Back for chapter 2!

Ms. Fairweather: Thank you very much! . Thank you for being my first review on this story as well!

Okay, let's go. Enjoy!

-

Banshu didn't throw the green ranger again. He simply held him high, so only the very tips of his toes grazed the floor. Even as he felt consciousness fading, he wondered at the aura of his enemy. With a glove half off, he could feel the colours around him. A twinkle of red and orange… purple…or was it blue?

Just at the point where Bridge wavered on the edge of the clawing blackness, he was dropped mercilessly to the floor. The bird had turned away from him, a hand against his stomach where the sword had hit before. Banshu looked over his shoulder.

"Fight back, green Ranger. I'm getting bored." The criminal cawed, turning back to Bridge again and peering down at him critically.

Bridge was still on the floor, trying to catch his breath again whilst subtly drawing his morpher to his mouth for the comms it offered. Seriously, where was everyone?

"Help, guys.." He muttered into the morpher. This time, the bird heard and stamped the few steps over and violently kicked the morpher out of the Green Ranger's hand, shredding gloves and skin as his claws contacted.

It was in that brief contact, talon against his skin, that he felt the creature's intent, and a sprinkle of it's memories.

Running from planet to planet. They're all after me. Hahahah, look what I've managed to achieve.

I helped you know

A second voice seemed to blend with Banshu's memories and thoughts.

I know you helped. It was mostly you. But Gruumm wants our help now

Yes I know he does. I was listening as well

Taking out the rangers should be easy.

Only because I'm helping.

Bridge was himself again and he gasped. That was it. The criminal wanted him dead. Great. It was Banshu's top priority at the moment. Kill him, return to Gruumm, be showered in praise then target the rest of the rangers. Bridge hugged his bloody hand to himself, suddenly very much afraid of his own mortality.

-

The second call for help was heard by all four other rangers. Sky revved the engine on the bike. Nearly there. It'd soon be the warehouse district and he'd have to run from there; the bike wouldn't fit in such small places. What the hell had happened to Bridge?!

Syd and Z on the other hand now chose a similar course of action to Jack and Sky. Z would stay and fight the remaining enemies, using her powers to even the odds, while Syd went after Bridge. They relayed this via comms and Jack and Sky agreed. The Pink Ranger had been much closer then Sky and simply ran towards the call for help. She soon met up with the blue ranger as he abandoned his bike. Neither of them spoke, just running with the same urgency.

-

Bridge looked up from the floor. The bird loomed over him.

"I felt that, ranger. You were looking at my mind." The bird all but snarled, clacking its beak. Bridge scrabbled backwards as fast as he good, his back soon connecting with a wall. He risked a glance towards his morpher and saw it fizzling gently where the claws had put it out of commission. Without his glove intact, he could feel the hatred wavering off his foe. He felt like a pebble against the tide. The bird was even less happy then before, if that were possible, and it leaned over Bridge now, claws wide and ready to deal a deadly blow--

"Bridge!" Sky and Syd ran towards them. Banshu hissed, looking towards the approaching pair. The pink and blue rangers could not yet fire their weapons, though they had them aimed, lest they hit their comrade. They just approached with a speedy, focused run and Bridge suddenly felt relieved. It wasn't over though as Banshu looked back at him, taking this final opportunity. He pulled a feather from his arm, wincing as he did so. Bridge swore he felt a sound as it happened.

An interesting idea, Banshu.

Bridge was confused. More confused then normal. Was that the bird talking to himself or what? He looked giddily up at the feather. It was long, sharp and serrated and he had a horrible feeling he knew what the bird was going to do. Kill him. With a feather. The bird gave a shriek and aimed to slam the serrated edge of the thing down on Bridge's head. The green ranger was faster. He covered his head with his arms and threw himself to one side. The feather cut deeply into his arm but fell away, clattering to the floor nearby and sounding distinctly unfeather like.

"I'll get you next time." Bashu hissed gutterally, cawing obsceneties in it's native tongue as it spread it's wings.

Let us report to Gruum.

Bridge watched the brid fly away, removed from the pain now and thinking about the voice. What was it? Or was it who was it? Or was it that it wasn't any of the previous was it's and was, infact, a was they? He smiled faintly to himself, flopping to his back and just staring at the sky.

Sky and Syd slowed as they reached him, almost unbelieving that the bird had delivered it's final blow and flown the coop in but 30 seconds. The two rangers checked about them for more danger but it was now silent. Both demorphed and knelt by their friend, silent and serious faced. Blood smattered Bridge's clothing, spreading through the fabric most noticeably around the cut on his arm. The same arm that his hand was damaged. There was another hint of crimson from under that messy brown hair and patches of purple were evident in many places, especially around his neck. Yet, he remained unfocused and smiling on the floor, not really even registering his friend's faces though he could feel their emotions. Concern, fear, worry, caution. Ahh, it was like a floaty dream. He wriggled slightly. No breaks. Ah. Life couldn't be better. Look a cloud that looked like a piece of toast.

Suddenly he looked at Sky. "That guy was blue and red and orange and purple." He said in a jumble then blacked out, still smiling to himself.

-

The darkness slowly receded and he found four familiar faces filled with worry looking down at him.

"Hi guys. Why are you all in my room?" He mumbled before stopped and flicking his

Eyes around and picking up 'med bay' rather then 'bedroom'. "Uhh… I guess we lost, huh?" His head hurt. And they'd taken his glove off his busted hand and wrapped the back and palm in bandage. With just his fingers exposed, he could still feel a little of what they all felt. Guilt mostly. Bridge hated pity more then guilt and he could feel a little of that creeping in too. He flopped his good arm over his eyes and wriggled his exposed fingers stiffly. He felt stitches tugging at the skin there.

Sky was first to speak after a rather extended silence. "We're gonna take him in for you, Bridge. No doubt." He grimaced, folding his arms. Jack glanced at him then spoke as well.

"Sorry I couldn't get there--"

Syd interrupted, "If we'd been quicker, Bridge…" She trailed off, pouting slightly and looking at the floor.

Z was silent for a second too before speaking. "It should have been me. With my powers, I could have helped you."

None of his friends met bridge's eyes and the green ranger attempted a grin, in a vain effort to remove some of the tension. "It was just unlucky. Could have been any of us Seriously. It's like… straws. You draw the short one and BOOM cleaning the labs for two weeks." He paused, frowning under his arm. "But. I think you guys might not have found him. I had to follow his aura and it was all gooey and tingly and messed up. Kinda like sand but with… goo in it. And sparkles."

Jack and Syd looked at eachother then back to Bridge who was still talking.

"Red and orange but somehow blue as well.. But not blue blue. But red blue. But not purple." He trailed off, unsatisfied at his description.

"Uhm… Sure, Bridge." Jack said after a moment, with his usual display of trying to hide his complete lack of understanding, a slight frown on his face as he tried to make sense of it.

Kat poked her head around the door after a moment. "I hate to tear you away but let him get some rest." She said gently. Reluctantley, the others nodded and filed out silently after Kat. As soon as they were gone, Bridge dropped his fake happy expression. Nothing hurt as much as it did but he put this down to large doses of pain killer. He felt numb. His cut arm felt numb. His head hurt still though. Stupid head pain. He gently touched his ehad. A Bandage was wrapped around it tight, too tight for his liking, and made his hair stick up even more then usual. Eyes flittered about the room again but he couldn't locate his other glove, remains or otherwise. Sure, he had a spare in his room. But that was in his room and not here.

The Alarm chose that moment to go off.

"Rangers to the command centre!"

Bridge sat up and the world span. He didn't care, he needed to be there. To see what was happening. To prove to his friends that he was okay, that he could take it. With a sigh he swung his legs off the bed, his feet in socks and his boots placed a few feet away. Ah, scrap the boots he thought sullenly for a moment before getting to his feet. He sat down again, head spinning. No handstands for a while.. Picking up a bandage, he tried to cover all his fingers and ended up with a mitten instead of a hand so he abandoned the bandages again and attempted standing once more.

Bridge staggered to the door before turning back and grabbing his jacket from a chair, noting the blood stains yet to be washed out on the shoulder and cuff. He got his good arm through one sleeve and left the other loose, staggering down the corridor towards the command centre.