt) 📕

over your head,"

the creature commented, chuckling coldly.

Trini ignored the taunt, gathering the Black Ranger in her arms and carrying him out of the Misfit's reach.

"We're... in trouble," Zack gasped.

"Tell me about it," Trini sighed, setting her teammate on his feet. "We need nothing less than the whole team to take down this thing."

She drew her daggers once again, crouching. "Zack, you contact Zordon and get his guidance. Maybe one of the other Rangers can be spared to help us. I'll hold this creature off."

Zack nodded, moving to activate his communicator. However, before he pressed a single button, the creature drew his attention... by running away at such a speed, he quickly vanished into the evening shadows.

"Hey!" Zack grumbled, "What gives?"

Trini stood beside her teammate. "I... I have no idea! That thing had us."

The Black Ranger lifted his wrist communicator. "Zordon? This is Zack!"

"I've got it," Billy sighed, his relief evident in his voice.

"Thank goodness!" Alpha cried, hurrying to the Blue Ranger's side. The small robot watched as Billy typed information into a computer, creating what appeared to be a black grid on the screen. "What exactly did you get?"

"Kim was right; these Misfits are indeed a result of whatever trick Lord Zedd pulled yesterday." He lifted a small handheld machine. "I ran a few scans on Skull, and after monitoring his brain functions, I've isolated the irregularity."

He pressed a few keys, sending an image to the Viewing Globe. It was a scan of a human brain, with different areas pulsing in colored light.

"See the green light?" he asked, gesturing to the area directly behind the forehead, "This is the frontal lobe, and is the focus of the irregular brain patterns. The frontal lobe is the location of a person's consciousness: how one knows what he is doing, how he reacts to the environment, some basic habitual actions, emotions, and judgement. Note that this discludes any true memory or memory acquisition, which is primarily housed in the temporal lobe."

"IT APPEARS THAT THE MISFITS' HIGHER MENTAL CAPACITY HAS BEEN STOLEN FROM THE VICTIMS' FRONTAL LOBE ACTIVITY," Zordon surmised. "IF THIS IS THE CASE, THE VICTIMS WILL NOT RECOVER SO LONG AS THE MISFITS FEED OFF THEIR CONSCIOUSNESS."

"Then we must

determine how to separate the victims' consciousness from the Misfits." Billy began pacing, his brilliant mind skimming his knowledge of both the human brain and evil magic. "If we destroy the Misfits, what is the probability that we would do permanent cerebral damage to the victims?"

"I CANNOT SAY FOR CERTAIN," Zordon admitted. "HOWEVER, I WOULD SURMISE THAT, SINCE THE MISFITS ARE STEADILY FEEDING OFF THE VICTIMS, THERE IS A MAGICAL LINK CONNECTING THE MISFITS AND THE VICTIMS. THEREFORE, THE LINK SHOULD SIMPLY DISSOLVE ONCE THE MONSTERS ARE DESTROYED, AND THE VICTIMS SHOULD RECOVER."

"A magical link," Billy repeated, his voice soft with thought.

At that moment, the communicator relay beeped. ^Zordon? This is Zack!^

The Blue Ranger hurried to the console. "Zack, this is Billy."

^Yo, the pumped-up Misfit Trini and I were tackling just high-tailed it!^

Billy frowned, turning to the Viewing Globe. "Yes, I see. According to its trajectory, it's heading... for the Youth Center?"

He typed in a few more commands. "The Super Misfit Alexis and Jason were battling are heading in that same direction!"

"THE MISFITS ARE CONGREGATING," Zordon observed, remotely activating the all-call. "POWER RANGERS, ALPHA 5 WILL TELEPORT YOU ALL TO THE YOUTH CENTER IMMEDIATELY. IT APPEARS THE MISFITS ARE REGROUPING AT THAT LOCATION."

Tommy managed to regain his footing just in time to witness the Super Misfit explode into a theatrical display of sparks, smoke, and clay. The various small aches that assailed his body were immediately forgotten as his eyes lingered on Kimberly, standing a little straighter than usual as she slowly lowered the Power Bow.

"You did it, Kim!" he commended, moving toward her. She turned to him, and Tommy stared in surprise at the saber in her hand.

"Not by myself," she amended, offering the White Ranger his partner.

Tommy sheathed the magical blade. "Now that we're done here, we should-"

His words died when a vibrant energy caught his attention. Eyes narrow, he instinctively pushed Kim behind him, and more carefully surveyed the area.

There were sparks flying from everywhere... specifically, from all the piles of clay that coated the surrounding flora.

"This isn't over," he realized.

Then, both Rangers felt the mild vibration of their communicators activating. ^POWER RANGERS, ALPHA 5 WILL TELEPORT YOU ALL TO THE YOUTH CENTER IMMEDIATELY. IT APPEARS THE MISFITS ARE REGROUPING AT THAT LOCATION.^

"Regrouping?" Kim repeated, fawn eyes wide, "How many of these things are there?"

"We'll find out in a minute," Tommy responded.

A heartbeat later, six columns of vibrant light appeared in a row mere feet away.

"Are we in time?" Yellow demanded, turning on her heel.

"Affirmative," Blue answered, stepping away from the team. He watched as the sparking energy streaming from the wads of clay began to leap, connecting the parts of the fallen Misfit in a circuit of evil energy.

"We don't have much time," White noted, pulling Saba from his sheath, "The two Misfits Kim and I battled had merged so quickly we couldn't stop them. If any more Misfits manage to combine with this one, then we might not have the strength to beat them." He turned to Jason, and both young men nodded once.

"The Power Blaster," they echoed.

^POWER RANGERS,^ Zordon's voice boomed, ^BOTH REMAINING SUPER MISFITS ARE STEADILY APPROACHING. ONE IS FIFTY YARDS TO THE EAST, THE OTHER IS TWENTY ONE YARDS NORTH, AND CLOSING IN.^

The Red Ranger turned north, and peered into the dark, abandoned street. "Let's get ready!" he bellowed, holding out his hand, "Power Sword!"

"Power Daggers!"

"Power Lance!"

"Power Bow!"

"Power Ax!"

The core Rangers called upon their mystic arms, and assembled them immediately. Jason held the Power Blaster steady, his teammates at his sides, as they watched for any suspicious movement.

"Guys... there!" Trini shouted, pointing to the Youth Center. Just at its edge, a black form slipped out from behind the building, and hurried forward.

"We can't fire!" Kim realized, her heart sinking, "It's too fast... if we miss, we'll level the Youth Center!"

"And several buildings beyond it," Billy agreed.

"Wait for it..." Jason urged, his finger hovering at the trigger.

"Jason!" Tommy called, pointing Saba to the north, "There's the other one!"

The two remaining Super Misfits broke into a run, zigzagging over the pot-marked lawn as they approached their fallen brother. Jason set his jaw, watching the beings converge upon a point along the barrel of the Power Blaster.

"Now!" he bellowed, "Fire!"

The Rangers combined their power, creating a battering ram of laser energy that streaked directly to the merging Misfits. The grass and trees exploded from the force of the blast, creating a backlash that sent the Power Rangers stumbling backward.

"Are you guys okay?" Alexis demanded, hurrying with Tommy to rejoin the team.

Jason released a tense breath, his fist trembling with impotent fury. "It didn't work."

The Power Rangers watched, frozen in horror, as the shapeless, organic clay suddenly swelled. Like an oil geyser erupting, the arcane substance stretched heavenward, flowing into a man-like form that towered over the highest buildings in Angel Grove.

"This is an interesting development."

Finster allowed a smug smile at Lord Zedd's understatement. The emperor was never generous with praise, so such a comment was truly the limit of congratulations.

"The Misfits have united their power," Finster revealed, "and now, the Mega Misfit will crush the Power Rangers and their Zords."

The Emperor proudly held on to his skepticism. "The Power Rangers will also unite their power," he sneered, "and that wretched power always proves just enough to defeat any aggressor."

The alchemist struggled to bite his tongue against any sharp words that could forfeit his life. Not for the first time, he found himself longing for the days when Rita Repulsa ruled the lunar forces. At least she

respected the art of Monster-Baking.

"Okay, Rangers," Tommy uttered, sliding Saba into the control console of the Tigerzord, "let's form the Mega Tigerzord. That combination has the most firepower, and leaves us with two aerial zords."

"Good idea," Jason conceded. Tommy watched as the Red Dragon pulled higher into the night sky, with the Eaglezord hovering at starboard.

"Initiate Mega Tigerzord