The Power Rangers, Spectrum Force and Excalibur stared down at Adam Park. He was covered in blood and wasn't moving. His Ninja Ranger uniform had at least eight holes in it.
"TRINI! Get over here!" Kitty Pryde yelled out.
Adam rolled over before Trini could touch him. "I can assume that they're gone?"
Both Rocky's rushed and grabbed their friend. "You jerk! We thought you were dead!"
"I'm a Ninja, remember? I only played dead." Adam told him. He then slowly rose to his feet, wincing the entire time. "However, never let it be said that this doesn't hurt."
***
Phaedra was not pleased. "You didn't kill any of the members of Spectrum Force?"
"I shot up one of the Power Rangers. Does that count?" Wind asked.
"Are you sure he's dead?" Phaedra said.
"He wasn't moving. My queen, we had to leave. Celea does not have a shell to protect her from the Terran sun." Wind said.
"Then this is what will happen. Spectra is not stupid. She knows by this time that I have prepared a spell. They have to attack to attempt to disrupt the spell. Prepare a trap and kill them." Phaedra told them.
"By your command, my queen." Stone said.
"Good. Flame and Flood will be arriving within the hour. Inform them of what has happened and apprise them of the situation." Phaedra said. She then turned to leave the chamber but stopped.
"Was the other mission successful?"
"Yes, my queen. The water supply for Langstrum Alps has been tainted with the agent." Stone said.
"Excellent." Phaedra then left the chamber.
***
Trini looked to the others. "Get me to the Cloud Castle. I'll heal him there. If anyone else is hurt, you better come with me. One more thing, you better find a way to break whatever force is controlling Kurt and Billy."
Trini was teleported to the Cloud Castle along with Adam, Jocelyn and Tamara.
Billy turned to the others. "Just what did happen to my elder self and this Kurt person?"
"Something appears to be possessing them." Kitty Pryde told him.
"I figured that out myself. Just how did they get possessed?"
"We aren't sure."
"Then we better figure it out. Phaedra's forces are bad enough without those two running the show."
***
As Trini was healing Adam, he was remembering something that he had overheard. "Spectra, what do you know of a Denebian group called the Elements?"
"Where did you hear of them, Adam?"
"The two leaders of the Shadows are members. The one that has Billy called himself Wind. The other one is called Stone. Celea also mentioned that two more of them are arriving. Their names were Flame and Flood." Adam told her. He then watched as Spectra concentrated.
"I've called the others here. Adam, what you have told me explains much. I will tell more when the others arrive."
After the members of Spectrum Force, the Power Rangers and Excalibur had arrived, Spectra started to speak. "Adam has brought to my attention something that may clarify much of what has been happening. Several years before the rise of the Denebian Emperor Acheron and the schism that that event caused amongst my people, four brothers sought a way to gain power."
She paused to think for a moment. "The four were well trained in the art of combat and had many of the skills of what you call ninja. In their journey they found a gem. The details are rather vague after this point but it apparently turned them into some form of Shadow. Each took the name and apparently an aspect of one of the elements, which is why they call themselves that.
"Stone is the leader. He is known for his skill with a sword and seems to ignore harm to himself. The next is Wind. He is highly skilled at unarmed combat and is perhaps the most vicious of all the brothers. The final two are Flame and Flood. Flame has a liking for pyrotechnics. Flood is insane and very unpredictable. Individually they are dangerous. Together they are almost unstoppable. They have made names for themselves as assassins and as bodyguards for Phaedra's generals. Phaedra has never called all four together. She has never had to."
"Phaedra, what can be done to stop their possession of Kurt and Billy?" Trini asked.
"Make them leave." Kitty told her.
"What?"
"Make it in their best interest to leave." Kitty said.
"And how do we do that?" Rachel Castaneda asked.
Kitty thought for a moment. "Very carefully."
***
"My Queen, Flood and Flame have arrived."
"Excellent, have Flame and Flood escorted to where Stone is preparing the reception for our soon to be arriving guests."
"By your command, My Queen."
***
Somewhere
"Get up, boy. This is embarrassing."
William Cranston looked up from where he was sitting. Facing him was his grandfather, Lamont Cranston.
"You're my successor, William. My chosen successor to the mantle of the Shadow. You were given all of my skills and experience from which to draw upon. USE them."
"But this thing has control of my body."
"William, you have always been more cerebral than physical. Why change that just because of a few lucky genetic breaks? Fight this creature, William. You have the strength of will to break this creature of its hold upon you. Do it. If not for yourself, then do this for Trini."
"Trini."
***
Phaedra's Asteroid Base
"Trini."
"Did you say something, Wind?"
"No, Stone. I didn't say a thing."
"Well pay attention then. I want to isolate our opponents at these levels of the Base."
***
The Cloud Castle
"I have some news, people."
"What is it, Rocky?" Trini asked.
"Amanda Sefton and myself managed to figure out a way to get us to this asteroid base. The two of us have enough juice to teleport all of us to the base." Rocky said.
"When can we leave?" Rachel Castaneda said.
"As soon as Adam, Jocelyn and Tamara get a clean bill of health from Trini." Rocky told him.
"They're fit to fight, Rachel." Trini said.
"Then let's do it."
"All right, everyone stand close together. This won't be a pleasant ride." Amanda warned.
Amanda and Rocky started to chant a spell. Then there was a flash of light and sense of movement. When the light faded the heroes found themselves inside what seemed to be a spaceship of some kind.
"Piotr, Warlock, Rocky and Rahne go with Spectrum Force. Pete, Rachel, Amanda and myself will go with the Power Rangers. Find the containers holding the Phoenix Force and destroy them. Along with anything else that you can find. Let's move like we got a purpose people." Kitty Pryde told them.
As they dispersed throughout the base, the heroes failed to notice the Shadow peel itself away from a wall. {Stone, they have arrived. Sub-station 12 at level 25. They have split into two groups. One is travelling towards the engines, the other towards the containers of the Phoenix Force.}
{Excellent. Follow the group that is approaching the containers. Keep me informed of their progress.}
{As you command, Stone.}
Stone looked up from his communicator. "My Queen, they have arrived. Your orders?"
"Kill them. No prisoners."
"Thank you, My Queen." Stone told her. He then turned to face his brothers.
Stone paused for a moment. "Let slip the Hounds. Brothers, let us go to the Hunt."
This fanfic was written by Don Berry, and is posted here with his permission.