Variations Of SPD
Chapter 23: Rescue Mission Pt. 1
By: Pink-Green-White-4ever
Last Revised: October 8, 2006
Summary: Syd comes one step closer to finding Sky while Jack and Brian do something completely unexpected and Bridge and Z find out what it's going to take to bring Vampra down for good.
Ships: If you've been reading the whole story, you should know these by now --winks--
Disclaimer: Don't own em, not making money off this story – this is purely stress relief for me! Besides, if you know me, you know things would be different if they belonged to me.
AN: --winks-- To all the members of the Anna Must Die fanclub, this chapter is the start of her end….MUWAHAHAHA!
For in the end, freedom is a personal and lonely battle; and one faces down fears of today so that those of tomorrow might be engaged. -- Alice Walker --
"Creating a family in this turbulent world is an act of faith, a wager that against all odds there will be a future, that love can last, that the heart can triumph against all adversities and even against the grinding wheel of time." -- Dean Koontz --
"When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on." -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
--
Syd and Jack raced into the Delta Base like the hounds of hell were after them. Kat's call nearly a half hour before had woken them both from their much needed sleep, but neither cared, not when the possibility of getting Sky back was just on the horizon. Jack had driven his car, not trusting Sydney, who was in such an emotional state, to get them to the base without killing them both.
Boom raised an eyebrow when the two senior Rangers raced in, both wearing their pajamas still – Jack in black sweats and a red wife beater tank top and Sydney in a pair of grey sweats and Sky's blue SPD t-shirt. "Where's Kat?" Jack asked Boom, who swallowed hard.
"She's in the Commander's office going over our findings with him. I'm supposed to send both of you there."
Without a word, the Rangers raced right back out the doors of the Command Center and headed down the hallway to Commander Cruger's office. The pair stopped outside the door long enough to announce their presence and then zoomed inside. Anubis stood at the window looking out at the sleeping city before him while Kat sat on the edge of his desk, staring at his back.
"Commander?" Sydney asked, emotions swirling around inside of her so bad that it caused her voice to crack.
"Dr. Manx, why don't you explain why you've called the Rangers here," Anubis spoke, not once turning to look back at his Rangers. He knew that if he did, he'd do everything in his power to assure Sydney and Jack that they'd get Sky back in one piece when he knew the chances of that, given the state of things, was almost impossible now.
"Kat?" Jack asked, turning his attention to their technical expert.
The feline doctor swallowed hard and prepared to deliver the good along with the bad news. "Do you want the good news or bad news first?" she asked, trying to keep her voice light when all she wanted to do was cry. One way or another, some of the Rangers might not make it out of this final battle alive.
--
Z looked around warily as the quartet began their trek into the desert, leaving behind the cover of the forest and the security it brought. She hadn't spoke to any of the guys about what she'd seen the night before, because she still wasn't positive she'd seen what she thought she'd seen. Great, now I'm starting to ramble, in my own mind no less, like my boyfriend does, she thought silently.
"How far is it to Debo's home from here?" Bridge asked Andros, trying to keep his mind off the nagging feeling he was getting from Z that something had happened.
"About half a day's trek, provided he hasn't moved camp," Andros spoke cryptically.
"And if he has?" Z wanted to know.
"Then we keep going until we find him." Z narrowed her eyes at the back of Andros' head. He hadn't mentioned that when they'd set out to find Debo. "And you failed to mention that to us why?"
Andros turned to pin Z with a stare. "He's a hard man to find, Z. I made no actual promises that we'd find him in two days."
The Yellow Ranger continued to glare at Andros angrily while Bridge and Zhane gasped. Z's body was growing the same color as her Ranger uniform. "Z, baby, calm down. It's going to be ok, we're going to find Debo, we're going to get home, and we're going to make sure the others are safe and sound," Bridge murmured in her ear as he stood just behind her.
"The others might not have time, and here we are wasting it in a God forsaken desert!" Z started raising her voice. Despite the fact that Andros was a legendary Ranger, one Z had read about during her classes at the academy, when it came to her friends being in danger, Z was no holds barred. They didn't call her the loyal tiger for nothing.
"I know how you feel, Z," Andros spoke the words, though Z refused to see the genuine emotion behind them. "I've been where you are, searching for a way to save my friends when it seems like there's nothing else that can be done. I've been in your shoes; it's not an easy place to be," Andros assured her, turning to look her in the eyes. He knew the Debo was a hard man to convince to help a cause unless it was a cause dear to his heart, but Andros knew that the Yellow and Green Ninja Rangers had a way about them that could persuade a hardened warrior like Debo. He could only hope neither of them lost their tempers before they got the chance to ask for the help.
"You're a Power Ranger, Z. I don't think you quite understand the scope of what that truly means; many others share that legacy, share experiences that, while not all exactly the same are vastly similar," Zhane spoke up, moving to take Z's hand in his own. She reminded him so much of Cassie that it was scary. "There are others that have come before you that have had to find a way to save their teammates and the very universe in the face of hopelessness and despair."
Andros grinned at her. He had to give her hope. "Zhane's right. And what's more, every one of the people who have come before you that shared your problem triumphed magnificently. Have hope, we will find him in time."
Z just stared at them, silently, before sighing. "I still don't see why we couldn't use our teleportation abilities," she grumbled.
"Part of getting him to help you will be showing you didn't take the easy way out by teleporting to his location. Instead, you came to us for help and journeyed through the Great Forest and the Great Desert and found him," Andros told her before turning away to continue their journey.
"And added to that, Andros and I don't trust your teleportation abilities yet," Zhane grinned and winked. "You just got them, and you've only used them once according to what you told us about your journey on Phadoes."
Bridge and Z had to agree with that. They couldn't blame the elder Rangers for being doubtful of their abilities yet, seeing how they themselves weren't entirely sure they could perform what they wanted to correctly. "Alright, let's go. We're wasting time sitting here talking instead of walking," Z huffed. The four began to move forward, hoping that before sundown they'd find the mysterious Debo.
--
"Report?"
"They've made it through the great forest, whoever they are," the violet eyed man spoke to the figure in the crystal ball. "Two are Andros and Zhane of the Space Rangers. The other two are unknown, though they give off power much like Zordon's Rangers did once upon a time. One even has a spirit animal."
"What animal?"
"It's an animal I'm not familiar with. My best guess was that it was an Earth animal, considering he looked like he was an Earthling."
"Then they must be from Earth," the figure in the crystal ball deduced. "Do they seem threatening?"
"The one with the green aura seemed gentle, wiser than he let on, and a tad bit worried. The yellow female was defensive, angry, and yet, I sensed a side of her that she keeps hidden. She too is worried, but it's much more evident than his."
"Understood. Just remember, Debo the Wise Warrior, many have searched for the Morphin Masters Council, few have been worthy of finding us."
The violet eyed man nodded before the crystal ball went back to normal. Taking a deep breath to center himself, he then began to chant softly in the language of his people and the crystal ball once again flared to life, revealing four wary travelers making their way towards his encampment in the desert. "Soon, very soon, we shall meet face to face, and I shall decide whether or not to help you on your journey."
--
Brian watched his sister run along the beach, RIC chasing her as she went. Even from this distance and without the use of their link, he could feel her sadness. The younger members of the A Squad had been briefed once they'd come onto duty earlier that morning about Kat's findings and what it might mean. The odds were so off the chart and not in their favor that Commander Cruger had expressly forbid the Rangers from attempting to help Sky in any way, shape or form from here on out. While Brian agreed somewhat with the Commander's worries about attempting to help Sky, he disagreed with the Commander's order that the A Squad was to just forget their teammate due to the threat he now posed to Earth. If there was one thing he'd learned in his time with his sister and their friends, it was that Rangers didn't give up on their teammates. No one was left behind, regardless of the circumstances. I'll be damned if I watch her be unhappy and hurting without him here for much longer. I will not abide by Cruger's orders, he thought angrily. And if he was honest with himself, he too missed Sky's annoying demeanor and presence just as much as the others.
"How is she doing?" To Brian's ears, Jack's voice sounded strained and tired. The White Ranger couldn't blame his team leader for sounding that way, they were all under a lot of stress, but Jack was taking the brunt of everything for the sake of the team. Brian was glad that Jack had Allison to counter balance the strain leadership had on him. He mused that Ally and Jack's relationship was a lot like Syd and Sky's, only with less drama.
"She's dealing with it the best way she can," Brian spoke what they both knew Jack could already tell. "Look, I want to be up front and honest with you now – if and when the opportunity to help free Sky arises, both Syd and I will not stop until he's home. I refused to watch her die a little everyday without him."
"Why are you telling me this?" Jack wanted to know.
"You're my leader, my commanding officer, but I thought it was right for you to know that I will not follow Cruger's orders, not in regards to this."
The Red Ranger grinned at his young teammate. Finally, he's learning the lessons we had to when we first started. "It would be pretty damn hypocritical of me to tell Cruger you aren't going to follow those orders when I'm not even going to follow them, now isn't it?"
Brian grinned at his older friend. Despite the fact that Sky rubbed them both the wrong way, they were going to do everything in their power to get their friend back. "So, how much of a protest do you think we'll get out of her if we go down and toss her in the surf?" Brian asked.
"She'll kill us both, trust me. Not to mention that the water is freezing cold this time of year."
"Then I guess we'd better learn to run fast, huh?"
"You're sneaky, really sneaky. I love it!" Jack laughed as the two raced down the sand toward Syd and RIC. Seconds later, Syd's screeches and protests were drowned out as her brother and one of her best friends tossed her head first into the cold, icy Pacific Ocean.
--
"Is that it?" Bridge inclined his head toward the hut about a quarter of a mile from their present location on a large sand dune.
Zhane was pouring water over his face but Andros nodded. "Yeah. Let's hope he's home." After each of them had taken turns getting a drink from Andros' canteen, they began the tedious trek down the sand dune toward the hut.
Andros made the decision to step forward and tap the door while the others waited with baited breath. While Andros stepped back, the door swung open and a figure in fatigues stepped out, looking slightly annoyed. Z's eyes widened in surprise; he was the same man she'd seen the night before. "Can I help you, Andros of KO-35?"
The former Red Ranger straightened his stance. "Debo the Wise Warrior, I bring two warriors not of our world for your help."
"Let them step forward and ask for it." Without hesitation, Bridge and Z stepped forward to stand before the violet eyed man. "Who are you that come to my home, disturbing my life, to ask for help?"
"I'm Z Delgado."
"And I'm Bridge Carson."
Debo shook his head and eyed them. They both hid their power behind a façade of uncertainty. "Again, I ask who you are. Your given names mean nothing to me. Who are you?"
Bridge and Z eyed each other while Zhane and Andros shifted back and forth in unease. "I am the Yellow Tiger Ninjetti."
"And I am the Green Panda Ninjetti," Bridge followed.
"I see," Deb responded. Inside, he was quite surprised that these two unassuming people were Ninjetti. "This is new news to me, as the last Ninjetti I knew of…"
"Were Dulcea and Ninjor," Bridge answered for him. "We know. Dulcea and Ninjor trained six of Zordon's rangers as Ninjetti. Our Pink and White Rangers were the children of two of those Rangers."
"So you are Power Rangers as well?" Debo asked.
Z stared at him, her anger flaring, her powers unconsciously following. "Yes, we are."
"I see. Why have the rest of your team not come with you?"
Debo saw the pain and sadness in their eyes and momentarily wondered if they'd come too late to save their teammates. "One of our own has been turned against us. The other three stayed behind to protect Earth from Vampra's forces," Z told him seconds before he grabbed her arm in a vice grip.
"Vampra?"
"A traitor to our organization is trying to help free him from the prison Dulcea and Ninjor placed him in," Bridge gulped.
Debo looked, for the first time, genuinely humanoid in emotion. "We must hurry. I will take you to the council myself. Andros, Zhane, you can return to the Capital. Send word to their teammates."
The two elder Rangers nodded. "When will they return?" Zhane wanted to know.
"They won't, not to the capital in any case. Send their ship back, I will return them to Earth. NOW GO!" Debo commanded, waving a hand at the elder Rangers, who disappeared in columns of Red and Silver light. "Come, we must go and speak with the council immediately." With a wave of his hand, Z and Bridge felt themselves teleported to another location.
--
"Hey," Jack grinned when he opened the door to find Ally standing on the front porch.
"Hi. Can I come in?" she laughed.
Jack stepped back and let her enter. Once the door was shut, the pair embraced. Jack held her tightly to his chest, taking a moment to savor her being in his arms. "You staying tonight?" he asked softly.
"I wish I could," she told him, watching the disappointment shimmer across his features. "Cruger has junior A Squad and B Squad on lockdown. We're not even supposed to be leaving base, but he and Kat sent me to bring you and Syd some paperwork."
"Wonderful. Have time to stay for dinner?"
Allison grinned. "I think I can bend the rules long enough."
"Come on into the kitchen then, dinner's just about done, and I need to ask you a few things about the other day."
The Pink Ranger gave her boyfriend a weird look and sat down on one of the bar stools at the bar. "What's up?" she asked as he placed a plate of chicken strips and French fries in front of her.
"Don't take this the wrong way, but, um, when we had sex, it wasn't your first time, was it?" he questioned, setting the bottle of ranch dressing down in front of her. Allison pursed her lips and fought not to blush at his question. She'd been wondering for some time if he'd ask her about her past. "And yet, you were pretty timid about sleeping in my room that first night. I haven't quite figured out why."
Tilting her head to the side, Allison studied him. "That first night sleeping in your bed was the first night I'd ever slept in the same bed with someone of the opposite sex, and no, it wasn't my first time having sex." When Jack stared at her in confusion, she continued. "I lived on the streets, just like you and Z, but I was adopted by wonderful people when I turned twelve. Unfortunately, their son wasn't nice."
Jack's eyes closed and the expression on his face was one of sorrow. "He hurt you." It wasn't a question, it was a statement.
"He sexually molested me for nearly three years. When I was fifteen, I ran away and joined SPD. My real parents had worked there but were killed in a freak accident. I figured if any place would be like home, then it would be there," she told him, staring him straight in the eyes. "I've had lovers since then, but I've made it a habit not to spend the night in their beds, just in case."
Two tears slid down Jack's cheeks as he came around the bar and pulled her into his arms. His Ally was strong and courageous to have faced what she did and come out a better person for it. "I love you, so much," he whispered, leaning down to kiss her softly.
"I love you too. We need to eat so I can get back or I'm going to hear it from Cruger for being late," she soothed, kissing his cheek when he pulled away.
Nodding, Jack moved back to the other side of the bar where his plate sat and the two in companionable silence until it was time for Ally to head back to the academy.
--
Sydney quietly made her way into the Command Center, silently thanking whatever higher power made sure that neither Cruger nor Kat were present as she entered. Nodding to a couple members of the staff, she moved to one of the corner consoles. Taking a deep breath, she inserted a disc into the computer and then set to finding the information she wanted. Despite what Cruger had said, she wasn't about to sit back and leave Sky in Anna's clutches, let alone Vampra's. She knew, without a doubt, that to beat Vampra, they were going to need all six of the Ninjetti together.
Quickly, Sydney's fingers began flying over the keys of the keyboard before her as she put her computer skills to the test. While Bridge and Boom and even Kat were awesome building the computers, Sydney had the small hidden talent of being able to crack into just about any system on the planet. She only hoped her emotionally drained mind could break whatever lock Kat had put on the information she was looking for.
She let out a sigh of frustration and continued to try to crack the code. Fifteen minutes after she started, she was surprised when she finally got into Kat's files. Grinning like a mad woman, Syd quickly copied the information she needed onto the disk and then back tracked out of the system to make sure that Kat wouldn't be able to tell she'd been there. Once she was done, she ejected the disk and headed for the door.
"Hello Syd," Kat greeted, entering the room.
The Pink Ranger looked momentarily started. "Hi Kat, bye Kat," she murmured in passing, brushing past the feline scientist.
Kat turned, a frown on her face, and watched the doors slide closed behind Sydney. The feline scientist couldn't quite put her finger on it, but something was wrong with Sydney, like the Pink Ranger was keeping something from her. Shaking her head, Kat went about her duties.
--
When Syd returned to the house, she went straight upstairs and into Bridge's room. She sat down at his desk and turned on his computer, inserted the disk, and began printing the information on it out. Jack was downstairs cooking dinner, so once she was done printing she shut down Bridge's computer. She left one copy of the information on Bridge's desk, as a precaution, and took the other copy with her into her room. Quickly, she showered and changed into her comfy clothes before she headed downstairs to talk to Jack.
"You ate without me?" she teased.
"Ally brought some paperwork over. I fed her and put yours in the microwave to stay warm. I figured you were taking a shower or a nap."
Syd nodded and moved to the microwave. "I got the information," she started, watching Jack nod in understanding. "You know, Cruger will kick us out of SPD if he finds out we're going to do this before we do it."
"He'll kick us out after it happens," Jack told her. "Sky means more than a job. Cruger can't take away our morphers because they aren't SPD property, so we'll still be Rangers."
Sydney smile and nodded her agreement. "Are we going to do this now or wait for Bridgey and Z?"
"I say if the opportunity arises, we do it now. Two is better at not getting detected then four."
"You're not including Brian." It was a statement, not a question.
Jack stuck to his decision. "I'm not involving our little brother unless I absolutely have to."
The look of love and appreciation Syd shot him warmed his heart. "We're a family, Sydney, whether by blood or circumstance, and most definitely by choice. I won't risk one brother to save another, not until I've risked myself."
Sydney seemed to understand his reasoning, especially if it meant one Ninjetti remained to defeat Vampra should they fail. "RANGERS! ATTACK AT THE BEACH!" Kat's stressed voice came through their communicators. The two hopped up and then morphed.
"SPD EMERGENCY!"
--
When the Senior Pink and Red Rangers showed up on the scene, Aaron, Alana and Brian were the only ones standing. Allison, Brett and Travis were in a pile near the water's edge, unmorphed, and unconscious. Syd reached out to Jack to calm him, knowing the sight of his beloved Ally crumpled in a heap made him want to go to her.
Anna stood laughing a good distance away with Viper and her bodyguard near her. "Lookie here, Viper, the little pink bitch showed up."
Syd shook her head and rolled her eyes behind her visor. The bitch and whore comments were starting to get old and annoying. "At least I didn't have to kidnap and brainwash Sky to get him to sleep with me!" Syd countered. She felt sick for even considering the psychotic witch had slept with her boyfriend, but the Pink Ranger was not stupid – she knew it had to have happened at some point since Anna had taken him.
Jack and Brian shot her looks through their visors, wondering where that comment had suddenly come from. "Syd!" Jack hissed in warning, hoping Sydney wouldn't provoke Anna too badly.
The Pink Ranger ignored him as the idea took hold. "You know, Anna, it pretty pathetic that the only way you could get Sky was to kidnap him. Newsflash, you little witch – at the heart of him, Sky doesn't love you, he's never going to love you."
Aaron, Alana, Brian and Jack looked surprised when Anna began having a hissy fit right there on the battlefield. "I'M GOING TO KILL YOU, YOU LITTLE BITCH!" Anna heaved her words at Sydney. "I'm going to do it right before his eyes! Then we'll see who he loves."
"You can kill me, you can torture me, but at the heart of Sky, he's always going to love me. We shared something you've never had, and never will – we gave each other our innocence, our trust, our love, and our hearts."
Syd sent a mental message to Jack, who cried out when he realized what she was doing. "SYD! NO!"
Anna flew at Sydney, causing the Rangers to scatter, leaving their senior Pink Ranger on her own. "When I'm done, Viper will drain you power from your body and feed it to Vampra! Then Earth shall perish for your ignorance!"
The two women were locked in combat as the others moved to keep Viper and Anna's bodyguard from getting in the way of their fight, or from wandering off to attack the city. "THE PHOENIX IS MINE!" Viper roared, seconds before he fired a device at Sydney, causing the Pink Ranger to disappear in a shatter of sparks.
"SYD!"
--
Bridge and Z gasped when they found themselves standing just outside an old building. "Come, the council is already aware of our arrival." The two followed after the violet eyed man as he rushed into the temple.
In the building, figures in midnight blue hooded robes walked slowly down the corridors. All turned their attention to the trio rushing down the hallway. Debo began speaking in a language Bridge and Z had never heard. Several of the hooded figures rushed off while Debo led them into a large chamber at the end of the main hallway.
Z nudged Bridge, who looked behind them and saw all the figures entering the chamber behind them. "Debo the wise, why have you brought these outsiders to this holy temple?" the robbed man at the front of the room asked when the trio stopped before him.
"Master, I present to you Ninjor and Duclea's Yellow Tiger and Green Panda Ninjetti," Debo spoke. "They are trying to protect Earth from Vampra and his forces."
The hooded man stiffened in shock while the others around them began to whisper in a fury of the same language Debo had first spoken in. "Where are the rest of the Ninjetti? Dulcea and Ninjor always train six."
"One has been taken, and the other three are still guarding Earth," Z spoke up. Gasps were heard from the other figures, who Z and Bridge guessed were priests, because Z had spoken out of turn.
"We need help," Bridge pleaded softly. 'We're not strong enough to save Earth on our own."
The man at the front stepped off the dais where he stood and motioned for Bridge and Z to near him. "You are far stronger than you perceive yourselves to be. Did Dulcea not give you the Ninjetti Crystals of Power?"
The two reached behind their backs and pulled out their morphers. Carefully, they pried the crystals from the fronts before replacing the small devices. "We only thought they were for morphing us and for teleporting," Z explained.
The robbed figure reached up and removed his hood. Z and Bridge gasped slightly, seeing that the man looked incredibly like the picture Aisha had shown them of Zordon. "Z-z-Zordon?"
"No. I was a distant cousin of his. Rangers, please, listen," the high priest told them. "The Morphin Masters council cannot help you."
"Then why the hell were we sent here?" Z angrily threw at him, trying to shrug him off. "If you can't help us, how are we supposed to save our friends and our home?"
The priest let go of Bridge's shoulder and placed both hands on Z's. "Listen to me, Yellow Tiger. You already have everything you need to save Earth and your friends."
"What do you mean?"
"Did Ninjor not tell you of the power contained within the crystals?" The two nodded. "The Ninjetti Crystals, while powerful with each of their respective owners, are unstoppable when used together as a whole. All you need to do is learn to harness the power of your crystals."
"And you couldn't tell us that before we came all the way out here? Ninjor couldn't tell us that?" Bridge wanted to know, his own anger increasing even as he felt Z's flare like a super nova.
"Ninjor isn't aware of how to beat Vampra, as the council that advised him and Dulcea were not aware of the crystals' true power when combined. It was only within the last few generations that we arrived at the conclusion that the crystals are how to beat Vampra."
Bridge and Z looked stunned. "So we have to get Sky back before we can beat Vampra?" Z numbly asked.
"Yes, but you must use your crystals to free him if he's been turned by Vampra before you can."
The two nodded and tried to digest the information. "We need to get home," Bridge murmured. "The others won't stand a chance of getting to Sky until we do."
Z let out a breath. "How do we get home?"
"Use your crystals," the high priest spoke with a smile.
The two looked startled. "You mean the teleport will work from here?" Bridge asked.
"Of course they will."
Having only teleported once on their own, the pair was at a loss for words. "Ready?" Z asked Bridge, who nodded his agreement even if he was unsure.
"SPD EMERGENCY!" the two called, morphing into their uniforms.
The high priest and Debo laughed. "Next time, try the phrase, 'Its Morphin' Time'," Debo told them with a smile, drawing chuckles from them both.
The Rangers moved their hands to their morphers. In an instant they disappeared in streaks of yellow and green light. "Good luck, Rangers," Debo whispered.
"May the power protect us all," the high priest murmured before turning to the elders of the council to speak with them.
--
The first thing she noticed was the dampness of the room she was in. And then the putrid smell of something rotting filled her nostrils, causing her stomach to roll. The cool metal against her wrist made her shiver. "Look who's finally waking up."
The voice rubbed her nerves the wrong way. Slowly, she opened her eyes, blinking to see in the low light. "Anna."
"Pink Ranger," Anna sneered. "Enjoy your nap? As soon as Sky's ready, I'll be making an example out of you for him."
Sydney glared but inside she laughed. Anna either forgot or didn't know about her genetic abilities. The Pink Ranger knew, either way, she could use the misstep to her advantage. All she had to do was get to Sky before she put her plan into action.
"Nothing to say, Sydney?" Anna taunted.
"Not to you," Syd muttered. She let out a groan when Anna slugged her in the stomach.
"If you don't behave, I'll kill you before you get to say goodbye to Sky."
Syd's head snapped up and her eyes bore into Anna's. "We'll see who says goodbye!"
Anna stumbled back when Sydney's eyes flared pink. The brunette shook off the display as a trick of her mind but she back away anyways and fled the room. The Pink Ranger wanted to curl into a ball and sleep but her restraints made that impossible. Instead, she used her time alone to let Jack and Brian know she was alright. She slowed her breathing, closer her eyes, and stretched her awareness across their link.
--
"You disobeyed a direct order!" Anubis yelled angrily. Brian and Jack stood before him, silently taking their punishment for their part in Sydney's disappearance. "I specifically ordered you to do something and instead you let Sydney egg Anna on and now we're missing not one but two Rangers. I ought to court marshal you both!"
Brian read Jack's thoughts and tried not to squirm when he realized what Jack was about to do. While he liked SPD, Brian knew he'd follow Jack's lead, knowing it may be the only way to save his sister; he could only hope Bridge and Z understood when they returned.
The White Ranger watched on, tense, as Jack took his SPD badge off his uniform and removed his ID from where his morpher use to rest before handing both items to Cruger. "Sir, I must regretfully offer my resignation as senior A Squad Red Ranger."
"Morpher?" Anubis asked, not questioning Jack's actions.
"With all due respect, Commander, my morpher isn't SPD property, there for I'm not handing it over."
Brian watched as Anubis' jaw dropped open. "Excuse me?"
"I earned this morpher, by going to a different planet and facing personal trials. This morpher does not belong to SPD."
Anger boiled off Anubis, but the big blue dog understood inside. "Very well, Mr. Landors. I wish you well in future endeavors."
Jack nodded and then both he and Anubis looked on as Brian handed over his badge and ID. "Brian?" Anubis questioned suddenly.
"I'm going to get my sister and Sky back. Thank you for taking care of me, Commander, but I have to follow Jack."
That said, Cruger accepted what he was given and watched two of his sons walk right out of SPD. "Commander?" Kat started, having seen the incident. When Anubis turned he was smiling. "Sir?"
"When Bridge and Z return, I want to speak to them. Have the reset of A Squad report to my office."
"Yes sir." Kat held back the anguish she felt at seeing Brian and Jack resign in the middle of the biggest war they'd wagged yet.
"And Kat?"
"Yes?"
"I've never been more proud of my Rangers than I am at this moment."
Kat looked startled as stared at his retreating figure. Shaking her head, she moved over to the P.A. System to call the Junior A Squad.
--
Sydney sighed when the door to her cell was flung open and Viper walked in. In his hands were thick chains. The Pink Ranger knew that it was time for her plan to be set into motion. She didn't struggle when Viper wrapped the chains around her and led her from the room.
Five minutes later, he was attaching the chains to a large hook that suspended her not far from a bed in a fairly messy bedroom. When she saw who was chained to the bed, her heart broke. Sky was struggling to break the chains and only succeeding in hurting himself.
"Sky!" Sydney chirped before Viper smacked her across the faced.
Sky stopped struggling at the call of his name. His eyes darkened when Viper slapped Sydney and then pointed the device in his hand at the Pink Ranger. "Just to make sure you don't get too vocal during Anna's little show," Viper grinned. Syd gasped and cried out when the machine began draining her energy, leaving her tired and groggy. "I'll get the rest when Anna kills you." With that, Viper strode out of the room.
Sydney felt wobbly and disoriented. 'Oh shit! Not this, not now!' she angrily though, trying to focus.
"Sydney?"
The way he said her name gave her a start. He sounded like the Sky she knew and loved. "Yeah?"
"What the hell are you doing here?"
Syd shot him a look. "Anna said she was going to kill me for your viewing pleasure." The Pink Ranger watched her Blue counterpart close his eyes. His face was contorted in a painful look, as if he were remembering something. "Sky?"
"What?"
"No matter what happens tonight, remember one thing for me." When his eyes opened, she stared straight into them. "I love you, have always loved you. You were my first friend, my knight in shining armor. Nothing that happens will ever change that. I will love you no matter what."
The Blue Ranger looked surprised by the sincerity and honesty he thought he heard in her voice. "But…Jack…"
"My big brother, always my brother, just like Bridge and Brian. Nothing more, nothing less," Sydney told him earnestly.
"Good evening Sydney," a new voice sounded. Both Sky and Syd turned their attention to a sky-blue robed Anna. "I do hope you enjoy the show, Sydney. It promises to be a pleasurable one." With that, both Syd and Sky watched in horror as Anna dropped her robe and stood before them completely naked.