In Order Written By: Scaperpeck
Summary: A monster has plans to destroy all of the rangers, in order. Much like he did to the first set of space rangers.
Set after Zhane stays to help the rebels.
Disclaimer: PriS is owned by Buena Vista and all those other lucky ppl.
Rating: PG-13, I guess. Some implied hanky panky but not much. TJ/Cassie and Ashley/Andros.
PS- this is my first PR fanfic, so please be kind. R&R please!
Chapter 1 – The First to Go
ON BOARD THE ASTROMEGASHIP"We should have little yellow robots scooting around the floor fixing whatever breaks. Ya know, like the ones on that scifi show, what is it called?", Cassie said, going through the tool box to find the wrench TJ asked for. "Fire Escape?"
"Farscape," TJ said, in between grunts.
"Yeah, that one. That way we could focus more on fighting strategies and finding Zordon than worrying about broken sinks and reactors that keep on over-reacting."
"We?"
Cassie gently nudged TJ at the implication that she wasn't helping. She didn't want to nudge him too hard, though. After all, he was fixing her sink. "Yes, WE. I'm your assistant… and your cheerleader. GO TJ! WOO!"
TJ laughed. "Well, as my assistant, I think you're fired. This isn't a wrench. They're pliers." He glanced out from underneath the broken sink quick enough to see her indignant look.
Cassie was about to make a comment when the all-too-familiar monster alarm started to blare. "Great timing," TJ said as he scooted, which is the best word to describe his motions in the tiny bathroom, out from underneath the sink. Cassie gave him a hand up and they ran off to the command to meet their friends and find out what monster Astronema sent to wreck havoc on Angel Grove this time.
Carlos was coming from the opposite direction and met them outside the door to command. "What's going on?", he asked, as they all walked in to together.
"Quantrons in the park. No sign of a monster, surprisingly," Ashley said, not even glancing up from the control panels in front of her.
"That doesn't mean there won't be one," Andros said pointedly as he walked over the control panel Ashley was at.
"Should we contact Zhane?"
"No, we won't need assistance against a couple of quantrons. We gotta go, though. They're attacking civilians."
"Right," Cassie said, "let's go." All five space rangers raced to the jump tubes, assumed the position, and jumped in, ready to fight what they thought would be an easy battle.
ON EARTH"Haven't you trash cans learned your lesson yet?", Andros heckled as they formed a line between the civilians and the quantrons. As the other rangers helped up a few fallen people and pointed to them the way to safety, Andros continued, "How many times do we have to defeat you before you get the idea that YOU WON'T WIN!" He put his hands up to his helmet in a shouting gesture at that last part.
"Think again red ranger. You will soon fall as you should have a long time ago."
"Ecliptor! You again? We should have known! The quantrons are too ignorant to actually go out and do something on their own w/o the princess of evil or one of her lackeys holding their hands," TJ joined in after they cleared the park of innocent people.
Ecliptor growled and hollered, "Quantrons attack!"
Five minutes into the battle, the rangers noticed that the quantrons appeared to be endless. For each one they defeated, it seemed 2 more popped up in it's place. Ashley was thrown onto the cement sidewalk surrounding a fountain and the other rangers rallied around her. "You guys, this isn't quite going as smoothly as we figured it would," the yellow ranger said, as she shakily clambered to her feet.
"Where are they all com-" Andros' question was cut off when a green energy beam shot out of the ground he was standing on and wrapped itself around his upper torso, pinning his arms to his sides. While one end of the beam was wrapped around him, the other end was still stuck in the ground so that it lifted him up into the air about 2 feet and held firmly him in place. "What the-?" Andros looked over his comrades and saw that they too were unable to move. All except… "Cassie?"
"Hang on, guys! I'll get you out! SATELLITE STUTTER!", Cassie yelled, as she pulled out her weapon and prepared to fire. Just as she was about to fire on the energy beam, the mass of quantrons came up behind her and pinned the struggling pink ranger to the ground. "No! Get off me!" She was able to land a few good kicks but it was no use, there were just too many of them for her to even have a chance. Cassie continued to struggle until she noticed that everything became eerily quiet. There was no clang of the quantrons metal armor. They froze in place, even though they didn't give up their hold on her. Even the rangers' grunts as they fought against the restraints dimmed.
Out if the silence, the pink ranger heard the most menacing, evil laughter she ever laid ears on. Fear gripping her now, she fought again, and, catching her captors by surprise, was able to escape. Afraid for her friends' lives, she tried to run to them to protect them from whatever was about to happen.
"No! Cassie, you have to run. NOW! RUN! Fly back to the ship! GO!," Andros yelled at her.
"Don't be ridiculus! I'm not gonna leave you all here."
"Cassie, you don't understand, we're not the ones in danger. You are! You must leave now. PLEASE! RUN THE OTHER WAY! Contact Zhane. He'll- NO! CASSIE!" But there was nothing Andros could do but watch as Ecliptor pounced on Cassie before she could reach them, bringing her down to ground in a tumble. Cassie regained her footing and stood up to face Ecliptor. She pulled out her Astro-Blaster and Satellite Stutter. After attaching one to the other in what should have been a deadly combination, she fired. However, the blast had no impact whatsoever on the determined crystalline monster. She looked down and saw, Andros' Spiral Saber lying on the ground, where he had dropped it when the beam surprised him from behind. She picked it up and charged at Ecliptor, who in turn lifted his twisted sword and charged at her.
"Oh, no! I can't watch this!," Ashley cried from her restraints.
Instead of aiming to hit her, though, Ecliptor surprised Cassie by twisting in one direction to her side and clasping her arms firmly so she couldn't move. He held her in front of him, facing away into the forest. Even w/ the Spiral Saber, she wasn't able to pry him off her. Then, she heard it again. The evil maniacal laughter was coming from the trees. She could hear Andros in the background yelling, but she didn't focus on what he was saying. Her eyes were riveted on the forest. Out of the dark wood, what looked like a leather-clad decaying spider, charged at the pink ranger, sword in hand. Ecliptor held her in place so she couldn't escape the powerful blows. After just three hits from his sword, he had Cassie demorphed and crumbled on the hard ground at Ecliptor's feet. She clambered back on her hands and knees as far she could go, until she bumped into the wall of the fountain. The monster and Ecliptor sent simultaneous blasts of energy, which exploded the fountain behind Cassie's back.
The remaining rangers watched in horror as the unknown monster sent blow after blow at Cassie. "I tire of this game, puny pink power punk. Now you die. Say hello to your predecessor for me," the monster croaked, as he raised his sword in a fighting stance. He made for one last charge at the fallen pink ranger, who was lying unconscious against the statue that sat in the middle of what used to be the fountain. He was a foot away from her as the blue ranger's Astro-Axe sliced into his arm, causing him to stumble a bit. TJ knelt in front of Cassie and picked her up, cradling her to his chest.
"TJ, get out of here! Take Cassie as far away as you possibly can. He's set on killing her! You must protect her! Go!," Andros yelled to the blue ranger.
TJ nodded and called for his galaxy glider. No sooner had they left the park that TJ heard the whine of quantron fliers right on his tail. Holding Cassie even closer to him, he leaned forward further, pushing the glider as fast as it could. TJ ducked down under fallen trees, went around as many obstacles as he possibly could but he couldn't shake them. He came upon the beach and got an idea. "Hang on, Cassie girl, I'm gonna get you someplace safe. Just hang on," he whispered to Cassie, as he took the glider as low as it could go, and narrowly made it into a cave that was almost completely submerged underwater, but for 3 feet. "Ha ha! They'll never make it in here."
Sure enough, the quantrons were forced to return to Ecliptor and report their failure to capture the pink ranger.
A/N: I have almost all of this planned out so there will definitely be more. Of course, the more reviews I get I faster I might be at getting it typed up. * cough cough hint hint *