Chapter 56: The Void

Andros slowly rolled onto his hands and knees, coughing from the amount of pain pulsing through his chest. "I hate to experience that thing on full power," he commented as he pulled himself to his feet. He coughed and pulled himself to his feet with a grunt. He looked around for Psycho Red, but he was nowhere to be found. Andros held his throbbing side as he started walking through the fog.

He didn't even know where he was walking, but he was just walking. He felt as though he was being led by some unseen force. Suddenly, he stopped and he listened. "Hello?" he called out. The noise stopped almost immediately after he called out, confusing him further. "Who's there?" he called out as he walked towards a wall of fog.

Andros reached out and his hand touched the wall. He jerked it back when he felt a wave of energy wash over him. He looked at his hands with fear in his eyes, but then he saw that he was okay. With an unsteady breath, Andros reached forward again and his hand passed through the wall of fog.

When Andros passed through the fog, he opened his eyes and saw he was standing in a dark room. Then he realized everything was….taller. When Andros looked at his ands again, he looked down at himself and realized he was eight-years-old. Confused, he looked around and then he heard whispering in another room. Slowly, Andros crept up to where the voices were coming from. "You're not doing this!" a woman hissed.

"The decision has already been made," a man answered angrily.

"You're going to leave me with nothing?!" the woman shrieked.

"Don't act like you care about Ashley," the man answered.

"Who said anything about Ashley?!" the woman spat.

The man looked disgusted. He was tall with dark brown hair and dark brown eyes. He looked like he had just returned from work with his suit pants and a white button down shirt with the collar unbuttoned.

Standing before him was a woman with light brown hair, brown eyes, she was wearing a pair of sandals and a sundress of some sort. Her long hair was pulled back in a French braid.

The two of them were staring daggers at each other. "Daddy! I've got your present!" a little voice called out excitedly.

"I'm coming, Starshine," the man replied.

"If you think you're just going to leave San Francisco with Ashley you have another thing coming!" the woman snapped.

"And if you think I'm going to leave her here with you, you're crazy!" he snarled at her.

The man turned around just as a little girl walked through the door holding a box in her hands. She had on a yellow dress that looked brand new, a pair of white tennis shoes, and her light brown hair was tied in two little braids.

Andros realized quickly this was Ashley at eight-years-old. He Ashley's mother reach into a drawer and she removed a gun. He saw Ashley's eyes grow wider and then there was a loud pop and suddenly Ashley's father was on the floor. Andros watched as Ashley dropped the box in her hand and her little hands went for the injury on his back. She looked up and her mother just smirked sadistically at her.

The room started to change. Suddenly the walls looked like they were melting and everything turned black again. Andros turned around, looking at his hands and he saw he was back to his 19-year-old self. "Ashley!" he called out. He heard sniffling and turned around to find Ashley still 8-years-old hiding in like a corner with her head on her knees, her arms wrapped around her legs as she was crying.

Cautiously, Andros approached her. "Ashley?" he called out. She looked up and her eyes were wide as she scrambled to her feet.

"Who are you?!" she cried out.

Back on the Megaship, Alec was watching Andros's vitals and Cassie shook her head slowly. "His heart rate isn't where it should be," She said.

"I know," he replied.

Cassie swallowed. "Do you think it's because of Ashley?" she asked.

"I can't know for sure, but it's possible. At least here Andros has medical supplies at his fingertips," he replied.

Alec rested his hand on Andros's chest. "And I can't reach him," he added.

Wherever Ashley was, Ashley's breathing was ragged as Psycho Red approached her again. "If you touch her head I'm going to rip your hand off," Psycho Yellow snarled, "You almost killed her doing what you did!"

"If it weren't for the Silver Ranger, I would've taken over that ship," Psycho Red snarled.

"Well you didn't and you took too much of her energy!" Psycho Yellow spat.

"She'll be dead soon enough," Psycho Red answered.

Psycho Yellow circled the chair and stood in front of Psycho Red. "No thanks to you!" she snarled, "I told you she was MINE to play with!"

"With what? Making her relive her worst nightmares?" Psycho Red answered, "Such childish games."

"And what would you know about being a child?" Psycho Yellow demanded.

Ashley's eyes slowly opened and she tugged half-heartedly on her restraints. Her chest felt like it was caving in and she let out a wheeze. "Childish games though?" Psycho Yellow demanded. She walked over to Ashley.

"No," Ashley whimpered before Psycho Yellow grabbed the sides of her head.

"I'll show you childish games!" she spat.

Psycho Red watched as Psycho Yellow pumped more dark energy into Ashley's head. Ashley's face scrunched up in pain and then a scream ripped through her already raw throat.

On the Megaship, Andros let out a scream of pain and the alarms started blaring on the machines. Cassie went to grab him when Alec immediately grabbed her. "Don't!" he told her. Before she could ask why, she saw the electric shocks covering Andros's body as he twitched and shook.

"He's going to fall!" Cassie exclaimed as Alec reached out, grabbing his son.

Alec let out a shout of pain as he fell to the floor, but still holding onto him.

Wherever Ashley was, Psycho Yellow released her and Ashley coughed and wheeze, they saw some blood in the corner of her mouth. "Well, now that's more like it," Psycho Red commented.

In the void, Ashley was shaking and trembling. "What keeps happening?" she asked, crying. Andros crouched in front of her and she pulled away and tried to move closer to the invisible wall behind her. "Don't hurt me," she whimpered.

"I'm not here to hurt you," he assured her.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"My name is Andros," he replied.

She stared at him warily. "You and I know each other when you're grown up like me," he explained.

"Can you help me find my daddy?" she asked, "I keep seeing him for a second but then he's gone."

Andros felt his stomach twist. "Your dad's here?" he asked. Ashley nodded her head slowly.

"He comes and he goes away," she replied.

"Does he say anything to you?" he asked.

"He just holds his hand out, but before I can reach for him he's gone," she replied.

Back where Ashley was, Psycho Yellow watched as Ashley's breathing was ragged. "Since she and the Red Ranger are so close, if she dies maybe he'll die too," she said laughing.

Alec got Andros back on the bed as Carlos rushed in. "What the hell happened?!" he exclaimed.

"Psycho Yellow must've been attacking Ashley again," Alec replied.

He put his hand on Andros's head and his chest. "Isn't there something you can do?!" Carlos exclaimed.

"We're not wizards, Carlos," Alec replied.

"But you must know something about this whole telepathic thing. Can't you break it or something?" Carlos asked desperately.

"No, if we sever their connection we'll lose Ashley for sure, Andros is keeping her alive," Alec replied.

"How do you know?" Cassie asked.

"Because during this attack I felt it," he replied.

Alec let out a breath. "The only thing I can do is give him my energy, and comfort him," he added.

"You're just going to sit there and watch them both die?!" Carlos exclaimed, "You can transfer energy to help him feel comfortable but that's IT?! YOU CAN'T HELP US?!"

Cassie got up, grabbing Carlos's arm. "No, stop!" Carlos snapped, "Andros and Zhane have told us you guys have certain abilities, you have all these incredible abilities with the mind but nothing that can help them?!" Alec was silent as he stared at his son.

"Carlos!" Cassie snapped.

"Ashley is going to die and you don't care!" Carlos exclaimed, "You might not care but we do!"

Cassie grabbed Carlos, pushing him back. "ENOUGH!" she shouted at him. Carlos glared at Alec.

"If Ashley dies, you'll regret the moment you stepped on this ship!" Carlos snapped before storming away.

Cassie turned back to Alec to see him just staring blankly at Andros's unconscious form. "Carlos is just worried, don't take what he says seriously," she insisted.

"I understand," he answered.

Cassie left the room to meet with the team and Alec stared at his son. What they didn't see was the tear that fell from the corner of his right eye, slid down his cheek and onto his son's cheek.

On the bridge, Justin looked up. "I GOT IT!" he shouted, "Guys! We're here!"

"DECA, search for Ashley's signal!" Carlos called out.

"Scanning now," DECA replied.

Seconds later there was a loud beep. "Ashley's signal has been tracked to this unknown planet," DECA informed the team.

"Let's go," Zhane answered as they ran out of the room.

"Be careful guys!" Justin called out.

Zhane ran by the infirmary and he stopped. "We found Ashley, we'll get them back," he assured Alec.

"I know you will, son," Alec replied.

Zhane ran down the hall towards the jump tubes and Alec looked back at Andros. "Forgive me, my boy," he said quietly. Then he took his hands and then thrust his palms down against Andros's chest.

In the void, Andros felt a weight being lifted off his shoulders. Ashley looked at him with wide eyes. "What's happening?" she asked.

"I don't know," he replied.

Andros looked at Ashley. "Ashley, I will find you," he assured her, "I promise you!"

"Andros!?" she called out in fear.

On the Megaship, Andros sat up with a sharp gasp and he looked to see he was back. He looked to his right and saw his dad on the floor up against the wall. "Dad!" he called out. He jumped off the bed and was by his father's side. "Dad, what did you do?!" he exclaimed with wide eyes.

"Don't worry about me, son," Alec answered, holding his arm.

Alec gestured to the door. "Ashley needs you, I gave her just enough time for you to find her," he insisted. Alec pushed him towards the door. "GO!" he shouted at him, shoving his morpher and communicator back into his hands. Andros stood up and reluctantly ran out of the door as Alec leaned back against the wall, letting out a deep breath.

Andros ran towards the jump tubes. "I'm coming, Ashley, hang on baby!" he called out to the air, hoping Ashley could hear him. Running up the steps, Andros jumped through the jump tubes and followed his team to the planet below.