Cancer: Creeping Death

Creeping Death is the third episode of the Cancer arc, and the twelfth of Power Rangers: Neo Zeo.

Synopsis
To stop the Rangers' onslaught, Leo uses Cancer's unfinished plague against them.

Plot
Whirling one of its axes, Super ZeoZord III smashed a Windjammer ship through the cockpit, and it exploded. Debris clanked against the Zord's hull as it flew past the debris towards the Moon. Catching a Windjammer ship, Super ZeoZord IV crushed it, and using it like iron knuckles, punched another ship out of the sky. Super ZeoZord V was way ahead of them both, smashing through the Windjammers as they swarmed around it like angry wasps. More poured out of the prison ship to join the battle, but even with reinforcements the monsters were only slowing the Rangers down.

Inside the prison ship's bridge, Leo paced back and forth, watching as other monsters worked frantically to coordinate the fight.

"What kind of weapons do we have?" He demanded.

"None!"

"What?"

"None functional—this clunker is ancient, and a prison ship!"

The mouthy Windjammer got his head slammed into his console. One massive paw holding him in place, Leo bellowed in his ear, "DON'T CONDESCEND TO ME, YOU LITTLE WORM!"

"We're working to get the torpedo chambers ready, but that could take weeks," another monster put in timidly.

Leo released the other monster, letting it fall out of its chair. He let out a rumbling growl.

"Cancer, where's your plan now?"

Storming out of the bridge, he shoved aside running monsters, making his way to Cancer's laboratory. As he reached the doors, they slid open and Cancer emerged, his claws full of chemical paraphernalia.

"Cancer! That plague had better be ready!"

Cancer gave him a withering glare. "It's not, and shouting won't change that. I'm relocating to a more secure laboratory on the Moon, please get out of my way, I'm in a hurry."

"We're under attack, you blockhead! Give it to me—while we still have a chance to use it!" Leo made a grab for it, but quicker than looked possible, one of Cancer's claws shot out and clamped down on his arm. The grooved edge bit into the leonine creature's flesh, drawing blood.

Cancer spoke with deliberate calmness. "It's. Not. Ready. It might affect five people before it dissipated into the atmosphere, and it'll probably take too long to have any effect now—those five would take days to die."

The ship shook, and something shattered in the laboratory behind Cancer. Releasing Leo, the giant crab hurried down the passage and away. With a snarl, Leo ducked into the laboratory. One rack of vials had fallen over and shattered, but a few of the glass tubes were unbroken. Leo removed three and headed out again.

oZo

"We're almost there," Lidian said over the comms.

"Good," Tommy replied from the Power Chamber. He'd volunteered to keep an eye on the fight while Alpha and Casey worked to install all of the new equipment the Phantom Ranger had brought. "Try to get rid of some of your tails—and start with those guys trying to set up the electronic net."

"Right." Super Zeozord IV shot towards one of the ships in question, axes at the ready.

"Screwdriver!" Casey yelled, and it shot across to her from where Alpha was working. She caught it and slid back under the console.

"I'm still getting a clear signal from the Zeo Crystal," the Blue Ranger reported. "We should be able to just cut into the mother ship and grab it."

"No, we're not risking it getting sucked into space and lost," David interrupted. "We enter on foot and retrieve it."

"And risk getting into a hand-to-hand fight with the monsters?"

"One thing at a time, guys," Lidian said, as his Zord roundhouse-kicked a Windjammer ship into a tailspin.

"Hang on," Tommy said, checking the console. "Red Ranger, I'm picking up a hull breach in your Zord—wait, no—all three of you."

"Hull breach?" Super ZeoZord III kicked a Windjammer ship aside, but it righted itself and shot towards the Zord again. "Atmosphere's not going anywhere, I don't think."

Tommy frowned at the screen, and shrugged. "Sensors still say the hull was compromised."

"We'll worry about it if something happens, then," David sad hurriedly, impaling a Windjammer ship on his Zord-sized Zeo Power Sword and swinging it towards the main ship.

"Pass me those spare wires!" Casey kicked the box over to Alpha.

The next console lit up, and Tommy wheeled on it. He looked alarmed. "Guys, there's something in the air!"

"What?" Lidian and Alpha exclaimed in unison.

Springing up, the little robot hurried over to the console, and Tommy readily moved aside to give him a good look. "Rangers, land on the moon and vent your Zords' atmospheres immediately!"

"We're almost there—we can't leave the Pink Subcrystal in enemy hands," David retorted. His Zord swerved to avoid a black blast from one of the nearby ships. It burst into a blue flash and sucked the nearest Windjammer in, twisting and crumpling the metal like a tiny black hole.

"Rangers, you're being exposed to something in the air; you need to get rid of it as soon as possible!" Alpha 5 protested.

"We're morphed, we're protected," Violet said. "For once I'm with David. Let us know if it becomes an actual threat."

Both Zords moved further in, though Lidian seemed to be hesitating. "What is it? Can you tell?"

"Working on it," Alpha 5 said.

"Rangers, withdraw, now," Tommy snapped.

"We're almost there," Violet retorted.

"I'll be right with you guys," Lidian said, and his Zord flew towards the Moon. A few Windjammers broke off to follow, slowing him down as he fended them off.

Gradually, almost imperceptibly, the other two Zords began to slow down. As Alpha 5 worked to figure out what that hull breach had been, more and more of the Windjammers' attacks started to get through. One of the monsters blasted Super ZeoZord V across the shoulders, scoring the hull. It swerved erratically.

"Rangers?" Alpha 5 asked anxiously.

"I'm okay," David panted.

Violet mumbled about the heat. Raising its axe, Super ZeoZord III took a metal harpoon through the arm, and a Windjammer ship jerked it back, towing it on a cable. The Zord reached up and caught the line, but seemed to freeze up in that position. More Windjammers closed in at once.

"Withdraw, both of you, that is an order," Alpha 5 said firmly.

"Can't." David sounded a lot less sure this time.

"I'll get them," Lidian said, as his Zord flew in. Kicking aside the towing ship, he caught Super ZeoZord III by one arm and started dragging it towards the Moon. Super ZeoZord V lashed out with a few more wild strokes, but the Windjammers easily avoided them.

"What's going on?" David asked, his voice tight. His breathing was audibly harsh even through the comms.

"Retreat so we can find out!" Alpha 5 said.

"I—"

"David!" That was Tommy, in a tone that wouldn't have sounded any less commanding if he'd actually had a morpher of his own.

Slowly, Super ZeoZord V turned away from the fight, following its fellows towards the far side of the Moon. A few Windjammers pursued, letting off final little attacks, but most of the monsters seemed content to let the Rangers flee.

oZo

Violet sat slumped back in her seat, morphed but helmetless. Her tangled hair clung to her face, her breathing was labored, and she shivered uncontrollably. Her Zord, like David's, was still parked on the surface of the Moon. Super ZeoZord IV patrolled around them, in case any Windjammers got any bright ideas.

"Any progress?" That was David, trying not to sound sick and failing.

"It's definitely a bacterial plague," Alpha 5 reported.

"I guess it's not one compatible with Edenoites?" Lidian put in.

"Apparently not, unless you've started feeling symptoms."

"But can you fix it?" Violet snapped, glaring down at her console. "We've been up here for . . . I lost count."

"Sixteen hours, forty-five minutes and twelve seconds," Casey reported, voice low and tired. "I'm going to go check on Mom and Dad, make sure they're not worrying."

"Good, you do that," Violet mumbled. "Everybody go lie to the loved ones. Actually, just go to bed."

"We're not leaving until we've found a cure." Tommy sounded remarkably awake considering how long he, like everyone else, had been up.

"You might as well," David put in. ". . . Worst comes to worst, need someone rested to fight. Lidian, Casey, you too."

Lidian protested, "it's not that serious yet! I told you, I feel fine."

"My turn for orders. Go rest."

"If anything changes we'll call you," Alpha 5 put in.

". . . All right." Tommy didn't sound happy about it, though. "Good luck, guys."

As Violet leaned back in her seat, she thought she saw a flicker of light shoot past. Frowning, she looked again, but her vision was starting to get blurry. By the time she'd blinked it back to normal, there were nothing but stars overhead.

oZo

"Given Cancer's estimates, it will probably take some time for the Rangers to die, so I recommend an attack now, while they're struggling to find a cure," Leo said, his voice echoing around the Zodiac Emperors' chamber. "We can send—"

The doors boomed open, revealing Cancer standing in the passageway. His face had never been terribly expressive, but now cold fury radiated from him. Slowly, he advanced into the room, feet clicking on the metal floor.

"What," Cancer began, "Did you do with what you stole?"

Leo rolled his eyes as the others turned shocked—or in Taurus's case, impressed—expressions on him. "Used it against the Rangers. You'll be pleased to know that it's taken effect almost immediately, and their allies don't know how to deal with it. They've isolated them, but can't do anything else."

Cancer had now walked within arm's reach of Leo. Too fast to see, one of his claws lashed out, catching Leo by the throat. The serrated blades cut into either side of his neck as Cancer dragged him closer.

"You idiotic, arrogant, shortsighted whelp of a cat! If the Rangers discover a cure now, we'll never be able to use the refined version! Feel ready to steal command now, 'Emperor'?" Cancer snarled. Leo clawed at the pincer, but his claws couldn't penetrate the giant crab's shell. His eyes bulged, and he let out a choking cough. "That's right, mewl, you pathetic little kitten. All I'd have to do is tighten my claw a little, like this—"

Chunks of Leo's mane fell out, sheared off by the blades. Virgo stood up, looking alarmed.

"—And I'd take your head off. Nice and tidy."

"Stop this at once! If we kill off half of the team here, that won't matter!" Taurus shouted. "Besides, we'd never get to use the final plague if the Rangers broke in and killed us all, would we?"

"Cancer, please," Gemini said, in a soothing voice. "What's done is done."

At last, Cancer threw Leo aside. He collapsed on the floor, gagging, blood showing through his dark mane. Virgo moved silently to help him as Cancer turned away.

"Very well," the giant crab said, in a controlled tone, "But in that case, may I ask, for what purpose did you steal the cure as well?"

"What?" Leo gave him a confused look. "I didn't take the cure. I didn't know there was a cure."

"Then why, pray tell, is a vial of it missing from my laboratory?"

Nobody said anything. Realization struck them all at the same moment, and Taurus bolted for the wall comms.

"INTRUDERS ABOARD! LOCK DOWN THE SHIP! If you see anyone, ANYONE, you don't recognize, sound the alarm! Do NOT let those thieves get away!"

oZo

On Deck 5, two cloaked figures huddled together in an alcove.

"Take the antidote, we need it now," one said, passing over a vial of blue fluid.

"What about the Crystal?" The other speaker was a woman.

"We don't have time to find it."

"But when will we get another chance like this?"

"I don't know, but if we don't get this back to the Rangers in time—"

The woman nodded curtly, took the vial and hid it under her cloak. However, as they moved back into the hallway, they were met by a boarlike monster wielding an axe.

"Hey! What are you two doing here?"

As one, both cloaked strangers lashed out with axe kicks, catching the monster in the head. It fell back against the passage wall with a booming clang, stunned, and the pair bolted. As they neared the far door, more monsters appeared, snatching up their weapons at the sight of the unfamiliar pair.

"I'll hold them off," the man said. Nodding, the woman bolted the other way.

Her companion yanked a purple amulet shaped like a hexagram out from under his hood, and threw the cloak aside to reveal a silvery belt around his waist.

"Hexaphase, activate!" He set the device in his belt, and it clicked into place.

With a violet flash, the male stranger transformed. Purple shoulder, arm and leg armor covered a black bodysuit covered in white stars. The helmet was vaguely insectlike. The man drew two six-barreled pepperbox pistols from his belt and opened fire, pumping white lasers into his opponents.

Panting, the woman ran as fast as she could down the narrow passages of the ship. She could hear more monsters coming, yelling and firing their weapons. Up ahead, she saw shadows of more creatures coming to cut her off. She froze, and turned back, but no, she was being followed that way too.

Whirling, she opened the nearest door and stumbled inside. It was a bare, windowless cell. She spun around, but the door slid shut behind her, locking with a series of clicks. Even a kick wouldn't budge it. Panting, she stepped back.

A voice filtered into the cell—Taurus. "Just who do you think you are, intruder?"

She lowered her hood, revealing tangled black hair and a pale, sweaty and still defiant face.

The comms system crackled with laughter. "Scorpina. So you escaped too? Lovely. I was hoping for the chance to pay you back someday. But before I start killing you, I'm curious: why are you helping the Power Rangers?"

She shrugged. "I owe this planet. And my name isn't Scorpina anymore. I've changed."

"What makes you think I care?" There was a faint, muffled crash. "Your accomplice seems to be putting up a good fight. I'd hate to miss it. I'll be right back."

The comms died, and Sabrina turned away, slumping against the wall. She pulled out the vial and studied it, trying to think. A faint boom carried into the cell.

"Not yet," she muttered. "I need to do this, at least."

Her shadow was moving. With a slight, confused frown, Sabrina straightened and looked down at it. In fact, it seemed more defined than it had been—and what was that humming noise? It was getting louder. As Sabrina turned around, a blinding pink light blazed out before her, and she threw up her arms to shield her eyes.

oZo

David finally let his morph go, unable to maintain it any longer. The last few ounces of strength vanished, and he fell sideways out of his chair, hitting the floor with a thump. Gritting his teeth, he started to push himself up again, but his arms shook uncontrollably, and he slumped back.

"You awake?" That was Violet.

"Yes." It came out as an embarrassing croak.

"Couldn't sleep either." Violet sounded beat. "Keep thinking. How likely is it we're going to survive this?"

David swallowed hard. His mouth was so dry it felt like his tongue was shriveling up; why hadn't he taken Alpha up on his offer to teleport up some water? "Alpha's dealt with this stuff for years. We have a fighting chance."

"Sucks to be helpless though, huh?"

"I am not helpless!" David snapped, lifting his head.

"Then why are you hanging around up here with us helpless people?"

David said nothing. Just being slightly upright made him dizzy, so he lay down again.

In a more subdued voice, Violet said, "Is it just me, or do you really, really care about doing a good job of being a Ranger? I mean, more than the rest of us—nobody wants to mess up."

"I have more reason."

"Is it Tommy?"

"What makes—"

"Everything? I mean, you've always been pushy, but ever since he came back you've been working even harder than before. Plus he's the guy who had the powers first. I'm pretty sure all of us want to impress him."

It was hard to say, but the words came out. ". . . you're right."

"Thought so. It's okay, I've been there. Casey's always been ten times smarter than I was with technology, and it gets to be a pain to have people constantly ooing and aaahing over how talented your younger sibling is."

"It's not like that," David said, shaking his head. "This is about protecting the world, not just some stupid rivalry."

"Same root problem. Because that kid brother of yours already went and did an awesome job, you have a standard to live up to. That's fine, but you've been pushing so hard it's like you think you're the Lone Ranger, not the Red Ranger."

"Is that why you keep going against me in a fight?" David asked, a little crossly.

"Some. The rest of that is just me trying stuff and screwing up," Violet admitted. "I do that sometimes. Kinda new at this."

David chuckled a little, but it turned into a cough. That made him feel queasy, and when it finally stopped, he said, "Okay. If we make it, I'll be less of a loner."

"If?" Something about the way Violet said it struck David as unreasonably funny, and he started giggling. If he hadn't been so feverish he might have been embarrassed. "I thought you said we have a fighting chance?"

"I-I did, just being realistic."

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing." He was still laughing, though.

"You sound like you're choking, are you okay?"

David tried to get it under control again. "F-f-fine."

Out of nowhere, Lidian's voice cut into the conversation. "Guys, something's happening over there."

Bracing himself, David swung upright, caught the chair and hauled himself back into it. He overbalanced and nearly fell, but out of sheer stubbornness managed to get himself upright again.

"More Windjammers?" Violet asked.

"Yes . . . wait . . . what." Lidian's voice grew more agitated. "What? How—no. No way!"

"What is it?" David demanded.

A new, female voice came through the comms system. "Rangers, I've got the antidote but I'm being followed—I might need some help getting these creeps off my tail."

And to David's complete astonishment, around the planet flew Super ZeoZord I. Four or five Windjammers were following it, but Super ZeoZord IV swooped in from behind and started hacking wildly at them.

"Wha . . ." Violet began helplessly. "Pink?"

The stranger paused, and then let out an incredulous little laugh. "I guess so." A volley of missiles shot towards the Zord from behind, forcing it into a sharp swerve. "I'll explain everything later."

"You'd better," David said. More relieved than he'd have liked to admit, he collapsed back into his chair, shutting his eyes.

Allies

 * Alpha 5
 * Tommy Oliver
 * Phantom Ranger
 * Sabrina Kawai

Villains

 * Ophiuchus
 * Water Emperor Cancer
 * Fire Emperor Leo
 * Earth Emperor Taurus
 * Earth Empress Virgo
 * Air Emperor Gemini
 * Windjammers