My shock-value…a Cassie-Phantom fic! Don't hold your breath, it'll never happen again. Uh, it might take awhile for the third chapter…it's in the making! *smiles anxiously while ducking rotten tomatoes* You're too kind, really…on with the fic!

   Cassie looked out the window at the dreary weather outside. Her life had changed. She had gotten an amazing gift from a girl named Katherine Hillard, four new friends and a home. She reflected on the various people she had met today, or n the last few days: TJ, a strong and trustworthy baseball player, currently the Red Ranger; Justin, a genius twelve-year-old Blue Ranger; Ashley, a hyperactive cheerleader as the Yellow Ranger; Carlos, a soccer player, now the Green Ranger. Thinking of green, she turned her mind to an event earlier that day…

   Cassie took a deep breath and marched up to Carlos's predecessor. "Adam, right?" He turned at the sound and looked into her eyes.

   "Yeah. Cassie?" She nodded.

   "So…how long have you had the Power?" she inquired, for a lack of anything else to say.

   "Close to three years now," he answered. She whistled in amazement.

   "All green?" she asked. He shook his head in the negative.

   "Black, black, green and green."

   "Well, I hope that I stay on this team for as long," she joked, running a hand through her hair. Unexplainably she was nervous around him. Suddenly he laughed. "What? What's so funny?" she demanded.

   "Are you nervous?" he asked, half-joking. She took a second to respond. How did he know that?

   "Honestly? I'm not nervous, I'm terrified!" she exclaimed. She laughed. "No, the fact that five minutes ago I was standing minding my own business and suddenly this girl I've rescued walks up to me and asks, hey, you wanna be a Power Ranger is weird, but not scary. I'll bet no one else will have to go through what I am, don't you reckon?"

   "I remember what I felt like, although it wasn't becoming a Ranger first off. No, I found out who they were, and then the Black Ranger went overseas." Carlos, who motioned him over, interrupted him. "Nice to meet you!" he yelled.

   "Pleasure's all mine, Mr. Park," Cassie called back.

   "Pleasure's all mine, Mr. Park," she mimicked herself. She sighed. That encounter-and that guy-was going to be on her mind for a very loonnngggg time.

   Amazing. The only word she could think of to describe him. Amazing. Cassie fell back onto the bed breathlessly, thinking of the dark-armoured stranger that had come to their rescue. In that one instant where they were staring at each other she was sure she felt something. Static electricity would come close to what she felt, only about sixty times as much.

   "What the hell were you thinking?" Cassie yelled at Phantom. "Giving up your ruby?" The Phantom said nothing, as he was supposed to. She would have been extremely surprised if a picture talked back to her. Cassie leaned back against the wall and exhaled. Why had he given up his ruby so General Havoc could take it? she asked herself. Was she truly worth that? Obviously she was, in his eyes at least.

   She rushed to his side. "Are you okay, Phantom?" He looked at her.

   "I am fine Cassie. However, Zordon is not." She blocked out all that happened next, only dimly realising that Phantom had given Andros something, and then the rest of the Rangers pulling her away.

Later That Day

   Cassie cried into her pillow. What else was she supposed to do? Her boyfriend, and she used the term very loosely, had fallen unconscious, or worse, and she hadn't been there with him. Sure, she partly wanted to find out his identity, but most of her feelings came from her heart.

   As soon as DECA alerted them to the emergency, Cassie was already morphed and ready to go down to Earth. As soon as she got down there, she noticed a figure in a familiar-looking suit. It was only after she had thrown Carlos his morpher and the Megazord fight that she realised that it had been in the Power Chamber under the original Black Ranger. Her guess proved correct as she landed and saw Adam demorphing.

   "Hi," he said to them all. She ran up to him but was too late as Carlos made it in front of her.

   "Thanks again, man." After a few more pleasantries Adam went off, leaving Cassie's feelings in turmoil. On one hand, there was the mysterious air of the Phantom Ranger, who she cared for, and on the other there was the plain enigma that was Adam, who drew her to him unexplainably. She frowned suddenly. When Justin had revisited Rangerhood, he couldn't stop telling them about what he was doing and asking about what they were doing. Adam was exactly the opposite, smoothly evading any questions relating to a job or work, and not asking questions of them. It was like he already knew what they were doing.

   When Zhane stumbled upon their camp and confirmed their belief that there was no more help in the galaxy, Cassie was worried. No, not worried, anxious. Mostly about the situation they were in, but also about their strange ally. Was he hurt? If they…by a miracle…won this war, would she see him again?

The Next Day

   When Andros walked out with Karone/Astronema, her heart stopped. Literally. When Karone revived, her heart stopped again, this time with happiness. As much as her mind seemed on the party afterwards, half of it was on the Phantom Ranger. How had his fight gone? she wondered. Had he won? Or did he…lose?