Return of an Old Evil
Disclaimer: Same as before.
A/N: I hope everyone likes this chapter!
Chapter 4
"Everything looks the same as it did the last time we were here," Zhane commented when they reached KO-35.
"Only on the outside, Zhane," Andros replied. "DECA, take us down to the surface, to the coordinates that Rakor and Sario gave us."
"Taking us to the designated coordinates now," DECA responded immediately.
Minutes later, they had landed at the designated coordinates. The landscape was rocky, gray, and barren, with no signs of life in sight, plant or otherwise.
"Are you sure we're in the right place?" Ashley asked. "There's nothing here."
"This is the coordinates they gave us," Andros replied after double-checking the computer map.
"But there's nothing here," Cassie said.
"Well, we might as well have a look around," Andros told them. "Come on, everyone." At his words, they all headed for the hatch and exited the ship.
Once outside, they all began to walk around, trying to find any signs of life.
"Don't go too far," Andros warned. The warning became pointless a moment later, however, when a trapdoor opened in the ground about fifty feet from the ship, revealing a secret entrance, to what could only be underground tunnels and room, and Rakor and Sario stepped out.
"Greetings," Rakor called out. "We are very glad to see you all."
"Thanks, we're glad to help," Andros replied. "Has anything else happened since we last spoke?"
"No, but we need to get out of sight and your ship hidden," Sario said.
Andros nodded. "No problem." He pushed a series of buttons on the Astro Morpher on his wrist, activating the ship's cloaking shield. "Is that satisfactory?"
Rakor nodded. "Yes. Now let's get out of sight." He led them to the secret door and they all entered, immediately descending a flight of stairs that ended in a long tunnel. The tunnel walls and floor were nothing more than hard-packed brown dirt. "This way," Rakor pointed to the left. They followed him through the tunnel as well as two more before they arrived at their destination. A metal door blocked their way until Rakor revealed a hidden control panel on the side and pushed a series of buttons.
The door slid open with a whoosh and they all stepped inside what was obviously a command center. Consoles were arranged along two walls, in one of which was a second door, with view screens above them. A third wall was covered by a large projection screen, the projector itself sat slightly off to one side. The fourth wall contained the door they had just entered as well as boxes of electronic equipment as well as other supplies. Three rows of workstations were lined up in the center of the room. Two men a one woman occupied three of them, and two more men were at the consoles along the walls.
They all looked up with interest as the group entered and came to stand by the projector.
"Well, as you can see, this is our command outpost," Rakor told the rangers.
"Impressive," Andros replied. But I though all the tunnels and caverns in this whole area had been deserted for ages due to the dangers of collapse and floods." Confusion was etched on his face.
"They were until several weeks ago. That's why we chose to set up here. We had to do some work on them to make them safe to be in again, but it was worth it. No one will think to look for us here," Sario explained.
"Have you figured out what that purple stuff in all the jars is yet?" Zhane asked.
"Unfortunately, we have not," Rakor replied regretfully.
"Is Kinwon here?" Andros wanted to know.
Sario nodded. "Yes, he's in the lab next door." He pulled out a comlink and spoke into it. A moment later, the door next to the consoles opened and he came in.
Seeing the rangers, the older man smiled and walked up to Andros. "It's good to see you again," he told the younger man.
"Likewise," Andros replied giving him a hug. "I just wish it was under better circumstances. These are my friends and teammates: Ashley, Carlos, TJ, Cassie, and I believe you already know Zhane." He pointed to each one as he introduced them.
Kinwon nodded. "Yes I do know Zhane," He replied, giving him a hug as well. He then exchanged pleasantries with the others.
"Okay, now that we all know each other, it's time to get serious," Andros said. "Do you have any of the jars here?"
"Yes, we do. Follow me," Kinwon replied. They followed him to the next room where Kinwon showed them several jars sitting on a table. The rangers proceeded to examine and open the jars, and even smell the slime.
"I'm a clueless as you guys are," Andros said after a minute. "I have no idea what this stuff is."
"The only thing I know is that it smells!" Zhane exclaimed loudly.
"Yeah, and it's very nasty," Ashley added as she wrinkled her nose.
"Hey, Kinwon, that crowd of zombies is getting larger!" One of the men called from the other room.
"I think we're the only ones left," he replied, going back through the door to the command outpost, the others following. He went up to the man who had spoken and looked at his monitor. Sure enough, more people had joined the crowd.
"Maybe we should try to talk to them," Carlos ventured.
"We already tried. They didn't respond at all. It was like we weren't even there." Rakor's voice was sad.
"Maybe our scanners will tell us something," Andros said.
"It's worth a try," Rakor replied.
"All right rangers, let's go," Andros commanded.
"Please be careful," Sario said seriously.
Andros nodded. "We will." With that, the rangers teleported to the crowd.
Back on his asteroid, Ivan, after seeing that rangers had arrived on KO-35 to investigate the disturbances, and his jars of ooze, knew it was time. He closes his eyes and teleported in a flash of purple light.
Upon arriving at the crowd, the rangers went up to various people and tried to talk to them. Id did nothing, though and after several minutes they gave that up and pulled out their scanners and activated them.
"Is anyone getting anything?" Andros asked after a minute.
"Nothing," TJ answered him.
"They just come up as ordinary human beings," Cassie added.
"You would think that their energy readings of something would be abnormal," Ashley said, the confusion evident in her voice.
"I know," Andros replied. "I don't get this."
"Maybe they're---." Zhane was cut off by a whoosh and flash of purple light. The light faded immediately and in its place was a being unlike any they had ever seen. He was humanoid, with light purple skin, a dark purple robe, a light purple (but darker than his skin) cloak over that. Instead of hair, he had tentacle ridges on his head and extending slightly off it on the sides. His goatee was made up of two of these tentacle ridges hanging intertwined down around three inches.
"Who are you?" Cassie asked.
"What are you?" Ashley asked at the same time.
"You may call me Ivan Ooze. I ruled Earth six thousand years ago until I was imprisoned in a Hyperlock chamber. I was released only to be nearly destroyed for trying to rule again. I have returned for revenge on those who nearly destroyed me! And you six are the key to my plan," he explained with a sneer.
"Oh yeah? I beg to differ!" Andros shouted.
"That's right! You're going down!" Zhane added.
"Oh, more teenagers with big mouths! I'm really scared now!" He scoffed, rolling his eyes.
"You should be!" Carlos yelled. "Now why don't you go back to the hole you crawled out from!"
"I don't think so," Ivan replied. "My work here is not done. You can meet my kids while I finish up!" Ivan raised his hands and shot purple lightning into the ground. Immediately, a couple of dozen Ooze men appeared. Similar to Ivan in appearance, they attacked the rangers at once.
"Let's rocket!" Andros yelled and the rangers all morphed as the Ooze men advanced. Soon they were engaged in battle.
One knocked over Ashley who leapt back up, calling on her Star Slinger. She blasted her foe and he exploded into ooze which showered everywhere. "Gross!" She yelled as it splattered on her helmet.
Meanwhile Cassie kicked one in the stomach, knocking it over, and getting an ooze-covered boot for her efforts. "These guys are disgusting!" She shouted.
"I agree," replied Andros after one exploded after being hit by a blast from his Astro Blaster.
Zhane blasted two nearby Ooze men into showers of ooze and rushed Ivan. But before he even got halfway to him, Ivan hit him in the chest with a purple energy blast sending him flying back at least ten feet.
Andros felt himself filling with rage as his best friend got shakily to his feet. Calling on his Spiral Saber, he went for Ivan. Again though, Ivan blasted him before he got close.
This guy packs one hell of a punch," TJ said after seeing two of his friends get blasted.
I'll say," Carlos agreed as the rangers destroyed the last of the Ooze men. They then turned as a group to Ivan.
Ivan was unfazed however. In fact, he was smiling. "You beat my kids, but know see the power of my Ooze!" He gestured at the crowd behind him and as one they moved toward the rangers. "Destroy the rangers!" He told them.
"Destroy the rangers!" The crowd intoned in one voice as they kept advancing.
Andros gasped as realization struck him. "Guys, The ooze brainwashed all these people when they touched it!"He told the others. A feeling of horror swept over them as they realized Andros was right.
A moment later there was no more time for talk as the crowd reached the rangers and knocked them down. They tried to get up only to get knocked down again. After that happened once more, they had DECA teleport them behind the crowd. DECA did and they all turned as a group to face Ivan as soon as they landed.
"Release them!" Andros demanded.
"Sorry, no can do," Ivan replied. "I still need them. I'm sorry I can't say the same about you six!" As he finished speaking, he once again raised his hands, this time to fire on very powerful blast of energy in the form of purple lightning at all of them at once.
The blast was so powerful it sent them all flying trough the air to land over seventy feet away. Zhane scrambled quickly to his knees. "Ivan! I swear you're going to---." Zhane stopped speaking suddenly.
"What is it, Zhane?" Andros asked as he sat up.
"They're gone."
"What, Ivan's gone?" Carlos asked, shaking out his arms and legs.
"Ivan and everyone else. Look!" Zhane pointed back to where they had been. Sure enough, Ivan and the crowd had all vanished completely.
TJ got up shakily. "What happened to them? Where are they?"
"Ivan must have kidnapped them," Cassie said, getting to her feet next to TJ.
"But where did he take them?" Carlos wondered.
"Who knows? They could be anywhere," Zhane replied.
"That guy makes Ecliptor look like a complete wimp," TJ said. "We couldn't even get close to him."
"I know," Andros said. "This doesn't look good."
Carlos ran a hand through his hair. "So what do we do now?" He asked.
Andros took a deep breath. "We need to get help."
Carlos was about to reply when Cassie's voice rang out loudly. "Oh, no! Ashley!" At her words they all turned to look at Ashley who was still lying on the ground, not moving.
A/N: I would really appreciate it if you would click that little button and tell me what you think! I know I did a bad job on Ivan Ooze's physical description and I'm sorry. But it was the best I could do. Anyway, get ready for the original rangers! Their time to appear is nearly upon us! And try not to worry too much about Ashley:)