Terik stuck his head out of his room and glanced down the hall. All was silent with no dedians or lizarians patrolling. It wasn't them he was worried about. Not seeing any of his comrades he slipped out the door and stalked down the hall a little ways to another door. He pushed a button and waited patiently as he heard the sound of someone stirring within. A moment later the door slid open and Aurias blinked sleepily at him.

"Terik, what--?"

"Shhhh." He hissed, glancing around warily. "Can I come in?"

Aurias blinked at him again before stepping back and motioning him inside. He took one quick look around before following her inside. She raised an eyebrow curiously. Terik wasn't one to get nervous. There were very few times she had ever seen him nervous about anything and those were always times when something big was happening. With Samous's sudden and frightening rise to power Terik had a lot to be nervous about.

"What was so important you had to wake me up?" Aurias asked.

Terik hesitated for a moment, big golden eyes searching her own green ones. He was looking for confirmation of something. After a long silence he seemed satisfied and broke eye contact.

"I'm leaving Aurias." Terik said.

Aurias gasped. "What?"

"I'm not staying here. I can't and won't follow that psychopath." Terik explained.

"Where will you go?"

Terik hesitated again, but not as long as before. "Samous has to be stopped."

"That doesn't answer my question."

"I'll do whatever it takes to stop him."

"Why are you avoiding my question?" Aurias demanded with a glare. Then it struck her like a ton of bricks. Her eyes widened and disbelief crossed her face. "Are you kidding me?"

"They're the only hope against him Aurias, but they're going to need all the help they can get." Terik said.

Aurias snorted. "I can't believe you're considering helping the rangers!"

"Shhhhhhh!" Terik hissed fiercely. Now she understood why he was so nervous. "Listen, the enemy of my enemy is my friend."

"But it's the rangers!"

"And I'm willing to do what I have to in order to defeat Samous." Terik replied. His look turned fierce, eyes narrowing. "Are you going to stay here and follow orders from the one that killed our teammate?"

Anger flashed through Aurias as the image of Dariv's final moments. "No, Samous has to be stopped."

"Then we have no other choice." Terik said with firm resolution. "Tomorrow when he makes his move, we make ours."

ZzZzZ

Cam bit back a yawn as he glanced up at Sizvu. The quiet and anti-social ranger was still working as if he wasn't bothered by the late hour. Cam could usually do fairly well staying up late working on projects, but he just didn't have the energy for it recently. The constant fighting and worrying about injured or even bickering teammates was beginning to have consequences. He feared he was becoming more of a hindrance to Sizvu rather than helping.

"Go to bed." Sizvu said gruffly. Cam frowned and opened his mouth to retort, but was cut off before he could start. "Look lad, I appreciate the help you've given me so far, but you'll not do anyone any good if you're not up to full strength tomorrow."

"Oh, well, I guess you're right."

"Of course I am. I'm older and wiser." Sizvu said, flashing a brief smile. He became serious again. "Go to bed Cam, I can manage without ya."

"Good night Sizvu."

"Good night Cam."

ZzZzZ

Dustin sighed and blinked at the ceiling. He had been trying to sleep for hours, but something was keeping him awake. He had a feeling in the pit of his stomach and it wasn't a good one. It was a sense of foreboding. It had started shortly after Blake's cruel treatment of Hunter and it had only gotten worse ever since. Something big was going to happen tomorrow and something told him it wasn't going to be good.

ZzZzZ

Hunter growled and lashed out at the punching bag. He performed a series of vicious moves as he expressed his inner turmoil. On one hand he was seriously pissed off from what Blake had said to him. He couldn't believe his brother's nerve saying those things to him. What had been the point? All it had done was made him absolutely furious.

Except, as much as he wanted to deny it, deep down inside Blake's words had hurt. Blake had struck a nerve and then just kept going. He didn't want to believe what Blake had said, but he was smart enough to know that he wouldn't be as angry or as hurt if Blake hadn't been right. He needed to trust the team otherwise he was no good to them. But they were up against overwhelming odds that just seemed to be getting worse and worse. First it was Psycho Rangers. Then they found out that Kalix was a bigger threat than Lothor. Then just when things were looking up with two of the Psychos going good Kalix got his claws on eight more Gems of Power and that brought more Psycho Rangers. Now one of the most dangerous Psychos had absorbed his Gem and was ten times more dangerous than anything previously. How were they supposed to overcome odds like that? Instead of getting better things were just getting worse.

"Your negativity is a weakness."

Hunter spun at the sound of the voice and glared at Harper. "I don't remember asking for company."

"I don't remember asking for someone to bang on a punching bag all night right next to my room either." Harper replied. "I came to tell you to shut up and go to bed, but seeing the look on your face I thought a little advice was needed."

"I don't need advice." Hunter snapped.

"No, what you need is a rude wake up call, but I don't think anyone else deserves to suffer that with you."

"If you're going to lecture me go back to bed. I'll stop beating on the bag." Hunter grumbled.

Harper rolled his eyes. "You know, for someone whose team needs all the help they can get you sure are unappreciative of those willing to help."

"I didn't ask for help."

"Doesn't mean you don't need it." Harper replied. "Obviously you're in need of some kind of help, because that attitude of yours is even driving your brother away."

Hunter didn't reply and his eyes fell to the ground as he remembered Blake's words.

"Look, just because a situation appears hopeless, doesn't mean it is." Harper said. "What we're all facing are unbelievable odds, but we always have a chance as long as we don't give up, have faith in ourselves and those around us, and keep the hope alive."

"It's just..." Hunter hesitated with a sigh. "It's getting so hard to stay positive when things keep getting worse."

"Hunter, being Rangers means that we'll always be up against seemingly unbeatable odds. We're the ones that have to stand up against forces like Kalix and protect the innocent people and preserve all that's good in the universe." Harper said. He smiled slightly as Hunter's expression began to change. "We're not heroes because of the power we hold or the weapons we carry. We're heroes because we put our lives on the line for others when our own chances of survival are close to zip. We're heroes because when the odds are against us and nothing seems to be going right we never give up and never surrender." He steeped forward and put a hand on Hunter's shoulder, looking into the Thunder Ninja's darkened eyes. "Now it's time you prove if you're worthy of calling yourself a Ranger or not."

Hunter watched as the older man turned and left the room. His thoughts were running in circles, but he was quickly coming to only one conclusion. He was worthy of being a Ranger. He knew it deep down in his soul that he was worthy and he was going to prove it.

ZzZzZ

"You didn't have to be so cruel to Hunter earlier."

Blake sighed and pulled away from Tori slightly. They were lying together on his bed, just enjoying each other's presence. "I have my reasons. You'll see."

"I hope so. I've never heard you sound that mean before. Not even when you guys were helping Lothor."

"I know my brother. He'll get the message I was sending him loud and clear." Blake replied, pulling her close to him once more. "Trust me."

"I do." Tori replied, bringing her hand up to caress his arm. She leaned back against his chest as if proving her trust to him. And they stayed that way for the rest of the night, both sleeping peacefully.

ZzZzZ

"What are we going to do?" Brandon asked, leaning back in the rec. room's recliner. "We can't follow that maniac."

"Why not? He might lead us further than anyone else." Sid replied.

"And he could kill us without a thought if we fail him."

"He's right Sid, we have to get rid of Samous somehow." Chris spoke up. He fiddled with the gold bracelet around his wrist. "We need a plan."

Everyone looked to Kyle. He had been their leader for three years before Samous joined them. It seemed only fitting to turn to him once more for answers. Kyle lowered his eyes away from their stares. He could remember how he had lost the leadership to Samous in the first place. Hana. The death of a teammate had been difficult, but knowing it had been his fault was even worse. Kalix had stripped him of his leadership and given it to Samous, though Dani had told him more than once she would have preferred he still be leader. Kyle didn't think it was a good idea for him to lead the team.

"Garnes, you're the oldest. What do you suggest?" Kyle asked.

The bald man looked slightly surprised, but answered nonetheless. "Lay low until the opportune moment."

"Maybe we should set Kalix free. Maybe he would know what to do." Brandon suggested. He shifted uncomfortably at the glares sent his way.

"Yeah, like he'll be very understanding. He'd probably let Samous have his way with us." Chris grumbled. "Not only that, Kalix doesn't stand a chance against Samous."

"None of us do." Sid added. "What chance do we have against such ruthless power?"

Chris looked at his friend for a moment, blue eyes narrowed, before he reached over and punched him square in the jaw. Sid jerked back, hand on his cheek, and turned a glare to his comrade. Both growled, a low menacing sound that would have frightened anyone else. The rest of the Psychos watched with slight amusement as they were used to their comrades' antics.

"Why'd you hit me?" Sid demanded.

"You needed it."

Sid opened his mouth to object, but suddenly realized exactly why his friend had hit him. "No kidding I needed it. I can't believe I just implied we don't have a chance against Samous."

"That's nothing like the cocky, arrogant jackass we all know and love." Chris said, laughing as Sid punched him solidly in the shoulder.

Kyle rolled his eyes. "You two will never grow up, will you?"

"Nope." The 'Terrible Twosome' replied in unison.

Kyle opened his mouth to say something more when the door into the rec. room hissed open. Terik and Aurias both stumbled inside and were followed by Samous. Everyone stood up immediately and prepared to defend themselves if necessary. Samous sneered at them, glowing white eyes sweeping over the room with obvious boredom. He didn't even seem bothered by the fact that his former teammates were all gathered talking while they should have been sleeping. If he knew they were plotting against him he certainly didn't seem bothered by it.

"We attack now. Morph and get to the transport room." Samous ordered. He turned and left the room.

The rest of the Psychos glanced around at each other. All of them had the same feeling of trepidation. It was a feeling of finality. Whatever happened, this battle was it. They would either win or lose, one meant life and the other meant death. This was what they had trained for, but that didn't prepare them. Nothing could prepare them.

ZzZzZ

Niko snapped awake and sat up in bed. Beside him Zadan followed suit. They looked at one another with the same expression of dread.

"Samous." Zadan said.

"The others as well." Niko confirmed. "This is it, isn't it? We'll either survive this or we won't."

"We'll survive." Zadan said firmly. He rubbed his hand down Niko's back and then gave a gentle push. "Get dressed. The alarms will be going off any minute."

No sooner had the words passed from his lips the alarms blazed to life. Lights that had been turned off flashed on in a deep red that symbolized the seriousness of the emergency. The two ex-Psycho Rangers quickly got dressed and left the room, falling into step behind the march of rangers to the bridge. Once they were all there Harper brought up the emergency on the view screen. None of them were too surprised to see the remaining Psycho Rangers there.

"Okay everyone. All the Psycho Rangers are a threat but be especially careful of Samous." Zadan said. "Let Niko and I handle him. No one challenges Samous unless there's no avoiding it."

"What makes you think you guys can take him?" Hunter asked.

"It's not a matter of if we think we can take him. As the Protectors of the Gems of Power we have to right the wrong that has been done when he absorbed the Gem." Zadan explained.

"It's our duty." Niko confirmed.

"Fine then. We'll all stay away from Samous." Shane consented. "Everybody ready?"

"As we'll ever be." Hunter confirmed.

"Ninja Storm, Ranger Form! HA!"

"Thunder Storm, Ranger Form! HA!"

"Samurai Storm, Ranger Form! HA!"

"Battle Rangers, Battle Ready!"

"Solar Ranger, Flare Up!"

"Hyper Force, power up!"

There was an amazing display of light and sound as all the rangers morphed at once. The power that surged through the room was invigorating, but short lived. As it died down they were once more left with the knowledge that the biggest battle of their lives awaited them. There was a quick round of good lucks before everyone except Sizvu transported away. Sizvu stood in the bridge room for a moment, vaguely reminded of the last true battle of the Battle Rangers. That hadn't ended well and he just hoped with all his heart that this one turned out better.

ZzZzZ

"No more playing around." Samous boomed as he watched the large group of rangers appear. "Finish it."

"Yes sir!"

The Psychos charged without any of the usual taunting. There seemed to be a bit of confusion at first about who would go after whom, but some quick mental arguing worked that out.

Cam raised his saber to block both of Psycho Green's sabers and received a vicious kick to the chest. As he stumbled back he struggled to keep up with both of Green's weapons. Only having one saber put him at a severe disadvantage. His only chance was to rid his opponent of one of the sabers. He ducked low as both sabers whistled over his head. As he came back up he swung his saber as hard as he could at Green's wrist. There were sparks at the impact and Green dropped the saber, pulling his hurt wrist to his chest. Cam made a quick move and kicked Green's saber across the battlefield so that his foe couldn't pick it back up. Green growled at the loss of his advantage, but continued the fight nonetheless. With the odds evened Cam began to take the lead of the fight, going on the offensive while Green was forced into a defensive pattern.

Crimson went straight for Hunter, but found himself fighting Shane as well. He was used to Hunter's fighting styles and techniques, but Shane was just different enough to throw him off his game. He struggled to keep up with them both as his internal conflicts boiled to a fever pitch.

Blue was walking all over Tori as usual. The fear that the Psycho had instilled in the Blue Ranger was still as strong as ever. Whenever Tori looked at Blue all she could think of was the glowing visor that haunted her nightmares. Blue was using the fear to her advantage, beating Tori into the ground as if she were nothing. But even through her fear Tori was able to defend herself well enough to fend off any fatal blows. Her suit was absorbing a lot of blows, but nothing too damaging was being done.

Blake jumped back and watched as Teal's mace dug deep into the ground. The taller Psycho yanked the weapon back up and knocked Blake's staff to the side. Blake stepped back to avoid a kick to his chest and instantly regretted the move. That little action set him on the path of defense instead of his preferred offense. He continued to move back and avoid as many of Teal's strikes as he could as he analyzed his enemy. Something about the fighting style was too familiar. Then it clicked suddenly as he ducked a swipe of the mace and swung his staff at the Psycho's face, making Teal take a step back.

"You're a Wind Ninja." Blake said as Teal lunged at him again.

"How observant of you." Teal sneered. "Took you long enough."

"How could you turn against your teachings?"

"Some things are more important than trivial teachings from senile old men." Teal retorted.

"Like what?" Blake snarled, angered at having any Sensei called a senile old man.

"Power."

"How did I know you were going to say that?" Blake grumbled, dodging the mace with ease.

"Because deep down inside you seek power as well." Teal replied.

Blake snarled and threw a bolt of navy lightning at his enemy. Teal laughed and batted it away with ease. Blake lunged at him and Teal laughed harder as he swung the mace right into Blake's chest. Blake was sent tumbling backwards and came to a stop with a dull thump as his body flopped limply on the ground.

Kardan grunted as he was smacked roughly to the ground. He rolled as Bronze tried to step down on him and listened as Harper jumped into the fight. Bronze swung around and caught Harper with a fist to the stomach. Harper fell to the ground, winded, and cried out as Bronze stepped down on his back. Kardan got to his feet and lunged to knock Bronze away from his teammate, but was smacked to the ground again. Harper snarled angrily, eyes changing colors though it was hidden behind his helmet. With a roar he pushed himself upward, unbalancing Bronze. He twisted easily and pulled his blaster, shooting Bronze three times in the chest. The Psycho Ranger fell backwards as Kardan pulled Harper to his feet.

"Okay there?" Kardan asked.

"As okay as I can be with a psychotic Psycho Ranger after us." Harper replied.

Any further conversation was cut off as Bronze got back into the fight again.

Amias was battling it out with Psycho Gold, sword against sickles. All the weapons were just flashes of light bouncing off of metal as they fought furiously. A slip up by either one of them would mean the end of the fight. Amias was younger and had less training, but he had more field experience than Gold. It didn't seem like much of an advantage until an explosion shift Gold's attention just enough to give Amias an opening. Amias drove his sword forward and into Gold's shoulder. Psycho Gold jumped back from the blade as a hand went to his shoulder.

Only a short ways away Dustin was fighting against Psycho Silver and having quite a bit more trouble. While Dustin was a skilled fighter and more than capable of holding his own, Silver was ruthless and reckless enough to do anything just to hurt Dustin. Dustin had already lost his sword and using his Lion Hammer made him too slow. As he dodged another of Silver's vicious attacks he summoned his dragon-dual sabers. He watched as Silver froze, taking in the new weapon with interest. Dustin pulled it apart revealing to two blades within and felt a little bit of power trickle through him. Silver cocked his head, watching the spark of energy that traveled from the hilt to the tip of each blade.

"So you've got some flashy blades. Won't save you Yellow Ranger." Silver taunted. "Why don't you just give up and let me kill you quick and easy."

"Rangers don't give up." Dustin replied defiantly.

"So you say now, but we'll see how quickly you change your mind."

And a little ways away from everyone else Niko and Zadan stood ready to challenge Samous. Samous was watching them with blazing white eyes, his hatred almost visibly boiling off of him. Niko shifted slightly toward Zadan. He had been faced with a brutal beating at Samous's hands once before, but now his enemy had even more power than before. His strength and speed far outweighed their own and they could feel his power was unmatched by anything on Earth, except for one.

Do we risk it? Niko asked.

Zadan shook his head. No, he locked himself away for a reason Niko. Besides, we don't need him.

How do you figure? We're certainly no match for Samous now. Niko argued.

Don't give up already Niko. The power we've been given as Protectors might be enough.

Niko was skeptical, but didn't say anything else. He pulled his staff, shifting it in his hands for a moment as he reacquainted himself with the weight and feel of his old quarterstaff. Following his lead, Zadan pulled his scythe and twirled it expertly before falling into a fighting stance. Neither of them got a chance to attack. Samous lifted one hand and a shockwave of energy knocked both rangers off their feet as their suits crackled and sparked.

You were saying.

Zadan didn't reply to Niko's bait. Instead he pulled himself back to his feet and gasped as he found himself face to face with Samous. He couldn't move fast enough as Samous hit him hard enough to send him flying backwards into Psycho Teal. The breath was knocked out of the Solar Ranger and he was unable to get to his feet as quickly as before.

Niko sensed Samous coming and instinctively ducked. Samous's fist sailed over his head, but the insane man spun with unnatural speed and kicked Niko powerfully in the back. Niko hit the ground hard as agony flared through his body. Despite the pain he was in he rolled to the side and felt the ground shake as Samous's boot made a small crater in the ground. Niko rolled again and used a burst of energy to get to his feet only to get caught with an energy blast that sent him flying to collide with Psycho Green.

The whole battlefield went completely still as all eyes shifted to Samous. The Psycho Rangers all looked at each other before looking back at the man that had once been their friend. Samous was acting without a thought towards them. He was throwing his own enemies right at them and causing them to make fatal mistakes. On top of that, none of them were sure they wanted to see Samous win.

I'm not doing this anymore. Crimson finally spoke to everyone. I'm going to make sure this bastard goes down today.

Crimson finally spoke to everyone.

How do you plan on doing that? Green demanded.

The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

You're going to join forces with the Rangers! Silver exclaimed.

Crimson turned to look at the younger Psycho and his visor flashed. I'm going to do what I have to in order to make sure Samous doesn't win.

The Rangers alone can't do it and we alone can't do it. Only together are we going to be able to take Samous down. Blue admitted, though everyone could tell it hurt her a great deal.

"What are you doing! Keep fighting!" Samous roared.

The Rangers all tensed, expecting the attack to resume. What they got was a major surprise. Silver zipped behind Samous and made to stab him in the back, but Samous spun and backhanded the younger Psycho with great force. Gold moved next, bringing his sickles down at Samous's back, but again Samous spun and this time blasted Gold midair causing the Psycho to go flying backwards. Crimson and Blue attacked at the same time and moved with practiced ease. Samous seemed completely untouchable even as the other Psychos moved in to help. Bronze managed to land a blow to Samous's back and that seemed to be the final straw. A shockwave of power blasted all the Psychos off their feet and they all landed at least ten feet away from them.

The big surprise came when Hunter stood his ground and caught Psycho Blue as she flew toward him. He blinked down at her just as surprised as everyone else that he had caught the Psycho. He could feel energy still crackling around her as he set her feet back on the ground. She stood a bit wobbly and faced Samous again.

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend." She repeated Crimson's words from earlier softly.

"What?" Hunter was shocked.

Blue didn't reply and instead launched herself at Samous again. The Holder didn't even look at her as he caught her with one hand around her throat. Instantly Crimson was on his feet and lunged to help Blue, but was kicked solidly in the chest, violently stopping his forward momentum. Samous stepped down on his chest and squeezed Blue's throat. Silver lunged with both sets of hand blades aimed for Samous's neck. Samous caught one of Silver's wrists in a vice like grip and swung the younger man down into the ground with enough force to make a small crater.

Psycho Gold roared like a beast and charged Samous without a thought. Samous turned and aimed what would have been a killing blast at Gold's face. Suddenly an ice wall seemed to pop out of the ground and the energy struck it instead. As the ice blew apart Gold was revealed being held back by a familiar white ranger.

"Sebastien!" Dustin exclaimed, happy to see his newest teammate alive and well.

Sebastien gave Dustin a nod, but kept his attention focused on the threat in front of him. He released his struggling enemy and ducked as Gold swung at him. He then came up with an upper cut that lifted Gold right off his feet.

"Stop that." Sebastien hissed. "For the moment we have a common enemy that we need to focus on."

"I don't want your help." Gold snarled, visor flashing.

Sebastien shrugged. "Your loss. But I did just save your life Goldie. Maybe you should think about that."

Without another word Sebastien turned and thrust both of his hands toward Samous. Instantly ice flew from his palms and consumed the powerful man. Blue was able to break out of his grip and Crimson was able to get away too. They both stumbled a few feet away before the ice around Samous shattered and blew apart. Instantly Samous sent a bolt of energy straight at Sebastien, but he Ice Ranger was knocked out of the way. He caught his balance and looked to find that it was Gold who had saved him, much to everyone's surprise including Gold.

"Don't call me Goldie."

Sebastien smirked. "Whatever you say."

Gold turned and zipped over to where Silver was forcing himself to his feet. Sebastien watched them for a moment before streaking over to his own teammates where he received a warm welcome, even a slight pat on the back from Hunter. Then they all watched as the Psycho Rangers tried to regroup as well, both sides thinking over their strategies.

Got any good ideas over there?

Niko jumped at the voice in his head and looked around his companions. Everyone else seemed slightly startled by their body language. None of them had anticipated Crimson talking to them.

Not really. You? Niko replied.

We've got nothing. He's unbeatable.

No one's unbeatable. There's got to be a way. Zadan argued.

We haven't tried both teams attacking at once. Blue suggested.

The plan was silently agreed upon. All the rangers and Psycho Rangers charged at the same time. Any monster would have fallen under the combined attack. Samous made it look like flies attacking a dinosaur. An observer would have said that Samous didn't even move, but everyone involved in the battle knew differently. Kicks, punches, degrading slaps all flew at what seemed like hyper speed. No one saw him move but within the blink of an eye everyone was laid out on the ground moaning in pain.

"Pathetic." Samous snarled. He cast hateful looks around at the Psycho Rangers who laid moaning amongst the Rangers. "Traitors will not be tolerated!"

Bronze rumbled to his feet. Anger flared within him. He wasn't used to being bashed around and it seriously pissed him off. He grabbed his pike from where it had fallen and threw it at Samous. The pike stopped in the air, turned, and flew straight back at Bronze with ten times the power. Bronze grunted as the pike drove straight through the center of his chest and out of his back, severing his spinal cord as it went. His body flopped limply to the ground and he was unable to escape as Samous appeared beside him as if he had been there all along.

"For your betrayal I sentence you to death." Samous boomed.

"NO!" Bronze's teammates cried out.

None of them could have moved fast enough to save him. Samous jerked the pike out and then slammed it back down into Bronze's heart. Bronze's upper body jerked a few times before he went completely limp as he demorphed. His death struck his teammates deeply as none of them had been prepared for it. The Rangers felt their resolve harden. They didn't want to see any of their own side fall.

Dustin stared in horror at the dead body of what had been an enemy. It was terrifying how easily Samous had struck down the brute of a warrior Psycho Bronze. How could they beat such an untouchable foe? Bronze was the only one who had managed to strike Samous and suddenly he was dead. Something drastic had to happen. Something to turn the tides, but what? They were all out of allies, save for Sizvu who was no doubt doing something to help, and apparently they were all out of ideas.

Suddenly the Tiger Gauntlet materialized and Hunter fired a bolt of crimson energy straight at Samous's head. Samous batted the energy away and Silver barely dodged though he felt the heat of the explosion on his back. Hunter aimed another shot, but before he could blink Samous was right in front of him. Hunter gasped and instinctively moved to take a step back, but Samous seized him by his throat and lifted him off his feet. Blades swished out of the Tiger Gauntlet's mouth, but Samous's free hand grabbed hold of the gauntlet and held the arm immobile.

"I will crush you like the worm you are." Samous snarled.

Hunter struggled, but he was no match for Samous's strength. Darkness encroached at the corners of his vision. He could hear his heart thumping slower and slower, but everything else became muted.

"Psycho Force Rush!"

"Psycho Fury Blast!"

Suddenly Hunter could breathe again and he found himself being dragged. He hadn't even realized he was on the ground. With each new breath he became more and more aware of things. Then it dawned on him that two of his enemies had just saved his life. Could the day get any weirder? First the Psychos turn on Samous. Then Sebastien saves the life of the very Psycho that had been trying to kill him not even a week ago. Then that same Psycho saved Sebastien in return. But to have Crimson save his life was almost too much for Hunter to take in.

"Get up Hunter, now isn't the time for lying down." Hunter heard Blake tell him as he was being pulled to his feet.

That point was drive home as both Crimson and Blue were sent flying away from Samous by a now familiar shockwave of energy. Everyone else stood scattered around the battlefield. Psychos were mixed with Rangers and for the moment it seemed as if all animosity had been lost. Green was leaning against Cam as he tried to keep pressure off his twisted ankle. The two were talking in quiet tones, obviously trying to work out some plan of action. Tori was actually being supported by Psycho Teal, who didn't actually seem to look at all bothered by the ranger at his side. Everyone knew it was short lived and after the common enemy was gone they'd be at each other's throats again

"Haven't you fools figured out that you can't beat me!" Samous roared.

It's not true! We can beat him, there has to be a way! Niko called out to all the minds of those involved.

Like what? You guys are just as useless as ever. Silver retorted.

We'll never get anywhere by arguing. Zadan scolded.

I hate to agree with him, but he's right. Blue said. We have to come up with a plan together, all of us have to work together.

Blue said.

Thinking quickly Amias and Niko reached out with their psychic powers and linked the rest of the rangers into the conversation so that everyone on the battlefield could give their piece of advice. Samous seemed content letting them stew, seeing their silence as hesitation and fear. But supporting each other in the midst of battle was far different from agreeing to a course of action and the Rangers and Psychos were having a hard time with that.

I have an idea! Blue had to practically shout to be heard over the mental, verbal brawl going on between the men of both sides. Yellow Ranger, when you stole my Gem you used some kind of power up. Can you do it again?

Blue had to practically shout to be heard over the mental, verbal brawl going on between the men of both sides.

Dustin frowned and frantically tried to remember what she was talking about. So much had happened so quickly. What was she talking about?

Me.

For a moment Dustin didn't recognize the voice in his mind. So many others were trying to talk, but this new voice cut through them all. Along with the voice came a comforting presence and the sudden realization of who was talking to him.

Lion!

Yes little cub, I'm here just as always. Lion replied. Are you ready for me?

You bet. Let's cream this chump. Dustin exclaimed, and then opened his mind back to the connection Niko had made and spoke to his teammates. Guys, open yourselves to your spirit animals!

 Lion replied. Dustin exclaimed, and then opened his mind back to the connection Niko had made and spoke to his teammates.

Hunter frowned at Dustin's words and glanced up at Samous. Could a little boost from their spirit animals really be enough? Could he even make the same kind of connection as Dustin? Hunter had never tried even though he had finally accepted his spirit animal. Suddenly as if sensing his doubt he felt the tiger within him surge forward and without a thought he opened himself to it. Power surged through him like hot fire and he felt completely rejuvenated. Around him he could sense his teammates doing the same and felt a surge of hope that maybe, just maybe it would be enough.

Let's try this again, shall we? Shane spoke up, feeling better than he had in weeks.

The three Wind Rangers charged first with the Thunder Rangers right behind and Sebastien behind them. Cam stayed back as he either didn't have an animal spirit or just hadn't managed to connect with it yet. Samous dodged the Wind Rangers and then clotheslined both Thunders to the ground before grabbing Sebastien by his throat. Sebastien snarled like some kind of wild animal used the claws his gloves had turned into to scratch deep lines into Samous's flesh. Samous roared and dropped the Ice Ranger and then stumbled as he was struck from behind. Samous spun and caught Dustin's Lion Hammer before he could be struck by it again and then yanked Dustin forward. Dustin knew what was coming and instead released his weapon and ducked and rolled. Shane and Tori attacked Samous head on while Hunter and Blake attacked from behind. Samous used Dustin's Lion Hammer to bash Tori away, but Shane managed to catch the hammer and did a quick super spin that yanked the weapon out of the enemy's hands.

That seemed to be all Samous could take. With a roar of fury he released a massive shockwave that sent everyone flying away from him, sparking like mad. Samous snarled angrily, but came to a realization. The more he fought with them and the higher the stakes got the more power he tapped into. It didn't matter how powerful they got because he just opened himself to more power from the Gem. They couldn't beat him. They couldn't tap into half the power he could.

Kardan shot a look at Harper and the two nodded at each other. They summoned their rocket launchers, took aim, and fired. Samous smacked Kardan's two rockets in the air. He then redirected Harper's rockets. Psychos and Rangers alike had to dive out of the way as the rockets exploded. Samous then sent two searing bolts of energy at the two Battle Rangers and sent them tumbling away.

Alright Psychos. It's time to reach down deep and find the power to beat this guy. Kyle said. If the Rangers can't beat him, we have to.

Kyle said.

Together all the Psychos charged, but Samous was done playing around. They were all within striking distance when pain suddenly lanced through them all. Their suits began to crackle and in an instant they were all on the ground screaming and writhing in agony. Samous was using his connection to the Gems to torture them. Niko and Zadan moved to attack Samous but the super powered madman pointed his palm at them and they were sent flying backwards.

Amias gulped as he suddenly found himself to be the only one standing. All he could do was watch as Samous tortured the Psycho Rangers while all his allies lay in pain. If all of them together couldn't do anything, what was he supposed to do? One lone Hyper Force Ranger was no match for Samous's kind of power.

Suddenly Sizvu transported in. The Black Battle Ranger took a moment to take in the devastation before he quickly ran to Amias's side. Amias noticed two devices that looked somewhat like morphers in Sizvu's hands. Before he could even question what they were Sizvu thrust one at him.

"It's an augmentor. It harnesses bits of the Gem's power to augment your ranger power." Sizvu said. "Only those not connected with the Morphing Grid can use it."

Amias took the device in his hand and stared at it for a brief moment before strapping it around the wrist without a morpher. He listened as Sizvu told him what to do and then followed his instructions. Upon pushing the green button on the device Amias felt as if the world exploded into tiny fragments of itself before the overwhelming sense of power pulled everything back together. He felt more powerful than ever and suddenly had the confidence to face Samous without fear.

Samous jerked around as he felt a Gem of Power become active. With a snarl he launched himself at the Red Hyper Force Ranger, but suddenly found himself flying backwards. He got to his feet just in time to defend himself from Amias, but his attacker almost moved too fast for him. He struggled for a moment and searched for an opening in Amias's pattern, but growled in frustration when he found none. All too suddenly the tide of the battle had changed.

Sizvu went to his teammates and checked on them briefly before he saw Dustin pulling himself to his feet. As the first Ranger to his feet, Dustin had just volunteered to take the other augmentor. Sizvu went to the Yellow Ranger quickly and explained everything. Dustin accepted without thought and moments latter there was another augmented ranger battling Samous.

Things took a drastic turn from there. Samous was the one taking the beating. Everywhere he moved one of the two augmented rangers was there to beat on him. He wasn't quick enough anymore. Where once he had seemed to move without taking a step, suddenly he was slow as molasses. Dustin and Amias were practically dancing circles around the enraged warrior and when Samous tried his now familiar shockwave, neither ranger was affected. The energy seemed to ripple off them as their suits flared white for a moment as if some kind of shield was around them.

"This isn't possible." Samous snarled.

"You should have realized by now that anything is possible." Dustin replied, though his tone was more deadly than any of his teammates had ever heard.

Samous roared with rage and suddenly energy crackled out of his body. Dustin managed to leap back, but Amias was struck on the chest by one bolt and was sent flying. As he watched Amias tumble to a stop, Dustin had a sudden epiphany. He knew how to defeat Samous, but it wasn't a way anyone would have originally considered. Putting all the facts together and everything he had seen during the fight it seemed like a logical solution. There had to be a limit to how much power Samous could absorb before his body and mind couldn't take anymore. The harder they pushed Samous the more power he tried to open himself up to.

"You're going down Samous." Dustin called.

"One little ranger isn't going to take me down no matter how much power you think you have!" Samous howled, his insanity becoming clearer.

Dustin was intimidated by the sheer power radiating in visible waves from Samous, but that wasn't going to stop him. He summoned his dual-sabers to himself and let the knowledge that he had absorbed from them lead him from there. As he crossed the blades he sent all the power he could through his connection into it and almost believed he could feel the blades vibrating. The dual-sabers began to glow softly at first, but the brightness increased until it was too bright to look at. Then, when he felt the blades couldn't handle anymore power he thrust them in Samous's direction.

To say the attack was impressive would have been an understatement. Where has he been hiding this kind of power? Hunter wondered. Then he remembered the device he had blearily seen Sizvu give to his friend. Not that it was unappreciated, but Hunter had to wonder if it was a good idea for Dustin to be harnessing so much power. It was too late to worry about it though; Dustin was already channeling the power outward toward Samous.

The effect was instantaneous. Samous absolutely howled with rage, the ripples of his own power being completely overwhelmed by Dustin's energy. Instinctively Samous tried to pull in more power to fight back, but as he pulled in larger amounts of power, Dustin just seemed to send more and more at him. It didn't matter how deep Samous delved into his own power, Dustin matched him move for move.

Suddenly the whole world exploded. Everyone who had been on their feet was knocked over. Hunter had lost track of how many times something like that had happened in the past month, but it was too many. He was almost used to blocking his eyes from the bright white, but it still hurt. When he felt the light had faded enough to look he was shocked by what he saw. Dustin was lying unmoving on the ground and apparently unconscious. Samous looked to be in much the same condition though he shamelessly hoped the insane man was dead.

It took a few minutes before anybody had the courage or strength to move. Hunter found the resolve to move first. He checked on Blake and when he was assured that his brother was okay he moved on to Cam, feeling a strange need to make sure the Samurai was okay. Once that was done he quickly made his way to Dustin with Shane right on his heels. Dustin was already starting to recover when they reached his side. Upon closer inspection they found the Yellow Ranger to be battered and bruised, but not seriously injured in any way.

Slowly the battlefield began to become more active. The Psychos began to pull themselves together while the Ranger did the same. Neither side really took notice of each other as everyone checked to make sure their teammates were okay. It slowly became obvious that other than the deceased Bronze, everyone was alive and no one was fatally wounded. The battle had actually gone better than anyone had expected, but then none of them had anticipated the Psycho Ranger teaming up with the Power Rangers to beat Samous.

Green leaned heavily on Teal as the two moved slowly and cautiously toward Samous. What they found was slightly unnerving. Samous seemed to be awake as his bright white eyes were open. Teal almost jumped backwards, but Green held him in place. It was then they both noticed that Samous wasn't blinking. In fact, the man was barely breathing. Green waved a hand over Samous's face and grinned when there was no reaction.

"It's over. The bastard is done for." Green announced.

The relief everybody felt was almost tangible. But it was short lived. With the common enemy out of the way both sides immediately became wary of one another. Gold, Silver, Teal, and Green all gathered themselves up and regrouped. They knew it would be the perfect time to strike the rangers as everyone was weak. The thought quickly passed. They were weakened also and wouldn't be able to accomplish much. In the end the four transported back to the ship, taking Samous with them.

Blue and Crimson hesitated in following. They stared at each other for a few minutes before cautiously moving to help Zadan and Niko get to their feet. No words were said and a slight tension hung over the air, but it was clear in their body language that something had changed in their feelings towards each other. A silent truce had been called, one that was lasting beyond the battle. For the moment they were no longer enemies.

It took a while for everyone to recover enough to actually realize they had won. They knew the war was far from over, but they had won the battle. For the moment, that was enough.