Virgo: Green with Envy

Green with Envy is the third episode of the Virgo arc, and the eighteenth of Power Rangers: Neo Zeo.

Synopsis
With most of Angel Grove's female population under Virgo's indirect control, the male Rangers must deal with the problem alone.

Plot
"I'm widening the parameters right now, calm down," Alpha 5 said, hastily typing commands into the main console. "If there's any evil magic—"

"If?" Lidian exclaimed, wheeling on him. "Okay, I admit it, I'm jealous, I'm paranoid but this isn't just about Casey! Every single girl who comes near this guy goes nuts!"

"Well, he is a movie star."

"Since when has Sabrina cared about that kind of stuff? Just check it, Alpha, please."

"I am, I am." Alpha 5 finished, and looked down at the screen. "Well, I am picking up a power signature, but it's very faint—"

"But it's there," Lidian interrupted, looking intently at the robot. "It's something."

Alpha 5 hesitated. "If it is, what will you do? Attack the movie star?"

"No, I'll just . . . show up morphed, see if he reveals himself." Lidian sounded uncertain, as if he'd come up with the scheme off the top of his head, which he probably had. "He'll know the game is over."

"And if he's in control of the girls, what then?"

Lidian hesitated. "Try to snap them out of it."

"I think you should call David, and maybe Ezra as well," Alpha 5 said gently. "Three heads are better than one, after all."

"Right, right. But I don't have Ezra on the communicator watch system."

"Oh. Well, maybe you should go get him."

"Sure." Reluctantly, Lidian teleported out.

oZo

"You're really sure this is about monsters?" David asked, for the fifteenth time, as he, Ezra and Lidian approached the Juice Bar.

"Look, if you don't believe me—"

"Would I be here if I didn't?"

"Yeah, he's quite a nag when he wants to be," Ezra said amiably. "Expect more of this if Casey gets into real danger. Don't give me that look, everyone can see it. Frankly I don't know why she didn't say anything, at least to ask you to stop staring."

"There's no time for this!" Lidian snapped. "And I don't stare!"

"Lidian," David interrupted, in a more serious voice, and the younger boy wheeled on him.

"Don't you start!"

David silenced him with a serious glare. "I thought you said they were shooting at the Juice Bar today."

"Yeah, because they are."

"Then where is everybody?"

The building was silent, and the lights were off. It looked just as untouched as it had for the last several months. Confused, the three men approached, and looked around. The doors were unlocked, and inside all of the furniture and film equipment was set up. But not a soul was there.

"So, I'm guessing this isn't a lunchbreak," Ezra commented, glancing over one of the tables.

"They left the equipment on," Lidian replied, from behind one of the cameras. "Everything but the lights."

"Making people think they'd left, but not taking the time to shut down," David thought aloud. He turned back to Lidian. "You may be onto something."

Lidian just threw up his hands in exasperation. Ezra was already heading outside, and the other two followed him, stopping in the doorway as he examined the sidewalk and lawn.

"They went this way," he said, and started down past the parking lot. The other two followed. Lidian kept one hand on his Zeo Laser Pistol.

oZo

Virgo sat in the Equinox's command center, watching a viewscreen which showed the woods outside Angel Grove—and a swarm of teenage girls following Brett through it. Behind her stood Taurus, eager as ever to observe the battle on Earth, and Libra. Despite being blindfolded, the latter seemed to be watching the screen intently. Virgo had a smug little smile on her lips.

"So, how do you like my plan so far?" She asked, glancing back at Taurus. "By my count, I say I'll earn us forty-six new soldiers for our army, including Brett and more than half of the Rangers." Taurus snorted. "What's wrong? Don't worry, with training they can be as good as the Windjammers—we can use your Labyrinth as a base! I mean, if you'll let us. But I don't see any reason not to."

Taurus nodded, though he didn't seem happy about it. Virgo beamed. "Thank you."

"Scorpina will not be a suitable soldier," Libra put in.

Virgo pouted. "But Libra, we need someone with her skills."

"She is a powerful warrior, true, but she is not trustworthy."

"She is so long as she's under our spell."

"And how long will that last? Perhaps not as long as she'll make us believe. We could be setting ourselves up for a betrayal."

Virgo didn't look happy, but she nodded. "I see your point. Later perhaps we can give her to Pisces, let him work his oh-so-special nonmagical brainwashing on her. What about the other two Rangers?"

"They are only human. I'm sure the spell will continue to affect them. However, I would not recommend allowing them to morph. Contact with that side of the Morphing Grid could only be a bad thing at this point," Libra said.

Slowly, Virgo nodded. "We should do something about that. Once they're up here I'll let Cancer mess with the morphers. We could really use that kind of psychological warfare."

At this point Taurus interrupted, leaning over Virgo. "The other Rangers are nearly inside the shuttle. Why aren't your troops stopping them? You have Jewel Golems, shoot!"

Virgo laughed. "No need. They can't break the spell."

"Don't be so smug. You're good, but these Rangers have bested everything we sent at them," Taurus rumbled.

Virgo turned towards him. "Oh, I know, but there's one key thing they had all those other battles: time. And that is one thing we won't give them here."

oZo

"I can hear them," David said, stopping up short.

The Byrons halted behind him and listened as well. Sure enough, through the trees carried female voices, chattering softly. Not waiting for orders, Lidian quickly scaled a nearby pine, and looked through the trees. After a moment's study, he pointed, then began to shimmy back down.

"I saw the Wildmans, but I'm not sure about Sabrina," he reported, jumping the last yard to the ground.

"Were they morphed?" David asked.

"No. Alpha could have told us that anyway."

"Could you tell what they were doing?"

"It didn't look like they were doing anything."

"And what about our Pied Piper?" Ezra put in.

Lidian's tone darkened. "The Wildmans were guarding him. He's in the middle of it."

David nodded, and turned to face the other two fully. "As far as we can tell, those are all normal kids. No weapons, and we only fight if we have to."

"Got it. Kid gloves for the humans," Ezra replied, but he was cracking his knuckles as he said it. The Red Ranger gave him an unmistakeable warning glare, and he stopped.

The trio strode through the woods and into the clearing, where all of the girls had gathered. Nearly all were teenagers, though a few older women were scattered throughout. As Lidian had said, they weren't doing much, just milling around the clearing or talking quietly to each other. When the Rangers and Rider came close enough to see, they fell silent, eyes on the superheroes.

Several of the girls were clustered around Brett, who sat enthroned on a rocky outcropping. One had been giving him a foot rub, two more fanning him, and the rest doing various other chores. Vioet and Casey stood on either side like bodyguards.

Brett sat up straight, leaning forward. "So, you're the Power Rangers. A little undermanned today, aren't we?"

Lidian started forward, but David stopped him with a hand. "That won't help."

"Smart boy. There's nobody for you to blow up this time. Everyone here is an innocent civilian—well, almost everyone, but I doubt you'd want to hurt your 'friends' either." He glanced at the Wildmans.

"Okay," Ezra said, strolling forward. "We cower before your brilliance and all, care to tell us what you gain from making all the girls in town follow you into the woods?"

"Soldiers who would throw themselves between a Zord and me if I asked them to. Love's a powerful thing, if you know how to use it." Brett grinned.

The Red Ranger took one step towards him, and at once all of Brett's attendants sprang into his path. Shaking his head, the Red Ranger caught one and shoved her aside, but she grabbed him by the wrist and twisted back. He sent a low kick at the back of her leg, but she blocked it and responded with a right cross to the abdomen. Morphed he didn't show any sign he'd felt it, but neither did she.

As if that had been a signal, all of the other enchanted girls swarmed the trio. Ezra was the least delicate, knocking two teens' heads together and crouching to throw the rest off as they tried to pile on him. More controlled, David pushed, punched and occasionally kicked, more to force his attackers out of reach than to actually hit them. Lidian, however, made a beeline for Brett. Before he could make it, a yellow blur slammed headlong into him, knocking him flat.

"Rangers! Windjammer ships are heading your way!" Alpha 5 exclaimed through the communicators. "You'll have to intercept them now, before anyone's on board!"

"Got it!" David yelled back. Shoving the last of his attackers out of reach, he teleported away.

"Hey! Try teleporting everyone away, that might slow things down!" The Hex Rider shouted.

At the sound of that, the girls scattered into the trees. A few teleported away in white flashes of light, but they were fast. Lidian wondered when his turn would come, but it didn't.

"Lidian?" That was Alpha again, sounding bewildered. "I can't lock on to you."

Casey laughed. "Yeah, I've been messing with the communicator watches. Now it repels teleportation. Cool, huh?" She slipped one arm around his throat, putting him in a headlock. "So, you gonna demorph for me, or will I have to just continue this sad excuse for a fight?"

Slipping both of his hands beneath her arm, Lidian forced her to loosen her grip. Ducking out of the headlock, he flipped over, pinning her beneath him. Before she could react, he'd sprung to his feet and was backing away.

"Alpha, don't teleport me out yet," he said.

"But the Windjammers—" The robot protested.

"I want to to snap the girls out of it. Let me try, please."

" . . . Be very careful, Lidian."

"Too late for that," Violet commented. The two sisters moved closer, Casey behind, Violet in front.

"Power down." With a green flash, Lidian demorphed, and the others halted, taken off-guard.

"Oh. Let me guess, this is the part where you try to talk us out of it," Violet said.

"Yeah, pretty much. Why wouldn't I? You've always been better fighters than me," Lidian replied. "By the way, where's Sabrina?"

"None of your beeswax," Casey replied. Lidian gave her a funny look. "What, you've never heard that saying?"

"For people under a spell, you're acting uncannily normal."

"Who's under a spell? We've just seen the light. Found love. Whatever you want to call it," Violet replied, and cast a significant glance at Brett.

"This isn't you," Lidian said. "Just think about it for five minutes."

"Would you just cut this out?" Casey snapped unexpectedly. Lidian started and turned to see her glowering at him. "You've been acting clingy and passive-aggressive about Brett since he showed up, and frankly, I'm sick of it! You don't own us just because we're on the same team as you."

"It's not about owning you. You're my friends and I know you're smarter than this."

At that, both girls burst out laughing.

"I don't think you understand love, Liddy," Casey said as she overcame her giggles, shaking her head. "But why would you? You've been stuck alone in that big creepy house with a stranger on a strange planet for years."

"I know more than you think—and real love doesn't come from spells," Lidian snapped.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yes!" Lidian hesitated.

Brett, who'd been watching with an air of indulgence, now leaned forward. "Are we about to hear some kind of grand revelation? If so, don't be shy."

Lidian looked down at the ground, took a deep breath, and met Casey's gaze. "Look, I'm sorry for how I've been acting. I just . . . I was scared. And kind of jealous, I guess. Okay, very jealous. Because I've—I've liked you a lot pretty much since we met."

Nobody said anything for two minutes, fifteen seconds. Lidian knew because he felt each second ticking by. In it, the sounds of aerial warfare were audible, as the Red Ranger and Hex Rider tried to keep the Windjammers at bay overhead. Every once in a while, something flashed in the woods as Alpha locked onto and teleported away one of the lovestruck girls.

Folding her arms, Casey walked forward, right up to Lidian, so close their noses nearly touched. He stopped breathing without realizing it. For a minute, he thought he saw a smile playing about her lips. Then her brow furrowed.

"Creep."

She followed it up with a sucker punch to the gut—well, a literal one—and Lidian doubled over with a grunt. As he gasped, she axe-kicked him in the middle of the back, flattening him to the ground.

"Seriously? You think anyone would want you with a guy like Brett around?"

"Well done, Casey," the man in question called, and forgetting all about Lidian, Casey bounded back to him.

"You really liked it?"

"Your timing was perfect." He tapped her on the nose, and she giggled. With a glance at Violet and Sabrina, he said "Deal with lover-boy, please."

Lidian stayed where he'd been kicked, and when the two female Rangers hauled him upright, he didn't resist. They started dragging him out of the clearing. He turned back slightly, looking at Casey. She looked happy. . . even if she was under a spell, she'd sounded genuine. It had been exactly what he'd been afraid to hear.

So, was that it? What did it actually change? Casey was still his teammate, maybe even his friend. Just because she didn't like him that way didn't mean he was exempt from helping her if she needed it. And she really needed it right now.

Turning back, he caught Violet casting a venomous glare at her sister. That gave him an idea.

"You're just going to let them act like that?" Lidian hissed.

"Shut up, Green Ranger," Sabrina said, but Violet stopped.

"What do you mean?"

Lidian jerked his head at Casey and Brett. "Acting pretty friendly, aren't they? I thought you loved Brett too. Guess I was wrong."

"Yes I do! But he told me to—"

"Disappear for a little while and leave him alone with Casey." Lidian gave her a significant look. "Doesn't seem very faithful to me."

Violet and Sabrina exchanged looks over Lidian's head. In the air, a Windjammer ship exploded, brightening up the woods briefly. In unison, the girls dropped Lidian and moved back to Brett and Casey. The latter was showing off her communicator watch and explaining what changes she'd made.

"Lidian?" Alpha sounded worried.

"I'm okay. How are the others doing?" Lidian asked. "I'll come if they need me but—"

"They're fine, but what's going on? The spell seems to have gotten more powerful. But I do have good news. I've been examining the girls you helped rescue, and I think I know what's causing the spell. It's a contact-carried drug, though I'm not sure where it's being emitted from."

"Please tell me you have a cure ready."

". . . Well, I have a few leads, but I'm not sure—"

"Alpha would destroying whatever's releasing the drug help?" Lidian demanded. "I don't mean Brett, just whatever he has that's doing it."

"It might, but I can't be sure."

"Worth a shot, then," Lidian muttered, and silenced the watch.

"What are you two doing? You just left the Green Ranger!" Brett exclaimed, as the two other female Rangers approached.

"You should be helping us!" Violet snapped at Casey.

"Me?"

"Is there anyone else here shirking their duty?"

"Hey, someone has to stay and make sure Brett's safe."

"That's exactly what we're doing," Sabrina said, glowering.

Brett rose, moving between the two groups. "Ladies, please, just calm down—"

"You've been hanging off Brett's neck since he arrived!" Violet interrupted. "Give someone else a chance, why don't you?"

As the girls squabbled, Lidian crept around the edge fo the clearing, trying to stay out of Brett's field of vision. Fortunately he was now thoroughly engrossed in breaking up the fight (without success), and wouldn't have seen Lidian anyway. Drawing nearer, Lidian studied the movie star, looking for the source of the love spell drug.

Brett spared him the trouble. His hand slipped under his jacket, and something glinted in the shadows. Rubbing his hands together, he stepped forward and put a hand on each Wildman's shoulder. Pulling Violet into a near-hug, he reached over for Sabrina's hand. The trio stopped squabbling, and their expressions became lovey-dovey again.

"Hey, it's fine. I didn't mean to play favorites with anybody. Now, why don't we just get back to what we were doing, and finish off this plan, okay?"

"Okay. I'm sorry for throwing a tantrum," Violet said, looking sheepish but also very pleased with her current position. Sabrina elbowed her in the ribs, and Brett gave her a warning look.

"Sorry," the Pink Ranger muttered.

"Sabrina, you can stay with me. Vi, Casey, how about you deal with the creep."

"Okay," Casey said.

That was when Lidian sprang out from behind Brett, jerking him away from the girls and catching him in a half-nelson. All three let out startled shrieks. Already the Green Ranger was reaching into Brett's coat. His fumbling fingers found something glassy and slick, and he yanked it out.

"I wouldn't," Lidian said, as the girls looked ready to charge. He raised what turned out to be a dodecahedron made of glass, with some kind of red fluid sloshing around inside. Throwing it to the ground did nothing, so he slammed his heel down on it. The glass crunched beneath his sneaker.

In an instant, the three girls froze, and Brett stopped struggling. Looks of confusion, then alarm crossed their faces.

". . . Please tell me that was a dream," Brett said.

Relieved, Lidian released him, and he stumbled forward, sitting down hard.

"Okay, who do I have to punch for this one?" Casey asked, rubbing her knuckles.

"Either nobody or everybody, I don't know," Violet replied, taking a seat and burying her face in her hands with a groan.

"Alpha, teleport me to my Zord," Sabrina began, only to remember and look to Casey. "How do we reverse-engineer the watches back to normal?"

"You guys just rest," Lidian replied, backing up. "I'll help deal with the monsters."

Casey looked up at the sound of his voice, and her expression became alarmed. "Lidian, wait!" Lidian halted, commmunicator watch halfway up, as Casey ran up to him. "I'm really, really sorry about all that stuff I said."

"It's okay. You were under a spell, it wasn't your fault."

"But it still hurt you. I could tell, that's why I was doing it. So I'm sorry. Forgive me?" Lidian nodded slowly. Casey fiddled with her hands. "You're still sad, though."

"It's nothing." Lidian tried to laugh, but it came out sounding pretty pathetic. "I don't know what I was so afraid of before—"

"Oh, is that it? Was I not being clear right now? Sorry," Casey said, and smacked her forehead and laughed. "I do like you back, I just didn't know if you liked me because you were always so quiet and scared."

Lidian blinked. Bouncing on the balls of her feet, Casey watched him expectantly. "So . . . you gonna say something?"

Shaking his head, Lidian just hugged her. She let out a little squeal and hugged back, hard.

"Not to be a wet blanket, but we need to help the others with the monsters," Violet called, pointing up at the sky.

"Just take off the watches, I'll fix them later!" Casey called, not letting go.

"We need all five Rangers for this," Sabrina put in.

"Give them a minute, we can handle this," Violet said to her, pulling off her communicator watch. "But if I catch you guys kissing, someone will get punched."

"Yes Ma'am," Lidian replied, grinning ear-to-ear.

The two other Power Rangers teleported away, leaving Lidian and Casey still embracing in the woods. With an embarrassed cough, Brett picked himself up.

"So . . . you guys are the real Power Rangers?"

Allies

 * Alpha 5
 * Ezra Byron
 * Brett Slater

Villains

 * Earth Empress Virgo
 * Earth Emperor Taurus
 * Air Empress Libra

Continuity

 * There was supposed to be a subplot involving Ezra being jealous of Sabrina, but there wasn't that much time/room and it seemed a lot like Lidian and Casey's stuff anyway, except with less buildup.