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

many never dared to believe it existed," the auctioneer continued. He lifted the black box high, letting the smoky spotlight above him gleam off its polished surface.

"This weapon is considered one of the greatest feats of technological advancement the Edenoid monarchy has ever created. Forged by the hand of King Lexion himself, the greatest of the creative geniuses of the Silicon Dynasty. Some say it is in fact his greatest creation, even more reputable than the Alpha robot line. Even greater than the awe-inspiring devices of Masked Rider. A weapon designed to manipulate and subsequently destroy the operating system of any mechanical device, from a cooking oven to a galaxy-class warship. A weapon so terrible, Lexion himself buried it within the labyrinthine tunnels of the palace catacombs, in an effort to keep it hidden from the universe. Due to the heavy tolls Edenoi has taken from the Count Dregon wars, Lexion's precautions have failed him, and the greatest weapon in existence will now see the light of day once again. My distinguished colleagues, feast your eyes on…the Pulse Bomb!"

The auctioneer decorously lifted the cover, holding the small box out for his audience to gaze upon in wonderment.

Instead of the awed whispers he expected, his enormous ears were deafened by cries of outrage.

Blinking in puzzlement, he turned the box toward himself.

His jaw unhinged at the sight of the empty box.

He continued blinking, as if trying to shake off the effects of some hallucinogenic spell. But no amount of blinking would return the fist-size bomb to its chamber.

Before he could compose himself, the unfortunate Ferengi was struck by the razor sharp batlh'etlh of a particularly violent client.

As chaos erupted in the packed auction house, no one noticed a red and black demon slip outside.
Chapter Twenty

Two-thousand kilometers distant, chairs flew across a remote saloon, shattering against walls, tables, and often the back of some hapless customer. Glasses of liquor crashed into each other, and drunken off-key sing-alongs polluted the dry air.

"Ha! Dragon's tail!" the robot declared, his victorious cry rising through the surrounding melee.

The two other beings around the table stared in astonishment at the hand of cards he tossed to them.

The larger player, a seven-foot monster reminiscent of a lion, revealed all ninety-eight of his razor sharp teeth in an impossibly wide, intimidating smile. "So it is," he rasped. "Very impressive hand, Deviot."

The mechanical misfit tipped his head modestly. "The Sprocket of Fortune has turned in my favor," he laughed, bending to collect his winnings.

The lion's serpentine tail shot forward, wrapping around Deviot's outstretched arm. "Almost…suspiciously

impressive."

Deviot blinked his copper eyelids, and managed to look aghast. "Lord Chimera…I assure you there was nothing

underhanded in this hand! I swear on the tomb of the Great Emperor Mondo the First!"

The second player, a muscular humanoid with a flare of black hair, revealed a frightening smirk. "Your treachery is legendary across half the galaxy," he noted, "I doubt you have enough loyalty for the House of Mondo to power a light bulb. In fact…aren't you a wanted felon?"

No anxiety was visible in Deviot's mannerism. He pulled away from the table, managing to slip out of Chimera's tail. He then crossed his arms lazily over his chest. "To set the record straight… I was only accused of treason because I allegedly assisted in Lord Gasket and Lady Archerina's elopement. Which hasn't been proven

, by the by…but even if it were true, I would only be guilty of a romantic heart. Not treachery

!"

The two creatures rose from their seats, and leaned over the table.

Deviot took a surprised step back. "Do you honestly

think I had cards hiding beneath my sleeves?"

His playing companions nodded.

Deviot then held out his arms. "What

sleeves? Machines do not wear cloth, only metal plating. You can't hide cards so easily beneath a suit of armor, Gentlemen."

Chimera's smile widened further, as his sapphire gaze slid to the man. "What do you think, Celeri?"

Celeri clenched his fists, an aura of chalky energy casting shadows in the valleys between his strained muscles. "I think I want my money back."

Deviot backed away slowly as the much larger beings advanced. Silence fell amongst the other bar patrons, and all watched in amusement as another sniveling weakling was about to learn why Onyx was a planet for warriors only.

Deviot tripped over a fallen stool, and fell flat on his back. He blinked in surprise as a lithe, feminine body leaned over him.

The woman set a calculating stare on the machine, before turning her fearless eyes to the two would-be attackers.

"I suggest you return to your business," she advised, folding her arms. Her pose would have been intimidating, if not for her slim figure, pretty face, and short stature.

Chimera and Celeri both sneered at the interloper. "Onyx is not the place for little girls," the former said, his voice low and menacing.

"You're right. And it also isn't the place for sore losers."

The audience began to buzz as fury wrinkled Chimera's face. Celeri himself began chuckling. "Bad idea, Girl. Now he's going to be rough with you."

The woman cocked her head, a curtain of sleek black hair falling over her shoulder. Her expression remained passive as her hand fell to the curved blade hanging from her golden belt.

Celeri's sneer fell when he witnessed the blade morph into a spinning discus of energy. "Chimera, watch out!" he cried in warning. "She's an Arachnid!"

But the beast was deaf to his ally's voice. "Nice parlor trick, Girl. But I fear no flashy lights."

"Idiot," she sighed, raising her hand. The discus followed her movements, hovering inches from her manicured fingernails. "Feel my Sting!"

She then launched the spinning disc. Chimera dodged the first pass, laughing deeply to mock her… but the disc returned, slicing into his shoulder and biting deeply.

Chimera winced at the pain, grasping the wound as streams of black blood rolled down his furry arm.

"You missed anything vital," he sneered, stepping forward, "I suggest you throw your frisbee again."

The woman tossed her hair behind her back, and caught the discus. The gold energy shifted back into a curved blade as it touched her dainty hand. "It's a shame you didn't do some research on alien species before coming to this planet," she informed him, sheathing her blade.

Chimera started to respond, and was astonished to taste the blood that dribbled from his mouth. Before an enthralled audience, the towering monster gurgled on his own blood, falling to the floor. His powerful limbs flailed helplessly, muscles tensing in agony as gore oozed from his ears, nose, and throat.

He never got up.

Celeri snarled at the woman, but had the common sense to hurry out of the bar. Chimera may have been a partner in a handful of raids, but avenging his death wasn't worth incurring the wrath of an Arachnid…and tasting the fastest-acting venom ever documented.

The woman smiled, crimson lips parting to reveal perfect white teeth. She then sat at the bar.

After a few seconds of hushed awe, the dozens of lowlifes populating the bar returned to their merriment and scuffling.

"Barkeep! Get me a bottle of Lord Yemn's Synthetic…vintage."

The bartender, a diminutive green troll with tall pointed ears, narrowed his small black eyes at the machine. "Synthetic cheap is not," he grumbled.

Deviot smiled, opening his palms to reveal his winnings. The wrinkles around the troll's mouth folded into a smile as he hopped off his booster bench. "Return quickly, I will!"

"Let me buy you a drink, my dear," he said to his savior, sitting beside her. His uncanny sight absorbed her appearance in an eye-blink: slender limbs, gold armor plated over yellow leggings, ornate gold headdress designed as a coiled scorpion's tail…

"You are Scorpina of Arachnida Prime," he realized. "The most infamous spy of the Phlegethon Empire."

Scorpina glanced at the robot over her shoulder, her smile an unnerving mixture of pleasant and wicked. "And you are Deviot, cousin to Queen Machina, who joined the forces of King Mondo's arch nemesis, King Aradon of the Northern Continent. Thanks to your efforts, King Mondo and his eldest, Prince Gasket, are at odds. Your treachery has put ten million in gold on your head… though most bounty hunters are too fearful of King Mondo's irrational temper to tread near his palace and try and collect."

The green troll hopped back on the bench that allowed him to reach the bar for service. He set a slender bottle and two shot glasses before Deviot. The Machine smiled charmingly at his companion, and poured two shots of thick ochre. He stared in astonishment as Scorpina swallowed the drink in a single gulp.

"An Organic that can stomach petroleum-based liquor," he noted, grinning widely, "I am duly impressed."

He then refilled her glass. "At any rate, the reports of my disloyalty have been greatly exaggerated. I did not take an active role in the Civil War."

Scorpina lifted her second serving, the oil swirling in the moving glass in slow motion. "Of course not. You are too devious to openly fight anyone. Instead, you manipulate and deceive those you despise, and help bring about their downfall indirectly."

Deviot laughed deeply, slowly sipping the potent liquor. "We all use methods that work best in our circumstances, my Lady…not that I admit

to your accusations, of course."

"Of course."

Deviot eyed the spy carefully as she polished off her second shot. "Not to insinuate I am ungrateful, but I must admit I am curious. Why did you rescue me from those barbarians?"

Scorpina set her glass on the bar, and fixed him with a steady gaze. Astonishingly, she seemed unaffected by the powerful liquor. "I came to this planet to find you."

"I'm truly flattered."

Scorpina smirked wryly. "Don't be. I have no interest in you whatsoever…but my Lord and Master wishes to meet you."

Though a master at maintaining composure, Deviot gulped. "Lord Zedd wishes to see me?"

The spy nodded, a sweet grin on her face. "As a matter of fact, he is awaiting our arrival."

She rose from her seat, casually tossing her hair once again. After meeting her level stare, Deviot also stood. "Well…no one denies an audience with Lord Zedd himself."

He plastered a confident smile on his iron face, and followed Scorpina toward the exit. On his way out, he glanced down at Chimera, whose face was contorted into a frown of unfathomable pain.

He sneered, opening a hidden plate beneath his wrist. "I lied, by the way. I always

have something up my sleeve."

A handful of cards fell onto the hairy corpse.