Eric stood there looking at the door for what seemed like a long time. It was the morning of a clear, bright, new day, the morning after his second meeting with Conwing. After he had agreed to betray the Rangers and everyone in Silver Hills. The morning when he had to put his plan into motion. This was the first step. He didn’t expect it to be pleasant, but it had to be done. For a moment he wondered if he was making a mistake, choosing the wrong side. But there could be no backing out now.

With a quick motion he pushed the shop door open, and stepped inside. It was dark by contrast with the bright sunlight outside, and it took him a moment to see the man inside clearly. Wes was looking up at him from a chair behind a counter, his face revealing surprise and more than a hint of dismay, before he visibly controlled his first reaction and smiled tentatively. At least the others didn’t seem to be around; dealing with Wes was going to be tough enough.

“Eric?”

“Yeah. Surprised to see me, huh?”

“Well, yeah, frankly. What’s up?”

Wes’s smile looked a little forced, and his voice was unenthusiastic. But it occurred to Eric that all in all he was getting a friendlier greeting than he had expected. Maybe more friendly than he deserved, some small voice inside him added.

“Look, I know I’m probably the last person you want to be talking to,” he said. “And I’d rather not be here, too. But I don’t have a choice.”

“Go on.”

“He should be setting it up right now.” Conwing smiled.

Nadira watched him. While she didn’t like Conwing, and felt her father’s absence keenly, she had to admit she was grateful to him for taking over, for making her feel that there was still a chance to get Ransik back and finish their plan. Otherwise they would have had to return to their own time.

Without Ransik, they simply didn’t have the resources to continue. The cyclobots had been programmed to obey Ransik and Frax. Their robotic former ally had taken most of them with him when he deserted. And without her father to command them, she and Conwing were alone, with nothing to back them up.

If anyone could manage victory under these circumstances, it was Conwing. But he wasn’t Ransik. He couldn’t make her believe that he could do anything, against the most impossible odds, the way Ransik could... She turned her eyes to the small container that held her father. How could he have done this, she thought forlornly, left her alone this way? If only they could go home...

Eric couldn’t help staring. The guy really was Wes’s double, except for the hair. Seeing the two of them side by side was almost creepy. He was still feeling it as Wes introduced them.

“Eric Myers, this is Alex.”

“What are you, twins or something?”

“No.” Wes’s lips twitched in what might have been a smile, the darker version of him only stared with a stony expression. They might look alike, Eric realized, but the resemblance was strictly on the surface.

“What’s he doing here?” Alex asked. “Why did you get me here?” He seemed increasingly angry.

“Eric has some information for us. He wanted to talk to you.”

“What the hell were you thinking? You know I don’t want anyone seeing me!”

“He already knows about you, Alex! I just said he asked for you!”

“Well, if he didn’t know for sure before, he does now.” He glared at Wes, then at Eric. “I suppose it’s too much to ask that you keep this a secret.”

“Depends on what the secret is. I might already know more than you think.”

“What does that mean?”

“Nothing.” Eric pushed back his own anger. He was here for a purpose, one that didn’t include getting into an argument. “Look, I have to talk to you.”

“Do you really think it’ll work?” Nadira asked, hearing the trembling of her own voice. “Do you think we can get Daddy back?”

“It’s a chance we have to take.” Conwing looked at her, his face softening slightly in unexpected sympathy. “I’ve observed Eric Myers. If I’m any judge of human character, he’s a very bitter and angry man. Especially now. His life has been empty and full of struggle. He desires money, power, and admiration. All very useful qualities, to us. A disfigured face now threatens whatever ambitions he has, and he’d be willing to do a great deal to look normal again.” He smiled at her. “Not to mention the incentive you offered.”

She grimaced, although the prospect wasn’t entirely unpleasant, at least if his face was fixed first. “But will he really turn against the Rangers? He’s human, after all.”

“And he saw me kill his commander. He won’t trust us. But he fears me, and with good reason. I already took him by surprise twice, in his home. He knows I could easily kill him at any time.” He chuckled softly. “As you said, he’s human, and cowardly. He’s much too afraid of death not to do what I want.”

“So he’s supposed to get the Quantum Ranger alone.”

“Yes. Set up a meeting, make up some excuse. Get the Ranger away from the others, outside of town. Where I’ll be waiting.”

“Do you really expect me to fall for this?” Alex’s face had gone cold and hard, making him look even more unlike Wes. “You come here, trying to set up a meeting out in the middle of nowhere... How do I know you haven’t got Ransik and an army of cyclobots waiting for me?”

“I told you...”

“I know what you said.” He gave Eric another cold look. “None of us have any reason to trust you, especially after the way you already betrayed us.”

“I told Wes’s father the truth about him! His own father! That’s all I did, damn it!”

“Perhaps. But you did it for yourself, didn’t you? You thought your employer would be grateful.” Alex took a step closer, his voice softer but vibrating with hostility. “Maybe grateful enough to give you command of the Guardians, right? But he offered it to Wes instead. Something like that could make you pretty angry, couldn’t it?”

“I’m telling you the truth, goddamn it! I’m trying to help! But if you’re too much of an asshole to listen, then just go to hell!” Eric shot back a matching glare, spun, and headed for the door.

“Why the Quantum Ranger?”

A look of impatience crossed Conwing’s white face. “The Quantum morpher is controlled by his voice, but he can release the lock with a command. Then it could be used by someone else. The other morphers are locked to their wearers’ genetic codes. There’s no way to unlock them without a Time Force laboratory.”

“So... you’re going to take the Quantum morpher?”

“Yes. Imagine it. I’ll be a Ranger.” He smiled. “All that power, and the Q-Rex... combined with my natural fighting abilities. I’ll be a match for all five of the others. Eric hasn’t told me where they live, yet, but he will. Then we’ll be rid of them for good.”

“And... and we’ll get Daddy out of that horrible freezing unit, won’t we?”

“Of course.” Conwing reached a hand to draw his fingers lightly over her shoulder. Nadira flinched slightly, but forced herself to smile, hoping he hadn’t noticed. He gave no sign, but dropped his hand back to his side and went on. “Eric will bring the serum, and then Ransik will be back. With him to get the cyclobots under control, we’ll be unstoppable.”

“The Quantum Ranger won’t want to give up his morpher. How are you going to make him do it?”

“I have a few ideas.” Conwing smiled gently. “In fact, I’m looking forward to it.”

Nadira shuddered inwardly.

“Eric, wait up!”

Eric turned to see Wes hurrying down the sidewalk after him. He looked away, stopped next to his car and dug in his pocket for his keys, pulling them out and stabbing them at the door.

“Would you wait for one minute?”

“What the hell for? I should have known none of you jerks would listen to me.”

“I listened.”

“All of you think I’m just lowlife trailer trash, don’t you?” He swung around, taking a step to put his face aggressively in Wes’s. “I fought for my country, damn it! Risked my life to do it! I’m a Silver Guardian, I go up against those damn mutants without your friggin’ fancy suits and weapons! And look what I’ve gotten for it!” He gestured at his bandaged face. “Your buddies showed up, won’t tell anyone where they really came from and what they’re after! Wouldn’t help me when that freak mutant bit me! Won’t help me now, when they’re after me! And that -- that bastard has the balls to say he doesn’t trust me?”

“Eric, calm down...”

“What the hell for? Shit, why am I wasting my time?” He turned back to the car, fumbling with the keys again, too angry to see straight.

“Look, I believe you.”

“What?”

“I believe what you told us. I want to help.”

“Well, I don’t need your help!”

He felt a hand grasp his arm and yanked away furiously. But Wes stepped closer, getting between him and the car door. “Please. I know Alex is a jerk,” he said. “But you still want this to work, don’t you?”

Eric took a breath. He’d love to shove Wes’s help right back in his rich-boy face... But he couldn’t afford that satisfaction, not when his life, and more, depended on it. He began to feel a little prickle of guilt as he looked more closely at the blond man’s open and sympathetic expression. Then he remembered that other face that looked so similar.

“Well... but Alex won’t cooperate. What can you do?” he asked.

“I’ll make sure Alex is there tonight. One way or another.” Wes smiled. “Trust me.”

“Wish me luck.” Conwing glanced at her as he strapped on his belt, quickly checking his blaster and teleporter. “It’s getting dark, and I intend to get there early. Make sure the other Rangers aren’t setting a trap.”

“Good luck.” Nadira tried to smile. “Should I get the medical unit ready?”

“Why? Do you expect me to be injured?”

“Well, you’re going to fix Eric’s face, aren’t you?”

He chuckled, giving her an amused look. “You don’t really think I’m going to leave him alive after he’s no longer useful to us, do you? My dear, you’re so... innocent.” His black eyes lingered on her, the expression in them changing, to something that sent a chill through her. “But I suppose that’s part of your charm.” He reached towards her, touching her face. It took all of Nadira’s self-control not to push his hand away as he stroked her cheek and trailed his long fingers through a few strands of her hair. “After we revive Ransik,” he said softly, “he’ll be grateful... he’d even give me his daughter...”

“He’s not giving you anything!” she exclaimed, stepping back. “I’m not a piece of property!”

“We’ll see. You could do a lot worse than me, Nadira. When we’re in power, I’ll be second only to your father... and I’ll take what I want...” With a flash of hot black eyes, he was gone.

Afterwards, she sat in silence, staring at the small, cold container in which her father was trapped. Two images struggled in her mind. Ransik’s face, as she had last seen it, wracked with pain. And Conwing’s, the way he had looked at her tonight, the purpose that was so clear in his eyes.

“Forgive me, Daddy,” she whispered. “But I hope he never comes back.”

“So you won’t change your mind?”

Alex looked up at his double’s face, which was staring at him coldly, surprising him with the determination in it. Not like the spoiled child he thought Wes was, not at all. “That’s right,” he answered. “I don’t trust Eric. This could be a trap.”

“But maybe it’s not. How are we supposed to win if you won’t take a chance?”

“There’s a difference between a calculated risk and a foolish one.”

“Fine.” Wes took a step back from where Alex was seated on the sofa in the clock tower main room. “Fine. You win. As usual.” With a last contemptuous glance, he walked away.

Alex stared at the television glumly for several minutes, acutely aware of Jen watching him from her seat on the other end of the couch. Finally he couldn’t take it any longer. “I suppose you’re going to tell me I’m wrong, too,” he said softly.

“No. I understand why you made the decision. But...”

“What?”

“Permission to speak freely, sir.”

He sighed. “Jen, you don’t need permission. Say what you want to say.”

“Okay. Eric might be telling the truth. I think we should at least check it out. It could be an opportunity to end this.”

“Plus you think Wes is right. You always take his side.” He regretted it as soon as he said it, hearing how childish it sounded.

She took a moment to answer. “In this case, I think you’re both wrong. Wes is a little too trusting. You’re right to be suspicious. But even if this is a trap, we could use it to our advantage. You could scout ahead with the Eagle. We’ve got our scanners. We can go in knowing exactly what we’re up against.”

She was right. He smiled at her ruefully. “You were always a good tactician.”

She smiled back, brilliantly. The same smile she used to give him every day, almost every time she saw him. The smile that he had fallen in love with... He looked away quickly, then forced himself to control his face.

“Well. Let’s get Wes and the others, and plan this out,” he said. “We’re going to have to hurry -- contact Eric, tell him to go ahead...”

Jen was already standing, her smile fading as she peered around the large room. “Guys, where’s Wes?” she called.

“Beats me,” Lucas answered. Katie shrugged.

They spent a few more minutes checking all the rooms. When Trip came back from the downstairs office, they knew. Gone. Alex shared an alarmed glance with Jen, knowing she was thinking exactly the same thing he was. “He’s gone ahead with it. Alone,” he murmured.

“I can’t believe he’d be that foolish,” Jen said. “He’ll contact us.”

“I hope you’re right.”

Eric waited, trying not to let the darkness, the emptiness, and the silence get to him. It was so damn quiet out here. Always hated the countryside. Never realized how nice concrete and brick were, until he was surrounded by nothing but trees. Along with crickets, and what sounded like a coyote howling... or maybe a wolf... He felt suddenly and painfully alone.

To distract himself, he checked the tube he held again. Bright blue liquid, the color barely visible in the moonlight. Straight from Bio-Lab. And his Guardian blaster; he dropped his other hand to touch it again. He’d be needing it soon.

Of course, Conwing was probably here, somewhere. He looked around, turning in a circle, trying to see where the big mutant could be hiding. There were several trees nearby, bushes, a few large boulders. He could be anywhere, watching and listening, just waiting to jump out. Eric shivered, suddenly fearful, realizing exactly how many things could go wrong.

But it was too late. He heard an engine. Alex, come to meet him. He stood watching as a streamlined motorcycle pulled up, the headlights making him blink and shield his eyes before they switched off. A man’s shadowy form got off. Alex, walking up to him, light glimmering momentarily off his dark hair.

“Eric. Here I am.” The voice was loud in the still air.

“Right on time. Good.”

“Of course.”

Eric licked his lips, trying not to let his tension show. “I’m a little surprised you decided to show up,” he said more softly.

“I promised, didn’t I?”

“Promised?”

“Never mind that. What do you have for me?” he asked.

“Nothing much. It’s a surprise.”

“Well, don’t keep me waiting.”

“He won’t. I’m right here.” They both turned at the sound of the new voice. Conwing stepped into view from behind a clump of bushes and rocks. In his hand was a blaster. It was pointed at Alex. “Don’t move,” he said coolly. “Don’t even open your mouth. Hold your arms out. Eric, take his morpher.”

“What is this? Eric?”

“Just do it.”

Alex paused, and then obeyed, facing Conwing, stretching his arms out to the sides. Behind him, Eric moved a step and reached slowly for his left wrist. But... the morpher he saw was rounded, oval, not angular, it looked like the one he had seen on...

Wes? Eric barely kept himself from saying it aloud. His startled glance snapped to Wes’s face, meeting his eyes, and seeing him nod almost invisibly.

Forcing himself past his surprise, Eric pulled out his blaster. “I have a better idea,” he said as he brought it up and pulled the trigger in one swift movement. A bright beam lanced out, hitting Wes squarely in the back. Eric watched as he dropped silently to the ground and stared down at him for a moment, and then looked up at Conwing’s chilling smile.