Nightwing/Dick Grayson, Batman/Bruce Wayne, and Oracle/Barbara Gordon belong to DC Comics/Time Warner.
Tony Newman, Doug Phillips, and Ann MacGregor belong to Irwin Allen Productions.
I am using them without permission, however I have not and don't expect to make money from this.
Gaby, Rick, Norman, and any others you don't recognize are mine.
Rated PG-13 : Crude language; violence; sexual references.
Reviews are appreciated, please take a moment to leave one.
"Eric?"
Fever, stiffness, pain in his arm and chest… Eric stirred, tried to move into a more comfortable position. A fresh stab of pain rewarded him. He opened his eyes to bright light and became aware of his surroundings.
"Hi. Was wondering if you were going to wake up."
He blinked, turned his head sharply toward the voice, and winced at another sharp pain as his wrist jerked against something hard. He was lying on carpeting, arms handcuffed behind his back. A few feet away a man in black with a V of midnight blue across his chest lay similarly bound. They were in what looked like an ordinary office, complete with desk and filing cabinets, late afternoon light slanting through dusty, wire-reinforced windows.
"You?" Eric growled in surprise. "What the hell are you doing here?"
Nightwing grinned. "Nice to see you again, too," he said. "And the last I heard, you were dodging dinosaurs. How did you get here?"
"I don't know. And I didn't dodge well enough."
"Yeah, you look a little banged up."
"A little. How long have I been out?"
"Judging by the light, two or three hours. Just woke up myself." He gave Eric a look of concern. "You had me worried there for a minute."
"Worry about how we're going to get out of here." Eric pulled cautiously at the cuffs. Then he felt it, fear tracing icy fingers through his gut. "My morpher's gone!"
"Our friend Norman must have taken it."
Another, sharper pang of fear as Eric looked around the room again. "Where's Gaby?"
Nightwing sighed softly. "Norman probably has her too."
"We've got to find them!" He yanked at the cuffs, gasping as they cut into his injured wrist.
"Hey, hold on! Relax for a minute, and I'll get those off." Nightwing shifted position slightly, rolling with his back to Eric. A key appeared in his hand. After a few seconds, he was out of his cuffs and bending over Eric, freeing him also.
"How did you do that?"
"A handcuff key in my glove. Norman took my phone and some of my gadgets, but he missed the key."
"I guess he's new at the bad guy business."
"Lucky for us." He stood up and crossed to the door. "Locked. I'll need a little time to get it open."
"No. I've got to find Gaby." Eric struggled to his feet. "We can kick it down."
"Eric, that would make too much noise. Wait for me to pick the lock. We don't want those cyclobots to get us again."
"He took Gaby because he wants... Who knows what he's doing to her right now?"
"I know. But you don't look in any shape for a fight, not without your morpher. That leaves just me up against a crazy mutant and a building full of robots, and I'm not in the best condition either, after being blasted. Our only chance is to take him by surprise." He knelt to look closely at the door lock, glancing back up. "Believe me, I know how you feel."
Eric's voice rose harshly. "How the hell would you know how I feel? It's not your girlfriend that freak might be raping right now!"
"No. But it's my girlfriend who's been in a wheelchair since one of our enemies shot her in the back. And I don't much like the idea of any woman being raped."
Eric blinked at him, sighed, and dropped into a chair, closing his eyes. "I'm sorry. But -- first she disappeared and I didn't know what happened to her -- and now this…"
"Hey, I said I know how you feel. Forget it."
Eric made a deliberate effort to relax, consciously loosening his muscles one by one as he watched Nightwing pull a tiny set of tools from his boot cuff and start to work on the door. "Thought you left town," he said after a few moments. "How'd you get involved in this?"
"I was still here, finishing my vacation. Tried to help when Bio-Lab was attacked. And then you, Wes, and Jen were gone… I did what I could to help out. Some friends found this place for me. And when I don't contact them… Batman'll get help for us. Or show up himself."
"Yeah. But when?"
"Already on the way, I hope."
Back on the beach, once again. For a moment Wes was simply thankful to be home again, the buildings of Silver Hills visible in the distance, no rain forest, no dinosaurs, just seagulls circling as the gentle ocean waves lapped at the shore. He took a deep breath of sea air, the coolness refreshing after days of humid heat and unfamiliar smells.
As they all left the timeship, he saw Tony and Doug stop to stare around them, smiles breaking out on their faces. How much more must they be feeling, after being lost in time for almost two years? He watched them take a few steps away.
"Look… just look at that," Doug said softly, pointing to the city in the distance. "Civilization."
"Never thought skyscrapers would look so beautiful," Tony said, his voice just as reverent.
Doug laughed. "Right now I'd be happy to breathe polluted city air…"
"Get stuck in a traffic jam…"
"Oh, God, to be in a crowd of people…"
"You'll get your chance," Wes said, smiling. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed Steve Miller. "Steve?" he said when Miller's voice answered.
"Wes?"
"Yeah, it's me. I'm back."
"Oh, thank God… I mean, welcome back, sir."
Tony and Doug were staring, fascinated. "Is that a radio communications device? It's so small!" Tony exclaimed.
Wes was tempted to laugh. "It's just a telephone. Operates by radio waves, relayed through towers connected by a network. They're very common now."
"Wow," Doug said. "I forgot we have thirty-five years of technology to catch up with."
"Do you have flying cars?" Tony asked eagerly.
"Nope. They do in Alex's time. But wait'll you see our computers." Wes returned his attention to Steve. "Have you heard anything from Eric?"
"No. Isn't he with you?"
"Afraid not." Wes's spirits plunged again. "Well, you'd better send a car for us. We're on the beach, at the usual place."
"Yes, sir. Sir, there's a message for you. Urgent. Said he knows where Norman Ryder may be." Steve's voice hesitated. "Said he's Batman."
"Norman, you used to be a nice guy. You haven't killed anyone… why not just let us go? Don't get yourself in any more trouble." Gaby smiled as charmingly as she could, considering how frightened she was.
"How would you know if I was nice or not? You never bothered to find out."
"We just never came into contact. Maybe if I got to know you now, things would be different."
"Right. Now you think I'm just a freak."
"I'm sorry I said that. I was upset. Can you blame me?"
"I thought you'd see, now," he said, sounding like a petulant child. "I thought you'd finally realize that I'm much better than that muscle-bound idiot. That I'm the one you should be with."
Gaby ignored the prickle of anger that shot through her and smiled again. They were back in the office that Norman had put her in, him sitting on the sofa. She had chosen a chair to prevent him from getting too close. She felt her eyes drawn to Eric's morpher, lying on the end of the sofa where Norman had carelessly tossed it, almost hidden behind the rolled-up jacket she had used as a pillow. If she could only get it… and get to Eric somehow…
"I know you're very smart. I'm really impressed with everything you've been able to do. Maybe you're right, that we should be together. But -- I could never go for a guy who hurts people. If you'd let us go, I'd be impressed with that too." She put her most sincere and appealing look on her face, hoping she wasn't going too far. But for all his brains, she suspected Norman wasn't very clever in certain areas.
"Do you really think you could fall in love with me?" He looked hopeful.
"You said it yourself, you're smart -- and now you're strong, and powerful -- I'd have to be crazy not to notice you now." Yeah, you're noticeably nutso, she thought savagely, smiling warmly.
"I don't know -- you seemed so angry before…"
"Well, I was angry… no girl likes to be snatched out of a parking lot in the middle of the night. You scared me." She pouted at him. Can't believe this fruitcake is falling for this routine…
Norman smiled at her. "But now you forgive me?"
"Of course. I know you meant it for the best. For my own good." She lowered her eyes shyly. I'd love to kick the living crap out of you, for your own good, Bozo. "If you'd let Eric and Nightwing go..." she started.
"Why do you care so much about them?" Norman's voice was sharp.
"Well..." She licked her lips, trying not to look nervous. "Eric is hurt. Sick. I don't want you to get in trouble if he... dies." He stared at her suspiciously. "It's just because I really like you..."
"Then -- prove it." He was on his feet, pulling her up to face him, his smile turning predatory as he leaned in.
Wes waited, cautiously looking around, as Jen climbed in through the window behind him. Alex was already crossing the room to a door, opening it a crack, then leaning out to look up and down the hallway it opened onto. He turned to beckon them.
"Hear it?" he asked, his voice low.
Wes did hear it, machinery in the distance, metal against metal. Perhaps the sound of cyclobots being manufactured.
"Ready?"
Wes and Jen nodded. They were all already morphed, ready for a fight. When they had arrived, they had found a contingent of Silver Guardians already in place, but they had decided to go in alone first. No need to risk the Guardians' lives, not yet. And -- no search warrant, no legal reason to enter the building.
"I still don't like this," Jen said. "It's breaking and entering."
Wes turned to her. "That window was open. We didn't break anything."
"We're still entering."
"We're just looking. Besides, we have reason to think Gaby and Nightwing are here, maybe in trouble."
"Shhh," Alex hissed. He slowed as they approached an open doorway. Wes and Jen stayed behind him as he flattened against the wall and slowly peered in. A moment later he was back, looking at them.
"What did you see?" Wes asked in a whisper.
"This is the place, all right. It's a cyclobot factory."
"Let me see…"
"Watch out!" Jen's voice was startlingly loud as she shoved off from the wall. Five cyclobots had rounded a corner behind them and were now breaking into a charge, on the attack. In another moment the three Rangers were retreating into the room, an alarm beginning to sound.
Gaby resisted a strong urge to shove Norman away and let him kiss her. But when his hands started to move down her body… She pulled back, giving him another shy smile, trying to look the picture of modest womanhood. "Sorry, I still don't know you very well," she murmured. And really, really don't want to…
"This is the best way to get to know each other." He started to kiss her again, pulling her close with a trace of that inhuman strength.
She said the only thing she could think of to stall him, and maybe get him to do what she really wanted. "Norman, please… I have to tell Eric it's over between us first… I wouldn't feel right…"
He stared at her for a moment, then grinned and grabbed her hand. "We'll go tell him right now."
"And Norman… will you let them go? For me?" Again she put all the appeal she could into those words, willing him to agree.
"If I do… then you'll be mine?" His eyes were bright, but there was a hardness behind them.
Do I have a choice? A chill ran through her, twisting her stomach into a knot. As she was opening her mouth to answer, a shrill sound ripped through the air. Absurdly, she thought, Saved by the bell...
"The intruder alarm!" Norman turned on her, suddenly furious. "They did this! Got out, or called their friends!"
"How could they? You left them handcuffed!"
"We'll see! Time to get rid of them, anyway!" He grabbed her wrist, hurting.
She twisted her arm, and pushed at him, clawing at his hand. With a snarl of anger, he shoved her back, to fall onto the sofa. For a moment she huddled there, her back to him. Then he stepped forward to yank her up, and drag her out of the room.
Moments later, he was pulling her swiftly through the hallway, on their way to the office where Eric and Nightwing were imprisoned. And Eric's morpher was under Gaby's sweater, securely wedged in her bra.
"Someone's coming. Quick, get back on the floor." Nightwing hurriedly slipped his toolkit back in his boot as Eric lay down again, hands behind his back. A moment later the door opened. Eric stared up, feeling both anger and relief, as he heard Nightwing say, "Well, look who's here."
Gaby and Norman, two cyclobots behind them. He was pulling her, his hand around her arm, fingers digging in. Eric's eyes narrowed in renewed anger. He could see the bruise on her face, where Norman had hit her, could see how frightened she was. They came close, stopping a few feet away, leaving the door open. He could hear an alarm clearly now, and underneath it, faintly, what sounded like blaster fire.
Norman let go of Gaby and took a step closer, his face livid with anger. "That's the intruder alarm!" he snarled down at them. "You did this, didn't you? Called your friends somehow to attack me!"
"How could we?" Nightwing demanded. "You took my phone and Eric's morpher, and we both have our hands cuffed!"
"Maybe it's a false alarm," Eric said with exaggerated patience.
"I should have gotten rid of you right away!" Norman cried, his voice enraged. He grinned viciously. "I'll take care of you myself!"
"Norman, you promised you'd let them go!" Gaby cried.
"We're being attacked because of them! I have to eliminate them! Where's my blaster?" He looked around, and then started for a table on the other side of the room. Suddenly a new alarm began to ring, blasting them with a loud shriek. "The fire alarm!" Norman shouted. He hesitated, looking back at the door, then moved for the table -- and his blaster -- again.
It was now or never. Eric sat up, pausing as a wave of dizziness hit. Seeing Nightwing already standing, he got to his feet with an effort. Gaby stared at them, eyes wide, and then inexplicably stuck a hand into her sweater.
"Won't be as easy as you thought, Norman!" Nightwing shouted, diving for the mutant. Eric started after him.
"Eric!" Gaby called. "I think you could use this!" She was holding his morpher out.
Wes took a second for a good look, seeing rows of machines, robots in various stages of construction. Other robots operating the machinery and putting parts together, now dropping their work and springing to the attack. In seconds they were in the middle of it, cyclobots surrounding them.
The fight broke up into separate clusters, each of the three of them with a dozen or more opponents. Wes side-kicked an attacker away, sending it crashing into one of its companions, used a leg sweep to topple a third, drove an elbow into a fourth. With a moment's breather, he summoned his blaster, and shot down numbers five and six. But there were more…
A concerned glance showed Jen, her arms held behind her in the grip of a robot. She lunged back against it, brought up her feet to kick another in the chest, and used her momentum to flip backwards over the first one's head. Landing behind it, she jumped, pivoting in midair and kicking her former captor onto its face.
Alex was fighting the old-fashioned way, he plowed into the robots, punching two in the head simultaneously, rocking them back off their feet. Then he spun into a high kick, knocking two more off-balance. His blaster appeared in his hand, and accounted for three cyclobots in three fast shots.
Wes fought his way to Jen's side, backhanding a robot away from her. Alex joined them a moment later, and they stood back to back, circling, all three opening fire on the mass of cyclobots. Wes raised his blaster to full intensity and swept a solid line of fire at the circle of robots. He saw it happen, a shower of sparks burst from one of the machines as a beam hit it. Then another blaster struck it again, and it exploded in flame.
In seconds, thick, choking smoke was pouring out, filling the room, and flames began to dance across the wall and floor, quickly catching in machine oil, plastic parts, and insulation. The cyclobots backed away, then flocked to the fire, running into it in an apparent attempt to put it out. Their flammable parts caught, filling the room with walking torches.
"Come on, we've got to get out of here!" Alex shouted.
Smoke was starting to pour out of the factory room, drifting under the corridor ceiling, dimming the lights. They ran, quickly opening doors, searching for Gaby, Nightwing, and Norman Ryder. The fire alarm was shrilling, but Wes knew from the fires he had seen as a Guardian that this old building, with no sprinklers, would go up like a matchbox before help could arrive. They only had minutes to search, and then try to get out alive themselves.
"Quantum Power!" Eric felt the surge of energy and strength flow through him, almost banishing the weakness. But this time he felt a surge of heat, too, his fever seeming to intensify. A wave of dizziness threatened to overcome him. He blinked away the darkness and concentrated. But when he focused, Nightwing was struggling with a cyclobot, and Norman was already holding his blaster, aiming at Eric.
"You've ruined everything!" he shouted. "I'll kill all of you!"
Eric fumbled to draw his blaster, knowing it would take too long, but in the next instant a small object flew across the room, his blurring vision almost unable to follow it. It struck Norman's arm. He yelped in pain and dropped his blaster, rubbing his wrist.
"You bastard!" he screamed at Nightwing.
Another object -- which Eric now recognized as a modified throwing star -- whizzed at him, striking his shoulder. By now Eric had his blaster aimed. He fired. Norman screamed again and dropped to his knees. With a snarl at them he grabbed his blaster and retreated behind a cabinet.
"Eric, give me a hand with these cyclobots!"
He turned at the shout to see Nightwing cornered by the two robots. He kicked one in the middle, knocking it down. Eric hesitated. His eyes were hazy, his aim unsteady. What if he missed?
Then Nightwing ducked under a swiping robot arm, twisted and pivoted behind his attacker, kicked it into the wall, and dove behind a chair. The field clear, Eric shot. He needn't have worried, he hit both of them cleanly, leaving them inert piles of useless metal parts.
But Norman was still very much a problem. He shouted incoherently from his hiding place and fired again, hitting Eric. The shock burned through him, his head whirled, ears roaring, those black spots floating before him again. Reacting by pure instinct, he fell to his stomach and shot back, a long burst bringing smoke wisping from the cabinet and the wall behind it. Smoke that added to the smoke now pouring in from the hallway.
"Norman, we have to get out of here!" Nightwing shouted. "Just give it up, before we all go up in flames!"
"No! You'll never take me alive!"
"Moron," Nightwing muttered. "If that's the way you want it..."
Then there was a sparkle of light and another painful shock that made Eric gasp as his suit gave out, and he demorphed back into his dirty, bloodstained uniform. He moaned faintly, trying to raise his head. Smoke was filling the room. Eric couldn't see, but neither could Norman. Nightwing crossed to his side. Gaby had appeared on his other side. They ducked as a wild blaster shot came from Norman's direction, then both took his arms, helping him up and staggering out of the room as fast as they could move. In the corridor they paused.
"Which way?" Gaby asked.
"I don't know," Nightwing said. "Come on, we have to get out."
They moved through increasingly blinding smoke. Eric coughed, groaned as pain knifed through his wounded chest, felt himself sinking to his knees as his legs refused to support him any longer. It was so dark -- the air was so hot, it burned his lungs. The others bent over him, coughs shaking both of them. Hands pulled him up.
He tried, but it was no good, he sank again like a rag doll. They dragged him between them, but the smoke was so thick, they were all racked with coughing. They staggered, slowing.
"We can't see an exit sign in this!" Gaby cried. "Can't see anything!"
"Don't give up…"
They stumbled on, hesitating at the intersections, making turns at random. Eric knew it was no use, but if they didn't have him to drag along, they could move faster, they could crawl on the floor, away from the worst of the smoke. He sank to his knees again, sliding through their weakening grasps. With a last effort he gasped, "Just leave me…"
"No way in hell," Gaby's voice came, surprisingly cool and calm.
"What she said," Nightwing agreed. They hauled him up again.
Then he saw it, even through the smoke and the dimness of his own eyes. A dark form, tall, big, seeming to be made of night and black smoke. For a moment he felt a superstitious fear, not trusting his blurring vision as shadows swirled before him. The form came forward, became solid and human, and spoke in a deep voice.
"I've got him. We're not far from an exit, follow me." The form -- the man -- lifted him into his arms effortlessly, carrying him swiftly. He wanted to protest, but was too dazed and exhausted to speak. Then everything, the smoke, the pain, the fear, all faded as he sank into darkness.
TBC...
