Purple

Spores: Part Six

A red column of light appeared and quickly faded around the silhouette of an armored figure in the middle of the forest. The sky was starting to tint and orangey purple as the sun slowly started to set. If Jason wanted to find Zack and the toad, he had to act fast because he was losing light. They had ways of illuminating the woods, but it wouldn't be easier.

"Are you crazy, Jason? I'd just like to point out that this plan of yours is very very bad." The sarcastic android balked in his communicator. Jason didn't listen. He just stared around the treeline to see if he could locate Zack's last location. He recognized the small rock formation where he sat from the small bit of visuals they were able to obtain from the viewing globe and figured he'd start there. As he approached, he crouched to see a small pool of sticky saliva and obvious signs of a struggle.

It had gotten Zack.

"Alpha. Are those little ray gun thingies you were working on ready?" He asked, never taking his focus off of the woods around him. He quickly got his answer from a bemused Alpha 5.

"Once again they are not 'ray gun thingies', they have a name. They're Blade Blasters. It's a cool name." He said, typing a few coordinates onto the compute.

"At least I think so..." He whispered to himself as the gun beamed into place on an attachment on Jason's thigh. He pulled it out and tapped the side of his helmet.

"Thanks for the upgrade." He said, readying the gun as he surveyed the ever darkening woods around him. The harder he looked the more things looked hopeless.

"Are you getting anything on the heat scan?" He muttered over the communicator. Alpha was quick to respond back.

"Nothing yet. But it's probable the toad has some way manipulating its body temperature as a cloaking mechanism. You saw how fast it came up on Zack. Be on the lookout."

"Helpful. Thanks." He responded in an almost annoyed tone. He really shouldn't be upset at Alpha, he was doing all he could. He was just so damn pissed that Zordon lied to him, at least by omission. Wouldn't it have been nice to know his boyfriend was poisoned this whole time? It had been months and Zordon still didn't completely trust him as a leader. What did he have to do to earn that damn space wizard's respect?

After walking for what seemed like an hour, he'd reached the edge of the woods, past the trailer park. The treeline let out at an old abandoned motel, complete with a pool that was teeming with dirty water that seemed to have some sort of greens growing in it. And now the sun had completely set, and with no lights at this eerie old motel everything was illuminated by the blue lights on the piping of his suit.

"LOOK OUT!"

It took him by surprise. Lucky for him he had that whole superhero reaction time thing. He ducked and a large energy blast zoomed over his shoulders. He could feel the heat from it warm up the armor of his shoulder. An old poolside chair exploded into shrapnel as a loud screech resonated through the air and a large splash sent a torrent of dirty water into his thankfully covered face.

"Surprise, bitch." Zack grinned, holding his axe backward, utilizing its cannon form. How badass. Jason's sword was just... a sword.

"I thought you were toad soup." Jason said, standing. Zack chuckled and shook his head.

"Ye of little faith, bro." He said, tapping his shoulder with his gloved hand. But their victory would be short lived because just like a horror movie villain, the toad shot out of the water in a furious scream, pouncing on Jason, its gaping maw a gnashing flurry of teeth and slime. Jason was able to hold it back with a strong arm, but it was such a struggle. That's when he saw it. The horn.

"I got you, homie." Zack said, aiming his cannon again. Jason shouted for a moment.

"No! The horn! Get it! Don't blow it up!" He commanded, holding the creature at bay.

"Like now would be good!" Jason hissed as he kept those snapping jaws away from him. The creature was so enraptured in trying to devour Jason that it had completely dismissed Zack's presence, making it easy for him to swing his axe like a bat and slice the horn off with the blade.

The creature reeled back and screamed, giving Jason just enough room to hit a button on his gun with his thumb, the weapon snapping into a bladed form before he jammed it into the creatures gut and causing even more shrieking as it stumbled back. It looked at the two once more with tempestuous hiss before leaping an impossible distance and disappearing again.

Jason looked down at his new dagger and smirked.

"Blade Blaster, eh? I get it. Pretty cool, Alpha."

Zack was tossing the disembodied horn up and down in his palm, his face now in full view as his visor was pulled back.

"One problem solved. Now we just gotta find little one." He nodded, referring to Trini. They just had to find the lair.

"One thing at a time. We have to get this to Alpha so he can make a serum. Otherwise we lose Kim and Billy too. For good." He said. Zack tossed him the horn and he tapped his communicator.

"Alpha we got the horn. You can port us back now." He said. He looked over at Zack with a smile, shaking his hand and giving him their 'bro' hug. Once he stepped back, the red light started to swirl around him.

"Good work..." He said, turning over to Zack. That was when he saw it. The tongue wrapped around Zack's middle. Zack was pulled from the black and silver lights that had begun to swirl around him as well and disappeared into the open mouth behind him. But before Jason could scream for him, the scenery changed into the Command Center.

He'd made it. Zack had not.