Return of the Demon (AKA The Rangers vs Barney) by Jayce)

Date: Thu, 25 Jun 1998 19:31:43 -0400

Reply-To: Jayce6@gte.net

From: Jayce <Jayce6@GTE.NET> Save Address Block Sender

Subject: Galaxy Rangers Versus Barney

To: RANGER-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU

Hi, All!

Here's my Galaxy Rangers vs. Barney story. Please let me know how you like

it.

"Return of the Demon"

(Or "101 Ways to Destroy Wheiner's Property!")

By Jayce (Jayce6@gte.net)

Robert Mandell, Gaylord Production Co., Transcom Media Inc., and ITF

and the Lyons Group. The author makes no claim of ownership on any of

the characters, locations, and/or situations in either series (most especially

the second one). This is a piece of non-profit fan fiction.

Author's Notes: Some of the lines and scenes in the third and fourth parts

come from a late-night IRC discussion with Allronix and Bruinhilda, where

they generously provided great pieces of characterization. LadyNiko and

Prof Roxie gave me great encouragement, laughter and praise after reading

the initial drafts. The author expresses the deepest appreciation and

gratitude to all of these wonderful people; thanks much, guys!!!!! :) <Bows

deeply.>

Genre: Crossover, with an Action/Humor focus. This story takes place

towards the end of Galaxy Rangers' first season.

*************

Florida's western coast in late July came straight out of a picture

postcard. The pitch-black evening sky was pierced by a bright meteor

shower. The "shooting stars" left bright trails of light as they skimmed

over the horizon. Meteors, stars, and the bright moon combined to cast a

strong light over the landscape. Strong breezes from the Gulf of Mexico

cooled the white beaches, forested land, and populated areas. Many natives

and tourists took full advantage of the pleasant conditions by shopping,

swimming, and/or walking.

However, some took no notice of the pristine night. Within a dominating,

white Romanesque villa, a terrifying scene unfolded...

The cavernous living room was totally curtained off with heavy

silver-gray

drapes, with no hint of the outside world intruding through them. Four

teenagers, dressed like 22nd century rockers, scrabbled to prepare for

their new music video. The young woman with a purple-slashed eye and teased

red hair ordered the others around until everything was done to her

satisfaction. Walls were covered by black cloth edged with red flames, a

circle of pure white salt was poured in the center of the room, and an

ancient-looking tome was placed on a high, pitted wooden pedestal facing

the circle from the south.

"You sure this'll work, man?" a young man with long brown hair asked in

a whiny voice.

"Trust me!" she responded in a harsh, youthful tone, looking confidently

at the others. "That 'Tortuna Rock' video made us stars! What better way to

follow it up than by doing the impossible: summoning demons to do our

bidding!"

"And your dad won't mind us buying all this fancy holographic equipment

to make it look real?" the blond guy asked.

"Naaah! 'Long as I don't publicly embarrass him, Senator Wheiner's

wayward daughter can spend his money however she wants!" she replied,

winking. "Now, let's test the equipment..." After everything checked out,

they got into their costumes and positions. "Hit it, boys!"

Beams of dazzling white and blood-red light pierced the oppressive

darkness. After shooting in random directions, they focused in on the salt

circle.

The band began playing an ominous technobeat with lots of deep drumming

and keyboard bursting. Dressed in pea soup green robes topped with pumpkin

masks, they stayed in the corner next to the recording devices.

Eve Wheiner, parading around in a tight red leather suit complete with

horns, three-inch heels, and long black cape, started to sing/chant as she

danced around the circle. After the first four verses, she pressed two

knuckle-buttons on her gloves using her thumb. Gargoyle-like demons

appeared around her, their images automatically following her lead.

After a few practice sessions, they had gotten the routine down pat.

"Okay, guys, great job," Eve praised. "We'll do the real thing right now

and transmit it to our vid manager at the same time! He's gonna flip over

this!"

The last member of the band was understandably nervous. "That b-book is

a fake... r-r-right?!" he stammered in a shaking voice, pointing at the tome

with an unsteady hand.

"Of COURSE it is!" she reassured him, placing a hand on his shoulder and

crossing her fingers behind his back. "Let's make music history!"

The cameras rolled, the band played, and Eve and the holograms did their

thing.

At the height of her performance, she got an inspiration after jumping

up on the podium: read a spell from the book as part of the song! She opened

the tome and came to a page that showed a fairly recent drawing of a

large, fat, stupid-looking purple-and-green dinosaur on it. *This looks

harmless enough!* Eve mentally sneered. She raised her arms and chanted:

From times not far away,

When the flashing screen dominated most,

You controlled the young minds,

Dooming the others to roast!

Come up, come out, come forth,

O Monstrous Demon of the Abyss,

Enslave the human race again,

And remember -- we control you with THIS! <She held the Tome up.>

These dread words do seal the pact:

I love you -- you love me!

I LOVE YOU -- YOU LOVE ME!

Eve completed the rhyme with a flourish, then staggered back as noxious,

oily black smoke filled the inside of the circle. The effect stretched to

the ceiling before shrinking down to solidify into a seated, two-foot tall

form. Once it was complete, the band members cracked up:

"I don't believe it -- a freakin' purple dino doll!"

"Wha-ha-haaaaaaa! Check out that cheesy grin, man!"

">Choke< Grrrreat special effect, Eve!"

She was visibly shaken. "Um, I didn't plan for that, guys."

They stared at her in disbelief, then all moved forward to bet a

better look. The "doll's" beady eyes opened and blinked rapidly, then

narrowed at the group. He jumped up and waddled towards them. With a

malicious grin, he chirped "Hello! Would you like to be my friend?"

"Whoaaaa! It talks!" Eve shrieked, falling back in shock. Her foot slid

out in front of her to slice neatly through the circle. Too late, she

remembered _that_ was the only thing keeping the demon at bay.

Barney stomped forward, breaking though the gap to corner the terrified

band. Feeding off their fear, he shot up to stand at six feet tall! "After

so long -- a captive audience!" he taunted. Staring at them, he started

singing "I love you -- you love me! I love you -- you love me!" several

times in an annoying, mocking, nails-on-blackboard voice.

They screamed and fall comatose to the ground.

He snorted in contempt, stepping on two of the guys as he crept toward

the curtains. Ripping them away, the monster saw an absolutely delicious sight:

oodles and oodles of children playing on the nearby public beach! Roaring

in triumph, he crashed though the window and bounced off the sand dunes to

get them...

The camera ended the recording. A blinking message on its lens stated

"Transmitted to Tri-D Video."

*************

B.E.T.A. Mountain stood as a fortress against all threats. A deep

indigo-blue night sky, still streaked with the vivid colors of sunset,

revealed billions of twinkling stars and a near-Full Moon washing their

lights over the peak. Both natural landscape and technological marvel,

rectangular red gouges cut into its sides gave way to lights, rooms, and

docking bays.

The Galaxy Rangers were enjoying some time off. Zach and his children

Were in the Rec Room, grinning at Buzzwang's latest dance steps. Niko sharpened

her FarSight skills on some old artifacts. Goose indulged in target

practice on the range. Doc created and modified some new Tweakers. All

seemed peaceful and quiet -- an unusual thing.

Taking a break, Niko walked to one of the observation platforms.

Breathing deeply, she smiled happily as the strong wind rejuvenated her. Her mental

powers had grown stronger of late, and this was the first opportunity she

had gotten to test them. She had been focusing on specific objects' pasts

all afternoon; now she wanted to try expanding her awareness to cover the

general area around her. Sitting cross-legged and entering a trance, she

stretched her psychic senses outwards as a bright yellow aura enveloped her

body.

Suddenly, she gasped as an evil purple presence pushed itself into her

thoughts. Her mind was being engulfed by a suffocating darkness. A

soft-faced dinosaur head cheesily grinned in the center of the howling

black whirlpool. Trying to dominate her, he cruelly chanted, *I love you --

you love me! I love you -- you love...*

"*GET OUT!!!!!*" Niko telepathically and physically shouted back at

it. With all her strength, she kicked the disgusting demon far, far out of her

head. After her eyes snapped open, a page from Commander Walsh ordered the

Series 5 team to his office -- on the double!

Screens shut off, then turned back on as the Rangers ran through the

corridors. When they filed in, Niko waved off the questioning glances

raised by her angry, flushed expression. Standing at attention before the

desk, they saw Walsh looking grimmer than usual.

"Rangers, as of 2000 hours our time Earth is under a mandatory

communications blackout. Here's why," he said, pressing some buttons on his desk.

The left viewscreen activated, displaying specially filtered news

footage both cute and terrifying: a twelve-foot tall purple-and-green dinosaur

frolicked on a white sand beach with hordes of glassy-eyed toddlers,

children, and young teens following him; everyone else was sprawled

unconscious on the surrounding land.

The male Series Fives did the only logical thing possible.

They burst out laughing.

Zach fought to keep a straight face, Goose looked very amused, and Doc

wiped his eyes as he leaned heavily against Walsh's desk.

Only Niko remained quiet, staring at the hideous purple image in stunned

recognition.

"What happened, sir -- some kid's birthday party get out of hand?" Doc

snickered.

"I just fought off that thing!" Niko exclaimed, her eyes glued to the

screen. As the others' immediately serious expressions, she described the

battle between her and the demon on the psychic plane.

"Remind me to NEVER tick _you_ off," Doc murmured in a respectful tone.

"When this appeared on the news and entertainment channels across the

planet, we immediately clamped down on it," Walsh explained. "Millions of

children are now hypnotized while adults have been knocked out in scores.

Rescue teams are spreading out, trying to help them, but there's just too

many people affected. Your mission, Rangers, is to stop Barney before he

gets strong enough to mentally command those kids!"

"Swell," Goose frowned, turning slightly while jabbing a thumb at the

screen. "So how come _our_ brains haven't turned to mush while watching

this?!"

"Q-Ball has come up with some hypnosis-proof filters for the

viewscreens, but it'll take time to install them all over the planet," Walsh gravely

replied.

Zach stared at the scenes with a deep frown. "Wait a minute -- the kids

and Buzz were changing channels when I stepped out for a bit..." He trailed

off, eyes widening as he got a horrified look on his face. "Commander, can

you...?"

Walsh was already transferring the Rec Room's camera feed to the

viewscreen. The picture sharpened to reveal Jessi and Buzz sitting in front

of the Tri-D, staring at the blank screen like zombies. Little Zach was

unconsciously sprawled out on a nearby chair. The Commander ordered medics

to get in there and help them.

Zach watched the activity with a dark, angry look on his face. *This

just got personal...* he silently fumed, fists clenched tightly.

Niko reached over to touch his tense arm. "Don't worry, Zachary -- the

doctors will do all they can to help them."

He calmed himself in a second, but the fury remained in his eyes.

"Your mission, Rangers, is to stop this menace. To that end, Captain

Foxx, your team has been authorized to act under the Omega Initiative: use

any and all means to accomplish your objective. We have historical records

chronicling the previous appearances of this creature."

News coverage and Internet pages flashed on the screen, showing Barney's

frightening rise to power as a television host in the 1990s before being

blasted back into the Nether-Region courtesy of the Real Ghostbusters.

Subsequent attempts by him to get re-established in the entertainment

business only got him exiled every time. The most recent encounter showed

the entire C.O.P.S. team fighting the monster in Empire City fifteen years

ago. All of these battles revealed that one-on-one fights, which weakened

him when other people attacked from a distance, distracted Barney long

enough to be blown to smithereens by a HUGE blast of energy. (Destruction

of his physical form meant his spirit was automatically banished back to

the Nether-Region until he either got enough power to break loose or was

summoned by an outside force.) The images ended with the Tri-D Video

footage.

"As you can see, the monster has two known weaknesses: he burns up

energy at a high rate and can be taken out by a powerful energy discharge that's

beyond his ability to absorb," Walsh pointed out.

Goose whirled around to glare at him. Gesturing at the screen, he

snapped "So how do we stop him _this_ time -- ram Ranger one down his throat and

detonate the hyperdrive?!"

"Zachary's Thunderbolt should do the job, _if_ he builds the charge to

critical overload." He shot a grave look at the Captain. "There IS a danger

-- with that much power, there's a very good chance your bionics and

nervous system will burn out as well."

The other Rangers were about to protest, but Zach held up a hand to

silence them. "Fine, sir."

The Commander nodded, then fixed his gaze on the whole group. "You'll

recharge now with the maximum amount of energy your badges can hold, then

pick up some special equipment and head out. Time is of the essence,

Rangers; if he isn't stopped here, _billions_ more will fall under his evil

influence. If that happens, then nothing short of a nuclear attack will

stop him! The location is Senator Wheiner's villa in Florida..."

Everyone stopped dead at this.

"You mean we get to wreck his HOUSE?!" Goose asked with a deadly,

delighted grin on his face.

The others visibly cheered up as well.

"_Only_ if the situation calls for it," Walsh sternly replied with

amused eyes. "Remember: stop Barney by any and all means necessary! Good luck,

team."

*************

Ranger One screamed through the atmosphere, shooting through time zones

on its way to Florida's Gulf Coast. Inside, the team checked over their

equipment while memorizing the villa's layout and surrounding terrain on

GV's front monitor. The filtered satellite camera feed was displayed on

another screen off to the left; it showed Barney stomping back inside the

villa after draining all the children's energies.

"All right, here's the plan," Zach started. "We'll land on the outskirts

of town and ride in on the cybersteeds. Niko, you'll throw up a shield to

protect us from detection. Doc, when we get there you'll override the

computer controls and seal off the place to prevent any escapes. While we

fight Barney, the local authorities will rescue the victims. We'll keep him

confused by taunting him one at a time while covering each other. I'll take

him out after he's softened up enough. Niko, if that spell book's still

intact look in it to see if there's another way to banish him. Any

questions?"

"Yeah -- why wasn't I warned about stuff like this BEFORE signing the

dotted line?" Doc quipped. He shrugged and raised his eyebrows in feigned

surprise.

The other Rangers chuckled, and even Zach smiled briefly before turning

serious again. "Okay, let's notify the rescue teams and prepare for

landing. Remember to put in your hypnosis-proof earplugs and bring along

extra weapons, grenades, and ammo."

They armed themselves to the teeth as Ranger One dropped through the

thickening cloud cover, landing behind some peaks outside the town. As they

rode off, Niko touched her badge and blanketed everyone with a gold

"masking" shield. They traveled down unnaturally quiet streets, passing

dozens of collapsed people who were felled by the demon's malevolent

singing.

At a gesture from Zach, the rescue teams followed them in. As they did

so, groups started peeling off to help nearby victims.

"Hey, Niko -- your abilities would've been _mighty_ handy for some of

the fraternity pranks I pulled in college!" Doc said.

Niko gave him a wry look, but it was Goose who answered with a shocked

look and sarcastic tone. "I'm surprised, Doc! Don't tell me you didn't

cause enough damage on your OWN?!"

Zach slashed a hand across his throat, warning them to be quiet as they

turned onto the street leading to Wheiner's place.

Doc choked and clamped a hand over his mouth to hold in the laughter. His

dark eyes promised Goose a witty response later.

Scores of children and teens surrounded the villa, all deep in an

enchanted sleep. The Rangers tried to revive a few with no luck, then let

the authorities take them away. Looking warily around for traps, the team

walked up to a side entrance.

Doc tapped his badge, activating the implant to summon tweakers out of

his CDU. "Tripwire, Pathfinder, front and center!"

The respective red star and blue ball zipped out of the revolving

holographic diamond to hover before his face.

"What do you need, Doc?" Tripwire asked.

"Open the door, then seal the place when we're inside. Keep everything

locked down and don't activate the force fields at Barney's location until

we can attack."

"We're on it!" Pathfinder cheerfully exclaimed.

The tweakers merged with the door's black control panel.

Barely five seconds later, the entrance silently opened. After the team

ducked in, it closed once more.

"Good work, fellas," Doc whispered proudly.

The Rangers found themselves in a dimly-lit storeroom, surrounded by

Dusty racks of centuries-old wines. Goose almost sneezed several times as they

passed though it. The team warily walked down corridors leading to the main

areas, senses and trigger-fingers on full alert. They faintly heard

singing, so they followed it down a hallway covered with expensive

paintings and rare tapestries. After passing by several closed doors and a

modern-looking study, the kitchen appeared before them. The Rangers sneaked

through the room to come up on either side of a closed door. They peeked

through the glass to witness a most curious sight: Barney skipped around

the room, singing his head off as he munched on the tome's last pages,

while a motley-costumed rock group cowered in the far corner.

The devil in the red outfit rose up in anger. "You can't hold us here!"

Barney skewered Eve Wheiner with a ferocious glance, then knocked her

out with a telepathic bolt.

"Ready, everyone?" Zach whispered. The others nodded.

As one, the Rangers charged through the door and aimed their weapons at

the creature. Seconds after they barged in, sparking white force-fields

blocked off the living room windows.

"Ah, lookie here -- more new friends to play with! Whoo-hoo-hoo!"

"Your reign of terror's over -- give it up!" Zach ordered.

"If you insist, Mon Capitane!" Barney opened his mouth wide to exhale a

burst of pure sonic energy at the Rangers. Zach and Goose leaped to one

side while Niko and Doc went the other way.

"Fan out and keep moving!" Zach shouted.

Barney began to chant in his syrupy-sweet voice "I love you -- you love

me..."

"EAT BLASTER, YA PURPLE CREEP!!!!!" Goose yelled back, shooting him

hundreds of times per minute.

The demon sang his annoying songs, then frowned severely because they

Had no effect on the Rangers.

Doc, Goose, and Zach slowly circled around him, keeping their distance

as they fired like there was no tomorrow.

Niko ran over to defend the band, positioning herself in front of them.

She grabbed at the remnants of the tome. After a cursory glance, she

dropped it; the index wasn't much help without the other pages. Joining the

firefight, she got in some good strikes on the monster's head and neck.

Gobs of sticky purple protoplasm dripped onto the cedar-paneled floor

with each hit the team scored.

"Hey, Barney," Doc shouted, "your momma was so fat she caused the

extinction of the dinosaurs when she fell down!"

The creature focused in on him. "You sound sooooooo angry, Wally; you

need a hug!" Moving faster than his five-ton bulk implied, Barney lunged at his

intended victim.

Doc did some fancy dodging, acrobatics, and yelling as he successfully

stayed out of the lethal grip. No matter how many times the demon tried to

grab him, he stayed one step ahead by throwing chairs and paintings,

dodging around bookcases, and vaulting over furniture. Thanks to some cover

fire by the others that tripped Barney over, he got to relative safety

behind an overturned marble table. "Abercrombie, thank you again!" he

sighed in relief. He wiped his forehead, his hand still clutching a lazer

pistol. Grabbing a disk-shaped grenade, he faced the creature and yelled

"Yo, Purple People Eater! I don't get THIS close on the first date!" before

throwing it into the grinning mouth.

After swallowing the explosive, a muffled boom emanated from within

Barney's body. His fat green stomach ballooned out to three times its

normal

size before deflating like a bad souffle. With black smoke pouring out

his nostrils, the monster growled and moved in to smother the hacker with

pseudo-kindness.

Niko aimed her double-barreled shotgun at him. "Hey," she challengingly

shouted, "eat light!"

Her blasts hit Barney dead-on in the back, but he merely turned around

and giggled. "Huh-huh, that tickles..." Shaking his head in false pity, the

demon continued with "Y'know, it's not nice when friends get mad at each

other! What say we kiss and make up, hmmm?" He nodded and telepathically

attacked Niko again.

She screamed and dropped her weapon, knocked to her knees by the sheer

waves of agony that flooded her brain.

The other Rangers shouted her name and ran forward, concentrating their

blaster fire.

Barney shrugged the lazers off, his heavy footsteps thundering on the

floor as he casually strode towards Niko.

Niko shut her eyes in total concentration, one hand clutching her head

while the other groped for her badge. Suddenly, she was enveloped in

flaming gold light. Her deep magenta-purple eyes opened as she got an

enraged look on her face. Standing straight up, she snapped, "I SAID --

_GET_OUT_OF_MY_MIND!!!!!_" With a combined telepathic whammy and

telekinetic shove, she blasted the creature back fifty feet to land

painfully on his cellophane behind.

Quickly glancing at Niko to make sure she was all right, Goose sped

towards Barney with a deep, loud growl. The others covered him while he

kept blasting at the monster, pulling the triggers faster and faster the

closer he got.

Barney kneeled over, moaning in mortal pain.

Goose grinned and went for the kill.

"No, Goose! Don't get too close..." Zach warned, a second too late.

The demon sprang up and grabbed Goose. He began to squeeze the Ranger in

a death grip. "Oh-ho-ho! What have we here?!" With two flicks of his huge

finger, Barney popped the earplugs out before singing his song again.

"AAAAAAAAAAAARGH!!!!! Must-resist..." Goose thrashed wildly, shooting

away at the creature's belly and legs with the blasters still clenched in his

hands. After several moments of pure torture, he wedged his legs between

their chests and kicked Barney away. Slapping his badge, his ears glowed

gold as they sealed themselves off from all subliminal noises. "BIG

mistake, pal... now I'm _immune_ to your sweet-sounding garbage!" Goose

aimed between the monster's eyes and began shooting again, forcing him back

towards Zach.

Zach tapped his badge, priming the Thunderbolt for action. Right before

he could aim it, Barney did an about-face and started attacking _him_

mentally. The captain staggered against the windows, clenching his left

fist to hold the blast in as he battled the demon for control. *_NO!!!!!_*

he thought defiantly, *I WON'T leave my kids at your mercy!!!!!* He forced

the Thunderbolt's energy to swiftly build WAY beyond critical overload,

causing the entire bionic arm to glow a bright, blinding gold. He ran

forward, thrust his left fist deep within Barney's belly, and fired.

_KABOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMM!!!!!_

Barney screamed loud enough to wake the dead, temporarily deafening the

Rangers and band, before exploding in a rush of sonic power and dark energy

that threw everyone around like sticks in a hurricane. His only remains

were gallons of purple protoplasmic paste that drenched the room in

foul-smelling goo.

When the smoke and dust cleared, faint breezes came in; the creature's

annihilation had blown the roof, top three levels, and first story walls

off the building. The wooden floor had deep cracks and major structural

damage, creaking under the enormous stress it suffered. The furniture, art,

and appliances were nothing more than scattered rubble and scraps of

fabric. Blaster marks decorated what was left over.

Goose and Niko were the first to reappear, scraped and bruised.

Niko coughed out what felt like tons of dust, but was otherwise all

right.

Goose grimaced as he pulled pieces of glass out of his arms, but was

likewise undamaged.

The band staggered up, holding an unconscious Eve Wheiner in their

arms.

"Niko, you okay?" Goose asked in a raspy voice.

"Fine, I'll be fine," she replied in a strained whisper. Niko smiled at

him, then frowned as she scanned the rubble. "I hope Doc and Zach are still

alive..."

Following some loud moans, they found a weary-faced Doc wedged in

beneath

the remains of the marble table. A heavy wall pillar immobilized his right

leg, so Goose activated his badge for extra strength and tossed it away.

Niko examined Doc's leg and advised him to "Stay still; it's broken in

three places." She searched within her first-aid kit, then injected him

with a maximum-strength painkiller.

"Don't worry about me, guys -- find Zach," Doc requested with an

extremely worried expression.

After asking the band to stay with Doc, they did just that. Zach was

sprawled on the ground outside, lying in a huge pile of rubble on the

water's edge two hundred feet behind the villa. Niko used her charge to

telekinetically push the debris away, then gently levitated him up and

placed him in Goose's outstretched arms.

Zach was a sight. Beneath his badly torn uniform, dozens of bleeding red

cuts, gashes, and scrapes revealed themselves. Deep blue-black bruises

stood out on his chest and torso. His blackened left arm smelled like

overcooked electronics. His unconscious state was the only thing that saved

him from pain.

Niko ran the scanner over him, revealing that "He's got broken ribs,

overloaded bionics, and a battered body, but he'll be just fine."

She and Goose grinned in relief at each other before summoning the

Medics for help.

*************

Niko and Goose had their wounds tended to and were discharged from the

hospital. Doc and Zach stayed there for two weeks, recovering from their

severe injuries. Wheiner threatened to sue the Series Five team for damages

before he found out that the Omega Initiative was in effect: he was

compensated for his losses (ranging in the billions) while excusing the

Rangers from any lawsuits. After she got into a screaming match with her

"dear father," Eve Wheiner was shipped off to a boarding school on the

frontier with her band in tow. All the people affected by Barney's

malevolent powers awakened and returned to normal.

Three days after the battle, Zach and Doc finally regained consciousness

in the BETA hospital. The doctors examined them and decided that they could

receive visitors, then informed the others in the waiting room.

"What fueled that mondo-big Thunderbolt, Captain?" Doc asked. He

adjusted

his position in the hospital bed, which was a challenge with his broken leg

in traction.

"Couldn't let that S.O.B. get my kids," Zach admitted sheepishly.

Grimacing at the lingering soreness, he griped, "We'd better get out of here

soon -- the boredom's killing me!"

Doc grinned at his impatience. "Don't worry, my brave and fearless

Captain; after the Commander sends us the forms to be filled out in

triplicate about this crazy case, you'll be _grateful_ for the time off!"

Zach made a sour face at Doc, then laughed out loud.

The door opened, and two seconds later Jessi and Little Zach tightly

hugged their father. The kids talked excitedly about what had happened.

Niko and Goose followed them in, amused expressions on their faces as they

headed for the other bed.

"Hey, Doc, we got a present for you!" Goose smirked. He watched as Niko

handed over a small white gift-box.

"For ME?! Aw, I'm flattered, my Gooseman!" Doc untied the red bow and

lifted the lid to reveal Tripwire, Pathfinder, and his CDU!

"Hiya, Doc!" the tweakers echoed together, flying up to hover before the

hacker's delighted face.

"Thanks, guys -- but how'd you find them in all that mess?!"

"Actually, they helped _us_ through it -- they were still in that same

door panel, controlling everything from there," Niko replied. "Both of them

came right out after you fell unconscious again and helped us navigate

through the rubble."

"That's my little programs!" Doc praised.

Turning to Zach, Goose asked "You okay, Captain?"

Zach smiled back, still holding on to his kids. "I am now."

THE END!

Next up: BETA Declares Open Season on Teletubbies! Bring your own

weapons! <VBG>

Take care. Lightning Strikes!!!!!

Jayce

*************

Jayce, AKA Jayce6@gte.net, Fanfic Writer, and Co-Creator of The Root:

The Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors Archive --> http://users.iar.net/~lizz=

Gillian: "...Dealing with ancient secrets is _always_ a dangerous

business." (_Jayce_and_the_Wheeled_Warriors_, "Steel Against Shadow")

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