The Purple Ranger *Power Rangers in space*

The Barillian Sting (1)

Unedited
"If Zordon is on this weird planet, We'll find him."
We were walking through a large rainforest, the other rangers had demorphed yet I was sweating heavily inside my suit.
"Hold up!" I called after TJ and Carlos who I was following.
"Hey, footprints!" Cassie called and we all raced over to where she was crouched.
"It looks like Piranhatron."
"They might have Zordon." TJ suggested.

Suddenly the device i was holding started beeping.

"The distress signal." Carlos said.

"It's coming from other there." I pointed and stood up, TJ, Carlos and Cassie followed.

"This way guys." I continued through a field. "The signal's getting stronger. we're close." However I heard the pounding of many feet and looked up in surprise,

"Quantrons!"

"It's a trap!" TJ yelled as we began to fight them off.

I ducked and weaved, fighting next to TJ but suddenly Carlos yelled and fell to the ground. We ran over to him and I kept the quantrons around us away.

"Carlos are you okay?" Cassie asked.

"Something stung me." I looked over my shoulder at the prominent blue veins that surrounded his sting.

"We better get you back to the ship." TJ said as he helped Carlos up.

"Get them!" Ecliptor cried just as we beamed up.

* * *

Back on the ship, Carlos was laying down in the med bay. Ashley stood over him with a scanner. The blue veins had now made their way up his whole arm.

"These readings don't make any sense." Ashley shook her head confusedly.

"I didn't get a good look. It was some sort of... bug." I stared down at the marks on Carlos' arm which somehow seemed familiar.

"Does it feel cold?" I asked suddenly. Carlos looked up in surprise.

"Yeah. How do you know?"

"Do you recognise the bite?" Andros asked, looking curiously at me. I nodded,

"Maybe. Come with me." I motioned for TJ and Andros to follow me out of the room. "To make sure, I need to get that bug." They exchanged looks before nodding.

* * *

"I think the bug fell somewhere around here." TJ called as we followed him into the field where we were ambushed.

"We've got to be absolutely sure." Andros said.

"perhaps I have what you seek." A monster stepped out from behind the trees clutching the bug.

"Who are you?" TJ asked.

"Darkonda is my name, evil is my game." He chuckled evilly. He then darted off.

"After him!" I called and we summoned the galaxy gliders. We were chasing after him when suddenly TJ called,

"He's released a bug!" We all drew our weapons but the bug had seemed to target TJ. He fell and only just managed to stay on his galaxy glider.

"I can't shake him!" He called as he tried desperately to swat it away.

"Hang on TJ!" I called as Andros and I sped after him. "You need to try and shoot it." I ordered Andros. he nodded.

"Got it. Circle around me TJ." TJ nodded and flew towards us while Andros carefully aimed. With one shot he managed to knock the bug to the floor.

"Great shot!" I cheered as we ran over to it.

"What is it?" TJ asked as I picked it up.

"A Barillian bug." I said, handing it to Andros.

"You've dealt with them before?" TJ asked. I nodded.

"My home planet was attacked by huge swarms of them. They were everywhere, stinging without warning. In hours, people who were stung turned into Barillian bugs."

"You mean Carlos is going to become one of those things?" TJ asked.

"And then he'll try to destroy us. Unless... Scientists developed an antidote on KO-35."

"Your home planet?" Andros asked. He stood before me and I nodded. "I thought everyone had gone."

"It was news to me. I left as a young child." I admitted and the two Rangers looked at each other as they gained this new information about me.

"I'm sorry." Andros said, resting a hand on my arm. I shook my head,

"It's fine. We have to get the antidote for Carlos. It may be our only hope." I finished gravely.

* * *

"I need you two to restrain Carlos and be careful." Andros said as he radioed Ashley and Cassie who were still on the ship. They nodded and ran off. We then teleported to the ship.

We were walking towards the Bridge when we heard Ashley cry out. We ran to the med bay to find the two girls on the floor.

"Are you okay?" I asked as I helped Ashley up.

"Yeah, but Carlos, he became some kind of... insect." I shared worried glances with TJ and Andros.

* * *

"Make sure your weapons are at their lowest setting.We gotta try not to hurt him." Andros warned us.

"I'll go keep an eye on the Bridge." Ashley announced.

"Maddi and I will check the engine room." TJ said and I nodded in agreement. Before we left, Andros reminded us,

"Remember, he's not Carlos anymore."

* * *

I followed TJ to the engine room, warily checking over our shoulders every few minutes. We heard a metallic scraping before Carlos suddenly darted out in front of us.

"There he is." TJ called. "Ashley, Cassie, Andros, he's on Megadeck six." He said into his morpher as we began to chase him. The other Rangers caught up with us as we ran into the engine room.

The Carlos bug creature jumped behind the power cells and Cassie called,

"I've got him!" As she held up her blaster, aiming it.

"Don't shoot!" Andros warned. "You might hit the engines."

"Look out!" TJ called, pushing me aside as the bug jumped down. He then picked up a barrel and threw it at us.

"Stop, Carlos, please." Cassie called as she rushed forward to try and stop him. He grabbed her and spun her onto the floor. As we rushed over to help her up, she clutched her neck.

"I think he stung me." I moved Cassie's hair to reveal the same blue veins coming from the sting, identical to the one Carlos had.