Disclaimer: I don't own the Power Rangers.
Author's Notes: I know it's been forever. I've got one week before finals and then three weeks before I go to summer school, and I plan to spend it writing like crazy. Hopefully, it won't be too long before I can get the next chapter up. Anyway, we're finally moving into the last major story arc, so thanks for sticking around with me for this long! We're going somewhere now. :laughs:
Chapter 35
"My sensors are now detecting the location of the Dark Fortress."
Andros's head snapped up at Deca's unexpected announcement. Relief crashed down on him, loosening the taut muscles of his body, and he let himself breathe for what felt like the first time in hours.
"Where?" he demanded. "Tell the others to meet us in--"
"Wait a minute." Zhane caught his hand when Andros reached for his morpher, frowning. "You don't think that's a little too convenient? We haven't seen the Dark Fortress in weeks, and all of a sudden--"
"Deca, where?" Andros pulled his hand away.
"I believe that Zhane makes a valid point," Deca agreed. "It's likely that--"
"I don't care!" he shouted, overwhelmed by his frustration. "It's been six hours with no sign of her, and if this is our only chance, then I'm going to take it."
"You won't do anyone any favors by walking into an ambush," Zhane said quietly.
Andros breathed out, slowly, fists clenched. "I hate this," he muttered. What Zhane said had merit, but when he weighed that risk against what could be happening to Ashley each moment that they did nothing, he wondered why he was still standing here.
"I know." Zhane squeezed his shoulder, and Andros tried not to sigh again. "We're going to get her back. But think--if Astronema captures you, Ashley's not going to be better off."
She'd probably be worse off, Andros admitted to himself.
"All right," he muttered. "You're right. We'll need a plan."
"Deca, get everyone in here," Zhane said. "The sooner we get her away from Astronema, the better off we'll all be."
The sting of hearing Zhane call Karone "Astronema" had faded some, but it still hurt--this was his best friend, who'd told him that he was in love with Karone. Andros knew Zhane better than anyone, and if even Zhane had given up on her, how long would it be before he did, too?
He tried not to think of that.
He failed.
She didn't know what to make of Astronema's hesitation. Ashley held her breath, watching. It could be a trap. It probably was, she admitted to herself--if Andros and Zhane couldn't break through to Karone, what made her think she she could?
"What could you possibly have to say that I would want to hear?" Astronema scoffed finally, her eyes narrowed to slits.
Ashley let out her breath in defeat. She swallowed, her stomach twisting anxiously. There had to be something that she could say. "Karone," she started again.
Her captor smiled back coldly. "I am Astronema."
"Are you?"
She shouldn't have said that. Ashley tensed as Astronema came closer, but her staff remained pointed at the ceiling.
"Yes," she said quietly, "I am, I always have been, and I always will be."
Ashley didn't know what else to say. She didn't want to provoke Astronema anymore than she already had, but she couldn't give up now, either.
She'd just run out of ideas when the alarm shrilled. Surprise, and then annoyance, flickered across Astronema's face, and Ashley caught her breath. Andros... It had to be him.
"Don't go anywhere," Astronema smirked at her. She left the room without another word, and Ashley let out a deep breath.
It had to be Andros. He'd gotten himself captured trying to rescue her, and now... She choked back a sob, tears burning her eyes. If she'd been more aware during the fight, if she'd been faster, then none of this ever would have happened.
When Astronema returned, it was with Andros held firmly in the grip of three quantrons and guarded by a half dozen more. Ashley swallowed, but Andros didn't look at her--his attention was fixed wholly on his sister, his face unreadable.
Astronema stared straight back at him, disdain mixed with amusement on her face. "If I thought it would be this easy, I'd have ordered Ecliptor to leave the hatch open for you."
"Karone, you need to listen to me." Andros ignored her words, pleading with her. "You have to--"
"I am Astronema," she said coolly. Her eyes turned to the quantrons. "Release him."
Ashley held her breath as the quantrons restraining Andros slowly loosened their grip. He elbowed them out of his way, and she smiled faintly, just relieved that he was able to stand on his own feet.
"Leave." Astronema narrowed her eyes at the quantrons, smiling coldly at Andros. "Well, Red Ranger. I'll give you a choice. Should I begin with you--or with her?"
Ashley swallowed. Andros looked at her for the first time since he'd been brought into the room, his face still impassive. "Ash," he said softly. He didn't say anything more, and she was the one to look away.
"Well?" Astronema fingered her staff, smiling at him. "Can't decide?"
"I--Karone, don't--"
Ashley squeezed her eyes shut, but there was nothing she could do to block out Andros's screams. There was a thud as he fell to the floor, and she opened her eyes, her heart thudding furiously.
"Karone is dead," Astronema spat at him. "I am Astronema, and you are my prisoner."
"No," Andros muttered. "No, Karone..."
Ashley winced when Astronema prodded his arm with the point of her staff. Eyes closed, Andros did nothing to acknowledge her.
"You leave me no choice, then, Red Ranger," Astronema said. "Yellow Ranger--"
The alarm shrilled.
Ashley jumped.
Astronema raised her head, almost smiling. "At this rate, we'll have the whole team in here by dinnertime."
"Ugh." Andros groaned softly, carefully raising his head as Astronema stormed out of the cell.
Ashley saw him wince, and crawled closer to him. "Hey," she whispered. "Andros."
"Ash..." He rubbed his forehead with one hand, grimacing. "Ash, are you all right?"
"I'm fine." She brushed her fingers over his as best she could with her hands cuffed together, frowning. "Are you?"
"I'll be fine." He sat up slowly, pushing hair out of his face. "That's Zhane."
"Him too?" She stared at him, swallowing. "But--"
"It's not what you're thinking," Andros said. She thought he smiled faintly. "Just wait a few minutes."
"What?" She frowned. "Andros, what's going on?"
"Zhane's volunteered to keep Astronema distracted," he explained. "Everyone else will get us out of here."
"But--" She stopped and swallowed, shaking her head. If they were all caught rescuing her...
"We'll be out of here in a few minutes." Andros touched her hand, squeezing her fingers hard, and she let out a deep breath.
"You'd better be right," she muttered. "How are we--" She stopped speaking when the door opened, her eyes widening as three quantrons stepped into the cell.
"Right on time," Andros said, and she turned to look at him in surprise even as one quantron stepped closer.
"Hold out your arms," it said.
Ashley gaped. "Teej?"
She though she heard him laughing as she held out her arms to him. He held a blaster in his hands, and aimed it at the cuffs. Ashley turned her head away as he fired. She felt a moment of intense heat, and then the cuffs clattered to the floor, her arms free.
"Come on," said the quantron nearest the door with Carlos's voice. "Let's get you guys out of here."
"Can you walk?" Andros helped her to her feet.
"I'll be fine." She nodded, following TJ out the door. "But Astronema... the Psycho Rangers..."
"No sweat," Cassie told her, almost cheerfully. "We're your guards."
Ashley just nodded. She caught Andros's hand and held on as Carlos led them through the Dark Fortress, Cassie and TJ following behind on either side. She felt him squeeze her fingers and breathed a little easier, just hoping that it looked like the two of them were being escorted elsewhere by a guard.
"Zhane?" she muttered quietly, hearing laser fire coming from ahead of them.
"He's fine," Andros answered her just as softly. "Don't worry about him."
He sounded awfully confident of that. Ashley wondered just how sure of himself he really was, but then, everything seemed to be going according to plan.
They all stopped when TJ did, and he poked his head around the corner. He pulled off his mask when he turned back to face them, nodding. "Morph, now."
Cassie and Carlos quickly shed their suits, and Ashley flipped her morpher open. She looked to Andros out of habit, and he gave them all a quick nod. "Let's rocket!"
They took the quantrons by surprise as they rounded the corner; TJ managed to blast four out of their way before the attack was returned. Ashley fired at the quantron directly in front of her, keeping pace with the rest of her team as she ran for the open hatch.
Andros shouted for his glider, and she did the same, leaping into the air and propelling herself forward. Her feet touched the glider's surface and she shot up and into the air, soaring over Astronema's head as she sped forward into space.
"Come on!" Zhane caught up to them, glancing back over his shoulder. "She's ordering them into the velocifighters now."
Andros nodded once. "Let's get out of here."
It was good to be home. Ashley left her towel on the floor, idly rubbing her wrists with a sigh. She was sore, but she wasn't injured. She wondered about Astronema healing her, but she was sick of thinking of Astronema now. All she wanted was to lie down and rest, and think of something pleasant.
Andros was waiting for her when she stepped out of her bathroom. Ashley paused in the doorway, unsurprised to see him sitting on her bed. "Hi," she said softly.
He stood, smiling when she came closer. Ashley felt her lip quiver when she tried to smile back, her throat tightening without warning. She swallowed, squeezing her eyes shut as she felt Andros wrap his arms around her.
"You're safe now," he murmured, but she couldn't keep those tears from sliding down her cheeks. "Ash."
"I--I know." She sniffled, angry as she tried not to cry. "I'm sorry."
"No," he said gently. He held her closer, refusing to let her pull away. "You don't need to be."
She couldn't stop herself then, and just cried into his shoulder. Andros didn't say a word as she clung to him, stroking her hair with one hand as he held her. He was warmth against her and she couldn't let him go, remembering how cold she had been, how scared.
She didn't know how much time passed before he whispered her name. Ashley shook her head and held onto him. She didn't want to talk. She didn't want anything except for him to stay here with her.
"Ash," he said softly. "Look at me."
Slowly, reluctant to release him, she did. His fingers brushed her cheek, wiping her tears away, and she managed a weak smile. "Thanks," she whispered, not trusting herself to speak more than that.
"I--" He stopped, and she watched him swallow. "You scared me."
"I'm sorry," she whispered. She blinked, feeling tears in her eyes again. "I--I didn't mean--"
"I know." Andros sighed, slowly pulling her close again. "I was so afraid that I wouldn't find you before she..."
He left the thought unfinished. Ashley squeezed him hard, her eyes closed. "Me too."
Andros held her silently after that, but the way he tightened his grip when she started to pull away told her everything she needed to know.
"I just want to sit down," she said, giving him a gentle nudge. "Andros."
"Oh," he said. "Right." He watched her for a few moments, hesitating. "You're probably tired."
She was, and her exhaustion only grew as she sank down onto the bed. Andros half-turned towards the door, like he was going to leave, and she frowned, leaning forward to catch his hand. "Where are you going?"
Surprise flickered across his face when she pulled gently on his hand, but he paused only to take off his boots before he joined her in her bed. Ashley laid her head down on his shoulder, her eyes closed as she leaned against him and breathed in the familiar scent of his hair.
"Don't go," she whispered.
"I won't," he murmured back just as quietly. Andros hugged her close, sighing into her hair.
She lifted her head to look at him. "Andros?"
He let out a deep breath. "It's nothing."
"Andros."
It was a long time before he spoke. "That's the closest I've been to Karone since Dark Spectre took her back," he said finally, "and I--I'm not sure if she's still there."
Ashley bit her lip when he looked at her. "Andros, I..." She couldn't break his heart.
He lowered his eyes, looking away, and she remembered suddenly that she hadn't told him. "She healed me," she said. "Astronema, I mean."
"She did?" Andros looked at her hopefully. "Why?"
"I don't know," she said.
"Oh." Disappointment clouded his face.
She snuggled a little closer. "Karone's in there somewhere," she murmured. "You'll get her back."
The ghost of a smile touched his face. "Thanks," he said quietly. "Rest, Ash."
It felt like she had just closed her eyes when Deca spoke, but it might have been hours. Ashley heard her mention the Phantom Ranger and closed her eyes again, tightening her hold on Andros when he shifted.
"No," she mumbled. "No, stay."
"I'll be right back." Andros nudged her gently. Reluctantly, Ashley blinked her eyes open to see him frowning. "Deca says it's urgent."
Ashley sat up slowly, rubbing sleep out of her eyes. "What's wrong?"
"I don't know." He didn't look worried, though, and that could only be a good thing.
"Mind if I come with you?"
She smiled a little sheepishly when he looked at her, but she didn't care. She didn't want to be alone. He nodded, holding out his hand to her as he looked up at Deca. "We'll be there in a minute."
