DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING BUT THE OCS AND THE PLOT.

CHAPTER TWO: BACK IN BLACK, PT. 1

The group sat in Tommy's restored lab, going over the mission. "So, Zeltrax is planning something, but we don't know what. That's where my dino gem comes into play, since it allows me to become invisible." Tommy explained. "Yeah, but how do we find the place they're hiding at?" Adam asked. "Well I had planned on using the fifth member of the team, but sice he refused, we'll have to do this the old fashioned way. Carlos, do you still have access to the galaxy gliders?" Tommy asked. Caros nodded. "Good. Now, I know he's somewhere in this region, I just don't know where." he said as he passed out what looked like a metal detector. "Every one will have one of these. It tracks cybernetic activity, so we shouldn't have a problem finding him." Carlos nodded and called his glider to him.

As Carlos flew over the Reefside area, back in the rundwon village, Shadow sat sharpening his sword. The opened, and in a flash, the blade of said sword was across the throat of whoever was trying to get in. "peace, nephew." a humorfull voice said. Shadow lowered the weapon and admitted his Uncle Chang into the house. "What do you want, Uncle?" he asked tiredly. "Why didn't you go with?" he asked, never being one to mince words. "If you knew what I did to feed our village, you would understand." he responded, getting ready to go to bed for the night. Chang sighed. Yes, he knew what he did, and he wasn't proud of it, but it kept the village going for a few more months. :Be at peace." he said as he stood. "Never." came the reply. Chang chuckled and closed the door.

"Found anything yet?" Tommy said into the radio. "Yeah, but what..I can't tell." came the answer. "We're on our way." he said. The other two nodded, and followed Tommy to his jeep. "So, how do you know this Zeltrax guy?" Adam asked on the way there. "Before or after he became a cyborg?" Tommy asked while swerving around a curve, throwing the other two against the side of the jeep. "Before would be a good place to start." Zack said, rubbing his shoulder. While Tommy explained, Carlos flew slightly ahead and above them so he could hear this.

At Zeltrax's lab, he had just finished making an army of clones of himself and Goldenrod. To put it mildly, it looked like a cosplay session on crystal meth. Yeah. That bad. The real Goldenrod sat behind a desk looking like a business man, talking to some one hidden in the shadows. "This should make the clones obey your every command," he said handing a vial to Goldenrod, "This should make them as strong as you," he said handing him another, "And this should gradually remove whatever small creature crawled up yer asses and died." the figure said with a look of disgust, handing him a final vial. Goldenrod grunted and threw a sizable amount of money on the table. The figure took it and left.

"Wierd. He used to be called Smitty?" Adam said as they continued to drive along. "No wonder why he don't answer to that name." Zack said, fighting back gales of laughter. For some reason, he just found the name 'Smitty' to be hilairious. "Yeah, then we beat him and his boss, and the dino gems temporarily lost their powers." Tommy explained. The group stopped in front of the spot Carlos had indicated, and got out of the jeep. "You sure this is the spot?" Zack asked.

His question was answered by several of the clones popping out of the ground, slashing away at him. "DAMN!" he yelled as one cut open his vest. Tommy looked at the group, "We have to morph!" he yelled. They all nodded. "It's morphin time!" zack and Adam yelled. "Mastadon!" in a flash, Zack was back in his old uniform. "Frog!" Adam yelled, also being back in his old uniform. "Let's rocket!" carlos did the whole in space thing, and appeared in his black outfit. "Dinot thunder, power up!" Tommy shouted, transforming into the brachio ranger.

As they were about to attack, they heard music. By the sound of it, it was AC/DC. Tommy grinned when he relized what it was: it was the song 'Back in Black'. The four charged, and began trying to defeat the clones. Zack ducked a slash, and pulled out his blade blaster in blade mode, and began slashing in return. Adam seemed to be doing the same thing, with Carlos using his Lunar Lance, and was having some success keeping them away from him. Tommy, he was using his trusty Brachiostaff.

As they fought, the figure from before watched, and turned to leave when he heard a cry of pain. Stiffening, he spun to see Zack demorphed abd about to be killed. "Not on my watch.." he growled as he hit a button on his watch, transforming it into a small computer. Hitting a button, he said "Going Turbo." as he dashed among them, slashing away, leaving nothing but spare parts. All the rangers saw was a blur as he sped off.

"What the heck was that?" Adam panted as they powered down. "Looked like the phantom ranger." Carlos said. Tommy shook his head. "No, I think I know who it was. I think it's time we pay him a little visit." He said as they all climbed into his jeep.

Back in the same rundown village, Shadow sat in his home, thinking of all the things he had done to help this village. And now that he thought about it, this wasn't his village to protect even. This was avillage where if you didn't steal, you died of starvation and hypothermia the next night. It was a harsh life, but the people here refused to leave. There was a knocking at the door, and right away, he knew they were strangers. Only those not from this land actually knocked.

As he hualed himself up, his senses flared to life. With an audible growl, he flung open the door, revealing the four black rangers. "What part of 'Don't ever come here again' did you not understand, Oliver?" he snarled, not at all pleased to see his old teacher. The four shuffled past him and sat in various places around the room. Shadow looked around, knowing that if he tried to escape, they would catch him. "What do you want?" he said with a sigh. "Why did you help us back there?" Zack asked. "Walk with me." he said as he stood and walked toward the dor. The group complied. As they walked through the village, they noted how everyone seemed to be the walking dead. "You'll find more cheer in a graveyard.." Adam muttered. The group stopped in front of a building, that by the looks of it, was on the verge of falling apart. "What is this." Carlos asked. "This? This is the orphanage. As you can see, the place might as well not even have walls." Shadow said as they watched the kids play. Tommy was beginning to understand what he had meant when he said life here changes a man.

"Those kids have no idea how good they have it in there." Shadow said as they continued to walk. "Why do you say that?" Zack asked. "Because at least in there, they have a roof over their heads, they get at least two meals a day, and they have loads of friends. Out here, you got no one but your onw self, and you gotta fight to survive." He said. "So why won't you help us." Carlos asked. Shadow stopped, and turned to him. "Because, I'm the one who gave Zeltrax the technology to make those clones." he said bowing his head. The group froze. "You did what?" Tommy asked horrified. "Afetr all you've just seen you still don't understand why I would do that, do you?" he asked softly. The group began to understand. He had to fix up the place before it got any colder, and they would need food and blankets. But to do that, he would money. And what was the best way to get cash? Sell illegal parts to no good people.

"Leave now." he said softly as he walked into the orphange. They had only gone a few yards, after all. The group heard Tommy. "Let's go. We have to find out how to beat those clones." he said, staring at Shaow's retreating back. He shook his head. Yeah, he knew why he did it, but that didn'tchange the fact that he had made their fight almost impossible.

Inside, Shadow watched them go, with a congregation of small children gathering around him. "Uncle Shadow!" they kept saying as they pranced around. He smiled. Yeah, he had done something bad, but seeing the kids so happy was worth it. "Hey, you guys ready for your lesson?" he asked. They all started yelling excitedly. If his sister Trini was alive, this was what she would be doing. The group went out back, where they all formed ranks. Shadow stood in front of them, and bowed. The kids bowed in return. This was what he loved: teaching kids martial arts.

As the group left the wormhole, they saw how penisive Adam looked. "He said he ad his own problems to deal with?" he asked suddenly. Tommy nodded, thankful Hayley had installed a hover thing on his jeep, or this would be a real short trip. "Why doesn't he ask for help?" Adam asked. Tommy looked at him. He sumed up about an hour long answer into one word. "Pride." The others nodded in understanding.

Meanwhile, at Zeltrax's lab, the cyborg in question was furious. "That abomination must die!" he roared. Turning to Golldenrod, he said "Take as many clones as you need, and go to the village he lives at, and kill him. We cannot afford his interference." Goldenrod nodded and left through an invisiportal. The pair had no idea the amount of hell that would release on them.

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