Chapter 28: Phantom
7760 BC - Frontier Lab - Planet 0117 - Galaxy A4 - Land Without Magic
"IT'S MORPHIN TIME!" Rhian said
"LION!" Telosi said
"HIPPOGRIFF!" Xev said
"FIREBIRD!" Aleia said
"UNICORN!" Orisonth said
"GRIFFIN!" Phiro said
"RED DRAGON!" Rhian said
The Squadron Rangers stand before the Spectoids, in their own unique suits
"I can believe the Morphers actually worked" the Blue Ranger said
"That's not encouraging" the Green Ranger said
"These suits feel like a whole new level of power" the Red Ranger said
"Spatial sonic wave!" the Green Ranger said, sending a blast of energy out, destroying several Spectoids
"If we can't fend them off from reaching the Arch, we might have to change tactics" the Red Ranger said
"They just won't stop coming" the Black Ranger said "maybe if we take out their leader… at any rate, it looks like someone could use our help"
"Did you imagine it would come to this?" the General asked the Morphinaut "your theory being the downfall of the Omniverse?
"You haven't reached the Proto Arch yet" the Morphinaut said
"You won't be able to stop us forever" the General said "does your team know that you're the cause of all this destruction?"
"Leave them out of this" the Morphinaut said
"Of course you didn't tell them the truth" the General said "you work alone, right?" And now here we are, the fate of the entire universe in the balance. All because you refused to ask for help"
"How did you know that?" the Morphinaut asked
"It doesn't matter" the General said "you're nothing but a phantom of what he was. The longer you delay this, the more you will lose. Forces, to me!"
"Sorry, I don't think they'll be coming" the Yellow Ranger said as the Squadron Rangers run up, having destroyed all the Spectoids "we're still accepting surrenders though"
"You are merely drawing out the inevitable" the General said "Dark Specter will stop at nothing to get that Arch" and the Morphinaut punches the General
"No matter what I have done to start this, I will do whatever it takes to end it" the Morphinaut said "starting by stopping you" and the General briefly flashes between two forms
"Wait…" the Morphinaut said
"Double trouble time?" the Yellow Ranger asked the Red Ranger
"I like the way you think" the Red Ranger said
"ETHER DOUBLE STRIKE!" the Red and Yellow Rangers said in unison while sending a charge from their weapons towards the General
"Heads up, coming through" the Pink Ranger said and she tackles the General to the ground and holds him down "Ori, I've got 'em, it's all you!"
"Didn't anyone ever tell you that it's the quality, not the quantity of fighters" the Blue Ranger said as he stabbed the General
"That's my cue" the Green Ranger said as he went to stab the General
"Telosi, careful, there might be someone in there" the Black Ranger said and the Morphinaut caught the Green Ranger's weapon in his hand, preventing him from striking the General
"No" the Morphinaut said "they're off limits"
"What?! Why?!" the Green Ranger exclaimed
"Because Xev might be right" the Morphinaut said "I thought I saw…" and the Morphing Grid energy surges through him, making him wince in pain
"Fine" the Green Ranger said "have it your way. But if we're nothing taking him out, what are we doing?"
"I think I can save him" the Morphinaut said
"Then you are a fool" the General said
"Stop!" the Morphinaut said "if you are who I think you are… it might not be too late. Maybe I can save…"
"Save me?" the General interrupted "you couldn't even save yourself! Goodbye… old friend" and the Red Ranger stabs him with her staff "It's over?"
"Almost" the Morphinaut said "there's just one thing left to do. I can't let you move on like this" and he begins channeling Grid energy into the General's body
"It's… it's actually you isn't it?" the General asked
"Wait is that…?" the Blue Ranger asked
"Chendil, my partner… and my friend" the Morphinaut said
"When you disappeared…" Chendil said "I tried everything to get you back… nothing worked, so you were lost. So when a voice began to whisper in my heart, offering to help… I so badly wanted to believe. Every fear, every regret… he twisted them until I became a monster. This is what he does. Draws out the worst of you until you're nothing but a shade of your former self. And shades are Dark Specter's domain. But you've returned. You're safe. That's… that's good"
"I am" the Morphinaut said "as are you. We are together again"
"I'm sorry for everything" Chendil said "stay this time?"
"Of course" the Morphinaut said as Chendil's body dissolved "may the Power be with you, friend"
"These must have been Chendil's" the Blue Ranger said, picking up an item
"We've bought ourselves some time" the Morphinaut said "let's get you home"
In the lab, Orisonth and the Morphinaut work on bringing the Arch online
"How much time do we need to get the Arch online?" Aleia asked
"We? We?" Orisonth asked "I don't see any of you doing anything to help get the Arch back online"
"Ori, your eyes… are you feeling okay?" Aleia asked "maybe you just need a break. Don't stress, we know you and the Morphinaut will get this fixed"
"Always the optimist" Orisonth said "refusing to look facts in the face. You keep telling me I'll do this, I'll do that, but what have you done for me, huh?"
"Every time any of us tries to help all you do is push us away!" Aleia said "and you wonder why none of us visited!"
"I don't miss the company that was never there!" Orisonth said
"Ori, Aleia, stop this" Rhian said
"Ah yes, our fearless leader keeping us all in line" Orisonth said
"You're both being jerks" Rhian said
"At least we feel something" Orisonth said "when's the last time something out of your mouth that wasn't an order?"
"When was the last time you thought about Shandra, Rhian?" Phiro asked
"Is that what you think of me?" Rhian asked
"Or Halone?" Phiro asked "Or anything about your sister? It's like she no longer exists"
"Hey" Telosi said "leave her alone."
"It's called moving on, Phiro" Rhian said "Clinging to every single memory of my sister isn't going to bring her back"
"There you go, spoiling for a fight, again" Xev said "what has gotten into you, Telosi?!"
"Well, we can't all be Mr. Diplomat, can we?" Telosi asked "We almost lost the Proto Arch because you were't willing to do what needed to be done. I'm sick of no one ever seeing things from my side!"
"Over a year and none of your have come by!" Orisonth said "what was I supposed to think?!"
"Always an excuse with you!" Aleia said "I've reached out so many times, your linkcomm won't even accept messages anymore!"
"You're obsessed with being like Shandra but you won't even say her name!" Phiro said "someone has to remember her!"
"You act like you're the only one who loved her!" Rhian said
"I'm tired of being the voice of reason when no one seems to listen" Xev said
"Yes…" a dark voice said "feel your anger, your despair… keep it close, let it grow…"
"I'm done being tolerated!" Orisonth said
"Fine!" Aleia said "once we're through, you don't have to see any of us again!"
"Dark Specter" the Morphinaut said to himself "he's here. He's bringing out the worst of them, corrupting them. Just as he did with Chendil. I can't save them. Not anymore, my Grid reserves are spent. But if it's guilt and despair he's drawn to…" and he raises his voice so Dark Specter can hear him "if it's a host you need Dark Specter, then you are looking at the wrong people. This is my fault. All of it. It was my hubris that drove me to seek out the Grill heedless of what could be there waiting, or the warnings of those would call me friend. I so badly wanted to find Zordon, to be the hero. Yet all I did was doom this world. My… my home. My partner."
"Dark Specter wouldn't have come here if I hadn't opened the Proto Arch" Orisonth said
"And he wouldn't know the Grid could be accessed from our realm if it wasn't for me" the Morphinaut said "what I've unleashed can never be undone. What I've set into motion cannot be stopped. I am, irrefutably, the cause of all this. How can I do on knowing reality with fall because of my own pride? Because of me… how do I live with that?"
"I could hear him… whispering I think" Orisonth said to Aleia
"Who?" Aleia asked "who was it?"
"Dark Specter…" Orisonth realizes "he's here. We have to help…"
"Stop!" Rhian said, blocking Orisonth's path "It's too late. That's not him anymore"
"Foolish children" Dark Specter said as he possessed the Morphinaut's body, turning his suit black "I will never be defeated"