Grabbing the two handles on the steel door, Cecil pulled with what little strength he had left but still was unable to open the damn thing. He calmed his growing frustration and wiped his hands dry before reaching out to try opening it again. Finally it squeaked as it opened, just partially though, so he was forced to squeeze through. Even before he was completely inside Cecil's jaw dropped at the sight of his destination: the piloting mainframe of the Babel CarrierZord. It was more spacious with a more traditional technological layout, but the similarities between here and the other Zord's control was incredible.
"I am in," he reported to Seraide in a weak voice. "How are Alex and the others doing?"
The response came late enough to make him worry, and rightfully so. "They held their ground against Pseudo Ranger, at least until you routed your power through them; one or more were apparently uncooperative or uncomfortable. Black Ranger kept it busy meanwhile. Then Sir Vesper returned, extremely irritated at his compounded recent humiliations, intent on destroying them all. And after that..." Silence.
"After that what?" demanded Cecil, using the very last of his strength to dash to the window overlooking the scene. They looked so small, and even though he knew it would do no good he squinted, so he repeated, "After...that...what?"
It was Talyserys's voice that informed him. "Arcanza is there."
Cecil straightened, a second wind feeling cold in his chest, and he swore for all he was worth until finally, "Tell me what to do, and hurry. I have to convert Babel now."
"Input this registration code: T-R-E-M-B-A-B-E-L..." Talyserys began, as Cecil hurriedly obeyed.
Extending his hand, palm up, a small golden orb appeared in Arcanza's hand, rotating back and forth and up and down randomly. "Today is a day for revelation," he announced, still smiling. "When Meridian-Omega went supernova, several pieces were flung into outer space, and over time they have revealed an interesting ability. See if you think so, too." Gently the orb lifted into the air and exploded in dark golden light. When the intense illumination gradually died away, all of the Rangers had lost their suits and Sir Vesper's armor was completely gone.
The Pseudo Ranger was revealed to be a young man, probably older than the other Rangers, with smooth long light blue hair and clear eyes with a distant look. He was dressed in blue-black velvet-like material emblazoned with the setting sun symbol.
Vesper was humanoid too, but with a dark skin tone and many scratches, gashes, and carvings in his flesh. "Trinity give me strength," he snarled, red eyes locking on Arcanza.
"Amber!" exclaimed Alexander. He rushed to her and turned her around, examining every detail from the long reddish-brown hair to the untainted blue eyes to the Ability Band strapped around her forearm to the uniform like those of the Omnians. "You're the Black Ranger!"
"Yes I am," she answered, but her stare never left Arcanza.
The villainous leader was walking backwards, his smile never wavering, arms extended out to both sides. "Twilight Legion...attack!"
It happened at once, so quickly it hardly made sense at all. The de-morphed Pseudo Ranger lunged for Amber, while somebody grabbed Alexander from behind and thrust a knee into his back. "Michael...stop!" he heard Brittany scream.
"Silence, Ranger," snarled Michael. Alex inhaled as much as he could and pushed himself back to his feet in time to see Michael aim his Omni Blaster at Brittany. Before he could fire, Alex charged forward and grabbed him, taking his target down with him as they rolled. "Damn you, Revell," Michael growled.
One question went through Alex's mind as he ripped the OmniTech Band off of his friend-turned-enemy's arm. "Why?"
"Michael Tracer has been mine from the beginning," explained Arcanza with a hint of laughter woven in his voice. "A true and loyal Twilight Legionnaire whose assignment was to organize an 'adventure' to Alpha Complex. Although he was uninformed why, he was instructed to handle whatever situations arose as a true friend of yours would. All along my plan was to awaken the Rangers so I could get my hands on OmniTech."
Looking up, Alex saw Rebecca dodging Vesper's swinging double-bladed axes, to call them lethal weapons was an understatement. Pseudo Ranger swept his foot out to trip Amber and grabbed her around the neck as she fell. Alexander ran toward her to help, but the Legion-created Ranger warned, "One more step and I snap the head off your new Ranger."
Genuinely laughing now, Arcanza continued, "I see you have met my son, Bane, the invincible Pseudo Ranger."
Suddenly a beam of energy thicker than an arm struck the ground mere inches away from Bane, knocking him and Amber in different directions. Another blast struck near Vesper, saving Becky from a terrible death just in the nick of time. Energy continued to rain down, forcing everyone to scramble for safety, except Arcanza who stood there calm and collected. Sir Vesper and Michael met up as far from the CarrierZord as they could, while Alex, Brittany, Becky, and Amber sought refuge at Babel's foundation. Patrick and Rachel were there to meet them.
"What a pleasant, welcome, and needed surprise," Brittany said as she hugged Amber. Becky rested a hand on their recovered friend's shoulder.
Alex noticed Bane was still laying on the battle field in the midst of the powerful energy bombardment. Something deep down felt pity—or was it sorrow?—for the way he had been used. Taking Patrick's arm, he ordered, "Come on," and the two young men dashed out into the unnatural deadly rain. Alex grabbed and lifted Bane's legs, Patrick the arms, and they hurried their unconscious foe back to their shelter, mere moments before a blazing hot beam struck the spot where he had been laying earlier.
"Why are you saving him?" demanded Becky. "He is as evil as Arcan...as his father!"
"No," Alex said, rubbing his arm where he had been scratched by Dominic and infected with first-degree pseudoine poisoning. "I can feel pseudoine inside him, too. Arcanza was controlling him; if he has to control his own son it must be for a reason."
A teleportation beam touched down in front of them as the falling energy ceased, materializing into Cecil. "Sorry about that," he apologized with a grin. "It was more difficult than I thought to control Babel." Turning to Amber he said, "Uh oh, they found out?" She nodded the affirmation.
"You knew?" exclaimed Becky.
Cecil nodded, sticking his hands in his pockets and looking at the ground as he said, "Count on the Omnians for yet another secret. This one has been quite a while in the making. Professor Donaldson wanted to reproduce the OmniTech Power; Amber is the final product." Lifting his fist up to his face, he changed the subject. "There will be time for explanations later. Right now, the only time we have is morphin' time!"
"Omni Cerberus!"
"Omni Dragon!"
"Omni Pegasus!"
"Omni Sphinx!"
"Omni Titan!"
Still standing where he had made his revered landing, Arcanza waited patiently as Michael and Sir Vesper joined his side. The confused look on Vesper's face was worth the entire effort. Since the alien warrior's arrival in Neo Twilight City, months ago, he had unknowingly been breathing air fused with pseudoine. All along he was Arcanza's to control at will, just as every other member of Twilight Legion had been. But that shattering psychic wave that passed through the city changed all that, the Lord reflected angrily, now unwilling Legionnaires were free of his grasp and only loyal followers like Michael remained. The only reason he held Vesper's reins was because he had not initiated the mind control until after the psychokinetic explosion.
The Rangers—minus blue, plus black—were approaching. Their weapons—aura, star, bow, sword, and shield—were drawn.
"You're going to pay for turning Michael against us," threatened Pink Ranger.
Michael sneered, "I was never with you," and lunged for her, swinging wildly with pseudoine-enhanced strength.
Vesper attacked as well, targeting the Black Ranger, his double axes slicing the air itself in hopes of drawing blood. It looked like he would miss, but he maneuvered the weapon with such precise skill that it found its way directly to his opponent's side. The steel, however, struck the shimmering aura surrounding her, and prevented any contact.
The Red Ranger walked straight toward Arcanza. "Ah," the villain said with a smile. "The unchosen one. Cecil, is it? I congratulate you on reprogramming Babel; I am somewhat reluctant to admit I had not foreseen such a calculated..."
"Save your elegant speeches," replied the Omni Ranger.
"You may have freed Twilight Legion from my mind-control, but the pseudoine is still inside each of them and more than you believe are still loyal to me." Arcanza lifted his hand, palm-outward, and clenched his teeth as he channeled energy. Powerful sparks jumped from his hand and crackled loud enough he was forced to talk over them. "Knowledge that will serve you well as you stir in your grave." Dark matter, the source and strength of his powers, began folding out from the electricity and around it, enhancing its most deadly and darkest properties. His discharged the evil blast directly at the Red Ranger.
Time compressed. It also did when dark matter was involved, but only to Arcanza himself, which was why he could clearly see the Green Ranger leaping in front of the red. His energy blast struck Alexander Revell with full force, a full force that could rip petrified trees apart fiber by fiber and incinerate them to ash at the same time. A miniature black explosion rocked the battlefield.
"Aaaaallllleeeeexxxx!" the Yellow Ranger was screaming just as the distorted time surged ahead and collided with real. Arcanza's vision filled with afterimages and made him stumble backward virtually blind. He could feel Sir Vesper and Michael Tracer withdraw from battle and come to his side in defense.
When the afterimage cleared, Alexander was laying on the ground, gasping from breath, his head being supported by the Yellow Ranger while the others crowded around him asking questions. "Impossible!" roared Arcanza. "Nobody survives the power of the Destroyer!"
"They do if they are infused with pseudoine," Michael remarked absently.
"He is not infu..." began the enraged Lord, then cut short as he realized. "Ah. He was scratched by Dom Coyote. Some pseudoine must still remain in his system. Excellent."
"Excellent?" Michael repeated with disbelief.
Arcanza nodded. "Like Vesper, he can be controlled." Reaching up to his shoulder and beckoning the falcon onto his arm, he handed the bird to Michael and ordered, "Take Courier and absorb Bane's powers. We cannot have someone with his level of power running around unchecked."
Courier flapped his wings, gliding onto the teenage traitor's arm, and accompanied him and he proceeded toward Bane's unconscious form. The falcon then dropped onto the Pseudo Ranger and both were enveloped by silver-gray light. Soon only Courier was radiating, so he lifted into the air and returned to Michael, repeating the procedure until only Michael possessed the glow. The armor of the Pseudo Ranger formed around the ex-Blue Ranger's body as he joined Arcanza and Sir Vesper, teleporting back to Neo Twilight City with the brainwashed warrior.
"Omni Rangers!" cried Arcanza. The Red, Pink, and Yellow Rangers turned toward him. Black Ranger was helping her disoriented de-morphed companion to his feet. "Until now, I have enjoyed our little battles. This one has been particularly fun."
The Red Ranger stood slowly. "You are going to pay for what you have done to Alex. And Craig. Dominic and Sarah. What you have done to all of us. I swear it! Be warned, Arcanza, this moment has sealed your fate. As leader of the Power Rangers..."
"Then if it is a battle you want..." Arcanza challenged at the same time.
"...I...declare..." Cecil continued as his enemy finished, "...this...means..."
"WAR!" they screamed simultaneously.
And with Armageddon begun, Arcanza returned to Neo Twilight City ready to make his final strike against Earth. Nothing—not OmniTech, not new Rangers, and definitely not Cecil Mercuric—would stand in his way.
The underwater laboratory was not completely submerged, but rather it was built just off the shoreline of a Caribbean island. While the intense studying happened below sea level, research, medical, and living facilities were all above.
Sitting on the beach sand with his back against a wall of rocks and his feet extended, water lapping onto the shore and around them, Craig Hopwood felt something tremble. Since being cured of a serious case of third degree pseudoine poisoning only hours ago by legendary Professor Abner Donaldson, he had come outside to watch the ocean and absorb the peacefulness and serenity it brought. Suddenly it was neither peaceful or serene. Something was wrong.
The last thing he remembered before passing out was realizing the Professor had returned to Alpha Complex, to what must have been his old laboratory. Donaldson and Rade, an Omnian who was not a Ranger and not put in the cryogenic sleep twenty years ago, had brought him to this place on a ship called Gemini Destiny. Shortly afterward Craig woke up alone and found his way outside and had been sitting here since.
"This is where it began," a familiar voice said.
Craig looked to his side and was surprised to see Soleron, dressed in dark casual Earth clothing, standing and staring out into the ocean. "Where what began?" the teenager asked.
"Destruction," Soleron answered. Definitely not the answer Craig had hoped for. "Galaxy Hunter crashed out there somewhere. Lord Oriquin washed up on shore right here, this very spot, and Professor Donaldson found him."
Another voice added from the other side, "That's true." Craig turned to see the Professor himself, also watching the distant water. "He was barely conscious and struggling to stay lucid enough to tell me more people were out there. I quickly organized a rescue team and we sailed out there to the wreckage. I still remember finding bodies and the frantic rush to classify them as alive or dead. Remember the names, faces, everything..."
"You do not know the entire story," admitted Soleron.
Craig bit his lower lip to prevent himself from saying something sarcastic.
"During the Orion Five Projects, I grew close to Seraide," Donaldson sighed. "In her eyes I could see she was in love with Soleron, but she and I shared a mutual love of knowledge, so our relationship was purely scientific. The final project took place after the other four Rangers were in cryogenic status. Seraide and I mated. We produced part Earth, part Omnis offspring. A set of twins. Since she wanted to join her friends and Soleron, and I had no intention of becoming a full-time father, we gave the girl to my brother Christopher and the boy to my sister Joyce."
Cold. Craig could feel his heart actually, physically, suddenly, completely go ice cold. There was an empty feeling there. Nothing. It was spreading through him unimpeded.
"You..." he tried speaking, but the words came out only as breath.
"Alpha System identified you as the Professor when you first came to the Complex," Soleron reflected. "Of course it would. The Professor is your father. You share genetic material. Seraide informed me only after I had transferred my OmniTech abilities to you. Admittedly, and needless to say, I loathed you after that. Then Amber moved to Ivory Glade and discovered your identities. Eventually it began to affect my leadership and I grew aloof and distant. I took off to find the Professor."
"Amber," Donaldson said sadly.
Craig swallowed and attempted speech again. "Amber is the other baby? My twin?" Donaldson closed his eyes and turned away; Soleron nodded. "What...what happened to..."
"Another of the Orion Five Projects was artificial recreation of OmniTech, experimentally named 'ShadowTech,' that was completed but never executed. ShadowTech was still inside Alpha Complex, and we knew the fight against Arcanza would require every available resource, so we took Amber and trained her to become a Black Omni Ranger."
"Does she know?" asked Craig. "About us?"
Soleron shook his head. "No. And now is not the time to bring it up."
The youngest of the three wondered, "Why not?"
"We received a communication from Seraide," the Professor spoke again. "There is major trouble stirring in Ivory Glade."
"We are going back," Soleron added. "And if we don't hurry, Arcanza will win..."
Suddenly a fourth person made their presence known. Craig saw a shadow rise up over his own, he or she must have been standing directly behind him, and spoke with conviction. "Arcanza will not win. I will make certain of that."
Before the sun rose over the Caribbean islands, Gemini Destiny was rising high into the sky, piloted by Rade, carrying four very eminent passengers, destined for Alpha Complex, Ivory Glade, Colorado, the site of the war between good and evil.
Original Publication Date: 28 September 1999
