The Terran Rangers/Spiderman Volume 4:, Heather Ray [well read books .TXT] 📗

into the beak, and into the bridge of the ship. There was only one seat, surrounded by all sorts of control panels. The Purple Ranger sat down in her seat, and pressed a button.

"Eaglezord," she said, "I need a passenger seat."

^Creating passenger seat,^

said the computer. Spiderman was startled to see an identical purple leather seat appear beside the Purple Ranger's. He sat down cautiously, as if expecting it to be a hologram. The seat belt automatically strapped around his waist.

"Comfy?" she asked him.

"Yeah," he said, "Nice plane."

"Its a Zord," Alexis corrected him, "Eaglezord, start up thrusters, and prepare for travel mode."

^Destination?^

"Where are we going?" Alexis asked Spiderman.

"Eastern State University campus," Spiderman said into the intercom, "in New York City."

^ETA: Eighteen minutes. Coordinates locked.^

"Then let's get going!" said Alexis, sitting back in her seat. The magnificent Eaglezord then screeched loudly, and flew across the afternoon skies in a streak of purple.

Chapter Thirteen

High in the clear blue sky of New York City, the silver and purple battle machine dubbed the Eaglezord slowed to a halt. During the entire trip from Philadelphia to New York City, the zord flew so quickly that it appeared to be a streak of light gliding high above the Earth. Now, it hovered about a kilometer off the ground, directly above the campus of Eastern State University.

"We're staying up here?" Spiderman asked.

"Well, it's easier than parking," the Purple Ranger responded, unstrapping her seatbelt. "Besides, its far less conspicuous way up here. The Eaglezord can hover as long as it needs to. And how long could it possibly take for you to whip up another vial of that antidote?"

"Hopefully not too long," Spiderman answered, standing up from his seat. "But since we're so high off the ground, how do we get down? Fly?"

"We could, but I'd rather just teleport."

"Teleport?" Spiderman asked skeptically.

Alexis nodded, and pressed a few buttons on the main console. "I'll teleport us to the roof of the building directly below us," she explained. "That way, we won't have to worry about being spotted. Hang on."

Alexis pressed the final button, and the two heroes vanished in streaks of purple and red light. At just about the same time, they rematerialized on the roof of College Hall, the building that housed the offices of a number of ESU staff members.

"Okay, where to?" she asked, turning to Spiderman. Spiderman walked over to the edge of the roof, and peered into the distance.

"The lab is on the northwest corner of campus," he explained. "We'll web-sling over."

"Web-sling?" Alexis asked. "Why don't I just fly us over?"

"No offense, but flying is a little too conspicuous. The people here are used to seeing me sling across the city, so they won't suspect anything. But when they see a being flying around , leaving a purple streak of energy, then curiosities will be piqued. And I can sling almost as fast as you fly."

"But, how do I 'web-sling'

?"

"Hang onto my back."

Although her face was masked by her helmet, Spiderman could tell she was a little apprehensive. "Hey, I trusted you to carry me around when we were flying in Philly. Now we're in New York, and so you have to follow my lead."

Alexis nodded, and wrapped her arms around Spiderman's neck. Then, Spiderman pointed his web-shooter at a neighboring building, and the liquid immediately solidified to a long vine of webbing. Spiderman and the Purple Ranger swung on the vine, and Spiderman continued to manufacture new ones until the pair landed on the grass just outside the laboratory. Spiderman glanced around quickly, to make sure there weren't any people around.

"Okay," he whispered, "we're entering the lab via the window. Hopefully, there won't be anyone inside. Since Doctor Conners took his assistants with him, there probably won't be anyone in the Neogenics wing."

"That's logical," she answered, as she watched Spiderman climb up the outside wall of the lab. Once he reached the top floor window, he pulled it open easily, and climbed inside. He then waved at Alexis, who flew into the open window. She landed just beyond the window, and gazed in awe at the laboratory. It was filled with complex machinery whose function she could never comprehend, along with a sophisticated station for chemical experiments, cages with lab rats, and a main computer with external imaging capacities. On the whole, it greatly reminded her of the Command Center.

"Okay," said Spiderman, sitting down at the computer and turning it on, "I'll need to access Doc Conners' personal files, so I can find the exact ingredients to the potion. I just hope we've got all the chemicals needed here in the lab."

"Is there anything I can do?" Alexis asked, standing behind Spiderman.

"Not yet," he answered, tapping away on the keyboard.

Alexis watched curiously as Spiderman accessed the hard drive of the computer, as well as the personal files of Doctor Conners. That required having three passwords-- the one to access the hard drive, the one for opening the Neogenics file, and finally Doctor Conners' personal code, for his documents. It only took Spiderman about five minutes to get into the system, find the file he was searching for, and print it out. He then stood up, grabbed the printed pages, and headed to the chemistry station. As she watched, Spiderman pulled out various chemicals from cabinets all over the lab, and assembled them on the lab table. She shook her head. "I take it you and Doctor Conners are good friends," she said. Spiderman stopped his work and looked up at his partner.

"Why do you say that?"

"You know your way around this lab like you live here!" she replied. "And you even knew Conners' passwords."

"The Doc trusted me with his passwords, because I'm the only person, other than his family, that knows he's the Lizard. So that basically makes me the one responsible for turning him back into a human being, which includes being able to access the systems of his lab."

"And you're a scientist in your own right?"

"Sort of," said Spiderman, carefully pouring a measure of powdered chemical into a flask of a liquid chemical, "I guess science is something of a hobby of mine. It's really helpful in the superhero biz."

"You sound a lot like my friend the Blue Ranger," Alexis said. "Science was always his greatest love."

"So," said Spiderman, "why aren't you with the other Power Rangers in California?"

"Personal problems," she said, "I was needed in Philadelphia, and so I came. I'm just glad I was able to remain a Power Ranger, and serve society in my own way."

"That's noble. In my case, there were many times that I wished I wasn't a superhero."

Alexis was startled by this revelation. "Why would you ever want to give this up?"

"Because," he answered sternly, "with great power comes great responsibility. And I've learned a few hard lessons about that responsibility. When you're a hero, your life isn't your own. You are constantly protecting those around you, giving up whatever private life you may have strived for. And your efforts aren't always appreciated. Sure, there are people who truly appreciate the work we do, but many belittle what we do. And if we ever fail... then we have to live with the guilt and the blame. And neither truly goes away completely."

"Wow," said Alexis quietly, "that's sobering."

"I'm not trying to discourage you," Spiderman said truthfully, "I just wanted to let you know some hard facts. Being a superhero isn't about glory, its about self-sacrifice. Still, the rewards are truly worth the price. They aren't material rewards, but you can really relish the idea that, even though many other don't know it, you are making a difference. When you save a life, you feel proud of the fact that this one person can go on living because of what you did. That's a fantastic feeling."

"Virtue is its own reward," Alexis quoted. Spiderman nodded.

"That's why it takes a special person to be a hero. Everyone would love to have powers, that set them apart from the rest of humanity. But being a hero means risking your life on a regular basis, and not getting medals of honor, or grand appreciation, or anything like that. If you can't see the rewards in the eyes of the people whose lives you saved, then superheroing wouldn't be worth the price."

"If you had the chance to give it up, would you?" Alexis asked. Spiderman stopped his work to consider the question.

"No," he said finally, "After being a hero once, it would be tough to just leave it all behind. Besides, I know I'm making a difference. What I do really matters. Its become a major part of who I am."

"It sounds like you've been a superhero forever!" Alexis marveled.

Spiderman shook his head. "Actually, I'm not much older than you are."

Alexis stared at Spiderman. "How do you know how old I am?"

"You sound like a teenager," Spiderman said, smiling beneath his mask, "I'd wager either high school or college, between sixteen and nineteen. I'm in my early twenties, and I've been a hero for a few years. This job matures a person really quickly."

Alexis nodded, absorbing the advice this seasoned professional offered her.

"Okay," Spiderman said, holding up two test tubes of potion, "it's ready. I've made two doses, just in case one of them is broken, or if one dose isn't enough. The Lizard is even more powerful now than the first time, which may mean a more powerful antidote may be in order. Here -- I'll carry one and you carry the other."

Spiderman tossed a capped vial to the Purple Ranger, who caught it with her quick reflexes. Suddenly, it vanished from sight in a flash of purple light. Spiderman stared at her in surprise.

"What?" she asked, noticing his confusion.

"Where did you put the test tube?"

"Oh, in the pocket dimension we Power Rangers have access to. Its where we keep our weapons, and other assorted items. Its easier than carrying it around, isn't it? I can summon it back to reality with a thought."

To demonstrate this, Alexis held out her hand. The vial appeared in another flash of light, completely intact. Spiderman shook his head.

"You Power Rangers certainly have a number of abilities at your disposal."

"Yeah, I guess we do," she replied, willing the vial to vanish once again, "That's what happens when you combine magic with science."

Spiderman just accepted her statement without further explanation, and headed to the window. "I guess we'd better fly over to the ship," he said, "Then