War Between the Living and the Dead

by EchidnaPower

The war between the living and the dead has begun, and the Hyperforce has to go up against their biggest challenge yet. But with help from their allies across the galaxy, they can triumph! Or can they? This is my take on what Season 5 would've been, plugging plotholes and making sense out of a series that left us all hanging. Contains Spova, Chinmay and more(?) Read and find out...

5. Mecha Mania on Shuggazoom

One day after posting my Knuxikal story, I bring to my readers the next chapter of the War Between the Living and the Dead. I realize it's been pretty slow going up to this point, but believe me when I say it's all necessary. Now we're gonna take a look at what's going on with our favorite robo-monkey...it's time for Antauri to get some of the spotlight. I don't own SRMTHFG, it's characters, or anything else. I do however own my imagination which is allowing me to come up with these ideas. Now then, Readers mobilize!
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"Supaa, Gus, have you ascertained the cause for the communications console's malfunction?" Antauri said as he floated over to the two working frogs.

Supaa came out from underneath the machinery and sighed, "As far as our scans can indicate, all of our systems are working at top efficiency…however I did pick up a strange signal that reaches as far as Shuggazoom's atmosphere and perhaps beyond."

Antauri crossed his arms, "Then Skeleton King is doing something to jam our signal…clearly he doesn't want us communicating with the Hyperforce."

"Do you think they're ok out there?" Supaa asked.

Antauri closed his eyes, "I still sense the Power Primate within Chiro, they're still out there, but I sense that something is still amiss."

At that moment, Gus came out from under the console and closed it up, "I've done everything I can, there's just no way to break through that jamming signal."

"Which means we have no way of contacting the Hyperforce as long as that signal is being broadcasted." Supaa added.

The Silver Monkey thought for a moment, "There's still one way. I will contact Chiro through the Power Primate, but I will need some time to meditate on it in order to accumulate the necessary power…I have an assignment for you two, see if you can find a way to pinpoint the source of the signal, once you do, report to me and we'll begin planning something to shut it down."

"Understood." The blue frog nodded and watched the Hyperforce's second-in-command levitate and faze through the roof, "Fascinating." Then the Amphiboid scientist turned his attention to the green frog, "Well Gus, let's get to it."

As Antauri floated through the ceilings and walls of the Amphiboid mecha, he soon found himself in front of a door that led to a room he was sure would fit his needs. He deactivated his fazing power and knocked on the door, "Eldred, may I come in?"

Moments later, the door slid open and the black frog greeted the Silver Monkey with a nod, "Of course Antauri," with a wave of his hand Eldred led Antauri into his room and closed it behind them. "How may I help you?"

"I merely require a private place to meditate on the Power Primate…I sense that something is amiss, especially with Skeleton King apparently taking steps to prevent us from contacting my friends."

"And you wish to use the…Power Primate as you call it, to contact your leader Chiro, correct?"

"Indeed." Antauri nodded, "My thanks Eldred." the Silver Monkey then closed his eyes and folded his metal hands into his lap as he started to glow green with the Power Primate's energy. "Chiro…Chiro…heed my call, respond."

What the Silver Monkey never could've expected was that Chiro was attempting the exact same thing in his own quarters, "Antauri, are you there?"

"I am."

Suddenly Chiro found himself in a green room with his mentor and second-in-command. "Wow, I didn't think that would work to be honest." The Hyperforce leader chuckled sheepishly.

"I fail to understand why you continue to underestimate your skills with the Power Primate." Antauri shook his head, "Never mind, now is not the time to discuss that, there is something you need to be aware of."

"I gotta tell you something too! There's some gross glob of ooze driving that ship we're after, and we almost lost Nova and Sprx trying to fight it."

Antauri crossed his arms, "Most disturbing…I sensed that something wasn't right…"

"They're ok though, and Cap. Shuggazoom finally came to, he's already started helping us, he's attached a homing beacon onto the enemy vessel and we're tracking it across the cosmos…now I just hope Cap. Shuggazoom is still alive when we finally catch up to him."

"I don't understand."

Chiro rubbed the back of his neck, "Uh well…he kinda didn't make it back to the robot in time; he's hanging on for dear life while that ship flies off to wherever it's headed."

"I see." Antauri sighed, "Chiro, I advise you to use extreme caution, the Skeleton King has jammed any conventional means of communicating with you."

The boy shrugged dismissively, "So what? We're communicating now, if either of us need to call each other, we just gotta use the Power Primate right?"

"It isn't always that simple Chiro…" suddenly Antauri's form flickered as he winced, "We're under attack! Chiro, be caref…" he never got a chance to finish his sentence as his concentration was disturbed by another explosion.

Chiro's eyes snapped open, and the boy began breathing heavily to try and get his breath back, "Good luck Antauri."

Back on Shuggazoom, Antauri had since recovered from the abrupt removal from his meditation and was rushing to the Amphiboid Bridge with Eldred, "What's happening?!"

"We've got a huge ugly…whatever that is attacking us!" Kyros exclaimed, "Everyone to battle stations!"

As the frogs scrambled to their stations, Antauri stared at the viewscreen and snarled, as he was helpless to do anything against a threat this serious. "He knew."

Moments later, the Amphiboid mecha powered up and faced off against their adversary, a huge, bony dinosaur skeleton with a long neck and sharp claws, its neck and spiked back was lined with yellow orbs that seemed to emanate energy, and its two powerful legs were contrasted by its long and spiny arms. "Ugliest thing I've ever seen." Aero commented.

The monster then opened its mouth and spewed a horribly smelling breath attack that pushed the Amphiboid robot a few steps back, "And that's the ugliest thing I've ever smelled! Maybe we should give it a breath mint!" Gus gagged.

"Supaa, Aero, unleash the rocket punches!" Kyros ordered.

"You got it!" Aero replied, "Let's do it Supaa!"

The two frogs went flying at high speed towards the gigantic dinosaur, but it merely shrugged off the attack like nothing happened, "Looks like it's not gonna be that easy to give these bones some broken bones." Gus groaned.

The creature then wrapped its arms around the mecha's waist, and the orbs on its body began to glow brighter as it generated energy that it transferred from its body as an attack to the robot. "What's happening?!" Xena shouted.

"That thing's zapping all our power away!" Gus replied in horror as he watched the robot's power levels drop on his screen.

"Need some help?" suddenly the creature stopped attacking as it had been grabbed from behind by the Nebutron 9 and tossed aside. "Sorry we're late, it takes all three of us to activate the Nebutron…and someone was taking a shower." Johnny scoffed.

"I happen to care about personal hygiene, so sue me." Aurora replied in annoyance.

"Never mind, you're here now, so let's see what we can do!" Kyros and his frogs piloted their robot so that it gained some distance while the Nebutron took its left flank. "Gus, how's our power?"

"Slowly building back up Kyros, that was some attack though."

Johnny scoffed, "It looks a lot tougher than it is, watch this!" the youngest Sun Rider pressed a button on his console, "Activating Nebutron Gatling Laser!" From the orb center of the upgraded Nebutron came twelve gun barrels that immediately unleashed a rapid fire barrage of laser beams that struck the bony creature dead center and made explosions that caused smoke to block their view. "See?" Johnny leaned back in his chair with his hands folded behind his head, "No problem."

"Um…Johnny?" Aurora pointed towards their opponent, and out of the smoke came the roaring dinosaur skeleton with its claws outstretched to attack the Nebutron.

"No way! We nailed that thing!" Johnny pressed another button and this time the Nebutron's helmet lit up as it launched a beam of solar-based energy right at the creature's head, and still it had no effect. "Brace for impact!" The creature tackled the Nebutron down to the ground and spewed its horrible breath in the Sun Riders' faces.

"Ugh!" Aurora covered her nose with both hands, "What is that?!"

"It would appear this foul creature has forgotten to brush his teeth this morning!" Quasar exclaimed, "Amphiboids, we need your help!"

"I know, I know!" Kyros pressed a few buttons before taking back his controls, "Gus, we need that power now!"

"We've got enough to fight, but we gotta make sure it doesn't give us another creepy hug!" Gus replied.

"But our energy attacks aren't working, how are we gonna beat this thing?" Xena wondered.

"We'll have to risk getting in close! Amphiboids go!" Kyros and his team piloted their robot so that they were standing over the giant monster that was still attacking the Nebutron, and kicked the dinosaur off of the Sun Riders' battle robot. "You guys ok in there?"

"Our power's a little low, but we're ok." Johnny replied.

"Speak for yourself," Aurora replied in a nasally voice as she had plugged her nose, "I don't think I'll ever get this smell off!"

"There must be a way to defeat this creature!" Quasar added.

"I think I found a solution!" Supaa sent a transmission image to each of his teammates and also the Sun Riders, "There appears to be a certain bone right above the creature's chest that is acting as a sort of linchpin!"

"I get it!" Johnny realized, "We hit the thing there and it'll fall apart at the seams, right?"

"Precisely!" Supaa confirmed. Unfortunately, the creature unleashed beams of energy from its claws and struck their mecha once more, "The only problem is that every time we get too close, the monster drains our power!"

"And energy attacks aren't working…I got an idea, but we'll need some help." Johnny pressed a button on his console and made a call, "Sun Riders to Mobius Quint, come in Quint!"

Up above Shuggazoom's atmosphere, Mobius Quint's new ship - which he had named the "New Beginnings" in honor of his deliverance from Skeleton King's evil long ago - was orbiting the planet in order to ensure that the evil king couldn't send anymore creatures out into space. "This is Captain Quint, what the devil's wrong with communications?! I can barely hear you!"

Supaa cut into the conversation, "This is Supaa of the Amphiboids, apparently Skeleton King has sent out some sort of jamming signal to keep us from contacting the Hyperforce," another crash as the monster struck their mecha. "And we are under attack!"

"What?!" Quint got a somewhat crazed look in his eye, "Why that no-good scumbag…you want me to open fire?!"

The Nebutron unleashed a vicious punch that got the monster to stagger backwards a bit and allowed the Amphiboid mecha to follow up with a sharp kick to its back, "No, I plan on living through this." Johnny scoffed at the pilot orbiting the planet, "We need some aerial support to keep this mutated t-rex from attacking us while we get into position for the finishing blow!"

Quint grinned and his eyes gained a certain gleam to them, "So you need a pilot huh? This is what I've been waiting for!"

"Just get down here before this thing decides it wants to get affectionate again!" Johnny cut off the transmission and got back to the fight, "That guy could use a shot from a tranquilizer gun."

Quint turned in his rotating chair to face his navigator, "Mr. Broussard?"

"Yes Captain?"

"Ready my Star Speeder." Quint got up from his captain's chair and left the Bridge.

"Aye aye sir." The navigator grinned at the man to his left once Quint left, "So whaddya got Jim?"

"The battle will be over in five minutes tops…" the engineer pressed a button on his console and got Quint's speeder into position in the hangar deck. "Quint won't be back for at least thirty…think you can handle both stations for a couple minutes Sam? Nature's calling."

"Go ahead, everything's ok here."

In the hangar deck, Quint was powering up his Star Speeder, a small red craft with two wing-like projections in the front and two rudders in the back. "Here I come Skeleton King!" The hangar deck opened and the Speeder rocketed out and soon found itself entering Shuggazoom's atmosphere. "Now…where are you?" the alarms in Quint's speeder started going off as the sensors picked up the monster's energy signature. "Ah ha! Now I've gotcha…arming Photon Cannons…" Quint pressed a series of buttons and two gun barrels emerged from the front of the Speeder. "Quint to Sun Riders and Amphiboids, I'm getting into position, I'm gonna light this thing up like a sparkler!"

"Cool your jets pal, you're here to distract it, not try to destroy it, energy weapons have no effect on it!" Johnny exclaimed.

"Fine, whatever." Quint cut off the transmission and swooped down for his first run, "Fire!" the Speeder's cannons unleashed a rapid fire barrage of Photon blasts that angered the dinosaur-like monster and had its desired effect as the creature shot into the sky to try and bring Quint down, unsuccessfully though. "I'd say I got its attention, now to let it know that it can't mess with me."

As Quint came back around to assault the boney monster again, the Amphiboid mecha and the Nebutron 9 got into position, "You sure this is gonna work Sunspot?" Kyros asked.

"Absolutely, just hold it down and we'll take care of the rest." Johnny cut off the transmission and got his targeting system online, "Activating Nebutron Super Drill!" The red core in the center of the Nebutron 9's torso slid out of the way and allowed a giant drill to emerge and rev up. "You're getting one shot Quasar, don't miss."

Quasar chuckled smugly, "I never miss."

Back in the Amphiboid mecha, Kyros and the frogs were maneuvering their robot behind the furious monster which despite all its best efforts couldn't land a hit on Quint's Star Speeder. "Let's hope Sunspot's as smart as his TV counterpart." Kyros grumbled to himself, "Ok team, now!" the Amphiboid mecha grabbed the monster's arms and held them behind its own back, and in response it began to try and suck the mecha's energy away.

"Energy levels failing Kyros!" Gus exclaimed.

"Go Sunspot!" the Amphiboid leader shouted.

The Nebutron 9 sprouted wheels on the bottom of its feet and it rocketed towards the dinosaur with its drill going at full speed. Sure enough, the drill struck in the exact spot they were aiming at and the monster exploded into nothingness. "We did it!" Aurora cheered.

"See? I told you guys it wasn't as tough as it looked." Johnny said smugly.

Then Kyros contacted the Nebutron, "Speak for yourself." He grumbled through static.

"We're ok, but we need to make some repairs." Gus reported.

Now that the battle was over, Antauri spoke up, "You've all done well, but I feel that this battle was not derived from random chance…I suggest we all meet at the Robo-Ape ship and discuss the nature of this battle."

Kyros and Johnny shared one last quick glare before acknowledging Antauri's request. "Fine." They both said simultaneously.

Minutes later, Antauri, Kyros, Eldred, the Sun Riders, Quint, Offay and the Robo-Ape leader were all seated at a giant table. "What's the big deal?" Quint scoffed, "We won didn't we?"

"Did we?" Antauri responded, "Doesn't it seem a little too coincidental that Skeleton King decided to launch an attack at the precise moment I was attempting to contact Chiro?"

"I agree," the yellow Robo Ape said, "It seems likely that this attack was meant to distract you and keep you from speaking to your leader."

"So basically what we're saying is that every time Antauri tries to contact the Hyperforce, Skeleton King's gonna launch an attack to keep him from reaching them?" Aurora figured.

"That's what worries me." Antauri crossed his arms and closed his eyes, "To contact someone through the Power Primate requires great concentration, and even I am not so attuned to its power that I can't be broken out of my meditation…Skeleton King knows this, and he has enough power to be able to sense when I am trying to contact Chiro."

Offay nodded, "Skeleton King clearly doesn't want young Chiro to have access to your knowledge and wisdom Antauri."

Antauri sighed and went into a meditative position, "Perhaps I made an error in judgment when I elected to remain here."

"No Antauri," Offay responded, "You know more than anyone exactly what Chiro is capable of; have faith in your student just as I have faith in mine."

Antauri opened his eyes and stared at Offay for a few moments before relinquishing a small smile, "Thank you Master Offay."

"Even the mightiest oak cannot withstand the mightiest storm, not without support from those around it." Offay grinned, "Wouldn't you agree?"

"Indeed." Antauri turned to the others, "I want all of you to return to your ships and make whatever repairs are necessary. I still wish to at least make an attempt to contact Chiro, so let me know when all of your systems are fully operational, I don't want to risk provoking Skeleton King when our forces aren't at full strength."

As the Sun Riders, Quint and the Amphiboids walked out, Offay walked up to the Silver Monkey, "Do not despair Antauri, just as we are here to be your support through this storm, young Chiro has his Monkey Team to support him…" Offay turned to head to the guest quarters the Robo-Apes had set up for him, "I shall be in my quarters if you require my assistance."

With a nod to acknowledge, Antauri levitated off the ground and headed back to the Amphiboid mecha, "Be careful Chiro," the Silver Monkey thought to himself. "Skeleton King clearly has something diabolical in mind for you, embrace the Power Primate and trust yourself…and I shall endeavor to do the same."

Meanwhile, somewhere deep in the cosmos, the Super Robot was chasing after the homing beacon signal that Cap. Shuggazoom had managed to activate just before getting stranded. "Do we still have a lock on the homing beacon?" Chiro asked.

"Affirmative, it's coming in loud and clear." Gibson replied, "Strange however that we seem to be entering a familiar sector of space."

"Keep on it." Chiro shook his head for a moment to try and clear his head of the cobwebs that had seemed to form ever since he'd been jarred from his contact with Antauri. "Geez…I gotta snap out of it."

"Why don't you sit down for a second Chiro? You've been going nonstop ever since we left." Nova suggested.

"Yeah kid, I mean even we gotta take some time to rest, and we're partly powered by energy cells." Sprx added, "Take a breather, we'll let ya know if something happens."

"Go on Chiro," Jinmay gently grasped the boy's shoulders and turned him towards his transport tube, "Everything's gonna be alright."

Chiro sighed and looked over his shoulder at the robot girl, "Fine…but the first sign of trouble you call me, got it?"

"We got it Chiro, now go on!" Nova exclaimed.

"Alright." With a weary sigh, Chiro walked into his transport tube and went to his quarters.

"I must say, I find the fact that Chiro was so abruptly cut off from Antauri most disquieting. It gives credence to the theory that something indeed is very wrong on Shuggazoom City." Gibson said with concern.

"Well there's nothing we can do about it out here, and we can't go back until we take out that glob thing. Who knows what it might do if we let it just roam the galaxy?" Nova replied.

"Skeleton King's pullin' out all the stops this time, we're gonna have to bring more than our A-game, we're gonna have to bring our A-plus-plus game...the kid needs us, and I'm not gonna let 'im down again." Sprx said.

"I'm with you Sprx." Jinmay replied, "In fact, could you do me a favor?"

"Me?"

"Could you come with me to the flight simulators? I wanna get some practice time in before we reach that ship."

Sprx smirked, "So you wanna be able to fight back eh?" Sprx nodded, "Ok kid, I'll show you a trick or two."

"Thanks Sprx!" Jinmay followed Sprx to the transport tubes and they disappeared moments later.

"Well, it's just you and me Nova." Gibson said as he got to work on some minor rewiring.

Nova smirked, "Yeah...that means no one's gonna hear you scream when I start bashing your head in."

Gibson shrieked and stopped his work to back up, "You're still upset over that?!"

"Nah." Nova grinned mischievously, "I just wanted to see you squirm."

Gibson narrowed his eyes at the third-in-command and went back to work. "You should be grateful."

"I am, believe me. It's just that your method wasn't that great."

Gibson closed up the panel, "I did what I believed would be the most logical course of action."

"Hey, it worked." Nova shrugged, "And thanks Gibson, for everything."

Gibson smiled, "You're quite welcome Nova."

Suddenly the communicators in Gibson's ears activated and extended to receive the incoming transmission, "Hey, is anyone out there?!"

"Oh dear..." Gibson twisted his ear to respond, "We're here Otto, how are the repairs coming along?"

"They're comin' along great...but I'm lonely down here!"

"Sorry Otto...we were dealing with some other stuff." Nova cut in, "I'll send Gibson to help you out now."

"Thanks Nova, you're the best!" Otto severed the transmission.

"You'll send me?" Gibson crossed his arms questioningly.

"Hey, do we really gotta go through that whole 'who's third-in-command' thing again? It's not like I'm ordering you to do it, but someone's gotta stay here and keep an eye on things, and you'd be way more help to Otto than me, so logically," Nova grinned, "You're the monkey for the job."

Gibson smirked, "Logical...flawlessly logical." Gibson walked over to the tubes, "Very well, call if you need anything." Gibson zipped to the cargo hold, leaving Nova by herself.

"Finally, a little peace and quiet." Nova would find that she'd spoken too soon as alarms suddenly went off around the robot, "Whoa, already?!" Nova activated the intercom and spoke into the microphone, "Everyone, to the Bridge, we've got a lock on the homing beacon's coordinates!"

Minutes later the entire Hyperforce was looking intently at the viewscreen. "Hey, that planet looks sorta familiar…" Otto said thoughtfully.

As Nova zoomed in on the locked coordinates, the planet came into focus, "No, it can't be!"

"Chiro, scanners indicate a strong surge of Skeleton King energy, specifically in this area…" Gibson said grimly.

"No…" Chiro gasped.

"I don't understand," Jinmay said worriedly, "Chiro, what's going on?"

"It's the planet Kathori…that monster's attacking Nikita's village!"

A/N: Cliffhanger! The blob monster has landed on the planet of Kathori, which can only mean one thing...there's gonna be some major catfights! *rim shot*But seriously though, I wanted this chapter to be the final set up before the real action begins...for all you readers who've been hungry to see some battle cries and fighting scenes, they're coming now! Of course, I did try to get something in this chapter, MEGAZORD BATTLE FTW! No seriously, I took some inspiration from Power Rangers for this battle, major props to whoever can tell me which season it's from, and I'll give a trophy to whoever can tell me which EPISODE it is. But since there are SO many Power Rangers seasons out there now, I'll narrow it down a little for you guys. The season in question features the greatest Power Ranger of all time...Tommy Oliver.

Now then...Antauri...look, even he isn't immune to emotional turmoil, and like Master Offay said (kinda), even the strongest people need help and support every once in a while. We'll be seeing more of what's happening on Shuggazoom throughout the story. But next chapter, we're gonna be focusing on Chiro and the Monkey Team as they battle it out on Kathori. Are Nikita and the other Kathorians alright? Where's Captain Shuggazoom? Is Chiro gonna be able to handle the stress he's under? The answers lie ahead. If you read this, please review and lemme know what you think!