TWICE CHOSEN

RogueAngel

The world shifted in and out of focus, blurred waves of colour merging into solid masses. Blinking rapidly, she drunkenly lifted her head, only to drop it. Her shoulders sagging as her arms pulled against the chains that held her upright. A small groan escaped her, and her vision cleared.

Streaks of silver solidified moving in shape as silver feet came into view. Slowly her head lifted, moving up the silver legs, armored chest and a silver with black helmet. She blinked, then the memory of her situation came back to her, and her snark returned.

"Wow," She breathed, "When did Robo Cop turn bad?"

"Be quite brat," A voice ordered taking her attention away from the new presence. "You haven't met my….associate have you? Miss Brooks this is Zeltrax." Jordan turned to watch Elsa cross the room, while if it could be called a room.

Jordan finally turned her attention to her surroundings. They where in a cavern of some sort, somewhere underground. Jagged rock formation lined to roof, and walls, deep running roots grow through gaps across the rock surface, heading for the soil underfoot, or at least it had been, before the ends had withered and died.

That was where everything natural in the cave ended, an advanced looking computer set up as placed her and there, with large monitors and cables. Large mechanical arms sat her and there. Tall pole top with bright lights lit the area.

A stand of some sort stood in the center of the cavern, a machine atop it, its purpose Jordan could hardly guess. But that's not what had Jordan's attention; beneath it laid a heavy ancient looking seal. Circular with deep etching of a pentagram and symbols, it was not something Jordan had seen herself, however it was familiar to her all the same: The seal of the Hellmouth.

"Oh God," She exhaled, before crying out in shock, anger and fear. "You idiots! You have no idea what you've done!" Wincing when Zeltrax gave a sudden jerk on her ponytail.

"Is it a seal that covers a doorway to a different dimension?" Elsa mocked, before smirking at Jordan's face, "We know a thing or two about different worlds. However we do admit there is something strange about this one, particularly the energy readings we are getting of it."

"We haven't been able to locate a power source of any kind," Elsa continued to explain to her captive audience. "However this whole area seems to be awash with energy. That is how we found it."

"It's not just a doorway you morons," Jordan yelled recovering herself, "It's a hell dimension!"

Elsa shrugged unfazed, "While that explains the dark readings. Oh don't worry we're not going to open it, at least not yet anyway. We're just going to borrow some of it's…power."

"What hell for?"

"I suppose it won't hurt to tell you," Elsa shrugged, "My Master has plans for it….and you."

"What!"

"We have been watching you for some time," Elsa admitted, "I first I thought it was a waste of time. However…" she moved to stand right in Jordan's face. "There is something strange about you. Your speed, strength, your agility, yet you're not a Ranger."

"Well duh!"

"So my Master thought what would happen if you did become a Power Ranger." Elsa continued.

"You'd have a seriously powerful pissed of enemy!"

"Oh no, no, no," Elsa chided, "Not a Ranger for good."

"You've gone of the deep end!" Jordan cried fighting her bonds, "I'm so goanna kick your ass, you and the hood ornament over there!"

Elsa just smiled backing across the cavern, watching as Zeltrax grabbed hold of the struggling girl, to gesture at the stand above the seal. She reached out and ever so slowly pulled back a small lid built into the machine. Reveal, a glowing gem….a pink gem.

Flashback

The floors, walls and ceiling were covered in a thick spider silk, the circular tunnels looking like the home of a massive trap door spider. Fire blazed deep in the ground, lighting the ends of the tunnels in an orange glow. Three figures ran the corridors, picking there way through the nest followed by the blazes they lit. Screams of dying demons, lay in the wake. Kimberly bolted around the bending corridor, fine threads of webbing coating her clothing; her blade dripping with black blood.

Following her close by, in a similar condition, was Jordan and Faith. Blade in one hand and torch in the other, Faith spun around, swinging the flaming baton at a creature that launched itself at her from behind a curtain of webbing. Screaming the demons eight legs flailed, as its ghost gray skin darkened under the heat. It didn't suffer long however as Faith followed through with a sweep of her blade. With a look towards Jordan, the younger slayer nodded before tossing her own torch back the way they'd just came.

Turning as one, they continued deeper into earth, which would hopefully lead them to the way out. The tunnels begun to merge, the room growing larger until they stood at the entrance of a massive cavern. Snowy white silk hung from the high ceiling and glowing torches that hung from ancient pillars. Slowing their pace they fanned out, walking slowly into the room. Weapons held low, but ready as they scanned the room.

Brittle skeletons crunched under foot, as they crossed, but beneath that could be seen in some places, a smooth surface. Marble floors.

"Temple of some sort," Faith whispered glancing around, before rolling her eyes, "Nice."

"Was this meant to be the way out?" Kim questioned softly

"Yeah why?"

The caramel haired slayer wordlessly pointed ahead.

"Oh Sh…." Faith started.

"Shhhh!" hissed the youngest slayer there, as she to turn to face the problem, ignoring Faiths now silent cursing.

"This is so not good."

Another tunnel was leading off, one that headed back up to the entrance. However with flames burning behind them, their only way out was blocked by massive rocks of a cave in.

End Flashback

Jordan's eyes focused on the gem, ignoring Zeltrax hands that now held her steady, noting for the first time that it was broken. There was no way for Jordan to know how much was missing, but it didn't seem to affect the glow the stone was giving off.

"Oh there's about half of it missing," Elsa informed, "That's why it was so hard to find. Of course it's not at its full power right now, but it is perfect for the job we had planned for it…and you."

"It was actually a good thing it was broken," Elsa continued, "For one it stopped our enemies from locating it, and two, allowed us to…alter it."

"Alter what how?"

"What you are looking at is the source of the Power Rangers powers." Zeltrax stated speaking for the first time since Elsa had started her lecture. "Their ability is morph."

Jordan focussed on the gem with new understanding, "Pink," she whispered, noting the missing colour from the Ranger spectrum.

"As for altering it," Elsa continued, "We have been harnessing the seals energy. Syphoning it into the gem…. corrupting it."

"You want me to use it," Jordan stated, "Not gonna happen."

"Oh yes you will. You see the thing is… the gem has already accepted you. But something in you rejected the corruption in it. So we thought if we could use this energy to change the gem, maybe we can use it and the gem to change you."

She heard the click of buttons and the sound of machines powering up. Fighting the panic that was beginning to build within her; she turned her attention back to the gem. Wisps of energy, was drawn up into the machine, as the gem glowed brighter pink flames tinged with black seemed to flicker around it. Pink energy was sucked in further up in more machines and cables and such that Jordan had no clue about, then wanting it to stop, wanting the humming to stop.

She fought against her bonds, the chains holding her barely moving against her strength. Small gasp of fear escaped her throat, as Zeltrax grabbed hold of her head with one hand, the other cupping her jaw holding her head still. A long metal limb uncoiled, and reached towards her, as Jordan pushed back against Zeltrax's hold. The limb ended in what looked like a pen, the tip coming to a stop just off Jordan's right eye.

"Oh God," she breathed, as watched the tips light up brightly.

"Hold still," Elsa ordered was she worked, "You'll just make it worse. Now braces yourself this may hurt….a lot"

The bright tip seemed to explode in her vision, as a tight pink beam erupted from the end straight into Jordan's pupil.

Flashback

Together they back away from the collapsed tunnel, moving until the all stood back to back, their attention on their surrounds. Watching the tunnels behind them, as flames blazed filling them with an orange glow. The heat in the place was rising quickly, as drops of sweat begun to roll down each of their forehead. Jordan's gasp drew their attention up.

Climbing down the pillars with the ease and grace of the spiders they party were, half a dozen demons scurried towards them. While they had the eight legs of the arachnoids, their upper body was humanoid, with pale hairless skin.

They slashed at them with long arms, while snarled at them revealing sharp incisors in over developed jaws.

"Who's….who's idea was it the attack the nest?" Kimberly asked softly over her shoulder as the group held their weapons up to prevent anything getting close.

"Ah…" Faith thought aloud, "I think it was Thomas, ya know that dude in the library with the sideburns."

"Oh right," Kimberly nodded, "Remind me to put him on toilet duty."

"Wish I could K," Faith stated, "But he's a Watcher, one of Reid's men."

Two or three of the demon charged them, rearing back on hind legs before lunging. Back to back with weapons out they managed to block the attacks, but they would have little luck if they all attacked.

Which it send what they were about to do when, the fire suddenly leaped into the cavern, spreading up the pillars in a blazing fury.

Screaming the demons scattered, and the slayers were knocked apart. Kimberly rolled to her feet dodging the frenzied sweep of the creatures, and the flames.

She ducked back when sacks of eggs hidden in a blanket of webbing exploded from the heat in front of her, sending goo and slime flying; she was unable to hold in a rather girly "EWW!"

Re-gathering in the middle of the room, the slayers again stood back to back, a little worse for wear. Just when thing looked their worse, a bright white line appeared, drawing a protection circle around the girls.

"Willow," Kim breathed.

A scream off fury echoed of the burning walls. As another demon dropped down from above, angry burn welts running across pale legs. It was larger then the others, much bigger.

"Whoa, big mama!" Faith exclaimed, before turning her attention back to the floor, where the magical appearing circle moved its way to completion. "Come on, come on."

Kim's attention was on the mother spider, as it made its way across the room. Stopping just outside the circle it lowered itself down from its towering height, to look Kim in the eye.

"Kill us you might," It hissed, snapping fangs just in front of her face, "But doom world you will." It seemed to laugh, "Know this little slayer, your past of present will meet and in future all will burn."

The flames around them seemed to swell at those worlds, as the ancient foundations beneath them shuddered. Just then the circle around them, flared brightly and the three slayers vanished. Pillar crumbled as the nest engulfed in flames.

They landed in a tangle of limbs, in the middle of a coven circle. Willow, how had been sitting with them stood and rushed to her friends.

"You guys alright?" She asked anxiously, "We got you out when we noticed you hadn't surfaced."

"Thanks Red," Faith nodded, "Perfect timing."

"Yeah," Jordan said nodding, "But personally I would have preferred to get out before to eggs started exploding." She shuddered, before noticing Kim had yet to stand. Turning leant to give a hand to her mentor and friend. "Are you alright?"

Kim looked up to the aqua eyes of her friend, and nodded brushing the last words of the spider demon off, "Yeah," she smile, "But least not do that again." And Jordan laughed.

End Flashback

The hum of machines ended, as silence fell. Jordan went slack, her chains the only thing holding her up. Elsa and Zeltrax gathered around her, watching curiously for any response. When above the cuff two hands clenched into fist, was Jordan straightened. With ease she lower her arms, the chains holding her shattering. Lifting her head, she took a deep breath and opening her eyes, she look at the two standing before her and smirked. And her eyes flared pink.

TBC