Chapter 24

The whole team could only watch as Alexis stared in horror. It took the red-head a few moments to tear her gaze from the space where the portal had been.
"We have to back." She finally said. Like lighting she got herself up an was in front of Cam. "You have to open it up again!"
"I can't!" Cam argued.
"He's trapped there, you have to do something!" Alexis yelled.
"Alexis, calm down." Tori tried to tell her.
Hunter moved to Alexis. Facing her, he laid a hand on her face, wiping away a tear she hadn't noticed slipping out. "We'll find him Alexis." His voice was assuring. "We'll get him back, but we need to beat this guy."
Alexis listened to him due more to impulse than choice. The ninja's common sense took control of her mind, and she nodded.

"So let me get this straight. The Rangers are trapped, on an island full of the planets most hostile ninja, cut off completely from their ranger powers, against an army of man eating beasts, and you nitwits still manage to lose miserably!" Saying Lothor wasn't happy would be an understatement. "And not only that, but I end up having to save you from fore mentioned island, because you can't handle one, idiotic piece of rock." He turned on his nieces, who responded by cowering slightly.
"But Uncle, it wasn't totally out fault." Kapri argued.

"Yeah, he's the one who went back to the village." Marah pointed at Ash-a-Trops.

"We tried to tell him he needed a plan." Kapri continued.

"But he wouldn't listen." Marah ended.

"Yes, you." Lothor turned to the alien. "There are few things my nieces are competent at. However, one of them is running away from rangers. Next time, you listen to them." Marah and Kapri nodded and smiled at the backhanded compliment.

"Aww come on boss, lemme to 'em again." The alien pleaded. Lothor rolled his eyes. "I knows I'll beat them."

Lothor groaned as he sat in his chair. "Fine, go, if it'll shut you up." Ash-a-Trops cheered as he returned to the city.

"Uh, Uncle, you know he'll get destroyed right?" Kapri questioned.

"If the rangers don't," Zurgane spoke up, "I'll shut him up myself."

None of the Rangers would admit how good it felt when the familiar morph energy went through them. As much as the island strengthened their elemental abilities, they were more comfortable in colorful spandex with an array of weapons and technology at their disposal.

They had morphed and rushed to where the alien was creating havoc in Blue Bay Harbor.

Alexis and Tori fought with a shared motivation. One seeking to avenge a cousin, the other a brother. They each went against Ash-a-Trops whenever possible.

When the girls weren't unleashing their joint fury, the boys got a turn at the big fight. Shane's main motivation was he felt a duty as leader. However, he was often fighting kelzaks so to not get in the way of a blue and scarlet pair. Dustin and Cam were satisfied taking out the swarms of minions, this wasn't personnel. Blake tried to be subtle about sticking close to Tori, taking out any kelzaks that could stray to close. Not that she couldn't handle then herself, but she was a bit distracted keeping a certain red-head from getting herself killed.

Hunter wasn't as discreet. He kept as close as possible to Alexis. He took on any minion that came her way while she was fighting the alien. He had her back in battle. And it was shocking how good they worked. If you saw them in battle, fighting a common enemy, you'd never guess they were born enemies.

"Okay, how are they managing the combos?" Tori took a second to ask Blake.

"They paired up for dual duels back at the Thunder Academy. Even bumped me back to Hunter's second choice. They were good, undefeated for a while. Then well, you know." Blake explained quickly.

Tori spared another second to look at the two. 'For someone normally so brooding, he is certainly being obvious.'

Alexis had a guilty pleasure. Of course, it wasn't an uncommon thing, lots of girls had them. But she had to confess, she loved fighting a lot more than she should. Battle gave her a rush. She could live on adrenaline. And it might be the upbringing, but she admits to starting most the fights she gets into. She tried another strike to her opponent, but she missed and hit rock hard skin. Before she could go again, a stream of water shot past to knock the monster away. Alexis turned to find herself almost face to face with a kelzak. She had only enough time to duck in attempt to avoid his blow. Good thing, because a crimson streak came from behind her to take it out.

"Being a little reckless, aren't we?" Hunter asked when pulling her to her feet.

"What can I say? I am reckless." She replied, pushing him slightly to kick another opponent, but not breaking contact. She barely registered the potential danger if fighting with visors up.

He responded by pulling her back, once again out of the way. It was his Thunder Staff that made contact with the next enemy. "I think impulsive would be the better word."

"Not true. I make an evaluated decision whenever it requires. My evaluation just, tends to include factors very similar to impulse." Alexis mock argued. Hunter smiled at her with his gorgeous eyes. Alexis was suddenly very aware of his closeness to her and his hand on her hip.
"Need I remind you Thunder, your brother and my best friend are very close." At the same moment Alexis spoke, Ash-a-Trops erupted again. "And we kind of have something to deal with."

"Then lets deal with him. Why not try an attack with fire and thunder together?"

"Together. I think that will be one for the history books."

Hunter smiled at the remark. Each raising a hand, they concentrated towards the alien. They were rewarded with dual streams of red, one crimson lightning and the other scarlet fire. They knocked into the monster in sync, putting him off completely.

"If you guys are gonna beat this guy, I suggest you do that now!" Danny called.

"All right guys, lets put 'em together." Shane ordered.

Danny came to stand by Alexis as the Thunder and Wind Rangers combined weaponry into the Thunderstorm Cannon.

"Why can't our stuff do that?" The red-head wondered aloud.

"Oh don't whine, Scarlet." Danny urged her.

"Well, that worked out well." Lothor said sarcastically.

"Uh, Uncle, shouldn't we be doing something." Kapri said.

Lothor waved it off. "Yes yes, get on with it."

Marah and Kapri barely looked at each other and shrugged before Marah held up the PAM. "Scroll of Empowerment, descend."

"And it gets bigger!" Blake announced, not enthusiastically.

"I don't watch the news, is this a constant occurrence?" Alexis asked.

"Basically." Shane replied. "You two stay here, we'll handle this."

"Whoa whoa whoa, what makes you think we can't take on the thing." Danny said.

"Uh dude, did you not see it grow to like, 300 ft tall." Dustin asked.

"So what, your Zords are better than ours." Alexis defended.

"You have Zords?" Was the collective response.

"Let's compare and contrast after we take out the giant volcano monster." Cam said.

The Zords were called to the Rangers. Only a few moments after the original Zords came, two more arrived, one in amber, the other in scarlet.

"Puma Zord is online." Danny said once he got settled into the cockpit. "'Lex?"

"Wildcat Zord is ready to go." Alexis replied. "Incoming transmission, hold up."

"'Lexis? Can you hear me?"

"Loud and clear Tor."

"Nice ride."

"Why thank you, you too."

"Bet yours can't do this." Dustin's voice quipped. Alexis turned to watch the other rangers form their Zords into a Megazord.

"Whatcha think Danny?" She asked.

" I think if we don't combine, we'll miss all the fun." Alexis cracked a smile. "Calling cobalt Ape Zord."

Alexis leaned back in her chair as the three Zords shifted around her. Using machines to fight wasn't her favorite thing, but the only other option was to be left out.

"Inferno Megazord, ready for action." Danny told her.

"Inferno Megazord, I'm not sure if your Zord has the right kind of artillery to take out a creature of similar basis." Cam's voice told them.

"Aww come on." Alexis whined

"You're saying just because this thing it technically a fire monster, we can't hurt it?" Danny clarified.

"Whomever designed your zords didn't count on the chance it would ever go against such a closely related opponent." Cam told them.

Alexis pouted, but then something caught her eye. "Red!" she exclaimed.

"What?" Shane asked.

"Not you Red, that Red." she said, and pointed her Megazord arm to the oncoming animal. Everyone turned to see the dragon of fire swooping towards them.

"What the..." the monster said.

"You named the dragon?" Tori asked.

"Well I wasn't going to call it the dragon forever." Everyone watched as Red flew, and mid-flight changed. It's body turned to metal, and it attached itself to the Inferno Megazord, mouth wide open.

"My pet dragon is a cannon." Alexis said in disbelief. "This is epic."

"Cam, will this fire power do?"

"Undoubtedly."

"Let's do this."

The three Megazords lined up side-by-side to face Ash-a-Trops.

"On my mark." Shane ordered. "One." The Storm Megazord readied its Dolphin Laser.
"Two" the Samurai Thunder Megazord aimed its cannons.
"Three." The Inferno Megazord pointed its new dragon flame thrower.
"Mark!" Shane said, and torrents of firepower was released at the monster.

"Nooooooo! This wont be happening!" Was the monsters final words.

"Later rock head." Hunter said to its exploding form.

Danny and Alexis were the last ones to reach the Ops

"What's up with you?" He had asked her.

She was quiet for a second. "I changed out there."

He looked at her for an elaboration. "As soon as I morphed, as soon as I got into that fight, I forgot I had just lost my brother again, I stopped worrying about the school and everything there was to stress over. I just felt like.."

"Alexis, no one is upset with you for taking a break from all the crap for a few minutes." Danny assured her.

"I know but..." Alexis trailed off. They had reached the entrance. Hunter was standing outside waiting them. Danny looked back and forth.

"I'll give you some time to chat." He excused himself and was pointed through the waterfall.

"Hey." Alexis said, smiling shyly.

"Hey" he replied. "But what?"

"Huh?"

"I know but..." He mimicked. "What were you going to say?"

Alexis blushed and looked down. "I was gonna say, but would people think if they knew the real Alexis only takes care of herself."

"That's what you think?" Hunter said.

"Don't you?" Alexis asked, actually curious.

"I think the girl who fought today was the real Alexis. But she wasn't just fighting cause she loved it. She was fighting to avenge her brother. She was fighting to protect the thousands of innocent people in that city. She fought, you fought that thing Alexis, because it was the right thing to do."

"You really think that?"

"I know that Alexis." Alexis took in his words, once again standing silently and close.

"You're doing that thing again." She whined.

"What thing?" Hunter laughed at her.

"That thing where you look at me and I just feel like everything you say is true." She explained.

"I'm never going to lie to you, Alexis." He promised.

"Explain that like I'm a 6th grader." Danny said to Cam.

Cam sighed. "Basically, the scroll we used to send you to Helicoid was originally designed for a single rescue. Enough power to send someone there, and get them back. In theory, whoever originally created the scrolls would of had a collection so they could make as many rescues as possible. However, the Wind Academy only has one remaining. Well, had."

"Short version, we have no way of getting there again to rescue Josh." Alexis said to no one in particular. Hunters arm snake just a little tighter around her shoulders.

Danny looked at her, then Cam, then her again. "We can't abandon him."

"From what you have told me about your friend, I sense he shall be fine."

"And we'll keep looking for any other possibilities to rescue him." Cam assured them.

"How long will that take?" Danny questioned.

"Considering we have no leads, or allies, or ideas where to begin," Cam said, " it could be a while."

"What if we don't have a while?" Danny asked.

"Patience is one of a ninjas defining qualities." Sensei said. Danny looked like he wanted to make a smart comeback but held his tongue. He was only a guest of the dojo.

"'Lexi..." Tori turned to her cousin.

"I'm ok Tor." She said, but made no eye contact. "Just please," there was a small gasp in her voice, "find a way. I don't care how long it takes."

"We shall do our best." Sensei promised.

After a few more minutes the ninjas departed to return to their lives.

"So," Hunter suggested, "we normally have a victory dinner after missions. And I know it didn't end as you wanted but you did get your powers back and defeat the bad guy. Feel like celebrating?"

Alexis smiled sweetly. "Don't get me wrong, I feel like celebrating. But in the past 4 days since I've been here, I've shopped, gotten shot in the leg, seen my best friend get kidnapped, re-received my ranger powers, traveled to a prison island in another dimension, found my long-lost brother, lost him again, fought an alien made of a volcano, and controlled a very large robot. I will be celebrating with my bed and my pillow."

Hunter laughed. "Can I see you tomorrow?"

"If I wake up." She teased, but started scratching the back of her neck, "I've got some stuff to think about."

A/N- FINALLY. I know it took a while for me to update, but I lost my muse. Sorry bout that. Next chapter will be the last, BUT THERE WILL BE AN EPILOGUE. Also REMEMBER TO VOTE ON MY PROFILE PAGE I KNOW PLENTY OF YOU HAVEN'T YET! I'll try and update relatively quickly, next chapter will be very short.

Special Thanks to

ninjaxman

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.Dawn

kitten9322

70sfaithhumate

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mandy618

merderbaby( I am seriously in love w/ ur reviews)

Hunter Bradley

LamoyaSmith vs blake Ntori

iamalex117

emberlyho

Babyvans

and White Fairy, for reminding me to write this