Author's Note: Day 6 is...Andros!

There was a span of time missing in Andros' mind. It disturbed him, because not only did he not remember how he'd ended up in here, he wasn't even sure how long he'd been out. The last thing he remembered was sneaking down a dark, cramped hall with Zhane. 'We were investigating an abandoned base,' Andros reminded himself, picking idly at the skin behind his fingernails. 'To see if Dark Specter's forces had left behind any clues about Zordon.' The team had split up to cover more ground. He remembered going ahead of Zhane, even when the silver ranger had warned him not to go too far ahead. And he remembered rolling his eyes as he rounded a corner into complete darkness.

'I'm never going to live this down,' Andros thought with a sigh. 'I can just hear Zhane, now. That's why I told you not to go on ahead Andros. Who's always saving who on this team, Andros? He'll be insufferable about it.' Deciding to stop picking at his fingers, Andros, once again took stock of his situation. He was on the far end of a small, rectangular room. It was basically a closet that was so narrow across that either of shoulders was only a couple of inches from the metal walls. About 10 feet away was a door, with no windows or handles he could discern. Bright, harsh lights illuminated the space from above. Heavy manacles were locked around his wrists and attached to the wall behind him. They were just long enough that he could stand and walk forward about a foot. And finally, his morpher was gone. Of course.

'Whoever this is, they came prepared,' Andros thought. 'Not Astronema, because I doubt I'm on a ship or satellite station.' He put his palm on the floor to triple check. There was no telltale thrum of engines that had always given the floor of any ship or satellite he'd been on a slight tremor. 'Definitely not a ship or satellite. Which means I'm on a planet. Maybe even a moon. But if it was Astronema, I'd be on her ship. So it's someone else.' Being a known enemy of Dark Specter, it wasn't as if he had any shortage of people out for his head.

The sound of approaching footsteps outside his cell, the first noise he'd heard in a while, caused him to sit up straight. Andros, tensed as the footsteps paused right outside the door. "Who's there?" he asked.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" a rough and unfamiliar voice replied.

"That's kind of why I asked."

"You don't need to know. All you need to know is I know about you, Astro ranger. Andros, of KO-35."

"Who are you? How do you know who I am?"

"Oh, people have heard of you all of the universe. The leader of the Astro rangers, standing against Dark Specter's tyranny. A child from the colony planet KO-35. Searching for the captured Eltaran sage, Zordon."

Andros rolled his eyes. "I'm guess by the ambushing, kidnapping, and the chains that you're not exactly a fan."

"I'd heard you were smart. So make the smart choice now. I want you to tell me where Zordon is."

For a second, he was tempted to ask why, but then decided it wasn't necessary. Zordon had been facing down the forces of evil for thousands of years. He had more enemies than Andros had hair on his head. "Why would I tell you?"

The voice laughed, sounding amused now. "Because I have a surprise. A friend of yours with a silver suit."

Andros's heart stopped. "Zhane…" He slammed one of his chains on the ground. "What did you do with Zhane?!"

"Nothing…yet. I've got him tied up in a cell right across the hall from you. Now, you can tell me where Zordon is…or Zhane and I can get to know each other a little better. For instance, I'd love to know what the pain tolerance of power ranger is like."

Clang! Andros hit his chain off the ground again. "I don't know where Zordon is! That's why we're looking for him. There's no reason to hurt Zhane."

"Hmmm. I still don't believe you." Something hit the door of his cell, making Andros jump. "These doors are pretty thin. You'll have to let me know if you can hear him scream."

"No! Wait!" Andros pulled against his chains as he heard a door scrape open, then close. He held his breath, heart pounding in his chest. For a few minutes, nothing happened. 'Maybe he's bluffing. Or he won't really hurt Zhane. Maybe-' The first scream made his blood run cold. It was loud and full of pain. And quickly followed by another. And another. "Zhane!" Andros yelled, resuming his pulling on his chains. "Zhane!" Every pull caused the edge of the manacles to bite into his wrists and jarred his arms all the way up to his shoulders. But that didn't matter. He kept pulling and pulling, desperately hoping break free. The whole time he did, the screams continued.

When it was finally quiet again, it took Andros a few seconds to notice it. He paused, holding his breath to see if it would continue. Thankfully, he heard the door scrape open, then close again. Andros marginally relaxed; until another bang on his door made him jump.

"So, had some time to reconsider, Andros?" the voice asked, still amused.

"When I get out of the chains I'm going to take you apart, piece by piece!" Andros yelled, slamming his chains against the floor again.

"Ohhh, wrong answer. One more chance. Where is Zordon?"

"I don't know!"

"Fine. Let's see Zhane has another round in him."

"No! Leave him alone! Leave him alone!" Unfortunately, none of his shouting could stop the sound of the door across the hall opening and closing again. Andros held his breath again. This time, he didn't have to wait as long for the screaming to begin. This time Andros was on his feet, pulling at the chains with his whole body weight. Unfortunately they were anchored separately and far enough apart that he couldn't get two hands on one at the same time. "Zhane!" he yelled, pulling as hard as he could. "Hang on, Zhane!" Pulling this way jarred his arms even more than before. The way the chains pulled his arms back behind him was also spending waves of pain down his back to his shoulder blades. "Hang on, Zhane! Hang on!" The biting of the manacles was hard enough that blood began beading on his wrists. But Andors ignored it. He kept pulling and shouting, trying to get free. Trying to get to Zhane.

By the time the screaming once again stopped, Andros dropped to his knees, exhausted. He was sitting far enough form the wall that his arms were wrenched uncomfortably behind his back, but he didn't care. The manacles were tilted up into the cuts on his wrists. A few drops of blood fell onto the floor, but he didn't move until he heard the door open and close again. "What did you do to him, you bastard?!" he demanded.

"Getting a little mouthy to the guy who has you and your best friend locked up, hm?" the voice replied. "Of course, I can't imagine treating any of maybes friends like this. Getting them captured and letting them get tortured to protect my own secrets. Pretty selfish, don't you think."

"I didn't get Zhane captured! You ambushed us!"

"You. I ambushed you after you went ahead. Once you were out, I'll admit, he fought valiantly to protect you. But look where it got him."

Andros bit his lip, trying to ignore the guilt. He already had enough guilt when it came to Zhane. "We rangers protect each other. That's what we do."

"Then I wonder why you're not willing to protect him, hm?"

"I told you! I don't know where Zordon is! I really don't know!"

"Ohh, Andros. Andros, Andros, Andros." The voce said it in sad, condescending way. "You still don't get it, do you? I won't fall for any more your lies. I've met power rangers before and you rangers are a stubborn lot. You'd do anything to prevent me from finding Zordon. But I will get my answer. Or Zhane will die first. Either way, I win. Something to think about."

"No! Leave him alone! Leave him alone!" The door opened and closed again. "Please, please, leave him alone! Please don't hurt him!" This time, when the screaming started again, Andros couldn't stand it. He practically threw himself against the back wall and tried prying at the manacles. It hurt his fingers as he dug home into the metal, looking for a latch. A weakness. Something, anything he could use. But there was nothing. They were perfectly smooth surfaces, save where the chains connected. He kept looking through, even resorting to biting them. All he got for his efforts was cuts on his gums and a chipped tooth. He spit out some blood. "Zhane!"

The screaming stopped again. Andros waited with bated breath, mentally trying to figure out how he could convince their captor that he was telling the truth. Then the screaming started again. It was agonizing. Andros' brain jumped from one scenario to another, just imagining what that bastard was doing to Zhane. He sat frozen against the back wall, unable to move. Every scream bringing up a new scenario in his mind. A new torture that might've been inflicted on his best friend. Because of him.

Andros was stuck in his frozen state, both physically and emotionally, for so long that it took him a few minutes to relit the screaming had stopped. He stared at the door; waiting. Much to his relief, he heard the scarping of the door across the hall opening and closing. However, the footsteps didn't come toward his cell. They walked down the hall, eventually disappearing. Andros uncurled himself a little. "Z- Zhane?" he called. "Zhane…buddy, can you hear me?" Silence. 'He's probably just unconscious. Just sleeping.' He was just getting some well needed rest. He definitely wasn't dead. "Don't- Don't worry Zhane, I'll think of a way out of this. Don't- You don't have to worry about a thing."

But what could get them out of this? He'd told the voice the truth over and over again, but the maniac didn't believe him. 'What am I going to do? I really don't know where Zordon is. Maybe I can give him the name of a random planet. Somewhere uninhabited so he'll let us go.' But what if he was wrong about the planet being uninhabited? He'd been to many planets over the last two years, what if he misremembered one being uninhabited? 'The last thing I want is to unleash this guy on an unsuspecting planet of innocent civilians. Zhane would certainly never forgive me for trying to save him like that. I'd never forgive me.' The self-doubt and anxiety over accidentally misremembering whether or not a planet was inhabited was enough to make him disregard that plan. But then he didn't know what to do.

Andros was still thinking about potential escape plans, each as pointless and far-fetched as the last, when he heard the footsteps again. His whole body tensed, staring at the door with wide eyes. Despite being prepared, he still jumped out of his skin when his captor banged on the door.

"Had some more time to think about it, Andros?" the voice asked.

"Look," Andros said, trying to keep his voice from shaking. "I don't know where Zordon is. I really don't know. If I knew I- I would tell you." As much as it ashamed him, that felt true. At this point he'd do almost anything to spare Zhane more pain. "Just…please, please, don't hurt Zhane anymore. Please."

The voice laughed, but Andros was too emotionally and mentally exhausted to be embarrassed. "You know, I think I almost believe you."

Andros' heart stopped. "A- Almost?"

"But…I think I need to be sure."

"No!" Andros jumped to his feet, once again pulling at his chains. "No, leave Zhane alone! If you want to hurt someone, then hurt me! Torture me, but please leave him alone!" Unfortunately, his shouts could do nothing to stop the scraping as the door opened, then closed again. Andros waited, not even daring to breathe. The first scream sent him to his knees and the one after caused him to scramble to the back wall. He curled up in a ball, covering his ears with his hands. But it couldn't keep Zhane's screams from permeating his brain. Andros dug his fingers into his hair, scratching at his scalp. It felt like the screams were echoing around in his own cell. He scrunched his eyes closed, moving his arms so they shielded his face. Tears fell from his eyes and down his cheeks.

" 'm sorry, Zhane…" he mumbled. As the screams continued, he curled into an even tighter ball, shaking. "I'm sorry. I should've listened. I should've protected you. I wish it was me instead of you. I'm sorry.

"I'm so, so sorry."