[All disclaimers in Book 1.]
*
"Why do we have to eat by ourselves anyway?" Joe grumbled as the Ninja team members sat together in a small but comfortable room. Ken eyed Joe wryly.
"Because we don't need to be in the middle of a war zone yet. You saw how those two members of G-Force reacted. The others are all likely to flipout completely."
"Can you blame them?" Jun asked. "I mean, look at their situation! They know we've been brought in with the ultimate intention of killing their friends. How else would they react?"
Ken stared at his plate thoughtfully. "That's not going to happen. Not until it becomes our only alternative. And even then we're going to try and avoid it."
Joe smirked at his commander. "Shirking your duty, Ken? That's so unlike you."
Ken turned a harsh stare on Joe.
"Shut up, Joe. Don't even go there."
The Condor merely grinned and stuffed his bread roll into his mouth. Ryu was watching Ken seriously.
"What are you thinking, Ken?"
Ken sighed a little. "I'm going to tell you guys something, but for God's sake, don't tell Nambu. He'd have me back home before I could blink."
At that, all other four members of the team locked their attention onto Ken. The young man went on quietly.
"We're here because we're neutral. Right?"
Four heads nodded soundlessly.
"And because we've had no involvement or interaction with G-Force, it's meant to be easier for us to kill their Commander. Right?" Again, four heads nodded. Ken regarded them miserably.
"We're at a disadvantage that Nambu doesn't know about. At least, I am. It isn't true that we've had no interaction with G-Force. Five years ago, when Nambu sent me on the early mission to the United States after that Galactor spy, I met the Commander of G-Force."
"And you never told Hakase?" Jinpei asked in astonishment. The concept that Ken- the straight and honest eagle- could have withheld something from their mentor was beyond the younger boy's comprehension. Ken shook his head.
"No, I didn't. It happened before we were made aware that G-Force existed, and I thought it best to keep it a secret."
Jun shifted a little closer to Ken, encouraging him to go on.
"What happened?"
"I arrived in Washington D.C.," Ken explained quietly. "I'd managed to track the spy halfway across the country, but I lost him in the capital. I was ready to report back to Nambu when I was ambushed by eight or nine Galactors. I could have taken out five or six, but that many was beyond me. I was contemplating my options when a teenage boy appeared out of nowhere to help me. Between the two of us, we were able to well and truly defeat the Galactor men. Of course, it made little difference. I'd still lost the spy. I had nowhere to go, though, and the boy offered me shelter. I went with him, and he led me to an abandoned building. I assumed he was a street-kid, and he did nothing to convince me otherwise. He had food, which he shared with me, and all this time never once questioned me over my uniform, who I was, or what my intentions were.
"We'd been there for a while, when we were rudely interrupted. I thought it was a Galactor attack, but the men wore uniforms that I'd never seen before. Nevertheless, I assumed they were there for me. Imagine my astonishment when the boy suddenly reappeared, in a uniform almost the same as my own."
"The Commander of G-Force?" Ryu asked, and Ken nodded.
"Right. It was Mark. We never even got into a fight, then. The soldiers were so startled by the sight of the two of us that they just fled. Mark then explained himself to me, and I to him. He helped me during the time that I remained in the city, and aided me in safely getting out again. He saved my life, and I can't forget that. Especially not now."
Joe stared piercingly at Ken. "Are you saying what I think you are?"
Ken regarded his second in command with a grim look. "If it comes down to killing Mark and the other two, I'll take care of Jason and Keop, but I won't be able to kill Mark. I can't do it."
A heavy silence fell across the other four. Finally, Joe spoke quietly.
"You should have told Nambu when he told us about this mission."
"And the point of that would have been?" Ken asked sharply. "We can help, Joe. Hopefully, we'll find a solution that won't end in death. It would help no one if Nambu had decided to keep us home in Japan because one of us has already had dealings with G-Force. And, regardless of anything else, this would eventually involve us anyway. The entire planet is under threat. We thought everything was over after we defeated Sosai X, but we were wrong. We left G-Force to deal with Spectra. If we'd known of the relationship between the Commander and Zoltar, then perhaps we could have made ourselves available to help before all this happened."
Joe sighed, twirling a shuriken between his fingers. "Okay, I understand. I guess.... But what do we do now?"
"We don't tell Nambu, Anderson or those other two," Ken said firmly. "Not that they could do anything about it now, but we don't need the complication of them thinking I can't be trusted."
"All of us," Ryu added. "We'll follow your lead, Ken. Nambu knows that."
"Ryu's right," Jun agreed. "Whatever you decide, Ken, we'll go along with you."
"Unless you make the wrong decision," Joe added with a half-smirk. "In which case we'll hang you out to dry. If the Spectrans don't get you first."
Ken didn't answer, he sat almost frozen, staring blankly ahead with an expression that was all too familiar to his companions.
"What is it?" Jun asked hopefully. Ken bit down lightly on his lower lip, then shook his head.
"I thought that maybe we'd be able to cause some confusion with the Spectrans, but that would only work if Mark didn't know about us. Jinpei and I could masquerade as Mark and Keop, but only until word of it gets back to Mark himself. As soon as he hears about it, he'll be able to tell Zoltar what's really going on."
"Maybe it's not such a good idea to fight against the Spectrans like that," Joe mused. "But maybe we could use that trick to get close enough to snatch the three of them back. All it would take would be a few shuriken feathers tipped with a powerful sedative. We might have a better chance of getting close to them than anyone else."
"Providing we can find their base," Ryu pointed out. "Maybe our first priority should be making the rest of G-Force and everyone else here understand that we won't kill their friends if we can possibly avoid it."
Ken nodded. "We'll do that, but on the quiet. Like I said, I don't wantNambu or Anderson to know. At least, not yet. Joe, you have a good idea, though. If the five of us can masquerade as G-Force, then when we find their base, it'll mean a better chance at getting close enough to do something positive."
Joe smiled wryly. "Thankyou, O great leader."
Ken favoured Joe with a baleful look, then turned his attention back to his lunch.
"I think we'd better finish up quickly. I have a feeling it's not going to be long before World War III breaks out."
*
Spectran Base
Jason walked along the long corridor, his heart pounding somewhere in his throat. Just a few minutes ago, he'd received word that Mordock wanted to see him, privately. Now, he was starting to feel intensely nervous. Mark had told him not to worry, but Jason had sensed the incredible power of the older man from the beginning, and knowledge of that power unsettled him.
A squad of soldiers passed him going in the opposite direction, and the captain saluted him in a show of respect. That brought a small smile to Jason's lips, and he nodded in acknowledgment of the man. Then, the squad was past, and he continued on his way.
Mordock's chamber was close by- it was hardly an effort to walk there from his, Mark and Keop's room. He arrived at the door to his grandfather's chamber, and knocked quickly before his nerves could get the better of him.
"Come in, Jason."
Jason winced a little, and went in. Mordock was seated in a large chair, and indicated for Jason to do the same.
"Sit, please."
He sat silently, hands clasped together, eyes on the floor. Mordock regarded the young man curiously for a moment, then spoke.
"You're still a little afraid of me, aren't you?"
Jason bit lightly on his lower lip before deciding to answer honestly.
"Yes, sir."
A soft laugh escaped Mordock. "It's probably just as well. But I meant it when I said you have nothing to fear from me. Only our enemies do. You're back where you belong, Jason, as heir to the Spectran rule, and all other conquered worlds. Look at me."
Jason looked up, unable to resist. Mordock favoured him with a smile.
"You might be afraid of me, and with good cause, but you also have a great deal of courage. At least your mother chose well when she gave you up."
Anger flashed across the boy's face, then. "My mother stole me from Father. She had no right to take me to Earth in the first place. No right to take me from him."
Inside, Mordock was laughing. Zoltar had well and truly perfected his mind controlling this time. Jason, Mark and Keop were all completely in his control, and there didn't seem to be any chance of breaking it.
"No," he agreed aloud. "She didn't. But in the end it possibly worked to our benefit. You've grown into a strong warrior with a great deal of experience. I think it's working out just fine regardless. But we have other matters to discuss. I hear you've been working to refine your powers."
Jason nodded enthusiastically. "Yes. I'm getting good at shape- shifting...."
He faltered, realising he was bragging to someone ten times more powerful than himself. "I mean, I've been practising a lot..."
Mordock chuckled. "It's all right to say that you're good at something, Jason. It isn't boasting if you're being honest. But I'd like to see. What's you're favourite shape?"
A grin lit up Jason's face and, eager to demonstrate, he rose and walked across to an empty space on the floor. A moment later, there was a flash of red-orange light and his body contorted. His head enlarged and flattened, his nose to jaw-line lengthening to become a powerful muzzle. His shoulders broadened and there was a faint cracking as bones realigned quickly, painlessly. Fingers shortened, and sharpened off into clawed paws, and thick orange fur with black stripes spread over his entire body. An instant later, and it had only been an instant, Jason stood on all fours in the shape of a powerful tiger.
"Very good," Mordock praised him with a deep chuckle. "Very impressive. How quickly can you shape-shift?"
Jason's reply was several rapid changes, from tiger to wolf, to eagle, to cougar, and finally back into human form once more. Mordock favoured the teen with a broad grin.
"You have been working hard, haven't you?"
The teen shrugged. "A little. It's not that hard, really." He hesitated, then asked a question that had been on his mind for a while. "Grandfather...?"
Mordock watched the boy appraisingly. "Yes?"
"Do you think I'm ready?"
"To fight, do you mean? Yes, I think so. You've already proven your willingness to do whatever is necessary to further our cause. But don't worry. You won't be thrown in head-first. Neither you, nor Mark and Keop will be. Our first target is Washington D.C., and from there things will gather momentum."
"The White House and the Pentagon?"
"That's right. Strategic targets. The White House is viewed as a power base. Whoever is situated there has the power to control. With the Pentagon, we'll be able to throw the country's defences into a shambles. And with the American Defence Force in disarray, confusion will follow amongst all the remaining nations on Earth that pose even the slightest threat to us. It's all strategic, Jason. A domino effect, if you like."
Jason hesitated, then sat down, curious to hear more from his mysterious grandfather.
"Have you been to Earth before?"
"Oh yes, quite a few times," Mordock replied. "The last time I was on Earth would have been possibly six months ago. The truth is, I went specifically to see you. Your father told me that he'd found you, finally, and I wanted to see for myself."
Dismay flashed across the boy's face.
"But you could have rescued me then!"
Mordock laughed softly, and reached out to pat Jason reassuringly on the shoulder.
"Yes, I suppose I could have, but it wasn't the right time. Now is the right time, my boy. We are a family again, and this time nothing is going to stop us."
A sneer twisted Jason's lips. "The number of times Zedd used to say that... But he was weak compared to us. We have more power than he could ever dream of."
"Exactly right," Mordock agreed. He stood up, then, drawing Jason to his feet as well. "Are you ready for war, grandson?"
Jason smiled, then, and it had not the slightest bit of warmth in it.
"Yes. I am."
Canada,
The safe-house
The meeting after lunch had gone better than Anderson had hoped. At least, he reflected grimly during a break in the discussions, no one had said anything against the Science Ninja Team. Or perhaps it would have been more truthful to say that they had all been too stunned to find their voices.
It had started awkwardly. It was obvious that Jason, Tiny, Keith and Tommy knew something, and their dark mood seemed to be everyone. A few suggestions had been made for how to deal with their situation, and finally Anderson had taken control, and introduced Nambu and his team. The silence that followed when Nambu and the Kagaku Ninjatai had entered the room had been profound. All who knew G-Force- either by sight or personally- had been stunned into absolute, deathly silence.
Not that he could blame any of them, of course. The only time Anderson had laid eyes on any of the Japanese team had been years ago, when Ken had been no more than three or four years old. Ken did not remember, and Anderson wasn't bothered with reminding him. That had been just before Anderson had rescued Mark and Keop from death, as the beginning of the American version of the Science Ninjas. Now, the physical resemblance between each member of the two teams- Mark and Ken, Joe and Jason, Princess and Jun and so on- was astonishing.
"I don't get it," someone spoke up. Anderson looked around to see Justin, of the current Power Ranger team, speaking up. The child went on, acutely aware that everyone's attention was suddenly on him. "How can there be two teams, almost exactly the same, but not knowing about each other?"
Nambu spoke up to answer the question.
"Originally, officially, there was only meant to be one team. Anderson and myself put forward petitions to develop two teams to work in tandem from different bases- one in Japan and the other in America. I received funding and support to develop the Kagaku Ninjatai, but Anderson was refused in his request for funding. So, on an official level, suitable people for my team only were to be found and trained."
"I wasn't ready to give up so easily, though," Anderson said, taking over from Nambu. "I decided to fund my own project from my own pocket, and I went searching for the right children in secret. I came across Mark and Keop at approximately the same time that Ken was placed in Dr Nambu's care, but it was some time before Nambu located four others to make up the Science Ninja Team. I found three other children almost immediately. In the end, both Nambu and myself decided it best if we kept the teams separate. That became essential when we faced separate threats from both the Galactors and the Spectrans. We decided that G-Force should deal with Spectra, and the KNT should deal with Galactor. Maybe that was wrong, and maybe it wasn't. That isn't the issue now. We have an advantage with the KNT here, and we have to use it. Regardless of whether any do or don't like it, and that's final."
In the grudging silence that followed, only Jason and Keith noticed the grim, almost guilty looks that were shared amongst the KNT at Anderson's words. They saw, and made mental notes to chase it up later on, in private. Ken stood up, then, to speak.
"We are not here to cause more problems. We hope that we'll be able to solve them. And our greatest priority is to bring Jason, Mark and Keop back safely, unharmed. That is the bottom line."
"Why should we believe you?" Nikki piped up from where she sat with her adoptive parents. Ken favoured the young girl with an understanding smile.
"I understand that you may find it difficult to believe us. Hopefully our actions will prove our words. All I ask is that no one jump to conclusions without proof of those beliefs."
"You're a good talker," Jason retorted, rising up to face the Commander. "But so is Mark, so you aren't going to fool me. The bottom line is that the Chief called you lot in to kill Mark, Keop and Jase. Didn't he?"
Startled silence fell at the abrupt revelation, and Anderson groaned softly, burying his face in his hands.
"Yes," Ken conceded finally, deliberately holding Jason's stare. "That is true. The fear is there that it will be necessary. But I won't allow any of my team to carry out that order unless it becomes our absolute, last alternative." He paused, his gaze narrowing considerably as he stared at Jason. "I will not allow your commander to die unnecessarily."
"Great," Jason muttered, slumping back down into his chair. "That makes me feel a lot better. Thanks a lot."
"Damn it, Jason," Anderson finally exploded, "what the hell else do you want? You know what the stakes are now! You know as well as, if not better than anyone else! And you know what Mark said after the last time this happened. Zoltar and Mordock are going to use those boys to kill, and we all know it. Jason has already come close once. And once they start taking innocent lives, then it may be too late for them to turn back. And as much as it hurts to say so, I for one would rather see Mark killed by another hand than have him eventually commit suicide because he can't cope with what he's done. You know it doesn't make any difference that he's under mind control. It won't make any difference for any of them. It's not their fault, but they'll take the blame anyway. And on top of that, there are going to be those that will put the blame on them. Fair or not, you know what will happen. So stop being so goddamned selfish and accept what might eventually have to happen!"
The silence that followed was heavy, uncomfortable. Then, finally, Donavon got slowly to his feet, looking directly to Ken and the other KNT members as he spoke.
"I raised my son to know the difference between right and wrong, and never to do anything that would hurt another person, in any way. I honestly don't see how I'm going to bring him through if we do manage to free him from this mind control. But that's something to deal with at a later time. Right now, I can understand that our chances of rescuing Jason, Mark and Keop aren't good. Sarah and I were awake all night discussing this, and if it comes to it.... If the only way to save this situation this planet is to kill Jason, then so be it."
"No..." Nikki whimpered, staring at Donavon in dismay. "They can't kill him..."
Sarah hugged the young girl tightly. "We don't want it to happen, honey, but we all know that Jason could do some terrible things if we can't stop him. We can't afford to protect him at the expense of who knows how many lives. He'd understand that."
Donavon nodded as he sat back down. "I'm positive that he'd want it to be that way, if it comes to it."
Ken nodded. "Fair enough. But I don't think anyone here really believes me when I say that killing them will be an absolutely final resort."
Tiny looked up, tired but resigned to what he saw as an unavoidable fate.
"The last time we went up against Zoltar and Mordock together, we barely got away with our lives. Now we have them protecting our own friends from us. What else are we going to be able to do, other than kill them?"
Ken's eyes glimmered darkly beneath his visor.
"We rescue them. It's as simple as that."
Jason stared wonderingly at the Commander. "Are you stupid or just ignorant? Don't you know what Mark, Keop and Jase are capable of?"
"We are aware of the facts," Ken conceded, "but if you give up now, before we've even started, then you may as well surrender. This is not going to be easy, but it doesn't have to be hopeless. It isn't unless you allow it to be. We have a formidable force right here, in this room." Ken motioned around with his hand. "G-Force, two generations of Power Rangers, the Voltron Force, the leader of the Boridian Army, and the Kagaku Ninjatai. A force such as this would give even the worst enemies reason to hesitate. The most important thing now is to stop fighting amongst ourselves, and start working together. We want the same goal. We all want to see your three friends rescued, and the Spectrans stopped. If we work together in an organised fashion, it can happen. But we must work together. Not only for our own sakes, but for the sake of every human being on this planet."
Ken walked across the room to stand in front of Jason, holding out his right hand to the younger man. "Will you let us help you?"
For several long, agonizing seconds, Jason didn't move, didn't speak. Finally, though, the boy reluctantly conceded and accepted the outstretched hand. A sigh of relief seemed to sweep across the room, and Anderson got to his feet, favouring Ken with a grateful smile.
"All right. Now that we finally seem to be in agreement on that point, perhaps we can start working on strategies."
"I'm afraid there's no time for that," a voice interrupted, and all eyes turned to Coran, who had just strode into the room, pale-faced.
"What is it?" Cronus asked tensely, expecting trouble. Coran looked around the room grimly, and his gaze fell on Anderson.
"We've just received an emergency call from the Pentagon that was diverted here from Woodeforde. The Spectrans are on the move. They're literally swarming over the capital. It was cut off before we could get the entire message, but I believe the gist of it was that the Pentagon and the White House are in the process of being taken over."
"They're after a power base," Cronus said. "Control over the Pentagon and the White House would throw everything into confusion."
Anderson nodded. "It looks as though we aren't going to have the chance to do much organising. Zoltar and Mordock aren't giving us that opportunity."
"If I might make a suggestion," Ken said, "perhaps it would be better if we made our way back towards Washington secretly for now, until we have a good idea of how to continue."
Again, Anderson nodded. "I think that would be best."
"A reconnaissance team might be the best way to go," Cronus suggested. "A small team would be able to get into the city relatively undetected, and we don't want to show all our cards just yet."
Nambu rose to his feet, then, deciding to take charge, acutely aware of his American counterpart's unnerved state.
"Ken?"
"Hakase?" the Commander replied.
"You, Joe, Jason and...." He paused, and his gaze fell on Tommy. The youth was sitting in his chair, obviously agitated. As much as Nambu wanted to pass him over, he had a strong feeling that it would be a mistake to do so. Being left out would possibly only create more difficulties than they needed, particularly if he decided to go off on his own, or even with his own team. With that in mind, Nambu made a difficult decision. "Tommy will go ahead of the rest." He looked across to Anderson. "Who is the better driver? Joe or Jason?"
"Joe should drive," Anderson replied firmly. "Jason hasn't fully recovered from a head wound yet."
Jason glowered at his guardian, but didn't protest. Nambu nodded.
"All right. The four of you will go in Joe's car. Make a quick reconnaissance of the situation, but try to make it as comprehensive as possible. The more information we have, the better our chances. And whatever happens, stick together. Don't split up unless it becomes absolutely necessary. Understand?"
Ken and Joe responded with a sharp nod, and Tommy murmured an affirmative, the latter teen too startled at being chosen to do anything else. Only Jason didn't respond. Anderson turned a hard glare on the teen, and finally Jason nodded grimly, and got up.
"Okay," Ken said quietly. "Let's get moving."
Washington D.C., The White House
President Kane sat at his desk in the Oval Office, extremely tired and ready to throw it in for the day. Over the last few days, his problems seemed to be just piling up on top of each other, nothing getting solved. He longed almost desperately for the days of his predecessors, when they'd only had to be concerned about national and international troubles. He not only had that area of concern on his shoulders- he also had to worry about the stability and peace between intergalactic forces, and maintaining security within the Milky Way Galaxy.
Now, on top of all the troubles he had to worry about, G-Force seemed to have vanished. He was all-too aware of the movement of the Spectran forces towards Washington D.C., and he'd been desperately trying to contact the team of youths all morning and a good portion of the afternoon. However, the hotline that connected his office to their secret base was not functioning properly, and that worried him greatly.
Indeed, he was starting to wonder, what with the lack of support that they got from their own people, whether they'd finally decided to chuck in the towel altogether and leave the Earth to fend for itself. Not that he would have blamed them- particularly after the shocking business with General Carlton- but the thought frightened the proverbial crap out of him.
The door suddenly opened, and the Commander of G-Force walked in. Kane's eyebrows shot up in surprise at the abrupt, unannounced entrance. Mark, moreso than any member of the team, was far more disposed to coming in secretly through the window. It had always been a tactic primarily so the teen could avoid members of the media who always hung around near the Oval Office, a group of people that Mark hated with a passion. For that reason alone, security had conceded to the tactic. Not that they could have done anything to stop him....
Kane's gaze flickered beyond Mark as another unfamiliar young man walked in behind him. He stood up slowly, feeling an inexplicable touch of fear and concern.
"Mark? Is there something wrong?"
Mark came to a halt in front of the desk.
"No, not at all. In fact, everything's just great."
Kane faltered, staring at Mark with growing concern. Something _was_ wrong, he just couldn't place it.
"By the way, Mr President, I'd like you to meet my brother."
The President's gaze flickered once more to Jason, then back again.
"Your brother?"
"That's right. Half brother, actually. We have different mothers."
Kane's breath chilled in his throat. He was one of the very few privy to the truth of Mark's heritage. So if Mark and the new boy were brothers, but had different mothers, then.... He started to reach for the emergency buzzer, not willing to wait to find out what was wrong with the Commander. He was brought up short, though, when he found himself staring into the barrel of an automatic weapon.
"Don't bother," Mark advised him casually. "By now there wouldn't be enough secret police left alive to come to your aid."
Kane slowly placed his hands on the desk and sat back.
"All right. If you're going to kill me, then go ahead. You won't get any information or help out of me."
Both boys laughed, then.
"Kill you?" Mark echoed. "We don't plan to kill you. Not yet, anyway. And you should know that we can get information out of you without you opening your mouth."
Jason leant forward, against the desk. "We just want the world to see that you no longer have control. That's all. You don't have to say a thing. And it doesn't matter to us whether you're dead or alive. Right now, we're just offering you the opportunity to stay alive for a while longer."
"What is this about?" Kane demanded to know. "Damn it, Mark, I refuse to believe that you're doing this on your own. Who's behind it?"
"Do you really need to ask, Mr President?" a new voice asked. Kane looked past Mark and Jason to see Zoltar enter the room, and his face blackened with rage.
"You... Damn it, what have you done to these boys?"
Zoltar smiled coolly, placing a hand on each boy's shoulder as he advanced.
"I have simply brought my sons back into the family fold. They've been kept away from me for far too long. Don't look so shocked, President Kane. They are merely displaying a nature now that had previously been repressed. Oh, and as for what this is about? It's about power, Mr President. Power over this planet, and many others like it. Power which we intend to take."
Kane shook his head in dismay. "This is impossible It can't be happening! Mark, don't you even remember who you really are?"
A cold smile touched Mark's lips. "I think you mean, do I remember who I was brainwashed into believing I was. And I know who I really am. I'm a prince of Spectra, and part-heir to a powerful rule. I remember everything. How could I have made the decision to rejoin my father if I didn't remember being stolen from him in the first place?"
Kane looked across to Jason, feeling sick to his stomach at Mark's answer.
"And what's your story?"
Jason smirked at the President. "I was in the same position as Mark. My mother stole me from Father when I was a child. I never had the chance to know him, until now."
"And now we're free," Mark finished off. "Finally, free to make our own choices, and not be coerced by men who only want to control us, and our power."
A response rose to Kane's lips, but he swallowed it back, knowing it would only cause more trouble. Right then, he didn't need any more problems than those he already had. Suddenly, a fourth man appeared in the doorway, with Keop at his side.
"I see you have everything well under control here, son?"
Zoltar nodded. "Yes, Father. Everything is running very smoothly. The place is secure?"
"It is." Mordock walked over to join his son and grandsons, drawing Keop around to stand in front of him. "Well, Mr President, what do you think? Three generations of the most powerful family in the universe, finally together."
Kane could feel the blood slowly draining from his face as he realised who he was now facing. He'd heard about Mordock only briefly, and what he had heard had sent chills of fear down his spine. It was all he could do to control his bodily functions as he found himself staring into eyes that were a chilling grey, and hard and cold as ice. When he finally managed to speak, it was in no more than a hoarse whisper.
"We don't have a chance...."
Mordock laughed evilly. "No, you certainly don't."
Washington D.C.,
The White House
President Kane sat at his desk in the Oval Office, extremely tired and ready to throw it in for the day. Over the last few days, his problems seemed to be just piling up on top of each other, nothing getting solved. He longed almost desperately for the days of his predecessors, when they'd only had to be concerned about national and international troubles. He not only had that area of concern on his shoulders- he also had to worry about the stability and peace between intergalactic forces, and maintaining security within the Milky Way Galaxy.
Now, on top of all the troubles he had to worry about, G-Force seemed to have vanished. He was all-too aware of the movement of the Spectran forces towards Washington D.C., and he'd been desperately trying to contact the team of youths all morning and a good portion of the afternoon. However, the hotline that connected his office to their secret base was not functioning properly, and that worried him greatly.
Indeed, he was starting to wonder, what with the lack of support that they got from their own people, whether they'd finally decided to chuck in the towel altogether and leave the Earth to fend for itself. Not that he would have blamed them- particularly after the shocking business with General Carlton- but the thought frightened the proverbial crap out of him.
The door suddenly opened, and the Commander of G-Force walked in. Kane's eyebrows shot up in surprise at the abrupt, unannounced entrance. Mark, moreso than any member of the team, was far more disposed to coming in secretly through the window. It had always been a tactic primarily so the teen could avoid members of the media who always hung around near the Oval Office, a group of people that Mark hated with a passion. For that reason alone, security had conceded to the tactic. Not that they could have done anything to stop him...
Kane's gaze flickered beyond Mark as another unfamiliar young man walked in behind him. He stood up slowly, feeling an inexplicable touch of fear and concern.
"Mark? Is there something wrong?"
Mark came to a halt in front of the desk.
"No, not at all. In fact, everything's just great."
Kane faltered, staring at Mark with growing concern. Something was wrong, he just couldn't place it.
"By the way, Mr President, I'd like you to meet my brother."
The President's gaze flickered once more to Jason, then back again.
"Your brother?"
"That's right. Half brother, actually. We have different mothers."
Kane's breath chilled in his throat. He was one of the very few privy to the truth of Mark's heritage. So if Mark and the new boy were brothers, but had different mothers, then... He started to reach for the emergency buzzer, not willing to wait to find out what was wrong with the Commander. He was brought up short, though, when he found himself staring into the barrel of an automatic weapon.
"Don't bother," Mark advised him casually. "By now there wouldn't be enough secret police left alive to come to your aid."
Kane slowly placed his hands on the desk and sat back.
"All right. If you're going to kill me, then go ahead. You won't get any information or help out of me."
Both boys laughed, then.
"Kill you?" Mark echoed. "We don't plan to kill you. Not yet, anyway. And you should know that we can get information out of you without you opening your mouth."
Jason leant forward, against the desk. "We just want the world to see that you no longer have control. That's all. You don't have to say a thing. And it doesn't matter to us whether you're dead or alive. Right now, we're just offering you the opportunity to stay alive for a while longer."
"What is this about?" Kane demanded to know. "Damn it, Mark, I refuse to believe that you're doing this on your own. Who's behind it?"
"Do you really need to ask, Mr President?" a new voice asked. Kane looked past Mark and Jason to see Zoltar enter the room, and his face blackened with rage.
"You... Damn it, what have you done to these boys?"
Zoltar smiled coolly, placing a hand on each boy's shoulder as he advanced.
"I have simply brought my sons back into the family fold. They've been kept away from me for far too long. Don't look so shocked, President Kane. They are merely displaying a nature now that had previously been repressed. Oh, and as for what this is about? It's about power, Mr President. Power over this planet, and many others like it. Power which we intend to take."
Kane shook his head in dismay. "This is impossible... It can't be happening! Mark, don't you even remember who you really are?"
A cold smile touched Mark's lips. "I think you mean, do I remember who I was brainwashed into believing I was. And I know who I really am. I'm a prince of Spectra, and part-heir to a powerful rule. I remember everything. How could I have made the decision to rejoin my father if I didn't remember being stolen from him in the first place?"
Kane looked across to Jason, feeling sick to his stomach at Mark's answer.
"And what's your story?"
Jason smirked at the President. "I was in the same position as Mark. My mother stole me from Father when I was a child. I never had the chance to know him, until now."
"And now we're free," Mark finished off. "Finally, free to make our own choices, and not be coerced by men who only want us to control us, and our power."
A response rose to Kane's lips, but he swallowed it back, knowing it would only cause more trouble. Right then, he didn't need any more problems than those he already had. Suddenly, a fourth man appeared in the doorway, with Keop at his side.
"I see you have everything well under control here, son?"
Zoltar nodded. "Yes, Father. Everything is running very smoothly. The place is secure?"
"It is." Mordock walked over to join his son and grandsons, drawing Keop around to stand in front of him. "Well, Mr President, what do you think? Three generations of the most powerful family in the universe, finally together."
Kane could feel the blood slowly draining from his face as he realised who he was now facing. He'd heard about Mordock only briefly, and what he had heard had sent chills of fear down his spine. It was all he could do to control his bodily functions as he found himself staring into eyes that were a chilling grey, and hard and cold as ice. When he finally managed to speak, it was in no more than a hoarse whisper.
"We don't have a chance..."
Mordock laughed evilly. "No, you certainly don't."
Jason kept silent initially, watching as Tommy fiddled with his Zeonizers, as Ken studied a map of the capital, as Joe manipulated controls that were so similar and yet so different to those in his own car. He listened as Ken and Joe talked quietly to each other in Japanese- apparently unaware that he understood every word, for Joe was continually remarking on how the 'two additions' would only slow them down.
Finally, just as he was starting to get fed up with it, Ken shifted around in his seat to look at the two passengers in the back seat.
"Are you two all right?"
Before Tommy had the chance to respond, Jason snapped back in perfect Japanese: "We're doing just fine. Don't bother about us."
Ken and Joe exchanged grim looks, and Ken sighed audibly.
"Sorry. This is getting off to a bad start."
Jason glowered out the window. "Yeah. It is."
Joe glanced at Jason in the rear view mirror, then spoke.
"Maybe you should just tell them, niisan."
Jason and Tommy glanced wonderingly at each other, and then Jason spoke up suspiciously.
"Tell us what?"
Ken sighed again. "Something that I wasn't willing to admit to in front of Nambu and Anderson. It would have crumbled all their plans. I know your commander, Jason. I met Mark some years ago whilst in Washington D.C. He saved my life, twice over."
"He saved you..." Jason echoed in shock. Ken nodded.
"Yes. And it's for that reason that I wouldn't be able to kill him. If it does eventually come to that- and God willing it won't- then it will be Joe or Ryu who will have the unfortunate duty to do so. But it's also for that reason that I'm determined to save him, Keop and Jason. As long as there is the slimmest of chances, I won't allow any of my team to carry out a death order."
Silence met Ken's revelation, and for the first time, hope flickered in Jason's eyes.
"I really thought that you were going to just kill them the first chance you got," he admitted finally. Ken smiled faintly.
"Yes, I know. Unfortunately I couldn't come out and say the truth in front of everyone for obvious reasons. It would have unsettled Nambu and the other adults too much, and I need them to trust us."
Tommy shifted a little in his seat. "I'm just glad to know that you really don't want to kill them. I mean, I suppose I can understand it, but I don't want it to happen. It's not easy, getting back on top after you've been used by someone evil to hurt others, but it's not impossible, either. I think that Jase and Mark have the strength to do it."
"Keop, too," Jason murmured. Joe regarded Tommy curiously in the mirror.
"You sound like you've been there before."
"I have," Tommy admitted. "You know I was a Power Ranger? Well, I started out as a Ranger under a spell that made me evil. I hurt a lot of people while I was under that spell, Jase included. After it was broken, I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to get past it, but with Jason and the others there, I managed to pull through. I think Jase will, too."
"I hope you're right," Joe muttered. "Because I would hate to be them once this thing is broken."
Jason returned his attention to the window. "Zoltar has used mind control before, and each time it's gotten progressively worse. The last time, we had to actually kidnap Mark ourselves and keep him locked up for nearly two weeks before the control was broken. It was hard enough then. The point is, it isn't Zoltar that I'm worried about. It's Mordock."
"What's the story with this Mordock?" Ken asked. "Maybe it would help if we knew a bit more about him."
"Well, he's Zoltar's father," Jason explained. "They come from a planet called Aareth. It exploded... a natural disaster or something like that. A party escaped and came to Earth. Mordock was a member of the Council of Elders, meaning he was one of the twelve most powerful men in the community. He was undermining the council, though, with the intention of giving power to his son. Before he could get away with it, though, the others members found out about Zoltar's connections with Spectra, and from there they found out just what Mordock was up to. They banished the both of them from Witch Mountain, and threatened them with death if they ever came back. Mark's mother- Marie- was scared that they'd come back for Mark, Lucy and Keop... Keop hadn't actually been born then. She was about seven months pregnant with him, I think. She left the Mountain in secret, and things just went from there. Zoltar rejoined the Spectrans completely, and Mordock pretty much just went off on his own. But he kept showing up every now and then and causing trouble for us. He never really involved himself in the fight one way or the other, but any time that he did, you could be sure it was to help Zoltar."
"And how powerful is he, exactly?" Joe asked. Jason hesitated for a moment before answering.
"Imagine someone with the power at his fingertips to crack a planet in two, and you have Mordock. Mark and Jason are still coming into their own where their power is concerned, and when they do reach full maturity, as they say in the Mountain, then they'll probably both be more powerful than Zoltar and Mordock. But until then, neither of them can match his power."
"This isn't encouraging," Joe muttered. Jason sighed.
"Tell me about it. Trying to stop Mordock is like trying to stop a tidal wave. It just doesn't happen. Our best chance to beat Mordock is to get Mark, Jason and Keop back."
"What about these people you mentioned?" Ken asked. "From Witch Mountain... or Aareth... Or wherever you said?"
Jason shrugged. "Tiny and I thought that we could contact them and get them to help. Chief Anderson doesn't seem to think it's worth the effort. He said they won't help us at all where Zoltar is involved."
"That just doesn't make any sense," Tommy said. "They should help, if not to stop Zoltar, then to help Mark, Keop and Jason."
"Perhaps that's an avenue we can take a little way down the track," Ken murmured. "Right now our task is to find out just how drastic the situation is in the capital, and report back to everyone else."
"What are the odds that we'll come across Jase and Mark?" Tommy asked after a moment's hesitation. Jason shot him a grim look, then.
"Pretty good. I don't know how to do all that shielding stuff, so Mark is going to sense me as soon as we get within range, and I'll be willing to bet that Jase will pick up on you pretty quickly. Just remember one thing, Tommy. No heroics. That'll only get you killed. You know they'll do it, too. Don't try to kid yourself that they won't."
Ken looked back at Jason with a small smile of approval. "Chief Anderson seemed to think you weren't clear-headed enough to cope with this situation. Obviously he was wrong."
"I don't like the situation," Jason said quietly. "I don't like where it might lead. But losing my cool and going wild on everyone isn't going to help. It especially won't help Mark. If we're going to rescue them, we all need to keep a level head."
Tommy sighed. "Okay. If you think I'm gonna do anything stupid, then deck me."
Jason smirked faintly. "Oh, don't worry. I will."
Some time later
"Okay, we have officially picked up a tail."
Ken, Jason and Tommy all glanced around to see a black spec trailing approximately three or four hundred metres behind them.
"Are you sure?" Tommy asked, squinting to see the suspect vehicle properly.
"I'm sure," Joe answered. "That little black dot has been following us for the last hundred or so miles. I wasn't sure until just now, though."
"Don't try losing them," Ken advised. "If it's Spectran, we don't want them thinking they've been caught out. Just keep going."
"Whatever you say, niisan. But just remember what Hakase told us if we get into trouble. We aren't to split up unless we absolutely have to."
"How far are we from Washington?" Tommy asked. Ken glanced back at him over his shoulder.
"About fifty miles. Not far."
"We haven't come all that far, though," Tommy commented. "Not from Canada..."
"But our base in Canada was just a couple of hundred miles over the border," Jason pointed out. "And aside from that, it doesn't take that much time to cover a long distance in a fast car." He paused, then added: "At least, not if the driver knows what he's doing."
Joe favoured Jason with a half-scowl.
"Watch it, shrimp. I've been driving since I was thirteen."
A smirk touched Jason's lips. "I've been driving since I was seven. I won my first race when I was ten."
"How the hell did you get away with that?" Joe burst out, and Jason's grin broadened.
"They passed me off as a midget. It pissed me off, but it was better than being disqualified."
Ken chuckled softly. "I think I'm starting to understand Chief Anderson's reaction when he saw us. We really are incredibly alike."
Jason chewed lightly on his lower lip.
"Except for a few obvious differences. You're lucky not to have been related to any of your enemies."
"Maybe so," Ken conceded, "but it was difficult to learn that my real father was a man who had been helping us constantly- similar to your Colonel Cronus- but at the same time undermining our efforts."
"Colonel Cronus would never have undermined anything we did," Jason growled, and Ken nodded quickly.
"I know, Jason. But the man I'm referring to had two agendas. He helped us against the Galactors, but he was doing it mainly to further his own plans. In that way, he wasn't of any real help to us at all."
"And he was your father?" Tommy asked in astonishment. Pain that neither Jason nor Tommy could see, but Joe recognised all too well, flickered briefly in Ken's eyes.
"Yes. I can't fully understand Mark's position, but I can understand how he must feel, knowing that his father... does not care for him."
"Yeah," Jason muttered, "well, that's something that we have to convince Mark of- and Jase and Keop as well."
Conversation was cut off abruptly as something slammed into the car from behind, causing it to swerve violently and ricochet once off the mid-railing before Joe managed to regain control.
"What the hell...?" Tommy gasped. Jason twisted around in his seat, and swore angrily.
"The tail. It's decided to play chicken."
"Oh yeah?" Joe hissed. "Well, they just made a big mistake. Tighten your belts and hold on."
"Joe, don't you dare!" Ken burst out, realising his Sicilian teammate planned to turn and run a collision course with the vehicle behind them. "Just lose them, okay? We can't risk a confrontation this early on! It'll blow everything!"
Joe swore furiously in Japanese, but reluctantly gave in to his commander's order.
"You can outrun them," Ken told him in a lower, more controlled tone. "Do it."
The Condor hesitated for the barest of seconds, then glanced in the mirror at Jason and Tommy.
"Sit back, shut up and hold on."
Neither boy dared comment, but did as Joe ordered. A moment later, Joe slammed his foot down hard on the accelerator, pressing it right to the floor. The engine screamed in protest at the rapid acceleration, but shot forward regardless, leaving the vehicle behind them in a cloud of smoke from the burning rubber of the tyres.
"They're coming after us," Tommy said tensely, wondering silently whether fleeing was drawing just as much attention as turning to fight.
"No shit," Joe hissed. "I told you to shut up."
Tommy looked to Jason, who only shook his head in warning. Grimacing, the Ranger sat back and grabbed hold of the hand grip above his head as the car skidded wildly into a 45 degree turn. Ahead of them, the skyline of the capital city could be seen, and Joe planted his foot once more, heading for the distant buildings.
"We're going to need somewhere to head for," Ken said, and Jason and Tommy noted that he was hanging on to the dashboard with an equally strong grip as Joe drove. The commander looked back at Jason. "Any suggestions?"
Jason hesitated in answering, his mind drawing a momentary blank. Then, abruptly, he remembered.
"There's one place where I think we'll be safe to start from. As long as we can ditch our tail..."
"Leave that to me," Joe answered. "They'll be gone by the time we hit the city."
Jason nodded. "Okay. There's a little suburb in the west. We need to get to the cemetery."
"Cemetery?" Tommy echoed. "As in, dead bodies?"
"Do you know any other definition for one?" Jason snapped. "Yes, a cemetery. An old friend of ours is the caretaker there."
"Would Mark think of it?" Ken asked, and Jason shrugged.
"Probably, but there's no way that Zoltar would allow Mark to go anywhere near it, and since he doesn't seem to let any of them go anywhere on their own, I think we'll be okay."
Joe glanced back at him questioningly. "What's at this place that Zoltar wouldn't send Mark there after us?"
Jason looked grimly out the window. "Mark's mother and sister are buried there. Zoltar murdered them both."
"Understood," Ken murmured. "Joe?"
"We'll be there within half an hour," Joe answered simply.
Jason found Mark standing on a balcony of the White House, a distinct frown creasing his face.
"Problem?" he wondered. Mark turned away slowly, back to his brother.
"Maybe. Can't you sense it?"
Jason hesitated, then looked out towards the city, eyes half-closed. Moments later, he started with surprise.
"Tommy..."
"And Jason. They're here."
"Shit... We'd better tell Father."
Mark nodded after a moment's hesitation. The urge was strong to take Jason and Keop, and go after the former Ranger and G-Force's second-in-command alone, but there'd be hell to pay if they did. They were on strict orders not to go vigilante, especially where G-Force and their allies were concerned.
"Yes... Let's go."
"Man, this place is a ghost town," Tommy muttered as they finally left the car outside the gate of the cemetery.
Ken looked around grimly. "This whole city is a ghost town."
"C'mon," Jason said softly. "We have to try and find Jonathan. If he's still here."
The caretaker's house was abandoned, and looked as though it had been that way for a long time. After carefully picking the lock on the door, a quick search revealed the place to be as empty as the rest of the city seemed to be. Finally, the four regathered in the front garden.
"Is it just me, or does coming here seem totally pointless?" Tommy wondered. Jason glared at him in warning, but Keith shook his head.
"It's not pointless. We needed a place to start from, and coming here gave us a good view of what the city in general is like. I just hope that it's a case of the people being too afraid to come out of their homes, and not something worse."
Jason sighed, then. "It's been a good five years since we saw Jonathan last. He was old even when we first met him. Odds are he's probably dead by now."
"Thankyou for the vote of confidence," a dry voice commented from behind them, "but I'm not quite ready to rejoin my maker yet."
All four spun around to find themselves face-to-face with a gentle-faced elderly man who was leaning heavily on a walking stick. Jason's face lit up with relief at the sight of him, and he went forward to embrace the old man. The retired minister chuckled and returned the hug briefly before drawing back.
"Good to see you, too, Jason. Especially with what's been happening over the last couple of days."
Jason looked back over his shoulder at the house.
"How come you aren't living there now?"
"Practical reasons, mostly. That place is too big for me on my own. And, I just can't get up and down the stairs anymore. I moved into the gardener's cottage, on the other side of the cemetery, three
years ago. And just as well. Spectran soldiers showed up here just yesterday afternoon. I don't know what they wanted, but I wasn't going to advertise myself to them to find out." He paused, his gaze going to the other three as though seeing them for the first time, and he stiffened visibly when he took a good look at Ken. "Mark...?"
"I'm not Mark," Ken replied quietly. "My name is Ken, sir. And this is my second-in-command, Joe."
"And this is Tommy," Jason added, almost dimissively, much to Tommy's annoyance. "Jonathan, can we go somewhere to talk? There's some big trouble coming, and we need to know just what the situation in the city is."
Jonathan nodded, ushering them back into the big house and through into the kitchen. "Since the soldiers searched the place yesterday, no one has been around, aside from the odd scout. I think it should be safe. As for what's going on, there was a short broadcast over all the local television and radio stations yesterday, saying that the Spectrans have taken control of the White House and the Pentagon, and that they're in complete control. They had President Kane back up their story. Reluctantly, I might add..."
"They?" Joe echoed. Jonathan nodded.
"That's right. Zoltar did the talking, but he wasn't alone. He had some other man there that I've never laid eyes on before, and three boys. Two of them were Mark and Keop." He looked to Ken. "That's why I started when I saw you, lad. From the look of that broadcast, none of those boys were prisoners, so I assumed something must have happened to Mark and Keop- nothing that hasn't happened before if I'm guessing right. I thought you were Mark, and... well, it's enough to stop an old man's heart."
"I understand," Ken murmured. "But we're hoping that the deception will work in our favour in not too long a time."
Jonathan didn't begin to pretend that he understood, but looked back to Jason instead.
"I don't suppose you can tell me what's going on, Jason?"
"Only a little of it," Jason said. "It's too long a story. Mark and Keop were captured along with someone else. Zoltar's totally brainwashed them, and it's going to be all-out war if we can't stop them. I'll tell you now, if there's any chance you can get out of Washington safely, take it. I don't want to think about what might happen to those who can't get out."
Jonathan regarded the four youths grimly. "It's really that serious, isn't it?"
Jason nodded. "It's the worst yet."
Tommy, who had been standing near the window to keep a lookout, spoke up suddenly, his voice laced with tension.
"Uh, guys? We've got company, and a lot of it."
Ken was there in an instant, and a moment later cursed angrily as he spotted a good two dozen Spectran soldiers pouring into the garden and surrounding areas.
"Zoltar may not have been willing to send Mark, but he's more than happy to send a few of his goons."
Joe sneered as he peered out of another window. "Sacrifice them, you mean. It's about time this happened. I've been itching for a fight since we got here."
Ken hesitated, then looked back at Jason. "Are you up to a fight?"
"Need you ask?" Jason responded with a cold smile. Ken nodded, then looked to Tommy.
"Stay here and watch after Jonathan, in case any of them get into the house."
Anger flashed across the teen's face at what he saw as a mock of his fighting abilities, but the three were gone before he could protest.
"Damn," he hissed softly. Jonathan regarded the teen with sympathy.
"A fight may seem tempting, but often it can prove worthwhile to hold back at first. Those soldiers out there may not know how many of you there are. Surprise is a very good tactic."
Tommy hesitated, then fell back, away from the window. "I suppose. But, just to be safe..."
Jonathan could only gape in astonishment as Tommy moved into the appropriate stance and spoke the familiar words to initiate the transfomation.
"It's morphing time! Zeo Ranger V, Red!"
There was a flash of blinding red light, a crackle of near-violent energy, and when it faded, Jonathan found himself staring at a figure completely different to the boy that had been there only seconds before.
"You're a Power Ranger?" he asked in amazement. Tommy smiled wryly behind his visor.
"Technically retired, back in the action for one more fight." He turned his attention to the door. "I hope some of those boys find their way in here. I'd hate to miss out on the fun."
Joe was having an indecent amount of fun. While Ken and Jason set themselves to fighting off the soldiers as fast as possible, the second-in-command of the KNT was taking his time, playing with his victims before disposing of them.
Finishing off one soldier, he focused on another and ducked back into the shadows, beckoning the soldier to come after him. He did, only to find the Condor had mysteriously vanished. Confused, he turned to rejoin the fight, only to be struck from behind and suddenly pinned to the ground, the sharp tip of a shuriken pressed into his throat.
"Tell me something," a voice whispered into his ear. "How does it feel to know you're about to die?"
"Joe!"
Joe's eyes lifted from his victim, to where Ken had just delivered a fatal blow to one soldier. Ken was glaring at him, none-too-happy with his tactics.
"Stop playing around! We have to end this fight! Before one of them gets away!"
Joe sighed melodramatically, and plunged the shuriken into the man's throat. Within seconds, he was dead, slumped lifeless on the ground. Joe rose up slowly, eyeing the crowd for his next victim when he spotted one soldier slipping away from the main fight and into the house. Cursing softly, Joe went after him.
Tommy had retreated into the shadows, and so avoided being seen when the soldier slipped into the kitchen, weapon drawn. Jonathan had frozen, forcing himself to keep still and not give away Tommy's position. The soldier paused, then sneered at Jonathan.
"We've been looking for you, old man."
"That's not polite, lad," Jonathan retorted. "Weren't you taught to respect your elders?"
The soldier chuckled softly. "No, just my betters. Get up."
Jonathan rose slowly, suddenly aware of the dark shape that had appeared behind the soldier. He bit down lightly on his lower lip, anticipating the blow that Joe would deliver.
Joe rose up silently, dramatically behind the soldier, ready to strike, when a second's glance revealed his reflection in the mirror opposite himself and the soldier. Before he had a chance to move, the soldier spun and fired, the laser fire catching Joe in the hip. The Sicilian cursed sharply in pain as he fell against the bench, and a moment later, the soldier had the laser pressed to his forehead before he had a chance to move.
"Nice try, whoever you are," the soldier hissed. "But not good enough."
Joe was about to take his chances with a defensive move when, suddenly, the soldier was thrown violently to the ground, his weapon tossed harmlessly aside. The Condor looked around slowly and was startled to find himself face-to-face with a red-uniformed figure. A moment later, it registered in his consciousness who it was.
"Tommy?"
Tommy smirked behind his visor. "What do you think?"
"Shit," Joe hissed. He looked down at the soldier that Tommy had pinned to the floor. "Looks like the tables have turned again. What should we do with him, then?"
"We get as much out of him as we can," a voice answered behind them, and they looked to see Ken and Jason coming back into the house, both looking none the worse for wear. Ken eyed Joe critically.
"Shot?"
"It's just a scratch," Joe answered dismissively. "It's no big deal."
Ken grunted in reply, clearly not agreeing. He was beyond arguing, though, and instead crouched down beside the Spectran soldier.
"We want information."
"Why should I talk?" the soldier hissed. "You're going to kill me anyway."
Ken shrugged. "Maybe, but perhaps you should consider how you would like to die. Quickly and painlessly, or slowly and in a great deal of agony. How strong are you?"
The soldier bit down and said nothing. Ken reached down to force the man to look at him.
"How great a force do the Spectrans have?"
"Great enough to stop G-Force," the man spat. "Or, what's left of it. I don't know who you are, but imitating G-Force isn't going to work."
Joe laughed as he pressed a thick piece of cloth to his wound. "We aren't G-Force, boy. And you could tell Zoltar that he's got a hell of a fight ahead of him- if we were going to let you live. Which we aren't."
Ken frowned at his second-in-command, but before he could say anymore, Jason came forward, and ushered the two members of the KNT back. When they'd backed off, Jason reached down, grabbed a fistful of the man's hair and yanked his head up.
"You know who I am?"
The soldier faltered. He recognised Jason all right. Jason nodded and went on softly.
"Your boss has three of my friends. What do you know about it? Tell me, or I swear I'll deliver you personally to Mordock."
That threat drew a response. The soldier paled considerably, then began to chatter freely.
"I don't know a lot about it, I swear. I'm just a soldier, low down on the ranks."
"What do you know?"
"Zoltar has some sort of control, and he used that to get them in his control. He's got big plans... Really big plans. They've taken over the White House and the Pentagon..."
"Tell me something I don't already know," Jason snapped, "or I'll let you live."
An odd sound escaped the soldier's lips, and he spoke again in a trembling voice.
"Mordock's here. He arrived two days ago."
Jason paused. That was definitely news.
"He's with Zoltar now?"
"Yes. Zoltar is technically in charge, but Mordock is calling the shots."
"All right. How did you know we were here?"
"The princes alerted us. I don't know how they knew. They just did."
"Even where to find us?" Joe echoed incredulously. The soldier managed a lop-sided shrug.
"Don't ask me to explain it. They wanted to come themselves to intercept you, but Zoltar wouldn't allow it."
"What a pity," Ken said dryly. "Jonathan, does this place have a cellar?"
Jonathan nodded. "Yes, it does."
"Good. We'll lock him up in there. That should give us enough time."
"We aren't killing him?" Joe asked, sounding acutely disappointed.
"No," Ken growled. "We aren't. There's no point. They know we're here."
"It was Mark and Jason," Tommy said grimly as he and Joe pulled the soldier up off the floor. "Mark probably sensed Jason's presence, and Jase probably sensed me."
Jason nodded. "Tommy's right. We'd be like beacons. Your chief should have chosen two others, Ken."
"I don't think so," Ken murmured. "It probably wouldn't have made any difference either way. The point is, now we have to make the best of our situation." He paused, waiting until Joe and Tommy returned after locking the soldier into the cellar, then spoke quietly. "I want to see what the situation is at the White House. I'd say that that has become the primary base of their operations. At least from the perspective of the leaders." He looked to Jason. "Can you get us there quickly and safely?"
"Quickly, yes," Jason answered. "Safely? We'll have to see about that one."
"All right. We'll go now. And perhaps Jonathan had best find himself a place to hide for the time being."
Jonathan nodded. "Don't you kids worry about me. Just get going, before more soldiers show up."
Jason paused for just a moment, hugging the old man one more time. "We'll come back and get you, Jonathan..."
"No, you won't," Jonathan retorted. "Don't worry about me, Jason. Just go. Rescue Mark and Keop and the other lad before it's too late."
Jason conceded reluctantly, allowing himself to be drawn away by Ken. Then, they were gone, vanishing like shadows.
"So how'd you convince Father to let us go?" Jason wondered aloud. Mark smiled guiltily at his two brothers.
"I sort of agreed to let Grandfather come along. Hope you don't mind. And, with him along, J'boath won't dare try to bully us."
Jason snorted in response. "As if he could. No, that's okay. I think I'm glad, actually. I mean, why take risks?"
Mark nodded. "Exactly. Jason and Tommy should both know by now that we won't be holding back, so chances are that they won't either. If something does happen, then Grandfather will be there to help us out."
"Nothing'll happen," Keop said confidently. "We're gonna go kick butt."
A deep laugh resonated behind them, and they looked to see that Mordock had appeared. He favoured the youths with a warm smile.
"Good boy, Keop. I like hearing that sort of confidence. Now, are you all ready, my lads?"
The three nodded wordlessly. Mordock's smile broadened.
"All right, then. Let's get moving."
"Where the hell are we?" Joe hissed as Jason led them through the sewer tunnels under the city streets. Jason glanced back at him.
"You wanted safe. This is the safest place. There is no way that Zoltar could monitor every single tunnel here. In any case, like Ken said, they know we're here. Nowhere is a hundred percent safe. If we get to the White House without problems, I'll be stunned."
"That's promising," Joe grumbled. Ken shook his head, exasperated.
"Jason is right, Joe. Wherever we go now, we're in danger. That's the bottom line."
Jason started to agree, when he realised that Tommy was hanging back, away from the group.
"Tommy? What is it?"
"Voices," Tommy answered softly. "Coming this way."
"Soldiers?" Ken wondered. Tommy nodded.
"I think so. I don't think they know we're here, but they will if we don't move."
Ken looked around at Jason. "I think that's our signal to get going."
Grimacing, Jason conceded. "Okay, let's go."
"Well?" Mordock asked softly, watching Mark intently. Mark hesitated for just a moment before speaking to Kaa, who stood nearby.
"Send in the next squad. They're heading east."
Kaa nodded and quietly gave the order into his headset. Mordock clapped Mark lightly on the shoulder.
"Good boy, Mark. We'll herd them like cattle into our little trap, and then you three boys will be able to show me what you can really do."
"I can deal with Tommy, then?" Jason asked, and Mordock nodded his consent.
"Yes, you can. Give him a taste of all that he ever did to you, my boy."
Jason fell silent, his mind clouded with images of his first fight with Tommy, in Rita's Dark Dimension, and barely escaping with a scratch that had eventually landed him sick in hospital. His jaw tightened as his controlled thoughts twisted each incident, making them seem so much worse, so much more deserving of retribution. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and looked around to see Mark watching him.
"We'll have our chance, Jason. Don't worry."
Jason nodded his agreement, forcing himself to remain calm as he waited with his brothers for the right moment to act.
"This isn't right," Jason muttered as, once more, they found themselves forced to go in another direction as yet another squad of soldiers appeared. "We're heading away from the White House!"
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say it was deliberate," Joe commented grimly. "They're pushing us in a particular direction."
Ken shook his head. "This is pointless. Jason, I think we'd better go topside, don't you?"
Jason hesitated, but his decision was made when yet another squad came within earshot. Gritting his teeth, he went to the nearest ladder and began to climb. After just a moment's hesitation, the others followed.
"They're coming up," Mark said abruptly, rising quickly to his feet. "Right in the middle."
"Couldn't have been more perfect," Mordock mused. He favoured his grandsons with a wicked smile. "What do you say, boys? In the mood for a game of cat and mouse?"
"Oh, shit," Jason groaned as he paused to take a good look around. Ken glanced around as he emerged from the manhole behind Jason.
"A theme park?"
"The Fairgrounds," Jason answered, starting to feel sick to his stomach. "Joe was right. We were being herded like sheep. Damn it!"
"I take it this is not where we want to be?" Tommy asked dryly, climbing up after Ken, and closely followed by Joe.
"No, as a matter of fact, it's not," Jason growled, throwing a look at Tommy that warned him to stay quiet. Ken looked around grimly.
"But I'll bet it's where the Spectrans want us to be. The question is, what do we do now?"
"If Mark sees you," Jason told Ken quietly, "then we're finished."
"What about all the soldiers that saw us back at the cemetery?" Joe asked impatiently.
"They're all dead bar one," Jason retorted. "He's not going to tell anyone, either. He gave us information. Zoltar will know. If he goes back to the army, he'll be killed without a doubt."
"Are you saying we need to split up?" Ken asked. Jason looked grim.
"For now, anyway. It's more important that you and Joe aren't spotted now. Even if Mark and Jase are aware that there's four of us, there's no way they could know who you are. I don't think Mark is that advanced with his abilities."
"We'll assume you're right," Ken conceded. "I know Hakase told us not to split up, but I don't think we have a choice. Our chances are better if we go separately for now." He paused, looking around before speaking again. "We'll regroup at the main entrance to this park, in however long it takes. And everyone, be careful." His gaze fell on Mark and Tommy. "Especially you two. You know you'll both be the prime targets now."
Jason nodded his agreement, then looked to the Red Ranger.
"No heroics, Tommy," he warned softly. "You aren't going to get Jason back on your own. He'll kill you first. And don't believe that he won't."
Tommy nodded wordlessly, but it was all too clear that he didn't really believe it.
Jason paused for a moment, some time after splitting up from Ken, Joe and Tommy, trying to get his bearing. Though Ken and Joe had no idea what had happened to him in this place, he suspected that Tommy did. No words had given him away, but rather a look of sympathy had spoken in volumes. G-Force's second-in-command gritted his teeth with suppressed anger. He didn't need anyone's sympathy, he just needed a way to end this latest crisis, fast.
Gathering his courage, he turned sharply to head for the entrance, and froze. He was standing in front of a shooting gallery, no different in appearance to any of the others within the Fairgrounds, but holding memories for Jason that were far from pleasant. Fighting back the surging panic, Jason tore his gaze away from the sideshow, its wood still pockmarked with bullet holes from so long ago. He wasn't anywhere near out of danger yet- he had no time to fall back into old neuroses.
Drawing his gun, Jason deliberately gave the sideshow a wide berth as he tried to get back on track to reach the exit to the park. He was so focused on avoiding it that he didn't realise he had company until it was almost too late. A shadow fell across him, and Jason reacted on pure instinct, spinning around, reaching for the perceived assailant to throw him. His hands briefly gripped something solid, only to have it ripped from his grasp. The advantage shifted, and Jason realised he was the one being flipped over just seconds before he hit the ground.
The youth lay frozen on the cobbled path for a long moment, trying to catch his breath and regain his wits. Only one person had ever been able to match his attack like that, and he didn't need to look to know who it was.
"Mark"
Mark smirked as he looked down at Jason.
"You sound disappointed to see me."
"Not disappointed," Jason grumbled. "Just not happy about it."
"I'm crushed," Mark retorted dryly. "Are you going to get up, or just lie there until the soldiers come for you?"
Jason pushed himself up slowly, warily. "You're nuts if you think I'm gonna let myself be taken by soldiers." He hesitated and Mark moved back obligingly, allowing Jason the liberty to get back to his feet. The young commander was eyeing him with open amusement.
"You're nuts if you think I'm going to let you go. Father and Grandfather both said I could have you. You know, to do what I like with."
Jason grimaced. "Let me guess. Jase is going after Tommy, right?"
"How'd you guess?" Mark laughed softly. "And Kaa and J'boath will soon be picking up your other two companions, whoever they are. You should have stayed away from here Jason."
"What, and sit back and wait for you to come after us? Don't tell me Zoltar's scrambled your brain that much." Jason shook his head. "You aren't going to take us down easily, Mark. You know that. We'll find a way to reverse whatever it is that Zoltar's done to you, and then we're gonna kick his ass back across the galaxy."
Anger flashed in Mark's eyes, and he began to advance slowly on Jason.
"All Father has done to me is free me, Jason. If you were willing, he could do the same for you."
"The way he's screwed around with you? I don't think so." Jason found himself automatically backing away, hoping to avoid a confrontation. A glance back over his shoulder revealed he was being backed up towards the shooting gallery. He spoke quickly, anxious to say or do something that might have an effect.
"Mark, you said on Spectra that you remember everything, that Zoltar didn't change your memories."
"He didn't have to," Mark said, slowing to a halt and eyeing Jason suspiciously. "I know how I was manipulated by Security Chief Anderson to fight against my own father."
"Well, if you remember everything, then you must remember that place." Jason stepped aside and pointed to the shooting gallery. "And you must remember what happened there. And who was responsible for it."
Mark started to scoff, but faltered instead, faint confusion flickering in his eyes. Jason saw it and pressed on, hope surging in his gut.
"You remember, don't you, Mark? You remember how Zoltar had his soldiers chase us down here like rabbits. How everywhere we turned there was a soldier waiting to take a potshot at us. How, if it hadn't been for Tiny, Princess and Keop, we would have both been killed! You nearly died in that damned sideshow, Mark! And it was Zoltar who ordered it! That's hardly the action of a loving father!"
Mark's expression hardened. "I was under Anderson's control then. Father didn't have a choice. He's already talked to me about this. He explained everything. And he explained how he ended up letting us be rescued because he couldn't stand to kill me. So don't lie to me, Jason. I already know the truth."
Jason groaned faintly as Mark turned back to him, away from the sideshow. He should have known that Zoltar would have taken measures to counter the effects that the Fairgrounds would have on Mark- otherwise, he would never have allowed him to be here.
"Mark, please," he whispered. "Don't make me fight you."
"Fight?" Mark queried. "A fight would suggest two participants. I'm not giving you that chance, old friend."
Jason reacted instantly, spinning away right at the second that Mark shot forward. He landed on one knee, weapon drawn, and fired at Mark. The young commander was too fast, and smoothly avoided the blasts. Something metal flashed in the sunlight, and Jason realised what Mark had in mind. He rolled at the last second just as Mark's metal boomerang sliced through the air where his head had been only an instant before.
Taking advantage of the next instant when Mark had to catch his returning weapon, Jason drew a shuriken feather that Joe had handed him earlier and threw it hard. It struck Mark directly in the throat, causing the youth to stagger back, gasping in shock. Confusion shone in Mark's eyes- it was a weapon that Jason had never used before.
Jason started to advance slowly, not sure how Mark would react to the sedative that the feather was tipped with. He got his answer a moment later when an invisible force lifted him right off the ground and slammed him into the nearest brick wall, hard. He didn't have time to even cry out, the wind completely knocked out of him. Gagging a little as he collapsed to the ground, Jason tasted blood
in his mouth and realised he'd bitten his tongue.
He looked up, expecting more, but the sedative was already taking effect. Sparing Jason a baleful look, Mark turned and, clutching his throat, stumbled away into the shadows. Jason watched him go wearily before picking himself up and heading on towards the exit, hoping that the others would have as easy a time as he had.
Ken and Joe reached the gates within minutes, keeping to the shadows and ducking completely out of sight every time a soldier came within sight or earshot of them.
"Simple," Joe murmured as he joined Ken just outside the huge double gates. "An infant could get out of there unseen. Those soldiers are worse than Sosai-X's Galactors."
"Maybe," Ken conceded. "And maybe they weren't bothered with us in the first place." He glanced at the small clock he carried with him. "If Jason and Tommy aren't out within ten minutes, we go back in after them."
Tommy crept slowly towards the gates, trying to keep as much to the shadows as possible. It wasn't an easy task when his uniform was bright red, and not exactly built for subtlety. He bit back a sigh, quietly wishing for the old Ninjetti days, and the powers that had allowed them to do so much. It was pointless to waste time wishing for that, though. He was lucky to have access to any power at all, considering the extent of the destruction that had been caused.
He paused for a moment, recalling with a sick feeling the image of the trashed Power Chamber. He hadn't seen anything that bad since the Command Centre had been blown up since Ivan Ooze had totalled the place in a fit of rage or since he himself had tried to destroy the Command Centre during his stint under Rita's power. Jason had done a good job of it, that was certain. God only knew whether the place was reparable now. Dimitria gone Alpha destroyed and TJ in hospital with a broken neck.
Kat and Tanya had stopped in at the hospital briefly before leaving Angel Grove to see if there was anything new on TJ, only to be told that he was in Critical Care and it was family only. Tommy swallowed hard. TJ had been his own personal choice to take over the powers of the Red Ranger, and Tommy couldn't help but wonder if it was some deep-buried feeling of jealousy or resentment that had caused Jason to pick on TJ like that.
He bit back the thought. It was as they were all saying- Jason would do the same to each of them, given the chance. Colour had nothing to do with it.
He paused, looking around carefully. He needed to get out of the park, and get out fast. Letting his mind wander off in all directions was not helping him to achieve that goal. Grimacing, he hurried around the corner of one sideshow and hurried down the pathway, sticking to the shadows. He was almost in sight of the gates when something brought him up short.
There, sitting oh-so-casually on a nearby bench, was Jason. The young man was watching him with a half-smile of amusement and curiosity. Tommy stood frozen for a long moment, not sure whether to run, or prepare himself for a fight. Before he had a chance to decide either way, Jason spoke.
"You look tense, Tommy. What's the matter. Not expecting to see me?"
Tommy drew in a slow, calming breath. "Actually, I was."
Jason motioned to the bench. "Have a seat. Let's talk."
The Red Ranger hesitated, eyeing the vacant space as though it were boobytrapped. Jason laughed out loud at his hesitation.
"C'mon, Tommy, it's not gonna bite you! Sit down, will you?"
Reluctantly, Tommy sat. Jason nodded his satisfaction.
"We didn't get much of a chance to talk back home in Angel Grove. You know, so much to do and all."
Tommy could feel the old anger starting to surface at Jason's flippant tone.
"You're talking like nothing's wrong."
"It's not," Jason said with a shrug. "At least, not for me." He paused, eyeing Tommy's red Zeo costume. "You know, I honestly think you looked better in green."
Tommy stiffened. It was no secret now that he hated with a passion his days as the Green Ranger, and the thinly-veiled reference to his being under Rita's power infuriated him.
"You aren't seriously thinking about asking me to join you?"
"I wouldn't waste my breath," Jason retorted. "I know you wouldn't. Your brain's been scrambled by Zordon and Dimitria's crap about protecting the world from evil. That part of you that was the Green Ranger has been buried too long."
It was only with great effort that Tommy resisted the urge to hit Jason.
"That wasn't me, Jason. I'm not evil. And neither are you."
"Wrong, Tommy," Jason said softly. "All humans are just one step away from being evil. We just have to let go of our consciences and be who we really are. Rita didn't manipulate you. She just gave you the chance to show your true self. She let you be free, until Zordon enslaved you again, the way he enslaved me."
It took every ounce of strength for Tommy to stay still. The urge to haul off and thump Jason was nearly overpowering, but he knew he would only end up being on the receiving end if he tried it. Jason's soft, harsh chuckle cut abruptly into his consciousness, and it suddenly occurred to him that Jason had an agenda of his own.
"What do you really want?" he asked tensely, not entirely sure that he wanted to know. Jason looked at him sideways, and it was all Tommy could do not to shudder openly. To see a pair of brown eyes that were so familiar, tainted with such a potent evil Abruptly, Tommy wondered whether there was any point in trying to rescue Jason and his brothers at all.
"I have a score to settle," Jason answered and Tommy, realising what he had in mind, leapt quickly to his feet. Jason also stood, moving slowly and deliberately.
"Jase"
Jason's eyes narrowed slightly. "Don't, Tommy. Don't waste your breath, bro. Just tell me one thing. Are you going to make this easy or hard on yourself?"
Tommy began to back away, wondering if he dared to try and contact any of the others. His thought was answered when the communicator- one that Billy had made in the last twenty-four hours- exploded. Clutching his burned wrist to his chest, Tommy ducked to the side to avoid being pinned against a brick wall.
"Jason, don't do this! Please"
Jason moved so fast that Tommy never saw it coming until it was too late. One instant, Jason was stationary on the cobbled ground. The next, all Tommy saw was Jason's booted foot coming toward his face as Jason launched himself into a flying sidekick. There was a sickening crunch as boot connected with helmet, and Tommy went down with a crash.
Stunned by the powerful blow, even with the protection of his suit, Tommy could do nothing to stop Jason from plucking his morphers from his wrists, causing him to demorph. Then, as he started to recover from the shock, Jason lifted his foot and stamped it down square on his face.
Tommy's world exploded in pain and for several seconds he couldn't move, speak or breathe. Then, gradually, he began to regain his wits and with them the sensation of pain that radiated from his face through the rest of his skull. Touching one hand gingerly to general area, he wasn't surprised to discover that his nose had been well and truly broken.
Dazed, he looked up at Jason, who had knelt down next to him, just in time to catch an iron fist to his side, leaving him winded.
"That was for the Dimension of Darkness," Jason spat, glaring at Tommy with open hatred. He rose to his feet again and took a step back, giving Tommy and chance to get up. The Red Ranger did so, preferring to at least try to put up a fight.
"You know," Jason went on angrily, "at first I didn't want to hurt you, Tommy. I kept telling myself that you were my friend, and that you'd always been there for me. I promised myself that I'd try to give you the same chance that I'm going to give Princess when this is all over. Then Grandfather showed me what a total load of crap that was. I remembered everything you did to me, and you know something? I do want to hurt you, Tommy. Really badly."
Tommy drew in a pained breath, clutching one hand to his side.
"Jase, I never deliberately did anything to hurt you"
"Bullshit!" Jason exploded. He charged forward and tried to deliver a roundhouse kick that Tommy easily deflected. Jason may have had more power, Tommy reflected dimly, but he still topped Jason out where karate was concerned. If Jason continued on like that, relying solely on the martial arts, Tommy knew he had a chance. However, if the former Gold Ranger fell back on his inherited power, then nothing would be able to stop him.
For a couple of minutes that felt more like an eternity, the two boys sparred on the cobbled path, Jason delivering furious kicks and punches that Tommy kept managing to block. Finally, Jason fell back, glaring at Tommy in fury.
"You're not better than me, Oliver," he snapped in an almost gutteral tone. Tommy stood his ground, watching Jason with a wary calm. He had never before seen Jason looking so enraged not even on Muranthias.
"I know, Jase."
"Don't call me that," Jason snarled.
"It's your name. What else am I supposed to call you?"
Jason hesitated, then sneered at the Red Zeo Ranger. "How about 'Your Highness'? That's what every person on this pitiful planet will have to call me when we win the war."
"You aren't going to win, Jase," Tommy said softly. "We'll beat Zoltar and Mordock. And we'll find some way to reverse whatever this control is that Zoltar used on you, Mark and Keop. It may take
a while, but we'll get you back to the way you were. I promise, Jase."
Jason stood frozen for nearly half a minute, staring at Tommy with an inscrutable look on his face. Finally, rage building in his gut, he started forward.
"I said, don't call me Jase!"
Tommy had no chance to move or defend himself. Jason came at him fast and, combining his karate skills with his phenomenal power, launched a brutal attack on his long-time friend. Putting all his power and rage behind the blow, Jason slammed his fist into Tommy's jaw, causing the youth to stagger backwards and land with a painful thud on the cobbled path. Jason was on him seconds later, abandoning decorum and punching into Tommy as hard as he could.
At first, Tommy was helpless against the attack. Jason's powerful psychic talents held him in place, ensuring he couldn't put up a fight. Then, there was a sudden, unexpected pause in the attack.
"You're pathetic," Jason hissed, as the two boys locked stares. Tommy drew in a ragged breath. His head was spinning from the prolonged assault, and he wanted nothing more than to put an end to it, but he couldn't help himself.
"Me?" he rasped incredulously. "Take a good look at yourself, Jase. I trusted you with my life, once.
You told me time and again that it was never worth giving up. You gave me your morals, bro,
and look at you now! And you call me pathetic? Man, at least I can stick to my convictions."
Jason froze, staring hard at Tommy for a long moment before rising slowly to his feet and backing off. Tommy watched him warily, hardly daring to hope that perhaps he'd had some effect on his friend.
He started to push himself up, only to be violently struck down by an excruciating pain that ripped clear through his skull and rapidly spread down through the rest of his body. He drew in one short, ragged gasp for breath before his throat closed off, making it impossible to breathe. Blood literally drained from his head, leaving his face a sick ashen colour.
Tommy realised what was happening as his vision and other senses also began to fail. Jason was killing him, literally killing him. He shut his eyes tightly, feeling his heart tighten unbearably, as though it were in a clamp, or a vice. It was as though he was trapped in a vacuum that was gradually crushing his entire body. He tried to cry out, but no sound came. Dimly he wondered what would kill him first- the lack of oxygen, the crushing sensation or the clamping around his heart.
His eyes flickered open briefly, for one last look at his surroundings, and at Jason, before death finally caught up with him. The youth was standing close by, watching him expressionlessly while the power ravaged his system. Tommy tried to groan, to make some noise, any noise. He wanted desperately to tell Jason that it was okay, that he forgave him, even knowing that it would enrage him even more. But he couldn't even breathe any longer, let alone speak. He shut his eyes again, and was unable to resist the thought that somehow this was poetic justice. After all, he'd lost count of the number of times he'd tried to kill or injure Jason while under the power of someone else.
If he could have laughed, then, he would have. He supposed he should have known it would eventually come full circle like this. The incident on Muranthias was petty in comparison, and he had never really been in any genuine danger from Jason. But this
He began to black out, finally, mercifully, his last thought one of regret that he hadn't had the chance to really talk to Kim again.
Abruptly, it stopped. For several seconds that seemed to stretch into minutes, it didn't even register in Tommy's pain-fogged mind. But gradually, the pain began to subside to a marginally more bearable level, and the world started to slip back into focus. It registered somewhere in his brain that he wasn't dead, or even unconscious. Finally, he reluctantly opened his eyes, expecting to find Jason standing over him, ready to deliver the fatal blow. Instead, his still-blurred vision was marred by a red haze.
"Get up, Tommy! Lazy little good-for-nothing! I can't hold him forever!"
Tommy was snapped back to reality by the familiar voice, and he pushed himself up to discover Zedd standing there, using his staff to immobilize Jason. Zedd looked back to the former Gold Ranger once Tommy had finally started to move, and his visor glowed an angry red as he increased the intensity of his assault.
"Do you know how long I've waited for this opprtunity, you annoying little brat? Over two years! You really are more trouble than you're worth, but I admit that I have definitely been looking forward to this."
Behind Zedd, Tommy slowly got to his feet, relying heavily on the wall behind him for support. Zedd had Jason on the ground, he saw, and the boy was writhing in agony from the violent assault. He opened his mouth to protest the treatment, but all that came out was a painful croak, followed by a rasping gasp for air. Zedd glanced back at him once more.
"What are you waiting for? Go and get your zeonizers, Tommy! Hurry up, before he breaks free."
Barely able to stay on his feet, Tommy stumbled past Zedd to where Jason lay, and took hold of the zeonizers in hands that trembled badly. He paused for a moment, staring down at Jason's tortured
expression, then staggered back to Zedd's side.
"Don't Don't kill him" he whispered, unable to manage anything louder. If Zedd could have sneered, he would have.
"If I could kill him, he'd be dead already. Blasted half-breed. I can't kill him, though. I don't have the power to hold him for long enough. Now, get moving, boy. I'll be close behind you, and don't even think about leaving without me."
Tommy stared at Zedd for a long moment in confusion before shrugging it off and turning to go. He hadn't gone five steps when an explosion rocked the ground, sending both Zedd and himself over like tops. A moment later, a figure that Tommy had never seen before appeared, striding over to Jason and crouching down to check the boy's condition. A moment after that, a pair of cold, coal black eyes turned on the two of them.
"You just made a fatal mistake, Zedd," a disturbingly soft voice said. Zedd got quickly to his feet.
"Let's call it protecting my investment, Mordock. I didn't spend all that time on this boy only to see him killed on me."
Mordock looked past Zedd to where Tommy was still on the ground, and laughed out loud.
"That pathetic pile of skin and bones? You shouldn't have bothered, Zedd. That boy is no match for my grandson, and you know it."
"Maybe," Zedd conceded. "And in that case, you shouldn't have any problem in letting us leave here unhindered."
Mordock's eyes glimmered as he considered Zedd's words, then finally shrugged.
"Suit yourself. You'll both be dealt with eventually, one way or another. All of you."
Zedd hesitated in going. He watched as Mordock returned his attention to Jason, then spoke as fiercely as he could manage.
"Where is my wife?"
Mordock seemed to freeze at that. Then, finally, he laughed again and spoke without sparing Zedd another glance.
"Go, Zedd. Now. Before I change my mind about letting your little protégé have a few more days to live."
Fuming, Zedd turned and, pulling the dazed Tommy roughly to his feet, hurried away towards the Fairground gates.
"I am not your protégé," Tommy spat, jerking out of Zedd's grasp. Zedd glared at him.
"You shouldn't complain about what I call you, Tommy. I could easily have left you to Mordock, in which case you probably wouldn't have been alive now. In any case, I gave up on that plan a long time ago." He shook his head in disgust. "If Jason hadn't already been a Ranger"
Tommy withheld a groan. "So why did you help me?"
"I rescued you because I need the help of you and your friends to get my wife back. It's as simple as that."
"Nothing's ever that simple with you," Tommy retorted. Zedd thumped his staff into the ground, causing sparks to fly.
"Look at it this way, Tommy. You need all the help you can get to win this battle. If the Spectrans win, all of us might as well be dead." He paused, then went on grimly. "If the Spectrans win, we will be dead. You, me, your friends, everyone. I'm not saying I've given up on this planet. I haven't. I still want it. The question you have to ask yourself is who would you rather be fighting. Zoltar, Mordock and those other three brats, or me?"
Tommy grimaced. "Okay, fine. But say we do help get Rita back. What are you going to do in the meantime?"
Zedd lowered his staff and held out one hand to Tommy.
"I'm proclaiming a truce, until this matter is settled. I will combine my powers with the efforts of your little group to fight against Mordock." He hesitated, then added ruefully, "I'll help you rescue your precious friends and reverse the mind control, if it's possible. Good enough?"
Tommy hesitated for just a moment before accepting the offered hand.
"Okay. But if you betray us"
"I know," Zedd interrupted dryly. "Save your threats for Zoltar and Mordock. Now, let's get out of this place, before Mordock changes his mind about letting us go."
Jason awoke to find himself cradled in a pair of strong arms, and a moment later his gaze focused on his grandfather's concerned features.
"Grandpa?" he whispered, then began to cough in pain.
"Easy," Mordock murmured. "Just relax for a moment."
"What happened?" Jason wondered, then remembered. "Oh Tommy, and Zedd" He started up, only to cringe as pain shot through his body. Mordock gently held him down.
"I said relax. It'll take you a few minutes to throw off the effects."
Jason fell silent, waiting patiently for the last remnants of pain coursing through his system to fade. Then, as he felt himself regaining strength, he gathered his courage to look Mordock in the eye.
"I'm sorry, Grandpa."
Mordock looked down at him seriously. "You have nothing to apologize for, Jason. If Zedd had not interferred, we would have been less one problem. Even I didn't foresee Zedd interferring like that." He paused, then spoke again. "How are you feeling now?"
Jason hesitated only a moment before pushing himself up slowly. Relief flooded him when he suffered no more pain.
"I'm okay. Just a little dizzy, I think."
Mordock nodded and rose to his feet, drawing Jason up with him. "Good. Come, we'll return to the White House and reassess the situation."
"What about Mark and Keop?" Jason asked, suddenly concerned. Mordock's face darkened at that.
"Keop is fine. He stayed with me for the majority of this exercise. Mark, unfortunately, allowed his former second-in-command to get the better of him. He should recover within a few hours, with no ill effects."
Jason felt his breath catch in his throat. "Are you angry at him?"
"Angry? No. A little disappointed, perhaps. But then, I'm not all that surprised, either. It just means that next time we'll be better prepared. So will they, but not well enough." He stepped close to Jason, placing an arm around the young man's broad shoulders. "Come. Let's get back to your father and brothers."
"Who the hell is that?" Joe hissed when Tommy finally emerged from the Fairgrounds with Zedd.
"This is Zedd," Tommy said dismissively as he leant against the wall to catch his breath. Jason looked at him critically.
"You ran in to Jase, right?"
"How'd you guess?" Tommy retorted grimly. Jason shook his head.
"No surprise. I had a run-in with Mark. I might not have gotten away, but for Joe's shuriken."
"Yeah," Tommy muttered. "Well, I'd probably be dead now if Zedd hadn't stopped Jase." He looked to Jason with an expression that warned against argument. "He's coming with us, whether we like it or not. I promised him that we'd help get Rita back for him if he helps us against Zoltar and Mordock."
Jason shook his head. "Okay, fine. Let's just do what we have to do and get the hell away from this city."
Ken eyed Tommy in concern as they began to make their way towards their original destination.
"Are you all right? You look like you took a fairly bad hit."
Tommy shook his head. "I'll be okay. I think I just have a few cracked ribs."
Ken nodded and, sparing Zedd a suspicious glance, moved ahead to join Jason.
"So our first chance at squaring off, and we fail miserably," Mark grumbled as one of the medical staff checked him over. Jason shrugged.
"So we weren't totally prepared. We will be next time. Don't worry about it."
Mark sighed heavily and sat up, pushing the medico away in irritation. "I do worry about it. They're gonna be prepared for all out war when we confront them again." He shook his head in frustration. "I'll crush Zedd myself for interferring. We could have at least had Tommy out of the way by now, and that would have totally thrown the Rangers out of synch."
Jason didn't answer, but a small, cold smile flickering across his lips drew Mark's attention and curiosity.
"What is it?"
"I didn't want to take any chances," Jason explained quietly. "I know how slippery Tommy can be. He's managed to escape too many times for it to be so easy now. So, while I was doing the rest of it, I pinched his aorta and a couple of valves until they were about half closed off. It'll slow down the blood circulation a lot, too much for his heart to be able to keep up with the demands of the rest of his body. He won't notice it until it's too late, though, and he'll be too stubborn to let someone look at him. So, by the time he does realise that something's wrong"
Jason trailed off, leaving it unsaid. Mark laughed softly, and shook his head.
"Devious, very devious."
Jason grinned back at his brother. "Hey, it runs in the family."
A door swung open, and Keop looked in on his brothers.
"You guys okay? I heard you both got flattened."
"We didn't get flattened," Mark growled indignantly. "Who told you that?"
Keop shook his head, and walked all the way into the room. "No one. Are you okay?"
Jason nodded. "Yeah, we're okay. Just winded, is all. We got just caught off guard. It won't happen again."
"I certainly hope not," a voice said threateningly, and they looked back to the door to see Zoltar standing there. The evil ruler stepped all the way into the room, closing the door behind him. He focused a hard stare on the two older boys. "I don't blame either of you for what happened today, but I trust you both learnt from it. Always be prepared, especially for the unexpected. Your enemies were prepared today for everything you had to throw at them, and then some. You must be ready to meet that. Do you understand?"
The two boys nodded in unison.
"Jason would have had Tommy if Zedd hadn't interferred," Mark added quickly. Zoltar nodded.
"I know, your grandfather told me what happened. Don't worry, Jason. You'll have another chance to deal with him."
A grin touched Jason's lips. "With any luck, I won't need to. Before Zedd interrupted, I slowed
the flow of blood through Tommy's heart and the rest of his body. By the time anyone realises something is wrong, it'll be too late."
Zoltar's eyes lit up with delight at his son's ingenuity. "Ingenious!" he praised the boy. "There is nothing more satisfying than a slow, painful death. We'll have to monitor that situation carefully."
"So, what now?" Mark asked, swinging his legs around to the side of his bed. "Are we going to go after them again?"
Zoltar shook his head. "No. Not directly. Our next step will be to try and locate their sanctuary, and then we obliterate them. You'll have your next chances then. Until then, I expect the three of you to re-gather yourselves and work on your training. I don't want a repeat of today's performance."
"There won't be," Mark said firmly. "I promise, Father. We'll scatter them, and destroy them all."
"We'll destroy those that we have to destroy," Zoltar corrected him. "Some will be allowed to live. You know who."
"The Scotts?" Jason asked, and Zoltar nodded.
"Yes. Kaa and J'boath will lead the force, and you will accompany it with your grandfather. They are under strict orders to make certain that your parents come to no harm."
Jason's expression hardened a little, his expression clouding over with conflicting emotions. "They aren't my parents"
"Yes, they are," Zoltar interrupted him quietly. "I know you're trying to put those years behind you, and I appreciate that. But don't forget that those people raised you and kept you safe. They deserve to live for that alone." He walked over to Jason, and laid a hand on the youth's shoulder. "You are not being disloyal to me by harbouring some affection for them, Jason. Remember that."
Mark nodded. "That's right, Jason. Don't forget, they didn't kidnap you like Chief Anderson kidnapped me. It's Zordon that used you, not Donavon and Sarah."
"Exactly," Zoltar agreed. "They are innocent in this. And when the time comes, we will convince them that this is the way that things should be." Zoltar paused, then walked back to the door. "Get some rest now, all of you. This was merely the beginning. There is still a great deal to do."
"You look like crap."
Tommy glanced sideways at Jason, then turned his attention back to the ground. "Thanks. Remind me to repay the compliment some time."
Jason shook his head seriously. "No, I'm not kidding, Tommy. Ken, hold up a second!"
Ken slowed to a halt and backtracked to where Jason was standing with Tommy.
"What is it?"
Jason, much to Tommy's irritation, grasped the Ranger's chin and lifted his head up to Ken's gaze.
"Look at him. I'm no doctor, but I don't like how he's looking."
Ken nodded grimly in agreement. "You're right, he isn't looking too good. But what can we do about it? There is nowhere we can go. No doubt the Spectrans will have guards on all the hospitals and medical centres."
Tommy pulled backwards, away from Jason, and spoke angrily.
"I'm fine! I just got knocked around a bit, that's all. We've done what we came to do, and I vote that we get out of here and get back to the others as fast as possible."
"I second that," Joe agreed. Ken fired a warning look at his second in command, then looked
back to Tommy.
"It's pointless to act macho if there really is something wrong. What exactly did Jason do to you?"
Tommy shook his head. "I don't know. All I know is that I couldn't breathe, and it felt like something was squeezing my heart. Look, I'll be okay! Gimme a break, okay? Let's just get out of here."
Ken was silent for a long moment, contemplating their options. Finally, he looked around at Zedd.
"You stopped Jason from killing Tommy, didn't you?"
"Possibly not one of my better judgments," Zedd admitted wryly, "but yes."
"Do you have any idea what was done to him?"
"Nothing that won't wear off," Zedd answered dismissively. "Tommy is right. He'll be fine. I suggest we keep moving before we're caught up with."
Ken's eyes narrowed a little- he didn't trust Zedd at all.
"I have an idea," Jason said suddenly. "We can't take Tommy to a hospital. It's too risky, for all of us. But I might be able to get hold of someone who can help. All of you head back to the car. I'll meet you there in half an hour."
He started to move away from the group, but Ken caught his arm.
"Jason, we were warned not to split up unless it was necessary. I think we should abide by that. Don't you? Especially now that we know Mark is specifically after you."
Jason looked over at Tommy for a moment, then back to Ken. "I think this is necessary. Don't worry, Ken. I'll be okay. I know exactly where I'm going."
Ken hesitated, debating over it in his mind. Finally, he conceded. "All right, go. But Joe is going with you. Zedd and I will get Tommy back to the car."
"I'm not an invalid," Tommy snapped angrily, but his protest was ignored. Jason nodded his consent."
"Okay. Joe?"
Joe smirked faintly to himself. "Right behind you. Lead the way."
"All right. We'll meet you back at the car in half an hour."
Ken nodded in agreement. "Okay."
"So where are we going, anyway?" Joe wondered as he and Jason made their way quickly along the shadowy side streets of Washington D.C.
"To find an old friend," Jason explained. "Ian Ryder, his name is. He was our doctor in Centre Neptune. He continued to look after us after Centre Neptune was destroyed, and we had to move base."
"We heard about that," Joe murmured. "We wanted to come and help you out when we got the message that you were under attack, but Nambu wouldn't allow us to go. He said he couldn't afford to place all of us at risk."
Jason shut his eyes for a moment, inadvertently recalling the faces of the people that they had not been able to save.
"I wish you had been there. We might have been able to save more lives. A lot of people died that day."
"I know," Joe said softly. "I'm sorry."
Jason glanced back at Joe briefly, then returned his attention to the path ahead. "It's okay." He paused in his stride, then pointed to the building ahead of them. "That's Trinity Hospital. Ian will be in there. We have to get in to him unseen."
"That's not going to be easy," Joe murmured. "Look at the soldiers outside the front."
"Who said anything about using the front door?" Jason shot back. "Just follow me. I'll show you our own private entrance."
Joe smirked faintly to himself, and followed Jason down an alley.
Ian Ryder slipped into his office, and carefully locked the door behind him. Since the Spectrans had taken over the hospital, the majority of patients he and the other medical staff had treated were Spectran. All other patients had either been killed or herded off somewhere as prisoners. Ian shut his eyes for a moment, trying to regain his composure. Most had been killed.
By now, everyone knew what was going on. Washington D.C. had become a ghost city, with everyone too frightened to leave their homes. He himself desperately wanted to get out of the hospital and check that his sister and her family were safe, but the one time he'd tried to leave, he'd found
himself staring down the barrel of a gun. A soldier had warned him to get back into the hospital, and stay there, if he wanted to live. He'd done so, if only for the sake of the staff under his authority. He would never have been able to live with himself if any of them were to be killed because of him.
Sitting down at his desk with a thud, he pulled open the top drawer and began to scrabble through its contents, looking for a packet of self-prescribed pills. If ever he needed something to calm his nerves, it was now.
There was a sound from outside his door, and he looked up to see the handle turning as someone tried to get in. He grimaced and stayed silent, not caring to see anyone right then. Especially no one of the Spectran persuasion. The turning of the handle came again, more persistently and more violently, and voices could be heard, speaking angrily on the other side of the door. Ian started up, his heart pounding in his throat. He'd suspected earlier that it wouldn't be long before Zoltar issued a order for him, and he guessed that was what was going on now.
He took a step backwards, only to start violently when a hand closed over his mouth and an arm slipped around to pin his arms to his sides. A moment later, before he even had the chance to panic, a familiar voice spoke into his ear.
"Easy, Doc, we came to get you out of here. Not to hurt you."
Ian's struggles ceased, and the arms gripping him so tightly released him. He turned, and was stunned by the sight in front of him.
"Jason?"
Jason nodded, stepping forward to take the doctor's arm.
"That's right. C'mon, we have to get out of here."
"Jason, I can't leave here," Ian whispered, acutely aware of the increased efforts on the other side of the door to get in. "They'll kill all my staff if I go"
"No, they won't," Jason argued. "They need your staff for their injured soldiers. Ian, please, we need you to come with us. We need you."
Ian stared at Jason for a long moment, then glanced questioningly at Joe.
"I'm just a shadow," Joe said softly. "That's all. Listen to him."
"Ian, you've gotta come with us," Jason pressed. "Please, it's important."
Ian hesitated for just a moment longer, until the sound of laser blasts outside his office spurred him to action. Grabbing his medical bag, he followed Jason and Joe to the window.
"You expect me to go out there?" he asked incredulously. "Jason, we're eleven stories up!"
A moment later, Ian found himself being turned around to face the open window, and Joe gripped him firmly under the arms.
"Just relax," the big Sicilian advised him, "and don't panic, and I won't drop you." He looked back at Jason. "Let's go."
Jason nodded in agreement. "Right behind you."
"This is foolish," Zedd growled, pacing back and forth near Joe's car. "We are sitting ducks, waiting around out here! Odds are that they've been captured already. We should simply go, and save ourselves"
Zedd was cut off abruptly in his tirade when Ken suddenly appeared in front of him, pressing the sharp point of his own boomerang up under Zedd's chin.
"You're fortunate to have been permitted to accompany us at all. Don't push your luck any further. I assure you, in conditions such as these, I am not a very patient individual."
Silence reigned for a moment between them, and Ken finally backed off. When Zedd said nothing more, he turned his attention to Tommy.
"How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine, I told you that already," Tommy grumbled. Ken watched him seriously.
"And yet you can't look me in the eye when you say that. Stop pretending, Tommy. It's pointless to lie. It won't get us anywhere."
Tommy glanced around at Ken, then looked away once more. Ken sighed and was about to try again when a soft, almost inaudible whistle met their ears.
"What's that?" Tommy wondered, quietly grateful for the chance to direct the attention away from himself. Ken didn't answer immediately, but instead slowly moved a few steps away from the car, and echoed the whistle. It came again after a moment, in a different, and more difficult pattern, and Ken groaned out loud.
"For god's sake, Joe, stop playing around! We aren't children, and this isn't an espionage game!"
Joe appeared nearby, melting out of the shadows, a wry grin on his face.
"You never did know how to have any fun," he retorted. Ken glowered at him, but didn't grace the comment with an answer.
"Where is Jason?"
"I'm here," Jason answered, and they looked around to see him approaching from a different direction.
"I assume this is who you were looking for?" Ken asked, nodding towards Ryder.
"Yeah. This is Ian Ryder. One of the best doctors in the country."
"Good," Ken murmured. "Before this fight is over, I don't doubt we'll need him." He took one last look around. "It's time to leave."
"Hang on," Joe growled. "This car seats five at the max. Chrome-face here is not on the guest list."
"Don't worry about me," Zedd retorted sarcastically. "I have my own methods of transportation. And don't think that you'll lose me. I have very good tracking skills."
"I wouldn't dream of it," Joe muttered. "Everyone else, into the car. We're outta here."
"There they go," Zoltar murmured as he and Mordock watched the retreating vehicle from a distance. "The transmitter was placed on the car by the soldier that they captured at the cemetery. Everything is running according to our plan."
Mordock laughed softly. "And they thought they were being so clever in getting information out of that one man. If they knew that was what we had planned to have happen from the beginning, they wouldn't be quite so cocky."
"What about Zedd?" Zoltar asked quietly, noting the blood-red teleportation streak that followed the car. "Mark is right. If not for him, we could have well and truly disabled the Power Rangers with the death of that one youngster."
Mordock nodded. "Yes, that's true. But did Jason not say that he'd taken precautions against him escaping?"
"Yes, but they got to the doctor before Kaa did."
Shaking his head, Mordock turned away and walked back inside the building. "We don't need to be concerned. As soon as we've located their little sanctuary, we'll scatter them to the four winds. Then, there'll be no opposition to our taking over this planet. This last time was just a test," he added quietly. "Next time, we destroy them, no matter what." He paused, then looked back at his son. "The mind control is holding up well."
Zoltar nodded. "Yes, it is. Hopefully it will continue to hold up. I don't fancy the thought of a return trip to Spectra to reinforce our control of them."
"So far there is nothing that could break it, am I right?" Mordock asked.
"As far as I'm aware, it's foolproof," Zoltar reassured him. "I've taken all the precautions necessary, particularly with Jason and Mark. With Jason, his only weak spot may have been with his friends and the Scotts. You've already dealt with the problem that his friends may have presented. Especially that boy, Tommy. As for his parents, I've emphasized to him that they won't be harmed in any way. He believes me, so if they try to use that tactic to destabilize him, it won't work."
"And you plan on capturing them when we next attack?"
"Yes. I'll merely tell Jason that it's for their own protection, so they aren't harmed in any way during a fight. Then, when this is over with, I'll have them both killed." Anger flashed in Zoltar's eyes. "I'll do it myself. How dare they keep my son from me?"
Mordock laughed again as he sank into a nearby chair. "Calm down, my son. Patience. Now, what about Mark?"
"The only problems we could have had, were with memories of his sister and the incident at the Fairgrounds. I deliberately kept him away from the graves of his sister and mother, and I convinced him that I allowed him to be rescued from the Fairgrounds because I couldn't stand to see him killed."
"Good," Mordock murmured. "We've covered all our bases. What about Keop?"
Zoltar shook his head, and walked across to pour himself a drink. "The child has no weak spots that they could use to break the control. He hasn't experienced enough to have any serious traumas that could upset our plans. There are no concerns there."
"All right." Mordock rose once more to his feet. "I suggest we go and see first hand where their little hideaway is, so we can start planning their obliteration immediately."
Zoltar smiled evilly with anticipation, and followed his evil father from the room, neither adult noticing as they went the pair of blue eyes that followed them both from the adjoining suite as they left the room.
To be continued.....
