Author's Note: The start of this story is set during Power Rangers Zeo at some point between A Golden Homecoming and Good as Gold. It diverges from the plot of the TV show to become an AU, but I shouldn't (hopefully) contradict anything before that point. Comments are always welcome, both good and bad.

Orasella is supposed to be a completely made up name, but a google search of various connections of syllables seems to suggest that every possible word exists in some language or other.

There is supposed to be a section break here, but just seems to get rid of them when I upload the document. Rows of hyphens, and signs and other punctuation just seem to get erased. If anyone knows a way to do breaks that stay in the document, I would appreciate it.

Heart beating so fast it might leap out of his chest. Lungs heaving with every breath. Limbs aching from blocking kicks and strikes. Tommy tried to deal a few blows back, but he was too busy trying not to get beaten into one bloody bruise.

There were too many of them. He didn't have a moment to pause and count them, but they seemed to be all around him. Hitting, kicking, throwing him to the ground. All in black, faces covered in ninja masks, they fought with a mixture of every fighting style Tommy had ever come across. Any one of them alone, he might have stood a chance against, but not all of them together.

A punch to his stomach coincided with a sweeping kick into his legs and Tommy went down, smashing hard onto the uneven ground. The breath was knocked out of him and for a moment he was stunned by the impact. That was all that was needed for the attackers to have him thoroughly pinned, vice-like grips on his arms and legs. Tommy couldn't move, but he was almost glad for a second or two of the excuse to just lie there and let oxygen flow to his exhausted muscles. His vision had sparkly dots floating around the edge of it.

One of the attackers walked up to him, leaning over to look down into Tommy's face. The man was completely covered in black cloth, only his eyes visible. But he wore across his chest a gold sash. Tommy had seen this guy before, or at least someone wearing the same sash. He'd never taken part in the fights, just stood and watched the others.

"You're beaten, Power Ranger," the man said. Tommy was too worn out to even care how he knew he was a Ranger.

"He's not beaten while his friends are with him." Jason's voice. And then the black-clothed attackers vanished. No light of teleportation. They just weren't there any more.

"I guess they weren't interested in a fair fight." That was Adam. Then Tommy could see his friends standing over him, crouching by his side. The sight was growing darker, but he still heard them.

"Is he alright?"

"We should get Alpha to check him."

"Let's get him to the power chamber."

Tommy felt the tingling of the teleportation process and the world dissolved around him. He'd passed out before he'd reached the power chamber.

Section Break

Jason lifted Tommy up onto the bed that Billy had pulled from somewhere. Tommy stirred slightly at the movement, but then closed his eyes again. He just seemed to be asleep, which was hardly surprising. The poor guy had barely been able to sleep for two weeks, what with these constant attacks.

Alpha had a scanner out and was waving it over Tommy's body. Jason didn't need that to tell him that Tommy was exhausted and bruised. He'd made jokes about how soon there wouldn't be any skin left on him that was a normal colour, but Jason could tell it was really hurting him. No major injuries, but enough little pains to have him wincing whenever he moved.

All of the Rangers were gathered in the power chamber. They'd been called as soon as Zordon noticed the attack on Tommy. Now they watched, worried and still morphed, helpless to defend their friend from these constant attacks.

"You still don't know who's behind this?" Jason asked Billy, who shook his head.

"They know who we are," said Kat, "or at least Tommy. The guy with the sash called him a Power Ranger."

"They might have figured that out," Jason said, "by the fact that when the Rangers go to his rescue, there's always one missing."

"I doubt it," intoned Zordon's deep voice, "I believe these attackers are targeting Tommy because he is a Ranger."

"But why not the rest of us?" Tanya asked.

"It is possible that they are not aware of the identities of the rest of you." But that didn't make sense to Jason. If they were interested in all the Rangers, why did they run whenever the rest of them showed up?

"Until they figure out why they're doing this," Jason said, "I think one of us should be with Tommy at all times."

"I agree," Zordon said, "These mysterious attackers only seem to strike when Tommy is alone. If he has you with him, he should be safe."

"I'll keep trying to work out who these guys are," Billy said.

Section Break

Tommy woke up, turned his head slightly and saw an unmistakable back. Alpha Five, a red, gleaming robot with a circular head was standing nearby. He was in the power chamber.

"How are you feeling, Tommy?" came the deep, booming voice of the giant head floating in a column of blue liquid. Tommy considered the question. Every part of him ached, but there were no serious pains, nothing to suggest a broken bone or anything. He felt tired and wanted to just curl up in bed for a year. But he was alive. For a while there, he hadn't been sure he'd survive.

"Not too bad," Tommy answered, "considering." His voice came out cracked and raw. It wasn't until he spoke that he realised just how thirsty he was. Billy might have been reading his mind. He stepped out from behind a row of control panels and offered Tommy a bottle of water.

"How long have I been out?" Tommy asked after a long gulp.

"A few hours," Billy answered, "we let you sleep."

"Thanks man."

"You want something to eat?" Tommy nodded. It turned out Billy had a fridge here. It wouldn't be long before there was a spare bed. He spent more time in the power chamber than he did anywhere else.

Tommy gratefully gulped down a sandwich as Billy told him what had been discussed. It was probably proof of how worn out he was that he didn't complain he could look after himself at the suggestion of the other Rangers acting as bodyguards. He wanted the attacks to stop, but more than that he wanted answers. He was the only target, and he'd been fighting off these ninjas for nearly three weeks. They'd turned up in his house twice. Mondo must have noticed something was wrong, because his monster attacks were more frequent.

"Have you found out anything yet?" Tommy asked. Billy shook his head, but it was Zordon who replied.

"There are many organisations in the galaxy that wear plain black, ninja costumes, but none have the mode of attack that you have been experiencing."

Tommy sighed. He just had to hope they'd figure something out soon. He didn't know if he could take another attack like today's. The guy with the sash had been right. He was beaten.