RPM 1- “Power of Three Revisited”

~March 2034~

“Come on, RUN!” Mikki cried.

“You guys go, I’ll freeze them!” I replied.

“They’re machines, they don’t freeze!”

“Yes they do…just not for as long as humans.” I cried as I threw my hands up and froze the Grinders in place, “Hurry!”

We ran quickly as we could, then Myli tripped over some robot debris.

“My ankle!” Myli cried.

“Come on Miles, we have to keep going.” Mikki said as she helped our little sister up.

“It hurts…” Myli said as more Grinders headed for us.

“Mikki, get Myli out of here. I’ll handle these guys.” I said.

Mikki sighed, “OK, be careful Mandy.”

I smirked, “I don’t know the meaning of the word.”

“Come on Miles.” Mikki said as she helped Myli up and supported her as they continued on.

“Just you and me you sorry bag of bolts. Bring it on.” I said throwing my hands out and sending on purple lightning their way. I had them coming at me from both sides so I froze the ones to my left and zapped the ones to my right. What I didn’t get with lightning I fought hand to hand. I heard the ones on my left unfreeze so as I fought I threw some lightning behind me. I got hit in the stomach and flew back. “OK, that’s enough of that. Grinders go boom!” I cried as I threw my hands up and blew up the remaining robots. “And that’s that.” I said as I took off running to catch up with my sisters. When I reached them Mikki was still trying to help support Myli but she was also fighting off another set of Grinders. She threw out her hand and used her telekinesis to send some Grinders flying backward.

“Mandy…” Myli said.

“Looks like I got here just in time.” I said as I started to fight.

We all three fired off lightning, which took out the remaining Grinders.

“Snap!” I cried.

“Good job you guys. We have to keep going. Corinth can’t be far.” Mikki said.

“We’d have found it by now if Mom were here.” Myli said.

“Mom’s been missing for two years. We have to accept she’s gone.”

“We don’t know that! She could come back and she won’t know where to find us.”

“Myli, Mom would want us to be safe and Corinth is the last safe place on Earth. If she survived she’ll find us.” I said.

“So we have to keep going before we get spotted by more Grinders.” Mikki said.

I nodded and helped Mikki with Myli.

“I can’t do this. It hurts.” Myli said.

“We have to.” I said as we heard something behind us. We looked behind us and saw a school bus. As it started to pass us it stopped.

“Hey Lassies, need a lift?” a man with a thick Scottish accent asked.

“You headed to Corinth?” Mikki asked.

“Where else would be go?”

“In that case, absolutely.” I said as Mikki and I helped Myli on the bus. Once we had Miles seated Mikki looked at her ankle and I headed up to the front of the bus. “Thanks.” I said as the driver started to drive.

“No worries.” He said.

“I’m Mandy.” I said.

“Nice to meet you Mandy, I’m Flynn.”

“So you’re driving a bus…not a subtle way to get to Corinth. You’ll attract all kinds of Grinders and other Venjix creeps.” I said.

“True…but it’s also the quickest way to get a group of people to safety.” Flynn said.

I smiled, “Touché”

We eventually made it to Corinth and found a place to call home. It was a small house but it suited the three of us fine.

~June 2034~

Corinth was the safest place in the world, but from time to time the shields of the city had to be dropped. One day while the three of us were out the shields were lowered and some Grinders came in.

“Look what we have here.” I said as I took a fighting stance.

“Ohh, fun.” Myli said as she joined me.

“Let’s take ‘em out, but be careful.” Mikki said.

I alternated between freezing, fighting, blowing up, and zapping the Grinders. Mikki used her telekinesis to keep Grinders at bay, and Myli used her lightning to fight them off.

“I so got jipped in the power department. Being psychic does nothing against robots.” Myli complained.

“Consider yourself lucky to have lightning.” I replied as I blew up more Grinders. About this time some Grinders flew in with the air vehicles. They started blasting down at us.

“Ok, that’s so not fair.” Myli said.

“Aim up.” I said as I tried to take some out, but they were too fast.

“We should pull back.” Mikki said as Myli got blasted, she flew back, “Myli!”

“We can’t take them out…it’s too much.” I said.

“Need some help?” a voice asked.

We looked back and saw three Power Rangers.

“The thought had crossed my mind.” I replied.

“Stand back Mandy.” A familiar Scottish voice said.

“Flynn?” I asked.

“Blue Ranger if you please.”

I smiled, “Go for it.”

I watched as the Rangers battled the Grinders.

“Mandy, come on!” Mikki cried. She’d gotten the still passed out Myli on her back and was carrying her.

“Go. Get Miles home. I’ll catch up.” I said.

“No, it’s too dangerous out here. Come on Mandy.”

I rolled my eyes, “Go, you don’t have time to argue.”

Mikki sighed, “Fine.”

I stood back and watched until the Rangers finished the battle and the city shields were back up.

“That was amazing!” I said.

“Power Down.” The Red Ranger said.

“You ok?” Flynn asked.

I nodded, “I’m fine. You guys rocked!”

“Thanks.”

“Hi, I’m Scott and this is Summer.” The Red Ranger said.

“Oh…sorry guys. This is my friend Mandy Harkness. Mandy, my teammates.” Flynn said.

“Nice to meet you.” Summer said.

“Likewise.” I said.

“So what is up with that power you and your sisters have?” Scott asked.

“Long story. Short version…we were born with it. We each have different powers but we all can conjure lightning.”

“Well you better watch it. Obviously you can’t handle yourself against Venjix.”

I looked at Scott, “We were doing just fine…until they caught us off guard with those flying things.”

“Just watch your back.”

“No worries.”

“Mandy, you should go check on your sister. Can I walk you home?” Flynn asked.

I nodded, “Sure.”

“Ok. I’ll catch up with you guys later.” Flynn told the others as we headed off.

We got back to my house and went in. We went to Myli’s room. She was sitting up on her bed and Mikki was sitting next to her.

“Are you ok Myli?” I asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” She replied.

“What were you guys thinking?” Flynn asked.

“That we could handle it.” I said.

“But we obviously can’t. I don’t want either of you girls using your powers against any Venjix force again.” Mikki said.

“What? You can’t be serious.” I said.

“Mandy, Venjix is powerful. We already lost Mom. I won’t lose either of you.”

“Mikki, we’re the Power of Three. It’s our job to protect people.”

“It’s our job to protect our people…Earth is not our planet.”

“Excuse me?” Flynn asked, “Are you guys aliens?”

“No. We’re human. But our bloodline is Saturn royalty. We’re princesses…our bloodline is also how we have our power.” I explained.

“Wow…ok…”

“And our duty is to protect Saturn.” Mikki said.

“Yeah, and you think Venjix will stop with Earth? Saturn could be next.” I said.

“We’ll worry about that if it happens. I’m serious. Both of you…no Power of Three…do not use your power.”

“That’s not fair Mikki…I’m in agreement with Mandy here. We have a duty.” Myli said.

“You could have been killed today.”

“It’s a risk we have to take.”

“No. Corinth has the Power Rangers. That’s enough. It’s their job to protect the city, not ours. Right Flynn?”

“Um…I think I better stay out of this one.” Flynn said.

“Smart guy.” I said.

“This isn’t up for discussion. No powers.” Mikki said.

“You’re not Mom, you can’t tell us what to do.” Myli said.

“I’m the closest thing you have to a mom right now and you both will listen to me. DO NOT use your powers. Are we clear?”

Myli and I sighed, “Yes ma’am.”

“Thank you.”

“Myli, are you sure you’re ok?” I asked.

“I’m fine. Really. Just a bump on the head.” Myli replied.

“OK, good.”

“Mandy…your arm…” Flynn pointed out.

“Oh…wow…it’s bleeding. I didn’t even notice.”

Mikki sighed.

“Come on. I’ll clean it up for you.” Flynn said.

Flynn cleaned my arm and bandaged it up then we went for a walk.

“This so isn’t fair. We have our powers for a reason. It’s our duty to protect people.” I said.

“Venjix is strong. Maybe Mikki is right. Leave the battle to us.” Flynn replied.

I sighed, “But…I can help.”

“Mandy, if anything happened to you I don’t know what I’d do. You’re my best friend.”

“You’re my best friend too…and I’m supposed to sit back while you battle?”

“I have the protection of the Power Ranger power. That’s a little different.”

“I guess.”

Flynn reached for my hand, “It’ll be ok. We’ll protect Corinth and both you and I will be safe.”

“I hope you’re right Flynn.” I said as I held his hand. We continued to walk.

“So how come you never mentioned you were a princess or that you had these powers?”

“You’ve seen me use my powers before.”

“No, I haven’t. I knew you could fight extremely well. I didn’t know you had power.”

“Oh…it’s not really something we like to broadcast. And we’re not princesses on Earth…just on Saturn.”

“So why are you on Earth?”

“Our ancestors have been ruling from Earth for generations. I guess no one ever considered doing it differently.”

“Now would be a good time for you to move to Saturn. A safe planet.”

“Maybe. But Earth is our home. We can’t just abandon it.”

“You’re one amazing girl Mandy Harkness.”

“You’re not so bad yourself Flynn McAlister.”

~March 2135~

“Mandy, is Flynn coming to dinner?” Mikki asked.

“Yeah, he said he would.” I replied.

“Set an extra place at the table please.”

“OK.” I said as I did. The doorbell rang shortly after. I went to the door and opened it. “Hey!” I said as I kissed Flynn, my boyfriend.

“Hey Mand.” He said kissing me back.

“I heard there was some big battle today…Mikki said that 1.5 people made it into the city. What was the .5?” I asked.

“He’s half human, half Venjix technology.”

“Oh, ewww….gross.”

“We don’t know much about him yet but both he and his traveling companion are in prison. We’re working to figure out who…or what he is. I actually have to get back there after dinner. Scott called a meeting.”

I nodded, “OK. Well at least I got this time with you.”

“I’ll try to stop by after the meeting if you want.”

I smiled, “That would be great.”

“Guys, dinner is ready!” Mikki called.

“Coming!” I called back. I kissed Flynn once more then we went into the dining room.

“Hey Flynn.” Mikki said as we all sat down.

“Hey Mikk.” Flynn replied.

“You guys get anything out of that Venjix mix yet?” she asked. Mikki was a computer tech at the base where the Rangers worked out of.

“Not yet. He claims to not know anything.”

“Hmm…he’s odd to say the least.”

“If he’s part Venjix why is he still alive? Execute him.” Myli said.

“Miles, he’s part human. You can’t just execute him for no reason.” Mikki said.

“He’s part Venjix technology, there’s your reason.”

“We’re not sure that he’s evil.” Flynn said.

“He’s part Venjix…he’s evil.”

“If we find he is evil we’ll take proper steps. Until we know more he’ll sit in jail.”

Myli made a face, “If he’s part human I could get a psychic reading off him.”

“Mylina Nicole Harkness, you know the rules.” Mikki scolded.

Myli sighed, “Yeah, yeah…no using our powers.”

“Exactly.”

“That is so lame.”

“Lame or not I expect you to obey.”

“Fine.”

After dinner Flynn kissed me goodbye and headed back to work. I didn’t know what to think of this part Venjix creature. If Myli was right then we should fry his circuits…but he was part human…I didn’t know what to do, but I did hope Flynn would be safe. What I did know was that I had to figure out a way to get Mikki to drop this stupid rule. If Venjix was turning humans into part robots then the Power of Three was needed now more than ever.