AN: And so begins the next story. Here comes more twists and turns than you can shake a stick at. Enjoy!
ZzZzZ
It was quiet. Quieter than any heavily populated city had the right to be. Harper stared out of the cockpit window at the lifeless city of Daradora. He glanced over at the pilot's seat and met Amias's eyes. His partner didn't look pleased by the aspect of a deserted city and the duty of inspecting the cause. Harper sighed. This was not what he had expected when answering the distress call. He had hoped to find a simple attack to thwart and then get to enjoy the nightlife of Daradora, but sadly it was not to be.
"Let's contact Wolf and tell him what we've found." Amias suggested.
"We haven't found anything yet." Harper replied, but flipped a few switches to send the signal.
Seconds later the cockpit window transformed into a view screen as a man with dark red hair and shinning emerald eyes appeared. Behind him Harper could see a man with white blond hair and icy lavender eyes. They both gave a nod of greeting but not a word was spoken on their end.
"We've reached Daradora, but there's no one in sight." Harper reported. "No one gave us landing coordinates and there's no greeting."
"It looks completely deserted Wolf." Amias added. "Something isn't right."
Wolf and his companion shared a glance before Wolf finally spoke in a smooth, firm voice. "Alright, keep your guard up and contact us immediately if there's a problem. I'll put Prowler and Defender on stand by for back-up."
"Acknowledged." Harper said, he then let a ghost of a smile slip. "Next time send us to a city that isn't deserted."
"Are you suggesting a vacation of some sort?" Wolf asked with a small grin.
"Of course not, Misfits don't get vacations." Harper replied. "But if we got the job done quick enough a short trip to a club wouldn't hurt anybody.
Wolf laughed and looked over his shoulder. "The kid learns fast, Falcon. Kind of reminds me of you."
"Not good looking enough." Falcon replied coolly, but with a wink at Harper. "Watch your backs kids."
"We will old man." Harper replied with a grin and then cut the transmission before either of the older Misfits could retort. He shot a sideways glance at his partner and found Amias in the final stages of shutting down the ship's systems. "They're right though. We definitely need to watch each other's backs out there. Something is definitely not right."
"I think we established that." Amias murmured distractedly as he flipped a switch that put the engines into stand by mode. "Run a scan; see if it picks up anything."
Fifteen minutes later Harper had detected no life signs. It was alarming to say the least. Somewhere in the back of his mind he had hoped the citizens were on some kind of lockdown and forced to stay inside their homes. That seemed less and less likely with no signs of life. Still, the shuttle's sensors weren't the strongest and couldn't penetrate into the underground bunkers where the citizens took shelter from attacks.
Another five minutes later the two men were walking down the dismal streets toward the entrance into a bunker. The large metal doors slid open easy enough and the two entered cautiously. What they found made their hearts stop. The bunker floor was littered with bodies and neither needed to check the vitals to know that they were all dead. They walked through the entire bunker, quite a large distance, but found no one alive. To their surprise and befuddlement they could not seem to determine a cause of death. Either some kind of plague had wiped them out or...they had simply ceased living.
"How many bunkers does the city have?" Amias asked.
Harper grimaced at his younger friend. "Five and we'll have to search them all."
"This is going to be a long night."
ZzZzZ
Kalix glowered at the four surviving Psycho Rangers. After they had freed him he had considered killing them all. They seemed too dangerous to keep around, but they were also very valuable. He still needed them for his plans, though he had begun to lose track of what they were. Conquering Earth was his goal, but the means by which to do so seemed out of his reach for the moment. The Psychos were his best bet of putting a dent in the Earth's defending Ranger team and their allies, but now he was unsure of their loyalty.
"You swear you are loyal to me, yet you jumped at the chance to betray me." Kalix snarled.
"Master Kalix, it was Psycho Red's idea." Psycho Green said in hopes of putting all the blame on the deceased Psycho.
"And you expect me to believe you followed his lead?" Kalix demanded. "Psycho Black was your leader, not Psycho Red. You won't talk me into believing you were against the idea of betraying me." A smirk formed on his face. "Your task is to convince me why I should trust you now."
"And how would you have us do that Master?" Green asked carefully. "Surely words are not enough."
"We did set you free when we didn't have to." Silver added only to be smacked by Gold.
"Do you really think you could keep me locked away forever?" Kalix sneered. "By the time I got in contact with my Generals three of them were already moving into the galaxy with their full armadas. You would have been overrun and not even your mighty powers could have saved you from the wrath of my loyal subjects."
"Fine then, Master, it seems we can't prove our loyalty to you." Green said, hiding the tremble of fear in his voice. "May we at least request to be executed quickly?"
"Executed? Oh no, death is much too good for you. I have other plans for you, something that will secure your allegiance to me."
The four Psycho Rangers glanced at each other, though were unable to see each other's faces. Kalix's words were not comforting in the least. Silver and Gold were still convinced they should have let the raptor rot in his cell, but Green had convinced them that their best bet was to plead forgiveness and maybe find themselves in a better position of escape later. They had of course gone with their leader's decision, but some doubt lingered in each mind. Had they made a mistake freeing Kalix?
"Remove your helmets." Kalix ordered.
The four Psychos shared another look and at Green's nod did as they were told. Kalix felt a small part of himself crow in triumph at the tightly controlled fear on their faces. They may have rebelled against him, but they could not put it out of their minds how powerful he really was. Undefeatable, no, never had he claimed to be undefeatable in all his years of conquering planets. He'd been defeated and sent packing from a few solar systems. However, he had enough confidence in his abilities to use fear as his tool of control. It worked more often than not, but when it didn't he had other means of control.
"Deder, the glasses." Kalix demanded and instantly the white armored being walked forward. Deder was holding a tray with four cups, which he offered to the Psychos. Each obediently took a glass, but did not drink. "Of course you'll be wondering what's in the glasses? Well, I'm going to tell you because this is the fate you have brought on yourselves. They're nanites."
"Nanites, Master?" Kyle repeated.
"Yes, I'm sure you know what they are, but to be sure I'll explain. They're microscopic robots capable of being programmed to do whatever I please." Kalix explained. "One of my scientists has just finished these and I need test subjects. Seeing as how you saw fit to betray me you have volunteered yourselves."
"Master, what will they do to us?" Brandon asked hesitantly. His green eyes stared hesitantly into the cup that seemed to be filled with nothing more than nectar of some sort.
"Whatever I please." Kalix replied. "Now, drink up boys, you've earned it."
The four Psychos looked at each other, fully capable of seeing each other this time. They were each hesitant and fearful and didn't want to drink the nanite cocktail. They didn't want to find out what effects it could have on them. At the same time they didn't have much of a choice. It was either death or servitude and one of them led to no chance of freedom. Knowing that his team would follow his lead, Kyle put the glass to his mouth and quickly downed the contents. As he expected the rest of his team followed his silent command and emptied their glasses.
Kalix looked too pleased for it to be a good thing. His smile was absolutely wicked. "Now, I will show you what happens to traitors. I do believe I can carry out my plans with only three Psycho Rangers."
The four friends looked at each other, immediately worried by Kalix's implications. For a moment nothing happened. Kalix looked toward a being that resembled his raptor form quite a bit, though was at least two times smaller. The flighty little reptile was fiddling with some kind of controller. Kalix rolled his eyes, instantly annoyed with the scientist.
"Pogart!" Kalix barked, making the smaller being jump. "I expect results."
"It will be but a moment Master. As I've said, the nanites would work better with the control chip directly implanted into the controller's mind." Pogart replied uneasily. He flicked his long, whip-like tail nervously.
The Psychos had fixed the scientist with fierce glares when one suddenly faltered. Kyle turned instantly as he heard a gasp beside him and put a hand on Brandon's shoulder. His friend turned to look at him, but Kyle only saw a small nosebleed. That was nothing to concern him, until he noticed how bloodshot his friend's eyes were getting. He heard Brandon's breathing become labored and swallowed thickly as blood trickled from the corner of the young man's mouth.
Brandon! Kyle called in his friend's mind.
Kyle! They're...oh god...they're tearing me apart!
Kyle jumped at his friend's words and then gave a gasp of horror as blood suddenly flowed from Brandon's nose like a leaky faucet. Then Brandon began to cough up blood, though Kyle hoped he only imagined chunks of lung tissue mixed in. He wanted to help his friend, but there was nothing he could do and he knew it. All he could do was watch as the nanites killed him. Kyle had to look away when blood began to leak from Brandon's eyes, but he looked back instantly when a shaking hand latched onto his shoulder with surprising strength.
Don't...let...him win Kyle. Please...avenge me. Brandon barely got the message out.
Kyle felt tears well in his eyes as Brandon began to convulse and blood flowed like a river from every possible outlet. Kyle pried the hand off his shoulder and watched with horror as his teammate flopped around on the ground like a fish out of water. Then all too suddenly Brandon gave a great shudder and then went very still as he demorphed. Kyle felt the loss tear at his heart. Brandon had been his closest friend for five years when they left the academy at the tender ages of fourteen and thirteen. Now, that friendship was gone forever and only one being in the entire universe was to blame.
Instantly his tears stopped falling as Kyle turned blazing eyes on Kalix. With a deep snarl he lunged at the raptor, but blinding pain exploded in his head. The attack was instantly forgotten and Kalix knocked him away with a kick to the chest. Kyle tumbled back and landed before Chris and Sid, who looked at each other in complete and utter shock. Brandon had been their friend too and he was dead. More than that he had been killed by something they could neither fight nor stop and had been forced to watch helplessly as he was killed from the inside.
"Now, I trust you understand the price of disobedience will be a heavy one." Kalix said, sounding entirely too pleased. "I trust I have your undivided loyalty now."
"Yes Master." The three remaining Psychos answered quickly.
Until we can find a way to tear you limb from limb. Sid thought darkly. I won't show this monster any mercy.
He deserves none. Chris agreed.
Kyle growled deeply. And he won't get any.
ZzZzZ
They had found the same results at every bunker - dead bodies with no apparent cause of death. Harper was beginning to feel very discouraged by the time they found the last bunker. Upon entering it both rangers immediately felt a tightening in their chests and their instincts screamed. Someone was alive in this bunker and it could have been the murderer himself. Both were instantly on guard, but still did not morph though they did pull their blasters.
As soon as the doors closed behind them they became aware of a very familiar sound, but neither could place it. They moved cautiously and used hand signs to communicate with each other. No sound was made as they passed through the first large chamber and into the second. The sound grew closer as came up to the last chamber. The sound was echoing from within and with dread, Harper recognized what the sound was. He put his pistol up and barged into the chamber and looked through night vision goggles at the chamber around him. It wasn't hard to spot the form sitting upright as everyone else was prone on the ground.
"Mommy, daddy, wake up..."
Amias and Harper shared a saddened look and quickly, but quietly went toward the hunched over figure. Upon getting closer they could see the obvious dragon features of a draconan and could also tell it was a fairly young one too, too young to be without parents. Two leathery, but soft looking frills on the sides of the head indicated it was a female. The two approached cautiously. She was young, but even young draconan's could be dangerous.
Suddenly she stopped crying and looked up. Her face twisted with fear and then quickly shifted to look as fierce as she could. Amias and Harper shared an amused, but sad look. She was barely three feet tall and couldn't have looked intimidating no matter how hard she tried.
"Calm down little one, we aren't going to hurt you." Harper said in a soothing voice.
The little blue draconan didn't look appeased and hissed. "Stay back."
"Your mommy and daddy are sleeping little one and they won't be waking up." Harper said gently.
"They have to wake up. They have to." She whispered.
Harper smiled sadly. "I'm sorry little one. But they would not want you to stay here and fall asleep like them. They would want you to come with us and live."
"What's your name little one?" Amias asked, slowly approaching her. At her hesitation he quickly added. "My name's Amias and this is Harper."
"May we know your name little one?"
The little draconan did not speak for a few minutes more, before her small musical voice broke the silence. "My name's Cal'ias."
"That's an awful pretty name." Harper said with a big smile. "Would you like to come with us Cal'ias?"
There was hesitation again, but eventually she nodded. Amias crept forward and held out his arms. The little draconan leapt into his arms, but then scrambled to sit on his broad shoulder. He grunted, straining just a little. She was small, but heavy just the same. Her taloned feet dug into his shoulder a little and he knew she was drawing blood, but any pain he felt was overshadowed by a soft rumbling in his ear. She was purring not unlike a cat. He felt her tail wrap around his back and under the armpit opposite of which she was sitting on.
"Are you comfortable?" Amias asked his passenger.
"Yep." She chirped as if her parents weren't dead.
Amias and Harper shared a small smile and then headed out of the bunker. They knew they needed to ask the little one what had happened, but neither wanted to. It was probably traumatic to one so young, but at the same time she might not have really understood what was going on. Her facts would be more straightforward without false opinions coloring everything.
"Harper, we need to explore a little more, but I don't want to take her with us." Amias told his partner. "I think we should settle her into the shuttle and then finish."
"No, we can't risk it." Harper replied. "She'll be safer with us."
Amias didn't bother to argue with his older companion. The two of them headed out of the bunker and then Amias felt drawn to some place out of town. Without thinking he followed this new instinct and knew that Harper would be right behind him. His friend didn't ask any questions. They had learned a few months ago that sometimes Amias's instincts just led them places and he didn't have much control over it.
Soon enough they found themselves walking down a staircase that seemed cut into a hillside. It grew dark and musty as they got deeper and deeper. For a moment it seemed as if the stairs would go on forever, but quite suddenly they found themselves at the bottom. They found a fairly long corridor with writing etched up and down both walls all the way to a door cut into the stone. Both Rangers recognized it as an offshoot of an ancient universal language, but it was just different enough that neither of them could read it.
Amias frowned as they neared the door. He felt cold. Not just his skin and whole body, but he felt cold on the inside too. Whatever was behind the door chilled his soul. With a glance at Harper he found his friend had stopped walking. He couldn't see Harper's eyes behind the night vision goggles, but he could see the frown on his friend's face. He noticed Harper's hands were clenched and sweat was trickling down his forehead.
"Harper, you okay man?" Amias asked.
"Something's really wrong." Harper replied softly. "We need to get out of here."
Amias turned to look at the unassuming door. His feeling of foreboding was strong, but his curiosity was stronger. He took a step toward the door but stopped. He felt as if a clawed hand had just grabbed hold of his heart and squeezed. For a moment he couldn't breathe, but it passed and the clawed hand was gone and replaced with a warmth he recognized as his own ranger power.
"Amias?" Harper questioned, now the one concerned for his partner.
Amias never got a chance to reply. On his shoulder the little draconan girl began to mutter something. It was a language he didn't recognize, but knew it wasn't draconan as he was fluent in it. His stomach clenched when he realized she was reading the inscription on the door.
"Cal'ias don't read that!"
But it was too late. The draconan finished the inscription and for a moment nothing happened. Then there was an ominous rumble and the door blew apart. Amias snatched Cal'ias from his shoulder and bent over her to protect her from the flying slabs of rock. He heard Harper grunt and could only hope his friend was okay as a piece of flying rock clipped his shoulder and tore an uncontrolled yelp out of him. His lungs burned as he breathed in particles of stone and he coughed raggedly. As things began to settle Amias quickly checked on Harper and found his friend shook up, but otherwise okay.
Amias kept Cal'ias wrapped protectively in his arms as he turned to face the door. The sight that greeted him turned his blood to ice. A woman with long jade green hair was practically floating through the door. She wore some kind of silver armor over her chest and legs and had one gauntlet on her right fist up to her elbow. Dark energy crackled from her in an ominous warning of the power hidden within. However, the most shocking feature, and perhaps what scared Amias the most, was her bright glowing white eyes.
"A Holder." Amias whispered fearfully.
"Holder? No my boy, that name is for the weaklings aligned to the White." The woman said with a dark, distorted voice. "I am one of the Dark Ones, the Dohri in the ancient language."
Neither ranger got a chance to comment as she raised one hand palm up and blasted them down the hall. Amias had dropped Cal'ias just in time to keep the draconan from being harmed, but now the little girl was defenseless before the mighty Dohri. The dark Holder floated closer to Cal'ias and smirked as the girl cowered behind one of the broken pieces of the door. The little girl posed no threat and the Dark One passed her by, floating on toward the barely conscious rangers.
"You Power Rangers are as predictable as ever." The woman said. "Your creators were foolish and naïve when they imprinted their own beliefs on the power. It has infected you, made you weak. You use your power to help others when you should use the power to help yourselves. Pathetic really." She sneered as she neared the fallen men. "Your need to know what killed all those people will be your downfall."
"You killed them?" Amias gasped, barely conscious enough to comprehend what he was hearing.
"Oh yes." The woman said with dark glee. "I stole the life force from them all. Only one survived, but I will soon remedy that as well."
"No!" Amias tried to get up to go to Cal'ias, but the dark Holder blasted him back down again.
"Pathetic." She sneered. "As far as Rangers go you are two of the most pathetic I have had the pleasure of killing."
"We're not dead." Harper snarled, already starting to gain some of his strength back.
The woman laughed. "Fools, if I drained the life out of every being on this planet what makes you think you can stop me? The only reason you still live is I have some questions that need answering. Then you can follow in the footsteps of these people you so foolishly came to help."
Amias tried to throw up his mental barriers, but the woman was in his mind so quickly that the darkness of her presence overwhelmed him. Never had he felt such evil before. He was sure she couldn't get through this subconscious wall, but that wasn't what she was after anyway. He gasped as scenes of the battle with Samous flittered through his mind and could feel her obvious curiosity. But it was only one word that sent a chill down his spine and regret coiling in his stomach.
Earth...
The word was uttered with dark glee. Amias mentally sent out an apology to the Rangers of Earth. He knew that this woman had found what she wanted and it was going to take her to Earth where his friends were already struggling against Kalix. They didn't need another enemy, especially not one that seemed much more powerful than Kalix.
I'm sorry.
"Now that I've found what I want, you are of no further use to me." The woman sneered.
Harper and Amias could only watch helplessly as she raised both her palms to point at them. Energy crackled around her hands and began to gather into two bright balls. She cackled wildly, but it cut off with a shriek of pain that got both Rangers' attention. Cal'ias had attacked the dark Holder and bitten the woman's thigh. The woman snarled and made to grab the little draconan, but Cal'ias bit her hand hard before scrambling over to Amias. Amias wrapped one arm around her then reached out and grabbed Harper as the woman turned blazing eyes to them.
"DIE!"
And Amias transported all three of them to the ship just as the Dark One released a furious attack. Weakly he moved to his seat and flipped the switches to turn on the cloaking and shielding. All three watched as the dark Holder flew into the air. She seemed to take a moment to enjoy the desolate world she had created before she turned into a glowing ball of energy and shot into space.
