Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The offices of Meri's psychiatrist father looked just like any other in the Angel Grove business district: clean, prosperous, and low enough to escape a Zord-sized monster's line of sight. Tommy was reminded of the reason for Angel Grove's abandoned warehouse district: the buildings in that section of town were older, built before the first giant monsters appeared, very tall and very tempting to monsters. They always got smashed first by rampaging monsters. This was precisely why no one had torn them down. Anything that kept monsters out of populated places was a plus, no matter how cliché an abandoned warehouse district sounds.

A potted plant sat on the tiny front patio. Meri lifted it and scooped up the small, gleaming key that lay beneath it. Tommy smiled, reminded of Moira’s bike lock question weeks ago: Meri’s family was new to Angel Grove, he figured, but not so new that they'd bother to really hide the spare key.

The key clicked pleasantly into the lock, (a quick, invisible retinal scan was performed on Meri,) and the door swung open. As they stepped inside the warm, cozy interior, one last protesting thought escaped Meri’s spellwork. *Why am I here?* he wondered. *I'm not crazy.*

But an answer came just as easily: of course he wasn't crazy. This guy probably wasn't even a psychologist. From Meri's hinting, he was a friend of Zordon. Probably Zordon wanted him to help watch over the Rangers. He thought about double-checking – it couldn’t hurt to call Zordon, given Meri had already known his name – and his fingers twitched toward his communicator before the thought slipped out of his head.

Tommy did have one part right: Meri's father was not a psychologist.

He followed Meri through an entryway and up a gleaming wooden spiral staircase with plushly carpeted stairs, dotted with elegant potted plants. He felt more tense with every step. Everything around him looked soothing. So why did he not feel soothed? It was about as genuinely calming as if every potted plant had bloody knives sticking out of it.

"Right through here," Meri instructed.

They stood before a softly white door. She bade him enter first and shut the door behind them.

More plants decorated the large wooden office; in fact, they did so with unusual frequency. Tommy never was good at botany, but they looked like different kinds of ferns. The office looked like a well-trimmed jungle.

In the center of the jungle sat a man. He was balding and plump, and his face glowed with friendly intentions. He grinned with the pure happiness of a five-year-old who's just been given a puppy and extended his hand to Tommy.

As he shook it, Tommy noticed that it was very stuffy in the room. He decided that it was for the benefit of the plants. It occurred to him suddenly to wonder whether they were Earth plants.

"Michael Aerodon, so good to meet you," said the man as he shook Tommy's hand vigorously. "I believe I know why you're here. Do sit down, please."

A chair was in the room, just in front of the desk at which Mr. - Dr.? - Aerodon sat. Tommy sat in it. By the time he did so, he realized part of what was odd about Aerodon's sentence.

"Excuse me, sir," he said politely, "but I thought your daughters' last name was Everett."

"Ah, yes," he smiled amiably. "They're adopted, you see. My wife and I thought it nice to let them keep their birth parents' name. Dear woman, but if she could see our girls now..." he sighed wistfully.

"Oh," Tommy said, realizing the implied loss, "I'm sorry."

"Ah, thank you. But let us drop the pretenses, Red Ranger."

The way he said the title didn't sit well with Tommy, even if he'd accepted that Aerodon was Zordon's friend and knew of the Rangers. It reminded him of... who?...

"Don't worry about such things, Tommy," Mr. Aerodon said. It clearly wasn't a request. Startled, Tommy tried to figure out why his thought had been threatening. Somehow he couldn’t quite remember what he’d just been thinking.

He frowned. This wasn’t right.

A new look came over Aerodon as his eyes wandered over Tommy. The look sat even less well with the young leader. It was rather like hunger. "Ah, yes. Thomas Oliver, Red Ranger. White Ranger. Green Ranger. Orphaned when you and your parents suffered a head-on collision driving into Los Angeles a month before your sixth birthday. The authorities identified the two corpses, but all records they had of Krissy and Jacob Oliver told them that they had no children. Legally, you had never existed."

Tommy couldn't breathe. This man had just rattled off, without a blink, the very secrets of his early life that Tommy'd tried so desperately to remember himself. He hadn’t even been completely sure he’d been 5 when his parents died. What he'd understood at age 5 about the Accident he'd repressed long ago... but he knew that Aerodon spoke the truth. He could remember now. In his mind's eye, he saw the smouldering wreck of his family's green four-door from where he hid in an alley, smell the smoke, could hear the sirens drawing near. He could – almost – picture his father’s bleeding face moments earlier, making Tommy promise to run away and disappear with his last breaths. The memory hurt like Angel, like Kim's letter. The last thought on his mind was breathing.

Mr. Aerodon didn’t even pause. "Petty thief from ages five to eleven. Picked the wrong pocket and were 'adopted' by Angel. She gave you a basic education, but she also taught you how to fight, how to kill, how to be more than a petty thief. Just think of the criminal record you'd have now if you'd existed back then." He seemed to know full well that Tommy tried his hardest not to think about that. More memories bloomed inside Tommy, piling on top of his parents’ deaths.

"By fourteen, you knew that Angel also chose you as her student because of your looks. Angel asked for more than you wanted to give. And the abuse started. Nothing you did was good enough. Not even now, is it, Tommy?"

Pain lanced through him as half-forgotten memories surfaced of being cornered, touched, shamed, helpless. The pains fed into anger. He stood. "Look, I didn't come here to listen to my past and I'm not going to. Goodbye!" And he pressed the teleport button on his communicator.

Nothing happened. Tommy looked up slowly from the communicator to Mr. Aerodon. The truth began to seep in.

The room had no windows, but the door opened. He spun and ran for it - but Sari stood in it this time. She looked up at him, shut the door, and smiled.

"Sit," said Mr. Aerodon. His voice was still so polite.

Tommy’s mind spun. He couldn't get the communication function on his communicator to work, either. Charging the door got him thrown across the room by Sari. He hurried to his feet, ignoring the pain of his fall, and dropped into a defensive stance. He had a tenth of a second’s debate over escalating the battle before reaching for his Zeonizers. “IT’S MORPHIN TIME!”

Nothing.

"I suggest you stop resisting, Tommy," Mr. Aerodon said coolly. "We're all quite stronger than we look. Sit."

"Like Hell I will!" he spat.

In five seconds, he was seated firmly in the chair, Sari crushing his arms down to either armrest.

"Before sixteen-" Mr. Aerodon continued calmly.

"Let go! HELP!"

"-you knew you had to leave. While she was out, you turned yourself in to an orphanage."

"Stop," pleaded Tommy. Aerodon's simple words were filling him with memories again. Fear and desperation, broken trust and heartache swirled inside of him as he saw again that hopeless, rundown grey-brick orphanage which was his only chance of protection from his own once-beloved Angel. He doubted that they could get him out of the City before Angel’s people found him, but he had to try. He couldn't take another beating.

The orphanage staff took you seriously. They transferred you to Little Angels’ Haven in Angel Grove. There, you were adopted within a month by a childless couple named Oliver, and none of you knew that that was already your name. You'd forgotten your parents long ago. A pity, after they sacrificed their lives for you.”

The first note of pain dropped from Tommy’s lips. He shuddered. He knew it wouldn’t be the last.

“The orphanage staff was so sure that your troubles would never find you while you were in Angel Grove with the Olivers. After awhile you convinced yourself, too. Realized that you'd gotten to a really nice place. Nothing bad ever seemed to happen to you there. Those monster attacks never even made it out to the suburbs. And you found out that there were some fellow martial artists. They even held tournaments."

Tommy knew by now that there was no point asking Aerodon to stop, that this torture was perfectly deliberate… but he also knew what was coming. His plea for mercy turned into a small, wordless moan of despair.

He'd met the Rangers, though he didn't know then who they were. He met Rita Repulssa. Aerodon took his time here, raking him through every detail of his slavery. The memories were suddenly sharper than they'd been in years – too sharp, too clear. Being paralyzed by Rita’s magic, feeling it crawl across his skin like hundreds of ants, wondering if he’d gone insane because witches weren’t real. Waking up her slave. He remembered every blow, every scream, every look of fear the Rangers had given him without knowing who they fought. And the Dimension of Doom... he knew afresh the sadistic glee he'd felt as he tormented Jason there – realizing now, for the first time, that the pleasure wasn’t all the demon controlling him. There had been a genuine rush of power in taking on the role Angel had held over him. Part of him – him, not the demon – had reveled in hurting Jason the way Angel had hurt him. Tommy had no time to process the horror of that. Aerodon pulled him forward. He felt again the terrified hope of his foolish decision to give the demon full control of his body in exchange for not killing Jason. Self-loathing washed over him in two nauseating waves.

Aerodon didn't stop. He pulled Tommy back into the nightmares he’d suffered after the Rangers freed him and the horrible, clawing doubts and fears of those first few weeks as a Ranger. The others were so kind, so open, when he'd just tried his best to kill them all. He hadn't told them what his life had been before... and they hadn't asked! Why did they trust him? They couldn’t be that stupid! Was it all just some hideous trick? Would he betray them?

Then Rita's cursed Green Candle, the weakness, the desperation; he couldn't lose his Powers, not now! The utter defeat in Jason's eyes when he'd returned without the Candle, meaning that Tommy's Powers would be drained away. No villain had ever gotten that look from Jason. Not even Tommy.

His pride broke when Aerodon brought him to his own betrayal. It was the memories of depression more than anything that did it. He’d forgotten the full, crushing weight of despair that had been enough to leave him ready to take his own life. It rolled over him, as smothering as it had been then. Aerodon paused then, as if realizing how much the feeling was breaking him. He was quiet just long enough that Tommy was on the edge of begging his torturer for the next strike. The next one was worse. He’d followed Lord Zedd into evil with a few minutes’ conversation. It was his worst nightmare brought to life by his own actions, and, again, Jason had almost died from it. Why had his friends every forgiven him? There was no possible excuse for what he’d done. The sobs Tommy let loose somehow did nothing to block out Aerodon’s words.

And it went on. Every pain he'd felt was brought to life again, until he could remember nothing but pain. Aerodon knew his deepest despairs and mercilessly brought each screaming into the sun. He even knew about the Brain Drain.

"But you never talked about it, never told anyone how much it hurt, Tommy," Aerodon said. A sob was his only reply. "Why?"

Tommy managed to whisper, "I had to be stronger. Red Rangers don't cry."

"Then you're no longer the Red Ranger. Isn't that what you want?"

Tommy looked up briefly, then returned to tears. On either side of him, the girls smiled at each other. They’d never experienced a victim fighting back. It was fun.

Aerodon drew him through the rivalry between Kim and Kat, the signs of Jason's steadily worsening power loss that somehow became Tommy's fault. Sari didn't hold him to the chair anymore. She didn't need to.

Aerodon finished at last. For a time Tommy just sat and cried, his mind burning with more pain than it could handle. His whole life was nothing more than misery, his own and that which he'd brought down on everyone else. Why hadn’t he killed himself yet?

"Now," Aerodon said, softly, kindly, "all your regret need not be in vain. I have the power to bend reality. I can make it so that your pain will never have existed for you or for the other people whose lives you’ve ruined. All you need to do, Tommy, is..."

But he stopped talking, because Tommy had already summoned his Zeonizers. He'd always known the price. He removed the pair of machines from his wrists and extended them to Aerodon. "Make it stop," he sobbed, broken at last.

Aerodon accepted the Zeonizers. They vanished in his hands. "Welcome, Tommy Oliver."

*****

"HIS NAME," began Zordon, "IS MICHAEL AERODON ON EARTH. HE IS THE SAME BEING WHOM TRINI DEFEATED AT THE GENEVA TEEN PEACE SUMMIT. SHE IS THE ONLY PERSON I AM AWARE OF WHO HAS PRESENTED HIM EVEN A PARTIAL DEFEAT IN HIS LENGTHY EXISTENCE. KING AERODON'S GREATEST STRENGTH IS HIS COMMAND OVER THE WILLS AND MEMORIES OF OTHERS. HE HAS CONQUERED HIS EMPIRE THROUGH THE BENDING OF ORGANIC MINDS. HE IS, THEREFORE, THE ANTITHESIS AND MORTAL ENEMY OF THE MACHINE EMPIRE. FORTUNATELY, WHEN TRINI ENCOUNTERED HIM IN HIS FIRST ATTEMPT TO TAKE OVER THE EARTH, HE HAD CHOSEN TO CONFINE HIMSELF TO A TRUE TERRAN FORM AND RELY ON HIS WARMONGERING SKILLS ALONE TO SET EARTH AGAINST ITSELF. HE DID NOT REMOVE THAT GUISE, THOUGH IT MEANT FAILURE IN HIS FIRST ATTEMPT HERE. HE MOST LIKELY CONSIDERED US A DELIGHTFUL GAME," Zordon said with unabashed dislike.

"IT IS NOT SO NOW. HE CANNOT LIVE ON EARTH IN HIS TRUE FORM, BUT HE HAS COME IN A FAR MORE POWERFUL ONE, WITH HIS MENTAL ABILITIES INTACT. THAT, RANGERS, IS YOUR GREATEST DANGER IN THE BATTLE THAT AWAITS YOU. HE COULD DESTROY OUR WORLD IF HE HAD YOU AT HIS COMMAND, AND HE HAS NOT YET FAILED TO TAKE A SERVANT ONCE HE SO DESIRES. HE HAS MARKED YOU, RANGERS. SOME OF YOU ARE ALREADY IN HIS POWER. I TRUST THAT NONE OF YOU FOUR ARE BECAUSE HE PREYS ON THE UNRESOLVED, PAINFUL MEMORIES OF HIS VICTIMS. NONE OF YOU YET HAVE WHAT HE NEEDS."

"What do you mean, yet?" Ish asked.

"I MEAN, ISH," he said gently, "THAT ONCE HE HAS SOME OF YOU, HE WILL USE THEM TO GIVE TRAUMATIC MEMORIES TO THE REST."

"But why isn't Trini here?" Ish demanded, interrupting again. "She knows all about Aerodon, and she hasn't suffered any more than I have."

"SHE HAS SUFFERED MORE," said Zordon, "BUT MAYBE NOT ENOUGH. I ONLY DID NOT CALL HER BECAUSE AERODON HATES TO LOSE. GIVEN THE CHOICE, HE WOULD TAKE HER FIRST. NOW, MAY I CONTINUE?"

"But what about me?" asked Adam softly. "Haven't I been through enough?"

"YOU HAVE BEEN IN THE POWER CHAMBER SINCE THEN. AERODON CANNOT ENTER HERE." Their mentor was starting to sound frustrated.

"Now that's the first hopeful thing I've heard," Rocky muttered.

"AERODON HAS DESTROYED HUNDREDS OF WORLDS, AND HE WILL DESTROY OURS IF YOU DO NOT KNOW HOW TO FIGHT HIM! WILL YOU LISTEN!"

They were all stunned. The anger in Zordon's voice was nothing compared to the fear. They might have been carved of wood, for all the noise they made.

Zordon's composure returned swiftly. "I CANNOT IDENTIFY HIM FOR YOU, BUT HE WILL DOUBTLESS SOON REVEAL HIS IDENTITY. RANGERS, FROM NOW ON, YOU MUST NEVER BE ALONE. UNTIL YOU FIND OTHERS OF YOUR TEAMMATES WHOM YOU CAN TRUST, YOU MUST AVOID EVER BEING OUT OF REACH OF ANOTHER OF YOU FOUR. DO NOT LET YOURSELVES BE ALONE WITH ANY OTHER RANGER."

They made a point of showing how little they liked this idea.

"I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS DIFFICULT. IT ONLY NEED LAST UNTIL YOU CAN BRING THE OTHERS HERE INDIVIDUALLY. I CAN DETERMINE WHETHER A PERSON HAS GIVEN IN TO AERODON IF THAT PERSON IS WITHIN THE POWER CHAMBER. HOWEVER, YOU MUST EXERCISE EXTREME CAUTION WHEN BRINGING THEM HERE. I ADVISE IT ONLY IF YOU ALL BELIEVE THAT THE RANGER IN QUESTION IS NOT UNDER AERODON'S POWER. IF THEY ARE, THEY WILL BE MORE POWERFUL THAN YOU ANTICIPATE AND A GRAVE THREAT ONCE THEY REALIZE WE ARE AWARE OF AERODON’S SCHEME. FOR NOW, ATTEMPT TO GATHER CLUES.

“YOUR ONLY FURTHER DANGER, BEYOND THE OTHER RANGERS AND AERODON HIMSELF, IS FROM THE AERODONIAN PRINCESSES: HIS DAUGHTERS. YOU KNOW ONE ALREADY, BUT PRINCESS ARCHERINA WOULD NOT HELP HIM AGAINST YOU. HE DISOWNED HER JUST AS KING MONDO DISOWNED PRINCE GASKET BECAUSE OF THEIR MARRIAGE. NEITHER DAUGHTER NOR FATHER BEARS THE OTHER GOOD WILL. HIS YOUNGER TWO, ORGANIC, DAUGHTERS ARE SOMEWHERE IN ANGEL GROVE AND WILL DOUBTLESS AID THEIR FATHER. THEIR SKILL AT MANIPULATING ORGANIC MINDS IS FAR LESS THAN HIS, BUT ALL THEY NEED DO IS BRING YOU TO HIM.

He paused. In a voice that was almost soft, he said, "IF THEY CAPTURE YOU, I CANNOT BREAK HIS CONTROL. YOU ARE THE ONLY HOPE FOR EARTH. IF YOU FALL, SO DO WE ALL.”

The four looked at one another for a small, silent moment. “We understand,” Adam voiced quietly.

"I WILL CONTINUE TO BE ‘LOST' UNLESS I AM NEEDED BY YOU," he concluded. "ALPHA, INFORM THE OTHER RANGERS THAT I AM "MISSING.' BILLY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO TAKE VENGEANCE UPON YOU FOR DOING SO NOW. WE MUST KEEP MY RETURN SECRET FROM AERODON UNTIL WE CAN AFFORD A DIRECT CONFRONTATION.

The four nodded and, together, teleported out.

Alpha looked up at Zordon. "Ai yi yi yi yi, Zordon! I don't understand. How can we free the Rangers that Aerodon's already changed??”

A deep pain filled the ancient wizard's eyes. "LET US HOPE THAT HE WILL NOT TAKE MANY," he said simply.

*****

When Prince Sprocket sent down a monster later that afternoon, the Rangers didn't seem at all weakened by recent events. Alpha only had to call on the Zeos, though Kim's Team was standing by just in case. Tanya still hadn't shown back up, but Jason was healed enough physically and the rest of the Team emotionally to bring the other five back together. Tommy and Kat were functioning more like a Team than they had since the Venusians' arrival, as were Tommy and Jason. Tommy had retracted all claims against Moira, quite startling Jason, and Jason forgave his best friend before anyone besides the DeSantos siblings found out that he'd been at Tommy's throat. Adam was reincorporated seamlessly and, overall, the Zeos seemed suddenly to be functioning with timing and coordination more like the Venusians. Prince Sprocket was again pouting over his failures with record speed.

Over the next few days, everyone seemed to be working toward nothing more sinister than a kick-ass production of Into the Woods. Kat had worked out all choreography and blocking with Kim, and the actors' scripts filled rapidly with notes. In Tanya’s continued absence, Kat began acting as Kim's stage manager, and it was evident to all that they had somehow worked out a lasting truce. Not a single further blowup happened between them or anyone else. Emily was still playing the part of Rapunzel because anyone who might've objected was simply too busy to bother. One or two little DeSantoses came to each rehearsal to watch their older siblings. The youngest DeSantos children were bonding with their "new" sister very quickly, which made all the Rangers happy.

Kim assumed Tanya’s role of Cinderella, opposite Jason's Prince, which was more humorous than awkward for the two old friends. The Rangers had started growing worried about Tanya, but after several days of Billy's "searches" and a reassuring note Kat found that she’d left in their bedroom, they became more convinced that Tanya must simply not want to be found. Even Tommy didn't seem worried.

The only thorn in anyone's side, it seemed, was the tiny prickle over Rita moving out of the Venusians' apartment: she was living with her family now. It was, though, only a tiny prickle, and everyone was getting along better and better. At the end of the first week, Mrs. Walsh, who had taken up not only vocal direction in Tanya's absence but also headed public relations, announced to the cast that she had informed the Angel Grove Bulletin and AGH that they'd be ready to perform in five more weeks instead of the expected six. One of Sandra’s tech crew volunteered to coordinate ticket “sales” for the four free performances and the first day had to handle a flood of Rangers’ relatives.

It was Mrs. Walsh who again brought up the subject of Tanya. Most of the cast plus Kim, Kat, Adam, Ish, and herself were at the Youth Center for an optional all-day Saturday rehearsal. At the moment, Kim was running the "Prince Scenes” between Tommy and Jason, working with them on how to act more princely without turning into caricatures. Several other groups were off in different corners running lines together to help memorize their parts.

Adam and Ish, though, were just talking quietly. They looked up, startled, when Mrs. Walsh sat in a chair next to them. She was a voluminous woman, and from her long, flowing floral dresses and wispy bun, anyone would know she was a teacher just by looking at her. She was much less intimidating than Ms. Applebee, their other teacher who fit the stereotype so well. Mrs. Walsh was gentle, unassuming, and pleasant company, for a teacher. "I'm not intruding, am I?" she asked with a smile. The two denied it. "Tanya might be jealous," she continued, "you two spending all this time together." The glint in her eye promised it wasn’t a serious concern.

"Well, it's the first chance we've gotten in awhile ‘cause of..." Ish stopped herself suddenly.

"Yes?" the portly, cheerful woman asked.

Adam glanced at Ish curiously, and his eyes suddenly went wide. He realized what Ish had been about to say. As unbelievable as such a slip would normally be, Adam could understand Ish's near-escape. It was too easy to let one's guard down around Mrs. Walsh. "Stuff," he finished for her.

"Ah, of course," Mrs. Walsh smiled. Instead of leaving, as adults normally did at this point, she continued to speak. "I'm so glad you two aren't worried about her."

They glanced at each other. It suddenly hit them how incredibly unlike Tanya it was for her to go off for a week without a word. Why weren't they worried? Was this some kind of mental influence over themselves that they hadn't even noticed?

"I mean, when has worrying ever helped, you know? Well, bye then." And she was off. She snagged David as he passed with the words, "Now about your song..." and was gone.

Adam looked at Ish.

"I don't know why, either," Ish answered.

“Think we should do something?"

"Heck yeah," Ish said. She scrambled to her feet and out of the Youth Center. Adam was close on her heels.

*****

In another part of the Gym, two actors were watching the pair of "Princes” go through their scenes. At the moment, they were striking princely poses. They did this quite a lot.

Moira, one of the two watchers, sighed happily. "Could he be cuter.”

"Who, Jason?" asked Emily, the other watcher. She and Moira had been running lines for the brief scene they had together. Moira nodded dreamily, never taking her eyes off him. "Think so?"

"Don't you?" Moira laughed.

"Well, yeah. I am his girlfriend. It's sort of in the job description."

The smile dripped off Moira's face like ice cream on a summer afternoon. The last week - joyous, perfect week - melted away. She tried desperately to grab hold of the bliss she'd just been immersed in, but it was gone. It had been a dream, and she'd just been shaken awake. She stared at shapely, American, normal Emily.

"Wh-hat?"

"Oh didn't you know? Yeah, we've been going out for about two months. Oh, but I don't mind you saying so: I'm not the jealous type. And you're so right," Emily said, turning Moira's head back to the Princes with her hands, "he could not be cuter. And he's so talented, and so manly! And-"

"He's going to pass out.”

"What?" his girlfriend said, startled.

Yes, this was reality. She could see Jason now, not some illusion of aid and love. And the real Jason had just gone deathly pale. Even as the two watched, he slumped bonelessly to the floor.

Emily cried out and burst to her feet. So did most everyone else in the room. Amid all the confusion and rushing bodies, Moira slipped away. Sari followed. When Moira broke down, Sari was there to pick up the pieces.

Thus the first week of Aerodon's attack on the Power Rangers ended: five to four in Aerodon's favor, and only three Rangers still in the dark.

*****

The doctors said that Jason was fine; or, rather, nothing could be found wrong with him. Billy confirmed this shortly after the Gold Ranger was released from the hospital, though the four who knew what was going on in the background wondered whether Billy was telling the truth. Still, they had to take Billy's word for it as much as the Scotts had to take the hospital doctors' word. Jason rejoined his friends without even a caution from Tommy.

Rehearsal began again at 8am on the next weekday, Monday. Meri and Sari, however, didn't arrive until 9:15. Arguing.

"Look, I don't care!" Sari roared. A few people passing near them outside the Youth Center stopped and stared. She spun and glared at them, and they suddenly had overpowering urges to run away.

"Control yourself, sister," Meri hissed at her older sister as they sped out of sight. "Save our power for Jason!"

"We're not taking Jason yet! Daddy says to take Trini!"

The younger, plumper girl stomped her foot angrily. "Oh, you wouldn't hurt a fly unless Daddy told you to! But I don't want to give him all the Power Rangers! Can't we have some fun, too?"

"No!"

"Fine!" Meri yelled. "Then I'll do it without you!"

"Fine!"

They glared at each other, then as one they charged for the door.

"Back off, I'm older!”

"I got here first!"

The two squeezed through the door frame simultaneously, yelling all the time. They visibly composed themselves once through, though, and walked with unparalleled civility down the hall into the Gym.

It wasn't until both were out of sight that Ashley Hammond, arms full of sketches, dared to breathe again.

*****

"Kim! Kim, I have to-" Ashley said.

"No! Hold on!" Kim told the actors on stage.

"Kim, it's really-"

Kim turned, though, and Ashley stopped on her own. "Look," she seethed, "I don't need those costumes for three weeks. Whatever your problem is, I'm sure you can figure it out, on your own, in three weeks. Not while I'm blocking scenes. Got it?"

Ashley nodded meekly and backed away. "Okay, now- Cinderella..." Kim began, but stopped suddenly. She glanced around. "Where's Moira?"

Half the room looked at Jason for an explanation. Before he could respond indignantly, Kat jumped up. "Oh, I'm sorry! No, everything's okay. Moira phoned me last night to say she'd be in late."

Meri and Sari exchanged approving smiles. Not only did it cover Moira's absence - they were doing a more thorough job of improving Moira than they'd done with Tommy - but it got Kim upset, too.

"She phoned you?" Kim repeated in disbelief.

Kat's smile was equal parts fluff and insincerity. "I guess she didn't want to wake you."

"Now, come on, Kat," Tommy frowned, deeply startling Kim, "be nice."

The smile dropped off the blond's face instantly. Kat bristled and walked away.

A light awe wiped the stress clean from Kim's face. Tommy smiled in return.

"Sorry for that. Don't let her get to you, beautiful."

Her large brown eyes went wide at the old name, bringing a childlike appearance to her face. She had a sudden impulse to follow him around like a puppy.

She didn't. But she was still staring at him after he'd turned to return to his position when they'd left off. After several heartbeats, she stirred herself back to the job at hand. She felt a new vigor. At long last, they knew who held Tommy's heart.

The whole scene had distracted Ashley. Now that it was over, though, she was at a loss. Jason and Trini were Rangers. Power Rangers! If they were the Power Rangers, she figured, damned if the whole group wasn't. She couldn't imagine any of them keeping secrets from the others; they were just too close. Second thought struck: being Rangers might even explain why they were so close! Ashley was about to explode with the need to find out more. But the important part, she told herself firmly, was that they were in danger. Sari and Meri were plotting to do something to Jason or Trini, something they’d already done to other Rangers. She had to tell someone... but who? Jason and Trini were the only ones she really knew were Power Rangers. She glanced around.

Good luck refused to make an appearance. The cast was blocking the final scene and bows, and everyone was on or near stage. She didn't dare talk to someone about to go on. They’d both get yelled at by Kim if the person missed their cue.

She looked more closely around the large Gym. There were a few people not doing much: Mrs. Walsh, for one, and Ish – was she a Ranger? was she sure? how did she get into this? -- and... she sighed. She just wanted to talk to someone she could trust who she knew would help the Rangers even if they themselves weren't a Ranger. Maybe she should just wait until someone really trustworthy like Kat or Billy wasn't busy and.... She spotted Billy just leaving the "stage" and started toward him.

"Ashley, there you are," Mrs. Walsh said. Ashley turned around, startled. For such a large woman, she made surprisingly little noise.

"Oh, hi," she said.

"Now, I couldn't help but notice that little scuffle back there between you and Kim, and I just wanted to reassure you...."

And she went on. And on. Ashley could think of no way of getting out. Mrs. Walsh was just trying to be nice, and Ashley didn't want to hurt her feelingrs. Maybe she could get away once they finished with the finale. Say that she had to talk to one of the Princes about costumes....

"Oh, you do?" Mrs. Walsh said bubblingly when Ashley said just that. "Well, no problems there! Jason!”

Ashley winced. "No, please, I'll go to him...."

Too late. Jason was already nearly to them. "Jason, Ashley darling needs to talk to you," Mrs. Walsh called in a voice almost but not quite too soft to embarrass. "Well, I'll just be off, then. Have a delightful day!" she chirped to Ashley, then departed.

She and Jason both watched her for a few seconds. Jason gave a little laugh. "Sure is something, isn't she. What's up?"

"Oh. Um. There’s something I found out, and…" Was it safe to tell him? Would he get mad if he knew she knew? Was it worth risking that anyway to warn the Rangers?

"Come on," Jason said quietly.

She looked up, startled. "What?"

He took her arm, and, though the grip wasn't painful, it was obvious that he could make it hurt. "We should go outside.”

“Oh. Um. I… guess?”

They were walking out of the Gym, quickly. “I've seen that look too often," he said as he led her away, "to not recognize it. We're going on a little trip."

Her heart hammered in her chest. "Let me go."

"I promise no one's going to hurt you."

“Are you kidnapping me?"

"Am I a Power Ranger?"

Startled, she thought it over before answering. They were well outside the Youth Center now, on the side which almost adjoined Angel Grove Forest. She looked at the edge of old trees. The shadows under them didn't seem very friendly. Jason looked at it, too, but he shuddered. It seemed a bit of an overreaction.

He released her arm and started fiddling with his watch.

"Rangers don't kidnap people." She tried to make it sound like a statement.

He grabbed her arm suddenly with his watch-hand. "Only when we have to," he said, smiled, and pressed something on the watch with his free hand.

Her stomach lurched. Then it stopped lurching - because she no longer seemed to have a stomach. She looked down and caught a glimpse of white light where her toes were supposed to be before the light took over everything. A feeling of great distance, then....

*****

She leaped off the ground the second she had legs. Having a mouth again, she screamed at Jason, and, having fists, she beat them on his chest.

"Whoa! Hey!" he cried with a laugh. He easily caught the flying fists. "Settle down. You’re safe!"

She stepped on his foot with one platform heel. "Yeeow!" he yelled and released her.

Only then did she begin to take in her surroundings. They were in a huge metallic room with a lot of consoles and a giant bluish-white tube along the wall to one side. It all gleamed and shone like someone had waxed it two seconds before they arrived. Set into one wall she saw cases with Ranger costumes and weapons. They were the older costumes, the ones that hadn't been seen for nearly a year. She swallowed. They looked like trophies.

There was someone else in the room. He had his back turned to them and was working on a console, but he turned at their noise.

“Adam," Jason said with relief, "great. Look, you think you could help out explaining? She's kind of gone off of me."

"I can see that," Adam smiled. "How much does she know?"

Jason shrugged. "How much?" he asked her.

She blinked at him. "Wha?"

"Not much," Jason replied to Adam.

“Who...?" she tried again.

"Who are the Power Rangers?" Adam asked. She nodded fervently, looking relieved. "Technically, it's just Jason, Tommy, Kat, Rocky, Tanya, and me. The rest of us aren't Power Rangers of Earth, but still pretty much the same thing. They’re the new ones that started popping up on the evening news a few weeks ago. That's Kim, Trini, Ish, Moira, and Rita."

She opened her mouth but found nothing to say. After several seconds, she said "Eleven" in a tiny voice and closed her mouth.

"So how did you know we're Rangers?" Jason asked.

She suddenly remembered. "Sari and Meri were arguing and I hid in a bush and they said they were going to do something to you or Trini they couldn't decide which and they said you were the Power Rangers and I was just trying to help don't be mad."

The Rangers blinked at her. They blinked at each other. They blinked at her again.

"So," Jason said in satisfied tones, "that’s who's been screwing with us."

Adam stared at Jason open-mouthed. "You knew?”

"Not a lot. I knew something was up. How many times have you known Tommy to start an argument and then suddenly back off and say you're right?" Adam acknowledged the oddness. "And Tanya didn't even stay on Mysterio Island for an extra couple of minutes to rescue her own parents when the Rangers needed her. Nothing would make her just abandon us for this long. Tommy knows that. He should be freaking out. You and Ish seem like the only ones trying to find her."

Adam's grin was one of relief. "Hope you won't mind if we test you, though."

"Sure, go ahead. And then tell me what's going on?"

"And me?" Ashley put in weakly.

They glanced at her. "Sorry," Adam said, "we usually do this very differently. We're in the middle of a crisis. Soon as it's over, you'll get the whole nine yards, promise."

"’Til then, though, we gotta have your word that you won't tell anyone about us. We have to keep our identities secret."

"Oh, sure," she agreed. "Paparazzi and all that, gotcha."

"Hold on just a sec, Jase," Adam said, punching keys on the console.

Ashley screamed. A giant head had appeared in the tube.

"HELLO," it said.

She screamed again.

“PLEASE DO NOT BE ALARMED. I AM ZORDON, THE POWER RANGERS' MENTOR. I WAS IMPRISONED IN ANOTHER DIMENSION EONS AGO AND CAN ONLY COMMUNICATE IN THIS WAY."

She breathed in once, deeply. The exhale was sharp. "Okay," she said.

"Zordon, would you test Jason?" Adam asked. The giant bluish head nodded once. A ray of dark blue light swooped down from the tube to surround Jason. It circled slowly around him, drawing nearer to his body. The light drew her in. She wouldn't let her eyes leave it, even to blink; it was too beautiful. All at once, it disappeared inside him. He lit up blue for a moment, then the light vanished completely.

"Wow," Ashley breathed.

"Ditto," agreed Jason. "That was something else."

“Zordon?" Adam inquired.

"YES," said Zordon, "HE IS FREE OF THEIR CONTROL. YOUR NEW FRIEND IS AS WELL."

"But you didn't test me," Ashley protested.

"I DID. YOU WERE SPELLBOUND JUST NOW AS I TESTED JASON. YOU COULD NOT HAVE LOOKED AWAY HAD YOU WANTED TO DO SO. OUR ENEMY WOULD NOT ALLOW HIS SERVANT TO BE SO EASILY NEUTRALIZED."

She thought about asking him what on Earth he was talking about but decided that now was not the time. The two Rangers spun around to look at something behind her. She turned as well and let out a yelp of surprise. She was sure Billy hadn't been behind them a few seconds before.

Billy looked about as surprised as she felt. He stared at Zordon blankly. Slowly, his eyes fell to rest on Jason, then Adam.

"How long have you known?" he asked. The words were quiet, but the tone of voice made her shiver. She didn’t know Billy that well, sure, but she hadn’t expected him to give her the creeps like that.

Adam looked to Jason, then, slowly, he said, "About a week."

Billy's jaw went slack. He laughed, a humorless shaking sound. "And you haven't done anything yet?! I thought we'd win by surprise, not ineptitude!"

Jason obviously had to work to hold himself back. Billy stepped toward his volatile friend, a sick grin on his face, but he was stopped by an invisible wall that sparked when he tried to go through it. He glared murderously at the floating head.

The two Rangers walked nonchalantly to a stretch of wall near what appeared to be giant doors. A piece of wall next to the doors fell open at their touch, revealing seven gun-like devices. Jason removed the black one, Adam the green, and they returned to Billy.

"It's too late now. My master controls too many for you to stop him."

“Oh, can it," Jason said, rolling his eyes.

A circular area of air surrounding Billy sparked as Zordon dropped the force field. Jason reached in to grab Billy's arm.

Billy, however, was no longer there. He'd made an inhuman leap to the ceiling two stories above them and was holding on with his hands to one of the heavy metal beams crisscrossing near the top.

"Holy..." Adam whispered.

"Come down, Billy," Jason warned.

Billy was struggling to get his whole body on to the rafter to shield himself from the Rangers' fire.

"Don't make me shoot," Jason said.

Three seconds passed heavily. Billy got a leg on to the rafter.

A beam of green light shot out from Adam's gun-thing, startling everyone in the room. It hit Billy squarely, and, with a shriek, he fell a good three stories to the very hard ground.

"He's fine," Jason announced after a quick examination. Adam breathed again. "He's gonna have a lot of bruises and a hell of a headache, but somehow he's fine."

"PLEASE PLACE HIM IN A CONTAINMENT UNIT," said Zordon.

The two Rangers left with Billy.

Ashley was suddenly very much aware that she was alone in a massive secret room with a stuck magician. "THEY WILL NOT WANT YOU TO HELP THEM," the stuck magician said without preamble.

"Why not? I can. I want to," Ashley said. As soon as she’d said it, she hoped it hadn't sounded like a whine.

The floating head seemed to smile. "I KNOW YOU CAN, AND I AM GLAD THAT YOU DESIRE TO AID THE RANGERS. THEY WILL NEED THE AID OF ANYONE WHO WILL GIVE IT, FOR THEY ARE ALREADY FEW IN NUMBER AND WILL LIKELY BECOME FEWER BEFORE THIS IS ENDED. HOWEVER, THEY ARE UNACCUSTOMED TO ACCEPTING THE AID OF CIVILIANS. THEY WORK TO KEEP THE PEOPLE OF ANGEL GROVE OUT OF HARM'S WAY. I WOULD BE GREATLY SURPRISED IF THEY APPRECIATE ONE THROWING HERSELF INTO THEIR BATTLE."

"So... what do I do?"

"THROW YOURSELF IN ANYWAY. SIMPLY ANTICIPATE RESISTANCE."

"Oh. I can do that."

He seemed to smile. "I WOULD SUGGEST-"

But what he would suggest remained a mystery, because the doors then reopened to admit Jason. “Well, ready to go back?" Jason asked.

"Huh?" she replied.

He smiled. "Rehearsal. It's still going, you know."

"Oh!" She'd completely forgotten about the play! "Sure."

"Hold on to me," he said, messing with his watch.

She put a hand on him, automatically doing as he said. Noticing the watch, she said, "Couldn't we just walk or..."

*****

"...something," she finished upon rematerializing. They were outside the Youth Center again. "Man, that's weird."

"You don't know the half of it. If you're lucky, you never will."

Ashley frowned as she followed him back to the rehearsal.

*****

""Did I abuse her, or show her disdain? Why does she run from me?'" Tommy sang to Ish, who was standing in for Jason. Jason ran around behind the "stage," the space of floor marked off with masking tape to be the same size as the AGH stage where they'd be performing. Ish scooted out of the scene just as Jason made a princely, if very late, entrance.

""If I should lose her,'" Tommy continued to sing without a blink, ""how shall I regain / the heart she has won from me?”

Kim smiled. It suddenly became apparent that Tommy had actually been looking at her while he sang.

He switched suddenly to look at Jason: "‘Agony! Beyond power of speech! When the one thing you want-'" and he glanced at Kim "’-is the only thing out of your reach.’”

Jason took a very deep breath and made ready to use what Mrs. Walsh had taught him. "‘High in her tower, she-'" he began to sing.

And Tommy walked right out of the scene. Mrs. Walsh, on accompaniment, stopped playing and Jason stopped singing, both startled. "I'm sorry, Kim, this isn't working for me," he began, kneeling beside her. Kim really should tell him off for that...

"How can I help?" she said instead. She batted her eyes.

Jason's mouth dropped open. He hadn't seen her bat her eyes since she was fifteen… and had just fallen for Tommy...

The Red Zeo leaned in and whispered something in her ear. Her eyes shot open very wide. While she was still staring in apparent shock, he shifted slightly and kissed her on the lips. A murmur went through the room.

No one thought about Kat in time. In two huge bounds, she was standing over them. Tommy pulled away, seeing her behind Kim. Kim, following his line of sight, looked back.

Kat's fist connected squarely with the Ninjetti's head. Kim crashed out of the chair. Her head thudded dully on the linoleum. She stayed where she fell, utterly still. No one else moved, either. It was unreal.

Tommy cried out first and knelt next to her. He turned her over and pushed her hair back... and a bright line of red glistened on her cheek.

Cries rang out of the shocked stillness, not the least of which was Kat's own. The Pink Zeo backed away, hands over her mouth, looked horrified. Several people rushed past her to get to Tommy and Kim. Tommy stood, holding her carefully in his arms. Murder was in his eyes. "How dare you," he growled at Kat. Tommy headed for the door.

"Where are you going?" Kat asked.

He stopped but didn't turn. In the same low growl, he said, "I'm taking her to a hospital." He walked swiftly out of the room.

Kat shook her head slowly. "No... Kim... oh God! I didn't know I hit her that hard!" she wailed.

Rita noticed that the Green Ninjetti wore an odd expression. "What is it?" Rita asked.

In a puzzled voice, Trini said, "She didn’t hit her that hard. She couldn't have knocked out a Ninjetti with that a punch like that. Not unless she's much stronger than she was a month ago."

Rita glanced at Adam to confirm. The room's other remaining black belt Ninjetti had had the same thought. Without a word, Rita and Adam ran out after the Team leaders.

End Part One

Chapter Text

By the time they got outside, Tommy's car was no more than a cherry red streak at the far end of the street. They leaped into Adam's car and hurried after them.

"If they hurt her..." Rita began angrily.

"You'd have to get in line," Adam said. The Black Scorpion examined the steel in his eyes, then she smiled, satisfied. She returned her attention to the chase.

Tommy bee-lined into downtown Angel Grove. Even though it wasn't a rush hour, Adam could barely stay with him. They were driving down one of the major roads, the eight-lane Market Street, when ahead of them they spotted Tommy cut across the other three lanes into oncoming traffic to shoot down a small side street.

"He knows we're here," Adam said grimly.

"You think so?" Rita agreed.

Adam copied Tommy's move, also across oncoming traffic. Market Street dissolved into a chaos of honking horns behind them.

Unfortunately, the smaller street, Ryder Avenue, was completely devoid of cherry red automobiles. Rita cursed vehemently.

"Wait!" Adam cried, pulling the car to a halt at an intersection. He saw a flash of red turn off of a street up ahead. He pounded the accelerator like it was Aerodon's head.

When they finally caught up, Tommy's car was parked in the driveway of a two-story standalone business office. So was Kat's pink convertible. Adam whispered what both were thinking: "They staged it?"

They pulled into a stretch of curb in front of the house and got out. "Adam," Rita whispered, calling his attention to the figure next to Tommy's car.

"Hey... guys?" Kat called in a confused tone as they approached.

"What are you doing here?" Adam demanded coldly.

Her cheeks were still wet with tears, and she looked very pale in the sunlight. "I tried to follow them to the hospital, but he came here instead."

"What is this place?" Rita asked.

"Damned if I know," she replied tearily. "Don't you know what's going on?"

They both paused. "Yeah, I think we do," Adam said very softly, not meaning for her to hear. He blinked.

In that fraction of a second that his eyes were closed, Kat's blue ones gave her away. The pupils contracted and then lengthened, into a shape that looked oddly familiar... like a cat's....

"Adam!" Rita cried as Kat spun to send a fireball at him. But the Rangers were too slow at both yelling and dodging, and the pink energy hit him squarely. He fell to the ground, out cold. Kat, now between the two Rangers, moved to grab him.

Fortunately, Rita was not a Zeo Ranger. Morphing in an instant, she slipped herself between the two and launched an attack at Kat. Even surprise wasn't enough to win, though. Kat was fast and absurdly strong. Black realized that she was going to lose and instead devoted her attention to Adam.

White light surged from her into Adam's body. He opened his eyes.

"Go!" black cried. Kat grabbed her, fingers lengthening into pink-hued claws. Now weakened from healing him, black couldn't hope to get away, and she didn’t try. "Adam, it's you they want! They can't turn me!"

He hesitated half a second, then cursed and ran for it. Kat let out a screech of feline anger, but could do nothing to stop him without releasing black. The Black Scorpion heard a car engine start, and grinned.

Kat was suddenly holding nothing but cloth. But even as black made a run for it down the street, she knew it was too late. She felt the surge of magical energy behind her, dodged, and was hit by a second shot. As it burned through her, the strength dropped from her limbs. She collapsed in the street.

Claws dug into her sides, then lifted her off the ground. Something purred in her ear. A strange force washed over her, and suddenly her Morph was gone. They were moving.

"Good kitty," a soothing male voice said. Rita didn’t recognize it. The purring rose happily. Rita tried again to move, but all the strength was gone from her body. "You're right, Margarita DeSantos," the voice said, "we can't make you ours yet. But we can make you talk. Come into my parlor, little fly."

As Kat carried her toward the structure, a final plea filled Rita's mind. *You win, Daemon take you. I need your help!*

*****

Adam took the long way back to the Youth Center. He left the car at his home and teleported to the Command Center. He could find no trace of Rita on sensors. Nor could he find Tommy or Kat.

He cursed loudly and teleported back to the Youth Center. *What am I gonna tell Rocko?*

*****

The Blue Zeo didn't really need telling. Adam just looked at him and shook his head, and from the sickened look in his eyes, Rocky understood. The second that the rehearsal, under Mrs. Walsh's direction, ended, Rocky and Ish were at his side.

"What happened?" Ish asked instantly.

Jason joined them. Ish and Rocky clammed up - but Adam said, "It's okay, Zordon's checked him."

The two sighed with relief. "And damn glad of it," Rocky said. "Adam, what...."

"Let's get someplace more private first," Adam hedged.

"We can just wait till everyone leaves," Ish said. "Jase, tell Emily that we'll clean up? And what do you want?"

The three Zeos turned. Ashley stood just behind them.

Ashley hesitated a second. "Well, Mrs. Walsh sent me over to ask if anyone wanted to work on songs... but I guess not. I want to help."

Rocky and Ish looked decidedly startled. "She knows," Jason explained. Their eyes bulged in perfect unison. "Since this morning."

"She's why Jason's with us now. But you're not helping us any more," Adam stated.

"Am so," she said. Her eyes held the sort of challenge that promised intensive taunting to the loser. The Rangers blinked.

"Erm," Rocky said.

"Took the words right outta my mouth," Jason said.

"So unsanitary," Ashley smiled.

After a slow moment, Ish said tentatively, "I... guess there's no harm in just her coming with. Is there?"

None of them could think of a rational reason she couldn’t come. Grinning hugely, Ashley went with the Rangers.

*****

Belle watched the five with half an eye. She turned her full attention back to Marina. "The Black one's asked for your help," she repeated quietly. "So? What do we care?"

"I'm... not sure yet." Marina stood, meaning to have a "chat" with the obvious character. However, she realized belatedly that Mrs. Walsh had vanished. She grated her teeth. *I hate those people.* "Come on," she told Belle.

"Why?" Belle asked as she rose.

"Someone's not what they seem, and it's not us. We're going on a hunt."

*****

Emily eagerly agreed to let Adam, Jason, Ashley, Rocky, and Ish clean up. At last, everyone had left the Juice Bar and the five could get down to business. They sat around the Rangers' usual table, despite how empty it felt now.

"Aerodon has her," Adam answered Rocky's earlier question. The Rangers' eyes were all pained, but Rocky's weren't surprised.

"I figured," he said simply. He looked very worn. "Guys, we've gotta stop this, now. They know we're fighting them. No more waiting around. We need to decide some things."

"Like who’s theirs," Ish said quietly.

"Right," the Blue Ranger sighed. "Let's start with who we know for sure."

"Tommy and Kat," Adam answered instantly.

"And Billy," Jason said. "He walked in on us talking to Zordon this morning. He's in a holding cell now; Aerodon won't find out about Zordon from him. But," he continued after a moment of silence, "I think we can take this further. We can assume they took Kim to do to her whatever they've done to the others. Tommy and Kat both went missing for awhile too right after this started. Whatever they’re doing must take some time. So anyone who's been missing since Kat disappeared could be theirs." His face went white even as he spoke. "Moira." He looked like the floor had just been pulled out from under him, leaving him tumbling.

Ish drew a hard breath and nodded. "Last weekend. She was gone all.... But, no, Kat said she was... oh."

Rocky clapped a hand to Jason's back, meaning to be reassuring. "We'll get her back."

"She doesn't deserve this!" Jason growled.

"Neither does Tommy," Adam pointed out quietly. “Or Kat.”

"Who could ever deserve this?" Ish said.

Jason glared at her. "Do they really, Jase?" Ish said before he could speak, knowing he was thinking of their other enemies. His breath shuddered from his lungs, the rage gone. With a hint of shame in his eyes, he shook his head.

"Tanya, too." They all noticed again that Ashley was there. "She's been gone a lot longer than anyone else," Ashley continued, though more tentatively with all their eyes on her.

"Maybe she got away," Ish said brightly.

"Or maybe they can't turn her. Zordon said he wouldn't be able to hurt you, Rocky, or Rita. Maybe...." Adam said quickly.

"Maybe," Jason said, halting Adam, "we're wasting time. If she's okay, great, and if she's not, we'll know soon. I'm sorry," he added to the Green Zeo, "but it's the truth. That’s a lot of our people who’ve been taken. What can we do about it?"

"Go take them back," Ish said immediately.

But Adam shook his head just as quickly. "Absolutely not," he said with unusual vehemence. "We didn’t have a chance back there. It’s just because Rita sacrificed herself that I even got out. Going in there blind will only give them more of us."

"What about a trade?" Ashley asked. "If you're sure they haven't made Rita evil, you could exchange her for Billy." She grinned when she realized that they were actually considering her idea. She thought it odd how quickly she was learning. *Is that good or bad?* she asked herself.

"But Billy knows everything about the Rangers. He'd tell Aerodon all our secrets."

"Who says he hasn't already?" Rocky argued quickly. "And Rita might be able to tell us about their base, or his plans. And-"

"And," Adam interrupted, placing his hand softly over the tensed one of his oldest friend, "what would you say if she wasn't your hermanita?" Adam had seen the emotions in his friend's eyes many times before, but he hadn’t realized their real cause before Rita came home.

Rocky didn’t try to deny it. "I just found her," Rocky whispered. "Don't make me walk away."

"Rocko, man, I’m sorry,” Jason said gravely. “Billy would tell Aerodon about Zordon, and we can’t keep him out of the Power Chamber forever, he practically built it. We'd lose Zordon.” Rocky couldn't argue with that, but it tore him up not to try.

Adam had just finished counting on his fingers. "So, that makes Tommy, Kat, Billy, and Moira theirs, plus Tanya and Rita their prisoners. Plus all of us... that only leaves Trini?"

Horror lit Ish's eyes. She'd felt uncomfortable sitting there the whole time, like something bad would happen because of it. Why hadn't she listened?! Some Ninjetti she was! "I have to get home!" she cried, rushing from the table.

"Wait," Jason said. She didn't. He had to grab her and physically hold her there. However, this proved a harder thing than he expected. Ish slipped through his fingers in a move he'd only seen Morphed Ninjetti pull off. "Ish, please!" he called after her as she ran for the door. At last, the Venusian stopped. "If it was dangerous before to go alone, it's worse now. Someone has to go with you.”

"But what if they attack us? They'll just get two instead of one!"

"You don't know that. And if they find you alone-"

"I'll go," Ashley piped up.

“No way,” Jason and Adam returned instantly. She ignored them.

"Give me one of those watch things. If anyone comes for us, they'll try to take her out first and I can get the mayday to you guys to back her up."

The Rangers hesitated. Much as they'd have liked to argue, it made sense. "We're supposed to protect civilians," Rocky frowned, "not use them as pagers."

"You are protecting civilians," Ashley said instantly. "Thousands of them. Billions. If they get all of you I don't wanna find out what they'll do. You're more important than me."

A tense, frozen second passed. Only one, though. “Please don't get yourself killed, Ashley," Jason said.

"Yes sir," she smiled.

“Or hurt. Or dinged.”

She giggled a second, “Yes sir.”

"I'll man the Power Chamber," Rocky said. "The communications channel opens there automatically; she won't have to reset anything to get through to us."

"Good," Jason said. He felt almost like smiling again. Maybe they wouldn't lose anyone else.

"I'm going home," Adam said flatly.

"I'll go with you," Jason said. "Sleep sounds really good right now. Let me just clean up here first."

"Catch up?" Adam requested. Jason winced, but Adam begged silently until the Gold Ranger caved. Whatever Zordon had said, Adam needed a few moments to himself tonight, even if the bad guys did try to jump him.

The five split up, none intending to be on their own for long.

*****

"Awh shit."

The only light in the Power Chamber came from a few sparking consoles and the empty time warp tube, which now glowed blood red. It was light enough, though, for him to see Billy holding a blaster at his head.

"Come on," Billy snarled, motioning toward the door with his head.

"How?" Rocky asked quietly.

Billy's laugh made him cringe. "I broke out. What did you expect? As you once so kindly put it, I ‘live here.’"

Anger and frustration filled him. "What did you do to Zordon?"

A satisfied smile contorted Billy's face. "No talking."

"But-"

The blaster went off. A stream of white light burned straight for Rocky's head... and stopped an inch from it.

Rocky had never "seen" telekinesis, but he recognized it. *What have they done to you?* he thought despairingly.

"Oh, you mean this?" Billy teased as if he'd heard Rocky's thoughts. Rocky's blood ran cold. Billy "tossed" the suspended energy beam into a console that wasn't quite damaged enough for his liking. "Oh Rocky, I've been practicing that for months. If I hadn't been, you'd be dead right now. Now cooperate, or you'll find out what else I can do."

He led the Blue Ranger to a cell next to the now very damaged one that Rocky and Jason had put him in. Rocky was forced to hand over his communicator and Zeonizers amid Billy's taunts of turning them and all the Rangers to evil. The young genius bound Rocky tightly.

"Any last words?" he asked as he prepared a gag.

Finally succumbing, Rocky asked, "How long you gonna keep me here?"

Billy's grey eyes danced with pleasure. "Until my master controls every Ranger on Earth. For all I care," he added, forcing the gag into Rocky's mouth, "you can rot in here, my ‘friend’."

*****

Ashley didn't know why she was trying to make conversation. Ish obviously didn't feel like talking. Ashley could tell that much by the iron grip Ish had on the steering wheel. It would not be fun to be the only one around when Ish snapped, and it didn't seem like it would take much more for that to happen. Still, Ashley couldn't help but try.

"You scared?" Ashley's words seemed to echo. Angel Grove had gone to bed long ago, especially in this nice residential neighborhood. All around them, the air was still.

Ish didn't look at her. "Scared, angry, frustrated... I got the whole schmorgasboard. All you can eat. And here I go, off into what's probably a trap to save the only person who...."

But Ish stopped, as if suddenly realizing that she'd been talking.

"Who what?" Ashley prodded gently.

"N... nothing." She gripped the steering wheel tighter.

Ashley took one look at her. Both eyebrows went up. "Shyeah right, girl! You better not be telling me not to worry my pretty little head about this, "cause that ain't happening. You start moving that mouth a yours or I ain't gonna be held accountable!"

Ish screeched on the brakes. A stoplight. She'd noticed the red light barely before entering the intersection. Ish turned to her and stared. "What part of Angel Grove are you from?"

Ashley winked. “Beverly Hills. My mom moved me out here to stay with my aunt just before eighth grade. Afraid I'd follow in her footsteps before I'd looked at my other options. And she was right: I love fashion design way more than acting."

The twinkle in Ashley's eyes did it at last. Ish's mouth fell open. "You are not Roberta Hammond's daughter!"

"Oh, you've heard of her?" Ashley was positively glowing.

"Heard of her?" Ish cried. "She was an Academy Award Best Actress nominee two years ago! She wore that gold lace thing... and the hair... and the.... You have to be joking, Ashley!"

Ashley laughed. "Nope!" She switched in a blink to the bad imitation Brooklynese that her old friends used to imitate movie gangsters. "So you gonna talk, little missie?"

Ish drove on through the intersection. "Trini and I don’t really get along. Not since we joined the Venusians, I mean. It's gotten a lot better between us lately, but still.... See, Trini was one of the original five Rangers Zordon called to fight when Rita Repulssa first showed up. Adam, Rocky, and I found out the Rangers' identities later on. Then Jason, Zack, and Trini got the chance to basically represent the whole US in the Teen Peace Conference in Geneva. It's the kind of thing Trini was made for. I took her place on the Team, just like Rocky and Adam did for the guys. I thought everything was cool between us, but when Kim recruited us for the Venusians after I'd left the Team too, Trini morphed into the Ice Queen. I only know one other human who hates me, and she's just a rich snob. Oh, um, no offense.”

“No worries, I grew up with them.”

“I don't even know for sure what the problem is between me and Trini. I think she wants to work it out, but I don't know how to because... because I don't know what the problem is!" Ish repeated, her eternal frustration finally breaking the surface.

Ashley nodded and thought for several blocks. "Y'know," she said eventually, "I don't know Trini too well, but I don't think she hates you anymore. If she ever did. I once ran into a girl who had a really cute boyfriend. She decided immediately that because my mom's rich and famous, I could have anything I wanted, including her boyfriend. So she pushed me away. But she didn't hate me - she was afraid of me, of what I could do to her life. Eventually she realized that I didn't want Carlos, so she felt safer. When she felt like there was room for both of us, that I wasn't going to take anything from her, we actually got pretty close.”

Ish parked the car in front of their apartment complex and sat for a moment, trying to let it sink in. The idea sounded so plausible – but Ashely barely knew them. Regardless, it wasn’t an insight she’d expected from a sophomore. She turned and blinked at Ashley. “Who even are you?”

Ashley laughed. "Oh, just get out!" she said.

Ish smiled a little and did. The two walked quickly through the halls to the Venusians' apartment on the second floor.

Ish tried the doorknob, turning it slowly. "Locked," she mouthed to Ashley. The Orange Ninjetti whisked a single key out of her jeans pocket and slipped it soundlessly into the lock.

The lock clicked, but from the other side of the door. Ish let go of the key instantly and backed up, and signaled for Ashley to stand clear. Half a second later, the door slammed outward.

Billy stopped a moment when he saw Ish. He didn't see Ashley because she was standing against the wall behind the door. A sneer spread across his face.

"Come to comfort the little bitch?" he said casually. "Should've guessed. You can have what's left of her."

He stalked quickly out of the complex, laughing. Ish looked in very quickly. Someone in green lay on the couch, with someone else on the ground next to her in... white....

"Stay here," Ish whispered in the tiniest voice she knew. Hoping Ashley had heard it, Ish went inside.

It was Trini, all right. She lay full-out on the couch, crying into a pillow as if her heart had just been shattered. Maybe it had, since it was Billy who.... Ish shuddered, beginning to guess what had happened. "Come on, Trini, we have to go," she said softly.

Trini only burst into fresh tears. Moira, however, who had apparently been trying to comfort her, snapped outraged eyes up to Ish.

"Please," Ish begged. She couldn't know for sure whose side Moira was on. She had to get Trini out, get her back to the others....

Moira gave Trini's back one last pat and stood, facing Ish. "Come on," she growled, motioning toward the kitchen. Ish looked back toward the door.

*Please, Ashley,* she screamed in her mind. "Okay, I guess," she said aloud.

*****

The kitchen door closed behind them with Moira between Ish and the exit. Once it did, Moira's entire being filled with rage. Ish had seen nothing like it before in another Ranger or even a villain. Maybe this was what their Teammates had meant when they said Moira's real emotions were stronger than other people's. If so, it was way scarier than what Ish had pictured.

"Are you out of your mind?!" Moira said, straining to keep her voice to a whisper. "Billy just dumped her! That was the nicest part of what he did! She's not going anywhere! Not like this!”

"Aerodon." It was just a shot in the dark. Maybe, she thought, she'd be able to tell if Moira recognized the name.

Moira's face lit up like a thousand-watt Christmas tree. Only a second later, she realized what she'd done and ripped off the delight, too late. Ish had no doubts now.

"I won't let you hurt her," she vowed.

Moira smiled. Ish hadn't seen a scarier smile on a human's face. "Then I guess you won't leave this room."

Before Ish could prepare, the White Venusian was on her. Moira's grip was insanely powerful. The two crashed to the ground, Moira pinning her. Ish slipped out and scrambled to her feet. Moira now lay on her stomach on the floor, but she came up before Ish could touch her. Murder was in her eyes.

Ish wasn't exactly happy herself. She skidded to the opposite counter of the small room. *Hope this isn't escalating the battle,* she thought. She removed a gleaming steel knife from the block that stored them on the counter. She didn't quite turn around fast enough.

Moira slammed into her. Pressing the smaller girl's body against the counter, she started hitting with her fists. Hard.

Ish's eyes bugged out. However, Ish could tell that, despite her anger, Moira was holding back. Maybe... she was trying not to kill her?

She wriggled the knife-holding arm free. She lashed out above her, at the head. Moira cried out and released her. Ish whipped around, hoping that she hadn't done serious harm and ready to follow it up if she hadn't. Faster than sight, though, the knife was kicked from her hand. She cried out, cradling the wounded hand.

The knife skittered... skattered... and stopped right next to a short tangle of red curls, the only thing that the knife had cut. Ish looked back at Moira. She knew what came next.

A foot slammed into her torso. She flew back, knocking several hanging pots and pans from their hooks on her way to the floor. They made a huge noise as they fell around her.

Something had snapped. A rib? Two? She struggled painfully to her feet and went for her Morph stance.

"No time for that," Moira sighed with regret. A spectacular kick caught Ish in the temple and she fell, unconscious.

Moira's mind then spun a moment. She knew Trini had heard the noise. How could she explain it? Her wonderful master would be so unhappy with her if she failed to get Trini to them! Cursing silently, Moira said, "Trini, Ish is hurt! Come quick!"

But when she burst dramatically through the kitchen door back into the living room, the white Venusian found it deserted. The apartment door stood wide open.

This time, Moira cursed out loud.

*****

"Just humor me," Ashley pleaded again. She grabbed Trini's hand, trying to get her to run. "And hurry up!"

"But..." Trini began, but stopped. It was more than clear that this would be a very bad night, and she didn't want to make it worse. Though desperately confused, she broke into a run, following Ashley.

Ashley stopped short with a cry, which she quickly stifled. A gang of four boys about their age stood around Ish's car. A second later, they cheered as the car roared to life. They were stealing Ish's car!

Ashley looked to Trini for guidance, at a loss. But Trini no longer stood next to her.

"Excuse me, gentlemen," said her voice politely. Trini was next to the car, just out of reach of the closest. They gawked a second.

"Where'd she come from?" one asked another worriedly.

"Who cares? She's a looker!" the other grinned. In what he probably thought was a sultry voice, he said, “Hey, baby.”

All four seemed to have forgotten about the car as they tried to surround her. The first one to get in range of her long legs went flying to the ground. The alley flared with green light for a moment when her foot connected.

The other three backed away uncertainly.

"Shit!" the apparent leader concluded. "Let's get outta here!"

They disappeared down the alley. Ashley ran to Trini.

"I was wondering how we'd get the car started," she said absently. Trini didn't answer. Ashley looked at the older girl's face and saw rivers of tears streaming down. "Come on," Ashley said quietly.

She helped Trini into the car, quickly, and sat in the driver's seat. Trini was curling up in tears already in the passenger's seat. Praying she wouldn’t need to explain to a police officer why she was driving at night on a learner’s permit with another minor, she put the car into reverse and sped away.

Moira ran out of the apartment just as they turned the corner out of sight. Her scream could be heard for several blocks.

"Rocky," Ashley said into the communicator at the first red light they came to. "Rocky, can you hear me!"

Trini rose from her ball to stare at Ashley. "How did you get that?"

Ashley looked at her, wide-eyed. "Erm... I found out who you are?"

Trini uncurled a little more. "How long ago? Who did you tell? Why didn't anyone tell the rest of us?"

The light turned green. Ashley parked in a nearby supermarket parking lot which was deserted for the night. She didn't speak for several moments.

"Is there some way to make it so your base only lets certain people come in?" she asked.

"Sure," Trini said, "but it does that already. Only people with the Power or people they teleport with them can enter."

"Yeah... can you change that? I mean, let fewer people in?"

Trini's eyes narrowed suspiciously, but she nodded. "What's going on?"

"Uh... okay... I don't really... know everything. There's this... guy, I guess... named Aerodon-"

"Aerodon!" Trini cried. "In Angel Grove?!"

"Yeah," Ashley said, relieved. She'd been hoping that Trini's next question wouldn't be ‘What's an Aerodon?’ "He's doing something to the other Rangers, making them obey him. You're the only one who didn't know. Everyone else is fighting him, or his prisoner, or obeys him."

"Everyone?" Trini repeated, dumbfounded. "Who's fighting him?"

"Rocky, Jason, Adam... and Ish," Ashley said, wincing at the last name. "I dunno if she counts anymore, though."

"Where are they?"

"Rocky's supposed to be in your base, but he wasn't answering the communicator. Adam said he was going home, and Jason was going to follow him after he finished cleaning up at the Juice Bar. Trini, what should we do?"

Trini didn't answer for a long moment, staring out into the dark night ahead. Ashley started to panic quietly, but then Trini looked at her. The calm confidence in her eyes quelled Ashley's fears. "Here's the plan…"

*****

Adam felt very antsy as he parked his forest green car in the driveway of his parents' home. He tried to figure out why as he walked up the path to the front door. He turned the knob, and then it hit him.

It was around eight-thirty. His parents' car was in the driveway.

There were no lights on in the house.

He took his hand off the doorknob.

"Come in," called a voice from inside the house. He hesitated painfully. It was Kim's voice. She was probably Aerodon's... but what if she'd escaped?

And if she hadn't, if she'd been taken by Aerodon... what had she done to his parents?

That did it. He opened the door and went inside.

The only light came through the closed curtains of the large front window. Adam could barely see the staircase which separated the front and family rooms.

"Hello," Kim's voice came again. It came from the dark top of the staircase.

*Oh, we are SO not doing this,* Adam thought. He flipped on the lights, bracing himself for just about anything. It came as a shock, then, that everything looked normal. He walked to the base of the staircase. Kim stood on the top landing. He walked past the stairs and turned on the kitchen lights, also illuminating the family room. Still normal. Still no sign of his family.

"What are you looking for, Adam?" Kim lilted.

Only his bedroom and the guest bedroom were on the ground floor, as far as bedrooms went. If Kim had caught them in their room....

He returned to the base of the stairs. "Come down, Kim," he said, forcing a friendly tone. Not escalating…

"Why should I?" she returned in an identical voice.

"It's hard to talk to you when you're so far away."

"Then come closer."

He took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. "How did you get away, Kim?"

"Get away? What do you mean?" she lilted.

Anger flared despite his efforts. "Where are my mom and dad?"

She smiled innocently. "They're out looking for you, of course. They're really worried about you, Adam. We all were. Where did you go?"

"If my parents are out looking for me, then I don't suppose you'd mind if I check upstairs," he stated. He started up the stairs.

Her creepy-sweet act broke a little. "I told you, they're not here. Don't you trust me?"

"Sure I do, Kim. I just don't trust the thing controlling you. Get out of my house."

She smiled again, but it wasn't sweet. "I don't think my master would like that."

Something stung at his eyes. "Dammit, Kim, don't you even know what you're doing? What did they do to you?" She just smiled at him. He shoved the grief down: now wasn't the time. "Are my parents all right?"

"They're fine," she repeated. It certainly sounded sincere, but Adam had no idea if it was. "Relax, Adam." She started to walk down the stairs, slowly.

He glanced at the door, gauging distances.

"Don't run." Her voice was suddenly sharp. "Do that, and they won't be ‘fine.'" The lilt returned with her smile. "Just come with me, Adam. It won't hurt much, I promise. And after... you can't imagine how wonderful it is. Everything bad that you've ever done, Adam, that's ever been done to you, he'll change it, make it go away. You don't have to think anymore..."

She was halfway down the stairs now. There was nothing else he could do. He ran up, not looking at her. When he reached her she reached out and pushed him back. The force of her light touch was powerful enough that he barely kept himself from falling down the entire staircase. He grabbed the railing and stabilized himself quickly. She extended a hand to him.

"This is a gift, Adam. Don't refuse it. Tanya's already-"

He struck at her then mostly just because he didn’t want to hear the end of that sentence. She stopped the blow and slammed him onto his back on the stairs. She stood over him. He tried to hit at her again and connected. She lost balance and fell on top of him. Her hands grabbed his throat. He flailed, kicked, and seemed to hit several times. He couldn't make her so much as blink.

His lungs strained for air. She gripped his throat tighter. The world started to spin.

Improbably, the Venusians' petite leader hauled him up off the ground one-handed. She seemed to be talking again, but he couldn't wrap his mind around the words.

Yellow light flared around them and streaked into Kim. She screamed and fell backward, taking him down with her, but they didn’t land. For several seconds, they simply drifted in midair.

At last, they touched ground, but very gently. Kim fell away from him. He gasped and choked on air, his head spinning painfully. When at last he could make sense of the world again, he recognized the person leaning over him.

And screamed.

End Part Two

Chapter Text

*Fifteen minutes earlier*

Jason scooped up the last bunch of Juice Bar trash into the garbage can. He lifted the can to take it outside.

Dizziness swept through him. He dropped the can and had to catch himself on the edge of the counter to keep from falling. Still, he could barely hold himself up. It passed - it always did - but it took over a minute this time. It had only ever lasted a few seconds before.

He pushed down panic. He was just tired. Very tired. He'd been under a lot of stress lately, that was all. And Em wouldn't mind if she had to take out the trash tomorrow morning. He shook himself to clear the last of the spots and started for the door. He'd go home and get some sleep.

The weakness caught him again before he'd taken two steps. He crashed to the ground. It didn't pass at all this time but grew deeper. His vision filled with golden spots until they covered over everything, blinding him.

Panic hit. He had to get help, now. When he tried to get up, he couldn't make his body respond. Adrenaline pumped through his system to no avail. He felt cold. He could barely breathe. In his mind, he cried out for Moira.

He didn't feel it when he was turned over on to his back. For a few seconds, though, he registered the warmth of someone's hand on him, and the spots cleared. Ridiculously, he thought he saw Scorpina above him. Then the spots covered over everything, and breathing suddenly became impossible. A cold darkness swallowed him down.

Scorpina, or, rather, Marina, felt Jason’s heart stop. She did the only sensible thing for such extraordinary circumstances. She pressed her hands deeply into him, moving little more than fingertips quickly through the rhythms she needed. When the spell was complete, she gasped and fell dizzily at his side.

"What's going on?" Belle said, concerned.

Jason breathed again. She shook off her own dizziness as the pull on her energy lessened. "I'm fine, Belle. I linked our energies."

Belle's eyes drew wide with delight. "Then he's...?"

She smiled. "Tainted. Yes, that is a lovely perk, though it won't really affect him on this backwater rock unless he wanted to become Ninjetti or travel to Eltare at some point. Anyway, I tainted him a long time ago. It annoyed Zordon." She returned her attention to the unconscious Ranger. "I've never felt a pull that strong before. Something is seriously wrong with this boy. Hope it kills him."

"Then why save his life?" Belle pointed out.

Her companion sighed. "When I released Rita, I gave her my word that if she needed me, she could call. She just did. Aerodon has her, and to help her I may have to keep this one alive."

"Riiight," Isabella said skeptically, "and we villains, we always keep our word."

Marina settled into a comfortable sitting position to wait for Jason to wake up. "Fine, you got me. Remember when I told you about bending the rules? So you can have fun in life without Rangers on your heels?" The far-younger woman nodded. "Well, there are some times -- not often, mind you -- when you have to do more than bend the rules. Sometimes you have to do something utterly repulsive so that afterward you can continue about your business as you please."

Belle's eyes were very wide. "We're going to help the Rangers, aren't we?"

"If we don't help them, they will fall. Aerodon has mutilated too many of them already for the few left to possibly survive without help. If Earth's protectors are removed, we'll be in the crossfire of a four-way war between him, the Machine Empire, Gasket and Archerina, and Lord Zedd and Empress Rita over who gets Earth. Not only will we not have an ignorant little world to putter about on, but you'll probably be killed by one of them."

"Or forced to serve them," Belle finished the thought quietly. She didn't ask why only she'd be in danger from Aerodon. She believed it. She had no real idea who or what Scorpina was, only that Scorpina was more powerful than anyone she'd ever met, even Jalen. "So, we help them. How?"

"I believe," said a new voice from the doorway, "that I may be of some service in that regard."

Marina groaned as Belle looked up. "Mrs. Walsh?" the blond puzzled.

The short, plump woman bowed with unexpected grace. "My sincerest greetings, Miss Isabella."

"Stuff it," Marina growled, rising quickly. "You wouldn't be sincere to us if your life depended on it."

Belle looked at Marina with greater confusion. Surely a high school music teacher was well beneath the loathing of villains like them…

"As you have just so "eloquently' explained," Mrs. Walsh said with the most delicate brush of sarcasm, "at the moment, our lives rather do. You or I alone cannot aid them enough to stop Aerodon. We haven't even much chance of getting a stable wormhole off this rock before Aerodon comes for us."

"What mean ‘we,' Aurelia?" Marina said.

Aurelia Walsh stiffened. "Don't think you're invulnerable."

"Sorry, am."

"Then why aid Zordon's apprentices?"

Jason moaned softly.

"He's waking up," Belle said.

Marina watched him a moment. "Maybe," she said, gritting her teeth, "I'm aiding them because I care about more than my own neck. Unlike some civiliz-"

"Adam Park is in danger," Mrs. Walsh stated. Marina stopped in mid-insult and fumed silently instead.

Belle blinked. "How do you know he's in danger?"

"Simple," she said obviously and very proudly, "I am Aurelia Walsh."

"A high school music teacher?"

Marina and Mrs. Walsh exchanged glances. "She doesn't know?" Mrs. Walsh said.

"Didn't think it would come up," Marina said. A smile was edging on to her face despite the situation, strengthened by Isabella’s indignant confusion.

"I propose a temporary alliance. Will we aid one another in our mutual endeavor?" Mrs. Walsh asked. "Adam does not have much time."

"Come on, Shereese, you know you wanna."

Marina's eyes flew wide at Jason. The Gold Ranger sat up. She shook her head at herself when she realized what had happened. She should've expected that a Power she had awakened would be able to see through a visual illusion of hers eventually. [Knowing my true name does not give you the right to use it,] she warned mentally. Jason raised an eyebrow at her. [However...] she admitted, sighing, and turned to Mrs. Walsh. "Okay, fine. Lead the way, oh wonderous paragon of Light."

“Oh who of what now?” Jason said with alarm. Then the Gold Ranger looked at Belle for an explanation.

That was the last straw for Belle. She threw up her hands in frustration. Marina crowed with laughter, so Belle refused to ask her to explain again. Seeing neither villain was going to explain things, Jason stood, dusted his black jeans off, and turned to Mrs. Walsh.

“So, let me see if I’ve got this right. You want to help us, you know our identities, and you’re probably not going to tell us how you know?” he half-asked.

“Centrally because of time constraints, but yes,” Mrs. Walsh admitted.

Jason nodded once, decisively. “Don’t think I’ve ever actually done this…” he muttered to himself, then looked squarely at her and said, “All who fight for the Light…”

A radiant smile burst out on Mrs. Walsh’s cheeks. “Know the name of Zordon,” she completed. “Oh, very clever!”

“Thanks,” Jason said with relief. Both of them ignored the two villains eye-rolling and gagging in the background entirely. “Get us to Adam, please.”

“At once,” Mrs. Walsh smiled.

*****

About a minute later in Adam's house, Marina released her telekinetic bubble, and Adam and Kim landed softly at the foot of the stairs. Jason ran to them, checking Kim briefly before moving to Adam. Marina followed closely, sitting next to Adam. "Hey, man," he said, shaking him gently by the shoulder.

Adam's eyes opened. Unfortunately, he oriented on Marina first. He screamed.

"Adam, cool it!" Jason ordered. "It's just Marina."

Adam looked to him, then back to her. "Oh," he said, blinking. Of course it was; why had he thought differently? "I thought... never mind. What's going on? What are they all doing here? How did I not hit the stairs?"

"That's gonna take awhile," Jason winced.

The front door opened. In a pair of Yellow flashes, the group disappeared from each other's and their own sight.

[Be quiet, everyone! It's an invisibility!] Mrs. Walsh broadcasted to the little group.

[It's two invisibilities, and we'll be loud if we want to!] Marina thought back.

[Then you'll be dead,] Mrs. Walsh shot back, [look!]

The princesses walked through the door. Scorpina growled telepathically.

[Why antagonize her?] Belle asked her friend privately.

[I hate listening to... well, anyone. Don't know how you stand it.]

Belle laughed silently. [I guess I don't have to anymore.]

The princesses walked in slowly, obviously puzzled. "Look!" Meri cried, pointing at Kim's unconscious form. She rushed forward, checking the purple Ninjetti's condition. Her sister, however, took one step into the room and stopped. She stared at the air suspiciously.

"How did he get away?" Meri growled.

"Let's get her and get out," Sari said. "This place reeks of magic. Someone's helping the Rangers."

Meri's head snapped up. She sniffed experimentally. "Oh, wow. That stinks!" Sari rolled her eyes, but her sister didn't see. "I can't believe I didn't notice that before. I told you we should've killed Isabella when we had the chance!"

[Don't be tense,] Mrs. Walsh gently suggested to Scorpina in private telepathy.

[I'M NOT TENSE! Why would I be tense? I don't CARE if they kill her! Why should I-]

"Someone's here," Sari said.

Everyone froze utterly, but only Scorpina and Mrs. Walsh understood what was going on.

[That was not my-]

[Shut up, child, just shut UP!] Mrs. Walsh cried fearfully.

"You're being silly," Meri replied to her sister, who promptly pouted. "Just help me with Kim. Baby."

"I am not!" Sari replied hotly.

The two left, still bickering.

It was evident to all, telepathic or no, that something very bad had happened when Marina reappeared. She wore on her currently Hispanic face a look of pure, murderous hate, pointed at Mrs. Walsh.

"No one calls me a child." Her voice alone gave the Terran Rangers prickles of pain along their spines.

Mrs. Walsh met her eyes unflinchingly. "The first principle is that we never behave like our enemies."

"Your first principle!"

"Tell me it's of no relevance here. You were acting like a child, and we were bickering just like those little terrors. It nearly got us caught. Now," she said, "someone ought to follow them."

"Don't look at me!" Marina said instantly.

Mrs. Walsh gave a little, prim laugh. "And why not?"

Marina mocked the little laugh and said, "Unfortunately, I, unlike you, am not crazy. You mean to send someone straight into Aerodon's grimy little hands. Who do you think would do that?!"

"I will," Belle said.

Marina gaped.

Belle sighed delicately. "If Aerodon wins, we won't be able to muck about on Earth anymore. The only way to be fully self-serving is to help the Rangers."

"I hate quick studies," Marina muttered.

"But, guys," Adam said anxiously, "we've already been through this. We can't just go charging in there blind."

Mrs. Walsh smiled at something only she could see. "Oh, you won't be blind."

"Beep-beep-beep-beep-beep-beep!" Adam's communicator sounded. He blinked at it.

"Go on. Answer it," laughed Mrs. Walsh.

Adam brought it to his lips slowly. "Hello?" he asked suspiciously.

[Adam, wonderful! Who's Aerodon?] Trini's voice came.

Adam looked at the communicator even more suspiciously. Mrs. Walsh urged him on, still smiling. "He's the guy who's trying to take over the Rangers and make us all his servants," he said, his voice oozing suspicion.

Trini laughed. [Great! He hasn't got you yet. Adam, I'm here in the Power Chamber with Ashley-]

[Hi!] said Ashley's voice.

[-and... well, let's hope third time's the charm. One of Aerodon's has been here. The place is totaled. It looks like Billy's work. Zordon's lost, too. On the bright side, I found Rocky and Ish and they're both breathing. Rocky should be on his feet again in a few moments - he's mostly just shaken. Ish is out for the count unless we can repair an accelerated healing device or get Rita here, but she's not in danger of dying. And shields are working and entrance is confined to just the four of us and you and Jason. Plus, I just got sensors back up and-]

[We figured it was about time to find out who else is still out there. Rita isn't answering,] Ashley cut in.

[Is anyone else with you?] Trini asked.

Adam looked at Belle. Jason looked at Marina. Both looked at Mrs. Walsh, then they broke up laughing. "Yeah, Trini, you could say that," Jason said into his own communicator. "Belle and her friend are helping the two of us. This may turn out to be the worst idea that’s ever idea-ed, but add them to the people who can get through the shields. Mrs. Walsh, too. She's here and she knows about everything for some reason."

[Uh, that sounds, um…] Trini hedged.

“I know. But I’m pretty sure she’s on our side. Or on the same side as Zordon, at least,” Jason said.

[Isn’t that the same side?] Ashley piped in.

"Trini, you said you've got sensors?" Adam asked. She confirmed it. "Can you get a reading on 2 West Maple?"

There was silence on the other side. At last, Trini answered, "Not on the primary sensor array. That's odd. Checking on the magic array....]

The pause was much shorter this time. [By the Power...] Trini's voice came faintly. Then, much louder, as if she was again speaking into her communicator, [2 West Maple is two stories above ground and at least four underground. There's some kind of shielding around the place... but it's not set up to work against this kind of sensor.] There was a grin in her voice. [I'm getting a full map with security measures... and life signs! If this is where they're holding the others, our luck has just changed.]

"It is, and it's about time," Jason grinned. "Adam, we're gonna crash their party. Any of you can come if you want," he added. The pair of Power Rangers made it only halfway to the door before Belle jumped up to follow them.

[On my way, Jase,] Trini's voice came at about the same time.

"No, Trini, we need you there. Unless Ashley or Rocky can repair the Power Chamber and handle sensors," Jason added.

[Point taken,] Trini sighed.

"If Rocko or Ish are ready to help before we get there, send them along. And we'll need more info as soon as we’re close. Jason out."

The Green and Gold Zeo Rangers hopped into Adam's smaller, faster car. Two doors opened and closed, then a third, behind Adam. The Rangers exchanged glances.

"I still say you're damned cute, Adam," Belle said silkily from the back seat, "just so you know."

Both Rangers took deep breaths and stayed in control. Jason put a hand on Adam’s shoulder, helping him to steady a slight tremble, then looked to Belle in the backseat out of the corner of his eye. He was pleased that his voice came out steady and calm as he said, “If you so much as think about touching him-“

But Belle was already laughing her light, friendly-sounding, lovely laugh. “I’ll take this truce seriously just as long as you do. I just want you to know I’m thinking of you, Pet.”

*Why me why me why me....* thought Adam.

"Just lucky s’all," Belle grinned. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's kick some evil ass!”

*****

Kat sniffed at the air. Her eyes flashed "cat" for a second, then returned to normal. "Rangers are here," she growled.

"Impossible!" Tommy scoffed. "How would you know?"

She smiled just enough to show an upper row of very sharp feline teeth. Tommy paled. "My master gave me more than strength," she said. "I'm going up to ground level."

Swallowing, Tommy said, "I'll come with you."

Kat spun and hissed, making him jump back. She then sprinted up the stairs three at a time and was out of sight.

Someone moaned behind the cell door next to Tommy. He and Kat had been guarding the two occupied cells. Tommy felt a knot of anger rise up. He spun and kicked violently at the door, then ran up the stairs after Kat.

*****

"Where are you going?" Aerodon demanded, catching Kat by the arm.

Happiness filled her at the sight of her master. "I sensed Rangers. I wanted to capture them for you."

His smile overwhelmed her with joy. "They're early. Excellent. But don't go find them, kitty. They will come to you."

She sprinted joyously down the hall. Aerodon sighed and continued up the spiral staircase to the surface levels quickly before Tommy emerged from the lower levels. Neither he nor Tommy saw each other.

*****

Just inside the front door of 2 West Maple, Isabella shifted back to her natural shape. She'd assumed Sari's form to get them past the retinal scan which Trini had told them was embedded in the door. As the golden curls bounced back into place about her shoulders, she smiled.

"Bless, I'm good."

"Trini, any traps in the front hallway?" Jason asked softly.

[Nothing. You're clear.]

"Where's the nearest Ranger?" Adam asked her.

[Down the hall that branches off to your left. I can't tell who it is, though. No traps down that way, either.]

"Great. Can you tell what'll happen when we Morph?" Jason asked.

"You're planning to Morph?" Belle asked incredulously, though still quietly.

[Of course they are, and you should be okay. I'm not picking up any of the standard Morph-detection equipment.]

"Then let's do it," Jason smiled. He said, softly, "It's Morphin' Time!"

"ZEO RANGER IV, GREEN!"

"GOLD RANGER POWER!"

The rescuers found their first target very easily. It was Billy, sitting alone in a room off the left hall. The door was even standing wide open. By the time Billy saw them, he had two blasters and one very potent finger pointed at him. He froze, his eyes bugging out with shock and fear. Gold and Green winced to see his terror.

Very suddenly, Billy was off. He leaped from the chair and ran, headed for another doorway across the small room. Green and Gold's shots were both too slow, but the blast of fire that shot from Belle's fingertip singed him a little before he moved out of range.

Green and Gold ran after him. Belle paused to close the door behind them, then followed. They found a very empty-looking room. Almost immediately, the two Rangers remembered what had happened in the Power Chamber and looked up.

Just in time for Billy to drop from the roof on top of them. Two blasters went off, one yell sounded, and then both weapons were thrown from the tangle of teens. Belle flipped over the three and snatched up the blasters. She took only a second to aim, then fired both weapons.

Both blasts hit. The tangle broke apart. Gold was down, since he'd been hit twice with Green's blaster now. Billy, though, who had only been hit this last time, was in a far worse state. He howled and writhed. Belle hit him twice more, and he fell limp.

Green slipped across the floor to Billy, checking him frantically.

"He's fine," Belle promised with deep lack of concern.

"How can he be fine? Didn't you hear him scream?" Green cried.

"Yes, and probably we weren't the only ones. Let's teleport him and get out of this room." Neither Ranger made any more to do so. Exasperated, she added, "It just felt bad for him, that's all. That happens whenever you hit an evil being with one of those blasters."

"He's not evil," Green said instantly, but he was apparently reassured of his friend's health. He deMorphed and removed his communicator, setting it and placing it on Billy's stomach. The former Ranger disappeared in a flash of black.

Belle opened her mouth to correct Adam, but she thought better of it. She guessed it was best for now that they not know the truth. Besides, it might be awfully hilarious to watch their faces when they did finally find out.

Gold roused himself. "You okay?" Green asked, moving to him.

"Sure. And I'll stay that way if I stop getting hit by your blaster," Gold said, but teasingly.

Under the helmet, Green rolled his eyes. "Trini, you got Billy?"

[I'm placing him in a suspension tube right now. Wouldn't want him waking up before we break Aerodon's control.]

"Good thinking," Gold replied. "Next one?"

[Umm... oh! This Signature's further off, but most of them are down this way eventually anyway.] Trini directed them along several twisting hallways and down one long flight of steep spiral stairs. They had obviously left the "normal" part of the house behind. Their surroundings ceased to be made of wood and began anew with substances which looked much more... durable. Marble, maybe? They were an antiseptic white now, like a hospital, which wasn’t even a little bit reassuring.

At the entrance to the last hall before they'd reach the next captured Rangers, Belle reeled and backed away.

"What is it?" Gold asked.

Her eyes lit angrily. "Your guide didn't say that the next one's in an antimagic field." She held out her finger to demonstrate. Instead of fire, a little gust of air puffed out. Very quickly, though, it swelled to giant size and ferocity and came back toward them. It knocked into her, easily sweeping her off her feet, then dissipated. She stood, brushed herself off, and said, "Anything we cast will turn around against us. Guess that answers the question of whether the Aerodons use magic."

Green frowned. "Wonder why Trini didn't detect it."

Belle gave him a look of supreme condescension. "Maybe because she's using a magic-powered sensor array."

"Ah."

"Trini, where to?" Gold asked.

[There's one just down that hall. Go through the door all the way at the end.]

"Great. Thanks," Gold grinned. He and Green started down the hall, but they noticed after a moment that Belle was not following them. They stopped and turned to find her staring at the invisible antimagic field in front of her as if it had just foiled her latest villainous scheme single-handedly. "Come on already," Gold urged impatiently.

"No laughing," Belle said, eyeing them warily. "Promise."

The Rangers looked at each other in confusion. "Okay, sure," Green said, shrugging.

The gorgeous, petite, peaches-and-cream blond woman shut her sparkling violet eyes, shuddered, and stepped into the hall. The air around her sparked and congealed like smoke. When it dissipated, it revealed a gorgeous, petite, olive-skinned woman with curly, shining black hair. She looked utterly identical in shape except for her coloring, which now combined with her features to make her look rather Middle-Eastern. Her yellow-flecked brown eyes held a guarded, ready-to-fight look.

"You have got to be kidding me," Green said after a moment, revolted. "You did a spell to make yourself white?" Gold simply stared, speechless.

Belle crossed her brown arms over her chest. "I don't want to look like my birth family, so I don't. Get over it."

Gold recovered enough to shake his head and say, "Fine." The group began moving again.

"Help me," called a faint voice from a dark side hall. Green's eyes went very wide, and he ran toward it without a second thought. Gold barely caught him in time.

"But- Tanya!" Green pleaded desperately.

The Yellow Ranger's voice came again, but less mysteriously and closer now. Two seconds later, Tanya stumbled out of the hall and fell to the ground. A dozen men couldn't have held Green then. He was on the floor next to her before they could blink.

"Tanya, can you... oh Lord..."

Her body was covered in old bruises and scabs, and even a few fresh marks of torture. Green shut his eyes, overcome.

Tanya opened hers and wonder filled her. “You came," she whispered. She smiled. "Thank you... I thought you wouldn't come...."

“I should've come sooner. God, I’m sorry...” Green struggled with words, gave up, and just hugged her instead. She returned his embrace desperately.

"Trini, we've found Tanya," Gold said. "She's hurt. Would you teleport her to someplace secure over there?"

Green's head snapped up. "What do you mean, ‘secure'?"

"No, please, I want to help," Tanya said. She pulled away and started to rise, and Green took her hand to try to pull her down.

"You're hurt-" he began.

"I noticed," she snapped, pulling her hand away. "I also noticed the screams of the others after they gave in, when Aerodon started his ‘improvements' on them. I've been waiting weeks to fight back. I know I’m not in great shape, and I don’t care. You are not sending me home ‘til we get everyone out of this hellhole."

And so, apparently, they weren't.

“Have you considered,” Belle protested, “that this is an obvious trick?”

Tanya turned to her, arms folded. “If it’s a trick and I’m actually Aerodon’s, you’ll shoot me in the back and rescue my friends for me and we’ll all be very confused,” she said. “Moving on.”

Belle blinked. Pragmatism from a Power Ranger? “Okay. Agreed.”

"Do you know what that room is?" Gold said, motioning. Tanya shook her head. Gold sighed; it had been worth a shot. He passed his blaster to her and drew his own Power Staff in its place. For the first time in more than two weeks, he felt no strain at all doing it. Whatever Scorpina had done to him, even his powers were their old selves again. He reminded himself to pay her back by letting her win the next verbal battle. She was definitely getting the sweeter end of the deal there.

Belle giggled, and Jason assumed she'd been reading his thoughts. "Jason-"

"Shut up, just shut up," he growled. Somewhat to his surprise, she did.

The door at the end of the hall was locked. Belle sized it up carefully, then side-kicked it so powerfully that its hinges broke and it fell aside. Their happiness popped quickly, though. There wasn't one Ranger inside.

There were two.

Moira and Kim looked up at them as they entered. Not true, the rescuers realized a second later: the two Ninjetti had already been looking in their direction before they got the door open. Still, though, Kim and Moira did nothing but watch them.

"Jason," Belle said again, warningly.

"What?" he said impatiently, not really interested in listening to her.

"Jason, we need to leave," Belle said.

"Says you," Tanya said in tones that said she hadn't forgotten who had done what to whose boyfriend. "Jase, shoot them. You can't kill them with our weapons; I tried," she said grimly.

Gold only nodded. He stepped inside the room and aimed his Staff.

"Jason!" Belle tried again.

He fired. The glistening beam of light headed straight for Kim's head... stopped... and turned around. It grew to a blinding swell of Gold before it hit him. The impact against his suit was so powerful that it could be heard even over his scream.

"Praiseit, guys, get OUT!" Belle swore furiously. Green ran in to lift his Teammate's still form over one shoulder and then turned to leave.

Kat stood in the doorway. She smiled, baring both rows of razor-sharp teeth. Tanya started to back away, but Belle had had enough. She shoved Tanya at the half-blocked doorway as she herself launched a spectacular kick at the former Pink Zeo. Kat gave a cry of surprise as the blow connected. Kat had assumed she could dodge fast enough and seemed very confused to be wrong. This confirmed one of Belle's suspicions: Aerodon had made Kat far faster than a mere Terran Ranger, but not fast enough to match a pissed immortal.

"Ow," Kat said in astonishment.

Green and Tanya were not nearly so stunned. The two ran back the way they'd come. Tanya managed to keep up with Green despite her injuries.

Belle hit Kat twice more and ran. The young woman sank to the ground with a groan. Behind her, though, Moira and Kim rose to their feet. Belle hoped the antimagic field affected their Ninjetti abilities, too, or line-of-sight teleportation would make the chase very short.

"Why does no one listen to me?!" Belle cried as she ran. "I said magic doesn't work! What do you think your weapons are, lasers??”

"Trini, come in!" Green cried. "Trini, teleport!"

Two sets of feet ran almost silently down the hall after them. A low chuckle greeted Green's ear. Kim pulled at the limp Gold Ranger. Green yanked his friend away from her and kept running.

[I'm trying to!] Trini answered. [Billy knocked out the teleportation system, too! Try to use your communicators!]

Two chuckles came again. Gold was the only one with a communicator now, inaccessible under his Morph -- and he was very much down and out. Green tried to think and run and hold on to Gold at the same time. It didn't work very well. "Any ideas?" he asked of the two behind him.

"Turn left!" Belle suggested as they neared a fork in the road.

"Not what I meant!" he growled as he followed her direction. "Tanya?"

"I'm just trying to-" She stopped talking abruptly.

Green panicked and stopped running to check on her. "Idiot!" Belle cried at him as she raced past.

Tanya was fine, for the moment. There was only no evident reason in evidence for her pause, but Green did make use of his own pause by checking on their pursuers. He saw that they now had three chasing after them: Tommy had found them. "Come on!" he yelled to Tanya. She started running again two seconds after she'd stopped and just fast enough to avoid a flying kick from Moira. Adam saw a pink entity running up to join the chase: Kat had recovered, and now they had four chasing them. Both Rangers put on an extra burst of speed. Green was intensely grateful for his Zeo Crystal; otherwise, he would have had to drop Gold to keep running. He hoped Tanya could make it.

"Stairs!" Belle warned as they turned the corner and spotted her again. She was halfway up the first twist of a familiar-looking staircase. Green dared to breathe again. He felt that they'd stand a chance once they got out of the lower levels.

He charged up the stairs two at a time. The staircase rose in a tight spiral. The walls remained sparkling white but became slowly more rough, as though the material beneath the painted surface was simple wood again. On the second flight, just as the white wall coating stopped and the walls changed from antiseptic white to mahogany, he realized there were no footsteps following him.

"Belle!" he demanded. To his dismay, the yell echoed violently through the small stairwell.

"What?" she answered quietly.

Green answered in an equally prudent volume, "Anyone up there?"

"Not yet, thanks," she said sarcastically.

"Then get back here," he said. After several tense seconds, he heard footsteps descending toward him. She came into sight, and he passed Gold to her unceremoniously.

"What th-" she squeaked. She sagged under his weight momentarily before steadying the load. She gawked for a moment. Carrying a Ranger to safety? She shook her head in disbelief but continued up the stairs. Green ran back down.

His footsteps seemed to echo in the unexpected stillness of the floor below. He paused. He could pick out absolutely no sound except Isabella's footsteps above his head. After another moment, he continued to walk down but with soft steps. This was no easy task. The steep steps made him feel as though he was constantly about to overbalance and fall. He managed to get down to the last spiral safely and quietly. Making his steps all but soundless, he poked his head around the last curve and saw the scene.

Or, rather, the lack thereof. There was no one in sight. Remembering Billy, he looked up quickly... but still he saw no one. No sign of the chase was left in the gleaming white hall. *They got her,* he thought. With a silent scream of agony, he headed slowly back up the stairs.

He stopped suddenly. *But if they got her,* he asked himself, *why aren't they still chasing us? Why settle for one Ranger when you can get two more? Unless she led them away...* Horror jolted through him. It would be all but suicidal, and Tanya totally would do it.

When he returned to the bottom of the staircase, he ignored his sight and instead focused his hearing. For a long moment, he heard nothing either useful or otherwise. It seemed as if the whole floor was deserted. Then...

A faint cry echoed at him from one of the smaller, darker halls leading off from this one. *But that could be anything.* A second, different cry decided it. It was clear enough to point the way for Green and unique enough to prove what had happened:

"Sie-kyuh!"

He sprinted down the hallway it seemed to be coming from - the same hallway that Tanya had stumbled out of. A few seconds later and nearer, he heard a "Ki-yah!" in Tanya's voice. It was still very far away. He ran full-out to get there fast enough. Tanya had looked on her last legs before she left them. Why on Earth had she decided that she was the best candidate to lead their chasers away?

He began to understand her decision when he realized the confusing layout of the hallways there. The hall took a sudden, sharp dive. He barely saw the slope of the floor ahead in the dim torchlight before he stepped into it. The hall descended at a steady pitch for nearly a minute until it leveled off and fanned out in four directions. He stopped and stared in horror. Which one had the sounds come from?

But soon he heard another cry, a joyous one. Immediately following it was a deluge of curses and strings of vengeful vows... in Spanish! Green ran down the second-from-the-right hall. It twisted and turned and continued to descend. It was half a minute before he saw a burst of brilliant light through a doorway in the hall ahead.

*****

"Get behind me!" Rita yelled. Tanya threw one more kick at Kim's nose before complying. It didn't hit, naturally, but Kim had to dodge so violently to one side that she hit the rough, cavernlike wall of the dungeon. The former leader of the Venusians gave a yell as the jagged rock wall cut her arm.

"Antimagic," Tanya gasped before she collapsed behind Rita.

"I know!" Rita replied. "Believe me!" Fortunately, she'd figured out a trick to keep herself healthy. She could still fend off the three former Rangers for a few seconds. Maybe she could use the same trick to get Tanya back on her feet, and then... she tried not to think too hard about the eventual outcome of the battle. It seemed pretty certain. But trying for an escape was still better than not trying.

Then she caught a sight which made her heart sing. There was a Morphed Power Ranger in the doorway!

Her three attackers' heads swiveled to Green Zeo in unison. Tommy, Kim, and Kat stared at him in disbelief for two full seconds - long enough for Rita to kick Kat harder in the temple than she'd known she could kick anyone.

"Again?" Kat moaned, astounded, before she passed out on the cavern floor. The other two turned back to Rita in astonishment and seemed to do a quick math calculation.

"What, you not up for a fair fight?" Green goaded. Tommy was after him instantly. Though Green was doing all the ducking in the ensuing combat, Rita's trained eyes saw the first hints of weariness in Tommy's movements.

Rita got a lucky pairing: of all the Venusians, she and Kim had sparred the most. This was largely because Kim had been giving her daily martial arts lessons starting only a few days after they'd met to begin rebuilding her self-esteem. Her former leader was still the superior and, now, far stronger fighter. It was lucky, though, because after a year of sparring, Rita could predict Kim's next move three times out of four. Slowly and by taking several painful hits, she managed to move Kim backward, away from Tanya and toward Tommy and Green. When she had almost steered Kim into position, she caught Green's eye.

As one, the Ninjetti and the Zeo dodged around their opponents and out to each side. Though Kim saw through Rita and Green's maneuver just in time to pull her punch, Tommy fell for it. His kick caught Kim in the ribcage. Green and Rita heard a terrible crack, and Kim slumped to the floor, gasping in pain.

Suddenly, Tommy seemed to forget about the fight. He gasped and fell to his knees to check on Kim. Before Tommy could reconsider, Green wrapped two gloved hands around his former leader's throat.

Tommy was on his feet in an instant. Green held on for dear life as Tommy tried to shake him loose. Green barely held in a cry when Tommy slammed him into the sharp stone wall, but he refused to loosen his chokehold. At last, after far longer than it should have taken, Tommy fell to his knees, then to the floor, unconscious.

Green got off of him slowly, weak with relief. When he looked up, he saw Rita checking on Kim – also unconscious. She looked up at him and smiled.

"You throw a good party, amigo," she said, black eyes dancing.

Green laughed and grinned under his helmet. “Thanks.”

Tanya moaned softly. Both victors were at her side instantly. Green winced at her new injuries. She was only half awake, and he had the feeling that she wouldn't manage even that state much longer.

"Stand away," Rita told him. She lifted Tanya to her feet and carefully stood in front of her. Then Rita summoned a small charge of white energy.

"But - the antimagic field!" Green sputtered.

Rita grinned. "Just watch."

She released the energy. It did exactly the same performance as Belle's gust of wind and Jason's Power Staff blast. As it rebounded on Rita, though, she stepped aside. It instead hit Tanya. The force of the impact was momentarily blinding... and when it faded, Green yelled for joy.

"Tanya!" he cried and ran to her. She was fully conscious again without an injury in sight. He hugged her tightly, and she returned the sentiment. "But how?" he asked Rita.

"An antimagic field magnifies and rebounds any spell that's cast within it. It's not designed to work against white magic. I just released enough energy to heal one bloody nose and it hit her with enough power to heal everything," Rita grinned. She knelt next to Tommy and lifted one of his eyelids tentatively. "Good job. He'll be out for awhile. How are communicators?"

"Well, Jason's got one," Green said.

Rita stared. "You don't have one?"

"I used it to teleport Billy."

"Ah," Rita said. "So we leave two of them here, come back for them when we can. Now, vámonos!" she said, pulling at Green's gloved hand. After a moment's painful consideration, Green lifted Kat over his shoulder, hoping they could come back for their leaders before they woke.

Green followed Rita out of the tunnels for several turns, Tanya's hand in his. Then he stopped suddenly. "Where's Moira?" he asked.

Tanya stared at him aghast. "She didn't follow me, did she?" she whispered.

"We will be careful, then, si? But we cannot stay here," Rita said and started off again. When the three reached the entrance to the main hall, they looked around carefully but it was still deserted.

"Only Moira's left," Green whispered to them.

"You've already dealt with Their Highnesses?" Rita asked happily.

"Oh." Green winced. "Ah. No." At least none of the other Rangers seemed to have mind control powers.

The three walked quietly down the hall toward the spiral staircase. They were within a hundred feet of it when there was a small explosion somewhere above them. They heard a chain of grunts and groans accompanying thumps, all coming quickly down the staircase toward them. Rita started to run for cover, but Green stopped her. "Wait," he said. He put Kat down and did.

At last the source of all the noise came into view. It was Moira, and she seemed to have rolled down the entire flight of stairs. She unrolled at the foot of the stairs and tried to sit up. She failed badly. The three approached her cautiously. Her clothes were singed and torn, and she was missing a few inches of red curls on one side of her head. She stared up at them with bleary hate.

Again they heard noises from the stairwell - this time the patter of unnaturally delicate feet. It was Belle who came into view. She leaped lightly over the last several stairs and landed with one foot planted on either side of Moira's body. A sinking feeling swam into Green’s belly.

Belle’s flawless pale peach hands curled into a tight, hollow ball. The Rangers saw a spurt of fire bloom between her hands. She drew them apart and held the two fireballs over her head. Her grin was huge.

"Cut it out!" Green cried. He charged forward and shoved her off of Moira. Belle tumbled gently onto the floor, and the flames bounced a few yards before dissipating.

She stared up at him with wide violet eyes. "What?" she said with supreme innocence. "Just vanquishing the bad guy."

Rita already had one hand on the back of Tanya's dirty shirt before Tanya tried to launch herself at their ally. "Not worth it, amiga," Rita sighed, rolling her eyes at Isabella.

"Says you," Tanya growled, but she stopped struggling.

“Predictable,” Rita said to Belle. Belle’s eyes narrowed; she seemed to mind that comment more than Tanya and Green Zeo’s hostility. Rita had the restraint not to smile in triumph.

"Well, shall we?" Belle said, getting to her feet. She walked over to the staircase primly, ignoring Moira, and started up the stairs. Rita and Tanya supported a semiconscious Moira between them and Green picked up Kat again.

[And we're screwed,] Belle announced. She walked quickly and silently back down the stairs to the three conscious and two unconscious teens. [The princesses are up there and coming down.]

"Where's Jason?" Green asked as quietly as he could. Gold was still the only one with a communicator.

[Still out cold. Maybe I can contact Trini myself.] A few seconds later she ran silently back up the staircase and came down with Gold in her arms. All of them could now hear echoes of footsteps several floors above them and descending fast. After a moment of intense internal deliberation, Rita crossed herself and began moving her lips in silent patterns, palms together in prayer.

"Belle?" Adam hissed.

[Just hold on!]

The footsteps stopped. Slowly the assembly looked up. Two pairs of cute tennis shoes led their eyes up to two very angry girls. The younger, Meri, tossed her hair calmly and sighed.

"See? Told ya we should've killed Belle," she muttered.

A streak of lightning from Sari's hand hit Belle square in the chest. She fell backward into Tanya, who barely kept her balance. Tanya, Belle, and Rita started running down the stairs but didn't hear any footsteps following them. Heart beating hard with fear, Tanya looked behind her.

Sari's hands were reaching around Green's helmet. She flicked one clasp, then the other. He made no move to stop her.

"NO!" Tanya screamed. Without thinking, she charged back up the stairs and plowed straight into Sari. She knocked the princess off her feet and away from Green. Sari curled a fist and punched Tanya hard enough to send her into the side of the staircase. Rita tried to pull Sari off of her, and Meri grabbed her.

A flash of light zoomed up the stairs from Belle and caught Sari between the eyes. She cried out but otherwise seemed unaffected. She shot her own bolt back at Belle, who shut her eyes, knowing she couldn't dodge in time.

But the beam didn't injure her. Instead, she felt a harsh, foreign energy wrap around her like a bubble. "Get the rest of them, quick!" Sari cried to her sister.

Meri's hands around Rita began to glow, but she was not fast enough. The whole stairwell filled with white light. The light focused in upon Tanya, Rita, and Green, followed by Kat, Moira, and Gold. It also focused in on the two princesses, but they gave indignant cries and banished their lights as if shooing flies. The three conscious Rangers felt the welcome rush of teleportation lift them from the scene.

*****

Rita scanned the Power Chamber, found that all the rescuers and rescued were there save Belle, and then sat down very heavily on the floor. Tanya just tried to remember to breathe. After a moment, she managed to say, "Thanks," to Trini.

"Sure," Trini said, only half visible underneath a console. "A close call?"

"You could say that," Rita said weakly. "Mass teleport. Nice. Then you can teleport everyone, even those who aren't on the list."

Trini stuck her head out from under the console, then frowned. "Why didn't Belle teleport?" she asked.

"The princesses did... something," Tanya shrugged helplessly. “Some spell, I guess.”

"I can't believe that worked at all. You better have raised those shields again," said a familiar voice.

Rita was on her feet instantly, orienting on Marina with fury in her eyes. She said something in Spanish that sounded foul even to those who didn't know the language. Marina's hand moved sharply through empty air, and Rita's head snapped to one side as if slapped. Massaging her reddened cheek, Rita spat, "Thanks."

"You're welcome," Marina spat back.

"I was talking to Trini," Rita retorted. "You think this is some kind of game? Sending Belle and the two of them in there alone - I thought you'd have the decency to come yourself! How do you expect us to stop him!?"

Rita's head snapped to the side again. "Stop it!" Tanya yelled at Marina.

"I hate you!" Marina yelled at Rita.

"Why?"

"You're too damned right," Marina said.

Rita smiled fiercely. "You coming?"

"Hell yes."

"Wait, where are you going?" Trini said, alarmed.

Marina ignored her. She walked to Green, who hadn't moved since the teleport. Her hands moved for a few seconds almost too fast for them to see, then she curled a fist and hit him on the head. Before anyone could return the favor to Marina, Green groaned and took off his helmet.

"Where... what..." he said slowly, looking around in confusion.

"You were hypnotized by the brats we're going to go kill," Marina said. "And if any of you follows us back in there, I'll kill you myself for annoying me. Come on, Rita," she said. The second-oldest DeSantos child walked to Marina without hesitation. "Oh, and Trini - go ahead and lock me out of the shields. I'm not coming back here after this." She looked grimly around the Power Chamber and shuddered. "Not for a few thousand years, at least. Becoming a habit..." Her hands flew again in tiny, complicated patterns. She grabbed Rita's arm roughly and the two disappeared in black streaks.

"What on Earth was all that?!" Tanya cried in utter frustration. "Who is she?! Where did she take Rita?!"

"Um..." a small voice said, "I don't mean to be a bother, but what's going on?"

Tanya looked, saw Ashley Hammond, and made a small, inarticulate noise of disbelief.

The interior side door of the Power Chamber opened. Mrs. Walsh entered, frumpy sunflower dress and all, wiping her hands clean of machine oil on a piece of towel. "Your accelerated healing devices are repaired. Those older models are quite straightforward - they just needed new flow matrices."

Tanya reached for a console, missed, and fell to the floor in a faint. Adam rushed to her side.

Mrs. Walsh blinked at the unconscious Zeo Ranger. She looked somewhere between politely concerned and mildly amused. "Oh my. And just in time, it seems," she said.

THE END