Phase 3_Part1_Aftermath

It had been a week since Zane had arrived in the dog sector. Zordan had requested his travel because there was a worry the Zodiac empire wouldn't take his successful defeat of the Snake captain lightly. Zordan was right.

Zane had arrived and quickly tranced a raging battle between a fellow ranger and a runt of monster he now knows was called Chiwarri. He had known Zoe was a ranger instantly, despite her not being morphed. They had managed to save one of her friends, an oddly named man called Mouse. In the time since they returned to their current base of operations, Zoe has spent most of her time switching between here and the local medical centre in town. Another of her friends were injured and recovery there. Apparently the consequences of her actions prior to becoming a ranger.

Zane had spent his time laying low, doing short scouts of the area and training. Zoe often joined him and her technical ability in martial arts and fighting far exceeded his own, she was apparently trained by the third member of the current band of outlaws Manta, an alien creature whose origin Zane still hadn't figured out. Although Zoe's fighting prowess was beyond him, the intuition and experience he has gathered by being the red shadow often evened out their sessions. They could learn a lot from each other, yet, that was the extent of their interaction. Zoe hadn't really spoken to him since they returned last week.

Zane sat in the courtyard studying his morpher, the memories that swirled in his head hadn't really helped him truly understand what exactly he held in his hands. The strange piece of technology often felt alive. It had spoken to him, that he was sure of but since then it was just a feeling. Like a presence was all around him. Zordan said it would change him, that it would mean he would no longer be fully human. Whatever the hell that meant.

"You could stare at that thing forever and still not understand even the smallest thing about what it really is," Manta said as she sat down beside him.

Manta was a curious creature, her nature was soft and gently and yet when Zane looked at her eyes he could feel the danger radiate from them. Not so much fear but rather a caution. Zane didn't want to mess with the calm natured cat, her claws were no doubt sharp.

"You know, when Zordan first found me months ago I had spent years doing exactly what you are now." Manta smiled gently.

"You held a morpher, are you a ranger?" Zane asked although he felt that if she was then the answer would have already been obvious. He had known Zoe was a ranger and he felt nothing similar towards Manta.

"God no, I was simply the person who had managed to acquire one of the inactive morphers." Zane was shocked. The morpher he held had been locked away in the basement of a Zodiac monster. Then again Zordan had held four other morphers already, the fact one of them had come from Manta was just surprising.

"Do you know anything, I just need to try and understand, this thing is supposedly changing me, us. I don't like being the dark." Zane twisted the morpher in hands as he spoke, the red light humming slightly in the cool midday air.

"Only what Zordan has thought to share with me. They are like conduits, they focus the morphing grid and allow you as rangers to harness it. Think of it like a tap connected to a massive invisible pool of water."

"The morphing grid, even Zordan sounded unsure of what exactly that is." Zane sighed.

"Yes. It is apparently beyond our understanding, the only thing certain is that is a force for good. Although that doesn't mean it can't be used for evil." Manta took a serious tone.

"For evil, you think this power could be used for evil?"

"Of course, the morphers, the grid, it merely supplies the power to those that can theoretically wield it. How those people use that power is up to them. Everyone has the capacity for evil, just as much as good."

"Also you must remember that although the power does it's best to keep itself hidden that doesn't mean it can't be found. If those with evil intentions find a way to access the pool, they can poison the water." Manta lightly placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry Zane, the power doesn't give itself up easily if you have been chosen it is because it believes your capacity for good far outweighs the potential for evil. You have already proven your desires by your actions." Zane smiled back at Manta's words.

The capacity for evil. Zoe didn't really seem like the person that would succumb to the temptation but what of the other rangers? The world was a different place than during the last iteration existed. The world was darker, more evil, selfish. Yet it had found him and show him hope. He had to believe the other rangers would be the same.

"Thank you Manta, Zoe is lucky to have had you to guide her. The world can be a dark place. It's about time it experiences some hope." Zane placed his hand over the morpher, turning his palm clockwise ninety degrees. The morpher responded with a bleep and a hologram appeared floating slightly above the red light at its centre.

"I found this the other day, I am not quite sure what it is. It looks like a chunk of something." Zane said not letting Manta respond to his previous words, he knew it was a sore subject.

Manta sat quietly watching the floating piece of pie slowly turning on the spot. She snapped her fingers suddenly leaning forward more. Zane flushed red at her closeness, despite being an alien she was still female and well endowed and he hadn't experienced much of the opposite sex. Especially not out of battle. Manta didn't seem to notice his posture change.

"It's a map!" Manta yelled.

"A map? How is this a map? It doesn't show much." Zane said, noting Manta was now close enough that her body was leaning against his arm. Zane resisted shuffling away.

"Well it's a piece of a map, look that structure there? It's the main plaza of the dog territory." Zane followed Manta's finger. Noting he didn't know what the plaza would have looked like from above.

"If this is a piece, then maybe the full map can only be seen once all the morphers are together. This glowing line, it must be a path. A path to where?" Zane asked. Manta shook her head and leaned back. Zane relaxed, although he was sure his face would still be bright red.

"Where's Zoe we need to confirm-"

A loud bang followed by a rumbling shake cut Zane short. A dark cloud of smoke rose in the distance.

"Zane, that smoke it looks like it's coming from the medical bay, Zoe she went to see Dozer." Manta's voice cracked as she spoke.

Zane leapt to his feet, he scaled the stairs in seconds racing inside the building and out the front onto the street. The smoke rose off to his right, quickly scanning the surrounding buildings he noted there compact arrangement. Close enough to jump between the rooves of each building. That would be the fastest route.

Zane wasted no time scaling the side of a building, his years of red shadow experience flooding back instantly. The wind rushed past as the cloak fluttered frantically behind him. At some point, he had placed his red mask on. Instincts still carried his body. The smoke neared and the screams rose. The sound of crackling fire now met his ears, the smoke darker and thicker. Zane went to leapt off the closest building as another explosion erupted in the air, the force sent him flying back. His body skidded across the flat roof grinding to a halt only as he hit the small ridge at the other side.

Slowly he limped towards the opposing edge, glancing over his eyes met the carnage below and began to process everything at once. People scattered, a building lay in rubble. Blood and death littered the streets. Zane found Zoe clutching what looked like a corpse except they stood arm draped over Zoe's shoulder.

He switches his gaze in the opposite direction expecting to see Chiwarri or the bomber creature from their previous battle and was surprised to see two new creatures smirking towards where Zoe stood.

One was covered in shiny dark blue armour, large exhaust pipes rose from its sides curling towards it's back and over its shoulders. In Between the two pipes, a large shell-like back clicked open and shut randomly. The horn on its head reminded him of a stag beetle. So did the rest of its body. A motorbike riding stag beetle his body like the shell of a beetle but also the leather of bikers choice of clothes. Apparently, the dog zodiacs had access to creatures other than dogs.

The second resembled the first slightly, it had a leather jacket resting over really fluffy white and brown fur. You couldn't see its eyes and its tongue sagged out leaving a trail of slobber dripping slightly towards the floor. A leather-clad sheepdog with a giant hammer, the hammer was built with large exhaust bikes around the head it looked like a thruster.

Zoe had blood dripping down her forehead, right arm looking broken as it dangled at her side. The war had begun, the dogs firing the first shot and it had begun it a ball of flame and death.

Zane leapt off the roof into the battlefield below.