The Spice Club has succeeded. They've finally rescued Zordon from the forces of evil! Now they can rejoice in victory and freedom . . . or can they? Unfortunately, the Spices have a new challenge ahead of them.

"Power Rangers, Spice Club, I thank you for releasing me from Dark Specter's clutches," Zordon announced. "I commend you for your constant bravery and determination."

"Thank you, Zordon," Andros said. "If we had given up, we would've never found you."

"Let alone get home," Jenny added.

"I am afraid that we have another pressing matter approaching," Zordon continued. "A new being of evil is approaching our galaxy at a rapid speed."

"What new evil?" Spinal asked.

"The evil known as Black Shadow," Zordon replied. "His first goal is to join forces with Astronema."

Jenny gasped. "We can't let that happen," she said boldly. "Not while she's in cahoots with Scorpius!"

"Just how tough is this Black Shadow?" Fulgore asked.

"He is powerful, and also effective in hand-to-hand combat," Zordon explained. "You must not allow him to join Astronema."

"Looks like we have only one choice," Jenny said. "We'll have to split up."

"What?!" Andros was stunned. "What do you mean 'split up'?"

"The Rangers can stay and battle Astronema and Scorpius," Jenny told him. "We'll go and fight Black Shadow."

Spinal sighed. "There are times when I wish that I had never joined this team . . ."

"But Jenny . . ." Ruth began to protest. "If the Rangers and Spices split up, then Carlos and I will have to split."

"Okay, then you can stay here," Jenny said. "The rest of us should be able to handle Black Shadow on our own."

"But we wanna stay with the Spice Club!" the twins cried in unison.

"No way, I'm not about to be separated from my own daughters," Ruth said.

"Unless Carlos wants to go with the Spices . . ." Andros suggested.

Carlos thought for a moment. He thought about being the only "normal" person on a fighting team. He would feel left out. Even his wife and daughters were rather mischievous for him.

"The choice is up to you guys," Jenny said. "I'm not forcing anybody to do anything."

"What's your recommendation?" Ruth asked.

"My suggestion is that Carlos might as well join his family and become a Spice member."

Carlos pondered again. "Yeah . . . you're right."

Jenny held out her hand. "Welcome to the Club . . . Lunar Spice."

"Man, where does she get them?" the Cryptkeeper wondered.

"Okay, we all know what we have to do," Jenny told the group. "But the question is, how are we going to do it? I mean, the Rangers need the Megaship to fight Astronema and Scorpius. So how are we going to go after Black Shadow?"

"I have an idea," Andros said. "KO-35 is famous for constructing ships. We could just fly up there and pick one for you guys."

"Um, may I interrupt?" asked Earl, a Spice member who hadn't seen much action lately. "Jenny, I think you have way too many people in your group. There's so many of us that half of us don't even get to fight."

"Are you saying that you want to quit?" Jenny asked.

"No. I'm suggesting that maybe some of us could stay behind and help the Rangers," Earl explained. "They have two major lunatics to fight. We only have to fight one."

"I see your point," Jenny said. "This is all voluntary. Who wants to come with me to fight Black Shadow?"

"I'm with you," the Cryptkeeper said without hesitation.

"I'll go, too," Hallie said. "I'm staying with my sister."

"Well, we've already decided that we're going," Ruth said, dragging her family beside Jenny.

There was a moment of silence. Jenny was stunned.

"Is this it?" she asked. "Come on, people, join me!"

"Hmm . . . I'll go," Pico said. "I'll get away from Trakeena."

"Why not kill her?" Gazelle asked. "You're good at that."

"Funny," Pico said flatly. "Are you coming?"

"Of course!"

"I, too, shall render assistance," Arbin said.

"Me, too," Hanim added, locking arms with him.

"Hey, don't leave me out!" Bio Rex called.

"Y'know, I'd rather face Black Shadow myself than face Astronema," Spinal said.

"Then I'm going with you," Fulgore jumped in. "My partner and I are inseparable."

"They can't keep me away from him either!" C.C. cried, embracing Spinal.

"Okay, this'll do," Jenny said. "Anyone else?"

"I want to go!" Lenina called. "I've discovered that Gazelle is my true love."

"Okay, let me do a roll call here," Jenny said. "We've got the Cryptkeeper, Hallie, Ruth, Carlos, Rachel, Robyn, Gazelle, Pico, Arbin, Hanim, Bio Rex, Spinal, Fulgore, C.C., and Lenina. Yes, a fitting group for me."

"Good luck, my friends," Zordon said out of nowhere. "And may the power protect you."

"Uh . . . thanks," Jenny replied nervously.

Alpha pulled a piece of paper from the control terminal. "Here's a picture of Black Shadow's logo. He likes to put flags with his logo on the planets that he's conquered."

Jenny studied the logo carefully. It looked like a bull-shaped mask. "We'll keep an eye out for it."

So the group took off in the Astro Megaship. As they awaited the arrival to their destination, Cassie found herself sharing the dining room table with Gazelle. Gazelle didn't have much to say, so Cassie started the conversation.

"I'm curious about Pico," she said out of nowhere.

"Pico? What about him?" Gazelle asked.

"I was just wondering why he's always so . . . so . . ."

"Friendly?" Gazelle asked sarcastically. "Well . . . Pico has a past."

"What happened?"

"Pico only tells his past life to those he chooses. If anyone otherwise finds out . . . well . . . let's just say that they won't be heard from again."

Cassie gasped. "You mean if you told me about Pico's past, and he finds out, then he'd . . ."

"To put it mildly, yes," Gazelle replied. "I do believe that he tolerates people knowing that he's a retired assassin."

Cassie's eyes widened. "I can't believe it! Well, I think I know how to calm him down."

"No, no, you're judging him the wrong way!" Gazelle said.

"How?"

"Actually, Pico is very calm. The only time he truly blows up is when he's really angry or when someone startles him. So . . . what did you have in mind?"

"I think that he just needs someone to be nice to him," Cassie said.

Gazelle laughed. "Try, try as you wish. He'll just resist."

"No one can resist a helping hand," Cassie told him. "Not even Pico. Well, I'm going to go find him." She began to leave the room.

"Good luck," Gazelle called. "You're gonna need it."

Meanwhile, Pico sat in the desk in his bedroom looking over his photo collection. He had made seven different piles to sort them out. Most of the photos were of his races.

"Oh yes, the X Cup races . . ." he told himself. "This is the one where everybody fell off the track . . . everyone except yours truly, of course. That was the best race of my career! There I was, just cruisin' along, knowing that I was going to finish first."

Then he revealed some photos of what looked like a turtle army.

"The Poripoto Army . . . those were the days . . ." Pico sighed. "Over seventy top officials murdered, and nobody had a clue!"

Suddenly, Carlos charged into the room catching his breath. "Pico!"

"WHAT?!" Pico exploded, scrambling his photos together into his arms.

"You're needed on the bridge," Carlos told him.

"Why, you almost scared me to death, you little . . ." Pico screamed.

"Sorry," Carlos said. "Just try to calm down."

"Did you see anything?!"

"No."

"Good!!"

Carlos left the room. Pico dropped his head on his desk. Then he got up and walked out. As he walked down the hall, he bumped into Cassie.

"Hello, Pico," she said sweetly. "How are you today?"

Pico looked confused. "Fine," he replied. "Carlos said that I was needed on the bridge."

"Actually, I was calling you to the bridge, but since we're here in the hall, we don't need to go there."

�Uh-huh. Excuse me." Pico continued down the hall, and Cassie followed. Pico turned into a random room. It was a gym area where Kai and Kendrix were sparring. Kendrix blocked Kai's punches, then threw him to the ground.

�No pain, no gain," she taunted him.

Pico smiled.

"Okay, that's enough for today," Kai said.

"You're just tired of hitting the mat," Kendrix teased.

"I have other things to do today," Kai insisted. "And . . . I'm a little tired of hitting the mat."

He turned and left the room while Pico retreated into the darkest corner of the room. Kendrix turned to him.

"Pico, you want to go for a few rounds?"

"Why?" Pico asked flatly.

"To improve our skills, to learn from each other," Kendrix replied.

"Hmm . . ." Pico looked around as if he didn't want anyone to know. Finally he slanted his eyes and smiled. "Sure."

He stepped onto the mat and took a fighting stance.

"Um . . . would you mind taking off those boots?" Kendrix asked.

Pico looked down at his large steel boots. "What's wrong with my boots?"

Kendrix sighed and took her own fighting stance. Pico advanced slowly and threw a snap kick, which Kendrix blocked. Without warning, they were both blocking each other's punches. Kendrix quickly rolled behind Pico, but then Pico rolled away from Kendrix. Kendrix advanced and threw a sweep. Pico hopped over it, throwing himself onto his back and pulling his legs into his chest. He threw his feet back on the ground, springing his body back up. As he did, Kendrix grabbed one of his legs. Pico's face soured, then he threw a fierce spin kick with his free foot. Kendrix ducked under it, avoiding a serious head injury. As she ducked, she released Pico's ankle. Pico moved in, kicking Kendrix in the stomach. Kendrix staggered back and looked at him. Pico lifted his head proudly.

"No pain, no gain," he said.

Kendrix resumed her fighting stance and attacked with a flurry of kicks. Pico blocked them all easily. Then he stomped on Kendrix's foot, then shoved her chest back and punched her stomach. She looked up at him.

"Yaaah!!" she yelled.

She faked a punch to the face. When Pico threw up his hands to block, Kendrix gave him a side kick to the chest. Pico staggered back into the wall. He looked up at Kendrix, his eyes narrowed. He casually strolled back onto the mat. Suddenly, he turned a cartwheel, and Kendrix jumped back. Pico threw a snap kick followed by a roundhouse. Kendrix blocked both attacks, then Pico turned another cartwheel, swinging his feet at Kendrix. Pico followed with a sweep, catching her ankles and sending her to the ground. Then he straightened himself and stretched.

"Well, that was fun," he said flatly. "I haven't felt this good in a long time."

With that said, he walked out of the room. Kendrix sat up and shook her head.

"Attention! Approaching planet KO-35," DECA announced.

"Great. Let's go check it out," Andros said.

The Space Rangers (except Cassie) left the ship. Cassie got a glass of water from the synthetron and went to find Pico again. Pico had returned to his bedroom. When Cassie entered, Pico had his feet rested on the desk and was playing a harmonica.

"Whatcha doing?" Cassie asked.

"I'm writing a song," Pico replied.

"Really? Can I hear it?"

"Sure." Pico sang his song, playing his harmonica in between lines. "I hate you guys . . . you guys are idiots . . . especially Damon . . . I hate him the most."

Cassie looked disturbed. "I think that you and Damon need to have a little talk."

"There won't be time for a talk."

"Well, I brought you a glass of water."

Pico shot her a look. "Why are you being so dag-blamed lovable?"

"It's my nature! I have to be nice."

Pico snatched the glass from Cassie and drank the water. Suddenly, Cassie's communicator beeped.

"The new ship is ready," Andros said. "Meet us all outside."

"Time to go," Pico said, tossing the empty glass across the room.

The Rangers and Spices met outside the ship to say their goodbyes.

"Good luck," Andros said. "We'll miss you guys."

"Things will certainly be a lot quieter without you," Damon added.

"I can imagine," Jenny said. "Good luck to you guys, also. Fighting two evil lunatics won't be easy, but I'm sure the others will help."

Spinal walked up to Leo and handed him the urn containing the Lights of Orion.

"What's this for?" Leo asked.

"I thought you might need the power," Spinal said. "Besides, I can't stand all the bad guys breathing down my neck because of it."

They hugged each other and promised to write. The Spices who were leaving boarded their new ship. Jenny stopped and looked back at the Rangers. Then she turned back and boarded completely. The ship closed and took off.

"I'm sure going to miss those guys," Zhane sighed.

The new ship looked almost white on the outside. It had a similar shape to the Astro Megaship. On the inside, it looked much like the Starship Enterprise. The Spices were in awe.

"This is awesome!" Hallie exclaimed.

"No kidding!" Ruth added.

The group explored the bridge. It was a lot brighter than the Megaship bridge.

"So where are we going?" Spinal asked.

"I have no idea," Jenny admitted, hovering her hands over the main terminal. "How do I work this?"

"Move over," Fulgore said, tapping the buttons. "I'm more likely to figure this out . . ."

"What do you call this ship anyhow?" the Cryptkeeper asked.

"Looks like we'll have to name it ourselves," Carlos suggested. "Starship Enterprise?"

"How about the Spice Rack?" Bio Rex asked. "We're a bunch of Spices, and this is where we're stored."

"Spice Rack . . . I like it," Jenny said. "Okay, I guess we can just chill for now . . . maybe explore the ship some more."

"Good idea, sis," Hallie agreed. "We should pick out our bedrooms."

"It probably doesn't matter," Fulgore said. "They're probably identical."

"Come on, Mommy, let's go!" the twins cried, dragging Ruth out of the room.

Fulgore began punching buttons on the control terminal.

"What are you doing?" Jenny asked.

"The teleportation systems we've been using are controlled by the Astro Megaship," Fulgore explained. "I'm just reconfiguring our rings to control them from the Spice Rack."

"Attention," a female computer voice called. "I am Beta, onboard computer. I have eyes and ears all over the ship."

"Any relation to DECA?" Spinal asked.

"I don't know of a DECA," Beta replied.

"Ah, never mind. It's not important." Spinal remained silent for a moment, but a certain question burned in his mind. "Jenny . . . where exactly are we going?"

"I have no idea," Jenny admitted. "Wow . . . how could Zordon just send us out without knowing where the hell Black Shadow would be?"

"But we'll know when we find him, right?" Fulgore asked.

"I'm sure we will," Jenny said.

"I shall scan the area for Black Shadow," Beta offered.

"Oh, thanks."

Pico went back to sorting his photos in his new bedroom, this time successfully. He was just closing his album when Arbin and Hanim knocked on the door.

"Hey Pico, we're getting close to Black Shadow's whereabouts," Arbin said. "We'd better get to the bridge."

Pico stood up. "Very well, Sterling," he responded.

He walked past Arbin out into the hall. Arbin stared at him, clenching his fists. "Don't ever call me Sterling!" he yelled.

Hanim was confused. "What was that all about?"

Arbin said nothing. He still stared into the hall in the direction that Pico had gone.

"Arbin?" Hanim called.

"Huh?" Arbin looked at her.

"You sound like you have a history of being called Sterling."

"Not really. Hanim . . . when I told you how I was named after the word 'Armageddon,' there were a few things I neglected to mention."

"Like what?" Hanim asked.

"My father who gave me that name . . . was only a foster parent," Arbin told her.

"What happened to your real parents?"

"They both died when I was still an infant. My foster parents found me and took care of me. Since I had no form of identification, they had to give me a new name. They named me Arbin Gordon. That's the name I've gone by for these two and a half centuries."

"So how did you find out about your real family?" Hanim asked.

"After a while, my foster parents were arrested for illegally keeping a child in their custody,� Arbin explained. "They took my DNA tests to determine who my real parents were. They eventually found the hospital where I was born and picked up my birth certificate. It was then that I learned that my original name was Sterling LaVaughn. That name repulsed me. After all, I had been Arbin Gordon throughout my existence. Was I going to be called Sterling, a name that wasn't going to stick anytime soon? I think not."

"Wow. Then what happened?"

"Well, the authorities were debating over what to do with me. It turns out that my family has a history of dying as soon as they have children. Therefore, I didn�t have any more living kin."

"You didn't have any brothers or sisters?"

"No. If a couple dies as soon as they have a child, they can't possibly have another, can they?" Arbin questioned.

"No, I guess not," Hanim admitted.

"Then I ran off, proving that I was capable of taking care of myself now. I am Arbin Gordon forever."

"Yes, you are."

The Spices were getting frustrated with not knowing where they were going. Fortunately, they happened upon another space colony. This colony didn't look much different from Terra Venture.

"Hey, there's a space colony!" Carlos exclaimed. "Maybe we can go down there and ask around."

"Sounds like a good idea. I wonder if they know anything about Black Shadow?" Jenny asked.

"Let's go," Fulgore said. "I hope I reconfigured the rings correctly."

The Spices pressed on their rings, and fortunately, they teleported down to the new space colony. However, this colony didn't look quite as intact. It looked beaten down and lifeless.

"Wow . . . this place is deserted," Spinal whispered.

"Hello?" Jenny called. "Anyone there?"

Fortunately, one man stepped out. He appeared to be in his early forties.

"Can I help you?" he asked.

Meanwhile, more people were beginning to step out. Their clothes were completely worn out. The Spices guessed correctly that these were poor refugees.

"Yeah," Jenny replied. "We were wondering if you knew anything about an evil being named Black Shadow."

The people around screamed and ran back into their hiding places. The man gasped. The Spices looked around, confused.

"I'll take that as a yes," the Cryptkeeper mumbled.

"Why do you want to know about Black Shadow?" the man asked.

"Because we want to show him that evil never triumphs," Jenny replied.

"We're here to battle Black Shadow," Fulgore added.

The man gasped again, this time with joy. "The prophecy was true!"

"What prophecy?" Carlos asked.

"A good wizard once gave us a prophecy," the man explained. "He told us that a team of mighty warriors would come here to save us from Black Shadow's reign of terror."

"I guess that's us," Bio Rex said.

"Well, we want to fight Black Shadow head on," Fulgore said. "Therefore, we need to know where to find him. Do you know?"

"Yes. He's recently claimed a deserted planet not far from here," the man said. "It's to the west from here. By the way, may I ask who you are?"

The Spices grinned and spoke in unison. "We're the Spice Club!"

"I'm Mayor Belcus. Please save us from Black Shadow!"

"Okay, okay, calm down," Jenny said.

"We'll make mince meat out of that creep!" Pico yelled.

The Spices backed up and teleported away. The people gasped again.

The Spice Rack flew to the planet that Mayor Belcus had pointed to. It was all black. The Spice Rack hovered over it. The Spices switched on a monitor to get a closer look at the planet's surface. The screen scanned the planet carefully until it came across a flag standing. It was all black as well, except for a white logo in the center. It looked like a mask with horns protruding from the sides . . . just like the one Zordon had given them before.

"There!" Jenny cried.

The visual paused and zoomed in on the flag. Jenny pulled out her card and compared the two logos.

"That's Black Shadow's logo, all right," she announced. "So that's where he's hiding out."

"How could he hide out there?" the Cryptkeeper asked. "I don't see any castles or anything."

"Well, I'll go down and take a closer look," Jenny announced as she started to leave the bridge.

"Wait!� Spinal cried. "You're not going down there alone, are you?"

"I always go alone," Jenny told him.

"But why?" Fulgore asked.

"Just answer one question," Jenny said. "Would Black Shadow be more likely to attack a defenseless girl or a team of warriors?"

"Uh . . . okay, I see your point."

Jenny turned to the others. "Remember, our only goal right now is to lure Black Shadow into the open . . . or his followers at least. So I need you guys to be read to come down when they show up."

"You got it, girl," the Cryptkeeper replied, giving the military salute.

Jenny smiled as she walked out of the bridge.

"She has no idea what she's getting into," Gazelle mumbled.

"Naturally," Fulgore responded.

Jenny explored this black planet on her galaxy glider. However, she found nothing but black gravel.

"I don't see anything," she said through her ring.

"Great," Spinal said. "You can come on back now."

"Are you kidding?! That wasn't the plan!"

"So you're just going to sit there and say, 'Come and get me?'"

"That's the idea," Jenny said. She parked the galaxy glider next to the flag displaying Black Shadow's logo. "Now come and get me!"

She crossed her arms and tapped her foot, just waiting for trouble to come to her. As a part of her destiny, trouble can track her down like a dog tracks down a juicy steak. Jenny became alarmed when she heard a snarling noise. She stepped forward and took a defensive stance.

"I think something's coming," she told her friends.

Suddenly, some creatures appeared, and they didn't look friendly at all. Their skin was slimy, brown, and wrinkled. Their faces were hideous, complete with sharp teeth and glowing green eyes. They had long, slime-matted hair. These demons surrounded Jenny, showing off their long, sharp claws.

"Eeeuw . . . yuck!" she exclaimed.

One demon charged at her, and she dodged it's attack. It turned around and attacked her again, attempting to strangle her. Luckily, Jenny managed to get the demon off her, then push it away with her foot. She produced her sword, but a demon immediately kicked it out of her hands. Jenny stepped away from that one, but then another demon grabbed her from behind, pinning her arms behind her. She struggled fiercely as the demon dragged her away from the flagpole. Then a streak of red lightning struck the ground. When it disappeared, it revealed a muscular man wearing a red uniform. He wore a gold belt, a purple helmet, and some black boots. His helmet had a solid mask attached to it. The man walked right past Jenny and towards the flag.

This guy is wearing red, Jenny thought. He can't be Black Shadow.

The man grabbed the flag pole and shook it gently, making sure it was still in place. Then he began to walk towards the squirming Jenny.

"What do you want?!" she grunted.

"We just want you to stay off our master's planet," the man replied.

"Your master?" Jenny questioned.

The man lowered his head. "I am Valmore, second-in-command to the imperious Black Shadow. This planet is hereby claimed in his name."

"Black Shadow, huh?" Jenny asked, pretending to have never heard of him.

"That's right," Valmore replied. "He has made a vow that anyone who trespasses will either be destroyed . . . or in your case, become his prisoner. I'm certain that he will be quite pleased with you."

"I think not," Jenny told him, squirming to get away from the demon.

"Please . . . why do you struggle, human?" Valmore asked. "No one can escape a demon's hold."

"You're not Black Shadow?" Jenny asked.

"No. I am Valmore. Of course . . . if you're eager to meet Black Shadow, I'll be more than happy to arrange a meeting."

"No thanks. I'd prefer to meet him on the battlefield."

Valmore's eyes widened. "Oh, so you intend to oppose Black Shadow, do you? How wonderful!"

Jenny's face soured. "Wonderful?"

"Conquering the universe has gotten pretty boring. It would be nice to have a formidable adversary for change. But the question is, are you formidable?"

"Of course I am."

"I think we'll let Black Shadow decide that for himself," Valmore said.

Suddenly, purple lightning then struck to the ground. Now a black creature appeared. He was very muscular, and had bull horns protruding from his head. He wore a purple cape on his back that waved as he walked toward the demons.

"Ah, a trespasser!" he exclaimed. "Nothing makes me happier than a hapless trespasser."

"This girl wishes to meet you on the battlefield," Valmore said.

The figure moved in closer to Jenny, still squirming in the demon's grip.

"Ah, yes, the lovely Tonfa Spice!" he exclaimed.

Jenny gasped. "You've heard of me?"

The figure chuckled. "My dear, after you've been exploring the universe for three years, who hasn't heard of you?"

"And you must be . . . ?"

The figure stepped back and took a mock bow. "I . . . am Black Shadow. I am the King of Evil, the Master of Disaster."

He turned around and started towards the flag. Jenny lunged out again, but the demon still held her. At that moment, a strange, yet familiar creature appeared and approached Valmore.

"Darkonda!" Jenny gasped.

Darkonda pulled out his sword and aimed it at her throat. "Silence!" He then winked at her.

"Who might you be?" Black Shadow asked.

Darkonda took a mock bow. "I am Darkonda, bounty hunter. Evil is my business. It is a supreme honor to meet you, Black Shadow."

"Of course."

"This girl seems to know you. Do you know her?"

Darkonda paused before responding. "She is a warrior, and a great threat to the forces of evil. I think I'll let her give you her name."

Jenny lunged outward again, but the demon still held her tightly.

Just then, something zapped the demon's back, freeing Jenny. She stepped on it's foot and kicked it away. Then she turned around to see the other Spices running towards her. They joined her in their usual heroic stance.

"What took you so long?" Jenny asked calmly.

"Sorry," the Cryptkeeper said. "We just loved watching you play out your drama."

"What is all this?" Valmore asked.

"That is her team," Darkonda told him.

"Hi!" the Spices called in unison. "We're the Spice Club!"

Valmore's eyes slanted. "If you've come to oppose Black Shadow, you will be destroyed."

Black Shadow walked straight up to Fulgore. When he did, the Spices noticed his height. He was even taller than Fulgore, and Fulgore stood at 6'5. Black Shadow must have been at least 7' tall.

"Wow!" Spinal exclaimed. "He's pretty damn tall!"

"You must be Black Shadow," Fulgore said. "The King of Evil . . . the Master of Disaster . . . the fool who actually believes that he can take over the universe."

To everyone's surprise, Black Shadow knelt down in front of Fulgore.

"You are brave, robot . . ." he said. Then he jammed the top of his head into Fulgore's stomach, wrapping his horns around the cyborg's waist. "But you are foolish to insult me!" He stood up and threw his head back, hurling Fulgore over him. Fulgore hit the ground gravel, then got up quickly.

Black Shadow turned to the others. "Do you still wish to oppose me?"

"Of course," the Cryptkeeper replied. "We're only here so that we could be your formidable adversaries."

"In other words, we don't take kindly to those who are bent on conquering the universe," Jenny added. "The whole idea is a bunch of crap."

Black Shadow's eyes widened. "Crap, you say?"

"That's right," Jenny told him. "Just pure crap."

"Who leads this group?"

The Spices pointed at Jenny.

"Can we destroy them now, boss?" Valmore asked.

Black Shadow stepped back and held up a fist. "Allow me to deal with the leader. The efficiency of a fighting team is always dependent on the leader, I always say." He shot his fist out at the Spices. "Attack!"

The demons attacked the Spices again. Black Shadow took it upon himself to battle with Jenny. They charged at each other. As they were about to collide, Black Shadow stepped aside and tripped Jenny with his forearm. Jenny scrambled to her feet as Black Shadow produced a sword in his hand. It's shape was just like Magna Defender's sword, and it was all black. It was decorated with painted flames right by the hilt. He tried an overhead strike, but Jenny blocked it and elbowed him in the stomach. Black Shadow instantly grabbed her wrist and held it above her. Then he struck her exposed side with his sword. Jenny kicked his shin, freeing herself. Black Shadow moved in with a horizontal swipe, but Jenny ducked under it. Black Shadow threw a powerful back kick, catching Jenny in the waist. Now Jenny went on the offense and threw a roundhouse. Black Shadow grabbed her ankle and tripped her other one, letting her drop to the ground. Then he leaped on her, jamming his elbow into her stomach. Jenny screamed in pain. As Black Shadow stood up, she rolled aside. Black Shadow shot his hand down and seized her by the throat. He pulled her to her feet. Jenny squirmed vigorously, but she couldn't break his hold.

"Black Shadow!" the Cryptkeeper called.

Black Shadow turned to see the Spices coming his way. He looked Jenny in the eyes.

"I see your friends are coming to your assistance. I see that right now it is too soon to destroy my adversaries." Black Shadow shoved Jenny over to her friends. Then he and his minions disappeared in the crack of lightning.

"Man, that guy is tough!" Jenny exclaimed as the others helped her up.

"We're still going to beat him," Arbin said.

"That guy is just as creepy as I thought he would be," Spinal commented.

"Come on, let's get back to the ship,� Jenny suggested.

The Spices pressed on their rings and teleported off the black planet.

Black Shadow returned to the throne room of his space fortress. It was very creepy-looking on the outside. It was all black with painted flames on it. There were also tiny horns protruding from it, but they'd be too small to be noticed. There were also a few long spears sticking out of the steel walls. The inside didn't look much different from the medieval castles.

Black Shadow had his main henchmen gathered in the throne room. Along with Valmore, he had Dr. Clash in the room. Dr. Clash looked much like a chubby human. He wore a yellow suit, red boots, and a mechanical belt around his waist. The belt had mechanical arms attached to it, so in a sense, Dr. Clash has four arms!

Another warrior in the room was Seronix. He had the red scales, horns, eyes, wings, and tail of a dragon; and he had the beak and body of a phoenix. He wore black armor on his body and he carried a shiny silver sword.

Morpheyst was a large, cybernetic black beast with eight spider eyes and venomous spikes for fur.

Skitter looked like a leathery skinned creature covered with veins. He had a whip-like tail, large, pointed ears, insect eyes, and cybernetic limbs.

Pandeora had a human appearance just like Dr. Clash. She wore a blue dress with silver shiny armor on her upper body. Her hair was a beautiful light blue. She carried a golden staff in her hand. One would never guess that she was evil!

Saytaur looked just like the cross between a centaur and a devil. Only his appearance would strike fear into the hearts of those weaker than he.

Unguloar was a cybernetic, somewhat reptilian warthog. Finally, Persyra looked like a female plant-humanoid. She wore the jewelry like the Aztecs or Mayan warriors wore.

"The Spice Club has already proven formidable," Black Shadow explained. "But if we are to join forces with the Princess of Darkness, we can't have anyone following us."

Dr. Clash spoke up. "Sire . . . do the Spices worry you?"

"Not at all, Doctor," Black Shadow replied. "All this death and destruction has gotten pretty boring. It would be nice to have a challenge for a change. That's why I'm going to toy with the Spices for a while before I destroy them."

"Black Shadow, are you sure you can destroy them?" Valmore asked. "I watched them right; they've got some skills. And their leader, she . . ."

"Ah yes, the leader!" Black Shadow interrupted. "She's brave, but foolish. Every warrior who has opposed me is now dead, you know." He walked over to his throne and sat down, drumming his fingers on the armrest. "The Spices are strong . . . and it is their very strength that will make the act of destroying them that much more fun."

He grinned evilly and let out a chuckle . . . a chuckle that grew louder and much more intimidating . . .