Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie by Heather Ray (beach read book .TXT) 📕

healthy tan gave way to an almost sickly pallor. And his proud, strong shoulders hung weakly… as if Tommy put every ounce of his remaining strength into standing upright. As if the slightest wind could bowl him over.

Justin gazed up at his compatriots. "I don't get it. Shouldn't we be figuring out a new plan to find that girl?"

"The computer shows the handwriting matches perfectly," Alpha reported, stout fingers tapping at the controls. "I'm also not picking up any traces of magic, to make us think the handwriting looks like Kimberly's."

"Magic?" Adam and Tanya repeated in unison.

Tommy and Jason exchanged heavy looks. Then, the former leader of the Power Rangers stepped forward. "Alpha, can you derive the type of ink and paper used? What it's made of?"

"It'll take a moment," Alpha answered, typing in a new command.

Grim silence befell the Rangers, causing the gentle beeping of the computer to ring in their ears like a knell.

Finally, a particularly long beep acknowledged the scan was complete.

"That's weird," Alpha mused, tearing the readout from the printer. "The ink matches the properties of the yeklin plant."

"Does that mean something?" Tanya wondered.

After a pregnant silence, Zordon lifted his head. "THE YEKLIN PLANT HAS BEEN USED FOR MILLENNIA AS A BASE FOR PERMANENT INK BY SEVERAL DOZEN SYSTEMS. HOWEVER… IT DOES NOT GROW ON EARTH."

Tanya, Adam, and Katherine gaped in astonishment. Jason shook his head, again pressing the bridge of his nose. Alpha fell into a muted litany of "Aye yi yi yi yi." Justin stared at the computer in wonderment. "A letter from an alien?" he gushed, eyes lighting up with boyish interest. "Cool!"

Tommy lost all strength in his entire body. He collapsed into the nearest chair, letting his head hang.

His view of the solemn black tiles that comprised the Power Chamber floor grew clouded. He blinked, forcing the tears to drip out the corners of his eyes.

A letter from an alien…

Not from Kimberly.

Chapter Fifty-Two

"Whiney, snot-nosed brats," Divatox muttered under her breath. She stomped through the dark passage linking the bridge to her private quarters, her frustrated, heavy footfalls announcing her approach to every Piranhatron in her path.

The mute sentinels moved to either side, lining the hall for the Pirate Queen.

"Oh, you'll see," she hissed to no one in particular, throwing open the bronze double doors. "The Rangers are doomed

!"

She tore her raggedy cape from her shoulders, and tossed it onto her large, circular bed.

"And just how

do you plan on doing that?"

Divatox couldn't prevent a startled "Eep!"

as she whirled around.

The visitor reclined before the vanity, absently patting her swollen cheek with a moistened towel.

Divatox blinked. "Where did you come from? And where

did you get that?"

Kimberly offered an innocent smile, holding up the medicated cloth. "Oh, this?"

she bated. "Well, I fished around your medical supplies while you were throwing your little hissy fit."

The Pirate Queen's nostrils flared, hands flying to her hips. She approached her vanity, glaring down at the petite human girl who dared invade her personal quarters.

"How dare you speak to me like that?!" she screeched.

Kim didn't even wince at the shrill voice. Instead, she turned around in the swivel chair, and rose to her feet.

Despite the solid half-a-foot height advantage, when she looked into the smoldering red eyes, Divatox still felt impossibly small.

"Don't delude yourself, Diva,"

Kimberly murmured, her voice soft, yet unspeakably dangerous. "I know perfectly well that you have absolutely no

super strength or magical abilities. That's why you were so desperate to ally yourself with a powerful husband -- a weakling like yourself can only cling to power so long before someone sees through your charade."

Impressively, Divatox maintained some semblance of composure. "Is that a threat?"

A smirk slowly spread over Kim's face. "No. I'm joining your crew."

A perfectly-sculpted eyebrow rose. "Excuse me?"

"You need me. Without Maligore, you have no muscle at all. You're just a pirate...have you ever even faced a team of Power Rangers before today?"

The Pirate Queen scowled. "I'll have you know I have an entire army

of mutants on my home world! Once I collect my resources, I'll lay waste to the Rangers!"

"Please, Diva...don't insult my intelligence. If you had such powerful friends, you never would've come after Maligore."

She folded her arms smugly. "Call me crazy, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't Maligore's charming wit or dashing good looks that attracted you."

Divatox sputtered furiously, her fists trembling in helpless outrage.

Kim waved her hand. "Look…my point is, you don't have to leave Earth empty handed. You didn't get a husband out of this, but Maligore's Child has survived. And I'm willing to make sure you're successful against the Rangers."

Divatox managed to reign in her anger, and watched the young woman with a suspicious eye. "And what do you

get out of it?"

"I get the Pink and Red Rangers…to do with what I will."

The pirate chewed her crimson lip thoughtfully. Why wasn't this making any sense? True, Maligore had stolen the girl's purity…but why was she so determined to harm her friends?

"Why?"

Kimberly knew exactly what Divatox meant. "It's personal."

And then, she saw it. The hate, the frustration…and just under the surface, the gnawing feeling of inadequacy.

She'd felt the sting of betrayal more than once. From suitor after suitor, that left her standing at the altar alone, suffering embarrassment worse than torture, and humiliation far harsher than the icy hand of Death itself.

And suddenly, Divatox looked at the human girl with new eyes. Eyes of understanding.

A satisfied smile easily lit up Divatox's face. "Welcome to the crew, Kimberly."

Kim blinked in surprise; she hadn't been expecting a warm welcome. Before the former Pink Ranger could open her mouth, Divatox slid her arm around her shoulders, guiding her new protégé to her enormous armoire.

She threw open the large doors, revealing literally hundreds of outfits, neatly hanging from the ceiling organized by color. "The first thing we need to do is get you out of that wetsuit." She tapped her chin, then strode to the section of pink garments.

Kim shook her head. "Like I told that wannabe, pink is out."

She cast her flaming gaze along the incredible collection, her face lighting up as she found an appealing section.

"Diva…what do you have in black vinyl?"

Part Eleven: "The Enemy of My Enemy"

Chapter Fifty-Three

She waded through the stale waters, the stinking musty air aggravating her nose. The putrid liquid bobbed just below her knees, seeping underneath her boots in a most uncomfortable fashion.

There was once a time when such an environment would've turned her stomach; yet those days were long ago. Now, she was able to ignore her less-than-appealing surroundings, and move with silent grace, eyes blazing in the relative darkness of the pit.

She didn't see her attacker. Instead, she followed the faint splashing that alerted her to the presence of a handful of visitors.

A cool smirk on her lips, a delicate hand reached for the gleaming onyx bow hanging over her shoulder. She easily balanced the weapon between both hands, bending her knees to prepare for the onslaught.

The splashing quieted, and a noticeable current flowed passed her legs.

Piranhatrons...they never learn a new trick.

She, however, was just full

of surprises.

She leapt out of the water, somersaulting into the air with more force than humanly possible. Her flip reached an apex at nearly twelve feet, and then she began her descent, falling back to the water feet-first.

Her eyes lit the air around her, creating an unnatural crimson nimbus that granted her a form of night vision. The dim light was enough to see the rippling of water that was telltale of her attacker's location.

True to form, the Piranhatron lifted its head from the water...just in time to receive a brutal four-inch heel directly to the cranium. The heel was thick and blunt, but the force of the strike was more than enough to dissolve the magical soldier into a mist.

She didn't take a moment to revel in her small victory. There were four more Piranhatrons in the immediate area.

The remaining foot soldiers opted for a more direct approach. One Piranhatron stretched from the water behind her, pinning her arms to her side. Then, almost immediately, three more streaked toward her, wide maws open with razor sharp teeth glistening.

She sighed in disappointment at the utter lack of creativity.

The brainless creature behind her held her arms just above the gilded edge of her elbow-length vinyl gloves, causing skin-to-skin contact.

So, she channeled the Flame of Destruction.

The Piranhatron squealed wordlessly, jerking his smoking hands from the girl's heated skin. It didn't have a chance to react as she then whirled around, slashing the razor-sharp edge of her obsidian bow across its armored stomach.

She finished her spin, her free hand grasping the taut cord of the bow. The moment her fingers touched the cord, a blaze of fire stretched to life in an angry, searing arrow. She let it fly, sending the energy down one Piranhatron's throat.

That left two more, that ignorantly sped toward her.

Both hands