The forty-two landed with elegance to the planet on the few landing legs. The door slid open before Warp's eyes, the same planet that Ty was on, the first time that he had been assigned to a mission that pertained to him. He looked to his side imagining the pleased man beside him ready to see the face of his former partner once more, grinning then leaping out, emoting, stretching his arms out. Warp snickered in amusement at his friend's potential actions then climbed down the ladder until making it to the floor.

"Ty Parsec, it's been awhile."

"A long while." Ty folded his arms. "But, obviously, not long enough."

"This is like a ex-partner of Buzz Lightyear reunion!" Warp announced. "How's your robot friends fairing you?"

"Reliable like a well oiled machine." Ty then eyed at the rookies behind him. "Surprising, you kept them this long."

"Yeah, me and you, both."

"How are you doing with keeping their back?"

"Great, getting better at it every day!"

"Right this way."

Mira frowned, there was something felt off. Like the energy between them was unsettling, boiling water that was ready to be filled by material, then put into a plate as it cooled down. She lagged behind the group overhearing XR inquiring about hiding places. He was still terrified of the energy vampire after all that time since the energy vampire had shown. And she were confident that things were going to turn out just fine as it had last time. The energy vampire hadn't known what was coming with a team that was stronger than before.

"Ranger Ty Parsec, pass."

"Now if each of you do the same. . ." Ty folded his arms. "procedure, you know."

"He's Warp Darkmatter!" Booster exclaimed. "Easily passes!"

"Hey, we're on my post and we go by the book!" then Ty emphasized. "Nobody here is 'special'."

"He's right, we need to do it by the book, anyway, as much as we don't like them." Warp commented as he approached the console, wearing the mask, of his personal feelings as he continued that train of thought and Ty's hands moved to his hips rolling his eyes. "Doing it by the book saves Ranger lives."

Warp set his hand on the console.

"How many regulations have you thrown aside to make way for your command?"

"I can say just a few funky ones," Booster answered for the captain. "Out of date."

"Like always have a smoothie when entering a lair." Mira said.

"And have a cat on hand at all times on a world that has dogs and aren't friendly with Star command." XR started to laugh, amusement, cackling. "I can't believe we were enemies with those people at one time!"

"And the ones about adopting a cat if it chooses you because that never happens." Booster added.

"When did Buzz have a cat?" Ty asked. "I was unaware that he had one."

"The cat died after he did." Warp spoke up. "I found her form on his old cot after I got back."

The console scanned his large hand then he withdrew it as it proceeded to speak a short list of accomplishments as he turned his back to it unable to face the future that he had thrived in. Ty noticed this fact as Mira put her hand, less rewards than Warp, the same applied to the other members of the team, less than what Warp was not proud of. Warp set alongside the doorway waiting for the group who faced their accomplishments with pride. Ty noticed the features of the older man bore personal shame over his achievements. He only turned back toward them once his list of achievements had been thoroughly finished. Ty was the member that lead the group of the room down the corridor to the lab.

A personal hunch that he had began to grow in size and shape. He looked back at Warp, then shook his head, it couldn't be something that plausible. With that, it were knocked aside and his trail of thoughts were moved elsewhere. They walked through another doorway into a chamber that was full of ginormous light bulb fixtures that were glowing against the darkness as XR looked in awe and yet in fear, peeking around, searching for the famed energy vampire.

"So, Ranger Parsec, what are you cooking here?" Booster asked, curiously. "Warp only told us this was a power station for the Galactic Alliance."

"Well, we collect radiation from the planet's green moon and then we convert it into pure energy," the Ranger smirked. "Codename: Operation Moonbeam."

"Doing business as a Nos-4-A2 buffet." XR interjected.

"Still not over it," Warp apologized.

"Good thing you're here to destroy it, right?" Ty asked.

"Or capture it." Mira said. "And release far, far, far away from here."

"At least that is a ideal solution." Warp said. "Star command wants us to capture it, dig a hole on some world, bury it, and never ever talk about again."

"And what were you saying about the green radiation?" Booster asked,

"This has the potential to be bigger than crystalic fushion!" Ty announced, stretching his arms out, standing in front of the two glowing bulbs. "Believe it!"

"Course it does." XR said, testily with a scowl. "And you had to be assigned to this, didn't you?"

"Only Ranger assigned." Ty said as he looked down toward the small droid. "It comes with some personal benefits."

"Can we see the victim?" Warp asked. "Or is it," he looked aside toward XR then back. "Rated R for androids?"

"The body is over here." Ty pointed over his shoulder and XR hid behind Booster with a tremble.

Warp approached the covered up robot corpse then slid the blanket aside, his eyes widening, the two gaping holes, the machine lifeless.

"Two gaping holes, this is clearly the work of Nos-4-A2." Mira said. "or it could be a robot hickie." Mira started to giggle. "Can you imagine robots doing that?"

"Hmm, not this model." Warp commented drawing Mira's attention. "You've never kissed a humanoid robot?"

". . . no?"

"Not on your solo missions?"

"No."

"Come on, you're making me really dated."

"What do I have to kiss a robot?"

"Because Space Rangers do that kind of stuff, woo their way out or woo their way to fix a problem should their weapon not be effective, hope, belief, frankly, how have you not heard about Buzz kissing two robots that Zurg made?"

"What?"

"Oh my God." Warp shifted toward Ty as he covered the corpse up then approached him. "While I tell about Buzz Lightyear's greatest embarrassment, we'll be doing the search."

"Without the commanding officer of this post, nope!" Ty argued.

"Nah uh," Warp wiggled his finger. "you stay inside."

"I am the Space Ranger commanding this post." Ty reminded.

"You're the one who asked for help, check and mate." Warp replied, wrapping his arm around Ty's shoulder with a smirk. "We are the cavalry, and if things go south, you'll be OUR back up." he gestured toward the crew. "Need a little chaos there, don't we?"

"I can be the hero?" Ty repeated.

"Yep." Warp confirmed with a nod as he smirked. "You'll be the first person that I call. Or any of us calls." He shifted toward the rookies with his hands on his hips. "Right?"

"I wanna stay right here!" XR announced.

"XR, we can recharge you." Mira said, gently.

"I don't wanna be ripped apart!" XR exclaimed.

"You are rebuildable." Booster reminded.

"It's scary!" XR insisted.

"Come on, you're a ranger," Booster added. "fear doesn't stop you!"

"I am a android, fear is my business!" XR said.

"Booster, you carry XR on your end of the search." Warp recommended then turned toward Mira. "Mira and I will cover more ground."

The Space Rangers searched around the area for the energy vampire, hearing sounds of movement around them, only to find that it were not there. Chills went down Mira's skin, feeling like she were being watched, yet, kept her cool. Show a sign of fear to the hunter and she were going to be trapped under the spell of vulnerability, energy drained, out of action. Mira looked around the area then found the remains of another robot scattered behind the bushes. Warp found another corpse belonging to a robot behind a tree. The more robot corpses they found, the more frightening they grew, the more frightening they grew, the more annoyed Warp grew at the vampire.

"Nos-4-A2 is a CHICKEN!"

"Don't tempt him!"

"Coward!" Warp shook his fist.

"He is not a coward-" XR tried to interjected.

"Cowards only toy with Space Rangers!" Warp shouted at the sky. "Chicken shit, dumb ass Goliath, it was menacing a hour ago, but that is showing off to a irritating level and you are going to be ripped apart by the time that we leave!"

"Ha ha haha, what a lovely threat." Nos-4-A2 spoke, distantly, hanging overhead, with a chuckle. "Love to believe that a man like him would go through it."

"Inside, let's make him show himself." Warp ordered. "We're not spending another hour being toyed by this sick taunting excuse for a vampire ripped off of Dracula and Nosfertu."

"That'll actually make it work," Mira smirked.

"Where are they going?" Nos-4-A2 wondered. "There is no else where to go, only to hide, from my menacing draining, what a brilliant way to show off my power!"

The group returned to the power station, taking their assigned spots, waiting for the beast to show itself. Mira approached the captain, had a short lived discussion before moving to her station before leaving with a hand on the side of his shoulder, the fact was clearly apparent to him that she was right. He briefly closed his eyes, painfully, having the discussion with someone who wasn't a friend and had been Buzz's very first partner. All it took was one slip up and it was going to be all over, his career, their careers, and this mission ending on terms that benefited Star Command and The Galactic Alliance. Warp had kept this secret very well during the last few years, he could make it through this discussion.

"Ty, how about we talk."

"My quarters."

"Good choice."

The duo went into Ty's quarters then the door closed behind Warp.

"Okay, obviously, you have a beef with me." Warp folded his arms as he glared back toward the veteran. "How about you talk."

"Obviously, you didn't have his back."

"Obviously, I was busy."

"You? the man who didn't need rescuing? the observant man? I'm finding it hard to believe!"

"It's called fighting against hornets!"

"If fighting hornets were that distracting, Buzz would have died a long time ago! Admit it, you really hated him! Just like me!"

"I did not!"

"Doesn't explain why you're here and he's not!"

Warp stared at the human for a long moment before replying. It was quiet in the room between them.

"You just wanted him to be here to have some ego issues dealt with. . ." Warp said, his voice becoming soft. "don't you?"

Ty pressed his lips together turning away, rubbing his shoulder.

"Maybe." Ty admitted. "Maybe not."

Warp stepped forward then set his hand on the side of Ty's shoulder.

"Ty, if I could go back in time and fling him out of the way, bring him back to current or been the one crushed, killed by that exploding lab, crushed thoroughly, I would have took it and ran with it. But apparently, saving his life that time wasn't meant to happen."

"Never meant to happen?" Ty exclaimed as Warp withdrew his hand. "What kind of stupid excuse is that?" then he pointed back at himself. "That's like saying Buzz was supposed to save me FIFTY times injuring my ego!"

His hands clenched as he stood on the tips of his toes attempting to tower over the Ipsedan.

"Fifty times does a number!" he set one hand on his hip. "Five was enough!" he held up five fingers as Warp nodded in agreement with his hands in front of his chest for self defense as the man came close and closer to him. "Because you let him die, I never got the chance to rescue that arrogant, confident, optimistic oblivious asshole!" It was the most painful shout that Warp had heard from a fellow Ranger full of grief. "He's dead because of you!'

"He could be a asshole at times." Warp became nostalgic. "Blame me as you like," He gestured back at himself. "because that's what I do every second since I found his corpse from under the rubble." He linked his hands behind his back. "It's hard walking with that on my shoulders, and it's very lonely being at the top."

The door opened once the Space Ranger approached it.

"Lonely at the top?" Ty asked, skeptically, squinting at the captain. "What's that supposed to mean?"'

Warp shifted toward Ty, quiet, looking aside, before replying.

"Keeping a brave face while everyone around you is scared shit less. He was scared. Believe me. So was I. It's not easy being a hero like you think it is, Parsec."

Ty felt better getting that off his chest as the door closed. He sat down on to his cot looking down at his hands that were more aged than when they had first met Buzz Lightyear. They weren't young anymore, they were old. His hands were older than Buzz Lightyear, the one person who swooped in when Ty thought he could handle whatever was thrown at him and surrounded in massive numbers, grabbing him by the shoulders bringing him back to the forty-two, his deep laughter echoing above him as embarrassment flowed through Ty even when he instead swooped in and gave him enough cover to flee giving him some aid. And he couldn't return the favor, ever, as his hands rubbed along his teary eyes starting to sob.

"Darkmatter to Ranger Ty, we need help!"

It was a announcement that came over his comn, at most unexpected roughly two hours after the captain had departed the station to return back to patrol. Two uneventful and unreported hours. The Space Ranger got into his suit then made a get away following the source of the comn using his console as his guide. He paused in his tracks, finding Mira laid there on the ground, visibly drained of energy as Booster was across from her, unconscious, his shoulder armor moving up and down indicating his status. And last of all, Darkmatter battling Nos-4-A2 in the middle of green radiation ray with XR attending to the usage of the dish. Warp was bitten, yelping, then Ty fired at the beast drawing it's attention. Nos-4-A2 dropped Warp's form, clenching their stomach, staring on toward the Space Ranger, optics beaming on and off. XR remained where he were as the Space Ranger fired back at the energy vampire.

Mira crept up to her feet then collapsed, crawling over to his side, then joined his side planting her hand on the side of his wound then covered it up with a device that prevented oxygen from being lost. Ty pinned the vampire to the ground, then XR aimed the dish at the two of them. The vampire bore their fangs then lunged forward embedding their fangs into his shoulder, clasping on to him, as the ray caught on to the two of them while Warp came to. His vision dark, hanging by a single thread, observing the conflict between the two. Nos-4-A2 scratching at the officer's armor with rapid interest to kill him with everything on hand, just as it had done with him, just as they had attempted to drain the energy out of the vampire as Mira sat at the ready to defend Warp with one warm up. The energy vampire let go then tossed the man to the ground, proclaiming, "I do not drink blood!" disgusted, appalled, flying off into the darkness.

Mira relaxed her arm, her chest felt lighter, her shoulders lowered with a sigh that they had made it out of this battle without losing against the beast.

Warp's eyes were heavy just as his frame that had little control as Ty sat upright, with a struggle, then faced them covering his wound and approached the duo looming over.

"Is it gone?" Warp asked.

"For now." Ty said.

"Thanks . . . for having our back, Ty." Warp said, then smiled, weakly. "You rescued my team back there."

And in which, he passed out.

A/N when I first started researching blosc when writing in his crazed attempt, the only thing I remembered clearly was XR being shot down, all in pieces, and Buzz's reaction.