Disclaimer: The Power Rangers are not my creation.

Chapter 17

"You what?" Andros stared blankly at Lyra, his eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What kind of proposition?"

"We made a miscalculation," she admitted. "It seems that it will have serious repercussions."

"What did you do?" Karone demanded impatiently. "We don't have time for games, Lyra."

"Then it's a good thing this isn't a game," Lyra returned calmly, then sighed. "The Psycho Rangers are on a rampage."

"Wait." Zhane spoke up from somewhere behind them. "You mean they weren't already on a rampage?"

"They did what we told them to," Cosmos said. "Until Psycho Yellow was destroyed, that is."

"So in other words, you can't control them, either," Andros supplied. He sighed. That really was something he hadn't wanted to hear. Cosmos and Lyra at least were logical about their attacks, while he suspected the Psychos would strike at random.

"Something like that, yes. They've taken over the Dark Fortress."

That really was something that he hadn't wanted to hear. A warship in the hands of six crazed, super-powered robots was not a threat Andros looked forward to dealing with. Assuming that they were telling him the truth, of course.

"What happened?"

"I tried to destroy them," Lyra said. "They objected. Quite strongly."

"You tried to destroy them," Cassie repeated. She looked as skeptical as the rest of them. "And--why would you want to do that?"

"They rebelled." Lyra shrugged. "They're only worth keeping around so long as they do what we want them to do."

Andros could see her point in that. But he still didn't believe half of what she'd just said. "And what was it that you wanted from us?"

"We have a proposition for you," Cosmos repeated. "Neither of us wants the Dark Fortress in the controls of the Psychos--"

"How stupid do you think we are?" Andros interrupted before Cosmos could finish. "We've already beat one Psycho Ranger on our own. We can do the same with the rest of them if we have to and whatever it is that you want, you're not going to get it."

"Very stupid, if you're wondering," Lyra said dryly. "But let's hear it--what'll it take to convince you that this isn't a trick?"

"You know," Carlos remarked, "you'd have better luck with this if you hadn't kidnapped one of us this morning."

"It wasn't really something that we planned. She was just there and we took the opportunity."

"Yeah, and that makes it so much better," Ashley muttered. "Let's go, you guys. We're wasting our time here."

"I'm with you, Ash," Cassie agreed.

"So am I." TJ glared at Lyra suspiciously. "Whatever you're planning, we're not falling for it."

Lyra had her mouth open when their communicators beeped. Andros exchanged wary glances with TJ before lifting his wrist up closer to his mouth.

"What is it, Deca?"

"The Psycho Rangers have appeared downtown."

"We'll be there," TJ answered for him. "Let's go."

"Go on," Andros urged when several pair of eyes landed on him. "I'll be on the Megaship."

He realized that was the wrong thing to say when Lyra's expression brightened. To his surprise, she didn't taunt him, merely smiling to herself. Andros didn't wait to find out what exactly she found so amusing, and teleported out as the other rangers headed off to battle.

---

"Well, well," Psycho Red sneered. "Look who's decided to show up. But where's the red ranger?"

"We don't need him," TJ declared boldly. "We'll do just fine as we are."

"Let's find out, shall we?" Psycho Blue stepped forward then, hefting his ax.

"You guys ready?" TJ glanced over his shoulder, met by five answering nods.

"Ready!"

They did need Andros, as it soon became painfully clear. The two sides were evenly numbered but losing Psycho Yellow didn't have any visible effects on her teammates. Being freed of Cosmos and Lyra's control, on the other hand... They were holding back no longer, and the rangers were being pummeled.

Psycho Blue landed a good shot on TJ, and the blue ranger stumbled back at the force of the blow. He nearly tripped over Carlos, who staggered away from Psycho Black while clutching his side.

The other rangers were in the same condition. Cassie and Karone were limping, Zhane was on the ground. Only Ashley seemed to be having the barest amount of luck fighting Psycho Red, and even that was questionable. She was at least on her feet and landing maybe every third shot.

And that's when it clicked for Zhane. His eyes widening, he slashed upwards with his Silverizer and rolled out of the way before he lost his head. "Cass," he gasped out, taking a few stumbling steps towards the pink ranger. "Switch with me."

He was sure she was staring at him like he was crazy, but she didn't protest and did what he asked. Acting on his hunch, Zhane attacked Psycho Pink with all the strength he had in him, surprising himself when she didn't seem to know how to fight him.

"Hey!" Cassie sounded breathless, but he knew that she saw it now, too. "You guys... Switch!"

It took a moment, maybe for the words to register or maybe for the rangers to decide that it was worth the energy it took to move, but then they'd rearranged themselves and the tide seemed to be turning. Karone sent Psycho Blue stumbling with one blow of her staff, and Carlos was repeatedly attacking Psycho Red. Zhane thought that they just might win this battle after all.

Then he heard a scream that made his blood run cold. The cries of the other rangers added to it by the time he'd turned around, but by then he already knew what he was going to see. Psycho Violet had broken away from TJ and now stood over Karone, who lay crumpled on the ground.

Zhane knew that she was still alive--he doubted that he'd still be conscious if she wasn't. That didn't necessarily make him feel any better, though, and as he pushed his way to her side he was only dimly aware of the Psychos vanishing.

She was still morphed, and he breathed a little easier at that. Slowly, he ran a hand over her neck, exhaling in relief to find her pulse strong. Only out cold, then. Maybe an injury or two but she'd be just fine.

"Rone," he muttered. "C'mon, wake up. I know you can hear me..."

TJ's hand on his shoulder startled him. "We've got to get her back to the Megaship."

Zhane nodded his head slowly. "Yeah." He hefted Karone into his arms and TJ helped him up. "You're right."

---

Andros waited just long enough for Deca to assure him that his sister wasn't dying before storming out of the infirmary. He headed straight for the bridge and picked up his morpher, carefully securing it into place.

"Deca, you don't know where I've gone," he said curtly. "Understood?"

"Andros." He froze at Ashley's voice and turned slowly, his anger nearly bubbling over as he saw that she was on crutches. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I--I... she's my sister, Ash," he whispered. "The only family I have left."

"I know that," she said gently. "But Andros, she'll be fine in a day or two. She's already laughing at Zhane's bad jokes."

Ashley looked at him hopefully, but he didn't smile. "She was still hurt," he insisted. "You've got a sprained ankle. Carlos has a dislocated shoulder. I can't just stay here and do nothing."

"I'm not saying that you should do nothing," Ashley said, calmly holding his gaze. "But why do you have your morpher?"

"I... trust me," he pleaded, not quite able to look at her. "Please."

"I'm not going to stop you," she said quietly. "Just... be careful," she pleaded. "I wouldn't want anything to happen to you."

He'd said that to her once. Andros couldn't recall when or where, but he knew that he had. This time, he managed a slight smile for her before taking off in the opposite direction. "Deca, get me back down to the park."

Some part of him was surprised that she was actually still there. She'd hardly even moved, still sitting at that picnic bench with her arms folded across her chest. The wind toyed with her hair and Andros frowned, against his will transported back to KO-35 in the last days before Kadri--and Kale, he knew now--had betrayed them all.

She'd asked him to meet her at sunset on one of the balconies of the Ranger Dome. When he'd arrived, she'd looked just as she did now: arms crossed, back to him, wind blowing her hair out in front of her face.

Andros couldn't remember now what she'd wanted to see him for or what they'd talked about but he knew that he'd laughed and kissed her, and that in those few moments he'd felt happier than he'd ever thought was possible. The way he did with Ashley now, but pushed the thought from his mind.

He didn't feel safe any longer in approaching her. He wasn't frightened, but there was a cold ball of dread in his stomach as he realized that he'd probably just walked straight into her trap. There had to be a reason she was still here, after all.

"I knew you'd come." She spoke and he jumped, his shoulders tensing.

Andros swallowed. "I need to talk to you."

"Do you?"

"You saved me," he said softly. "I want to know why."

"So do a lot people more important than you," she told him. "Get in line and if I figure it out, maybe I'll let you know. If you ask nicely."

He didn't answer, and Lyra quickly grew impatient. "What are you doing here, Andros?"

He wasn't sure himself. "You did something to the Power. I want to know how to fix it."

"Even if I told you, why would you believe me?"

Andros shrugged, though he knew she couldn't see him. "I wouldn't," he admitted.

"Why are you here, then?" She sounded amused now, and he curled his hands into fists as he tried to repress his anger.

"I don't know."

"Because you have nowhere else to go," she corrected him, and sighed. "Let me see it."

"What?" He looked at her, startled but unable to tell what she was trying to do.

"Your morpher," she repeated patiently. "Give it to me."

Andros was reaching for the strap before he caught himself. He might have been desperate, but he wasn't stupid. Well... not that stupid. "No."

"Have it your way, then." Lyra shrugged. "But don't say I didn't try to help you."

"And why would you do that?" he challenged. "You didn't have a problem with killing your own teammates. Or my parents. Or half of KO-35."

"Killing the team was a necessity," she informed him coolly. "As were your parents--they were part of the resistance movement. I'd have killed you too if your brother hadn't wanted you to live... and I did just love the look on your face when you woke up that day."

Andros bit down hard on his lip. He was not going to respond to that. Lyra laughed softly and his fists clenched a little tighter.

"You wanted to know why I saved you," she said abruptly. "Do you really want to know?"

"Yes," he answered tersely. "I do."

"Didn't I tell you to ask nicely?" Lyra laughed to herself but continued without pause. "I have plans for you, Andros. You and Ashley."

Andros shivered involuntarily at her tone. Her voice was perfectly casual, and it made her words all the more frightening. He took a slow step backwards.

"She's going to die," Lyra said, still calmly. "And maybe you'll kill her, if it's what we want you to do. But not yet."

He didn't stick around to hear anymore. Her words ringing loudly in his mind, Andros teleported himself back to the Megaship, annoyed to find his hands trembling. If he let her get to him that easily, how did he expect to be able to fight her?

He pushed the last fifteen minutes firmly out of his mind and went to check on Karone. She was asleep now with Zhane by her side. His eyes were closed as well and so Andros left the med bay as silently as he'd entered it.

It took him all of ten seconds to give in and head towards Ashley's room. She was sitting up in bed, several pillows propping up her left ankle. Her head turned towards the door when he stepped into her room, her eyes lighting up in relief when she saw that it was him.

"Hey," she greeted him, smiling. He moved over to her bed and she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," he muttered, hugging her carefully. "I'm fine." And so long as she was around, he'd stay that way.

A/N: I've suddenly become inspired to write like crazy... so look for chapter 18 soon. Maybe Thursday. And also, I've put up another story if you're interested. Review?