Disclaimer: Yep, I know all these characters, locations, etc., belong to Saban, but they aren't in use at this time, so I'm borrowing them. I promise to put them right back where I found them. I am not receiving any money for this story, I'm just doing it for grins and giggles.

Notes and Time line: This story takes place during the Zeo Ranger period, during that brief, but fun, time when Jason was the Gold Ranger and Billy hadn't left for Aquitar. (In my happy little world, he never will go there). This story includes the resurrection of the Tommy clone from "Return of the Green Ranger", and the Billy clone from "Blue Ranger Gone Bad". I KNOW that the Tommy clone stayed 200 years in the past, this story assumes Zedd went back and got him for reasons unknown, then stuck him in storage. Who knows why Zedd did the things he did? Anything else I screwed up is because I didn't know any better. I would rate this story PG 13 for violence. Enjoy.

Author's note, 2015: I wrote this story in 1997-1998, it was my first ever posted fanfiction.

STRANGERS WITH FAMILIAR FACES

By Mele

Klank was in his element as he searched the abandoned castle formerly occupied by Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd. He may have spent most of his existence acting as the major domo for King Mondo, but at heart he was an explorer. That he might find something to impress King Mondo, and thereby better his position, was of secondary concern. Or so he told himself.

Despite having left in a somewhat hurried and disorganized fashion, Rita and Zedd had pretty well stripped the place. He was about to give up in disgust, when he noticed a slight flaw in the far wall of the main room. If the lighting in the room had been different, or if he had not glanced to that area of the room at that exact moment, he most likely would have missed it. He examined the section of wall closely.

"Well, what do you know, there is a door here," he muttered to himself. "Now, to find out how to open it."

He started pressing and knocking on the door and the surrounding wall areas in the hope there was some sort of hidden switch to be found. Luck was with him, the door suddenly cracked open.

The door led to a small, perfectly square room, which appeared to have been used as a storage area. Boxes and other containers lined the side walls. Against the far wall there was a veritable mountain that appeared to be made up of body parts. Very strange body parts indeed. Arms, legs, claws, antennae, fins, and other unidentifiable items, some clothed, some not.

"Why in the world would they keep these things?" Klank wondered to himself. Still, there was the possibility of creating some sort of monster from these remainders. He looked the pile over carefully, already starting to mix and match parts in his mind. He sent a quick message to the Machine Empire Base, requesting a transport vehicle be dispatched, along with a squadron of cogs to help load it. He would take the entire mess with him. That way he could work out the details at his leisure. He then turned his attention to the other two walls.

The containers were filled with an odd mixture of machines, devices and such as he had never seen before. Klank had heard of Rita's "monster maker", Finster, and realized suddenly that this room must have been for his use. Klank set aside a few of the most intriguing items, muttering to himself as he worked.

He had worked his way down to a couple of rectangular containers that had been buried under smaller items. The containers resembled nothing so much as a couple of coffins. He opened them and fell suddenly silent and still. He did not dare breathe, couldn't think. And he certainly could not believe what he was seeing. Forgotten was the pile of monster parts. Forgotten were the other machines he had set aside. The contents of those two containers made all else pale in comparison.

He was startled out of his mental fog by the arrival of the transport and cogs.

"Get in here at once!" he demanded. He carefully replaced the tops on the two containers, and supervised their loading on the transport.

"King Mondo is going to be beside himself when he sees what I have found," he thought gleefully. "I am sure to gain permanent favor after today's work." So thinking his self-satisfied thoughts, he set out on the transport back to the Machine Empire's base.

· * * * * * *

"Kai! Kai! Kai"

"Ka-yah! Ka-yah! Ka-yah"

The Youth Center rang with the sounds of Tommy and Jason sparring. Interspersed with their cries were the sounds of their feet, and other areas of their bodies, hitting the mats.

Sitting at their usual table, Adam, Rocky, Kat, and Tanya enjoyed the show. They were all familiar with Tommy's skills, but none of them had had much opportunity to observe Jason in action. It was proving to be an eye opener.

"Man, I would hate to see them go after each other for real!" Rocky exclaimed.

"No kidding. Tommy is faster, but Jason is so strong," Adam added. "It would be too close to call."

"After watching those two I feel like I should just give up on my karate lessons, and take up something else instead. Knitting maybe." Tanya sighed.

Adam gave her an encouraging pat on the arm. "They were beginners once, you know. All you need to do is practice, concentrate, and believe, and you will be at their level. In twenty years or so." Adam grinned.

Tanya had perked up at the start of Adam's little pep talk, but when she heard that last comment she swatted him one. "Lotta help you are!" she huffed.

A general laugh went around the table at that. Jason and Tommy finished their practice and joined their friends.

"What's so funny?" Tommy asked.

"Oh, nothing. Adam is just being his usual, charming self." Tanya replied, with a mock frown for Adam's benefit.

"Hey guys, wasn't Billy supposed to meet us here?" Jason asked, looking around the crowded room.

"Yeah, but he probably got distracted in the Power Chamber, as usual" Kat commented. "We did bang up the zords pretty good yesterday."

Jason looked around again. No one seemed to be paying any attention to his actions, so he lifted his arm up close to his mouth and spoke into his communicator.

"Billy? Hey Billy, you there?" he asked softly.

"Yeah Jason, what's wrong?" came the tinny reply.

"What's wrong is you aren't here. Did you forget about meeting us here this morning?"

"Oops, I did forget, actually. I'm sorry. I got Kat's, um, car, kind of torn apart at the moment. I need to keep at it until it is fixed. Can I have a raincheck on our practice?"

"Okay. This time. Stand me up again and I won't hold anything back next time we spar."

"Ouch! I'll keep that in mind. Billy out," he signed off.

"Jase? Let's go change so we can head on out to the lake. Rocky borrowed a couple of jet skis from his cousin, so we had figured to take them up to the lake and make a day of it. You game?" Tommy asked.

"Sure. Let's go."

Jason was quiet as he and Tommy headed to the locker room for a quick shower and change. Tommy threw him a curious glance, but Jason appeared to be deep in thought. It wasn't until they were getting dressed that Jason spoke.

"How long has Billy been like this?" he asked.

Tommy was puzzled. "Like what?"

"Like keeping to himself all the time. Like rarely smiling, and when he does it doesn't reach is eyes. Like a part of him has quietly died." Jason spoke calmly, without rancor. He seemed to honestly want an answer.

Unfortunately, Tommy did not have one for him.

· * * * * * * *

King Mondo was not happy. He had been resting, contemplating his next move against those pesky Power Rangers, when Klank burst into his private room.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!" Klank was beside himself with excitement. "Come with me at once. You must see it. Them! You must see them! You won't believe it! Hurry! It is marvelous. You have the secret weapon you have always wanted."

"Klank! You idiot! What is the meaning of this? What are you babbling about?" King Mondo's outrage went unnoticed as Klank almost literally dragged him to the throne room where the cogs were carefully setting down the mysterious containers from Zedd and Rita's castle.

Queen Machina and Prince Sprocket entered the throne room, drawn by the uproar.

"What is going on my dear?" Machina asked, snapping her fan.

Before King Mondo could reply, Klank cut in, "Just the most amazing discovery. Look at what Zedd and Rita left behind."

Without further ado, he removed the covers from the two containers.

Neither Mondo nor Machina spoke-both were busy formulating plans to best utilize this unexpected boon.

Prince Sprocket had his own idea.

"Give them to me! Please Daddy? Give them to me! I want to play with them. I can practice being mean and cruel. Please?"

King Mondo replied to his offspring in a distracted manner. "Not this time. Not these, son. Maybe something else, but not these."

King Mondo continued, still speaking as if to himself. "I had heard of these existing. I just never expected to see any. One of the few things our technology is incapable of doing. Good job, Klank!" he added.

Inside the first container was a young man, with dark brown hair, somewhat long and layered. He was dressed in a multi colored, sleeveless plaid shirt and green pants. The second container housed another young man with lighter, short brown hair, a white and blue plaid shirt over a blue tank top and light denim jeans.

Tommy and Billy. Or, rather, their clones.

· * * * * * * *

It was turning out to be one of those sunny Southern California days that most people associated with that state. The six teens on the shore of the lake were taking full advantage of the beautiful day. Taking turns zipping around on the Jet Ski, swimming in the clear water, or just soaking up the sun on the beach. It was the perfect counterpoint to their hectic secret lives as Power Rangers.

One teen, however, seemed to have something more serious on his mind. Tommy was still bothered by Jason's seemingly offhand question about Billy. Tommy was ashamed to admit that he had not paid much attention to his old friend lately. With all the changes the team had undergone in the last few months he had been pretty preoccupied. And nothing about Billy's behavior had screamed out that he was having any problems. Billy had been quite "Billy-like": quiet, unassuming, always there ready to help, seeming to pull a solution to their problems out of thin air. Basically, business as usual with him. But, now that he thought about it, he did not see much of Billy outside of the Power Chamber. With Billy having graduated, he wasn't around school. And school is where they often made their plans for their free time. Did any of them think to ask if Billy would care to join them? Tommy was beginning to doubt that they did. God knows he didn't.

The more he thought about it, the worse he felt. Tommy had been so caught up in the excitement of having Jason back on the team. Did Billy feel like he was being pushed aside? Billy seemed glad to have Jason back, but it had to have hurt to not be able to assume the Gold Ranger powers. Tommy certainly had enough experience with losing his powers. He knew how awful it felt. And Billy had never complained. In fact, he never spoke of it so far as Tommy knew. Tommy thought back to when he had experienced his power losses. The other rangers had been completely there for him. Especially Kimberly. She seemed to dedicate herself to making things easier for Tommy, being sure to include him in all their activities, providing a steadfast source of comfort to him during those difficult times. (Oh, how it hurt now to remember those days, when she had been his!) For that matter, when Kim wrote him that devastating letter, who was there for him? Billy. He and Kat had arranged that ski weekend to cheer him up. It hadn't helped as much as they had hoped, but the gesture had been greatly appreciated.

"Man, if I felt any lower, I'd be underground!" Tommy sighed to himself. "How could I treat him like this? The guy does all these things for us, and we treat him like a piece of equipment-useful in its time and place, but only when you need it."

He reached a decision. He strolled on over to where Kat and Adam were sunning themselves on the shore.

"Hey guys, I need to run a quick errand. Tell the others for me, okay? I'll be back as soon as possible"

"Is everything okay Tommy?" Kat had not missed his pensive mood.

"I hope so," he replied as he prepared to teleport.

· * * * * * * * * * * *

In the secret chamber that housed the Zeo Zords, a soft voice was heard drifting out from the pink zord.

"Damn, Damn, Damn!"

"Does your father know you use language like that?"

Billy cracked his head a good one when he jumped at the sound of Tommy's voice. "Double damn!" He had thought he was completely alone down there.

"Sorry about that, I didn't mean to startle you," Tommy apologized.

"It's okay. And, to answer your question, yes, my father does know I use that kind of language. Zordon doesn't." Billy grinned.

Tommy answered his grin with one of his own, but also noticed that Jason had been right. It didn't reach his eyes, which retained their solemnity.

"What brings you below ground on a day like today?"

"Actually, I was hoping to get you above ground for a change. We are all at the lake and would like to have you join us." Tommy offered.

"Inviting as that sounds, I must decline at this time. As you can see, I have Kat's zord at somewhat of a disadvantage. It would be our luck to have Mondo mount an attack with us short-handed." Billy noticed Tommy's disappointment. "However, if I can affect the necessary repairs in the next hour or so, I will be happy to join you. And thank you for the invitation in any event."

Tommy knew he wouldn't show up. He also knew he couldn't force Billy to discuss whatever was bothering him. If and when Billy was ready to talk, he would let them know. But until that time, he would effectively dodge any attempts to draw him out. Tommy had learned this the hard way over the years he had been friends with Billy. He made one last attempt.

"Can I help you? Then you might finish in time to enjoy some time with your friends. I may not have your technical knowledge, but I am good at 'grunt work'."

"Really, Tommy, it is a one-man job at this point. But thanks again."

Tommy knew he was beat, he teleported back out.

Billy looked thoughtfully at where Tommy had been. He had been quite surprised at Tommy's appearance, and offer. Unfortunately, he really did have a lot to do. He had discovered that if he stayed busy-very, very busy-the loss of his powers did not bother him so much. His natural inclination to isolate himself in times of trouble had come to the forefront. He was unaware of this tendency, as he was also unaware of the reason for it. He didn't realize that by avoiding his friends, he also avoided the necessity of discussing his feelings, facing his feelings, or acknowledging his feelings. He also did not realize he avoided coming to terms with his feelings, and the resultant healing. Avoidance was just so much easier.

· * * * * * * * * * *

At the Machine Empire Base, Mondo was deep in thought. The first rush of excitement over the discovery of the clones had faded, and more practical concerns had arisen. The first thing they had had to ascertain was that the two clones were alive. Klank had been able to determine that they were, and that he would be able to figure out how to revive them when the time came. But there was the problem of the clones' appearance. While both were close in appearance to the real ranger and his friend, there were enough subtle differences that there was no way they could replace the real ones. Something needed to be done. Suddenly, his eyes lighted up with an evil gleam.

"Klank! Klank! Where the blazes are you?"

"Right here Your Majesty! How may I serve you?"

"Do you remember when we conquered Daquarious? The strange machine they had created to combat the famine there? Maybe we could use that to 'update' our 'Tommy' and 'Billy' so they can take their places in the current Ranger team."

Klank knew of the machine Mondo referred to. The Daquarians had been in the middle of a horrible famine, their people were dying by the thousands. The scientists created a machine that could subtly alter biological entities. It could not create something from nothing, nor could it alter the basic chemical state of an item. But it could alter just about everything else. The Daquarians used it to change inedible plant life into edible. Not being that well versed in biology, Klank could not comprehend how the device worked-something to do with realigning chemical compounds. He just knew what it did. And he realized King Mondo was correct. It could be used to alter both the clones into perfect replicas of the two rangers. That would leave the problem of updating their memories. Perhaps he could find a solution to that one as well. He seemed to remember something that could do the trick…..

"Aha! The Delusia Device! Your Majesty, we can also use the Delusia Device to update the clones' memories as well. If you recall, the device will add the memories without changing the basic personality of the recipient. It will be perfect! After all, the last thing we need is for our evil clones to be infused with the nauseating 'goodness' of our two subjects."

"Get to work setting everything up. We must be ready as soon as possible. All that will remain is waiting for the perfect chance to capture the Red Ranger and his brainy buddy."

Klank hurried away to do his king's bidding, chuckling as he did so. It was not a pleasant sound at all.

· * * * * * * *

Things had been peaceful in Angel Grove the last few days. Consequently, the Rangers were getting worried. The concept of the "calm before the storm" was one they were all too familiar with.

"This is nuts!" Rocky moaned. "Sometimes I think I am just going insane. I don't want Mondo to do anything, but when he doesn't it is worse, waiting for him to do what you didn't want him to do but expect him to anyway."

"Huh?" Tanya was confused by Rocky's somewhat incoherent rambling.

"I think he means sometimes nothing is worse than something" Adam clarified.

"Oh, yeah, that makes much more sense." Tanya rolled her eyes and glanced over to Kat for help.

"Don't look at me. The rule of thumb for me is that if Rocky starts making sense it's a bad sign."

"That makes sense"

Both boys groaned at that. But before they could work up a reply, Jason joined them at the table.

"You guys look kinda glum, is anything wrong?" Even though Jason was no longer the leader of the Power Rangers, indeed had not been for a long time, he couldn't seem to avoid slipping into "leader mode" now and again.

"We're not glum, we're apprehensive," Adam explained. "King Mondo never goes this long without launching an attack unless he has something big planned."

"And we can't decide if we can't wait or don't want to see it" Rocky added.

"Huh?"

· * * * * * * * *

Tommy hurried along the path through Angel Grove Park. He was supposed to meet the gang at the Youth Center a half-hour ago. Predictably, he was running late. He was so preoccupied he almost did not notice a lone figure strolling across the park to his left. He just caught the movement out of the corner of his eye, but something about it drew his attention.

Billy.

Tommy decided to try again to see if Billy was ready to talk about whatever was bothering him. If nothing else, he would invite Billy to join him with the rest of the gang for the outing they had planned.

"Hey, Billy, wait up!" Tommy called, breaking into a jog to catch up with his friend.

"Hi Tommy," Billy smiled at his friend as he approached. "You looked like you were in a hurry."

"Um, well, I was supposed to meet the guys at the Youth Center." Tommy confessed.

"And how long ago were you supposed to meet them?" Billy knew of Tommy's forgetful ways.

"Thirty minutes ago," Tommy admitted sheepishly.

"Oh, well, you are right on time then," Billy kidded.

"Oh, thanks so much. You are sooo funny," Tommy blushed a little with embarrassment.

"I try"

"So what have you been up to the last few days?" Tommy asked, realizing he had not seen Billy since the day he had dropped by the Power Chamber to ask Billy to join them at the lake.

"Got all the zords fixed, rewired the teleportation console, and updated the databases in the main frame."

"Gosh, is that all? Did you wash and wax the floors too?" Tommy joked.

"That was next," Billy said dryly, "but Zordon kicked me out. Something about me needing to see birds and trees, the light of day, whatever."

"Great! Now you have no excuse for not joining us today. We are planning to hike in the mountains. Take a picnic lunch and make a day of it. You have to come along. Just what Zordon wanted, lots of 'birds and trees' up there." Tommy enthused.

"I dunno Tommy, I'm not really an 'outdoorsy' sort."

"What do you mean? You are outdoors now. The only difference is that we will be higher, there will be more trees, and spectacular scenery." Tommy pointed out.

"Look, it's not that I don't appreciate the offer," Billy started.

"What is it with you?" Tommy interrupted. "You are avoiding us like we have some disease or something. What is bothering you, man? You can tell me, I'm your friend, I want to help."

"Nothing is bothering me." Billy said.

"Bull!" was Tommy's response.

Before Billy could react to Tommy's outburst, cogs arrived.

· * * * * * * * * *

King Mondo had started to think he would never find the two humans he needed alone together when he spied them in the park. He immediately dispatched the squadron of cogs he had standing by for just this event. These cogs had been specially briefed on what to do, and exactly how to do it.

Tommy and Billy wouldn't stand a chance.

· * * * * * * * * *

The cogs appeared directly in front of the two teens. Before either boy could react the cogs grabbed them, pinning their arms at their sides, preventing Tommy from morphing or Billy from teleporting. They struggled in vain to loosen their captors' hold, kicking at the cog's legs trying to gain some sort of advantage. Then Tommy noticed something that made his blood run cold. Two of the cogs help hypodermic needles, and they were rapidly approaching. Tommy redoubled his efforts, but with no effect. He cursed angrily as he saw the cog administer the injection to Billy, and Billy's sudden collapse. Then it was his turn.

Moments later, the cogs disappeared back through the portal from whence they came, taking their two unconscious victims with them

· * * * * * * * *

"Beep-beep-beep-beep!" Jason's communicator beeped out the familiar notes, alerting the Rangers that Zordon was trying to reach them.

"Jason here Zordon, what's up?"

"Rangers, please teleport to the Power Chamber immediately."

"Tommy isn't with us Zordon, but the rest of us will be there in a minute."

The five teenagers found their favorite deserted corner of the Youth Center and teleported out.

"What's wrong Zordon?" Rocky asked as soon as they had materialized. He couldn't shake the feeling of impending doom, having discussed Mondo's unusual peacefulness just minutes before.

"We have a problem Rangers. Observe the viewing globe," Zordon intoned.

The viewing globe started to glow, a picture slowly formed at its center. The Rangers could see Tommy and Billy walking together in the park. They then saw the cogs attack, and their two friends collapse after being injected with whatever was in the syringes the cogs had brought with them. They observed the cogs escape back through the portal with their friends. Zordon remained silent while the Rangers watched.

"Where did the cogs take them? Can you locate them, Zordon?" Jason asked.

"Ay-yi-yi, Rangers! I have been trying to locate them, but it's like they vanished into thin air!" Alpha-5 was distraught.

"The cogs left behind both the communicators, and Tommy's zeonizer," Zordon added. "As you could see, the attack was well planned. This was no random event, Mondo had a specific reason for wanting Tommy and Billy. What that purpose is cannot be determined at this time."

"What can we do, Zordon? We have to get them back," Kat asked.

"The first thing to do is to locate them. Adam, perhaps you can assist Alpha with the scans. The rest of you need to be ready for whatever rescue opportunity that presents itself. In the meantime, you should resume your normal activities." Zordon knew it would be difficult for the Rangers to wait, but there was really nothing else that could be done.

"We will contact you as soon as we know anything."

· * * * * * * * * *

Mondo was happy with the first phase of his plan. The Ranger and his friend had been captured so easily! And with no damage. It could not have gone better. Now for the second phase.

"Klank, prepare the clones for the procedure. Our 'guests' will be reviving shortly, and I am anxious to see if this will work. I think I will try it on Tommy first."

Klank hustled out to do his King's bidding.

· * * * * * * * * *

Tommy awoke with a pounding headache.

"Ah, man, what happened?" He wondered.

Awareness of his surroundings came slowly. He realized he was cold, and that the surface he was laying on was clammy and hard. He saw the metal bars across one side and gray brick walls on the other three, creating a room approximately ten feet to a side. He also noticed he was not alone. The other figure was curled up a few feet away. Tommy crawled to the other's side and carefully turned his companion over.

"Billy! Billy, can you hear me? Come on man, wake up!" Tommy was worried by his friend's unresponsiveness.

Tommy checked Billy's pulse and respiration. Both seemed okay, if a bit slow. He recognized that there was little he could do except wait. Billy would either come to, or not, and there was nothing Tommy could do about it. The best thing would be for Tommy to get himself moving, and check out the situation.

Tommy had gotten himself to the point where he could stand and walk with no problem when Billy finally groaned and stirred about.

"Easy buddy, you're okay," Tommy reassured him. "Just take it slow."

"What happened? Where are we?" Billy was as disoriented as Tommy had been.

"We were kidnapped from the park by cogs. My guess is that we are in King Mondo's dungeon. I think they gave us some kind of sedative injection to knock us out."

"Geez, anything else?" Billy asked as he struggled into a sitting position.

"Oh, I'm sure there is more. At this point I don't know what it might be." Tommy replied. "But I'm betting we won't like it."

He helped Billy to his feet, having discovered for himself that standing up helped dissipate the mental fog quicker than anything else did. He encouraged Billy to walk around the cell to help him become more alert and warm himself up.

Billy was finally feeling almost normal, when they heard the door at the end of the corridor open, and footsteps approaching.

"Ah, you're awake. Good." Mondo stood just outside the cell.

"What do you want, you walking junk pile?" Tommy snarled.

"Oh, I have what I want," Mondo replied. He turned to the cogs that were with him. "Just bring this one, leave his companion here."

The cogs quickly entered the cell. Grabbing Billy, they held him against the back wall. Others grabbed Tommy and pulled him into the corridor with them. Once they were clear of the door, the ones holding Billy released him and got out.

"Where are you taking him?" Billy yelled after the retreating group. "Come back here! Damn!" He smacked the bars in frustration.

Pacing the cell, Billy tried to calm himself. Giving into his fear, frustration and anger would not do anyone any good. He needed to remain calm, and keep alert to any opportunities that might present themselves. But he couldn't completely suppress his fear for his friend's safety. What were they doing to him, and would he be okay?

· * * * * * * * * *

The cogs holding Tommy followed Mondo to a little used area of the palace. There a laboratory had been set up, featuring two mysterious machines. One consisted of two clear cylinders approximately eight feet tall and with a three-foot radius. Smaller tubes and assorted wires ran between the tops of the two cylinders. The other machine resembled nothing so much as hairdryers similar to the ones found in beauty salons. Except for the fact the two "hair dryers" were also connected by tubes and wires.

Tommy did not like the looks of either machine. He was looking around desperately for a way to escape, trying to break the cogs' grips.

"Do not struggle against this, Red Ranger. If you do escape, I will have your friend killed before you reach the end of the hall." Mondo held up a small communicator. "If you wish him to live, you will do as your are told. If you do not, after your friend is killed, we will still capture you and force you to co-operate. It is your choice."

Tommy realized that he had no choice. He ceased his struggles.

"Good. Now, I need you to strip. Don't be shy, it is just these things work better when the operation is simplified as much as possible." Mondo directed.

Tommy soon found himself standing naked in one of the cylinders. He watched as the cogs led in another figure. He did not get a clear look at the other until he was in the second cylinder. It was him! Tommy recognized his clone. Oh, God, what was Mondo doing? He had no time to organize his thoughts before Klank threw the switch.

To Tommy it felt as if he were in a dry, reversed shower. Particle waves seemed to wash up his body and into the tubes that went from the top of his cylinder into the other. As he watched, the other 'Tommy' began to change appearance. His hair lengthened, the body seemed to enlarge slightly, his face to age subtly. It was a fascinating process to watch. Then it was over, and Tommy realized he was a little shaky as he was taken out of the cylinder and seated on one of the chairs.

He found himself seated across from himself. It was as if he were looking in a mirror. The clone was perfect. He had no chance to reflect on this, as Klank placed the half dome above the chair onto Tommy's head, and repeated the process for the clone. Another throw of a switch, and this time Tommy felt as if someone were rummaging through his brain. The sensation was bizarre, not particularly painful. It was also mercifully brief.

One of the cogs tossed a bundle of clothes on his lap.

"Dress yourself," he was ordered. He recognized the clothing. He had not worn this particular outfit in a long time. Tommy glanced across and felt a stab of fear. The clone was dressed in the clothes Tommy had been wearing earlier. He looked exactly like Tommy. Exactly.

Two cogs grabbed Tommy, and the group retraced their steps to the dungeon. Billy was obviously relieved to see them. The cogs tossed Tommy carelessly to the back of the cell, and grabbed Billy before he could see to his friend. He was quickly taken from the cell and out towards where Tommy had been taken just a short while before.

Tommy gathered himself and stood shakily. It had been an unsettling experience. At least he was spared the worry Billy had undergone. He knew what was being done to Billy, and knew his friend would be okay. He was actually anxious to exchange information with him. They needed to figure out what Mondo's plan was if they were to find a way to foil it.

· * * * * * * * * *

Adam was frustrated. He had been helping Alpha-5 try to scan for Tommy and Billy without any success. They had tried broad-spectrum scans, narrow beam scans, even a scan specifically for Tommy and Billy's unique biorhythms. Nothing. The Machine Empire Base was simply too well shielded.

"Ay yi yi yi yi! Nothing will get through! Zordon, I don't know what to try next." Alpha was just as frustrated as Adam, and considerably more verbal about it.

"We must keep trying Alpha. Perhaps if we try random frequency changes we will hit upon one that will get through the shielding." Zordon suggested.

"Okay, this just has to work!" Alpha moaned. Adam was in complete agreement with the little robot.

"This just has to work."

· * * * * * * * * *

Tommy had prowled around the cell he was being held in. There wasn't a lot to see. The two side walls each had a built in shelf about two feet above floor level that would do to sleep on. There was a small drainage hole by the back wall that Tommy supposed would serve as the "toilet". An old spigot sprouted from the wall above it. Tommy had tried turning it on and was rewarded with some tepid water that had a chemical smell and slightly oily feel. The view through the bars showed a corridor approximately six feet wide with a barred door at one end, and a wall at the other. There were a total of four cells, two to a side. Near as Tommy could tell, he and Billy were the only "guests" at this time.

He heard footsteps approaching. Mondo and a contingent of cogs were returning with Billy. He seemed much as Tommy had been when he was brought back from the laboratory. A little dazed and confused, but otherwise unharmed. He had also changed clothes, wearing a blue tank top under a white and blue flannel shirt. An outfit he had worn back when he was the Blue Ranger.

"What are you doing, Mondo?" Tommy demanded. "You can't keep us here long, our friends will find us."

"Ah, your faith is touching, but your friends can't find you if they aren't looking, now can they?" Mondo replied.

With that Billy was thrown into the cell with Tommy, and Mondo and his escort left. Tommy hurried to help Billy up to one of the benches.

"You okay, man?" he asked.

"I think so," came the shaky reply. "Give me a few minutes and I may know for sure."

While Billy collected himself, Tommy filled him in on their situation in the cell, and what he had observed on his trip to the lab. Billy had noticed the same things, and had figured out what the machines had done to them.

"It seemed that the first machine, the cylinders, 'copied' our physical appearance and replicated it on our clones. The second machine read our minds and presumably transferred that information to the clones." Billy explained. "The clones are now perfect physical replicas of us, with our memories up to the time of the transfer."

"If you're right, those clones will be able to take our places without raising any suspicions. I wonder if a scan would reveal them for what they are?"

"Probably, but unless the clones start acting oddly, no one will think to scan them. We can only hope they act as badly as they did the first time they were used," Billy said.

"If they have our memories, they may very well do a better job blending in this time." Tommy worried. "And between them they have access to everything."

"Yes, this is a most unfortunate situation." Billy agreed. "Hopefully, 'our' easy escape from Mondo will raise suspicions to begin with, and they will run a scan as a precaution."

Their discussion was interrupted by the arrival of King Mondo, Queen Machina, Prince Sprocket, Klank, the clones and five cogs.

"Enjoying your stay?" Machina asked.

"Immensely" Tommy replied, refusing to show any fear.

"I just wanted to introduce you to your replacements. Quite a stunning resemblance, wouldn't you say?" Mondo taunted them. "They will fit right in, and by the time they are finished with their sabotage, the Power Rangers and Zordon of Eltar will be destroyed."

"It won't happen. Zordon and the Rangers will find a way, we always do," Billy responded. "There is no way these fakes will fool our friends."

"Ah, we will do all we can to ensure they raise no suspicions." Mondo explained. "Let me demonstrate how well we have thought this out."

He nodded to the two clones who appeared to brace themselves. He then signaled the cogs. The cogs approached the clones, and started punching them about the face and body. The clones did nothing to protect themselves, accepting the beating stoically.

Tommy and Billy watched aghast. It was over quickly. The Tommy clone had a split lip, and would obviously develop a black eye, while the Billy clone had a cut above his left eye and a bloody nose. There were signs that other bruises would appear soon. In short, the two looked like they had been in a pretty serious fight.

Mondo addressed the clones. "You fought your way out of my dungeon. You were able to get to the throne room, where 'Billy' was able to activate a portal to allow you to escape back to earth. You do not know exactly why you were taken in the first place, but were lucky to escape with just minor injuries. Any questions?"

Both clones shook their heads.

"Okay, we will send you on down, you know the plan. We will be in touch." The two clones left the area, never having spoken. "Well, still think it will be so easy for your friends to spot the clones?" Mondo asked.

Neither boy responded.

"I will leave you to consider all this. Enjoy your thoughts." Mondo chuckled as he left with his wife and son.

· * * * * * * * * * *

The alarm sounded in the Power Chamber.

"Ay yi yi yi yi! Now what?" Alpha exclaimed. "We better check the viewing globe!"

Alpha and Adam activated the viewing globe, which showed a deserted area of Angel Grove Park. Suddenly, a portal appeared and two figures leapt through.

"It's Tommy and Billy! They escaped!" Adam was excited. "I'm going to teleport over to meet them, contact the others Alpha."

"Wait!" Zordon cautioned. "Approach them with care, Adam. We do not know what may have been done to them. It is not easy to escape from Mondo, it may be a trap."

"I'll be careful," Adam promised.

He teleported to the area where 'Tommy' and 'Billy' had appeared. As he approached, he noticed the cuts and bruises on his friends' faces. That decided him. He hurried up to them.

"Are you guys okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," 'Tommy' replied. "We fought our way out of Mondo's dungeon. We made our way to the throne room, where 'Billy' was able to figure out how to open a portal and get us back here. I don't know why Mondo grabbed us, but we were lucky to escape with just minor injuries."

"Let's get back to the Power Chamber and we will patch you guys up. I'm so glad you are okay. I was getting really worried. We all were." Adam said.

The three of them teleported out of the park to the Power Chamber, while up in the Machine Empire Base, Mondo laughed and laughed.

Jason arrived early for his practice with 'Tommy'. Since Tommy and Billy's capture, and subsequent escape, three days before, Jason had experienced a vague sort of unease. It was nothing he could define or explain. He hadn't even mentioned it to anyone else. He just knew something was "tweaking his antenna" enough to keep him in a mild state of alert. Unfortunately, this made for poor sleep patterns. To say nothing of bad dreams. He decided the only thing to do was exhaust himself so he would have no recourse except to sleep. Hence, his early arrival to supplement his workout routine in the hope of reaching a state of complete physical exhaustion.

While he worked his way through the sets of reps on the various machines, he went over the events of the last few days, especially the day of the kidnapping, for the umpteenth time. There was nothing untoward in either Tommy or Billy's behavior on that day, or since. No one else seemed to notice anything wrong. Certainly if there was something wrong in either boy's behavior the other Rangers would have noticed it. They had spent more time around the two of them in recent months than Jason had. It stood to reason they would be the first to notice something wrong with them.

"Maybe it is because I have been away for a while. Maybe the different perspective is what allows me to pick up on some subtle differences, or whatever it is that is bothering me. It may be the others are simply too close." Jason was both dismayed and relieved by this idea. Relieved because he was seriously thinking he was losing his mind. Dismayed because if he was right it could only mean Tommy and Billy were in grave danger. He honestly hoped he was losing his mind.

"I need another person's opinion. Trini and Zack are too far away, as is Aisha. That leaves Kimberly. Her last letter indicated she would be spending two weeks here in Angel Grove this month. This is going to be tricky. Tommy will not be glad to see her, and I don't know how Kim is going to react to him either. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to at least call her and discuss the problem." Jason felt better having a plan of action. He put the thoughts away as he spied 'Tommy' entering the gym for their practice. Time to go to work.

· * * * * * * * * * *

In King Mondo's dungeon, Tommy and Billy had found their days falling into a pattern. Since the two of them had different hobbies, interests, and talents, they found they could pass the time pleasantly if they exchanged their knowledge. Tommy was teaching Billy every kata he knew. He went over and over each one until Billy had it perfectly. In between the katas, Tommy continued Billy's karate lessons. Billy was already a brown belt, with this tutoring he would be able to qualify for a black belt soon after getting back home.

Billy was tutoring Tommy on the Periodic Table, as chemistry was one of Tommy's weaker subjects. He was also teaching Tommy all the various math formulae he knew. With this tutoring Tommy would have no excuse for not passing every level of math right through calculus.

That was the thought that kept them going. The thought of how good it was going to be to get home. They had come to realize that the clones must have been accepted and that they were basically on their own against Mondo. It also meant their friends were in danger. They made a conscious effort to not dwell on what may be happening with the clones. They needed to focus on the here and now. There was an extra reason for the karate lessons, it kept them in as good of physical shape as possible under the circumstances. King Mondo was not terribly concerned about human cuisine, so the food they were served was barely edible. Billy dubbed it "mystery mush", which was as good a description as any. It looked and tasted terrible, but it kept the hunger pangs at bay, and provided minimal energy. In short, it was better than nothing, just not by much.

There was no sun to rise and set, so they had no way to determine how long they had been there. They estimated three days only because they had slept three times. Billy had expressed the opinion that their body's "internal clocks" would continue to keep their own time despite the lack of visual evidence to indicate the passage of the days. Despite the bleak, barren situation they were in, the two friends fared well. They helped and encouraged each other, and on occasion the cold, dreary dungeon rang with the sound of their laughter.

· * * * * * * * * * *

King Mondo did not know whether to be satisfied or annoyed. His plan appeared to be working perfectly. The Rangers had accepted the clones. Once the clones were in place, the plan called for the gradual and systematic sabotage of the Power Chamber, zords, and, ultimately, the Rangers and Zordon themselves. To work it up to the grand climax, 'Billy' would be placing explosives around the Power Chamber, with 'Tommy' helping whenever possible. Of course, they could not just stroll around planting explosives, even Alpha would have questioned that. No, they were setting them one at a time, while doing other work that just happened to involve the various consoles. The same routine was being used to set up the destruction of the zords. All the while, both 'boys' had to maintain the façade that they were what they seemed to be-nice, normal, social teenagers. 'Tommy' in particular was spending the bulk of his time attending school and social functions with the other Rangers.

So, while the work was progressing well, Mondo was bored. He sent down the occasional monster to keep the Rangers from suspecting anything was amiss, but he knew that they were just a deception. With no hopes pinned on the monster attacks, and no scheming needed, he found himself with too much time on his hands.

That was when he remembered he had two of his hated enemies in the dungeon. At his mercy-to do with whatever he wanted to.

"Klank!"

"Yes, Your Majesty." Klank was at his king's side in an instant.

"I want you to do some research. Look through all the reference materials we have on earth culture. I want to have some 'fun' with our prisoners-give me some ideas of what would work best. I expect to see what you have in six hours."

"Of course, Your Majesty. I will not disappoint you"

At the end of the allotted six hours, Klank presented King Mondo with the results of his research. Mondo considered the various options, then made the choice he felt would be the most painful and humiliating for the two teenagers. At least he could have some fun while he waited for his plans to reach fruition.

To be continued