The End... for now
Another typical night in space went by. Jenny slept peacefully in her bed with no nightmares or bad visions to disturb her. When “morning” came, she woke up promptly. She sat up in her bed and sighed with a really good feeling.
“I am awake,” she mumbled aloud. “I feel strangely awake.”
She went into the dining room to have her breakfast. The other people were in there eating.
“Jenny, you are awake!” the Cryptkeeper cried.
“Yep, I am awake,” Jenny said. “And I feel......oddly energized.”
“Oh, I see,” the Cryptkeeper said. “You had a lovely dream about Darkonda, didn’t you?”
Jenny shook her head. “You know, I haven’t even seen him for a while.....”
“Honey, it’s only been two days, and you miss him already!?”
“What makes you think that I miss him?”
“Well, you wouldn’t have mentioned that you haven’t seen him in a while if you didn’t miss him.”
Jenny gave up and sighed.
“Man.....I can go for a pizza right about now,” Hallie said.
“Pizza? What’s a pizza?” Andros asked.
“You’ve never had pizza before?” the Cryptkeeper asked.
“You poor man!” Jenny exclaimed. “Pizza is the single most popular food on Earth! There’s not one person I know that does not like pizza.”
“Well......can I try one?” Andros asked.
“Sure. Let me see if I can work this thing.....” Jenny went to the synthetron and pushed several buttons. When she opened the little door, steam came out, and she pulled out a mouth-watering pepperoni and cheese pizza. She placed it on the table directly in front of Andros. “This is a pizza. Go on, try it.”
Andros stared down at the pizza for a moment. He looked up at the other Rangers.
“Pizza is delicious, Andros,” T.J. said.
Andros picked up a slice and took a bite. The others waited eagerly for his response. After a moment, Andros nodded.
“Mmm.....it’s good,” he said. He held his hand above the table, and the napkin rose into his hand on its own. The Spices gasped.
“How’d you do that?” Hallie asked in astonishment.
“I practiced for years,” Andros told her.
“Can I try?” Jenny asked.
“Well, it does take practice.....”
Jenny extended her hand. Suddenly a pizza slice rose from the pan and flew neatly into her hand. Then she took a bite.
“Yummy,” she muttered.
“I didn’t know that you could do telekinesis,” Carlos said.
“Frankly, we all can, but we just haven’t been doing it,” Jenny said.
She stood up and walked to behind Andros. She held her palm over the top of his head.
“Whooooo.........” She made a ghostly noise as Andros’ hair stuck out in the direction of her palm. The others laughed. Andros looked confused.
“I’m sorry, Andy, but I’m feeling hyper today,” Jenny told him. “I’ll just go down to Angel Grove and blow some steam. Anyone wanna join me?”
The others just looked at her silently.
“All righty then. D-D-Dirty, dirty.” Jenny went to the yellow jump tube and prepared to hop through. At the last minute, she hopped off the platform and walked to the end of the room. Then she dashed toward the jump tube and dove through.
“Wait!” Hallie cried.
“Heck, I think I’ll go to Angel Grove, too,” Earl said.
Hallie stood in front of the pink jump tube, and took two stationary hops before hopping through. Earl hopped through the blue jump tube normally. The Cryptkeeper leaned closer to Spinal.
“Hey there, little guy. You’ve been quiet all morning. You dreaming about Astronema?”
“No. I just don’t have anything to say.”
“Wanna go to Angel Grove and play tennis?”
“Well, okay.....” Spinal mumbled.
“D-D-Dirty, dirty,” the Cryptkeeper said. “I like the sound of that.”
“D-D-Dirty, dirty,” Spinal copied.
They went to the jump tubes and went through.
“Hmm.....” T.J. mumbled. “They are strange.”
Spinal and the Cryptkeeper were walking in the middle of the street in Angel Grove.
“You know, Spinal, when we get to the tennis court, I am going to cream you,” the Cryptkeeper said.
Spinal chuckled. “No doubt,” he replied. “Just answer a question for me.”
“Shoot.”
“What is tennis?”
The Cryptkeeper looked at him. “You’ve been around for 3,000 years, and you don’t know what tennis is?”
“Hey, I’ve been dead to the world,” Spinal protested.
“Shh.......did you hear something?” C.K. asked out of nowhere.
They both paused and heard the sound of cars behind them. They turned around to see two cars (one red) and one blue racing toward them side by side. Spinal and C.K. walked backwards nervously. As the cars got closer, the pair walked backwards even faster. Finally, they glanced at each other.
“Run!!” they cried in unison.
The zombie boys ran for their existence, but still the cars were catching up......
In the Dark Fortress, Elgar ran to Astronema excitedly.
“Hey, guess what!?”
“What!?” Astronema asked impatiently.
“Two of the Spices found Lightning Cruiser and Storm Blaster!”
“Lightning Cruiser and Storm Blaster? What are they?”
“They’re these two powerful cars with minds of their own. They can shoot all kinds of lasers. Lightning Cruiser can even fly!”
“Hmm.......we can use those weapons.....” Astronema pondered for a moment. “Send the Quantrons and Velocifighters, bring me those cars.....”
“I know,” Elgar grumbled. “Capture Spinal while we’re at it......”
“Right.” Astronema stared into her monitor with a grin.
Spinal and the Cryptkeeper continued to run from Lightning Cruiser and Storm Blaster. Suddenly, lasers pounded the ground around them, causing them to lose their balance and fall. They looked up to see the Velocifighters circling above them. They looked at Lightning Cruiser and Storm Blaster and covered their faces, bracing themselves to be run over. But to their surprise, the cars came to a screeching halt just a mere inch from them. Sighing with relief, Spinal and C.K. stood up and realized that the cars were driving themselves.
“Wow......there are no drivers,” the Cryptkeeper said.
“How is it possible?” Spinal asked. “Cars don’t drive themselves.”
Feeling offended, Lightning Cruiser and Storm Blaster revved their engines and backed up.
“You were saying?” the Cryptkeeper asked with a chuckle.
“Okay, look, I’m sorry,” Spinal said apologetically.
Lightning Cruiser and Storm Blaster paused. The Spices were impressed.
“Wow,” the Cryptkeeper said. “These cars are pretty smart.”
More lasers exploded around them. Then an army of Quantrons surrounded them.
“Oh great!” Spinal cried. “First Velocifighters and now Quantrons! What’s next?”
“We’re going to need a hand,” the Cryptkeeper told him.
“Leave that to me,” Spinal said, opening his ring. “Jenny, come in!”
A Quantron grabbed his arm in an attempt to stop him from calling for help, but Spinal threw the metal creature off and punched its stomach.
“Get off me!” he demanded as he tried again with his ring. “Jenny, come in!”
Jenny was elsewhere in Angel Grove striving to burn up her extra energy.
“Go ahead, I read you,” she said as she opened her ring.
The only thing she heard was Spinal’s battle cries, which made her very confused.
“Hello?” she called.
Spinal threw a Quantron over his shoulder, then went back to his ring. “Uh......hello....”
“What’s the matter, Spinal?” Jenny asked calmly.
“Well, to make a long --- whoa!” Spinal moved out of the way of a diving Quantron. “.....story short..... WE NEED YOUR HELP!!!!”
Jenny broke out laughing because of Spinal’s outburst. “Okay, I’m on my way. I’ll also send Earl and Hallie to the rescue.”
Spinal and the Cryptkeeper held on for another moment. As promised, Jenny, Earl, and Hallie teleported into the battlefield and fought the Quantrons. A few more moments of battle went by, then Elgar and Ecliptor appeared to cause more trouble. The Spices stood in front of Lightning Cruiser and Storm Blaster.
“Elgar, long time no see!” the Cryptkeeper called. “How’s it going?”
“Step back; those belong to us!” Elgar replied.
The cars revved their engines and moved back again. Jenny, Earl, and Hallie gasped at their sudden movement.
“Where did these come from?” Jenny asked.
“I have no idea,” the Cryptkeeper told her. “They just came out of nowhere and started chasing us down the street.”
Elgar and Ecliptor advanced on the group, Elgar chuckling along the way.
“I think these cars are telling me that they’re not yours,” Jenny said.
“You catch on quick; that’s why I love you!” Elgar yelled. “Get ‘em, boys!”
Before the Spices could make a move, Lightning Cruiser and Storm Blaster shot out seat belts at them. Lightning Cruiser grabbed Jenny and Spinal and pulled them into the seats while Storm Blaster grabbed Hallie and the Cryptkeeper. Earl saw an extra place to ride on Storm Blaster and hopped on. Once the Spices were aboard the cars, Lightning Cruiser fired some massive blasts at the villains. The Spices gasped.
“What is this thing?” Jenny asked.
Spinal shrugged. Suddenly, the cars accelerated, startling the Spices, causing them to scream. Lightning Cruiser tore right through the Quantrons with Storm Blaster hot on its tail. After a moment, Lightning Cruiser started to rise from the ground like an airplane, and it tucked its wheels under it, sticking its “wings” out. Storm Blaster shot some kind of hook from its front bumper. The hook attached itself to Lightning Cruiser’s rear bumper.
“Whoa!!” the Spices screamed at once.
“This thing really does have a mind of its own!” Jenny exclaimed.
“Yes, it does,” Spinal said.
The cars flew really high with the Velocifighters chasing them. There was very little the Spices could do to fight back. The cars flew in a loop, which had the Spices holding on for dear life. The Velocifighters fired their lasers mercilessly. One shot struck the hook, which sent Storm Blaster falling. Luckily, it landed smoothly on its wheels and came to a screeching halt. The stop was so sudden, it caused the Spices to fall forward.
“We don’t have the necessary artillery to blow up the Velocifighters,” the Cryptkeeper said, opening his ring. “Rangers, we could use some extra firepower here.”
“Gotcha; we’re on our way,” T.J. replied.
The Rangers teleported down on their galaxy gliders. The Velocifighter lasers started hitting Lightning Cruiser, causing it to go down. Jenny was gripping the steering wheel so tightly, her knuckles turned white.
“Oh no, we’re hit!” she cried. “We’re going down!”
“Are you going to crash-land this thing or just crash it?” Spinal asked.
Lightning Cruiser continued to fall. Thankfully, it landed on its wheels, but was unable to stop. The car crashed abruptly into a building. Jenny and Spinal held in their groans of pain.
“Ouch,” Jenny mumbled after a moment.
Meanwhile, the Rangers were chasing the Velocifighters with their blasters. After a few moments, several Velocifighters were destroyed, and the remaining ones retreated.
“That’s it; get out of here!” Andros shouted.
“And don’t come back!” Ashley added.
Then the Rangers ran immediately to Lightning Cruiser.
“Are you guys okay?” Cassie asked.
“We’re fine,” Jenny said.
“I see you had help from Lightning Cruiser and Storm Blaster,” Carlos said.
“Lightning who?” Jenny asked.
“Storm what?” Spinal asked.
“Lightning Cruiser and Storm Blaster,” T.J. repeated. “Haven’t you met them before?”
The Spices shook their heads.
“Lightning Cruiser looked damaged,” Ashley said. “Are you okay?”
Lightning Cruiser blinked its lights in response.
“Let’s take it back to the Megaship and see if we can repair it,” Andros said.
The Rangers teleported away with Lightning Cruiser. The Spices surrounded Storm Blaster.
“You must be Storm Blaster,” Jenny said.
Storm Blaster blinked its lights. Jenny looked at the others.
“Well.......back to life?”
The others nodded.
“You know, Storm Blaster gets me thinking about Justin,” Hallie said. “I’m going to go see how he’s doing.”
As the other Spices went back to their original plans, Hallie went over to Justin’s house. She rang the door bell, and Justin answered a minute later. Justin was excited to see her.
“Hallie! You’re back!!” he cried.
He ran out and hugged her.
“How’ve you been?” Hallie asked.
“I’ve been hanging,” Justin replied. “How about you? What’s it like in outer space? Any luck saving Zordon?”
“No luck, unfortunately,” Hallie explained. “But outer space is cool. It can also be scary at times. You’re not going to believe what’s happened to us.”
“Tell me!”
“Well, we met the queen of all evil; her name’s Astronema. And it turns out that she happens to be our mother.”
“Whoa! Are you serious!?”
“Dead serious. Astronema is in love with Spinal. He can’t stand her.”
“I can imagine,” Justin said. “Anything else?”
“Yeah. My sister even got married,” Hallie told him. “She married this evil guy named Darkonda.”
“Wow,” Justin said. “This is weird.”
“You can say that again. Anyway, there’s this other guy named Ecliptor. He’s DROP-DEAD GORGEOUS!!! I call him the Candyman. He really looks like candy.”
“Sometimes I wish I was still a Ranger......”
Several hours later, Astronema released a monster called Lionizer. The Rangers were still trying to fix Lightning Cruiser, so they called Jenny, who was standing on a track.
“Jenny, Astronema released a monster,” T.J. said. “Just meet the other Spices outside of the Angel Grove warehouse.”
“Got it,” Jenny replied. She closed her ring, paused, then ran all the way to the factory. The Cryptkeeper, Spinal, Earl, and Hallie were hiding behind a corner spying on Astronema, Ecliptor, Lionizer, and the Quantrons. Jenny almost ran out into the open, but the others stopped her.
“Careful, honey,” the Cryptkeeper said.
“Thanks,” Jenny whispered. “Now what’s going on?”
“Beats me,” Earl said. “But at least we have the jump on them.”
The group continued to look on. It appeared as though Astronema, Ecliptor, and Lionizer were having a conversation. As the Spices spied, Spinal gazed at his sword and noticed something. There were Quantrons sneaking up on them from behind, and their image reflected off of Spinal’s sword. In response, Spinal screamed, startling the others and causing them to scream, too. They all staggered out into the open. Astronema turned to them sharply. She narrowed her eyes.
“Get them!!” she ordered.
The Quantrons attacked. The Spices battled fiercely. Jenny fought on her own, Earl and Spinal battled one group of Quantrons, while the Cryptkeeper and Hallie decided to take on the evil queen herself. Astronema kicked Hallie away, then blew the Cryptkeeper away with her staff. Then Astronema pounced on him.
“Mommy, Mommy!!” Hallie cried, running up and jumping on Astronema’s shoulders. Astronema threw the little girl off roughly.
“You okay, C.K.?” Earl asked as the four ran together.
“I think so,” the Cryptkeeper replied.
Astronema merely smiled at them, then fired energy blasts from her staff. The four Spices fell down, completely stunned. Astronema stood directly over Spinal, leaned over him, and caressed him.
“Noooo! Don’t touch me!!” Spinal sobbed.
“Hey Mom!!” Jenny called.
Astronema turned to her older daughter and fired some more blasts. Like her friends, Jenny fell, only half-conscious. Astronema stood over her proudly. She reached down and snatched Jenny’s necklace from around her neck.
“I’ll take this,” she said.
Jenny instantly grabbed Astronema’s wrist. “No! It’s mine!!”
Astronema shook her up. “Ecliptor, take care of them.”
“Yes, my queen,” Ecliptor said.
Meanwhile, the Rangers were just about finished fixing Lightning Cruiser. They began to get worried about the Spices.
“I’m a little worried, you guys,” Carlos said.
“Me too,” Ruth added. “Do you think the Spices made it?”
“We’ll go check on them now,” Andros told them.
They went to the bridge and looked through the monitor. They saw that the Spices were in trouble.
“Oh man; we’ve gotta help them!” Cassie cried.
The Rangers rushed to the jump tubes and morphed into action.....
Inside the warehouse, the Quantrons had the Spices bound and suspended in chains. Ecliptor and Lionizer watched as the Spices were hung higher and higher. The odd group groaned with discomfort.
“Just a little higher,” Lionizer instructed.
“Do you mind!?” Jenny yelled. “This is high enough!”
“Excellent,” Ecliptor mumbled.
“Let us go, Ecliptor, if you know what’s good for you!” Spinal demanded.
“Well, perhaps I don’t know what’s good for me,” Ecliptor responded as he turned to Lionizer. “Come with me. We must discuss of a way so dispose of them.”
“Why didn’t you dispose of us before tying us up?” the Cryptkeeper asked.
“I know, right?” Earl added.
Ecliptor glared at them briefly, then led the monster into the next room. The Quantrons wrapped the chains around several objects to keep the Spices suspended, then followed Ecliptor. The Spices sighed.
“Hey, I love hanging out with you guys, but this is ridiculous!” the Cryptkeeper called.
“Spinal, why the hell did you do that!?” Jenny asked.
“I’m sorry, but there were Quantrons sneaking up on us,” Spinal told her. “I saw their reflection on my sword.”
Jenny inhaled to calm herself. “Okay, no harm.”
“Whaddaya mean no harm!?” Spinal cried.
“This sucks; what are we going to do?” Hallie asked.
“We’re done for, and it’s all my fault!” Spinal whined.
“Guys, you have to calm down,” Jenny said. “We’re not done for, not yet. No matter what kind of mess we’re in, there’s always a chance to get out. Are we going to pass up this chance?”
“No!” the others replied at once.
“Hell no!” the Cryptkeeper added.
“Hmm.....” Jenny thought for a moment. “Does anybody see any explosives in here?”
The others looked around.
“I see some explosives over there!” Hallie called.
“Great!”
“Wait a minute, Jenny,” Earl said. “I don’t mean to insult your intelligence, but the explosives are down there and we’re up here.
“We’re not going to use the explosives, Earl,” Jenny told him.
Earl froze in confusion. “Okay, let’s start over here,” he said. “You asked if there were any explosives in here?”
“Yeah.”
“Then you tell us that we’re going to use the explosives?”
“Right.”
“It just doesn’t add up!! Okay, Jenny, what are you up to this time?”
“I’m up to something really sneaky,” Jenny replied. “Since we’re about to be sent back to hell, it’s time I found the answer to a question that I’ve had for a while.
“And what question is that?” Spinal asked.
“You know, we’ve had so many victories over these guys, I’m beginning to wonder if they really have the guts to kill us,” Jenny explained. “I’ll just talk that monster out of killing us, then beg him to kill us. It just might save our skin.”
“Well, I don’t have any skin, so it really doesn’t apply to me,” Spinal said. “And I don’t see how this plan is going to get us out of here.”
“It won’t. We’ll have to think of another way,” Jenny said.
“What if the monster does destroy us?” Earl asked.
“It doesn’t matter; we’ll survive. Remember who we are. The Spice Club cannot be destroyed!”
“Just what makes you so sure that the monster will spare us?” the Cryptkeeper asked.
“There is good and evil in all of us, C.K.,” Jenny said. “You know how strongly I believe that. Remember how Darkonda helped us out against Ivan Ooze? Let the records show! Don’t worry, the monster won’t have the guts to kill us.”
The Cryptkeeper sighed. “Well, you’ve got me curious. What do we have to do?”
"When they come back in here, hold still, shut up, and let me do the talking."
Hallie futily attempted to hold her giggle in. "This is gonna be good!" she squealed, carrying a drop of Astronema's evil.
Then the moment came. Ecliptor, Lionizer, and the Quantrons came back into the large room. The Spices kept as still as they could.
"Your time is up, Spices!" the monster called as he aimed his thin bazooka-type weapon at the Spices.
"You know, you're one ugly monster," Jenny said.
"Why thank you," the monster said.
"But you've got a cute face," Jenny added.
"Hey, cut it out," Lionizer said. "Now I will exact Astronema's revenge on you. Get ready for it --- err, is that okay with you, Spices?"
Jenny gave him a slight smile. "You won't fire that thunderstick in here. You could damage the warehouse."
"What makes you think that I care?" Lionizer asked.
"No, really; you could destroy this whole warehouse!"
"I demand an explanation!"
"Okay. What I mean is that your.....thing may be too powerful to destroy us. Your shot could blast right through us and hit some explosives. Then the whole warehouse will blow up, and you'll be killed."
"At least you'll be killed, too," Lionizer said. "I have vowed to destroy you, even at the cost of my own life!"
The Spices glanced at each other in astonishment.
"Gee.....how noble," Jenny said. "But you see......we will not be destroyed. We will survive the explosion, then we'll return to the Astro Megaship, look back at the destruction, and we are going to laugh. You, on the other hand, will be no more. You fire that weapon, and you'll be signing your death warrant, kitty-kitty."
The monster slowly lowered his weapon.
"Do not listen to her!" Ecliptor shouted. "She's obviously lying!"
Jenny smiled innocently. "Does this look like the face of a girl who would lie to you?"
"Yeah......you're right, Ecliptor," Lionizer said, aiming the bazooka at the group again. "You're only prolonging the inevitable, girlie girl!"
"Oh......I apologize," Jenny said. "Fire away.....if you dare. We'll survive. The question is, will you? You know, you can go ahead and fire if you think I'm lying. But if you're smart, you'll hold your fire and save your own ass. Once again, it's your decision. It really doesn't matter to us. We will make no effort to defend ourselves."
Lioizer aim grew unsteady. Ecliptor was losing his patience.
"What are you waiting for!?" he demanded. "Destroy them!"
"Yeah!" Jenny jumped in. "Destroy us!"
Lionizer stared at her. He was getting really confused now.
"Go ahead," Ecliptor said. "Blast them all into oblivion."
Lionizer continued his shaky aim, but he couldn't quite bring himself to pull the trigger. The other Spices had to join in.
"Well?" the Cryptkeeper asked. "Are you going to kill us, or just leave us hangin' here and lookin' fine?"
"What?" Jenny asked in confusion.
Lionizer still aimed his weapon without firing. Ecliptor finally lost all patience and shoved the monster aside. He aimed his sword at the Spices.
"I'll destroy you myself," he said.
"No, you won't," Jenny said. "I know how you truly feel, Ecliptor. Whether you win or lose, you enjoy fighting us. I can see it in those cinnamon atomic fireball jawbreaker eyes of yours."
Ecliptor growled again. "So, you think you can soften me up, do you?"
"Face it, Candyman," Jenny told him. "Everybody has a soft spot. But like before, go ahead and fire all your powers at us and blow up the warehouse. We don't care. All these Quantrons here will be killed, and it'll be all your fault. However, you won't care, because you'll be killed right along with them."
Jenny would have continued, but some small blasts came from nowhere and broke the chains. Screaming, the Spices fell to the floor, landing on their bottoms. They froze for a moment, groaning in pain.
"Okay, who's the wise guy?" Jenny grumbled.
Then the Spices stood up and kicked the chains away fiercely and turned to their foes.
"Now will you PLEASE destroy us!?" Jenny pleaded.
The Rangers leaped into the open and joined the Spices.
"All right; if that's what you want, we'll be more than happy to oblige!" Lionizer shouted.
Before the fight could start, however, Lightning Cruiser and Storm Blaster broke into the warehouse. Jenny climbed into Lightning Cruiser and they drove off. The Cryptkeeper hopped into Storm Blaster and followed. Everyone else ran out of the factory, then began the battle.
The Quantrons fired lasers from the tips of their blades at Lightning Cruiser, causing it to skid back and forth. However, Jenny drove the red car right threw the Quantrons, moving them out of the way. The Cryptkeeper jumped out of Storm Blaster to do some empty-handed combat.
As Jenny rode in Lightning Cruiser, Darkonda appeared in the battlefield. Lightning Cruiser drove directly toward him, ready to run him down, but Jenny gripped the steering wheel and tried to guide it away. But the red car wouldn't budge.
"No!" Jenny screamed. "Don't run over him!"
Darkonda was waiting patiently. When Lightning Cruiser was close enough, he flipped over, landing directly behind Jenny. He reached down and grabbed her, pulling her to her feet. Jenny screamed with panic as Lightning Cruiser drove left and right. The Cryptkeeper paused from his fight to watch them go by.
"Say, looks like you're having fun!" he called. "Need some company?"
Jenny couldn't decide whether to steer Lightning Cruiser or to get Darkonda off of her. As the red car sped back and forth, Jenny gripped the steering wheel, and Darkonda gripped her tightly. Finally, Jenny couldn't take it anymore, so she threw him out of the car. Darkonda sighed, then passed out. Jenny, meanwhile, collapsed in her seat, still trying to recover from the shock she'd just received.
Eventually, the fight became too much for the Quantrons, so they retreated. The Rangers and Spices united to acknowledge their victory.
"So that was you who broke the chains?" Jenny asked.
"Yes, it was us," T.J. replied.
"Well, don't do that; you scared us," Jenny said.
"Sorry," Andros said. "We keep forgetting how skittish you guys are."
"Ah, whatever," the Cryptkeeper said. "Let's go home."
Jenny put her hand on her chest. "We can't go home. I have to get my necklace back from Mother."
"Um......" Spinal raised his hand reluctantly. "I think I know how to get your necklace back. I can't believe I'm doing this."
The Spices huddled together and Spinal explained his gnarly plan.....
Meanwhile, Astronema was again inside the factory thinking of another plan to destroy the Spices. As she was talking to Ecliptor, Spinal entered the room slowly and cautiously. The Quantrons immediately began to attack, pointing their blades at him.
"Wait, no, stop!!" he cried, dropping to his knees. "Please don't hurt me! I surrender!!"
"Stop!" Astronema called. "Let him up."
The Quantrons backed up and Spinal stood up. Astronema smiled.
"I see you've finally come to your senses, Spinal," she said. "I never doubted your intelligence for a minute."
"Astronema, I realize that I am no match for you," Spinal said. "I can't run from you anymore."
"So.....now will you be mine?" Astronema asked.
"Gee, I......"
"If you need help making a decision, just slip into this necklace."
Astronema handed the necklace to Spinal, who took it.
"Oh, thanks," Spinal said. He turned around and started for the door, but two Quantrons blocked it. Spinal wasn't about to give up, so he reached between the Quantrons, grabbed the doorknob and forced his way out with relative ease. He ran out of the factory. He immediately joined his friends, and they all fought the Quantrons away. Astronema looked broken-hearted.
"You must be careful, my queen," Ecliptor advised. "The more adorable they are, the sneakier they are."
The Quantrons were defeated quickly, and they all retreated. The Spices started walking as if nothing ever happened. Along the way, Jenny noticed that Darkonda had passed out.
"Oh my gosh!" she cried as she ran over to him.
"Uh-oh," the Cryptkeeper mumbled.
The Spices watched as Jenny slowly moved closer to Darkonda. When she got close enough, Darkonda suddenly jumped up with a yell, startling her. The other Spices broke into laughter. Jenny fell to the ground as Darkonda stood up. The bounty hunter approached her calmly.
"What's he doing?" Spinal asked.
"It looks like he's going to help her up," Earl said.
Darkonda extended his hand. Jenny looked at it as though it was a snake.
"Here, let me help you up," Darkonda said. "I'm sorry if I frightened you."
Jenny hesitated, then eventually took Darkonda hand and stood up.
"Don't scare me like that!" she cried.
"I must take my leave," Darkonda said. "Until we meet again."
Then he disappeared. The other Spices approached Jenny silently, then burst out laughing again. Jenny rolled her eyes and sighed.
"Ha ha; it is to laugh," she mumbled.
"No, that was really good!" the Cryptkeeper exclaimed. "He scared you to death!!"
"That does it. Let's go, people."
The Spices teleported up to the Astro Megaship, knowing that they've earned yet another victory. Finally, they have met Lightning Cruiser and Storm Blaster. And Jenny did manage to burn some of her extra energy. Hallie decided to bring Justin up to the Megaship.
"Wow! This place is awesome!" Justin exclaimed.
"The best part is that there's a Simudeck," Hallie told him. "It's this little room where you can make it look like anywhere. You could make it look like the Angel Grove Youth Center, or Mount Everest, or any other place you could imagine."
"Cool! Could you show it to me?"
Hallie and Kathy looked at each other. "Sure!"
The three kids ran out of the jump tube room, yelling with excitement.
Jenny, Ruth, and Carlos were walking down the hall.
"It sounds like that necklace has a corruptive hold on you," Ruth said to Jenny.
Then they heard Hallie, Justin, and Kathy yelling in the hall.
"Oh yeah!!" they screamed. "Yaaaaay! Yaaaaaaaay!!!"
"Uh-oh, stampede!" Jenny warned.
The three leaned against the wall, allowing the little ones to run by.
"Hey kids, keep it down!" Carlos called.
Then they continued their walk.
Justin was introduced to the Simudeck, and he really enjoyed it. Jenny was relieved to have her wedding gift back. It appeared that the evil forces really didn't have the heart to destroy those adorable Spice Club members after all.