Green to White

Part Two

Zack Taylor, famous amongst the teenaged population of Angel Grove for his dancing prowess and limitless charm, dove for the pigskin as if the fate of the universe depended on it. His fingers managed a tenuous grasp on the projectile, and his battle-honed senses unconsciously tucked his agile body in preparation for a crash landing.

Zack rolled along the fresh grass, easily sliding back to his feet and holding up the ball in victory.

Nearly half a minute later, another young man dashed across the wide green expanse of Angel Grove Park, and paused beside him, panting slightly.

"Jeez, Curtis... when you say 'Go long,' you mean long!" Zack gasped, staring at his cousin in near awe, "Man, why aren't you on the football team?"

Curtis responded with the trademark Taylor grin. "Just not into organized sports, Cous'. All those crazy training drills sap all the fun out of it. I just like throwin' the ball around."

He then eyed his older cousin suspiciously. "Where'd you learn how to catch like that?" he demanded, "If anyone ought to be on the team, it's you!"

Zack chuckled a bit, tossing the ball in the air and catching it repeatedly. "I've got too many after-school activities. I tried it out last year, but I couldn't dedicate enough time to it." He then smirked. "Besides, all my Hip-Hop Kido, dance contests, and karate with Jason keep me in prime Babe-Catching shape!"

Curtis laughed, a mischievous gleam in his dark eyes as he snatched the football just centimeters above Zack's waiting hand. "Well, let's see just how good you are. This time, go real long."

Zack answered by cracking his neck. He began jogging backwards, until he found a location he felt suited him.

Curtis then launched the ball with his rocket arm. Zack gaped at the speed with which the ball approached him, and broke into a desperate run when it was clear the ball would sail right past him.

He frowned when the football zipped over his head, disappearing over the hill he was just beginning to ascend. The Black Ranger huffed, straining his muscles even further so he could catch up with the ball before it dropped out of sight.

After his brisk run, he noticed the ball sitting beside a stone statue of a hand, one of the many local artisan works that spotted the lush public park. He jogged to the statue, slowly catching his breath as he leaned forward to pick up the ball.

He grimaced in disgust when his skin made contact with the oddly slimy surface. Slowly, he lifted the ball to eye level, examining the faintly green ooze that now greased his hand.

"Major funky," he breathed, his jaw slackening as he realized the green slime covered the entire base of the statue.

His face folded with concern, and he quickly kneeled on the grass to wipe the goop from his palms. He then took a quick look around, and finding no one in eyesight, he activated his the Command Center call button on his communicator.

"What's the deal?" he muttered, after waiting several seconds. There was no response.

He sighed heavily, taking another look behind him to make sure his cousin hadn't followed him. Then, he hit the red button.

^Jason here.^

"Jase, it's Zack. Where are you?"

^In the Youth Center locker room. I'm getting changed, then we're all coming to meet you.^

"Then get the lead out, Jay. I'm by the Granite Fist, and something shady's goin' down."

* * *

"NO!" Lord Zedd growled, pounding his fist into the steel edge of his balcony. His empowered hand dug a brutal dent into the once-perfect steel, but the Emperor didn't notice.

"It's too soon," he reflected, taking a deep breath to quell the raging fury, "If the Rangers do anything to disturb my spell, then Nimrod will not awaken!"

His visor flashed as he gripped his trusted scepter once again. "A distraction is in order."

* * *

It took less than a minute for six beams of light to appear in a row beside Zack.

"Fill us in," Jason commanded, instantly shifting into Leader-Mode.

Zack gestured toward the green slime pooling around the Granite Fist sculpture.

"Ew!" Kim moaned, taking a step away. She quickly scanned her white Keds to make sure she hadn't stepped in any of the mysterious substance.

"What is it?" Alexis wondered.

Ever the inquisitive scientist, Billy squatted beside the statue, leaning as close to the goop as possible. "It's too liquid to be any variety of moss or mildew," he analyzed. He then held is hand out about an inch above the substance, palm down. "It seems to be emitting heat," he revealed.

"It's also spreading," Zack added.

Suddenly, two dozen members of Lord Zedd's Putty Patrol materialized in a circle around the Power Rangers.

Alexis jumped in surprise, backing closer into the center of the ring. "What are those?"

"Putties," Trini answered, raising her hands as she unconsciously took a fighting posture, "They're stronger than the average human, but not too quick. Aim for the 'Z' plate until they crumble."

Alexis nodded, setting her jaw as she slid into the aikido stance she had been practicing. Then, the five veteran Rangers leapt into action, leaving their newest recruit to catch up.

Jason stepped forward, dark eyes sliding warily to note the four Putties that had selected him as their target. Not wasting any time, he engaged the nearest Putty, crushing his foot toward the creature's Z target. The Putty managed to move enough to save himself, and Jason seamlessly dodged the creature's counterattack, rolling along the grass to avoid two other Putties' attempt to blindside him. Leaping back to his feet, he deftly blocked all the blows aimed for his torso, and jumped over two kicks aimed for his legs. He landed about a foot back, and launched a devastating roundhouse that connected with the jaws of both Putties. He leapt back toward the remaining one, firing a front kick that it its mark perfectly. The leader of the Power Rangers permitted a grim smile as the Putty crumbled to dust on impact.

Zack swerved out of the way of a forceful punch, a cold smirk on his lips as he caught the arm of the offending Putty. Counterbalancing his body with the weight of his opponent, Zack pushed off the ground, both feet plowing into the Z plate and throwing the beast backwards. Zack fell to the ground, jerking his head to keep his lengthening braids out of his eyes as he jumped back to his feet, prepared to engage the next Putty to catch his eye.

Kimberly flew through the air in a series of swift handsprings, pushing her to the edge of the fray. Once she felt she had made enough space between herself and her allies, she stretched her arms out, just in time to block a Putty's snap-kick aimed at her stomach. She expertly blocked the Putty's follow-up blows, finally knocking the Putty's arm hard enough to throw off the creature's balance. She immediately struck the Putty in the back of the knee with her heel, sending it sprawling to her side facedown. One more kick wedged beneath it forced the creature to its back, and a heel dug heavily into its chest rendered the beast a pile of magical dust.

Trini managed to face four Putties at once, swift hands blocking all the lumbering blows without much difficulty. She ducked low when one Putty dove at her, catching it with her arms and using its own momentum to send it hurtling into the Putty directly in front of it. The two fell into a disoriented pile, leaving her a moment to tangle the other two. A fist in the face of the Putty behind her dazed it, and the follow-up elbow into the chest was enough to annihilate it.

Billy managed to flip over a Putty who had attempted a sweep, landing just behind it. He glanced over his shoulder, and immediately plowed his heel into the Putty's back with a back kick. The Putty sprawled to the ground, but before Billy could deliver a follow-up blow two more Putties grabbed him by the arms, leaving the Blue Ranger to struggle in their grip. Billy managed to hook his legs around one leg of each Putty, pulling them off balance enough to force them to loosen their hold. With a grunt of effort, Billy pulled one arm free, and floored that Putty with an elbow to its jaw. The remaining Putty received a kick to the face, dazing it enough to be disintegrated by a series of swift punches to the Z.

Alexis found herself stunned at the precision and ferocity of her fellow Rangers' attacks. After only minutes of battle, her teammates managed to pare the original two dozen Putties in half. The Rangers had instinctively separated, each one adopting a few yards of area as their "zone," bringing them to face off any Putty who came to close.

She bit her lip to hold back a wave of panic as two Putties slipped past the defensive wall of the core Rangers, approaching her menacingly.

Okay, calm down, she reflected, holding her left leg out and her arms forward in a careful aikido stance, I can do this. This is what I've been training for!

She exhaled slowly, waiting for the Putties to make the first move.

The pair separated, each one moving toward one side of the Purple Ranger. She stepped back, making a little more room between them, and edging closer to the Putty on her right.

Using her right arm, she blocked the monster's first swing, and turned around to fully face it. Two more quick blocks kept the beast's heavy arms from making contact with her face, and she fired her first front kick the moment she had the smallest opening.

"Bingo!" she declared, grinning fiercely when her sneaker connected with the Z plate. But the blow was only strong enough to knock the Putty onto its back... and in her distraction, she failed to note the other Putty, who got close enough raise both hands in the air, thick fingers entwined to club the Purple Ranger at the base of her neck.

The blow never landed.

Instead, Alexis felt herself pushed to one side. She stumbled slightly, pivoting to see the Putty fall forward, fists digging into the soft earth where she was just standing.

She then saw Jason's powerful legs pound the creature while it still lay disoriented. "Get the other one!" he commanded.

Alexis hurried to the final Putty, who was backing away awkwardly as it realized the rapidly-decreasing odds of victory. She approached it cautiously, hands clenching into fists as she closed the gap.

Apparently recognizing the only way out was through her, the Putty stopped his retreat, and launched himself toward her.

An aptly-timed sidestep made the Putty stumble. An elbow to the base of its neck dropped it toward the ground. When it stood up, a punch in the stomach made the creature bend forward, and finally, her knee jerked toward it, slamming into the silver plate.

She blinked, watching in fascination as the being before her dissolved into amorphous clay, crumbling into harmless dust particles.

She jumped in surprise as a hand grasped her shoulder. "Nice job," Jason noted, "but it's always important to keep tabs on just how many Putties you're up against. One on one, the Putties have no chance, so they usually attack in groups."

Alexis breathed slowly. "Why exactly didn't we Morph? That blow could've really hurt if it landed!"

The leader smirked. "We used to, back when we first started. But we figured out that we didn't need the speed and strength of Morphin' to deal with a few Putties. We try to Morph in public places as little as possible, to make sure we aren't seen." He then jerked his thumb toward the other Rangers, and Alexis gaped when she saw Zack talking to a young man she didn't recognize.

"Who's that guy?"

"Curtis, Zack's cousin," Jason explained, "He followed Zack here, and when he saw us fighting, he tried to help. Now, if he had walked in on us hastily Morphin', we could've jeopardized our identities."

Alexis nodded solemnly, watching Curtis nod, and race back over the hill. Then, the remaining Rangers joined them.

"I sent Curtis to make sure there aren't any kids playing around the area," Zack informed them, "and I told him we'd try and reach the authorities about this."

"That we will," Jason muttered, lifting his communicator. He frowned when only silence answered him.

"I tried that," Zack reported, "I thought maybe it was my communicator."

"Billy, what does this mean?" Trini inquired, turning toward the genius.

"If the signal wasn't being received, then you would hear static," Billy highlighted, "The silence indicates that the call had gone through to the Command Center's system, but no one has answered it."

"Zordon and Alpha might be in some kind of trouble," Kim realized, her eyes widening as she remembered the mess the Evil Green Ranger had once made to their headquarters.

"Let's try teleporting," Trini suggested.

The six gathered closely together, and after a brief check to make sure there were no witnesses, they vanished in a six-hued rainbow.

* * *

"Whoa," Alexis gasped.

The teens had materialized in the very center of the ring of computers that comprised the main systems of the Command Center. However, with the exception of a few small bulbs of light on the panels, the chamber was as dark as pitch.

Jason blinked, staring blankly at the empty Transdimension Cylinder in front of him. "Why would Zordon and Alpha take off without telling us?" he wondered.

The dumfounded Rangers began carefully pacing through the darkness, searching for some clue of the fate of their friends. Zack passed through the back area just outside the ring of computers, and jumped as an electric chill shot through his body.

He grimaced, looking back at the area he passed for any loose wires.

"Zack?" Kim called, "You okay?"

"I... felt something," he answered, his tone thoughtful.

The Rangers began circling him, careful to avoid the area he indicated. Billy dug through a drawer of loose equipment, and upon finding a small handheld device, hurried to join his colleagues.

"Hmm," he uttered, watching the bulb flash in response to the scan, "I'm definitely getting some kind of reading. But I can't really tell what it is without downloading the scan into the computers to analyze the results."

Trini frowned, her dark eyes passing along the powerless chamber. Her frown deepened when she realized she saw something out of order.

"Hey Billy?" she called, walking to a particular console, "What does this do?"

Billy was quick to join her. He stared at the console curiously. "I don't believe I've ever used this system," he mused, fingers hovering over the keys, "It almost appears to be a control device of some kind."

"It's also the only system that seems to be operating," Trini pointed out, "Everything else has been shut down."

"Guys, what do we do about Zordon and Alpha?" Kim wondered, peering at the console in question. "Can this computer analyze that weird electricity?"

"Possibly, but I've never used it," Billy admitted. "I believe I have the proper programs in my lab."

Jason nodded, rubbing his arms to ward off the discomforting chill. "Then let's get out of here."

* * *

Through his red-hued telescopic vision, Lord Zedd witnessed the green substance completely encase the Granite Fist that adorned Angel Grove park. He chuckled gleefully as the warm energies of the liquid worked their magic, slowly forming harmless granite into a sentient being... a particularly nasty monster design.

His chuckle collapsed into a gleeful cackle, energy sparking along his body as he reveled in the purely evil energy that rippled through his new monster, causing the wiry form of the Scarlet Sentinel to open her pearly eyes.

The earth shuddered as Nimrod came to life.

* * *

"Anything yet?" Kimberly demanded, hovering over Billy's shoulder and staring at the streams of data that might as well have been a foreign language.

Billy selected a single paragraph, and typed in a new command. "There seems to be a hidden door of light," he mused, executing a visual. The data streams vanished, forming a green-grid aerial view of the Command Center. A jagged fissure appeared in the spot he had been examining. "I can probably figure out how to open-"

His ruminations were lost as suddenly, the entire garage laboratory began quaking fiercely. The Rangers immediately grabbed for something sturdy to hold on to, until the ominous shaking eased.

"Something's up," Jason muttered, eyes narrowing.

Zack frowned fiercely. "Time to go to work."

* * *

Within seconds, six armored heroes arrived at the site of the Granite Fist- the obvious starting point. They were greeted by a smoking patch of charred grass where the symbol of strength once stood.

"What happened to it?" Purple wondered, squatting beside the patch, "Did Lord Zedd blow up the statue?"

"Zedd probably turned the statue into a monster," Yellow informed her, "That's where he gets the majority of his fighting force."

Purple frowned curiously, standing up again. "Then the Erebus monster definitely wasn't his usual M.O."

"Correct, and it seems that this particular spell isn't either."

"What do you mean, Billy?" Pink asked.

The Blue Ranger gestured to the burned grass. "That mucus-like substance covering the Granite Fist was unusual. Normally, Zedd casts a locomotion spell, imbuing inanimate objects with functionality and often limited magical abilities. This spell seemed to have taken more care than his more common spells."

"Great," Black sighed, folding his arms, "This is just what we need... a Super-Monster running around and no Zordon or Alpha to help us out. How're we gonna figure out its weakness?"

Red frowned deeply, black eyes narrow as he scrutinized the surrounding hills and trees of the park. "The more immediate question is: just where is our new friend?"

"I was wondering when you'd get around to that!" came an androgynous voice, raw and scratchy as if the being suffered from laryngitis. The Power Rangers whirled around, and were shocked to see Zedd's newest creation standing not fifty feet from them.

Only this monster didn't look like one of Zedd's monsters. Usually, the creatures were loud and bulky, far too uncoordinated to ever sneak up on the Rangers. They had relied on brute strength alone in their attempts to exterminate the teenaged champions of Earth.

This one was different. It even looked different, for instead of thick muscled limbs, the new creature stood on wiry, limber legs, and its deceptively thin arms were folded contemptuously before its granite chest. And the granite surrounding its upper body, shoulders, and head was vaguely shaped like the sculpture that spawned it, effectively housing vital areas behind a wall of armor.

And most unsettling of all, the limber creature smirked at the Rangers. Intelligence shone behind those marble eyes, as the creature's fierce stare caught the teens off-guard.

Jason was the first to react, stepping in front of his team and defiantly facing the monster. His muscles tensed, slowly sliding into his favored ready stance.

The rest of the team soon took their positions at either side of their leader.

"Well, you Rangers certainly get down to business," the creature snickered, "No manners whatsoever!"

Astonishingly, it bowed at the waist. "My name is Nimrod, the Scarlet Sentinel. And I have been awakened to herald you to your next life, Rangers!"

The Blue Ranger found himself so stunned he couldn't keep his analytical mind from whirring out of control. "Name"? "Awakened"? This creature is exhibiting a sense of self-awareness bounds ahead of any of the generic monsters Zedd ever sent! All monsters have a descriptive classification, like Oysterizer and Saliguana, but this one actually has a personal name as well as a designation! Could this be more than a mere magical manifestation? Could it be... alive?

"Look alive, Billy!"

Blue shook himself out of his distraction just in time to heed Alexis' warning. He flipped out of the way of an astonishingly fast gleaming metal object.

Just where did that platinum pole come from? And when exactly did Nimrod go on the offensive?

Was he really that distracted?

Blue pushed himself off a back flip into an aerial somersault, launching him far enough away from the fight to reorganize his thoughts.

But when he landed, new concerns screamed at him.

The impact of his feet hitting the grass sent a tingle up his entire body, forcing him to bend his knees deeply to stick the landing. He breathed in sharply, trying his best not to stumble unceremoniously to the ground.

That... hurt! He realized in shock.

* * *

This sucker's fast!

The Black Ranger, famous for his fast reflexes and even faster tongue, found himself without a witty comment as he tried his best to keep up with the Scarlet Sentinel.

Thankfully, the few seconds Nimrod spent facing off with Billy gave Zack the break he needed to orient himself. He manifested the Power Ax, and managed to angle the dense blade just in time to block Nimrod's powerful weapon.

To his surprise, the collision of steel on steel sent a shockwave through his body. If his elbows weren't locked, the force of Nimrod's hit could very well have knocked Zack's own weapon into his face.

Zack managed to recover fast enough to strike at the Nimrod, but to his horror, he found the weight of the Power Ax too much to properly thrust. Instead of swinging to the side, the weapon dragged him downward with his own momentum, lodging the blade deeply into the grass.

"What gives?" he hissed. He inhaled deeply, and pulled with all his might. But the Power Ax might as well have been Excalibur trapped in a magical stone... it wouldn't budge.

And the Black Ranger was too busy trying to recover his weapon to notice Nimrod's stealth approach...

* * *

Zack!! "Oh no ya don't, Pebble-Brain!"

Nimrod looked away from her unwary prey just in time to see the Pink Ranger heft her bow, silver arrow gleaming in the sunlight as she took aim.

Both Kim and her target watched as the arrow *thunked* into the ground just in front of the Pink Ranger's white boots.

Kim's jaw went slack as she stared disbelievingly at her arrow.

I... I just didn't have the strength to pull back the chord! she realized, staring at her shooting hand.

"You want to see a projectile, little girl?" Nimrod asked, struggling against her laughter as she lifted her pole like a javelin, "Happy to oblige!"

Kim froze as Nimrod pulled her throwing arm back...

* * *

"Move!" Jason commanded.

Purple and Yellow sprang into motion, following the directions Red gave them the instant he recognized Kim's danger.

Yellow dashed to Zack, who stood stupefied just feet away from Nimrod, his hand hanging off the handle of his embedded Power Ax.

Red released a fierce growl as he tackled the unprepared Nimrod from behind.

Purple streaked through the air at her top speed, her whip unfurled in her grasp. Then, without getting a chance to take proper aim, she let the leather fly.

The whip smashed into the red pole, the tip wrapping around to hold it securely. And then, Purple pulled.

Kim blinked as the missile suddenly jerked to the side, and fell into Alexis' waiting palm.

"Kim!" Alexis called, dropping the pole and dashing to her friend, "Kim, are you hurt?"

"No," Kim breathed, shaking out of her daze, "But... but something's wrong. I couldn't shoot an arrow! Did you see it, Lex? I never even miss... but now I can barely hold up the Power Bow..."

Alexis grimaced. It was clear that something was amiss... for the Blue, Pink, and Black Rangers were completely ineffective against Nimrod. Kim and Zack couldn't seem to handle their own weapons, and Billy never returned after his somersaulting retreat.

This is the first time I don't have Kreia's guidance, but I still knew exactly how to use my whip... my weapon is like an extension of my body. Something must be seriously wrong for Kim and Zack to struggle with theirs.

Alexis sighed deeply, and looked behind her. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw Jason literally lifted off the ground by a kick Nimrod landed in his gut.

The Red Ranger gripped his stomach tenderly, crawling backwards to make some room between them.

"Kim, Jason told us to regroup, and Trini and Zack are heading over to Billy now. You should join them."

"What about you?"

"I'm gonna try and help Jason."

* * *

I think that one cracked a rib...

Jason bit his tongue against a groan of pain, balancing himself on his hands as he launched his feet into the air. The impromptu kick should have taken Nimrod by surprise... should being the operative word.

The Scarlet Sentinel caught the Red Ranger's feet with both hands, a derisive sneer on her face. "Are you absolutely certain you're trying your best?" she sighed, tightening her grip.

Jason ground his teeth, his mind swimming as he felt the pressure against his ankles. She'll rip my feet off... and my armor's not protecting me...

"Power Sword!" he bellowed, holding his hands behind his head. The weapon appeared at his summon after a short hesitation, and Jason growled deep in his throat to muster the strength to thrust the blade at his enemy.

But to his astonishment, he could barely lift the sword off the grass.

Nimrod snickered as Red began squirming desperately. Slowly, she increased the pressure.

But the Red Ranger wasn't out of options yet; he quickly grabbed his Blade Blaster, and fired a thin beam of laser directly between Nimrod's eyes.

However, his aim was off... fortunately, he did manage not to miss Nimrod completely.

The Sentinel hissed, dropping Red's legs to cradle the smoking wound to her left shoulder. Jason held his Blaster steady, pushing himself away from Nimrod on swollen legs.

* * *

The Purple Ranger made a mad dash toward Jason, only to stop short when Nimrod grabbed hold of his feet.

At the Sentinel's leering comment, Alexis' muscles tightened, her hands instinctively hovering five inches apart, fingers bent inward.

By the time Jason called for the Power Sword, sparks of purple flashed down her gloves.

As Jason struggled to lift his primary weapon, a tiny globe of energy began to pool at the center point between her hands.

Once Jason struck Nimrod with his Blade Blaster, a full-fledged Eagleheart Pulse rotated in Alexis' grasp, pulsing with energy like a ticking bomb.

A smirk on her lips, Alexis tensed and let her condensed power fly...

* * *

Nimrod shrieked as a sphere of brilliant, swirling energy smashed into her waist just under the protective casing of granite. The sphere exploded on impact, sending the monster skidding across the hilly park, digging a deep trench in her wake.

To say Jason was surprised by his sudden rescue would be an understatement.

"Jase, did you see that?" Alexis gushed, suddenly at his side. He hissed loudly when her arm encircled his shoulders.

"You're really hurt," she realized. She gasped when she retracted her hand, now stained with blood.

"Our powers have been compromised," he breathed, "I just don't have the strength or durability I ought to."

She stared at him helplessly, glancing back to make sure Nimrod was still out of commission.

Jason struggled to speak despite gasping for breath. "W...was that...?"

"The Eagleheart Pulse!" she announced proudly, "I didn't think I'd be able to do it, since I've got the Morpher and all, but somehow I retained it! Maybe I do have some access to Kreia's knowledge even though I can't actually hear her in my head like I could before Zordon gave me the Morpher-"

"Alexis," Jason uttered. His voice was so stern the Purple Ranger instantly shut up. "Get to the others. Tell them to retreat back to Billy's lab. If we can figure out what happened to Zordon and Alpha, we might have a clue about how to restore our powers."

Alexis winced as she watched Jason struggle to his feet, dragging disobedient legs under his body. "What about you?"

"I'll hold off Nimrod until you're all clear."

Alexis blinked, leaping to her feet. Through the corner of her eye, she could see Nimrod dusting herself off from her crash landing. Other than a few grass stains, she was none the worse for wear.

She bit back the initial "Are you crazy??" that threatened to fire, selecting a more pragmatic approach. "Jase, why don't I hold off Nimrod? I think my powers are working fine."

Jason shook his head. "Can't risk that your powers won't start acting up too. And I can't let you fight alone against a monster like this."

Alexis sighed. That initial outburst was starting to sound more applicable. "Jason, we already know your powers are compromised! You're hurt... you need some First Aid or something. I managed to pull off a Pulse... I know I'm good to go."

"The longer your argue, the more time Nimrod has to recuperate."

Alexis leaned forward, hands planted on her hips. But before she could retort, a harsh cackle distracted them both.

They whirled around, just in time to see Nimrod catch a silver sphere that floated purposefully towards her.

Jason immediately grabbed Alexis' wrist, and began running. Moments later, Nimrod slammed the sphere against the ground, creating a fissure in the ground from which magical smoke erupted.

Alexis let Jason guide her, craning her neck to see what was going on. Her eyes widened to new proportions as she watched Nimrod begin to grow dramatically.

The wings on her ankles began beating madly, and she pulled Jason's arm around her shoulder. "Let's get the hell outta here!"

* * *

Trini was so preoccupied with catching her breath (why did that little jog take up so much energy?!), she didn't even notice the fight until Nimrod suddenly stretched heavenward, uplifting the trees nearby as her suddenly deep voice cackled cruelly.

She gasped, taking a step back. "We need the Thunderzords!"

"I nearly twisted my ankle landing from a rudimentary somersault," Billy commented as he continued rubbing his feet to regain feeling, "I doubt I'll be able to even jump into the Megazord cockpit."

Kim stared out at the enormous monster. "She's heading into the city! Thousands of people are at risk!"

Zack scowled, staring at his arm. "Guys, there's no way we can do anything about it."

Kim whirled around to stare at her friend. "What? Since when have you been so pessimistic?"

"Since this," he sighed. He gripped the fingers of his glove with his other hand, and with one quick tug, pulled the material right off his arm.

Kim and Trini were utterly speechless.

"That's impossible," Billy whispered, "The Morph creates an energy grid beneath the armor, protecting us from attacks. The only part of the uniform that is removable is the helmet, and only when the latches are switched, negating the energies within to allow it!"

"It should be impossible," Zack corrected, "and the fact that this glove comes off like a banana peel means only one thing: we're not really Morphed. We're just wearing colorful spandex."

"But, I still managed to summon my Power Bow," Kim pointed out.

"Our powers must've been fading since we got out here," Trini realized, "The longer we fight, the more likely we'll just un-Morph completely."

"We gotta hit it," Zack grumbled, frustration evident in his tone, "All we'll accomplish out here is getting squashed by Nimrod."

At that moment, a blaze of purple light heralded the arrival of the two remaining Rangers. Alexis gently set Jason on the ground before her wings stopped fluttering, and she dropped at his side.

"Okay, Billy, you're the resident genius, right?"

He shrugged. "So I'm told."

"So, what happened to your powers?"

Trini stepped forward, her hand on her chin. "And why are you still able to fly, Lex? Your powers seem unaffected."

Billy carefully hoisted himself to his feet. "We have to go back to my lab. Until we figure out how to restore our powers, we're useless out here."

Kimberly chewed her lip, her eyes following the path Nimrod disappeared in.

* * *

^...on an unbidden path to Stone Canyon. This marks the first time one of these mysterious creatures attacked a city other than Angel Grove, and while Stone Canyon had prepared for the possibility, the greatest fear is the density of the population of the city. Stone Canyon's police and firefighters, assisted by forces from Angel Grove, have been mobilized to do their best to minimize casualties as we anxiously wait for the Power Rangers to make-^

Kimberly switched off the volume, staring at the screen numbly. Fortunately, as a lithe creature to begin with, Nimrod didn't create the random destruction some other creatures threatened. Yet, it seemed to be searching for something.

Perhaps... for them.

She winced as Nimrod looked down upon the wide highway he marched across. With a deep chuckle, he lifted his foot, and crushed a small blue coup parked along the highway.

There was no way to tell whether the vehicle had been abandoned, or if someone had been inside.

Then, the television flickered off. "Kim, that's not doing you any good."

Kim turned around to frown at Zack. She noted his worried expression, and released a long, shaky sigh. "I... know."

Zack bent beside her, lifting her to her feet and meeting her troubled gaze. He offered her an earnest smile. "I don't know about you, but I'm sick and tired of standing around. Maybe we can be useful."

She nodded.

"Then you go help Alexis bandage up our fearless leader, and I'll see if hanging over Billy and Trini's shoulders will make them analyze any faster."

Kim allowed a strained smile, shaking her head to relieve her mind of her worries for at least a time. Then, she moved across the lab to where Jason struggled against Alexis' ministrations. In fact, now he had been reduced to hiding from her, holding a pillow as a wall between them as he backpedaled from her.

"Please, Jason," she sighed, "It's just alcohol! After all that Tough-Guy crap you pulled at the park, this is nothing!"

"Lex, you just don't know Jason!" Kim responded, her hands on her hips, "He may be Bruce Lee when he's on the battlefield or the championship arena, but he's a big baby when it comes to medicine..."

"Kim!" he hissed in warning.

The Pink Ranger completely disregarded him. "You should've seen him when we went to get flu shots! He took one look at the needle, and went white as a sheet!"

Alexis snickered as she tried to picture the scene. She then turned to Jason, whose face had flushed in embarrassment.

"Well, if you think alcohol is bad, I should run home and get the iodine my mother used when I scraped my knees roller-skating."

Jason gulped. "Iodine?"

"Absolutely," she said, waving the bottle of alcohol, "This is nothing! My mother wanted to teach me to use kneepads, so instead of using painless stuff, she poured on the iodine! It felt like laying my knee flat on an electric stove!"

Jason grimaced. "You wouldn't dare..."

Alexis met his frown with a cool smirk. "Did you just say 'dare'?"

Jason's face fell at the mischievous glimmer in the new Purple Ranger's eyes.

"Guys, we've got something."

Both Rangers looked up at Zack, who waved them to the computer where the others were hovering. Jason breathed a sigh of relief as the iodine subject was dropped in favor of less intense matters... like saving the world.

"I think we've figured out how to open that door of light I mentioned," Billy reported, "If I were a betting man, I'd wager that mysterious computer Trini found is in fact the control mechanism. The only concern is... we don't know where the door leads."

"But it's our only lead to Zordon and Alpha," Jason realized, "We'll have to go in."

"We actually thought of something," Trini picked up, "It would be best if one of us checked it out. We don't know how the door will respond once opened; it could turn into a vacuum, sucking in everyone in the Command Center. If only one of us goes, the others are still here in case something goes... wrong."

"Okay, what do I do?" Jason asked, folding his arms.

Billy rose to his feet. "No offense, Jason, but I feel I should go. I have the best chance of figuring out the controls."

"Or, you could guide me through it via communicator," Jason pointed out.

"But again, we don't know how the door will respond. It is very possible the doorway will need to be reopened from the other side when you ready to return, and we'd have no way to contact you. I have the best chances of figuring out a way home."

"But what if something happens to you?" Kim wondered.

"Then I'll take a shot at the controls," Trini said, "We'll give him fifteen minutes, and if we don't hear from him, then someone can follow through the doorway."

All the Rangers looked to Jason questioningly.

Finally, he nodded. "We'll do it your way, Billy. But be careful. And in exactly fifteen minutes, we're coming in after you."

* * *

The flash of rich blue energy temporarily lit up the darkness of the Command Center.

Billy stepped away from his entry point, giving his eyes a few moments to adjust to the engulfing darkness. Then, he slowly made his way to the area he had scanned only hours ago.

He came to a stop when he felt a tingle, almost like static electricity. That must be the fissure... what Zack felt earlier.

Wasting no time, he hurried to the control system Trini had discovered. Blue eyes narrowed as he scrutinized the keyboard, fingers hovering thoughtfully above them as he worked out the design of the buttons.

It looks a great deal like the teleporter, he realized, The keys are set in a similar pattern. A ring of buttons to the center, most likely designed to set the coordinates. Perhaps this is a transportable door, cutting through dimensional walls and allowing access? Hmm... then, it would serve a purpose similar to my Portal-Com.

Billy tapped his chin as he visualized the Portal-Com, the device he invented to allow the Rangers to enter Rita's Dark Dimension, and attempt to capture the Green Candle.

So if this is based on the Portal-Com design, then it is safe to assume that the coordinates have already been set, he reasoned. We can tactilely perceive the location of the hidden door, meaning it is still operational, only 'closed.' It is still active. So one of these buttons must 'open' it. An 'execution' key, similar to the actual transporter button, a laser trigger in the Unicorn Zord, or even an 'Enter' key on a computer keyboard. The action key, to follow through the command programmed.

The execution key was easy to find; for a conspicuous larger square button sat just to the left of the programming keys.

"Bingo," he whispered, a self-satisfied smile pulling his lips. He depressed the button.

Suddenly, the fissure came to life behind him, blinding his eyes in brilliant white before it swallowed him whole.

Billy found himself hanging, utterly weightless, in a tunnel of solid white. His limbs dangled helplessly, curious eyes darting in wonder at the swirls of white that greeted him, until he felt the familiar pull of gravity.

He fell into darkness again, crouching to buffer his fall properly. The only source of light was from directly before him; what looked like a grate connecting to a room beneath him.

"Should I set the intermorphin' sequencer before I regulate the energy converter, Zordon?"

Hey, that's Alpha's voice! Billy realized. He quickly began crawling toward the grate, from which the voice originated.

"YES ALPHA. MEANWHILE, I SHALL TEST THE PHASE-CAPACITANCE PROGRAM."

So they're both all right...

"Sequencer is online and working properly. I'll start on the converter now."

Billy finally reached the grate and looked into the room beneath. His green eyes widened to new proportions as he stared into the laboratory. Below, Alpha scuttled around a figure in white and gold, stretched motionless on a surgical bed.

"BE CAREFUL. THE SMALLEST MISTAKE IN THE ENERGY FLOW COULD SPELL DISASTER."

Billy felt his throat go dry as he finally realized exactly what he was bearing witness to. "I've got to tell the others."