Author's note: Thanks again to Nalanzu for reading this through.
Another Time and Place
by Smittysgirl
The world came back into focus. She was in some sterile looking room, strapped to a table and unable to move. Hayley briefly wondered how she had ended up in this fetishist nightmare before it all came back to her.
"Randall," she wheezed.
"My, my, my, I can almost believe you graduated high school," a voice said to her left.
She tried to move her head, only to feel a strong current pass across her neck. Flinching, she cast her eyes as far to the left as they'd go.
Elsa hovered just into view. "Is this more accomodating for you, Ms. DeMatteis?"
"Let me go!" Hayley was distinctly aware that she sounded like the stereotypical heroine in distress, but couldn't think of anything more coherent to say at the moment. Randall was ELSA? None of this made any sense - but it also made a disturbing amount of sense.
Elsa laughed. "That's it? No grand proclamations that you'd always known about my cover identity? No slow, sheepish realization that you'd had one put over on you by your better?"
She shook her head slowly, a classic bit of Randall's body language. "You wound me."
"I have a feeling it would take more than that. An F-16 to the stomach, for example."
"Pity you'll never know, isn't it?"
Elsa slid to a nearby control panel, lowering a more convoluted version of the lifeforce extractor above her head. "This device is a prototype of Lord Mesogog's current model. It had the ... unfortunate side-effect of leaving those it was used on little more than husks, acutely aware of what is happening to them but unable to control even the most basic motor functions of their bodies as they die. It's dreadful to witness."
Hayley gritted her teeth, determined not to sound any more stupid than she currently felt. Nobody knew she was missing. She glared at Elsa. "You sound like a comic book villian. Or... what was his name? Choobo?"
"Your resolve is charming," Elsa continued. She smacked a button to the side of the console, lowering a monitor next to the lifeforce extractor. "I just thought you might like to have a little entertainment before your soul is reduced to fuel for unlocking
the Dinogems after we obliterate your pathetic little Rangers."
Hayley glared again. "You know what? I take that back. That was one of Ming the Merciless' worst speeches."
Elsa didn't even dignify her with a response, instead activating the monitor. Terrance and Trent were in a room identical to their own, with Terrance already being subjected to a bout with the current model lifeforce extractor. His screams cut through her every defense.
Instead of letting it show, she spat out a response. "Oooh, you have nice complex machines that can create nonexistent images. How amazing. They should hire you on at Pixar."
The gargantuan machine began to lower above her.
"Believe what you want," Elsa replied. "It is of no real concern to me. I simply hoped you might concede your defeat before meeting your ignominious end."
"Ha. Someone will fine me."
Wait. Something didn't add up. The way she was captured, the commotion she'd have had to make, the need to get her to an invisportal without raising suspicions.
"Hey, how did the secretary not even notice what was going on?" Hayley asked.
Elsa smirked. "She was an illusion. Mesogog ate her months ago."
Haley tried not to gape. "Pretty solid illusion there."
"Yes, unlimited access to the resources of Anton Mercer Industries helps."
Hayley took a deep breath. "So you've got me. So what?"
"So you die. And so we use your soul to unlock one of the Dinogems we'll be collecting when your charges are destroyed."
"I doubt that the dinogems will work for you," Hayley said. "They won't choose you." Maybe Trent's might, but she doubted Mesogog would let anybody kill his son.
Elsa snorted temptuously. "You idiot. The gem will choose YOU. But you, unfortunately, are dead. Your soul will unlock the gem so that we can use it, the same as the evil spell on the White Gem was intended to break the will of its recipient."
"And Trent broke it," Hayley pointed out.
"Only momentarily," she said easily. Above them the machine continued to descend.
"Foolisssh BOY!" Mesogog hissed. "Did you really think you could escape my grasp? You belong to me."
"No!" Trent cried, struggling against the restraints. Energy lanced through them, pushing him back against the table. "Dad, please. You can't do this."
Mesogog's eyes deepened. "Oh yes I can. Mercer was a fool to believe he could release you from the gem's control. Given enough time, I believe I can reestablish the spell's hold on you."
Trent scrunched in on himself, silently trying to force his Gem to burn out. Even if he burned himself out with it. He started to feel warm.
Dr. T screamed, desperately trying to hold back the progression of the lifeforce extractor. Mesogog turned around momentarily, not noticing the white light beginning to emanante from Trent's wrist.
Trent forced himself to stay still, a look of agony on his face as he shifted very slightly. He looked slightly over at Dr. T. 'Maybe I can save Dr. T...." he thought. 'Maybe if I can just imitate Kira's power....'
But it would prevent him from taking his own Gem, and himself, out of the picture.
The light began to diminish, and Trent reached, trying desperately to find Kira out there in the world and make the connection necessary to duplicate her power.
In an instant he felt it, and he let out a terrifying cry.
The three Raptor Cycles pulled up just across from the tracker's last location. An immense field stretched as far as the eye could see, and in the distance Conner could see plumes of smoke rising into the air.
Ethan disembarked from his bike with a practiced poise, and Devin awkwardly knocked the kickstand on his down. "Oh, this does not look good," the Blue Ranger groaned.
Even through his helmet Conner could smell the burnt crops. His senses were screaming. The smoke, the intoxicating smell of ozone and destruction tinged with renewal. It was like he himself was aflame - with passion.
"Conner?" Devin asked. "Are you okay?"
Conner came back to himself. "Yeah," he said, trying to sound normal. "Where were they, Dev?"
The young man nodded down one of the avenues of crops. "Down here, towards the fire."
Ethan returned to his bike, pulling out a chemical pack from a compartment. "We're lucky the blaze seems pretty contained. This could have been an inferno."
"Yeah, and what were Dr. T and Trent doing in the middle of it?" Conner asked. "Having a barbeque?"
Devin looked at Conner with horror in his eyes. "That's not funny, man. What if they were, I mean..."
Ethan returned, slinging the pack over his shoulder and patting the unmorphed Ranger on the shoulder. "It'll be okay, Dev. I'm sure Dr. T's bracelet was damaged trying to contain the blaze or something."
He gaze Conner a look of contempt as he walked past Devin. Conner felt like hitting himself. That was cruel, even for him.
Devin took a deep breath. "Right. Anybody see Dr. O's ATV?"
Conner closed his eyes and sniffed for the emissions.
Conner made his way through one of the fields, sniffing experimentally. The blaze was masking a lot of the natural scents in the area, but he was almost sure he could make out Dr. Smitty's cologne.
"Conner?" Ethan asked hesitantly.
Conner ignored him, intent on the smell and pulling far ahead of the others. He could pick up... Trent in terror. It was exiting him.
But there was something else. Something intently familiar to him, though he could not identify from where. He put his nose to a stalk, breathing deeply.
"This would almost be funny if it wasn't so pathetic," came a deeply modulated voice from behind him.
Conner swung around, his nose twitching like a rabbit's.
Zeltrax glowered down at him. "You seem perturbed, Red Ranger. Is something the matter?"
"You!" Conner exclaimed, whipping his staff out.
He swung the Tyrannostaff to bear, only to have it knocked out of his hands by Zeltrax's battle axe. The cyborg tore through his every attack with a weary ease Conner found unnerving. His feints didn't even work.
"Pathetic boy. Pathetic, unimaginative boy," the general grunted.
"I'm sorry," Conner said. "I'm having a bad hair day. Wanna make something of it?"
Zeltrax crossed the blade of his sword with the edge of his axe, the two pulsating with energy. "Only your funeral!"
A metal rod thudded the back of Zeltrax's head. "Hey, big meanie!" Devin announced. "Care to take someone your own size?"
The cyborg spun smoothly. "I would, were there someone my own size around."
"Well, that's too bad, maybe you'll have to play with yourself in your room," Devin taunted. He looked back at Ethan. "Where's Kira?"
Ethan shrugged. "She didn't answer my page, but I called Cass en route. She said Kira was still in her bedroom. I guess she has a bug."
Zeltrax dematerialized his weapons, instead manifesting his shield. He pointed to the Blue Ranger. "You are a worthy opponent, nearly as much as the Red Ranger. You, on the other hand," his hand shifted to Devin, "are unworthy of my fullest potential."
Devin just shrugged. "Maybe I'd better go get her," he said, ignoring the general completely.
Ethan nodded. "This place isn't safe, man. Plus, I don't think Kira should be alone."
Devin nodded back. "Right. I'll be on my way. If you find Dr. T and Trent, please page me."
"Hey Cass," Devin said as he made his way through the cavern entrance to Dino Ops. The girl barely noticed him, her gaze still transfixed on the monitor as Zeltrax tore through Ethan and Conner like they were nothing. Devin fought his warring instincts, desire to fight beside his teammates against a ferocious opponent and the twinge of jealous he felt at Cassidy's reaction to Ethan.
He liked Ethan a whole bunch. He felt nothing negative towards the Blue Ranger, and the last thing he wanted was to jeopardize their friendship because of his feelings towards Cassidy.
He sat down behind her. "Hey, Cass."
Cassidy continued to stare at the monitor, oblivious.
"Cassidy?"
"Huh?"
"Cass. You okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. Why aren't you helping them?"
He wanted to ignore the bitter tinge to her voice.
"Ethan sent me to find Kira. She's still not answering her morpher. I thought you could try, while I took over for you in ops."
Cassidy sighed. "Yeah, I guess I could."
"I can't morph without the three of them there," Devin reminded her.
She looked at him harshly before getting out of her chair. "All right, you don't have to be testy about it. Although I don't like being your little errand girl because you've got a problem talking to Kira."
Devin scratched his head. "What?"
"You. Kira."
"Um, what about Kira? She's not answering her morpher or her cell phone...."
"ARGH!" Cassidy stamped her foot and marched up the stairs, muttering about men.
Devin shook his head. "What'd I do?" He shook his head, and watched uncomfortably as Zeltrax whaled on Trent and Ethan.
Cassidy knocked on Kira's bedroom window. Though she suspected the Fords were all at work or school by this time of day, she really didn't want to deal with the issues raised by Kira's continual bedroom exile.
She was dimly aware climbing trees and hoofing around on rooftops was going to destroy her dress, but it wasn't like she had any makeup on today anyway.
"Kira!" she hissed. "Kira, can you hear me?" At this rate, she was going to be hoarse.
Minutes passed. Finally she heard the latches on the other side unclasp, and the window snapped open. Kira looked out uncertainly.
"What's going on?" Kira whispered.
"My clothes are torn, and your comm isn't working," Cassidy rushed out.
"No," Kira shook her head. "My comm is working. I just don't want to leave."
"What?" Cassidy asked. "But the others... they need you!"
"They'll manage just this once. I can't do it anymore, Cass."
The smaller girl helped Cassidy climb inside the bedroom, and made her way back to the bed. "I'm tired and scared. Everybody just uses me. They bleed me dry to get what they need, and they leave me as a husk."
Kira, you're the heart of this team."
"I think Devin can take over that spot."
Cassidy picked the leaves out of her hair as she sat on the other end of the bed. "Maybe. But he's no good without you there."
Why couldn't Kira just get it through her head they needed her? The longer she stayed here the worse the gnawing in her stomach got.
"Cass, are you okay?" Kira asked.
Cass shook her head. "Ethan's in battle, against Zeltrax, Dr. T, Trent, and Hayley are missing... everything's falling apart!"
Kira slowly scooted across the bed until they were nestled in each other's arms again. "It'll be okay. I just can't go out there anymore. I don't have anything left for me, much less for the rest of them."
"Kira. If you don't get out there... there might not be a world left for anybody."
Kira began sobbing. "Why can't I be happy, Cass? Why can't I have a moment to myself?"
"You have bad luck?"
Kira looked up, her large eyes luminous with tears. "Cass... if I go out there, please tell me you'll be waiting when I come back. I need a friend."
"I won't move from this bedroom," Cassidy promised solemnly.
Kira nodded, resolve returning to her posture. "Okay. I'll do it."
She tapped her bracelet. "Devin, feed me the telem data en route." she tapped it again. "Ethan, I'm on my way."
"Whoo-hoo!"
To be continued.