Ashley Hammond/Astro Yellow: I hope you update soon, I really enjoy your stories.

jenny: You're absolutely right about Andros age. I think I'll make Zhane 17 too, that way I can show how far apart they've actually grown.

Phantom Rogue: I guess you've figured out this chapter is going to be sad also but after this things begin to look up for Andros.

Disclaimer: As much as I would like for it to be, Power Rangers is not my creation.

Ch, 5 Alone Again

"There's too many of them!" Kaegro yelled as she was once again thrown to the ground.

"Let's regroup!" Bryce ordered over the roar of evacuation ships. At their leaders command all the rangers reported to a near by building. "Is everyone here?" he asked after he had closed the door. He quickly counted his teammates and saw that one was missing, Andros. "Zhane! Where's Andros?"

"He was right behind me," Zhane explained, worriedly looking around for his friend. Suddenly there was pounding on the door.

"Let me in!" they heard the youngest member of their team scream and Bryce quickly opened the door helping the still small Andros fight off the remaining Quantrons before closing the door again.

"I thought I told you two to stay together," he scolded as Andros nursed his slightly swollen arm.

"We did," he began, "but I feel because I sprung my ankle and Zhane got to far in front of me." At that moment it was clear to Bryce and the rest of them that this really was the battle that would decide it all. He hated to have Andros and Zhane in the middle of this. They were both to young to have to face such devastating sights but he knew that they would eventually.

"Okay," he started again, clearing his thoughts, "we need a new plan. Preston and I will fight together. Kaegro, you and Serenity fight together, and finally Andros and Zhane you fight together, Maybe if we fight in groups we'll get rid of more of them then we were fighting alone."

Several hours had passed and the rangers had discovered that their new plan wasn't going so well either. Preston had already been killed but they hadn't had time to deal with that yet, Kaegro had to be sent back to the Megaship because of her injuries, where she too had died. Bryce and Serenity were both on the verge of giving up when they saw Andros and Zhane surrounded by four monsters. They knew they couldn't let two young boys die in such a way. If anyone was going to die it would be them, after all they had at least been given a choice to join the rangers.

Three days passed and most of KO-35 had already fallen. The only rangers left were Andros and Zhane, which had both been severely traumatized by the deaths of their teammates. At last, there was a break in the attacks. They returned to the Megaship where DECA went from computer to mother in a second, tending to the boys wounds and trying to help them cope with the loss of their friends, They had two weeks of peace and then the attacks started again.

One day after it seemed all of Dark Specter's forces had once again left the planet Andros and Zhane decided to take a walk in the park where Karone had been taken. Andros looked sadly over at the spot and stopped walking.

He turned towards Zhane and asked, "Do you think we'll ever win?" Zhane understood that Andros needed him to be the positive thinking person but he couldn't find it in himself to lie to his best friend.

"Who knows," he answered solemnly. "I'm not going to lie. The odds are piled up against us."

"I know," Andros replied sadly, "I was just hoping that you could make it better like you always have."

Days passed and nothing happened. The young boys had begun to think that Dark Specter had decided to take over another planet but soon the peace came to an end. The battle was hard. Andros was thrown into a pile of concrete by a monster. As the monster approached to make the kill Zhane jumped in. He fought the monster back and for a split second Andros thought everything was going to be okay and then it happened. The monster evidently had some sort of self-destruct. As it stumbled backwards and fell it pulled Zhane down along with it.

"Andros! Run!" was all Zhane had time to scream before his body was absorbed in pain and then he was surrounded in darkness.

"Zhane?" Andros questioned like a small child as he approached where his best friend lie motionlessly. He bent down beside his friend and tried to shake him awake. "Come on, Zhane! Wake up!" he screamed as the remaining soldiers of KO-35 surrounded him. They helped him to his feet and when it was apparent that he was in no state to walk they carried him to the nearest infirmary. The doctor immediately sedated Andros upon his arrival because of his insistence that Zhane was still alive and that he had to go back to get him. Kinwon immediately sent a platoon out to search and sure enough in the middle of the city laid a great fighter. They brought Zhane back but the doctor said that his only hope was to be put in cryogenic containment. When Andros is finally released from the infirmary he returns to the Megaship where Zhane is being kept and decides to go after Dark Specter to avenge Zhane's 'death' and to find his sister.

Over time DECA notices that Andros doesn't sleep or eat regularly and decides to tell him the approximation of Zhane's recovery time. Once he hears that Zhane will be okay in a couple years he begins to take better care of himself that way he knows he's not letting Zhane down.

Through the years DECA stands beside Andros, helping him through his failed searches and restless nights, and silently prays for someone to come to his rescue. Little does she know, her prayers are about to be answered.

A/N: Sorry it took so long. I had to go out of town for a few days and just got back. Hope you like it. Please review.