Streaks of Purple Saga/Spectrum Force - Heather Ray (best beach reads txt) 📗

She was startled out of her thoughts as three of the gray creatures lunged at her.

"Whoa!" she gasped, stepping out of the way. She considered running back into the building, but that would only invite the creatures to follow her, jeopardizing hundreds of students.

So far, the creatures seemed content to buzz around the school grounds, which were now bereft of bystanders.

Well, except for her.

I didn't come here to gawk, I came to help! But I should've

Synced before I ran out here!

Huffing at her oversight, she ducked another punch, watching as the gray fist cracked the heavy wood door.

"You guys are stronger than you look," she acknowledged, "but I have a few tricks you haven't seen."

Her stone glowed to life, and sent a tight beam of energy through the stomach of the creature. It stumbled back, falling clumsily down the stairs and knocking over the other creatures as well. Though it rose to its feet moments later, and Jocelyn watched in surprise as the smoking hole shrank before her eyes.

"Ookay, you regenerate," she realized, glaring death at the assaulting aliens. "Terrific."

"Aim for the 'Z'!" a voice shouted urgently. Jocelyn turned, and saw the Blue Ranger waving at her. "Hit the Putties on the 'Z' and they'll crumble!"

Jocelyn grinned as the creatures resumed their approach. "So your Achilles' heel is the enormous plate on your chest? Whoever created you really needs to go back to the drawing board."

Her fist tightened again, urging a translucent glove of energy to manifest around her hand. She then drove her fist into the vulnerable plate, and watched with satisfaction as the Putty disintegrated.

She paused to throw the Blue Ranger at thumb's up, only to watch in paralyzed fear as the gold creature lifted an enormous sword.

"Look out!" she cried. Only, it was too late.

She stared in blank surprise as sparks flew from the Blue Ranger's back. The force of the blow knocked him to his hands and knees, only for the creature to stomp his foot at the site of the wound.

Jocelyn's breaths quickened. On the one hand, she was relieved beyond measure that Billy's back hadn't been flayed open by that monstrous sword. Apparently the spandex-like costume the Rangers wore was more durable than it looked.

But on the other, Billy was down for the count, and the vicious alien was enjoying grinding the hero into the earth.

Eyes narrow, Jocelyn created a wave of energy that knocked the surrounding Putties for a loop, clearing the way for her to run towards the monster. She didn't have a plan, and she was still very much vulnerable to attack, but she couldn't stand by and watch Billy suffer.

"Stop it, space freak!" she shrieked. She was startled when the beast looked up at her, smirking.

"So kind of you to come out and see me, Kimberly," he sneered. The depth of his growl and the intensity in his s ruby eyes made goose bumps rise on Jocelyn's skin. "Now I don't have to level the school searching for you."

He gave the struggling Blue Ranger a sharp kick to his side, earning a pained groan, before approaching the wide-eyed girl.

He moved staggeringly fast for a creature his size. Jocelyn barely had time to turn and run before a vice-like grip snatched her upper arm with bruising force. She opened her mouth to scream, only for her throat to constrict as the monster lifted his sword once again.

"This time, you won't escape me, Girl."

Jocelyn struggled against his grip, trying to focus her frenzied thoughts enough to Spectrum Sync, when a blast of energy knocked the sword clean from the monster's hand.

The alien roared furiously, shaking his now smoking hand as he turned around.

"Let her go, Goldar," the Red Ranger demanded, his hands tightly gripping a laser pistol. "Now!"

Jocelyn felt a wave of relief as she saw the Purple and White Rangers stand beside Red, the former armed with a sphere of energy hovering between her palms and the latter clenching his saber. The Yellow and Black Rangers were behind them, helping the dazed Blue Ranger to his feet.

Reinforcements had arrived.

Goldar snarled. "Not this time, Ranger!" In one fluid motion his singed hand grabbed Jocelyn, and his mighty wings spread, catapulting the alien and his prize into the clear blue skies above Angel Grove.

Jocelyn felt her stomach leap as her kidnapper swerved in the air, effectively dodging a burning sphere of purple energy as well as streaks of red and white laser. He then spiraled, arching higher into the air as his grip tightened.

The combination of the wind slapping her face, the tight grip around her stomach, and the dizzying twists and turns made Jocelyn light-headed and sluggish… but not helpless.

"This joyride is over," she snarled, closing her eyes and willing her mind to focus. "Spectrum Sync!"

Goldar stared in complete shock as a vibrant orange aura encompassed his prisoner, forcing him to release his grip. He backed away, watching dumbly as the energy cocoon vanished.

He blinked at the slight figure in orange floating before him, her light brown hair billowing in the wind, and her arms hanging akimbo at her sides. "You are not Kimberly," he murmured.

Bright orange energy coalesced around her fists. "You got that right," she sneered.

The assault was swift and intense. Before Goldar could even growl a response, a barrage of orange bolts completely overwhelmed him. There were too many to effectively dodge, and without his sword he couldn't deflect them.

In mere seconds, the bruised, battered Titan warrior lost all strength, and plummeted towards the ground below.

The Rangers watched, stunned, as Goldar crashed into the street just a block away from the high school, his armored body creating spidery cracks in the pavement.

"Holy cow!" Black gasped, watching the enemy go limp. "Bet he didn't see that one coming!"

The Orange Enforcer descended to the ground, her arms folded and head held high with grim satisfaction. "Not too shabby, if I do say so myself."

"Are you okay?" Trini wondered.

"Fit as a fiddle," she answered, running her fingers through her windblown hair.

"You shouldn't have followed me," Billy stated. "You don't know what our opponents are capable of. You could've been seriously hurt."

"And you would have been," she retorted, "Look, all the Rangers were busy, so I stepped in. And relax; this isn't the first firefight I've been in."

"But you were lucky," Tommy said grimly, "If Jase didn't knock Goldar's sword from his hands, he would've teleported you to the moon. And we don't know what Zedd has in mind this time."

Jocelyn tensed. "Look, I appreciate your help, and even your concern, but I am not helpless. I may not know much about what these space-freaks can do, but I know what I can do!"

Trini held up her hands, stepping between the bickering pair once again. "We should definitely take this inside," she stated, "We're attracting some attention."

Jocelyn looked up, and for the first time noticed the dozens of people circling them. Commuters, storeowners, and even some students had followed the signs of battle, and were watching the unprecedented Ranger argument from a respectable distance.

Jocelyn's gaze swept the crowd, recognizing Bulk, Skull, Ms. Applebee, Rocky, Adam, Aisha, and other faces she'd seen in class, as well as in Kimberly's photographs.

Just wonderful. How long have they been watching?

Her eyes widened beneath her navy visor. They didn't see me Sync, did they? Kimberly will have one hell of a time explaining that.

The crowd hovered, most of them too star-struck to do anything more than stare at their heroes. The Rangers rarely lingered after a battle.

The first one to raise his voice was Adam, and his eyes lingered on the unidentified heroine. "Are you the Orange Ranger?"

Surprised at the question, Jocelyn glanced down at her costume, and then to the Rangers. "Do I look like one?"

Zack stepped forward, feeding off the attention like a performer in the spotlight. "No, she's not. This is the Orange Enforcer, our ally from… very

far away."

Light from cameras flashed from all directions, causing Jocelyn to take a startled step back, bumping into Jason.

"Not much of a people-person?" he asked with a grin.

"We don't get much publicity."

"We need to get back," Billy pointed out, "We've got work to do."

"What do we do about Goldar?" Alexis wondered.

Tommy turned toward the crushed pavement, and frowned beneath his helmet. "Zedd got to him first. Goldar's gone."

"Then let's go," Trini suggested. She waved to the crowds, edging closer to Jocelyn. "Everyone, please step back. And thanks for your support."

She touched Jocelyn's arm, nodded once, and then the entire team vanished in columns of vivid energy.

Once the Rangers left the scene, the crowd slowly began to separate, everyone returning to more mundane activities. But Rocky lingered, his gaze turning from the purple "watch" on his wrist to the sky where the Rangers departed, and back again.

Alexis freaked out when she saw my new watch-thing. Then she ran out of the classroom as soon as she finished her test, and minutes later everyone's screaming about the Power Rangers fighting a monster at the school's front door! Coincidences? Yeah, right!

He then turned toward the Youth Center, a triumphant smirk on his face as his thoughts turned from one mysterious redhead to Ernie's lunch special for Mondays.

"Chilidogs!" he spoke aloud, his smirk widening into a full smile. "This is turning out to be a terrific day!"

Lumina City

Deep within the magical fortress of Lumina City, the wise founder of the organized resistance against the Denebian Empire stood with one of his most capable mentees. Luminus walked beside the far-reaching shelf of the main library, combing Spectra's story for all critical details.

"…and only a few moments later, a different girl manifested," Spectra finished. "At the time we thought it was Jocelyn, but DNA analysis confirmed that she is not. Also, she claims to be a human being from a different planet Earth."

She studied Luminus' expression for any clues to his thoughts. "High Father, is such a thing possible?"

"I must confess, I've never heard of such a phenomenon…"

Spectra's face fell.

"..but that doesn't mean it isn't possible." Luminus glanced to the ceiling, folding his hands behind his back. "A portal that bridges two worlds, trading two individuals with similar characteristics. I cannot imagine what Celea hoped to accomplish with such a spell."

Spectra shook her head in dismay. "Neither could we. My only assumption is that Celea is trying to trick us; throw