Fallout

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*2 years earlier*

"Wastes of space" he yelled as he kicked a can in his path. "Every single one of them!"

The city was quiet – or at least what was left of it – as the Tyrantrum Ranger walked along the outskirts of the piers. He'd been outside the perimeter before; but this was his first time doing so as a civilian.

"If they had only listened to me instead of Mr. Wholesome..."

"Mr. Wholesome" an elderly man interjected from one of the nearby benches "well that's certainly an odd name."

The Tyrantrum Ranger was a little taken off guard by this. He could have sworn there was no one around a moment ago; but here this man sat, starring out at the water.

The man's garb was quite unique; a tattered suit of sorts with a cloak slung over one shoulder. As for his hair, it was just as much of a mess as he was; and yet, the style was so elaborate that there had to be some sort of reasoning behind it.

"Hey old man, don't you know it's dangerous to be out here?"

"So I've heard," he replied with a smile. "Though couldn't one ask the same of you?"

"Please, don't you know who I am?" he scoffed out of habit. "I'm the Tyrantrum Ra..." He paused for a moment as the realization sank in again. He gritted his teeth and kicked over the garbage can beside him, "... or at least I was."

"My, sounds like you've had a rough day!"

"You could say that" he sneered in reply. "But do you know what really upsets me?"

"No, but I'm sure you're about to tell me anyway", the man replied in a tone that was almost patronizingly civil.

"It's that I had to rely on five other 'do-nothings' – four if I was lucky - and even then we never came close to Mr. Wholesome – or his dorky assistant!"

"You really don't like using proper names do you?"

"I'M TALKING ABOUT ZEKKS OKAY!" the Tyrantrum Ranger yelled!

"Now was that so hard?" the man sighed as he gestured for the former Ranger to take a seat. "Though I have to admit – while I've never had the pleasuring of meeting him for myself – I'm not particularly a fan of this Zekks character either."

"You'd think with the loss of his wife, he'd tone it down" he began as he took a seat. "But tonight I saw him do things I've never seen him do before. It's as if..." he tightened his fist "it's as if he's been holding back this entire time! Mocking me!"

"Perhaps" the man offered. "Or perhaps he just found something that pushed him right over the edge." The man used his hand and the back of the bench they were sitting on to mimic a person leaping

"Also a possibility" the Tyrantrum Ranger acknowledged as he fell lost in thought, thinking about the massive mechanical monstrosity they had fought earlier. "It was unreal. The way it moved. It's power... not to mention it looked like it could have been one of our Zords."

"Oh?"

"... that would make it possible right?" he asked rhetorically. "If only I could command power like that, then I wouldn't have to put up with so many losers."

"Is that so?" the man mused. "Because it's starting to sound like you'd trade your teammates in for a taste of power."

"Teammates?" The Tyrantrum Ranger couldn't help but laugh at this. "Please, they're nothing but a bunch of simpletons without even the slightest shred of ambition... or the ability to follow orders. If I could have handed their powers off to anyone else, I would have long ago – though lord knows I tried!"

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