It had not been
a good day for Dr. Peter Venkman. The psychologist-turned-paranormal exterminator
had started the day on a six AM bust, chasing down a pair of poltergeists
that had a love of pitching ectoplasm. As usual, Peter had received the
brunt of the slime, while the other Ghostbusters had escaped unscathed.
Then, upon returning to headquarters, Peter had been slimed again, this
time by the firehouse's resident ghost, Slimer. After finally removing
the last of the ectoplasm from his person, he had come to the gym to work
out and shoot a few hoops. That's when he had run into his latest problem.
Four very
big, very mean-looking guys, each of whom could break me in half without
a problem, Peter thought wryly, running a hand through his dark hair.
"Look, guys, last I checked this was an open court. You can't hog it all
day."
"We do what
we want, mister," one of the gorillas said, eyeing him. "If you've got
a problem with that, we'd be happy to discuss it."
"How old are
you guys? You can't be more than seventeen. Come on, let the kids play.
It wasn't that long ago you were that age yourself." Over on the sidelines,
several children, all approximately twelve to fourteen years old, watched
the by-play with interest.
"Nobody tells
us what to do," growled another of the boys. "Least of all some old shrimp
like you."
"Old?" Peter
echoed, offended. "I'm only thirty-nine! Listen, I'll make you boys a bet.
A little basketball, me against you. If I win, you clear off the court.
If you win, I'm gone, no problem. Unless you're afraid to play an old guy
like me."
The bullies
laughed. "Four of us against you? You've got to be kidding! Four against
one?"
"Four against
two," a voice said behind Peter. The psychologist turned to see a young
man, about the same age as his opponents. His hair and eyes were black,
and his skin was almost the same color. Also, he wore a black T-shirt which
showcased a rather impressive, if lean, musculature.
"You goons against
me and him," the newcomer continued, moving onto the court. "What do you
say?"
The bullies
regarded each other for a long moment. "I'd say you're on!"
"Thanks for
the back-up," Peter said quietly, while the four boys began to warm up.
"I'm Peter Venkman, by the way."
The young man
took Peter's offered hand and shook it firmly. "Zack Taylor. Nice to meet
you, Mr. Venkman."
"Dr. Venkman,
actually, but please, call me Peter. Everybody does- well, almost everybody,"
he amended, thinking of the Ghostbusters' secretary, Janine.
"Okay, Peter.
You good at basketball?"
"Sort of," Peter
grimaced. "I used to coach, a while ago. You?"
"Played a lot
back home. The important part will be working as a team."
The two men
stretched out, then headed out to the center of the court for the face
off. The jump ball was thrown, and the game began. It was rather one-sided,
of course. Between Zack's quickness and Peter's experience, the four muscle-bound
gorillas never stood a chance. The pair quickly outdid their opponents,
making it to ten points before the others could blink.
"Thank you,
gentlemen," Peter grinned. "The door is that way." Knowing they were beaten,
the goons left, their eyes on the ground. "Come on in, kids," Peter called,
tossing the ball towards the watching children. "The court's all yours."
As the children
ran onto the court, Peter and Zack moved off to the sidelines, sitting
on one of the benches the gym provided. "So, what brings you to the gym?"
Peter asked casually, sipping from his water bottle.
"I signed up
to play in the charity game at the Boys' and Girls' Club, and I wanted
to get a little practicing in before I met the team," Zack replied. "You?"
"Same, actually.
I haven't really played a lot recently, and I thought I ought to get back
into shape. You said you played a lot back home. Where is that?"
Zack chuckled.
"Angel Grove, California. A long ways away."
"Here for college?"
"Yeah, I'm a
freshman, majoring in Communications at Columbia University."
Peter smiled.
"I used to work at Columbia, before I went into the private sector. That
was a long time ago, though."
Zack looked
at him for a moment. "Dr. Peter Venkman. Hey, you're a Ghostbuster, right?
I've seen you on the news all the time."
"Ah, fame. It's
nice, but it can get a little annoying."
"You won't get
an argument out of me," Zack replied, a secretive smile on his face. After
all, he thought, I've had to dodge reporters for a large part of
the last four years. I know what a hassle fame can be. Looking down
at his watch, his eyes widened. "Oh, man! I'd better get back to the college
before I'm late! Bye, Peter! See you at the first group practice!" Leaping
to his feet, Zack ran out of the gym. Peter watched him go, then headed
for the showers.
As he walked
out of the gym building, a voice behind him caught his attention. "Peter!
Over here!" He turned to see his three best friends in the world waving
at him from where their car was parked by the curb.
"Hey, guys,
what's up?" Peter asked, crossing towards them.
"Well, we thought
we'd come and get you, and we could all go out to dinner, maybe that little
Chinese place you like," Ray explained earnestly. "Earnest" was the best
word in existence to describe Ray Stantz. Although the occultist was only
a year younger than Peter, he still seemed like an eternal child. Ray could
dredge up enthusiasm for a bust at two in the morning, in the pouring rain.
His auburn hair was constantly slightly disordered, his brown eyes were
usually wide, and he habitually had a huge smile on his face. Today was
no exception.
"So what took
you so long, Pete?" Winston Zeddemore asked. The oldest of the Ghostbusting
team, Winston was now almost fifty, gray beginning to show in his black
hair, but still in great shape. The older man was the sensible, practical
one of the group, usually hauling the other three back when they got too
into their work. "Usually you're out by now. We had to wait almost twenty
minutes. Ray wanted to go in and look for you."
"Oh, I ran into
a little trouble on the basketball court," Peter replied dismissively.
"Luckily, I got a little help from a new freshman friend of mine. You'll
never guess where he's going. Columbia!"
"Columbia?"
echoed Egon Spengler, the fourth member of the group, blue eyes twinkling.
"Did you tell him about how you got the three of us thrown out of that
hallowed institution of higher learning?" The tall, lanky, blond physicist
had a dry, deadpan sense of humor that contrasted well with Ray's enthusiasm
and Peter's constant joking. Usually he was the straight man for the three,
who had known each other since their days as college students.
"Egon, you wound
me," Peter replied easily, heading for the car. "Come on, let's go eat.
If I have to spend another night protecting my dinner from Slimer, I'm
going to blast the Spud myself." Laughing, the four men climbed into the
car and drove off.
Back in his dorm
room after his latest class, lying on his bed, Zack thought about his day,
grinning to himself. "A Ghostbuster, huh? Boy, I've sure met a lot of interesting
people since I came here," he remarked to no one in particular. He liked
Columbia, and New York City, a great deal. He hadn't been bored since he
started, although he was careful to spend a reasonable amount of time studying.
Still, he had made a lot of new friends, and was truly enjoying the experience.
Sighing, he
turned on his side. New York was great, but it wasn't Angel Grove. Truth
be told, sometimes he missed his friends awfully. They all kept in touch,
via letter as well as communicator, but it wasn't the same as seeing them
every day. We're scattered to the four winds, he thought sadly. I wonder
if we'll ever be together again.
His friends
weren't the only things he missed, if he wanted to be honest with himself.
He also missed the thrill of being a superhero. No aliens threatened New
York, and the Turbo Rangers were doing an excellent job of defending Angel
Grove. Still, he couldn't help but wish he was back in the action, fighting
along side his friends.
He had felt
this longing before, while he was attending the Peace Conference in Switzerland.
At first, he had been all for it, barely even missing his Ranger powers
as he made a difference, little by little, in the world at large. He had
enjoyed the mild fame that came with being a delegate, enjoyed traveling,
seeing new things, and meeting new people. The thrill had palled after
a while, however. Jason had felt it first, of course. Zack had been skeptical
of Jason's joining the conference in the first place. His longtime friend
had always been a man of action, a fighter, not a talker. Not that Jason
wasn't in favor of peace. In all the time Zack had known him, Jason had
never started a fight, and never gone into one without first doing everything
in his power to avoid it. Still, he wasn't happy in an atmosphere where
everything was talk, no action. Zack had not been at all surprised when
Jason left the conference.
He had been
a little more startled when he had begun feeling the same longing in himself.
He had always thought of himself as the happy-go-lucky one, the Rangers'
comedy relief. It had always been his job to break the tension when it
rose too high. Eventually, he realized that his problem was that he felt
useless at the conference. After seeing monsters destroyed, watching the
people as they realized they'd been saved, and knowing that he'd succeeded
in his mission, he wasn't able to be satisfied with talking about a peace
that never seemed to get anywhere, and no one seemed to appreciate.
Towards the
end, right before they had left to return to Angel Grove, Zack had sighted
the first stages of the feeling in Trini as well. She had always been so
patient, but it was becoming obvious that their work at the conference
had proceeded as far as it could. Trini had been the one to make him see
the conference's real value, though. She had told him that if young adults,
the best and the brightest from all over the world, could learn to put
aside their differences and work together, then when these best and the
brightest were controlling the countries of the world, there might be less
misunderstanding and conflict. Zack understood, he thought, but even Trini
had to admit that their presence was no longer making a difference to the
assembly. If Jason's illness hadn't come when it did, they probably would
have been returning home soon anyway.
Sighing, Zack
looked at the pictures beside his bed. He'd only been able to take three
pictures with him to college, due to space restrictions, so he'd been very
careful on his choices. One was of course of his girlfriend, Angela. He
didn't know if their relationship would survive their separation, but he
still cared about her very much, and they wrote to each other often.
The second picture
was of him and five other teens. Zack sighed again. The six of them were
the Morphin Warriors, the last line of defense between Earth and the evil
aliens who threatened it. These six had become almost an extended family
to him, closer than anything he'd ever known. He missed them incredibly.
The final picture
was a huge group shot, taken just before they'd all left for college. There
was a total of twenty-six people in it, all crammed together and grinning
at the enormous panoramic camera. The group was loosely arranged in three
rows, eight in the first and nine in the back two. The front row held the
five Turbo Rangers, Kimberly, Skull, and a grinning Bulk. Behind them were
the rest of the Morphin Warriors, plus Tyler, Terry, David, Christina,
and Jamie. Last were the rest of the Zeos and Lita Kino. Everybody looked
rather uncomfortable at the crowding, but happy. Most of them were goofing
off for the camera, and Zack was powerfully reminded of how much he missed
them all.
Rolling onto
his back once more, he stared at the ceiling. Only 'til Thanksgiving,
he thought to himself. When break comes, I'll see them again.
"Taylor! Downcourt
to Sanders!" The coach cried, clapping her hands together. "Come on, guys,
let's see some hustle!" Zack's team for the charity basketball game, the
Lions, had been practicing together for while now, and Zack was quickly
emerging as the star of the team. Not only could he shoot, dribble, and
guard like a pro, but he was extremely good at getting the ball to the
other members of his team.
Peter was also
one of the team's better players. Although a bit older than most of the
other players on the court, he was in excellent shape, mainly from lugging
around a heavy proton pack for hours at a time. Also, he had developed
an unusual agility from dodging slime, which came in handy against younger
players.
"All right,
guys, great game," Coach Matthews congratulated them. "I'll see you all
back here same time Friday, right?" She was greeted with a chorus of somewhat
weary affirmations. "Great! Hit the showers." The players went off to the
various locker rooms to clean up and change. As Zack was heading out of
the building, Peter caught up with him.
"Hey, where
you headed?" Peter asked, falling into step with the younger man.
"The museum.
I've got a job there doing grunt work in the archaeology department. I
file stuff, type stuff, make coffee, that sort of thing. Money's useful
when you're a college student."
Peter nodded.
"Ah, yes. I remember the condition. Mind if I walk with you? I've got to
catch a bus in that direction anyway."
Shrugging, Zack
replied, "Sure, why not?" The two men walked in silence for a little while,
then Peter broke it.
"You were pretty
impressive out there on the court today. You seem to know exactly how to
work with a team."
Zack chuckled,
seemingly at some private joke. "I played basketball with my friends a
lot," he replied. Although that's not where my teamwork skills come
from.
Peter seemed
about to reply when a siren startled them both. They turned to see Ecto-1,
the Ghostbusters' reply vehicle, actually a hearse painted like a police
car, pulling up next to them. Sticking his head out of the passenger's
side window, Ray beckoned frantically.
"Peter, come
on! We've got a call at the museum, and they want us there pronto!"
Peter groaned.
"Ray, I just took a shower. I have been playing basketball for three straight
hours. I'm tired, I'm sore, I'm hungry, and the last thing I want to do
is tangle with some purple gooper that thinks I'm its lunch!"
"It's not a
gooper, Peter. The museum's come up with some artifact, and it's driving
the archaeology department nuts. It's some sort of crystal, and every time
someone comes near it, it flashes in these colors. They have no idea what
it is, so they called us."
Peter, interested
despite himself, looked back at Zack. "Want a ride? You'll be crammed in
between Egon and me, but there should be room."
Zack shrugged.
"Why not? We're headed in the same direction, after all."
Once in the
car, Peter attempted to slip into his jumpsuit and boots without elbowing
Zack more than absolutely necessary. "So, Ray, what exactly is this crystal
you're talking about?" Peter asked with a long-suffering air.
"They're not
sure. The doctor described it as a regular octahedron, shaped like two
four-sided pyramids placed base to base. It's clear quartz, but there seem
to be coins of some golden-bronze metal embedded in each side. It's supported
by four posts on a square base of the same metal."
"Anything on
the coins? Sorry, Zack." Peter removed his elbow from the younger man's
eye and zipped up the suit.
"Yeah, animal
symbols," Ray replied. "The doctor can't identify them, though."
"And there's
nothing in Tobin's Spirit Guide, or any of the other material we have on
hand," Egon interrupted, speaking for the first time since Zack had gotten
in the car.
"Any theories,
you boy geniuses?" Despite the teasing tone of Peter's words, it was obvious
that he had a lot of confidence in Ray and Egon's abilities. It reminded
Zack of the way Tommy and Jason sometimes talked to Billy. Occasionally
they teased him, but they always knew he'd be there for them in an emergency.
It was rarely acknowledged, but it was always there.
"Sure, Peter,
we've got theories," Ray responded. "It could be cursed, or maybe just
some sort of psychic amplifier. Who knows, maybe it's some sort of beacon
for sending out a signal into the unknown."
"Or maybe it's
just a paranormal nightlight," Peter responded, his jade eyes sparkling
with mischief. He knew it would get a rise out of Ray, and perhaps Egon,
and he enjoyed needling them both occasionally. However, before either
of them could rise to the bait, Winston interrupted them.
"We're here,"
he chuckled, throwing the car into park. The four men strapped on their
packs and headed into the building, Zack following behind. Soon, the five
of them reached the archaeology department, where most of the staff was
clustered in one corner of the room, regarding the crystal at the other
end with deep suspicion.
"Dr. Markov?"
Zack called. "I'm here to help with the filing."
An attractive
woman in her mid-thirties, blond hair pulled back in a sensible bun, crossed
towards him. "Thank you, Zack, but I'm afraid that we won't have much for
you to do. Since this thing started acting up, the whole department's shut
down."
"Dr. Elsa Markov?"
Egon asked, moving to the front of the group. "I'm Egon Spengler. I read
your latest dissertation on Babylonian shrines, and I found it most interesting."
"Thank you,
Doctor Spengler," she replied, shaking his hand. "I only hope you can help
us with our current problem."
"We'll do our
best," Ray informed her. "Now, we need to ask you a few questions." As
the Ghostbusters talked to Dr. Markov, Zack tuned them out, wandering over
to examine the crystal. As he approached, it flared an impressive black,
causing him to furrow his brow.
"Hey, watch
it!" Peter cried, hauling Zack back. "You have no idea what that thing
is capable of!"
"If it was going
to toast people for looking at it, it would have done it by now," Zack
retorted, shaking off the older man's hand. He returned to examining the
crystal, which still glowed black. Careful not to touch it, he looked at
the designs on the coins, and barely stifled a groan. The eight coins bore
eight symbols, six of which were extremely familiar to Zack. "Tyrannosaurus,
Saber-Toothed Tiger, Triceratops, Pterodactyl, and Mastodon," he mumbled
to himself, identifying each animal in turn. The sixth was the fleur-de-lis
which symbolized the Dragon. "These two must be Velociraptor and Wyvern."
"That's what
they look like to me," Dr. Markov agreed, startling him. "The crystal doesn't
seem to react to my approach, so I was able to get a good look at them
while we waited for you."
Zack shook his
head in wonder. He came all the way across the country for college, and
he ran into a crystal that was obviously related in some way to the Morphin
power. That's why it had flashed black at his approach, but he couldn't
understand why it would flash at the proximity of civilians.
"Hmm," Egon
mused. Adjusting his PKE meter, he stepped closer to the crystal, and was
startled as it flashed with a bright blue light. "Interesting. The PKE
spiked just as I approached. Ray, would you come over here, please?" When
Ray stepped toward the crystal, it flashed again, this time with a white
light. The experiment was repeated with the other two Ghostbusters, and
both times the crystal flashed a different color. Peter's approach drew
a green light from the stone, while Winston evoked a pink flash.
"Pink?" the
older man asked, his tone a mixture of astonishment and distaste. "Pink?"
For his part, Zack could barely keep from laughing. He had finally figured
out what the colors in the crystal meant. They weren't an indicator of
the power an individual held, but rather the type of personality, where
they would fit on the grid. Peter had talked about the other Ghostbusters
enough that Zack felt he could analyze them slightly. Egon, cool and scientific,
was definitely a Blue. Ray was more intuitive, mystical, a perfect White.
Winston, practical, down-to-earth, and somewhat protective, was a Pink,
even though the color was usually associated with females. As for Peter,
well, Zack had been around Tommy long enough to recognize that the psychologist's
cocky, self-assured behavior was a front for a man who was a bit of a loner,
someone who had been through a good deal of pain. In short, Peter was a
Green, through and through. Excusing himself, Zack left the museum quickly.
He wasn't going to get any work done that evening, and he most assuredly
needed to contact Zordon about this.
Back at the firehouse,
Winston was making dinner and trying to shoo Slimer away from the food,
while Egon and Ray debated their findings on the crystal, and Peter relaxed
on the couch, listening to them. "Interestingly enough, I found that when
the crystal flashed, the PKE spiked, but with a strange resonance pattern,"
the physicist said. "These resonance patterns were always the same for
any certain color and only that color."
"Like light,"
Peter mused from the couch. "Every color has a different wavelength." He
looked up to see the other two regarding him in astonishment. "Hey, I paid
attention in high school physics," he said defensively. "It was Government
where I sat behind Mary Lou Mason." Ray and Egon just sighed.
"So what do
you think the different colors represent?" Ray asked, looking over the
notes. "The same person always produced the same color, and there only
seemed to be eight colors. They didn't even go with the spectrum, because
the crystal produced black, white, and pink, but no orange or indigo."
"How do you
tell indigo from blue or purple anyway?" Peter demanded. The two men sitting
at the table ignored him.
"I have no idea
what the colors might represent," admitted Egon. "However, the people that
it reacted to were surrounded with higher-than-usual levels of PKE. Perhaps
that has something to do with it."
"You all can
discuss this later," Winston broke in, bringing a bowl out of the kitchen.
"Dinner is served.
"So what is that
thing, Zordon?" Zack asked. He was alone in his dorm room once again, as
his roommate was more interested in partying as much as possible. That
was just fine with him, especially now, when he needed the privacy to talk
into his communicator.
"It is the Dinosaur
Crystal, one of three ancient artifacts of the Morphin Grid. It was designed
to be sensitive to those who were of strong enough spirit to command the
Morphin power, to detect them and give limited access to the Morphin Grid.
The one crystal in and of itself is harmless, but if the other two, the
Thunder and Ninja Crystals, are placed with it, the holder could become
incredibly powerful. If just the one Crystal has been found, there is no
danger. However, if the other two Crystals should turn up, you must be
prepared to guard them, and perhaps bring them back here, or even destroy
them if necessary."
"Right, Zordon.
Zack out." Zack cut off the communication, falling back on the bed. "Well,"
he sighed aloud, "I missed the action of being a Ranger. Reminds me of
the old saying. 'Be careful what you wish for.'"
A few days passed
without major problems. Egon and Ray spent a great deal of time in the
museum's archaeology department, but other than their constant presence,
things slowly returned to normal. Then, while Zack was doing some filing,
Dr. Markov received a call. "Yes? You have?" she asked, sitting up very
straight. "Exactly like the one we have? Well, what symbols are on the
coins? Really. That's interesting. No, send it over, please. We'll have
the Ghostbusters take a look at it. Thanks. Goodbye." Hanging up the phone,
she turned to Zack, who was currently the only other person in the office.
"It's incredible,
Zack! An estate sale just turned up a Crystal like the one we have, except
the symbols on the coins are different! Apparently, one's a tiger, and
there seems to be a unicorn on one of the others. A courier is bringing
it over immediately. I'm going to call the Ghostbusters, so I suppose you're
done for the evening. Why don't you pack it in, and you'll be paid for
the full time, of course."
"Thanks, Dr.
Markov," he replied. As she turned back towards the phone, he grimaced.
The new Crystal had to be the Thunder Crystal. It was an awfully big coincidence,
the second Crystal showing up now, and so close to the first. Zack didn't
like coincidences. They usually resulted in his nearly getting killed.
"I don't like
coincidences, Egon," Peter complained as Ecto-1 pulled up to the museum
once again. "They usually mean bad things for us, remember? Remember those
haunted girders? Every time we think we've got a coincidence, something
very bad happens."
"You worry too
much, Pete," Winston grinned.
"Yeah," seconded
Ray. "What's the worst that can happen?" The four men walked into the room
where the Crystals were being displayed and stopped, speechless. Finally,
Ray managed to sum up the reactions of all four of them. "Wow," the occultist
breathed. The two crystals, side by side, were flickering and pulsating,
energy jumping between them.
"Maybe putting
these things together wasn't such a good idea," Peter gulped, for once
completely serious. None of the others contradicted him. Egon quickly pulled
a PKE meter out of one pocket and began scanning the Crystals intently.
"Fascinating,"
the physicist mused. "The PKE readings have gone up exponentially, by a
power of eight. I still can't get a lock on exactly what they're doing,
though."
Voices coming
down the hall caused all four men to look up. "Dr. Markov, please listen
to me!" Zack cried, following the doctor into the room. In her hands she
carried a packing box and she was not looking at the young man behind her.
"I live in Angel Grove, where monster attacks are a daily thing. I know
weird when I see it, and those Crystals are WEIRD! I think putting that
one in with the other two would be a very bad thing."
"Nonsense,"
the doctor replied, setting the box down. "These Crystals are obviously
a set. They belong together."
"But Dr. Markov!"
Zack shot back desperately. "Don't you think there's a reason they were
broken up?"
"I must agree
with Zack, Dr. Markov," Egon broke in, stepping forward. "I believe placing
these three Crystals together, when we have no idea what they were designed
for, would be disastrous." However, he was too late. Dr. Markov had already
removed the third Crystal from its packing case and set it near the other
two. Quicker than thought, green light began to flash among the three crystals,
building until it shot out, striking Peter and knocking him into the wall.
In an eyeblink,
the three other Ghostbusters were at the side of their fallen friend. While
Egon dispassionately checked Peter's pulse and pupillary response, Ray
and Winston attempted to bring him back to consciousness. "Peter, wake
up," Ray pleaded.
"Come on, buddy,
wake up. You took a nasty shot, but you're gonna be okay," continued Winston.
Egon, finished
with his examination, turned to his two friends with a shrug. "He should
be fine. His pulse is regular, and I can detect no trace of a concussion.
Peter's customary hardheadedness has saved him once again."
"Egon, you are
so mean," Peter said weakly, his eyes fluttering open. Almost immediately,
his friends helped him to sit up. "Oh, man, what hit me? I feel like I
took a sledgehammer between the ribs."
While the Ghostbusters
had been tending to Peter, and Dr. Markov had been staring at the Crystals
in shock, Zack's attention had been taken by something different. All around
him, he noticed the shadows in the room growing deeper, darker. A hideously
familiar chittering sound had reached his ears. "No," he whispered, almost
to himself. "Nyghtmayr's dead. Tyler blew him out of existence." Despite
his denials, however, he could not convince himself that what he was hearing
was not the noise of the Night Terrors, Nyghtmayr's little hench-creatures.
Picking up the Ninja Crystal, he quickly brought it over to the Ghostbusters.
"Hold onto this," he told Peter seriously. "Don't let anything take it,
although I think they'll be concentrating on me."
"What are you
talking about?" Peter asked, taking the Crystal gingerly. "What's happening?"
"Please, don't
ask questions," Zack shot back. "I don't have time to answer them. Just
protect this Crystal at all costs." The chittering grew louder, and Zack
turned back to the shadows, which had begun to swirl together, forming
an impossible pool of darkness at one end of the room. Slowly, a form pulled
itself out of the hole, a dragon-shaped creature, approximately the size
of a Saint Bernard, made completely of darkness. Along with it came thousands
upon thousands of smaller versions, chittering and snickering to themselves.
At last,
I am free! Free to avenge my master's destruction, and destroy all those
who opposed him! Go, my Night Terrors, bring me the Crystals! the creature
chuckled evilly.
Swallowing hard,
Zack stepped forward. In a voice that was surprisingly steady, he called
out, "Haven't you forgotten something, demon? I'm still here. It's morphin
time! Mastodon!" In a flash of black light, Zack was transformed into the
Black Morphin Warrior, startling the Ghostbusters immensely. Dr. Markov,
however, had passed out when the demon had entered the room, and so missed
Zack's transformation.
The large black
creature regarded Zack with interest. Sssooo, we meet at last, the creature
hissed. You are one of those responsible for the destruction of my master,
Nyghtmayr, and of my brothers! I am Angyr, and I will destroy you.
"Yeah?" Zack
replied, raising one eyebrow. "Give it your best shot." Out of the corner
of his eye, he saw the Night Terrors grabbing the two crystals on the table.
"Oh no you don't!" He lunged for them, but was thrown back by a blast from
the demon's talon.
If you would
stand against me, Zack Taylor, we will fight. But not here, not now. Night
Terrors! Retrieve the third Crystal!
"I don't think
so," Egon interrupted, unholstering his proton thrower. Ray and Winston
quickly did the same, while Peter stood behind them, clutching the Crystal
to his chest.
Fools! Do
you think your puny weapons will stop me?
"Why don't we
find out?" responded Winston, his thrower still aimed directly at the demon.
"I don't know
what you are, but I'm willing to bet that a shot of protons will at least
fry your little buddies," Peter chuckled. "Care to try?"
Angyr regarded
him for a long moment, then began making an awful, cacophonous hissing
sound. It took all five humans a moment to realize the creature was laughing.
I like you, human. You have- spirit. We will meet again, of course,
young Ranger, it said to Zack. Then it disappeared, with the Thunder
and Dinosaur Crystals, back into the darkness it had come from.
Sighing, Zack
turned back to the Ghostbusters. "I guess I have some explaining to do,
huh?" he grimaced.
"I would say,"
nodded Peter. "Maybe we should do it back at the firehouse, though. It's
a little better defended against supernatural occurrences."
Zack nodded,
morphing back to his normal self. "We can probably leave Dr. Markov here,
though. The Crystals didn't react to her, so Angyr shouldn't have much
interest in her. When she wakes up, she'll probably think she hallucinated
the whole thing." The five men walked out the door, leaving the unconscious
scientist behind.
"So you're a
superhero?" Egon asked, very skeptical. Zack just nodded.
"Wow," Ray breathed.
"That must be interesting. What was that thing at the museum tonight, and
why was he after the Crystals?"
Zack took a
deep breath. "His name is Angyr, and he's a Minor Demon, a minion of the
demon Nyghtmayr. The other Rangers and I destroyed Nyghtmayr a while back,
and five of his servants. Apparently, Angyr escaped. I don't know if there
are any more out there, but I doubt it. Nyghtmayr's servants are based
on the emotions that sustain evil, and I don't think there's any more than
fear, despair, bitterness, hatred, doubt, and anger. I could be wrong,
though.
"Anyway, Angyr
wants the Crystals because they are the only method left for it to tap
into the Morphin Grid. Our Power Coins were destroyed, and the Morphin
Warriors can only call on the Grid because it's bonded to our spirits.
These Crystals each tap into one of the three different levels of the Grid,
which is the source of the energy humans call magic. It's also known as
PKE, although it has a different flavor than the type you're used to reading."
"That's why
the PKE meters registered a spike every time the Crystal flashed," Winston
realized.
"Exactly. The
first Crystal you examined was the Dinosaur Crystal. It's the power of
the Body. That level is the energy that bulls through a problem. It lacks
finesse, but it has great strength and power. The second Crystal was the
Thunder Crystal. It harnessed the power of the Mind. Mind level attacks
a problem from all sides, backing off and attacking again. It's understated
than Body, but sometimes misses the subtle nuances of a problem. This is
the level my powers are on. Finally, there's this Crystal, the Ninja Crystal.
It controls the level of Spirit. Spirit examines a problem, letting the
problem come to it, and understanding it. Only then does it strike. Spirit
can gain a lot of information, but it lacks raw power. The best teams contain
a balance of these three levels."
"So what will
this demon do with these crystals?" Peter inquired, leaning forward. He
had almost completely recovered from slamming into the wall.
"He'll try to
get the third one. With all three, he can command the power of the Morphin
Grid, and turn it against the world. Trust me, the results won't be pretty."
"But he only
has two," Ray noted.
"That'll give
him enough power to turn against anyone who opposes him," Zack sighed.
"I'm going to have to call the other Morphin Warriors in on this. The Zeo
Rangers will be next to useless against the magic of the grid." Tapping
on his communicator, he put out the call. Within moments, the other Morphin
Warriors were standing in the kitchen of the Ghostbusters' firehouse, looking
around themselves in astonishment.
"Okay, Zack,"
Skull yawned. "Who are these people, and what is so important that you
called us here in the middle of the night?"
"Guys, these
are the Ghostbusters. Egon Spengler, Ray Stantz, Peter Venkman, and Winston
Zeddemore. Ghostbusters, these are the other Morphin Warriors. Jason Scott,
Red Tyrannosaurus Warrior, Trini Kwan, Yellow Bear Warrior, Billy Cranston,
Blue Wolf Warrior, Kimberly Hart, Pink Firebird Warrior, and Eugene Skullovitch,
commonly called Skull, White Tiger Warrior. As you already know, I'm the
Black Lion Warrior." After the introductions, Zack had to explain to the
rest of the warriors why he had revealed their secret to the Ghostbusters.
All five of his friends paled considerably at the mention of Angyr.
"Not to interrupt,"
Egon interrupted, "but if we're going to help out, which I strongly suggest
we should, I would like to understand a few more things. Number one, what
did the colors in the Crystal, or of your animals, signify?"
Zack looked
at Billy. "You want to take this one, genius?"
Billy smiled.
"Certainly. The Morphin Power, besides being divided into three levels,
is also stratified into eight colors. These colors are Red, Yellow, Blue,
Pink, Black, Green, White, and Purple. We don't have Green or Purple Warriors
because the woman who had Purple burnt them out, as did one of the men
who held the Green Coin. The other is a Zeo Ranger now, and would not be
included in this mission in any case."
"Why?" Peter
asked, puzzled.
Kimberly answered
him with a grimace. "Tommy is- well, he's had a really rotten time with
Nyghtmayr and his crew. He deserves his rest, and we think another encounter
with them so soon might push him over the edge."
"He's had a
very tough life," Skull added quietly. "It's better for everyone if he
stays behind."
"At any rate,"
Billy continued, taking up the thread of his lecture once again, "the colors
represent different types of personality. Each color has three different
animal spirits, one for each level of the power. Reds are leaders, hotheaded
and courageous, while Blues are scholars and scientists, people of a scientific
bent."
Peter turned
to Egon, grinning. "No wonder the crystal flashed blue for you, man. But
why didn't it flash for people like Dr. Markov?"
"Not everyone
is suitable to take up the power. Their spirits are not strong enough,
their wills not so powerful. The Crystal only recognizes those worthy of
holding the power," Billy informed them.
"We all made
the crystal flash," Ray said curiously. "I know what Egon's blue means,
but I made it flash white, Peter made it flash green, and Winston made
it flash pink. Why?"
"You made it
flash pink?" Billy asked the older man. "That's odd. Most Pinks are female,
but I don't suppose that it's limited to that gender. None of the other
colors are. Pinks are usually down-to-earth, practical, and somewhat protective
of the people they care about.
"White means
that the person is of a mystical personality, interested in the ways of
magic. They don't study the supernatural so much from a scientific point
of view as from an occult one.
"As for Greens,"
Billy sighed, "they're often loners, and extremely danger-prone, as my
friend Tommy puts it. They have hard lives, and no one's sure if that's
because of the Green Power, or if that produces it. Regardless, most Greens
have fighter's spirits, and usually take the brunt of any attack."
Peter grimaced.
That was certainly true. He couldn't remember how many times he had managed
to be in the path of attack for any and all of the ghosts they trapped.
As for a hard life, that was certainly the case. He'd grown up in a rough
neighborhood, and his con artist father had rarely been home. His life
hadn't been easy, but he liked to think that he'd borne up under it well.
"Okay, so I'm
a trouble magnet with a past," Peter joked uncomfortably. "Why did that
Crystal zap me, and why do I feel like I've got a battery in my back?"
"You've been
infused with Morphin energy," Skull piped up, startling everyone. "I can
see it. I don't know how long it will last, but for a while, you're a sort
of a conduit for the Morphin Power."
"Will that help
against Angyr?" Egon asked, leaning forward and shoving his glasses up.
The Rangers smiled, seeing how much this man was like Billy.
"It might,"
Billy replied slowly. "If you're determined to help, it could come in useful.
Let's see. You use proton streams to contain and trap ghosts, correct?"
"Yes, the positively
charged particles repel and hold the negatively charged energy that they're
composed of," answered the scientist.
"I think maybe,
just maybe, we could alter your packs to allow them to channel Morphin
Power, which is also positively charged, into the proton streams. Since
PKE is sort of negatively charged Morphin energy, the positive version
should allow you to contain and even trap Angyr, who is similar in composition
to many of the supernatural entities you trap."
Egon cocked
his head at Billy. "How do you know all of this?" The young scientist blushed.
"I read your
articles in the latest paranormal journals. I found the field of paranormal
studies fascinating, ever since I became a Power Ranger."
"Hmm. I have
a lab upstairs, if you'd like to help me alter the packs." Still talking,
the two headed up the stairs, proton throwers in tow. Peter watched them
go, shaking his head.
"They'll be
up there a while," he sighed. "Anyone for a snack?" As it turned out, this
was the wrong word to use. Slimer, hearing it, suddenly came barreling
through the nearest wall, tongue hanging out. Taking one look at Kimberly,
he forgot all about food, though. Floating up to her at top speed, he threw
his arms around her, covering her in green slime. Kimberly shrieked, ducking
away.
"Slimer!" Ray,
Peter, and Winston yelled in unison. "Sorry about that, Kim," the psychologist
apologized, peeling the love-struck ghost off of the girl. "I think he's
got a crush on you."
"Eww, gross,"
Kim responded, looking down at her slime-covered pink T-shirt. "Does this
stuff wash out?"
"Oh, yeah,"
Peter grinned. "Trust me, I should know. I think I've got a shirt upstairs
you can borrow. It's a little big, but it's clean. We'll put your shirt
in the washer." He ran upstairs, and a few moments later, came down with
the shirt. Kim caught it as he tossed it to her and promptly disappeared
into the bathroom. Meanwhile, Ray and Winston attempted to keep Slimer
from following her.
"Okay, I'm clean,"
Kim announced, coming out of the bathroom. Peter's shirt fit the petite
girl like a tent, as expected, but it wasn't a real problem. She sat back
down next to her boyfriend Skull, who chuckled.
"Guess he has
good taste," Skull mused, slinging an arm around Kimberly's shoulders.
She elbowed him.
"That was worse
than that stuff from that rotten Ghost Galleon, the stuff that was stuck
on your clothes!" she replied heatedly. "Now I know how Kat must have felt!"
"Galleon?" Ray
asked, instantly interested in a ghost story.
The Morphin
Warriors launched into an explanation of their latest adventure, where
they had met Divatox and Maligore. They focused on the Ghost Galleon which
had taken them to the island, and occasionally Jason or Kim would put in
part of their side of the story, of the events on Divatox's sub. The three
Ghostbusters listened in fascination until Billy and Egon came down the
stairs, each lugging two proton packs behind them.
"They're done,"
Egon announced. "We've modified the packs to incorporate Morphin energy
with the proton streams. Hopefully, that will provide us enough power to
contain and trap Angyr. According to Billy, the Night Terrors will simply
explode on contact with the beams."
"Yeah, they
weren't very tough in and of themselves," Zack mused.
"Now, all that
remains is to infuse the Ghostbusters with Morphin Power," Billy informed
them. "Peter, you already have yours, the green energy." Peter took his
pack from Egon, and stopped dead as a gold medallion formed on the back.
"Guys, why is
there a lizard on my pack?" he asked carefully, almost dreading the answer.
Billy looked closer.
"That's a Basilisk,
the spirit animal of Green Thunder Power. It means that your energy is
of the Mind level. Thunder Greens are often less moody or quiet than the
other two divisions of the color. They cover their weaknesses with humor
and sarcasm, rather than by being withdrawn."
"That's Peter,
all right," Ray agreed.
"Now, I need
the other three to come over to the Crystal," Billy instructed. Then he
shot a concerned glance at Zack. "Zack, you're sure they're all Ninja personalities?"
Zack nodded.
"Positive. They're all much more patient than Peter here." Peter stuck
his tongue out at the younger man, but playfully. Ray, Winston, and Egon
arranged themselves in front of the Crystal. Billy then stood on the other
side, facing them.
"Place your
hands on the Crystal," the young genius instructed. The three men did,
and the Crystal flared with brilliant light that shimmered from pink to
white to blue. "Egon, you are the Wolf, patient, wise, intelligent, diligent
in your pursuit of knowledge and goals. Ray, you are the Falcon, noble,
understanding. You soar above the obstacles in your path, and never desert
those you guard. Winston, you are the Crane, agile and swift. You protect
those weaker than you and care for your friends. The Power is a part of
you now. Use it wisely and well."
As the three
men opened their eyes, they also saw medallions of their animals appear
on their packs. Silently, they strapped them on. Finally, Peter broke the
silence. "So where do we go now?"
"Angyr will
need a tremendous source of power to use the Crystals," Billy mused. "New
York is located on a major ley line nexus, just as Angel Grove is. We just
have to find the spot where the lines converge."
Skull grinned.
"Leave that to me. Let's go." The ten of them trooped out of the firehouse,
leaving the Crystal behind, safe behind the cold iron in the walls.
Using his psychic
senses, Skull was able to follow the ley lines under the streets of New
York. "Egon, did you know there was a ley line nexus under the firehouse?"
Peter asked.
The physicist
smiled wryly. "No, I didn't, Peter. That would, however, explain why we
were drawn to it. Anywhere else, it would have taken a great deal more
power to make the containment unit work. Since we are apparently more sensitive
to this type of power than normal humans are, we were instinctively drawn
to a place that would suit our needs."
"And I thought
we picked it because Ray liked the fireman's pole," Peter grumbled good-naturedly.
Suddenly Skull
stopped. "I have good news and bad news, people. The good news is, I've
found the nexus."
"What's the
bad news?" Jason asked warily.
"There appears
to be a police barricade around it."
"What!" everyone
cried. Sure enough, there was a line of cars around the building that Skull
indicated. It appeared to be an apartment building, of odd design, and
one corner of the building's top looked a good deal newer than the rest.
Peter frowned, sure he'd seen it before. Then, realization hit him like
a bolt, and he groaned.
"It's Dana's
apartment building," he moaned. "It figures."
"Dana?" Trini
asked, looking at Ray. The occultist winced.
"She was kind
of his girlfriend, for a while, but they drifted apart. She was involved
in our first case. Her apartment in this building was being haunted, so
she came to us. To make a long story short, she was possessed by a spirit
called Zuul, and with the help of another spirit, brought back Gozer, an
interplanar being with a love of destruction. We went to stop it, it turned
into a thirty story marshmallow man, and we managed to seal off the dimension
and send Gozer back to wherever it came from."
" Thirty story-
marshmallow man?" Zack asked, incredulous. "Dude, you guys are the ones
who should have the Zords."
"It makes sense
that this building would be located on the nexus," Egon mused. "The nut
who designed it was trying to make a gigantic altar that would allow him
to summon Gozer and bring about the end of the world. It's only natural
that he would locate it on the largest nearby source of power."
"Let's go see
what's going on," Jason suggested. "First, though, I think we'd better
morph. It protects our identities, if you don't see us transform, and I
don't particularly want the police to know what we look like."
The other Warriors
nodded, and while the Ghostbusters watched for onlookers, the six teens
quickly transformed. Then the whole group headed off towards the police
barricade.
"What seems
to be the problem, officer?" Peter asked nonchalantly. The son of a con
artist, Peter had a few verbal tricks of his own, and the rest of the Ghostbusters
generally let him do the talking in these situations.
"Hey, you guys
are fast!" the cop said, as soon as he realized who he was talking to.
"We just sent somebody to call your office."
"Well, we had
a report of something weird going down," Peter responded. "What exactly
is meant by 'weird,' though?"
"Flashing lights,
little chittering noises, maniacal laughter, and three workmen who were
prepping the place for demolition nearly killed each other in a fight.
Now they say that they just got mad at each other, and didn't know why."
The Morphin
Warriors regarded each other seriously. "One of the demon's abilities is
to evoke the emotion for which it is named," Billy explained. "Likely it
didn't want them around. It's waiting for us."
The policeman
frowned as he saw the Morphin Warriors, and the way they were dressed.
"Hey, who are you kids? On your way to a costume party?"
"It's okay,
mister," Zack assured him. "We're superheroes." Calmly, he summoned his
ax into one hand then dismissed it. The cop blinked.
"If you say
so. So there's a demon in there?"
"Yeah, a really
nasty one," Jason replied. "We'd appreciate it if you'd keep everyone back
until this is finished."
"You got it,"
the cop shrugged. Turning away, he began to relay instructions to the other
officers at the scene.
"Well, we'd
probably better go in there, huh?" Winston sighed, not sounding very enthusiastic.
Ray shrugged.
"Maybe he'll be on the first floor this time, and we won't have to climb
all those stairs."
"Most likely
he's in the basement, if the place has one," Billy ventured.
The Ghostbusters
shot each other relieved looks. Not only were they not looking forward
to climbing all those steps, each thought it a good idea that Peter was
not exposed to the top floor apartments again. Too many memories.
"Well, let's
go," Peter cried. He headed into the building, and one by one, the rest
followed him.
Slowly, they
made their way down into the basement with the aid of the high-powered
flashlights that Egon had insisted on bringing. "I've got a bad feeling
about this," Winston whispered. No sooner had they all cleared the stairs
than a hideous chittering noise caught their attention.
"Heads up!"
Jason called, pulling out his broadsword. "Here they come!" Night Terrors
swarmed out of every shadow, surging in a black tide towards the ten. The
flashlights were quickly dropped to the ground, and the battle was joined.
The sounds of
the chittering hordes mingled with the attack cries of the Morphin Warriors
as they hacked, chopped, shot, and generally decimated the ranks of the
Night Terrors. Meanwhile, the Ghostbusters also managed to hold their own,
blowing away the little creatures with a few well placed proton bolts.
"Yeehah!" Peter
yelled, a wide grin crossing his face. "This is better than our last couple
busts! No slime!" The other Ghostbusters just shook their heads and kept
on blasting.
Suddenly, the
room was silent. No more Night Terrors came at the ten. Even so, they continued
to hold their weapons ready, intently scanning the edges of the basement.
Very good.
Angyr's low chuckle rolled out of the darkness. I am truly impressed.
And now you have sealed the third Crystal away from me. No matter. When
you are destroyed, it will be a simple matter to "convince" some unwary
human to retrieve it for me.
"We don't go
down that easy!" Skull cried. The six Morphin Warriors dropped into defensive
stances, flanked by the four Ghostbusters. Angyr simply regarded them with
undisguised amusement.
You will
fall, one by one, the demon assured them. First to go shall be the
foolish Black Warrior, who dared to challenge me. I have tasted your essence,
human, and with the Crystals and the power of Earth itself, I will drain
you dry!
Lifting a claw,
Angyr suddenly began to glow with a black light. Zack suddenly cried out
in agony, clutching at his chest and dropping to his knees. Immediately,
Skull and Trini were by his side.
"It's draining
his life-energy!" the White Warrior cried. "The demon's somehow connected
to his spirit!"
"Must- have
connected- when it zapped me earlier," panted Zack through his pain.
"Skull, can
you stop it?" Trini asked fearfully. The boy shook his head.
"No, but maybe
I can slow it down. If I can link to him psychically, I can help him beat
it back. Unfortunately, it means I'm going to be out of this fight."
"Do it," Jason
ordered curtly. "We'll cover you!" Drawing his sword, he threw himself
at Angyr, who threw him back with a laugh. Meanwhile, Skull placed his
hands on Zack's shoulders, allowing himself to be drawn into the other's
mind.
"Come on, Zack,
fight it!" he whispered.
The battle continued,
but it soon became obvious to all concerned that the forces of Good were
merely fighting a holding action. The Ghostbusters were reluctant to fire
on Angyr for fear of injuring either Zack or one of the Morphin Warriors
launching an attack on the demon. Meanwhile, the four warriors attacking
it were not faring well at all.
"I can't hold
him!" Skull cried. "Billy, Trini, you're telepaths! Give me a hand here!"
The two immediately broke off the attack to help Skull defend Zack's life
essence. Unfortunately, that only left two Warriors to fight Angyr.
"New plan,"
Jason puffed, calling Kimberly and the Ghostbusters into a huddle. "I figure
we've got one chance to beat this guy and save Zack, and that's to get
it into one of those traps you guys use. Now, to give the four of you a
chance for a clear shot, we need to have something take its attention.
That'll be me and Kim."
"Why the two
of you?" protested Ray.
"It hates Power
Rangers," Kimberly explained. "We're a living reminder of all the good
in the universe, of everything that stands in opposition to it. Trust me,
if it's given the chance to get us, it'll forget all about the four of
you."
"So while you
two distract it, we surround it and open fire with the proton streams,"
reasoned Egon.
"And hope that
the Morphin energy gives the streams enough kick to take it down," Winston
added.
"Right," Jason
agreed. "Let's do it." Breaking the huddle, the Ghostbusters melted back
into the shadows of the basement. Angyr didn't notice this however, because
Jason and Kimberly had immediately launched an attack on it, taking up
all its attention. It knocked Jason away as he took a swipe at its head
with his broadsword, and immediately had to duck as Kimberly fired a barrage
of arrows at it.
While the Morphin
Warriors kept Angyr's attention, the Ghostbusters had moved into position
around it. With the ease of years working together, they powered up their
proton packs in unison, aiming them at the dragon-shaped blot of darkness
in the center of the room. The demon, still lit by the discarded flashlights,
made a perfect target.
"Jason! Kimberly!"
Peter cried, taking aim. "Get CLEAR!" The two teens obeyed instantly, throwing
themselves out of reach of the demon. "Let's do it, guys," the psychologist
called to his friends. "Fire!"
Four proton
streams shot towards their target. This time, however, they were slightly
different than they had been on previous busts. Where before the streams
had been predominantly yellow, with a few blue streaks, each stream was
now tinted with a different, individual hue. Peter's shone with a green
light, while Egon's sparkled bright blue. The stream from Winston's thrower
was touched with pink, and Ray's gave off a brilliant white glow. The four
streams surrounded Angyr with a cage of light. He struggled, trying to
break free, and Peter felt the stream wavering. "Somebody do something!"
he called frantically. "We can't hold on here forever!"
Zack, watching
the battle from where he knelt, managed to somehow summon enough strength
to cry out to his friend. "Jason! On Egon's pack- the trap!" Jason didn't
even bother to nod, simply reached up and removed the trap from the pack,
throwing it out into the center of the floor. Silently giving thanks that
he'd seen ghosts busted on the news, he stomped down on the foot pedal.
With a burst
of brilliant white light, the trap opened directly beneath the demon. With
an agonizing cry, Angyr twisted and warped, and finally was sucked into
the trap, screaming all the way. As the doors of the trap shut, the demon's
connection to Zack was broken. The boy almost collapsed with the relief.
"Well, we've
got him," Winston chuckled. "Now what do we do with him?"
"An excellent
question, Winston," acknowledged Egon. "I seriously doubt the containment
will be able to store a being like Angyr indefinitely." His words seemed
to be accurate. Even now, the trap was rocking back and forth, as the creature
inside attempted to escape.
"We can handle
this," Skull grinned. "Right, guys?" The other Warriors nodded. Motioning
the Ghostbusters back, the six teens made a circle around the trap. Joining
hands, they closed their eyes.
"We call on
the power of all of us combined," Jason called. "Destroy the evil within
this trap!"
"Tigerzord!"
With that word, Skull began to glow with a bright white light.
"Mastodon!"
Zack's black glow joined the others.
"Pterodactyl!"
Kim also began to glow, this time in pink.
"Triceratops!"
A blue glow enveloped Billy.
"Saber-Toothed
Tiger!" cried Trini, a yellow glow flaring around her.
"Tyrannosaurus!"
No sooner had Jason's red glow joined those of his friends, a white circle
of light began to flow between them, shining brighter and brighter until
looking at it was unbearable. Then it began to shrink, converging on the
trap in the center of the circle. A hideous scream filled the air, and
then silence. Exhausted, the Morphin Warriors released each other's hands
and backed away.
Gingerly, Ray
prodded at the trap. Gathering his courage, he leaned closer, and his jaw
dropped. Looking up at his friends, he shrugged. "It's empty," was all
he said.
Peter pretended
to wipe his forehead in mock relief, and then everyone sagged. Finally,
it was over.
A few days later,
the Crystals had been sent back to the Power Chamber, explanations had
been made to Dr. Markov, and it was finally time for the charity basketball
game. As Zack jogged out onto the floor with his teammates, he saw all
of his friends waving at him from the stands- all of them. "Guess Zordon
ruled this an 'acceptable use' of the teleportation system," he whispered
to Peter. The psychologist whistled.
"That whole
group is here to see you? And they're all Power Rangers?" he asked, as
quietly as Zack.
"No, not all
of them. The heavy guy sitting on the other side of Skull from Kim isn't.
He's Bulk, Skull's best friend. He knows our secret, but we trust him.
The guy with the long dark hair in the green shirt is Tyler Oliver, and
the short redhead next to him is Terry Oliver. They're not Rangers either."
Peter's eyebrows
rose. "Who's the babe? Tall, green shirt, blue jeans, brown hair in a ponytail?"
Zack chuckled.
"That's Dr. Lita Kino. She's not a Ranger either, just the psychiatrist
who keeps us sane."
"A shrink, huh?"
Peter sighed regretfully. "Too bad. I make it a rule never to get involved
with someone who knows as much about psychology as I do. And speaking of
sanity, am I losing it, or are three of your friends almost identical?"
"You're not
losing it. Tommy and David, the guys with long dark hair in red and blue
respectively, are twins, and Tyler is sort of a clone of Tommy."
Peter shook
his head. "Now I see why you need a shrink. If I had to keep all this straight,
I'd go nuts too."
Zack just shook
his head, grinning. Then the referee blew the whistle, and there was no
more time for talking.
The game was
fast and furious, but in the end, the Lions beat out the rival team, the
Tigers, by one point, thanks to a desperate three-point shot by Zack just
before the buzzer. As the Lions were congratulating each other and being
congratulated by the Tigers, the organizer of the event walked out onto
the floor.
"I am pleased
to announce that the winner of the first Charity Cup Basketball Competition
is the Lions! Even better, though, thanks to the admissions, we have enough
money to keep the Boys' and Girls' Club open!" That brought a chorus of
loud cheers from everyone present.
The Rangers
and Ghostbusters, who had sat together in the stands, signaled to their
two friends on the floor that they would meet up outside the gym after
the crowd had cleared. Peter and Zack signaled their acknowledgment and
headed for the showers to clean up.
Afterwards,
the scene was almost as chaotic as the Zeo Rangers, Turbo Rangers, and
non-Rangers were introduced to the Ghostbusters, and vice-versa. A few
remarks were made about the resemblance Peter and Lita bore each other,
both in looks and personality, and the two of them were soon exchanging
notes about being the voice of psychology in such odd situations. Suddenly,
Rocky's voice cut through the crowd. "Hey! As long as we're all hanging
out together, let's go get some pizza!"
"Sure, Rocky,
know a place that serves thirty?" Justin shot back.
"I do," replied
Ray. "There's a Pizza Hut nearby that has a room for parties at no extra
cost."
"Let's go!"
Katarina cried. As the group headed off, Ray leading the way, Peter and
Zack found themselves at the back of the group. With a smile, Zack extended
his hand to the older man.
"Been nice working
with you, Dr. Venkman."
The psychologist
gripped the boy's hand tightly. "Hey, who says you're done? Drop in at
the firehouse any time, Zack. You're always welcome. Now come on, let's
go get some pizza. I lost my lunch to the Spud earlier today, and I'm starving!"
Zack chuckled, shaking his head, and the two of them headed off with their
friends. At that moment, Zack knew that no matter what else happened to
him in New York, he would not be lonely again.
The End... for now