Adam groaned in pain as he returned to consciousness. He moved around and felt the rocks and gravel shift around him, with a grunt he lifted himself out of the pile before falling onto his back. The glare of the sun did nothing to ease his headache and he threw an arm over his eyes. . .the sun?!

Adam looked at his watch, it was miraculously still working, and he read 12PM. He’d been out for twelve hours?! Adam slowly stood up, his body swayed dangerously but he didn’t loose his balance. The time he was knocked out did nothing for his body. Being unconscious was nothing like sleeping. Adam still felt exhausted and aching, his wrist was now sprained and he couldn’t exactly walk straight because of his head. Probably a concussion.

“Where are you guys?” Adam said to himself.

-:0:-

“So. . .you are still alive.” The Super Soldier said to itself.

Lord Zedd was very displeased when he found the brat awake. Upon the news had ordered his Soldier back down to Earth. He would also lure the Rangers out as well.

“I will not make that mistake again.” It said, heading straight for where Adam was headed.

-:0:-

School was finally and the Rangers were all in a gloomy state at the table in the Youth Center. News had traveled fast of Adam’s “abduction” in the school. A lot of people shared their sympathy as Adam, though shy and quiet, was a very likeable guy. They were all very likable people actually and always seemed happy. Something like this was devastating them.

“You guys. . .what are we going to do? What if we don’t find him in time?” Kim asked.

“I don’t want to think about that. I just want to find him.” Rocky said. Aisha nodded.

Then their communicators beeped.

They found a secluded spot and let Zordon through.

<RANGERS. ALPHA AND I HAVE DETECTED NO TRACE OF THE UNUSUAL FREQUENCY THAT THE SUPER SOLDIER GAVE OUT. WE BELIEVE TO HAVE FOUND ADAM FROM HIS COMMUNICATOR SIGNAL. HE HASN’T MOVED FROM HIS SPOT HOWEVER. IF YOU ARE READY, I WILL TELEPORT YOU TO THE AREA.>

“We are Zordon.” Tommy confirmed.

And then they were teleported to the rocky knoll that Adam fallen into. However they found no Adam.

“Zordon, there is no sign of Adam around here. Where is he?”

But Billy interrupted Zordon from saying anything, “You guys I found his communicator!”

They all turned to find Billy by a huge pile of dirt and small rocks with Adam’s communicator in hand.

“Zordon-!” Aisha started but was interrupted too by an evil laugh.

“Looking for him?” called a voice.

Several yards behind them was the Super Soldier with a very familiar person in it’s grasp.

“Oh my God.” Was all Kim could say when she took in Adam’s appearance.

His face was very pale underneath the dirt that covered some of his face, a cut above his left eyebrow was bleeding, his jacket was gone, his black long sleeved shirt was cut in various places, as was the skin showing, his jeans were caked with dirt and ripped at the knees, and he seemed to be in pain at the way the Super Soldier gripped his forearms behind his back with one very strong hand. He also looked ready to topple over at any second if it wasn’t for the soldier holding him up.

“Give him back Super Soldier!” Rocky yelled, shocked as well by his friend’s appearance. They all were.

“Here’s the deal. All of you give me your morphers then I will guarantee you that his death will be swift. As will yours.” It held it’s weapon against Adam’s neck for emphasis.

“No deal. We’ll give you our morphers if you let him go.” Tommy bargained.

The Soldier threw Adam to the ground, who cried out upon landing on his arm. “I can kill you anyway without those petty powers. So what does it matter whether I let him go or not?”

Adam’s body shook as he pushed himself to his back. Suddenly a boot planted itself on his chest, pressing hard enough to make breathing difficult. He let out a moan. “Your friend is weak. Why do you want him back so badly?”

“Because we don’t leave friends behind. But what would you know about that?” said Aisha.

“Friends make you weak. That’s what I know.”

The Super Soldier would have said more but it was kicked in the back of the knee. It’s leg instantly buckled, taking the pressure off of Adam’s chest who rolled away. Billy, having seen this action early threw the communicator to Adam. Adam caught it.

The Super Soldier growled in annoyance and glared at the Rangers before turning it’s head to Adam. “You.” it said so menacingly that Adam flinched.

Adam took that as his cue and ran. It was almost like slow motion for the rangers. As they reached for their morphers, the Super Soldier raised it’s weapon towards Adam’s retreating back and fired.

The blast was fired low and hit the ground just behind Adam, sending him flying. The rangers morphed, the frequency was still off and ran towards their enemy. Hoping to distract him long enough for Adam to get away and hopefully morph to join the battle.

Adam landed on his back and let out another pained yell. He coughed and wheezed. Blood spilled from the corner of his mouth, his teeth had bit into the inside of his mouth.

Adam whimpered as he rolled to his stomach, slowly pushing himself to his hands and knees. He saw his friends battling the soldier. He wanted to help but knew he would be too weak to fight. Adam looked around, the forest was still nearby. He could hide there for now.

Adam then got to his feet, only to almost fall down again. Adam concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other. He saw the forest come closer as he was able to run now. He briefly told the rangers what he was doing before crashing into the foliage. The black ranger needed to find a place to hide and rest for now.

Zordon then chose to contact him:

<ADAM. I AM VERY GLAD THAT YOU ARE ALRIGHT. I HAVE SOME BAD NEWS HOWEVER. UPON THE MORPHING OF THE RANGERS, THE SUPER SOLDIER SOMEHOW REACTIVATED THE UNUSUAL FREQUENCY. YOU NEED TO GET OUT OF HIS RANGE ONCE AGAIN FOR ME TO TELEPORT YOU. YOU ALSO CANNOT MORPH. I AM SORRY.>

“Alright. I’ll do. . .the best I can.” Adam wheezed.

The battle sounds suddenly dispersed, forcing Adam to freeze where he was. Adam stayed this way for several minutes before the realization dawned on him. The Soldier was now coming after him! Oh God, he thought.

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.

Adam couldn’t take this again. Not with. . .not with that . . .thing after him again. 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.

Adam 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.

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.

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

Adam 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. 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.

Adam’s 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. Adam 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 around them.

The weight was suddenly off and Adam heard the familiar battle sounds that he normally heard in a ranger fight. Adam 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 Adam, c‘mon, 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. Adam’s eyes were half-lidded and unfocused.

Was it over?

Adam 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 suddenly tumble of the cliff they 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.

-:0:-

“NO!” Rocky shouted, he turned around to his ranger friends. “You guys, Adam just fell. I’m going after him!”

The rangers were about to protest but Rocky already ran and jumped. “Just try to stop him for now!” Rocky yelled as he fell.

With loud smack, Rocky hit the water. His ranger suit protected him from the icy water around him and his helmet gave him a clear view of things under the water. Rocky started swimming with the current, desperately looking for some type of sign of his friend.

Come on Adam. Where are you? Rocky thought.

Rocky suddenly caught a flicker a black near the tree roots to his right. Rocky dove under and saw Adam tangled within them. Rocky brought out his sword and swam straight for it. He hacked at the branches and pulled the very limp Adam by his arm out of the way. Rocky then headed toward the rocky shore.

“No. Don’t do this to me. No.” Rocky said as he pulled Adam onto the rocks. Cradling his friend’s head as he laid Adam down. Adam was just as pale as before but now his lips were tinted blue. “C’mon Adam. Wake up!” Rocky found that Adam had a weak pulse but he was not breathing. Rocky placed his hands on his friend’s chest and pushed.

Rocky only did this three times before Adam convulsed, coughing up a lung full of water. Rocky held his shivering friend’s arm until Adam’s coughing subsided. Adam winced, clutching his sprained wrist, “R-Rocky?”

Rocky didn’t like how Adam sounded. Adam had barely got Rocky’s name out through his almost violent shivers, nor how weak his voice sounded. Adam’s eyes started to close, “No! Adam! Stay awake for me. You have to stay awake!” Rocky gently slapped his friend’s face.

<Rocky! We need you here NOW! We are getting pummeled over here! We need to make the Power Blaster!> Tommy yelled through the communicator.

But Adam was too weak to morph! Rocky sent his sword to them however but how could he get Adam’s Power Axe?

“Adam, Adam. Listen to me. I need you to listen.” Rocky tilted Adam’s face toward his, Adam’s eyes were barely focused though. “Adam, you listening?”

Adam nodded weakly. He just wanted to sleep. “I need you to morph for a few seconds.”

“I-I.” Adam coughed. Why couldn’t he get this out? “I-. . .can’t. I can’t.”

“Yes you can. We need your weapon. That’s all.” Rocky said softly.

Adam’s morpher suddenly appeared in his limp hand. He weakly grasped it, “Hel-help me. . . up.”

Rocky grasped Adam’s arms and brought him to a sitting position. Adam’s hand was shaking so bad that he almost dropped his morpher. “I can’t. . .do t-this.”

“Yes you can!” Rocky said firmly, “Now don’t think of what you can’t do. And just do what you can!”

Adam’s gaze practically bored itself into Rocky’s through his helmet.

“Mastodon.” He said quietly but firmly. Rocky smiled beneath his helmet as his friend’s Ranger outfit was donned.

Adam held out a shaky hand and called out “Power Axe.” Adam dropped the axe however, as soon as it fell into his hand. He had no strength to hold it up. Rocky could see his suit flickering as if it was short-circuiting. The red ranger sighed. He let Adam lie down on the rocky ground and Adam said nothing. His helmeted head lolling to the side.

Rocky concentrated hard as this was not his weapon. The Power Axe shook a little before finally teleporting in a ray of black. “Finally. . .” he muttered.

Rocky looked down at his friend and then gasped, Adam was no longer in his ranger suit and his eyes were closed. He grasped Adam’s shoulder and shook him, “Adam! Adam wake up! You can’t fall asleep yet!”

No response.

“Adam, come on buddy!”

Eyelids fluttered before opening a bit. “What?” Adam’s weak voice filtered the air.

“Oh thank God. Adam, you can’t sleep. You’re too cold. Do you hear me?” Rocky said, his hand holding his friend’s head so Adam was forced to look at him.

Adam’s shivering had subsided quite a bit. The morphing had done him some good. His body was warmed a considerable amount and it gave just a bit more energy. Yet he was still very tired and the cold air didn’t help keep that replenished warmth.

<Rocky. The Super Soldier is gone. We did it!> Aisha’s excited voice came through the communicator. <It took quite a few shots of the Power Blaster but he’s finally gone! Alpha also managed to change the frequency so he can’t be re-made.>

Rocky gave a sigh of relief, “Good job guys.”

“Can we,” Adam started softly, “Can we go home now?”

Rocky nodded and smiled even though he knew Adam couldn’t see it. “Yeah. Let’s go.”

Rocky wrapped his arms around Adam’s upper body and helped him up. He kept Adam in his embrace because Adam was still extremely weak and cold.

Adam let his head fall onto his friend’s shoulder.

It was over.

It was finally over.