Power Rangers Chronic Storm 1: The Axis of Power

Chapter 2: General

Diane's breath labored as the man clad in black with gold linings approached her with a confident look about him. Her eyes darted to the left and right, her mind trying to piece together how her palace security could have been so easily compromised. Her deepest fears were now realized. "I had a feeling it would be you... General Axis!"

Axis held his smirk while playfully bowing to Diane. "The one and only. Truthfully, I'm impressed you actually had an intuition about me. I suppose I've quite grown on you in my short time as Resistance leader."

"Enough of your nonsense!" Diane tightened her fists and lifted her arms; her pale face cast aside in favor of a heated gaze.

"Heh, do you truly believe I'd come all this way for a fist fight?" Axis looked back at the large man behind him. "Lieutenant South, lock the doors in case the alarms come back on and nuisances start popping up."

"At once, My General." South turned around and pushed a button on a control panel next to the pair of balcony doors, sliding them shut. He then used his bladed staff to slice the panel in two. It sparked and fizzled out before its internal yellow light faded away.

Axis unveiled a metallic glove covering his right forearm that started crackling and sparking with white electricity.

Diane's eyes widened. She took a few steps backwards as the crackles of lightning struck the ground; the deafening sound ringing and beating inside her ears.

Axis extended his metallic arm and launched the electricity at her. The attack sailed through the air and struck Diane, coursing through her body and dropping her to her knees. Her armor sizzled from the heat of the attack while crying out in anguish upon the floor.

"Enjoyed my new trick did you? Not a mastery by any means, but a start. In any case." Axis walked over to Diane's squirming body and grabbed her by the collar, pulling her face up close. "You, 'My Queen,' are now my prisoner. Do act accordingly."

The breeze grew into swirling winds around them. Axis smirked as he turned his gaze upwards. A small black ship with inward curving wings decloaked just overhead. Its shadow loomed over the balcony as its form blotted out the evening sun.

"Ah, right on time," said Axis.

A second man leapt down from the ship, just as large and bulky as the one standing by Axis. Both stood at least a full foot taller and a full shade tanner than the General. And both sported the same white armor with gold linings.

Axis grabbed hold of the Queen while the two lieutenants scanned the horizons for any incoming enemy forces. A sprawl of civilians and first responders gathered at the sight of the decimated Academy down below. The people scurried around like ants; the sirens and alerts just barely audible from the balcony. But no alarms went off inside the palace halls. All according to plan, so far.

The balcony doors blew open, rattling off the hinges and slamming on the ground.

Carter and the Power Rangers walked up to face down the Triforian trio. "Not so fast, Axis!"

Axis' eyes darted from right to left, sizing up their five foes.

"My General," the second lieutenant stated while clenching his fists. "Let us remove these Rangers from your sight. They have sullied the Triforian name for too long."

Axis shrugged. "Have at them then, but be quick about it."

Carter looked back at his team. "Ready guys?"

All of them gave him stern nods while their eyes remained fixed on their opponents.

"Let's do it!"

The team revealed their color-coded wrist Morphers and pushed the center button. "Chronic Storm, Ranger form!" they cried in unison as the five became cast inside a myriad of lights radiating off their bodies.