Return of an Old Evil
Disclaimer: Same as before
A/N: Thanks to those who reviewed the last chapter! Keep it up and here's chapter 11.
Chapter 11
It had been nearly fifteen minutes since Zhane had been sedated, and the other rangers were discussing their next move. They were having a little trouble agreeing on what it should be, though.
"Billy's almost got the Zeo zords back online. I still say we use them in an all out attack," Jason insisted. It's got the element of surprise and addition to it that, he's never seen them or any of the Astro Rangers' zords, so we'll be able to give him one hell of a wallop."
"But Jason, we want to destroy him, not give him a hell of a wallop," TJ pointed out.
"It will destroy him!" Jason responded.
"No it won't," Andros spoke up. "Ivan'll just fight long enough to learn about our zords and then leave, and there goes our trump card."
"Listen Andros, we know Ivan better than you do. He won't leave when he has a chance to destroy us,' Jason told him, getting a little impatient.
""If I recall, you were in Switzerland and not with the rangers when they fought Ivan before, so you don't know him any more than my team or I do," Andros replied stubbornly.
"Actually, I think I do," Jason retorted. "My friends told Trini, Zack, and me everything that happened with him. "And I know something else. We need to use our all of our zord in an all out battle against him. Each zord comes in at a specified point in the battle, and Ivan won't stand a chance."
"Actually it might be better if we just use our zords at first," Ashley put in. "That way, we can see how he reacts to them and use that next time when we do use your zords."
"You do know that it works both ways, don't you," Jason told her. "While we're learning about him, he's learning about us as well. So I say, don't give him that chance! Let's take him out all at once!"
"But what if we can't? You talk like it's a sure thing, but with Ivan, there's no such thing," Carlos broke in.
"Maybe not, but it's still a chance we should---," Jason was cut off by DECA.
"Attention. Trouble in Angel Grove," the AI pronounced. The rangers all turned to the viewing screen against one wall in the Medical Bay.
"Holy shit! Carlos exclaimed. "Astronema's fighting Ivan Ooze!"
"Why is she fighting him?" TJ wondered. "They're both evil and they both want to destroy us."
"Yeah, It doesn't make any sense," Ashley added.
"Actually, maybe it does," Tommy spoke up. All heads turned to him.
"How do you figure that?" Carlos demanded, still upset at Tommy over what happened earlier.
"Think about it, guys," he began. Do you recall the exact moment she appeared? Couple that with how she clung to Zhane after the battle, even crying over him."
"Son of a bitch!" Carlos exclaimed, realizing Tommy was right.
"Does this mean she's in love with Zhane?" Cassie asked.
"Well, we know that she at least as feelings for him, but as for being in love with him, we can't know that for sure without asking her," Trini pointed out.
"Then something must have happened between them," Zack put in.
"The only question in what?" TJ asked, looking at Andros.
Andros blinked. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?" He asked, confused.
"You're his best friend. I thought maybe he said something to you about it," he replied.
"He never said a word to me about it. We all know he's been upset lately, maybe it has something to do with this," Andros said thoughtfully.
"Well, let's just asked him about it," Rocky spoke up.
Andros shook his head. "We will, but not until he wakes up. It's more important that he heal right now," he said firmly.
Jason started to say something but was interrupted by Kimberly, who had been watching the view screen during this whole conversation.
"Guys, Astronema's in trouble!" She shouted urgently.
The rest of them looked as well, and sure enough, Astronema was in trouble. They saw Ivan sending blast after blast of purple lightning energy at her. She went down, and was unable to get back up under the heavy barrage. If fact it was so heavy that the suroundind cars, street lights, and anything else that was around was damaged or destroyed, with debris scattered helter-skelter, and also, she couldn't even block them all and started taking hit after hit from him. Before long, she was writhing on the ground in pain as he continued his relentless assault on her. "The price for defying Ivan is eternal!" Ivan told her furiously, while continuing to blast her. "Don't worry, you end will be as painful as you are," he sneered as he increased the intensity of his blasts. Astronema screamed and curled into a ball, trying to somewhat shield herself from his blasts, but it had little effect.
"We've got to help her!" Andros cried urgently.
"Are you serious?" Carlos demanded. "You know what she's done to us!"
Andros nodded. 'I know, Carlos. But I also know that she helped us when we desperately needed it, so we help her when she needs it," he pointed out.
"Come on then, let's get to the jump tubes!" TJ insisted loudly, starting for the door, but Andros's voice stopped him midstride.
"No need, TJ!" He shouted. TJ stopped and turned to him, along with the rest of them, completely puzzled.
"But you just said---."
"DECA, lock onto Astronema's position and teleport her here immediately," Andros commanded and TJ nodded, as understanding came over him.
"Oh," he said sheepishly.
"Teleporting Astronema here now," DECA replied to Andros's command. A moment later he appeared in a flash of purple light, on the ground still curled into a ball.
On the view screen, Ivan looked madder that heel. "That's it, run you coward! Your fate has already been sealed!"
"Oh, shut up, Ivan!" Rocky muttered as Ivan vanished in his own flash of purple light. "Nobody wants to hear your crap."
On the floor, Astronema moaned and slowly uncurled herself. "Where—where am I?" She said weakly.
"You're on the Megaship, Astronema. We saw that you were in trouble and I had DECA teleport you here," Andros explained.
"What?" She yelped and sat up, groaning as she did so. She looked around at everyone and frowned in confusion. "Why? Why did you bring me here? You all hate me, and I don't even know who some of you are. What going on?" She asked.
Andros put a gentle hand on her shoulder. "It's all right, calm down,' he told her soothingly. We helped you because you helped us, especially Zhane."
"Zhane! Where is he? Is he okay? Can I see him?" she asked, her voice rising as she looked around frantically.
"Take it easy. We need to make sure you're okay and will have no lasting effects from Ivan's blasts," Andros insisted.
Astronema got shakily to her feet, and ignoring Andros, looked around frantically again. "Zhane! Where are you? Zhane?" She yelled. Suddenly she spotted his unconscious form on the medical bed and became hysterical. "Oh my God! Zhane! He's alive, isn't he? Tell me's he's alive!" She cried as she went to his side on to have Andros place a restraining hand on her arm.
"Astronema, you've got to calm down," he insisted firmly. "You need to be checked for injuries."
"How the hell am I supposed to calm down when Zhane is---," she began angrily but Andros cut her off.
"Zhane's going to be okay. He's just sedated so he can heal faster. You can talk to him when he wakes up. Now please, just calm down and let me and Alpha check you over." Andros told her firmly.
She reluctantly agreed, and ten minutes later, Andros and Alpha pronounced her injury free. She would be sore and a little weak for a day or so, but luckily, that was the extent of it.
"Well, now what?" Kat wondered after that was done.
"We get back to our strategy planning," Adam told her.
"Wait, with Astronema here?" Cassie asked skeptically. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"
"Cassie's got a point," Carlos said. "What if she tells Dark Specter all of this, our plans, all about our ship, Zhane being hurt, everything?"
"I really don't think she---," Andros began but Astronema cut him off.
"Look, I really can't tell Dark Specter a thing. Unless I want to incriminate myself as well. Don't you think he'll want to know how I got here, why I got in the battle in the first place, and most of all, why I helped you guys?" She pointed out.
"That could be explained easily," Carlos said. "It's all a plot to gain our trust and infiltrate us, then sell us out to him."
Astronema shook her head. "That's not what it is," she insisted. "Look, I know you guys don't trust me, and I can't blame you, but I haven't told Dark Specter anything concerning Ivan or the battles against him, or Zhane getting hurt, or me helping you guys, and I don't plan to."
"But you know he'll find out eventually, one way or the other," Ashley pointed out.
"So what if he does? Who cares?" she replied. "I don't, and it sure doesn't change how I feel."
"You mean about Zhane?" Andros asked. Astronema nodded and her eyes filled with tears as she looked at him again, lying so still, and unconscious, on the bed.
Seeing that, Andros knew what he had to do. "I think we should join forces against Ivan," he told her.
Rocky blinked. "Are you serious?" He asked before Astronema could reply.
Andros nodded. "Yes I am serious. We have a mutual enemy and she has already helped us, and she obviously cares about Zhane a great deal, which gives her more than enough of a reason to hate Ivan, so yes, we should join forces," he pointed out.
"It does make sense," Trini spoke up amid nods from some of the others.
Astronema, who by this time had crossed to Zhane's side, took his hand in hers and looked back at Andros. "I agree. Let's join forces. This scum will pay dearly for what he's done," she told him.
Her quick response startled the rangers, even Andros, who had proposed the idea. He hadn't expected her to agree this quickly, but when she did, realized that Astronema not only cared for Zhane; she was in love with him! He looked at the other rangers, got confirmations from them, and turned back to Astronema. "It looks like we're partners now," he said, walking to her and holding out his hand.
She took it and they shook hands to seal the deal. "Partners," she confirmed. She looked at Zhane again. For you, my Silver knight, she told him silently.
Back on his asteroid base, Ivan paced angrily, unhurt from his battle with Astronema. Who does she think she is? He thought furiously. The Queen of the Universe? He shook his head. Whatever she thinks she is, she's going down with the others. No one defies me and lives!
He stopped pacing and looked to where his captives were hard at work building machines of destruction. He smiled dangerously when he saw how close they were to completion. Enjoy yourselves for the couple of days, rangers and Astronema, because after then it's all over! He chuckled evilly at that thought.
Meanwhile Dark Specter was very agitated and uneasy. He of course knew that Ivan had returned. He also knew that Ivan could in fact be a serious threat to him. He tried to contact Astronema, but all he got was Ecliptor.
"Ecliptor, where is Astronema?" He asked after greeting had been exchanged.
"She went to observe the latest battle between the rangers and Ivan Ooze in person," Ecliptor told him, knowing that he already knew about Ivan Ooze returning.
"Why would she do that when she could watch it from the Dark Fortress?"
"She felt she could get more information in person on how he operates and fights to use against him. She was prepared because she knew you'd want him gone," Ecliptor replied.
Dark Specter was silent for a moment before he spoke again. "Have her contact me the minute she gets back," he ordered.
Ecliptor bowed low. "As you wish, My Lord," he responded. Dark Specter then cut the transmission and silently pondered what Ecliptor had told him. He was even more agitated and uneasy than before. Something didn't add up at all. Not one bit, and he intended to find out what it was as quickly as possible. Because he knew if he didn't, everything he'd worked so hard for would be in serious jeopardy, and there was no way in hell he was going to tolerate that.
Without hesitation, he contacted a couple of dozen of his best agents after Astronema to tell then to watch Ivan really closely, and on a hunch to watch Astronema closely as well and notify him immediately if they if either of them was up to something and to find out everything they could about Ivan. No one was going to interfere with his plans for the universe, no one at all.
A/N: I really hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. I know it's mainly about Zhane and Astronema but it needed to be because it leads up to the partnership between Astronema and the rangers. Now Ivan is pissed and Dark Specter is sure something's wrong and he's even starting to suspect that something's up with Astronema! What will happens when he discovers her treachery? Stay tuned to find out and as always, please review and tell me what you think! I really appreciate your feedback!