Chapter Text
"What do we do now? We can't find Carlos, the Psycho Rangers are still out there, including TWO new guys, plus one of them went rogue." TJ uttered.
"AND he's one of ours." Ashley added.
"I'm sorry, I wish there was something I could do." Waspicable uttered in a defeated tone.
"Hey, don't be so hard on yourself. You did good out there. Not bad for a new Ranger." Zack said, patting him on the back in an attempt at reassurance.
"Thanks... I hope your friend is okay." Wasp told them.
Andros and Zhane walked into the Astro Megaship's main rec area and looked over at the other Rangers, who had looks of worry and defeat on their faces.
"Any luck?" Cassie asked.
"None. How is everyone?" Andros asked.
"Been better, but we've definitely been worse. The only thing seriously hurt is our spirits, I think." TJ answered honestly.
"It's weird, neither of those new Psychos seemed keen on following orders." Zhane said.
"From what you told us, it seems like this fake Justin was angry. But the Silver guy, we saw him save people. I don't think he's as bad as the people he's taking orders from. But if he was caught in the same blast as Carlos..." Zach said, not wanting to finish his sentence.
"...I have an idea. I need you guys to trust me." Andros finally said.
"You know we do. What do you need from us?" Came Ashley's response.
***
A shuttle left Earth's atmosphere, Andros at the helm. The Red Ranger piloted the ship, until another vessel appeared on his sensors. He knew that it was now too late to change his mind. If his shuttle could pick up Astronema's Nezi Cruiser, their sensors could locate him as well. What made Andros' blood run cold was what he saw hovering right beside Astronema's ship; it was Serpentera, the flagship of Lord Zedd.
At over sixteen hundred feet, the serpentine zord was more than four times the length of Astronema's ship. Before he could react, a tractor beam from the Nezi Cruiser locked onto Andros' shuttle and he began pulling him toward it. The shuttle's engines were insufficient to prevent this and, in a matter of minutes, Andros found himself being pulled into the Cruiser's shuttle bay.
***
The device on Jason's wrist began to beep and both he and Carlos looked at it with apprehension. Jason looked at Carlos with a critical gaze, before hitting a button on the device and raising it to his mouth.
"Psycho Silver, reporting." He said.
"Silver, return to the Nezi Cruiser now. We've captured a Power Ranger. And Lord Zedd has arrived." A voice that Carlos instantly recognized as Astronema answered back.
"Understood." Psycho Silver answered, before cutting the transmission.
"They captured Andros... I have to go..." Carlos said.
"And do what? Even if it was just Astronema, you'd stand no chance." Psycho Silver told him.
"Then help me." Carlos suggested, as he slowly got to his feet.
"Help you oppose my mistress? You must have brain damage." Jason scoffed.
"He's her brother. Help me do what I know she'd want. Help me keep her brother from being killed by Lord Zedd..." Carlos pleaded.
"...fine... I can't believe I'm doing this... you will do EVERYTHING I say. Understood?" Jason asked sternly.
"Gotcha." Carlos said with a smile.
***
Psycho Blue clenched his fist and slammed it against Andros' mask in a vicious punch. The impact shattered the Red Ranger's visor and caused him to swing helplessly from the ceiling by his shackles.
"Oh, I'm going to enjoy this. There's nothing that gives me quite the same rush as hurting a Power Ranger!" Psycho Blue hissed, before grabbing and ripping off Andros' helmet.
In a shimmer of blue energy, Psycho Blue's mask also vanished and he stared into Andros' eyes, studying his bloodied face.
"Tell me, Red Ranger, how does it feel knowing everyone you've ever loved will soon be dead?" Psycho Blue asked.
Before Andros could speak a word, the door to the prison cell opened and Astronema stepped in, followed closely by Ecliptor.
"Out. I wish to question the prisoner." Astronema ordered.
Psycho Blue hesitated for a moment, before bowing to Astronema.
"Yes, your majesty." He uttered with a hint of contempt in his voice, before turning and exiting the cell.
As Psycho Blue walked down the hallway, he passed Psycho Green, leaning up against a wall.The two stared wordlessly at each other, before Blue continued on.
Astronema and Ecliptor both entered Andros' holding cell, as the door closed behind them. Astronema approached the shackled Ranger and looked at his cuts and bruises.
"You were a fool to come here." She said coldly.
Andros stared at her, before speaking. "Karone, please, let me go. It's not too late."
"It is. For you." Astronema told him, her cold visage evaporating for just a moment.
"Please, I need to get out of here..." Andros continued to plead.
Before either he or Astronema could utter another word, Andros' eyes grew wide as he stared past Astronema. The door slid open automatically, to reveal the terrifying visage of Lord Zedd.
"I'm afraid there will be no escape for you, Red Ranger!" Lord Zedd declared, as he stepped calmly into the room.
Astronema hesitated, before stepping to the side to allow Zedd to pass. Lord Zedd approached Andros and raised his face with a firm grip on the Ranger's chin. Andros met his gaze unflinching, in spite of his vulnerable position.
"Now tell me, Ranger, where are your friends?" Zedd asked coldly, staring at Andros through his crimson visor.
"What makes you think I'd tell you if I knew?" Andros spat back.
"I was hoping you'd say that! When we're done, you'll give me not only their location, but the access codes to your morphers and your ship!" Zedd declared, taking a step back to hold his arms out for emphasis.
"I'll never tell you anything!" Andros remained defiant.
"Keep defying me, Red Ranger! Soon, you'll be grovelling at my feet!" Zed said, before raising his staff.
Suddenly, red lightning arced from the cold metal of the 'Z' on the end of his staff and arced through Andros' body.
"Ahhhhhhhhhh!!!" Andros cried out as the lightning coursed through every fiber of his being.
His eyes and mouth lit up, his skin felt like it was on fire. In an instant, his morpher failed entirely and his Ranger suit vanished from his body. And yet Zedd continued his assault.
"Stop!" Astronema suddenly called out, prompting Zedd to cease his assault, turning to glare at her. "You won't get anything from him if he's dead." She quickly added.
"Having sympathy for your dear brother, are we?" Zedd asked.
"Compassion is for the weak." Astronema uttered.
She wasn't sure if Zedd believed her words. She wasn't even sure she believed herself.
"Then leave us. Andros and I have much to discuss!" Zedd commanded in a deep growl.
Astronema took one last look at her helpless brother, before turning and walking out of the room. Following close behind was Ecliptor, who looked at not Andros, by LorrdZedd himself, before finally departing. After the pair left, the door closed behind them.
"Ah, now we are finally alone... shall we continue...?" Zedd asked Andros, even when Andros knew Zedd had no intention of showing him mercy; only pain.
***
Psycho Silver, now fully morphed, waited as the shuttle landed in the docking bay and its doors opened. Marching from the vessel were numerous robotic Quantrons. He waited until they had all departed; all except for one, that was. Standing beside him was a lone Quantron. The Quantron took a step forward, before stumbling and nearly falling to the ground; caught only by Psycho Silver.
"If you want to help your friend, you'll need to walk straight." Silver snapped.
"I'm trying. How do these things even walk? This suit feels so clunky..." Carlos asked.
"It's not a suit. I cleared out most of the mechanical parts as best I could. It'll have to do." Came Silver's words.
Carlos gave the best nod that he could. Psycho Silver walked down the ramp of the shuttle, followed closely by Carlos. Carlos stumbled once more coming off the ramp, but they were both relieved when nobody paid them any mind. The majority of figures in the loading dock were other Quantrons after all, and they weren't programmed to be terribly observant. Psycho Silver and Carlos walked out of the loading bay and down a narrow corridor. They walked past a number of other Quantrons and workers, none of which paid the pair more than a cursory glance.
Suddenly, a violent quake rocked the corridor, causing both Psycho Silver and Carlos to stumble, before catching themselves.
***
Andros shook back and forth in his shackles as the quake rocked the hull of the ship. Zedd hardly moved a muscle.
"If this is a foolish attempt at a rescue by your friends, it will fail!" Lord Zedd snarled angrily.
At that, Zedd turned and walked out of the cell. He marched with purpose down the hallway, toward the ship's bridge. Psycho Silver and Carlos watched until he was out of sight before turning the corner and walking into Andros' cell.
"What's going on? What are you doing?" Andros asked, glaring weakly at Psycho Silver.
He flinched as Silver reached up toward one of Andros' arms.
"Hey, it's okay. He's here to help." Carlos said.
"C-Carlos?" Andros asked, recognizing his friend's voice coming from the voice modulator at the front of the Quantron mask.
"Uh, oh yeah." Carlos said and removed his helmet, before dropping it to the ground.
Psycho Silver snapped the chain around Andros' wrist effortlessly, before moving to and breaking the shackle around his other wrist. Now with nothing holding him up, Andros collapsed, his knees buckling. Psycho Silver caught him, placing Andros' hand over his shoulder to support his weight.
"Let's go!" Psycho Silver said and Carlos nodded, before the three of them walked out of the cell.
***
Astronema and Lord Zedd walked onto the bridge of the Nezi Cruiser, followed closely by Ecliptor.
"What's happening?!" Astronema shouted.
"Mistress, there's been an explosion in one of our weapons depots. The fire has been suppressed and the engineering team is working to locate the cause." One of the minions at a console informed her.
"If this is some ploy by you, I will make you suffer!" Lord Zedd snapped at Astronema, his staff arcing with red electricity.
"Why would I destroy a portion of my own ship?" Astronema asked.
Before another word could be said between the two, one of the minions on the bridge gestured toward a viewscreen. "Um..."
The screen showed a section of the ship. Through the displayed corridor, Psycho Silver and Carlos moved, holding a still injured Andros between them.
"One of yours, is it not? Another of your precious Psycho Rangers? A ploy to save your brother." Zedd spoke, his voice becoming eerily calm.
Zedd took a step forward and Ecliptor took a step in between him and Astronema. Before any of them could make another move, Psycho Green appeared on the bridge in a flash of emerald energy.
"More treachery!" Zedd growled.
"What are you doing here?! I ordered you to remain on standby with the other Psycho Rangers!" Astronema declared.
"Sorry, Mistress. But I couldn't pass up the opportunity." Psycho Green said.
"You caused the explosion!" Astronema said angrily.
"Of course. I needed to separate Lord Zedd here from his trusted general. It's time I get my revenge." Psycho Green told him with a chuckle.
Zedd turned to face the Psycho Ranger, all but forgetting Astronema for the moment.
"You left me for dead! I'm here to repay the favor." Psycho Green added.
"You..." Zedd said in sudden recognition.
"Yes, me. I was Zordon's first Green Ranger! You and Rita took my power coin and left me adrift in the vacuum of space. But the small amount of Morphin Grid energy still inside me sustained me. That and my desire for vengeance! Now, I have my chance!" Psycho Green declared, summoning his Psycho Dagger into his hand.
Lord Zedd aimed his staff and fired a bolt of electricity at Psycho Green. But Green dodged the blast, which struck a control panel, causing it to explode and killing a nearby minion. Psycho Green leapt forward and delivered a kick to Zedd's gut, knocking him back against the far wall.
In the chaos, Ecliptor and Astronema had vanished from sight.