Authors Note: I have decided to stop posting disclaimers since everyone already knows that I don't own this, it has recently been deemed pointless and a waste of my time. Thank you, I'm sorry it took me so long, I had total writers block for like 2 weeks and could not think of how I wanted it worded. So if it's a little iffy, that's why. Thanks so much and enjoy chapter 10!

Breaking Ground : The Aftermath

His eyelids felt like they had 5 pound bags weighing them down, the insides of which felt like sand paper on his eyeballs. He felt a dull pain surge back through his body as he slowly regained consciousness. He was aware of a foreign object lodged inside his left arm, and a faint beeping sound that was beginning to annoy the living hell out of him. There was a dull haze that hung over his head, keeping his thought process slow and incoherent. With half opened eyes, he looked across the room, vaguely aware of his surroundings. He had a feeling in the back of his mind, but in his delirious state, he was unable to decipher its message. The weight upon his eyelids began to lift gradually, allowing him to ease them open slowly and fully take in his surroundings. After a few moments of attempting to blink away the blurriness in his vision, he realized that he was in the SPD infirmary. Although everything was still just blobs of color, the whiteness of the walls and the beeping gave it away. A blob of darkness moved into his line of vision, and he was momentarily frightened, but when it spoke, he calmed immediately.

"Don't be afraid Sky, it's me." Kat's calm but sincere voice soothed him slightly, then, reality hit him like a lineman on a running-back. His eyes flew open, and he shot up into a sitting position.

"Khyla!" He tried to yell, but his voice would not oblige. He barely croaked the words out, his voice hoarse and scratchy. His whole body was tensed, and ready to spring into action. Kat's hands immediately went to his shoulders, and tried to push him back to the infirmary bed he was laying on.

"Lay back down Sky, you're nowhere near recovered yet." Her tone became sterner with every word she said. No sooner had she touched him, Sky began to get woozy, and his eyelids began to droop again. His muscles began to spasm at the sudden effort and tension. His vision went blurry once again as he felt his body weaken once more. Kat nodded, a look of deep concern coming across her features. "You need to rest Sky." She commanded.

"But….Khyla…" Sky choked out wearily, fighting to remain conscious. Kat looked at him sadly.

"We'll get her back soon Sky, don't you worry." He nodded slightly before his eyes closed, and his head slumped to the side, signifying that he had fallen unconscious once again. Kat sighed deeply, feeling sympathetic to the Blue Rangers plight. She turned to one of the medical cadet's that was standing idly at a counter and looked him in the eye. "Go and get another I.V. bag, his is running low, make sure to grab one of the extra electrolyte infused formulas, we need him back on his feet as soon as possible." The Cadet saluted, and ran off to get what she had demanded. Kat looked away from Sky, and walked over to one of her experimentation counters, hoping that running some basic genetic sequencing tests would take her mind off of the mess of situations at hand.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the Cadet she had previously addressed walk past with another I.V. bag in hand, and heard him start to change it. She turned her eyes back to the screen and watched the test results unfold in front of her, which was no different than any of the other tests she had run previously. She heard the door to the infirmary open, and four familiar voices speaking. She turned her head around the corner and saw the rest of the B-Squad cadets moving towards the bed that currently held their second in command. She left her testing area, analyzing genetic sequences could wait.

None of the rangers were currently looking very well. They all had bags under their eyes accompanied by black circles, and stress written into every aspect of their demeanor. Jack looked exhausted, like he hadn't slept in days, which was more than likely due to the extensive CSI work he and a team of cadets had been conducting. Z and Bridge both had minor cuts and bruises from their last battle with the distraction monster, and were showing signs of overwork from the research, and evidence analysis they had been conducting. Even Sydney, the personal Hygiene police was looking particularly unkempt. Her eyes were puffy, signifying that she hadn't slept and that she had been crying, and she looked like she was about to start again. Cruger put her in charge of monitoring the city while Kat managed the infirmary, which was no easy task.

Kat greeted them with a small, sympathetic half smile, understanding what they must have been going through. Her heart went out to them, not only had they lost one of their most important, most valued charges, one of their good friends had been kidnapped, and one of their other close friends was currently in a coma-like state. The future was not bright.

Sydney's hands were covering her mouth, and it was obvious she was holding back tears. Bridge put a comforting arm around her, even though he looked to be in the same shape as her. Z stood idly, a blank, exhausted look on her face, and Jack stood there, looking completely helpless. Sydney moved her eyes away from Sky to look at Kat.

"Is he going to be okay Kat?" She asked softly, not really knowing whether she wanted to hear the answer.

"He has a strong will, he won't go down without a fight. His vitals are strong, and he woke up a few moments before you came in, it was brief, but it invalidated my previous suspicions that he had gone into a coma, which is excellent news." She said, trying to put a positive spin on the bleak results that were being produced.

"Do you know when he'll be recovered?" Jack asked, keeping his eyes on his fallen teammate. Kat sighed.

"There's no way of telling. We're giving him intravenous treatments with extra concentrations of electrolytes for better re-hydration and energy. Other than that all we can do is let him rest." Jack nodded, keeping his eyes locked on Sky.

"Do you know why this happened, Kat?" Bridge questioned.

"The weapon Mora used against him was an extremely exaggerated form of telekinesis, stronger than anything I've ever seen. She used her power to stimulate every nerve ending in his body, exhausting them to the point that they were almost non-functioning. If he hadn't been morphed, it would have stopped all nerve function and killed him. He was lucky to not be paralyzed."

"But he does have basic nerve functions, right?" Bridge asked worriedly.

"Fortunately there was no extensive nerve damage, the worst that may happen is he might lose feeling in a few areas, which may not be a bad thing at all. We did a full scan of his entire body, including his brain, and everything seems to be working properly. The only issue now is resting. The amount of energy it took for all of his nerve endings to be firing at once, as well as holding his morph for as long as he did exhausted him. He should wake up in the next few days, but as far as getting back to his daily routine, I'm not sure."

"But as you previously stated, he's a fighter, and he won't go down easily." Another voice said from the doorway. Commander Cruger stepped into the light, revealing another tired figure. Kat was beginning to wonder how much longer SPD could go on like this without having some serious security issues. "I just got off the phone with the President. Khyla's father has returned to Phylia on emergency business, and is unreachable, even for dire situations such as this, which gives us some time to conduct an investigation and even a reconnaissance mission before he finds out, which would make everything smoother for everyone. Cadets, please follow me to the command post for a debriefing on your recent findings." The cadets nodded and saluted, then followed the Commander to the familiar circular room. "Cadet Landors," Cruger said, addressing the red ranger, "Have your crime scene investigations returned any results?"

"Sir, our investigations have shown many results. We found a tank in the air vent that supplied the air conditioning to Miss Gabrey's room in which we found Nitrous Oxide gas. The same gas compound is used at dentist's offices to put their patients into a state of ease, and in strong enough doses to put patients, or in this case victims, into a state of unconsciousness." Cruger nodded, putting his hand to his chin.

"Did your investigations return any results on how Broodwing may have infiltrated SPD headquarters?"

"It has recently been brought to our attention, Commander," Bridge spoke up, "That Broodwing has the capability of morphing himself into an actual bat, not just a bat-like…looking….resembling…alien…thing. We have evidence that one of the vent covers for one of the main air ducts had been cut through with a low-grade laser. We think that's how he gained entrance into the compound." Cruger nodded again.

"Hmmm…This is not good news Cadets, we have no idea how much of our headquarters Broodwing has seen as there are ventilation ducts in every room." Cruger became quiet, obviously lost in his thoughts. An awkward silence fell over the room, no one knowing whether or not to speak, or what to say. After a few brief moments that seemed to last an eternity, Sydney cleared her throat, inciting the Commanders attention.

"If I may ask, sir, will we be going on a reconnaissance mission? And if so, when? How? And who will be going?" Cruger looked at Sydney long and hard, understanding her concern for her friend and charge.

"At the moment Cadet Drew, with Cadet Tate incapacitated and the A-Squad missing, I'm not sure if I can risk sending you to Grumm's ship to retrieve Miss Gabrey. I understand that she is in danger, but we cannot leave the earth unprotected, and with one of your team mates in a coma-like state, I'm afraid the prospects of a reconnaissance mission are not the first things on our mind at the moment." Sydney nodded politely, and stared at the table in front of her. "If that is all Cadets, you are dismissed. If your investigations wield any more results, contact me immediately."

"Yes sir!" They chimed as they saluted, and walked out of the room to get back to their current unusual duties.

He drummed his fingers idly on the arm of his throne, less than patiently awaiting the arrival of his two assistants and his new guest. While he knew that infiltrating SPD headquarters would be no easy feat, he was becoming more and more impatient with every moment that passed. It was not only unnerving to wait for so long from even so much as a word from those who were serving you, but it was irritating as well, a feeling that, much to his dismay, he was becoming all too familiar with. Not that he had a lack of reasons to be irate. Mora kept failing to deliver on reliable generals for Grumm's army, Broodwing had failed time and time again on supplying good machinery for the generals to use, and the thing that grated his nerves most was Cruger's precious little Power Rangers succeeding in defeating them every single time. He was sure that their file storage of criminals had doubled since Grumm had first decided to take over earth.

His eyes began to glow their eerie orange-ish red as his irritation grew. If they did not return soon he would be forced to make contact with them, which required effort on his part, and was something that made him very cranky indeed. He exhaled sharply, trying to release the excess frustration that was beginning to consume him. He was on the verge of destroying something in the immediate vicinity to keep him occupied, when he saw the wall inside his chamber begin to swirl. Moments later, turning into a vortex which was unmistakably a portal, it spewed out none other than the three people he was wanted to see. Mora came out first, her arm outstretched and palm flattened, obviously imitating the Alice in Wonderland character she was so infatuated with. Broodwing came next, with slightly more difficulty than Mora as something seemed to be pulling back against him. With one hard tug, Broodwing managed to pull his parcel out of the Vortex, revealing none other than Miss Khyla Gabrey. Had Grumm been able to smile, this would have been the one occasion where it would have occurred. She continued to struggle against her captor, but it was to no avail, she was on the ship, and his plans were coming to a head. Nothing could stop him now.

"Well Done Mora, Broodwing…" Grumm said addressing them both. Mora swelled with childish pride at a job well done. "Miss Gabrey," Grumm breathed, almost seductively, "Welcome aboard my ship. I hope you like it, because you're going to be here for a very long time." The girl stopped struggling, and glared at him menacingly. "I'm so happy you could join us," he continued, "You are a perfect candidate for our new program, code named D.T.P.R., or, in the long version, Destroy The Power Rangers."

"I'll never help you destroy anything." She said, her voice full of malice.

"Oh, you will."

"Not willingly, never in a million years."

"Who said anything about a prerequisite for willingness?" Her eyes went wide. "Broodwing, how quickly can you get brain transmographier?"

"It shouldn't take more than a week sire, I will call my provider right now." Grumm nodded.

"Mora, take her to a containment chamber, and make sure to put an extra guard of Krybots around her, you never know what Cruger has up his sleeve." Mora nodded in salute, had the Krybots grab Khyla, and pushed her out the door.

He saw her clearly, through the fog, and the dust that had yet to settle. There was no sound, just the dull hum of nothingness that you sensed when everything was dead silent. He could sense that he was morphed, and felt energized and powerful, very much unlike he had been feeling for the past few days. In his mind, he had no idea where he was going, but there was something that was leading him somewhere, something subconscious that was telling his instincts where to lead him. He was in the confines of what looked to be the interior of a space ship, a very dark, dim, and unhappy looking place. Something in the back of his mind told him that this was Grumm's ship. He walked, as if being led by some invisible force, through the fog and dust towards his destination. In front of him lay an expansive laboratory, which seemed to be the testing place for weapons and other sorts of machinery. He saw Emperor Grumm and Broodwing conversing in the corner, pointing at a particularly large machine. It was tall, with an airlock door that was made of glass which blended perfectly with the glass wall that encased most of the machine.

He tossed and turned in his sleep, beads of moisture ran down his forehead and chest, covering his entire body in a cold sweat that only comes when horrid dreams plague the mind. He clutched at the sheets underneath his hands, balling them into fists so tight his knuckles turned to a sickly shade of ivory. Small gasps and moans escaped his throat, trying to convey some terror that only he could sense, and what a terror it was.

He couldn't believe what he was seeing. The chamber was unfamiliar to him, and he had absolutely no idea what its purpose was, but knowing Grumm and Broodwing, there was no possibility that it could be good. There was movement at the base of the chamber, upon closer examination, he saw that it was inside the chamber, and what he saw next shocked and disturbed him more than words could convey. The figure moved again, the motions becoming more fluid and consistent, until it sat up and revealed itself to all those inside the laboratory. The long brown hair looked strangely familiar, the facial features jogging some part of his memory that seemed to be failing him at the moment. But it wasn't until he saw the piercing gray eyes that he recognized it. Khyla, the only person in the world he trusted, lay helpless in the chamber. Her wrists were bound with the same material that he remembered seeing at the battle where she had first been kidnapped. All of a sudden, his hearing rushed back to him, making him lose his equilibrium and knocking him entirely off balance. The voices were distorted, deeper, and almost hallucinogenic. He could barely make out what was being said as he collapsed to the ground in a total panic of over-stimulation.

"How many days Broodwing?"

"One week exactly sir, my provider has guaranteed it."

"Then in one week, we will…" The voices blurred together again, the same distortion multiplying tenfold. Clutching at his helmet where his ears were located, he tried to drown out the voices. He looked over at Khyla, all of her spirit and liveliness was gone. She was slumped over weakly, staring at a space on the floor in front of her, a silent tear rolling down her cheek. Then, through all of the chaos of voices that had been clouding his ears, one voice reached him above the others.

The entire scenery changed, instead of her glass casing she was in some sort of holding cell that looked more like a rock cave that was full of dirt and mold. Then, she spoke. "I wish…I wish I could see them again, just one last time. Where are you Sky? Didn't you say that you would always protect me?" Her body was racked with a sob as she tried to contain her emotions. "Help…Someone, anyone…Please…Help…"

He sat up bolt right in his bed, his eyes wide, his breathing staggered. He had enough adrenaline flowing through his body to launch him into a full scale battle, and he felt his energy return. He looked around the darkened infirmary and saw nothing, no sign of other life. He threw the covers off of him, and yanked the IV out of his arm. He didn't care that he was dressed in pajama pants and nothing else, someone had to know what he had seen.

He was well aware of the fact that Bridge was the psychic one of the group, and he accepted that. But Bridge had also told him that when you make bonds with other people, bonds that are deep and emotional, they bridge a connection between those two individuals. He wasn't sure if he had seen a first hand account of what was happening to Khyla at this exact moment, or if it was a premonition, but someone had to know.

His legs felt like petroleum jelly for the first few steps he took. He was off balance, and almost unable to walk at all. But his will to help overpowered his body's weakness and pushed on, regaining all of its strength to finish this one task. He didn't care if he had to wake up all of SPD, he was going to find her, and nothing could stop him now. He walked as fast as his legs would carry him to the command deck, hoping that Kat would be there, working late on some sort of program or security system. The hydraulic doors opened as he approached the door, and he did a quick survey of the room.

"Jack!" Sky exclaimed desperately. Jack spun around in surprise.

"Sky? What are you doing out of bed? Kat's going to kill…"

"That doesn't matter Jack. Khyla's in serious trouble."

"Umm, duh. She was kidnapped three days ago." Sky's brow furrowed with fear.

"Three days? She only has four days left."

"Four days until what?"

"I don't know, but it's not good. It has something to do with a glass chamber…I can't quite recall…" Jack grabbed his arm and pulled Sky back to face him.

"What the hell are you talking about Sky? How do you know all of this?"

"I saw it, in my dream, just now. They're going to do something to her." Jack raised an eyebrow.

"Oookkaayy, looks like someone needs to get back to bed with some sedatives, I'll just escort you back to the…"

"Damnit Jack, I'm not fucking around! My girlfriend has been kidnapped by Emperor Grumm, now I don't really give a shit if you believe me or not, but I know what I saw, and if you won't help me do something about it then I'll go up there and save her myself!"

"No you won't." A voice commanded from the door. Both men looked and saw Commander Cruger and Kat standing in the doorway. Both snapped to attention and saluted. "Save it, we have issues to address. Cadet Tate, what are you doing out of bed, I do believe Miss Manx issued the order for you to be on bed rest until she declared you to be healthy enough to leave."

"She did sir, but I have urgent news regarding Khy…Miss Gabrey's well-being."

"And what urgent news would that be?"

"Sir, I think they're going to do something terrible to her."

"And what are you basing this conclusion on?" Sky sighed deeply, debating whether or not Cruger would believe what he was about to tell him.

"Sir, I had a dream, just now. Only it seemed to be more of a dream. Everything felt real. I felt like I was morphed, I felt the energy running through me. I saw Emperor Grumm, and Broodwing in a laboratory, and Khyla in a glass case sort of thing and…."

"Glass Case?" Cruger interrupted urgently, "What kind of glass case?"

"It was tall, and symmetrical, it had an opaque metal wall behind it and an air sealed door."

"And Miss Gabrey was inside this glass case?"

"Yes sir." Cruger's eyes went wide with sudden realization and put a paw up to his chin. There was a long pause where Cruger just sat with the same look on his face, unmoving, and not speaking. Sky finally broke the silence when he just couldn't take it anymore. "Sir? What's wrong?"

"It is as I feared. The regeneration of Khyla's powers was not by accident or coincidence, it was acutely timed. And Grumm knew it. This can only mean that the universe's worst fears have materialized. Grumm is going to brainwash her and use her as a weapon against us, and with her amount of training and power along with Grumm's total takeover of her mind, she will be nearly invincible, making the destruction of not only earth, but the rest of the Universe imminent."

BUM BUM BUM!

Please Review! I'll love you forever if you do! SANKS KIDS!

MWAH!

Kelly