"The Freak Zone?"
Adam Park raised an eyebrow at his lunch companions. "I hadn't heard that
particular appellation before."
"No kidding?
But you live there," replied Matt Walton, his roommate. "I mean, Angel
Grove's probably dead center."
"What's the
Freak Zone?" Riley Collins asked. She had just come in, and had missed
most of the conversation.
Charlene Gillis,
a blond girl who strongly reminded Adam of Billy, explained. "It's that
area in California with all those monsters and superheroes and stuff. It
runs from just south of San Francisco to just north of LA, and almost out
to the mountains. It's northern edge is usually defined as Cross World
City, where some robotic people called the "VR Troopers" are, and south
is Leawood, home to the "Masked Rider." Charterville, where the Beetleborgs
are, is the eastern edge, and Angel Grove, on the coast, is on the west,
smack dab in the middle. Adam here is from Angel Grove."
"And they call
it the Freak Zone, huh?" Riley shook her head. Her short red hair shone
in the light of the cafeteria, nearly blinding them. "Why are there so
many superheroes?"
Charlene shrugged.
"Nobody knows. Scientists think it might have something to do with radiation,
or geomagnetics. My dad says it's just because Californians are weird.
Adam, why do you think there's so many heroes out there?"
Adam grinned.
"Because there's so many villains." The others groaned, and he quickly
continued. "No, I'm serious. Someone once asked the Power Rangers why the
monsters attacked Angel Grove all the time. The Blue Ranger explained that
it was because that whole area, the one you call the Freak Zone, is situated
on a forest of ley line nexuses, where lines of natural magic intersect.
There are five major ones in that area. The biggest one is in Angel Grove,
but the other three towns you've mentioned have ones almost as large. Villains
are attracted by the power of the lines, and that's why they always attack
those places."
"You said there
were five nexuses," Matt pointed out. "Where's the fifth?"
"It's the smallest
of the five, although it's still pretty big. It's located under a much
smaller town called North Valley, north and east of Angel Grove, so it's
north of Charterville. It doesn't seem to have any superheroes or villains,
but they do have a lot of computer malfunctions, which might be due to
the power problems."
"My cousin Sam
lives out there," Riley mused. "He never mentioned anything like that,
but he gets real defensive if I ask about his computer."
"Weird," Matt
shrugged. "So, Adam, what's it like, living in the Freak Zone? Is it dangerous?"
"Nah," Adam
replied. "You just head for the shelters whenever there's a monster alert.
Now, if you'll all excuse me, I've got to get to class." He rose and took
his tray back to the kitchen.
Trevor Park sighed,
squinting in the mid-January sun. One of the problems of being a Homicide
detective in that town was the fact that you didn't have all that much
to do. As a general rule, people in Angel Grove didn't kill each other,
unless they were in the harbor district. Those cases were usually fairly
cut and dried, as well, so Homicide didn't have much work. As a result,
they were forced to earn their salaries by pulling double-duty, as what
was generally referred to by the other cops as "The Monster Squad." They
checked out monster sightings and incursions, determining what was actually
monster damage and what had been done by human beings.
Normally Trevor
didn't mind being on "The Monster Squad." It gave him the opportunity to
keep an eye on his children, the Green Rangers. With Adam at college, that
left him only Franklin, but the younger boy was just as good at getting
into trouble as his older brother. No, normally monster duty was fine with
Trevor. It was days like this one that really bugged him.
Divatox's latest
creation, Billy the Squid, had destroyed most of the warehouse district.
To make matters worse, the "walking sushi bar," as Blue Turbo had described
it to him, had been armed with poisonous barbs, one of which had caught
Green Turbo directly in the chest. The boy had gone into shock from the
toxin, and his heart had stopped. Trevor, who had already been down there,
had been forced to watch helplessly as Red and Pink Turbo had performed
CPR on their unconscious friend. Luckily, they had been able to restart
Franklin's vital functions while Blue and Yellow Turbo had used the Zords
to destroy the squid monster. Now Trevor was absorbed in the most distasteful
part of his job- dealing with the press.
"Detective Park,
what happened here?" Lois Kent, one of the reporters from the Angel Grove
Chronicle asked him. "Why did the Power Rangers allow the squid monster
to destroy nearly half of the city?"
Trevor looked
behind her and saw her partner, Clark Lane, wince. He suppressed a chuckle.
Lois Kent was known for asking questions without considering the feelings
of the subject, especially when she got caught up in a story. Lane, on
the other hand, was a little more sensitive. Lois was the more annoying
member of the pair, but Trevor often thought that Clark was more dangerous,
being more observant.
"Is the Green
Ranger all right?" another voice asked. Parker O'Neil pushed his way through
the crowd, smiling charmingly at Lois as she gave him a glare. Trevor grinned.
"Yes, the Green
Ranger is fine," he replied, although he could barely hold back a shudder
at the memory of seeing his son's unmoving body crashing to the ground,
a squid barb buried in his chest.
"I couldn't
help but notice that the Red and Pink Rangers seemed to be performing CPR,"
Clark Lane interjected. Trevor winced. He had been able to keep the reporters
far enough away that they had been unable to recognize Franklin and Rosa
when their helmets were off, but he had not been able to keep them from
seeing everything.
A flash of red
light appeared, and suddenly Red Turbo stood by Detective Park's side.
"The Green Ranger's condition is stable," the leader of the Turbo Rangers
proclaimed. "He was hit in the chest with one of Billy the Squid's toxic
barbs." From the tone of Red Turbo's voice, Trevor could tell that the
boy was most likely rolling his eyes at the monster's name. "He went into
toxic shock, but we managed to bring him of it. He is recovering nicely,
and should be able to serve on the next monster attack."
"Why was so
much damage done to the city?" Lois pursued.
"If you hadn't
noticed, Miss Kent," Red Turbo replied in clipped tones, "we were a bit
short-handed. The Pink Ranger and I were performing CPR on the Green Ranger,
which left only two Rangers to pilot the Zord. I'd like to see how you
would fare, piloting a large, complex machine, with only two people, against
an opponent who has ten tentacles, and only needs to stand on two."
Lois shut up,
startled at the tone in the young man's voice. Trevor suppressed a grin
with some effort. The original Rangers had been unfailingly polite to the
press, and Trevor could not remember ever hearing one of them snap in that
manner. He was rather happy to know that the current team would verbally
defend themselves if necessary.
"Any other questions?"
Red Turbo asked.
Clark Lane stepped
forward. "This monster seemed to be harder to defeat than usual, and I
believe this is the first one to deal a Power Ranger a life-threatening
injury. Is this a trend, or only a one-time thing?"
Red Turbo regarded
him for a moment. "The Squid was not the first monster to nearly kill a
Ranger, but the others were all major villains. This was the first throwaway
to do so, that is true. However, this monster was made taking advantage
of a natural phenomenon that will not occur for another millenium, at least.
You won't have to worry about monsters as strong as the Squid for some
time, and we have taken steps to protect against such creatures in the
future." He was silent for a moment, then, seeing that no one else had
any questions, he nodded.
"That's all
for now. Oh, Mr. Lane, Mr. O'Neil, we'd like to thank you for your help
in evacuating some of the buildings. If it hadn't been for the two of you,
there might have been some serious casualties. Thank you for your help."
In a flash of red, he disappeared. Lois shot Clark a glance, and he simply
blushed. As the crowd of reporters broke up, the two of them walked off.
Trevor could still hear Lois lecturing Clark about putting himself in danger.
Her tall, dark-haired partner was nodding, obviously not listening to a
word she said.
Parker chuckled,
turning towards Trevor. The two of them were now the only ones left in
the area, as the rest of the police had left at the same time as the reporters.
"He's really a good guy, you know," the reporter mused aloud.
Trevor nodded.
"Yeah, I like him too. It's just that wherever he goes, she goes too."
"Well, she may
be abrasive, but she's got a hell of a nose for news." Regarding the other
man, Parker suddenly changed the subject. "Are you all right? You look
kind of pale. What happened today must have been a real shock."
Trevor's response
was a short, humorless laugh. "'Shock' is one word for it. Every time I
think I've gotten used to the fact that my sons are Power Rangers, something
like this happens, and I remember why I didn't like the idea in the first
place. Still, it's so important to them that I wouldn't dream of asking
them to give it up. How's your sister, by the way?"
Parker shrugged.
"She's enjoying college. She's got a job at a dojo, made some good friends,
and she was nearly kidnapped by skugs the other day."
"Skugs?"
"Like Cogs,
only dumber. She said it wasn't a problem." Before Trevor could reply,
a golden light flashed off to their right. The two of them turned, half-expecting
Trey of Triforia, the Gold Ranger, to appear. Instead, six women clad in
rather revealing gold armor coalesced out of the light. The two men looked
at each other and groaned in unison. "Oh, NOW what?"
The obvious
leader, a vaguely Asian woman with dark eyes and long dark hair, seemed
very familiar. Her armor seemed to be styled after the scorpion, and suddenly
Parker remembered where he had seen her before. "Oh, shit!" he cried, taking
a step back. "That's Scorpina!"
She chuckled.
"So, I'm still remembered on this backwater ball of rock. How nice. Girls,
take the older one alive. You may do as you wish with the blond."
Trevor and Parker
fell into defensive stances as Scorpina and her warriors rushed them. Despite
being unarmed, and outnumbered three to one, the two men put up an incredible
fight. Parker had managed to find a length of pipe on the street, which
had probably come from one of the ruined warehouses. He was using it as
if it was a bokken, a wooden practice sword, and managed to block the attacks
of the women closing in on him. Trevor, unfortunately, was not doing so
well. He was unarmed, and was tiring quickly. Suddenly Scorpina lashed
out, slashing him across the chest with her blade. Trevor could feel the
wound burning, and realized almost immediately that it had been poisoned.
His knees turned to water, and he passed out.
"We have what
we came for!" Scorpina cried. "Leave the reporter. Return to base!" In
a flash of gold light, they teleported out, taking Trevor with them. Parker
hurriedly checked for onlookers, then disappeared as well, heading for
the Power Chamber.
Adam sighed as
he walked around the campus. The sun was shining brightly, rare for January
in Illinois, and many people were out and about enjoying it. He had just
made his way into one of the open areas when two streams of golden light
appeared, coalescing into two extremely attractive women dressed in golden
armor which showcased their best- attributes. They both seemed to be fairly
muscular, and in excellent shape.
"We're looking
for Adam Park," the taller one declared. Her blond hair danced in the wind.
"And if we don't
get him," the shorter one continued, her green eyes dancing maniacally,
"we're going to rip this place apart."
"I'm here,"
Adam responded, stepping forward. He was uncomfortably aware of all the
eyes on him and knew he couldn't morph if worst came to worst.
"Ohh, I see
why the lady wants him," the short, black-haired one giggled. "He's handsome."
The blond fixed
him with an icy blue stare. "We bring a message from Mistress Scorpina.
Surrender, or be taken by force."
Adam raised
an eyebrow. "Mistress Scorpina? Don't tell me that witch finally has her
own army."
"What, do we
look like Girl Scouts?" the shorter one shot back. "We are the Amazons!
Twice the warriors of any man on this planet." The way she drawled the
word "man," it became a derogatory term.
"Yeah? Well,
tell Scorpina that if she expects me to surrender, she's sorely underestimated
human beings- again."
"Get him!" The
two women charged him, and Adam had to admit, to himself at least, that
they were good, very good. All around him, people scattered, and soon the
area was completely empty. However, the ladies were not nearly as good
as he was, and he quickly proved that fact, beating them soundly. Backing
away from him slowly, they stood up.
"Don't think
that this is over yet, Park," the blond threatened. "The lady has something
you'll be very concerned about- your father. Surrender in two days, or
he's history." In a flash of golden light, the two of them disappeared.
Adam made for a secluded corner, quickly checked for onlookers, and teleported
out.
The first thing
that met Adam's eyes as he materialized in the Power Chamber was his little
brother, lying on a cot. Actually, "lying" wasn't quite the correct term.
Franklin was struggling to sit up while Fred and Rosa attempted to make
him lie down.
Looking up,
Rosa noted Adam's presence. "Adam, make him listen to reason," she pleaded.
"Tell him to lie down!"
"What happened?
He looks so pale."
"Divatox let
loose her newest monster, Billy the Squid. It shot Franklin in the chest
with a poisoned barb. We had to restart his heart," Fred replied. "He should
NOT be trying to get up."
"I'm fine!"
the younger Park brother protested. "Accelerated healing and all that.
Besides, if you think I'm gonna just lie here while some witch steals my
dad, you've got another think coming!"
"I would imagine
that that is why you are here, Adam," Zordon rumbled.
Adam nodded.
"Yeah. Some of Scorpina's goons showed up at Northwestern. If we want my
father back, I have to go with her."
"Go with her?"
Parker echoed, startling Adam, who had not seen the other man.
"Yeah. See,
Zedd once tried to get rid of me by having Scorpina pose as a girl named
Sabrina, who would pretend to like me, and then destroy me while my guard
was down. She almost did, but we managed to beat her. Unfortunately for
me, she seems to have developed an attraction for me." He made a face.
Then a thought struck him. "She didn't really name the monster "Billy the
Squid," did she?"
Now it was Zordon's
turn to roll his eyes. When the monster had first appeared, one of his
biggest problems had been getting the Turbo Rangers off the subject of
the name.
"Yup," Fred
was saying. "It took us ten minutes to stop laughing. The worst was the
fact that it spoke with a really BAD Western drawl."
Adam shook his
head. "Billy the Squid. Yuck."
"If I may interrupt,"
Zordon rumbled, "there is still the problem of Scorpina. What do you plan
to do about her ultimatum, Adam?"
Adam sighed.
"I guess I'll have to do what she says. I can't let Dad get hurt."
"You can't just
give in to her!" Franklin cried, finally pushing away his friends and rising
to his feet. He seemed a bit unsteady, but fairly all right. "You think
she'll actually let Dad go? Fat chance! Villains don't work that way!"
"How about a
rescue?" Fred asked. "You distract her by pretending to agree to Scorpina's
demands, and we sneak in and get your dad."
Adam nodded
thoughtfully. "That might work, actually."
"If I may make
a suggestion," Parker interrupted, "one of you ought to go home and tell
your mother what's going on, without mentioning that Adam is a Ranger,
of course. If things don't go well, she'll need to know what happened."
Franklin nodded.
"I'll do that. It'll prove to all the rest of you that I'm not going to
keel over in the next five minutes. Besides, Adam needs to call Scorpina
and tell her he gives up."
"You be careful,
Franklin," Rosa cautioned him. "I don't care if you have Ranger healing
or not, you're still weak."
Franklin just
shrugged, pulling out his Turbo Key. "Shift into Turbo! Desert Thunder
Turbo Power!" In a flash of light, he became the Green Turbo Ranger, and
teleported out in a green column of sparks.
Meanwhile, up
on Scorpina's ship, Trevor Park slowly came to consciousness. Rubbing his
head, he sat up and looked around. He was in a featureless room, with white
walls and no furniture. He was lying on the white floor, where Scorpina's
Amazons had probably tossed him after he had passed out.
Rising to his
feet, he began examining the walls for any sign of a door or exit. Suddenly
he heard a crackling noise. Turning, he saw that one of the walls of his
prison had been replaced with a plush living area. Scorpina sat in a chair,
sipping something and regarding him with amusement.
Raising an eyebrow,
he cocked his head. "Viewscreen?" he asked casually.
Chuckling, she
applauded him. She was not wearing her gold armor, he noticed. Instead,
she was wearing some sort of long golden gown that flowed around her. "Very
good. I see why you're a police detective. Tell me, can you guess why you're
here?"
"Let's see.
You're a villain, villains don't like the Power Rangers, so I would assume
I'm bait of some sort."
"Bait, but not
for the Rangers exactly. For one Ranger in particular, an off-duty Ranger.
Your son, Adam, in fact."
"Adam? What
do you want with Adam? He's not even an active Ranger any more."
Scorpina shrugged.
"I don't care about the Rangers. You see, after failing Lord Zedd in a
mission he sent me, I fled Earth, not wanting to deal with his wrath. After
doing certain- odd jobs for various wealthy and influential beings, I was
able to purchase this ship and hire a crew. They're some of the finest
thieves and assassins in the galaxy, all quite loyal to me."
"And all women?"
"Of course.
Women are far deadlier at such professions than men. Our opponents have
a tendency to underestimate us. Besides, I have no need for men in my service.
There is only one I'm interested in."
"Adam." It wasn't
a question, but Scorpina answered it anyway.
"Yes. The mission
I set was to gain his confidence and then destroy him. I failed, but it
was then that I learned how incredible of a warrior he was, and what a
team we would make, if I had him by my side."
"So where do
I come into this?" Trevor asked sardonically.
"Adam will either
trade himself for you in two days' time, or I will destroy you. The choice
is his." Scorpina's head snapped up. "Oh, you'll have to excuse me, Detective
Park. I have another call." The viewscreen then went blank, leaving Trevor
to think over his fate.
Eileen Park's
eyes widened as she realized who was standing on her front porch. "May
I help you?" she asked, vividly remembering the last time she had opened
her door to a Power Ranger. "Is something wrong?"
"I'm afraid
so," Green Turbo replied gravely, wishing not for the first time that the
Rangers did not stay their natural size while morphing. He always felt
uncomfortable talking up towards adults. "May I come in, please?"
"Oh, yes," she
replied, stepping out of the way. He walked past her, turning and heading
for the living room. "Please, sit down," she offered. He thanked her and
took a seat.
"Mrs. Park,
I'm afraid there's some trouble, and it once again surrounds your family.
You see, a few years ago, Lord Zedd disguised one of his minions as a human
girl to try and sneak up on us. Unfortunately, she became interested in
your older son, Adam. Now she's back, and she wants your son. She's kidnapped
your husband and plans to exchange him for Adam. We plan to attempt a rescue,
but- it might not work," he finished. It was hard for Green Turbo to maintain
his professional demeanor. He was worried about his father, about his brother,
and about his mother's reaction to his news. In addition, he was still
feeling the effects of the Squid's toxic barb, and he wanted nothing more
than to break down in his mother's arms and have her tell him everything
was all right. That was out of the question, however, and so he controlled
himself with an effort.
Deciding that
he had better leave before his control broke, he rose to his feet. "I'm
sorry to have to tell you this, ma'am, but I thought you should know."
She rose as
well. "I'm going with you," she said abruptly.
Green Turbo's
jaw dropped. "What? I'm afraid that's impossible. Scorpina surely has a
host of extremely well trained warriors and other assorted goons. We can't
be responsible for the safety of a civilian."
"I'm not exactly
a civilian," Eileen shot back. "My father was a sulsa, the Korean equivalent
of a ninja, and he was also trained in a variety of techniques by the American
military. He taught me everything he knew. Also, my husband spent a few
years in the military, and also taught me a great deal. I can take care
of myself, and if my husband and sons are in danger, you are NOT leaving
me behind!"
Green Turbo
shook his head. "I'm sorry, it's just too dangerous!"
She cocked her
head. "Franklin Alexander Park, don't make me tell you a third time! Ranger
or not, I can still turn you over my knee!"
Hearing all
three of his names from his mother, who was not supposed to know his identity,
was too much of a shock for Green Ranger. The stress of the day and of
his injury caught up with him, and he sagged to the carpet in a dead faint.
"So, Adam," Scorpina
chuckled cruelly. "Have you come to a decision?"
Adam didn't
need to feign the anger burning inside him, or the helplessness he felt.
He glared at her with all the emotion he possessed. "Yes," he spat, "I
have. I'll do what you want. Just let my father go!"
"Once you are
on my ship, Adam, and not before," she replied with a smile. "In twenty
minutes, I will be ready to teleport you up to my ship. Be in the park
by the Sentinel Statue- if it's still standing. Do you understand?"
He growled,
but nodded. "Yes, I understand. I'll be there. And Scorpina, if you even
think about double-crossing me, you will regret it for the rest of your
very short life," he promised. His voice was low and steady. Swallowing,
she broke off the call.
"That's it,
then," Adam sighed. "Now we just have to wait for Frank, and we'll try
to rescue Dad."
"Adam, what
are you going to do while we're wreaking havoc?" Tasha asked, concerned.
Adam made a face.
"Distract Scorpina,"
he replied grimly. "Any way I can."
"How long have
you known?" Franklin asked his mother incredulously. After awakening in
his living room, he had demorphed, since his mother already knew who he
was. Then he had been forced to explain why he had fainted, and she had
of course made a lot of noise about the squid barb. Finally, though, he
had managed to redirect the conversation back where he wanted it.
"Well, I didn't
know for sure until right before I said your name. I'd suspected something
was up when we moved to Angel Grove, and Adam's grades dropped suddenly,
then went back up. After Adam and your father disappeared that time a year
and a half ago, I was pretty sure that Adam was a Ranger. The fact that
the changing of the Ranger guard came at the same time as Adam's move to
college confirmed that. Then I noticed your grades doing the same thing
that Adam's did when he became a Ranger, and you started wearing a watch
just like your father wears, which he started wearing after his adventure
with the Rangers. The final clue came when you knew exactly where the living
room was, instead of having to be directed there."
Franklin shook
his head. "Grandpa sure taught you a lot, didn't he?" he smiled.
"Yes," she replied.
"And I'm going with you."
Franklin shrugged.
"Far be it from me to try and tell you what to do. But Mom? Could you not
tell the guys that I passed out? They've been on my case about taking it
easy ever since the squid shot me, and I'm fine. I really am. It was just
the shock."
"Well, if you
check out as physically fit to go save the world, I won't tell anybody
that you passed out on my carpet. Come on." Franklin took his mother's
hand, and the two of them teleported to the Power Chamber.
Standing by the
Sentinel statue, Adam looked around himself nervously. He really hated
this plan, with every fiber of his being. The only problem was, it was
the best one they had. He didn't trust Scorpina in the least, and knew
that she would not release the one hold she had over his behavior. He also
knew that using himself as bait was the only way to get the others onto
the ship, but he didn't like the idea. And he REALLY didn't like the idea
of putting his mother in danger. Still, he knew that she was very good
at taking care of herself, and they wouldn't have had much luck leaving
her behind. Besides, in a strange way, it was comforting to know that his
mother would be watching out for him. He pitied any of Scorpina's Amazons
who went up against his mother in hand-to-hand combat.
Suddenly he
felt his body covered with the tingling sensation that teletransport caused,
and crossed his fingers tightly. Zordon and Alpha would have only a few
seconds to try and slip the Rangers and his mother through the hole in
Scorpina's shields that his entry would cause. If they missed, he'd be
alone on the ship, with no backup, and little hope of rescue. Forcing those
thoughts away, he took a deep breath as he re-solidified. Three well-armed
Amazons in gold armor were waiting for them.
Adam raised
his hands in the universal surrender gesture. "I give up," he sighed. "Take
me to your leader."
They led him
down a series of corridors, and stopped outside a door that looked no different
from any other door lining the corridor. The door slid open, and he was
shoved inside. Looking around himself at the extremely posh suite, Adam
gulped. "I'm really not going to enjoy this, am I?" he asked the air.
"That all depends
on you," a voice replied. Adam whirled to see Scorpina standing in the
doorway to one of the other rooms in the suite. She was wearing a loose
golden gown that showed off an excellent figure, and her long, black hair
tumbled down her back in a shining stream. Adam had to admit it, she was
beautiful.
"All right,
I'm here," he told her gruffly, trying to conceal the strength of his reaction
to her. "Now let my father go."
Smiling like
a cat, Scorpina moved a little closer. "Not just yet, Adam. Not until I'm
satisfied with your surrender."
He backed up
slightly. "What- what do you mean?" he stammered. She did not answer, simply
turned away and picked up a pair of glasses of the table.
"Have a drink
with me," she offered. "No tricks, I promise. You can even choose which
glass you want to drink out of, and I'll serve us from the same bottle."
"What is that
stuff?" he asked suspiciously, as she set down the glasses and picked up
a bottle made out of some purple glass.
"Meelar water,"
she replied, pouring two glasses. "It's drunk all over the galaxy. Don't
worry, Adam, it's just a drink."
Reaching out,
Adam picked up one of the glasses and sniffed it cautiously. It didn't
smell like anything but water. He took a careful sip, and found that it
was slightly fizzy, and had a taste that was slightly fruity. "All right,
I had a drink. Now let my father go."
Scorpina sighed.
"Finish your drink, Adam. One would almost think you don't trust me."
He raised an
eyebrow, taking another sip from the glass. "I don't." She chuckled, acknowledging
the barb. Raising her glass, she saluted him, and took a long drink.
"This looks like
the brig," Green Turbo said quietly, lowering the Thunder Scanner. "Two
bruisers on guard outside, and probably a few more inside, in front of
the cells. How do you guys want to handle this?"
"Tasha," Red
Turbo said quietly. "I think I found a computer port. Can you hack into
the system and find out where they're holding Adam's dad?"
"On it, Fearless
Leader," Yellow Turbo replied. Extending the I/O jack from her helmet,
she plugged into the computer port, and was soon surfing through cyberspace.
"Got it," she reported after a short time. "He's not in there. They've
moved him to the arena, three decks up. Apparently they're going to force
him to fight Scorpina's best warriors until Adam allows her to plant some
sort of controller on him." The other Turbo Ranger shied away from the
expression on Eileen Park's face.
"Hmm," Eileen
mused to herself. "Franklin, would you say that I'm about the same size
as that redhead guarding the door?"
Green Turbo
looked again. "Yeah, pretty much. Mom, what are you planning?"
"Do me a favor,"
she said quietly, ignoring his question. "Keep the other one busy." She
slipped away from them, disappearing into the shadows of the corridor.
"Franklin?"
Blue Turbo asked quietly. "Is anyone in your family NOT a GI Joe?"
Green Turbo
shrugged. "Not that I know of. Come on, you heard the lady."
"Hey, you!"
Pink Turbo called, waving at the two women by the brig. They turned to
look at her, and she thumbed her nose at them and ran. The shorter of the
pair, a petite brunette, chased after her, leaving the redhead to guard
the door.
Cutting around
a corner, Pink Turbo leaped easily over the tripwire that Green and Red
Turbo had strung. Her pursuer wasn't so lucky. She tripped over the wire
and knocked herself out. They tied her up with the wire, grinning as they
listened to the sounds of mayhem from around the corner. Once they were
finished, they headed back to the brig.
Eileen had by
this time changed into the armor of her unconscious opponent. As the Turbos
came back around the corner, Red Turbo whistled, earning him a punch in
the shoulder from Green Turbo. Eileen chuckled.
"Thank you,
Fred. More to the point, do I look like one of Scorpina's guards?" All
five kids nodded. "Good. Now, while I try and find Trevor, you five work
on getting me a distraction. First, I want you to break the prisoners out
of the brig. It'll cause enough confusion that most of the soldiers won't
have any idea what's going on. Besides, no one deserves to be a prisoner
here. Then, I want you to get to the control room. Cause as much damage
as possible, and see if you can lay in a course for somewhere remote and
very unpleasant. Meet me back in the teleportation bay when you're done.
Can you handle that?"
Blue Turbo nodded.
"You got it, Mrs. Park. Good luck."
"You too, Justin.
You too."
Adam had been
unable to find a way around finishing his glass of Meelar water, and now
he was beginning to feel a bit woozy. "What is that stuff?" he asked with
an effort.
Scorpina, who
was on her third glass, just grinned. "A mild intoxicant, somewhat similar
in strength to Earth wine. You don't have much of a tolerance, though,
do you?" Putting down her glass, she rose and crossed to him. Pulling him
to his feet, she kissed him soundly. Adam, already muddled by the effects
of the water, found himself kissing back as her arms slipped around him.
He managed to pull away, though, when she started to unbutton his shirt.
"Oh no," he
replied, pushing her off him. "I'm not that drunk. Where- where's my father?
Let him go. You promised," he managed, trying hard to concentrate. Scorpina
sighed.
"I had hoped
it wouldn't come to this. Come with me." Taking his hand, she led him down
a corridor to a balcony overlooking an arena filled with sand. She sat
him down in one of the chairs and activated the forcefield over the back
of the balcony. "You wanted your father, Adam? There he is."
Adam looked
down into the arena to see his father being escorted out of one of the
gates by two of Scorpina's guards. "Dad!" he cried, his adrenaline quickly
burning away the effects of the Meelar water. "What are you doing?" he
asked her furiously.
"Call it- insurance.
Your father will fight my best warriors until you agree to wear this."
Scorpina held up a golden collar with a large onyx on the front. "It's
a control collar. It will allow me to- deal with you if you disobey me.
Agree to wear it, and I'll let your father go. If not- well, he may be
good, but he can't fight forever."
Adam shook his
head. "You'll never let him go, whatever I do. And I sure as hell won't
wear a slave collar!"
"Your choice,"
Scorpina sighed. Lifting her hand, she signaled for the fight to begin.
"Excuse me."
The cell guard turned just in time to receive Blue Turbo's punch to her
face. She sank to the floor without a sound. "I really don't like doing
that," he remarked.
Yellow Turbo
snorted. "What's wrong? Don't like to hit women?"
"I don't like
to hit anybody. It HURTS!" he shot back, massaging his hand. "Not to mention
that I'm not real fond of this entire situation. These women are bigger
than I am, much stronger, and are not hampered by concern for human life."
"Quit arguing,
both of you," Red Turbo ordered. "Tasha, concentrate on getting that lock
open."
"Keep your Spandex
on, Fred, I've got it."
The doors to
the cells slid open, and beings of every description poured out. One, obviously
in charge, resembled a Velociraptor colored by someone with a sick sense
of humor. Its scales were sky-blue, lightening to cream on the underside.
Completing the picture were two bright violet eyes, full of intelligence
and a dancing good humor. Quieting the other beings, the raptor walked
over to Red Turbo.
"Our thanks
for the rescue, Power Rangers," it rumbled in a deep, gravelly voice. Red
Turbo started. Zordon had told them that the Powers acted as universal
translators, but this was the first time he had actually experienced it.
"It was an honor.
You'd best get these people to the teleport bay. We have a little more
business to take care of, but then we'll be able to teleport you all off
the ship. Can you handle Scorpina's guards?"
The raptor chuckled.
"Oh, I think so. However, Rangers, I think I should come with you. I am
Lieutenant Sandsong of the Intergalactic Police department. There are already
those who can lead and defend these people against Scorpina's army, and
I took an oath to aid in Ranger business at all times."
"We could sure
use the help," Blue Turbo told his leader. Red Turbo nodded.
"Okay, Lt. Sandsong,
you're in." As the prisoners headed towards the teleport bay, the six moved
on to the control room.
Trevor Park was
NOT enjoying himself at all. As far as he was concerned, his day had been
going from bad to worse. Now he was facing six of Scorpina's best warriors,
and he knew he wasn't going to be able to keep up the fight much longer.
As the women closed in on him, he spared a glance up at the balcony above
him. It wasn't any higher than a second story window, but he doubted he'd
be able to get up there quickly enough to escape his pursuers. Settling
into a fighting stance, he waited for the end.
"Eee-yah!" A
shrill battle cry split the air as a golden figure suddenly plowed into
the warriors surrounding him. Trevor watched in astonishment as his rescuer,
seemingly one of Scorpina's Amazons, sent his attackers flying in all directions.
As soon as she had cleared the immediate area, she looked up and smiled
at him. "Hello, dear. Have a good day at work?"
Trevor's jaw
dropped. "Eileen? What are you doing here?" he asked, moving so that they
were back to back.
"It's a rescue,
Trevor. By the way, when were you going to tell me that both our sons were
Power Rangers?"
Shaking his
head, Trevor grinned. "Nothing gets by you, does it?"
Up on the balcony,
the last of Adam's reaction to the Meelar water cleared, and he quickly
began to think over his options. Deciding that the free-for-all his parents
were creating was a good deal safer than remaining with Scorpina, he vaulted
over the edge of the balcony. Landing on his feet, he began carving a path
through Scorpina's Amazons.
"Hi, Mom, Dad,"
he puffed, reaching them. "I think I should tell you that Scorpina is not
happy with this turn of events."
Adam's understatement
was punctuated by Scorpina's landing, not far from the Park trio. Growling,
she regarded them with cold disdain, then flickered. Her gown became her
traditional golden armor, and she pulled her stinger out of its holster
by her side. Instantly, Eileen mirrored the gesture, pulling out a slim
golden sword. While Adam and his father dealt with Scorpina's army, Eileen
and Scorpina began to fight in deadly earnest.
"I'd say this
is the control room, wouldn't you?" Green Turbo asked.
Yellow Turbo
nodded. "Yup, this looks like the place. What do we break first?"
Blue Turbo cocked
his head. "We destroy everything but the essential consoles. Those over
there control life support, and also artificial gravity, by the look of
them. Break everything else."
"Wait." Lt.
Sandsong held up a claw. "First, allow me to take care of something." The
saurian police officer crossed to a console and began typing quickly.
"You're laying
in a course?" Red Turbo asked, coming up behind him. "Where to?"
Red Turbo was
treated to the rather unsettling experience of a raptor's smile. "IGPF
headquarters. They'll arrive all wrapped up in a nice, neat package."
"I like you,"
Pink Turbo chuckled. The six immediately set to work, and soon had disabled
90 percent of the consoles.
"I've set up
a pulse that should start the engines when we're all safely off," Blue
Turbo explained. "The ship will head to Intergalactic Police headquarters,
and the engines will stop. Now, let's head back to the teleport bay and
wait for the rest of the Park family."
"Do you think
they're all right?" Red Turbo asked quietly. Green Turbo chuckled.
"Mom, Dad, AND
Adam? Scorpina and her army don't have a chance."
Adam and Trevor
had finished mopping up the last of Scorpina's army, most of whom lay moaning
on the ground in pain. Now they were watching as Eileen and Scorpina battled
it out, not daring to interfere.
"You pest!"
Scorpina hissed. "I was Zedd's greatest general, the best assassin in thirty-one
systems! What makes you think you can defeat me?"
"Easy," Eileen
returned. She punched Scorpina in the face, and followed it up with a vicious
kick to her side. "I'm a mother, and you messed with my son!"
A flashy move,
and Scorpina's stinger was knocked from her hands. The tip of her sword
at Scorpina's throat, Eileen regarded the other woman for a long moment,
then shook her head. "Nah. You're not worth it." With that, she hit Scorpina
over the head with the hilt of her sword, sending the villainess into unconsciousness.
Dropping the sword, she walked back over to her husband and son.
"Come on," she
sighed, slinging an arm around Trevor's shoulders. "We have to meet the
Rangers in the teleportation bay. I'll explain everything along the way."
Trevor nodded.
"Fine with me. But would you mind keeping the outfit?" He ducked as she
pretended to slug him. Adam chuckled. His parents were certainly an interesting
pair.
"And that's the
story," Fred finished. Zordon had been unable to monitor the fight on the
ship, so the Rangers were filling him in on it. The prisoners from the
ship had all be teleported to the IGPF base, and Trevor and Eileen Park
had headed for home. Adam and Franklin had exchanged looks at that, and
had decided to remain in the Power Chamber. Neither of them thought they
wanted to go back to the house for a while.
"You two certainly
have an interesting family," Justin mused, shaking his head.
"And now both
your parents know you're Rangers," Rosa continued. "Is that gonna cause
problems?"
Franklin shook
his head. "I don't think so. Dad was the one who had problems with the
idea. Mom looks like she's gonna be pretty cool about it."
Adam suddenly
looked at his watch. "I'd better get back to the college. My roommate's
going to be wondering where I am."
"How are you
going to explain those two psychos coming after you?" Tasha wanted to know.
Adam grinned.
"That's easy.
I'll just chalk it up to being from the Freak Zone," he chuckled, teleporting
out. The Turbo Rangers looked at each other.
"What's the
Freak Zone?" Fred asked. Before anyone could answer, however, the alarm
went off. Turning to look at the viewing globe, the Rangers groaned in
unison. A giant rabbit in a cowboy hat was bouncing through downtown.
"I'm almost
afraid to ask," Justin sighed, "but WHAT is THAT?"
"Divatox's newest
monster," Alpha said reluctantly. "Hopalong Cassidy."
The Rangers
collapsed with laughter. Zordon rolled his eyes. "Here we go again."
The End ... for now