Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers.

A/N: As always, a big thanks to everyone who reviewed. That's what keeps me writing. Anyway, on with the next chapter!

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Bulk stepped out of the armored Humvee, striking a heroic pose as he set his feet on the pavement. Here he was on the front lines, and everyone was looking to him for advice and guidance. This was like a dream come true. He was wearing full woodland camouflage fatigues, complete with a combat helmet. As all the soldiers turned to look at him...Skull stumbled out of the vehicle, dressed about the same, and fell on top of Bulk, knocking them both to the ground.

The soldiers all looked at each other in confusion, then looked back to the recovering newcomers. Finally, one stepped forward.

“Are you...Farkas Bulkmeier and Eugene Skullovitch?” the soldier asked, looking a bit skeptical. These were the experts from Angel Grove?

“Of course we are!” Bulk instantly said, striking a pose once again.

“Yea! That's right!” Skull said, mimicking Bulk's stance.

Bulk took a brief second to study the area. They were all standing behind a line of tanks, which weren't firing right this second...but that was because the Ooze monsters weren't anywhere to be seen. The purple slime and craters in the streets in front of the tanks seemed to say that they were managing to keep those things at bay.

“My name's Sergeant Davidson,” the lead soldier introduced himself. “I'm in charge of this line of tanks. We need you to share any advice you can give to us!”

“Well...uh...” Bulk said, looking to an equally confused Skull...being heroes was about as far as either of them had planned.

“What's the full situation!?” Skull screamed after a second, raising his voice in an attempt to sound like he knew exactly what he was doing.

“We've blocked off every street and have lines of tanks like this set up for a five mile radius!” Davidson explained. “We have snipers on the roofs and teams in the buildings. If we see those things, we shoot. They're coming out of a construction site in the middle of this circle we've made. We haven't been able to press forward, but we're holding them...at least we think. We've been getting reports of monsters in other places of the city, too!”

Bulk and Skull just stared blankly...their brains going nuts trying to come up with some ideas.

“The sewers!” Bulk suddenly exclaimed. “Monsters love sewers! They're probably going underneath you!”

“Yea!” Skull quickly agreed.

“Of course!” Davidson said, smacking the side of his own head. Then, he looked over his shoulder. “Hey, Charlie! Get these two some rifles, they're going to lead a platoon into the sewers to look for monsters!”

“You got it!” A soldier called back.

“Wait, what?!” Bulk asked in surprise.

“You'll do fine, you're experts! Good luck!” Davidson called, running back to join the ranks once again.

Bulk and Skull's eyes were as wide as could be as some troops started running their way. This wasn't quite what they'd expected.

---

Jason stepped up to the front of the restaurant, looking back and forth. The bar and grill was set up on the sand, but stood on tall support beams, likely so it would survive in case there was ever a flood or something. Jason glanced over to the top of a nearby building, seeing Trini sitting up on the roof. He gave her a thumbs up, and she gave one in return. He had talked her into letting him go in alone, so that if it was a trap she could bail him out. That thought seemed to amuse her, so she had agreed. So, the first Ranger leader walked up the outdoor steps to the wooden building, noticing the large crowd not only entering and exiting, but also sitting inside, on the street behind him, and even down on the beach. The high amount of people might deter Ooze from launching a full on attack...but on the other hand he might not care, and that would just mean lots of casualties. Jason gulped as he opened the door, realizing the second scenario was far more likely.

He instantly scanned the area, noticing an absence of purple demons. That was a start...but he didn't know what to do now. Suddenly, though, he spotted a man sitting alone at a table in the middle of the restaurant, who waved him over. Jason hesitated for a second, but then walked over.

He stopped on the opposite side of the table from this man, and instantly began sizing him up. The guy looked like he was in his forties, and was wearing a pretty formal business suit. The guy had a whole steak dinner in front of him, and was contently eating it. Jason narrowed his eyes as the man gave him a big smile, studying his face a bit more. Then, he realized who it was.

“Ooze,” Jason said in a low voice, glaring at him, now. “I ought to kill you right now.”

“Not a very private place for a murder,” Ooze commented, taking another bite of his steak.

“I think they'll look past it when the whole 'intergalactic warlord' bit comes into consideration,” Jason replied.

“And what makes you think you can beat me alone?” Ooze challenged, looking up from his meal, now. “Please, sit down...before you fall down.”

Jason studied him for a moment, trying to figure out what that last sentence meant. When he looked around and saw several other customers and even two waiters watching him, he got it. So, Jason pulled out a chair and took a seat across from Ivan Ooze.

“Where are they?” Jason demanded, getting right to business.

“Where are the others?” Ooze asked, looking around the diner.

“Around,” Jason bluffed, having been ready for that question since stepping in the door. “I know you've got your own guys hiding around here, and I've got mine.”

Ooze let his eyes roam for a bit more before suddenly chuckling a little, and going back to his meal.

“I didn't know you could change your appearance. That's useful,” Jason commented, reaching over and taking Ooze's glass of water. “Why are you trying to mix in, though? That's not something most villains in the past cared about.”

“I'd like to have a decent meal and a short chat without the interference of your pitiful military, thank you very much,” Ooze explained, glaring as Jason took a sip of his water. “Now...”

“Right,” Jason cut him off. “Tell me where Tommy and Kimberly are. Now.”

“You sure are being quite demanding for a person who's two best friends are my captives,” Ooze snapped. “You would be a little more polite if you wished to ensure their safety.”

Jason leaned back in his seat, watching Ooze for just a minute longer. “Alright...please.”

Ooze grunted at Jason's sarcastic tone, but then set his silverware down as he finished his food. “Turn your morphers in to me.”

“You're kidding, right?” Jason asked, cocking an eyebrow.

“Your morphers or your friends,” Ooze remarked. “You can decide.”

“I don't have it,” Jason calmly said, trying to keep his cool. Shoot, he wasn't lying...

“I'm sure,” Ooze said with a laugh, unconvinced.

“If I could morph, I would have already beaten your ass into the ground,” Jason said, sitting up now.

Ooze cocked an eyebrow, then studied the man across from him for a second. He then picked up his steak knife, and smiled. “I'm calling your bluff.”

“How's that?” Jason asked cautiously.

“There's always one way to make a Ranger morph,” Ooze said, as his skin began turning purple once more.

“No! Wait!!” Jason quickly said, shifting in his seat.

People were already noticing, though, and began panicking as Ivan Ooze reverted to his normal appearance. The people that had been watching Jason earlier all turned into regular Oozemen, causing even more of a panic. Jason quickly stood up, while everyone else began running out whatever exits they could find.

“I love a good entrance!” Ooze said with a laugh, standing up as well. “Well, Ranger! Let's see it! Is it still 'morphin' time'!?”

Jason quickly looked around, he was completely surrounded. He'd have to deal with those Oozemen fast...and with all the power he had. So, he spiked the water glass he'd been holding into Ooze's face, causing it to shatter on impact. Ooze screamed in pain as the glass got in his eyes, dropping his knife while Jason instantly pulled out his pistol. The Oozemen charged in from all sides, but before any of them could get close, he'd landed a shot in each of their chests, and they fell to the floor.

Jason laughed, feeling pretty tough after that one. Ooze had recovered by then, though, and charged forwards, punching the unmorphed Ranger with tremendous strength. Jason was thrown backwards, and slammed right through the wooden wall. He then fell at least a whole story, and hit the sand hard with a yell of pain.

As he limped to his feet, Jason picked his pistol back up, thankful that it had landed near him. He looked up at the building he'd fallen from, and watched as Ooze hopped out the hole in the wall, and landed on the beach with him.

People that had been staring in shock and awe at Jason's landing soon began screaming and fleeing the area at the sight of Ivan Ooze. Jason and Ooze both ignored them, focusing only on each other.

“I'm impressed! The powers clearly affect you even unmorphed,” Ooze said with a laugh. “Not many people could survive a hit like that. Not to mention that fall...and oh, the landing, too! What a doozy that must have been!”

Jason snarled, and quickly aimed at Ooze. Without wasting a second he fired the entire clip at the ancient monster. Ooze only laughed, knocking each bullet away with his right hand as they came near him.

“Is that really the best you can do?” Ooze asked, sounding pretty amused.

“Son of a bitch...” Jason mumbled, holstering his gun and sliding back into a fighting stance. This didn't look good at all.

Ooze pointed his right hand at Jason, and released a beam of purple energy at him. Jason dove aside, but the attack hit right where he had been standing, and caused an explosion that sent Jason rolling through the sand. As soon as he could stop himself Jason got back to his feet, only to find that Ooze was right in his face now. Jason threw a punch as hard as he could, but Ooze caught his fist with ease. He then began squeezing tightly, sending Jason to his knees with a scream of pain.

“You really can't morph...” Ooze said aloud as he realized it. “Well...that's justgreat!”

Before Jason could say anything, Ivan Ooze had brought his other hand into his gut for a powerful blow, one that lifted Jason right off the ground. While Jason was in the air, Ooze kept his grip on his fist, and swung him overhead and then right back into the sand, only letting go after the impact.

“Then I guess I don't have any use for you, anymore...” Ooze said with a sinister laugh, pointing his hand at the fallen Ranger once again.

“Hey, ugly!”

Upon hearing that voice, Ooze turned his head towards the source. It had come from...above?

Trini leaped off the ledge as fast as she could, and flew down towards the beach...and Ooze. As she came near him, she swung her right leg straight downwards. Ivan Ooze, not expecting this attack at all, could only stare in shock. Trini's foot slammed into his face with all the force from her fall, and because he hadn't been ready to defend against it, Ooze's entire face caved in from the pressure. Indeed, Trini found her leg buried up to her shin in Ooze's head, which was bulging out from the backside because her foot had gone almost the entire way through.

While Trini put her left foot on Ooze's shoulder and used that as leverage to pull her other foot out of his face, Jason got back to his feet. When Trini hopped to the ground, he instantly grabbed her wrist and bolted. They couldn't win this fight...not the two of them, not without their powers. They could only retreat for now and pray that Kimberly and Tommy would be alright. So, while Ivan Ooze struggled to reform his head to it's natural state, the two of them fled off the beach and down the city streets.

---

“We're lost, aren't we?” Rocky asked for the hundredth time as he stopped beside Zack, who was looking around.

“We're not lost!” Zack snapped, tapping his foot on the sidewalk as he tried to think this over.

The six of them were trying to find the Beachside Bar and Grill so they could help Jason and Trini...but weren't having much luck at all. They were somewhere downtown, but no one really had a clue where.

“Why don't we just look at the map?” Kat asked with a sigh.

“We don't need the map,” Adam said, exchanging a nod with Zack. “We know exactly where we are.”

“I swear,” Tanya commented, crossing her arms. “The world is in danger, two of our friends are captives, and two more might be walking into a trap and you're still just a bunch of muscleheaded men too proud to accept even a little help!”

“Yea, that's right,” Zack sarcastically mumbled, still looking around. He had an odd feeling...something was off...

“What do you think, Billy?” Kat asked, looking to the silent sixth member of this group.

“I wish I'd gone with Jason and Trini,” Billy mumbled under his breath.

“Alright, wait a second!” Rocky said, suddenly, looking up a bit. “I've seen that billboard before! So we need to go this way...”

Rocky started to walk to the side, but bumped into a very large man. He stepped back and looked at the guy, and was a bit surprised to see him wearing a full suit of ancient battle armor.

“Uhh...” Zack said, looking to the man at the same time as the other Rangers.

“You're the ones that destroyed the generator,” the man said, narrowing his eyes.

“Who are you and where are our friends?” Billy demanded, taking a step forwards while shooting a quick glance around. The street was crowded, and they certainly had people staring at them by now.

“You needn't worry about it,” the man said. “I am Thor...a general serving under Ivan Ooze...and you will all meet your ends by my hand!”

“Thor?” Rocky snickered, exchanging quick, amused glances with Adam. “What are you, some kinda Norse...”

Rocky stopped talking when Thor pulled out his legendary battle hammer, holding it ready.

“...Aw, shit,” Rocky mumbled, sliding into a battle stance.

This was gonna get ugly.

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A/N: If anyone caught the reference in this chapter...I freakin' love you.