Title: Beneath the Surface

Adam Park struggled desperately against the hold Goldar had on him, frustrated and not a little afraid when he couldn't break loose. Unmorphed he couldn't match the winged warrior's strength and all he could think of was the last time he'd gone up against Goldar alone, the Mirror of Regret a very clear memory in his mind. Whatever Zedd had planned for him this time, he was sure he wouldn't like it.

"We have plans for you, black ranger," Goldar crooned softly in his ear, hot, stinking breath blowing across his face and making him gag. "How do you feel about destroying your friends from within, human?"

Adam redoubled his efforts to get free. He'd known they had something planned since they'd snatched him from the park, but this? If only he could get his hands on his morpher. "I won't let you!"

"You don't have a choice," Goldar told him smugly. "You will serve Lord Zedd, Adam. Like you should have from the beginning." Adam flinched at the sound of his name. It always made him feel ill when Goldar used it, like he was twisting it somehow, making Adam less than he was. Then the rest of the winged monkey's comment sank in and he was back in the cavern, chained to Rocky and Aisha as the snake slithered over them, waiting helplessly for the bite that would turn them evil. But he hadn't been a ranger then, and he was stronger now.

With a yell he threw himself forward and the unexpected action pulled Goldar off balance, his grip slackening slightly. Hope surging through him Adam twisted, a last ditch attempt to get free. It wasn't enough: Goldar renewed his grip, pulling Adam back and kicking his feet out from under him. Dragging him back to his feet, Goldar laughed. "Did you really think it would be that easy, human? Putties! Now!"

Three of the metallic warriors edged forwards, 'Z' symbols shining dully in the bright sunlight, two of them flanking the one in the middle, the one holding what looked like an egg. A yellow, vaguely gel-like looking egg, and much to his dismay, Adam thought he could make out human features beneath the surface. He couldn't make out any distinguishing features, only enough to tell that it looked human, but his blood turned to ice when he realised whatever was inside the thing, it was laughing.

The putty holding the egg hesitated in front of him, as if afraid of him even now and under normal circumstances that might have been gratifying. There was a growled "Get on with it!" and the putty patroller thrust the egg forward and Adam felt his stomach rebelling at the sudden intrusion of cold, slimy hands. The putty pulled back, its task accomplished and Goldar laughed again. "It is done, my lord!"

It was the last thing Adam heard.

Rocky DeSantos, cheerfully ensconced at the juice bar, watched Adam carefully out the corner of his eye as the other boy stared unseeing at a textbook. Adam had been quiet today, more so than usual and he was determined to cheer him up one way or another. Whatever funk Adam had gotten himself into this time, Rocky was sure he could get him out of it. Of course, he smiled, some ways were more enjoyable than others. Now he just had to get Adam alone.

"Hey, Adam!" he called and Adam looked over at him quizzically. "Want to head home? You can pick up that CD you wanted to borrow."

Adam blinked, then nodded. "Sure. I should probably be heading home anyway."

"See ya, guys!" Kim said, waving as they left the Juice Bar. Of course, she wasn't to know that there was no CD, that it was just a way of extracting themselves so they could find their way into Rocky's room where they'd be a lot more comfortable.

"CD?" Adam asked, when they finally got there, Rocky tossing his bag on the floor and lazing back onto his bed.

"Well, what else was I going to say?" he protested. "I couldn't exactly say 'Hey Adam, want to come home with me so we can make out?' now could I?"

Adam's expression flickered slightly, confusion crossing his face briefly before it vanished and Rocky dismissed the thought almost instantly, sure that he'd imagined it. He was more than sure he'd imagined it when Adam moved over to the bed, sitting on the edge and leaning in towards him. Eyes fluttering closed, Rocky was happy to let Adam take the lead and he ran his hands up Adam's spine, smiling as he felt Adam shudder at the touch. The kisses got deeper, hungrier, Adam's hands more bold, until finally they set off alarm bells and Rocky pulled away and moved his hands so they rested against Adam's chest, stopping him where he was.

"Adam, you okay?" he asked, searching his boyfriend's face for any sign that something was wrong.

Again there was a flicker of something Rocky couldn't identify before Adam's forehead creased in confusion. "Rocky, I'm fine. Why'd you ask?"

He shrugged. "I don't know," he said. "You just seem a little… off, I guess."

"Off?"

"Not like yourself."

"Got a lot on my mind, I guess," Adam sighed and Rocky nodded. He'd figured.

"Want to talk about it?" He didn't want to pry, but sometimes the only way to get things out of Adam was to keep chipping away at him, he could be infuriatingly closed-up when he wanted to be.

"No, it's nothing."

Nothing. Yeah right. Whatever. "Okay. Well, if you change your mind, you know where to find me."

Adam nodded and rose from the bed. "I should be going."

"You don't want to stay for dinner? Mama'll be disappointed. She's always threatening to kidnap you and put some meat on you." It was a long-standing joke between them, one that even Aisha had never gotten straight, but once again Adam gave him a confused look, as if he'd never heard it before.

"No, I've got to get back. Thanks anyway."

"Sure. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah," Adam nodded. "Tomorrow."

Rocky saw him out, God forbid his mother catch him not seeing a guest out, no matter how familiar the guest, and stared after him thoughtfully, long after Adam's dark form got lost in the dim light of dusk.

He looked around the park impatiently. Where was Adam? It wasn't like him to be late, especially not today of all days. Not when he'd been reminding Rocky for the past three weeks that it was Aisha's birthday today. You forget one time, he thought sourly, and you paid for it forever. Adam was determined that this year Rocky wouldn't forget Aisha's birthday, so for him to be late was really weird, and considering how off Adam had been last night, something just didn't add up. He just couldn't work out what.

Finally though Adam showed up, schoolbag slung over his shoulder, black shirt blowing softly in the breeze. He jumped to his feet and made his way over. "Hey man, good timing. Aisha's been waiting impatiently so she can open her presents."

"Shut up, Rocky!" Aisha scolded. "Don't even try to put this on me."

"Presents?" Adam echoed and Rocky, along with four other sets of eyes, stared at him.

"Yeah," he said pointedly. "Birthday presents? Like the one you've been on at me for the past three weeks so I wouldn't forget?"

"Come on, Adam," Kimberly laughed from her seat next to Aisha, fingers tapping against the pink wrapped box. "You can't have forgotten, we've only been planning this all week."

"Oh yeah, right," Adam smiled weakly. "I guess it slipped my mind. Sorry." He gave Aisha a penitent expression. "Really Aisha, I'm sorry. I can't believe I forgot." But now things were beginning to fall into place for Rocky. There was no way Adam had forgotten, not after going to so much trouble to make sure Rocky remembered.

Aisha sighed and patted him on the wrist. "It's okay, Adam. It happens."

"No," Rocky said sharply, staring at Adam, arms folded across his chest. "It's not okay."

"Rocky," Aisha said firmly. "It's okay. Really."

"No, it's not," Rocky replied, eyes never leaving Adam, Adam whose expression was now unreadable, even to him. "Come on, Aisha, when was the last time Adam forgot your birthday?"

She frowned thoughtfully. "Third grade," she said. "But we'd only just met so it doesn't really count."

"Exactly. And he knew your birthday was coming up, he's been reminding me every day for the past three weeks, just to make sure I didn't forget."

Aisha frowned again and Tommy was looking between Rocky and Adam warily. "What are you saying?" he asked finally and Rocky hesitated, not wanting to put into words what he'd only just worked out. He knew he wasn't the smart one, not of the group, not even between him and Adam. He was an average student at best and he knew that sometimes he was slow to pick up on things, but one thing he did know was Adam, inside and out. And the person standing silently in front of him was not Adam.

"Something's not right with Adam," he said finally. "There was something off yesterday and I didn't really notice, but I can see it now."

"Rocky, are you--" Billy's question was cut off as Adam exploded into action. The schoolbag dropped to the floor and suddenly Rocky was fighting for his life. He'd sparred with Adam so often over the years that he'd lost count but he'd never had Adam's lethal power turned against him before and now Adam was faster, stronger, deadlier. Even worse was that there was no trace of his lifelong friend in the dead eyes which were coldly calculating, empty of everything that made Adam who he was. It was little comfort that in attacking 'Adam' had just confirmed everything Rocky had been saying, not when he was having to go all out to defend himself and not when the other rangers couldn't risk stepping in for fear of making things worse. The only way he was getting out of this was to win.

He landed hard on his back and before he could flip back to his feet Adam was there, or the thing impersonating Adam anyway, he mentally corrected. "Your lover is gone," Adam whispered in his ear, hand locked firmly round Rocky's throat. "And you'll never get him back. Ever."

Struggling to breathe, Rocky couldn't respond, not until not-Adam was forcibly pulled off him by Tommy and Billy, Kimberly calling Alpha for an emergency teleport while Aisha knelt at his side, hand on his shoulder. "Are you alright?" she asked in concern and he nodded, hearing all the layers that she couldn't say out loud. His best friend had just tried to kill him. His boyfriend had just tried to kill him. He wasn't sure that counted as being 'alright' but he had to say something.

"We should get to the Command Centre," he said hoarsely, fingers resting against his throat where Adam's hand had been. "See if Zordon knows what's happened to Adam."

"Rocky--"

"I'll be fine," he said brusquely. "I just want to know what's going on and how we fix it." Aisha nodded and rose to her feet, fingers already reaching for her communicator and its teleporter.

Unfortunately, when they arrived at the Command Centre Zordon had no more idea of what had happened to Adam than the rest of them did. Adam for his part was pacing back and forth inside a cage, one that had apparently been used to keep Kimberly and Billy occupied while under one of Rita Repulsa's spells. He'd never fought against Rita by herself, Lord Zedd already firmly in command of the Moon when he, Aisha and Adam had come on the scene, but Rita had managed to warp a Power Coin and turn a good person evil, so when he'd first heard about her he'd been glad she was long gone by the time Jason had passed the Power on to him. It seemed that her legacy was still hanging around though, if Zordon and Alpha had kept the cage handy for occasions like this.

"You can't keep me in here forever," Adam said defiantly. "My Master will call for me and when he calls, I will go."

"Master?" Tommy asked. "What Master?"

Why bother asking? Rocky wondered. It was pretty obvious, after all.

Adam smiled, an eerie smile that was alien to him. "Lord Zedd, of course. Who else?"

"Great, just great," Tommy sighed. "Just what we needed. How'd Zedd get hold of Adam anyway?"

Seeing the white ranger's gaze fall on him, Rocky shrugged. "Don't look at me, I don't know." He pushed away from the console he'd been leaning against and walked over to the cage. Adam stopped pacing and stood opposite him, hands spread in invitation. "I want to talk to Adam," he said and 'Adam' smiled.

"Adam's gone. I already told you that."

"I don't believe you," he spat. "Adam's in there and I want to talk to him."

"Are you deaf?" not-Adam asked. "Or just stupid? Adam isn't here anymore. There's only me."

"And who are you?"

Not-Adam simply gave him that eerie smile again and stepped back, further into the cage and sank easily into a sitting position.

"Don't ignore me!" Rocky growled. "I want answers and I'm going to get them."

Not-Adam waved a hand dismissively. "Good luck."

Rocky's hands clenched into fists, but before he could do anything stupid Aisha tugged him away. "Don't waste your time," she said, glaring at the Adam-impostor. "He's not going to tell us anything."

"Yet," he muttered darkly and turned his back on not-Adam. Hopefully Zordon and Alpha's tests would get them some results.

It was a good thing that the following days were the weekend, because when the rangers each rang home it wasn't so unbelievable that they'd be heading up to the cabin belonging to Tommy's uncle, and at least being out there had the advantage of not having to worry about prying eyes catching teleporter streaks. It was a little unsettling though, the ease with which Alpha had been able to mimic Adam's voice enough to fool his parents. With his knowledge of the Command Centre and all its technology, the tiny robot could easily do more damage than the six of them combined, if he was reprogrammed to do so. Unlikely as that was.

Rocky teleported into the Command Centre that night, still in his nightwear of thin sweatpants and faded red shirt. The place was dimly lit, most of the lights switched off, and the three occupants of the room seemed to be asleep. Not for long though. Zordon's eyes opened as he teleported in and Alpha activated a moment later.

"Hello, Rocky," Alpha said brightly and Rocky smiled slightly.

"Hey Alpha."

"Rocky," his mentor said calmly, unsurprised to see him. "What are you doing here? I believe you should be sleeping."

"Can't."

Zordon nodded and Rocky looked away, not wanting to see sympathy or understanding or anything. "Nothing has changed since you left," Zordon continued. "We would have informed you if it had."

"Are you really such a sucker for punishment?" Adam asked mockingly from the cage, raising his head from where he'd been sitting. "Because I can't believe you keep coming back. Your lover is gone. Do you not understand the concept?"

Rocky froze as not-Adam outed them in front of both Alpha and Zordon. He and Adam had always avoided talking about what would happen if anyone found out, particularly Zordon. They'd never been sure how their mentor would react.

"Oh, I'm sorry," not-Adam said in false concern. "Didn't they know? For shame, Rocky. I should have thought they did."

"Shut up," he grated. "I want to talk to Adam. Now."

"Why do you keep asking that?" not-Adam demanded, getting to his feet. "I've told you already, he's gone. Why can't you just accept that?"

"Because I don't believe you," Rocky retorted, squaring up to the impostor wearing Adam's face, careful not to touch the edges of the cage. "Adam's still in there, all I have to do is wait until he gets rid of whatever hold you've got on him."

"Do you think he hasn't tried?" not-Adam spat and Rocky grinned, elation flooding through him.

"Then he is still there," he said triumphantly. "I knew it!"

Not-Adam flushed, then paled, expression chagrined as he was caught out. "It won't do you any good," he rallied. "He's never getting free."

"You know, you're just like everyone else," Rocky said. "You see the quiet guy, the shy guy and you don't see the strength underneath until it's kicking your ass. You couldn't get rid of Adam when you took over and you sure as hell aren't going to budge him now. It doesn't matter how long it takes, but he'll get free and then you'll wish you'd never been born."

"You really believe that?"

Rocky smiled. "I believe in him. And I believe he'll kick your ass first chance he gets. Think about that, why don't you? Think hard."

It was a minor victory, but right now it was the only one they had. The tests had spun out a whole load of results but they went over Rocky's head. Billy was going over them with Alpha and Zordon, trying to make some sense of them but they might as well have been speaking French for all Rocky understood of it. Adam might have been able to explain some of it, if it wasn't for the fact that it was Adam they were trying to save.

Not-Adam was currently eating lunch, having made a big deal about not having eaten in a while and did everyone on Earth starve their prisoners? He really hadn't needed to be such a jerk, it wasn't as if they hadn't been going to give him anything, but eventually the sarcastic comments and insults got to be too much and they'd all but thrown the food in his face. Now he was fully occupied by fries and a burger, bottle of pop sitting next to him.

"What's Adam doing?" Kim asked sharply and Rocky's head jerked around. Not-Adam was scattering the crumbs of the burger on the floor, lips moving silently as he did so. There was a splash as he tipped the bottle upside down, final drops of the soda hitting the floor.

"What are you doing?" he demanded, scrambling to his feet and moving over to the cage, the others behind him. Before he could get there though, not-Adam pulled off the necklace Adam usually wore and slashed at his finger with what had to have been a sharpened edge. Blood welled up and not-Adam gave him a triumphant smile as he held it over the crumbs and spilled water. The blood fell in slow motion, then not-Adam went first rigid, then limp, slumping to his side, unconscious.

"It was a ritual of some kind," Billy said eventually, running a hand tiredly through his hair. "The crumbs and soda were a libation, like the ancient Greeks used to petition the gods of Mount Olympus."

"Ritual for what?" Tommy asked quietly but Billy shook his head.

"I don't know."

"It is likely that he has conjured a dream battle," Zordon said finally. "I believe he took your words of last night to heart, Rocky. He has taken the battle to another plane, one where he believes he will overcome Adam once and for all. Whoever wakes is the victor and the other is lost forever."

Rocky swallowed hard. Crap. This was all his fault.

Adam stared around the desert, shielding his eyes against the white glare of the sand, wondering where on Earth he was. If he was even still on Earth anymore, and it was a distinct possibility that he wasn't. or at least, not an Earth he knew. He supposed it could be one of Zedd's Dark Dimensions, it wasn't as if they hadn't come across those before.

"Are you ready to face your destruction, black ranger?" came the voice behind him and he turned, coming face to face with… himself.

"Where are we?" he asked and his doppelganger smiled.

"The final battlefield. Here I will defeat you and then I will destroy your friends."

"Not a chance," Adam replied defiantly. "You'll never defeat them."

"Right now they don't matter," the impostor told him coolly. "All that matters is the here and now, and I promise you I will destroy you."

"I'm not that easy," Adam retorted, sliding into a battle ready stance. "Give it your best shot."

He regretted the words not long after they left his mouth, because his doppelganger took him at his word. They were evenly matched and every move he made was countered. But not easily, and he took some satisfaction from that. His captor might have the advantages, but he was having to work for every victory he scored.

They traded blows and kicks, almost too fast for any observers to follow, had there been any, but he couldn't afford to lose this battle, not when losing meant the destruction of everything and everyone he cared about.

"How long is this going to take?" Rocky growled, pushing away from the bed Adam was currently lying on. There was nothing to indicate how the dream battle was going, except for Adam's eyes moving rapidly under their lids and that could mean anything.

"There is no way to tell," Zordon replied sombrely. "It will last until one emerges victorious."

"I knew you were going to say that."

He went down hard, face first into scorching hot sand, doppelganger holding him there firmly. No matter how he bucked and twisted he couldn't get loose, much like before when Goldar had been holding him and he'd had this thing stuck inside him. In a burst of desperation he grabbed a handful of sand and threw it behind him. As a distraction it worked perfectly, allowing him the chance to get back to his feet, but his relief was short-lived as his doppelganger decided he'd had enough of playing by the rules and now had a sword in his hand.

Try as he might Adam couldn't conjure up a weapon of his own and he felt the lack keenly. Forced by necessity to change his strategy he ducked and weaved, trying to keep out of the sword's reach. When the mistake came, he almost didn't realise he'd made it, not until the smirk on his opposite's face sank in and he finally realised the sword had gone through his side. He sank to the floor, weakly trying to stem the blood loss.

"You fought well, ranger, I'll give you that," his doppelganger said, crouching down at his side. "It just wasn't enough. And now I'll destroy your friends. I think I'll start with… what was his name again? The one in red. Ricky? Rocky?"

Anger surged through Adam and he tried to sit up but his doppelganger pushed him back contemptuously. "Your time is over, black ranger, and mine is just beginning." The doppelganger thrust the sword into the ground and the earth began to split. "Say goodbye, ranger. I wish I could say it's been fun." Unable to move, Adam could only watch through blurred vision as the crevasse got wider and wider, orange light and searing heat rising upwards, until finally it reached him and the world vanished.

There was a quiet gasp from the still form on the bed and Rocky was hovering instantly.

"Be careful," Tommy warned. "We don't know who won, yet."

"Rocky?" Adam whispered, reaching out tentatively.

"Adam?" Adam went to sit up and almost fell off the bed. "Hey, take it easy, okay?" Before he knew what was happening, Rocky's feet were kicked out from under him and Adam's arm was round his throat.

"You're so predictable," not-Adam sighed and Rocky's heart clenched tightly, silently screaming in denial as his world came crashing down around him. Adam had lost and that meant he was gone forever, but the thought of a world without Adam was unbearable. This couldn't be happening. "Also pathetic," the impostor continued. "I can't believe you fell for that. Is that all it takes, Rocky? A few needy noises and you're willing to believe anything?"

"Let him go," Aisha growled. "Right now."

"Stay out of it, Sha," Rocky gasped.

"Yes, 'Sha'," not-Adam mocked. "Stay out of it. This is between Rocky and me."

Adam held desperately to the bit of ledge he'd grabbed hold of, blocking out the pain as best he could and forcing himself upwards. He knew his body couldn't take this punishment for long, and if he wasn't a ranger he'd be dead already, but none of that mattered, he just needed to get back up, needed to save the others, needed to save Rocky. He didn't care if it killed him as long as they were safe.

He pulled himself over the ledge and lay there whimpering as the pain shot through him. Maybe if he just rested for a while he'd feel better.

No! Get up. Get up! You can't just lie here. Rocky's counting on you, remember?

Groaning he forced himself up to his knees, almost falling back twice before he managed it finally. He could see his doppelganger standing not far away, oblivious to his presence and without knowing how he knew, Adam could tell he had an arm around Rocky's throat, slowly applying pressure while the others tried to talk him down. With a final burst of energy Adam threw himself at his lookalike and they rolled back towards the crevasse, doppelganger shouting curses at him, even after he fell over the edge.

"Not that easy," Adam whispered and turned around into bright light.

When the arm around his throat stilled and Adam's voice broke off mid-word Rocky slipped free and stared at the vacant-eyed figure in bemusement. "What just happened?"

"I have no idea," Billy said quietly. "Zordon?"

"I am no wiser, Billy."

A shudder ran through Adam and there was another gasp, like someone drawing in a deep breath. Life returned to Adam/not-Adam and he staggered backwards, reaching out to brace himself against the edge of the console. Wanting to go over, Rocky stayed where he was; he'd been played too often to be sure of anything right now. Adam/not-Adam pressed his hands against his stomach, then pulled them away and looked at them, almost in disbelief, then looked over at him.

"Rocky? I--" Dark eyes rolled backwards in Adam's head and he crumpled slowly to the floor.

"Adam!" He lunged forward and caught Adam just before he hit the floor, Aisha there a split second later. "Adam, what happened? Adam?" And it was Adam, he knew it, sure of it as he'd rarely been sure of anything. The relief washed over him, despite Adam's collapse. Adam was alive. Everything was going to be fine. He rested a hand on Adam's chest and pulled it back with a startled exclamation at the damp stickiness he found there. He stared in horror at the blood on his palm, then yanked up Adam's shirt and felt himself pale at the slash in Adam's side, blood a dark red against Adam's pale skin.

"Oh my God!" Aisha whispered before she recovered enough to yell at someone to get the emergency medical kit.

Adam's eyes blinked open and Rocky tried to give him a reassuring smile. "You're gonna be okay, alright? Just lie still."

"Sorry," he whispered. "All my fault."

"No," Rocky replied firmly. "It wasn't your fault, Adam, you hear me? Not your fault."

"Sorry," Adam repeated, fainter now and Rocky wasn't even certain he'd heard him. Oh God, not now, you can't die now. Not after everything. Don't leave me, Adam, please.

"Are we sure it's really Adam this time?" Tommy asked, dropping into a crouch at Rocky's side.

"You think I don't know Adam when he's looking right at me?" Rocky glared, anger replacing his fear.

"He's manipulated all of us," Billy pointed out and Rocky transferred the glare to him instead.

"Do you really think that thing would be blaming himself for any of this?" Aisha asked caustically as she bandaged up Adam's side. "Because I don't."

When Adam woke up it was to find himself in an unfamiliar room with Rocky sitting by his bed. "What's going on?" he mumbled and tried to sit up before his side screamed in agony and Rocky gently pushed him back down.

"Long story," Rocky replied. "Tell you later. Go back to sleep, Adam."

He was tired, but-- Rocky brushed a gentle kiss against his forehead and Adam decided it couldn't really hurt if he went back to sleep, at least for a little while.

Rocky smiled to himself as Adam drifted back into sleep and he carefully ran his fingers through the dark curls he adored so much. So much had happened over just one day, and it was a good thing they had most of Sunday for Adam to recuperate in before they had to head back home again. Adam wouldn't be fully fit for a while, they'd have to deal with that somehow, but right now it didn't matter. Right now he had Adam back and that was all he cared about. They could deal with everything else later.