Author's Note: So, the origin of this piece came from a completely random request by Greaser Angel about writing an AU Countdown to Destruction story. I don't really know Greaser Angel yet, but I hope to get to know them. This person has a really elaborate idea for how this story should go, and I am just trying to do it justice. I can't promise on quick updates as I am currently writing the most involved and ultimately angsty piece I've done so far on traumatic brain injury in the Flashpoint fandom called "Glasgow," but while I was writing the next chapter of that story the ideas for this one kept invading me. Hence, here we are. All credit for the original idea and plot go to Greaser Angel. I just bring it to fruition with my own quirky manner…
I don't own or have rights to Power Rangers, Terminator, or any incarnation there of…Hehehe, check out my phony legalese…
In the Absence of Destruction
Prologue: Contemplation and Hesitation
The Dark Fortress
As Andros stood with his arms raised preparing to do as Zordon, the true creator and ultimate leader of the Power Rangers on Earth, had requested him to do. With his arms raised, he thought about his original charge as a Ranger, a charge similar to that given a police officer on his or her graduation from the police academy: to protect and serve. Protection was the true intent of all those given the protection of the power. Power Rangers were heroes first, vanquishers of evil in the process.
With his arms raised he questioned the wisdom of the act he was about to make. True, it was upon the orders of the leader of this organization of life savers and vanquishers of evil that he was standing here in this position to strike, but it was also this same leader whom had made so many people heroes, guided, mentored them, made sure they were the people they needed to be to defend Earth and beyond from the forces of darkness, evil, despair.
With his arms raised he hesitated, contemplated a world without such a force of ultimate goodness, contemplated a world where a line of young people would exist with a charge to protect and serve the people of Earth and beyond without the guidance of their leader. He knew there was no guarantee that this action he was about to make would truly rid the world of all evil, that there might be some lingering bits of destruction and malignancy out there in this world, this universe he had sworn to protect.
With his arms raised, he hesitated and thought about the sure consequences of his actions.
With his arms raised, he imagined a world without Zordon and the guilt he would feel for destroying a sentient being of pure honesty, integrity, and goodness.
Somewhere in Angel Grove
"I know this is cliché, but, come with me if you want to live," Tommy ordered with a smile as he guided a group of innocent citizens of the battered town to a place of safety.
His appearance was dusty, dirty, disheveled, and bloody from the effects of the monster attacks that had afflicted the town. But somehow his demeanor was in no way affected. He was still the cheerful, hopeful person the protection of the power, which he had freely given up over a year ago, had afforded him. He knew he could use the training and life lessons he had learned from his years as a Power Ranger to help him lead defenseless and scared people to safety.
During the attacks that had left the town in shambles he had been forced to give up his nascent job as a race car driver and return home to Angel Grove to make sure his friends and family were safe. Little did he know how massive the destruction of the current forces of darkness would become.
As his home city gradually became a line of piles of rubble and refuse, he cut his signature, but now he realized was a hindrance to him in such a state of constant physical discord, long hair. Whenever he thought about cutting his hair, he thought about how much his Kim (because he would never think of her as anything or anyone else) had loved to run her fingers through it, combing it in a loving embrace. He'd always had to shake his thoughts from this idea, from this notion of a past reality; in all but less than a hundred words, Kimberly had put the whole kibosh on their relationship and any lingering sensations it may have engendered. Still, he knew he still loved her, longed for her, longed for her presence, longed for her safety.
As he guided his group of civilians towards a safe house structure he had helped to create, he thought about HER again. He thought about her existing in Florida where the destruction of evil had not yet touched. He thought about how evil comes in many different forms and that she may not be completely safe now without her powers, especially as she was most likely focusing more on her gymnastics and letting her martial arts skills wither into the night of uselessness. He could just imagine a stalker in the night coming to try to claim her against her will. He could just imagine what would happen if the evil now afflicting their common, self-chosen hometown expanded to where she was now residing. Her decision to brake-up and claims of him being like a brother to her (he still shuddered at the thought in conjunction with the memory of their last make-out session) aside, he still loved her. Still wanted her. To be safe, and to be with him.
Some amorphous Gymnastic Training Center in Florida
Kimberly and her team mates stood in front of the gym television and watched a news cast from earlier.
"Oh my God!" one girl exclaimed as a couple of ordinary citizens stepped up to claim the deadly honor of being Power Rangers.
"Whaaayeee," Kimberly murmured in complete confusion. "Bulk and Skull?" she asked with an incredulous and questioning face.
"OMG, Kim!" another team mate exclaimed. "You know them, the Power Rangers!"
Kim scoffed and smirked. "Yeah, I went to high school with those punks. Trust me, they are in no way Power Rangers," she said as she shook her head in wonder at their act of loyalty and bravery. "But strangely and disturbingly, Skull is look'n pretty hot right now…" she trailed off as she observed the first showing of what was definitely not false bravado by the pair. Sure, she had been true friends with them, especially Skull, for the past couple of years, but she'd never expected them to pull an act like this. She'd never expected them to be this courageous.
And as she thought of how strong and brave Skull looked to her, she thought of how this was borderline cheating. She thought about how her heart still belonged to Tommy even if he had broken up with her and shunned her, along, inexplicably, with the rest of her friends, that she still loved him, would always love him.
And now she thought of where he might be during this entire episode of destruction. She could only pray that he was safe and protected.
The Dark Fortress
Andros lowered his arms. There was no way he could do this, no way he could kill the one true force of goodness throughout the entire universe for the supposed promise of peace for all ages. There was no way he could kill any sentient, pure being, period.
Would the absence of this destruction result in more damage than he could ever imagine? He could never guess, but he could also pray.
He lowered his arms and swore, "Forgive me," as he locked onto the position of The Dark Fortress and Zordon's place of captivity.
As he teleported out of the prison he had just left for fear of what true freedom would mean to its captive, he heard a faint cry, "nooooo….."
Additional Author's Note: So, there we have the prologue. Please leave a review and let me know what you think, especially Greaser Angel. Please let me know if this is going the way you imagined. : )