He choked back a sob as he stumbled yet again in his haste to get away. He had been running for almost two days now. Night was approaching as the sun was starting to set.

He couldn’t take the darkness again. Not with. . .not with that . . .thing after him. Where were his friends? He needed them now more than ever. Black was his color but now he feared to see it all around him. He yearned for its power to envelope him and go home but he could do nothing but run. Run as fast and hard as he weary body would go.

He stumbled once more.

All was quiet save for his labored breathing. Then he heard them.

It was coming! It was getting closer!

He picked himself up off the ground, trying very hard to ignore the shaking of his limbs, the bone deep exhaustion, the aching muscles and bones.

His clothes were a mess. His jeans ripped at the knees and caked with dried mud and dirt. His long sleeved black shirt did nothing for the cold now as it too was dirty and ripped in several places. He lost his jacket earlier that day.

He frantically tapped his communicator. “Please guys! Hurry.” He all but sobbed.

A blast of energy landed behind him, causing the explosion to send him across many feet before he landed upon the harsh rocky ground and rolled.

He coughed and gagged as dust rose about him. Stars danced in his vision and he vaguely heard rushing water below.

He groaned and struggled to his hands and knees and he saw his worst nightmare. Two black booted feet stood before him that led up to powerfully built legs and then to thick black armor that seemed impenetrable. The Super Soldier’s head, as the creature called itself, was also armored. No one save itself knew it’s true image. It’s arm was outstretched with a black disc like contraption standing on it’s wrist. It was it’s weapon with an identical one on it’s other wrist.

“I grow tired of chasing you and I now have you where I want you. There will be no mercy.” it said in it’s low voice.

His breathing hitched as he forced himself not to cry. He just wanted this to end, he wanted to be home, with his friends. Where were they?!

The disc started to glow as it warmed up for the final blast. He closed his eyes tightly and slumped. He couldn’t go anymore. He didn’t want to give up but he was at the edge of his rope. What more could he do?!

“Goodbye Black Ranger.”

As if in slow-motion he felt the heat of the energy come toward him…but it never struck. Something had plowed into him, making him cry out in pained surprise.

The weight laid heavily on him as the wave of the blast went over them, shaking the ground beneath them and making the air ripple.

The weight was suddenly off and he heard the familiar battle sounds that he normally heard in a ranger fight. He coughed again, he was breathless. Breathlessness seemed to stay with him, even as the person who landed on him turned him over, he just couldn’t get his breathing to even out.

“Hey come on, you with me?” A gloved hand tapped his face, he didn’t acknowledge it but instead he just stared into the sky. Suddenly transfixed by all fiery reds, yellows, and oranges that developed as the sun was setting. The clouds turned pink and some even purple as the sky continued to darken. His eyes were half-lidded and unfocused.

Was it over?

He was broken out of his stupor by the crunching noise. It was then that was aware that the Super Soldier still shot at the ground. Some hit the rangers but others hit the ground. He turned fearful eyes on the ranger before him, the Red Ranger.

“Ad-” The ranger was cut off as he was given a forceful kick to the chest, enough to send the Red Ranger quite a few feet surprisingly.

His eyes watched in horror as he saw Adam Park suddenly tumbled of the cliff thy had been on, the ledge had grown weak with strain as the energy blasts tore through its grounds.

“ADAM!!” Rocky yelled.

And that was all Adam heard before he plunged into an icy depth and was swallowed up in darkness.