Taurus: Mazes and Monsters

Mazes and Monsters is the third episode of the Taurus arc and sixth of the series Power Rangers: Neo Zeo.

Synopsis
The Rangers try to figure out what to do about their missing comrade.

Plot
"Tell me you've found something," Violet said over the communicator.

"Fortunately, I have," Alpha 5 replied, as he dragged a pair of what looked like plastic free-standing lights, wound together with cords, out of one of the auxiliary passages. With a grunt of effort, he dropped it on the floor. "Billy—our first Blue Ranger—developed a device to access Rita's Dark Dimension. It's been some time since I've tried to use it, but it should still work. We'll need to set it up at the location of the other portal to find the coordinates."

"Why not just use the portal they have?" Lidian asked.

"It's a one-way portal," Alpha 5 replied, already typing commands into the computer. "It'd be much safer to create one we could control. I'm bringing the equipment now."

He hit a final button, and he and the machinery vanished in white flashes. The mountainside was much brighter than the Power Chamber, and it took Alpha 5's optical sensors a moment to adjust to the change. Once he had, he immediately went to collect the machinery, and was joined by David and Lidian.

"We've found what we think opened the portal," the Green Ranger said, and pointed up the hill. "See that shiny gold thing?"

Sure enough, a small, round device was blinking amid the rocks.

"That might just be what we need to pinpoint the coordinates," Alpha 5 replied.

"Great! Should I try to get it?"

"Yes, but be careful. The last thing we need is for you to get sucked in too."

Lidian headed off, leaving Alpha and David to set up the device. The Red Ranger was much less optimistic than his teammate.

"Do you think this will work?"

"It has before," Alpha 5 replied.

"That's more than we can say for ourselves," the Red Ranger muttered.

"You're doing fine," Alpha 5 reassured him in a low voice. "Even the most experienced Rangers get caught by surprise sometimes."

David nodded towards Violet as the two of them raised the machine's poles upright. "Tell that to her."

"Why don't you?"

"Huh?"

"If the two of you have a problem, you're the best people to resolve it," Alpha 5 said.

"This isn't the time."

Alpha 5 looked from David to Violet and back. "If I'm not being too rude, I think this is the only time. You're going to need teamwork to win this battle."

With a sigh, David steadied the pole, and headed over to the Blue Ranger. She saw him coming and halted, not coming closer but not moving away either.

"Is Alpha almost done?" Violet's tone was curt.

"I think so. Look . . ." he searched for the right words. "We're going to find Casey and bring her back."

"And then what? We go out and fight some more, and someone else vanishes. Or gets hurt. Or killed. Any second," she snapped her fingers, "bam, dead."

"I told you this might happen when I first recruited you."

"Yeah, you mentioned it, while showing us superpowers and cool weapons," Violet retorted. "Reality's different."

"Does that mean you don't want to do this?" David asked, sounding resigned.

"What? No—I just . . ." Violet shrugged helplessly. "I don't know! It's just not what I expected!"

"Sorry."

Violet didn't say anything else, just glanced over at Alpha 5 and Lidian. They seemed to be having trouble setting up the device.

"I know what it's like," David said, so abruptly that Violet jumped. "What it's like having a sibling who's a Power Ranger. So I can understand what this is like for you."

"Really? And here I was thinking you were a robot."

David's fists clenched involuntarily. "Would you—" he stopped himself, and spoke in tense, measured tones. "I am trying to solve this. Cooperate with me."

"Relax, it was just a joke. Besides, I already know that robots have emotions just like normal people."

"Rangers!" Alpha's plaintive shout was right on cue, and the two Rangers hurried to join him.

"More monsters," Lidian said as they came in close enough to hear. "They're all over the city—setting up more portals, Alpha thinks."

David didn't say anything, but Violet threw up her hands. "Why now?"

"Cark and Spinhead did say it was a distraction," Lidian put in.

"Don't remind me," Violet groaned. "What do we do?"

"If I could make a suggestion," Alpha 5 began timidly, but hesitated when all eyes turned to him. "That is, unless you have a plan . . ."

"You're the experienced one," Lidian said.

"Right. I think two of you should use the Zords to deal with the other Windjammers and one should go after the Yellow Ranger, once I have this portal ready."

The three Rangers looked at each other, all thinking the same question: who would stay and who would go?

"Lidian," David said at last, "You find Casey."

"What?" He and Violet exclaimed.

"We don't have time to argue. Violet, I need your help in the Zords," David said, his patience worn to the breaking point.

"I've never used one of the things and that's MY sister!"

"Which is exactly why I want you with me and not risking your life and hers because you're upset!" David's voice rose to a shout. "This is an emergency and I will not tolerate any more arguments because, believe it or not, I want Casey back alive and well too! IS THAT CLEAR?"

". . . clear." Violet was subdued.

"Let's go."

Violet started to follow the Red Ranger, but Lidian caught her arm. "I'll bring her back or not come back at all," he said.

She softened. "You don't need to go that far."

"It's nothing."

"No, it's not. Thank you."

Lidian just nodded and released the Blue Ranger, letting her hurry after David.

oZo

"What planet are you from?"

"Earth."

"How did you get here?"

"I think it was a portal."

"Are there any other Power Rangers?"

"Yeah, three of them, and word of advice: don't mess with me or any of those guys," Casey said, jerking her head towards the human prisoners. She couldn't point because her hands and feet were tied. "My team will kill you guys really, really hard."

Her interrogator, the monster with the Viking helmet, snorted. "I think we can take care of ourselves."

"Yeah, but you don't have any way out, do you? Betcha they will when they try to rescue me. Probably safer not to get on their bad side."

"What makes you so sure they'll save you?"

"Well, one of them is my big sister, so she always looks out for me, and one of them is David, he wants to save everybody, and Lidian's just a super nice guy, so yeah, they're going to rescue me," Casey concluded, grinning up at the monster.

"If they don't, you'll regret it, little girl."

"I am not a little girl!" Casey protested, outraged. "I'm fifteen years old and a superhero! When I get loose I'll show you!"

Without replying, the monster rose and gestured to one of his subordinates, who caught Casey around the waist and picked her up, swinging her over its shoulder. The "wheee!" from her made it pause, but it shook its head and carried her to a small pen in the corner.

It had been dug into the wall, with the loose stone piled up into a single curving wall. The top was covered with wood and a heavy, dark fabric, which the monster pulled aside to drop Casey in by. She landed on her side with a grunt.

"Hey, what's the point of putting me in a prison, when all of us are just inside a giant prison?" Casey asked, sitting up. The monster covered up the pen without replying. "Huh? You don't have an answer for that, do you?"

"Don't bother. They won't listen." The voice didn't belong to a monster; it was softer, human-sounding and quietly bitter. Casey looked around for the speaker, and realized it was the nearest of the other captives. As her eyes adjusted, she saw a lean teenager with a weary, numb stare and bony limbs that poked out at awkward angles.

"Oh, hi." Casey scooted over to him. "You say something?"

The boy looked her up and down. "You're a Power Ranger?"

"Yup! I'm the Yellow Zeo Ranger."

"We're all going to die."

"Don't talk like that. Look." Casey brought her arms forward, holding the now-untied rope that had been fastening her wrists. "I got out already, and the other Rangers aren't even here yet!"

"Be quiet, they'll hear you!" The other prisoner said in a harsh whisper.

Casey lowered her voice. "Okay." She slid over to him and began messing with his bonds. "What's your name?"

". . . Dylan."

"Hi Dylan, I'm Casey. Don't tell anybody I'm the Yellow Ranger when we get back, okay? My Dad would freak out."

Dylan didn't say anything in response. Casey got him free, and quickly untied her own feet, though she kept the ropes just in case she needed to pretend to be tied up later.

"I'll see if I can get anyone else untied. Then we can run when the cavalry shows up," she said. "Hey, cheer up, we're getting you out of here."

"And then what? The monsters will just take us back later."

"Not if I can help it."

"But you can't, can you?" Dylan looked up at Casey, who'd started scooting around him to untie someone else. "You're just as stuck as we are."

"Yeah, but I've got a bunch of friends who are smart and powerful and way better fighters and planners than me. Once they get here we're good," Casey said confidently. "Then I'll be able to work on rescues myself—but I still want to give this 'untie everybody and run away' thing a shot, if you're in. Are you?"

". . . Okay."

Casey beamed at him. "Thanks. I'll do better this time. Cross my heart and hope to . . . why do they say 'hope to die'? Who hopes to die? I wanna live. Do you?"

"Yes."

"Good. Let's get to work on that, then!"

oZo

"Blue Ranger, I've detected another ship heading in near Stone Canyon. Can you handle the ones here?" David's voice came over the Zord comms.

Zeozord III bit down on a Windjammer ship. Sparks and coolant fluids sprayed from it as the metal contorted. When the Blue Ranger spoke, it was with confidence. "I've got this."

"I knew you would."

"Wait, what?" Violet demanded, but Zeozord V was already flying towards Stone Canyon.

Opening its mouth, Violet's Zeozord dropped the Windjammer ship to the ground, where it exploded. The Blue Ranger sprang out of her Zord, landing lightly, and sprinted over to where the portal generator had been set. She soon saw it, attached to the arch of a bridge and blinking rapidly. Drawing her Zeo Laser Pistol, she opened fire. The device exploded in a small fireball, sending flaming bits of metal and wire in every direction.

That done, Violet headed back to her Zord. "Alpha, where to next?"

"David is already pursuing the last of the Windjammers, but you should probably stay on guard in case more arrive here."

"Right." The Blue Ranger teleported back into the cockpit, and used one of the sphinxlike Zord's massive forepaws to stomp out a fire in the grass below. "Have you heard from Lidian?"

"The communicator watch's signal isn't strong enough, I'm afraid." Alpha was too patient to remind Violet that she'd asked the exact same question, and gotten the exact same answer, ten minutes ago.

"I know. Tell me as soon as you hear anything, okay?"

"Of course."

oZo

Casey had just finished untying the last of the other prisoners when she heard angry voices outside. Dylan, who'd found a chink in the side of their prison, was watching intently. She joined him for a peek. The horned monster was arguing with a shorter creature in what looked like Samurai armor and a demon mask.

"You said we could divide them up as soon as we had what we wanted! We've questioned all of them and they don't know a thing! We've got the Power Ranger; let's cook the rest and save her for later! None of them are doing us any good as they are now."

"Who do you think you are, giving orders just like that?!" The stag-horned monster roared. "I'm in charge, and I decide when we eat, just like always!"

"Maybe someone else should be in charge. Times are changing and you aren't!"

"Guys, I think this is our cue to leave," Casey stage-whispered to the other prisoners. "Just stick to the plan."

"You've been waiting for something like this, haven't you? Don't think I haven't seen you, always scheming behind my back."

"What if I was? You'd let all of us starve with food in our laps."

"And you'd gorge yourselves now and starve after a week."

Casey had been rolling back a corner of the prison's cover. Now she slithered up and out of it, crouching behind it so none of the monsters could see her. She waited a moment, but nobody shouted in alarm or reacted to her, so she scuttled towards the nearest lean-to. It was empty, and she ducked inside it. there she found some small bone knives and a few rusty shuriken.

With this loot, she crawled back to the pen and rapped on the wall. Out climbed another teenager—Dylan—to whom she gave one of the knives. He crawled off, and out came the next prisoner, whom Casey also armed.

By now the argument had drawn the attention of the other Nightclaws, and they were yelling and even starting to push each other around. Casey smirked and handed another shuriken to one of her escapees. One by one, they slipped from hiding place to hiding place just like she'd planned. Soon the last one was out, and she crawled after them.

However, as she ducked into one of the lean-tos, she came face-to-face with a beak and a feathery, beady-eyed face. It was Bladebeak.

"Did you really think nobody was going to notice that?"

Casey lunged at him, wrapping both hands around the monster's scrawny throat, and the lean-to collapsed on top of them. With a yell, Casey tried to roll free, but only got both of them tangled up in the ragged cloth.

"FIGHT!" Somebody yelled, and the monsters obeyed with gusto.

A few solid kicks to the stomach area forced Bladebeak away from Casey, and she sprang to her feet. Tearing off the tent, she threw it away and looked around. Monsters wrestled, swordfought and shot at each other all throughout the camp. Several lean-tos were already on fire. Even the ones who weren't interested in the power struggle had gotten involved to protect their possessions.

Casey bolted, charging through the camp towards the other side. She saw a couple of monsters turn and make a grab for her, but she ducked and avoided them. A laser seared the air next to her head, and she threw herself behind a lean-to as more shots followed. Catching her breath, she charged on, ducking and swerving and jumping, until she'd reached the far side, where her rescuees were waiting.

"One, two, three, four, Dylan, six, seven, eight, nine, ten eleven twelve thirt fourt fifteen!" Casey rattled off breathlessly. "Good, everyone's here. Go hide out there, I'll find you."

"What about you?" Dylan asked.

"I have to find my morpher. Get going!"

"There you are."

A metal gauntlet clamped down on Casey's shoulder, and she just had time to glimpse the horned monster glowering at her before he threw her into a wall. It jarred her shoulder all the way down, and she landed in a heap. Before she could pick herself up, the monster caught her by the arm and kneed her in the chest once, twice, three times. Each blow knocked a grunt out of her, and her attempts to shield herself just got her forearms gashed by the monster's armor.

Wrapping one thick hand around Casey's throat, the monster pinned her to the wall. Her toes dangled a full foot above the ground, and she choked, clawing at his hands.

"You think you can escape the Nightclaws with a foolish trick? I am Herne the Hunter. I will track down each of those humans one by one and make them wish they'd never been born. Your punishment will be to watch," the monster hissed.

"I'm killing you first," Casey managed through the choke hold.

Herne just laughed. He hauled back his free fist for a blow, and Casey twisted away in anticipation, but the punch never came. Instead, a green hatched slammed into Herne's back. His grip on Casey loosened, and she freed herself, landing in a sloppy crouch. He dropped to his knees with a metallic crash, and one of Casey's Zeonizers tumbled out from under his robe.

Lidian tore his Zeo Power Hatchet out of Herne's back and hurried to Casey's side, helping her up. She let out a shaky laugh of relief.

"Are you okay?" He studied her quickly.

"Yeah, thanks—but I'm not alone."

"I know, I met them down the passage, they're on their way out already," Lidian reassured her.

"Oh good." Casey looked down at Herne, and moving out of Lidian's grip, picked up her morpher. The other she pulled out of his belt, but the monster caught her by the wrist.

"I will hunt you down, I swear," Herne hissed.

"No, you won't. Oh hey, I can keep my tough-guy boast!" Strapping the morphers on, Casey brought them together. "It's Morphin' Time!"

Allies

 * Alpha 5
 * Dylan

Villains

 * Ophiuchus
 * Pitch
 * Bladebeak
 * Herne the Hunter

Trivia

 * The "prison full of monsters who are out of control but trapped and start forming factions/eating each other" was originally intended for a later part of this fic, then Ground Squadron briefly, before settling here.