A/N: Wow, it just keeps getting long, but I like that. The more I get into the story, the more that I want to write, so it just doesn't stop until I make myself stop.
Disclaimer: I don't own them.
It was Carter who finally spoke, "Ryan, are you ok?"
Ryan snorted, "Never better, oh fearless leader," he sneered.
"Alyssa," Cole said, stepping forward, "what happened, you called for help?"
Alyssa laughed, "Poor, noble Cole," she said mockingly, "always ready to save me, even when I don't ask."
TJ pointed at the Rangers, "Be warned," he said, "The Star Children are coming into their Power, and their Destiny. You would be wise to warn the others; especially the Betrayers. You have six days to prepare your surrender, for when we have gained the Powers of the Day Stars, we will be back to see you destroyed." He faded into a crimson spark, with Carlos, Ryan, Eric and Taylor right behind.
Alyssa watched them for a moment more, reached into her pocket and dropped something before fading into her own dark pink spark. Taylor wondered if she had actually seen the tear roll down her cheek as she left.
Cole hurried up to where the six had stood and looked on the ground, when he turned around, he held up a memory stick. "This is what she dropped," he said quietly, as he walked to them.
"Cam can probably access that," Shane said, "he's a computer genius."
Everyone looked at each other and nodded, "Let's go," Cole said.
As they headed to where the vehicles were parked, the group drifted into teams, and pairs. Wes and Taylor led the way, silently. Kelsey and Chad followed, their hands intertwined, seeking comfort as Ryan's cruel voice played in both their minds. Cole walked alone, with Max and Danny just behind him. They kept looking at each other, trying to figure out why Cole had changed. He seemed colder now than he had before Alyssa had mocked him, and there was an almost untouchable aura to him. Carter and Dana were behind Max and Danny, Carter with his arm around Dana's shoulders, offering comfort and shelter as they walked. Shane and Dustin were last, and they were the only ones talking, a soft murmur that barely reached the others. "Dude, you really think they were evil?" Dustin suddenly yelped, "Tori's not evil."
"Dustin," Shane said, his voice softer, "how many times did Blake and Hunter get brainwashed? Or when Lothor came back? Evil spells and brainwashing happens. It happened. Why else would they have threatened us?"
"Tori's not evil," Dustin insisted. "She didn't even say anything. They could be, like, holding her against her will."
"Which is why we're going to see Cam," Shane explained, "Cam will figure this out."
Their voices fell again, but Kelsey, up in front looked over at Chad, "They have a lot of faith in this 'Cam'." She said quietly.
"At least they have hope," Chad replied. "Six days, Kelsey. That's not a lot of time."
"We'll save them," Kelsey said firmly, "we're Power Rangers. Anything is possible."
"Hey!" Someone shouted, and sounds of a scuffle brought everyone's attention to the right.
"Get off me!" Someone else said.
"Merric!" Cole said, and rushed into the bushes around the trail, Max and Danny right behind.
Moments later they came back with Merric, the sixth member of Wild Force, and Joel, who looked disgruntled. "Joel, are you all right?" Carter asked.
"I thought I saw something earlier," Joel said, "I went to check it out and I saw him watching us. He wouldn't tell me anything and his buddy in the trench coat attacked me."
"Zen Aku guards my back," Merric snapped, "he thought you were a threat." He looked at the others, "We saw what happened, and Zen Aku has some answers."
"We're going to Blue Bay Harbor," Cole said, "we're going to see what the disk says. Will you both come?"
"Yes," Merric said.
The group finished the short walk and climbed into their respective vehicles. Carter and the Lightspeed Rangers in their Hummer, Wes and Wild Force in there SUV, when they turned to the problem of Shane and Dustin, Shane had the answer. "Let me and Dustin take the memory stick," he said, "we can get to Blue Bay Harbor faster than any of you, and we can give it to Cam. By the time you get to the city, he'll have it cracked. We'll need Sensei's permission to bring so many outsiders up, so you may have to wait in the city while he decides. I'll need a cell number, so we can find you."
Cole shook his head, "You could be attacked alone, it's better to travel as a group."
"Cole, we're Ninjas," Shane said, "There's little we're not trained to handle."
Cole hesitated a moment, and then handed it over, "We'll meet you in Blue Bay Harbor."
Wes gave them his number and the duo streaked off. It took them less than fifteen to reach Blue Bay, but they didn't stop in town, they went straight up into the woods, coming to a stop at the edge of the pool around the holographic entrance. Shane strode confidently across the water with Dustin a step behind. "Dude, I have a class," Dustin said as they crossed the portal. "Ari covered my earlier ones, but he has a class now too."
"Naomi is covering for me all day," Shane said, "I'll talk to Cam and Sensei. You go teach your class." Dustin nodded and trotted off to the practice grounds while Shane headed for Ninja Ops. Cam would, no doubt, be haunting the place until he was sure they were safe. A few teachers greeted him, but Shane's tense expression kept them from talking. He reached the door to Ops, punched in the code and bounded down the stairs lightly. "Cam," he said as he walked in, unsurprised to see the genius at the computer, "the news isn't good."
Cam turned, "What's going on?"
"Tori's been kidnapped, along with five other Rangers, TJ Johnson, Carlos Vargas, Ryan Mitchell, Eric Myers and Alyssa Enrile. We met up with their teammates, except TJ and Carlos's because nobody can get a hold of them. That's when we saw Tori, she's been brainwashed. They made threats and left, Alyssa dropped this, deliberately. We thought you could figure out what it is." Shane offered Cam the memory stick, which Cam accepted, "Dustin and I streaked back, and the others are coming by car. They'll wait in the city unless Sensei says they can come to the Academy."
Cam regarded the memory stick, "If this is harmless, and if Dad says no, then we'll go to Dr. Oliver. In fact, we'll get Conner to call him."
Shane frowned; they'd accepted Conner McKnight into the Academy the week after Mesogog's defeat, but had often found him a challenge. They didn't want the Academy aware of Conner's status of a former Ranger, especially with his trouble in learning an element, but at the same time, Conner's own Dino Power made that hard. He was careful, but it was a possibility that Conner's secret wouldn't stay so for long; especially if they asked him to intervene with Dr. Oliver. "We'll have to be careful about that," Shane said, "he's the one who asked us to keep his secret."
"Don't worry, just pull him into your office, give him a run through and ask him if he'd do it. The worst he could do is say no," Cam said.
"I'm going to talk to Sensei first," Shane replied.
Cam nodded and looked at the memory stick again, "I'll contact you when I get this cracked. Where is Dustin by the way?"
"He had to teach a class that he couldn't get covered," Shane said. "Naomi is covering for me all day, so I can work on this." He accepted Cam's nod as understanding and headed up the stairs to locate Sensei.
Sensei found him, however, as Shane headed for the meditation spot that Sensei had long favored. "Today did not go well," he said.
Shane sighed, "Not really, Sensei. Can we speak in private, please?"
"Come," Sensei guided Shane back to the mediation spot. "No one will bother us here."
"First off, Dustin's with his class." Shane said, "Second, Tori's been kidnapped. I'm leaning towards brainwashed as well, but Dustin doesn't think so."
"Why is this?" Sensei asked.
"When we arrived in Turtle Cove, we met with the Wild Force Rangers, and later, Wes, the Time Force Red Ranger and the Lightspeed Rangers joined us. The Wild Force team is missing their White Ranger, Alyssa Enrile. Wes lost his partner, Eric, the Quantum Ranger, and Lightspeed lost Ryan Mitchell. Also missing were TJ Johnson and Carlos Vargas from the Astro Rangers. Cole, Wild Force Red, contacted Dr. Oliver to see if any of the Astros could be contacted and they hadn't heard back last I knew. We spent several hours trying to see if we could determine what happened, but eventually hunger intervened. We went out to find food and that's when we saw them. Tori and the others, that is, but Tori was in green, and the others weren't in their normal colors either. TJ said that we had six days to surrender or Earth would be destroyed and that a group he called the Betrayers should be on special look out. Then he left, the others followed, but Alyssa stayed long enough to drop something. It's a memory stick and I brought it to Cam to analyze. The other Rangers are coming by car to Blue Bay Harbor, but I didn't want to give them directions here. That's your call, Sensei. I don't see how having twenty or so Rangers breathing down Cam's neck is going to help." Shane sat back, waiting for Sensei Watanabi to respond.
Sensei considered for a long time, then spoke, "I agree that all should not come. Instruct them to select two representatives to come up and here what Cam has to say."
Shane nodded, and then paused, "I almost forgot, the Wild Force Silver, Merric, and his partner Zen Aku want to come up. Zen Aku is a reformed villain who says he has answers. However, I know that Cole will want to be here. I think he likes Alyssa."
"Now is not the time to muse on the relationships around you, Shane," Sensei chided gently. "Instead, I would suggest you reflect on the next part of your journey. I have business of my own to attend, if you need me, however, my door is always open."
"Of course, Sensei," Shane replied, bowing his head.
