The Rabbit Hole

Posted on Fri Dec 2nd, 2022 @ 4:13am by Damien McGinnis & Markus

1,029 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: The Invasion
Location: Angel Grove Dreamscape
Timeline: 17th November 2050, 0000 Hours

Damien walked the ruins of Angel Grove's third avenue wearing his Ranger suit, his helmet under his right arm. The city was ablaze, the bodies of civilians and GPF personnel alike littering the street. He didn't remember how he had got there, nor even why he was there. The last thing he remembered was being sat in the kitchen after Kilena had left to go to bed. He'd just set his glass of milk down on the counter and sat down, then he'd been there.

"Seriously, we're doing this?" Came a voice from behind him, proceeding to mutter something inaudible under his breath.

Damien turned, freezing in the spot as he saw the figure stood before him. It was him. The other Red Ranger, his sword stored inside his shield. Damien narrowed his eyes at the other Ranger.

"Did you do this?" He asked, his fist clenching "Did you kill all these people?"

"Afraid not. Not this time." The Ranger replied "Of course, you don't believe that. We both know you want nothing more than to put that helmet on and come get your ass kicked again. So come on then, Red Ranger. Give it your best shot."

"Let's dance..." Damien growled as he lifted his helmet above his head, bringing it down as he yelled "Back to action!"

Damien charged the other Ranger, throwing a left right left hook combo in an attempt to stagger his opponent, each strike being met with a perfect parry. It was exactly like it had been on Earth, the other Ranger completely dominating his opponent with little to no effort on his part. The other man certainly had more skill than he did, that was for sure, but he had something else.

"Hey, is that yo' momma?" Damien yelled, pointing behind the man, causing him to turn around.

That was what he needed. The split second opening gave him his window. He launched into a spinning kick, sending the other Ranger's weapon clattering away as his own sword materialised in his hand. He swung down, only for the other Ranger to drop to the floor, sweeping his left leg under Damien's feet and causing him to fall to the floor, his own blade ending up just out of reach.

"No one talks about my Mother." The other Ranger growled as he leant forward, offering Damien his hand "Come on, get up."

"Why?" Damien asked "What does helping me up do to benefit you?"

"There's no honour to be won in defeating an opponent on his ass." The Ranger said, motioning with his hand for Damien to take it "Come on, get up."

Damien paused before taking the Ranger's hand. As the other man began to pull, Damien planted his feet firmly on the other Ranger's chest, flipping him over him and sending him rolling across the ground. Damien stood up slowly, beginning to move in a slow, precise circle.

"I grew up with three older cousins living just down the road." Damien explained "We used to rough house a lot. Learned that move when I was nine. My cousin broke my arm with it."

"Cute story." The Ranger said, standing slowly and dusting himself off "Total bullshit, but cute."

"You're right. No cousins." Damien conceded as he shook his head "Now, come on. Fight me!"

"You're determined to get beaten today, aren't you?" The other Ranger asked "It'd be funny if it wasn't so pathetic."

Damien snarled as he charged in, attempting to hit the other Ranger with a right hook. Once again, his strike was parried before being countered, Damien being hurled into a wall, slumping down to the floor as his morph collapsed. He sputtered slightly, flecks of blood landing on the floor in front of him. No, not the floor.

A sign. A broken sign. The one he knew was supposed to belong to the Juice Bar. Except the text was wrong. It was gibberish. Then it hit him.

"None of this is real..." Damien said as he slowly got to his feet, beginning to laugh to himself "Oh man, it's like that one Batman story I saw with my Dad when I was a kid. In a dream, you can't read. Different parts of the brain. And if it's a dream, that means the normal rules don't apply... And you can't win!"

"Try me..." The other Red Ranger said "Make your move!"

"Okay then... It's Morphin Time!" Damien called as he slammed the freshly materialised crystal into his morpher, pulling the trigger as he aimed at the other Ranger "Red Ranger Power!"

A blast of red energy slammed into the other Ranger as a red energy star formed above Damien, coming down over his head and forming his suit, before a pair of red stars formed on either side of his head, coming together to form his helmet.

"Now, let's do this thing!" Damien charged in, ducking under the other Ranger's attack, coming up with a gut punch before spinning around, slamming his elbow into the back of the other Ranger's head. He didn't let up, bringing a knee up to hit the other Ranger in the face, attempting to punch the other man only to have his fist caught, the other Ranger hurling him flying into a wall.

"I don't get it..." Damien said as he slowly picked himself up "This is my dream, how the hell am I losing..."

"You don't know?" The Ranger asked, apparently surprised, beginning to laugh to himself "Then I'm not telling you."

"But you have to." Damien questioned, removing his helmet and tossing it to the ground "You're a figment of my imagination, and I want to know, so you have to tell me."

"So very wrong on so many levels." The Ranger shook his head, moving to his shield and picking it up "I'll leave you here to figure out just how deep this rabbit hole goes."

There was a flash of red light as the Ranger teleported away. Damien looked around. Rabbit hole? What was he talking about? All he knew is that had been one of the most bizarre dreams he'd had in a long time.

 

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