Spectrum Force Chapter Four

Not mine yet!

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The Diadem

Part Two





The tapping of heels against cold marble echoed in the spacious chamber.

The empress circled the obsidian podium, hands clasped thoughtfully behind her back. Ruby eyes stared into the opaque pyramid that sat boldly on the raised surface, a self-derisive smirk on her lips.

When she finally broke the silence, her voice dripped with mockery. "Oh great Diadem... gateway into a universe of primal energies... why isn't there anything in you?"

She stepped away from the object of analysis, arms folding. I always knew that stupid fairy tale had no base in reality. It still astounds me that both Gaius and Acheron are so willing to chase myths and legends to the end of the cosmos. She huffed disdainfully. "Men."

If the legends had been true, her hours of intense examination would have wielded something... some kind of sensation that the stone housed infinite elemental power for her to tap.

Snorting with annoyance, she marched away from the podium. "I'll make that peon suffer for dragging me here..!" she growled.

Just as she approached the exit, a chime indicated someone wished to be granted entrance. "Enter!"

The door slowly slid open, and just outside the chamber stood an officer wearing the deep green tunic of the Sciences. "What?" she hissed.

The man swallowed, his every effort forcing his body to maintain his attentive stance as he prepared to relay the message.

"My Empress, our ship has detected the use of the Hyperspace Portal in this system," he related, "but we could not detect a ship. We believe the Star Riders have come."

The empress stared at the scientist for a few moments, her eyes narrowing. "No...I doubt the Riders could be spared from their current mission, even to save Lord Gaius. But Spectra..."

Her face collapsed into a bitter snarl. The messenger stepped back, making room between himself and his queen. "Spectra no doubt sent those six humans that somehow managed to destroy my Phlegnin."

Phaedra forgot about the messenger completely, her eyes closing as she withdrew into contemplation. "There must be something here," she reasoned, "Something worth keeping Gaius from the front of the war. Something worth sending backup... even at the risk of leaving Earth undefended." Her eyes slid open, piercing gaze falling upon the "Diadem" that, come to think of it, Lord Gaius didn't protect with quite the fire Phaedra knew him to possess. "Something... something still on the planet..."

Phaedra's face lit up into a cold grin of anticipation. Very sneaky, Gaius, she admitted, A deception truly worthy of a Denebian Lord. But you forget that the Monarchy have mastered the art of foul play.

She then addressed the scientist who still lingered in the room, awaiting his instructions. "Can you still detect the humans?"

"Our energy sensors are attuned to the Star Riders unique wavelengths, but only when those energies are in use. These... 'humans' with the Star Riders' powers descended toward the planet, and then disappeared from our sensors. We conclude that they have stopped using their powers."

The empress huffed. "No wonder it took this squadron decades to find Gaius! You are ill equipped to handle much of anything, aren't you?"

The officer bit his tongue.

"Get out of here," Phaedra hissed, "Summon Mor'se. Tell him I will deal with this latest development."

* * *

"This is so funky!" the Blue Enforcer declared, staring at the horizon, "This planet's got two suns!"

The Spectrum Force stood together in the dense foliage of the planetoid, covering the terrain on foot as they searched for any signs of sentient life. After several hours of diligent marching, all they had uncovered was the peculiar trek of the suns through the sky.

"This binary system is so incredible," Jocelyn breathed as she gazed into the cloudless, rich blue sky, "The suns are in such perfect synchrony that when one sets, the other rises. The darkest it gets is twilight!"

"That's good," Tamara decided, "Then we won't have to deal with prolonged darkness. So no worries about draining our stored power, or of Phaedra launching an all-out attack."

"We'd better not assume that," Matt noted grimly, "If Phaedra came here to find the Diadem, then she probably knew about the binary suns. She must have figured out a way to compensate for it."

Craig suddenly frowned. "Matt's right. If Phaedra was able to take down that Gaius guy, she must have developed some kind of attack strategy... a damn good one."

"We... definitely need... a plan," Keith panted, heavily sitting on a fallen tree trunk. He cradled his head between his hands, his shoulders heaving as he sucked in gulps of air.

"Oh, poor baby," Tammy cooed, only half-mocking. She sat beside him, her arm draped around his shoulder, "Still nauseous?"

Matt couldn't help a wry grin. "Keith Maloy, Fearless Speed Demon and Terror of the Turnpike, is the only one of us who got sick in that portal!"

Keith grimaced. "Dude, I don't wanna know how fast we were going! And that Hyperspace Portal thing bent space-time... ugh... just thinking about it makes my insides flip..."

The Green Enforcer began to snicker mercilessly. "Just be sure to take your mask off before you hurl, or things'll get sticky in there!"

Craig frowned curiously, his hand reaching to his neck. He gingerly slid his fingers along the molded armor, from the side of his face all the way down his opposite arm. "I don't think this armor has any seams. If Keith has to toss his lunch, he'll have to un-Sync."

Keith whimpered pathetically, resting his head on Tamara's offered shoulder.

Jocelyn giggled. "Un-Sync? Is that the official term?"

"Definitely not. Sounds too much like a boy-band."

That comment won the Purple Enforcer the surprised stares of her entire team.

"Whoa, did I hear Rachel Castaneda crack a joke on a mission?" Keith muttered, "Guys, I think the heat finally got to her."

The team fell into laughter... until a sudden, faint quaking shook the ground on which they stood. Immediately, the six youths gathered into a tight circle, muscles tensed and senses alert.

"Something's coming," Jocelyn whispered unnecessarily.

"Spectra told us the planet was uninhabited," Matthew recalled, "So Phaedra must have sent us a sun-resistant welcoming committee."

Keith inclined his head toward the clear sky. "I'm gonna get a better look around."

Keith floated upward slowly, casting his deep blue gaze around the greenery warily. In the distance, he saw the cool blue of waterfall tumbling down the mountains to the north. And when he turned slightly, following the stampeding sound, his jaw slackened at the sight before him.

"A... black sea?" he marveled, eyes wide. Somehow, a black, tar-like ocean on planet that so reminded him of an Earth rainforest didn't fit right.

"Guys!" he shouted, "It's coming from that way... fast!"

The remaining Force all looked in the direction Red indicated, but they had little time to do anything to prepare. All they could do was react when the wave of murky blackness crashed through the surrounding greenery, blanketing the lush forest.

"Holy sh-!"

"Matt!" Jocelyn screamed, grabbing the awestruck Green Enforcer by the forearm and pulling him heavenward. But they couldn't get far enough away, for out of the encroaching sea came a pair of muscled arms, black and sleek as an oil spill. Mighty fingers encircled Green's ankles, and with a startled yelp, Matthew sank toward the darkness.

"MATT!" she repeated in panic, diving toward him. Without a second thought, she began slashing at the elongated arms in a desperate attempt to free her friend. Then, without warning, three humanoid forms leapt from the black depths towards her, one pinning her arms to her sides from behind her back while the second wrapped around her flailing legs.

Her eyes wide with alarm, she stared as the third offender emerged from the blackness just below her. The man-like form began to spread, distinct limbs fading into each other as it became a flat, amorphous sheet of inky blackness.

And then, it struck.

Jocelyn was instantly overwhelmed as her world became a silvery-black void. He tried desperately to scream, but her throat was dry and raw, and her lungs simply had no oxygen to offer.

He felt her chest constrict, her muscles becoming taunt and insanely heavy. She couldn't move, she couldn't breathe... she couldn't even tell if her eyes were open or closed.

She was being smothered to death!

Or... was it more than that? She felt an encroaching cold, building from her limbs inward. And from the center of her being, she felt a surreal sense of... leaking.

Almost as if she were bleeding...

Oh God oh God oh God oh God...

* * *

"Hang on, Jocie!" Matthew screamed frantically. He managed to claw out of the murky tar that had clung to him, but more appeared. Only this time, instead of dragging him downward, they seemed to be pushing him away from the pool.

His breath came in ragged gasps, panic rising when he realized that Jocelyn was no longer fighting. Instead, the inky black cocoon that outlined her body grew terrifyingly still, and began a slow decent to the bobbing blackness below.

That thing can't suffocate her... can it? he wondered, his heart racing, "Joce! Can you hear me?!"

He wanted desperately to reach her, to dig her out with his bare hands if need be. But how could he even get close??

His muscles tensed as he slowly, painstakingly drew all his appendages inward. He pulled against all the arms pushing him away, collapsing his body into a tight ball. Then, a ball of energy flared to life around him, glowing brilliantly and pushing away the torrent of evil with its radiance.

He turned downward, his aura blazing brilliantly as he dove toward the murkiness below. But, to his surprise, the blackness reoriented itself, and a wave of viscous night crashed toward him.

With a yelp of surprise, Matt angled upward, narrowly missing the substance while catapulting to a safer level. As he streaked, he felt the chill of the creatures beneath moving closer.

I can't...I can't get to her! *Jocelyn? Please...answer me!* he called desperately.

There was no response.

* * *

"Matt! Jocelyn!"

Rachel swore under her breath as she frantically scanned the army beneath her for her youngest friends.

And it was indeed an army... for the sea of black seemed to be formed of countless humanoid shapes. It almost seemed as if the Denebians had stolen every Olympic sprinter on the planet, shaved their heads, and dunked them in a vat of crude oil. For all the creatures were lean-muscled, and obscenely fast. And there were definitely molded to human form... at least, until they began "oozing," spreading into the flattened goopy substance that had swallowed the Orange Enforcer before Rachel's very eyes.

Purple shook off her distraction to assess her own situation. As soon as Matthew screamed his distress, Rachel hurried to help her friends- only to be blindsided by one of the man-like creatures. It struck her with physical force, catching the base of her neck with its elbow. She had been surprised by the assault, but also vaguely relieved; hand-to-hand combat was much more familiar territory.

Rachel precariously took another glance around. Matthew had managed to pull away, but Jocelyn was nowhere in sight. Keith and Tamara fought their battle back to back a few hundred feet away, while Craig had meandered above her, his aura flaring an angry blue as he viciously fought back the waves of creatures that rocketed up to meet him.

Her distraction was rewarded by three more creatures that grabbed for different appendages with such precision, they almost seemed to be of one mind.

"Oh no you don't!" she hissed, pulling one arm in. She managed to lurch forward, crashing her forehead against that of one creature. She stunned it enough to wrestle her hand free, which immediately began to glow vibrantly.

She gasped in surprise when she realized the others were already beginning to melt, slowly coating her other arm and legs.

Wasting no time, she fired a tight beam of energy at her other arm, focusing the blast on the back of the creature, that had yet to make contact with her uniform. A high pitched shriek greeted her; music to her ears.

"I guess raw energy isn't quite as tasty as my arm, huh?"

* * *

"Keith?"

"Yeah?"

"I have a question."

"Shoot."

"When we blast one of those... thingies... do they die?"

Keith frowned deeply, his aura intensifying momentarily as a sphere of hot red coalesced between his palms. "I hope so."

Tamara nodded as she tossed her own ring of glowing light. Right on target, it sliced through one of the manlike shapes, cutting it cleanly in half.

It wailed in some kind of pain, and plummeted to the thick inky blackness beneath them.

"I sure hope so too!" she acknowledged, her dark eyes following the creature's freefall. However, just as she suspected, two more came to take its place. "But it's a bit hard to tell. We're not gaining any ground!"

She backed closer to Keith, their auras mixing into a rich orange where they touched. "Any bright ideas?"

He bit his lip, considering. "Well, I've got something..."

He hurled his energy sphere, watching in satisfaction as it blew two creatures to pieces. Then he turned around, extending his hands.

"Tam, give me your hands."

Yellow regarded him quizzically for a moment before doing so.

"Now what?"

"Now focus your energies into your hands, like you were creating that ring of yours," he instructed, "I'll create my Supreme Fireball Attack."

Despite the gravity of the situation, Tamara couldn't contain a small giggle.

"What can possibly be funny?" he demanded.

"Supreme Fireball Attack?" she repeated, "You... you named your attack?"

He huffed peevishly, dropping his gaze to the orange-hued energy they were creating. "For your information, all great fighters name their techniques! Like the Kamehameha in Dragon Ball, or Chun-Li's Spinning Bird Kick!"

"Right... and Superman's Flying Mega Power Punch! And Batman's Ultra-Fast Batarang Throw!"

He scowled at her, but his expression was lost underneath his mask. He chose to drop the subject. "Okay... I think our powers are sorta bleeding together. Keep them distinct!"

"I get it... I'll ring my Impossibly Strong Golden Hula-hoop around your Way Too Furious Fireball Attack!"

"Supreme Fireball Attack," he grumbled, "That attack's goin' into the history books, Babe!"

She struggled against her giggles, chewing her lip as she forced her energies to separate from Keith's. After nearly a full minute of concentration, the attack was generated: a glowing ball of red flame surrounded by a golden ring of light.

The two heroes floated away from the ball quietly.

"So... what do we call this one?"

"Isn't it obvious? The Supreme Fireball Impossibly Strong Golden Hula-hoop Attack!"

Yellow cocked an eyebrow. She couldn't tell whether her boyfriend was serious or not. "What does it do, then?"

He smirked, reaching his palm beneath the floating energy. "Let's see."

* * *

"There they are..."

Phaedra's eyes slowly opened, the view of her private chamber replacing the magical vision of brilliant energy her most recent spell had created.

She smiled, leaning smugly into her throne.

Of course, her incantation had worked. Her Shadows were undefeatable… a magical collective of foot-soldiers that melted into an amorphous pool, able to rejoin the group and restore their strength, and quickly return to battle.

The pool was able to quickly scan the entire planet, their unique magical properties allowing them to maintain their strength even in direct sunlight. Considering the small circumference of Edenia, it was only a matter of time before a platoon stumbled upon the humans. And by creating minor earthquakes by pounding against the planet's surface, the Shadows were able to trumpet their approach. Predictably, the humans in turn prepared for the assault, igniting their energies and in effect declaring their precise location. The signal became strong enough for even the scientists to register, and strong enough for the Shadows to home in on.

The plan fell seamlessly into place. The Shadows had literally smothered the humans.

Still, while the Shadow fleet was certainly powerful enough to overwhelm the new heroes, Phaedra would be no closer to discovering the truth about the Diadem.

So they followed instruction: swallow one human, and inject the Seed into it.

Phaedra began chuckling, the tickle of burning embers on her skin. She gazed at her hands, watching the faint orange climb her arms.

"The Seed has been planted," she whispered, grinning wickedly, "Once she awakens, the eyes of Orange are as my own."

If these new heroes were anything like the overly-compassionate Spectra, they would never abandon one of their members, even though she may be injured. They would surely see the outer effects of hosting a Seed, but they wouldn't recognize what it meant.

If anything, the outward appearance of Orange would only make the rest more protective, rather than suspicious. And through Orange's eyes, Phaedra would determine exactly what their intentions were on the planet.

Perhaps they'd even discover the secret of the Diadem for her.

Then she would kill them.

* * *

"Why the hell aren't you dead yet?!"

Craig could tell he was panicking; he was quickly running out of ideas.

In truth, he didn't really have time to plan any. When the danger first registered, Blue sensibly rocketed toward the sky, anxious to make as much room as possible between himself and the aggressor. He wanted to buy enough time to come up with some logical strategy of attack.

Unfortunately, no matter how high he flew, the creatures followed him.

Without a plan, he was forced to improvise, falling into an intricate pattern of ducking and dodging while throwing around powerful bolts of energy. Any of his basketball teammates would've recognized the offensive pattern, only played with energy spheres instead of basketballs.

However, Craig quickly discovered how little he accomplished by dodging and firing, and he began slowing down.

What else can I do?

Suddenly, a flash of red grasped his attention. His jaw hung slack as he witnessed a fierce red ball, encircled by a swirling golden ring, collide with the wall of creatures that had begun rising from the ochre.

A wry smile pulled his face as he watched Yellow wrap her arms around Red exuberantly. Maybe, if I had put as much into those practices as the others, I'd be able to make a contribution here...

Instead, he'd only been giving half-hearted effort to the Force. And only half-hearted effort to basketball.

It just wasn't humanly possible to give both all he had. And both demanded exactly that.

A chill crept through his entire body when a thought formed. I... I just can't do this. I'm letting everyone down...

*Confidence is one of your greatest weapons!*

Craig jumped in surprise, leaving him wide open for one of the creatures to land a swing. Craig toppled, rubbing his jaw painfully. But his attention was nowhere near the fight at hand.

*Who's there? Ray?*

It didn't sound like Rachel... unless she'd been sucking on a helium balloon.

*You are a Soldier of Light!* the voice continued, its tone growing anxious, *You must believe in yourself, or no one else will believe in you!*

This sounds like one of those cheesy after-school flicks...

*You cannot save the Diadem like this!* the voice pleaded, *You must follow me!*

*And where are you?* he demanded.

He was answered by a surprising sight. A thin figure, less than four feet in height and cloaked in heavy rags, appeared in front of him. Craig startled.

* * *

"Wow guys... what was that?"

Tamara and Keith disentangled themselves, the former beaming excitedly at her roommate. "Why, that was the Supreme Fireball Impossibly Strong Golden Hula-hoop Attack!"

Rachel stared at Tamara incredulously.

The green form that rapidly flew toward them was equally astonished. "Huh?"

"It was Keith's idea," Tamara accused.

Matthew shook his head to cast off the confusion. "We've got to save Jocelyn!" he declared, "That... tar stuff swallowed her whole! And when I tried to get closer, it seemed to try to swat me away!"

Tamara gasped. "What do we do?"

"So far, the Super Fireball- whatever is the only attack that did any apparently long-lasting damage," Rachel noted, "Whenever I fried one, another took over. But now, they've seemed to slow down... almost retreat a little."

"Then we'll do it again!" Keith decided, "The five of us." He began to pull away towards Blue, who seemed to be frozen in the air. "Craig! Yo CRAIG!"

Matthew frowned slightly. "Maybe we shouldn't include him yet. Remember Jocelyn's somewhere in that goop. If we up the power too much, we might hurt her."

Keith nodded, floating back towards them. "Okay then, me and Tammy will do it again. Then Ray can join in, and if we think that's still not enough, we'll add Matt's power."

"Matt, where exactly did Jocelyn disappear?" Tamara asked.

"Over there, by the tree line."

"Then let's make sure not to directly hit that area," Rachel decided, "but hit close enough to jostle it. Hopefully, we'll get an idea of how powerful the attack is by the damage it does on impact."

Her three teammates nodded, and Yellow and Red rejoined hands, an orange aura building between them.

* * *

Blue paid absolutely no heed to the burning energy that built a few dozen yards away. He also completely ignored the Shadows that had mysteriously begun to recede.

All he could see was the cloaked figure hovering before him.

"Wh... what are you?"

He reached toward the faintly glowing apparition, and shivered as his hand passed through.

"Whoa..."

*Astral projection... only you can see me. Death cannot find me if only Light can see me.*

Craig puzzled over the strange reply. "Don't worry... I won't let those black things hurt you. We're the Spectrum Force!"

*No... not 'death.' Death, the living servants of eternal darkness that seek to devour our reality!*

Does she mean the Empire? "I don't und-"

Before he could finish his comment, a powerful burst of energy exploded behind him, sending him catapulting helplessly with the updraft into the dense Edenian forest.

* * *

"That was… unexpected," Tamara exhaled, her eyes sliding open. She stared in numb awe at the long blades of grass before her, her mind swimming.

How did that happen? She and Keith had constructed their signature attack just as before, and Rachel had deposited her own energy, in the form of an additional spinning ring. The team had decided to try that attack, and Keith had launched the double-ringed sphere toward the oddly calm ochre coating the knoll.

The subsequent explosion threw the entire unprepared Force nearly into orbit.

Yellow closed her eyes, and slowly began to take measure of her injuries. She started by moving her right elbow.

Check.

Left elbow, shoulders, ankles, knees, neck, back, and everything in between.

Everything responded with minimal pain. Astonishingly, she was only slightly sore.

Relieved, Tamara carefully rose to her feet, and began pulling the leaves and grass from her tangled ebony hair.

I'm not hurt at all, she realized, Not a bit. And I was caught completely off-guard. Which must mean that blast wasn't meant to hurt me. But... if it wasn't retaliation from that black goop, was it really just our attack?

That didn't make sense. The one-ringed sphere didn't come anywhere near the destructive power the double-ringed sphere wrought. Either the Force's energies exponentially increase when merged, or Rachel was incredibly more powerful than herself and Keith.

Or... maybe something else was going on.

*Hello?* she called, pivoting in the deathly quiet jungle. *Anybody?*

She shivered in the terrifying mental silence, until finally, someone responded.

*Tam? You okay?*

*Keith!* She beamed ecstatically. *Where are you?*

*Hanging from a tree branch. But otherwise okay.*

*Rachel here,* a new mind-voice indicated, *I'm in one piece, but there's no one in eyeshot.*

*The blast knocked us all in different directions,* Keith realized. *That was... weird.*

*Craig? Matt? Jocelyn?* Rachel broadcast. Tamara could feel her friend's worry escalate. *I... I can feel Matt... but I can't feel Craig at all! Or Jocie...*

Then, a new mind-voice interrupted. Tamara felt herself shiver anew. *I found Jocelyn.*

* * *

Green's glassy gaze returned to the physical plane, as he withdrew his consciousness from the rest of the Force. Then, he lifted his index finger, and fired a single, continuous beam of bright green energy into the heavens.

The others would see the beacon, and arrive shortly.

Satisfied that the others would think of something, his dark green eyes returned to the cold burden lying on his lap.

As he predicted, three flaming auras answered his call. Yellow, Red, and Purple all fell to the ground in front of him.

All were struck silent.

Matthew huddled over Jocelyn. Her body was no longer protected by the magical armor of the transformation. Her eyes were squeezed tightly closed, her arms hung limply at her sides. Her skin, usually glowing with a faint tan, was oddly pale and gray.

Her hands clenching to hold back the trembling, Rachel stepped forward, and knelt in front of Matt. Forcing her eyes away from the sickening sight of her youngest friend, she laid her hand on Green's shoulder tightly.

"What happened?" she asked gently.

"I came to about a minute ago," he answered quietly, "and I realized that I was in the same field. The black stuff was gone without a trace. Then I saw her lying right where the goop sucked her in. I un-Synced her with the belt buttons to check on her... and I saw her like this."

Rachel stared at Matt, recognizing he was in some form of shock. She then rose to her feet, and looked squarely at Keith.

"Remember any of that lifeguard training from two summers ago?"

He nodded mutely.

"Good. See if there's anything you can do to bring her around. Tamara and I will look for Craig."

With that, Rachel grabbed Tamara's arm, and pulled the distracted girl into the air.

Once they departed, Keith slowly kneeled beside Matthew. After staring at him for a moment, he leaned over Jocelyn. After touching his fingers to her neck, he slid back again.

"Her heart's beating, but I can't tell if she's breathing with the armor on."

Matthew didn't respond to Keith's explanation, nor to the flash of light that accompanied Keith's transformation.

"Jeez!" Keith suddenly hissed, "It's hotter than Hell out here!"

He felt the sweat beading on his forehead after only seconds of direct exposure to the planet's blazing sun. Keith swallowed fiercely, fighting the resurgent nausea sparked by the intense heat that all but punched him in the face.

After a few seconds, Keith managed to compose himself enough to turn his attention to Jocelyn.

"Matt, I'm definitely gonna need your help," Keith said, his tone the forced calm of a frustrated parent, "You're the med student... not me."

He slipped his arms beneath Jocelyn, and lifted the prone girl off the Green Enforcer's lap. He then carried her out of the small clearing, and set her down again beneath the shade of a large, full-foliaged tree.

"That helps," he sighed, wiping the sweat before it dripped into his eye. He then touched Jocelyn's pulse with his bare hand.

His fingers retracted instinctively. "I don't get it... why is she so cold? It's a friggin' oven out here! And I know she's... still alive..."

Keith sighed heavily, rising to his feet. He stared at the large, fan-shaped leaves of the tree above him.

"I wonder..." he whispered, holding his clenched fist above him. He closed his eyes, focusing inward just as he practiced during the training sessions.

His perseverance was rewarded when he felt his toes lift off the ground.

So we can manifest powers without fully transforming, he mused, staring at the bright energy aura wrapping his body, That's pretty useful... though it takes more concentration to fly like this.

He levitated to the lowest branches of the tree, pulling off the enormous leaves one at a time and blanketing them over his arm.

Once he collected a satisfying number, he returned to the ground, and began rolling the leaves around his forearm into a soft sleeve.

He pulled the sheath from his arm, and then carefully lifted Jocelyn's neck, sliding the makeshift pillow to support her listless head.

He then marched toward Matthew, his face unusually stern as he psychologically adopted the forceful "Big Brother" persona.

The Green Enforcer still sat on his legs, head bowed as if staring at the grass beneath him.

"Matt, you have to snap out of this," Keith demanded.

"She was trying to help me," Matthew murmured, his hands rising to cradle his head, "The monsters were after me first, and then Jocelyn got between us... I just... froze..."

Okay, Matt here clearly doesn't know how to handle high-stress environments... Keith noted grimly. He'd better adapt, 'cause if we can't count on him, we're all screwed. But yelling at him won't help any...

The Red Enforcer decided on a different approach.

"Dude, Jocelyn's gonna be fine," he assured him.

Matthew blinked beneath his mask. He lifted his head, gazing up at Keith hopefully.

Finally... a response!

"But I need help making sure we make her as comfortable as possible. So here's the deal... you help me out, and I give you the keys to the Beemer for the weekend."

It almost physically hurt him making the offer... but at least it won a reaction.

"Huh?"

"You heard me. Forty-eight hours, unlimited mileage... but if I see even a smudge of bird-crap on my baby, well... you can start writing your last will and testament."

After several more seconds of confused silence, Matthew uttered a sound.

A chuckle.

Keith grinned broadly. Yes! That sounds more like the Matt O'Conner I know!

"I stand behind my former analysis," Matthew said, rising to his feet and quickly brushing the grass from his uniform, "You're absolutely nuts."

Keith's grin widened into a toothy, almost snarling smile. "Absolutely."

His grin then relaxed into his natural, easy-going expression. "Listen up, Kiddo... Jocelyn's still unconscious, but she's breathing fine, and her heart sounds good. I've got her in the shade, but the weather out here is more unbearable than mid-August in Houston. We need to collect some water."

"Okay, from where?"

Keith stared up at the treetops. "There's a waterfall around here somewhere... I'll go find it. Meanwhile, you stay here and keep her cozy. Ray and the others should be back soon, so stay around here so they can find you. By the time they get back, I'm sure Jocie will be wide awake."

Green nodded mutely, watching as Keith stepped back. Red smoke wrapped his body, covering him in the protective flexible-metal of the Red Enforcer uniform, and he instantly leapt into the sky, a burning comet's tail trailing him.

Matt then turned to Jocelyn, his spirits sinking to his heels. "Please be right, Keith..."

* * *

Although she tried her utmost to hide it, Rachel was really starting to worry.

Just relax...Craig's bound to turn up eventually. Maybe he fell asleep somewhere? He's been really tired the past few days... it could've caught up with him.

She tried not to consider the unlikelihood of Craig Gillis falling asleep in the middle of a huge explosion.

*Dammit Craig... if this is one of your stupid jokes, I'll wring your neck!*

Yet again, there was no response to her telepathic outburst.

What did that mean? She was slowly getting used to being able to "feel" her teammates on some peripheral level, even without actually communicating with them. It was a little unsettling to feel Keith flash out of touch for a few minutes, only to flash back.

He probably un-Synced, she realized, I can only feel them when they're Enforcers. Spectra did say our telepathic abilities only work when we're transformed...

That was the most feasible explanation... Craig had un-Synced as well.

But why? The only possible reason to sacrifice the power and protection of the armor would be to hide. But why hide when your friends were a mere few yards away?

Unless, someone was hiding him.

Could that black goop have swallowed him as well? Once Jocelyn disappeared into the viscous waves, Rachel couldn't sense her at all. Perhaps he'd been kidnapped, while the others were too focused on helping Orange to even notice?

Guilt sat in the pit of her stomach. What kind of a leader was she... what kind of a friend was she to not even notice his abduction?

And in all honesty, abduction was the best-case scenario. For there were other explanations to his silence...

She shook off the chilling thought.

"Any luck, Ray?"

Purple opened her eyes, and watched Yellow fall into her field of vision.

"I just can't sense him," Rachel sighed. She pushed off the high tree branch she had nestled on during her telepathic search. "Any sign of him on your end?"

Tamara shook her head. "Nothing physical. No sign of him anywhere... not even broken trees to show a struggle. He just seemed to vanish. Unless..."

"Unless that black stuff took him with it."

"But he was so far away from it when we saw him last," Tamara remembered, "He was even higher up than we were!"

Rachel scowled. "It doesn't make any sense. There's no way that blast could've knocked him that far away."

She chewed her lip, her fingers tracing the smooth surface of the Ireli sphere. "Maybe I should let Spectra know. She might be able to help."

"Only if she comes after us," Tamara pointed out, "We can't talk to her with that sphere, only transmit images and sensations. She can't give us any instructions unless she follows us through the Hyperspace Portal, and then Earth will be up for grabs."

Rachel's fingers released the sphere, but hovered near it. Can I risk it? What are the chances the Denebians will attack Earth once Spectra leaves?

Spectra had advised them that Phaedra kept a tight rein on her soldiers. It wasn't likely they'd launch an attack without her blessing.

But what if Phaedra simply returned to Earth through the Hyperspace Portal? She must have known of the Force's arrival, since someone had to dispatch the black goop to fight them. If she saw Spectra arrive, she might see a golden opportunity to finish what she started.

Maybe a better question is... what are the chances Spectra's presence will help? She can't find Craig if we can't... at least not telepathically. She might be more familiar with the planet... though I don't know that for sure...

The Purple Enforcer folded her arms. "Let's regroup with the others. Then we'll make some decisions."

* * *

Gaius sat in the darkness of his cell. After years of living on a planet saturated with sunlight, it was most unsettling to sit in absolute blackness... so thick and dense he couldn't make out a hand hovering inches from his face.

He stretched out on the bed (or at least, what felt like a flat stone table), focusing his thoughts on his situation.

The darkness was more than merely physical. It was a magical barrier. It had to be, for he couldn't remember such overwhelming silence. He couldn't even detect the faint voices of the Midjinari that always hummed in the background.

While sometimes distracting, their constant communication was also a comfort; that he wasn't alone, though so often it seemed that he had lost everyone and everything that ever meant anything to him.

The sacrifices he made in the name of duty... very few of his allies could truly understand how he could turn his back to so much. The Midjinari were of that small number, as only they understood how precious the Diadem was. How vital it was to hide it from all evil, until the Bright One returned to claim it, and unleash the raw power of the Inner Sphere.

Only the Midjinari understood. They, and the High Father Luminus, who in all his wisdom and foresight allowed Gaius to embark on a mission to find the truth behind the ancient legend.

Though it seemed his presence was more of a curse than a blessing to the Midjinari... would the Denebians have even blinked an eye at Edenia if they didn't find him there? Certainly, Phaedra wouldn't have wasted her time if he weren't involved...

Suddenly, the invisible doorway slid open, allowing the faint light of the hall to illuminate the engulfing blackness. To Gaius, the sudden light was almost blinding.

And standing against that light, her entire form an eerily backlit silhouette, was the empress in question, the crimson glow of her eye the only discernible color on her person.

It hadn't been all that long when her eyes were lit with a mischievous, passionate fire... a fire that ignited his heart and soul. But now, all Gaius could do was brace himself, quelling the growing fear at the ferocity behind those eyes.

She was truly a member of the Denebian Monarchy now, and as such she was capable of anything.

As for Phaedra, when she peered into the darkness of the cell, all she could see was the disturbingly blue eyes of the man that symbolized her every youthful fancy. Was it really over a century ago that his eyes burned with the flames of a true Denebian Lord, mighty and willful and proud?

When his eyes burned... only for her?

"Is there something you want?" Gaius asked flatly.

Phaedra forced her mind back to the present. All in the past... it means nothing to me. She exhaled slowly, arming herself with the mocking smirk that had become her signature. "The Diadem."

"But you already have it, Empress," was his answer.

Her lips stretched as if answering a challenge, and she crept further into the chamber. "Don't play me for a fool, Lord Gaius... I am well aware that thing is not the true Diadem. If it were... why would my forces have found your own dear Spectra sneaking around your palace?"

Gaius' back went ramrod straight.

"I don't know how you managed to send her a distress call," the Empress continued as she swept across the room to sit beside him. "Mor'se needed to physically send a messenger through the Hyperspace Portal to reach me in the Sol system. So imagine my surprise when our mutual friend dropped in through the Portal. I'm actually quite impressed... I thought you two were on bad terms of late. I didn't think she'd fly to your rescue so quickly."

Gaius scowled, trying his best not to give hint of the icy fear that had just grasped him. "You seem to be well informed of my family situation," he noted, "Quite shocking that the empress doesn't have better things to occupy her time with than spitefully striking against her former lover."

That little comment won him a taste of mind-numbing pain. Gaius gasped as suddenly, his entire body froze in place. Only it didn't feel like a typical stillness spell... for every muscle was pulled beyond taut. It felt like his body was trying to tear itself to pieces.

"Funny how weak you are in this room," Phaedra hissed, crimson smoke leaking from her eyes as she maintained her hold, "In here, your pathetic powers are completely nullified."

She huffed, ceasing the incantation. Gaius tumbled gracelessly to the unyielding floor. "Now it is not only your life on the line," she informed him, rising to her feet. She hovered above him, arms folded smugly beneath her chest. "You may not care for your own life... or you may be betting that I would not do you permanent harm. But even you are perfectly aware of how glad I would be to rend Spectra to pieces." That chilling smirk returned to her blood red lips. "If I do not have the whereabouts of the true Diadem in three hours' time, I shall do exactly that... right before your very eyes."

"One death or a thousand," Gaius huffed, struggling to hold up his head, "I will never give you the Diadem."

Phaedra snarled wordlessly, lifting her forefinger and tracing a foot-long line in the air. An energy grid appeared, the light solid blue. "Once the blackness engulfs the blue, your time is up. I suggest you spend the next few hours pondering just how devastating it would be to watch the only person you love die painfully right in front of you."

The ultimatum delivered, the empress stomped out of the chamber, huffing her frustration.

Did he catch her bluff? She was certain the appearance of the six humans could only mean one thing: Gaius had summoned Spectra. So it would be conceivable for him to believe Spectra had come in person, and had fallen into enemy hands.

But the will of that man... he would truly refuse to save her, without even thinking about it? Even Phaedra herself would give pause if faced with the same predicament...

Gaius always did seem to have the ability to search into her very soul. Perhaps that had not changed, despite everything that had changed since their last face-to-face encounter.

She shivered. How disturbing it was, to think that he still could read her like a book, while his motivations were a complete puzzle to her!

Her shiver became a full-fledged tremble, as confusion and frustration made way for blinding rage.

"You will not triumph over me," she swore, "Not again!"

Her anger quickly faded when a new sensation came over her. A sensation she had been awaiting.

Her vision grew faintly clouded, as if an orange lens were descending over her eyes.

Finally! Now, maybe I can get some useful information...

* * *

"...ridiculous. He's gotta be somewhere around here!"

"But we've looked everywhere around here, Matt. There's no trace of him."

"Tamara and I have decided it's best to look around together. Our splitting up is exactly what brought us to this situation: we have absolutely no idea what happened to him."

Consciousness slowly returned. First, it felt like she was reaching out for sensation, desperate to replace that inky, cold feeling that bathed her for what felt like days. Slowly, the numbness in her limbs gave way to a tingle, and the voices that at first echoed from a great distance grew closer.

"We definitely shouldn't split up," a fourth voice said. This voice seemed to emanate from all around her, vibrating through the unyielding, molded material that pressed against her temple. "I think the best thing to do right now is keep looking for Gaius' allies. Maybe they'll know how to look for Craig."

Her brow wrinkled with curiosity. She inhaled slowly, trying to muster the strength to voice her thoughts, when a quiet rumble issued from beside her hip.

She suppressed a giggle. "Keith, your stomach's growling."

Her faint whisper was apparently loud enough, for the Red Enforcer stopped dead in his tracks. "Joce! You're awake!"

Jocelyn slowly opened her eyes, and stared up at Keith's masked face. Above him, she noted the large green leaf that served as a canopy, held by the diligent arm of the Green Enforcer. Yellow and Purple were at either side, the former bubbling with excitement and the latter exhaling with relief.

"Thank God!" Tamara gushed, tightly wrapping her arms around Jocelyn's neck.

"How do you feel, Joce?" Rachel inquired.

"Can you walk?" Keith wanted to know. "No offense, Kid, but that Freshman Fifteen has definitely taken its toll."

"Hey!" Jocelyn grumbled, jamming her elbow into his stomach. Of course, the armor dulled whatever injury she was capable of doling. She glared up at Keith, who snickered as he settled her on her own feet.

"I'm teasing!" he insisted raising one hand in surrender, "Just wanted to see if your strength's back."

She sneered at him. He kept his arm on her shoulders for a few moments, making sure she retained her balance, before stepping away.

As soon as there was room, Matt descended on her, one hand dutifully holding up the leaf while the other touched her chin. "You're still so pale..." he murmured.

Jocelyn blinked. She'd never heard Matt talk like that. He seemed... worried.

She stared into his visor, as if trying to meet his gaze. Then, her glance dropped, noting her pallor with growing concern. "What... happened to me?"

"What do you remember?" Rachel asked.

Jocelyn rubbed her forehead as if trying to stir the memory. She grimaced, pulling her hand away and staring at the sweat that had gathered on her fingertips. "It was cold... and black," she reported, shivering at the memory. "And heavy. I felt so heavy, I couldn't move. Couldn't breathe..."

She squeezed her eyes shut, sucking in a cleansing breath. "That's all I remember after the black stuff swallowed me."

Matt squeezed her shoulder tighter. She looked at him again, staring into the reflective blue visor questioningly. But before she could voice her confusion over his anxious concern, a more pressing matter sprang to mind.

"Guys, what happened to Craig?"

* * *

"Ooooh," Craig groaned, squeezing his eyes tightly to combat the pain. Instinctively his hand lanced to his head, from where the most stabbing pain pulsed.

Wearily, he opened his eyes... only to abruptly close them when faced with a blinding white light hovering above him.

His legs squirmed, long blades of grass tickling his bare legs...

Wha?! I'm in my basketball shorts! What happened to my armor?!

He opened his eyes again, this time shielding his sensitive vision with his hand. He slowly sat up, frowning in confusion at the sight.

Tiny huts... each no more than five feet in height, clustered near each other on either side of a small creek. Grass that nearly reached a foot high stood upright, untouched by any breeze at all. Surrounding the huts were walls of stone, and judging from their ragged surfaces, they appeared to be natural formations.

And finally, hovering directly overhead, a sphere glowed brilliantly.

He rose to his knees. "Hello?"

In answer, four forms seemed to materialize out of nowhere. Short beings, cloaked in heavy rags that would suggest they were in the Arctic.

One stepped forward, nodding its head to Craig. Then, a strange, shrill sound pierced Craig's ears.

Craig stared unabashed at the form in front of him. Damn... I really must have hit my head hard!