Taurus: First Test

First Test is the first episode of the Taurus arc, and the fourth episode of Power Rangers: Neo Zeo.

Synopsis
Another Zodiac Emperor awakens, and sets out to deal with the Power Rangers his way.

Plot
"How do you and David know each other?" Violet asked Lidian, as the two of them set down a chunk of debris in the increasingly cluttered passageway. Under Alpha's direction, they were clearing out whatever couldn't be repaired.

"We met a couple of years ago, and we hang out sometimes on the reservation."

"Cool. I've never been there," Violet said, heading back into the main chamber. An electric lantern sat on one of the cleared consoles (she'd brought it), casting stark shadows around the room.

"A shrink ray? That's awesome! Why didn't you guys use it more often?" Casey exclaimed, from where she was working on something set in the wall. "I mean, point it at the monster and poof, no more giant."

"It was never particularly stable—and we really just unlocked how to reverse someone else's shrink ray, not how to do it ourselves," Alpha replied.

"Do you need any help over there?" Lidian called, looping around a console to reach Casey and Alpha.

"We've got this one, thanks," Casey replied, not even looking around.

"I could use some help with this bar," Violet called from the far end of the room.

"Sure." Lidian joined the Blue Ranger, tucking the other end of the metal beam under one arm. As they maneuvered into the hallway, he glanced back at Casey. She was still working.

"We'll need somewhere more permanent to put this debris later," David called.

"Oh yes, you're right," Alpha 5 said, and hesitated, thinking.

Violet spoke up. "It could probably camouflage with the rest on the ground level."

Alpha 5 brightened at that. "Good idea! I can teleport it up once we're finished sorting it."

Something sparked, and Casey recoiled with a yelp. Alarmed, Lidian dropped his end of the metal beam with a clang and ran over to her.

"Are you okay?"

Casey fanned smoke away from the wires. "Yeah, but I think 'soon' is overestimating things a little bitty bit. Anybody got some paper?"

"I do." Lidian was already rummaging in his pockets, and he soon came up with a napkin and a pen, which Casey took and began scribbling on. "You're sure you're okay?"

Violet called from the doorway, in a strained voice, "I won't be if you leave me holding this thing for much longer."

Lidian started, and hurried back over to her with a sheepish look. Taking up his end of the beam, he helped her maneuver it into the passageway.

"By the way, she blows stuff up on a pretty regular basis, so don't worry about her unless she's actually on fire," Violet told Lidian as they set the beam down. "Though I'm glad you're concerned."

Lidian shrugged. "I have to live up to that 'selfless and compassionate' speech Alpha gave somehow."

A trace of a grin crossed Violet's face. "Yeah, I'm sure."

Lidian didn't make eye contact. Unnoticed by anyone, the alarm on the wall began to blink silently.

oZo

Aries sat in the center of the Zodiac Emperors' prison chamber. His breathing was heavy, and he seemed tired, almost older than he had been. He seemed to be watching one of the other coffins, as if waiting for something. The stars of the sarcophagus beside his gleamed faintly.

More than gleamed, actually. Ten drops of light began to glow, forming the pattern known as Taurus. Seeing the light, Aries straightened, now watching intently. A seam grew visible around the edges of the coffin, but nothing else happened.

"Monster!" He barked, and something jumped in the shadows. Out stepped Pitch, looking uneasy. Aries gestured at the coffin. "Do whatever it is you did last time."

"Nothing special," Pitch muttered, crossing the room to the coffin. He set his hands on the seam, and ooze flowed out of his fingers, seeping into the cracks. After a minute, something crackled in the coffin, and Pitch let go and backed away, before its occupant could do anything to him like last time.

The lid swung outwards, revealing a second creature even bigger than Aries. It was a minotaur—head like a large, black bull, body like a hairy bodybuilder. The Zodiac Emperor sigil marked a sash draped across one shoulder. Opening his eyes, he looked around, focusing at last on Aries.

"You look tired."

"I'm passing out of alignment," Aries replied. "But then I've slept too long. We should try to wake the others now; we have an army to raise."

Taurus stepped down from his cell, hooves clunking on the metal floor. He was easily ten feet tall. "Get started, then."

Aries looked to Pitch, who hurried to the next coffin in line. Footsteps echoed into the room, and Ophiuchus looked inside. Spotting the two Emperors, he hurried over. Nearby, Pitch let out a pleased grunt as the locks on the next coffin began to grind open.

"Earth Emperor Taurus! I knew you'd be coming into align—"

"Who is this?" Taurus snapped, looking to Aries.

"The one who orchestrated our rescue. Some descendant of Sagittarius," Aries replied. To Ophiuchus, he said, "What is it?"

Ophiuchus, looking rather crestfallen, took a moment to respond. "Oh, yes. I've just gotten a signal from some of our scouts—they've found some kind of underground hangar outside Angel Grove and are investigating."

Taurus started for the door, not so much as glancing at Ophiuchus. "Show me."

"Right away." Ophiuchus followed him.

oZo

"It's almost eleven. Anyone up for a break?" Lidian said, checking his watch.

"You can if you want," David replied, and hefted another broken computer onto his shoulder.

"Now's a good time," Violet replied. Wiping her dusty hands on her equally dusty pants, she joined Lidian in the middle of the room, and sat down on the floor with a groan. "Casey? Alpha?"

"I'm fully recharged, but thank you for the offer," Alpha 5 said.

"I'm good too—plus I haven't been carrying any big heavy stuff."

"Suit yourself." Violet got up and grabbed a water bottle from the corner where she'd left her coat. Taking a long drink, she plopped down beside Lidian again. Before she could say anything, she paused, and frowned a little. "How long has that light been on?"

Everyone looked, and saw the alarm light blinking steadily on the wall. Lidian sprang to his feet, and Alpha let out an alarmed "Ai-yi-yi!"

"What's setting it off?" David demanded, reaching the correct console before even Alpha had a chance to.

The little robot joined him a second later, typing in commands. The viewing screen flickered, and then displayed an image of a mountainside. A squarish robot stood on the slope, looking around nervously. Behind it, stone dust blasted out of a tunnel that shot down into the rock.

"What are they doing?" Violet asked.

"That mountain houses the Zord hangar," Alpha 5 replied.

David looked hard at the monsters, and then turned back to the middle of the room. "Let's go."

"Be careful, Rangers," Alpha 5 said, as the Rangers fell into line.

David raised his morphers. "It's Morphin' Time!"

"Zeo Ranger Two, Yellow!"

A green energy grid covers Casey's body, and her suit materializes from the bottom up, finishing with her helmet.

Zeo Ranger Three, Blue!"

A green energy grid covers Violet's body, and her suit materializes from the bottom up, finishing with her helmet.

Zeo Ranger Four, Green!"

A green energy grid covers Lidian's body, and his suit materializes from the bottom up, finishing with his helmet.

Zeo Ranger Five, Red!"

A green energy grid covers David's body, and his suit materializes from the bottom up, finishing with his helmet.

oZo

" . . . and in here are the prisoners we retrieved from Earth a few days ago," Ophiuchus said, stopping in front of a door.

He paused, but Taurus didn't wait for him. Going up to the monitor on the wall beside the door, the bull-like creature activated it, revealing a birds-eye view of the room. The fourteen civilians were scattered around the large cell, most sitting or lying down. They weren't aware of the camera.

Taurus snorted, looking unimpressed, and turned the monitor off again as he looked to Ophiuchus. "That's the best you could do?"

"The Windjammers weren't prepared for the Red Ranger to show up," Ophiuchus replied. "Now we won't be caught off-guard. We've already sent several agents to Earth to observe—"

"Move these people," Taurus cut him off.

"Sir?"

"Get them off this ship. The Rangers will try to rescue them at some point and we can't risk a battle inside our only base."

"Then what are we supposed to do with them?" Ophiuchus asked, looking bewildered. "Dump them in a lunar crater?"

Taurus paused for a moment, eyes narrowed in thought. "I'll open my labyrinth. They'll be secure there—and with luck, they'll start shaping up into an army. Actually . . ." He trailed off. Abruptly, he turned and clopped up the passageway.

"Emperor Taurus?" Ophiuchus hurried after him, confused.

"Get a couple of those Windjammer things, I've got a new plan to test out. Who knows, maybe it'll take care of those children who are causing you so much trouble."

oZo

The robot didn't hear the Rangers teleport in, thanks to the deafening drilling in the tunnel behind him. Getting the other Rangers' attention, Zeo Red moved behind a boulder, where the noise was softened enough for him to be heard.

"There must be another monster in the tunnel," he said. "We'll destroy this one with our Power Weapons, then go after his friend. Green, we attack from above, Pink and Yellow this side."

The other Rangers nodded or agreed, and summoned their weapons. However, as they started for their positions, a high whine sounded in the air. Out of the sky dropped blazing blue shafts, which blasted into the rocks around them. The Green and Red Rangers were flung down the slope, and Casey slammed hard into the side of the mountain. Violet ran to her side as she crumpled.

Out of the newly-formed craters climbed Jewel Golems. However, unlike the previous foot soldiers, these were sapphire blue. They didn't have blades on their arms; two large horns curved out of their heads. They started for the scattered Rangers. With an alarmed noise, the robot jumped into the tunnel.

Picking himself up, the Red Ranger lunged after the monster, swerving around a Jewel Golem as it barred his path. It tried to stomp him flat, but he slid aside just in time; the rock grazed his side as he dropped into the tunnel after the robot.

It was a dark, bumpy slide, but Zeo Red managed to stop himself. The drilling had stopped, and he could hear voices rising out of the darkness. Still holding his Power Sword, he began to climb down. Echoes distorted the voices, but he was able to make out some of the conversation.

"—should I know how close we are? I can't see through rock. What about your sensors?"

"All the metal in here is playing havoc with my sensors, Spinhead!"

"A little rock messes you up, and you have the gall to whine at me for not tunnelling fast enough?" Spinhead shrieked.

There was a pause, and David halted, not wanting to be heard. He was still too far away to see the monsters, though his eyes were adjusting to the darkness.

"Sorry," the other monster said, in a much quieter voice. "Nothing personal, buddy, I only just got away from the Rangers. I'm still shaking—look."

"I can imagine," Spinhead said, sounding calmer. "I'd better get started drilling again before one of the Zodiac Emperors notices. Which one's in charge again?"

"Beats me," Cark said. "Last I knew it was the crazy ram guy, but now there's some bull thing stomping around, giving orders."

The Red Ranger began to creep forward once more. A few loose stones skittered underfoot, and he froze.

"What was that?"

"This place is full of loose rock," Spinhead said dismissively.

"No, it was from up the tunnel," Cark replied.

"Like I said, loose rock. If it bugs you go back up and check it out, I'm going to finish this."

"Okay, okay, but I'm not going to get killed by any Ranger for a stupid distraction."

At the sound of that, the Red Ranger froze. He heard Cark struggling to climb back up the tunnel, grumbling under his breath, and then the drill started up again. Dust and rock blasted him flat. Losing his balance, he started sliding down the tunnel. He tried to stop, but slammed feet-first into something metal. They both tumbled down the passageway, slamming hard into Spinhead from behind. The drill clunked and clattered awkwardly against the rock, and everyone fell in a heap.

"Who's there—what's going on?" Cark was shrieking. Freeing an arm from the tangle, Zeo Red hauled back and punched in the direction of the voice. His fist met metal, hard enough to make his knuckles burn even morphed. That only made Cark squawk louder.

"Would you shut up for a second!" Spinhead yelled from beneath Zeo Red's left leg. "Let me up, you stupid hunk of metal!"

The Red Ranger kicked Spinhead in what felt like the shoulder, and began scrambling away from the pair. He needed some distance—and even though he didn't consciously think it, a more dignified position from which to reveal himself. His back met the wall of the tunnel almost before he was upright; he slid up it, feeling for his Zeo Laser Pistol.

"Something fell into me, and it wasn't a rock—it was a body!" Cark insisted, as he and Spinhead picked themselves up.

"Calm down, nobody's hurt," Spinhead talked over him. "If anything's in here, we'll find it."

Zeo Red pointed his Zeo Laser Pistol up at the ceiling and fired. The red laser lit up the tunnel like a lightning bolt, and both monsters recoiled from the Red Ranger. If he'd extended his arm fully he'd have been touching them.

"Don't try anything," he said, in as hard and commanding a voice as he could. "I could shoot both of you between the eyes before you had time to blink." Neither monster spoke. Emboldened Zeo Red went on. "You, Cark, you said something about a distraction earlier. If you explain I may let you live."

". . . You're the Red Ranger?" Cark said at last.

Irritated by the monster's incredulity, the Red Ranger jabbed him with the end of his Zeo Laser Pistol. "Yes, but all that matters right now is that I'm the one with the gun."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a voice echoed inside his helmet. It was Lidian, sounding confused and anxious.

"David? Where are you? Casey just disappeared. Violet's freaking out—"

Before the Red Ranger could even think of a response, what felt like a fist of metal slammed into his jaw, flattening him against the wall. The Zeo Laser Pistol went off again; the laser struck the wall, but the flash illuminated a metal tentacle extending from behind Cark. It held the Red Ranger against the wall, clawed ends digging into his suit.

"It'll take more than a little gun to stop the two of us, David," Cark sneered.

Allies

 * Alpha 5

Villains

 * Aries
 * Taurus
 * Ophiuchus
 * Pitch
 * Cark
 * Spinhead

Trivia

 * Cark was originally designed to attack and take over the Rangers' Zords, in order to give Casey her first real challenge as both a Ranger and a techie.