Specter of the Past

Specter of the Past is the thirtieth episode of Power Rangers: Lost Ninjas.

Last time we saw the Ethereal Ninjas
They had finally reached Tokyo and gotten Kerri's morpher repaired by its original builder, Shotaro Ishinomori. Tauza's attempt to kidnap the inventor was foiled by the Japanese distaff version of Robin Hood, Archer, whom the Rangers welcome to their base to treat her wounds.

*February 16th, Ishinomori's House, 2:20 pm*
Easton was woken up by the smell of coffee. He rolled over and was almost blinded by afternoon sunlight. Blinking, he sat up and looked around. He was in Ishinomori's living room, lying on a couple of ottomans pushed together. Someone—probably Ishinomori—was whistling in the kitchen nearby. That was where the coffee smell was coming from. Stretching, Easton rose and headed that way.

"Good morning," Ishinomori said, as Easton walked in. "Or rather, good afternoon."

"Good afternoon, then," Easton said, taking a seat.

Ishinomori noticed him glance at the coffee maker, because he asked, "Would you like some?"

"Yes, thanks."

"You're not the only Ninja Academy to get attacked, you know," Ishinomori said, as he pulled a mug out of the cupboard.

"I know—I've met another Ranger already," Easton said. "His school surrendered."

"True. Others didn't, though," Ishinomori said. "They're still fighting, as far as I can gather. I've got a few friends in other countries who build morphers, and we keep in touch."

Easton turned towards him. "They are? Who? Where?"

"Let's see . . . Terra Academy is probably the one you've met. One of their students went on the run," Ishinomori said, coming back with the cup. "He's still in the American Northeast. Then there's Season Academy, they're in New Zealand. Earthlight's doing quite well for themselves in Belize. Oh yes, there's the Wind Academy team in California. They're the most traditional; I think their sensei is still guiding them."

Frowning thoughtfully, Easton accepted the coffee and took a drink. It scorched his tongue, and he quickly set it down.

"You should join forces," Ishinomori added, taking a seat again.

"Right. But how? And where?" Easton wondered aloud.

Ishinomori shrugged. "You should probably try to get in contact with them first. Seeing as the three of you are the most mobile of the lot, you'll probably be making the trip to them."

The Americas and New Zealand. Whoever they joined first, they had to cross the Pacific. Easton felt a shiver run down his spine, and gulped down more coffee.

"Ishinomori," Archer's voice rang out behind Easton, making him jump and knock his coffee cup over. He yelped as hot coffee burned his chest, and sprang to his feet. Grabbing a roll of paper towels from under the sink, Ishinomori passed them to Easton, who began swiping at the spill. He looked around to see Archer standing behind him. The rough furs she wore made the bandage around her stomach look unnaturally white.

"Archer," Ishinomori said, coming around the table.

She bowed. "Thank you for your hospitality. I'm taking my leave now."

"You're in no shape to travel," Easton protested, facing the vigilante fully. His skin still burned from the hot coffee - actually, one spot roughly in the center of his chest was throbbing.

"I can return to my hideout to recover fully. Staying here would be dangerous for you - even if the criminals don't come looking, the police surely will. I wouldn't want to endanger the rest of you with my presence."

Easton abruptly remembered that technically speaking, he and his teammates had kind of entered the country illegally. Still, he felt guilty letting someone who'd helped them just leave in this shape.

"I can go with you, make sure nothing happens on the way," he offered.

Archer almost smiled - a little. "Thank you, but that won't be necessary."

"If you're sure," Easton said.

Archer nodded, and slipping around the table, headed for the back door. Easton looked down at his shirt. The wet coffee stains were starting to get cold. The throbbing was getting worse, even though otherwise nothing else hurt anymore.

"You can borrow a shirt," Ishinomori said, and gestured in the direction of his room. With mumbled thanks, Easton went to grab one. Entering the bathroom, he locked the door out of habit (years of dormitory life had taught him to be careful) and undid his tunic.

Pulling off his undershirt, Easton paused. A blue-black mark stood out on his chest, right at the spot that hurt so much. It was perfectly round and almost lacy-looking, like a tattoo. It hadn't been there before. Staring at his reflection, Easton touched the mark.

His reflection turned blue and began to glow. To Easton's incredulous horror, it began to grow, filling up the glass and shifting into a familiar, nightmarish shape. With a startled yell, Easton knocked the mirror off the wall, and it shattered. Water began to pour out of the broken glass like blood, and Easton recoiled, grabbing at the doorknob. The mark on his chest felt ice-cold now.

"Easton? What's going on?" That was Kerri.

The bathroom was starting to flood now; it was already up to his ankles. Easton tried to unlock the door, but his hands slipped. The water rose, ice-cold and numbing. Easton tried to summon energy, evaporate the water or even blow up the door to get out, but he could barely manage a gold flicker.

Then there was a click, and the door swung open on its own Easton stopped and panted, looking around. The bathroom was totally normal - except for the broken mirror on the floor. Also his hand was bleeding.

Turning, Easton saw Kerri and Ishinomori standing in the doorway. Kerri looked confused, Ishinomori annoyed.

"What was that?" Kerri asked.

Easton straightened, picking himself up. He quickly pulled on the T-shirt. "Nothing. Sorry."

"You'd better be," Ishinomori said, with a snort, "That was an antique."

"I'll clean it up," Easton said, heading out of the bathroom to look for a broom. As he reached the closet, he pulled down the neck of the shirt a little. The mark was still there.

*Tauza's Ship, Tokyo Airspace, 2:50 pm*
"Tauza? I have a plan to get rid of zat vigilante voman," Reggie said, as he entered the bridge.

Tauza glanced around at him, but quickly returned her attention to the screen before her.

"Vith luck, ze Rangers vill also become casualties, though at least zis should demoralize zem somevat," Reggie continued, coming up beside Tauza. A little annoyed, he added, "Are you even listening?"

"Yes," Tauza said, "Look at this." She pointed to the screen. "This is the Ethereal Rangers' current location, and this is a location not too far from the former Academy. Two identical, unknown energy traces were emitted from these two locations at the exact same time, down to the second."

"Intriguing," Reggie admitted. He studied the two bluish clouds visible on the scan.

"I've already sent a scout to the Himalayas to gather more intelligence," Tauza said. "You're a former ninja; can you shed any light on this?"

Reggie shrugged. "I don't know much about such a different school - nothing that could not be found in ze files you have already seen, or by interrogating ze school faculty."

"I might just do that," Tauza said thoughtfully. "Go put that plan into action. Archer has become a nuisance."

"Gladly," Reggie said, grinning.

*Ishinomori's House, 3:24 pm*
"I say go for the Season Ninjas now," Susana said. She sat cross-legged on one of the ottomans, facing her teammates. "They're the closest, and now that Kerri's morpher is fixed, we don't have any reason to stick around."

"Not quite," interrupted Easton. "Tauza's after Ishinomori, remember? As soon as we leave, he's fair game."

Susana frowned. "Right. But what are we supposed to do, take him with us?"

"Why not? There's room," Kerri said.

Susana gave Kerri a flat stare. "Because 'room' was the only issue here."

"Just a thought," Kerri said, shrugging. Her stomach rumbled, and she groaned. "When's Ishinomori coming back? I'm starving."

"He left ten minutes ago, give him some time," Easton said.

With a sigh, Kerri sat back, slouching and fiddling with the charms dangling from her suit. Frowning, she held one up to her face, sniffed and licked it.

"Is this getting tarnished?" She asked, holding it up.

Before Easton or Susana could answer, the front door slammed. Everyone perked up as Ishinomori walked into the room, carrying a couple of bags of fast food. He set them on the table and switched on the TV as the Rangers started passing out the hamburgers.

A news anchor chattered away behind the trio. Even though there was some variety in manners—Susana was very tidy, Kerri less so, Easton just inhaling the food—everyone ate very quickly. Glancing around, though, Easton stopped up short, and spun around.

"Is that Archer?" He pointed to the blurry video on the screen. The vigilante was only visible for a moment, and then she was lost among the crowd of police.

"What? How did they find her so fast?" Kerri asked, surprised.

Ishinomori paused, listening to the news anchor. "Apparently the police got an anonymous tip telling them where she lived. They found her there."

Easton finished his food and stood up. "We should go after her."

"What?" Susana exclaimed. "Why? This is out of our jurisdiction, and in case you'd forgotten, vigilantism is a crime."

"Last night Archer helped us kill a monster, today she's getting arrested because of an 'anonymous tip.' It can't be a coincidence," Easton replied.

"You don't have a lot to back that guess up, Easton," Susana said, rising. "If Tauza wanted to get rid of Archer, why send the police when she could have just sent a monster?"

Easton folded his arms. "To keep us from interfering because we'd think it was none of our concern, maybe?"

Susana sighed. "You're not letting this go, are you?" Easton shook his head. "Fine, go check on Archer, I'll make sure the Zords are ready to go. I hope you've got a plan."

"Actually, I might . . ."

*Ōme Police Station, 3:47 pm*
"I've been doing this for about a year," Archer said in Japanese. She sat upright in the metal chair, cuffed hands clasped in her lap, not taking her eyes off the policeman interrogating her. "And before you ask, no, I have no family to object. They died when I was a child. I was injured and can't remember the details, but I doubt it was an accident."

"Is that why you hunt criminals? Revenge?" The policeman asked.

"Justice."

"That's our job, not yours."

"Then perhaps you should work a bit harder," Archer replied, without a hint of irony. "I've been very busy lately."

"I've noticed." The policeman glanced over at the thick file lying on the desk. "Ninety-seven counts of assault, one hundred and thirty counts of intimidation and threats, twenty-two counts of murder."

At that point, someone knocked on the door. The policeman rose and walked out, leaving Archer alone. It was a shoddy interrogation room; the cracks between the wall's yellowy tiles were almost black, and the ceiling was stained. Through the two-way mirror, Archer could just make out two figures talking.

The policeman returned, opening the door for another man. The newcomer wore a suit, not a uniform. He studied Archer with a cold glare, and then nodded to the policeman, who left.

"So you're the vigilante," he said, in English. He had a British accent. Approaching Archer, he walked around her, looking her up and down. Reaching down, he undid her handcuffs, pocketing them.

"And you?" Archer asked.

"I'm here to make sure you don't cause my employer any further trouble," the man replied, stopping in front of her.

Archer merely quirked an eyebrow. "And which one's your employer? Maki? Owada?"

"General Tauza."

Archer frowned, confused. "What are y—"

With a silver flash, the monster shifted and grew, turning into a grey-and-black figure wearing a long, silver cape. Small white "X" shapes dotted his body. The faceless creature raised both hands, and metallic cords shot out of his fingers, winding around Archer's limbs. They jerked her upright, and she struggled in vain. With another flick of the wrist, the man made the cords disappear. Archer still couldn't move. Eyes wide, she stared at her captor.

The man smiled. "You're about to go on a little rampage."

"I think not, actually," a new, male voice cut in.

As the monster turned around, a gloved fist slammed into his head, and he staggered back. Easton landed in a fighting stance, already morphed. Glowering, the man gestured, and against her will, Archer found herself leaping between monster and Ranger. Easton tried to move around her, but Archer hook-kicked him in the side, making him stagger. The monster made her follow it up with a volley of punches, which Easton tried to shield himself from.

"I can't stop it," she said, as she finally stopped and backed up. Her knuckles burned.

"I know, it's okay." Easton sounded winded.

"Look out!" Archer yelled, as she sprang towards him. Avoiding her first kick, Easton caught her punch, but she turned it into a clinch, pinning his head between both forearms. She got in three knee strikes before he seized her in a hug, using his height to throw her off-balance.

The puppeteer monster made her backflip, and she landed in a crouch. Backing up, Easton raised one fist, and it began to glow golden. As Archer charged once more, Easton threw the energy ball past her. It struck the monster, making him stagger. He dragged Archer down with him.

Easton moved to throw a second energy ball, but out of the blue he yelled in pain and clutched at his chest, the light fading away. The monster had time to pick himself up, and he cackled.

"You think you can stop the Puppet Master all by yourself, Gold Ranger?"

Easton didn't reply. As he stood once more, more of Puppet Master's strings appeared, shooting towards the Gold Ranger and winding around him. They scooped him up and threw him through a wall, setting off an alarm and raising a cloud of dust. Forcing Archer to walk ahead, Puppet Master walked through the gap. At the sight of it, most of the policemen fled the room, shouting for help and guns.

"Morning Star!" Easton shouted, and lunged, morning star raised.

Once more, Puppet Master threw Archer in the way, and Easton stopped up short. The two stood inches apart for a moment, both panting. Then Archer's hand shot out, seizing Easton by the throat. Puppet Master's control gave her enough strength to pick him up one-handed and toss him out a nearby window. The Gold Ranger rolled into the street, and Archer sprang after him.

"You Rangers are pathetic! Where are your friends now?" Puppet Master taunted, following Archer.

Slowly, Easton picked himself up. "Behind you."

Puppet Master snorted, but paused and looked around. As he did, a blue blur shot around the corner of the station, between Puppet Master and Archer, and there was a flash of blue light. The monster's tendrils glowed silver and parted. Archer crumpled to the pavement, and Puppet Master screamed.

"Okay, technically speaking behind you and to the left, but same difference," Susana said, stopping a few feet away. Her sword thrummed in her hand.

"How dare you!" Puppet Master screamed. His severed tendrils fizzled and sparked around his fingers. As the monster turned towards her, Susana pointed. Her fingers glowed blue and Puppet Master let out a scream of terror. Collapsing to the pavement, the monster curled up into the fetal position—or as close as it could get, not being very flexible. It was almost shaking. "Please don't hurt me!"

"Run, now," Susana ordered.

Without hesitation, the monster teleported away. Quickly, Easton scrambled over to Archer, who still lay on the street.

"You okay?" He asked. She managed a nod.

"Kerri?" Susana said into her communicator.

"Ready."

A shadow fell over the street, and everyone looked up. The Megazord was descending from the sky. Easton picked Archer up, supporting her.

"She's coming with us," he said to Susana.

"Fine. Both of you stay with Ishinomori, we've got a lot of ocean to cross," the Sapphire Ranger replied, and leaped up towards the cockpit.

"I can't leave," Archer said, as Easton put an arm around her. "I have a mission, everything I know is here."

"Tauza wants you dead, and if we leave you alone she'll do it. I'm sorry." With that, the Gold Ranger leaped into the Megazord.

Allies

 * Archer
 * Shotaro Ishinomori

Villains

 * Tauza
 * Puppet Master

Trivia

 * Archer's arrest is loosely based on a chapter for Aztec Storm which was unused and later lost: one of Itzpapalotl's monsters shapeshifts into a police officer and arrests Tammy for breaking parole (when she went to California during the teamup) and then tries to frame her for a killing spree-suicide at the police station.