Miniforce: The Return of the Dark Energy (Fanfiction)

Chapter 10 - Forbidden yet heard

(Note: The picture above is Ipas in animal form since I can't find a picture of her spying in ranger form)

Silvery moonlight cast an elongated shadow against the surface of the rocky precipice, giving away its owner's existence.

The slender figure crouched low on one knee, her sable black armor camouflaged into the dark of night. Only fragments of yellow and silver shone amongst the murky darkness, which the ranger skillfully tucked away with the tight arc of her crouch.

Sickening laughter, along with the fiery tinge of flames, leaked through a small crevice between the stone, revealing the cavern to the spying ranger. Her slanted eyes glowed through the crack, silently observing the scene.

A flickering fire burned within a circle of pebbles, its heated glow casting a sea of dark silhouettes onto the looming walls . The army chortled and joked amongst themselves, boasting over how they had beaten the Miniforce earlier that week.

"Should have seen that punch I gave the blue brat!" Laoshu bragged, tossing a twig into the fire. The flames flared at the additional fuel.

"That's nothing compared to the way I beat up the yellow one!" Croaker grumbled gruffly, mimicking Laoshu as he fetched Abophis's staff from where it had been lying nearby, feeding the flames with the engraved rod. The Egyptian ranger stretched a hand toward his burning staff, retrieving his weapon and smacking the crocodile over the head with it.

"Ray's lucky he'd missed out this time!" He growled, shaking embers from his staff as Croaker rubbed his head. "If he hadn't, I would have given him what he deserved! It'll serve him right for sealing me inside that loathsome pyramid!"

"And you'll have your chance in the next encounter." A drawling voice echoed, eerie amongst the atmosphere. The bustling cavern silenced at their master's unannounced arrival.

A wisp of purple smoke slithered into view at the midst of the cavern, revolving around the translucent silhouette slowly materializing from thin air. Blinding slits of eyes glared before the rest of its body had taken shape, the orange flames of fire now a background in comparison.

No one spoke a word. The lizard sure knows how to make an appearance.

"Well done, my dear army." Pascal snarled, his voice dripping with sarcasm as his figure fully solidified. "Well enough to let four wounded pests escape from under your noses!"

The cavern was surprisingly silent despite the number of people crowded within. Only Shaku's parrot let out an obnoxious screech at the wrong moment, resulting in its master swatting it off his shoulder with his hook.

"And here I find you rejoicing instead, at possibly the biggest embarrassment of your lives, of all villains!" Pascal continued with a growl, volume increasing as nearby subordinates scooched back from the fuming purple ranger.

"It was Ray!" Abophis objected. "He ruined our victory!"

"And whoever was the green ranger with him!" Vamp added. "If they hadn't been there-"

"This is not about if they hadn't been there!" Pascal bellowed, overpowering their protests. "This is about that they did, and how all you incompetent fools let them get away with it!"

"Then why didn't you stop them yourself?" Torris retorted, having had enough of the lizard's tantrum.

Pascal's eyes flashed dangerously, flames of fury practically lashed from his taut body. He took a menacing step towards Torris, who retreated instinctively. "Silence!" He roared as the occupiers of the cavern flinched in unison. "You think you can overthrow me if you all combine together, now don't you? That's why you're acting so arrogant towards your master, isn't it? Well," he paused, sweeping satisfied gaze across the tense audience. "You're wrong."