Disclaimer: I still own only the things that are new. I don't even own the names of the restaurants or the street.
Author's Note: The restaurants mentioned in this chapter are real and are both very good.
Author's Note 2: Thank you to everyone who reviewed. A special thank you to Star Fata, who reviews often and always brightens my day. Everyone keep up the good work!
Author's Note 3: It's Ashley Hammond/Astro Yellow's birthday! Yay! streamers I would dedicate this chapter to her but it's not very happy and I feel that birthday chapters need to be happy and so, because of that, chapter 6 is belatedly dedicated to her! Seriously, it's pretty much the happiest chapter, something bad happens in every single chapter, it's very sad. Anyway, happy birthday AH/AY, and everyone had better go read her fics after they're done here and wish her a happy b-day!
When It Rains…
Chapter 7 - Conspiracy
"I was a member of the first Ranger team, more centuries ago than I care to count," Dulcea said. "Zordon was our leader. We did not know we were a Ranger team though, we simply knew we were a team. We each came from a different world, and we each felt in our very core, the call to fight the evils of the universe. Eventually we found each other, joined forces and traveled from world to world, fighting any evil we found there.
"Rita had been Zordon's first enemy, before he even met the rest of us. She had tricked him and he had followed her across the cosmos, attempting to undo a mistake.
"My first enemy was Rissai, the woman your friends met on Vega 3, the woman who grants the wishes. She feels it is quite ironic that I am now bound to this plateau as she is bound to her cave. But that is not the point. Rissai was a powerful sorceress, she could have conquered the universe with her power. I was lucky. I managed to draw her to a planet and caught her in a trap. The planet of Vega 3 is an unusual specimen. It has power in it that is rarely seen elsewhere. Something about it allows it to trap Rissai within the planet. I made sure that her power would be useless to her, but I could not cut her off entirely. She can only use her power when someone makes a wish. There are rules about who and how the wish can be made, but it doesn't matter.
"I knew when the realities changed because all original Rangers would, it is a side-effect of such long use of the power. I knew that you would be coming because I didn't cure you."
"What?" Carlos demanded. "But-"
"I simply used my abilities to unleash what humanity was left in you. You were the one who reached for that humanity, I simply gave you more power."
"So, I'm feeling these changes because…?"
"Because you changed yourself back the spell was never undone, just cheated. There is still some Reptos in you, some of the drive that he had, there always will be."
"But I can't control it."
"Yes, you can. You simply have to learn how. And you will start in the morning. I suggest you get a good night's sleep."
Restaurant Row was buzzing with activity. The many eating establishments that littered the area were bustling with activity. But no one bothered to look up at the stars. The street lamps usually kept anyone in the area from seeing the night sky clearly and this night was oddly overcast for the time of year. Thus it was that no one saw the figure sitting atop Taco Pablo's, watching Sorrento's as a predator watches its prey.
Suddenly the figure perked up. A couple had just exited the restaurant, holding hands and laughing as if they had not a care in the world. But the figure knew better. These two people made decisions daily that would either save or doom this entire planet. But soon, all of that would change.
The figure leapt off the rooftop and landed directly behind the couple. Even they, trained warriors as they were, did not have time to react before Shreefang dug something into Andros' back. Ashley spun, delivering a wicked punch to the monster's face that sent Shreefang back a step. As she fell Shreefang pulled the object out of the boy's back, smirked, and jumped off into the night. People began crowding around the pair, offering help; the sounds of an ambulance could be heard in the distance. Andros was not waking up.
"Why did they stop when they saw the Infinity Ranger?" Ecliptor asked.
Karone, Zhane, and Jeff were standing in the hallway outside of the prison while Ecliptor questioned one of the raiders captured several days earlier about his compatriots' odd behavior in the battle.
"Why!" Ecliptor thundered a moment later and Karone winced.
"We… we were ordered not to harm him," the three heard faintly from the room.
"Why?"
"We do not question our employers," was the aggravated answer.
"I think you may have in this case. Either the reason would have had to be worth your while, or the money would have had to be."
There was a moment of silence, then, "He wants the Infinity Ranger for himself."
"Why?" Ecliptor growled.
"I don't know, truly I don't."
Ecliptor seemed to accept that and waited a moment before asking, "Who is he?"
"What?"
"Who is your employer?"
"My employer? We do not know his name, but I know what he is," the man added hurriedly.
"What?"
"He is a shape shifter. I saw him once, when he was very angry, he became some sort of goo and rammed through a wall. I thought creatures like that died off centuries ago, or were imprisoned."
"They were," Jeff said darkly. The Infinity Ranger stormed off down the hall, leaving Karone and Zhane to race after him.
"What?" Zhane asked. "What do you know?"
"I didn't seal it, I forgot to seal Garthon back in that dimension, that means he can get out. He must have found a way."
"So Garthon is doing this?" Karone asked. "All of this, just to get back at you?"
"That's the only explanation," Jeff muttered.
"He's right," Ecliptor said, coming up behind them. "That man was also kind enough to tell me that a very powerful creature was sent to keep the Rangers busy on Earth, apparently Garthon has big plans for you."
"Shreefang," Zhane sighed. "We should tell the others."
"Yeah," Jeff sighed. "Let's go."
DECA automatically answered the call from Centaur B, telling the callers that they might have to wait. The four were left looking at an empty bridge for several minutes before they saw a gray and blue blur streak past the door. The blur came back a few seconds later and looked up at them.
"Guys," T.J. sighed, "this is not a good time. Can you call back later?"
"What's wrong?" Zhane asked.
"Where's Ashley?" Jeff demanded.
"And Andros?" Karone added.
"Ashley's fine," T.J. assured. "She and Andros were attacked when they came out of Sorrento's. Shreefang injected something into Andros, we can't seem to get him stable."
"What!" Karone yelled.
"We are doing everything we can," T.J. said, "we just need a little more time to figure out what this stuff was supposed to do to your brother. The best thing you can do is-"
"Go back to Earth," Ecliptor said. When everyone stared at him questioningly he explained, "The raiders all pulled off a few hours ago, presumably after their employer discovered Infinity's presence. The rebels should be fine for now."
"All right," T.J. said, rubbing a hand over his scalp, he was obviously very tired. "Just hurry."
Andros could feel Ashley nearby. T.J. had forced her to leave and eat something after a few hours of her just sitting over him and Andros could not remember ever feeling so alone as he did when she was gone, despite T.J.'s continued presence. Now that she was back he felt more at ease, as if the pain in his chest was not so bad. But still, something was not right. Something was changing within him and he could feel it. Everything was leaving, disappearing. Everything he cared about was slowly becoming unimportant; everything except Ashley, she would always be important. As long as he had Ashley, everything would be fine. Everything… would be fine….
"So, where do we start?" Carlos asked.
"With the reason you came. What happened to release Reptos?" Dulcea asked gently.
"I was at the park. I was trying to tell Leslie that we couldn't be together because being a Ranger would put her in danger; well, without telling her that I was a Ranger anyway. And then Shreefang showed up and attacked us. She grabbed Leslie, she was hurting her and taunting me and—and I just snapped."
Dulcea was quiet for a moment before saying, "You need to remember that feeling. Whatever it is you felt when Leslie was in danger, you need to feel that again."
"I don't know if I can… I don't think I want to."
"You're going to have to, if you want to learn control."
"Okay," Carlos said. The Black Ranger closed his eyes and thought back to two days before.
Dulcea sighed and watched her new student. If Shreefang was involved, things were much worse than she could have imagined.
"How is he?" Karone asked, almost sliding past the Medical Bay doors she ran down the hall so fast.
"He still hasn't woken up," Ashley said.
"And you still haven't slept," T.J. said. "You've been up for thirty-six hours."
"I'm fine," Ashley complained.
"No, you're not," Jeff said.
Zhane looked over Andros' readings. "He looks to be stable now, he should be fine soon. You should go, even if you don't sleep, just get your mind off of this."
"I can't, what if he wakes up and I'm not-"
"We will teleport you here as soon as he wakes up," T.J. said. "If anyone asks we will tell them that we felt you might be in danger."
Ashley nodded and left the room as slowly as she could. "I'll be in the park," she said over her shoulder.
"Why would anyone buy the 'she might be in danger' excuse for sudden teleportation?" Jeff asked.
"They were attacked outside a restaurant," T.J. explained. "People saw, an ambulance came, picked him up. It was twenty minutes before DECA managed to wake me up enough to get me down there to collect him with some excuse about us having better medical equipment."
"Where was Carlos?" Karone demanded.
"Carlos left," T.J. said, "sometime between Thursday afternoon and Friday morning. We don't know where, only that he needed to get away."
"Why?" Ecliptor asked.
"I think it had something to do with a girl. He was having problems with the whole relationship with non-Rangers thing. I don't know the details."
