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Wes inched nearer to the opening of the cave and peered inside, trying to see past the darkness, to catch a glimpse of the activity inside; behind him, Jen stood guard, her rifle poised dangerously, her senses alert as she scanned the area. "There's nothing out here," she whispered, "we have to go inside."

"Damn." Wes chewed on his lower lip. "And we know what that means."

Jen nodded, grasping his arm and yanking him away from the opening, she didn't speak, but mouthed to him: "Ready?" Together, they went through the motions and morphed into their Ranger forms, soon after retrieving their own weapons, and slowly entering the cave; Wes went first, crouched low to the ground, Jen directly behind him, but aiming above his head. They moved painstakingly slow, their muscles screaming for action, perspiration on their brow that threatened to run down and cloud their vision; suddenly, Wes raised a gloved hand:

"I see something."

He dropped to his belly and crawled forward, staying flat on the rocky ground, he continued for a few feet before he reached a tiny opening and was able to peek through it: The cliff dropped off a good fifty meters to below, where hundreds of cyclobots were gathered, rushing around in their usual manner, though it was impossible to tell if they were actually working. He squinted, adjusting his monitor to infra-red, despite Frax's robotic appearance, he was still human underneath . . . and humans gave off heat signatures.

"I see him," he whispered, "Frax is down there."

Indeed, Frax stood in the midst of his cyclobots, seeming to observe the activity around him, but without making a sound; Wes tore his eyes from him, though he wanted to keep watching to be safe, instead he continued to scan the area below him. Miscellaneous weapons it seemed, nothing too big, but size didn't always matter in firepower, he knew that; but nothing seemed to stand out, that was a relief, at least. No super robots this time, huh? He twisted back to look at Jen, gesturing to her to back out of the cave and pointing to his morpher: Contact the others.

She scowled, but turned around slowly and quietly made her way outside again, leaving him alone to continue watching Frax; he remain on his belly, trying to stay as flat as possible, praying no one would see him. We could finish this right here. Right now. If we could just get the others down here in time. He cursed inwardly, the nearest landing spot was the one he and Jen landed on, and that was a good few hours hike; they would have to remain hidden near the cave as darkness fell, undetected.

Suddenly, he knew that would be impossible.

The rocky wall above him crumbled in surrender to the laser that shot up and hit it, sending a downpour of thick dust and stones down on top of him, he found time to be grateful for morphing earlier, before he scrambled up and turned to make his escape---only to catch a blaster ray in the square of his back and fall, gasping in pain, to the ground once again. He landed with a thump, coughing as the impact took the breath from him, a moment later he felt the sickening feeling of his powers giving way, and he knew whatever had hit was more powerful than the weapons he was accustomed to; he choked on the dust that clouded above him, vaguely hearing the motions from below and Jen's voice outside.

Don't come back in here, he pleaded, silently. Stay back!

"Red Ranger!" Frax's voice called, "how nice of you to join us!"

Gotta move . . . just get outside . . . painfully, he pulled himself forward, inching closer to the cave opening; it would took a little while for the cylobots to scale the wall and catch up to him, if he could just get outside before then, he could find a place to hide. He could warn Jen. He bit back another gasp of pain and nausea, forcing himself to continue on, catching a glimpse of something ahead of him---a figure clad in pink, with a blaster rifle against her shoulder. He tried to shout, but no words would come out, Jen rushed forward and grabbed him, mindless of the danger she was placing herself in. As always.

"You gotta get up, Wes," she urged, "we need to move!"

"The others---"

"Are coming," she interrupted, "we're gonna be fine. Now let's go!"

With a grunt, he pushed himself up onto unsteady legs and followed her outside, finding the weather had taken an unexpected turn and the wind was now fiercely whipping against their faces, the sand nearly blinding him; a sandstorm, just before dark. Great. Their chances of getting lost had practically just tripled, he knew, as if pushing through the sand wouldn't have been hard enough, their daylight was fading fast---

"Wes, can you hear me?"

It was then he realized he had fallen to the ground and was slumped against the rocks, Jen kneeling next to him, her face hidden behind her mask; she didn't speak again, but strapped her rifle across her back and grabbed both his arms, lifting him off the ground with surprising strength. She half-carried, half-dragged him from the cave and around a corner, up and over a slight incline; but both lost their footing on the way down and fell, rolling across the sand to the hard-packed ground below.

Wes landed first. He barely registered the sound of one of his own ribs cracking, the pain was there, but felt distant . . . then he saw Jen falling, a moment later landing across him, grunting painfully; she lay still for a moment, gasping for air, till she caught her breath and quickly got off him. She shook his shoulders, her voice full of concern: "Wes? Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine . . . " he murmured, "I think I'm just dazed."

"Lie still." She sat back, clicking her morpher: "Lucas, are you there?"

"We're on our way, Jen," Lucas replied, "but it's going to take some time, fighting through this storm."

"You need to hurry," Jen instucted, "we've been spotted. Wes is hurt."

A pause. "How bad?"

She ran a hand over his dust-covered face, then down his torso, pressing slightly at his ribs, causing him to moan. "At least a few broken ribs," she reported, "but I think he'll be okay. Still, it's just me down here."

"We're going as fast as we can."

"All right. Out." Silently, she demorphed and began searching through the first aid packet she carried strapped to one of her legs; she retrieved a bandage and pulled Wes up to a sitting position. "I'm gonna wrap your ribs. It'll be tight---"

"I know," Wes gasped, "I've broken ribs before."

She raised an eyebrow. "Really? Somehow that surprises me . . . " her voice was teasing, trying to keep it light. "You know it'll hurt, but try not to make too much noise. It won't be long before they come over this hill."

"Then we'll have to make one hell of a break for it."

"Right."

And I'm just gonna slow you down . . . damn it. Wes bit his lip against the pain, squeezing his eyes shut and pulling on all the self-control he had worked so hard to achieve, once again thankful for Eric's rigorous training; Jen worked quickly, efficiently, her jaw set with determination, her hands moving expertly, while her eyes still scanned the area surrounding them. "I can't believe they haven't come yet," she said, softly, "cyclobots are smarter than that. They have to know where we went."

"Don't forget that storm," Wes said, "it's worse over the hill. They probably can't tell which way is which."

"You're right." She smiled. "Never thought I'd be thankful for a storm like this."

She reached into her packet again and pulled out a wipe, using it to wipe off her own face before handing Wes another one. "Seems like a small gesture," she sighed, "but it helps. Eases some of the frustration from this damned sand."

"You spend a lot of time in the desert?" Wes questioned.

"Some. When I was with my special ops unit." She looked up again, but still saw nothing from the way they came. "Could you tell what was going on in there? Frax up to his old tricks?"

"Didn't look like it," Wes answered, "nothing all that out of the ordinary . . . they had some weapons in there, but they were all manual. No robots."

"Well, that's a relief. I don't really want to face another Doomtron."

"Can't blame you there!" He grimaced.

Her gaze sharpened. "You okay?"

"Yeah, yeah . . . forgotten how much a pain in the ass this is though." He tried to breathe in, only to find the pain in his ribs made it impossible. "Kind of short of breath, that's all."

"Try to breathe deeply," Jen said, "I know it hurts, but you've got to. Especially if we have to run."

Run. He didn't admit to her he wasn't sure he could run, no matter how hard he pushed himself. Stop thinking like that . . . no point in it. He twisted around to look up in the direction they had come. The others will be here soon. And if this sandstorm stays like this, those bots won't find us. I hope.

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"Shit!"

Alex lost his footing as soon as he stepped outside of the shuttle, nearly toppling over into the sand, but Lucas grabbed his arm and yanked him back inside before he could; still, he was already covered from head-to-toe, sand burning his eyes, and grinding between his teeth. "Goddamn," he muttered, "it's hell out there."

"We'll never find Wes and Jen in this weather," Katie sighed.

Alex shot her a sharp look. "We have to try," he countered, "you two morph, it'll help with the sand. We ought to have some goggles around here or something---" he began digging through the supplies, nodding when he came up with a pair of dark, thick glasses "---these'll work. You both have GPS-like devices installed into your monitors, patch in approximate coordinates, and we'll get there in no time."

"It's about twenty kilometers away," Lucas pointed out, "and in this storm---it'll take hours."

"Do you have any better suggestions?" Alex snapped.

Silence.

"No." He pulled on a pair of gloves and zipped his jacket up higher. "Then let's go."

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"You are nothing!"

"You're lower than dirt!"

"You will never become anything!"

He awoke with a start and cried aloud. Those around him watched him with sharp eyes and unsympathetic faces, then returned to their own needs, leaving him wallowing in his self-pity, crouched in a dark corner with a blanket draped over him to conceal his robotic form. If he could, he had no doubt he would shed a tear. But, no, he was not human any longer.

He clenched his fist. His life was destroyed. He could no longer think like a human, for he wasn't one now, he was a robot. A superior being. His old life had been taken away---no, not by humans, but by their mistakes. Their failures had cost him his own life. And they would pay dearly for it . . . in time. Only in good time.

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They say you can always hear the bullet that hits you, Alex mused as he lay flat on his back, staring up at the violent sky. That must be some bullshit. I never heard a thing.

"Alex!" Katie cried, in a moment kneeling at his side.

"I-I'm okay," he tried to stammer, at the same time attempting to sit up, only to discover he was most definitely not okay. He fell back in the sand. "Shit . . . h-how far are we from them?"

"The entrance to the cave is right over there," Lucas called, "but---"

"Well, we can't turn around," Alex muttered.

"Dammit," Katie swore, unusual for her typically-calm self.

Alex followed her gaze down to his thigh, watching with a sense of detachment as his pant turned a deep red color and he felt the stickiness of blood on his skin; suddenly, his vision was spotty, and her image was blurring. "Alex, no," Katie ordered, "stay awake. We gotta get out from the open, the storm's clearing and they can see us."

With her amazing strength, she grabbed both his arms and lifted him easily, following Lucas as he led them to a more sheltered area and setting him down once they arrived; she sat next to him again, now tearing open her first aid pouch, and his pantleg. "It's bad," she said, her voice tinged with worry, "you're bleeding heavily."

Alex bit back a groan. "Put a dressing on it . . . see if that'll stop it." But as he continued to stare at the gaping hole, he knew it wouldn't, blood was gushing from the wound and onto the sand, and with it he felt his own consciousness slipping away.

"Jen!" Lucas' voice brought him back as the Blue Ranger spoke into his communicator. "Jen, are you there?"

A moment, then: "Yes, we're here. Where are you guys?"

"We're in the area," Lucas replied, "be careful, there's a sniper on the hill somewhere and the storm's clearing. Are you two hidden?"

"Pretty much . . . Wes is hurt though, and he's getting worse."

Lucas hesitated, looking down at Alex; Katie raised her morpher and spoke: "I'm coming, Jen, I'll help you with Wes. We gotta get out of here." She kept one hand pressed firmly on Alex's leg, but the blood was seeping through her fingers. "Maybe with the storm easing up we can have another shuttle sent down. Closer."

Wes' voice: "I can walk. Don't worry about me."

"All right," Katie said, "but I'm still coming over there---" she cut off as something whizzed past her ear, taking a slice of skin with it and causing her to clasp her hand over the wound as it started bleeding. "Oh shit. Jen, get over here!"

"What's going on?"

"They know we're here!"

Lucas finished tending to Alex hastily, then grabbed his blaster and leapt out from cover for a moment to aim up the hill, catching a glimpse of a cyclobot's retreating back: He fired, hitting it square on and sending it rolling down the other side; he jumped back in with the other two. "Got him," he said.

"Now we're in for it," Alex said, breathlessly, reaching for the rifle he carried across his back. With considerable effort, he twisted around so he was facing up the hill, resting his elbows on the sand and holding the weapon snuggly; he squinted as two figures emerged from the other side, one obviously half-dragging the other. Then the shots started coming, whining past his own ear and flying around the two on the hill. "Katie!" he yelled, "get up there and help Wes!"

Without questrion, she began running to them and across the line of fire, her suit deflecting the blows she took to her arm and leg; Alex raised his rifle even higher, then adjusted the setting---before firing, he looked back to the other three: "Get down!" Then he squeezed the trigger, a moment later an explosion erupted, sending four cyclobots flying into the air and into pieces when they hit the ground.

"We've gotta get up there," Lucas said, "we're pinned down."

"We don't have enough men!" Alex gasped, "get ahold of the ship and tell them to send a shuttle down here ASAP. I don't care what they have to do . . . they have to land here!" He turned as Wes landed next to him, panting hard beneath his helmet. "How are you?" he demanded.

"I'll be fine," Wes assured him.

"Alex!" Jen dropped to her knees next to him, grasping his still-bleeding leg. "What---?"

"Sniper," Alex said, "damn bad one, too, thankfully. Goddamn it . . . still bleeding." He lowered his rifle, grabbing Katie's pouch, he yanked out a long strip and handed it to Wes, but spoke to Jen: "Get that rifle trained up there." Then he asked of Wes: "You know how to put one of these on?"

Wes hesitated, but said confidently: "Yes." Without another word, he snatched it from Alex's grip and lifted his leg, working surprisingly expertly as he tied the strip a few inches above the wound and tightened it painfully; Alex grunted, his hand squeezing into the sand. "That's good," he said, his voice now weak.

"Alex!" Lucas shouted as the gunfire grew thicker, "they say they're sending three down, but it could take a little while for the pilots to land!"

"We can last a little while." Alex tried to push himself up further, but fell back, moaning.

"Hold still!" Jen commanded, glancing back at him.

Alex rolled his eyes. "As soon as they get here," he explained, "we're gonna have to take that hill. This is it . . . Frax is going down today." He looked directly at Wes. "You up to this?"

Wes removed his helmet, revealing a face smeared with dirt but always lit by a smile, he unscrewed the top to a small bottle and popped two pills into his mouth. "Ibuprofen . . . yeah, I'm up for it."

Alex had to smile. "Good. We'll need a Red Ranger."

"They're coming over!" Jen shouted.

Alex held Wes' unmorphed gaze a moment longer. "This is gonna be fun," he rasped.

Wes quirked an eyebrow. "Hooah, Commander."

Alex laughed, then the two stood side-by-side and began shooting as cyclobots came dashing down the hill after them, unafraid; Lucas, Katie, and Jen stood as well, keeping out of the line of fire from their own comrades, and creating their own. For a few seconds, all five stood just as that, firing unflinchingly at the advancing enemy, before Alex's voice broke through the sounds of battle:

"Get up that hill! GO!"

And at his command, they all left the relative safety of their position and began charging up the hill, meeting the cyclobots face-to-face and hand-to-hand; Jen rammed the butt of her rifle into one's head, then kicked one in the throat before shooting it point-blank; Katie grasped another's head and yanked it violently, hearing the snapping noise it made before the robot crumpled to the ground; Lucas drew both his handguns and fired into the crowd, hitting each and clearing their paths.

Alex and Wes were slightly behind them, but fighting just as fiercely. Wes gritted his teeth and leapt to meet one bot that had gotten by the team, his leg shot out and struck it's head, snapping it back just as another charged him with it's blaster outstretched; Alex gave a shout, swinging his arm around and knocking the weapon away with his forearm before shooting the robot in it's midsection and disabling it. The pain in his leg was gone, and he knew that meant only one thing, but chose to ignore it and press on; there was no point in hiding in the rear, in holding back. Either way . . . you're dead.

Jen reached the entrance to the cave first, and raised her hand to halt the others before grabbing a grenade from her belt; she pulled out the metal pin, tossing it aside and letting loose of the handle before counting to herself . . . one one thousand . . . two one thousand . . . she threw the grenade into the cave as hard as she could, then jumped aside and took cover. A moment later, fire and debris shot out from inside, covering the cyclobots that lay on the ground and nearly reaching the spot where the others crouched; once it had cleared, Jen whirled to stand at the opening, her rifle ready. Cyclobots that had been inside were now sprawled out in pieces, bringing a smug smirk to her face.

"Come on!" she shouted, gesturing hastily. "We've gotta find Frax!"

The team was at her side in a second, and they went into the cave---now blown open further by the grenade---spread out as far as possible, their senses as alert as ever; boots crunched in the sand, breaths came out heavily, it seemed as though the sounds of sweat dripping could be heard. Wes kept a firm grip around his waist, trying not to make a sound . . . Katie and Lucas stood together while Jen went on ahead . . . and Alex braced himself on the wall, not daring to look down at his leg, which was now completely numb. And then, a familiar voice rang out:

"Rangers! My time has finally come!"

"I don't think so, Frax!" Jen snapped, "you're time is finally over. We're here to make sure of that!"

"We shall see!"

And from the shadows, he stepped out, both laser arms pointed outward and directly at them, but he didn't fire, just held still for a moment: "This has been waiting, I have been waiting, for this for one thousand years. Now, today is the day, I will finish it. Once . . . and for all." He cackled in what was some kind of sick laugh. "The human race will pay for their sins!"

Alex frowned. "What the hell are you talking about?" he questioned.

"You're starting to sound like your old friend," Jen taunted, " . . . Ransik."

Frax's red eyes glowed. "It is because of you!" he screamed, "humans tampering with genetics . . . going places they shouldn't go, playing God! YOU created Ransik. And Ransik created me. He took what I was once was . . . and now I will make you pay."

"We'll just see who walks out of here, now won't we?" Lucas said, confidently.

"Yes . . . we shall."

TBC