Prime Target – The Transdimensional Archives

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Disclaimer: PRiS and PRLG belong to Saban. Spinal belongs to Rare, Jenny belongs to me.

<h5><center>Prime Target By Crypt</center></h5>

Everyone needs time to themselves. Some need it more than others. Jenny, for example, can't seem to spend more than an hour with anyone. Her time alone has served her well; she has learned to survive against impossible odds. That is a great accomplishment, because there are times when one's friends can't help. Spinal, on the other hand, was almost totally dependent on his friends. He wasn't a complete coward; he was willing to fight on his own if he needed to, but he always ended up in some sort of bind. Luckily, his friends are always more than happy to come to his rescue. But Spinal felt weak. He felt empty, and needed some time to himself. Spinal dragged himself into the kitchen one morning. Arbin Gordon was boiling water in a kettle, and talking to it using a ventriloquist method. "Are you ready, little teapot?" he asked. "Yes," the teapot replied. "Are you ready to pour?" "I think so." Arbin poured some water into a cup. "Thank you very much," he said. "All right," replied the teapot. "What are you doing?" Spinal asked. "Oh nothing," Arbin told him. "Just goofing off." "C.K……I have a question," Spinal said. "Did you ever have the desire to be alone?" "No…..but it would be great, wouldn't it?" "Jenny goes on her own all the time." "Yeah. Some say it's crazy, but standing alone is a sure sign of inner strength." "How is that so?" Spinal asked. Arbin shrugged. "Dunno. But that's how it goes. However, I guess that there is some pride to be taken from independence." "Well, I'm going out for today," Spinal said. "Would you like me to accompany you?" Arbin asked. "No thanks; I need to be alone." Spinal hopped through the red jump tube to survive on his own. Just then, Fulgore came into the room. "Hey, where'd Spinal go?" he asked. "Oh, he's going out and getting into trouble," Arbin said. "All right. Can't wait to hear his cute little screams." Arbin laughed. "Yeah, as if he'd want to scream this time." "Trust me; he'll need us," Fulgore told him. "I don't know. I think Spinal can take care of himself, just like any other Spice member." <center>~*~</center>

Spinal walked through a forest alone. He wasn't really thinking at the moment, but the forest was the home of his natural enemy, the wolf. Spinal thought nothing of it. He tried not to think about all the danger he could face. "Don't look for trouble," he told himself. "Just enjoy yourself. Nothing's gonna happen." However, that statement is never correct. It wouldn't be any more correct if it had been spoken by another Spice Club member. Spinal saw a red monster in the forest. Other than its color, it was totally indescribable. Spinal quickly ducked behind a tree. "Lights of Orion, come forth!" the monster called in a nasty, high-pitched voice. A large ball of yellow light was sucked into a brass urn in the monster's arm. "Whoa….." Spinal whispered. "Those are the Lights of Orion?" "I've captured the Lights of Orion!" the monster cried. "Scorpius will be very pleased." "The Lights of Orion….." Spinal murmured. "Can't let Scorpius have "'em." Without warning, a weapon struck the monster's shoulder. It staggered back, but managed to hold on to the urn. "Destruxo….." Magna Defender growled, stepping forward with his blaster in his hands. "Those Lights don't belong to you." "They don't belong to you either," Destruxo snapped. "They belong to Scorpius." "The Lights of Orion will never be owned by Scorpius," Magna Defender said. He fired his Magna Blaster, causing explosions to pop around Destruxo. Spinal pressed himself against the tree to protect himself from the blasts. Magna Defender charged at Destruxo, sword in hand. Destruxo pulled out his own sword and went into battle with the vengeful warrior. Spinal watched intently, wondering how Destruxo could hold on to the urn. "Give me the urn!" Magna Defender shouted. "Never!" Destruxo responded. Magna Defender stepped back and swung his sword, knocking the urn out of Destruxo's hands. The urn flew past some trees, then tumbled on the ground. It finally stopped near Spinal, who stared at it. He looked back out into the open. Destruxo and Magna Defender were still battling it out. "Now's my chance," Spinal thought. "It's either now or never……" He carefully stepped from his hiding place and picked up the urn, then ran from the area. Unfortunately, Destruxo looked over and spotted him. "What!? Hey!" he screamed. "Come back with those Lights!" Spinal continued to run with the urn. "Stop!" Destruxo screamed. He tossed Magna Defender aside and fired energy blasts at Spinal. The skeleton warrior screamed, but didn't let the blasts affect him. Before Destruxo had another chance to fire, Spinal teleported out of the forest with the Lights of Orion. Destruxo growled in frustration. "Don't think you've gotten away yet, Spinal Spice!" he yelled. "You can't hide from Destruxo!" With that said, he vanished. Now it was Magna Defender's turn to rant and rave. "Confound the Spice Club. How they annoy me…..there has to be a way to silence them once and for all." <center>~*~</center>

Spinal happily raced into the dining room on the Astro Megaship. "I got it!" He practically slammed the urn on the center of the table. "What, a brass jar?" Pico asked. "No. The Lights of Orion are inside," Spinal told him. The Galaxy Rangers perked their heads up. They silently gathered around the urn. "Are you serious?" Damon asked. "Yes. Destruxo and Magna Defender were fighting over them. I snatched the urn while they were distracted with each other." "So…..if the Lights of Orion are inside, then what exactly do they look like?" Fulgore asked. "They just look like this big ball of energy," Spinal said. "Ha!" Jenny boasted. "Just as I thought, a light bulb." "Spinal?" Rachel said. "Did Magnet Defender try to hurt you?" "No, but Destruxo tried to stop me," Spinal told her. "Spinal, go back out and hide the Lights," Jenny ordered. "Why?" Maya questioned. "We don't need them," Jenny said. "At least, not right now." "Why can't you just add the Lights to your collection?" Spinal asked. "Destruxo saw you take the Lights," Jenny explained. "Since Scorpius wants them so badly, he knows that the first place to look is right here on the Megaship. So go back out and hide them." "But…..but what if Scorpius attacks me?" Spinal asked, a little worried. "Oh, come on, Spinal," the Cryptkeeper said. "Surviving alone was YOUR idea. So get out there and hide them." "All right, I'm going," Spinal sighed, picking up the urn. "And hide them good," Jenny added. "Don't tell anyone where you hid them. Don't even tell any of us until we decide that we really need them." "And you might want to watch out for old man Maggie Defender while you're at it," the Cryptkeeper said. Spinal sighed and hopped through the red tube. <center>~*~</center>

Destruxo returned to the Scorpion Stinger. Needless to say, Scorpius was not pleased. "You dare to return without the Lights of Orion?" he growled. "Scorpius…..the Lights of Orion were stolen by Spinal Spice," Destruxo protested. Astronema gasped. "Did you say Spinal?" "Yes, Spinal……that sweet and cutesy little BRAT!!" Destruxo growled. "You must retrieve the Lights from him," Scorpius said. "Destruxo….." Astronema began. "You find Spinal and capture him. Force him to reveal the Lights of Orion. Then I want him brought to me." "You sure have a thing for Spinal, don't you?" Treacheron asked. "Spinal will belong to me," Astronema told him. "Go, Destruxo." "Yes, my queen." Destruxo bowed, then left the Scorpion Stinger. <center>~*~</center>

Spinal rode his galaxy glider through space, clutching the Lights of Orion tightly. He decided to hide the Lights on a planet rather than on Terra Venture. He squeezed the urn in his hands, getting the odd feeling that he could be attacked at any moment. Spinal chose a random planet and veered towards it. Not surprisingly, the planet didn't look any different from any other planet. Spinal looked around carefully. Where could he hide the Lights? He ran into a forest to see if there was a hiding spot there. As he looked around the forest, he realized something. "I can't just set them somewhere. They have to be well-hidden…..maybe even buried." He wandered out of the forest and found a cemetery. "Perfect!" he thought. "Who in their right mind would check in a graveyard?" Fortunately, there was also a shovel nearby. Spinal dug up one of the graves, uncovering a coffin. He opened it up and held out the urn. Inside the coffin was a rotting corpse. Spinal placed the urn in the corpse's arm. "You're going to guard the Lights of Orion for all eternity," he said. He closed the coffin and reburied it. He felt better now. At least when Scorpius attacked him, he still wouldn't be able to get the Lights…….unless…… "Oh man…..I've got to get as far away from here as possible," Spinal thought. He ran from the cemetery as fast as he could. He didn't even stop anytime soon; he just kept running and running. Without warning, the Stingwingers leaped in front of him. Spinal stopped and gasped. The Stingwingers attacked, but Spinal fought them off. At least he held his own pretty well……until Destruxo showed up. He immediately threw powerful energy blasts at Spinal, throwing him off balance. "Ah ha!" Destruxo yelled. "Just the one we've been looking for!" Spinal stood up and took out a few more Stingwingers. "Spinal Spice!" Destruxo shouted. "Cough up the Lights of Orion before I get really mad!" "No way!" Spinal cried. "You'll never get the Lights of Orion!" Destruxo raised his sword and charged. Spinal produced his own weapons to defend himself. He blocked Destruxo's attack with his shield, then struck the monster's stomach a few times. Destruxo stepped back and attacked again. Their sword clashed several times, then Destruxo stepped back again. He began to gather energy in his sword. The energy was gathered much more quickly than Spinal had predicted. Before the skeleton warrior could react, Destruxo lashed out with his blue glowing sword, delivering several brutal blows to Spinal's chest. Spinal flipped backwards, crashing on his chest. Before he could get up, the Stingwingers grabbed his arms and pulled him to his feet. Spinal groaned loudly as he struggled. "Let go of me!" he demanded. "Not until you give me the Lights!" Destruxo told him. "I'll never give you the Lights, ever!" Spinal screamed. "Then I'll just have to take you to Astronema, and she'll get the Lights from you!" "NNNNOOOOOO!!!!" Suddenly, the Stingwingers were struck by energy blasts. Spinal recognized the energy blasts as Magna Defender's. When the Stingwingers released Spinal, he covered his face, wondering how Magna Defender managed to avoid shooting him. "Step back, you fiend!" Magna Defender shouted. "He belongs to me!" He shot Destruxo with the Magna Blaster again, knocking him down. Destruxo stood up and turned to Spinal. "Ah, who needs you?" he yelled. "I'll find the Lights of Orion without you." He vanished in a crack of red lightning. Spinal stared at Magna Defender, who calmly walked closer. "Thanks," Spinal said. In a sudden motion, Magna Defender cocked his weapon and blasted Spinal with it. As Spinal reeled on the ground, Magna Defender stood over him. "I'm not here to help you," he said coldly…… <center>~*~</center>

"Hmm…..if you were Spinal, where would you hide the Lights of Orion?" the Cryptkeeper asked on the Megaship. "Spinal would hide them anywhere to get them out of his hands," Fulgore said. "I thought he'd be back by now, though." "I think that Spinal would know better than to leave them out in the open," Jenny said. "He knows how important they are to us and that they can't fall into Scorpius' hands." C.C. came into the room. "Guys, I'm kind of worried. Spinal should have been back by now." "Hey, maybe Spinal already hid the Lights," the Cryptkeeper said, trying to be positive. "Maybe he's just taking time off." "We can contact him and see what's going on," Jenny suggested. "I already tried," C.C. told her. "He's not answering." "Sounds like something happened to him," Fulgore said with a smile in his eyes. "I knew he'd need us somewhere along the road." "We'll find him!" Hallie cried. Hallie, Kathy, Robyn, and Rachel jumped through the tubes before anyone could stop them. They teleported to Terra Venture, but something distracted them. "I'm thirsty," Rachel complained. "Me, too," Robyn added. So the girls ordered sodas and sat down in the Terra Venture café. "So, what's on your mind?" Hallie asked no one in particular. "My hair," Rachel replied. "I got new braids." "Wow, they're pretty, Rachel," Kathy said. "The lady did them and she told me her name," Rachel said. "What is her name?" Hallie asked. "I don't know, I forgot; but I have it up here," Rachel told her, pointing to her head. "Rhonda, Rhonda!" Robyn cried. "What?" Hallie and Kathy asked in unison. "That's her name," Robyn said. "She said her name was Rhonda." Then a woman who looked Japanese walked by. "Ohio." "New Jersey," the girls replied in unison. The woman chuckled. "No, no. "'Ohio' means "'hello' in Japanese." "Oh! Sorry "'bout that," Hallie said. "Hey…..why is everybody so scared?" Robyn asked out of nowhere. People were screaming and running. Even the Japanese woman began to scream and run. When the area was clear, the little girls saw what the people were running from. "Hey, I remember that guy!" Rachel cried. "It's Destruxo," Kathy said. "I thought he was joining the Spice Club." "Oh no." Hallie shook her head. "He had a change of heart when Arbin, Hanim, C.C., and Spinal had that argument about men and women. They drove him insane. It's all Damon's fault. If he hadn't hired that stupid stripper for Spinal's bachelor party, Destruxo would be one of us." "Eeeuw, I don't want him to be one of us!" Robyn cried. "Well, what are we waiting for?" Hallie asked. "Let's kick his butt!" The little girls stood up calmly and approached Destruxo silently. "Well, well, if it isn't the little Spice girls!" the monster cooed. The girls stared at him seriously. Naturally, Hallie took her sister's place as leader. "Hyaaaaaahh!!" Hallie screamed at the top of her lungs. "Hyaaaaaahh!!" The other girls joined Hallie's scream. "What a joke," Destruxo thought as the children rushed towards him. Hallie threw a normal snap kick as Destruxo stepped to the side. Kathy tried a roundhouse from the side, but Destruxo blocked it. Each of the girls took their turns kicking. Destruxo tried to block or avoid their attacks, but the girls kept kicking furiously up and down. Destruxo soon realized that the girls were mainly going for his groin. Yes, the little girls were constantly trying to kick his groin, so Destruxo kept his blocks low. As he blocked Hallie's kick to the groin, the twins gave him a high kick to the face. Kathy snuck behind and kicked the back of Destruxo's leg. The monster fell onto his rear. The girls took turns trying to stomp on his groin as Destruxo slid back to avoid them. Then he quickly got up and jumped, propping himself between two poles. The twins jumped up after him, Rachel kicking his arms and Robyn kicking his ankles, knocking Destruxo down. The monster stood up, but the girls attacked again. As Rachel kicked, Destruxo grabbed her leg and flipped her over. Rachel crashed onto her back. Kathy slid on the ground in an attempt to trip him. Then she spread her legs out in another attempt. Destruxo stepped back. As Kathy spun around in a break dancing maneuver, Hallie leaped over her and jump-kicked Destruxo in the face, knocking him down. Destruxo stood up again, and the girls threw more swift, deadly kicks. The twins kicked his thighs. Finally, Destruxo screamed in pain and moved away from them, and the girls paused. Destruxo rubbed his numb legs as he gave an exasperated sigh. How could these four little girls beat the daylights out of him like this? The girls giggled, then got serious again. "Where's Spinal!?" Hallie demanded. "What do you mean?" Destruxo asked. "You know what we mean," Kathy said. "You took Spinal and you know it!" Rachel cried. "So give him back!" Robyn added. "I haven't done anything with that pile of bones!" Destruxo told them. "So bug off, all of you!" He raced at the girls again. The girls continued their merciless kicks. As they kicked, Robyn snuck behind him and kicked him directly in the rear. Hallie threw a roundhouse, which Destruxo blocked. Then he ducked under Hallie's backfist. Destruxo punched her brutally in the face. Hallie staggered back, covering her face. She uncovered it, revealing a clean cut across her left cheek with blood oozing out. Hallie got some of the blood onto her hand, staring at Destruxo as if to say, "How could you do this?" "Sorry "'bout that," Destruxo said. "NOT!!" Hallie's face soured. The other girls rushed back into battle….. <center>~*~</center>

"Where are the Lights of Orion?" Magna Defender asked flatly. Spinal lay on a table in a strange room. He looked around to see control terminals everywhere. He realized that he was tied in a spread-eagle position. But how did it happen? Spinal didn't remember seeing Magna Defender bring him here, let alone tie him up. He didn't recall being knocked out either. He looked up at Magna Defender. "Magna Defender…..what have you done?" he asked. "That is no concern to you," Magna Defender told him. "Now where are the Lights of Orion?" "What are you gonna do?" "I'll do whatever I have to in order to get some answers. For the final time, give me the Lights!" "I don't have the Lights!" Spinal cried. "So let me go and leave me alone!" Magna Defender slowly stepped closer. In a sudden motion, he slapped Spinal roughly across the face with a backfist. Spinal gave a weak cry of pain. "You are in no position to demand, Spinal Spice," Magna Defender growled. "Don't make this any more difficult that it needs to be. Now give me the Lights before I get really mad." Spinal pondered for a moment. The message seemed to be that if Spinal gave up the Lights of Orion, Magna Defender would let him go. But Jenny had given him strict instructions not to tell anyone where he hid the Lights. Spinal preferred to suffer the torture than to defy the Spices. "No!" he cried, his voice trembling. "I made a vow, Magna Defender. I vowed never to give up the Lights." "Arrgh!" Magna Defender growled. He pulled out his sword and struck Spinal's chest with it. Spinal screamed in pain. Magna Defender grabbed his jaws to shut him up. "Let's try this again. Give me the Lights of Orion, or I'll""" "Kill me?" Spinal cut in. "Then you'll never find them!" Magna Defender slapped him across the face again. "You are trying my patience." He walked over to a control terminal and pressed a button. Spinal felt a painful electric shock throughout his body. Spinal cried out in pain as he squirmed against his restraints, which now appeared to be wires. How else can Magna Defender send that electric shock through him? As Spinal struggled, Magna Defender pressed the button again another shock through him. "No…..don't give in!" Spinal told himself. "I can't give up! I'm a weakling if I do!" "If I have to beat the Lights of Orion out of you, then so be it," Magna Defender told him. "No!" Spinal began to sob. "You'll never get the Lights! Not you, not Scorpius, not anyone!!" Magna Defender raised his sword again……. <center>~*~</center>

On Terra Venture, Destruxo was beginning to gain an advantage against the little girls. Still, they attacked him viciously. When Destruxo blocked Robyn's kick, he punched her stomach and kicked her forehead. Rachel saw her sister down, then went at Destruxo. After dodging several fierce kicks, Destruxo grabbed Rachel's ankle and threw her over his shoulder. Hallie and Kathy went after Destruxo while Rachel checked on Robyn. Hallie and Kathy waited for the monster's attack. Before the battle could continue, Destruxo was struck by energy blasts. The Rangers and Spices joined the little girls. "Leave them alone, Destruxo!" Leo shouted. Ruth ran to check on her daughters. Rachel still knelt over Robyn, still curled up, holding her stomach and forehead. She was sobbing quietly. "Robyn, are you all right?" Ruth asked softly. Robyn tried to get up, but was in too much pain. She dropped and cried even harder. "What happened, Rachel?" Ruth asked. "We were fighting Destruxo," Rachel said. "He hit Robyn pretty hard." "Okay. You two go back to the ship where it's safe," Ruth instructed. The twins teleported away while Ruth joined the others. "Where's Spinal, you big freak!?" Fulgore demanded. "I haven't done anything with that silly sack of bones!" Destruxo shouted. "Of course, I would have done something if Magna Defender hadn't interfered." The Spices glanced at each other. "Magna Defender……." they said in unison. "Rangers, take over," Jenny said flatly. Before the Rangers could protest, the Spices teleported away. So the Rangers turned back to Destruxo…… <center>~*~</center>

Meanwhile, Spinal was still enduring Magna Defender's torture. The caped crusader slashed Spinal with his sword, trying to get some answers from him. Spinal, however, still refused to reveal the location of the Lights of Orion. Magna Defender growled in frustration and seized Spinal roughly by the bottom jaw. "You are only prolonging the inevitable, Spinal Spice! You are weak! I let nothing stand in my way!" Spinal shook his head to free himself. "Say and do what you will, Magna Defender! I'll never show you where the Lights are!" Magna Defender put his sword away and sighed. He walked over to a computer monitor and turned it on. It displayed the Spices walking through an empty field. It zoomed in on Jenny, who stopped and crossed her arms. "Those Spices have annoyed me for the last time," Magna Defender told himself. "I've got to get rid of them…..especially that Tonfa Spice……" He turned back to Spinal. "Don't move. I'll see if the other Spice Club members are more cooperative." "Don't bother," Spinal snapped. "They don't know where I've hidden the Lights." "I'll just destroy them," Magna Defender told him. "They've interfered with my mission once too many times. I'll teach them to mess with me….." He turned around and walked out of the room. Spinal looked around frantically. "Now's my chance to find a way out of here," he thought. "But first I have to get free from these wires….." He began to struggle desperately…… <center>~*~</center>

"Uh, Jenny……what exactly are we doing here?" Fulgore asked as the Spices walked through the empty field. "This is where Spinal was last detected," Jenny replied. "We're here to search for clues as to where he might be." "Jenny, I have advanced vision here," Fulgore said. "I don't see a damn thing." Suddenly, the Spices were greeted by energy blasts. They quickly rolled out of the way. When they stood up, they saw Magna Defender walked towards them. "Spice Club…." he mumbled. "What seems to be the trouble?" Arbin asked. "You've cost me valuable time," Magna Defender replied. "Prepare to meet your doom." "Hey, slow down!" Gazelle protested. "What have we ever done?" Like Magna Defender, Jenny also meant business. "Where is he?" she asked coldly. Magna Defender paused. "Who?" Jenny sighed. "Don't play dumb with me, Maggie; you know who." "Where's Spinal, you big bully!?" Hallie screamed. "He's a bully, all right; look at those horns!" Fulgore added. "You won't need the bones where you're going," Magna Defender told Hallie, lifting his sword. "I……I think he wants to fight….." Hanim suggested. "Obviously," Jenny mumbled, posing in her fighting stance. The Spices lined up side by side, but Ruth stepped back. "Guys, this isn't necessary," she protested. "Violence isn't the answer!" "I don't think so, not with this guy," Jenny said. "We must fight because he wants to hurt us." "In order to keep him from hurting us, we must defend ourselves," the Cryptkeeper said. "In order to defend ourselves, we must knock him out," Fulgore said. "In order to knock him out, we must cause pain," Pico said. "In order to cause pain, we must resort to violence!" Gazelle added. "We'll teach you to mess with us!" Jenny vowed. "You will not win. We will win." "When we win, we will not be defeated," the Cryptkeeper said. "We will not be defeated because you will be defeated," Fulgore said. "And when you are defeated, it is YOU who will have lost!" Jenny shouted. Magna Defender was unfazed by their display. "Soon you will eat those words, Tonfa Spice." He gripped his sword and rushed at the Spices. Jenny was the first one to rush at him, followed closely by the others. Ruth stayed in her spot. She didn't feel that this was necessary at all. Magna Defender lashed out with his sword, but the Spices dodged his attacks. With due respect, the Spices allowed Jenny to make the first attack at Magna Defender. She threw a high roundhouse kick, which he blocked. Magna Defender attempted to strike her ankles with his sword, but she hopped over it. "Well, I'm not letting her hog all the fun," Fulgore said. He moved in and lashed out with his claws. Magna Defender grabbed his wrist and elbowed him in the chest. Fulgore stepped back, then came back with a snap kick. When the caped crusader blocked it, Fulgore tried an inward spin kick. Magna Defender took advantage and nailed Fulgore in the back. Now all the Spices went into battle. Ruth stood by, thinking of some way to stop this. "Come on, you guys; this isn't necessary!" she cried. The warriors continued to fight anyway. Hanim swung her daggers wildly at Magna Defender, yelling savagely. After blocking a few attacks, Magna Defender grabbed her wrist and flipped her over. Pico tried to get behind him and attack, but Magna Defender struck his foot with the sword, causing Pico to trip. Hallie rushed in and grabbed Magna Defender's arm. "Step aside, little girl!" he demanded shoving her away. Arbin stepped in cautiously, waiting for Magna Defender to make the first move. Magna Defender tried to sever Arbin's head, but the zombie ducked and kicked behind the knee. Meanwhile, Pico sat up and checked his damage. He noticed a large slash in his silver boot, which enraged him. Magna Defender threw a powerful side kick, sending Arbin back twenty feet, crashing in front of Hanim. Pico stood up to confront Magna Defender. "I paid 500 IPD's for these boots, ass hole!" he shouted. "What are IPD's?" Hanim asked. "Interplanetary dollars," Arbin replied. Magna Defender shot a finger out at Pico. "Your mouth will lead to your destruction." He charged at Pico, who held a hand out. A green archery bow appeared in his hand, and Pico pulled the string back. He released it, shooting a green energy bolt that slammed into Magna Defender's chest. The archery bow disappeared from Pico's hand. "I was wondering how far you'd go to annoy me," Magna Defender said. He took his Magna Blaster and fired. Pico gasped and turned around, his shield emitting a red glow. The blasts bounced off the shell and struck Magna Defender. Pico stared at his damaged boot again. "Damn it!" <center>~*~</center>

Spinal still wasn't looking forward to Magna Defender's return. He was still squirming against the restraints that held him to the table. After a while, he stopped in exhaustion. "Why can't I break free?" he thought. "These wires are too strong! What am I gonna do?" He thought about what would happen when Magna Defender returned. It was obvious that Magna Defender would torture him to death until he got the Lights of Orion. The only way Spinal could leave this place was escape. Spinal looked over at the control terminal. He threw his foot out as far as he could. His foot detached from his leg and hit the terminal. Instantly, the wires released him. "Yes! It worked!" he exclaimed. He got up and hopped over to retrieve his foot and screwed it back on. Then, with glee, he left Magna Defender's lair. <center>~*~</center>

Magna Defender swung his sword horizontally, throwing a blue energy wave at the Spices. The wave exploded around the misfits, sending them to the ground. "Scorpius will be destroyed," Magna Defender vowed, "as will anyone else who stands in my way." Suddenly, something struck Magna Defender's back, knocking him forward. "You'll be sorry you messed with us, Magna Defender!" an adorable, high-pitched voice cried. "Spinal!" C.C. yelled. Spinal stood behind Magna Defender, his shield thrust out in front of him. "Spinal, little buddy!" Fulgore cried. "What the hell happened to you?" "I'll tell you what happened," Spinal said. "Magna Defender nearly tortured me to death!" C.C. gasped. "Oh Maggie, how could you!?" Spinal held up his sword. "It's like I said before, Magna Defender. You'll never get the Lights!" Magna Defender held his chest. "The Lights of Orion are my own chance of destroying Scorpius…..to relieve the pain of losing a child." "The pain you feel is nothing compared to the pain you've caused," Spinal told him. "Destroying Scorpius won't bring Zika back," Jenny added. "Shut up, all of you!" Magna Defender screamed. Out of nowhere, he grabbed his chest and dropped to his knees, groaning. The Spices were thoroughly confused, but they didn't care. "Well, what's eating him?" Fulgore asked. "If his son was killed 3,000 years ago, Magna Defender must be a pretty old man," Jenny said. "He must be having some sort of heart attack…..which gives us the chance we need." She charged at Magna Defender at full speed. "Jenny!" Ruth screamed. Jenny threw a powerful crescent kick, knocking Magna Defender back. "Excuse me….." Spinal growled, pulling the suffering warrior to his feet. "Let's see how YOU like it!" He slashed Magna Defender's chest with his sword, just as Magna Defender had done to him. Pico came in from the side and nailed Magna Defender with an uppercut to the stomach and a fierce punch to the face. The other Spices joined in, kicking their opponent back and forth. When they grew weary, Jenny tossed Magna Defender into the air and leaped after him. While in midair, she threw an inward spin kick followed by a thrust kick with her opposite leg. Magna Defender crashed roughly on the ground while Jenny landed nimbly on her feet. Magna Defender remained motionless. The Spices gathered around Jenny. "Suits him well," she mumbled. "Jenny……brawn doesn't solve anything," Ruth said. "You're right….." Jenny sighed. "But I'm sure that now Maggie Defender will think twice before messing with us again." But the battle wasn't quite over yet. Destruxo appeared from nowhere and tackled Spinal. Destruxo attempted to burn an energy ball into him, but Spinal blocked it, trying to push the monster's hand away. Destruxo, however, maintained pressure. "Give me the Lights of Orion!" he demanded. "No! Never!!" Spinal screamed. "Guys, help!!" "Coming, Spinal!" Hallie called. She dove into Destruxo, freeing Spinal. Destruxo stood up to face her, but Hallie wasn't done yet. "All right, Destruxo; this one's for Robyn!" She punched him in the stomach, then kicked his face, just as Destruxo had done to Robyn. Destruxo groaned in pain as he stood up. The Rangers teleported in to face Destruxo. "You won't get off that easy!" Leo shouted. "Hey, no fair!" Hallie complained. "I was on a roll!" "Save your breath, brats!" Destruxo shouted. "I'll be back!" He disappeared in a flash of red lightning. "Don't bother coming back!" Jenny called. "It'll only cost you your life." "Come on," Spinal said. "Let's get out of here before something else happens." The others nodded in agreement and teleported back to the ship. <center>~*~</center>

Destruxo also returned to the Scorpion Stinger. "Spinal Spice is so stubborn! I say we destroy him once and for all!" he shouted. "No!" Scorpius snapped. "Spinal Spice is the only one who knows the location of the Lights. He must not be destroyed." "We'll catch him sooner or later," Treacheron said. "He can't elude us forever. I'm sure we can persuade him to bring us the Lights of Orion. And when he does, Scorpius will rule the universe!" Astronema smiled as she stared out the window. "Beware, Spinal. Scorpius has set you in his sights….." <center>~*~</center>

That night, Spinal and Kai were cooking dinner for the Megaship crew. They were cooking meat loaf as the main course. "So Spinal……" Kai began. "Where DID you hide the Lights of Orion?" Spinal shook his head. "I'm not telling. Jenny gave me strict instructions, and in my loyalty to the Spice Club, I shall follow them." "Well, you're the only one who knows where the Lights are, and Scorpius knows it," Kai teased. "He's going to be after you." "Oh boy, can't wait," Spinal mumbled. During the afternoon, Robyn recovered, as her injuries weren't too serious. The four little girls strolled into the kitchen to utilize their new knowledge of the Japanese language. They put their palms together as if to pray, and bowed to Kai and Spinal. "Ohio," they said in unison. "Ohio," Kai replied. Hallie looked directly at Spinal. "Ohio, Spinal." Spinal just looked confused. "Umm…….Pennsylvania." The girls burst out laughing. "What's so funny?" Spinal asked. The girls just left the room, still laughing. "Oh, come on!" Spinal cried. "Spinal……" Kai said. "You're in trouble." "Oh thank you, Kai; that was a very helpful remark." So the Lights of Orion were set aside, waiting for the day when the heroes would need to unleash their mighty powers. And the location would be more secure since only Spinal knows where they're hidden. Unfortunately, this knowledge would make him Scorpius' prime target. At least the others are always there to defend him.nny �…¡