Return of an Old Evil
Disclaimer: Dragitron, lionator, Hawkitron, and Tyrannotron are mine. As well as Rakor and Sario. Saban owns everything else.
Chapter 12
"Okay, now that that's all settled, the next order of business is restoring Jason's, Trini's, Zack's, Kim's, and my power," Billy announced after Andros and Astronema shook hands.
"Billy's right, we need all the rangers we can get," Adam said.
"Wait a minute," Astronema interjected, still holding Zhane's hand. "I don't even know all of you."
"Oops!" Andros said sheepishly. "I can't believe we forgot introductions."
TJ laughed at Andros's expression. "It's not the end of the world, man!" He replied, clapping his friend on the shoulder.
"He's right," Tommy added then made the introductions. When he was finished Billy began again.
"Tommy, Adam, Tanya, Rocky, and Kat, I need your pieces of the Zeo Crystal," he started. The five of them closed their eyes and concentrated, and seconds later, a piece of the Zeo Crystal appeared in each of their hands. They handed them to Billy who then reached into the bag he'd quickly and quietly retrieved when the others had been focused on Astronema's hysterics over Zhane's condition and pulled out a holder for the Zeo Crystal. One by one he placed the five pieces into the holder and when he finished, there was a flash of light. Moments later, it was gone and the Zeo Crystal was once again back together.
The Astro Rangers and Astronema all stared at it's purity in wonder and marveled at the pure white light it gave off.
"Okay, the crystal is back together, not what," Rocky asked, breaking the brief silence.
Billy glanced at him. "Now I need you four," he began, looking at Jason, Trini, Kim, and Zack as he spoke. "To hold out your Power Coins." He finishes and they complied as he reached into his bag again and pulled out his own Power Coin.
Holding it in his left hand, he reached out took the Zeo Crystal from the holder and held it in his right hand. Starting with Jason, he touched each Power Coin in turn with the Zeo Crystal, finishing with his own. As the crystal trounced each coin, they began to glow their respective colors. Then the hands holding them began to glow, and then it spread to their whole bodies. Seconds later, they were glowing from head to toe.
"Would you look at that?" Andros asked in wonder as he gazed in complete rapture at the glowing rangers.
"Why are they glowing like that?" Cassie wanted to know.
"That's the energy from the Zeo Crystal flowing into their Power Coins and through their body as it restores their powers," Billy explained.
Several moments later, the glow faded from them and they stood there looking at each other. They all looked completely full of energy, like they had been rejuvenated. And in an essence, they had.
Jason grinned at the familiar feeling of the Power filling him once again. "Man, this feels great! It's been way to long."
Zack laughed out loud at Jason's exuberance. "I think he's missed being a ranger, wouldn't you say?"
"You know it, bro!" Jason answered, giving Zack a high five. "You know you did too, Zackman!"
Zack smiled broadly. "Guilty as charged!"
"Zackman?" TJ asked, confused.
"Yeah, that's me!" Zack exclaimed. "The world-famous dancing Zackman!"
Jason cracked up along with several others. "Zack, you're too much!" He said in mock-exasperation, playfully elbowing him in the side.
"It's his nickname," Tommy said, rolling his eyes. Astronema wanted to know what a nickname was, so he explained as best as he could about the longtime Earth custom.
Andros came up to Jason then. "It's going to be a great honor to fight alongside the original Red. You're like a legacy," he said holding his hand out. Jason, blushing, took it and they shook hands.
"I'm really not a legacy. I just did my job with the rest of the team," he protested.
"But you were our leader," Zack told him.
"Just because I was your leader doesn't make me a legacy, Zack," Jason replied stubbornly. "We were a team and it took all of us to succeed."
"But you led us to success!"Zack insisted.
"Zack---," Jason started but Andros interrupted.
"I think Jason's a little uncomfortable here. I think we should talk about something else," he said.
Jason looked at him gratefully. "Thanks, man," he replied seriously as Trini slipped her arms around him.
"We have much more important things to discuss anyway," Tommy put in.
"He's right," Ashley said, coming over and taking Andros's hand.
"I think we should go over everything we know about Ivan and what's happened so far," Andros started.
"Wait," Carlos interrupted him. "Shouldn't the five new rangers train in the Simudeck?" He asked. "I mean, it's been years since they've done this and they're probably a little rusty."
Andros nodded as his friend. "Good point, Carlos. I'll take them up there and get them started while the rest of you head to the bridge and bring up all the information we have on Ivan, and I'll be there as soon as I can."
"We'll train for a couple of hours and join you guys when we're done," Jason added. With that, it was settled except that Astronema refused to leave Zhane's side even after Andros argued that Alpha and DECA would watch over him and alert us to the first sign of trouble.
After several minutes of arguing, Andros gave it up and let her stay. There really wasn't in harm in letting her stay with him and he didn't have time to stand there and argue with her anyway. There were far more important things to do. A moment later, he was heading up to the Simudeck with the five newly energized rangers in tow.
Fifteen minutes after that, Andros was entering the bridge. It had taken him a little longer than he expected on the Simudeck because Jason and the others had been so impressed with it that they kept asking him question after question about it. But finally, he had got them started on a medium-level training simulation and headed to the bridge.
Upon entering, he shook his head at the mild argument he had heard when approaching the door. All this bickering was starting to get old really fast. If things continue like this, they'd be no match for Ivan at all.
He headed straight for his station and took a seat in his chair. Ignoring the bickering, he pulled up the info on Ivan on his own screen and started to scroll through it. After several moments he looked at the others and spoke for the first time. Have you all gone over everything yet?" He asked them.
"Yeah we have, but there's a problem," TJ replied.
Andros rolled his eyes at this. "I noticed." He looked each of them in the eye. "This arguing has to stop. We don't have any time for this and it brings down the whole team," he stated firmly.
"There would be no arguing if it weren't for those two," Cassie told him, nodding to TJ and Carlos.
"Cassie's right," Ashley added. "They're shooting down every possible plan just because it includes Astronema."
"Well I'm sorry, but I just don't trust her!" Carlos replied hotly.
TJ locked eyes with Cassie. "I'm sorry, but I have to agree with Carlos on this. I mean, she's just done too much to us," he told her regretfully.
"But we're allies in this," she protested.
"Cassie's right," Andros stated. "She is our ally in this fight. I 'm a little skeptical of her myself, but she did save us and she obviously loves Zhane. Now come on, we have to pull it together. We don't have much time."
"Andros is right," Tommy spoke up. We need to put everything else aside for now and concentrate fully on destroying Ivan."
"He's right. Now, I bet if we all put our heads together we can come up with some great strategies against him. What do you all say?" he asked.
The others all voiced their agreement, although a few were a little reluctant, and got to work.
"Your Highness," one man called out to Ivan, who was sitting on his throne on a raised platform at the head of the assembly room on his asteroid base.
Ivan was jolted out of his contemplations of his plans at the sound of his captive's voice. "Yes, what is it?" he asked impatiently.
The man bowed. "Sir, Dragonitron is complete," he said in a monotone, devoid of any emotion whatsoever.
Ivan leapt to his feet at his captive's words. "Excellent!" He exclaimed. He walked down the steps form his platform and went to where the man was standing. He nodded approvingly and proceeded to inspect every inch of his newly completed Machine of Destruction.
Satisfied with what he saw, he turned back to the man who had informed him of his machine's completion. "I congratulate you and your team on a job well done. Now, I need all of you to go help the others get the rest of my machines finished," he said.
The man and his team all bowed as one. "Yes, your highness," they replied in what was essentially one voice and split up and headed over to where the other captives were hard at work on Lionator, Hawkitron, and Tyrannotron, his other three Machines of Destruction.
Ivan laughed manically. His plans were now one step closer to completion. He could hardly wait for the other three to be complete. In the meantime, he had something else to keep the rangers busy and out of the way while his machines were getting finished. Striding back to his throne, he bent down and picked up a small, nondescript black box.
Hefting it once, he grinned impishly. "It's time to ooze on in and beat someone!" He murmured excitedly. "But first, I have to get down and slimy!" With that, he liquefied himself into purple ooze and fused with the black box. "A moment later the box disappeared with Ivan a part of it on a flash of purple light.
An instant later, it materialized right outside the Astro Megaship, next to the hangar door. Slowly, purple ooze leaked out of it and ran down the top and under the crack in the door. This continued until a puddle had formed on the other side. Then it rose up and Ivan took shape. He went to the control panel for inner door and let some ooze flow into it. Almost instantly, the door unlocked.
Teleporting the black box to his hand, he opened the door and entered the hanger. Walking quickly to a small access panel by a little used storage area, he opened the box and got it ready. He then opened the panel, and after pressing a few more buttons on the black box, hid it inside and closed the panel. Finished with his task, he smiled wickedly, and teleported back to his asteroid.
On the bridge, the rangers were still discussing strategies, completely unaware that the ship had just been infiltrated. However, they were about to become very aware.
Tommy was speaking when all of a sudden; alarms began to wail loudly all over the ship, cutting him off as they all jumped as the sudden racket startled them.
"What in the hell is going on?" Rocky shouted above the noise.
"I'm not sure," Andros replied. "DECA?"
"I have picked up an anomaly in the hangar bay," the AI said.
"Do you know what it is?" Andros asked.
"Yes," the AI told him. "It's a bomb, and it's set to go off in three minutes."
A/N: Ah, a cliffie! What do you think? Please read and review! As always, reviews=faster updates!