QUEST FOR THE LUNATI TREASURE
Episode #22
"V For Vendetta"
Hard.
It was a word that seemed to run through Bishop's head repeatedly as he slept. His life had taken so many turns since that fateful day in Egypt when his carelessness caused his parents' deaths. They had all been hard. It was hard trying to raise a sister who barely remembered him or their family. It was hard to face the dangers that seemed to appear at every turn since he took hold of the tracker that was still in his back pocket, even as he slept. It was even harder to watch his sister spiraling into the depths of evil, thanks to a demonic spirit living inside of her. Harder still was life working for Tarok, forced out of society to do the bidding of a Lunati whom Bishop could never fully trust.
At this moment, hard was also the perfect word to describe the sleeping conditions Bishop faced. He turned over on his side, but still found no comfort. As his shoulder dug into the concrete floor he laid on he realized that he would get no more rest. Once his brain knew he was awake he would never find a comfortable spot again. He let out a deep breath and rolled onto his back, opening his eyes.
Bishop Malcolm was now fully awake, unlike his sister, whose snoring he could hear several inches above him. He sat up on the floor and saw Addie sleeping soundly on her cot. He looked at her innocent face and hoped she was having pleasant dreams. She could use them. Bishop couldn't be sure, given the blank look on her face.
She had become the focal point of his existence ever since that day in Egypt, when he became her last living relative. Unlike his sister, Bishop recalled their days growing up, constantly at each others' throats, never getting along. The four years that separated them had placed so much distance between them. Then, their parents died. They had been inseparable ever since. With his sister's amnesia, Bishop knew it was up to him to protect her. It was something else he had failed at.
He stood up and began walking to the other side of the room, where he saw his black boots. As he passed the foot of Addie's cot, he stubbed his toe on one of the cot's legs. Bishop cursed so loud that it woke his sister.
"Bish?" Addie called out, as she sat up quickly. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Bishop said, still wincing in pain. "I hit my toe. Sorry I woke you."
Addie rubbed her eyes.
"It's okay. What time is it?" she asked.
"Early," Bishop responded quickly, as he sat down on the metal chair opposite her cot.
He began rubbing his injured toe.
"You really gonna go for a run with your foot throbbing?" Addie asked. "I don't know how you do it. You know this wouldn't have happened if you slept back in your room. I'm fine. You don't have to watch over me every hour of the night."
"I can't help it," Bishop said. "You're my sister and if that…thing comes out again, I want to be there."
Addie sighed. "Well, until we can figure how to get it out of me, there's nothing you can do about it. At least it's been quiet lately."
Bishop tied up his boots and headed for the door, slowly opening the creaking metal. He looked back at his sister.
"We can't count on it staying quiet forever," Bishop said. "Go back to sleep. You could use the rest. I'll be back soon."
Addie sighed again, before lying back down, as the door closed.
Bishop walked through the basement of the factory they called home, hearing his hard-soled boots hit the floor, as he headed for the metal staircase. He got halfway up the stairs when he was startled by a voice behind him.
"How is she doing?" Tarok called out.
Bishop turned to see the Lunati man at the bottom of the stairs. He didn't bother to walk back down to face Tarok directly.
"Addie's well-being is none of your business," Bishop said, angrily.
"What is the point of being so secretive? I will simply ask her when she wakes," Tarok said.
"The point is that I don't trust you," Bishop said, casting his angry gaze down on his employer. "You let that creature inside her take control and you let her put on that crown which only made things worse!"
"You see all of this as my fault?" Tarok said.
Bishop only stared in response.
"Then I suppose that the sooner we piece together my treasure, the sooner our partnership can be concluded," Tarok said.
"The sooner the better," Bishop said.
"I'm glad we feel the same," Tarok said. "I have begun to sense the Lunati shield."
Upon hearing this, Bishop descended the staircase with interest.
"Sense it?" he said. "Why now?"
"As the pieces of the treasure move closer to me, I can sense their power," Tarok said. "Most of the treasure is here in Silver City. That makes it much easier to focus on other pieces elsewhere in the world. The shield emits a strong presence to me."
"Just point me in the right direction and I'll let my tracker take it from there," Bishop said, with a glimmer in his eye.
Responsibility was on the mind of another young man across town. Evan Yukito began to stir from his own restless night. He shifted in the large recliner that was located next to Miko's bed. His eyes opened and the first thing he saw when he looked over at her was the Hartford family butler standing over her. Evan noticed Spencer was patting her forehead with a damp cloth. Evan yawned.
"How's her fever?" he asked.
"It's going down," Spencer said, somberly. "But I cannot say the same about the swelling around her spine. I've done what I can, but a few months as a medic in my formative days isn't going to do much to help her. This could be a serious injury requiring surgery. She needs a hospital, not a butler."
"I can't take her to a hospital," Evan said, taking a deep defeated breath. "We'd be arrested on sight and that wouldn't do her any good either."
Evan stood up, rubbing his palm down his cheek, as if he could wipe away his troubles.
"There are some…advanced medications used in these types of cases, but as I said, without a proper examination and diagnosis, the outlook isn't very pretty," Spencer said. "She could be paralyzed right now for all we know. She hasn't regained consciousness in over a day."
"Please, just do what you can," Evan said, heading for the door.
"Mr. Yukito," Spencer called out sternly. "You need to prepare yourself for the difficult decisions that need to be made to help this young woman. In her condition, she can't make them herself."
Evan didn't turn to face Spencer, but he heard every word. As he exited the guest bedroom on the first floor of the mansion, he couldn't help but replay Waza's last words to him.
"Protect her."
He was trying, but Evan feared that his hands were growing more tied by the hour, especially if Miko was getting no better. Evan walked towards the kitchen, trying to push all thoughts of Dark Shadow from his mind. As he cleared his head, he became aware of the raised voices coming from Dr. Hartford's office. Evan walked closer to the door, placing his head against it, to hear more clearly.
"I can't believe you're doing this!" Chris shouted. "You're actually going to let them stay here after all they've done? This could be another one of Dark Shadow's tricks."
"Miko's seriously injured," Ian said, seriously. "Spencer says she's in no condition to be moved right now. They can't fake a spinal injury, Chris."
"It's not right," Chris said. "He just shows up at the door, asking nicely and we do what he wants. We don't even know if he's telling the truth. We have the chalice right below us in the basement. How long do you think it'll be before Evan tries to weasel his way into the lab?"
"He has no reason to," Ian said, as he opened his desk drawer and pulled out the blue tracker. "He gave it up. He's no threat to us now."
Chris grabbed the tracker from his father, surprised Evan would give it up. As he examined it, Ian glanced over at Jessica, who seemed uncharacteristically quiet this entire time.
"Care to back me up here?" Ian inquired.
Jessica sighed.
"I don't know," she said. "I kind of agree with Chris."
"Thank you!" Chris said, throwing his arms up in frustration.
"Taiyami could be lurking right outside, waiting for us to let our guard down," Jessica said.
At that moment, the door to Spencer's office opened and Evan walked in, prompting an immediate frown from Chris.
"Taiyami's dead," Evan said, calmly. "This isn't a trick. I don't know how many times I can say that."
"I guess your track record as a liar and a thief makes it kinda hard to believe anything that comes out of your mouth," Chris said, angrily.
"Chris, calm down," Ian said.
"This is only temporary, believe me," Evan said. "I didn't know where else to go."
"We're not equipped to take care of Miko," Jessica said. "Spencer's talented, but…not even he can cure someone's spine."
Jessica couldn't help but glance over at Ian, sitting in his wheelchair.
"I'll figure something out," Evan said, sadly. "Just give me some time."
"I still don't believe this isn't a trap," Chris said. "You could have used the Lunati water you took to cure her all on your own."
"Wait. What?" Evan said, looking confused.
"The water you took from the Lunati spring," Jessica clarified.
"You mean that waterfall stuff?" Evan said. "It can heal people?"
"Yes," Ian answered.
"Why did you take it if you didn't know what it could do?" Chris asked.
"Because all of you were fighting over it," Evan said, slyly. "I figured it could be worth something. I had no idea it was that powerful."
"So you still have it?" Ian asked.
"Yeah," Evan said. "It's back at the lair in Japan. Do you really think it could cure Miko's injuries?"
"We've seen it do amazing things," Ian said, as he looked at Chris, reminded of his death, which he had reversed with their supply of the water.
"I'll go back and get it," Evan said, turning towards the door.
Chris grabbed his arm.
"Hold on," Chris said. "How can we be sure you won't be bringing back your friends?"
"I told you they're dead!" Evan said, angered by Chris' constant mention of Taiyami and Waza.
"I still don't trust you," Chris said. "I'll go with you to make sure the water is all you retrieve."
"I don't need a babysitter," Evan said.
"But you do need a ride," Jessica chimed in. "The Helio Zord is going to be out of action for a while. I sent a message to Mr. Makino at S.G.S. and I'm waiting for him to get back to me with repair orders."
"I guess we're taking the Hyper Jet then," Chris said, with a smile.
Evan shook his head, reluctantly accepting the chaperone.
"We won't be long," Chris said, as they departed.
Left alone, Jessica heard Ian Hartford's sigh. She turned to him, giving an inquiring eye.
"I guess that's that," Ian said, sadly.
"What?"
"The Lunati water," Ian said. "Dark Shadow got the last of it before the spring was destroyed. It will cure Miko and then it will be gone."
"I'm sorry Dr. Hartford," Jessica said, somberly, realizing he was still holding out hope that his own paralysis could be reversed through supernatural means. "But, maybe it's a good thing. At least, with the water gone, no one will be strong enough to use the treasure. The force of all that power would kill them."
"I have a feeling that Drakar and Tarok won't care one bit about risking their lives if it means they have the ultimate power," Ian said.
Jessica nodded, realizing he was right.
"It means we still have to be ready for anything," she said. "It would certainly help to know if Dark Shadow was really out of the equation."
"What do you suggest?"
"I think I'm going to take a little trip to Japan myself," Jessica said. "Check out Evan's story. If he's telling the truth there should be ample evidence."
Ian shook his head.
"Take the Silverhawk," he said. "And let me know what you find out."
"You got it," Jessica said, as she headed out.
Ian glanced back at his desk at a photograph showing him receiving a prestigious charity award. He was standing tall on the stage, shaking the hand of the presenter. Ian focused in on his smile and began to come to terms with the fact that he would never walk again.
"It's kinda nice to be out in the wide open like this," Addie said, as she trudged forward through the grassy terrain.
Bishop walked at her side, glancing around them. He had never been to Japan before. It was beautiful, especially this area, which was kept hidden away from the bustling city of Tokyo nearby.
"Yeah," Bishop said, flatly. "Shouldn't be far now."
They continued on their way, making their way through a field of trees.
"Yeah," Addie said, mimicking his unenthusiastic tone. "What's bugging you now?"
"I'm just tired," he said.
"Sorry if my snoring has been keeping you up," Addie said, with a slight smile.
"It's not that," Bishop said, as he came to a stop and faced her. "I'm tired of all of this. I just want to find this shield because once we do, then we'll be one step closer to ending this. All we have to do is get the chalice back from Hartford, the sword back from Drakar and find the pendant and it'll all be over."
Addie's face turned somber upon hearing her brother mention the Hartfords. Chris hadn't been far from her mind ever since she discovered that she had killed him while wearing the evil within her was unleashed.
"You make it sound so easy," Addie said.
"We're going to get our parents and your memory back and maybe we can get rid of that thing inside you while we're at it," Bishop said.
"And all we have to do is find the shield," Addie said, as they reached another clearing.
Their jaws dropped, as they entered a park, lined with over two dozen stone statues. Each was shaped in the form of a shogun warrior. Each was painted in various colored patterns on their armor and each carried a sword…and a shield. As the Malcolms walked further into the historical park, Addie took a deep breath.
"Where do we start?" Addie asked, sarcastically.
Bishop pulled his tracker from his back pocket.
"The front of the line, of course," he said, as he used his tracker to scan the first statue on his right.
Addie followed suit and began scanning the line of shogun statues on their left.
"This place looks like an earthquake hit it," Chris Hartford spoke, as he stepped over the wrecked coffee table inside the former home of Dark Shadow.
Evan found himself staring at the doorway leading to Waza's sanctuary. He could see the damage from the adjoining room.
"I thought you said the fight happened in an abandoned field miles from here," Chris said, curiously.
"Taiyami's rage started early," Evan said, quickly with a clear disdain.
Evan walked up to Waza's room, staring inside. As he saw the wreckage of Waza's candles and his perch, all of the things that made that room his, he was filled with sorrow.
Chris could see he was affected by the damage to his home.
"You never said why Taiyami turned on you all," he spoke.
Evan could feel anger pulsing through his veins every time Taiyami's name came up. He turned to face Chris.
"He wanted power. Power that we couldn't give him without dying at his feet," Evan said, sternly.
"Ouch," Chris said, as he glanced around at the wreckage. "Talk about loyalty."
"Yeah, I've got a resume full of misplaced loyalty and false trust," Evan said, with a grimace.
"If it makes you feel any better, I still don't trust you," Chris said, sarcastically.
Evan looked back at Chris, seeing his smirking face.
"Actually it does make me feel better," Evan said, smirking right back at him. "Come on."
Chris followed Evan towards the wall behind the tropical fish tank in the main sitting area of the lair. Evan tapped the wall three times in two places, causing a portion of the wall to slide back. Chris noted the seamless way the hidden door meshed with the wall. Evan pushed the door back, leading to a secret hatch about the size of a walk-in closet.
Chris saw the shelves that lined the walls. He saw several different trinkets, treasures and bags no doubt filled with even more. His eyes grew wide.
"Wow, nice stash you got here," Chris said.
"Yeah," Evan said, as he glanced around, looking for the water vase. "Take whatever you want. I don't care anymore."
Chris shrugged.
"No thanks," he responded. "I've already got money and tons of expensive crap that I don't even use. You know what I've learned? It never replaces the things that really matter in life."
Evan looked back at Chris, as he experienced his own moment of clarity.
"You're right," Evan said, as he smiled.
He reached onto the top shelf at the far end of the secret closet and found the vase of water. He handed it to Chris.
"Hold that for me," Evan said.
Chris took the vase of water, shaking it to make sure there was actually something inside. He looked up as he saw Evan grabbing a large sack, which he proceeded to fill with everything inside the closet. Chris grew more curious, as Evan walked past him, dragging the large cloth sack. He watched him pull the heavy sack right out the front door.
Chris stood in the doorway and watched as Evan walked up to the edge of the cliff where Dark Shadow's lair sat. Evan gathered up every ounce of strength in his body. He took one deep breath and hurled the bag of valuables right over the cliff. Evan watched in silence, as the bag landed in the ravine at the bottom of the cliff. As he watched them float away he couldn't help but laugh.
The memorial park dedicated to shoguns past was still quiet on this day. The faint sound of the tracker's black-light scanner and the slight squish of the freshly-cut grass being flattened by the boots of two treasure hunters were the only sounds apparent on the clear day.
Bishop & Addie had split up to quicken their search for the Lunati shield, which they knew was there somewhere, amongst the dozens of shogun statues. One of those shields was not a stone replica at all, but the hidden piece of the Luntai treasure. Bishop gave a frustrated sigh as he scanned another shield. He glanced at his tracker's screen and saw the big red zero flashing on it. The stone shield in front of him wasn't the right one. He advanced to the next one and out of the corner of his eye he could see his sister down at the other end of the park, doing the same thing.
"Find it yet?" he called out.
"Just more stone!" Addie shouted back.
"This could take a while," Bishop said, more to himself than to Addie.
"This is so time consuming!" Addie said, annoyed. "It would be so much easier if these trackers could just scan a whole entire area with one swift motion."
Addie playfully waved her tracker in the air around her, hoping to get a stray signal from the Lunati shield. She let out her frustration with a slight giggle, just as her arm dragged the tracker through the air near Bishop in the distance. At that moment, she heard a different chime from the tracker readout screen. She glanced at it curiously and saw a much larger number than zero. Given the signal was a 520 reading, she knew she had scanned something. She lowered her tracker and looked over at her brother. She was about to call his name when she saw the source of the reading. It wasn't the shield.
"Look out!" Addie shouted at the top of her lungs.
Bishop turned his head quickly, just as the Lunati sword came stabbing down at him. Bishop crouched, covering his head, as the stone statue next to him crumbled under the force of the Lunati weapon. Bishop looked up, as the dust settled to see Drakar standing above him.
"You're sticking your nose where it doesn't belong, hunter!" Drakar shouted.
Drakar brought his weapon up for another strike on the unmorphed Malcolm, but before his weapon could meet Bishop's body, it was blocked. Drakar turned to see the morphed Yellow Hunter holding her hand blaster sword just below the sword, preventing it from a finishing blow on her brother. Drakar grunted in anger.
He sent a swift kick to her unguarded midsection, sending Addie rolling to the ground several feet away. Drakar turned his eyes back to Bishop, who crawled backwards on his hands and feet towards the next statue. He scanned it.
"Nope," Bishop said, just as Drakar swung the Lunati sword at the statue, causing it to crumble like the last.
Bishop ducked away from the wreckage and dove onto his stomach to the next row of shogun statues. He rolled up to the next statue and scanned it, as Drakar still had him in his sights. This time, however, Drakar didn't advance towards him. Still standing several feet away from Bishop, Drakar raised the sword to his head, building up a mass of energy from his helmet.
Bishop's eyes grew wide, as he saw the energy travel from Drakar's helmet to the tip of the Lunati sword. Bishop looked down at his tracker reading at the last moment. He grinned, as he spun himself behind that shogun statue.
The blast from the Lunati sword hit the statue. The stone exploded into a cloud of dust. Drakar breathed heavily from the powerful strike, watching closely as the dust settled. Drakar gasped, as he saw the statue's shield was still in one piece, behind held up by Bishop.
"The Lunati shield!" Drakar shouted, as he stared at the black shield encrusted with silver and red jewels.
Bishop stood his ground, as he heard Drakar scream in anger. The Ferum leader swung the sword in Bishop's direction, unleashing a deadly energy blast that flew towards him. Bishop instinctively brought the shield up to protect himself. The blast hit the shield and sent the energy strike right back at Drakar, as if it had hit a mirror. The ground below Drakar erupted with damage, sending him stumbling to the ground.
Drakar struggled to get back to his feet, as he looked back up at Bishop, who was now holding the sword like a platter in his hand. Drakar watched as Bishop slid his tracker across the shield.
"Start Up!" he yelled, instantly morphing.
Drakar let out a fierce battle cry as he got to his feet. The Black Hunter took off running towards him, feeling the strength and power of the shield coursing through his veins like a steroid injection. Drakar sent a blast of red lightning energy from his helmet into the weapon. The energy flew forth from the sword, colliding with the shield, as Bishop got closer. Each of the fighters tried with all their strength to gain the upper hand to blast their enemy. Bishop stood his ground and continued moving closer to Drakar, despite the force of energy he was working against.
The shield made him feel invincible. He got four feet closer…three feet closer…two feet closer.
"Turbine Crusher!" Bishop shouted, causing his mallet-shaped weapon to materialize in his free hand.
Drakar's battle cry got louder, as he struggled to keep the energy surging towards his opponent. Then, Bishop tilted the Lunati shield upwards, causing the energy blast to be deflected into the sky. As a reflex, Drakar's arms flew up as he held onto the sword despite the force of the blast. With his chest unguarded Bishop thrust the Turbine Crusher into Drakar's gut, causing it to ignite in a barrage of sparks.
Drakar flew through the air backwards, crashing straight through one of the shogun statues. The Yellow Hunter watched this development closely. Her eyes followed the trail of destruction back to her brother, standing tall with the Lunati shield firmly in his grasp. With the Ferum leader down and out, Addie joined Bishop at his side.
"Great job," she said, a bit surprised.
"I can feel the power in every bone of my body," Bishop said, his voice a bit deeper than she had ever heard. "It's like nothing can hurt me."
"Yeah, well I suggest we get out of here and not test that theory," Addie said.
"No!" Bishop said, sternly.
"Drakar's out of it. Now's our chance," she said, grabbing his arm.
Bishop yanked his arm from her grasp as if he didn't even know her.
"I'm not going anywhere," Bishop said, grinning behind his helmet. "We've got all the power and I say it's time we take the sword as well."
Bishop turned away from his sister and glanced at the puff of smoke that remained from Drakar's crash into the shogun statue several yards away from them. He had landed with the sword and Bishop knew it was right there with him. The Black Hunter was determined to get that sword, no matter what.
As Jessica Lorrie walked through the field where Dark Shadow's final battle took place, she gave a deep sigh. She hadn't been there for long but she had already gotten all of the answers she needed. She flipped open her tracker and opened communications with Dr. Hartford back in California.
"Go ahead Jessica," Ian called out, as he pulled his wheelchair up to his computer terminal in the Tracking Lab.
"It looks like Evan was telling the truth," Jessica said, somberly. "I see the pole where Miko was tied and the black hole that Taiyami left behind. There's major skid marks from where the Helio Zord crashed too."
She knelt down on the ground and ran her hand over a soft mound of dirt.
"I even found the fresh grave…just big enough for Waza," she explained.
"It's unfortunate," Ian said, as his fingers ran across the keyboard in front of him, pulling up Jessica's location.
It was then that he heard the large beeping signal from his satellite in orbit. Ian appeared stunned.
"Jess, the satellite is detecting a major Lunati signal over there in Japan!" Ian said, excitedly. "It's big."
Jessica's jaw dropped, as she stood up.
"That has to be the Lunati shield," she exclaimed. "Can you send me the coordinates?"
"I'm downloading them to your tracker now," Ian answered, as something else caught his eye on the scanners. "But be careful. I'm picking up another big Lunati signal close to the shield. It's the sword."
"Zel," Jessica called out.
"Drakar may have found the shield," Ian said.
"He won't get far with it," Jessica said. "I'm on my way."
"I'll contact Chris. He & Evan haven't returned yet. I'll have them join you," Ian said. "I'm picking up two active trackers near the signal, so Drakar may not be the only one on the hunt."
"Thanks for the warning," Jessica said, as she ran off towards the Silverhawk.
Chris Hartford watched curiously, as Evan Yukito continued laughing at the edge of the cliff outside of Dark Shadow's lair. Chris looked a bit confused and walked closer to him.
"You're not gonna jump, are you?" he asked.
Evan's laughing stopped. He looked back at Chris.
"No such luck," Evan said, as he walked away from the cliff. "I've got too much left to do in this world."
Evan reached his hand out and Chris gave him the small blue vase, filled with Lunati water. Evan began walking towards the back of the two-story house, where the Hyper Jet was waiting.
Chris took a deep breath and started following him, as his tracker sounded. He flipped it open.
"This is Chris," he answered.
"Listen up," Ian ordered. "I picked up a really strong Lunati signal in Tokyo. I'm positive it's the shield. Jessica's gone after it."
"Jessica?" Chris spoke curiously. "Why didn't you call us first? We're closer."
"You were…until Jessica took a trip of her own," Ian said.
Evan turned, appearing a bit suspicious.
"You sent her to check out my story," Evan said.
"I'm sorry, Evan, but we had to be sure," Ian responded.
"Smart move," he said.
"So Jessica's got the shield?" Chris wondered.
"She's gone after it," Ian confirmed. "But there was another signal heading in the same direction. It was the Lunati sword. And Drakar isn't the only problem. Bishop & Addie are there too."
Chris fumed, as his thoughts turned to the Malcolm siblings. "I'm heading over now."
"I've already transferred the exact coordinates into the Hyper Jet's navigational control systems," Ian said. "Just hop in."
Evan took off, jogging towards the large zord.
"Evan," Chris called out.
Evan stopped upon hearing Chris's arrogant voice. He knew what was coming. He turned back to face Chris, who was coming toward him.
"Let me guess. You don't trust me enough to go with you," Evan surmised.
A long pause passed between them, as Chris sighed.
"Actually, I was gonna say that you'll be needing this," Chris said, as he reached into his back pocket and pulled out a tracker identical to his own.
Chris handed Evan the Blue Ranger tracker. Evan reached out for it, but Chris didn't let go easily. The two men locked eyes.
"If you want to prove yourself, now's the time," Chris said.
Evan grinned, as Chris released the tracker from his own grip, allowing Evan to take it. The two ran towards the Hyper Jet together. In his other hand, Evan gripped the Lunati water vase. He just hoped that Miko could wait.
Back inside the Hartford mansion, Spencer felt Miko's head. Her fever had not fully subsided. Spencer let out a disappointing sigh. Miko wasn't getting better. Spencer shook his head and glanced at his watch. It had been too long since Chris & Evan's departure, he thought. Spencer feared that someone would die on his watch.
"Bishop," Addie called.
Her brother did not turn to answer her. Bishop Malcolm continued walking closer and closer towards Drakar. With the Lunati shield gripped in front of his body, he had no fear for the first time in five years. Bishop was no longer scared for his sister, no longer scared for his life and no longer scared for the future.
All he felt was strength, power and protection. He could do anything and he was about to take what he felt he deserved.
The Black Hunter walked closer to the spot where Drakar still lay. His attention was so focused, that he did not realize that his sister had been caught off-guard several feet behind him. A fully morphed Jessica whipped her around, kicking the Yellow Hunter across the helmet, sending her falling to the ground. Jessica set her sights on the Black Hunter just as he reached the base of the crumbled statue, where Drakar lay amongst the ruins.
Bishop's eyes locked onto Zel. The Lunati sword lay in Drakar's palm, which was wide open. Bishop let free a devious laugh.
"Jackpot," he said.
"I don't think so," the Pink Ranger yelled.
Bishop whipped around quickly, seeing Jessica holding her white and pink Hydro Cannon, aimed squarely at him.
"All alone, girl? You can't hurt me," Bishop said, boldly.
He quickly pulled his hand blaster from its holster at his side. Jessica fired her weapon. The icy charged energy blasts hit the shield, covering it instantly in a coating of ice. The icy covering crackled with energy as it exploded. Bishop instinctively turned his head, despite wearing his helmet. The blast, however, left the shield completely undamaged and Bishop unharmed as well.
Jessica gasped in shock at her weapons lack of effect. Bishop laughed, as he fired his hand blaster, causing her suit to light up with damage. Jessica collapsed to the ground.
"I told you. You can't hurt me!" Bishop seethed.
"Maybe this can!" Drakar shouted from behind him.
Bishop turned quickly, just as the Lunati sword was coming down towards him. Bishop raised the shield in defense and when the two pieces of the Lunati treasure collided, a massive current of energy practically exploded, causing both fighters to be pushed away from one another.
Feeling the power of the Lunati relics in their hands, neither was willing to back down. The each took off running toward the other. Drakar attempted the first strike, which Bishop met with his hand blaster in sword mode. Bishop's weapon, however, was no match for the power of the sword and it was quickly knocked from his hand, thanks to the Lunati sword's power.
Drakar swung the sword at him once more. Bishop blocked the attack with the shield, but this time Drakar did not give up any leverage. He pushed further toward Bishop, forcing him backwards, with only the shield to protect him. He could feel his boots digging into the soil as he was forced backwards, trying to stand his ground and emit more power.
At that moment, both warriors were struck in the side by laser blasts coming from above. As the barrage of lasers crashed down on them, both Drakar and Bishop were knocked off their feet. They glanced above to see the Hyper Jet speeding onto the scene. The zord spun around several times, as the Red & Blue Rangers flew out of the vehicle and landed on the ground, near Jessica, helping her to her feet.
"Looks like the party started without us," Chris said to her.
"You're always late," Jessica said playfully.
The reunion was short-lived, as Bishop and Drakar were both back on their feet and this time, they had their eyes focused not on each other, but on the newly-arrived Rangers.
Ian watched the action unfold due to the live video feed he was able to link from the Silverhawk's external cameras, which caught all of the happenings since Jessica's arrival on the scene.
Ian took a deep breath, hopeful that with the odds evened, his team might be able to retrieve both the Lunati shield and sword. Ian had been so focused on the video feed playing out on the computer screen in front of him that he didn't notice Spencer's arrival in the Tracking Lab.
"I see they've taken a detour," Spencer announced.
Ian glanced back at his butler for only a split second, before returning his gaze to the video feed. He nodded.
"It's the shield," Ian told him.
Spencer walked a bit closer.
"Defeating Drakar and the Malcolms will not be easy," Spencer said, seriously.
"They've got Evan on their side…at least I think they do," Ian said.
"What about Miko?" Spencer said, a bit annoyed at Ian. "When you told me they left for Japan, I assumed they'd be back with the water as soon as possible."
Ian took a deep breath and turned to look at Spencer.
"Obviously something's come up," Ian said. "They'll get the water back here as soon as they can, but surely you can see the importance of getting back the shield and Zel?"
"I've always believed matters of life and death would take precedence," Spencer said.
"Miko's gotten worse?" Ian asked.
"She hasn't gotten better," Spencer said, avoiding the direct question. "She needs that water."
Ian wanted to reply that they needed the sword and shield too, but he thought better than to challenge Spencer at that moment. He simply turned his eyes back to the video, refocusing his attention. This time, however, he heard Spencer's departure loud and clear.
"So, Hartford, you survived after all," Bishop called out.
Addie joined her brother, at his side. If her face was visible, they would have all seen the look of astonishment on her face at the sight of Chris Hartford. She hadn't killed him, she realized.
"You're alive," she said, almost happily.
"And better than ever," Chris spoke.
"Not for long!" Drakar shouted, as he took off running towards the Red Ranger.
With the Lunati sword aimed directly at him, Drakar swung the weapon fiercely. Chris dodged each of the attempted strikes, as he called upon his weapon.
"Power Staff!"
He used his own weapon to block the next sword assault, but he was still knocked backwards under the immense power of the Lunati sword.
Jessica spotted Addie rushing towards their fight and she cut her off, with a swift punch, guiding her away from the battle.
"No fair double-teaming!" Jessica shouted.
Addie fiercely kicked Jessica, who blocked the blow. They continued to trade blows until they could connect on their enemy.
"I wasn't planning to!" Addie shouted at her. "Not that it's any of your business."
"It is now," Jessica said, angrily, as they continued to spar.
She pulled her Hydro Cannon once more, firing on the Yellow Hunter. Addie swiftly extended her arms.
"Thunder Claws!" she shouted, causing the square yellow weapons to materialize on her hands.
She spun around quickly, catching the icy blasts from the Pink Ranger's weapon. She swiftly swung them back at the Pink Ranger, causing them to land at her feet. Jessica screamed as she fell to the ground from the force.
Addie giggled, as she ran towards her to continue her attack.
"I guess that leaves me and you," Evan called out to Bishop.
"I see you've fallen under the spell of Hartford's wallet," Bishop said, deviously, as he slowly walked closer to Evan.
"You got it all wrong," Evan said, as he pulled his hand blaster. "I'm still looking out for number one."
The two men began moving in a circle, not taking their eyes off one another.
"Then why help them?" Bishop asked.
"Just repaying a small debt," Evan said, grinning beneath his helmet.
He let out a fierce scream, as he charged. The Blue Ranger brought his weapon down towards Bishop, who deflected the attack, using the shield. Bishop backed himself away from Evan, inch by inch, blocking each attempted slash with his blaster sword. The Black Hunter wasn't retreating, however. Bishop knew exactly where he was headed. Once he backed up for enough, he saw his own hand blaster sword on the ground where he dropped it.
Evan came down with another blow. Bishop bent his knees slightly to absorb some of the momentum. He pushed himself forward, using the Blue Ranger's weight against him. Evan went flying backwards onto the ground, giving Bishop just enough time to grab hold of his blaster sword. He went on the assault, coming after the Blue Ranger fiercely with the weapon.
The two Rangers both swiped at their opponent, but each attempt caused their weapons to collide, causing little damage. It wasn't until Bishop spun around to avoid another attack that he slammed the shield into the Blue Ranger's chest, which lit up with damage. Evan's suit sparked, as he flew through the air once more, crashing to the ground, just missing another shogun statue. His head hit the base of the statue with a thud that knocked him out of action.
Several feet away, Bishop saw Drakar embroiled in a bitter battle with Chris Hartford. He laughed. He turned his attention to the girls and saw the Pink Ranger getting the best of his sister. Bishop transformed his hand blaster and gleefully aimed it at the Pink Ranger's back, firing on her.
"Ahhh!" Jessica screamed out in pain, collapsing to the ground.
Addie glanced over, seeing her brother was the culprit. Before she could attempt to thank him, she saw him stalking towards Drakar & Chris. Addie's eyes locked on the Red Ranger and she started running towards them as well.
Bishop holstered his blaster and grabbed Chris by the shoulder, pulling him away from Drakar. He slammed his fist into the Red Ranger's chest, knocking him out of the way.
Drakar came at Bishop for an attack with Zel, but Bishop blocked it, using the shield. With one swift movement, he planted the shield directly into Drakar's chest. The Ferum leader yelled in pain, as his chest sparked with damage as he rolled to the ground.
"Bishop!" Addie shouted.
Her brother wasn't listening. Chris grabbed Bishop by the arm, whipping him around. Chris brought his Power Staff down on the Black Hunter, but he blocked the attack with the shield, overpowering Chris.
Bishop forced the Red Ranger down on the ground. Chris gripped his Power Staff trying to force Bishop off him, but he was losing the battle, as the shield's power allowed Bishop to force the weapon closer and closer to Chris's own throat until it was strangling the life out of him.
"Bishop, stop!" Addie yelled, grabbing her brother by the shoulder.
Addie managed to get Bishop's attention. He released some of the pressure on Chris, who turned onto his back, coughing repeatedly, as he tried to catch his breath.
"Why!" Bishop shouted at his sister, furiously. "Why did you stop me?"
"Drakar's gone!" Addie screamed, trying to get through to him. "He took the sword. He's gone."
Bishop glanced over to the spot where he saw Drakar fall. He had indeed escaped with Zel. Bishop cursed.
"Let's go," Addie said, more calmly. "We have to get the shield away. The others are getting up!"
Bishop's eyes turned briefly back to Chris. The Black Hunter's heavy breathing came from the adrenaline pumping through his body.
"Come on, please," Addie begged.
Bishop fumed, as he lowered his guard, allowing his sister to pull him away from the battlefield.
In the basement of the abandoned shoe factory he used as a lair, Tarok stared closely at the text in the book that lay in his hands. He smiled widely as he read.
"Sutekh," Tarok read aloud from the book. "Perfect."
Tarok's head filled with pleasant dreams as he read more about the ancient god whose spirit lived deep within the soul of his Yellow Hunter. Tarok continued to read through the book, absorbing every piece of information he could on the so-called God of Evil. Tarok's smile grew wider with each paragraph. The Malcolms had unknowingly led him right to the knowledge he sought from the day he sensed the darkness within Addie.
At that moment, Tarok heard footsteps approaching above him. His warriors had returned. He took his hands away from the book, which continued to float in front of him. With the wave of a hand, the book instantly disappeared, teleported back to the library from where he had summoned it.
Tarok turned to the steel staircase just in time to see Bishop & Addie heading down to the basement. Tarok's eyes lit up as he saw the Lunati shield in Bishop's hand.
"Your mission was a success!" Tarok said, proudly.
He reached out his hand to take the shield, but Bishop walked right past him. Addie reached the bottom of the stairs seconds later. She stood next to Tarok, as Bishop took a position a few feet away from both of them.
"We still ran into trouble," Addie announced.
"Which I could have taken care of!" Bishop said, annoyed at his sister. "I could have gotten the sword too if Hartford and his friends hadn't shown up."
"The Red Ranger lives," Tarok said.
"And they've got a new playmate," Bishop explained. "Yukito's apparently abandoned Dark Shadow for better pay."
"This development is inconsequential," Tarok said, as he stepped towards Bishop. "I now have the shield."
Bishop moved his arm, putting the shield just out of Tarok's reach.
"I have the shield," Bishop quickly corrected him.
The shield's strength and power had bonded with him, Tarok realized. The lure of the Lunati treasure could be intoxicating and now Bishop was getting his taste. Tarok nodded.
"Give him the shield, Bish," Addie said.
She too knew the power of the treasure after wearing the crown. Addie had sensed her brother's change in behavior after taking possession of the crown and she didn't like it.
"No," Bishop said, giving his sister a piercing gaze. "I found it."
"It is all right," Tarok agreed. "It is a formidable weapon. You should keep it…for now."
Tarok turned his back to Bishop and walked a few paces away, to reassure him. Tarok, after all, didn't need the shield in his exact hands until the rest of the treasure was securely in his grasp.
"You may need it for your next mission," Tarok said, slyly.
"Which is what?" Addie asked, confused.
Tarok turned to face Bishop once again.
"The sword slipped through your fingers. I believe it is time to rectify that situation. Drakar has interfered in our affairs for too long. The Lunati sword must be ours, no matter what," Tarok said to the Black Hunter. "Do you understand?"
"Get the sword by any means necessary," Bishop assumed. "I like the sound of that."
"Good," Tarok said, with a grin.
"And if the Rangers decide to get in my way again, I'll have no choice but to destroy them all," Bishop said, glaring directly into his sister's eyes.
Addie grew more scared of her brother's demeanor. He was exhibiting a bloodlust that she knew wouldn't end well.
Inside the Hartford mansion, Spencer slowly propped up Miko's head, just enough for Evan to pour the Lunati water into her mouth. It wasn't long before he noticed an obvious shift in her medical condition. Spencer noted her fever completely gone within seconds and soon the swelling around her spine was also gone.
Chris, Jessica and Ian watched from the doorway of the guest bedroom. After a few minutes, Miko's eyes fluttered open. The first thing she saw was the smiling face of Hartford's butler. Her eyes grew wide in shock.
"Welcome back," Spencer greeted her.
Miko felt a hand on her shoulder. She glanced to the opposite side of the bed where Evan was sitting. He nodded.
"How are you feeling?" he asked.
"Um…it's hard to remember what happened," Miko said, as she tried to think back.
"It's okay," Evan said. "I'm sure you'll be back to normal in no time."
Over Evan's shoulder, Miko saw the trio standing at the door of the room. She leaned in closer to Evan.
"What are we doing here?" she whispered, even though they could all hear her.
Evan took a deep breath, as he looked around the room at Spencer, then at the others. He looked back at Miko, giving her a reassuring glance.
"They helped us," Evan said. "And you. We owe them a lot."
Miko let out a confused sigh, as she fell back onto her pillow.
"I've been unconscious for too long," she said, with a whimper.
Evan couldn't help but chuckle.
"I'll explain everything. Don't worry," Evan said, as his tone turned somber. "We've got a lot to discuss."
"We'll leave you to rest," Ian said, as he backed his wheelchair away from the door.
Chris and Jessica followed him away from the door, which Chris pulled, not closing it completely.
"I guess we've got two new housemates," Jessica said.
"For now," Ian said. "But their future's up to them."
"Yeah," Chris chimed in. "We can't count on anyone but ourselves and the stakes just got a lot higher."
"You can count on me," Evan spoke.
He had heard everything they had just said from inside the guest bedroom. Evan walked out into the hallway, closing the door behind him. He looked proud, as he looked at all three of them.
"You did more than give us a place to stay," Evan said. "If it weren't for you, Miko might have died. You've got my help if you want it."
"Thank you, Evan," Ian said.
"And that's not all," Evan said, as he reached into his pants pocket.
He pulled his hand out and showed them the blue gem he had since the fall of Dark Shadow.
"It's the jewel of the Lunati crown," Ian said, stunned.
"We found it a while back," Evan said. "Frankly, it brought us nothing but trouble. It's yours."
Evan handed the jewel to Ian, who smiled widely.
"Welcome to the team, Evan," Ian said, as he glanced up at the Blue Ranger. "Now if only we could find the elusive Lunati pendant, we'd have the upper hand against the other factions. It's the only piece that's still missing out there, somewhere."
At Ian's side, Jessica tried to hide her frown. She looked down at the gold and silver ring on her finger and she couldn't help but rub it around her finger. She looked up at Chris, who shared her troubled glance. They had the Lunati pendant in their possession, but she still had not informed Ian Hartford of that fact.
THE END
Next time on
Quest for the Lunati Treasure
Jessica struggles to tell Ian the truth about Garza's
ring. When Miko spills a long-kept secret, Jessica
finds herself feeling even worse. Bishop storms
Drakar's volcano, refusing to leave without Zel.
When the Rangers arrive on the scene, all bets
are off and someone won't survive.