Out of this World
Disclaimer: I don't own the Power Rangers.
Summary: The Astro Rangers of KO-35 know that Dark Specter is growing stronger everyday, but without a yellow ranger, they don't think they stand a chance. On Earth, Ashley has decided to leave her friends and teammates to find where her destiny awaits.
Vampire's Heartache: I didn't think about that. You're probably right. Everyone hates Brena, and that feeling's going to grow as the story progresses.
LunarFairyPrincess1989: Thanks! You really shouldn't feel sorry for her, and you won't after the next two chapters. Andros and Karone take opposing sides. You'll see what I mean when you read.
xSapphirexRosesxFanx: You're getting really good at figuring things out and I don't like it. Lol! Brena's very manipulative and yes she deserved it. I was going to let that happen, but then I decided to do that in my other story and I'm going to do something a little different here. If you think this is a lot to happen, just wait until Ashley meets Andros's mother.
Chapter 10: Crisis
Brena braced herself, but at the last minute, the table went flying away from her and into another wall. She looked to the entrance and saw her savior. "Andros." She cried.
Andros rushed to Brena and cradled her in his arms. He scowled at Ashley. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"
"What happened?" A shocked Karone spoke from the entrance. She and Andros had been walking down the hall when Andros suddenly swore and began running to the Conference room. She'd followed. They'd gotten here just as the table was about to nail Brena.
Zhane moved to Karone. "Your brother just stopped a major crisis."
"She's fucking crazy!" Brena clung to Andros. "She tried to kill me!"
"Whoa, wait a minute!" Cassie spoke up. "I don't think Ashley did this on purpose, Brena."
"You pushed her." TJ added. "I warned you to leave her alone, but you wouldn't let up."
"Ashley's just coming into her powers and can't control them that well. You pissed her off. You brought this on yourself." Carlos added.
"Are you kidding me?" Brena exclaimed.
"Just because Brena upset her, doesn't give her the right to fly off the handle." Andros spoke still glaring at Ashley, holding Brena at his side. "You need to learn how to control yourself."
"I did control myself." Ashley snapped. "I tried to leave when I didn't think I could stay calm, but your girlfriend wouldn't let me!" She stepped towards him. "But that doesn't matter because you're going to take her side no matter what, because she has you wrapped around her finger."
"Ashley-"
"Shut up!" She stood in front of him. "You wanna know how to keep things like this from happening?" She pointed grudgingly at Brena. "Keep that bitch on a leash and the hell away from me." She stepped back. "Oh and unless it concerns my responsibilities as a ranger, you stay the hell away from me too." Ashley turned and brushed by Karone and Zhane when she left the room.
Andros felt his chest tighten and absentmindedly put a hand to his chest hoping that the ache he felt would subside.
"I'll go talk to her." Cassie called as she ran after Ashley.
Brena turned to Andros. "I told you they hate me. I get attacked and they take my attackers side."
"Get over yourself, Brena." Zhane snapped and walked towards Andros and Brena. "No one's buying your 'poor me' act."
"It's not an act." Brena glared at him. "Ashley is unstable and doesn't deserve to be a ranger. Things have been chaotic since she got here."
"Don't go there." Karone jumped in standing beside Zhane. "Ashley is one of the best rangers we have."
"Rangers don't attack innocent people." Andros finally spoke again. He had to stop thinking about Ashley. She didn't want to have anything to do with him now. And he didn't want to feel the hurt that came with that realization. So he covered it with anger instead. "Brena didn't ask to be assaulted. Ashley needs to take responsibility for her actions."
"Brena caused Ashley's actions." TJ stated outraged.
"If anyone needs to take responsibility, it's Brena." Carlos added. "And I think Ashley's right. Brena shouldn't be involved with anything that deals specifically with us as rangers."
"Well, the last time I checked, I was the leader here. And if I say that Brena can join in on whatever activity she want, that's what goes." Andros stated finitely.
"Not if everyone else on the team is against it." Karone voiced and earned an angry glare from Brena and her brother.
"Now you have a problem with my command?" Andros asked tersely.
"Andros, you're an amazing leader in battle." Karone explained. "But when it comes to Brena, you're anything but rational. So, I motion that Brena stays out of ranger business."
"I second that." Zhane spoke up.
"I third it." TJ tried to hide his smile.
"I fourth it." Carlos grinned. "I think we all know where Ashley and Cassie stand."
"I can't believe this." Brena pulled away from Andros and ran from the room.
Andros walked to the door then turned around. "Brena was definitely, right about one thing. I think Ashley is coming between all of us. We were never at each others' throats like this before she got here."
Zhane scoffed. "No, this started way before Ashley. Brena has always been like this. She's selfish and vindictive. And now that Ashley's here and Brena can't get what she wants, she's worse." Zhane stepped towards his best friend. "Ashley didn't cause this rift between us. Brena did…and you let her."
Andros remained silent, but looked at Karone.
"I'm sorry Andros." She spoke. "But this has to stop."
Andros simply turned and left.
Karone rubbed her faced with her hands. "I feel like we just alienated him."
"He alienates himself Karone. You know that." Zhane wrapped an arm around her.
"He's hurt and not just about his."
"Why don't we go get some food? It'll take your mind off things for a while." Zhane suggested.
"Maybe you're right." She sighed and turned to Carlos and TJ. "You guys wanna come too?"
"No thanks." Carlos answered quickly. "I'll just wait on Cassie to finish talking to Ashley."
"What about you TJ?" Karone asked.
"Yeah I'm starving." TJ answered and was suddenly punched by Carlos. "Oh… I mean I'm starving for some relaxation. I'm just gonna hang here for a while."
Karone frowned. "Okay." She looked at Zhane. "Let me get showered and changed and we can go."
"Okay." Zhane smiled. "Walk you to your room?"
"Sure." Karone smiled back and walked out of the room followed by Zhane.
Carlos turned to TJ. "Could you be any denser?"
"How was I supposed to know that Zhane wanted to be alone with Karone?"
"He pointedly asked her to get something to eat and not us. These are things you should recognized by now."
"Whatever." TJ rolled his eyes. "But I am hungry. So you're gonna be a good friend and by me food."
"Fine. I owe you one anyway." Carlos and TJ walked to the door. "How do you think things are going to play out?"
"I wish I knew. Things would be easier if Brena weren't around."
"Andros won't break up with her. Kendra loves Brena. And Andros doesn't go against anything mommy tells him."
TJ shrugged. What could he say? He couldn't defend Andros because it was true.
Ashley and Cassie
"Ashley, please wait up." Cassie called. "Would you please stop for a minute?"
"I can't stop I need to get out of here." Ashley was trying to rein in her emotions and being in the compound wasn't helping.
"Fine then I'll go with you."
"I want to be alone."
"Well if you're going to leave you might want to change clothes."
Ashley stopped and looked at her apparel. She had forgotten that she was still in her workout clothes.
Cassie put a hand on Ashley's shoulder. "Let's go shower and change, and then we can talk in the rec area."
Ashley nodded. "Okay, but it has to be somewhere other than the rec area. I really want to get out of here."
"Alright, how about we go to lunch? My treat."
"Yeah." Ashley felt calmer now, but she didn't want to risk it.
"Come on, let's go." Cassie smiled and began to lead Ashley towards their rooms. Once they reached Ashley's door Cassie spoke again. "Promise you'll wait for me?"
"I promise." Ashley went into her room and closed her door. Now that she was in her room, she really wanted a shower. She stripped, went to the bathroom and turned on the hot water. She hoped it would wash everything that had happened and everything that she felt away.
Andros and Brena
Andros entered his room and knew that Brena would be there. "Are you okay?"
"No I'm not." She snapped. "And I won't be okay as long as that psycho is still a ranger."
"Yes, she messed up, but Bren," He hesitated. "What did you say to her?"
"What does it matter?"
He couldn't explain it. No, he didn't want to explain it. "Just tell me please. What set her off?"
Brena brought tears to her eyes. "Oh my god, you believe them." She ran a hand through her hair. "You're taking her side too."
"I'm not taking sides." He sat beside her on his bed. "My best friends hate me right now and I need to know why."
"I don't need this." Brena stood. "I'm leaving. You can stay here with your friends and your precious Ashley."
"Bren, wait." Andros grabbed her. "I'm sorry. You know I believe you."
She hugged him. "I just want to get out of here. Can we go somewhere?"
"Yeah, but I need to stop by my mother's first. She wanted me to stop by yesterday but I couldn't make it."
Brena smiled a little. "Okay. I'm always glad to see your mom."
"Let me take a quick shower then we'll go."
Brena smiled slyly. "I think I need a shower too."
Karone and Zhane
Karone stared at Ashley's door as she and Zhane walked to Karone's. "I really want to talk to her." Karone stated.
"I can take a rain check." He tried not to sound too disappointed.
"No!" Karone said quickly then caught herself. "I mean. I still want to go out with you."
"Really?" Zhane asked with a smile.
"Yeah." She remembered her advice to her brother and decided follow it herself. "I need to tell you something."
"What?"
She tried to think of some kind of entry into what she wanted to say, then decided to just say it. "I've loved you since I was twelve." She smiled nervously. "It was always weird with you being a little older and my brother's best friend, but that's how I felt. It's how I feel." Karone felt anxiety creeping up on her when Zhane didn't say anything.
He did the only thing that came to mine. He grabbed Karone and kissed her, long and hard. When they finally came up for air, Zhane smiled. "I love you too."
Karone caught her breath. "Good to know." She had a thought. "Our summer house is empty." She grinned.
"I love the way you think." Zhane wrapped his arms around Karone as she teleported them to their destination.
Ashley's room
Ashley dried off and put on her light yellow lace bra and panties. Her hair was still slightly damp as she made her way to her closet to pick out what she would wear. She felt a lot better after her shower and was actually looking forward to going to lunch with Cassie. She'd just opened her closet when it happened.
It was just a flash but it had her on edge. She jumped back from her closet and anxiously looked around her room. Her room suddenly ceased to exist.
"Oh god." Ashley ran her hands through her hair. It looked like the bridge of a ship, but she'd never seen this one before.
She shielded her eyes when a blinding red light came through the glass. The room suddenly became hotter, so hot it was hard to breathe. She was about to crash into something and she couldn't stop it. She fell to the ground and screamed.
Andros and Brena
"Well, I feel better." Brena grinned as she and Andros walked down the hall.
Andros sighed. "Me too."
"That wasn't too convincing." Brena grabbed his arm and made him face her. "What's wrong?"
He wouldn't explain it. How do you explain to your girlfriend that you hadn't felt anything while you were having sex with her? "It was nothing. I-" Something flashed before his eyes. For a second, he couldn't see Brena.
Brena watched Andros's eyes glaze over. "Andros?"
Images kept flashing in front of his eyes. One second he would see the compound, the next he would see something that looked like the bridge of a ship. He backed up until he hit a wall. His breath came in pants as he slid to the floor. And suddenly the images stopped.
"Baby, are you okay?" Brena knelt before him.
Andros finally focused on her. He was about to respond when he felt the floor beneath him tremble. "Ashley."
Brena glared. "Ashley?!" She winced as a blood curdling scream filled the hallway.
Andros was quickly off the floor and running towards Ashley's room. Cassie met them outside of Ashley's door.
"What's happening?!" Cassie shouted over the blare. "It sounds like a tornado touched down in there."
"It's Ashley!" Andros yelled. "I have to get to her!" He put his hands on her door and forced it open with his mind. He ducked when a lamp flew out of the room and crashed against the wall behind him. He turned to the girls behind him. "Stay out her and stay down!" He stayed low and moved into the room. The door slid shut behind him.
Ashley's screams filled his ears and his head. He couldn't see her so she had to be on the other side of the bed. He laid on his back as a nightstand flew over him. He quickly rolled out of the way when the amour fell towards him.
Finding an opening, he rushed to the other side of Ashley's bed and found her writhing and screaming on the floor. "Ashley!" He called to her. Ashley's back arched off the floor and her eyes rolled to the back of her head.
Andros pulled her into his arms and pressed his forehead against hers. Ashley, wake up. You have to wake up now. Baby, please. It's not real, you're here with me. Stay with me, Ashley.
Ashley gasped and opened her eyes to hazel ones. Everything in the room stopped. With his forehead pressed against hers, all she could do was cry.
He held her face in his hands and wiped away her tears. "It's okay. You're okay now." Andros pulled her close and felt her tremble. He softly ran his hand up and down her back comforting her.
Ashley pulled away enough to meet Andros's eyes again. For a minute, time stood still, and then…he was kissing her.
(A/N: Hot huh? Lol! What do you think Ashley saw? Love to hear from you guys!)