CHAPTER TWO


Rocky checked the time on his watch as he joined his friends over at the park. He hoped he hadn't proven too tardy.

"Hey guys, I got your message, any word on Jason?" he asked.

"We haven't caught sight of him" Tommy replied.

Tanya stopped a passer-by and showed him a photo the group had taken with Jason two days prior.

"Excuse me sir, have you seen our friend?" she asked.

"Sorry Ma'am, can't say I have" the citizen replied.

Katherine resorted to calling Jason's name aloud.

"Jason, where are you?" she cried

"Jason" Adam hollered, joining in.

Watching the group from a nearby bench were Bulk and Skull.

"What are they up to?" Skull asked

"Beats me" Bulk replied, "But better focus on what we're doing"

"Right..." Skull responded. There was a brief pause between the two goofballs before Skull spoke up again.

"Bulk, what are we doing?" he asked.

"The note numbskull, remember the note?" Bulk said, producing said note and handing it to Skull

"This told us to meet someone at 4PM at the park"

"The note says 16:00 hours. Obviously someone doesn't know how to tell the time, there's only twelve hours on the clock." Skull responded.

"It's military time" Bulk elaborated.

"Why would the military have a whole twelve more hours than the rest of us? That something the government is keeping from us?" Skull replied. Bulk sighed.

"Never mind"

A tall man in a grey overcoat and black beret soon approached them from the right. Their heads were both turned to the left. To get their attention, the man coughed.

Bulk turned first, but Skull looked upward instead of turning, so when Bulk turned, he found himself staring at Skull's upper neck. He tapped Skull on the shoulder, Skull lowered his head and stared at Bulk. Bulk pointed sternly to his right, Skull finally turned his head in that direction.

"Greetings gentlemen. I am Inspector Gustone. I have heard much about you"

"Gustone?" Bulk asked."Any relation to our Stone?" Skull added.

"None, but you work for Detective Stone's agency, it is my sincerest wish you will join me on a secret mission off the coast of France"

"The coat of who?" Skull said, Bulk rolled his eyes.

"The coast of France"

He turned to Gustone

"We'll take the job"

Skull looked puzzled.

"We will?"

"Excuse us a moment" Bulk told Gustone, taking Skull to one side

"Eugene, do you remember the first assignment Detective Stone gave us when we became full time Detectives?"

"Yeah, it was to help him move some files"

"It was housework. Detective Stone didn't trust us enough to give us a real case. This guy is offering us a job right now. We can prove ourselves to Stone once and for all."

"I see where you're going with this Bulkie-and I like it" Skull replied, grinning eagerly. The two swiftly turned back to Gustone.

"As I said, we'll take the offer"

"Excellent, once we sort out the matter of your passports, you will be on the streets of Paris by tomorrow"

Meanwhile, The teens continued to call out for Jason.

All of a sudden, there was is a rustling, and Jason suddenly emerged from out of a bundle of bushes. Exhausted from his ordeal with the Tengas, he collapsed in front of everyone.

"Oh no, Jason" Rocky spoke out of concern.

The friends dashed towards their fallen friend,, even Bulk and Skull were concerned and headed over to him

"What's wrong with him?"

"I don't know" Tommy replied

The friends scooped Jason's shoulders up in their arms and helped him to his feet. They slowly walked away from the park


Serpenterra flew through Earth's atmosphere, Zedd was hot on the trail of the Gold Ranger, and gloated over his recent couple of successes.

"Our sneak attack went so well, I was even able to find time to make off with a few leftover energy cells. Now Serpenterra is more powerful than ever before. Any word on the fallen Gold Ranger Goldar?"

"He has vanished from my scanners Lord Zedd" Goldar revealed.

"Undoubtedly the Rangers have reached him first and have brought him to Zordon. No matter, if his powers continue to fail him, they will have but one course of action left to them, and when they take it, we shall seize the opportunity and claim the Golden power as our own "


Within the safe refuge of the Ranger's Power Chamber, Jason lay peacefully on a table, surrounded by the other Rangers

"He's so still..." observed Tommy.

"Do not worry Tommy" assured Zordon "For now he is only resting. The struggle to maintain balance between the Gold Ranger powers and the forces of the universe can be very taxing on the human form"

Alpha produced a print-out and handed it to the other Rangers, who in turn passed it amongst themselves

"According to these new read-outs, Jason does not have much time before the Gold Ranger powers dessert him completely"

"Oh no" Tanya exclaimed

"Zordon, has Trey been able to merge his three forms into one?" Tommy asked, referring to Trey of Trioforia, the alien ruler who had previously welded the Gold Ranger powers and , after being forced to separate himself into three halves to steadily recoup his dwindling strength, had transferred them to Jason in order to ensure his power did not fall into evil hands until he could become whole again.

"At this point Tommy, we are unsure."

"Zordon if he hasn't, they'll be no way we can transfer the power from Jason" Tanya argued.

Suddenly, there was a thunderous earthquake and a bright bold flash of lightning blindsided the Rangers and lit up the room. Three beings formed from the light, and as it faded, they stepped forward to reveal the trinity of Triforia. Trey of Wisdom, Trey of Courage, and Trey of Heart.

"I came as soon as I got your message Zordon, unfortunately I have not been able to restore myself to the unified form necessarily to obtain the Gold Ranger powers" Trey of Wisdom revealed.

The alarms in the Power Chamber went off, the Rangers were on high alert. Alpha was notably distressed by the readings on the control console.

"Ai-Ai-Ai, Lord Zedd has succeeded in recharging Serpenterra"

"This is most grave Rangers" cautioned Zordon, "According to our scanners, Zedd has combined technology from the Machine Empire with the existing strength and ferocity of his own mighty battle machine. It may now be more than a match even for your Zeo Zords"

"So what can we do?" Rocky asked

"It is imperative that Trey be unified" Zordon revealed.

"Is there any way we can restore Trey in time?" Adam inquired.

"There is only one possibility that I am aware of...but it could prove very dangerous" Zordon sternly revealed.

"How does it work Zordon?" Katherine asked.

"An interplanetary unification beam is used to create a powerful energy flow between the planets Triforia, Aquitar, and Earth" Zordon explained.

"The beam must be reflected off of the other two planets at a specific point in their orbits and returned to Earth with exact precision" Trey of Heart added.

"Are there any side-effects?" Rocky asked

"It's a risk that cannot be avoided" Zordon revealed, "The alignment of the planets will only last for a short time. If the beam strikes the Earth without first hitting the Golden Power Staff at exactly the right time, Jason and the Treys could be destroyed"

"Zordon, it does not look like we have any choice, we must do whatever it takes to save Jason and restore my powers" Trey of Courage insisted.

"We gotta do it for Jason guys" Adam said.

"Yeah, he's not gonna last much longer in the state he's in" Rocky observed.

"I have established the co-ordinates where the beam must strike, Alpha will provide you with a map" Zordon revealed as Alpha handed s the Rangers the afore-mentioned map.

" The location is contained in the North West corner of the Angel Grove desert"


Elsewhere, Serpenterra continued to roam menacingly across the skies of Angel Grove. Inside, Goldar checked his scanners again and became quite excitable.

"My Lord, I have a signal"

"Is it those multi-coloured misfits we know to be the Rangers?" Zedd revealed

"It is my lord, they're on the move and are heading towards the desert"

"Perfect. They will be clear in the open and an easy target. Soon I will enhance Serpenterra with the Gold Ranger powers, and the Earth and any planet I deem unworthy will be reduced to ash!"