Chapter 17: The Deal

Ashley woke up to the sound of her com link going off. "What in the universe?" She mumbled. She looked over at Hayden, kissed the side of his head, and picked up her com link. "Hello?" She answered.

"Hello, Yellow Ranger," Hashim sneered.

Ashley felt her heart stop. "You," she hissed. Hashim chuckled on his end.

"Easy, beautiful, I want to make a deal with you," he answered.

Ashley felt her jaw lock. "Why would I make a deal with you?" She demanded. The evil sorcerer started laughing again.

"Meet me in the clearing at the park," he answered.

"I'll be there."

Ashley quickly changed into her space suit and looked over at her son. She silently left the room and went to see what her enemy wanted.

As Ashley was walking through the park, she came to the clearing and stopped. "Where are you?" She demanded.

"Look up," Hashim answered.

Ashley looked up and jumped back in a fighting stance when Hashim landed in front of her. "Easy, beautiful," he repeated. Ashley glared at him.

"What do you want?" She asked.

"To make a simple deal," he replied.

"What could you possibly have that I would want to make a deal with you?"

Hashim snapped his fingers and she gasped when Lisa appeared beside Hashim chained and gagged. "Lisa!" She gasped. Hashim grinned as he left Lisa standing there and he circled Ashley.

"Your best friend, the one person that you could confide in," he sneered.

Ashley's jaw locked when she felt his hand move down her jaw line. "I'll make you a little deal, beautiful. You surrender yourself to me and I will let your friend go," he answered. Ashley shook her head.

"No," she whispered.

"If you surrender yourself to me, I will allow you to fight alongside your lover one last time and I will reconsider destroying him and your son."

Ashley felt her throat tighten and tears pressed against her eyes. "What do you say?" He asked. Ashley looked at Lisa to see her shaking her head 'no', but it wasn't just for Lisa, she wanted to keep Andros and Hayden protected too. Ashley turned and looked at him.

"You promise that you won't hurt Andros, Hayden, or Lisa if I surrender to you?" She asked.

"I am very good at keeping promises, beautiful," he replied.

Ashley felt bile rise in her throat every time he called her that. She held her hand out to him. "Deal," she answered weakly. Hashim grinned as he took her hand and suddenly Ashley's blood curling scream could be heard throughout the park. A black and yellow light came off her hand along with a shearing sharp pain going from her hand and coursing through her body. She fell to her knees and looked at her hand when he let her hand go. A black and yellow mark showed on her hand along with the blood that surrounded it.

"That's to make sure you keep your side of the bargain," he informed.

Ashley cradled her hand and looked up when Lisa was sent back home. "I'll see you at the next battle," he sneered before disappearing. Once he was gone, she lowered her head and tears fell down her face. Her shoulders shook as sobs wracked her body. "What have I done? What have I done?" She sobbed.

The next morning, Ashley had wrapped her hand up so they didn't see the mark on her hand to remind her that she had made a deal with her enemy. "Ashley, what did you do to your hand?" Cassie asked.

"I…um…I cut it on a piece of equipment this morning," she replied.

Just then, the alarms went off. "What's going on, computer?" Andros asked.

"Hashim is attacking in the downtown area," the computer replied.

Ashley bit her lip and she felt her heart stop. "No," her mind whispered. Ashley bit her lip and tears pressed against her eyes. "It's too soon!" Her mind told her.

"Ready?" Andros asked.

Ashley nodded her head slowly. "LET'S ROCKET!" They shouted. Ashley ran as fast as she could behind them.

Hashim laughed when he saw the Rangers. "Welcome, Rangers. Together again for the last time," he laughed. Ashley lowered her head slowly and she bit her lip. Hashim held his hand out to Ashley. "Coming my dear?" He asked. Andros stood in front of Ashley with his Spiral Saber in hand.

"You won't touch her," Andros snapped.

Ashley felt tears fall down her face as she de-morphed and she slowly walked out from behind Andros. "Ashley, what are you doing?" Cassie asked.

"We've made a deal, haven't we?" Hashim asked once Ashley reached him.

"Deal? What kind of a deal?" Andros demanded.

Hashim grinned evilly as he grabbed Ashley's wrist, undid the bandage around her hand, and revealed the mark to them. "No!" Andros grasped.

"Ashley…why?" Cassied asked.

Hashim nudged her. "Tell them, Ashley. Tell them why," he laughed. Ashley felt her throat tighten and she just kept her head lowered so she couldn't face her friends. "I would leave you, your son, and her friend, Lisa, alone if she gave herself to me," Hashim informed. Andros de-morphed and he looked at the one person that made everything right turn herself over to the enemy. Andros felt his jaw tighten.

"NO!" He shouted.

"ANDROS DON'T!" Ashley screamed.

But it was too late, she watched in horror as Andros was struck down. "ANDROS!" She screamed. Hashim laughed and he kept his arm wrapped around Ashley's waist.

"Say goodbye," he laughed.

Ashley bit her lip as she watched as Andros slowly got up from the ground. "I'm sorry," she whispered. Andros was running towards their spot just as they disappeared. The Rangers watched as Andros fell to the ground holding his head in his hands.

"NO!" He shouted in agony.

Tears fell down his face as he just kneeled there on the ground. He didn't care if he was betrothed to someone else. He didn't care anymore. He wanted Ashley back. All Andros wanted was to have Ashley back to have everything back to the way it was before this whole mess happened. Cassie went to place a hand on his shoulder when Andros stood up. "I'LL KILL YOU, HASHIM! I SWEAR IF YOU HURT HER I'LL KILL YOU!" He shouted.

"Andros, take it easy we'll get her back," Carlos insisted.

Andros glared at them. "You guys don't get it do you?" He asked. They looked at each other before looking at their leader. "It's all my fault she's gone. Don't you see? Its my fault she's gone," he snapped. Andros then held his morphed up.

"What are you doing?" TJ asked.

Andros looked at them. "I'm going to get her back," he snapped. Andros held his morphed up. "RED BATTLIZED RANGER!" He shouted. They watched as Andros morphed into his battlizer mode.

"Andros, you don't know where they are," Cassie pointed out.

Andros looked at her. "I'll find her, Cassie, I let her down once. I'm not going to do it again," he answered. Then he was gone. Zhane let out a sigh as he watched his best friend fly off to find Ashley.

"Good luck, Andros," he mumbled.