Dr. Hartford arrived at the edge of the city, finding Tyzonn waiting with Fran and Camille. From their dishevelled appearance he could tell that sending Tyzonn ahead had been a good idea. Tyzonn approached him with an apologetic look on his face.

"Sorry Dr. Hartford, I lost them." He sighed. "They burned down the restaurant with the girls inside; I had no choice but to save them."

"It's alright Tyzonn, we'll get another chance." He replied. "We'll help them."

He approached the girls, with a sad look on his face. "I'm sorry to hear about the restaurant. I know how much that place meant to RJ. I'll make it up to him." He told them. "In the meantime, we need somewhere I can set up my equipment."

"We'll go to my place." Fran replied.

"Won't your parents mind?" He asked. "We can't risk blowing the Ranger's cover..."

"It won't be a problem." Fran interjected. "I don't live with my parents."

Back in the warehouse, the Overdrive Rangers were sitting around, awaiting instructions. Mack and Ronny were lying on a couch in each other's arms, exchanging small talk while Dax and Rose were playing poker. Will sat with his feet up on a coffee table, absent-mindedly juggling the terracotta jar containing the Rangers' animal spirits as Jellica arrived back.

"Where did all this junk come from?" She demanded, gesturing to the furniture. Mack disentangled himself from Ronny's arms and sat up, addressing the overlord.

"We stole it." He replied. "We figured if we're going to be hanging around, we may as well make ourselves comfortable."

"Put that down you idiot!" She yelled at Will, causing him to catch the jar and look at her with a slightly annoyed look on his face. "That jar is the only thing keeping the Ranger's animal spirits trapped. If you smash it..."

"I won't drop it." He replied cockily, getting up from his chair and beginning throwing it from hand to hand. Jellica snatched it out the air with a tentacle, clutching it to her body.

"I'd rather not risk it." She sneered. "Now, do as I say and leave it alone! Go and check on the prisoners if you're bored."

"Well I wouldn't mind checking in on the Yellow Ranger." He stated cheekily, swaggering towards the door to the basement. "She's pretty cute. Shame we'll have to take her out when we get the eyes."

"Leave her alone, she knows nothing." Jellica told him. "Bring the Wolf Ranger to us. Maybe a little time to reflect on his predicament will have made him a bit more talkative."

"I hope not." Rose interjected, pulling out an electric stun gun and pressing the switch, causing sparks to arc between the points. "I'm kind of looking forward to interrogation."

In his cell, the few hours that had passed seemed like days because of the silence. Dom hadn't said anything to him since their talk earlier. He knew it was going to be hard for Dominic to forgive him, it still wasn't a certainty that he would. The door opened as Will and Mack entered.

"I think it's time we had a little chat." Will taunted him as Mack hauled RJ to his feet. "You've been keeping secrets from us, and we find that a little rude."

"I'll never tell you where the eyes are." RJ responded struggling in vain against Mack's genetically enhanced strength. "You only have a couple of days to the alignment. After that, they'll be useless for a few centuries. We just have to hold out until then."

"Oh we'll make you talk eventually." Will told him confidently. "We'll have fun making you talk."

"Leave him alone!" Dominic roared, lunging at them. Will took him down with a hard kick to the stomach.

"So much for the rhino." He sneered dismissively. "Don't worry; you'll get your turn."

"He doesn't know anything." RJ interrupted. "Only I know where the eyes are."

"Do you think we care about that?" Mack chuckled. "We'll talk to you first to get the location of the eyes, but everyone will get a turn. Torture sounds like so much fun."

"When we get out of this I am so going to kick your asses for this." Dominic wheezed, struggling for breath.

"Trust me, you won't get the chance." Will told him. "Jellica's plan is just a short time from fruition. After that, we won't need you anymore."

Fran and the others arrived at her house in the early evening. Fran unlocked the door and gestured them all inside.

"Fran, you live like this?" Camille gasped, looking around. Fran was always so organised and neat; she didn't expect what she saw. Sections of the ceiling were cracked and falling down. The paint was in dire need of refreshing, and junk was strewn all over the place.

Moving through to the living room, things were no better. There was an aging couch with a blanket over it; obviously this was where Fran slept at night. Crumpled clothes were piled around an erected ironing table, though only her Jungle Karma uniforms were clean, pressed and hanging up. On the cardboard box that doubled as a table, there was a huge stack of bills, many marked as overdue and a few as final demands.

"Fran, why didn't you tell us things were like this?" Camille asked her. "What happened?"

"I don't really like to advertise how pathetic my life is." She sighed, flopping down onto the couch. "Like I said, I don't live with my parents. Things have been pretty rough now for a while."

"What happened to your parents?" Tyzonn asked her.

"My dad was no great loss." She began. "He spent the first seven years of my life drinking bourbon and knocking me and mom from room to room. Then one night, he went out for some more liquor and never came back." A few tears ran down her face as she explained. "We heard about four years ago he died. Mom used the insurance cheque to pay what was left of the mortgage."

"Fran, you never said anything." Camille said sympathetically.

"Like I said, I didn't want to advertise the fact dad used to beat the crap out of us every night." She whimpered. "Mom just fell apart after dad died. Despite the beatings, she loved him a lot. She started drinking pretty heavily and lost her job. Her boyfriends would pay the bills. Most of them didn't stick around for very long. About two years ago I came home to find the house empty. All she left was a note saying she and her boyfriend had left and a twenty dollar bill for some food."

Camille hugged her friend warmly. Having been abused and neglected by Dai Shi, she could empathise with what she must have been through.

"Fran, you should have said something, the others would have helped you." She stated flatly. "You can't go on living like this."

"When RJ opened JKP, I started hanging around there to get out of the house." Fran continued. "There I could just sit and read and forget about what was waiting for me back home. It's one of the main reasons I love reading so much you know? For a few hours I can go somewhere else, be someone else and just forget how crappy my life is."

"We'll get you out of here soon, I promise." Dr. Hartford told her, finishing setting up a makeshift lab in the corner. "Jellica's controlling the Overdrive Rangers with some kind of toxin from her sting. We need to get a blood sample so I can analyse the toxin and create an antidote."

"The best way is to capture one of them and bring them here." Tyzonn stated, making his way to the centre of the room. "I'll go."

"Tyzonn, it's five on one." Fran reminded him. "Our friends are in danger, we'll go with you."

"But I have Ranger powers." He replied. "Besides, we have no idea how quickly Jellica can make this toxin. I'm the only one who can't be affected by it."

"How?" Camille asked him.

"Because I'm Mercurian." He stated with authority. "My DNA's made of liquid metal. I don't have a bloodstream for the poison to affect."

"I guess that makes sense." Camille responded. "But we're still going with you; you can't take on all five by yourself."

"We only need to grab one of them." Dr. Hartford reminded them. "We don't need to beat them, just grab one of them and get out of there."

"It's still not going to be easy." Fran responded. "How will we find them?"

"They know I'm not with them." Tyzonn replied. "Once they know I'm in town, they'll find me."

This did nothing to ease their nerves as they made their way from the crumbling hovel that Fran called home. They were about to try and take on a Ranger team with only one Ranger to support them, and using him as bait. It wasn't the greatest of plans, but so far it was all they had.

Back in the warehouse, Rose pressed the stun gun into RJ's torso, shocking him again, causing him to scream out in pain as the current ran through him. His hands were secured above his head by a length of chain secured to the ceiling, holding him upright despite his quickly failing strength.

"So, are you ready to talk yet?" Mack asked him as she released the switch. The multiple burns on his torso stood as a testament to how long the torture had been going on. His resolution never slipped though. He glared at Mack hatefully, shaking his head in defiance.

"You're not getting those eyes." He growled. Mack gestured to Will to let the Wolf Master down. He thought about it for a while, trying to think of how he could get him to talk. Will was about to drag him away when Rose stopped him.

"Chain him to the wall over there." She told him. "Mack, bring the Yellow Ranger up here next."

"I like the way you think." He chuckled as Will secured RJ to a bracket in the wall.

"I guess you get to see your better half after all." He taunted RJ, ruffling his hair. "Oh this will be fun."

"If you hurt her..."

"You know, there is a way you can stop us." Mack told him. "This can all end any time you want it to."

RJ said nothing, turning his face from them. He hated the thought that they were about to start hurting Lily, but he knew that if they got the eyes they were dead anyway. Will dragged Lily into the room, attaching her manacles to the chain hanging from the roof.

"You know, this will be really enlightening." Mack commented. "You've agreed to marry this man, now you get to see what he thinks is more important, you or the eyes."

"It'll save you a fortune in couples counselling." Ronny remarked. "You know, one in three marriages ends in divorce anyway."

"Guys, look who it is." Dax announced, gesturing to a television in the corner. The Overdrive Rangers gathered around, seeing Tyzonn on the screen, standing in the city plaza. The local news network had already found out about the Overdrive Ranger's attacks on the city, and so any new information was being broadcast in regular news flashes. "It's our old mascot."

"So ET's come back eh?" Mack remarked sarcastically. "Will, you Ronny and Dax go and make him wish he stayed home. Rose and I will carry on with the interrogation here."

The Black, Yellow and Blue Rangers powered up and left, making their way to the plaza to take care of their former ally. Mack turned back to RJ as Rose approached his fiancée menacingly with the stun gun. He was pointedly aware of how much that thing hurt, and he was about to be forced to watch them do the same to Lily.

"RJ, don't worry about me!" She yelled, watching Rose come over to her, sparking the stun gun in an intimidating gesture. The look in her eyes betrayed her fear, but her courage and sense of duty to the Order of the Claw gave her the strength to push that fear aside. "They can't get the eyes. You can't tell them. Don't worry about me."

RJ couldn't answer. Rose hadn't even started with the torture yet, but already it was taking all his strength not to just tell them what they wanted to know. He closed his eyes as the first of Lily's screams rang around the warehouse. Tears rolled down his face as he tried to block out the screams of the woman he loved. Mack saw the reaction and smiled. It wouldn't be long before RJ cracked.

Will, Dax and Ronny arrived in the plaza, approaching their former friend slowly.

"Tyzonn, it's been a while." Will commented. "I would have thought you'd be hiding back on Mercuria with Vella."

"Dr. Hartford told me you guys were in trouble." He replied, levelling his Drive Detector towards them. "I had to come."

"You know, we really chose the wrong side." Dax stated as the three Rangers began shifting around, surrounding him. "Being one of the bad guys is so much more fun."

"It's Jellica's venom that's making you think that." He replied. "We can help you. I don't want to hurt you, but if that's what I have to do to bring you to your senses, then that's what I'll do."

The three Rangers rushed their one time friend, only to be caught off guard as a fox and chameleon spirit charged into the battle, sending Ronny and Dax flying while Tyzonn began his frantic struggle with Will.

"So you didn't get cooked." Ronny sneered, rounding on Fran. "Well I guess you haven't learned anything."

"Actually, I've learned a lot." She snarled, throwing herself aggressively at the Yellow Ranger, sweeping her legs out from under her.

"Someone with glasses as thick as yours should be smarter." Ronny shot back, smashing her to the ground with her Drive Defender, stunning her. "You try to take on a powered up Ranger? What are you thinking?"

She looked across to where Camille was faring no better against Dax. The three were soon being overpowered. The Rangers advanced on them, levelling their weapons at the weakened heroes.

"Any last words?" Will asked them.

"Only one." A voice snarled, heralding the arrival of a gold and black armoured warrior. "Zukado!"

The three Rangers were thrown to the ground and de-morphed as the dark energies of Dai Shi's zukado power struck them.

"Dai Shi?" Camille shrieked. "Why are you helping us?"

"Trust me; Jellica having the Rangers under her control is as much bad news for me as it is for you." He responded.

"Grab one of them." Tyzonn called out. Fran rushed forward, connecting with the side of Ronny's head with a hard elbow, knocking her unconscious.

"Sorry about that." She stated. Dai Shi was powering up for another attack, causing the remaining two Rangers to turn tail and flee.

"Let them go." Tyzonn told them, pulling out a length of rope and tying Ronny's hands tightly behind her back before throwing her over his shoulder. "We've got what we need."

"Thank you Dai Shi." Camille said gratefully, approaching her former lover as he powered down. "We're all grateful."

"I will help you end the threat of Jellica's Rangers." He told them. "However, once the Rangers are defeated, our alliance will be over."

"We understand." Tyzonn responded.

"Guys, aren't we forgetting something?" Fran interjected. "This is Dai Shi. The guy's been trying to kill us all year. He'll probably destroy us all the second we find the others."

"My only concern at the moment is destroying Jellica." He responded. "Your destruction can wait until another day. In return for helping me, I swear I will not destroy you today. I always pay my debts."

"He does." Camille interjected. "I've known him long enough to know he always honours his bargains."

"We don't really have much of a choice." Tyzonn reminded her. "We don't have the power to take them down by ourselves. We need him."

"Fine." Fran snapped, finally relenting. "Let's get Ronny to Dr. Hartford before she wakes up."

Back at the warehouse, Lily's limp body hung lifelessly as Rose snarled in frustration. Mack made his way over to RJ, kicking him to bring his attention back to her plight.

"You know, I never would have thought you could be this callous." He stated.

"I guess he can't care about you that much." Rose taunted Lily, slapping her across the face. "Mack, we're getting nowhere like this."

"You're right." He responded, powering up into Ranger mode. He pulled out his Drive Defender, pressing it to her temple. "Since she doesn't know anything, we don't have any need of her. You're the only one who knows, so..."

"Alright!" RJ shrieked, stopping Mack in his tracks. "Alright, I'll tell you where they are!"

"RJ, no." Lily groaned as Rose let her down, causing her to collapse to the floor in a crumpled heap. "I'm not worth it. You can't..."

"Lily, you're everything to me." He replied. "We can worry about the phantoms when the time comes. I need you."

"Well that was touching." Mack commented. "I need a barf bag, but it was touching. Now, if you don't mind. I'm all ears."

Back at Fran's house, Ronny struggled against her restraints, her face a twisted snarl of hatred.

"When I get out of this, you're dead four eyes!" She screeched.

"Ronny, I'm sorry, we'll release you once I synthesise and antidote." Dr. Hartford told her, approaching with a needle. Tyzonn held her still as he plunged it into her arm, drawing a sample of blood from his future daughter-in-law.

"That hurt damn it!" She screamed. "When the others find me, you are so going to pay!"

Fran pulled Tyzonn and Camille aside, making sure she was out of earshot of Dai Shi.

"Guys, she's right, they're probably going to be looking for us." She replied. "I hope Dr. Hartford completes that antidote soon."

"I think the bigger issue is whether or not RJ tells them where the eyes are." Camille replied. "He never told any of us where he hid them for this reason, but he's been in their clutches now for hours."

"He won't have told them." Fran replied. "He knows it's too important."

"Everyone has a breaking point." Tyzonn remarked. "Even someone as strong as RJ can't hold out forever."

Back in the warehouse, the door to Lily's cell was thrown open and she was bundled inside.

"It doesn't matter to you which cell I'm in." RJ implored Mack. "I gave you what you want; you'll destroy us soon anyway. Please let me spend my remaining time with her."

"I guess we can do that." Mack replied, shoving him inside. "Don't say I'm not good to you."

Mack laughed as the door shut behind him. RJ came over to Lily and held her in his arms. Tears were already beginning to form in both their eyes.

"RJ, please tell me you lied." She whimpered. "Please tell me you didn't give them the real location."

"Lily, I couldn't watch you die." He replied, wiping away his tears and kissing her in a comforting embrace. "I had no choice. I had to tell them."

As he held her closely, he felt the pain burning in his chest. He had been forced to tell them where the remaining eyes were, and now one of the people he cared most about in the world was in grave danger. He could only pray that they would escape in time to stop them before it was too late.