Howel of the Wolf
(Silver Wolf Saga - part 2)

    Cerina and Lucas stood on a rock above the rangers' current hiding place. Cerina's arms were folded in front of her. Cerina: "There's no way we can keep this up. Not now." He nodded. Lucas: "I know. Since we don't have the cave, Ransik and Kelly will know I'm here eventually." Cerina grew more worried the more she thought about it. Cerina: "We can't let that happen. If they find out we're dating, they'll know I set up Nadira." Lucas: "So what do you want? I can go back to the future if..." She held up her hand to stop him. Cerina: "No. Its a risk having you here, but its one I'm willing to take. Its good for Niki to have a strong male figure in her life." Lucas: "And." He smiled. Cerina: "And, I need you here." Lucas: "I never thought I'd here you say it." Cerina: "I need someone to keep me sane around these people." Lucas hugged her. Lucas: "I'll be around, but I can't stay all the time like before. Then we'd be caught for sure." Cerina: "But where are you going to go when you're not here?" He looked over towards a patch of woods. Lucas: "I've been through everything as a Time Force Officer. A few nights in the woods won't be the hardest thing I ever do." Cerina: "Fine. Just be careful. We have no defenses here." Lucas: "I know." He looked down and saw Ransik walking around below them. Lucas: "I'll be back later." He kissed her and jumped down into the wooded area.
    Ransik called over to Kelly, who was washing her hands under the water fall again. Ransik: "Its the sixth time you've done that this morning. Don't you think you're overdoing it a little?" She turned her head slightly, but didn't stop. Kelly: "This place is filthy." Ransik: "I'm sure you've stolen things from worse places." Kelly: "Well yeah. But I didn't have to live there." She stopped when she saw something shiny on the ground. She leaned down to get a closer look. Then picked it up. Kelly: "What is this doing here?" She walked over to Ransik and held up the object. Kelly: "I found this over there." Ransik looked puzzled as well. Ransik: "A ring all the way out here?" Kelly: "Think its Cerina or Kari's?" Ransik: "Well its out now." He took it from her to get a better look at it. And when he did, he put his hand over his mouth in shock. Ransik: "I don't.. believe it." He paused. Ransik: "This is Nadira's ring." Kelly: "Are you sure?" He nodded. Ransik: "I would know it anywhere. I gave it to her when she turned sweet 16." Kelly: "I don't understand. What would it be doing here? She's gone." Ransik: "It wouldn't matter if she weren't. The day she got it, she swore she'd never take it off. And I honestly do believe she ever did." Kelly: "You think she lost it when the Time Force got her?" Ransik: "I don't know."
    Kari stood off by herself thinking. Rick walked up behind her. Rick: "How do you think she found it?" Kari with no emotion in her voice: "I don't know." Rick: "Vulca never followed us back in the battles. We were to careful for that. And her palace is to far up for her to see from the balcony." Kari: "Would you just go?" Rick: "We can't afford to fight right now. Our relationship can wait." She turned angirly. Kari: "Our relationship is over! You made that perfectly clear!" Rick: "Hey, I'm not the one seeing someone else. And you broke it off in the first place!" Kari: "The whole time we were going out, I meant nothing to you! And now you want to talk about Vulca as if nothing happened between us! Just leave me alone!" He started to do as she asked, but stopped. Rick: "Its him. That John guy. He's the reason we're out here." Kari looked very frustrated. Kari: "You're just saying that to..." Rick: "No. It has to be him. Don't you see? You brought him back to the base that night. He knew right where it was. And he could very well be working for Vulca." Kari shook her head. Kari: "No. He wouldn't do that." Rick: "Why? You think he's some kinda prince! He's not perfect either!" Kari: "Maybe not, but at least he's honest! He would never go behind my back that way! The way you did all that time."
    Scorn watched from the balcony in silence. Kitana: "So now what. They're on to you." Scorn: "Silence!" Kitana: "What do you think Vulca will do when she finds out you failed? Throw you back out on your a*s maybe." Scorn: "That won't happen." Kitana: "How do you know? She may think she likes you, but after you fail those feelings could disappear in the blink of an eye." Scorn walked down off the balcony steps. Scorn: "Then I'll just have to convince Kari that he is wrong. Something she already partially believes." Kitana: "So what, just fill her with more of your bullsh*t and she's yours again. I don't think it'll be that easy." Scorn: "If I can't charm her, then I'll just move on to plan B. She won't find out the truth about me. Not yet."
    Ransik and Kelly stood off alone a few hours later. Kelly held the ring tightly in her hand. Kelly: "Maybe she escaped. And the ring is clue. Like she wants us to find her." Ransik shook his head. Ransik: "They'd never let her go. I've been in that place before. You don't just break out." Kelly: "You did." Ransik: "Yes, but I had Nadira's help." Kelly: "So what the he*l do you make of this?" Ransik: "I told you, I don't know!" Kelly then saw something out of the corner of her eye. She turned and looked at the tree beside her. Kelly: "Ransik... look." They both stared at the name "Nadira" carved in its trunk. Ransik slowly ran his hand over this word. Ransik: "This can't be." Kelly: "I was right. She is trying to find us!" As Kelly tried to go, Ransik grabbed her wrist. Ransik: "Just wait. We can't go jumping into this assuming its what we want. The rangers could be setting a trap for us." Kelly: "I can't take the risk that you're wrong. What if she's out there? Alone with no where to go. I'm not going to stay here and let her down again." Ransik: "I know what you mean. Believe me, I do. But I just don't see any way for her to have gotten out." Kelly: "It could be the rangers. I know that. But what if its not?" He didn't say anything for a while. Ransik: "All right, if it is her, where do we find her?" Kelly: "We have to hope she leaves us something else to go on. I would think the ring and this carving were just to tell us she's free. There has to be something else." Cerina: "Don't kid yourselves."
    Meanwhile, Kari sat on a rock with a sad look on her face. Kari thought: "No. Don't let him do this to you. He doesn't really know anything. He's just trying to get you to leave John." The ring of her cell phone startled her. She stood up and reached into the pocked of her tight bluejeans. She pulled out the phone and pushed a button. Kari: "Hello?" Scorn on the other end: "Hello Kari." Kari: "John, hey! How are you?" Scorn: "I'm good. I was wondering if you were busy later." Kari: "Um... no. Not really. What'd you have in mind?" John: "I'm not exactly sure. All I know is I have to see you again. Since that night we met, you're all I can think about." Kari: "You have no idea how much I needed to hear that right now." John: "So what time's good for you?" Kari: "8:00 all right?" John: "That would be perfect." Kari: "See ya then." She hung up the phone and looked over at Rick. He stood off in the distance. Kari: "I'm not going to spend any more time worrying about him. He had his chance and he blew it." She looked down at the phone and smiled.
    Ransik and Kelly turned to face her. Kelly: "Mind your own business." Cerina: "Do you want to be arrested? This is such a trick." Kelly: "You just don't want us to find her." Cerina: "Just think for a second before you shook your mouth off." Ransik rolled his eyes. Ransik: "You're one to talk." Cerina: "Nadira couldn't have done this. She doesn't know we're here. And if she had, why would she make you find her. She could have just stayed here and it would all be over with." Kelly started to object, but Ransik spoke first. Ransik: "I never thought of that." Cerina: "I know. You both want this so badly, you're willing to believe anything. And that's understandable." Ransik: "Thank you for stopping us." Cerina: "Now don't get confused. I couldn't care less you what happens to either of you. But I need you to stop Vulca." Kelly: "We know. Now leave us alone." She walked back to where she had been before. Ransik: "She's a bi*ch, but she's right. This isn't Nadira." Kelly: "Ok, then the Time Force are back." Ransik: "They know we're here. We can't allow them to get them jump on us."
    Back on Earth, at the Pensacola base, a huge crowd of marines stood awaiting the cournals orders. Ice turned to Capone, with a big smile of anticipation on her face. Ice: "I can't believe we finally get to go up in it! The Black Hawk!" Capone: "I know. The whole base has been talking about it for months." He noticed that she still wore her old morpher, even though it no longer worked. Capone: "Still wish you could have stayed a ranger?" Ice shook her head. Ice: "You know I wouldn't have given that up." Capone: "Not even to fly this puppy? I'm miss'n something." The cournal came walking out and everyone got quiet. Cournal Kelly: "Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my pleasure to present to you the next generation of military aircrafts. The Black Hawk." They applauded the large black fighter jet behind him. Kelly: "It is the first one in the country and we at Pensacola get to be the... pioneers." Capone: "So who's the test pilot?" The cournal wouldn't normally accept being inturrupted, but on this occasion he let it go. Kelly: "After careful consideration, I have decided that Captain Jensen will be the first to fly."
    Scorn met Kari a few miles away from their camp that night. Scorn: "Ms. Miller, you look lovely as always." She smiled. Kari: "You always know that right thing to say." Scorn: "So how are you?" She glanced down at the morpher. Kari: "I told you I'm a ranger, didn't I?" Scorn: "Yes." Kari: "It has been awful lately. You just have no idea!" He took her by the hand and began to walk with her. Scorn: "Would you like to talk about it?" Kari: "Well, for one thing, Rick is still trying to convince me to stop seeing you." Scorned laughed. Scorn: "Ah, the jelous ex." Kari: "Yeah." Scorn: "What was his pathetic excuse this time? I'm a demon of some sort?" Kari while laughing: "No, but it was just about that wild." Scorn faked a loving smile as she continued. Kari: "Our base was destroyed yesterday. And he thinks you had something to do with it. As if you were working for Vulca or something." Scorn: "I promise you that could never be. Vulca has no heart and has absolutely no right to be on the throne." Kari: "One day we'll make sure she and her entire sick family are out of control forever." Scorn: "If there is anything I can do to help, don't hesitate to ask. I look quite forward to the end of her rule." Kari: "I just may need you some day. The way our team is, we don't have much chance alone." Scorn: "What may I ask is wrong with the team?" Kari: "We're divided. Ransik and Kelly hate Cerina and Rick and vice-versa. Leaving me in the middle trying to get rid of the queen. That just isn't going to work." Scorn smiled. He thought to himself: "She doesn't suspect a thing."
    Ransik went over to Kelly a note in his hand. He whispered: "I found this underneath my sword. I think we have our key." Kelly took it and looked it over. Kelly: "Its a map. What are you thinking? Just follow it? You said Cerina was right about the trap. Now you wanna walk into it." Ransik: "We have the chance to settle this with the Time Force once and for all. I'm not going to ignore it." Kelly: "But they probably have an entire squad out here!" Ransik grabbed her shoulders. Ransik: "I would fight off an army to avendge Nadira!" Startled, she pulled away from him. Kelly: "Ok, I understand." Ransik took the map back from her. Ransik: "Are you coming or not?" Kelly: "Of course I am. She's my daughter too." They followed the map out along a path. Cerina stood back watching them go. Cerina: "So you're sure this isn't your friends, Lucas." He shook his head. Lucas: "I'm sure." Cerina: "Then what are they going up against?" Lucas: "Do you care?" Cerina: "Oh lord no. I'm just bored." Suddenly, she looked more concerned. Cerina: "What if its someone who saw us that night? What if someone knows I set her up?" Lucas: "There was no sign of anyone for miles. There's no we were seen." She dropped the topic, but didn't look convinced.
    Ice threw her arms into the air in excitement. Spoon threw her a helmet. Capone: "So, you gonna stand here all day or you gonna fly?" Ice: "I going. It just took me by surprise." She walked up to the cournal and soluted him. Cournal Kelly: "I have always been proud to have you on my team. Think of this as my way of saying thank you. For all your service to the base and our country." She smiled. Ice: "I won't let you down sir." She put the helmet on and jumped inside the jet. As she strapped herself in, she waved to the others. Then nodded to the Cournal and started the engines. It began to go slowly down the runway. After picking up speed, it took of into the sky.
    Scorn in his head: "Kitana, send the Drika. Make this look good." Instantly, the Drika came running out of the trees. Kari looked around her, then ran in ready to fight. Two grabbed her arms, but she broke free. She slammed them together. Another ran at her from the front. She jumped up and kicked it back into a tree. Kari: "John watch out! They'll take you too just for talking to me!" Two ran up to him, but didn't hit him. Only jumped around as if they were fighting. He punched one in the face. Its head came flying off and landed next to Kari. She couldn't believe it. The other tried to run, but he grabbed it by the back of its neck. Kari looked sick as she heard bones begin to snap. After a few seconds, he let go, knowing he had broken its neck. One tried to sneak up behind Kari. She heard its footsteps over the fallen leaves. She elbowed it in the face. As she tried to bring her arm back from that, she couldn't. Another one had ahold of her. Scorn jumped into the air and kicked it off of her. Its went flying back into a tree and left a big imprint where it hit. They looked around, making sure all of the soldiers were dead. Scorn: "Are you hurt?" Kari: "No. I'm used to them." She looked down at the severed head beside her. Kari: "You really know how to take care of yourself." Scorn: "I was only trying to protect you." Kari: "Where'd you learn to fight like that?" Scorn: "Its not important. All that's important is your safety." Kari: "I told you. I'm fine." Scorn: "I'm sorry. I can't help but worry. What with you out here fighting off these goons. It seems so wrong for someone like you to live this kind of life." Kari: "I don't mind it. Really." Scorn: "I guess I'm just old fashioned. When I was your age, women never went into battle." This was the first time Kari had noticed their age difference. Kari: "I know that." Scorn: "I'll try to lighten up a bit. You seem to handle yourself quite well in a fight."
    Ransik and Kelly had come to the end of their map. They were on a cliff looking out over vast empty fields. Its seemed like they were thousands of feet up. Kelly looked around nerviously. Kelly: "All right Rangers, come out! We're through play'n around!" Vulca walked out from the same path they had used. Vulca: "The Time Rangers aren't here. Only me." Ransik: "I am in no mood to fight you now." Vulca: "Oh I'm not here for battle. You were right when you thought this involved your daughter." Kelly: "What are you talking about?" Vulca: "I'm afraid I have some bad news." Ransik ran at her, but was stopped by two Drika. They grabbed onto his arms and held him. Ransik: "Where is she? What did you do?" Vulca: "She's gone. The Time Rangers killed her." Kelly's eyes filled with tears. Kelly: "But why? I thought they believed in a fair trial." Vulca laughed. Vulca: "Because I told them to." Ransik's eyes locked on Vulca's. Ransik: "You killed her." Vulca: "I made the rangers think I was their captain. And then, well, you get he picture." He strugled wildly to get free. Ransik: "You evil bi*ch, I'll make you pay!" Kelly came running at her. Vulca smacked her in the face with the end of the septor. Vulca: "And I can't go without saying what a fabulous time I had doing it." Ransik: "You took away my life!" Vulca remembered her mother being stabbed by Olympius. And the nights she spent crying into her pillow as a child. Then looked at him with empty black eyes. Vulca coldly: "Welcome to my hell." She teleported away. The Drika vanished when she did. Ransik fell to his knees. Kelly stood there with her hands over her face.
    Ice looked out into the sky as she flew. They clouds flew by so fast they looked like a white blur. Ice into her headset: "It flys like a dream." Cournal Kelly: "I want you to test the..." All she heard after that was static. She tapped on the side of the headset. Ice: "Sir. Sir this is Ice, do you copy?" She tore them from her head and threw them to the floor. Ice: "Da*n." When she looked up, she thought she had died. The sky around the jet was a blurry mix of green, purple, and pink. The controls were going crazy. She tried to land, but nothing worked. The jet suddenly slowed down. She found herself floating there in the middle of a strange, multi-colored sky. The jets motor shut off. Ice: "What is this? Am I dreaming?" She felt almost as if she were, but she knew she hadn't fallen asleep. She looked down at the dogtags around her neck. They had once belonged to Burner, the love of her life. She held them tightly and began to pray.
    After a few minutes, Kelly managed to stop crying. She slowly went to Ransik and helped him up. Ransik: "She's gone. My little girl..." He couldn't finish the sentence. He started sobbing once again. Kelly put her arms around him. Kelly: "Why would she do this? She... she has no heart." They stood out on the cliff wrapped in each others arms, unsure what to do next. Ransik: "She will die for this. I swear that to you." Kelly didn't respond.
    Scorn said good night to Kari and had come back to the palace. Kitana was on the balcony watching Ransik and Kelly. She saw Scorn walk in. Kitana: "Come here! This is great!" Scorn: "What is it?" He walked over and looked down at the two of them. Kitana: "Vulca told them she killed their daughter. It was classic!" Vulca came walking in at that moment. Vulca: "Enjoying yourselves?" Scorn: "So you decided to tell them?" Vulca: "Yes. With them being hurt, it makes them unable to concentrate. Making it the perfect time to unlock my secret weapon." Kitana and Scorn both wore looks of confussion. A table slowly began to raise from the floor. On it was a silver box. Vulca: "Open it." Scorn walked over and opened the box slowly. Inside was a black morpher with sliver lights on it. Vulca: "Its yours." Scorn: "A morpher?" Kitana: "I thought the rangers got them all." Vulca: "That's what they thought too. But I couldn't allow that." She turned back to Scorn. Vulca: "This will give you the power to take down the Psycho Rangers. These powers come from the silver wolf. The fastest and most fear creature on the planet." Scorn: "So this is what you've been planning." Vulca nodded. Kitana: "Why would they forget that one morpher?" Vulca turned to her with a huge smile on her face. Vulca: "Because Cerina never knew about it." She paused for a moment. Vulca: "I trusted her when she was here. But it is never wise to reveal all your secrets. And now this secret will bring death to the rangers and anyone else who dare go against me."