Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers. Saban and Nickelodeon own them. I also don't own any song lyrics used.

AN: Here's chapter 39! Enjoy and let me know what you think! I'm so sorry for the delay in getting this chapter up. August was not a good month. My grandmother passed away and so there was a lot going on. If that wasn't enough, I had a clumsy mishap and murdered my laptop by spilling on it and I mean right on the keyboard in a moment of sheer Epic Failness. Thankfully, I was able to get the important files off, before it completely stopped working. Then, because I refuse to use Windows 8, I had to order a new Windows 7 laptop online and I swear it took forever to get it. I worked on what I could on my ipad(which I hate typing on for long periods of time) and writing on paper, which is also inefficient so all that together caused a lot of delay. Anyway, enough of all that and on with the chapter. Thanks to all the great reviews too and here's notes to those individuals:

MMPRFansince93: Thanks! Glad the last chapter was Dynomite for you. :) This chapter isn't as heavy on the action as the last one, but I hope it is still worth the wait. Enjoy! :)

Harry2: Yep, Thrax is back. I thought it would be interesting since in a weird way, Thrax and Hunter are kind of cousins in this story. Glad you enjoyed the battle sequences. :)

Alex B. Goode: Thanks, glad you're enjoying the story so much. :)

RHatch89: Yep, this will the Zeo quest revisited. I decided to go with zeo crystal as the more powerful artifact instead of the Corona Aurora. As you can probably guess, Overdrive is probably one of my least favorite seasons and zeo brings back all that nostalgia. Glad you're enjoying.

TommyOliverMMPRFan: I know, Hunter wanted for murder now. That actually came out of left field. I didn't plan on doing that when I wrote the last chapter...but it happened and I decided to keep it. We'll see where it takes us. Glad you're enjoying. :)

Jokermask18: Thanks, glad you're liking Thrax's return. I hadn't forgotten about bringing him back, it just didn't happen as soon as I had originally planned. As usual, this story has grown far larger than I originally planned, but I'm going with it. As for the timeline, yes, they were the first rangers, but not necessarily in the modern sense. I am thinking about working scenes from the past about this first team in there and try to work Rita in there too. I always forget that in the series it was 10,000 years and in the movie it was 6,000 years. I will try to work some timeline explanation into the story in future chapters. :)

Pinkrangerfan: Thanks, glad you're enjoying it. The 2nd zeo quest begins in this chapter.

fallingstar22: Thanks, glad you like the concept with Tori's hidden powers. It will be interesting for sure ;)

foreverawildandbeautifulmess" Thank you, glad you're enjoying the story! :)

MF 22: Yeah, the whole President thing will be a mess. Not even I know how all that's going to turn out yet ;) Glad you're enjoying the story. :)

garnetred: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it. :)

Lmv16: Yep, Tori has taken her little sister in. Glad you're enjoying the story. :)

Crimson Rising

Chapter 39: If I Lose Myself

I stared up at the sun,
Thought of all of the people, places and things I've loved.
I stared up just to see
With all of the faces, you were the one next to me.

You can feel the light start to tremble,
Washing what you know out to sea.
You can see your life out of the window tonight.

If I lose myself tonight,
It'll be by your side.
I lose myself tonight...

Song: If I Lose Myself

Artist: OneRepublic

The Legacy Compound

It didn't take much for Hunter and Shane to move another child sized bed into the generous room that Olivia and Trina slept in and they gladly did it for Tori, while she made sure Zoe got something to eat. Now she joined Kat, Aisha and Billy in the room, as they helped her introduce Zoe to the other children.

"Zoe, this Aiden, Olivia, and Trina," Tori told her.

"Hi," Zoe said shyly.

"Hi, do you want to play with us?" the bubbly Olivia asked. Zoe looked up at her older sister, who nodded.

"It's okay, there's a little time before bed," she told her. They watched the girls and Aiden start playing and Tori sighed.

"How are you holding up?" Aisha asked.

"I'm okay…just a little overwhelmed," Tori replied.

"That's understandable, but you'll do great with her," Aisha assured her.

"How can you be so sure? I have no idea how to raise a child," Tori said uncertainly.

"You'll do just fine. You're a natural at taking care of people already," Kat replied.

"You think?" Tori asked. Kat and Aisha looked at her.

"You put up with five ranger males on your team and naturally take care of all them like it's nothing," Kat replied.

"That's a natural thing for the heart of the team and it's not like you're alone in this," Aisha added, as they hugged her on either side.

"Thanks," Tori said.

"You also have Hunter and that boy is crazy about you, which means he'll be crazy about Zoe too in no time," Aisha added. Tori smiled.

"Thanks," she replied gratefully. Bedtime soon came and they tucked the children in for the night, before retiring to their rooms for the night.

Tori found Hunter waiting for her. Once the door closed, she found herself running into his open arms. He hugged her tightly and kissed her hair, as she struggled to keep her emotions in check. She pulled away briefly and he looked at the disc in her hand.

"Will you watch it with me?" she asked. He nodded.

"Of course," he replied, as she put the disc into the laptop on the desk and then sat down on the bed with him. She tensed up, as her father's image appeared on the screen.

"Hello Tori…if you're watching this, then it must mean I'm gone. I only hope that Zoe is safe with you," Peter said, as he paused for a moment.

"I know I should have told you about her and I had every intention, but things didn't work out in my favor it seems. I met Zoe's mother on the assignment that I allowed to take me away from you. We both thought at the time that we were doing work for the greater good. I had no idea that you would be a ranger," he said, pausing again.

"I know that you're fighting to save the Earth, but I still worry for you, even if I have no right. I walked out on you and it will always be my biggest regret," he continued.

"I don't regret your sister though and now that I am gone, she needs you. I'm sorry to burden you with the task of raising your sister, but please take care of her. I only hope that the young man you've chosen to be with is as noble as you've said and that he'll remain by your side," Peter said. Hunter kissed her hair.

"Always," he whispered in her ear.

"Gorbin is an evil man…you were right about everything. I only wish I had listened to you and my deepest regret is that our relationship was in such disarray, which I know I am solely responsible for that," he said, pausing again with a sigh.

"I wish I could change many things, but I can't. I just hope that someday you'll find it in your heart to forgive me for everything," Peter continued.

"Mr. Bradley…if you are with my daughter, then I ask only that you take care of my girls for me. They are just about the only thing I ever did right. I love you Tori and I love Zoe. Please tell her that for me," Peter finished, as the video ended. Hunter heard her sniffle and felt a few teardrops on his neck. He held her tightly and gently stroked her hair, letting her cry as much as she needed to. Some time passed, before her tears finally slowed and she gently lifted her head.

"Sorry," she apologized, as she began wiping her face. He smiled at her and wiped away some of her tears with his thumbs.

"Don't be. I'd be a little worried if you didn't cry," he told her, as he pulled her closed and dropped a kiss on top of her head.

"You were amazing out there today, you know. The minute you touched me, the pain in my head just faded away," Hunter told her, looking at her in awe. She looked down shyly.

"I don't even know what I did," she replied honestly.

"That's why it's so amazing. Think about what you'll be able to do once you understand your powers more. It's not really that surprising," Hunter said, as he pulled her into his arms and kissed her neck, sitting behind her on their bed.

"What's not surprising?" she asked, as her body tingled all over from the touch of his lips.

"That it will probably be you that saves us all," he replied. She turned her head.

"Babe…it's your powers that are going to do that," she insisted.

"Only because you'll be using yours to help me," he countered, as he kissed her lips tenderly. Tears pricked her eyes.

"You…believe me that much?" she asked. He gave her his lazy half smile.

"More than anything," he replied passionately, as their lips met again.

"I love you and we'll raise Zoe together," he promised.

"Master Vile and Ivan Ooze don't stand a chance, because there is no way in hell that that I'm ever going to leave you. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me," he told her.

"I love you so much…" she said, hugging him tightly.

"That's good, because you're never getting rid of me," he teased. She giggled.

"You're stuck with me too, thunder boy," she promised, as he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers with tender passion.

The next day

The Park Residence

Angel Grove, CA

Adam stared at the door to the house that had been his childhood home with trepidation. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked into his girlfriend's deep brown eyes.
"Dumb question, but are you ready for this?" Tanya asked. Adam sighed.
"He's going to react badly. This is a terrible idea and we don't have time. We should just go back, get Cam, and get into the vault," Adam argued. The inner turmoil he was facing was evident on his face. Adam had been raised not to question authority and to respect his elders, even when they were as unreasonable as his father. But now that the fate of the Universe was at stake, he had to go against everything he was raised to believe. Through his tenure as a ranger in high school, he had endured his father's staunch position against the power rangers. It wasn't that he didn't appreciate the protection from alien invasion that they provided, but he had always believed that the rangers should have provided the police and officials with their knowledge and technology. That they should be held to the law and not operate above it on their own code. But as Adam knew wholeheartedly, ranger powers couldn't be trusted in the hands of just anyone, even police officers. And the government had proved by the building of the cyborg rangers that they couldn't be trusted with the raw power the morphing grid bestowed upon its chosen. But he knew that his father and he would likely never see eye to eye.
"You have to try Adam, if for no other reason than to know that you made every effort," Rocky said.
"Rocky's right," Aisha agreed.
"But we're with you all the way," Tanya soothed. Adam nodded.
"Thanks guys," he replied as he knocked reluctantly. An Asian man answered the door and wore a stern expression, as he gazed at his only son.

"Well, it's not every day that wanted fugitives drop by on your door step," he quipped.

"Dad…" Adam started.

"You have a lot of guts coming here. If I thought I could pull it off by myself, I'd arrest you all," the elder Park continued.

"Really? You'd arrest you own son, who by the way has helped save the planet a few hundred times," Rocky fumed. Aisha put her hand on her husband's shoulder in attempt to calm him.

"Dad…I know you don't agree with the life I'm living, but you have to understand that the rangers are fighting to save this planet. Ivan Ooze has taken over dozens of systems already, but Earth has resisted so far," Adam tried to explain.

"Thanks to us," Tanya added.

"Meanwhile, one of you has taken it upon himself to murder our President," Mr. Park countered.

"That wasn't the President!" Rocky interrupted.

"Rocky is right, Mr. Park. I know it's hard to believe, but a being called Master Vile was controlling him," Aisha explained.

"They didn't show this on T.V. I'm sure, but Master Vile, masquerading as the President, was using his evil powers to mentally attack some of us. Hunter had no choice. It was his teammates or that monster," Adam continued.

"Do you know how ludicrous that sounds?" Mr. Park exclaimed.

"Yes, but it's the truth!" Adam insisted.

"Why are you here?" Mr. Park demanded to know.

"I need the key to the family vault. I hid something in there after High School, a powerful artifact that could help turn the battle in our favor," Adam explained.

"I meant what I said on the phone that day your identity was revealed. No son of mine will be a vigilante," Mr. Park refused.

"Are you really willing to let this entire planet suffer because of your pride?!" Adam demanded to know.

"You are the one that has disgraced this family! You've lied to me since High School, so I'm sure you'll find a way to get what you need, regardless of my help," Mr. Park spat, as he slammed the door in their faces.

"Well, that went about as well as I thought it would," Rocky mentioned. Adam scoffed.

"The city could be burning to the ground and he would choose to die before helping us," Adam spat in frustration. Tanya put her hand on his shoulder.

"No matter what he says, you are a great man. This path we've chosen isn't easy, but it's right," Tanya told him. He gave her a half smile, as she kissed his cheek.

"Cam, this is Adam," he said, as he put the phone to his ear.

"Let me guess, we're going to South Korea," Cam answered.

"Yep, see you there," Adam replied. A few seconds later, they disappeared in colored streaks of teleportation.

Phaedos

Sweat poured down Hunter's shirtless torso, as he performed the exercises that Ninjor mandated. The boulder he was lifting had to easily weight a ton.

"Physical strength is only a third of the battle. Your mind must be focused and your spirit must be one with the firebird," Ninjor instructed, as Zedd watched on.

"Answer the Phoenix call and merge with him," Ninjor instructed, as they were suddenly in another plane of existence. Hunter saw the massive crimson and gold bird before him, his flames burning brightly. As the bird, eyes wide with curiosity, inched closer, Hunter feared he would catch fire. But a voice eased those fears.

"Do not fear him, my son, for he is you. His fire cannot and will not harm you," Zander's voice assured him. Hunter let go of his uncertainty and felt the fine engulf him. When he returned to the physical plane. With all his enhanced strength and with a feral yell, he tossed the gigantic boulder into the air. Calling the Phoenix saber into his hand, he leapt up and sliced it into many pieces with several lightning fast swipes. It exploded and rained debris, as his feet touched the ground and he sheathed his saber. Ninjor crossed his arms over his chest.

"One day with me and I get that out of him. How long have you been training him?" Ninjor boasted to Zedd.

"Oh stuff it, you pompous blue wind bag," Zedd spat, as he approached his nephew.

"I did it," Hunter said in awe, as he watched crimson ribbons of energy pulse all over his body.

"Yes…as much as I hate to admit it, the blue cream puff knows what he's doing," Zedd replied.

"Cream puff?! Says the former walking steak!" Ninjor spat back. Hunter rolled his eyes and went back to training, while they tried to one up each other with insults.

Tori sat in a meditative position, as Dulcea instructed her.

"Clear your mind and focus on your element. Water is life for all sentient beings. It is why most that are so in tune with water often have the potential as strong telepaths, healers, or caregivers," Dulcea told her.

"Since you have mastered your element in a way that few ever do, you are a natural barrier," Dulcea explained. Tori opened her eyes briefly.

"I'm still not sure exactly what that means," Tori replied. Dulcea smiled at her.

"It means that you are impervious to telepathic or magical attacks on the mind. And you're even so powerful that you are able to create an invisible shield or barrier around others to protect them as well. Over time, I can teach you to use this power at will and strengthen it," Dulcea explained.

"It may come down to your powers on the battlefield. Ivan Ooze and Master Vile will pull out all the stops to destroy Hunter by any means. Eventually they will not be able to match him physically so they will resort to wizardry to destroy him from the inside. But with you by his side, their attacks could be rendered useless," Dulcea stated. Tori let that sink in and felt anxious to know more. If she could protect her friends and the man she loved on the battlefield with these powers, then she wanted to know everything.

"I want to learn everything I can," she said, determination lining her beautiful face. Dulcea nodded, as they returned to training.

Seoul, South Korea

They decided that all of them going to South Korea might attract too much attention, so while Rocky and Aisha teleported back to the base, Adam and Tanya met Cam in Seoul. From there, Adam rented a car with a fake ID Billy had created and they took to the beautiful countryside. After a couple hours of driving, they finally reached the temple grounds by nightfall and snuck in. They didn't want to risk any of the monks seeing them so once they reached the Park vault, Adam used his camouflaging powers to hide them, while Cam went to work. The Green Samurai put the device on his ear and began turning the dial. He heard the first click and stopped, before turning the dial in the opposite direction. Once it clicked again, he stopped and went the other way again until it finally clicked for the third time. The vault door unlocked and the three quickly slipped inside. While Cam and Tanya looked around in wonder at all the Park family heirlooms, including many lanterns, Adam headed for the small chest on the corner shelf of the vault. He opened the gold chest and green light flooded the space, before Adam quickly closed the box.

"Got it," he said. Cam pulled the vault shut and then put his phone to his ear.

"Hayley…can you get a lock on us?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm picking up the crystal's energy as well. I'm teleporting you in three," she responded, as they disappeared in two streaks of green and one black.

The Legacy Compound

Ethan James peered around the corner into the rec room and grinned mischievously. His accomplices lagged behind him, looking unsure of themselves. He motioned for them to follow.

"Dude…are you sure about this?" Dustin asked.

"Yeah, this is probably a really bad idea, mate," Xander warned.

"Nah..come on guys, this prank is foolproof. Rocky told me so," Ethan replied. The other two still looked unconvinced. Ethan sighed.

"Okay, he warned me that you never prank one of the girls, unless you want to die. But with the guys, it's open season on all of us," Ethan reasoned.

"Dude…I'm not pranking Dr. O. That's kind of stupid, you said so yourself," Dustin replied. Ethan chuckled.

"Yeah, Dr. O gets revenge," Ethan laughed fondly, remembering the time he had ignored his homework for a game. The wizard of the game had made Tommy's mouth disappear for a few minutes while he was lecturing and Ethan had later been assigned an extra essay on why that was wrong.

"And not Jason. I mean, the man is a machine. He trains at five a.m.," Xander said fearfully.

"True and Billy would have us figured out before we could get a good one on him," Ethan stated.

"Of the original six, besides the girls, that leaves Zack," Dustin concluded.

"Exactly. He's the easygoing one and likely to take it the best," Ethan reasoned deviously.

"And it just so happens, according to Rocky, that Zack hates bugs," Ethan said, as he pulled a jar out of his bag, which contained two large beetles. Ethan grinned and snuck into the room where many were relaxing after a long day of training.

"Ugh…I don't think I'll ever be able to move again," Dax whined, as he lay collapsed on one of the sofas.

"Training with Jase will do that to you," Zack agreed, as they noticed Will had already fallen asleep.

"Wonder how Hunter is fairing though? He and Tori still aren't back, so Ninjor must be running fire boy ragged," Wes mentioned.

"No doubt," Zack agreed, as he felt a slight movement on his shoulder. He glanced and saw a large beetle there and yelped his surprise. He sprang to his feet and flung the bug onto the floor, while some of the guys laughed, as Zack danced around.

"Gah…I hate bugs!" Zack complained, as he felt like his skin was crawling now. Ethan, Dustin, and Xander made themselves known, as they laughed, and Ethan scooped the unfortunate beetle up, returning it to the jar.

"Oh I get it, you guys thought it'd be funny to freak me out?" Zack questioned.

"Totally," Ethan laughed. But Xander and Dustin frowned, as it seemed the easygoing Zack was fuming.

"That wasn't cool, guys. I think you should apologize and then you can join me in a late night training session," Jason said sternly. The three looked at them in disbelief, as Tommy gave them a not so please glare as well.

"But…it was just a prank," Ethan argued.

"Yeah, Rocky told us that you wouldn't get mad," Xander said guiltily.

"Guess the Rock man was wrong," Zack snapped.

"Nice going, Prank Master," Dustin grumbled to Ethan.

"Yeah, this was your bright idea, mate," Xander added.

"Come on guys, it was just a harmless prank," Ethan repeated, trying to weasel his way out of trouble. Jason, Tommy, and Zack exchanged glances

"Maybe he's right," Tommy suggested.

"I guess it was harmless," Jason agreed.

"Yeah, kind like this," Zack said, as he squirted Ethan in the face with water from a squirt gun. Jason and Tommy grinned, as they did the same to Dustin and Xander. The three pranksters looked stunned, as they watched the three veterans laugh at them. They stepped aside and Rocky, armed with double water guns, doused them with more water.

"Woohoo…the prankers become the prankees…hahahaha…" Rocky laughed, as he soaked the three boys.

"You…you set us up," Ethan realized in disbelief.

"Of course I did, you may be the Prank Master, but I am the Prank KING!" Rocky declared, as his friends responded by squirting him with water too.

"What are you guys doing?" Trini demanded, as she stood in the doorway with Kim and Aisha. Each female ranger had their arms crossed over their chests, looking unamused.

"Uh…having a water gun fight?" Rocky offered.

"Dude…shut up…" Jason hissed.

"In the house? Really? What kind of example are you trying to set for your successors?" Trini asked, enjoying watching her husband squirm under her stern gaze.

"Hey…the kids started it," Tommy blamed. Ethan opened his mouth.

"Some teach you are, Dr. O. Thanks for throwing us under the bus," Ethan complained.

"Yeah, besides, Rocky set us up so this was all his doing," Xander offered.

"Traitor," Rocky grumbled.

"Water guns outside…now," Kim ordered. The six in the guilty party tromped outside, while the girls shook their heads in amusement.

"Who needs to have kids when you have our boys?" Trini joked. Kim giggled.

"Did you see the looks on their faces? They think we're actually mad at them," Kim said.

"That's part of the beauty. Now they'll be groveling for our forgiveness and I'm getting a back massage out of it tonight," Aisha replied, with a sly smile.

"Oooh…good idea, I'll make rainbow ranger work his way into bed tonight," Kim giggled.

"I so didn't need to hear that," Trent said, as he sat nearby with his notebook. The girls giggled.

"Sorry Trent," Kim apologized, as the three of them casually left, while discussing what they were going to make their men do.

Triforia

"Keep moving," Kapri ordered harshly, as she and her sister marched their captive toward the Triforian palace. Two Cimmerian guards raised their staves and blocked their path.

"State your business," the first guard ordered.

"Um hello…evil Space ninjas here," Marah said saucily.

"We've captured Prince Dex and we're here to collect the bounty," Kapri added. The guards exchanged a glance and looked between the two.

"You managed to capture the Masked Rider?" the second guard asked.

"Don't let our looks deceive you. I could take both you idiots on with my hands tied behind my back," Kapri spat, making them chuckle.

"Lothor's nieces…now I remember you. Didn't you betray your Uncle?" he asked suspiciously.

"Duh…we're evil. Betrayal is kind of the name of the game. I even earned the trust of a yellow ranger and then shattered his heart into a million pieces all in the space of two days," Marah boasted.

"Yeah, you name them and we've probably betrayed them. Now, all we want is to turn Princey here in and get our money. Mama needs a new pair of boots," Kapri said haughtily. They chuckled.

"Master Ooze has ordered the Masked Rider be delivered directly to him. Unfortunately, there won't be another transport leaving until morning," he said.

"Then lock him up and we'll wait," Kapri said.

"This way," he said, he led them down to the dungeon, where they shoved Dex inside.

"Follow us and we'll take you to a room where you can stay until we make contact with one of Lord Ooze's Generals. The two girls gave Dex a meaningful look, before cautiously following the two guards. That had a very limited amount of time to find the crystal, free Dex, and get out alive…

Onyx

Damon, Kai, Kendrix, and Maya had stayed behind on their ship, while Karone, dressed as Astronema took Leo and Mike to the tavern where many of the most evil beings in the universe frequented and socialized.

"Does anyone else think this is a really bad idea?" Kai asked. Damon scoffed.

"Of course it's a bad idea. First, Karone has to convince them that she's actually Astronema again, they need to learn the location of the crystal, and then get it without dying," Damon stated.

"Tall order," Kai mentioned.

"That's why we have to be ready with the ship," Kendrix reminded.

"They can do this. We have to have faith," Maya agreed. Kai and Damon only hoped she was right.

"Keep moving!" Astronema hollered, as she roughly shoved her captives forward. Unfortunately, Leo lost his footing and fell to the sand in front of the two alien beings they were approaching outside one establishment.

"Get up!" she growled, as she bent over him. Leo rolled his eyes.

"Ease up, will ya?" he whispered.

"I'm trying to make it believable," she hissed back, as she shoved Mike to the sand.

"Oof…it feels believable," he groaned.

"What trickery are you trying to pull, wench?" one of the aliens spat.

"Yes, we know that Astronema hasn't existed for years," the other added.

"And you became a power ranger, so that means you can't be evil!" the first one hissed, as they attracted the attention of many more onlookers.

"Oh right, like there has never been an evil power ranger before," Astronema scoffed sarcastically.

"But you teamed up with the power rangers years ago, it's a well known fact," a third alien interjected.

"You're right. I infiltrated their ranks, gained their trust, fought alongside them, and helped them destroy Trakeena, because there was no way I was letting her rule my universe," Astronema replied.

"You won't get away with betraying us, Astronema!" Leo growled.

"Quiet!" she barked.

"The Red Galaxy ranger and the Magna Defender. That's quite the bounty," the third alien warrior said with interest.

"And they're yours to take to Lord Ooze once they've served their purpose for me and get me what I want," she said.

"And what is it that you want?" he questioned.

"I want one of them to get the blue zeo crystal for me," she stated with an evil smile that gave Leo chills. Karone was a fantastic actress.

"And what makes you think there is a zeo shard here on Onyx?" he questioned suspiciously. She smirked.

"Because they were tracking it and that's when I made my move. The red ranger here sung like a canary when I threatened to kill his little wife," Karone goaded. The alien smirked.

"They'll fetch quite a bounty on the slave market. Rangers are worth five time what they used to be now that Lord Ooze has returned," he said, thinking about it.

"The rest of the team is locked up on the ship. I get the crystal and they're all yours for auction," Astronema tempted.

"The crystal landed in the Octavian desert, about twenty miles from here. None of us can even get near it. How do you plan to use it even if one of these rangers gets it for you?" he asked. Astronema smirked and produced a cylindrical device.

"I acquired this device on Aquitar a few years ago. If I have one of these fools place the crystal inside this device, I can use it without its power coming in contact with me," Astronema explained. In reality, no such device actually existed. Billy gave her the device and explained the ruse to her and she only hoped that he bought it.

"Impressive…follow me," the alien ordered. Astronema smirked and shoved her captives forward…