BILLY STEELE: KID RANGER, CHAPTER THREE

The evil one had somehow stolen Billy Steele’s magical black arrowhead during an unguarded moment.

"Now I have the ultimate power and I know your secret Billy Steele," The Dark Skull roared with infernal delight. The Warrior checked his pocket and his worst fears had been realized. The arrowhead was indeed gone from his possession.

"RAMSFEW," The Dark Skull screamed as he held the arrowhead above his head, and in seconds, The Lightning Warrior reverted back to his young Billy Steele alter ego. Billy became a bewildered boy facing his most mortal enemy. And in the same stroke, The Dark Skull used his purloined power to become a super, monstrously humongous rampaging god of doom.

Billy Steele had lost his Lightning Warrior power to The Dark Skull’s lurid grip. A horrified Billy, now defenseless, saw the terrorist of the trail transform into a humongous, rampaging giant. When Billy became The Lightning Warrior, the power of Nature surged through his veins. But when The Dark Skull became his atrocious, alter ego it appeared the bowels of Hell became channeled through his being.

"How did my worst enemy discover my secret," Billy asked him self as the Dark Skull became a massive monster. But Billy had no time to ponder this puzzle as The Dark Skull shined his murderous light on him. The monstrous Dark Skull used his incredible fury of body and soul to chase his diminutive victim through his cavern hideout. The now powerless Billy ran from his executioner’s crashing stomps. Again and again, the monstrous Dark Skull used his size to try and squash Billy as if the boy were a gnat. The Dark Skull’s fists and feet of fury missed the boy by a heartbeat. The titan’s pounding caused the walls to cave in and an earthquake to rumble throughout the vast plains. The demonic Dark Skull screamed in a mad frustration each time he missed the speedy Billy.

From a distance, Billy could hear hoof beats approaching from outside. In seconds, Billy’s family of Holt’s Rangers and their allies of wild west legends invaded the Dark Skull’s hideout headquarters. All jaws dropped in sheer amazement upon seeing the gigantic Dark Skull shake and rattle in an all-consuming rage. The Dark Skull heaved boulders at the smaller super troopers. Big Boy, Jubilee and the soldiers scattered like mice to escape the savage stones. "Betsy," Salvation McCoy’s trusty rifle fell from the old scout’s hand as the monster threw him to the ground. Holt’s Rangers and the cowboy legends opened their gunfire at the monster. Col. Tim, Buffalo Bill, Wyatt Earp, Kit Carson, Wild Bill, Bat Masterson, Doc Holiday, Teddy Roosevelt, Calamity Jane and Anne Oakley fired their guns in unison at The Dark Skull. The smoke and flames from their sleek guns lit the black cave like a fireworks celebration. But their bullets bounced off The Dark Skull’s massive, impervious body.

The Dark Skull’s pistol had become a cannon sized firearm. Boom! He discharged it at his tiny challengers. Col. Tim and Big Boy flew out of the flaming, boulder sized bullet’s way. The West’s greatest legends were forced to run for cover. Meanwhile, a helpless Billy desperately tried to find a way to save his friends and family from The Dark Skull’s attack.

Billy remained calm and focused even in the heat of battle. An eagle eyed Billy saw that The Dark Skull dropped the black arrowhead he had stolen from Billy earlier. The enraged giant failed to notice his power source was gone from his person.