Chapter 2 Unexpected Arrival
"Hey Zhane check this out." Carlos called and the silver ranger frowned moving over to where his friend stood, monitoring the surrounding area.
"What is it?"
"'A ship." Carlos narrowed the monitor so they could get a better look and sure enough there was a vessel as
"Hmm, no cloaking, think it's a trap?" Zhane asked and Carlos thought a long moment.
"Trakeena could be trying to finish the job." Carlos murmured and Zhane nodded.
"Deca hail ship." The silver ranger said after another moment's hesitation.
"Hailing now." the automated voice announced and with in seconds the image appeared on the main view screen.
"Hello rangers." The black clad form said in his deep slightly muffled voice.
"Phantom?" Carlos hadn't thought he'd made it through that last battle. None of them had, after all he'd not been in contact with them since. "What do you want?"
"I'm here to speak with Cassie." the apposing figure said in that voice and it was odd but Carlos thought he'd heard it, no the muffled tone as now but that voice…
"Cassie isn't feeling very well." Zhane put in solemnly. For once his laughing eyes were quiet, his face not lit by a goofy grin.
"Yes, I have heard of the situation." The figure nodded his head slowly. "It is why I am here."
"Look…" Carlos began but Zhane touched is arm.
"He might be able to bring her out of it." The silver clad ranger pointed out. L
"Fine but if she is pissed you're going down alone." The green clad earthling muttered.
"Fine." the truth was Zhane didn't care if Cassie was mad at him. It would at least mean she wasn't doing an Andros and beating herself up over something she couldn't change.
***
Fifteen minutes later the stealth Shadow stowed in the launch bay the three rangers stood in the otherwise empty chamber. Although the phantom was eager to get to Cassie, to for himself how she was doing he had known that Carlos and this silver ranger were good friends to Cassie and would want answers.
"So how'd you hear about the attack?" Carlos asked crossing his arms over his chest in a stubborn stance that said, you're not going anywhere.
"I'm everywhere." the phantom ranger replied elusively.
"Not good enough. I want to know, who are you?" The black ranger replied and the phantom knew he's not get any further unless he showed himself yet with his training he was loathe to show his true self.
"I'm the phantom ranger." he said moving into a like stance.
"Perhaps, but I want more, if your going to see Cassie, you're going to have to fess up." Carlos said his eyes narrowing on the figure looming above him by several inches. True the black could be deceiving but Carlos knew this was the phantom. The reason he wanted to see the man beneath was because if he was right about the identity of this man he'd kick his butt.
"Look, she's in a really bad place, I don't want to take forever at this." The phantom tried again to get through this mask intact.
"So he talks normally." Zhane noted solemnly and the other two looked at him as if he was insane.
"Dimorph." Carlos then said looking right back at the phantom.
The b lack armor clad ranger knew there was no help for it and so he sighed.
"Shadows recede!"
***
"Adam?" The sight of his predecessor had Carlos so shell shocked he could hardly even think. He'd not thought in a million years this would be the real man. He'd thought maybe it was Tommy. After all after becoming rangers Carlos had not seen Tommy again but he'd seen Adam that time when he'd wanted to quit his new post.
"Hey man, is this good enough?" Adam asked as he stood in his red t-shirt and jeans.
"You're the green Zeo ranger?" Zhane asked and Adam nodded.
"Yeah." Here it comes, Adam thought inwardly.
"It doesn't make sense." Carlos said unlocking his arms to run a hand through his dark hair.
"Look, after I transferred the turbo powers to you, man, Zordon called on me on Eltar, I went and he offered me a chance to pick up the battle again as the phantom ranger." Adam told them both and Carlos slowly began to see a pattern taking shape.
"So what your just a lone ranger?" Carlos asked next.
"No originally, Kimberly heart, the first pink ranger, Trini Kwan, first yellow and Jason Scott the first red ranger and part time gold ranger were recruited to become the illusionary rangers."
"So where are they? You're always alone." Carlos pointed out unwilling to just except this without all of his question being answered.
"During the countdown Trini was killed. I was supposed to have her back so…" Adam confessed turning away from them a moment, although he'd come to except it he still had some difficulty talking about it.
"You were in the same spot as Cassie is now." Zhane spoke up and still facing away from them the human nodded.
"Yeah, it's why I came; I think I can help her out." Adam said this time the one running a hand through long black hair.
"And before that why were you always alone?" Carlos persisted and Adam had to fight to stay calm, didn't they know how much pain their so-called friend was in.
"The four of us were each given a zone to over see, if rangers within them needed help we had to intervene."
"Thus I go where I am needed." TJ said and the three turned to find the blue astro ranger standing in the doorway.
"Exactly, and like you guys we had to keep our identities a secret." Adam said hoping against hope they'd let him go to her now.
"But the ru…" Carlos began but TJ cut him off saying.
"Go on, she's in her quarters down on deck five, second door on the left."
"But…" Carlos tried to detain him but TJ spoke in that same quiet tone.
"There will be time for that later."
"Thanks man." Adam said and TJ nodded.
TBC
***
What do you think? Were you surprised? I like the idea of Adam as the phantom, he's just so cute… *grins starry eyed*