Disclaimer: Power Rangers belongs to Saban. The characters Marie Fox and Cyndra belong to Greeneyes. Parts of this were inspired by Mercedes Lackey's book, "The Oathbound." /i
Author's Notes: This begins one week after 'The Search Goes On', approximately two days after Billy has landed on Rysha. I promise that the plot goes along a bit further than 'The Search Goes On' did. All the dates stated are within the same time zone. They were added in just to make this a little less confusing. ^_^ Kerova is the same planet as KO-35, I just thought that the name sounded nicer than a scientific designation. Thanks as usual go to my fave beta-reader, Cynthia. Rating is PG for some slight language. /i
The Enemy Is Near
By: Jade Daniels
*Monday afternoon: Planet Rysha*
The massive trees entered his field of vision in every direction he looked; they were so huge that not even several adults could surround one with their arms touching. Their branches reached up into the sky, blocking off practically every bit of sunlight, leaving only a few slim beams to reach the forest floor. Large heavy branches snapped at him as he continued to run past the ancient trees. The foot soldiers were catching up to him; he could hear them coming from behind, their fishy murmurs now a constant drone in his ears. His breath was coming out in short gasps; it made him glad that he was morphed. Without his powers, he was sure that they would have caught by now. As it was though, his extra endurance wasn't going to hold out much longer.
He had to find a way out of the forest, but had no idea just how close to the edge of it he was. The planet Rysha was made up mostly of barren rock, but the few forests that decorated the surface were huge, matching the kinds of trees that were produced. The forest floor was practically made up of interlocking tree roots, enough so that it was as if he was running across a bumpy wooden floor. There was barely enough room between the trunks for him to cross, thus making it practically impossible for him to call on his Galaxy Glider.
"I will catch you Silver Ranger," Divatox's voice rang throughout the trees, "And then Dark Specter will have another Ranger to add to his collection; and I'll have a new toy to play with."
Billy Cranston didn't bother to answer as he tried to keep down the bile that was creeping up his throat. The very thought of the Pirate Queen touching him made the Silver Ranger shudder. He may not have had any actual experience dealing with Divatox, but had learned enough to know that she was not someone that he would want to spend any time with at all. He craned his head over his shoulder, looking back to see how much distance he had gained between himself and the Piranatrons.
Perhaps if he had turned his head back a fraction of a second sooner, he would have seen the faintly glowing ring that had suddenly appeared on the path ahead of him. But it was too late by the time he noticed it in front of him; his foot had stepped inside it, thus dragging the rest of his body into the circle. Before Billy realized what was happening, darkness had enveloped him, and he felt as if he was falling.
The feeling soon stopped, with him landing on something soft: a bed. Chains suddenly snapped out from the sides, grabbing onto his wrists and ankles, keeping him firmly where he was. That was when he realized that he was not morphed anymore. On the tail of that realization came a cold dread as he saw how little he was wearing in actual clothing. A throaty chuckle sounded throughout the room. From the shadows stepped forth Divatox, wearing a black rubber full-body suit that unfortunately, left little to the imagination.
She smirked as she looked down at him, "I've been waiting for a chance to test the portal ring. I'm so glad to see that it works. Porto worked so hard on it. You'll notice that you're not morphed; the shielding around this room prevents it. And I'm certainly not about to tell you where your morpher is, Billy Cranston." She licked her lips as her eyes roamed over his body, "First Blue Ranger of Earth, considered the 'brainy' one. The Alliance files never mentioned what a nice body you have."
The Pirate Queen had by then walked up to the side of the bed; she leaned down, until her face was right over his, her arms propped up on either side of him. Her long tongue shot out, licking the Silver Ranger's face. "Hmmm...... you taste good too. I think I'll wait awhile before calling Dark Specter."
* * *
*Tuesday afternoon: Alliance of Evil Headquarters*
Dark Specter, leader of the Alliance of Evil growled as he read the latest reports from Earth. Astronema's growing incompetence was trying his patience. Already she had been there for a month, and she hadn't been able to even establish a foothold on the planet. It was becoming such a thorn at his side. Every time it seemed like evil gained an inch, it was pushed back by those irritating Power Rangers. Astronema was now the latest in a long line of failures to capture Earth.
The sudden noise of his door chime broke him out of his thoughts. With a growl, he allowed his door to open. The young-looking woman at the door glided into the room, the spider-silk of her gown never touching the floor. Dark Specter noted this approvingly; her mage abilities had increased since he had last saw her. The Evil Villain Institute for Ladies (E.V.I.L.) had done a good job with her. He watched as she called in a chair for herself, settling in carefully before finally looking up at him.
She wore a face of absolute angelic beauty. So innocent in it's visage that at first sight, no one could ever believe her even capable of evil thoughts. Her eyes were a bright blue, the very focus of her fair-skinned, heart shaped face. Her lips were a light pink, and from them a melodic voice was produced. Gentle waves of honey-blonde hair fell to her slim waist; a shining mass of tresses the envy of practically every villainess in the Alliance. The black spider-silk of her gown clung to every soft curve of her body that showed nothing that shouldn't be there. Dark Specter often wondered just how this vision of innocence could possibly be his granddaughter. But despite the fact that she looked like an angel, her body housed a mind of deadly evil.
"You called for me Lord Specter?" she asked. If he could have smiled, Dark Specter would have; Cyndra knew just how far to push past protocol with him. Normally one would be addressing him kneeling, or perhaps standing if they were bold enough. No one, except his family, would have been allowed to call in a chair for themselves. But even he had his limit; no one would have been able to get away with calling him by a familiar name.
He nodded, stepping forward from the shadows that had surrounded him. "Yes Cyndra. I have need of you to go to Earth." Inwardly, he smiled, knowing that his granddaughter had been awaiting just this chance to prove herself. If Cyndra managed to accomplish where so many others had failed, she would easily obtain the title as heir for his empire. If not, well, there were so many more people, and kin that he could choose from. With a thought, he brought up a hologram of the blue-green planet that had caused him so much trouble.
She raised an elegant eyebrow, "I thought that Astronema was already there." An image of the Dark Fortress appeared in orbit around the holographic Earth.
"Yes, but she is proving inadequate to handle this by herself," growled Dark Specter. Flashes from some of the more recent battles appeared. In all of them, the Rangers were victorious. "You are to go see why she hasn't made any significant progress, and to see if you can make any headway there."
"As you command Lord Specter," Cyndra bowed, vanishing away the chair, "When do I leave?"
"Immediately."
* * *
*Wednesday, early morning: Dark Fortress*
Astronema was angry, that much was certain as Ecliptor saw the sparks flying from the Princess' visible aura. He had walked in to find his protegee pacing madly around the throne room, barely stopping her stride to greet him. "What is it that troubles you Princess?" he asked.
"I just received a message from Dark Specter," she informed him.
"What did he have to say?" he asked, unable to understand why a message from Lord Specter would cause such worry for Astronema. The Princess of Evil was Dark Specter's favorite, Ecliptor himself had made sure of that.
"Cyndra is coming," she grated out through clenched teeth, finally stopping her pacing to face him. "Dammit!! You realize what this means don't you?"
Ecliptor nodded, knowing exactly what that meant; the possibility of Astronema being replaced had suddenly become alarmingly real. By all rights, Cyndra should have had Astronema's position and title in the Alliance of Evil, because she was Dark Specter's granddaughter. She was his only living relative. It was only the fact that she had been studying that had prevented the mage from taking her place as commander of the Dark Fortress in the first place. Because of that, Astronema, under Ecliptor's guidance, had been granted that position. But now that Cyndra was on her way to Earth, there was no telling what could happen.
"I'm not going to allow that spoiled little bitch to take over my place," growled Astronema, "I won't!" Her eyes glowed with hatred at the mere thought of Cyndra. She was a general pain in the butt as far as the Princess of Evil was concerned. During the past ten years that she had known the woman, none of them had been pleasant.
"She will do whatever she can to prove you wrong," warned Ecliptor.
Astronema snorted, "Of course she will, it's in her blood to do so. But that doesn't mean that she'll succeed." She rubbed a hand over her forehead, unsuccessfully trying to prevent an oncoming headache.
"Where's the Red Ranger?" The Princess of Evil frowned as she realized that her servant hadn't been seen since the night before, and then only briefly by the food replicators. The independence that he had been exercising was wearing thin; she needed him to be around when she wanted him. If he couldn't appreciate that, then perhaps it would be better to make him a complete slave once again.
"Begin a search for him now," she growled walking out to the bridge.
Ecliptor bowed, immediately setting the Quantrons to their task. It only took a few minutes before the Dark Fortress scanners picked up their target. The Red Ranger was found inside a cave along one of the more deserted areas of Angel Grove beach. A sound and sight shield had been set up over the cave; obviously the Red Ranger had something to hide inside. The scanners soon came up with a visual inside the cave, showing that the Red Ranger wasn't alone; suspended from the cave ceiling was the Yellow Astro Ranger, Ashley Hammond.
Astronema smiled at the sight of the captured Ranger, momentarily forgetting her troubles with Cyndra. "Well, well, well, what do we have here?" she murmured as she watched the events unfold.
* * *
*Wednesday morning: Somewhere in Angel Grove*
She hurt. That much she was aware of as she slowly regained consciousness. Other realizations quietly seeped into her brain as she became more awake. Her head was throbbing, a practically never-ending drumming inside her skull. Her arms were tied at the wrist, suspended above her. Her feet felt bound as well; it was hard to see anything in the dim light.
Ashley could barely remember how she had gotten captured; most of it was still a blurred haze. What little her brain managed to recall wasn't very helpful. The Yellow Ranger had decided to go for a walk along Angel Grove beach, alone. She had told Carlos that she had wanted some time to do some thinking after school. While traveling along a deserted strip of sand, she had decided to stop for a rest. Suddenly, there had been a sharp pain at her head, then oblivion. How long ago had that been?
Her dungeon was crude; a cave as far as she could tell. She must have been at the very back for there was very little light to see with. Her arms ached from having held up her body weight for who knew how long. Her morphers were of course, nowhere nearby, and there wasn't anything else readily available for her to use as a weapon.
Ashley's ears perked as she heard footsteps walking towards her. Bright flames began flaring from torches she hadn't noticed before, throwing out odd shadows along the cave walls. The flickering light provided enough illumination for her to see who was coming. She didn't bother to stifle her gasp. If there was a face behind the visored red helmet, she was sure that it would've smirked.
"I see that you're finally awake Ashley," the smooth baritone made her shudder. He noticed her reaction and chuckled. "I wouldn't try anything if I were you, although it might be fun to watch. There's a sound shield over this place, so no one will hear you even if you do scream; and of course, a sight shield so no one will be coming inside to see my latest prize. You were easier to capture than I would have thought, not much of a challenge. But I'm sure that you'll provide more than enough entertainment for me later on. My mistress Astronema holds this world in the palm of her hand. Once she takes over, I will be well placed amongst her court." He lifted her chin up with one gloved finger, "And you are going to be by my side."
She wished she could bit him; somehow wipe what must be an arrogant look off of his face. "Well you're going to have a long wait. Astronema is never going to take over Earth, not as long as the Power Rangers are around you bastard son of a whore!"
He laughed, "Tsk, tsk! What vulgar language! Of course, you're the damsel in distress, why wouldn't you be hamming up you're part?" His finger slowly trailed down her neck, stopping at the neckline of her shirt, just above her chest. Ashley shivered as his touch left goosebumps on her skin. "And who said that it would be work?"
"Go to hell," she spat, very much aware of his continued touch.
"Oh but my dear Ashley," he whispered into her ear, "You are already here. Of course, I'll be making it as pleasant for you as possible." Suddenly, he tilted his head, as if he were listening to something. But he turned back towards her, "I must go. There's something that I must care of." He began walking out, but not before throwing over his shoulder, "Don't go anywhere."
With the Red Ranger's departure, the torches immediately died out, leaving Ashley alone in the dim light of the cave. The only sounds she heard now was the lapping of the ocean waves against the sand. As much as she wanted to scream, she knew better than to doubt the Red Ranger's word about the shields. It would be better to concentrate her energies on trying to figure just how to get herself out of the cave.
After a few hours of useless struggling, Ashley realized that her efforts were futile. There was nothing to pick at the locks with, assuming that there were even locks on the chains. Her struggling had left her weak and tired. If the Red Ranger had wanted to do something to her then, she would have barely fought back. Her only hope now would be the other Rangers; she just hoped that they would find her soon.
* * *
*Wednesday afternoon: Astro Megaship*
The picture held six figures, all dressed in their representative colors. They were the new Astro Rangers, now of Earth. Marie had never thought that there would be with a team again. It certainly hadn't been in her plans when she had began her vendetta to destroy Dark Specter and his Alliance of Evil. But now, she couldn't see herself without her newfound friends, especially Billy. The current Silver Ranger had come to dominate much of her thoughts during the time that she had come to know him. Perhaps it was because he had been the first new friend she had made in the three years since the destruction of Kerova.
She missed her home so much. Billy had been so kind in showing her around Angel Grove, she wished she could do the same. Marie knew that the old team would have liked him; they would have liked all her new friends. She smiled warmly, but then sighed. She still felt guilty..... guilty about leaving them all behind. Especially Andros. How could she not, especially considering just who and what he had become: Astronema's Red Ranger.
A chime interrupted Marie's thoughts. "Open," she said, allowing the door to slide away, revealing a worried looking Carlos at the entrance.
"Have you seen Ashley today?" the Black Ranger asked without preamble.
Marie looked puzzled as she shook her head, "No. Actually, I don't remember seeing her at all today. Why?"
"No one has seen her since yesterday," he answered grimly, "She'd told me that she planned on going to the beach for a walk alone. But neither TJ or Cassie have seen her since then. I checked her room; it didn't look like it'd been slept in."
Marie wanted to know just how Carlos had gotten into Ashley's room, but knew that now was not the time to ask that question. She knew what conclusion he had come to about Ashley, "You think she's missing."
He nodded, "TJ suggested that I have DECA scan around Angel Grove for her. He's on the bridge right now."
"That's good," smiled Marie, seeing how worried he was about Ashley. She put a hand on his shoulder, "I'm sure she's alright." Carlos smiled faintly, and the Gold Ranger realized that he wouldn't believe that Ashley was okay until he saw her for himself.
* * *
*Thursday morning: Somewhere in the universe, aboard Divatox's ship*
The fighting ring was empty today, save for one lone figure at the center of the dirt floor circle. Had he been aware of his surroundings, he might have been able to appreciate the decorator's use of the human design of the Roman Colosseum. Around the fighting ring stood a seven-foot wall of smooth granite. The wall held up a large balcony, capable of holding many spectators. Only two people sat in the seats today, taking delight as they watched the proceedings below.
"Thank you for this most interesting toy brother," smiled Divatox, the self-styled Pirate Queen.
Her brother, General Havoc, bowed his head a little, "Well, thank you for the interesting guinea pig. Mondo wasn't very specific on how this version of his toy worked. Nice to have something to test it on."
"Better him than a Piranatron," shrugged Divatox with a careless air, "Those things are so mindless you'd probably have gotten nothing out of them."
Havoc nodded absently, intent on observing the effects Mondo's machine had on the victim. The Machine King had only given him vague explanations on how to operate the Brain Drain device. The operations manual hadn't been much help either. This version was a modification of what Mondo's son Gasket had used on the Red Zeo Ranger, Tommy Oliver. It wasn't a transfer of powers like the original, rather a pull upon the most intimate thoughts of the victim's mind.
Down in the ring sat the current user of the Brain Drain, the Silver Astro Ranger, Billy Cranston. He was seated in a large metal chair, with arms, legs, and neck strapped down with energy restraints. Settled on his head was a large helmet, attached to the bottom of the chair by a large metallic coil. The whole device looked like a warped hair steamer. From the helmet a small beam was emitted, shining images onto a large screen in front, which the two evil siblings had been watching with great delight.
"Time to see what this does," said Havoc, as he pulled out a remote control, a small box with an odd assortment of dials and buttons covering the surface. He pushed one of the buttons, and a corresponding scream sounded from Billy's lips.
"Ooooh, I like that!!" exclaimed Divatox, "Do it again!"
Havoc complied, pushing another button on the remote control. A small light from the chair turned on for a second before Billy screamed in pain again. Divatox laughed as the sound reached her ears. Immediately she yanked the device from Havoc's grasp, and began fiddling with the various dials and buttons on the remote. This served to increase Billy's pain as the chair probed deeper into his mind, creating a tormenting physical pain that was far worse than Havoc had done before.
Suddenly, the Silver Ranger's body went limp. Divatox looked at her brother, "Is he dead?"
Havoc's eyes, being better than his sister's, was able to prove otherwise as he saw Billy's chest slowly moving. "No, he's not dead," he replied testily, "No thanks to you!"
"What did I do?" she demanded, glaring at her brother with glowing red eyes.
"Well, if you hadn't decided to play with the remote, we could've had a little more time to experiment on him," retorted Havoc, carefully tucking the remote device away from Divatox, "As it is, he's unconscious and absolutely no use to us at the moment." He turned to the nearby Piranatrons, "Take him back to his cell."
* * *
A figure hidden from view watched as two Piranatrons made themselves known. Following their master's orders, they freed Billy from the energy restraints, and began dragging his limp body away from the now bickering siblings. The still invisible presence could see that the Silver Ranger was barely conscious throughout the ride back to his cell, as he was unceremoniously flung onto the cold metal floor. Their task completed, the two foot soldiers immediately left, locking the door behind them. Neither noticed the air flickering, as if someone had slipped in before the door had been locked.
In the darkness, the invisible figure made certain that there were no watchers in the room. Once confirmed, he made his presence known. The air flickered once more, before a figure in black materialized in the room. He looked down at the injured Ranger, trying to decide what to do. Kneeling down beside the body, he gently tried to shake Billy awake. After a few moments the Silver Ranger moaned, slowly lifting his head.
Billy's face was not a beautiful sight to behold, full of bruises and scars, marking the torture that had been inflicted upon him. The stranger rolled him upon his back, carefully getting him into a sitting position. A small vial materialized in the stranger's hands, and the contents were carefully poured down the Silver Ranger's mouth. Although he coughed a bit, Billy managed to force the liquid down his throat.
"Who are you?" he mumbled through swollen lips.
"The Ruby Ranger of Ithta, although I may be known to your friends as the Phantom Ranger," answered the figure, "I've come to get you out of here. The healing potion you just drank ought to give you enough strength before we find your morpher."
Billy shook his head weakly, "No, Zordon....."
"He isn't here," interrupted Phantom, "Wherever Divatox is keeping him now, she's managed to keep it a secret from everyone. But don't worry, there are others working on finding him as we speak. So, are you going to come with me?"
Slowly, Billy nodded, allowing the other Ranger to help him to his feet. "My morpher...."
"Is in a locked storage room off of that marshmallow thing's lab," said Phantom as he began working with the cell's lock, "We should be able to get in there undetected." Within a few moments, a small click was heard, and the door slid open a few centimeters.
"How?" asked Billy, a little more aware now that his head wasn't pounding as hard. The pain that had been flaring throughout his entire body had seemed to dim as well. While he didn't feel ready to take on the world, Billy at least felt well enough now to make his way through Divatox's ship.
"My shield," answered Phantom, "I can extend it to encompass the two of us. It'll make us invisible to sight, as well as sensors. Come on, we've got to hurry." With that, he placed a hand to his chest, activating his shield.
As the two Rangers slipped out of the cell, Billy found that the shield was working as the Phantom Ranger said. All of the Piranatrons that they passed didn't notice the two of them at all. They easily made their way through the ship, managing to gain access into the storage room with little difficulty. Within minutes, Billy's morpher was retrieved; with a sigh of relief, he slipped it on, morphing into the Silver Ranger. Just as the morphing was complete, alarms began to ring out through the ship.
"Looks like we've worn out our welcome," Phantom said, as he indicated for Billy to follow him. Under the cloak of the Ruby Ranger's shield, they raced through the hallways undetected to one of the ship's large storage bays.
Once they arrived, Phantom retrieved something from a section of tied down barrels. It was small and black, in the shape of a pyramid. He explained to Billy that it was a teleportation amplifier, allowing the two of them to teleport safely back onto his ship. After a few minutes of fiddling with the device, the mysterious Ranger announced that it was ready and working. Just as the Piranatrons began to pry open the doors to the storage bay, the two Rangers teleported away in flashes of black and silver light.
* * *
*Thursday morning: Dark Fortress*
It hadn't taken long for Cyndra to arrive at the Dark Fortress; Dark Specter had used some of his magic to speed his granddaughter along her way to Earth thus shortening her trip to two days. Her reception on board the Dark Fortress had been made with as minimal fuss as possible, not little enough to technically be an insult, but for one of her heritage, it was insult enough. But Astronema's cold glare only made Cyndra smile as she regarded the raven-haired Princess of Evil. Soon, all that will change. No longer will it be Astronema seated at Dark Specter's side, but me! And I will take my rightful place as the true heir to the Alliance of Evil.
"It's so good to finally meet you," she said, her melodic voice floating through the room with only the slightest hint of maliciousness.
"Yes, finally," Astronema replied with equal elegance, but with a hard edge to her voice.
This will be so much fun. Cyndra laughed inwardly, seeing the challenge in Astronema's eyes. I am surprised she didn't bring out her little toy though. Would have thought that she would have wanted to rub my face in what she managed to do. But there was no point in having Astronema retrieve the Red Ranger now; there would be plenty of time for Cyndra to look at him later.
The Princess of Evil assigned two Quantrons to take Cyndra to her appointed room. She accepted the escorts with a smile but knew this to be yet another slight insult. Astronema herself should have taken Cyndra to her room. But this didn't matter, she had special plans that the so-called Princess didn't need to know about. The two mechanical foot soldiers that led Cyndra never noticed as the mage's hands began glowing with an odd green light. Neither did they notice anything as she gently touched the back of their heads with those glowing hands; and nothing was noticed when the glow left her hands, entering their bodies. With a smile and a glint in her eyes, Cyndra entered her quarters, but lingered at the entrance momentarily. Her eyes focused on the two departing escorts, watching as one brushed passed another Quantron. That Quantron's eyes glowed for a brief instant before returning to normal.
Satisfied, Cyndra slipped back into her room, which was already furnished with most of her things. Lined upon a shelf were many darkly colored vials. She took one down, pouring its contents into a black bowl that was in her hand. Added to the dark red liquid was a sparkling white powder, followed by another dark liquid. She stirred the entire mixture with her finger, smiling as she did so. Once that was done, she pricked her stirring finger, allowing three drops of blood to mix in. The bowl was then upended over a small statuette in the middle of the floor. The liquid vanished into the statue.
Chuckling quietly, the mage picked up the statue, smoothing a finger over the round helmet that had been carved there. "Soon, Red Ranger, you will be mine. And Astronema's reign will end."
* * *
*Saturday evening: A deserted strip of Angel Grove Beach*
Little knowing what plans were being made for his future above in the Dark Fortress, the Red Ranger made his way into the cave where he was holding his prize: Ashley Hammond. The torches flared to life as he stepped in range of their magical sensors. The flickering lights shone erratically upon the shield he had placed around his captive. No longer was Ashley tied from the ceiling, but trapped beneath a shining dome. He could see the wariness in her eyes as he stepped into view. A smile crept upon his face underneath the helmet; he would change that look soon enough.
This was the fourth day of Ashley's stay in the cave, and he was enjoying every minute of it. As he had told her, it hadn't been all that hard to get her here. He had waited patiently until the perfect opportunity had presented itself; something he hadn't expected to be so soon. He had expected to have to wait for as long as a month before he could obtain his prize. Instead, there she had been, all alone on the beach; a perfect invitation for him to seize her.
It had been proof of the power that he held now: over her, and over himself. Although she didn't know it, he remembered what Astronema had done to him while he had been under the obedience spell. There wasn't anything that would make him hate his mistress, but the feeling of powerlessness was not one he would willing go back to again. That was why, although he didn't like it, he was following Astronema's orders regarding the Yellow Ranger.
His mistress' orders had been simple: no physical torture. He sensed that there was some underlying personal reasons behind that order, but had not questioned it at the time. He had been surprised that she had known of what he had done, but it should not have been a surprise to him. After all, she was his creator, why wouldn't she know everything about him?
"Good evening Ashley," he said, allowing some amusement to colour his voice. Everything was going perfectly so far, especially since there had been no other Power Rangers to mess up anything. They obviously hadn't been able to penetrate the shielding surrounding the area, and he didn't expect them to be able to any time soon.
The Yellow Ranger didn't answer, but then, he hadn't expected her to. She hadn't said much in the past few days; as if by not talking to him she could forget that he was there. Kneeling on the ground, he slid the tray of food he had brought into the dome. She ignored it, much like she ignored everything else around her. Eventually, he knew that she would eat, not much, but enough to keep her from starving.
He stood up then, not wanting to spend the whole night on his knees. "Your friends aren't coming you know," he began, expecting another night of one-sided conversations. They were just simple bits of information, designed to undermine Ashley's faith in her friends finding her. "They've probably given up by now. Hell, they probably think you're dead."
"Or worse," she retorted, looking up at him, "Like you."
"Oh, so she does speak!" he exclaimed mockingly, throwing his arms out wide. "Now, will she fight back?"
"Give me my morpher and I'll show you," she replied fiercely.
He called in the morpher into his hands, "You mean this old thing?" He saw her eyes widen, then narrow in anger. He laughed, dangling the device just past the shield's range. "Too bad you aren't getting it."
She glared at him, "You bloody bastard! Is that all you are? Just a coward afraid to take me on in a fair fight? Afraid that I'd beat you?"
He shook his head, immediately recognizing her ploy. "No, not afraid, just following orders my dear. And speaking of orders, one really must wonder just what kind of orders your leader is giving, to have kept you here in my company for four days straight." She turned her head away, her eyes facing the ground. He continued to press his advantage. "Hmmm, maybe they think you like it here. Do you like it here my dear Ashley?"
"Stop calling me that!!" she shouted, "I am not your 'dear' anything! And there is no way in hell that I would ever like this place!! There is no way that I would ever like being with you!!"
With what little magic he possessed, he formed a table from the sand floor, placing the morpher upon the tabletop. He chuckled, "Oh but Ashley, you would be so much more comfortable here if you'd allow me to give you some luxuries. Ah, but you insist on making me your enemy. But just who really is the enemy here my dear? Me? I've only tried to make your more comfortable. Besides that one time I used blunt force to bring you here, you can't say that I have hurt you in any way. As for your friends? Don't you think they should've found you by now, if they were really your friends?"
He saw the doubt that was in her eyes now, slowly poisoning her mind against those who she called teammates. All he needed was a bit more time, a few more words, and soon she would be completely his for the taking. He decided that this was enough for tonight; the seed had been planted. A little time alone would let her deal with her own thoughts on her current situation. Without another word, he teleported out of the cave back to the Dark Fortress. Awaiting him in his quarters was Cyndra, the new mage that had come aboard per Dark Specter's orders. She smiled sweetly as he entered, standing up to face him.
"Did you plant the seed?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
He nodded, "It has been done Mistress Cyndra." Ashley's doubts hadn't been totally her own, but were being magically augmented by a special seed planted into the Yellow Ranger's food. Over time, the doubts that he had cast in her mind would take over, turning her against the other Rangers.
"Good," she purred, running a hand over his shoulder. "You shall discuss this with no one," she commanded softly, "Especially not Astronema. Is that clear?"
"Of course Mistress Cyndra," he replied, "I will obey your every command."
"Yes, you will won't you?" she laughed before slipping out of the room.
* * *
*Saturday early evening: Astro Megaship*
He couldn't understand what was taking so long; DECA should've been able to find something by now. All this technology at his hands, and he could do nothing. Nothing, except watch, and wait. It was the endless waiting that was getting to him. Already four days had gone by, and not a single blip on the scanners. Carlos was about ready to go down to Angel Grove himself to find Ashley. And to top it all off, the Rangers hadn't heard from Billy in awhile either. The dark circles under Marie's eyes were beginning to match Carlos' own.
"Wearing a hole in the floor isn't going to help her you know." Carlos turned around to face the leader of the Astro Rangers. TJ's face looked as tired as the Black Ranger felt, and was one full of sympathy and understanding.
"I've got to do something Teej," he replied, running a hand through his hair. "I can't just stand around, not knowing what's happening to her."
TJ sat down on a console, "And in the meantime, you're neglecting yourself. When was the last time you slept, or even ate? Frankly, you like hell. You're in no condition to go off helping Ashley like this. You know that she would same the same thing too."
Carlos sighed, closing his eyes, "I...I know you're right. But she's my best friend! Wouldn't you be doing the same thing to, if Cassie was the one captured?"
"Yeah, you're right, I probably would," TJ nodded, "But that isn't the case. Now, I want you to go to the Synthetron and get something to eat. I'll stay here and let you know if anything comes up. Alright?"
Something in TJ's eyes told Carlos that if he didn't say yes, he'd find himself being force-fed through a tube. Reluctantly, the Black Ranger nodded, making his way to the eating area of the Astro Megaship. He ordered himself something that wouldn't take too long to eat: a sandwich. Just as he was sitting down with his plate, two streams of light came into the room: one silver, and one black. The columns vanished, leaving behind the Phantom and Silver Rangers.
"Your friend needs medical attention," said the Phantom Ranger, supporting Billy.
Momentarily startled, Carlos soon found his voice, "Uh, right. Follow me." He quickly led them to the medical bay, on the way calling up the other Rangers. The team immediately met inside the med room to find that Billy had already been put on one of the bio-beds. Alpha was performing a scan upon the Silver Ranger, consulting the visual reader as he did so.
"Is he going to be alright?" asked Marie, taking one of Billy's hands. His helmet off, the Silver Ranger smiled as he looked up at her. She blushed, gently letting his hand go.
"He should be," reassured Alpha, after taking another look at the visual readouts, "He's been badly beaten, but there's nothing here that is life-threatening." He looked at the Silver Ranger, "Don't worry Billy, you'll be fine in a few days."
Letting out a deep breath of relief, Marie looked up at the Phantom Ranger. "Thank you for bringing him back to us."
"It was the least I could do," replied the mysterious Ranger, "You have helped me in the past; this is my way of repaying you."
"So, are you going to leave again?" Cassie's voice was soft, but it managed to silence the entire room. TJ edged himself closer to the Pink Ranger, in a protective stance no one could mistake.
Phantom shook his head, "No, I plan to stay, for now. I've been given permission from my planet to aid you in your cause. And because of that, it is time that I show you who I am." Head down, his hand touched the power ruby at his chest. In a flare of red light, the Phantom Ranger's armor vanished, leaving behind a human male. He lifted his head up, a small smile playing upon his face as he looked at the Gold Astro Ranger.
Marie's eyes widened as she saw his face, barely stifling her gasp. She blinked her eyes rapidly for a moment, wondering if this was a dream. When she saw that the image hadn't faded, she wanted to cry. It might have been three years since she'd seen him, but there was no mistaking the face. With a choked sob, she threw herself into his open arms, welcoming the strong embrace of the arms around her. A single word escaped her throat:
"Andros!!"