It had not been a good day for Dr. Peter Venkman. The psychologist-turned-paranormal
exterminator had started the day on a six AM bust, chasing down a pair
of poltergeists that had a love of pitching ectoplasm. As usual, Peter
had received the brunt of the slime, while the other Ghostbusters had escaped
unscathed. Then, upon returning to headquarters, Peter had been slimed
again, this time by the firehouse's resident ghost, Slimer. After finally
removing the last of the ectoplasm from his person, he had come to the
gym to work out and shoot a few hoops. That's when he had run into his
latest problem.
_Four very big, very mean-looking guys, each of whom could break me in
half without a problem,_ Peter thought wryly, running a hand through his
dark hair. "Look, guys, last I checked this was an open court. You
can't hog it all day."
"We do what we want, mister," one of the gorillas said, eyeing
him. "If you've got a problem with that, we'd be happy to discuss
it."
"How old are you guys? You can't be more than seventeen. Come on,
let the kids play. It wasn't that long ago you were that age yourself."
Over on the sidelines, several children, all approximately twelve to fourteen
years old, watched the by-play with interest.
"Nobody tells us what to do," growled another of the boys. "Least
of all some old shrimp like you."
"Old?" Peter echoed, offended. "I'm only thirty-nine! Listen,
I'll make you boys a bet. A little basketball, me against you. If I win,
you clear off the court. If you win, I'm gone, no problem. Unless you're
afraid to play an old guy like me."
The bullies laughed. "Four of us against you? You've got to be kidding!
Four against one?"
"Four against two," a voice said behind Peter. The psychologist
turned to see a young man, about the same age as his opponents. His hair
and eyes were black, and his skin was almost the same color. Also, he wore
a black T-shirt which showcased a rather impressive, if lean, musculature.
"You goons against me and him," the newcomer continued, moving
onto the court. "What do you say?"
The bullies regarded each other for a long moment. "I'd say you're
on!"
"Thanks for the back-up," Peter said quietly, while the four
boys began to warm up. "I'm Peter Venkman, by the way."
The young man took Peter's offered hand and shook it firmly. "Zack
Taylor. Nice to meet you, Mr. Venkman."
"Dr. Venkman, actually, but please, call me Peter. Everybody does-
well, almost everybody," he amended, thinking of the Ghostbusters'
secretary, Janine.
"Okay, Peter. You good at basketball?"
"Sort of," Peter grimaced. "I used to coach, a while ago.
You?"
"Played a lot back home. The important part will be working as a team."
The two men stretched out, then headed out to the center of the court for
the face off. The jump ball was thrown, and the game began. It was rather
one-sided, of course. Between Zack's quickness and Peter's experience,
the four muscle-bound gorillas never stood a chance. The pair quickly outdid
their opponents, making it to ten points before the others could blink.
"Thank you, gentlemen," Peter grinned. "The door is that
way." Knowing they were beaten, the goons left, their eyes on the
ground. "Come on in, kids," Peter called, tossing the ball towards
the watching children. "The court's all yours."
As the children ran onto the court, Peter and Zack moved off to the sidelines,
sitting on one of the benches the gym provided. "So, what brings you
to the gym?" Peter asked casually, sipping from his water bottle.
"I signed up to play in the charity game at the Boys' and Girls' Club,
and I wanted to get a little practicing in before I met the team,"
Zack replied. "You?"
"Same, actually. I haven't really played a lot recently, and I thought
I ought to get back into shape. You said you played a lot back home. Where
is that?"
Zack chuckled. "Angel Grove, California. A long ways away."
"Here for college?"
"Yeah, I'm a freshman, majoring in Communications at Columbia University."
Peter smiled. "I used to work at Columbia, before I went into the
private sector. That was a long time ago, though."
Zack looked at him for a moment. "Dr. Peter Venkman. Hey, you're a
Ghostbuster, right? I've seen you on the news all the time."
"Ah, fame. It's nice, but it can get a little annoying."
"You won't get an argument out of me," Zack replied, a secretive
smile on his face. _After all,_ he thought, _I've had to dodge reporters
for a large part of the last four years. I know what a hassle fame can
be._ Looking down at his watch, his eyes widened. "Oh, man! I'd better
get back to the college before I'm late! Bye, Peter! See you at the first
group practice!" Leaping to his feet, Zack ran out of the gym. Peter
watched him go, then headed for the showers.
As he walked out of the gym building, a voice behind him caught his attention.
"Peter! Over here!" He turned to see his three best friends in
the world waving at him from where their car was parked by the curb.
"Hey, guys, what's up?" Peter asked, crossing towards them.
"Well, we thought we'd come and get you, and we could all go out to
dinner, maybe that little Chinese place you like," Ray explained earnestly.
"Earnest" was the best word in existence to describe Ray Stantz.
Although the occultist was only a year younger than Peter, he still seemed
like an eternal child. Ray could dredge up enthusiasm for a bust at two
in the morning, in the pouring rain. His auburn hair was constantly slightly
disordered, his brown eyes were usually wide, and he habitually had a huge
smile on his face. Today was no exception.
"So what took you so long, Pete?" Winston Zeddemore asked. The
oldest of the Ghostbusting team, Winston was now almost fifty, gray beginning
to show in his black hair, but still in great shape. The older man was
the sensible, practical one of the group, usually hauling the other three
back when they got too into their work. "Usually you're out by now.
We had to wait almost twenty minutes. Ray wanted to go in and look for
you."
"Oh, I ran into a little trouble on the basketball court," Peter
replied dismissively. "Luckily, I got a little help from a new freshman
friend of mine. You'll never guess where he's going. Columbia!"
"Columbia?" echoed Egon Spengler, the fourth member of the group,
blue eyes twinkling. "Did you tell him about how you got the three
of us thrown out of that hallowed institution of higher learning?"
The tall, lanky, blond physicist had a dry, deadpan sense of humor that
contrasted well with Ray's enthusiasm and Peter's constant joking. Usually
he was the straight man for the three, who had known each other since their
days as college students.
"Egon, you wound me," Peter replied easily, heading for the car.
"Come on, let's go eat. If I have to spend another night protecting
my dinner from Slimer, I'm going to blast the Spud myself." Laughing,
the four men climbed into the car and drove off.
* * *
Back in his dorm room after his latest class, lying on his bed, Zack thought
about his day, grinning to himself. "A Ghostbuster, huh? Boy, I've
sure met a lot of interesting people since I came here," he remarked
to no one in particular. He liked Columbia, and New York City, a great
deal. He hadn't been bored since he started, although he was careful to
spend a reasonable amount of time studying. Still, he had made a lot of
new friends, and was truly enjoying the experience.
Sighing, he turned on his side. New York was great, but it wasn't Angel
Grove. Truth be told, sometimes he missed his friends awfully. They all
kept in touch, via letter as well as communicator, but it wasn't the same
as seeing them every day. _We're scattered to the four winds,_ he thought
sadly. _I wonder if we'll ever be together again._
His friends weren't the only things he missed, if he wanted to be honest
with himself. He also missed the thrill of being a superhero. No aliens
threatened New York, and the Turbo Rangers were doing an excellent job
of defending Angel Grove. Still, he couldn't help but wish he was back
in the action, fighting along side his friends.
He had felt this longing before, while he was attending the Peace Conference
in Switzerland. At first, he had been all for it, barely even missing his
Ranger powers as he made a difference, little by little, in the world at
large. He had enjoyed the mild fame that came with being a delegate, enjoyed
traveling, seeing new things, and meeting new people. The thrill had palled
after a while, however. Jason had felt it first, of course. Zack had been
skeptical of Jason's joining the conference in the first place. His longtime
friend had always been a man of action, a fighter, not a talker. Not that
Jason wasn't in favor of peace. In all the time Zack had known him, Jason
had never started a fight, and never gone into one without first doing
everything in his power to avoid it. Still, he wasn't happy in an atmosphere
where everything was talk, no action. Zack had not been at all surprised
when Jason left the conference.
He had been a little more startled when he had begun feeling the same longing
in himself. He had always thought of himself as the happy-go-lucky one,
the Rangers' comedy relief. It had always been his job to break the tension
when it rose too high. Eventually, he realized that his problem was that
he felt useless at the conference. After seeing monsters destroyed, watching
the people as they realized they'd been saved, and knowing that he'd succeeded
in his mission, he wasn't able to be satisfied with talking about a peace
that never seemed to get anywhere, and no one seemed to appreciate.
Towards the end, right before they had left to return to Angel Grove, Zack
had sighted the first stages of the feeling in Trini as well. She had always
been so patient, but it was becoming obvious that their work at the conference
had proceeded as far as it could. Trini had been the one to make him see
the conference's real value, though. She had told him that if young adults,
the best and the brightest from all over the world, could learn to put
aside their differences and work together, then when these best and the
brightest were controlling the countries of the world, there might be less
misunderstanding and conflict. Zack understood, he thought, but even Trini
had to admit that their presence was no longer making a difference to the
assembly. If Jason's illness hadn't come when it did, they probably would
have been returning home soon anyway.
Sighing, Zack looked at the pictures beside his bed. He'd only been able
to take three pictures with him to college, due to space restrictions,
so he'd been very careful on his choices. One was of course of his girlfriend,
Angela. He didn't know if their relationship would survive their separation,
but he still cared about her very much, and they wrote to each other often.
The second picture was of him and five other teens. Zack sighed again.
The six of them were the Morphin Warriors, the last line of defense between
Earth and the evil aliens who threatened it. These six had become almost
an extended family to him, closer than anything he'd ever known. He missed
them incredibly.
The final picture was a huge group shot, taken just before they'd all left
for college. There was a total of twenty-six people in it, all crammed
together and grinning at the enormous panoramic camera. The group was loosely
arranged in three rows, eight in the first and nine in the back two. The
front row held the five Turbo Rangers, Kimberly, Skull, and a grinning
Bulk. Behind them were the rest of the Morphin Warriors, plus Tyler, Terry,
David, Christina, and Jamie. Last were the rest of the Zeos and Lita Kino.
Everybody looked rather uncomfortable at the crowding, but happy. Most
of them were goofing off for the camera, and Zack was powerfully reminded
of how much he missed them all.
Rolling onto his back once more, he stared at the ceiling. _Only 'til Thanksgiving,_
he thought to himself. _When break comes, I'll see them again._
* * *
"Taylor! Downcourt to Sanders!" The coach cried, clapping her
hands together. "Come on, guys, let's see some hustle!" Zack's
team for the charity basketball game, the Lions, had been practicing together
for while now, and Zack was quickly emerging as the star of the team. Not
only could he shoot, dribble, and guard like a pro, but he was extremely
good at getting the ball to the other members of his team.
Peter was also one of the team's better players. Although a bit older than
most of the other players on the court, he was in excellent shape, mainly
from lugging around a heavy proton pack for hours at a time. Also, he had
developed an unusual agility from dodging slime, which came in handy against
younger players.
"All right, guys, great game," Coach Matthews congratulated them.
"I'll see you all back here same time Friday, right?" She was
greeted with a chorus of somewhat weary affirmations. "Great! Hit
the showers." The players went off to the various locker rooms to
clean up and change. As Zack was heading out of the building, Peter caught
up with him.
"Hey, where you headed?" Peter asked, falling into step with
the younger man.
"The museum. I've got a job there doing grunt work in the archaeology
department. I file stuff, type stuff, make coffee, that sort of thing.
Money's useful when you're a college student."
Peter nodded. "Ah, yes. I remember the condition. Mind if I walk with
you? I've got to catch a bus in that direction anyway."
Shrugging, Zack replied, "Sure, why not?" The two men walked
in silence for a little while, then Peter broke it.
"You were pretty impressive out there on the court today. You seem
to know exactly how to work with a team."
Zack chuckled, seemingly at some private joke. "I played basketball
with my friends a lot," he replied. _Although that's not where my
teamwork skills come from._
Peter seemed about to reply when a siren startled them both. They turned
to see Ecto-1, the Ghostbusters' reply vehicle, actually a hearse painted
like a police car, pulling up next to them. Sticking his head out of the
passenger's side window, Ray beckoned frantically.
"Peter, come on! We've got a call at the museum, and they want us
there pronto!"
Peter groaned. "Ray, I just took a shower. I have been playing basketball
for three straight hours. I'm tired, I'm sore, I'm hungry, and the last
thing I want to do is tangle with some purple gooper that thinks I'm its
lunch!"
"It's not a gooper, Peter. The museum's come up with some artifact,
and it's driving the archaeology department nuts. It's some sort of crystal,
and every time someone comes near it, it flashes in these colors. They
have no idea what it is, so they called us."
Peter, interested despite himself, looked back at Zack. "Want a ride?
You'll be crammed in between Egon and me, but there should be room."
Zack shrugged. "Why not? We're headed in the same direction, after
all."
Once in the car, Peter attempted to slip into his jumpsuit and boots without
elbowing Zack more than absolutely necessary. "So, Ray, what exactly
is this crystal you're talking about?" Peter asked with a long-suffering
air.
"They're not sure. The doctor described it as a regular octahedron,
shaped like two four-sided pyramids placed base to base. It's clear quartz,
but there seem to be coins of some golden-bronze metal embedded in each
side. It's supported by four posts on a square base of the same metal."
"Anything on the coins? Sorry, Zack." Peter removed his elbow
from the younger man's eye and zipped up the suit.
"Yeah, animal symbols," Ray replied. "The doctor can't identify
them, though."
"And there's nothing in Tobin's Spirit Guide, or any of the other
material we have on hand," Egon interrupted, speaking for the first
time since Zack had gotten in the car.
"Any theories, you boy geniuses?" Despite the teasing tone of
Peter's words, it was obvious that he had a lot of confidence in Ray and
Egon's abilities. It reminded Zack of the way Tommy and Jason sometimes
talked to Billy. Occasionally they teased him, but they always knew he'd
be there for them in an emergency. It was rarely acknowledged, but it was
always there.
"Sure, Peter, we've got theories," Ray responded. "It could
be cursed, or maybe just some sort of psychic amplifier. Who knows, maybe
it's some sort of beacon for sending out a signal into the unknown."
"Or maybe it's just a paranormal nightlight," Peter responded,
his jade eyes sparkling with mischief. He knew it would get a rise out
of Ray, and perhaps Egon, and he enjoyed needling them both occasionally.
However, before either of them could rise to the bait, Winston interrupted
them.
"We're here," he chuckled, throwing the car into park. The four
men strapped on their packs and headed into the building, Zack following
behind. Soon, the five of them reached the archaeology department, where
most of the staff was clustered in one corner of the room, regarding the
crystal at the other end with deep suspicion.
"Dr. Markov?" Zack called. "I'm here to help with the filing."
An attractive woman in her mid-thirties, blond hair pulled back in a sensible
bun, crossed towards him. "Thank you, Zack, but I'm afraid that we
won't have much for you to do. Since this thing started acting up, the
whole department's shut down."
"Dr. Elsa Markov?" Egon asked, moving to the front of the group.
"I'm Egon Spengler. I read your latest dissertation on Babylonian
shrines, and I found it most interesting."
"Thank you, Doctor Spengler," she replied, shaking his hand.
"I only hope you can help us with our current problem."
"We'll do our best," Ray informed her. "Now, we need to
ask you a few questions." As the Ghostbusters talked to Dr. Markov,
Zack tuned them out, wandering over to examine the crystal. As he approached,
it flared an impressive black, causing him to furrow his brow.
"Hey, watch it!" Peter cried, hauling Zack back. "You have
no idea what that thing is capable of!"
"If it was going to toast people for looking at it, it would have
done it by now," Zack retorted, shaking off the older man's hand.
He returned to examining the crystal, which still glowed black. Careful
not to touch it, he looked at the designs on the coins, and barely stifled
a groan. The eight coins bore eight symbols, six of which were extremely
familiar to Zack. "Tyrannosaurus, Saber-Toothed Tiger, Triceratops,
Pterodactyl, and Mastodon," he mumbled to himself, identifying each
animal in turn. The sixth was the fleur-de-lis which symbolized the Dragon.
"These two must be Velociraptor and Wyvern."
"That's what they look like to me," Dr. Markov agreed, startling
him. "The crystal doesn't seem to react to my approach, so I was able
to get a good look at them while we waited for you."
Zack shook his head in wonder. He came all the way across the country for
college, and he ran into a crystal that was obviously related in some way
to the Morphin power. That's why it had flashed black at his approach,
but he couldn't understand why it would flash at the proximity of civilians.
"Hmm," Egon mused. Adjusting his PKE meter, he stepped closer
to the crystal, and was startled as it flashed with a bright blue light.
"Interesting. The PKE spiked just as I approached. Ray, would you
come over here, please?" When Ray stepped toward the crystal, it flashed
again, this time with a white light. The experiment was repeated with the
other two Ghostbusters, and both times the crystal flashed a different
color. Peter's approach drew a green light from the stone, while Winston
evoked a pink flash.
"Pink?" the older man asked, his tone a mixture of astonishment
and distaste. "Pink?" For his part, Zack could barely keep from
laughing. He had finally figured out what the colors in the crystal meant.
They weren't an indicator of the power an individual held, but rather the
type of personality, where they would fit on the grid. Peter had talked
about the other Ghostbusters enough that Zack felt he could analyze them
slightly. Egon, cool and scientific, was definitely a Blue. Ray was more
intuitive, mystical, a perfect White. Winston, practical, down-to-earth,
and somewhat protective, was a Pink, even though the color was usually
associated with females. As for Peter, well, Zack had been around Tommy
long enough to recognize that the psychologist's cocky, self-assured behavior
was a front for a man who was a bit of a loner, someone who had been through
a good deal of pain. In short, Peter was a Green, through and through.
Excusing himself, Zack left the museum quickly. He wasn't going to get
any work done that evening, and he most assuredly needed to contact Zordon
about this.
* * *
Back at the firehouse, Winston was making dinner and trying to shoo Slimer
away from the food, while Egon and Ray debated their findings on the crystal,
and Peter relaxed on the couch, listening to them. "Interestingly
enough, I found that when the crystal flashed, the PKE spiked, but with
a strange resonance pattern," the physicist said. "These resonance
patterns were always the same for any certain color and only that color."
"Like light," Peter mused from the couch. "Every color has
a different wavelength." He looked up to see the other two regarding
him in astonishment. "Hey, I paid attention in high school physics,"
he said defensively. "It was Government where I sat behind Mary Lou
Mason." Ray and Egon just sighed.
"So what do you think the different colors represent?" Ray asked,
looking over the notes. "The same person always produced the same
color, and there only seemed to be eight colors. They didn't even go with
the spectrum, because the crystal produced black, white, and pink, but
no orange or indigo."
"How do you tell indigo from blue or purple anyway?" Peter demanded.
The two men sitting at the table ignored him.
"I have no idea what the colors might represent," admitted Egon.
"However, the people that it reacted to were surrounded with higher-than-usual
levels of PKE. Perhaps that has something to do with it."
"You all can discuss this later," Winston broke in, bringing
a bowl out of the kitchen. "Dinner is served.
* * *
"So what is that thing, Zordon?" Zack asked. He was alone in
his dorm room once again, as his roommate was more interested in partying
as much as possible. That was just fine with him, especially now, when
he needed the privacy to talk into his communicator.
"It is the Dinosaur Crystal, one of three ancient artifacts of the
Morphin Grid. It was designed to be sensitive to those who were of strong
enough spirit to command the Morphin power, to detect them and give limited
access to the Morphin Grid. The one crystal in and of itself is harmless,
but if the other two, the Thunder and Ninja Crystals, are placed with it,
the holder could become incredibly powerful. If just the one Crystal has
been found, there is no danger. However, if the other two Crystals should
turn up, you must be prepared to guard them, and perhaps bring them back
here, or even destroy them if necessary."
"Right, Zordon. Zack out." Zack cut off the communication, falling
back on the bed. "Well," he sighed aloud, "I missed the
action of being a Ranger. Reminds me of the old saying. 'Be careful what
you wish for.'"
* * *
A few days passed without major problems. Egon and Ray spent a great deal
of time in the museum's archaeology department, but other than their constant
presence, things slowly returned to normal. Then, while Zack was doing
some filing, Dr. Markov received a call. "Yes? You have?" she
asked, sitting up very straight. "Exactly like the one we have? Well,
what symbols are on the coins? Really. That's interesting. No, send it
over, please. We'll have the Ghostbusters take a look at it. Thanks. Goodbye."
Hanging up the phone, she turned to Zack, who was currently the only other
person in the office.
"It's incredible, Zack! An estate sale just turned up a Crystal like
the one we have, except the symbols on the coins are different! Apparently,
one's a tiger, and there seems to be a unicorn on one of the others. A
courier is bringing it over immediately. I'm going to call the Ghostbusters,
so I suppose you're done for the evening. Why don't you pack it in, and
you'll be paid for the full time, of course."
"Thanks, Dr. Markov," he replied. As she turned back towards
the phone, he grimaced. The new Crystal had to be the Thunder Crystal.
It was an awfully big coincidence, the second Crystal showing up now, and
so close to the first. Zack didn't like coincidences. They usually resulted
in his nearly getting killed.
* * *
"I don't like coincidences, Egon," Peter complained as Ecto-1
pulled up to the museum once again. "They usually mean bad things
for us, remember? Remember those haunted girders? Every time we think we've
got a coincidence, something very bad happens."
"You worry too much, Pete," Winston grinned.
"Yeah," seconded Ray. "What's the worst that can happen?"
The four men walked into the room where the Crystals were being displayed
and stopped, speechless. Finally, Ray managed to sum up the reactions of
all four of them. "Wow," the occultist breathed. The two crystals,
side by side, were flickering and pulsating, energy jumping between them.
"Maybe putting these things together wasn't such a good idea,"
Peter gulped, for once completely serious. None of the others contradicted
him. Egon quickly pulled a PKE meter out of one pocket and began scanning
the Crystals intently.
"Fascinating," the physicist mused. "The PKE readings have
gone up exponentially, by a power of eight. I still can't get a lock on
exactly what they're doing, though."
Voices coming down the hall caused all four men to look up. "Dr. Markov,
please listen to me!" Zack cried, following the doctor into the room.
In her hands she carried a packing box and she was not looking at the young
man behind her. "I live in Angel Grove, where monster attacks are
a daily thing. I know weird when I see it, and those Crystals are weird!
I think putting that one in with the other two would be a very bad thing."
"Nonsense," the doctor replied, setting the box down. "These
Crystals are obviously a set. They belong together."
"But Dr. Markov!" Zack shot back desperately. "Don't you
think there's a reason they were broken up?"
"I must agree with Zack, Dr. Markov," Egon broke in, stepping
forward. "I believe placing these three Crystals together, when we
have no idea what they were designed for, would be disastrous." However,
he was too late. Dr. Markov had already removed the third Crystal from
its packing case and set it near the other three. Quicker than thought,
green light began to flash among the three crystals, building until it
shot out, striking Peter and knocking him into the wall.
In an eyeblink, the three other Ghostbusters were at the side of their
fallen friend. While Egon dispassionately checked Peter's pulse and pupillary
response, Ray and Winston attempted to bring him back to consciousness.
"Peter, wake up," Ray pleaded.
"Come on, buddy, wake up. You took a nasty shot, but you're gonna
be okay," continued Winston.
Egon, finished with his examination, turned to his two friends with a shrug.
"He should be fine. His pulse is regular, and I can detect no trace
of a concussion. Peter's customary hardheadedness has saved him once again."
"Egon, you are so mean," Peter said weakly, his eyes fluttering
open. Almost immediately, his friends helped him to sit up. "Oh, man,
what hit me? I feel like I took a sledgehammer between the ribs."
While the Ghostbusters had been tending to Peter, and Dr. Markov had been
staring at the Crystals in shock, Zack's attention had been taken by something
different. All around him, he noticed the shadows in the room growing deeper,
darker. A hideously familiar chittering sound had reached his ears. "No,"
he whispered, almost to himself. "Nyghtmayr's dead. Tyler blew him
out of existence." Despite his denials, however, he could not convince
himself that what he was hearing was not the noise of the Night Terrors,
Nyghtmayr's little hench-creatures. Picking up the Ninja Crystal, he quickly
brought it over to the Ghostbusters. "Hold onto this," he told
Peter seriously. "Don't let anything take it, although I think they'll
be concentrating on me."
"What are you talking about?" Peter asked, taking the Crystal
gingerly. "What's happening?"
"Please, don't ask questions," Zack shot back. "I don't
have time to answer them. Just protect this Crystal at all costs."
The chittering grew louder, and Zack turned back to the shadows, which
had begun to swirl together, forming an impossible pool of darkness at
one end of the room. Slowly, a form pulled itself out of the hole, a dragon-shaped
creature, approximately the size of a Saint Bernard, made completely of
darkness. Along with it came thousands upon thousands of smaller versions,
chittering and snickering to themselves.
At last, I am free! Free to avenge my master's destruction, and destroy
all those who opposed him! Go, my Night Terrors, bring me the Crystals!
the creature chuckled evilly.
Swallowing hard, Zack stepped forward. In a voice that was surprisingly
steady, he called out, "Haven't you forgotten something, demon? I'm
still here. It's morphin time! Mastodon!" In a flash of black light,
Zack was transformed into the Black Morphin Warrior, startling the Ghostbusters
immensely. Dr. Markov, however, had passed out when the demon had entered
the room, and so missed Zack's transformation.
The large black creature regarded Zack with interest. Sssooo, we meet
at last, the creature hissed. You are one of those responsible for
the destruction of my master, Nyghtmayr, and of my brothers! I am Angyr,
and I will destroy you.
"Yeah?" Zack replied, raising one eyebrow. "Give it
your best shot." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the Night Terrors
grabbing the two crystals on the table. "Oh no you don't!" He
lunged for them, but was thrown back by a blast from the demon's talon.
If you would stand against me, Zack Taylor, we will fight. But not here,
not now. Night Terrors! Retrieve the third Crystal!
"I don't think so," Egon interrupted, unholstering his proton
thrower. Ray and Winston quickly did the same, while Peter stood behind
them, clutching the Crystal to his chest.
Fools! Do you think your puny weapons will stop me?
"Why don't we find out?" responded Winston, his thrower still
aimed directly at the demon.
"I don't know what you are, but I'm willing to bet that a shot of
protons will at least fry your little buddies," Peter chuckled. "Care
to try?"
Angyr regarded him for a long moment, then began making an awful, cacophonous
hissing sound. It took all five humans a moment to realize the creature
was laughing. I like you, human. You have- spirit. We will meet again,
of course, young Ranger, it said to Zack. Then it disappeared, with
the Thunder and Dinosaur Crystals, back into the darkness it had come from.
Sighing, Zack turned back to the Ghostbusters. "I guess I have some
explaining to do, huh?" he grimaced.
"I would say," nodded Peter. "Maybe we should do it back
at the firehouse, though. It's a little better defended against supernatural
occurrences."
Zack nodded, morphing back to his normal self. "We can probably leave
Dr. Markov here, though. The Crystals didn't react to her, so Angyr shouldn't
have much interest in her. When she wakes up, she'll probably think she
hallucinated the whole thing." The five men walked out the door, leaving
the unconscious scientist behind.
* * *
"So you're a superhero?" Egon asked, very skeptical. Zack just
nodded.
"Wow," Ray breathed. "That must be interesting. What was
that thing at the museum tonight, and why was he after the Crystals?"
Zack took a deep breath. "His name is Angyr, and he's a Minor Demon,
a minion of the demon Nyghtmayr. The other Rangers and I destroyed Nyghtmayr
a while back, and five of his servants. Apparently, Angyr escaped. I don't
know if there are any more out there, but I doubt it. Nyghtmayr's servants
are based on the emotions that sustain evil, and I don't think there's
any more than fear, despair, bitterness, hatred, doubt, and anger. I could
be wrong, though.
"Anyway, Angyr wants the Crystals because they are the only method
left for it to tap into the Morphin Grid. Our Power Coins were destroyed,
and the Morphin Warriors can only call on the Grid because it's bonded
to our spirits. These Crystals each tap into one of the three different
levels of the Grid, which is the source of the energy humans call magic.
It's also known as PKE, although it has a different flavor than the type
you're used to reading."
"That's why the PKE meters registered a spike every time the Crystal
flashed," Winston realized.
"Exactly. The first Crystal you examined was the Dinosaur Crystal.
It's the power of the Body. That level is the energy that bulls through
a problem. It lacks finesse, but it has great strength and power. The second
Crystal was the Thunder Crystal. It harnessed the power of the Mind. Mind
level attacks a problem from all sides, backing off and attacking again.
It's more understated than Body, but sometimes misses the subtle nuances
of a problem. This is the level my powers are on. Finally, there's this
Crystal, the Ninja Crystal. It controls the level of Spirit. Spirit examines
a problem, letting the problem come to it, and understanding it. Only then
does it strike. Spirit can gain a lot of information, but it lacks raw
power. The best teams contain a balance of these three levels."
"So what will this demon do with these crystals?" Peter inquired,
leaning forward. He had almost completely recovered from slamming into
the wall.
"He'll try to get the third one. With all three, he can command the
power of the Morphin Grid, and turn it against the world. Trust me, the
results won't be pretty."
"But he only has two," Ray noted.
"That'll give him enough power to turn against anyone who opposes
him," Zack sighed. "I'm going to have to call the other Morphin
Warriors in on this. The Zeo Rangers will be next to useless against the
magic of the grid." Tapping on his communicator, he put out the call.
Within moments, the other Morphin Warriors were standing in the kitchen
of the Ghostbusters' firehouse, looking around themselves in astonishment.
"Okay, Zack," Skull yawned. "Who are these people, and what
is so important that you called us here in the middle of the night?"
"Guys, these are the Ghostbusters. Egon Spengler, Ray Stantz, Peter
Venkman, and Winston Zeddemore. Ghostbusters, these are the other Morphin
Warriors. Jason Scott, Red Tyrannosaurus Warrior, Trini Kwan, Yellow Bear
Warrior, Billy Cranston, Blue Wolf Warrior, Kimberly Hart, Pink Firebird
Warrior, and Eugene Skullovitch, commonly called Skull, White Tiger Warrior.
As you already know, I'm the Black Lion Warrior." After the introductions,
Zack had to explain to the rest of the warriors why he had revealed their
secret to the Ghostbusters. All five of his friends paled considerably
at the mention of Angyr.
"Not to interrupt," Egon interrupted, "but if we're going
to help out, which I strongly suggest we should, I would like to understand
a few more things. Number one, what did the colors in the Crystal, or of
your animals, signify?"
Zack looked at Billy. "You want to take this one, genius?"
Billy smiled. "Certainly. The Morphin Power, besides being divided
into three levels, is also stratified into eight colors. These colors are
Red, Yellow, Blue, Pink, Black, Green, White, and Purple. We don't have
Green or Purple Warriors because the woman who had Purple burnt them out,
as did one of the men who held the Green Coin. The other is a Zeo Ranger
now, and would not be included in this mission in any case."
"Why?" Peter asked, puzzled.
Kimberly answered him with a grimace. "Tommy is- well, he's had a
really rotten time with Nyghtmayr and his crew. He deserves his rest, and
we think another encounter with them so soon might push him over the edge."
"He's had a very tough life," Skull added quietly. "It's
better for everyone if he stays behind."
"At any rate," Billy continued, taking up the thread of his lecture
once again, "the colors represent different types of personality.
Each color has three different animal spirits, one for each level of the
power. Reds are leaders, hotheaded and courageous, while Blues are scholars
and scientists, people of a scientific bent."
Peter turned to Egon, grinning. "No wonder the crystal flashed blue
for you, man. But why didn't it flash for people like Dr. Markov?"
"Not everyone is suitable to take up the power. Their spirits are
not strong enough, their wills not so powerful. The Crystal only recognizes
those worthy of holding the power," Billy informed them.
"We all made the crystal flash," Ray said curiously. "I
know what Egon's blue means, but I made it flash white, Peter made it flash
green, and Winston made it flash pink. Why?"
"You made it flash pink?" Billy asked the older man. "That's
odd. Most Pinks are female, but I don't suppose that it's limited to that
gender. None of the other colors are. Pinks are usually down-to-earth,
practical, and somewhat protective of the people they care about.
"White means that the person is of a mystical personality, interested
in the ways of magic. They don't study the supernatural so much from a
scientific point of view as from an occult one.
"As for Greens," Billy sighed, "they're often loners, and
extremely danger-prone, as my friend Tommy puts it. They have hard lives,
and no one's sure if that's because of the Green Power, or if that produces
it. Regardless, most Greens have fighter's spirits, and usually take the
brunt of any attack."
Peter grimaced. That was certainly true. He couldn't remember how many
times he had managed to be in the path of attack for any and all of the
ghosts they trapped. As for a hard life, that was certainly the case. He'd
grown up in a rough neighborhood, and his con artist father had rarely
been home. His life hadn't been easy, but he liked to think that he'd borne
up under it well.
"Okay, so I'm a trouble magnet with a past," Peter joked uncomfortably.
"Why did that Crystal zap me, and why do I feel like I've got a battery
in my back?"
"You've been infused with Morphin energy," Skull piped up, startling
everyone. "I can see it. I don't know how long it will last, but for
a while, you're a sort of a conduit for the Morphin Power."
"Will that help against Angyr?" Egon asked, leaning forward and
shoving his glasses up. The Rangers smiled, seeing how much this man was
like Billy.
"It might," Billy replied slowly. "If you're determined
to help, it could come in useful. Let's see. You use proton streams to
contain and trap ghosts, correct?"
"Yes, the positively charged particles repel and hold the negatively
charged energy that they're composed of," answered the scientist.
"I think maybe, just maybe, we could alter your packs to allow them
to channel Morphin Power, which is also positively charged, into the proton
streams. Since PKE is sort of negatively charged Morphin energy, the positive
version should allow you to contain and even trap Angyr, who is similar
in composition to many of the supernatural entities you trap."
Egon cocked his head at Billy. "How do you know all of this?"
The young scientist blushed. "I read your articles in the latest paranormal
journals. I found the field of paranormal studies fascinating, ever since
I became a Power Ranger."
"Hmm. I have a lab upstairs, if you'd like to help me alter the packs."
Still talking, the two headed up the stairs, proton throwers in tow.
Peter watched them go, shaking his head. "They'll be up there a while,"
he sighed. "Anyone for a snack?" As it turned out, this was the
wrong word to use. Slimer, hearing it, suddenly came barreling through
the nearest wall, tongue hanging out. Taking one look at Kimberly, he forgot
all about food, though. Floating up to her at top speed, he threw his arms
around her, covering her in green slime. Kimberly shrieked, ducking away.
"Slimer!" Ray, Peter, and Winston yelled in unison. "Sorry
about that, Kim," the psychologist apologized, peeling the love-struck
ghost off of the girl. "I think he's got a crush on you."
"Eww, gross," Kim responded, looking down at her slime-covered
pink T-shirt. "Does this stuff wash out?"
"Oh, yeah," Peter grinned. "Trust me, I should know. I think
I've got a shirt upstairs you can borrow. It's a little big, but it's clean.
We'll put your shirt in the washer." He ran upstairs, and a few moments
later, came down with the shirt. Kim caught it as he tossed it to her and
promptly disappeared into the bathroom. Meanwhile, Ray and Winston attempted
to keep Slimer from following her.
"Okay, I'm clean," Kim announced, coming out of the bathroom.
Peter's shirt fit the petite girl like a tent, as expected, but it wasn't
a real problem. She sat back down next to her boyfriend Skull, who chuckled.
"Guess he has good taste," Skull mused, slinging an arm around
Kimberly's shoulders. She elbowed him.
"That was worse than that stuff from that rotten Ghost Galleon, the
stuff that was stuck on your clothes!" she replied heatedly. "Now
I know how Kat must have felt!"
"Galleon?" Ray asked, instantly interested in a ghost story.
The Morphin Warriors launched into an explanation of their latest adventure,
where they had met Divatox and Maligore. They focused on the Ghost Galleon
which had taken them to the island, and occasionally Jason or Kim would
put in part of their side of the story, of the events on Divatox's sub.
The three Ghostbusters listened in fascination until Billy and Egon came
down the stairs, each lugging two proton packs behind them.
"They're done," Egon announced. "We've modified the packs
to incorporate Morphin energy with the proton streams. Hopefully, that
will provide us enough power to contain and trap Angyr. According to Billy,
the Night Terrors will simply explode on contact with the beams."
"Yeah, they weren't very tough in and of themselves," Zack mused.
"Now, all that remains is to infuse the Ghostbusters with Morphin
Power," Billy informed them. "Peter, you already have yours,
the green energy." Peter took his pack from Egon, and stopped dead
as a gold medallion formed on the back.
"Guys, why is there a lizard on my pack?" he asked carefully,
almost dreading the answer. Billy looked closer.
"That's a Basilisk, the spirit animal of Green Thunder Power. It means
that your energy is of the Mind level. Thunder Greens are often less moody
or quiet than the other two divisions of the color. They cover their weaknesses
with humor and sarcasm, rather than by being withdrawn."
"That's Peter, all right," Ray agreed.
"Now, I need the other three to come over to the Crystal," Billy
instructed. Then he shot a concerned glance at Zack. "Zack, you're
sure they're all Ninja personalities?"
Zack nodded. "Positive. They're all much more patient than Peter here."
Peter stuck his tongue out at the younger man, but playfully. Ray, Winston,
and Egon arranged themselves in front of the Crystal. Billy then stood
on the other side, facing them.
"Place your hands on the Crystal," the young genius instructed.
The three men did, and the Crystal flared with brilliant light that shimmered
from pink to white to blue. "Egon, you are the Wolf, patient, wise,
intelligent, diligent in your pursuit of knowledge and goals. Ray, you
are the Falcon, noble, understanding. You soar above the obstacles in your
path, and never desert those you guard. Winston, you are the Crane, agile
and swift. You protect those weaker than you and care for your friends.
The Power is a part of you now. Use it wisely and well."
As the three men opened their eyes, they also saw medallions of their animals
appear on their packs. Silently, they strapped them on. Finally, Peter
broke the silence. "So where do we go now?"
"Angyr will need a tremendous source of power to use the Crystals,"
Billy mused. "New York is located on a major ley line nexus, just
as Angel Grove is. We just have to find the spot where the lines converge."
Skull grinned. "Leave that to me. Let's go." The ten of them
trooped out of the firehouse, leaving the Crystal behind, safe behind the
cold iron in the walls.
* * *
Using his psychic senses, Skull was able to follow the ley lines under
the streets of New York. "Egon, did you know there was a ley line
nexus under the firehouse?" Peter asked.
The physicist smiled wryly. "No, I didn't, Peter. That would, however,
explain why we were drawn to it. Anywhere else, it would have taken a great
deal more power to make the containment unit work. Since we are apparently
more sensitive to this type of power than normal humans are, we were instinctively
drawn to a place that would suit our needs."
"And I thought we picked it because Ray liked the fireman's pole,"
Peter grumbled good-naturedly.
Suddenly Skull stopped. "I have good news and bad news, people. The
good news is, I've found the nexus."
"What's the bad news?" Jason asked warily.
"There appears to be a police barricade around it."
"What!" everyone cried. Sure enough, there was a line of cars
around the building that Skull indicated. It appeared to be an apartment
building, of odd design, and one corner of the building's top looked a
good deal newer than the rest. Peter frowned, sure he'd seen it before.
Then, realization hit him like a bolt, and he groaned.
"It's Dana's apartment building," he moaned. "It figures."
"Dana?" Trini asked, looking at Ray. The occultist winced.
"She was kind of his girlfriend, for a while, but they drifted apart.
She was involved in our first case. Her apartment in this building was
being haunted, so she came to us. To make a long story short, she was possessed
by a spirit called Zuul, and with the help of another spirit, brought back
Gozer, an interplanar being with a love of destruction. We went to stop
it, it turned into a thirty story marshmallow man, and we managed to seal
off the dimension and send Gozer back to wherever it came from."
"Thirty story- marshmallow man?" Zack asked, incredulous. "Dude,
you guys are the ones who should have the Zords."
"It makes sense that this building would be located on the nexus,"
Egon mused. "The nut who designed it was trying to make a gigantic
altar that would allow him to summon Gozer and bring about the end of the
world. It's only natural that he would locate it on the largest nearby
source of power."
"Let's go see what's going on," Jason suggested. "First,
though, I think we'd better morph. It protects our identities, if you don't
see us transform, and I don't particularly want the police to know what
we look like."
The other Warriors nodded, and while the Ghostbusters watched for onlookers,
the six teens quickly transformed. Then the whole group headed off towards
the police barricade.
"What seems to be the problem, officer?" Peter asked nonchalantly.
The son of a con artist, Peter had a few verbal tricks of his own, and
the rest of the Ghostbusters generally let him do the talking in these
situations.
"Hey, you guys are fast!" the cop said, as soon as he realized
who he was talking to. "We just sent somebody to call your office."
"Well, we had a report of something weird going down," Peter
responded. "What exactly is meant by 'weird,' though?"
"Flashing lights, little chittering noises, maniacal laughter, and
three workmen who were prepping the place for demolition nearly killed
each other in a fight. Now they say that they just got mad at each other,
and didn't know why."
The Morphin Warriors regarded each other seriously. "One of the demon's
abilities is to evoke the emotion for which it is named," Billy explained.
"Likely it didn't want them around. It's waiting for us."
The policeman frowned as he saw the Morphin Warriors, and the way they
were dressed. "Hey, who are you kids? On your way to a costume party?"
"It's okay, mister," Zack assured him. "We're superheroes."
Calmly, he summoned his ax into one hand then dismissed it. The cop blinked.
"If you say so. So there's a demon in there?"
"Yeah, a really nasty one," Jason replied. "We'd appreciate
it if you'd keep everyone back until this is finished."
"You got it," the cop shrugged. Turning away, he began to relay
instructions to the other officers at the scene.
"Well, we'd probably better go in there, huh?" Winston sighed,
not sounding very enthusiastic.
Ray shrugged. "Maybe he'll be on the first floor this time, and we
won't have to climb all those stairs."
"Most likely he's in the basement, if the place has one," Billy
ventured.
The Ghostbusters shot each other relieved looks. Not only were they not
looking forward to climbing all those steps, each thought it a good idea
that Peter was not exposed to the top floor apartments again. Too many
memories.
"Well, let's go," Peter cried. He headed into the building, and
one by one, the rest followed him.
* * *
Slowly, they made their way down into the basement with the aid of the
high-powered flashlights that Egon had insisted on bringing. "I've
got a bad feeling about this," Winston whispered. No sooner had they
all cleared the stairs than a hideous chittering noise caught their attention.
"Heads up!" Jason called, pulling out his broadsword. "Here
they come!" Night Terrors swarmed out of every shadow, surging in
a black tide towards the ten. The flashlights were quickly dropped to the
ground, and the battle was joined.
The sounds of the chittering hordes mingled with the attack cries of the
Morphin Warriors as they hacked, chopped, shot, and generally decimated
the ranks of the Night Terrors. Meanwhile, the Ghostbusters also managed
to hold their own, blowing away the little creatures with a few well placed
proton bolts.
"Yeehah!" Peter yelled, a wide grin crossing his face. "This
is better than our last couple busts! No slime!" The other Ghostbusters
just shook their heads and kept on blasting.
Suddenly, the room was silent. No more Night Terrors came at the ten. Even
so, they continued to hold their weapons ready, intently scanning the edges
of the basement.
Very good. Angyr's low chuckle rolled out of the darkness. I
am truly impressed. And now you have sealed the third Crystal away from
me. No matter. When you are destroyed, it will be a simple matter to "convince"
some unwary human to retrieve it for me.
"We don't go down that easy!" Skull cried. The six Morphin
Warriors dropped into defensive stances, flanked by the four Ghostbusters.
Angyr simply regarded them with undisguised amusement.
You will fall, one by one, the demon assured them. First to go
shall be the foolish Black Warrior, who dared to challenge me. I have tasted
your essence, human, and with the Crystals and the power of Earth itself,
I will drain you dry!
Lifting a claw, Angyr suddenly began to glow with a black light. Zack
suddenly cried out in agony, clutching at his chest and dropping to his
knees. Immediately, Skull and Trini were by his side.
"It's draining his life-energy!" the White Warrior cried. "The
demon's somehow connected to his spirit!"
"Must- have connected- when it zapped me earlier," panted Zack
through his pain.
"Skull, can you stop it?" Trini asked fearfully. The boy shook
his head.
"No, but maybe I can slow it down. If I can link to him psychically,
I can help him beat it back. Unfortunately, it means I'm going to be out
of this fight."
"Do it," Jason ordered curtly. "We'll cover you!" Drawing
his sword, he threw himself at Angyr, who threw him back with a laugh.
Meanwhile, Skull placed his hands on Zack's shoulders, allowing himself
to be drawn into the other's mind.
"Come on, Zack, fight it!" he whispered.
The battle continued, but it soon became obvious to all concerned that
the forces of Good were merely fighting a holding action. The Ghostbusters
were reluctant to fire on Angyr for fear of injuring either Zack or one
of the Morphin Warriors launching an attack on the demon. Meanwhile, the
four warriors attacking it were not faring well at all.
"I can't hold him!" Skull cried. "Billy, Trini, you're telepaths!
Give me a hand here!" The two immediately broke off the attack to
help Skull defend Zack's life essence. Unfortunately, that only left two
Warriors to fight Angyr.
"New plan," Jason puffed, calling Kimberly and the Ghostbusters
into a huddle. "I figure we've got one chance to beat this guy and
save Zack, and that's to get it into one of those traps you guys use. Now,
to give the four of you a chance for a clear shot, we need to have something
take its attention. That'll be me and Kim."
"Why the two of you?" protested Ray.
"It hates Power Rangers," Kimberly explained. "We're a living
reminder of all the good in the universe, of everything that stands in
opposition to it. Trust me, if it's given the chance to get us, it'll forget
all about the four of you."
"So while you two distract it, we surround it and open fire with the
proton streams," reasoned Egon.
"And hope that the Morphin energy gives the streams enough kick to
take it down," Winston added.
"Right," Jason agreed. "Let's do it." Breaking the
huddle, the Ghostbusters melted back into the shadows of the basement.
Angyr didn't notice this however, because Jason and Kimberly had immediately
launched an attack on it, taking up all its attention. It knocked Jason
away as he took a swipe at its head with his broadsword, and immediately
had to duck as Kimberly fired a barrage of arrows at it.
While the Morphin Warriors kept Angyr's attention, the Ghostbusters had
moved into position around it. With the ease of years working together,
they powered up their proton packs in unison, aiming them at the dragon-shaped
blot of darkness in the center of the room. The demon, still lit by the
discarded flashlights, made a perfect target.
"Jason! Kimberly!" Peter cried, taking aim. "Get CLEAR!"
The two teens obeyed instantly, throwing themselves out of reach of the
demon. "Let's do it, guys," the psychologist called to his friends.
"Fire!"
Four proton streams shot towards their target. This time, however, they
were slightly different than they had been on previous busts. Where before
the streams had been predominantly yellow, with a few blue streaks, each
stream was now tinted with a different, individual hue. Peter's shone with
a green light, while Egon's sparkled bright blue. The stream from Winston's
thrower was touched with pink, and Ray's gave off a brilliant white glow.
The four streams surrounded Angyr with a cage of light. He struggled, trying
to break free, and Peter felt the stream wavering. "Somebody do something!"
he called frantically. "We can't hold on here forever!"
Zack, watching the battle from where he knelt, managed to somehow summon
enough strength to cry out to his friend. "Jason! On Egon's pack-
the trap!" Jason didn't even bother to nod, simply reached up and
removed the trap from the pack, throwing it out into the center of the
floor. Silently giving thanks that he'd seen ghosts busted on the news,
he stomped down on the foot pedal.
With a burst of brilliant white light, the trap opened directly beneath
the demon. With an agonizing cry, Angyr twisted and warped, and finally
was sucked into the trap, screaming all the way. As the doors of the trap
shut, the demon's connection to Zack was broken. The boy almost collapsed
with the relief.
"Well, we've got him," Winston chuckled. "Now what do we
do with him?"
"An excellent question, Winston," acknowledged Egon. "I
seriously doubt the containment will be able to store a being like Angyr
indefinitely." His words seemed to be accurate. Even now, the trap
was rocking back and forth, as the creature inside attempted to escape.
"We can handle this," Skull grinned. "Right, guys?"
The other Warriors nodded. Motioning the Ghostbusters back, the six teens
made a circle around the trap. Joining hands, they closed their eyes.
"We call on the power of all of us combined," Jason called. "Destroy
the evil within this trap!"
"Tigerzord!" With that word, Skull began to glow with a bright
white light.
"Mastodon!" Zack's black glow joined the others.
"Pterodactyl!" Kim also began to glow, this time in pink.
"Triceratops!" A blue glow enveloped Billy.
"Saber-Toothed Tiger!" cried Trini, a yellow glow flaring around
her.
"Tyrannosaurus!" No sooner had Jason's red glow joined those
of his friends, a white circle of light began to flow between them, shining
brighter and brighter until looking at it was unbearable. Then it began
to shrink, converging on the trap in the center of the circle. A hideous
scream filled the air, and then silence. Exhausted, the Morphin Warriors
released each other's hands and backed away.
Gingerly, Ray prodded at the trap. Gathering his courage, he leaned closer,
and his jaw dropped. Looking up at his friends, he shrugged. "It's
empty," was all he said.
Peter pretended to wipe his forehead in mock relief, and then everyone
sagged. Finally, it was over.
* * *
A few days later, the Crystals had been sent back to the Power Chamber,
explanations had been made to Dr. Markov, and it was finally time for the
charity basketball game. As Zack jogged out onto the floor with his teammates,
he saw all of his friends waving at him from the stands- all of them. "Guess
Zordon ruled this an 'acceptable use' of the teleportation system,"
he whispered to Peter. The psychologist whistled.
"That whole group is here to see you? And they're all Power Rangers?"
he asked, as quietly as Zack.
"No, not all of them. The heavy guy sitting on the other side of Skull
from Kim isn't. He's Bulk, Skull's best friend. He knows our secret, but
we trust him. The guy with the long dark hair in the green shirt is Tyler
Oliver, and the short redhead next to him is Terry Oliver. They're not
Rangers either."
Peter's eyebrows rose. "Who's the babe? Tall, green shirt, blue jeans,
brown hair in a ponytail?"
Zack chuckled. "That's Dr. Lita Kino. She's not a Ranger either, just
the psychiatrist who keeps us sane."
"A shrink, huh?" Peter sighed regretfully. "Too bad. I make
it a rule never to get involved with someone who knows as much about psychology
as I do. And speaking of sanity, am I losing it, or are three of your friends
almost identical?"
"You're not losing it. Tommy and David, the guys with long dark hair
in red and blue respectively, are twins, and Tyler is sort of a clone of
Tommy."
Peter shook his head. "Now I see why you need a shrink. If I had to
keep all this straight, I'd go nuts too."
Zack just shook his head, grinning. Then the referee blew the whistle,
and there was no more time for talking.
The game was fast and furious, but in the end, the Lions beat out the rival
team, the Tigers, by one point, thanks to a desperate three-point shot
by Zack just before the buzzer. As the Lions were congratulating each other
and being congratulated by the Tigers, the organizer of the event walked
out onto the floor.
"I am pleased to announce that the winner of the first Charity Cup
Basketball Competition is the Lions! Even better, though, thanks to the
admissions, we have enough money to keep the Boys' and Girls' Club open!"
That brought a chorus of loud cheers from everyone present.
The Rangers and Ghostbusters, who had sat together in the stands, signaled
to their two friends on the floor that they would meet up outside the gym
after the crowd had cleared. Peter and Zack signaled their acknowledgment
and headed for the showers to clean up.
Afterwards, the scene was almost as chaotic as the Zeo Rangers, Turbo Rangers,
and non-Rangers were introduced to the Ghostbusters, and vice-versa. A
few remarks were made about the resemblance Peter and Lita bore each other,
both in looks and personality, and the two of them were soon exchanging
notes about being the voice of psychology in such odd situations. Suddenly,
Rocky's voice cut through the crowd. "Hey! As long as we're all hanging
out together, let's go get some pizza!"
"Sure, Rocky, know a place that serves thirty?" Justin shot back.
"I do," replied Ray. "There's a Pizza Hut nearby that has
a room for parties at no extra cost."
"Let's go!" Katarina cried. As the group headed off, Ray leading
the way, Peter and Zack found themselves at the back of the group. With
a smile, Zack extended his hand to the older man.
"Been nice working with you, Dr. Venkman."
The psychologist gripped the boy's hand tightly. "Hey, who says you're
done? Drop in at the firehouse any time, Zack. You're always welcome. Now
come on, let's go get some pizza. I lost my lunch to the Spud earlier today,
and I'm starving!" Zack chuckled, shaking his head, and the two of
them headed off with their friends. At that moment, Zack knew that no matter
what else happened to him in New York, he would not be lonely again.
