The Five Fingers of Poison

The five fingers of poison are an elite squad of venomous warriors. Each possessing a unique and treacherous poison…

Kali closed the book, tilting her head to the side and cocking an eyebrow at Xander. "Can I help you with something?" she asked.

"Nope. Just curious what you're reading," said Xander. "Haven't you read every book in this place already?"

"Clearly not," said Kali, turning back to her research.

Xander furrowed his brow and took a seat opposite her. "Do I have to address the elephant in the room, or are you going to tell me?" he asked.

"Your answer is right in front of you," said Kali. "I know you're slow, Xander, but not this slow."

"Oh. Touchy," said Xander, pretending to ease his wound. "I meant, why are you researching here at Root Core? Don't you have information on them -" he pointed at the book, "in Ocean Bluff?"

"Yeah, sure, I'll just hit the Ocean Bluff public library and ask them to point me in the direction of the Magical creatures section," Kali huffed.

Xander cocked his head to the side. "What's got your wand in a knot?" he asked.

Kali sighed and dropped her head onto the table. She wasn't sure why she was in suck a dark mood today, only that she had awoken early and couldn't go back to sleep, despite trying her hardest. She couldn't even blame her restlessness on the Hellhound this time, seeing as it had been quiet since she had arrived in Ocean Bluff three days ago.

"Kali?" Xander asked, his tone soft and full of concern.

"I don't know," Kali replied. "I guess I'm just… annoyed?"

"At what?"

Kali shrugged and sat up. "Everything. Anything. When I agreed to be the Black Mystic Ranger, and later the Hellhound, I didn't actually think that I'd still be them two years later. My life has been turned upside down more times than I can count, and I don't ever think it is going to right itself again."

"I thought you liked being the Hellhound?"

"I do. It's just, all the responsibilities that come with being the Hellhound have been dumped on my shoulders," said Kali. "I was never the 'responsible' growing up. That was always Joe or Ziva - Joe was a Silver Guardian, for crying out loud, he had his life sorted out from the minute he turned eighteen; and Ziva? She's only a year younger than me and she's a full-time carer for our little sister Molly and has been since she was sixteen."

"And that reflects on you, how?" Xander asked.

"Because I was her big sister," said Kali. "I was the one that was supposed to have stepped up after Joe disappeared, not her. I was the one that was supposed to keep my family together and take charge, instead I landed my ass in Juvie for 18 months, and then when I was finally set free I just took off and didn't look back."

Xander reached the cross the table and took her hand in his. He wasn't sure where this triad had come from, exactly, but it seemed that it had been building for a while now.

"And now, after all that, I'm responsible for looking after the entire Mystic Realm and trying to keep it from collapsing on itself?" Kali said, although it was more of a question than a statement. "How can I be a responsible guardian if I was never a responsible sister?"

"Well, for one, this time you're not alone," said Xander. "You have me, Nick, and all the others. We're a team, regardless of any magical hierarchy that says the Hellhound is at the top. You may be the first and last line of defence for this world, but we all stand the line with you. If they want to take it, they go through all of us."

Kali heaved a sigh, nodding slowly. She knew he was right, but she still couldn't help but feel as if everything that had happened these last few years had been all her fault. Granted, she couldn't have done anything about Joe going missing, but she could've stepped up to the plate and took care of Ziva and Molly, just like he had done the three of them.

"And, it wasn't your responsibility to make your family life better after Joe disappeared," Xander added. "That fell solely with your parents. You can't shoulder all the blame, in fact, you shouldn't shoulder any of the blame when it comes to your family structure. Parents are meant to support and protect their kids, regardless of the circumstances. But your parents just upped and left, one wrong decision on your part, and they took off, leaving you and your sisters behind, and that's on them."

Kali looked sombre as she met his gaze. "But, how I can I be responsible for an entire world, when I couldn't be trusted in being responsible growing up?" she asked. "The entire Magical world is depending on me to protect them, to be, as you said, the first and last line of defence, and I couldn't even protect my sisters from a world without our parents or our brother."

"I thought you came to terms with this when you faced Lothor's nightmare collar?"

"I did. But that doesn't mean the fear went away completely," said Kali, opening her book. "I'm still disappointed in myself for what I did. I still put people at risk, both stranger and familiar alike. Just like I did on the Ninja team, I put the whole world and my friends at risk when I opened the abyss."

"It was the only way to stop Lothor," Xander defended.

"But I still hurt people," Kali argued. "I hurt Cam."

"You put him under a temporary sleeping curse," said Xander. "Hardly a cause for concern. He woke up an hour later."

Kali sighed and shook her head, looking back at the words written before her. She could barely make them out as her mind raced a mile a minute with other words, one's that couldn't be found in any physical book.

"Is this why you're researching the Five Fingers of Poison?" Xander asked. He had noticed over the years that Kali always turned to research when something was bothering her.

When they had first become Rangers, and she had heard Udonna's story about the Great Battle, she had done as much research as she could on the Mystic Warriors before them, learning as much as she could in order to prepare for her what was ahead.

Then, two years ago, whenever there was an issue on the Ninja Storm team, she would come to Root Core to look up what she couldn't find in the Ninja Ops library - information on the Thunder Academy, and their role in great War, the cryptic runes she and Hunter shared after their tussle in the Cavern of Souls, inter-dimensional travel when Chubo had abducted the other Ninjas - Research seemed to be her safety net when she was nervous.

Kali half-shrugged. "Kinda," she admitted. "They're also attacking Ocean Bluff - they turned up yesterday and seem to be Dai Shi's first attempt at world domination. We destroyed one of them - Rantipede - I'm just looking to get a better understanding on the ones that are left."

Xander nodded. "So, what's it say about them?" he asked.

"Well, Rantipede was the centipede," Kali replied, dropping her gaze to the first poison. She drew her finger across the line that was dedicated to him, reading it aloud. "He can strike a hundred times before his opponent can respond. Ha! Tell that to the Cheetah cub that took him out."

The corner of Xander's lip curled upwards in amusement. "Cheetah cub?" he asked.

"Lily Hanson. Tori's younger sister, and current Yellow Ranger," Kali replied. "She's fast… and I mean really fast."

"Faster than, what's her name? Ronny Robinson?"

Kali smiled, remembering her short time on the Overdrive team when they had lost their morphin' abilities. Veronica 'Ronny' Robinson had been the Yellow Ranger, but her professional career was Race Car driver, she was known for her speed on the track.

"I didn't really get to see Ronny's abilities in total action," said Kali. "So, I'm going to go with Lily on this one. Maybe, if we can set them up sometime down the line, my mind could change, but for now, definitely the Cheetah."

Xander laughed at her reasoning.

"Naja, the Cobra - Cold blooded and lethal. It will take one strike to conquer his foes."

Kali shuddered. She really, really hated Snakes.

"Stingerella - uses the ability of dance to hypnotise her prey then, when they are close enough, she strikes."

"Stingerella?" Xander asked. "Spider?"

"Scorpion, actually."

"Same familiar as spiders. Arachnids."

Kali nodded, moving onto the next poison. "Gakko, cunning and the master in the art of surprise attacks," she said.

"And finally?" Xander asked.

"Toadie, able to ward off the strongest of offences," said Kali. She peered closely at the fine print next to the last poison. "It says here that he's not all that smart but shouldn't be underestimated."

Xander tapped his chin. "Do they remind you of the -" he started.

"Ten Terrors?" Kali asked. "Yeah. I had that same reaction when I first met them. I was planning to keep looking for any relations but figured I could just go straight to the source and ask Itassis or Matoombo."

"Sounds better than sitting in here looking through books all day," said Xander. "Want some help?"

Kali paused and looked up, properly meeting his gaze for the first time since he had sat down. She furrowed one brow and cocked the other.

"What?" Xander asked.

"You hate research," said Kali. She sat up straight, closed her book and folded both arms over one another, leaning forward on the table. "What are you hiding from?"

Xander gasped. "Nothing!" he defended.

"High-pitched and fast response for someone who's not hiding anything, or from anything," said Kali.

"I hate you when you're being observant," Xander grumbled.

Kali grinned. "Spit it out," she said.

"Fine. I'm hiding from Chip," said Xander. "He's trying to corner me into telling him what I have planned for his bachelor party, and, in all honesty, I have no clue what to do!"

Kali snorted. "Don't tell me Xander the Great has finally met his match?" she teased.

"What are you doing for Vida?" Xander asked.

"Like I'm going to tell you that," Kali defended. "What happens on the bachelorette party stays on the bachelorette party. Ooh! That reminds me, do you have Lorna's number? I upgraded my phone and lost all my contacts."

Xander nodded and scribbled his girlfriend's number down on a scrap piece of paper before sliding it across the table to Kali. "We need to coordinate at some point, too," he said. "You, me, and Nick, that is. We need to go over the details for the big day. V says you have pretty much everything under control your end, like the colour scheme, for example."

"Why do I get the feeling you haven't even started?" Kali asked.

Xander looked sheepish.

Kali pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head. "You're useless, you know that?" she teased.

"I've never done this before!" Xander protested. "I'm a fish out of water here."

"Fine. Talk to Nick, pick a date that is best for you, and let me know," said Kali. "We'll go over everything I have done so far. In the meantime, I have to find Itassis or Matoombo. Catch you later." She waved as she walked away, tucking her book into her backpack.

~X~

When Kali returned to Ocean Bluff later that afternoon, the first thing she noticed was that Theo was sitting on a ball in the loft, his elbows resting on his knee while chin rested on the hell of his hand, and the finger of his free hand was caught between his teeth. She furrowed her brow and looked around, noticing RJ dancing nearby.

"What's up with Theo?" Kali asked, wandering over as the Wolf Master finished his routine.

RJ blinked and looked around. "Huh," he said. "I don't know. He supposed to be working."

"Yo, Theo," Kali called, hurrying up the stairs to the Blue Ranger. She nudged the ball he was sitting on with her foot, and Theo toppled sideways off of it, landing on a beanbag chair with a thud.

Theo huffed and looked up. "What?" he asked. Although he was staring at her, Kali could tell he was unfocused. His mind clearly someplace else.

"Shouldn't you be working?" RJ asked.

"Yep," Theo replied.

"Do you plan on working?" RJ asked.

"Nope."

RJ and Kali shared confused looks.

"What's going on, Theo?" Kali asked, folding her arms.

"There was an attack while you were gone," said Theo. "A new Poison, Gakko."

Kali nodded, still unsure where this was heading.

"I got beaten," said Theo.

"Yeah, it was ugly," said RJ. "I watched it on all five screens. Recorded it, played it back, still ugly."

Kali furrowed her brow as she looked between the two men. "So, what, you've quit because you got beaten in one fight?" she asked Theo.

"Yep."

"You do realise this isn't the first fight you've been beaten in, don't you?" Kali asked. "You were beaten the first time that Dai Shi escaped."

"I wasn't a Ranger then," Theo protested.

"You were beaten the second time Dai Shi appeared, you know, when Casey was struck by Stingerella?" Kali asked. "You were a Ranger that time."

"You made us run."

Kali shook her head. "I didn't make you do anything, cub," she said. "You could've said no. Besides, one little fight shouldn't stop you from doing your job. I've been a Ranger three times already, and each time I've failed at some point or another. Being a Ranger doesn't suddenly make you a superhero, you're still human with basic human traits. Making mistakes reminds us all that we're still learning."

But Theo wasn't listening. Instead, he jumped to his feet and turned to RJ. "I want to step down," he said. "From being a JKP employee and a Ranger."

Kali scoffed. "Running away at the first sign of defeat?" she asked, shaking her head. "Yeah. Master Mao really chose the best of the best, didn't he?" She shoulder checked Theo as she headed up into the kitchen. She shrugged out of her jacket, hung it on the back of her chair, and sat sideways, opening her laptop and busying herself with more work.

RJ watched her for a few seconds and then turned back to Theo. "You know, I just had an idea," he said, grinning. He clapped Theo on the shoulder. "We're going on a road trip."

"A road trip?" Theo asked. "Where? Why?"

"You'll see. Help me with my chair."

"Your chair?"

Looking up from her laptop, Kali watched as Theo and RJ lifted the recliner between them and shuffled out of the loft. She shook her head and returned her attention to the screen.

Theo's loss in confidence after his defeat at Gakko's hands was going to have serious consequences for her and the rest of the team.

~X~

Kali panted as she raced through the streets of downtown Ocean Bluff. Casey and Lily flanked her on either side, as they ran parallel to one another. They turned a corner at the end of the street and stopped short as Gakko and Camille blocked the road, behind them were a horde of Rinshi, all bouncing up and down.

"Only three," Gakko said, looking from one ranger to the next.

"That should do," said Camille. She snapped her fingers and ordered the Rinshi forward, cutting through them as made a beeline for Kali. "You aren't the one my sister warned me about all those years ago."

"Your sister is ten times better than you," said Kali. "She actually almost succeeded in destroying me."

"Almost being the keyword," said Camille. "I will destroy you."

Kali scoffed and blocked Camille's arm. She then punched out, cracking her fist against the green armour. Camille hissed and grabbed Kali's arm, twisting it the wrong way and shoving the palm of her hand into her shoulder.

Releasing the black ranger, Camille laughed as Kali hit the ground in front of Lily and Casey.

"When Theo gets here - if Theo gets here, he's going to have to fight me, too," said Lily through gritted teeth.

"Get in line," said Kali. She pushed herself back to her feet and looked to the others, as they stepped up on either side of her. "Ready?"

"Maybe we should consider calling for backup first?" asked Lily, hesitantly.

"What's the point? Theo has no courage after your fight this morning, him being here is a liability to us all," said Kali. "But if you want to waste time then go ahead, call RJ, but I'm doing this, without or with you." She looked up, her gaze finding Camille. "Jungle Beast, Spirit Unleashed!"

Casey and Lily shared a look as Kali raced towards the chameleon.

"Jungle Beast, Spirit Unleashed!"

Gakko laughed as he ducked under a swing from Casey. "This is too easy," he taunted, leaping into the air and landing on the side of a building.

Kali ducked under Camille's arm sweep and, as she popped up, she wrapped her own arms around Camille's and flipped her up and over. The chameleon yelled in surprise as she was dropped, unceremoniously onto the floor.

Abandoning Camille, Kali raced to where Casey and Lily were standing, each of them craning their necks to get a good look at Gakko.

"Come down and fight like a monster," Casey yelled.

"You come here," Gakko challenged.

Casey clenched his fists and Kali placed a calm hand on his shoulder.

"What's the matter, Rangers, cat got your tongue?" Gakko laughed.

Lily and Casey turned to Kali. "Can't you use your magic?" she asked.

"Sure, but I don't have enough strength to stick to the side of a building and fight Gakko," said Kali, "and, before you ask, if I can't keep myself up there, I'm not going to be able to handle all three of us."

Lily and Casey sighed.

"So, what do we do?" Lily asked.

"You give u-" Gakko broke off as a blur collided with him. He shook his head and looked around. "Who did that?"

"Up here, Gakko!"

Standing on the very edge of the building's roof was Theo.

"I see you need another lesson about fighting on my turf," said Gakko. "Do your best."

Theo nodded and dodged aside when Gakko lunged for him. He slid down the side of the building, using his fingers to catch himself on the small gaps between bricks, he swung himself up, the tips of his fingers clenching hard against the graphite, and landed a blow to Gakko's chest.

"Looks like Theo's back," Lily grinned.

Kali nodded absentmindedly as she watched Theo roll across the side of the building, using his new terrain to his advantage to take out Gakko. He dropped down a little ways, hooked his hand around a window ledge and pushed up with all his strength. He leaped over Gakko, and then struck down, slamming both of his feet into Gakko's chest and driving him into the ground at the base of the building.

"That should take the fight right out of him," said Theo, dusting off his hands as he walked away. He wrapped an arm around both Lily and Casey as they raced to meet him, each one clapping him on the shoulder in congratulations.

Kali lifted her head and folded her arms across the chest. "Welcome back, Theo," she said.

"Thanks," Theo replied.

"You were great, Theo!" said Lily.

"Great isn't the word I would use," said Casey, shaking his head. "Awesome is more like it."

The rubble behind them exploded out and Kali raised a shield to protect them from any shrapnel. Furious, Gakko stood and glared at the four of them.

"That does it," Gakko growled. "Now I'm mad. I'll get you, Blue Ranger, and your little friends, too."

Kali rolled her eyes.

Gakko lunged forward, slamming into the shield and rocketing backwards. He crashed into the side of the building and slumped to the floor.

"Give up, Gakko, it's over!" said Theo.

"Not yet!" Gakko snarled. He closed his eyes, drawing on the power he had inside his body, and started to grow until he thundered around the city at thirty feet.

Kali craned her neck and then looked at the others. "You know what to do," she said.

Casey, Theo, and Lily nodded and summoned their animal spirits as Kali dropped her shield. She muttered a spell and disappeared from the area, re-appearing on the top of a nearby building. She watched as the others formed the Jungle Pride Megazord to face down Gakko for the last time.

"He's too fast!" Theo called, desperately.

"Hold on, guys," said Kali. She snapped her fingers and her mystic morpher appeared in her palm. Snapping it open, Kali pointed the wand at the speed blur that was Gakko and whispered a spell,

Gakko hissed as he was knocked off balance, sending him crashing onto the floor and blowing up debris into the air.

"Thanks, Kali," called Casey,

Kali saluted. "Now finish him!" she called.

"You heard her," said Theo. The megazord ducked into a forward roll and kicked behind them, socking Gakko straight in the face. He stumbled, clutching his face.

"Why won't you stay down?!" Gakko hissed.

"Why don't you?" Casey retorted.

"Spin Attack!" Theo called.

The upper body of the Megazord spun in a rapid circle, it's arms outstretched with his hands curled inwards into fists. It surged towards Gakko, striking him multiple times and lifting him into the air.

Gakko howled as he whipped around in mid-air, before exploding as a wave of black magic collided with him.

Kali snapped her mystic morpher closed, cancelling the Darkness Wave spell. She looked up at the Jungle Pride and nodded.

"Well done, Theo," Kali called.

~X~

"Looks like the regular Theo is back," said Fran, watching as Theo spun pizza bases into the air.

"Confident…"

"Self-assured…"

"Working…"

Kali snorted as Theo tossed a pizza base into the air. It spun quickly and fell back down, landing with a splat over Theo's face. "Still an idiot," she teased.

"You mispronounced human," Theo corrected her, peeling the dough back. "After all, it's not the first and only time I'm going to fail at something, is it?"

Kali smirked. "At least you learned your lesson," she said. "Things could've gone very wrong today if you hadn't have turned up when you did."

"Glad I could be of service," said Theo.

Shaking her head, Kali turned away from Theo's station and approached a booth on the far side of the cafe. She slid into it and leaned back against the black leather with a smile.

"Feeling better after this morning?" Xander asked.

"A little," Kali nodded. "How about you? You still feeling unsettled?"

Xander shrugged and shoved a notepad across the table at Kali. "You tell me?" he asked. "Nick and I have agreed on these dates for possible Bachelor party, and underneath are destinations. Nick said you and he have been to a few places on the list, and I figured you could give me some tips on which would be a good place."

Kali glanced through the list and ticked off a few places. "New Orleans is a typical place for a bachelor party," she said. "I remember being there for Mardi Gras and there was a bachelor party going on at the same time. It was fun."

"You gate crashed a bachelor party?" Xander laughed. "Why am I not surprised.

"Technically I didn't gate crash," Kali defended. "One of the Groomsmen took a liking to me, and I was invited."

Xander's eyes glittered with amusement.

"Shut up," Kali said, pushing her hand into his face.

Xander laughed. "Glad you're feeling better," he said, as she dropped her hand back onto the table and fell back into her seat with a bounce.

Kali smiled. "By the way, thanks," she said.

Xander shrugged. "It's what friends are for, right?" he asked.

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