Chapter 10
I didn't speak to Andros for the next couple of days, feeling angry at him that he had made me miss the one and only opportunity to finally finding and rescuing dad; I also blamed DECA for wasting our time and making us wait while she scanned Hurcuron for any signs of danger. Hello! Of course there were enemies on the planet! Aren't they everywhere?
Whenever I did have to speak to Andros or DECA(which was rarely) I would do so in a cold voice. Andros had tried numerous times to apologize for not allowing me to stay with the Phantom Ranger and gain the information that I needed to find dad. Some of my resentment and anger went toward him also, the Phantom had only been able to find dad and yet he lost him all over again Andros thought that when my dad was moved, Dark Specter must have put a powerful cloaking device around dad so that no one would be able to locate him. So once again we are back to freaking square one. I thought angrily as I stomped away from the mess hall, Andros was calling after me but I ignored him, stopping until I got to my room. I stood in the middle glaring at everything that was around me. My eyes settled on the picture of my friends and a fresh wave of loathing filled me, limping over to it I grabbed the picture and stared down at it. I resented the fact that they were all oblivious to my pain, the helplessness, the loneliness and the frustration. I began to think about teleporting to Earth, gathering Tommy and the others and telling them what was going on. I felt a savage thrill as I pictured their shocked looks, their anger at not being told which would change to helplessness. They knew that they wouldn't be able to do a damn thing because they were no longer Rangers. I looked down at the picture and was mildly surprised to see that there was a crack on it, I relaxed my grip and in doing so began to feel guilty. My friends....they've been through a lot: the death of Aisha and me replacing her, the girl that took her life, Kimberly moving to Florida and being replaced by Kat, Dad leaving and being replaced by Dimitria, Rocky being replace by Justin, Goldar returning, Justin captured and tortured. Can I really bring my friends more pain and bad news? Can I really again shatter their peaceful lives? Can I really do that after everything they've done for me? Just so they can feel a little bit of my own pain? I stared into the distance then shaking my head I put down the picture, turned and limped back out the door. No, I can't do that. My friends, they deserve a break after all that they've gone through, besides I hate seeing other people suffer, especially if they've suffered because of me.
Throughout the entire week while we were battling monsters, Ecliptor, Quantrons and Astronema(she's a tough one, I'll say that) I came to the conclusion that Goldar had been on Earth during the last battle and it was he that had fired that beam at me. But why didn't I sense him? In the past I've been able to sense Goldar's or Zedd presence whenever they were near but now.....not even my computer picked him up. Could it be that he somehow disguised his presence? I thought it could be possible, considering the control that he had over it also, considering the fact that he's had it for a long time, he must have explored what it can do, how best to use it. Truth be told, having this power is like having an extra limb, it becomes more stronger each and every time you use it. And Goldar has been using it. The things that he could do, the damage that he's done..... I shuddered, dreading and fearing the day that my team mates would met up with him. Pray to God that I'll have the strength to protect them.
"Hold still Andros! I'm trying to heal you!" I grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him back onto his chair, he glared up at me but held still as I healed his injuries.
"Okay, tell me again. Why are the rest us of us badly hurt and you have only gotten a few scratches and bruises?" I rolled my eyes. How many times am I going to have to tell them?
"For your information Carlos, I have been in more battles than you, I have gotten blasted more times than you and have gotten my butt kicked more times that you. In short my body as gotten more tougher over the years thanks to fighting Goldar Rito Revolto, Lord Zedd, Master Vile(though my friends and I never actually fought him, per say) Price Gasket and a whole bunch of other evil idiots who thought that taking over the Earth was going to a snap since it was guarded by a couple of over emotional teenagers." I paused.
"Also my reflexes are more faster." I said with a shrug of my shoulders as I allowed Andros to stand up and walk over to the bridge's computer. I moved toward TJ and spread my hands over him. He looked up at me while a golden light spread over him.
"Not to mention that you're half alien." snapped Cassie. I ignored her.
"That was quick thinking that you did back there, it saved our lives." said TJ.
"Don't mention it." I said with another shrug of my shoulders. I looked up at Andros, who had a rather worried look on his face. I decided to get to it.
"So," I said with a bit of grunt as I heaved myself up from my squatting position beside Carlos.
"Who was that dude that I saw hiding in the bushes?"
Andros shook his head as he began to pace back and forth, muttering to himself. The others and I followed him with our eyes as he paced the length of the room. Every so often he would glance at Carlos. We had followed a distress signal that had been supposedly sent by dad, even though I was obsessed with finding my father and following any and all leads that we were picking up, something didn't sit right with me when we had picked up the signal. Dad sending a distress signal, when he's being watched twenty-four/seven by the people who grabbed him? Something's not right here. When we had gotten to the planet, I followed my instincts, pulled out my computer and began to scan the area, and began to pick up several life forms that were waiting for us in the bushes to our far right. I called to my team mates about the ambush when Quantrons came out and began to attack us. Grabbing one by the arm just as it was about to throw a punch, I flipped it over my head, grabbed it's ankle and began to spin it around in a wide circle. After knocking out some of the Quantrons that had tried to get close, I flung the Quantron that I had toward Ecliptor who had appeared at that very moment. Ecliptor ducked, pulled out his sword and began to look toward Andros then me and back again. It was as if he couldn't decide which one to attack first. The yellow one, she's the one that bested Astronema. She the one with that incredible power.....a power that.....can be shared. He charged at me. I turned toward him. This guy is just asking for it. I ducked his swinging sword, my fist shot out and I nailed him with a beautiful uppercut that knocked his head back. Preforming a round house kick, I sent him staggered to the right. A Quantron leaped over him and began to slash at me with his blade, pulling out my sword I went on the defensive until I saw an opening. Raising my sword high above my head I brought it down and cleanly sliced the blade in two. The Quantron looked at the pieces that he was holding in each hand then he looked up at me, in time to see my fist met it's face. I turned and breathed a sigh.
"Ah, they don't make weapons like they used to." I chuckled.
Little battle humor there.
Behind me a Qauntron raced toward my back, it's blade ready to run me thorough, at the last second though, without even turning around, I shoved my sword into its abdomen. I pulled my sword out of it and the Quantron fell to it's knees then fell at my feet. I turned and looked down at it for a minute. Shrugging my shoulders and with sword raised I leapt back into the battle. I began to seriously think that all of these battles were a waste of time. We could be out looking for dad right now and not fighting these...these lowlife losers. I threw a Quantron off of me, spun and punched away another one. My anger grew as I began to think of all the time wasted in all of these pointless battles, when our energy could be put to better use on finding my father and beating the living daylights out of whoever put him back in his prison, I began debating on whether or not the search would be done more faster if I broke away from the team. Maybe.....it would be best. Then I grudgingly remembered my promise to my friends. Letting out a disappointed sigh, I turned as I heard Carlos give out a yell of pain, I saw that he was on the ground clutching his wrist. Out of the corner of my eye I saw someone else hiding in the bushes, I only caught a glimpse of him before TJ shouted that we had to retreat Carlos was hurt. But the Quantrons nor Ecliptor allowed us to leave. I powered up and let my sword fly in a full circle, striking Quantrons and Ecliptor. A few of them managed to dodge them but I had already sent a Rotating Power Blast. While the baddies were down, my team mates and I teleported away. After I had healed the others, Carlos's wrist was still hurting him. I frowned. My healing power should have worked on that bite that he got. Andros looked at Carlos.
"You had better come with me to the infirmary." He said. Carlos looked at him then without a word he stood up and followed Andros. TJ and Cassie also followed. TJ stopped and looked at me.
"Aren't you coming?" I debated. In my opinion, not everyone has to be there when a friend/team mate gets sick or hurt. But not wanting to sound or seem that I didn't care about Carlos's state, I decided to tag along, I wanted to ask Andros more about the guy that I saw. We got to the infirmary Andros and Cassie were already scanning Carlos who was lying on the medical table shirtless. I looked at him more closely, Carlos seemed to be shivering. I raised my hand, hesitated, then laid it on his forehead.
"All of his vital signs appear normal." Cassie said as she scanned Carlos once more. I looked up at her in surprise. Carlos appeared to have goose bumps up and down his arms, the bite that I had healed only several moments ago had returned, it looked redder and uglier than before. Red and blue veins that were pretty visible were all over his body and he was shivering, even though the infirmary was room temperature.
"I'll be right back." I said to them, I limped to my room and whisked the blanket from off of my bed, returning to the infirmary I covered Carlos up with it. He looked at me and nodded his thanks even though it looked as if it wasn't helping much, he was still shivering. I looked down at him then up at Andros. I began to worry, I didn't like the way that Carlos's body was reacting to that bite.
"What's wrong with him?" Andros didn't answer me right away, instead he asked Carlos, when he had gotten bitten, did the bite feel cold. Cassie, TJ and I looked each other then at Andros in confusion. A cold bite? We got another surprise when Carlos nodded.
"Yeah, it was cold." Andros's worried look became more profound. Gesturing to TJ to follow him out of the room, both boys began to talk in hushed tones, Andros doing most of the talking. I didn't like to eavesdrop so I got out my computer and began to type in the description of the red guy that I saw. While it searched its data banks, I looked across at Cassie, she had a worried look on her face as she looked down at Carlos, but she kept stealing covert glances at the boys, no doubt trying to find out what they were talking about. I looked down at my computer, feeling oddly restless and apprehensive, as thoughts of Lord Zedd began to creep into my mind. What if it was Zedd that I saw? Shivers ran down my back as I thought of my former master, fear and terror rose within me. What if, somehow, Goldar managed to bring him back to life? What if he goes after my team mates or worse he goes after my friends? I began to imagine all sorts of scenarios involving a resurrected Zedd attacking my team mates, killing them, capturing Justin and torturing him until insanity finally claimed him. I clutched my computer hard, my hands began to shake. I struggled to calm myself. No. He couldn't have been there. Besides not even my power can bring back the dead. I loosen the grip on my computer as this calming thought went through my mind. That's right. Nothing can bring a person back to life, nothing! I jerked around when Andros called over to me.
"TJ and I are going back to that planet where Carlos was bitten, you two stay here and keep an eye on Carlos." Cassie nodded.
"Be careful, Andros." He looked at her for a bit then he nodded.
"I will."
"Same to you too TJ, Good luck." I called after them as the boys took off. Cassie and I turned back to Carlos, he seemed to be shivering even more. Cassie went to go get him another blanket. Something's going to happen, I'm sure of it. I put away my computer as I felt my body instinctively tense, I took a step back from Carlos and looked him over, I calmed down when I realized that I would be able to over take him, should the need arise. Then I began to feel uneasy that I felt confident that I could beat Carlos easily. Am I feeling this way because Carlos is a mere human who doesn't have the power of the Power Ranger Power Blast and is therefore defenseless against my power and my strength? Or is it because I have no feelings of friendship toward him and only view him as a person and comrade? I thought for a minute and began to think about my team mates each in turn. I did care about them, I cared about their safety and their well being and I would be willing to help them if they ever found themselves into trouble......but is that all? I searched some more and felt a slightly guilty twinge that I felt nothing more after that. My feelings for them only went so far as companionship, not friendship or anything more deeper than that. It was true that the companionship hadn't changed into friendship, even before the events of meeting up with Andros, I didn't feel anything toward Carlos, Cassie and TJ .I saw them as nothing more than rookies, rookies that needed to be taught, trained and protected from Goldar and the Tengu. In fact....if I was truthful with myself........I still see them as rookies, they still don't have the experience that my friends and I have. I thought about Andros. Even he has more experience than them. Briefly I wondered if Andros saw us as friends or strangers. I snapped out of my thoughts as Carlos gave a jerk. I tensed, my right hand going to my left hip, I was ready to summoned my sword, but he only rolled onto his side and I relaxed slightly. I turned as Cassie came in with another blanket, unfolded it, and draped it over Carlos. He jerked again, both Cassie and I tensed, then relaxed again as he settled back to sleep. I was sure that Cassie sensed something, because she was as jumpy as I was. I glanced at the doorway wondering what the boys could be doing, also I wondered when they were going to come back. I'm getting more jittery by the moment. I bounced on my toes as Cassie turned toward me after smoothing down the covers over Carlos.
"You alright?" she asked. I shook my head.
"No. Something's not right here. There's something more to this bite, my healing power should have....healed it but it didn't, it returned and it 's changing Carlos." Cassie glanced at him, Carlos was now lying on his back, his eyes were still closed. She turned back to me her worry slowly changing into fear and a hint of panic.
"Changing him? Changing him into what?" I pulled out my computer, comforted that I had a bit of the Command Center in my hands, where Tentomon and Dad used to reside. Dad, I wish you were here, then you can tell us what's happening. Sadness crept over me, but I quickly pushed it away and answered Cassie's question.
"I don't know." She looked at my computer.
"Has your computer found out anything?" I shook my head .
"No, not since the last time I scanned him." I looked down at the screen. His molecular structure seemed to be changing slowly, into what the computer gave no sign of telling me. Both of us jumped again when we heard Andros's voice .
"Cassie, Amy." We both looked down at Cassie's communicator. Cassie lifted up her wrist and spoke into it.
"We're right here Andros."
"Everything okay?"
"I'm not sure. Amy seems to think that the bite is going to change Carlos into something." There was silence on the other end. We heard TJ mutter
"How can she possibly know?" Irritation went through me.
"What did you find out?" I asked curtly.
"The bite is from a bug called the Braillian bug, I've seen it before. If you get bite, you change into a monster. Look you have to strap Carlos down before he begins to change. TJ and I will return in a bit." Cassie looked at me, the panic began to become more profound on her face, she turned and gazed at Carlos for a few moments.
Finally she turned and began to ask me questions about how I seemed to know that this was going to happen.
"Did you know that something like this was going to happen?" She asked with some anger. I sighed wearily. Oh gee, she still suspects me of being evil. I thought sarcastically.
"No Cassie," I said with patience.
"Knowing that something bad is going to happen in a situation comes with the experience of being a Power Ranger. It's instinct, once you've been a Ranger for as long as I have you'll know it as well. " She looked at me for a moment, it seemed to satisfy her for she turned away without a word and began to pace back and forth.
A few moments later we both heard voices, the boys were back! We met at the bridge where Andros was relieved that nothing had happened to us.
"How's Carlos?" asked TJ.
"Still the same, the change hadn't occurred yet." Cassie said. I asked Andros if he had seen the guy that I had gotten a glimpse of. Disappointment with a mixture of relief went through me as he shook his head, saying that he had TJ had conducted a brief sweep of the area where Carlos and the attack took place.
"We did find something, another Braillian bug." Cassie and I both sucked in deep breaths and I began to eye both boys warily.
"Don't worry, we're fine. We weren't bitten." said TJ. I let out a sigh of relief. Andros was certain that whoever unleashed the bug on Carlos must have been there when Andros and TJ preformed their sweep. With a twinge of guilt I reliezed that I should have been preforming a sweep of my own. I would have been able to find out who was on the planet that attacked the boys. But I was too busy worrying about how I felt about Andros and the others and trying to console Cassie, I wasn't even thinking! We all jumped when DECA sounded the alarm.
"Andros! Carlos has escaped the infirmary! I repeat Carlos has escaped the infirmary!" The others bolted toward the infirmary with me limping as fast as I could behind them. Once out into the hall, I stopped and looked around, fighting down the instinct to draw my sword. This is a team mate You don't draw your sword on a team mate, what will the others think? Soon the others came back, fear was on each of their faces and panic.
"He's not there." said TJ.
"He broke the straps." said Cassie her eyes wide. Naturally. I thought. I pulled out my computer, my mind already in overdrive. This was no accident or coincidence, someone unleashed that bug on us on purpose.
"You found him?" asked Andros looking over my shoulder at the plans to the Astro Mega Ship.
"I'm searching." I said briskly.
I lifted up my head and looked at all of them.
"Andros, is there any way that the transformation could be reversed? An antidote of some kind?" He looked at me blankly.
"Antidote?"
"Andros!" I snapped angrily. It seemed to take him a few moments to pull himself together.
"Yeah, yeah. There is. On my home planet."
"Good, go to your planet and get it." I ordered. Before Andros could move however, Carlos came crashing down on top of us. Cassie screamed as she was shoved out of the way by Andros and was knocked to one side, she slammed into the wall.
"Everyone spread out!" I barked spinning to avoid getting a faceful of talons. I leaped at Carlos , who was busily growling and trying to take swipes at the others. Cassie had gotten to her feet and was trying to get through to him.
"Carlos its us! Your friends!"
"Carlos!" called TJ leaping in front of me and trying to restrain him.
"Carlos stop!" Suddenly Cassie appeared beside TJ and grabbed onto Carlos.
"Cassie! All of you get out of the way!" I shouted. My hands were glowing yellow. Andros was staring at me a look of shock on his face.
"You're going to use a Power Blast on him?"
"Just a low powered one, it'll be enough to knock him out. We can't afford for him to hurt us, if he does then there's a good chance of all of us turning into monsters." God in heaven, I do not want to even go through that experience again! Cassie and TJ were shaken off easily, Carlos charged at Andros and I. I shifted into a stance ready to fire, but Andros suddenly grabbed my hands and pointed them downward
"Andros, get out of the way!" I tried to shove him away but he wouldn't budge.
"No! You'll hurt him!"
"It's the only way to subdue him! I can't use my other powers, there'll be a good chance that I'll get stung and turn into a monster, plus I don't have enough room here in this hall way to properly fight him." While all of this was going on Cassie and TJ had thrown themselves at Carlos and were struggling to restrain him but once again they were thrown off. Carlos continued to charge us, I saw how close he was over Andros's shoulder.
"Get down!" I yelled. Andros turned and at the same time released his grip on my hands. I grabbed the front of his shirt and yanked him down with me so that we were on the floor, Carlos was still racing towards us, for a minute I expected him to swoop down and deliver a killing blow, but amazingly he didn't. Instead he leapt over us and continued to race down the hall. Cassie and TJ both ran to us.
"What...?" TJ started as Andros and I rose to our feet, he was glaring at me. He opened his mouth. But I cut him off.
"Later Andros, we have to find Carlos." I began to limp as fast as I could down the hall. The others followed, I had scooped up my computer, it had fallen to the floor in the midst of the battle, I was relieved to see that it was unharmed. I continued down the hall, following the red dot that was Carlos.
"He's heading toward the engine room." Good more spacious. I thought going over ideas on how to subdue Carlos without hurting him. In moments we reached it. Stopping outside we approached cautiously. I closed my computer and placed it in my back pocket. As if we don't have enough to deal with. I grumbled silently as we entered the room. We looked around.
"There!" shouted TJ, we turned our heads, Carlos was on the catwalk near the engine. TJ aimed his Blaster at him but Andros shoved his arm down.
"Don't you'll hit the engines!" Before any of us could act through Carlos leapt at us and began slashing, we all leaped away.
"Cassie! TJ ! Get out of the way!" I shouted as I prepared to levitate Carlos. Cassie had grabbed Carlos by the arm.
"Carlos stop please!" She begged, suddenly she gave a yelp of pain and stumbled back one hand on the side of her neck. Oh, great. TJ was shoved away, I shot out my arm.
"Don't!" Shouted Andros, but I had already flung Carlos out of the engine room, he slammed into the wall, and lay there for a minute stunned. I began to limp toward him, but Andros grabbed me and pulled me back.
"Andros you idiot! Let go! We need to contain him." When we looked back Carlos had already fled. I rounded on Andros and began to yell at him
"What the hell! I had him! I could have contained him if you hadn't gotten in the way."
"You were going to hurt him!"
"Of coarse not! I was going to use my telekinesis to lift him into the air and get him over to the bridge, while you would go ahead and get that antidote." He stared at me.
"That was your plan?" I yanked my arm out of his grip and glared at him.
"Of course it was. Andros what the hell is wrong with you? You've dealt with this stuff before, you of all people should know how to handle this. Instead you're acting as if this is the first time
you're seeing this stuff." I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. I lowered my voice slightly of its anger and exasperation.
"Look, I know that all of this must be bringing up some bad memories for you but, and not to sound uncaring or anything, but we don't have time to deal with it right now. Right now we have to focus on finding Carlos, tying him down while you go find that antidote." I paused.
"And I'm sorry that I called you an idiot." Andros looked at me, pain was in his eyes.
"I'm sorry too Amy, and you're right. Seeing Carlos change and having him attack us does bring a lot of bad memories back. It's just that back then I had to hurt a lot of my friends when they turned into those monsters, I still feel a bit guilty about it but I had to do it. And I was hoping never to do it again, but now....." His voice trailed off. I placed my hand on his shoulder sympathetically.
"It's different this time, you know that there is an antidote and you can get it for us, meanwhile Cassie, TJ and I will search for Carlos and try to subdue him and I promise you, he will not get hurt." Andros breathed a sigh.
"Thanks Amy."
"Uh...guys?" We both turned at the sound of TJ's voice.
"We have another problem." Cassie was looking at us with scared eyes and her face contorted in pain. She had one hand on the side of her neck. She had been stung.
We had gone back to the infirmary and had strapped Cassie down. Andros was busy pacing back and forth, anger on his face. He kept stealing glances at Cassie and muttering under his breath.
"Idiot......I should have let Amy.....why didn't I?.....Cassie oh god." He walked back to the table and gazed down at her, he laid his hand on top of hers.
"It's all my fault." he said in a low voice to her. She looked up at him and shook her head.
"Don't blame yourself Andros, I don't." He turned his face away and said to TJ and I.
"I'm going to KO-35, I'm going to find that antidote....I'm pretty sure some of it is still there....I hope to...." He glanced again at Cassie. TJ stepped forward.
"I'll go with you, whoever sent that second bug at me, could be on your home planet." I nodded in agreement.
"If they know about the bug then they sure as hell know about the antidote." Andros nodded his thanks at TJ then he turned to me.
"You sure you're going to be alright? If you need help just contact us." I nodded after wishing them luck and assuring Andros that I will not harm a single hair on Cassie's head if she transformed before they could return with the antidote, they took off. I stared after them for a moment then turned and gave Cassie the once over. As Kim would say."He's got it bad." Despite myself I smiled. It always lifts my spirits to see the power of love when times are at their darkest. I glanced down at my engagement ring and touched it, my mind momentarily filled with Dex and I did not register on the fact that Carlos was now in the room and racing toward me! Instinctively I drew my sword and blocked his claw as he brought it down on me. Ducking low and sweeping to the side, I preformed a round house kick to his back and brought him to his knees, he rolled out of the way and dodged my front kick. He spun and charged, I flung out an arm and flung Carlos away from Cassie, who was watching all of this with wide eyes. Carlos let out another grunt as he was slammed into the wall, after he crashed to the floor he leapt to his feet. I raised an eyebrow. Looks like he's gotten stronger. I tighten my grip on my hilt and charged at him, reminding myself that this was a team mate that I was fighting. I just have to be careful how much power I'm going to use. I aimed a kick at his legs, he leapt and kicked out. It connected with my face, I went sprawling, my sword flew from my hands. I made to my hands and knees before I felt a pressure on my back and was shoved back to the ground. I let out a yelp as I felt Carlo's foot scrap against the scars on my back, I began to struggle to shove the pain away only to freeze when I heard the sound of growling and ripping fabric! Cassie! Oh hell. Using the pain to give me strength, I threw off Carlos, leapt to my feet, spun and fired a Power Blast at Cassie, as she came lumbering toward me. She let out a guttural yell as she was slammed into the table where she and Carlos had lain previously and fell out of sight on the other side. Sorry Andros. I thought as I as threw a punch toward Carlos, he staggered back, leaping up, I made him stumble back a few more steps before I summoned my sword and limped out of the infirmary as fast as I could. I looked behind me and saw that Cassie and Carlos were both running after me. Good. I thought as I headed toward the bridge. A-6 was there monitoring our every move as I dove in there.
"DECA shut the doors!" I shouted. The doors slammed shut in my team mates faces, soon they began to pound on the door, on both doors, trying to break them down to get in. I whipped out my computer and began to type, finally I had gotten through to Andros and TJ, but only TJ answered.
"TJ! Have you and Andros found that antidote yet?"
"No, we ran into some trouble Andros is dealing with it right now. Why, did...?"
"Yeah." I practically screamed.
"Cassie changed, she and Carlos are now trying to break into the bridge I've lured them here so that they won't cause any damage to the ship."
"Hang tight Amy, we'll be there as fast as we can!" I looked up and saw with a thrill of fear that one of them had slipped their talons underneath the door and was attempting to lift it. The strength of a monster. I thought as I sheathed my sword, lifted up my hand and pointed it at the door, it slammed shut, Carlos or Cassie had managed to get their talons out from underneath it. I breathed a sigh, but then sucked the breath back in again when I saw that the second door that led into the bridge was slowly being opened, talons appeared from underneath the door. Once again I pointed my other hand on the door and slammed in shut. I kept switching my gaze back and forth between the two doors willing them to hold. Hurry it up guys! I thought. Another thrill of fear went through me as Carlos and Cassie both switched tactics and began to pound on the doors, and by they sound of the Bangs they were punching the centers. Soon they were going to break through and I would have to battle the both of them. I braced myself as the pounding continued, A-6 was cowering in a corner, both doors were shaking due to the strength of the punches. Soon cracks appeared, then a small hole, which grew larger and larger until they were able to poke their talons through and began to try to make the holes big enough to fit through. I lowered my hands and reached for my sword and positioned myself in a battle stance, ready for them to come bursting through the door. I began to power up as soon as I saw that one of them had made a hole big enough to fit their head through, but before they had made it more bigger or before I could unleash my attack, both of them suddenly froze, stumbled backward and vanished from my sight. For a moment I stared at the holes in the doors thinking that they could be planning something else, a distraction of some kind, I took a step forward cautiously, my sword at the ready and glowing, my heart thumping fast. Then relief washed through me as I heard TJ call out to me. They found the antidote! I powered down and sheathed my sword. DECA opened the doors and there in the hallway stood TJ and Andros, and on the ground at their feet were Cassie and Carlos, they've been reverted back to their human forms! I limped toward them just as Cassie was opening her eyes.
"Oh thank goodness." I said as I helped her to her feet, Carlos had also woken up and the both of them were looking around in confusion.
"What happened?" asked Carlos.
"How did we get here?" asked Cassie. Andros's only response to Cassie was hugging her tightly, I smiled as TJ asked me if I was alright.
"Yes, I'm okay. " I asked them if they were okay, both boys looked as if they had gone up against someone tough. My first thought was that they had met Goldar or a couple of Tengu Warriors, but after asking a couple of questions they both said that they had been jumped by a red guy who was pretty powerful; and had kicked Andros around, and pretty badly by the looks for the bruises. I raised an eyebrow as I healed him. The damage that this guy caused, it went right through the suit.
"It was almost like he was waiting for us on KO-35." said Andros.
"Maybe he was." I said. They all turned and looked at me.
"Maybe this guy was the one that unleashed those bugs, the one that stung Carlos and the one that attacked TJ." Andros thought and nodded.
"Yeah, he must have seen me destroy the Braillian bug and knew that his plan was going to fail, that's when he thought he could finish the both of us off when we arrived at my home planet." An angry look crossed his face, his hands were balled into fists.
"I'll make him pay for....." before he could finish though, DECA informed us that a Braillian bug and some unknown life form were on KO-35 and were calling out a challenge to the Power Rangers.
"Oh, they;'ll get a challenge alright." muttered Andros as we all raced toward the Power Chutes and landed on the planet. In front of us was a guy that reminded me a bit of a porcupine, he had spikes on the side of his arms and down the front of his body and I even saw some sticking out from behind his head.
"Ah, so you must be the Power Rangers. It's a real pleasure to met you, too bad this first meeting will be short lived."
"Who are you?" I demanded, pulling out my sword and powering it up. He turned to face me.
"You must be the Yellow Ranger that I've heard so much about, this is an honor. I've heard so much about you, I will take great pleasure in destroying your friends and then I'll deliver you Dark Specter personally." Excitement rose within me. Dad. If only I could allow myself to be captured, then I would be taken to Dad and I could free him. But what would be the chances of the both of escaping with our lives. I tighten my grip on the hilt of my sword as the others raced forward and began to battle the Braillian Bug and the red dude. My hands ached as I struggled with the insane desire to give up and be taken by the enemy. But even though I would be taken to my father, I could also be facing my possible death at the hands of each and every one of my enemies. But if I didn't, I would have keep on fighting, and I would be back to following lead after lead and fighting pointless battle after pointless battle while Dad was moved from place to place, so that my team mates and I were always several steps behind. I want to.... I can't. I want to! I need to! All of this it's driving me crazy.....but I can't, even though I want to.....I can not be captured......even if it does mean seeing dad again and putting and end to all of this......I can't. Frustration and anger rose within me at not being able to do a damn thing to stop my dad from feeling the pain that I went through when my own powers were drained, at the impossibility of the entire situation, about how my dad's freedom had just been taken away after he had been trapped in that damn tube for so long, but mostly I was angry because I was so sure that I was going to have to bury him like mom without the chance of saying good bye, without the chance of doing everything in my power to save him. It's not fair! It's not fair! IT'S NOT FAIR! I began to lash out at the monster and at the red guy with such ferocity that I nearly failed to see the blue beam that seem to come out of nowhere , it was heading straight toward the monster.
"OH, NO YOU DON'T!" I screamed angrily. In one swift movement I had gotten behind the monster and was holding the beam at bay, the others and the red guy were watching me in astonishment and awe.
"Andros! Now's your chance! Give it everything you've got!" I shouted to him. Andros nodded, I was too busy trying to keep the beam away to see what was happening, but with all the shouting and the wave of power that I felt, I assumed that Andros had finished off the monster with a special move of his and the others were paying the red dude back for turning Carlos and Cassie into monsters. Finally the beam died down which meant that the battle had been won, even though an entire day was wasted. I thought bitterly. But on the bright side, I thought as I turned my head and watched my team mates whoop and cheer. My team mates are safe. I'll find you dad, I won't stop searching for you, I swear.