[See The Purple Ranger: Part I for disclaimer]

**This story jumps past the original Turbo Rangers. All the original Rangers (except for Justin) have passed their powers on to the new Rangers and Alex (unable to pass along her power) has headed into retirement.**

Virus Hunters
By Akiko and Aya

Part I

"WACHOOO!" Cassie sneezes violently into her tissue. She looks up into her bathroom mirror. "I look like crap."

Cassie's usually bright brown eyes are puffy and watery. Her nose is a raw red color. Cassie groans when she hears the doorbell ring.

"Aw man, that's probably Justin and Carlos." Cassie tightens her robe around herself and puts on her fuzzy slippers. She pads down the stairs slowly and opens the door.

"How come you aren't ready to go?" Justin says when Cassie opens the door.

"Yeah, we got extra equipment for you," Carlos says.

"Guys, I know I need the extra credit for Billings' class, but I feel lousy," Cassie says, sneezing for emphasis. "You'll have to go spelunking without me."

"Hey, it's okay Cassie. You should stay home and rest," Carlos says.

"What if Carlos and I do all the measurements but one. Then later, near the end of Spring Break, you can go do the last one. That way you can get full extra credit, too," Justin suggests.

"You guys would let me do that? Isn't that kind of cheating?" Cassie says.

"You can type up the report after you get the last measurement. That will be a lot of work in itself," Carlos says.

"Deal," Cassie says with another sneeze.

~*~

Carlos digs the lantern out of his backpack as Justin finds the clipboard and pencil. Carlos places his hard hat on and flips on the light.

"Ready to go?" Carlos asks.

"Yep." Justin flips the light on on his hard hat.

The pair enter the opening of the cave and look around.

"Mr. Billings' directions say, 'Follow the cave to the right for about 100 yards. Find the stalagmite nicknamed _The Leaning Tower of Pisa_. How tall is it from tip to base? At approximately what angle is it leaning?'" Justin reads.

The pair wander through the cave.

Carlos keeps muttering "stalactite, stalagmite, stalactite, stalagmite."

"Stalagmites come up from the ground and stalactites grow from the ceiling," Justin clarifies.

"I knew that," Carlos says. "There it is. You measure and I'll get an approximate angle."

Justin digs the measuring tape and plastic protractor out of his backpack. With their calculations done, Justin reads their next set of directions.

"Follow the cave back another 100 yards. Take the fork to the right. Continue for another 100 yards. Find the stalactites nicknamed 'Dragon's Claws.' How many claws does the dragon have? What compound probably makes up the majority of the claws?" Justin says.

Carlos shines the lantern in front of them and the pair take off for their next assignment.

~*~

"Well, well, well," Divatox says, looking through her periscope at Cassie who is curled up in her bed. "Looks like one of the Rangers is under the weather."

"Ooh, ooh, want me to take some Piranhatrons to Cassie's house and really ruin her day, Auntie D?" Elgar suggests, jumping up and down while waving his hand.

"No, I have an even better idea," Divatox says with an evil grin. "What if ALL the Rangers suddenly became ill? Then the Earth would be mine for the taking."

"You want Porto to whip up a batch of the flu?" Elgar says.

"The flu? No, that's far too tame. I want something sinister. Something extremely contagious. Something…fatal." Divatox laughs wickedly. "Marshmallow!"

"Yes, my Queen?" Porto waddles into the control room of the Space Station.

"Look through the _Book of Spells_ that we stole from that asinine Rita Repulsa. Find me a good disease. I want those Rangers put out of commission for good."

"Yes, my Queen," Porto says and then waddles over to their mountain of treasure. He digs through piles of gold coins and elaborate jewelry until he finds an ancient, leather-bound book.

"Ooh! This is getting even better," Divatox croons, looking through her periscope again. She sees Carlos and Justin wandering around in the caves. "I think I found our first victims."

"Ooh, ooh, want me to take some Piranhatrons to the cave and start a cave in?" Elgar suggests, again jumping up and down, desperately wanting to be useful.

Divatox sighs in annoyance. "No, you idiot. Now get out of my sight before you wreck my delightfully diabolical plan."

"Here you go, my Queen." Porto hands Divatox the dilapidated book. He points to a chapter entitled "Fatal Diseases" and continues, "Might I suggest one of these…."

"Small pox–eradicated on Earth already, Porto. The Bubonic Plague–been done already." Divatox flips the page and runs her finger down it. "Ooh, this one sounds promising. Go get the necessary equipment for the spell, Porto. This is the one I want."

Divatox places the book on a table, it lays open to the page entitled "Summoning a Disease from the Ancient Past–Apollo's Revenge."

~*~

An hour passes and the guys decide to take a lunch break. They sit down on "Triceratops' Head" and pull out their lunch.

"So how many more do we have to go?" Justin says with his mouth full of PB & J.

Carlos swallows and answers, "Three. Maybe we'll be home by 5:00 pm."

"Oh, good."

"Why? You got a hot date tonight or something?" Carlos teases.

Justin turns beet red and stammers, "Uh, no. I just wanted to do a couple of things tonight."

Carlos contains a laugh the best that he can. He knew that Justin was in between phases. Justin hadn't quite decided if girls still had cooties or not.

"The assignment does the cave in a U-shaped pattern," Justin says to change the subject. "Why don't we leave the very last one for Cassie. That way she can enter the cave from the exit and work backwards. It will save her time."

"Plus, I don't know if I'll have a chance to come back with her," Carlos adds.

"I know, me neither," Justin says.

"She really shouldn't spelunk alone."

"Maybe Ashley could come with her or TJ?"

"Maybe. Are you finished? Let's get back to work." Carlos dusts the crumbs from his sandwich off his shirt and begins packing up the remains of their lunch.

As the guys head down another of the cave's expansive corridors, a time portal opens out of their view. Out of the portal steps a ragged looking human-like monster dressed in dirty leather armor. Soiled and bloodied bandages wrap its head and one arm. Its eyes are blood-shot and its skin is jaundiced. The monster recites an incantation in an ancient tongue and begins to incinerate. Soon all that is left is a hanging mist in the area.

Justin and Carlos round the corner to where the portal has just disappeared.

"Do we go right or left here?" Carlos says, waving the mist to clear his line of sight.

"The directions say 'right until you reach a set of formations called Houses of Gnomes.'" Justin bats at the mist, too.

The mist doesn't dissipate at their gestures. Instead, it becomes more concentrated. The guys breathe in the particles until their entire repiratory systems are coated with the mist. Justin sneezes and Carlos coughs, but the guys continue along their way. Once out of the misty area, their breathing returns to normal.

~*~

"PORTO!" Divatox yells as she watches the guys walk through the mist.

"Yes, my Queen?"

"Why aren't the Rangers dropping like flies already?" Divatox whines.

"Please be patient, oh Great One. The incubation period is approximately 24 hours."

"Twenty-four hours?!?! But I want them to be sick now!" Divatox whines.

"But if they were to die in the cave, they wouldn't have a chance to infect all the other Rangers," Porto answers, cringing in case Divatox decided to whack him.

"True. Of course, I knew that," Divatox says, readjusting her mask. "I want all the Rangers to get a good healthy dose of the virus and then we'll hit them when they're defenseless!"

~*~

"That's the last one for us," Carlos says, putting away the tape measure. "It's only 4:30. You want to stop by the Youth Center on the way home and get a drink?"

"Sure. My throat's a little scratchy." Justin places the clipboard in his back pack and zips it up.

"I told Ashley that I'd give her a ride home."

"Giving Ashley a ride home, huh? Sounds like things are getting serious."

"C'mon Justin. We've only gone out a couple of times," Carlos says with a shrug.

"I know, but Ranger Romances have a tendency to lead to Ranger Engagements. Take Alex and Adam for example."

"They're older than us. Besides, Ashley and I are just going to the movies tonight. That's all."

"Okay, but don't say I didn't warn you."

~*~

Part II

Finished spelunking, the guys go to the Youth Center to hang out with TJ and Ashley. Unbeknownst to them, the virus is quickly replicating in their bodies.

Carlos and Justin walk through the Youth Center door to see TJ taking a beating from Ashley.

"Look, Ashley," TJ says, sprawled out on the mat. "The guys are back. Why don't we take a break?"

Ashley gives TJ a hand off the floor and the pair join the guys at their favorite table.

"Hey! That's my smoothie," Justin says as TJ takes a large slurp.

"I'll give you a slurp of mine later, okay?" TJ says, lightly punching Justin in the arm. "Where's Cassie?"

"She's got a really rotten cold, so she ended up bailing," Carlos says.

"She's been sick for the last two days. She should go to the doctor and get some antibiotics," Ashley says, sitting down closely to Carlos.

"Won't do much good," Justin says. "Antibiotics only kill bacteria, and what Cassie has is a virus."

"Thank you, Dr. Stewart," Carlos says sarcastically. "Hey, Ashley, guess who's got two front row tickets for the Spice Girls show next Saturday?"

Ashley's face lights up and she stammers, "Really?! You got great tickets?!?!"

Ashley calms down immediately, realizing that Carlos technically hasn't asked her to go with him yet.

"Cassie and TJ love the Spice Girls too," Ashley thinks more humbly.

"Are you free next Saturday to go with me?" Carlos asks shyly.

"Am I?!" Ashley squeals. "You bet!"

"Great, I'll pick you up at seven."

Overwhelmed by the moment, Ashley plants a big kiss on Carlos. TJ looks away awkwardly, and Justin begins humming the "Wedding March." His rendition abruptly stops when Carlos rams his foot into Justin's chair.

~*~

The Rangers meet again the next day at the Youth Center for more martial arts practice.

"Still no Cassie?" TJ asks, as Carlos and Ashley come through the door hand-in-hand.

"She's still under the weather," Ashley answers.

"Where's Justin?" Carlos asks.

"He's sitting down over there," TJ says. "He said he wasn't feeling too well."

"I hope he hasn't picked up Cassie's bug," Ashley says.

~*~

Justin sits quietly at their favorite table, watching his friends spar. He rubs his temples and the back of his neck, trying to loosen up his vise-like headache. Justin closes his eyes and takes a few deep breaths. Upon opening them, the scenery is even worse. Now he sees two of everything.

"I'm going to kill Cassie for giving me her virus," Justin grumbles under his breath. "I might as well give it up for the day."

Justin packs up his belongings. It takes him several tries to zip his bookbag because his hands are shaking so badly. Justin pulls his jean jacket closely around himself though the Youth Center is a balmy 75 degrees. The room spins when Justin stands up. He blinks several times and then heads to the door without even telling his friends goodbye.

"Oh, it looks like Justin has caught Cassie's cold," Ashley says, noticing Justin pulling his coat around himself tighter.

"Wow, he looks really pale," TJ says. "I better walk him home. I'll meet you guys back here later, okay?"

Carlos and Ashley nod.

"Justin! Wait up!" TJ grabs his gear and rushes out the door.

Less than fifteen minutes later, Carlos and Ashley's communicators go off.

"Should have figured. This day was going too well," Ashley says, removing her fist from in front of Carlos' face.

The teens slink off to the side of the Youth Center.

"This is Carlos. What's up, Alpha?"

"Yo, yo, yo, Rangers. We got us a big problem. Justin is down for the count. You guys better get here quick!" Alpha's tinny voice sounds worried.

"We're on our way."

~*~

Within an instant, all the Rangers congregate in the Power Chamber.

"Dimitria, what happened to Justin?" Ashley says, her brows furrowing.

"Did I give him my cold?" Cassie asks in a congested voice, purposefully keeping a distance between herself and the other Rangers.

Dimitria lights up her tube. "We are unsure at this time, Cassie. It appears that Justin's body has been overtaken by a virus."

"Oh, man," Carlos says. He massages the back of his increasingly sore neck.

"I was walking Justin home and then all of the sudden he just fell out," TJ says and then adds remorsefully, "I panicked. He started moaning and twitching. I didn't know what to do. So, I teleported us directly to the Power Chamber."

"You did the right thing, TJ," Dimitria says gently.

"Yeah," Ashley places a protective arm around TJ's shoulders. "Who has a better medical facility than the Power Chamber?"

TJ allows a small smile to replace his chagrined look, but deep down inside, the self-doubt continues.

"How do the rest of you feel?" Alpha asks.

"Great," says TJ.

"Ditto," says Ashley.

"Lousy–as expected," Cassie jokes and then breaks into a dry, hacking cough.

"Okay," Carlos says and then adds, "My neck is a little sore. I think I may have strained a muscle while we were sparring. I did hit the mat really hard one time. I'll go home and take some asprin. I'll be fine."

"Rangers, there is nothing more that you can do here for now. Go home and rest. If any of you begin feeling worse, come back immediately. Try to limit your contact with others as much as possible until we are sure that Justin's virus isn't contagious," Dimitria says.

"Wait, Cassie," Alpha says. "Can you stay for a little while so that we can take some blood samples?"

"Uh, is that going to require you poking needles into my body?" Cassie says, visibly shrinking at the thought.

"How else are we going to get a blood sample, doll?"

Cassie stands silently for a few moments contemplating the idea. She reluctantly agrees, "If it will help Justin get better."

~*~

The other Rangers return to their homes and hole-up in their rooms. TJ lays on his bed tossing his baseball up and down. Ashley tries to read a book. Carlos takes some asprin and lays down trying to get rid of the splitting headache that has suddenly come on.

TJ glances at his alarm clock and sighs. Only one hour has passed. He grabs his baseball glove and begins oiling it. When his communicator goes off, TJ jumps to his feet, glad for something to do.

"This is TJ."

"Rangers, we have some bad news. Please come to the Power Chamber immediately," Alpha says.

"On my way." TJ tosses his baseball mit on his desk and teleports out in a streak of red light.

~*~

Ashley and TJ materialize at the same time. The look on Cassie's face tells them immediately that things are getting worse.

"Rangers, please come to the Medical Unit." Dimitria vanishes from her tube.

"Oh, man!" TJ says, when they arrive at the Medical Unit.

Justin lies on a gurney, covered with a blue sheet. A clear plastic curtain tents the area. Justin is pale and listless.

"We have given Justin a sedative to allow his body to rest and fight the infection," Dimitria says.

Carlos teleports into the Medical Center. He walks towards the other Rangers, weaving slightly.

"They did a blood analysis of Justin and me," Cassie says. "We don't have the same disease."

"Then what is it?" Ashley asks.

"That's the problem. We don't know," Alpha says.

"We are currently searching all of the Earth's medical data bases. But it will take time," Dimitria says.

"If he didn't get it from Cassie, then where did he get it?" TJ asks.

"We don't know that either. Justin hasn't been lucid enough to answer our questions," Dimitria says.

Throughout the conversation, Carlos has stayed silent. He blinks his eyes again, trying to get rid of his double vision.

"I'm afraid that there is nothing else that we can do right now," Dimitria says sadly. "Let us return to the Power Chamber. Maybe our computers have found something."

"Right," TJ says. "You tell us what to do, and we'll be glad to do it."

The others agree. They follow Alpha out of the Medical Center, Carlos trailing far behind.

"How's the neck, Carlos?" Ashley says and then turns around. "CARLOS!"

Carlos' knees give way and he crumples to the floor. The Rangers rush back to him and help Carlos onto another gurney. Alpha returns with a needle.

"I suspect that we may have another victim." Alpha draws a long tube full of blood.

"Rangers, I am afraid that I must quarantine you until we have been able to find out what is going on. Obviously, this virus _is_ contagious, but we do not know how it is transmitted. We cannot take a chance of spreading it to the rest of Angel Grove," Dimitria says gravely.

"But what if Divatox attacks?" Cassie asks quietly.

"We will cross that bridge when we get to it," Dimitria answers. "Alpha, meet me in the Power Chamber after you run the blood sample."

"You got it, Dimitria," Alpha answers, already typing away at a computer.

~*~

Alpha waddles into the Power Chamber a short while later. Dimitria floats silently in her tube.

"Alpha, the computer scan is complete. There were no matches for Justin's virus," Dimitria says.

"Do you think it's an alien virus?" Alpha asks.

"I'm not sure. I have contacted other alien races to ask, but it will take time. Time, I'm afraid, that Carlos–and especially Justin–may not have."

"What are we going to do?"

"We will continue to search. Our body forms greatly limit us in a physical search. I have called for human help."

"Human help? Who? A former Ranger?"

"You will see," Dimitria says.

A white teleportation light begins to glow in the Power Chamber.

~*~

Part III

The teleportation beam focuses, and a young woman forms. She is dressed in navy and white polka-dotted pajamas. Her hair is piled recklessly on top of her head. She stoops over brushing her teeth.

"What in the…," Trini mumbles, her mouth full of toothpaste.

"Trini Kwan," Dimitria says. "I am Dimitria of Inquiris. I apologize for bringing you here without any warning, but we are in a most difficult state."

"What?" Trini says, looking around for somewhere to spit.

"Alpha, please," Dimitria says and then continues, "I am afraid that three of our Rangers are ill. One is in grave condition. After searching all of the medical data listed on Earth, we have not been able to come up with the source of the virus, nor a cure."

Alpha procures two cups for Trini, one filled with water. Trini abruptly haults her hygiene routine.

"I don't mean to be uncaring, but why me? I turned in my life-time Ranger membership when I walked out the door over a year ago," Trini says, her brown eyes still flashing with hurt as she sees the old Power Ranger outfits in their chambers. The Triceratops armor triggers a painful memory.

"That was the last time Billy and I ever spoke to each other," Trini thinks. "That was the last time I spoke to any of the Zeo Rangers, either."

"We needed someone with knowledge in medicine, but who could also keep our Rangers' identities in confidence. You were our first choice."

"I'm not sure if I will be able to help you, but I'll give it a try," Trini says reluctantly. "Who's ill? Adam? Kat?"

"Trini, since your departure, our team has changed. Zordon and Alpha have returned to Eltar, and the older Turbo Rangers have passed their powers on to new members."

"Even Alex?" Trini felt a stab of guilt for not keeping up with her friend. "Has she returned from Aquitar?"

"Yes, but Alex is no longer a Ranger either. It was time for her to move on, too. We keep her Turbo armor enshrined here in our vaults with the original Power Rangers' armor. You will recall that Alex was mostly psi-powered and her Ranger powers made up the rest. This power wasn't strong enough by itself to be passed along to a new Ranger. Instead, her Turbo key remains here within our care."

Trini stands silently for a moment trying to absorb all the information and to sort out her own emotions. The betrayal of the Rangers hurt her more deeply than anything she'd ever known. Trini had spent the last year working through her anger and resentment over the incident, but it still came back to haunt her occasionally. She still couldn't bring herself to contact any of her former friends, even Alex. And she doubted if she could ever forgive Billy.

"Can you help us?" Dimitria continues.

"Can you give me a run down on all the information we have on the virus?" Trini asks and thinks, "It's my duty as a future doctor to at least try."

"Please, come with me to the Medical Center. All of the Rangers are currently quarantined there," Alpha says.

~*~

After a round of introductions and a quick history lesson, Trini is ready to get down to business. She takes a large stack of print outs from Alpha. She stares at the charts.

"The left one is Justin's viral load, and the right one is Carlos'. The one in the center is Cassie's," Alpha informs Trini.

"They are all high levels, but obviously the virus isn't treating them the same," Trini says. "I'm not even sure they all have the same thing."

"That is what we think also. Alpha ran tests on blood samples from all three Rangers. The RNA sequences on the outer coats of the virus were similar only in Carlos and Justin. Cassie's virus had a completely different RNA sequence," Dimitria says.

"So I just have a cold, like I've been telling you all along," Cassie says. "Now can I go home?"

"Not yet, Cassie. Not until we've figured out what this virus is."

"Okay, let's start from the beginning," Trini says, scratching her head. "What is its vector?"

"We are not sure what the vector is. We have not been able to identify the source. We are presuming it is human," Dimitria says.

"It could possibly be an alien virus introduced to Earth by Divatox," Alpha says and then clarifies, "the Rangers' latest foe."

Trini nods.

"This is also a possibility," Dimitria says.

"What about an incubation period?" Trini asks.

"We also do not know this."

Trini rubs her temples in frustration. "So basically we've got absolutely nothing to work with."

"I'm afraid so."

"Can I talk to Justin?"

"Yes, but I'm afraid that he may not be of much help. We have a biohazard suit that I must insist that you put on."

"No argument from me. I don't want this bug." Trini follows Alpha to a special area within the Medical Center. She dons a protective suit–complete with two layers of thick surgical gloves and a contained air supply.

"I feel like an astronaut," Trini thinks, trying to move gracefully in the clunky suit.

Trini shuffles up to Justin's bedside. His face is flushed and beads of perspiration dot his brow.

"Justin, can you hear me?" Trini says, leaning over to look into his face. "Justin, my name is Trini. I'm a friend of Zordon's. Can you talk to me?"

Justin groans and shakes his head back and forth in delirium. Trini waits a few minutes and then decides to try Carlos instead. She shuffles over to Carlos' bed and asks again. Carlos remains completely unresponsive.

"Is he going to be okay?" Ashley asks, standing on the outside of the force field.

"I don't know," Trini answers honestly. "So far we are batting a big fat zero. We can't treat what we don't know. We've got to work backwards and find out where the infection began."

"Yesterday, TJ, Carlos, Justin and I were all at the Youth Center," Ashley says, rubbing the back of her increasingly painful neck.

"Anything unusual happen there? Any monster run-ins?"

"No, it's been quiet for the last week," TJ says.

"Go back farther." Trini paces back and forth, flipping her pencil against the clipboard.

"Before coming to the Youth Center, Justin and Carlos went spelunking. Before that, they came by my house," Cassie says.

"We were all in school before that," TJ says.

"Our most recent battle was last Wednesday," Ashley says, kneading her temples with her fingers trying to get rid of her headache. "It was an easy, run-of-the-mill battle, though. We did the spin out, and poof, it was gone."

"Let me get Alpha to run an analysis of your last fight," Trini says, making a note for herself.

"Dragon's claws…five dragon's claws…," Justin mumbles.

"What? What, Justin?" Trini rushes to his side.

"Dragon's claws…mist…."

"Does this make sense to anybody?"

"Yeah!" Cassie perks up. "Dragon's claws is a formation in Angel Grove's caves. I don't remember anything listed as 'mist' though."

"Caves…caves…CAVES!" A light flashes in Trini's mind. "Of course!"

The other Rangers look at each other and shrug as Trini rushes off mumbling to herself. A few minutes later, Trini returns without her biohazard suit. She still keeps her distance from the rest of the Rangers, though.

"What's so exciting about caves?" Cassie asks.

"There is a theory circulating presently that the Ebola virus originated in a cave in Kenya," Trini explains.

"They have Ebola?!?" Ashley gasps.

"No, thank God. No, this isn't Ebola. We'd be screwed if it was," Trini says bluntly.

"We might be screwed still," Cassie says.

Trini smirks at Cassie's spunk. "She's definitely different from Kat," Trini thinks, beginning to like the new Pink Ranger.

"What kind of contact have you three had with Carlos and Justin? Did you have any contact with their blood?" Trini asks.

The Rangers shake their heads.

"Did they sneeze or cough on you?"

The Rangers shake their heads again.

"I doubt you guys would be swapping spit with each other," Trini says and picks her brain for other modes of transmission.

"I kissed Carlos," Ashley sheepishly confesses.

"It wasn't that big of a kiss, Ashley," TJ says.

"TJ is probably right. A friendly kiss on the lips is probably no big deal," Trini says, returning to her thoughts.

"That one wasn't, but later at the movies…," Ashley's voice trails off. The pain in her head intensifies causing Ashley to grab her head in her hands.

Trini jerks to attention. "Alpha, let's get a viral load on Ashley."

"What about you, TJ?" Ashley says. "You drank after Justin. Could Justin's straw and smoothie be contaminated, Trini?"

"Alpha, let's get a viral load on both of them," Trini says and shooes the pair towards Alpha. She looks Cassie square in the eye. "What about you Cassie? Did you drink after any of them?"

"No," Cassie answers.

"What about you and TJ?"

"Me and TJ, what?"

Trini raises an eyebrow.

"N-n-no, absolutely not. We're just friends," Cassie stammers.

"We should get a new viral load on you too, to be safe." Trini sends Cassie on her way and then leaves the Medical Center.

~*~

"Dimitria?" Trini says, returning to the Power Chamber.

"It is as we feared," Dimitria says, lighting up her chamber. "Ashley's blood sample shows a rapidly growing viral count. TJ's level is still low, but I'm sure that soon he will be in the same state as Carlos and Justin. Only Cassie is still virus free."

"That's what I figured. That's why I came in here to talk to you," Trini says with a sigh. "Dimitria, maybe you should consider putting the infected Rangers into suspended animation. If no one else at least, Carlos and Justin."

"I concur. The fever is beginning to cause brain damage in Justin. With their permission, I will suspend Ashley and TJ when we suspend the other two. Cassie will be left alone to defend the Earth from Divatox's attacks," Dimitria says.

"Can she do that by herself?" Trini asks.

"I will call on the Blue Senturion to assist her and the Phantom Ranger."

"It will have to do. I want to go explore the caves. Can Alpha equip me with a high-powered scanner?"

"Yes, we will design one that can detect both viruses and abnormal ion patterns."

"You think that something came from a different dimension?"

"Yes, we are now positive," Alpha says, returning with a bunch of print outs. "There is a definite ion residue in the innermost chamber of the caves."

"Then I know where I'm going," Trini says.

"Wait, do not be hasty, Trini," Dimitria warns. "We need time to gather supplies and modify your scanner for this expedition."

"When will I be able to go?"

"Approximately, five hours," Alpha answers.

"Trini, you cannot make this trip alone. Though you still have a slight power signature running through your body, you need the assistance of someone with a stronger signature. We will most likely lose you if you travel between dimensions. You need to take a Turbo Ranger with you," Dimitria says.

"No offense, but they're all sick. How are we going to swing this?" Trini says.

"Call upon one of the former Turbo Rangers. They can reclaim their powers from their ill counterpart. The choice is yours."

Trini looks at the glass case behind them. It still contained the now seemingly ancient uniforms of the original Power Rangers, plus the Zeo Ranger uniforms and Alex's uniform.

"Who can I trust?" Trini thinks, looking down the rows. "Kat? No, she blindly followed Tommy. Tanya? No, she caved in to Billy's pressuring. Tommy is definitely out and Billy was never a Turbo Ranger. Adam?"

"Dimitria, I'm going to go home to Florida to take care of some things. I'll be back in a few hours," Trini says. "I know which Ranger I want…."

~*~

Part IV

Three hours later, two white lights materialize in the Power Chamber.

"Wow, this place has really changed," Kimberly says, placing her backpack on the floor.

"You aren't kidding," Trini says to her roommate and then notices that one of the chambers is empty.

The door of the Power Chamber wooshes open.

"Life has been too quiet lately. I'm ready for an adventure," a voice says.

Trini and Kim turn around to see Alex walking cockily through the door in her Turbo Ranger garb, her helmet tucked under her arm.

"Alexandra Jamison, this is my roommate and the original Pink Ranger, Kimberly Hart," Trini makes the introductions.

"Yep, I know who she is," Alex says, shaking Kim's hand. "I had to listen to Tommy whine about your leaving him for what seemed like eternity."

"So you're the infamous Purple Ranger," Kim says.

"The one and only," Alex says with a shrug.

"I see you haven't lost any of your self confidence," Trini says.

"_We_ have a lot to talk about, Miss Kwan," Alex says, poking Trini in the chest with her index finger. "For starters, how come you didn't answer any of my letters when I got back from Aquitar?"

"Can we discuss this later?" Trini says, not ready to reopen that can of worms. "We have more pressing things at hand than the history of my dismal love life."

"Don't worry, I won't let you forget," Alex says, still feeling sore that Trini had shut her out of her life for the past year. "No offense, but why are you here, Kim?"

"My best friend and roommate is risking her life hunting a mysterious virus. Do you think I could sit by and watch her go?" Kim says and then adds nonchalantly, "Plus, it's Spring Break and I don't have anything else better to do."

"Can we get down to business?" Trini interrupts. "Let me bring you two up to speed."

An hour later, the three girls stand in their biohazard outfits in the middle of the Power Chamber. Their helmets sit on a nearby console.

"Here is your scanner, Trini." Alpha hands Trini a modfied version of the Turbo Rangers' scanners.

"This little thing is going to pick up an ion trail?" Trini asks skeptically.

"Yes, our technology has greatly improved since you were a Ranger," Dimitria says.

"Now let me get this straight," Alex says. "I'm the anchor of the team."

"A colorful way to put it, yes," Dimitria answers. "Kimberly and Trini must be touching you when we teleport you home. Their signals may be too weak if you must travel interdimensionally. Yours is still strong from your days as a Turbo Ranger."

"Here's the medical kit." Alpha returns with another small box and hands it to Trini.

"Inside the kit, you will find a syringe, 2 vials for blood storage, a tourniquet, gloves and a special cryogenic container with enough freezing liquid to last 24 hours once activiated," Dimitria says.

"If you possibly can, bring the virus' host back with you. If this is impossible, get a blood sample. It will take longer to make a batch of anti-serum, but at least it can be done," Alpha adds.

Trini marvels at her new toys. She picks up a tiny silver cube with lights on the front. "What's this?"

"Your way home," Dimitria says. "It only has enough energy to open the portal back to the Power Chamber once, so please use it with extreme caution."

"But I thought that's what I was coming along for?" Alex says.

"Alexandra, you act as the proverbial needle in a hay stack. Your power signature tells us which hay stack to look for you in, but not exactly where you are at. Only the cube can bring you home though. It works with the technology in your communicator to bring you back to the Power Chamber."

"So DON'T lose your communicator, again," Trini says to Alex.

Alex winces. "I only lost it once…okay, twice."

"Remember, you must be touching Alex to return home," Dimitria warns.

Kim and Trini nod.

"While you guys are gone, we'll start deconstructing the virus' RNA strand base by base," Alpha says.

"That could take months!" Trini says.

"If you don't succeed, at least we'll have a back up plan."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Alpha," Alex says.

"I know we can do it," Kim says emphatically.

"Ready to begin your mission, Rangers?" Dimitria asks.

Trini places the thin, brick-sized medical kit into the front pocket of her jump suit. Affirmative."

Kim folds up the scanner and places it in her pocket. She grabs her helmet and then tosses the other girls theirs. "Ready for action."

"I've got the water and powerbars in my backpack." Alex pulls the biohazard suit overtop of her leather backpack and zips up the front. "SHIFT INTO TURBO!" Alex turns her wrists to make her key and Turbo morpher appear, but doesn't complete the transformation. "Are you getting a reading?"

"Affirmative," Alpha says as a strong purple blip appears on the screen.

"Then we're set," Alex says, placing her biohazard helmet on and sealing it. "Prepare to teleport us to Angel Grove Caves."

~*~

The girls materialize in the middle of Angel Grove caves. Kim removes the scanner from her pocket and surveys the area. Kim circles slowly in her spot until the scanner begins to blip. The girls walk towards the increasing signal.

"Alpha, are you getting this?" Alex's muffled voice says into her communicator.

"Affirmative, Alex," Alpha answers. "We are analyzing the ion trail. We may be able to reopen the portal within a matter of minutes."

Trini continues to explore the cave, running her gloved hands over a smooth, icicle-shaped lime deposit hanging from the ceiling of the cave.

"Rangers, we've done it!" Alpha blasts a minute later. "We've locked onto the coordinates and are preparing to open the portal."

"Great!" Trini returns to the other girls. "Where does it lead to?"

"That we don't know."

"So we're doing a blind leap?"

"I'm afraid so."

"I hope this is a dry, oxygenated atmosphere or this is going to be a very short trip," Alex says.

"Our scans of your biohazard suits show that you have approximately 15 minutes of contained air left. If the outcome of the portal proves inhospitable or unable to support human life, immediately activate the homing beacon. You should have enough contained air to last you until we can bring you back to the Power Chamber," Dimitria says.

"We should or we do?" Alex asks, concerned.

"Should. It depends on which dimension or galaxy that you end up in."

The girls look warily at each other. Trini nods and the other girls repeat her gesture.

"Open the portal, Alpha," Trini says, her shaking hands betraying her confident demeanor. "We're ready to go."

"Opening portal," Alpha says.

"Good luck, Rangers," Dimitria adds.

A sparkling begins in the cave and an interdimensional door opens. The girls stand silently staring at it. Finally, Trini walks confidently through it. Kim follows immediately after her.

"Here goes nothing," Alex says, and fakes a confident stride through.

~*~

Trini can hear the discord of their mixed screams: Kim's high-pitched shrieks, Alex's lower-pitched screech, and finally an unfamiliar wail. Trini realizes that the final voice is her own. She'd never screamed in pure terror like she was now, and she couldn't stop herself.

The girls plummet through the pitch-black darkness, only the lights on their biohazard helmets occasionally illuminating each other.

"When will this free fall end?" Trini thinks frantically. It was like being stuck on a diving rollercoaster that never seemed to bottom out. Her stomach was rapidly preparing to empty its contents.

~*~

Part V

A sharp pain in her backbone causes Trini to yelp and then lose her breath as the rest of her body hits earth. Her head still swimming from the free fall, Trini doesn't notice Alex and Kim crumpled on the grass nearby. With a groan, Trini sits up and surveys her situation.

Grass and trees," Trini thinks. "A good bet that we are on an oxygenated planet."

"Do you think it is safe to take off our helmets?" Alex asks softly from behind Trini.

"I'm gonna yak!" A green Kimberly is the first to break the seal on her helmet.

"Kim, stop!" Trini says sharply. "You could get contaminated."

"Too late," Kim says, throwing her helmet aside.

"EEewww!" Trini and Alex say in unison.

"I guess this means the air's okay to breathe," Alex says, breaking the seal on her helmet. "I'm boiling in my own juices in that suit."

"This is so much better." Soon Kim completely sheds her biohazard suit and retucks her short-sleeved pink T-shirt into her shorts.

"What if this whole field is contaminated?" Trini continues.

Alex unzips her biohazard suit, too. "Face it Trini, we're probably okay."

"We promise to wear gloves when we locate the virus source," Kim says.

"And I'll even morph for extra protection if you want," Alex adds.

Reluctantly, Trini removes her biohazard suit. "I guess they would make us stick out."

"Not to mention that they are totally a fashion don't," Kim says.

"Which way do we go?" Alex asks, retying her hiking boots.

Trini turns slowly around in a circle and then points east. "I see several small clouds of smoke. Maybe it's a village or camp."

Alex readjusts the leather straps of the backpack over her shoulders, and the girls start off towards the smoke. After an hour's hike, the girls arrive on the outskirts of town.

"I can't believe we just did that," Trini says chagrined.

"We can't blend in with a crowd in jean shorts and t-shirts," Alex says.

"But stealing the wash off someone's clothes line?" Trini says.

"I didn't hear you coming up with a better solution," Alex replies.

"I know. I just feel…bad, that's all."

"Trini, we swiped cheap cotton togas, not some expensive silk gowns. Get over it. We're on a mission, and we need to blend in with the natives."

Kim interrupts the argument when she grabs both of the girls by their arms.

"Where _are_ we?" Kim asks.

"_When_ are we?" Alex asks.

"That must be the town's main street or market district," Trini decides, spotting small patches of smoke rising and the occasional chicken flying briefly in the air.

"I'm starving. Let's get something to eat," Kim says.

"Alex has power bars and water in her backpack," Trini says.

"No, I mean something _good_." Kim sniffs the air and reports, "I smell fresh-baked bread."

"I could 'lift' us a couple of things if you guys could provide a distraction," Alex suggests.

"Alex?!?! We are NOT going to resort to shoplifting. It's bad enough that we had to steal our clothes," Trini says.

"Oh, stop being so high and mighty, Trini. Desperate times call for desperate measures."

"Absolutely not!" Trini crosses her arms in front of her chest.

"Then pass me one of those stupid-dry-tasteless power bars. I'm starving," Alex grumbles.

"Wait," Kim says, fingering her necklace. "What if I hocked my necklace?"

"Kim, we couldn't ask you to do that," Trini says.

"Yes we could," Alex replies, stifling a stomach growl.

"Trevor gave it to me," Kim says, rolling her eyes.

"Who's Trevor?" Alex asks.

"My boyfriend. No, my _ex_-boyfriend," Kim clarifies. "Wonder if this thing is even real gold, the jerk."

"Alright! No power bars!" Alex says.

"Let's haggle, girls!" Kim removes the thick gold chain with the solid gold heart pendant on it from around her neck.

"Hey," Alex grabs Kim's elbow. "That guy looks like a money changer or something."

A richly dressed man, dripping in gold jewelry leaves the gates of the marketplace and heads down the road towards the girls.

"Yeah, he's got scales and what looks like bags of gold coins." Kim jiggles the necklace in the palm of her hand.

Soon the man stops pushing his large cart and stares at the strangers wearing ill-fitting togas with hiking boots.

"I'll handle this," Kim whispers to the other girls. She fluffs out her hair and gives the man a big smile. She walks confidently up to his cart.

"You..trade..with..me?" Kim says in a loud, slow, exaggerated voice to the silk-clad man. She holds up the necklace and then points to a small pile of coins beside the scales.

"Yes, lady. I'm the village's money changer. Where else are you planning to go?" the silk-clad man snaps in perfect English.

"He speaks English!" Alex exclaims.

"English? No, I only speak Greek, Roman, Phoenecian and Persian," he says.

"But you understand me?" Kim asks.

"Yes," the man answers with an annoyed sigh. "So do you want to do business or not?"

"How can he understand us, Trini?" Kim asks.

"How should I know?" Trini says with a shrug. "Chalk one up to the portal."

"I will give you 10 dinar for the necklace," the man offers.

"Ten dinar?" Alex asks.

"Okay, 12 dinar. And I'll give you 50 for the servant girl."

"Servant girl? What servant girl?" Alex asks.

"_Your_ servant girl." The man nods at Trini appreciatively. "A beautiful, exotic Mongolian like her will fetch a high price in Athens."

Trini's jaw drops.

"She is NOT for sale," Alex snaps. "C'mon girls. We don't need this turkey."

"Okay, okay. You drive a hard bargin. I'll give you 20 dinar for the necklace, but no more. And reconsider my offer on your servant."

Before Alex can break the man's neck, Kim hands over the necklace and snatches the money. She grabs a still fuming Alex and a dumb-founded Trini by their elbows and drags them away from the money changer.

"Now, let's eat!" Kim says.

The girls release a collective gasp as they enter the gates of the city. The main street is cluttered with everything and anything a shopper could want: bolts of satin cloth, iron cooking utensils, exotic fruits, and live stock to name but a few. The girls wander through the market until they locate the bread vendor. Trini spots a vendor selling kabobs near by, and soon the girls are enjoying a meal.

"This is _so_ good," Kim says, juice dribbling down her chin.

All Alex and Trini can manage are affirmative "hmm-mmm"s. Trini's attention is suddenly distracted by a young woman brushing roughly past her. Several men whistle at the black-cloaked young woman, and several women begin whispering.

"Look, I don't want any trouble," a local shop keeper says. "Here, take your dagger and go. We don't like your kind around here."

"Her kind?" Trini thinks.

The young woman's hood falls backwards as she holds the dagger up to the sunlight to inspect its new binding. Several jet-black braids decorated with beads and feathers tumble out. Her face is tan from obvious long hours in the sun. Her cloak covers her outfit, but thick, tall leather boots peek out from underneath. She rests a bo staff against the man's table during the inspection.

"That'll be 2 dinar for the new binding," the shop keeper says.

"Two dinar? I've seen apprentices do a better job," the high voice of a teenage girl answers. "I'll give you 1 dinar. That's it."

"Two dinar, as agreed."

The girl carefully runs her finger over the sharp blade. The crowd is silent wondering what will happen. Trini watches intently. Alex and Kim happily munch away, ever unobservant.

"Two dinar then," the girl gives in finally and throws two coins into the dirt in front of the old man.

The girl shoves through the crowd.

"They always come to make trouble," Trini overhears an old woman say.

"I wish they'd stay away," another crone adds.

"That's a pretty big knife for a little girl," a young man taunts as the cloaked girl walks by.

"Are you talking to me, little worm?" the girl defiantly turns around, brandishing her bo staff.

The young man and his friends laugh and taunt her. They circle around the girl, stepping closer and closer to her. The girl turns around frantically, wondering from which direction they are going to attack first. A roar from the group makes Trini jump to her feet.

"I'm warning you," the girl says. "You don't know what you're getting yourself into."

"Get her!" the young man says, grabbing her cloak.

The girl squirms out of the cloak and jumps up onto a nearby table. Her knife blade gleams in the afternoon sun. The men laugh as the girl slashes at her attackers. Their amusement ends when the girl slices open an attacker's deltoid. The howling man inspects his bleeding wound and then takes a swing at her. The girl stumbles backwards over some chickens and falls off the table. The men crowd in around her.

"LEAVE HER ALONE!" Trini yells at the top of her lungs.

The men stop briefly and turn around. Their looks of confusion soon melt into laughter at the site.

"Two little girls and their Mongolian slave. Oh the fear it strikes in our hearts," a balding, chubby man taunts.

"I think the neanderthal needs an attitude adjustment," Alex growls, cracking her knuckles.

Trini hushes Alex and then walks calmly towards the girl. She gives the girl a hand off the ground and prepares to return to her friends. The man with the cut deltoid suddenly blocks their path.

"I don't want to fight," Trini says softly. "Please, let us be about our business."

"Slaves don't tell soldiers of Titus's army what to do. We take what we want when we want." The man grabs Trini's arm.

"Remove your hand and leave us alone."

"I think this one will fetch a high price in Corinth. Bring me some rope."

Trini sighs in annoyance and then slams her fist into the man's solar plexus. He stumbles backwards from the unexpected blow. The soldier lunges at Trini. Trini darts out of his way and sends a series of kicks that cause the soldier to crumple to the ground.

"We're going now!" Trini grabs the girl's arm and leads her away from the crowd.

"Get me the rope!" the soldier bellows. "Grab them!"

Trini breaks into a run, dragging the girl behind her.

"Stop being such a coward," the girl hisses, pulling her knife back out.

"Put that away before you make things worse."

"Too late," the girl says as three more soldiers rapidly approach them.

"HIYAH!" Kimberly yells as she vaults over one of the tables, slamming her foot into the chest of a soldier.

"HIYAH!" Alex yells, flipping over top of another table. She catches the girl's discarded bo staff with the tip of her foot and flips it up to her hands. Alex swings the staff around dramatically and adds, "Back off!"

"Ah, man," Trini says remorsefully and then shrugs, "Oh, well."

"HIYAH! HIYAH!" Trini elbows one soldier in the chest and knocks the knife out the hand of another.

Several soldiers go flying as Alex "pushes" a cart into them. Kim's whirling display of backflips confuses a pair of soldiers long enough for her to complete a straddle kick, catching the two underneath their chins with a solid crack.

"Ooh, that gotta hurt," Kim says, dusting off her hands.

Trini's elaborate kata of kicks and punches pushes her attackers back into a crowded pottery stall. Vases and plates rain down on the soldiers until they lose consciousness.

Meanwhile the teenaged girl slashes at the soldier with the bleeding deltoid, determined to finish what she started. She is no match for the physically larger and more experienced fighter. The girl gasps as he grabs her wrist and knocks the knife from her hand. He wraps his other giant hand around her neck and squeezes firmly. The girl chokes and strains for a breath, her face quickly turning red.

A warrior's cry and a crack suddenly break his vise-like grip. As both parties sink to the ground, a blond woman brandishing a bo staff appears behind him.

"Ephanine!" the girl chokes out.

"Come, sister. We need to leave the city before we are stoned." Ephanine gives the girl a hand off the ground and hands her the bo staff. The older woman with a halo of blond curls removes a sword from its sheath on her back and walks towards the Rangers.

Meanwhile, Trini, Kim and Alex surround the remaining guards, each girl in a defensive stance. Ephanine walks into the center of the circle without a glance to the girls. She brandishes her sword in front of her. The young girl in black dutifully follows along.

"Graken, so we meet again," Ephanine says with a snarl. "You should know better than to attack one of my sisters in a public place."

"Where there are one, there are others," Graken hisses.

"Exactly," Ephanine says, grazing the soldier's cheek with the edge of her sword. "Do take a message to Titus for me, though. Tell him that if he sets one foot on our summer hunting ground that we have the right to kill him. It's the law, and we plan to carry it out to the letter–warlord or no warlord."

"Now get out of here before we decide to send you back to Titus in little pieces," the young girl threatens.

Graken stares down at the girl and smirks. He gestures at his soldiers, and the injured group limps away.

Once the soldiers are gone, Ephanine resheathes her sword and grabs the smug girl by her cloak.

"Let's go, Damiana, before they call our bluff," Ephanine says gruffly and heads out of the marketplace.

Several of the villiagers spit and curse at them.

"Keep away. We don't want your kind here," an elderly man hisses.

Ephanine pushes Damiana forward before she has a chance to respond. The pair walk swiftly out the other gate of the city.

"Wait! Wait!" Kim says as the Rangers rush to catch up with the strange warriors.

Townspeople continue to grumble as the Rangers pass.

"That's okay. We accept your gratitude," Alex mumbles sarcastically under her breath as a townswoman makes a rude hand gesture at her.

"Wait!" Kim says again as they arrive outside of the city gates. She grabs the young girl by the shoulder. Kim is rewarded with a whack across her arm. "OW! Hey! What was that for?"

"We saved your butt back there, girlfriend. I think the least we deserve is to have some questions answered," Alex says sharply.

"What my friends are trying to say," Trini steps in, ever diplomatic, "is that we are lost and we would appreciate some advice."

"Of course," Ephanine says. "But first we need to get into the forest. It won't take Titus's army long to figure out we were bluffing about our numbers."

The group walks quickly into the nearby forest. Once the lush greenery has sufficiently disguised their numbers, Ephanine slows the pace to a leisurely walk.

"So, what exactly happened back there?" Kim tries again.

"Damiana?" Ephanine asks in an authoritarian tone.

The girl withers. "Well, I was there minding my own business, and Titus's soldiers picked a fight."

Alex snorts and mumbles under her breath, "Yeah, right."

Damiana gives Alex a dirty look.

"Regardless of who started it, you should have walked away, Damiana," Ephanine continues. "You knew that we were outnumbered. These warriors saved your neck today. We owe you our thanks."

A chagrined Damiana mumbles a "thanks" to the Rangers. Ephanine elbows Damiana until she chokes out a more audible "thank you."

"No problem," Alex says. "I haven't had that much fun in a long time."

"Alex?! We weren't fighting Cogs," Trini says. "We hurt those men."

"So they ate a little dirt," Alex says with a shrug. "Seems like they needed a good helping of Humble Pie."

"Your fighting style is very unique. What band are you from?" Ephanine asks.

"Band? What band?" Kim asks.

"Of Amazons, stupid," Damiana snaps.

"Somebody should really teach this _child_ some manners. She's plucking my very last nerve today," Alex grumbles under her breath to Trini.

"Did you train with our sisters around the Thermodon? I've heard that they have Mongolian sisters in their ranks," Ephanine continues after giving Damiana a harsh look.

"The Thermodon?" Alex asks.

"The southeastern Black Sea area historically," Trini explains and then gently adds, "Please stop referring to me as 'Mongolian.'"

"It's not P.C.," Kim adds.

"You're ticking her off," Alex clarifies for the confused looking Amazons.

"My name is Trini Kwan, and I'm Korean." Trini holds out her hand to Ephanine.

"I am Ephanine, and this is Damiana." Ephanine grasps Trini's forearm with her own.

"Hi, Kimberly Hart, but you can call me Kim." Kim grabs Damiana's forearm and pumps it up and down. "And this is Alexandra Jamison. Don't let the scowl fool you, Alex is really a big softy."

Alex gives Kim a perturbed look and then clasps forearms with Ephanine.

"We are returning to our summer hunting grounds in Thracia. You are welcomed to join us," Ephanine says. "Though I'm afraid that we will have to set up camp soon. Damiana's little distraction back there cost us valuable travelling time."

"You talked about bluffing about your numbers back there. How come you are travelling alone?" Kim asks, ever curious.

"It was my duty to return my son to Amphypolis, and Damiana came for the experience. Our stop in the marketplace back there was unplanned originally, but we needed some provisions…which I had to leave behind, thanks to your scuffle, Damiana," Ephanine says.

"Return your son?" Kim says perplexed. "In America, where we're from, the child usually stays with the mother when the parents split up."

Damiana sighs thinking that Kim has to be the biggest imbecile on the face of the planet.

The light comes on for Trini. "Kim, all male children over the age of two must be returned to their father. Only females are allowed to remain in camp."

"You are correct about our customs," Ephanine says.

"One of my hobbies is…Greek…mythology," Trini slowly finishes her sentence.

"Well, now we know approximately when and where we are," Alex says.

"Wow!" Kim giggles. "So, do you think we'll see any centaurs or Pegasus or water nymphs…."