**************** Under water************************
Kimberly knew she should be struggling but the cold of the lake water stole her strength as she sank deeper and deeper in the arms of a monster. Her lungs were starting to burn. Just as it was about to be too late she felt a shift, not unlike teleporting and suddenly she was thrown to hard onto metal flooring. Soaking, coughing and gasping for air.
"This? This is the ranger you brought me?"
"Yes my queen." Rygog replied.
Divatox wrinkled her nose at the pretty little pink form dripping sea water all over the floor. "You girl! Give me your power coin."
Kimberly cough and tried to get to her feet only to be grab roughly by minions on each arm. "I don't have any power coin." It was the true. Since her inability to morph, Kimberly had taken to leaving the coin in the power chamber, safe under Zordon's protection.
"Check her." The woman in red latex commanded.
Kimberly couldn't stop the squeals of distress as the piranhatrons put there hands all over her, turning out pockets and checking inside clothing, including pulling at Kimberly's bra and panties.
"You idiots! I told you to get me a ranger! She's not a power ranger!" Divatox raged, hitting Rygog in the chest. The minions holding Kimberly let go to also cower against the pirate queens anger.
Kimberly as smoothly as she could, turned on her communicator to the open channel to the command chamber. Someone would hear this.
Divatox scowled, finally finishing her rant enough to turn back to Kimberly, slithering over to the human like a snake about to strike. Kimberly did her best not to flinch even as Divatox leaned down into her face and gave a simple command to her crew. "Drown her."
"Er... but Auntie D.. um..."
"What Elgar? Got a problem with following orders now?"
"No!...but its just that she was making kissy kiss faces with the white falcon ranger, Tommy. So she's got to be important to the rangers, or at least him."
Divatox pulled back her hand from striking her nephew, her thigh high leather boots clicking. "Well that does change things, doesn't it? What's your name girl?"
"Kimberly."
"Well Kimberly, let's get you comfortable, shall we? Throw her in with Ninjor!"
Kimberly barely got a chance to fight as she was grab and hauled deeper down into the dark damp of the submarine and tossed roughly into a cell. The door slam loudly behind her as Elgar smirked. "Better be smart and tell Auntie D what she wants to know or your end up like him." He laughed walking away.
Kimberly blinked, her eyes taking a moment to adjust to the dark. The way the door has slammed behind her had forced a flood of horrible memories from the moon to wash over her.
When she could see into the far corner of the cell her heart dropped. "Ninjor..." She called out in barely more then a whisper, hurrying to kneel next to him in the pile of moldy hay he was laid upon. His armor was ripped and torn from parts of his body. There wasn't blood per say...but some kind of dark fluids leaked from the many, many wounds. "Can you hear me? Ninjor?"
"K...Kimberly?" He croaked out, head turning slightly. He reached a hand weakly for the human when it slipped to his side his head going slack and still once more. He still seemed to be breathing, but he was so weak.
This couldn't be happening! Kimberly thought as she carefully moved her wrist communicator to her mouth and spoke in a whisper. "Zordon? Billy? Someone come in please."
******************** Command center************************
Billy had been watching the fight by the lake from the viewing globe. Tommy was getting his butt kicked. Thankfully the other rangers had arrived. Billy let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding in. Was it always like this? Always almost too close? He tried to remember from the early days. When he was with Jason, Trini, Zack and Kim. Before Tommy came into there lives, before any of this felt that serious life or death he felt now. It almost felt as if Rita had been taking it easy on them, just playing with them, but when Zedd came...it all fell apart.
Billy frowned. He should have done more. Made more protections for the morphing grid or more weapons or something. If he had then maybe the others would still be here. His heart ached with pain for those who were gone.
Billy put his head in his hands in thought when an evil voice he did not know, echoed from the walls. "Drown her."
"Ai- Yi- Yi! That's Divatox!" Alpha said, his small metal knees shaking. "How did she get in?"
"She isn't inside Alpha, we are receiving a communicator relay." Zordon replied.
Billy turned his head to the viewing globe and did a quick head count. All the rangers were present so who...
"What's your name girl?" The pirate's voice came again.
Billy felt his heart turn to ice at the reply. "Kimberly." For a moment he was frozen before frantically trying to trace the signal. It was only a matter of time before Divatox realized what the watch on Kimberly's wrist really was.
Billy was barely aware of the other's teleporting in until the frantic talking started.
"Kim's been kidnapped!"
"Billy we've got to find her!"
"Zordon what do we do?"
Billy covered his ears before turning to his friends "Shut up, Shut Up, SHUT UP!" He practically screamed. "I'm working on it! But I need some quiet! Just listen!" The signal had become fainter but it was still open. Only now there was more interference. Probably from all the metal in the ship Billy surmised.
Adam was the only one who noticed Billy's new claws and how they had left gashes in the metal of the console Billy was working with. Adam frowned, he was sure Billy did not have claws when they had breakfast this morning.
The command chamber was almost silent as Billy continued to boost the signal. Finally Kimberly's faint voice floated over the air. "Zordon? Billy? Someone come in please."
"We are here Kimberly." Zordon replied keeping his voice even in an effort to calm is pink 'daughter'. "Are you hurt?"
"No, not yet. I'm wet and cold but I'm with Ninjor and he's hurt. Zordon, I don't think he will survive much longer. Please help us."
"Kim! You need to teleport out of there." Tommy practically shouted.
"I can't! I can't leave Ninjor like this. Billy can you track me? Find us?"
The collar around his neck glowed. In her frantic state, it hadn't even occurred to Kimberly that she was giving Billy a command to find her. "Yes, just hold on Kim. Keep the line open but go silent. The less you talk to us. The better."
"What do you mean Billy?" Rocky asked, worry etching deeply in his face.
"If Divatox catcher her before I get a signal, it will be game over for Kimberly."
"Beautiful!" Tommy called out suddenly. "If they ask you questions, answer them. You've got to stay safe till I can get there. If things get bad, you have to teleport out of there."
"But Tommy..."
"No buts Kim. That's an order."
"...Understood. Kimberly out." She went quiet but had left the line open.
Adam bit his lip. "How long will a signal lock take Billy?"
"An hour, maybe more. I suggest you give me some space to work. I'll call you the moment I have anything." Anger shone in the former blue rangers eyes. A look Adam had not seen since Billy had gone bad on them. But now was not the time to mention it.
Adam turned back to look at his friend as he was last out of the room. "Billy...what's happening to you?"
"I'm fine Adam. Just let me work."
"Okay..." Adam replied. But it wasn't okay. He needed to talk to the others.
******************* Juice Bar*************************
"Well I'm not sure where the rangers are but let's go ahead and tally up those votes." Ernie said with a smile. He honestly didn't care who was going to win, just so long as the residents of angel grove had someone to look up to. Someone with the good of the city at heart.
Most people who were trouble makers had been either straightened out by the rangers or by himself. There was no room in this new world for people who didn't want to lend a hand. The cruel, unkind and self absorbed had no place here and certainly not in his juice bar. Ernie was proud of how tight a ship he had run even before all of this happened. His juice bar had been a paradise for kids and teens, even some young adults who were having trouble finding there way in the world would have a safe place at the community center but he had no patience for repeat bullies.
Bulk and Skull had only gotten a pass because as much as those two had seemed to want to cause trouble. It almost always backfired on them. Plus deep down, they were good kids. Ernie looked over at them now, dutifully counting votes. He wasn't sure where they had been on the moon or what had happened but the bully duo had grown and matured greatly.
He could rely on them and in this post- moon era. That was a very special thing.
"Um Bulk. I think we have a problem." Skull said from his spot on the table.
"What? All you have to do is count the names Numbskull. So what's wrong?"
"This." Skull pushed a piece of paper to Bulk.
He looked it over. "Are you sure?"
Skull nodded.
"Um... Ernie?" Bulk called waiting for the juice bar owner to come over.
"Hey guys, all done with the tally?" Ernie said with a smile.
"Yeah but its just the winner..." Bulk pushed the two papers to Ernie. "By a landslide... is the white ranger."
All three looked at each other and not knowing they each knew the real identity of the white ranger, they each had the same thought.
Tommy couldn't be the white ranger and the mayor of Angel grove.
Even if that's what the majority of the people wanted.