Author’s Note: This and all future stories will now be posted in sections due to my increasingly difficult schedule.
“Over there!” Andros screamed over
the howling wind. As he leaned forward, his Glider obediently accelerated,
sending him careening through the sky over the business district of Angel
Grove.
The demons were flying
side-by-side, projecting beams of yellow light from their multiple eyes. DECA
had assessed that the rays were harmless, merely a form of combined
telescopic/x-ray vision… but it was a safe bet they were looking for something
the Rangers didn’t want them to find.
The Seekers moved with unnatural
speed, changing direction so sharply and swiftly that it took the utmost
concentration to stay in pursuit. Unfortunately, it had been too long since the
six Rangers had flown together, and it showed. Out of the corner of his eye, TJ
could see Ashley wobbling shakily on her vehicle, arms outstretched to maintain
what precarious balance she could. Cassie was faring a little better, but she
too was lagging behind; the Gliders responded to thought processes and muscle
movements, and required extreme concentration to navigate. And while the girls
were the only ones with long-range weapons, they couldn’t find the presence of
mind to summon and fire those weapons while remaining in steady flight.
Only Andros flew unerringly,
speeding through the air like a shark with his sword drawn and ready. TJ
himself was only a few feet behind, and Carlos just behind him; their continued
interest had kept their bodies, if not their minds, in shape. Zhane was
bringing up the rear, as a precaution rather than a necessity; he might not
have been as honed as Andros, but he hadn’t softened up too considerably
either.
“Get alongside the one on the
left!” Andros roared even as he veered to the right, Spiral Saber raised above
his head. TJ and Carlos obeyed, swerving left to circle closer to the second
creature. Up close it was even more repulsive: dozens of eyes darted back and
forth within the confines of putrid, pink-brown flesh. The Seekers didn’t seem
to notice the Rangers, so focused were they on their search as they defied
gravity through no means the Blue Ranger could discern.
“I got it!” Carlos crowed, leaning
forward to gain a burst of speed as he thrust his Lunar Lance forward. The
bladed edge pierced the left Seeker’s center eye, and the demon suddenly
detonated in a blaze of blue energy. The Black Ranger let out a cry of surprise
as the force of the explosion knocked him off his Glider, sending him hurtling
helplessly into the street below. His powers would protect him from serious
injury… but he was out of the chase.
As if its companion’s destruction
was a signal, the surviving Seeker suddenly reversed its momentum, causing
Andros to shoot past it. As he swerved to change course, the Seeker veered
upwards, heading towards the clouds. With a growl of determination, TJ twisted
his legs, turning his Glider around and chasing after it.
He’d only have one chance at this.
The way it was moving, the Seeker would escape Earth’s gravity in seconds.
Rearing his arm back, TJ hurled his Astro Axe straight at the beast; a moment
later the sky again lit up with a blue burst of light. TJ let out a wild cheer
as he reclaimed his falling weapon, raising it victoriously.
But the cheer was entirely
one-sided; he could feel Andros’ glare even through the Red Ranger’s visored
helmet.
In some senses, the battle wasn’t
over yet.
* * *
Vorpax was ranting again. The
Sorceress found it quite distracting.
“It was foolish to use Seekers! We
have made the first move, and failed! Now the Rangers will retaliate,
and without our defenses… you’ve given away everything!”
For a moment, Xanthe felt rage
bubble to the surface and wondered why she suffered the presence of her dear
“sister”. Then she glimpsed the corpse of the boy – Jason – which the Warrior
had triumphantly nailed to the wall of her armory. It would go down to the
Throne Room soon enough, but for the moment it proved quite an adequate
decoration. His species apparently deteriorated so much faster after death… a
curious thing, so see the color of the flesh change as it rotted. So hideous,
these Terrans, living or no. It excited her.
“The excursion was not in vain.”
The Sorceress replied, her body inert in its meditative position: lying on her
back, arms straight above her head and feet pointing downwards. “True, the
Seekers did not find our prize. But we now have the lay of the land, and the
number of the Rangers opposing us. They live in a populated city, amidst
civilians… we may be able to use this to our advantage.”
Eressea lay next to Xanthe in the
same position, though it was only a playful mimicking; she lacked the attention
span for contemplation. In her own way, the Seer was still a child, with her
delightful giggles and naiveté; a product of her broken mind, certainly. The
Obsidian Eye was balanced on her stomach, churning busily.
Vorpax restlessly circled the two
until she stood by her flaxen-haired companion. “Have you seen anything of
interest?”
The Seer shook her head. “A
blanket of power covers that part of the world… many wars fought, many deaths.
The Key is but a drop of water in an ocean… time. There must be more time…”
Xanthe rose and smiled at the
girl, who remained on the floor. “You’ll have all you need, and more.” she
vowed. “These Rangers will know our wrath shortly, I swear it.”
* * *
She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt warm.
As Kimberly Hart stirred from
sleep, she realized she was actually comfortable; that seemed an unfamiliar
sensation as well. When she opened her eyes, she realized with a start that she
was still alive. And yet her memories were as sharp and as clear as though they
had happened a moment ago: stepping into vacuum, that terrifying sensation of
floating off the ground, anchorless, the deep and unrelenting chill slicing
into her bones…
She
slowly sat up and found an older woman sitting at her side, smiling maternally.
Something about the face and eyes seemed familiar, but Kimberly didn’t
recognize her: Oriental descent, with flowing auburn hair and round cheekbones,
dark eyes full of compassion…
“It’s all
right.” the woman said, her voice soft and reassuring. “Your luck holds,
Kimberly. If the teleporter had come online a moment later, or if you’d gotten
any further outside the atmosphere bubble…”
“My friends…” Kimberly whispered, wincing at the croaking harshness of her
voice. The woman handed her a glass of warm water and gestured to the left,
where Tanya, Rocky and Billy lay asleep or unconscious. The scars on Billy’s
face had faded somewhat… but remained, like the ugly phantom of a nightmare.
But it
hadn’t been a nightmare.
The woman
took one of her hands and gently clasped it. “Kimberly, it’s very important
that you concentrate. Were you four the only ones captured? Was anyone left
behind?”
“Who… who
are you?”
Another warm smile. “I’m a friend. Please, Kimberly. Was Tommy there? Or
Katherine? Adam? Jason?”
Jason. Standing tall as Red
Ranger, a hero and a leader she would follow into hell. Boarding the plane to
Geneva with a smile and a wave goodbye. Pushing her towards escape in Divatox’s
submarine
Sliding down to the floor,
eyes unseeing, blood coursing down his chest
Tears
gathered in her eyes; she stubbornly wiped them away. “Jason’s dead.” She
announced, just loud enough for the woman to hear and grow pale at the news.
The door
slid open, heralding the arrival of a man in a white tunic and trousers that
seemed vaguely un-Earthlike. “Is everything all right, Rita?” he asked.
The name
jolted Kimberly to full awareness, and in her mind’s eye she superimposed the
face of Rita Repulsa onto this woman. And though her face wasn’t garishly
painted and her hair fell in soft waves, the eyes… she would never forget those
eyes, blazing with hatred and cruelty.
“You!”
Kimberly screamed despite the hoarseness of her voice, rolling out of bed with
all the strength she could muster. “Tanya! Rocky! Wake up!”
“Calm
down, Kimberly!” The man demanded. But her subconscious was already bridging
the gap, and she recognized the voice – though it was smooth now and did not
grate as it once had. Lord Zedd. Who had once, for his own amusement, kept her
prisoner and drained her to within an inch of her life.
He was
reaching for her.
“Get AWAY
from me!” she shrieked, lashing out. Her kick caught him by surprise and sent
him stumbling; she couldn’t pause to wonder why he was appearing in this human
guise when his natural form provided more power. It didn’t matter. She
should’ve known Rita and Zedd were in on this; they’d probably been working
with the Triad from the start.
Her eyes
quickly scanned the room. The door Zedd had come through was still open, but it
was too far away; they’d blast her long before she’d make it out. And she
couldn’t leave her friends here at their mercy. Not after she’d let Jason die.
She
steeled herself for a fight; her legs ached and she knew she wouldn’t last
long. But she had to fight. She had to…
“Kim?”
The
former Ranger whirled around to find Justin Stewart staring at her with a
mixture of confusion and alarm. The sight of him there, unmorphed and totally
at ease, unhinged something inside her, and the exhaustion and stress finally
took its toll. The former Pink Ranger sank to her knees, sobbing helplessly and
hating herself for it, expecting to suffer for her weakness.
But she
only felt a warm embrace in response, and realized with a shock that Rita was hugging her.
Had the
universe gone mad? Maybe it was all an illusion and Xanthe was just waiting for
her to reveal whatever crucial information they believed she had.
But she
just didn’t care anymore.
* * *
“This
can’t be good.” Zhane frowned.
“What is
it?” the Red Ranger asked, leaning over his friend’s shoulder to glance at the
readouts from the science station.
The
Silver Ranger fought a moment of discomfort. “Uh… it’s Kul Tirath. Scans
indicate it’s stopped its approach.”
“So? That
means they’re not heading straight for Earth.”
Zhane indicated the latest information DECA was relaying. “It’s in
geo-synchronous orbit over the ruins of the Machine castle. They’ve put the
moon between us and them, which means we’d have to circle it for a clear shot
at the fortress. They’d have all the time they need to prepare a defense.”
Andros
shrugged. “That works both ways, though. Any offensive of theirs would have to
go around the moon to reach Earth.”
The
Silver Ranger shook his head. “DECA thinks they might be able to use magic to
teleport objects through solid mass. They could send the Balar right through
the moon and we wouldn’t know until it’s too late.”
Turning
away from Zhane, Andros craned his head upwards to the DECA module; the AI was
still monitoring Federation communication channels for news of the invasion.
“DECA, update on galactic affairs.”
The
computer faithfully responded. “The Federation Senate has reconvened on the
planet’s third moon, currently being fortified against invasion; the following
statements have been released. Article One: King Zalen’s declaration of a state
of emergency has met with an unprecedented 100 percent approval rating. Article
Two: Evacuation of civilian population from Triforia, Eltar and Aquitar is in
progress, but collective casualties are estimated at over three million.
Article Three: Mandalor settlements LV-114, 116 and 122 have been declared
total losses; a Level Seven quarantine has been placed on the planet. Article
Four: Orbital satellites confirm multiple defensive breaches in capital cities
Elaris, Aurelia and Nevi, and surrounding provinces. Article Five: Quantrons
have proven inadequate against invaders. Article Six: Edenoi reports the
assassination of the Royal Family; no successor has been appointed…”
“Enough.”
Andros sighed, cutting off the AI’s litany. “It’s chaos out there.” he mused.
“No one was ready for this.”
“It gets
worse.” Zhane added, checking a secondary panel with more intelligence reports.
“According to this, the Balar aren’t even holding their territory. They’re just
moving like locusts, tearing things down and moving on.”
The Red
Ranger frowned. “So what happens when they run out of targets?”
“Good
question. Zordon’s journal doesn’t tell how the Balar traveled from world to
world… Starship technology had barely been developed in that era, so it
would’ve had to have been a magical means. I’m guessing teleportation rifts… big ones.”
“Speaking
of starships, where the hell is the Federation fleet?” Andros demanded. “Why
aren’t they responding?”
“The
Senate voted against orbital bombardment; even if the Balar weren’t attacking
populated areas, the damage to the surface and environment would be
unthinkable.” Zhane explained. “Besides, it’s not like they’re aiming for giant
monsters… they’d only end up causing more harm.”
A hiss
caused both Kerovans to turn towards the main doors, which were opening to
admit one of the humans they’d rescued – Kimberly Hart, the former Pink Ranger.
She barged into the bridge, her watery and red-tinged eyes briefly resting on
Zhane before locking on his companion.
“You’re
him.” she spat in an accusatory tone. “You’re the one who killed Zordon.”
To have
it thrown in his face with such fury caught Andros by surprise; he’d endured
those reactions before, in the days just after the Countdown when no one was
sure what had happened. The first thing that leapt to his mind
was the defense he’d used before the Eltarian committee.
“He told
me to. He said it was the only way.”
Unlike
Zordon’s own family, she didn’t seem satisfied with that. “Did you know him?”
she demanded. “Personally, I mean. Did you ever serve on one of his teams?”
“No.”
“Then
don’t tell me there wasn’t another way. There’s always another
way. You just didn’t find it.”
Zedd –
who’d been standing behind her, listening – chose that moment to intervene,
placing a hand on Kimberly’s shoulder. “Andros saved the galaxy.”
She shook off his touch like he was contagious. “No, Zordon did that. All this
guy did was kill a great man in the process.”
“You
weren’t there.” The Red Ranger growled.
“No I
wasn’t. Because if I’d been there, if any of his Rangers had
been there, none of this would be happening.”
Andros
would have argued that point… but deep down he knew she was right. So he
remained silent as the ex-Ranger turned on her heel and stormed out. Zedd
followed, a concerned look on his face.
Then they
were alone again, plunged into awkward silence. Then Andros mumbled: “She’s
right, you know.”
The
Silver Ranger put a hand on his teammate’s shoulder. “No she’s not. You know
you had no choice.”
Andros
just stared ahead, his eyes dull and tired. “I killed him, Zhane. I killed him,
and I let the Triad out, and from the way Zedd looks when he talks about them
we would’ve been better off with Astronema and the Alliance.”
“Don’t
say that.”
“Why not?
It’s true.” Andros shrugged. “I had no right to take the fate of the galaxy
into my own hands.”
“You’re a
Power Ranger, even if Zordon didn’t choose you. You’re a leader.” Zhane’s grip
tightened. “That means doing what other people can’t. That’s what gives you the
right.” Gently pulling his friend closer, the Silver Ranger embraced him. “I
believe in you.” he added. “I know you did the right thing.”
Their
eyes met as they slowly pulled apart, and a faint smile flitted across the
older Kerovan’s mouth. “You always had faith in me.” he said, a hint of warmth
seeping into his voice. “Even when I didn’t deserve it.” Ducking his head,
Andros placed a soft kiss on Zhane’s forehead and left the bridge.
The
Silver Ranger stood transfixed for a moment, surprised by the sudden show of
emotion. But they were all tired and worn out… they’d all be acting strangely
for the next few days, until they adapted to being a team again.
He just hoped
they had that kind of time.
* * *
The Seer
hummed thoughtfully, gently running both hands over the Obsidian Eye. The black
goo swirled and briefly formed an image of the six Rangers standing together,
united. Then, one by one, they began to drift apart and dissolve, melting into
nothing.
“Ill
words are being spoken.” Eressea spoke in a hushed, almost reverent tone.
“Bonds decay and wither.” She turned her blindfolded gaze to Xanthe, who found
it unsettling that despite her predicament the pale girl seemed to see her.
“Are we
timeless, Xanthe?” the girl asked. “Shall we live forevermore as we are, never
to change, never to turn against each other?”
The
Sorceress patted her companion’s cheek. “We shall be eternal, as He promised.”
she replied. “We shall see the light of the last star go out, and dance upon
the broken bodies of our enemies.” Her crimson eyes narrowed in devious
thought. “And if the Rangers wish to hasten their doom by squabbling among
themselves, so much the better.”
She hurried to her chambers, a plot forming in the back of her mind. She didn’t
notice the Seer’s lips part in a soft, sad smile for a moment; a vision of the
future revealed to her, and just as quickly swallowed up into oblivion.
Then she
started humming again.
* * *
“It was…
cold.” Kimberly described, hands clasped on her knees. The other ex-Rangers –
Tanya Park, Justin Stewart, Rocky DeSantos and a silent but healed Billy
Cranston – sat with her, confirming and adding what details they could. The
current team of Rangers, along with Zedd, Rita, Karone and Divatria were taking
note of every word.
“It felt
like most of the fortress was deserted.” she continued. “It was really quiet…
lots of empty halls. There were never more than two or three of those demon things…”
“Balar.” Zedd interrupted. “They are
called Balar.”
The
ex-Pink Ranger nodded. “Right. Balar. Anyway… there weren’t too many of them
around.”
Rita’s
brow furrowed. “I’m not surprised. Ma’erok’s armies were decimated during the
last confrontation on Eltar… those that survived were stranded on separate
planets.”
Kimberly
gave the former witch a confused look. “Ma’erok? Who’s Ma’erok?”
“The lord
of Kul Tirath.” Zedd answered. “The master of the Triad.” The Khanduri was
surprised by her uncomprehending stare. “He never showed his face?”
Justin
shrugged. “The Triad seemed to be running the show. I didn’t see anyone else.”
A memory
then surfaced in Kimberly’s mind. “I did.” she admitted. “There was someone in
the lower levels, when I was separated from the group.” She tried to articulate
the horrors she’d seen in that chamber, but there were no words for the savage
mutilations she alone had seen. “There was a man… wearing black armor, and a
metal mask that covered his head. There were these spikes…”
Rita and
Zedd exchanged a worried glance. The Red Ranger had Zordon’s journal open
before him and asked: “He was sitting on a throne made of skulls?”
She
nodded, and Andros turned the book over to the others so they could see the
illustration in question. “The Throne of Entropy.” Andros explained. “Ma’erok’s
seat of power, formed from the bones of his enemies.”
“But… he
didn’t react to me.” Kimberly added. “It was like he was asleep, or dead… like
he wasn’t there at all.”
Zedd’s
eyes widened. “Of course!”
“What?”
Karone asked, clearly eager to know more.
Zedd
grabbed Zordon’s journal and thumbed through the pages until he reached a
familiar passage. “’Together we pulled
the very essence of the Abomination from its physical shell, and cast it into
the astral winds.’ The
spell we used to defeat Ma’erok severed the bonds between his physical form and
his… his soul, if you will. The Black Foe’s corporeal self was indestructible…
the only way we could stop him was to ensure that he could no longer affect this
universe. As a disembodied spirit, he would be powerless.”
“So the
Triad want to put him back in his body? That’s what this is about?” Rocky
asked.
Zedd
nodded, the pieces clearly falling together in his mind as he rushed to
explain. “Of course… that’s why they’re here. That’s why they’re targeting
Angel Grove. You can’t just summon a spirit from the astral planes and funnel
it into a corpse. The Triad would need an object containing some fraction of
his power, a beacon to draw forth the Adversary’s essence. And only one such
object remains in the galaxy.”
Kimberly
let out a deep breath. “The Green Coin. That’s why they’re after it.”
Zedd
nodded gravely. “And they must never find it. For the sake of every living
thing that exists.”
* * *
Though she would admit it to no
one, the silence of the Citadel disturbed Xanthe.
In her mind, it had not been so
long ago when the forces of the Black Hand had terrorized the Protectorate,
when her master had sat on the Throne of Entropy to pass judgment on the
unworthy. As the Emissary of Ma’erok, she had often visited his strongholds
bringing news of the war to his generals. Gorgathas had been her favorite… it
had pleased her to see the fish-folk being tortured and flayed, their
life-blood powering the Voidgates that brought the Master’s minions forth from
the Abyss. Always the air had been filled with screams and moans of those kept
alive for sport, and the Balar had stalked every shadow, biding their time.
Kul Tirath itself had only been
created in the final days of the war. But she remembered the gathering, the
union of all who swore allegiance to the Lord of Chaos. The high court, the
human thralls, the Void spawn, the Balar… every hallway and chamber of the
great fortress had been filled to its capacity, and it had seemed to the
Sorceress that they had reached the pinnacle of their power, that they would be
unstoppable.
Instead their armies had crumbled,
the Balar cast back into their pits, the demon courtiers slain or returned to
the Void, herself and her companions sealed in crystal. And the Master, a
victim of Eltarian treachery, forever locked in a state of unlife, trapped
within the spirit world as his works were lost to time and forgotten.
She would endure it no longer. The
Balar would complete the annihilation of the four worlds that had comprised the
core of the Protectorate. She and her “sisters” would claim the Green Coin and
restore their Lord. And all would fall into place as was always meant to be.
She didn’t need Eressea’s visions to know that she would triumph.
But victory would only come once
the Power Rangers were dead. In times past she could have dispatched them with
any number of magical methods, but her powers waned the longer she remained on
this lifeless rock, and they had only a handful of Balar to protect them, and
no spawning pits with which to create more. Were the Doom Guard present, she
would have felt safer; but neither had yet returned from their mission to
remove those who could oppose Ma’erok upon his return. She would have to resort
to subtler methods… and the Seer had given her an idea.
Her laboratory, like most of the
citadel’s interior, had been ransacked by the filthy Protectorate warriors.
They had confiscated most of her supplies and spellbooks, but they had
overlooked a number of relics she had received as tributaries from the worlds
that had sided with the Black Hand during the war. One such item was required
now. She found it after a moment of searching, half-buried under a collapsed
shelf: a tall blue urn, sealed shut and painted with runes signifying warning
and danger. The Sorceress pulled it from the rubble and checked for cracks; but
no, it had survived the cataclysm that had cast Kul Tirath into space unharmed.
Perfect.
She quickly returned to the main
chamber, where Vorpax was busy practicing with a pair of wooden clubs. Xanthe
briefly considered sending the Warrior to Earth instead of a Balar; she had
been clamoring for combat since slaying the leader of Zordon’s first charges.
Vorpax had always been eager to throw herself into combat, heedless of danger…
likely because she had only been beaten once in her lifetime. But no, Vorpax
was not expendable… yet.
A Balar – which had once been
Eltarian, how fitting – responded to her silent call. She thrust the urn into
its hands and gave it the necessary instructions, after which it bowed its head
and vanished into a fiery sphere, which then streaked out of the balcony and
down to Earth.
* * *
“Look out!” Cassie screamed. Her warning
came too late; the enormous shadow demon grabbed the Yellow Ranger by the back
of her neck and brutally hurled her to the ground. The Pink Ranger leapt to her
friend’s aid, but the Balar casually backhanded her in the face, sending her
flying backwards. As Ashley tried to get to her feet, the creature slammed a
fist into her back, knocking her back down.
Andros was fighting a Lightning
Balar nearby, evading its talons as best he could. Ashley’s predicament was
plainly in his line of sight, but he didn’t turn away from his opponent.
Suddenly Ashley’s attacker lurched
back with a shriek as a lance burst from its chest; black ooze dribbled from
its wounds as Carlos pulled his weapon out and swung it sideways, neatly
decapitating the Balar. The Black Ranger grabbed Ashley’s arm and gently helped
her to her feet, not noticing the flame demon rising behind them.
Two swift punches sent the pair
sprawling onto Cassie. A moment later TJ was hurled onto them, battered and
weary. Zhane fell next, stumbling and panting for breath.
The five remaining Balar converged
on Andros, who fought like a man possessed, his saber whipping around in
circles. But when he noticed the condition of his teammates, he called out:
“DECA! Pause simulation!”
The Balar immediately froze in
place, and Andros tore his helmet off as he stormed over to the downtrodden
Rangers.
“What are you doing?” he demanded.
“This isn’t a game! You think you have time for a break?”
“Cool it, Andros.” Zhane snapped.
“We’re not in prime shape anymore. We need time to…”
“You don’t have time.” the
Red Ranger growled. “These things are coming. Get back on your feet!”
TJ did as he was told… but then he
turned away from the frozen creatures and walked out the door. Andros stood
there, fuming as Cassie and Carlos followed. Ashley lingered for a moment
longer, seemingly torn… but she followed her Terran friends.
Zhane caught his breath and faced
his best friend. “They’re not rookies, Andros. You can’t treat them that way.”
“You’ve seen what the Balar can do,
Zhane.” he replied coldly. “I can’t let mistakes like this morning slide. I’m
the leader.”
“You’re their friend too. Aren’t
you?”
Another flash of sadness and
longing passed across Andros’ face.
“I don’t know.”
* * *
“How are you feeling?” Kimberly
asked, gently helping one of her oldest friends sit up.
“Healing” was Billy’s terse reply;
he was obviously still in pain from Xanthe’s interrogations. The Kerovan
technology had worked wonders, erasing almost all his scars, even the damage
done to his left eye. But there were hurts no machinery could fix.
Nearby, Justin was tinkering with
a complex device, gripping a welder in one hand and a pair of tweezers in
another. She couldn’t help but smile as she saw him.
“Does he remind you of anyone?”
she asked the former Blue Ranger.
He shot her a look that was full
of dry humor and replied: “Not in the least.”
“How are you feeling?”
“I really don’t want to talk about
it.”
She fell silent at that sharp
reply, not knowing what to say. The words would have come so easily to her
once, and this was no stranger she was sitting with. This was Billy, the guy
she’d known since elementary school. He was her friend. Her last friend… and she
felt the familiar pain and loss in her heart as she remembered Jason and Trini
and Zack, all gone. Tommy… was Tommy dead? Could Tommy die? She didn’t know,
and that terrified her. And she had to talk about it, or she’d go crazy.
“It’s my fault, you know.”
Billy’s emerald gaze shot back to
her, and he was no more shocked than she was. Of all the ice-breakers she could
have thought up, that one was nowhere near the top of her head.
But she knew it was the truth, as
she explained: “I had a blaster in my hands when we were escaping the fortress.
I could have shot Vorpax… I could’ve killed her before she lay a finger on
Jason.” A tear slid down her cheek. “I panicked. I froze. Now he’s gone… and I
don’t know what to do…”
A warm hand enfolded hers, and
Billy shook his head. “Don’t say that, Kim. If this mess is anyone’s fault…”
She saw where he was going and
started to object, but he squeezed her hand to silence her. “Everything the
Triad knows about us came from me, Kim. I… I don’t even remember most of what
they did to me. But they have names, addresses, history… I gave us all up to
those monsters. But I’m not going to sit here and feel sorry for myself. You
know why?”
Kimberly shook her head, puzzled;
and then she found hatred like nothing she’d ever seen before in Billy’s
once-gentle features.
“Because I’ll make them pay. We’ll
get them back for everything, Kim, I swear.”
* * *
“Come on…” Tanya whispered as the
dial tone repeated again. “Pick up the phone, please…”
There was a click, and for a
moment her heart froze in her chest. “Adam?” she whispered.
”Hi!” Her own voice taunted her. “You’ve reached the Park residence. We’re not
home right now, so leave a message…”
With a hiss of frustration, Tanya
threw her cellphone on the bed, where Rocky was sitting with a sober
expression.
“No one’s answering.” she told him,
running a hand through her hair. “I shouldn’t be here, Rocky… I should be back
in New York looking for him. He could be hurt or unconscious somewhere…”
Rocky nodded, possessed by the
same impulse to drop everything and find his best friend. He remembered how
happy they’d been at the wedding… it seemed like another lifetime. Hadn’t they
all been together just a few months ago? “I know how you feel, Tanya. But
there’s nothing we can do. Justin says most of Zordon’s equipment was fried,
and whatever they salvaged pretty much self-destructed when they teleported us
back to Earth. Do you really want to get on a plane where those things can find
you? You’d endanger yourself and everyone around you. Adam wouldn’t want that.”
“Don’t!” she demanded, anger and
terror dueling for dominance within her. “Don’t talk about him like he’s dead!
He’s not dead!”
“I know he’s not.” It felt like a
lie, and Rocky was ashamed of that. But he went on. “Adam’s a survivor, Tanya. You
know it, I know it.”
“Jason was a survivor too.” Tanya
shot back. “What about Kat? Wasn’t she a survivor? But they’re not here.” She
paused then, and for a moment Rocky thought she was going to cry.
But Tanya had always been a strong
woman. A moment later she’d composed herself, fighting to keep her panic from
overtaking her.
“I have to do something, Rocky.”
she said. “I can’t just sit here waiting.”
The former Blue Ranger nodded. He
felt the same way… restless, eager to make up for how weak he’d been so far. To
have been captured, nearly killed, with so little effort on the part of their
enemies… it would’ve been unthinkable in their Ranger days. And he wondered
what that meant now, what their place was. Billy had enough scientific know-how
to still be of use… but what about the rest of them? What could he do against a
Balar, or whatever monsters the Triad had waiting up in their fortress?
“We’ll figure something out.” he
said, as much to assuage his own fears as hers. “We always do.”
Seeing her smile, even a little,
didn’t make him feel the slightest bit better.