"Now what do I do, Andros?"

"It's not what you do......it's what I do."

With a grunt, Andros grabbed the 560 lb. cyborg and tossed him over his shoulder. Fulgore hit the ground with a metal clang.

"What do you think of that, huh?" Andros asked, approaching his opponent.

Ruth and Spinal were watching from the dining table.

"Great move, Andros," Ruth said.

"Maybe you could make one more move, like, a little to the right," Fulgore suggested. "You're standing on my claw."

"Ooops......sorry 'bout that," Andros said, stepping back. "You see, no matter how big the opponent is, you can use their size against them and still body slam them to the ground."

"You mean like this?" Fulgore scooped Andros into his arms with the greatest of ease and dropped him.

Andros sat up wearily. "You know, Fulgore......" he groaned. "Sometimes.....you're a real bonehead."

"Hey!" Spinal cried, feeling offended. He got up and left the room.

"Uh-oh; I think you hurt the little nipper's feelings," Fulgore said.

"Sorry 'bout that....." Andros said. He went out after Spinal, leaving Ruth and Fulgore alone. Fulgore took a seat next to Ruth.

"So.....have you talked to Spinal about the torture yet?"

"Nah, he's got the right emotion."

"Are you sure? He should be ashamed. He accused you of being obnoxious when you were really being playful," Ruth said.

"Nah, he knows I'm not obnoxious. However, he does have a right to feel terrible," Fulgore said. "How would you like it if Carlos tied you up and covered you with oatmeal, fed you to the birds, maybe slap you with a metal rod......"

"Uh.....I probably wouldn't like it," Ruth admitted. "So.....have you ever played a practical joke before?"

"Oh yeah. I once electrified everything made of metal," Fulgore said. "Almost killed one of my buddies, but it didn't. Everybody was getting electrocuted everywhere. That's one of the few times Spinal confronted me and said, 'Do you know what you're doing?'"

Ruth laughed out loud.

"And I looked at him and said, 'Yes, my little tortured tator tot.'"

When Carlos walked down the hall and peered into the room, Ruth and Fulgore were laughing together. Carlos remained silent as a worried look grew on his face. He walked away.

"You know," Fulgore said. "You seemed a bit more interested in me than you should be."

"I'm just curious," Ruth told him. "It's not everyday I get to meet a warrior cyborg. So....what exactly are you made of?"

"Steel, I guess. I don't know. The Ultratech scientists didn't tell me how they built me."

Their conversation was abruptly interrupted by T.J.'s voice.

"We've got trouble in downtown Angel Grove. Let's go!"

The Rangers rushed into the room and jumped through their tubes. Several of the Spices followed. Ruth got up and jumped through the pink tube. Fulgore went to the black tube, but paused. Should he try to go through again?

"Man, I sure wish there were an easier way to get down to Earth," he thought. He decided to go through anyway.

The Power Rangers and Spice Club members flipped into the streets of Angel Grove, landing skillfully on their feet. Fulgore, however, still hadn't adjusted to traveling through the jump tubes. He sailed through the air and crashed on his behind.

"Ow.....my ass....." he groaned as he stood up. "Hey......I don't see anything wrong."

As he said, Angel Grove appeared to be safe and secure. The Rangers and Spices were thoroughly confused.

"Where is everybody?" Jenny asked. "T.J., what kind of joke is this?"

"It's no joke," T.J. told her. "The computers really did detect something evil here."

"Well.....maybe the computer had a glitch or something," Spinal suggested.

As soon as he spoke, something popped up from the ground beneath him and grabbed his ankle. It began to pull him into the ground. C.C. threw her arms around him in a feeble attempt to free him, but the thing still managed to drive him deeper into the ground. Spinal screamed in pain and fear. Fulgore rushed in and grabbed Spinal's wrist. Suddenly, Spinal was pulled so deep into the ground that only his hand protruded. Luckily, Fulgore maintained his grip and continued to pull.

"Get him, Fulgore!" the others cried.

With a final jerk, Fulgore pulled Spinal out of the ground. Spinal gave an exhausted sigh of relief as he hugged the cyborg.

"Oh, thank you!" he cried.

Although Fulgore had no lips, the others could see the grin in his eyes.

"What would you do without me?" he asked.

Ruth laughed. "Good question!"

Suddenly, a monster popped out of the ground, snarling in a disgusting attempt to frighten the warriors. This monster was called the Dramole Monster.

"Hey!" Spinal cried. "You tried to pull me into the ground!"

The Dramole spread its arms out and ejected some sort of white gas from either side of its waist. When the heroes breathed it, they instantly started coughing. The monster took advantage of the lull in their concentration and attacked. It wasn't easy for the fighters to defend themselves while coughing. Fulgore and Spinal were the lucky ones, for they couldn't breathe the monster's gas. Fulgore spun around, nailing Dramole in the face with his backfist. Spinal leaped at the monster with a jump kick.

"Rangers, Astro Blasters!" Andros called, still coughing. "Fire!"

The Rangers pulled out their Astro Blasters and fired them at the monster. It was destroyed instantly.

"Huh! Well, that was easy enough," Jenny commented.

"Let's go; we're wasting our time here," T.J. said.

"Ha! Wuss......" the Cryptkeeper mumbled.

The Rangers and Spices teleported up to the Megaship and sat down at the dining table. Jenny was still coughing most excessively.

"You okay?" Carlos asked.

Jenny coughed some more. "Ugh......what the hell was that damn gas?"

"The gas was just used to distract us while he kicked our butts," the Cryptkeeper said. "It really shouldn't have any effect on us."

Jenny got up and left the room still coughing.

"Hey honey....." the Cryptkeeper called as he followed.

Carlos looked at Ruth. "So Ruth......do you want to spend some time on the Simudeck?"

Fulgore looked at both of them, the same grin in his eyes. Ruth caught him staring, so she started coughing.

"Uh.....maybe later," she said. "I'm still recovering from the monster's gas, too."

Carlos gave her a suspicious look as he stood up and left the room. Ruth looked at Fulgore.

"So......these people who built you......why did they give you a ponytail?" she asked.

Fulgore shrugged. "I dunno. I guess it just makes me look cool."

"Can I feel it?"

"I don't know; can you?"

Ruth gave him a disgusted look. Fulgore laughed out loud, then sighed.

"Yes, Ruth, you have my permission to reach out and touch it."

So Ruth ran her fingers through Fulgore's ponytail. Carlos peeked back into the room.

"Wow.....it's so smooth," Ruth commented. "Is it made of real hair?"

"I told you, I know nothing about the materials used in my construction," Fulgore told her.

Carlos trembled as he silently walked away.

Jenny was just getting ready to take a snooze when the door slid open suddenly. She sat up with a gasp as Carlos stepped inside.

"Jenny.....I didn't mean to scare you, but I need to talk to you," he said.

Jenny groaned sleepily as she rubbed her eyes. "What's up?"

"I think that Ruth has a certain......interest......in Fulgore," Carlos said.

Jenny sighed. "Not that scenario again! Remember what happened with Andros and Zhane when they fought over Ashley. Andros thought that Zhane and Ashley were getting close, but it turned out that it wasn't true. That's likely the case with Fulgore and Ruth."

"I don't think so," Carlos said. "I saw Ruth running her fingers through Fulgore's ponytail."

"Well, I don't know what to say to that. Wait a minute; why are you telling me this anyway?"

"Because you can understand freaks like Fulgore."

Jenny sighed again. "Well......I'm no marriage counselor, but I will tell you that if you're going to walk around thinking that Ruth is cheating on you, you might as well stop loving her."

"What!? I can't just stop loving her!" Carlos cried.

Jenny shrugged. "I'm sorry, but that's how it goes. My best suggestion is that you go and talk to Ruth. But whatever you do, don't take on out on Fulgore. It'll just put a bad stain on your friendship and on our alliance."

Carlos paused in thought. "Well.....okay." He got up and started to the door.

"I'm sorry I wasn't very helpful, but I just don't know about these things," Jenny said.

"Thanks anyway," Carlos told her as he left.

The Black Ranger trudge down the hall. His first intention was to find Ruth, but the first person he found was Fulgore. The cyborg was operating a small machine on a larger one. As Carlos walked into the room, Fulgore caused a small spark to pop on his finger.

"Ouch," he groaned. "Hey, Carlos. Could you hand me that thing over there?"

Carlos gave an angry look as he handed Fulgore a different device.

"Thanks.....and what's with the dirty face?"

Carlos sighed, then blew his steam. "What did you think you were doing with Ruth?"

"I beg your pardon?" Fulgore asked.

"I saw you two together earlier, and you looked kind of chummy," Carlos said.

"Hey, Ruth was just curious. It's not everyday that you get to meet a warrior cyborg."

"Yeah, right."

"What the hell!?"

"Save it."

"Carlos, you can't possibly be thinking....." Fulgore began.

"I don't think, I know." With that, Carlos left the room.

"What the hell!?" Fulgore asked again. "You don't think is right."

He tried to ignore it and continue building this new machine.

"Ruth and me together? Whatever the hell gave him that idea?" he asked himself. "Ruth's a nice girl.....but she and I would never mix. She married Carlos because she loves him. She doesn't love me......at least not the same way she loves Carlos. Hmm......I'd better go tell Ruth....."

Another spark popped on his finger.

"Ahh......damn! Well, let's see how this works......"

He stared at the machine. Suddenly, sparks began popping all over the place and several bolts shot out and spilled all over the floor. Fulgore picked up the machine and looked at it in disgust. He threw the scrap metal on the floor and left the room.

"Deca, where's Ruth?" he asked.

"Ruth is located on the Simudeck," Deca replied.

So Fulgore rushed to the Simudeck, but the door wouldn't open. He pounded on the door.

"Ruth! I need to talk to you!"

"Ruth has requested not to be disturbed," Deca said.

"But it's an emergency!" Fulgore cried. "I gotta talk to her now! Ruth!!!"

Ruth was in the Simudeck in a church-like environment. She sat on her knees with her palms together, praying to God.

"Ruth, Fulgore requests a word with you," Deca said.

Ruth opened her eyes and dropped her arms. "I'm busy. Tell him to wait."

"Fulgore claims that it's urgent," Deca said.

Ruth sighed. "Okay, I'm coming out."

She stepped out of the Simudeck where Fulgore waited. "Okay, so where's the fire?"

"The fire is in Carlos," Fulgore said. "I really think that you oughtta go and talk to that man."

"Why? What's going on?" Ruth asked.

"He thinks that you and I are getting......." He paused and looked around. Then he leaned closer and whispered into her ear, ".......intimate."

Ruth jumped back. "What!? Why would he think that? Are you sure about this?"

"I'm positive. Just a minute ago, he literally took me aside and said, 'What in the hell you think you're doin' with her'?"

Ruth gasped. "Oh my God......"

"So, I suggest that you go straighten it out with him. Honestly, I believe it's a bit of careless accusations on his part."

"You're right. I'm going to talk to him right now."

"Please do."

So Ruth went to find Carlos. She went into his bedroom where he was just resting in his bed.

"Carlos?"

Carlos sat up. "Ruth.....what a pleasant surprise."

"Fulgore told me what's been going on with you."

"You two seem to be getting close."

"Well, I was just curious. I was trying to find out more about him. Like what they used to build him, why they gave him the ponytail. Why he was built in the first place......you know......"

"Yeah.......I was kind of wondering that myself."

"You actually thought that I was falling in love with him?" Ruth asked.

"Well......yeah......" Carlos admitted. "But I've thought about it."

"Carlos, you know that I will never stop caring for you," Ruth said. "That's why I wear this flower. You know that."

"Yes, I know. I guess I just wasn't thinking. My heart fell apart on me, and my brain just malfunctioned. I'm sorry, Ruth."

The couple leaned closer to each other, and their lips met in a passionate kiss. It was definitely time to kiss and make up.

"Well......I'd better go and apologize to Fulgore," Carlos said when they were done. "I'll bet he's blowing a few gaskets."

"I understand," Ruth giggled.

Carlos went into the dining room. Fulgore sat in there alone, not doing anything. Carlos could tell that he was thinking hard.

"A penny for your thoughts," he said.

"Okay, thanks," Fulgore replied, holding out his hand.

Carlos gave him a look. "No, no; it's another way of asking what you're thinking about."

Fulgore returned the look. "Then just say, 'What are you thinking about?' It's not that hard."

"Okay, never mind." Carlos sighed. "I......I made a mistake."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Ruth really was just curious about you. For some odd reason, I thought she was falling in love with you."

"You two are married," Fulgore said. "She wouldn't fall in love with me. She's the only normal member of the Spice Club. Why would she fall in love with a freak like me?"

Jenny was walking down the hall when she accidentally overheard the rest of the conversation.

"I don't know," Carlos said. "I'm sorry, Fulgore; it won't happen again."

Jenny entered the room smiling. "You did it, didn't you?" she asked Carlos. "You took it out on Fulgore, didn't you?"

Carlos lowered his head. "Yeah....."

Jenny nodded with a look that indicated that she was upset. "I told you not to yell at him, that it would put a real damper on our alliance. But hell, who listens to me? Sheesh!!" She stormed out of the room.

"You didn't listen to her advice!?" Fulgore cried. "Shame on you!"

"I-I-I.......I'm sorry......" Carlos stammered.

"Carlos, Carlos, Carlos......" Fulgore mumbled as he left the room.

So once again, Carlos has caused friction between the Rangers and the Spices. Thankfully, Jenny once again helped to straighten things out between the teams. This time, Fulgore did most of the work in bringing them together once again. Carlos grabbed his head, feeling ashamed of himself.

The End... for now