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“It looks as if you’ve come to the end of the road.” Nos cracked his knuckles and advanced on Buzz. The ranger was lying on the ground, his lip busted and one eye nearly swollen shut. There was a long shallow cut above his brow spilling blood over one side of his face. His cap was sticky with the viscous liquid. “I always felt that this moment would come, Lightyear.” He sighed triumphantly, grabbing the man by his collar and hefting him up.
“Nos!” Renee ran up behind them.
Ah, yes pet?” He purred happily. “Come to watch me end Lightyear’s life once and for all?” He grinned sadistically.
“Stop it!” Renee slammed the door. Nos turned, vexed but not infuriated by her interruption. Yet. It took all her courage and willpower, but the girl began to give her master orders. “No one’s killing Lightyear while I’m around.” She didn’t care at all for the hero, but saving him meant saving her family.
The energy vampire stared at her incredulously for a second. He dropped Buzz and growled. “WHAT did you say to me?” He hissed. “May I remind you who your dark master is? YOU obey ME, not the other way around pet.”
Renee twitched weakly but stood her ground. “No, you may not.” She wavered a little but stayed stationary. “But you’re not going to kill him while I’m still here.” The weaker energy vampire knew she might as well be buying a ticket to the grave.
Nos recognized this moment in a deja-vu like mist- the day that they had first met at the theatre. As much as he enjoyed her company the robot would be damned before he let someone put a halt on his revenge. “YOU do not give the orders here.” The vampire reminded her again. He came close, hissing at her threateningly. Renee backed up, wondering how in the galaxy this had ever seemed like a good idea. “Why don’t I just drain your energy slowly, making sure you really feel the pain this time? Then I’ll kill off your friends as you watch, and let you die slowly.”
The girl was almost shocked by his threat. She had to realize that she WAS worth something to him, but not more than revenge. She couldn’t fight him when he pinned her arms behind her, going in for the bite. She closed her eyes and listened to him roar, waiting for pain and death. But it didn’t come. Suddenly his roar grew into a scream of pain. She looked up in raw surprise when he dropped, unconscious, to the ground.
The girl realized that Buzz had taken Booster’s wrist laser and shot Nos in the back of the head. He had the glove in his hand. “Buzz! Buzz, hey, could you put that down?” She pleaded, feeling new danger.
Renee tripped over the edge of the coffin ship. At nearly the same moment a fleet of vampire hornets tackled Buzz. He misfired and hit the line of fuel tanks on the landing bay’s side. The girl saw the explosion almost before she felt it, falling behind the coffin. The shock knocked Buzz backwards onto his butt. He watched with mild satisfaction as fire consumed the other end of the landing port. Cracks appeared in the concrete. XR watched from the ship as the fuel tanks disappeared in a black, gaping hole that appeared where Nos-4-a2, Renee Gade, and the coffin ship had once been.
The roof of the medical ward appeared out of the darkness and flew up at Renee. ‘So this is the end.’ The thought flashed at her. Every ounce of her being screamed to do something to stop the imminent impact. But she just fell, not even flailing. The shock of the explosion, that had only singed her fur thanks to the ship, still gripped her.
The energy vampire woke from his momentary stun to find that the situation had only worsened. He, Renee, and his ship were tumbling through space towards oblivion. He spread his holographic wings and spiraled downward to catch his ‘daughter’ with no hesitation. She mewled in terror but watched as the flaming fuel tanks and his ship crashed through the medical wing’s roof. The remaining tanks exploded and dematerialized the structure.
The two landed gently in the wreckage and Renee tore away from her dark master before he could say anything. Where Alan’s bed had been there was only a pile of rubble. The gurney’s metal support beams stuck out jaggedly like a skeleton. She ran around the pile of rock, trying to find some sign of her father. On the opposite side of the pile she found Alan.
He was lying limply just off the rocks. Only his chest, head, and arms were hanging outside the wreck. Renee sank to her knees. “Dad! Dad can you hear me?” It was a ridiculous question. He looked up weakly, blood streaming out of the corner of his mouth like drool. His eyes held the reflection of the flames. Renee realized sickly that one of his ears was mostly missing.
“I’m here.” He managed faintly. The Zephyrite coughed up another half-pint of blood, widening the pool of it around him. His internal organs had been mashed into a Jell-O. Most of his body had ceased to work. His lower spine was completely disconnected, killing the pain in what was left of his legs. If Renee had even tried to pull him out she would have only gotten his upper half, leaving behind his hips and legs like pulling the wings off a gnat.
Renee saw that one of the gurney’s legs was pushed through the stone, probably piercing him and mashing one of his kidneys against the linoleum through his ribcage. She looked at the blocked door and wondered if XL had gone out to find her again. Tears stung her eye, matting her fur. “This was never supposed to happen, Dad. I love you.” She promised, wailing.
Alan dropped his head into the growing pool of blood, too weak to hold it up. His sandy blonde hair and fur was sticky with it. The girl’s knees and paws were stained with her father’s blood. She was frozen, watching his life drain away. “I love you to kitten. I have a feeling you did the right thing.” His eyes were beginning to haze over and lose the fire’s luster. Renee cried sadly again, at loss. She didn’t want to lose her father. She wanted to hold on, to not let him leave. The girl had already lost so much. Somewhere inside, though, she knew it would be better to allow him to die.
The world seemed so cruel right then. She had just gotten back everything she loved, only for it to be snatched away in one fell swoop. She took her father’s paw in her own and kissed him on the cheek, tears spilling onto his face. Alan’s hand twitched, trying to squeeze her paw lovingly in comfort. He sighed almost happily with his dying breath when release came.
Renee sobbed in almost physical pain and wrapped her arms around his neck. He was gone…he was gone… she didn’t take notice to the fact that her clothing was soaked through with blood. She just hugged him.
Nos’s shadow fell over her, distinguishing the firelight with his presence. He hated to see her this way. It gave him an odd, almost yearning feeling in his chest to comfort her. Instead the energy vampire just watched her cry over the corpse. After a few moments he finally said; “He didn’t suffer long.”
The girl jumped a little and looked up at her master- She couldn’t call him father anymore. She wouldn’t. But the threat on her life seemed to have dissipated. Renee stood up and ran to him, away from her father’s body. She didn’t care if he would bite her or not- the girl deserved some love. It occurred to her, as she enveloped Nos-4-a2 in a hug, that this was all his fault. She still didn’t care at the moment though.
She’s ruined this cape. Was the first thing he thought when her bloody matted fur touched his cape. He eliminated it almost angrily though and rubbed the girl’s hair, petting her cat like ears back. One hand was pressed firmly on her back, a lifeline. Here was the most loyal servant he had ever had, treating him like all she had left. Master. He thought. A role model, a figure of authority, someone to be obeyed. The vampire found it all too easy to forgive his servant.
~Epilogue~
Team Lightyear did a sweep of the wreckage. They took Alan’s body and Nos had to stop Renee from blowing their hiding place. He held her, petted her, and whispered to her until they finally left. She didn’t want to watch when his upper body came detached from his legs. Buzz nearly cried as well, trying to be careful with his old friend’s remains.
They didn’t find the two energy vampires and assumed them dead, buried in the rubble somewhere. Mira and Booster found XL where he had been looking through the hall closet for medical supplies and took him back to Star Command. Zurg was left, forgotten, in his locked room. Eventually a Grub let him out and order was, for the most part, restored on Planet Z.
Ginger was devastated by the news. She barely managed to get through the funerals. The woman made sure to keep the rangers in her inner circle, glad they had at least tried to help. She spent a lot of time with Ty after the funerals, and still worked diligently on the Galactic Council to try and stop crime.
XL sighed, folding away more files. He was avoiding Renee’s file as much as he could, especially the last page, on which was printed the large, horribly defining word; TERMINATED. He didn’t like it because it was true, though. He knew Renee was still alive.
The bot kept a tiny monitor hidden from the rangers. It was connected to the tracer he had planted in his friend’s fur. As long as her heart was beating the signal would transmit.
Quietly, the robot pulled out the remote and watched it flash twice before tucking it away. He didn’t know what he could or would do if it stopped- Renee was one of the few things he held onto lovingly. And she was alive. No one else knew it, but he did and that’s what mattered. Renee Gade was alive.

The End

Description
“It looks as if you’ve come to the end of the road.” Nos cracked his knuckles and advanced on Buzz. The ranger was lying on the ground, his lip busted and one eye nearly swollen shut. There was a long shallow cut above his brow spilling blood over one side of his face. His cap was sticky with the viscous liquid. “I always felt that this moment would come, Lightyear.” He sighed triumphantly, grabbing the man by his collar and hefting him up.
“Nos!” Renee ran up behind them.
Ah, yes pet?” He purred happily. “Come to watch me end Lightyear’s life once and for all?” He grinned sadistically.
“Stop it!” Renee slammed the door. Nos turned, vexed but not infuriated by her interruption. Yet. It took all her courage and willpower, but the girl began to give her master orders. “No one’s killing Lightyear while I’m around.” She didn’t care at all for the hero, but saving him meant saving her family.
The energy vampire stared at her incredulously for a second. He dropped Buzz and growled. “WHAT did you say to me?” He hissed. “May I remind you who your dark master is? YOU obey ME, not the other way around pet.”
Renee twitched weakly but stood her ground. “No, you may not.” She wavered a little but stayed stationary. “But you’re not going to kill him while I’m still here.” The weaker energy vampire knew she might as well be buying a ticket to the grave.
Nos recognized this moment in a deja-vu like mist- the day that they had first met at the theatre. As much as he enjoyed her company the robot would be damned before he let someone put a halt on his revenge. “YOU do not give the orders here.” The vampire reminded her again. He came close, hissing at her threateningly. Renee backed up, wondering how in the galaxy this had ever seemed like a good idea. “Why don’t I just drain your energy slowly, making sure you really feel the pain this time? Then I’ll kill off your friends as you watch, and let you die slowly.”
The girl was almost shocked by his threat. She had to realize that she WAS worth something to him, but not more than revenge. She couldn’t fight him when he pinned her arms behind her, going in for the bite. She closed her eyes and listened to him roar, waiting for pain and death. But it didn’t come. Suddenly his roar grew into a scream of pain. She looked up in raw surprise when he dropped, unconscious, to the ground.
The girl realized that Buzz had taken Booster’s wrist laser and shot Nos in the back of the head. He had the glove in his hand. “Buzz! Buzz, hey, could you put that down?” She pleaded, feeling new danger.
Renee tripped over the edge of the coffin ship. At nearly the same moment a fleet of vampire hornets tackled Buzz. He misfired and hit the line of fuel tanks on the landing bay’s side. The girl saw the explosion almost before she felt it, falling behind the coffin. The shock knocked Buzz backwards onto his butt. He watched with mild satisfaction as fire consumed the other end of the landing port. Cracks appeared in the concrete. XR watched from the ship as the fuel tanks disappeared in a black, gaping hole that appeared where Nos-4-a2, Renee Gade, and the coffin ship had once been.
The roof of the medical ward appeared out of the darkness and flew up at Renee. ‘So this is the end.’ The thought flashed at her. Every ounce of her being screamed to do something to stop the imminent impact. But she just fell, not even flailing. The shock of the explosion, that had only singed her fur thanks to the ship, still gripped her.
The energy vampire woke from his momentary stun to find that the situation had only worsened. He, Renee, and his ship were tumbling through space towards oblivion. He spread his holographic wings and spiraled downward to catch his ‘daughter’ with no hesitation. She mewled in terror but watched as the flaming fuel tanks and his ship crashed through the medical wing’s roof. The remaining tanks exploded and dematerialized the structure.
The two landed gently in the wreckage and Renee tore away from her dark master before he could say anything. Where Alan’s bed had been there was only a pile of rubble. The gurney’s metal support beams stuck out jaggedly like a skeleton. She ran around the pile of rock, trying to find some sign of her father. On the opposite side of the pile she found Alan.
He was lying limply just off the rocks. Only his chest, head, and arms were hanging outside the wreck. Renee sank to her knees. “Dad! Dad can you hear me?” It was a ridiculous question. He looked up weakly, blood streaming out of the corner of his mouth like drool. His eyes held the reflection of the flames. Renee realized sickly that one of his ears was mostly missing.
“I’m here.” He managed faintly. The Zephyrite coughed up another half-pint of blood, widening the pool of it around him. His internal organs had been mashed into a Jell-O. Most of his body had ceased to work. His lower spine was completely disconnected, killing the pain in what was left of his legs. If Renee had even tried to pull him out she would have only gotten his upper half, leaving behind his hips and legs like pulling the wings off a gnat.
Renee saw that one of the gurney’s legs was pushed through the stone, probably piercing him and mashing one of his kidneys against the linoleum through his ribcage. She looked at the blocked door and wondered if XL had gone out to find her again. Tears stung her eye, matting her fur. “This was never supposed to happen, Dad. I love you.” She promised, wailing.
Alan dropped his head into the growing pool of blood, too weak to hold it up. His sandy blonde hair and fur was sticky with it. The girl’s knees and paws were stained with her father’s blood. She was frozen, watching his life drain away. “I love you to kitten. I have a feeling you did the right thing.” His eyes were beginning to haze over and lose the fire’s luster. Renee cried sadly again, at loss. She didn’t want to lose her father. She wanted to hold on, to not let him leave. The girl had already lost so much. Somewhere inside, though, she knew it would be better to allow him to die.
The world seemed so cruel right then. She had just gotten back everything she loved, only for it to be snatched away in one fell swoop. She took her father’s paw in her own and kissed him on the cheek, tears spilling onto his face. Alan’s hand twitched, trying to squeeze her paw lovingly in comfort. He sighed almost happily with his dying breath when release came.
Renee sobbed in almost physical pain and wrapped her arms around his neck. He was gone…he was gone… she didn’t take notice to the fact that her clothing was soaked through with blood. She just hugged him.
Nos’s shadow fell over her, distinguishing the firelight with his presence. He hated to see her this way. It gave him an odd, almost yearning feeling in his chest to comfort her. Instead the energy vampire just watched her cry over the corpse. After a few moments he finally said; “He didn’t suffer long.”
The girl jumped a little and looked up at her master- She couldn’t call him father anymore. She wouldn’t. But the threat on her life seemed to have dissipated. Renee stood up and ran to him, away from her father’s body. She didn’t care if he would bite her or not- the girl deserved some love. It occurred to her, as she enveloped Nos-4-a2 in a hug, that this was all his fault. She still didn’t care at the moment though.
She’s ruined this cape. Was the first thing he thought when her bloody matted fur touched his cape. He eliminated it almost angrily though and rubbed the girl’s hair, petting her cat like ears back. One hand was pressed firmly on her back, a lifeline. Here was the most loyal servant he had ever had, treating him like all she had left. Master. He thought. A role model, a figure of authority, someone to be obeyed. The vampire found it all too easy to forgive his servant.
~Epilogue~
Team Lightyear did a sweep of the wreckage. They took Alan’s body and Nos had to stop Renee from blowing their hiding place. He held her, petted her, and whispered to her until they finally left. She didn’t want to watch when his upper body came detached from his legs. Buzz nearly cried as well, trying to be careful with his old friend’s remains.
They didn’t find the two energy vampires and assumed them dead, buried in the rubble somewhere. Mira and Booster found XL where he had been looking through the hall closet for medical supplies and took him back to Star Command. Zurg was left, forgotten, in his locked room. Eventually a Grub let him out and order was, for the most part, restored on Planet Z.
Ginger was devastated by the news. She barely managed to get through the funerals. The woman made sure to keep the rangers in her inner circle, glad they had at least tried to help. She spent a lot of time with Ty after the funerals, and still worked diligently on the Galactic Council to try and stop crime.
XL sighed, folding away more files. He was avoiding Renee’s file as much as he could, especially the last page, on which was printed the large, horribly defining word; TERMINATED. He didn’t like it because it was true, though. He knew Renee was still alive.
The bot kept a tiny monitor hidden from the rangers. It was connected to the tracer he had planted in his friend’s fur. As long as her heart was beating the signal would transmit.
Quietly, the robot pulled out the remote and watched it flash twice before tucking it away. He didn’t know what he could or would do if it stopped- Renee was one of the few things he held onto lovingly. And she was alive. No one else knew it, but he did and that’s what mattered. Renee Gade was alive.

The End