Mega Morphing Power Rangers

[Flightless Man]

Episode 15: A Date With Danger​

Taking advantage of the lack of attacks for the last several days, Gia and Jake are finally able to have some time to themselves. The mall is crowded, with everyone else in Angel Grove funneled into the only one not turned into rubble this summer.

Constantly darting glances at each other from the corner of their eyes, the duo eventually catch each other. While Jake chuckles at the awkward eye contact, he keeps sliding his hands in and out of his pockets and has no idea what to do.

She grabs his arm with a smirk, looping her own through his and pulling him into the first store to have Power Ranger merchandise in the window. "Come on, we have to check this out."

"We have to get one of these for… Al." Jake remembers himself at the last second and holds up a white shirt. Why are my hands so sweaty, this should be a piece of pancake compared to saving the world? It shows the Megazord battle from when he was in Troy's body, complete with the adorable victory shuffle he had it perform when they won.

Laughing at the idea of the robot wearing the extra large shirt, Gia grabs a red beach towel that has a white diamond pattern. "Don said he was red right?" Why is it so hard to think of anything witty, it's just Jake?

"I love it!" He starts grabbing a shirt for him and the guys, while Gia flips through the yellow and pink racks beside him. "Now I just need one in Noah's size, he has such narrow shoulders."

"Your's are just freakishly wide, Emma kept banging into door frames when she was you." Teasing him with a playful smirk on her face, Gia graciously allows him to grab her own purchases.

They finish up in that store with gifts for everyone on the team and head towards the new Fro-yo shop. With all the recent devastation in Angel Grove, anyone looking for a cheap business has gobbled up the homes of the residents no longer willing to stick it out.

The two slowly lose the awkwardness as they just enjoy an hour of fun. Once they brush fingers for the fourth time in as many minutes, the couple stops jerking away their hands with embarrassed blushing and settle for locking fingers.

On the way through the crowded mall, they catch sight of some of the newly dubbed Silver Guardians. The symbol of a silver shield with two golden swords crossed behind it, is on the right breast of each one seen patrolling casually.

"What are they doing here?" Hisses Gia, her desire to find the missing people floods back into he forefront of her brain.

One of them hears her and decides to clear things up. A solid looking man with a name tag declaring him as Corbett interjects. "Keeping you all safe Miss, do you have something against the security of those shopping?"

"I've seen the news, I know how "effective" you really are." Gia's face settles into a stern frown. "You do a good job letting people evacuate, but you shouldn't be claiming that you're capable of saving the city." I'm not even sure we are.

"We won't need the Rangers for much longer, the last battle showed we can't rely on them to respond on time." Mike smirks with arrogance. "By the end of next month, you'll see what we've been working on."

Snorting at the blustering man, Gia turns on her heel and drags Jake to finally get her yogurt. "Mister Milton is still missing and the three we fought in the desert, are marked as currently patients in Stone Canyon General."

"So I take it you want to investigate?" She gives a firm yes, which has Jake shrug easily. "Cool. I'm free all weekend, so where do we start digging?"

Ripping a poster from the wall, she holds it with a clenched fist. "I've seen these recruitment posters hanging all over, I say we go sign up for the tryouts and see what's going on tomorrow."

Gia isn't sure if it's the way the light is framing his face right now, or if it's just the casual confidence in which he said it. But she darts in and plants a quick peck to his cheek.

"I'm surprised you're fine letting Troy handle Bulk's interrogation, you are the one who said he had to prove himself before making decisions for all of us." She admits, knowing they're really here today to avoid thinking about the Command Center and what's going to be done with the green ranger.

"Troy's earned my trust, all of you have really." With red cheeks, he admits slowly. "I know I only had a few minutes left before you guys saved me on that island, so thanks for you know… coming back for me."

"Thanks for letting me control the pace, it's working." She reaches up and brushes her thumb against the angry red scar cutting his left eyebrow in half. "He sure did a number on you."

"And boy is my dad pissed." He scowls in frustration. "I'm definitely going to need help getting a scholarship, I was worried he was going to give me the boot."


…


"You just want to look like a person?" Hayley struggles to wrap her head around the concept. Noah had shown up bright and early, asking if she could help him and Al with a project. She was… let's say shocked, when Alpha was the one to teleport into her workshop.

"Yes, my experience as Troy has left me yearning to feel things again." Admits the robot, a wistful tone to his voice. "If Noah can fight as he is, I can make do in a human body."

"Thanks." Noah frowns with annoyance leaking from him at the jab.

"You're welcome?" Pausing in confusion, Alpha looks to Hayley for a clue.

"He's being snarky Alpha, just ignore him." She smirks at Noah's discomfort and gives him a break, returning to the reason they are here. "You know the skin will have a metallic sheen to it, it wont fool an in depth look."

Alpha's hands go to each hip and he cocks them with confidence. "Which is why Emma has offered to show me how to use makeup."

"… I can't believe I never thought of that," Sighs Noah, embarrassment turning his cheeks pink.

"Jake told me all about puppies, he promised to take me to the dog park one day." Alpha admits softly. "It's been so much fun having you all come visit, but it's really lonely when it's just me and Zordon all day."

Wincing at the unintentional dig, Noah starts working on measurements. It takes a few tries, but eventually Alpha decides to settle on an exactly average height of five foot ten inches. Mousy brown hair with a heavy curl and bright green eyes are settled on, while Alpha goes through same Sears catalogs for a few faces to combine.

"My mom sent a message to Andros and his team, to let them know Vile is loose again." She gives an approving smile to Alpha's choice, before she starts an amalgamated sketch. "Apparently stuffs gotten really bad all over. New threats are popping up from here to the Zangyack system and a few ranger teams have already fallen."


…


Orion slides a newspaper across the counter towards Emma, noticing the worried expression on her face and the constant wringing of her hands. "Have you heard? they're going to bus half the Stone Canyon kids to us and the over half to Mariner Bay."

"For the whole year?" Emma blinks in shock, but is very grateful for a distraction right now. "That's a lot of kids." She frowns when Orion confirms the question, a somewhat guilty look on his face.

"Well the Megazord kind of destroyed the high school, so it's going to be at least six months before they have a new one ready." Emma nearly cries at that, so Orion changes tactics. "My uncle's told me about how bad it gets on some worlds, you guys are doing incredible."

"Really?" She sniffles and accepts a napkin gratefully.

"Earth hasn't lost a single city yet," Orion smiles back. "In fact, we've not even had a thousand casualties. For rookies, that has to be some kind of Ranger record."

"Thanks, I really needed to hear that." Emma rubs at her tired eyes. "It's been so overwhelming with my sister vanishing again. Not to mention how hard it was when Eugene died in front of me and then came back as a skeleton."

Orion sits in open mouthed shock, while Emma continues her dearly needed venting. "Now he's a talking head at the Command Center and I have no idea how I can ever really move on."

"Want to go see a light show at my mom's observatory? It's a nice relaxing night watching lasers make designs of the galaxy to Queen songs." He smiles and extends the offer. "I think all of you would love it, I can call her so she sets aside some seats tonight?"


…


Bulk's eyes bounce between his only friends head, an imposing robot knight, an ageless head in a jar, and the firm glare of Troy. "I'm sorry and I know it doesn't make up for what I've done, but I am."

"Rita had me under her control, but I didn't even try and break free. Not until Bullet got me out of that nightmare and I couldn't stop myself from trying to kill him." No one responds and only Troy shifts position, crossing his arms and staring defiantly into Bulk's eyes.

"I started acting like this so people would leave me alone," He admits with shame filling his voice. "It worked and then I missed having friends, so I became a bully. Was the only time I ever talked to anyone else anymore."

"This summer, he treated me and Skull like people used to." Bulk looks down at Skull and tears roll down his cheeks. "I don't want to be me anymore, I don't want to keep hurting people, and I'm so sorry I ruined your life."

Skull sniffles back and starts to wail. "I let you because I'm a spineless coward, just like Gia always said!" He keeps sobbing, even as Bulk lifts his skull and embraces him softly. "I don't want to be me anymore either! I hate being so mean..." He trails off and lets Bulk finish.

"We turned into the people we hated." Bulk realizes, finally understanding what his actions have caused. "Let me help you, I need to make up for what I've done." He pleads with Troy, who is finally becoming convinced this is not just a show. "Rita and Zedd will be back soon with a whole new army, you'll need all the help you can get."

"You're right." Finally Troy speaks, his voice grim and barely above a whisper. "We have worse coming and will need everyone willing to fight against it." He gives Bulk a hand, shaking firmly once it's clasped. "I think I even know how you and Skull can start making up for things."

"What do you need us to do?" Skull pipes up with worry in his voice, even though his eyes are locked in determination.

"Emma's sister – Scorpina – is on the loose and we can't afford to go looking for her." Growling at how much havoc could already have been caused, Troy gives the two a mission. "If you two can do this for us and bring her back captured we ca-"

"Wait," Robo Knight interrupts suddenly, his eyes locking on Bulk in mistrust. "It is more logical for myself to go with the skull, while the Green Ranger remains here aiding you."

Not seeing why but willing to listen to a good reason, Troy waves on Robo Knight."How so?"

"If he is only tricking you, this will allow you to keep watch over him." The mechanical warrior grabs Skull from the green ranger. "While I will ensure this one is also earnest in seeking redemption, I will need a guide for modern times after all."





Notes: Fro-yo is from the 70's commercially, I checked. For the Battlizers, It's basically the original movie suits (but Jake and Gia have opposite helmets.) and each ranger has a back mounted device and either arm or feet attachments. Next chapter will all be Vile's going on in space instead of only last segment.

 

[Flightless Man]

Episode 15.5: It Came From Angel Grove​

Master Vile's cloud of dark energy encircles the world of Corinth, that he long ago prepared with runes. Finding his empire divided among those who once served him, he knows that he shall require new forces to reclaim what is his.

Once the planet has been fully enshrouded in vile darkness, the Master of Evil speaks to the entire population. "People of Corinth, I thank you for prospering in my absence." His voice shifts to a menacing cruelty. "But it is time to harvest my crop. Most of you will be dead in moments, but your sacrifice goes to a worthy cause… mine!" Power echoes with his words and flows into the buried runes.

Screams echo across Corinth when glowing runes appear etched in the ground. Those nearest are lucky, for they become the focal point of the rituals. Everyone else however stops screaming in terror and begins wailing in agony.

The entire population of Corinth – save for the six hundred and sixty six chosen – ignites in black flack. In less than a second they are all reduced to ash, with the power from the sacrificed flowing into the survivors.

Scott Truman glows with energy and his skin changes to a dark crimson. He grows in size, with dragon like wings erupting from his back. When his transformation is finished, he rises anew as Olympius.

Across the continent, Flynn Mcallistair writhes in the dirt as he becomes Loki. He bulks up and two massive curved horns burst from his forehead. His flesh darkens to a nearly black indigo, with many small bony protrusions poking through.

The staff of her mansion die around her in agony, but Summer Landsdown doesn't spare them a second thought. Too concerned is she with the silver bat wings growing from her shoulders and the metal scales emerging across her skin. When she finishes screaming in pain, Vypra is ready to serve her master.

Ziggy whimpers in fear when his floor glows and his body begins going through horrible changes. His nose grows in length and narrows, with his eyes becoming beady. Once his skin has become a very pale blue, Jinxer begins cackling madly.

Dillon is interrupted from his letter to Tenaya asking about her latest adventure with the Space Rangers, as his entire room explodes in light. Pain fills every nerve and he begins the agonizing transformation into Diabolico.

In her lab, Doctor K watches her assistants turn to dust and can only stare in wonder at her own changes. When her skin shifts to a mottled green and she gains in mass, Doctor K can only giggle uncomfortably. The giggles become manic laughter in short order and Levira is the only one left in the room once the transformation is complete.

The twins Gem and Gemma are both on runes that begins to glow beneath them, changing both into monsters. Gemma's eyes fuse in the middle of her face, while her tongue grows massive inside her mouth. She becomes Camille, the shape shifting assassin in service of Master Vile.

Her brother screams an entire mountain range away, with his skin becoming a mixture of leathery orange and red. His torso splits almost like an open maw, with fang like spikes running along both sides. When black and yellow patterns fill in his flesh, Darkonda roars in glee over his newfound power.

"Now, we are almost ready to move against the one who claims my throne!" Master Vile shrieks to his forces when his ritual is finished, turning his focus outwards in contemplation. "We just need to find… adequate transportation for you all."

He scans nearby systems in search of those both evil and desperate enough to serve him. He finds his prize on a grand pirate's galleon, with Captain Mutiny at the helm of a very foul crew. Mutiny may have to much pride, but his First Mate however… yes Divatox will serve my needs.

Sending whispers to the disgruntled woman, Vile directs her right to her captain's quarters. He fills her with borrowed strength and smirks when she blows a hole in her old bosses chest. "Excellent, now bring your fleet to Corinth Admiral Divatox. We have an Emperor to depose." Vile orders loud and clear, no longer needing to hide his influence from those on board.


…


Emperor Mavro feels a force he thought long vanquished approach his throne world. "Damaras, prepare our forces. We have company." He watches the best warrior in his forces – if not the galaxy itself - race to follow his command.

"Boys, don't embarrass me here." He directs his mocking tone to Vrak and Vekar, knowing this will require delicate handling. "This will decide who sits the throne, so do not fail me!" Mavro allows waves of energy to surge forth and slap against his sons, with Vekar stumbling back with each wave of force.

Vrak – ever the useful son – speaks with arrogance. "Of course father, our family is the only one fit to sit the throne." Distracted as he is, Mavro misses his son's shifty voice. Instead he keeps his eyes on the fleet of Captain Mutiny, flying new flags and bombarding his city.

"You will need more than Mutiny to defeat me Vile!" He roars from his balcony. "My reign is secure and you will fall to the might of my Armada!"

A swirl of black smoke reveals a smirking Master Vile and his newly acquired generals. Divatox remains on board her flagship, destroying any ship that tries to reach the sky.

"I believe you will find your reign not as secure as you believe." Mocks Vile and with a wave of his hand sends black lightning coursing through Emporer Mavro.

The black and gold behemoth shrieks in agony, his very molecules losing cohesion. In a few seconds of excruciating torment, Mavro disintegrates before his son's eyes.

While Vekar shrieks in terror, Vrak gets a single nod from Master Vile. He steps towards his brother and swings his sword with lightening quick reflexes, severing the feeble Vekar's head from his shoulders.

"I believe I have proven my loyalty?" Vrak kneels before Vile who simply nods, a vicious smile growing on his face.

"I believe you have King Vrak." Patting his new servant on the head like a dog, Master Vile finally calls Divatox off with a thought. "Now Levira here shall keep an eye on you, while I determine the loyalties of the rest of this so called United Alliance of Evil." Evil makes no concessions or alliances, it devours everything in it's path!


…


Divatox's galleon docks with the Annihilation Asteroid, disembarking with an arrogant spring to her step. Elgar, Rygog, and even Porto shuffle along behind her on the way to the meeting, with the Diva of Destruction ignoring all the confused glances.

"Divatox is here!" She kicks open the door and smirks at the assembled leaders. "Sorry to keep you all waiting, but we can finally start."

"Where's Mutiny?" The Hydro Hog growls when Divatox claims the seat beside him.

She kicks her feet onto the table and snorts derisively. "I took over, Master Vile needed someone with… pazzaz!"

"Master Vile..." Lord Drayven hisses, his eyes darting around the table for those also concerned by the news. "He's back?"

"Oh yes, I'm sure you all heard about us taking out Mavro?" Giggling at Edenoi's villain, Divatox directs her mind to her brother standing guard behind Drayven. <You really had better get ready to join the winning side, I made sure to put in a bad word for you Havoc.>

"That was you?" The one trying to claim the title of Emporer is Grumm and he looks worried by this.

The Vampire Queen hisses, with Necrolai's words being directed to the pirate. "I heard it was simply regicide."

Moltor and his brother exchange looks of concern, with Lord Arcanon himself even shifting awkwardly in his seat across from them. Galvanax, Sledge, and Madame Odious all start muttering and arguments start to ring out across the table. Lothor has to silence his nieces whines, so his own yelling can be heard.

"Let's just cut to the chase shall we?" Divatox claps her hands and brings silence to the table. "Master Vile is angry with all of you, so how are you going to make it up to him?"

Jumping to his feet, Lothor roars at her with spittle flying from his mouth. "By ripping out your heart and throwing it at his feet should he ever dare show his face here!"

"You believe I fear your combined power?" Mocking laughter floods the room from every direction and a black smoke billows in. It takes the shape of Master Vile and his demonic forces, with him grabbing Lothor in his magic.

He starts to squeeze the ninja wizard and when no one interferes, he taunts the terrified villain. "Even if you all attacked me at once… you'd die in agony. They all know this and are only going to watch your end."

"Like hell we will!" Marah yells in defiance, with her sister backing her up fearfully. Two blasts of energy fizzle against Master Vile, but he is only amused.

"Ha! You at least raised them loyal, I'll just need to lend them some power!" Marah and Kapri scream as the magic forces them into a single body covered by a black carapace. "How does that feel Trakheena, ready to take over for your uncle Lothor?"

She stabs first and answers him only after her uncle is lifeless on her claw. "I believe so." She smirks around the table and shakes the blood from her hand.

"Anyone else?" Vile taunts the assembled villains, with General Havoc acting before his Lord Drayven can.

Havoc bisects the powerful if foolish Lord and kicks his body onto the floor. "You require competent help and it has been over a century for him to conquer Edenoi, I will be a superior replacement."

Galvanax moves to attack Master Vile in combination with Moltor and Flurious, but the brother with the icy heart instead joins the clear winner. He blasts his hot headed brother and smashes his chilled body to pieces.

Before he makes it half a dozen paces, Madame Odious does something to him. He stops running forward and begins to scream in anguish. He melts slowly, but nothing he does can stop his demise.

"Good, now we can get back to work." Master Vile summons a seat made from storm clouds and settles himself at the head of the table. "Mondo decided he was better than you and went solo?" He hisses when Hydro Hog confirms this.

"Space is big, we didn't see a reason to fight him until we killed all the rangers."

"Imbeciles! You can't let an affront like that go, nor shall we tolerate the interference of the Space Rangers." Vile smacks the aquatic villain with the back of his hand. "You each have one year to prove you deserve to live, let alone remain in charge. Otherwise I'll be finding replacements for all of you!"

"What do you want done?" Sledge the bounty hunter cautiously broaches with a glance at the body closest to him. "Master Vile." He remembers to add with nearly a whimper to his voice.

"You can be useful," Vile dismisses the brute with a wave of his hand. "By ending the Space Rangers. Even you should find this possible, so Darkonda will ensure you get the job done."

Smirking when Sledge hurries from the room, he scowls at 'Emperor' Grumm. "IF you wish to have the title of Emperor, you had best go topple an actual Machine Empire."

"As you command Master Vile," The villain bobs his head in deference. "I shall leave them nothing but scrap."

"So we don't have another repeat of the late Drayven's failure, Hydro Hog shall take over the conquest of Edenoi." The mastermind turns to the now directionless General Havoc. "And you Lord Havoc, shall bring ruin to the world of Denzi."

He gives orders to the rest of his commanders, with Galvanax being sent to Sentai Six and Odious going to Kamen Five. Flurious leaves with his forces and heads to Aquitar to freeze the oceans solid. Juukou is left to face the onslaught of Necrolai's vampires, while Divatox and her crew hunt down the missing moon of Phadoes.

"Trakheena will eliminate Xybria and acquire as many psychics as possible." She bows to Vile's orders and scurries from the room. "Diabolico, you and the demons will be divided among our… loyal subjects. Make sure you all leave with one of them."

He watches all his forces streak away from the asteroid, and considers how long it will take Vrak to defeat this so called Space Patrol Delta. "Maybe I should check in on him and have some fun."

 

[Flightless Man]

Episode 16: Undercover Rangers
​

Rita strides into her throne room, Zedd is behind her looking over the assembled forces with a snarl on his face. Baboo has throne himself at their feet, while the Green Ranger is no where in sight. The three figures behind him don't even twitch.

"What happened..." The Lord of Evil kicks the whimpering Baboo and sends him rolling across the floor. He points the tip of his staff at Baboo's face, holding it in place menacingly.

"The Rangers broke the spell," He whimpers up at the Lord and Lady of the castle. "Scorpina must have told them what to do." Thinking quickly, Baboo tries to shift the blame.

The monster known as Dischordia sees her chance and chimes in with a feral smirk on her face. "Are you going to tell them about the humans?"

"And how they actually managed to do damage to the Dragonzord?" Polluticorn catches on and stokes the fire even more.

"I thought it was your job to deal with them, why are they only getting better?" The mimicry monster that looks like a bunch of lipstick and a microphone, twists the knife even deeper in Baboo's back.

Trying to explain, Baboo starts babbling everything he can think of. "I have all of the base's security codes and the Prototype will work for us with the flip of a switch." He dares to climb to his knees when he isn't assaulted again.

"I managed to implant nearly a third of the Quantron armor with control chips and have installed an auto destruct feature in all the Mirage Fighters nearing completion." Baboo gains courage and continues with arrogance returning to his voice.

"You escalated the conflict?" Rita's hiss suddenly becomes a deafening shriek. "You imbecile! Now we have even less time to defeat the Rangers now!" She starts blasting Baboo with violet fire and doesn't even enjoy his screams, to preoccupied with how control is slipping through her fingers.

Zedd stops her just short of ending Baboo's pitiful life. "Darling, this could make things easier. We no longer need to avoid collateral damage, we can even move to shock and awe tactics."

"If the humans want to fight back, lets show them just how outmatched they really are?" She clarifies with a vicious giggle. "I guess It could be fun to crush any hope they have managed to regain in our absence."

"Get back to the base and ensure the defenses go down when the Murder descends." Zedd backhands Baboo and watches him scamper off to obey. "We had best begin hatching the first batch."


…


Handing a disguised Jake his recruitment form, Gia smirks at his muttering. "We need someone in each department, I thought medical would be a perfect chance to try out the dream." She moves to snag the form back, only for Jake to yank it away.

"I just thought we would actually be spending the day together and not just…" He shrugs, having a hard time finding the right way to phrase it. "You know, in the same building. I didn't think you'd be inviting the others along either."

Gia rolls her eyes, but secretly enjoys the earnestness on display. "Troy offered Bulk a spot on the team, I don't really want to leave him alone right now." If you think it took a long time for me to trust you and the guys, I'll be needing grey hairs before I forgive Bulk.

"Fair enough, but you trust him to run loose in the base?"

"I'm signing him up for laundry," She admits with a chuckle. "I don't really expect him to find anything, but it'll keep him out of trouble."

Giving his girlfriend a considering look, Jake realizes he has no idea what Gia wants to do with life. "You all know what I want to do and Noah's obviously going to revolutionize some field of science. How about you, what makes you happy?"

Gia waits for the normal follow up, about how she's so smart and talented. How I can do anything apparently, because I'm oh so perfect. Except it never comes, Jake just waits for her answer.

"You're actually going let me think about it?" Not even Emma is so restrained, she keeps telling me that I'll write her articles.

"Of course," Jake gives her an encouraging smile. "I know my thoughts get all jumbled up, sometimes you need time to think..." He looks around the Juice Bar and waves at Ernie behind the counter. "I don't see any emergency, so take all the time you need."

Wow, this is new. She feels a weight of expectation jiggle loose on her shoulders. "And you aren't going to tell me I can do anything?"

He laughs warmly at this and shakes his head firmly in the negative. "I've spent my whole life trying to live up to my dads idea for who I should be, I'll never put that pressure on anyone." Taking her hands, he squeezes in support. "I like you and figure we can find out who we're going to be together."

"Should we come back later?" Noah interrupts, with him and the Ziktor siblings having snuck up on them. "Looks kind of steamy." He stage whispers to Hayley, making Jake blush and yank his hands back across the table.

"No, this is important." Gia slides over, letting the girls slide in beside her. "About half the people we brought back from the moon… never went home." Her grim words kill any good mood left at the table.

Jake slaps his form onto the table and smirks. "We're going undercover, I'm going to be a medical student."

"No offense… but how?" Trying to keep her tone kind, Hayley is the one to broach the fact that he's only in grade ten.

"Alpha will feed him any answers he needs," Gia explains, feeling the sudden urge to defend Jake. Only me and Noah can tease him like that… and maybe his sister when we save her.

Noah's face begins twitching and he gestures with his chin towards the door. Bulk is walking behind Troy, looking very different from how the bully usually would.

Gone is all the black leather and chains, now he has a forest green hoodie and a darker shade of jeans. He has an awkward look on his face, with his hands moving in and out of his pockets repeatedly.

Catching sight of them, Troy brings him over and greets everyone calmly. "Hey, Bulk wants to say something to all of you."

"Especially you Jake," The anxious Bulk gives him an awkward smile, before turning to Emma. "And you. I really hurt you two the most with my actions and I'm sorry."

"I saw the best in you before the spell," Taking the chance to speak first, Jake offers Farkas his hand. "If Troy says he can see it again, I'm willing to forgive you." He puffs his chest out. "Besides, I'm the one who took you down and I can do it again if I have to."

Looking at Emma, Gia asks for her opinion. "What do you think, he wasn't cursed when he screwed you over?"

"I was chosen because I can see the best in people," She frowns at her shaking hands, only to clench them in still fists. "If I can't give you a second chance… maybe me and Jake should switch colors."

"Nothing against pink, but nope." Jake puts his foot down. "I already traded and now my Battlizer has the wrong face plate."

When it's clear things will be able to proceed – if awkwardly – Troy grabs a pair of stools for him and Bulk. "What's this about going undercover Gia?"

"The Silver Guardians are up to something, we need to find out what."

"Zordon said the organization like this when he was a ranger, was a huge help for his team." Troy frowns at the idea, but is willing to hear Gia out.

"Well something is different, he did say his team had no secret identities..." Remembering some earlier conversations, Emma speaks up in defense of Gia's plan. "Maybe they don't trust us?"

Gia hands a form to everyone and explains. "I want Noah in R and D, while I handle maintenance."

"I'm in security?" Smiling at how well his team is managing to work together, Troy has no complaint with his assignment.

"I'm in the air force!" Emma hisses when she reads her own form. "What are you thinking?"

Catching on quickly, Troy clarifies for the irate pink ranger. "Well you are the only one of us with a flying Zord."

"Oh…" Her face goes rosy and Emma sinks into her seat. "Yeah."

"Laundry is fine by me, I don't want to screw this up."

Orion's eagerness quickly fades, when he realizes Gia doesn't have a form for him and his sister. "Can't we help with this one, it's undercover after all?"

"Speak for yourself, I've got a weekend planned with Alpha." Kicking her brother under the table, Hayley shrugs apologetically to Gia. "Sorry, but he really wants a body."

"You can come with me Orion," Offers Troy. "Since I have a feeling you'll go without us anyway." Orion chooses not to incriminate himself by answering that.

"I had a few extras made," Noah hands a communicator to Bulk and then slides one to each of the siblings. "So if you two are going to help out..."

"They should be able to call for help." Agrees Troy with an impressed smile,

They stand and leave Hayley to find her own way home, Noah being the one to say goodbye. "Alright, I guess we'll see you later?"

"As long as you don't get caught." She smirks and saunters out the door without another word.


…


"Hayley, I have a proposition for you." Alpha hesitates in handing her a wrench.

She can hear the weight in his statement and gives him her full attention. "What is it?"

"When we drained the excess energy from Bulk, we managed to cleanse enough for two whole power coins." His hands shake as he does something he probably should have asked Zordon about first. "What's your favorite color?"

Hayley drops the screwdriver and lets it clatter on the cement. "Alpha… what are you really asking me?"

"Zordon had me select the rangers and I believe I will be asked to select another ranger." He sighs and tries to explain. "You are a potential candidate, so I wanted to put in a good word for you."

"Really..." Her eyes are wide, with her mouth hanging slack jaw.

"Yes, although I still have to bind the coins to the bones of animal." Alpha confirms this, his voice no longer filled with anxiety. "If you have any suggestions for creatures from the Pleistocene, I will send the rangers to acquire a sample."

Hayley's shock fades and her analytical mind takes over. "You said two coins… is that why you need this body so bad?"

"If we finish the coins and Zords first, I won't be a viable candidate." He admits with what almost sounds like a whine. "I just want to help my friends, you are the only people I know… at least since the last team passed on and that was a very long time ago."

"Purple." She tries to get Alpha back in a more excited mood. "What color are you making for yourself?"

He giggles awkwardly and admits his secret desire. "Orange, since I'm already mostly yellow and red."

"How long do we have before the Powers are ready?" Hayley needs to know how long she has and if it's going to be possible with what she has in her workshop.

"By the end of September at the latest." He answers, making Hayley begin to sweat.

"That might be a problem, since it's going to be October before we have you functional." She hates having to discourage him like that, but she needs to be honest with him.

Alpha bobs his head slowly, already knowing this was likely. "That's okay, I'll just have to go over the files for someone better."

"Else." Hayley firmly insists, which makes him beep happily.

 

[Flightless Man]

Episode 16.5: Truth Discovered​

Getting off the bus with the other recruits, Emma makes sure to be as far away from the 'Sky Cowboy' as she can get. She shoves herself between two other pilots on the tarmac and tries not to look out of place in the lineup.

Can't see anything unusual out on the airfield, where do I even start looking? When a whistle blares, Emma snaps her back straight and looks forward. The officer testing them is a woman, one who she can recognize immediately by voice.

"You all want to save the world?" The 'Yellow Eagle' barks once everyone is silent. "I don't think any of you can even save my place in a line!" She blows on her whistle twice, signaling a soldier to yank a tarp to the side.

One of the Dragonzord's fingers is revealed, barely recognizable by the damage done to it. "I did this…" Taylor's gaze scans the assembled recruits, slowly settling on Emma herself. "How the hell did you slip through?"

"Uh..." Emma's blood freezes, but Taylor doesn't actually seem mad.

She explains with a somewhat impressed scowl, as two soldiers come and escort Emma back to the bus. "I don't care how much you want to help, we only take adults in the Guardians and already trained pilots here in my flock."

Hope the others had better luck than I did. Emma frowns to herself, as a rapidly moving black cloud approaches. "That's not a cloud!" She tries to warn the driver, but he reacts too late. The cloud breaks apart into a swarm of black feathered people.

Several bird men grab one edge of the bus, yanking it over onto it's side with very little effort. Emma slams hard against the side of the bus, as glass rains down on her and the driver.

As caws come from the tarmac, Emma forces herself over to the unconscious soldier. Checking him for injury, Emma breathing out in relief when he groans. She doesn't have time to get away and morph, the gunshots are disturbingly close and growing louder.

She steadies her breathing and crawls out the remains of the windshield, scanning for any nearby threat. A few bodies are visible on the ground, but most of the soldiers managed to reach cover in time.

"Get down!" One barks, before releasing a tight cluster of shots above Emma's quickly prone body.

His confident command becomes a terrified scream, when talons sink into his shoulders. He's lifted into the air before he comes slamming down unmoving beside Emma.

Not going to meet the same fate, she flings herself into a handstand and crashes her heel against the creatures skull. It shrieks in pain, before going silent when it crashes into the ground. And now to get out of sight. Emma scans for an escape route and barely avoids her next attacker.


…


Gia tries to keep a neutral expression on her face, when Damon leads her and the other recruits into the workstation. When she sees two white legs towering above her, her heart starts to pound in her chest.

"You're building a Zord!" Her blurted remark has Damon grin and slap a hand against one of the legs.

"Is that what the kids are calling them?" Pride is evident on his face. "My baby may only be legs right now, but Cyclopsis will be online soon. Really learned a lot when that wing got torn off the rangers battle… Zord." He grins at the word, finding it adequate for his needs.

He leads them around the massive workshop, showing off a trio of dart shaped vessels. Each one is black with yellow accents and a single massive cannon on the nose. Damon calls them the Mirage Fighters and that they have had the first successful test flight.

It's several hours of mind numbing work, with Betty and Ben being strangely eager to wax the floor. Gia finds the pair annoying but not any worse than Bulk, so is able to endure the babbling from both.

Klaxons begin to blare and the lights go orange, with Damon immediately issuing commands. "Base has been breached, so we need to lock this place down!" He turns back to Gia and the Burke siblings and barks.

"You three need to get to one of the evacuation tunnels and head to the muster point. We can't afford the man power looking after you right now." His eyes are frantically darting around the workshop, but his voice remains firm and clear.

The Burkes don't react fast enough, so Gia jabs Ben with her elbow. "Move it, we aren't trained for this!" And I need to get a hold of the others, make sure this isn't because of one of them.

This gets them moving, with Gia right behind them. They follow the yellow stripe on the wall, only to stumble to a halt.

Four crow monsters block the way and begin eagerly cawing when they catch sight of the trio. The closest one slashes for Betty with it's talons, but Gia yanks her away in the nick of time.

"Find another way out!" She commands the siblings and slams her fist into a bird's chin when it comes too close. "I'll deal with these guys." They have no room to maneuver in these hallways, so I just need to be fast.


…


Waiting outside the lab door, Noah tries to remain inconspicuous while Miss Fairweather scans her retina. Intense security, I can't believe I managed to pass all the tests to get cleared for this assignment.

She waves him and Nate inside, laughing when a cloud of mist covers them. "Decontaminate, don't worry about it." When the two can see again, the first thing they can see is a robot police officer secured by heavy restraints.

"What is that?" Nate blurts out for him, while Noah's palms grow clammy.

"We found it a few years ago and having been working on reverse engineering it," Explains the friendly mentor. "It's weaponry and vehicles are in different departments being studied, they have all lead to incredible advancements."

Taking the chance to learn more, Noah speaks up. "What are we doing here?"

"We're creating our very own elite defense force, by combining this robot's technology with the concept of the power rangers..." She flips on a computer monitor, showing a collection of seven armored figures. "Because of how incredible insects are in respect to size, we have based our Battle Borg armor on beetles."

Realizing what feels off about everything, Noah keeps babbling. "I'm super excited to see all of this, but this seems like top secret stuff. Why are we already getting access?"

"Do you know how many people are moving away from California?" Miss Fairweather retorts and crosses her arms, her face expects no answer from him. "Anyone with the skill to be an asset is taking any job out of state, you are the only two who actually had the skill level to be of any help to me."

She doesn't have long to go over the plans, with alarms ringing out across the base not even fifteen minutes into the discussion about finding a viable power source. She doesn't freeze even as Nate begins to lose his head, grabbing a handheld weapon from on of the drawers.

"You calm and collected, or frozen in fear?" Noah jerks at the question and stops thinking he's been discovered.

"I'm good, what's going on?"

Shoving a small silver blaster into his hand, she thumbs the safety off. "Base has been invaded, if it was only a drill the lights would be yellow. Aim for the head and if it starts to get warm wait before shooting again."

She grabs a second weapon for herself, after shoving Nate inside one of the larger cupboards. Frazzled but not overwhelmed she sprints for the lab door to initiate lock down protocols.

Only a few paces from the door, it crashes open in a storm of black feathers. The Tengu Warriors shove themselves inside and only Noah's precise aim saves Angela Fairweather from disembowelment.

"Get away from them!" He moves forward slowly and keeps the birds in the doorway with careful shots. He ignores the warning about it getting too hot and feels the blaster begin vibrating in his hands.

Tossing it through the doorway just before it explodes, Noah shakes himself loose. Let's see how much I've really learned. He doesn't flinch when the trio of surviving foes charge into the room and simply starts to bob and weave around them.


…


Jake swallows his dread and follows Anton Mercer into the lab. This guy gives me the heebie jeebies. After waiting for anyone else to show up for over an hour, the guy strolled into the waiting room without a word and waved for Jake to follow him.

"It's about time we got a new lab assistant, Phenomenus has been working us overtime getting the serum to work." Mercer doesn't explain what the serum is or why he's so understaffed, he just leads Jake deeper into the base and farther from any exits.

"You'll be keeping the test subject's vitals monitored, as well as keep him clean." Mercer points with his pen when the door swing open, revealing a teenage guy in green sweatpants.

He has long brown hair that's drenched with sweat, with a dozen tubes connected to him. Some are draining fluids and others are filling him with strange glowing liquids.

Jake's jaw drops in shock and he has to say something about this craziness. "What the heck is wrong with him?"

"He was recovered among those rescued from the moon and no one asked about him before we claimed him and the other… undesired." Mercer smirks at his reaction and heads over to the systems keeping check on the teen.

"Strength levels are nearly triple what a normal person his mass should have, with vitals all remaining at sedate levels." He marks this down on his clipboard. "Serum Four G is ready for animal testing."

Jake is forced to give one Thomas Oliver a sponge bath, while gagging on the foul odor coming from whatever is in his sweat the entire time. He almost cries in relief when the bases alarms start going off and gleefully is ordered to head for the muster point.

Mercer barks at him to be back when the crisis is over, but Jake has no intention of ever walking back into that room for a second shift. He dashes through the hall, only to get corned by a pair of birds. "Okay… this is new."


…


"Whoa..." Orion nudges Troy in the side and points towards the soldiers in fancy silver armor. "That stuff is heavy duty."

He has to concede it does look imposing, Troy doesn't think it will make a big difference. "This Quantron armor may be able to take a few hits, but you can't move in something like that." And Rita's monsters are all deceptively fast.

The dozen recruits follow behind Lt Stone, while he shows of the sunglasses able to scan for the energy a monster emits. "And these are the V-Lancers." He shows off the advanced piece of weaponry, making even Troy see how useful it can be.

"They have a laser rifle mode and can be switched to an energy baton for close quarters," Stone sends a quick salvo down the range, obliterating the target hanging at he far end. Without a wasted motion, he flicks it into the melee mode and dismantles the table I was on in only a few strikes.

"When do we get one of those?" Orion is nearly drooling, with Troy beside him nodding in agreement.

Snorting at the blonde teen, Stone tries not to destroy all of his hope. When I don't think you'll kill yourself with one and I can trust you not to show it off on the street." He's interrupted from the rest of his demonstration when the alarms start to go off.

"Battle stations everyone!" Commander Mike Corbett roars across the room. "We got a base to get back under control, so watch and learn from the security cameras rookies."


…


Bulk blasts yet another one of the new bird people and covers the escaping family. So these are the Tengu. Laundry staff was funneled out f the base in the first batch of evacuees, which let him get to the monster attacking downtown before any civilians had been killed.

"Now what's keeping the others?" He growls to himself and dives in front of the unicorns energy beam, stopping a pair of teens recording the fight from being slaughtered. Are they just going to make me do this all by myself, is this my test?

 

[Flightless Man]

Episode 17: Jake Thinks Twice​

As he dashes away from the nightmare inducing lab, Jake desperately searches for a wheelchair, gurney, or just anything that can roll. His search is cut short, when he nearly runs right into a pair of cawing foes.

Slamming this foot into the first ones beak, he sends it crashing into the ceiling and wastes no time moving onto the second one. The burnt bodies of several more lay on the ground, with scorch marks covering the hallway.

"Boy am I glad to see you," Pants Noah in relief, as soon as Jake enters the lab being attacked. "Yo know where the others are?" He drives an elbow into his opponents sternum and nearly collapses against the wall when he sees the fight is over.

"Others?" Angela Fairweather has her weapon drawn on the door, but doesn't miss the word choice. "What exactly are you doing here Mister Loudermilk?"

Noah tries to catch Jake's gaze, but the black ranger is distracted by the sight of the offline robot from the future. "Well that's not actually my name, but I can't tell you what it really is either." He shrugs off her calculating expression for now and lets Nate out of his cupboard.

"So for all I know, you're behind this attack?" She jerks her weapon towards the two rangers, her eyes narrowing in concern.

Snorting at that, Jake has no time for this nonsense. "Lady, do you actually know what's going on in this place?" When she tries to claim the standard line of defensive research, he shushes her. "Grab something with wheels and follow me, if you can still say that in a couple minutes… well I think you're not so innocent either."

Nate is starting to freak out as Miss Fairweather directs him to grab one of the folded wheelchairs. "What's happening here?"

"You're going to find out." Jake leads the trio back the way he came and directs Angela to open the lock.

She tries to scan herself in, but it only flashes red in response. "I'm supposed to have clearance for the whole floor..."

"That's a point in favor of you not being a shitty person." Jake grabs her pistol and sends a beam of energy for the door handle. "Now you may want to cover your noses, this place reeks."

Mercer doesn't give them an easy time getting inside the room, peppering them with laser beams of his own. "I knew something was wrong with you!" He roars when Jake narrowly avoids a lethal shot and charges towards him in a tackle.

Jake brings the crazed man down to the ground hard, with his head slamming hard against the floor. "If a sicko like you is saying that, I'm proud of the compliment."

"Oh my god..." Angela gasps when she finally sees the state of Tommy Oliver.

"Yeah, that was my reaction." Jake growls, as Noah helps him get the abducted teen onto the wheelchair.

Calling over to Nate, Noah gets him to push. "You ready to go? We need to move before any more of those things show up."


…


"Is that Gia?" Crowded around the security monitors with the other recruits, Orion points out one camera to Troy.

In one hallway Gia is facing off with a trio of foes, while on the floor below her a squad of soldiers are engaging another group. "Yeah, we're going to need to find the fastest way to her." Agrees Troy, as he scans the other screens.

Soldiers are scattered around the base and doing a surprisingly effective job at defending the base, but do still lose men in every fight. "Who are they?" He catches sight of a mustached man in a military dress uniform, who is doing his very best to keep to teens safe behind him.

"Captain Mitchell and his kids, he's in charge of the whole defense division." One of the other recruits answers for Troy.

Grabbing a pair of radios, Troy shoves one into that guys hands. "Alright, guide me and Orion to them. We'll grab them and our friend, make sure they get to safety." He doesn't let anyone argue, grabbing his friend's hand and racing from the room.

"You two better pick up the pace, the birds have a boss." They hear one of the recruit's voice crackle over the radio. "And he's ripping right through the Guardians."

"Give us the clearest path to them," Troy growls and ignores the burning in his lungs as he charges down the corridor. He and Orion are forced to ignore several hallways, the sounds of combat steering them down side corridors.

"One more left and then take the stairs down one flight." Doing as instructed, Troy thanks the recruit and dashes down the steps two at a time.

They arrive to find Gia standing above her downed opponents and she nearly starts laying into the duo. Only Orion's frantic cry of her name, saves Troy from a boot to the jaw.

"How much farther to the Captain and his family?" Troy barely greets the yellow ranger, before he's already back on the radio for further directions.

"Far side of the floor you three are on, they managed to hole up in one of the bathrooms and are keeping the birds out." The recruit's voice is grim. "But the monkey thing is heading right for them and they aren't alone!"

The trio arrive in the hallway, to find Noah and Jake holding back a dozen of the Tengu. They manage to keep the birds from getting inside the bathroom, but are visibly slowing down from how long they have been forced to.

Interfering before the two receive any serious injury, the trio surprise the cawing warriors. They crash into them from behind and start dropping the shocked foes with relative ease.

"About time you guys found us," Noah groans.

Troy ignores this and barks orders at the bathroom door. "Captain Mitchell, we need to get you all out of here now! The monster in charge of the attack is on it's way here."

"Too late for escape I'm afraid." The mocking voice of Baboo fills the hallway. He struts forward seemingly unaware it is the rangers before him, or maybe just uncaring after his earlier torture at Rita's hands.

"I'm going to need too bring you all with me, so please… resist." He smirks in feral delight, snapping his hands forward and revealing his razor sharp claws. "I really need to work off my aggression on someone."

"Get my children out of here!" The voice of Captain Mitchell roars, as a constant barrage of energy flies at the vampire ape. He charges towards Baboo with both his and Miss Fairweather's blaster, raw determination plastered on his face.

The blasts are mostly avoided by Baboo, but those strike the sealed doors of an elevator behind the monster. It melts away and exposes the long drop down, with Captain Mitchell tackling the monster inside.

Baboo's scream mixes with the father's roar of triumph, before a swarm of smoky bats explode from the shaft. They screech and escape through the air vents, leaving the four rangers alone with their charges.

"Dad!" Dana's shriek is filled with anguish, with Ryan collapsing to his knees beside her.

"We need to leave now, this place isn't what we thought it was." Grabbing the grief stricken teens by the hand, Miss Fairweather starts pulling them towards the stairs.

"I finally know where I recognize your voice." The recruit on the radio finally catches on, with Troy just hoping the security guard from city hall remains silent. "So I'm guessing you lot want to avoid the squad of Guardians heading for you?"

Troy blinks in shock, but does answer however slowly. "Yeah, we need to get these people out of here."

"If I hadn't just seen you all risk your lives for them, I may be doubting myself more over this." The recruit remarks with a chuckle. "So take the stairs and go up all three flights, you'll need to cross half the floor and take the blue flight of stairs to the surface. It'll bring you out at the car park entrance and you'll be in the clear."

"I owe you one for this."

The guy laughs even harder in response to that. "I'd say we're even, after you taught us to aim for the head."


…


Cassidy and Devon watch the green ranger defend the entire street by himself, none of the other rangers in sight. She has the fear stricken Devon keep rolling, while she does her best to capture the scene for the first close up battle footage.

"And even though just days ago he was one of our greatest threats, today the Green Ranger is the only reason anyone on this street is alive right now." She directs Devon to pan across the battlefield, especially the few civilians still cowering in fear.

"Since he no longer has the golden crest around his neck, I can only conclude he was being controlled by it before." Cassidy tries to keep her voice calm and crystal clear in her delivery, but she knows a few stammers slipped in. "He saved my cameraman and myself not fifteen minutes ago, but now he faces this unicorn monster alone."

She turns away from the camera and gives her live report on the battle before her. She watches the green ranger avoid dozens of pinkish balls of plasma and get thrown around by gale force winds. When he's struck by a bolt of lightning and sent flying from the explosion, Cassidy has to bite her lip to avoid shrieking.

"I'll be rewarded well for bringing Rita and Zedd your head," Polluticorn howls in triumph at the groaning Bulk. "Traitors will not be tolerated!" He sends forth another bolt of energy, only for this one to be thankfully interrupted.

A trio of arrows strike the monster and explode, sending him rolling along the road. Emma lands beside Bulk and helps him up, making sure to keep her eyes on the monster.

"Sorry I'm so late," She apologizes and quickly sends another set of arrows forward with precise aim. "The airfield was hit and I just managed to get away."

"I'm going to assume the others are dealing with something similar," Bulk hisses out in response, positive his shoulder is dislocated. "And not that I'm being taught some kind of lesson."

Snorting at the idea, Emma assures him that's not the case. "If it is, I wasn't told about it."

"This thing is tough, how are we going to take him down?" Bulk meets the Polluticorn with both Blade Blaster and Dragon Dagger in hand, barely catching the monsters claws on them.

"He looks like a unicorn, so I'm guessing the horn is important." Emma focuses on the glowing horn and sighs in relief when four beams of color arrive on the scene.

Troy relives Bulk immediately, his sword clipping the monster on the side and sending into rolling away. "You did great, sorry we took so long."

Working with the red ranger, Bulk grabs the monsters arm and pins it to his side. "What kept you guys?" He asks casually, even though he's burning to know.

"We found out what was really going on and let's just say… never bet against Yellow when she has a hunch." Jake remarks and starts the process of bringing the Power Weapons together.

"Move!" Troy warns him when they fire, giving Bulk enough time to get clear of the blast.

When the smoke clears, another naked stranger is revealed. "Alpha, just like we talked about." Gia calls the Command Center and Bulk watches the cleansed person shoot away in a beam of grey light.

"Where's he going?" Bulk realizes the beam is not going towards the desert.

"Sending him to Canada so the Guardians can't experiment on him." Explains Gia with an audible smirk. "We're going to send them all over so the Guardians can't hide them away anymore."

 

[Flightless Man]

Episode 17.5: The Rival Rangers​

Crowded around the Ziktor families television, Orion hastily flicks to the news. When the Green Ranger is revealed downtown and facing the monster by himself, Orion speaks into his wrist.

"Hayley, you may want to get in here." He winces when Bulk takes a blast of electricity, shielding the reporter and cameraman with his own body. "Rita's back with some new friends."

Overhearing him, Angela Fairweather raises an eyebrow in his direction. Who are you kids? When the front door slams open a few moments later, her jaw drops.

"What's she doi-" Hayley freezes in place, with Alpha beside her. "We have guests… You didn't say anything."

"Whoa…" Aware of how impressive Alpha is, Nate starts to slowly approach. "Are you really a robot?"

Ryan doesn't notice the lack of humanity in Alpha, his eyes locked on the news. "I thought the Green Ranger was the bad guy, why is he saving everyone?"

"Because we broke the curse on him during the last battle," Unaware that the guests are uninformed, Alpha is just excited to have new people to converse with. "How do you know the Rangers, are you Hayley and Orion's off world relatives?"

"Alpha!" Hissing at him, Hayley is rapidly going pale, while Orion backs out of the room to find his mom.

Dana's eyes go wide and she starts to put all the pieces together. "The people who saved us at the beach, they're the..."

"Power Rangers." Angela agrees with her conclusion, making Hayley sag in defeat.

"Yeah, but now we can't really let you leave." Explains Karone, as she follows her worried son into the room. "Not until they finish and decide how to handle this."

Emma arrives in the shot, saving Bulk when he's being overwhelmed by the Polluticorn. Within few minutes, the rest of the team is at the battle and the tide turns swiftly for the heroes.

As the monster begins reverting back to it's human form, the news switches to outside of the city hall. Mayor Daniels is giving a speech, but everyone's eyes lock onto he man beside him.

"Dad?" Gasps Ryan, still in shock over seeing him fall to his apparent death not even an hour ago.

Beside him, Dana grabs his hand and feels her heart hammering in her chest. "That's not him."

They listen as the person claiming to be Captain Mitchell gives his speech to California. "Today, the Silver Guardians proved we are scaring these aliens. They attacked our bases specifically, but we endured!"

"They did not find us alone though, they had spies inside our organization." A picture of Angela Fairweather is shown. "This woman infiltrated us and kidnapped my children, but she did not do this alone."

He brings up a picture of Nate next, with one of Jake and his false identity next. "These spies will be found and my children recovered." Noah's fake name and picture is next, with Gia, Troy, and Orion all having blurry security camera stills. "We will find you, I promise." He stares directly into the camera and everyone in the room shifts uncomfortably.

"Well..." Karone flicks the television on mute when it begins replaying the battle footage. "None of you can leave now, so I better get some rooms ready for all of you." She snorts to herself and then pauses beside the door.

"So who is this?" She points to Tommy, who's currently experiencing a very fitful sleep on the couch.

Taking responsibility for him, Angela explains with a disgusted expression on her face. "Anton Mercer was supposed to be finding a new kind of steroid, so our Guardians could compete with the monsters. Mister Rizik was the one who recovered him, so I am unaware of exactly what was in the concoction."

Knocking at the door with no vehicle coming up the very long driveway can only mean one group is outside, so Hayley hurries over to let the rangers in. The six enter looking proud of what they accomplished, but the expressions vanish when they see Alpha being examined by Nate.

"How much do you know?" Troy sighs in resignation.


…


Slamming the door to his new office, Baboo peels his false face off and throws it onto the desk. "Don't worry William, we'll find your kids soon and bring them home." He sneers at the gagged form of Captain William Mitchell, who is currently strapped down onto an operating table.

"Don't worry so much, you'll love your new body." Baboo's door receives a coded knock and opens with no one in the hallway. Footsteps enter though and soon the door slams shut again.

The air ripples and reveals the yellow-orange metal body of Frax. "Are we ready to begin the procedure?" The being once known as Doctor Phenomenus eagerly asks, his hands twitching in excitement.

"Yes. We need to make him loyal to our cause and capable of facing the Rangers." Smirking at the struggling man, he reaches for a syringe filled with sedatives.


…


Emerging from the waves, Robo Knight's gleaming body walks onto the New Zealand beach. Hanging from his waist from a silver chain, is the sputtering Skull.

"Can we please find a different way to the next place, I know you can fly." Skull grumbles as a crab crawls from one of his eye sockets, skittering across his face.

Ignoring the complaint, Robo Knight attunes his sensors to a very special frequency of spiritual energy. "The Guardian of the Earth key is nearby, we must ensure Scorpina does not acquire it before us."

"Why not?" Skull doesn't see what's so special about these keys.

Moving as fast as he can, Robo Knight races through the coastal woods at nearly sixty miles an hour. "If she acquires all six and uses them, evil will ooze across the land smothering the very essence of life itself on Earth."

"So you just gave keys to random people six thousand years ago?" Even Skull knows that was a stupid idea.

"One of my… father's students, Barza the Sage was the one to seal away this evil the first time." Explains Robo Knight, finding he is… receptive to having such a steady source of conversation. "His Dairangers harnessed the power of Qi and stopped the oozing evil. The descendants of each ranger was entrusted with the keys that locked away Ivan Ooze."

When they near the energy being given off by the key, Skull growls in warning. "Scorpina's nearby, be careful."

"How can you be sure?"

"Anyone corrupted by Master Vile himself, they give off a very special feeling of immense power." Skull does his own explaining. "The rest of us monsters, we feel like a diet version of the big bosses."

Sounds of battle come from the cottage in the woods, sending Robo Knight surging towards the area. He draws his gleaming blade and with a single motion deflects Scorpina's strike. Standing between her and the older man, Robo Knight pushes forward and throws her back.

"Fear not, I shall keep you safe." He promises the man with the bushy white beard, who is clutching his back in pain. "The Key is not for your claws Fiend!"

Running from the cabin is a teen in green, his face contorted in worry now that a second monster has shown itself. "Grandpa Albert!" He has a glowing green key in his hand, with that energy flowing around his body.

"Get back inside!" Albert roars at his grandson. "We can't let her get the Key!"

Ignoring his elder like any good teenager should, Xander Bly bellows in defiance at the monsters threatening his family. "Mystic Qi of the Earth unlock, aura change!" An emerald light shines forth from the key in his hand, covering him in the energy.

Now covered in green material composed of Nature Qi, it is accented by white armor on his torso. Bands on his gloves and boots are also white, with gold trim going up to his helmet and showing an intricate design of some mythical creature.

"Spirit of the Earth," Xander calls out like it is second nature, even though his families key has not shone in over six hundred years. "Green Mystic Minotaur Dairanger!" He leaps for Robo Knight and kicks the warrior back, leaving himself open to Scorpina.

"Silly boy, you should have stayed inside where it was safe!" She grabs one of his arms in her claws and throws him into the air. Before he lands Scorpina leaps up to meet him and drives her other claw into his gut.

He folds around the impact and coughs out in pain. Unused to the strain on his body, Xander's morphed state fails him. He crashes to the dirt gasping in agony, the key just out of his reach.

"Thanks for the help," She taunts the fallen teen and grabs the key, molting just as Robo Knight cleaves her in twain. "But I have what I need now, so I need to run." She dashes away with a mad cackling, leaving Robo Knight unsure of his duty.

"What are you doing, help them!" Skull roars in his auditory receiver, ending his uncertainty in the face of injured people and a very clear threat.

He kneels beside the groaning Xander and helps him sit up. "Are you uninjured, or do you require medical care?"

The uncaring tone doesn't match the words, which makes Xander open his eyes. When he sees the robot knight staring down at him, he nearly freezes. He's the one who saved us Xander, so just smile and say hello.

"Hey, thanks Mate." Hey accepts the hand up and tries not to scream when he sees Skull. "...I mean Mates, you two really saved us." Blushing at his earlier mistake, he also owns up to it. "And you know, sorry for attacking you."

"I am unfamiliar, it is expected for a human to react with fear and aggression." Robo Knight ignores the apology and begins checking on the fallen Albert. "Are you also well human?"

"Call me Albert," He grumbles back. "And no I'm not alright. Some monster just stole the Earth Key and nearly killed me and my grandson."

Xander chimes in with a shame filled voice. "I should have listened to you, I'm sorry for screwing up Grandpa."

"I will recover it, Scorpina will be heading for the Water Key next and I only need to intercept her." Promises Robo Knight, now assured the two will be fine.

"Bring me with you two, it's my families responsibility to protect the Earth Key…" He scowls at his feet, growling at his failure. "In the entire time we've been guarding it, I'm the first one to screw it up."


…


In a well of family manor in Italy, Madison cowers with her sister Vida. The scorpion woman had made her entrance by destroying an entire wall, with her father yelling at them to get the key away.

No matter how hard she tries to force herself, Madison just can't move. This isn't real, the Dairangers are just a family legend. Vida tries to do as their father ordered, but the spreading flames make it impossible.

When the monsterous woman impales him with her barbed tail, it breaks any will remaining in the sisters to reach the Water Key. "Dad!" They scream in unison and charge her, only to be swatted aside like flies.

"Stay down girls, I've already won." Scorpina mocks them and strides through the fire towards the family vault.

The pair collapse from the smoke, not realizing they are saved by Robo Knight and Xander Bly mere minutes after Scorpina leaves.


…


Chip dry heaves on his side, the freezing Iceland air biting into his flesh. The last embers of his home fizzle in the melted snow and he can't see anyone moving.

"Mom!" He calls into the smoky night, dread filling him faster than the cold. "Dad? Annie..." His voice grows weak but to his surprise, someone answers.

"Are you the Keeper of the Lightning Key?" The metallic voice of Robo Knight asks, with Skull chiding him immediately.

"Not the point, we're here and no one else is." He reminds his partner, even as Xander and the Rocca sisters move to help him up. "So we're helping no matter who he is."

Chip can recognize the feel of Qi in each of the three people and knows he will have justice for his family. "She get your keys too?"

"And we're going to get them back." Agrees Vida, her voice filled with determination.

"I assume you will be joining us?" Robo Knight remarks, already aware how desperately humans cling to each other in a crisis. "Scotland and the Key of Fire is next, we must be even faster this time."

 

[Flightless Man]

Episode 18: Gia's Identity Crisis​

"None of us can actually leave, not like this." Gia realizes with a wince.

Nodding along with her, Troy turns to Karone with a sigh. "Do you think you and Hayley would be able to grab some hair dye for all of us?"

While Emma and Jake look aghast, Karone just laughs at Noah's horror. "My mom is going to kill me when I get home..." He starts to make wild plans. "I can just live at the Command Center with you Alpha, you are always saying how lonely it is."

"Should I let him keep going for a while, or is now a good time to save the day?" Orion nudges his sister, who slaps at him before interrupting Noah.

"We'll just use what my mom does, it'll completely change your hairstyle in like ten minutes." Grinning in relief when Noah stops freaking out, she runs upstairs to get it.

Everyone else turns to Karone and she shows off her hair, which the rangers are only now realizing is a ruby red bob. "I'm thinking twists for you and maybe some side burns?" She double checks with Noah, but Hayley is the one who answers when she returns.

"No to the sideburns, but what about just a thick layer of stubble?" Hayley hands her mother the strange device and examines Noah more closely. "Are you alright with that?"

As his cheeks become dusted with pink, Noah considers the look. "I don't have to dye my hair?"

"Honestly, with you it'll only make you stand out even more." Emma calms him down with a grin on her face. "It'll be the same with me and Jake, so the other three get to play with the dye."

"Well I call dibs on the sideburns," Jake declares, making Gia shake her head in annoyance.

"Fine, but I want to see how you look with these curls shoulder length." She runs her fingers through his rather short locks and purses her lips in thought. "Maybe a Zappa mustache to go with it."

Smirking back at her, his retort comes with a single raised eyebrow. "Don't I get a say in this?"

"Of course no-" He muffles her response with a kiss, before ducking away from her retaliatory swat. "Hey!" She growls playfully, while he gives her own looks some consideration.

"If you're dying your hair, I say try out a nice ginger." Giving her a thoughtful look, Jake explains. "I think after taking charge today, you could really pull off the red look."

Troy watches the interactions and knows it's time for him to say something. These are my friends, I can trust them with this. He interrupts the discussion on giving Emma shorter hair and Gia waist length locks, with very sweaty palms.

"I need to say something." He gathers his nerves when everyone goes silent and looks his way. "When we faced our greatest desires on the Island of Illusion, I realized it doesn't have to be an impossibility for me. Things are better than they used to be, but I can't just ignore what's going on."

"What is it Troy?" Noah's mind is going off with wild theories.

He takes a deep breath and opens up for the first time in his life. "I'm gay."

No one reacts at first, but Jake starts to nod at Alpha. "Is that what you meant at the mall Jake?" The robot is only curious and in no way judgmental.

"Yeah, good job keeping quiet buddy."

"You knew?" Troy frowns in concern.

Alpha gives an embarrassed chirp and explains. "It was very strange being a human, I was experiencing so many new feelings."

"I told him it wasn't important and to keep quiet until you said something."

"Not important?" Troy is relieved but in disbelief.

Noah is the one who clarifies for a smirking black ranger. "If you knew how many Queen albums he owns and has memorized, you wouldn't be so surprised. He's not always thick headed."

"It's different on every planet," Chimes in Karone with memories of her home world filling her mind. "On KO35, we only have same sex relationships until our family arranges a marriage. It let's people learn how to love, with no danger of unwanted children."

"Really?" Troy looks amazed.

Having actually experienced several different planets before choosing Earth as her home, Karone gives a supportive smile. "Yeah, but some are even worse than here. Triforia forbids any form of love with another of any gender, but they can split in three… so it's not really the same thing."

"Jake's right," Emma agrees and gives Troy's hand a squeeze. "It doesn't matter. You're who you've always been, we just know more of who that is now."

"Jake's right..." Mutters Gia with a playful smirk. "If even Jake can figure out the answer so easy, why would any of us have a different answer?" With those words, everyone turns to Bulk and gives him a look.

"What?" He looks affronted. "My uncle's boyfriend is really awesome, he's the one who got me my weights." He gives an awkward shrug. "If we're done going over the obvious, can we get back to the disguises. Because I think you would look great with a goatee."

"No one will recognize us on Tuesday, it's going to be wild." Noah agrees, before he realizes that doesn't solve everything. "But um… What about them?"

"I can get some fake identities set up and we can change their looks." Holding up the device, Karone shows off Noah's finished hairstyle. "It'll at least let you go down into Angel Grove again."


...


Robo Knight has both hand on the back of the Rocca family Yacht, his rocket sending it across the sea faster than it was ever designed to do so. He scowls at the four human's taking shelter inside the cabin and gripes to Skull.

"The humans are slowing us immensely, we should leave them behind and pursue Scorpina ourselves." He gives his logical reasons, but is still not convinced himself. "It is the logical choice."

"We didn't win when we took her on by ourselves and we know she can tango with a whole team of Rangers." Skull reminds him firmly. "So maybe it's a good idea to finish getting our own set for back up on this."

Considering this, Robo Knight finally concedes when he makes sight of the Scottish shoreline. "That is not without merit." Slowing down before crashing into the rocky beach, he leaves the ship resting in the sheltered cove.

"You guys ready?" Skull bellows at the four inside. Three flashes of light inside the yacht are his answer, with the yellow, green, and blue Dairangers emerging. Vida exits last, with a disgruntled frown on her face.

"Go, I'll make sure the boat is here when you come back with yet another ranger."

Robo Knight is aware she volunteered to be useful, without him having to push any of the humans. "You are most logical, I approve." He misses her expression of embarrassment, as he and the three rangers race across the beach and up into the highlands.

"Even I know that was rude RK," Chides Skull with a quieter voice than he normally uses. "She wants to help as much as anyone, it's not her fault that the Rocca's only had one key."

"Is your sister a better candidate for being a ranger?" Roboknight blurts his question to Maddison, missing Skull's expression of guilt.

Not willing to throw her sister under the bus and also not willing to give Robo Knight an excuse to regift her Key of Water, Maddison takes a moment to answer him. "… We have different talents, but I know she tries her hardest in everything she does."

"She beat us again!" Roars Xander in rage when he sees smoke billowing from a literal castle. Thick black plumes of ash rise into the air and rain down on the nearby land, creating a carpet of grey as far as the eye can see.

"Be on your guard, I will flush her out." Commands the ancient robot, something that almost sounds like worry is filling his voice. "Do not allow her to escape again."

Rocketing over the stone wall, he and Skull crash down in the courtyard only to find very little is actually damaged by fire. Only the remains of a wood stack show signs of more than singes, with the ash having to have come from somewhere else.

"Is the fiend still here?" Robo Knight scans the area for any movement but finds none.

"I don't think so, but it feels like she rolled everywhere for miles." Explains his cranial companion.

A ball of fire shoots from the main halls doorway, striking Robo Knight's chest to little effect. "What else can you take from me!" The red Dairanger charges forth with fury burning inside him.

"We are too late again." The knight's words make Nick stop in his tracks, not sensing that vile magic his mother's killer carried inside her.

"You aren't after the Key of Fire, are you one of the other Keepers?" Nick keeps his guard up, but is willing to listen.

"Nah, they're outside waiting for us." The split pattern skull hanging from Robo Knight's side answers, making Nick go pale under his dragon themed helmet. "We can't wait for long. So if you're going to help us stop Scorpina, better hurry up."

Nick shakes his head firmly, revenge clouding his mind in the moment. "She already took everything and everyone I care about, I have nothing left here."

Again missing the social cues, Robo Knight believes this to be a positive. "Excellent. I am glad one of you humans does not need to waste time saying goodbye to some relative."

"Dude!" Skull bites him hard enough to leave a slight impression in the metal. "Not cool."

"But accurate." Shaking of his desire to slag the robot, Nick follows them outside. "Who has the next key?"

"It is on the island you humans call Zandar." Wasting no time on greetings, Robo Knight shoots into the sky and forces the now four rangers to keep up.


…


"Who are you?" Prince Phillip weakly asks as Robo Knight lifts the beam crushing him.

"Mate, we're the Dairangers." With a soft voice, Xander introduces the others. "We came to make sure one of us kept our key."

"She's going right for the vault," Moans the Keeper of the Wind Key. "You have to stop her!"

The rangers start to head off to secure the royal vault, but they fail to realize Vida has vanished already. When rage filled shrieks start coming from the floor below, the group break into a sprint.

A grim faced and extremely determined Vida is being pursued by a fury filled Scorpina. The glowing pink key in her hand is clutched tightly to her chest, even as the monster giving chase stabs for her with the barbed tail.

"Vida!" Her sister yells a warning, before a stream of water crashes into Scorpina and sends her rolling backwards.

"Nice timing," The proud Vida gasps, even as the pink glow extends to cover her entire body.

When the light show ends, everyone is left staring at the pink Dairanger of the Wind Qi. The glow is gone from the ancient key in her hand, but it still retains the rose pink shade to the metal.

The ground beside her shatters, as the burrowing Scorpina emerges to grab the key. "I liked it better when you couldn't keep up, don't get so buried by responsibility… it'll kill you."

She blasts the nearest stone pillar and dives back into the ground, tearing through the foundation below. The castle begins to shake and soon the ceiling begins collapsing on top of everyone's heads.

In a frantic panic, the five rangers join the steely resolve of Robo Knight and turn every falling bit of stone to powder. His gleaming blade of gold carves through the largest chunks, letting Vida keep them aloft.

Nick and Chip combine Qi energy, to bake the stone into volcanic rock and shatter it with lightning. Xander holds the roof up with a mass of roots and slowly extends the pathway back outside.

"If we do not stop her in Japan, she will free Ivan Ooze and doom the world." Reminding them of what is at stake, Robo Knight leads the bruised and battered Dairangers to the final Keeper Barza.

 

[Happerry]

Well, that's a name to reckon with... I almost want to see what would happen if he did get loose. I doubt he'd get along with Rita and Zed easily, much less Dark Specter.

 

[Flightless Man]

Well, that's a name to reckon with... I almost want to see what would happen if he did get loose. I doubt he'd get along with Rita and Zed easily, much less Dark Specter.

Click to shrink...

Worry not, he's going to be getting loose and creating a second front of evil. He's going to help expand on 6'000 years ago and Zordon in general, as well as Barza's original team of Dairangers.

Rita and Zedd are definitly going to be happy they have been growing stronger when they learn what Scorpina is doing. They will hopefully be able to cold war him.

 

[Flightless Man]

Episode 18.5: Man and Machine​

Troy blinks in surprise when he watches Noah successfully throw his training partner onto the mats. "Nice one Noah, you're really starting to take initiative." He scans the rest of his class, before checking the clock. "Alright everyone, one more round and we'll call it for today."

He makes sure to focus on his teammate, as Noah performs another textbook Judo toss and slams Bulk onto his back. "Alright can we please hit the books now? You said you'd let me if I took the class with you."

"Yeah, I'm kind of worried about Tuesday, what if Rita pulls something while we're in class?" Troy dismisses his class with a bow and follows the pair over to the table being reserved. He smiles to himself when he notices Hayley scooch over upon their approach. I'll have that one day.

"Looking good today guys, especially you Noah." Compliments the natural redhead when Noah slides in beside her.

Chiming in with a smirk, Jake agrees. "You didn't flinch once, you're almost unrecognizable from two months ago."

"Dad!" Orion jogs in from outside, his face contorted in confusion. "Turn on the news, but not the local channel. Something big is going on in Japan right now!" His voice is tense, prompting Ernie to do as requested.

The anchor on the national news station looks very concerned as she tries her best to read the teleprompter. "-ain for anyone just joining us now, the city of Sapporo Japan is under attack."

The screen changes to very grainy and very live footage from across the Pacific. A humanoid crimson insect is engaged in battle with five color coded heroes in unfamiliar suits. The familiar form of Scorpina dances through the five rangers, a recent slash extends from her chin all the way down to her waist.

"I thought at first you guys got an upgrade without telling any of us, but then I realized they kind of lacked a black ranger." He gives Jake a relieved look and pokes him just to be sure. "Which had me worried something went really wrong."

"Where's Eugene and RK?" Emma is the one to bring up the mission the pair left on only a week ago.


…


When Robo Knight leads the rangers inside Barza the Sage's temple, he ignores the intricately carved designs that cover the marble walls. Striding through the opulent if empty corridor, the sound of moans can be heard ahead.

"Barza!" He wastes no time and charges into the final chamber, the white robed elder laying in the middle of the room.

Barza glances up when the Dairangers enter behind Robo Knight, his face relaxing when he sees they are morphed. "You succeeded, while an old man like me failed the world." He reaches for his staff and uses it to rise back to his shaking feet.

"Actually, we didn't." Admits Nick with a shame filled voice. "We kind of hoped you managed to hold Scorpina off until we got here."

"She will have headed to Mount Daisen hours ago, you will never catch her in time." Groans the ancient sage, clutching at the dried blood on his sleeve. "I fear she only left me alive long enough to watch my failure come to fruition."

Disagreeing with this statement entirely, Nick scowls unseen at the apprentice of Zordon. "Our failure you mean. Because I seem to recall six keys being taken, not just yours."

And we'll get them back, we still have tim-" Vida tries to rally everyone, but the ground trembles beneath her feet. The sky screams like a billion pots of water boiling all at once, the whistling forcing the humans to all collapse in agony.

"She's inserting them now, you only have minutes before Ivan Ooze awakens." Barza sages in defeat his pallid skin beginning to drip with sweat. "It's over..."

"Incorrect." Robo Knight refutes the inevitable, finally understanding why the humans refuse to give up. "My mission is to protect the environment, I will not allow this." His legs transform into his rocket form and he shoots through the ceiling in a shower of rubble.

The landscape zooms past them, as Robo Knight forces his rocket to the maximum. "Do you wish for me to drop you, before I engage Scorpina?" He asks Skull with trepidation, uncertain for the first time and not wishing to face his possible end alone.

"I'd rather go down watching your back, then live another day as a coward." Skull assures his new friend. Even if this just buys time for Emma's team to save the day, I need to do this with him.

"...Thank you Eugene." The robot with feelings speaks softly and narrows his eyes on the magma already beginning to become a grotesque shade of purple. "You may have a lot to learn, but you had even more to teach me."

They crash down on the steaming rocks, right behind a cackling Scorpina. "It's to late Herbie." She mocks the duo, nor even deigning to face them. "Ivan Ooze is waking and he's already providing me an army!"

The red Creepox charges from the cavern, his orange claws only barely being blocked in time. Robo Knight pushes back with his golden claymore and leaves deep gouges in the Insectoid's claws.

"You'll pay for that!" He goes into a frenzy, Creepox's slashes increasing in speed with each swing.

Robo Knight is easily able to match the pace, but this leaves him open to Scorpina's attack from behind… or so she thinks. Skull's eyes glow orange as he calls a warning to his partner and blasts Scorpina directly in the face.

"Traitor!" She shrieks, her face now red with blistered flesh.

Skull just snorts at that remark. "You quit first, can't blame me for finding a better team."

With his warnings and blasts of orange eye fire, Skull manages to give Robo Knight just the edge he needs. "Scorpina is the greater threat, but if we focus on her the red one will be free to overwhelm us."

His slash for her face is blocked by her claws, but instead of breaking away she clamps down on his weapon. "It's about time you emerged Malkor, this machine is proving to be quite the nuisance."

"I can see that." The moth like Malkor struts from the cavern, purple ooze dripping from him in globs as he shakes his wings dry. "Our master wants this pest off of his porch, so I shall take over." He informs the sneering Scorpina, which distracts her long enough for Robo Knight to wrench his weapon free.

He moves fast and slashes her from the waist to ear, a line of crimson blood showering the rocks and both combatants. Before he can land a follow up attack and finish her, Malkor grabs him from behind at lightning speed.

"Let's see how well you can handle a real storm!" Each flap of Malkor's wings sends a gust of wind rippling through the air. The temperature alternates each time, between freezing cold and blistering heat.

Soon a tumultuous black cloud grows around them and Malkor releases his metal prey. "This bug is going to zap you!" His roar is rapidly drowned out by the 'Krakoom!' of thunder.

Several bolts of lightning strike Robo Knight and Skull at the same time. The blinding flash of light is seen for dozens if not hundreds of miles, When the cascade of light ends, pieces of Robo Knight rain from the storm cloud. Skull shrieking as he alone is awake to experience the fall.


...


"Another one is showing up!" Gia exclaims with worry, her finger pointing out the dot on the news. Growing in size by the second, soon the resplendently terrifying form of Malkor joins the battle.

"Should we go help?" With a worried face, Noah is reaching for his communicator reflexively.

Troy considers the question and shakes his head no. "If we do, Rita has free reign here."

"But..." Emma starts to argue, only to sag in her seat a moment later. "Never mind, you're right."

"And that's why he's leader," Trying to lighten the mood, Jake teases the confidant Troy. "He gets to make all these hard decisions, I get to make all the stupid ones I want."

A swift elbow in his side has him cough, with Gia growling. "No you can't."

"I hope they have some Zords..." Frowning at the screen, Bulk is first to see Creepox grow giant.
"Why don't they have a black ranger?" Ponders Noah, realizing he has no idea what the colors actually mean.

Smirking with pride, Jake throws an arm around Gia and pulls her into a hug. "Because I'm one of a kind."

"You're sure they didn't decide no stupid ideas?" She teases back, but leaves his arm around her.

"Nah, they still have a green one." Bulk throws his friend a bone, laughing with the others when the share a quick giggle.

"And they do have Zords," Orion brings everyone's gaze back to the news and the five rangers each growing into an individual mech. "I think, because I'm not really sure what just happened."


…


Barza uses the last of his strength and sends himself to the Tomb of Ooze. With no visible enemies, he cloaks himself to be safe and dashes inside. He reaches the basalt doors covered in runic designs and sees the broken seal.

Both halves of the door have swung inwards and allows the foul odor to leak out. "Better get these back to the kids, looks like they're going to need them soon." He claps his hands and vanishes in a puff of white smoke that flies towards the largest piece of Robo Knight.

He looks over the field with sorrow and remembers when the robot was first created by Zordon. "You always did have more fight in you than I did Alpha, the world isn't ready to lose you yet."

A sputtering sound comes from the mud nearby, with Skull rolling from he muck and spitting a piece of his friend from his mouth. "So help me get all the pieces, it's not as easy as it looks you know."

"You do have Goodness in you, it's just been buried by self doubt for so long." Barza can sense the energy in the bones, one so very familiar to his own. "But you have found out who you really are, haven't you?"

"Regret was overwhelming." Agrees Eugene with a wince. "But curling up means giving up and I can't let her fight alone."

"I need someone to pass my duty on to," Barza broaches the subject with a warm smile, even as he ignores the burning in his lungs. "I can think of no men better than the two of you."

"If you haven't noticed, we don't even make half a man between us right now!" Howls Eugene, furious at how helpless he is now.

"No, but soon you will be one whole man." Barza stares into Skull's eyes and asks with no trace of humor in his voice. "Will you accept the solemn responsibility to replace me as the Keeper of the Key?" The Goodness of Life surges inside you like none I have been faced with in centuries… maybe we shouldn't have hidden that mirror after all."

"Okay." Accepting the offer, Skull watches Barza put the ivory key both in his own mouth and on top of the chunk of Robo Knight he managed to salvage. "What do I have to do?" He asks, only to find out when he is engulfed in a searing white light.

"Be Good." Barza gives all that remains of his essence, providing his own body as the base for the new one.

Eugene Skullovitch and the soulless body of Sage Barza merge into one being. The second it happens, every scrap of metal that once made up Robo Knight fly towards his new glowing body. The silver melts into his hand and takes the shape of a curved sword, a lion's head forming the pommel.

As the white glow fades, it reveals Eugene is covered by white spandex. Even before the light is fully gone, the remaining gold bonds to his chest and forms a shield very reminiscent of Bulk's.

Sitting up with a gasp, Skull can feel his heart beating in his chest. When he brings his hand up to check, he catches sight of the magnificent Saba in his hand. "Robo Knight… is that you?"

The lion's eyes open and glow gold. "Yes Eugene. Now rise, we have a mission to complete." They become a beam of white light and streak towards Sopparo, the sight of a massive Creepox making Skull hiss.

They land beside the others and give the astonished Dairangers each one of the recovered keys. "We'll handle Malkor, you deal with Creepox." He strides towards the waiting moth, Scorpina nowhere in sight.

"I thought she finished you off, never should have trusted a scorpion." He clearly believes the white ranger before him is Barza, which has Skull grin in silence. "Too scared to speak? That's the problem with having a spine, it's so fragile."

Malkor's wings flare out, only for Eugene to launch himself forward with Saba drawn. He slashes through both wings before the moth feels the pain and kicks him to the ground. "Ooh, I feel good." Skull mocks his foe and charges in to finish him.

The five Mystic Zords battle Creepox above him, with the battle lasting several minutes. Creepox is fast and strong indeed, but he is outnumbered and clearly outmatched. In the end, he joins Malkor as a very squashed bug.

 

[Happerry]

On one hand, it's good to see good win once more.

...On the other hand, the 'mundane' politics are only going to get more exciting now that a new threat and a new team of rangers have arose almost literally on the other side of the world from the first one.

And on the gripping hand, it's good to see Eugene take up his own torch from the past. He's grown and learned a lot since the start of this story.

 

[Flightless Man]

On one hand, it's good to see good win once more.

...On the other hand, the 'mundane' politics are only going to get more exciting now that a new threat and a new team of rangers have arose almost literally on the other side of the world from the first one.

And on the gripping hand, it's good to see Eugene take up his own torch from the past. He's grown and learned a lot since the start of this story.

Click to shrink...

First, the meteor shower sticker, is very fitting for an Ivan Ooze themed chapter.

This is going to be the 'rangers actually know how to use their powers and work as a team' arc. Both teams worked hard for a win.

All those people who have been fleeing california in droves and leaving most skilled jobs in desperate need of staff, are maybe going to wish they hadn't been so fast to move. It'll also give Baboo more ability to mess with government organizations. It should give the general public a feeling of safety and the governments should be terrified about about another unknown team with giant robots. If no one else can beat a monster, no one should be able to stop(or even find) the rangers.

Eugene actually had one of the most complete arcs of self discovery to my surprise. I really loved writing his whole journey, especially him being RK's conciensce. It was really fun sliding clues in about him and his direction, Especially when I had him hanging where a waist sheath would go.


I know it seemed like a throwaway device, but I needed an explanation for Astonema's hair drastically changing a few days apart. I always wanted whatever she used myself. I also figured it was a better way to do disguises, than having the girls do it all sexism like.

 

[Flightless Man]

Episode 19: Chimp in Charge​

First thing on Tuesday morning, most of the rangers are already seated in Mr Burley's homeroom class. The eccentric and very cheerful teacher looks over the students, happy only a quarter of his class has moved… or worse.

"We have some new faces with us today," He starts to greet the class, only to be interrupted by Troy's attempt to slip in discreetly. "Like you, Troy Burrows I believe?"

"Yeah, sorry I'm late." He takes a seat beside an unchanged Emma and just in front of Orion's attempt to look like a comic book geek. "So many new people made it hard to get directions."

Burley just smiles excitably and continues with his question for the class. "The recent troubles Angel Grove is facing, has me wondering what species you believe will outlast all others on Earth?"

Hands go up all across he classroom, with some shooting up immediately and others being raised more hesitantly. Emma's place front and center has her first to be called on, with her lips quirking into a wry smile.

"Insects and bugs in general." She shudders at the idea of a world overtaken by man sized creepy crawlies. "They've been here way longer than us already and I've seen the news. The bugs in Japan are fighting back."

Shudders ripple among the students, with even Burley looking squeamish. "Yes, that has been a rather frightening new development." He calls on Noah next, somewhat surprised by his new look.

"Sorry Emma, but it's going to be AI's." His black circular shades are nestled in his new twists, with his dark blue clothes nearly being an indigo. "Al is all the proof I need." Not to mention the robot from the future in the Guardian's base.

He's more confidant and less desperate to correct everyone, he also looks a lot more relaxed. Burley smiles at the answer, very glad Noah seems at peace with himself. He looks like he's going to a jazz club after school, is music what's soothed him?

Orion makes his own voice heard. "What if the species hasn't evolved yet, mutations happen all the time?"

"Excellent suggestion, so let's just write down mutant for now." Adding that to the list, Burley calls on his sister next. "What do you think Hayley, is the family in agreement?"

"Some kind of virus or bacteria, that's all Earth will be able to support in the end." She shrugs, unable to give a more clear answer. "And then the sun will gobble it up."

Noah nudges Jake beside him, still finding it odd how perfect the surfer look works for him. "Isn't she brilliant?"

He chuckles back and agrees. "She is, but you're all wrong I'm afraid." Jake blurts out, a relaxed smirk on his face. "We've already got proof aliens are real, so it's obviously going to be one of them."

Snorting in front of him, Gia's now scarlet hair bounces with each shake of her head. "Well since we have no way of knowing, I'm going to put my money on a plant winning out." She doesn't look like a preppy kid anymore to Burley's eyes. More of a skater girl if my teenage terminology is correct.

"A fungus is far more likely, but most people don't know the difference." The disguised Dana Mitchell chimes in, her goth look being a very extreme change.

"I didn't, did you?" Whispering to his now redheaded girlfriend, Jake doesn't see the looks being exchanged.

"Of course I did, why else would I have offered to be your biology tutor?"

Trying to end the argument before it actually becomes one, Troy makes his own cheesy suggestion. "Us… humans." He gets some snickers from the class, but Burley only gestures for him to clarify and he does with confidence. "If we work together like we have been all summer, none of those things can keep us down for long. Besides, Jake already mentioned aliens and all we need to do is reach the stars for that to be us."

"Exquisite points Mister Burrows, you really have a mind just like your cousin." He

Everyone jumps when the intercom blares to life, the sniffling voice of the secretary coming across somewhat coherently. She calls all six rangers to the Principal Randall's office, with the rumors of her strictness already being legendary in the hour since school began.

"Better go find out what this is all about you lot, come get a hall pass." Burley starts signing one for each of the confused teens and they file out into the hall murmuring in confusion.

They job through the hallways, intent on clearing this up as soon as possible. "Go on in, she's expecting you." The secretary waves the inside and blows her nose very noisily.

"Thanks," Troy speaks for everyone and knocks on the door. "Principal Randall, you wanted to see us?" His voice is filled with tension, even though he knows they did nothing wrong. No one wants to face the Principal, especially on day one.

"Hurry up and close the door," A very prim voice confirms from behind the door. "Mary, don't let me be interrupted until I'm finished in here." She warns her secretary and greets the five original rangers.

"Miss Fairweather!" Emma see's through the disguise first, the slicked short hair doing nothing to throw her off.

'Elsa Randall' Smirks at the pink ranger and reverts to her normal and far friendlier voice. "Good job, but keep it down at school."

"Why are you here?" Wasting no time, Troy cuts to the chase. "Isn't this kind of risky?"

"With Principal Caplan still absent, I decided it would be good to give you all a ready made alibi."

Frowning, Jake hasn't seen the use of her being here yet. "What kind of things?"

Angela turns on the small television on her desk, keeping the volume low. "Oh you know, sneaking out to fight monsters."

A blue furred sphinx is walking through the warehouse district, cornering anyone who he finds and speaking indecipherable words. Each time the civilian responds, a yellow mist engulfs them. When it blows away in the wind, a pet shop is all that remains in the person's clothing.

"Let's go!" Troy hisses as silently as he can, but manages to retain the authority somehow. "Megamorph activate!"


…


Bulk awkwardly sits beside the disguised Nate, on the far side of Zach who has his braille books out on his desk. How do I even begin talking to him, I tried killing his brother several times? Fidgeting in his seat, his rather short shorts are giving him a wedgie.

"Why'd you decide to go for a gym head's look?" Nate asks, looking like Bulk's own borrowed jacket is swallowing him whole. "That doesn't look comfortable." He quirks an eyebrow at the tight lime green muscle shirt and platinum blonde tips that Bulk now calls a hairstyle. "Or very good."

"If we're all trying out a change, I want to trying getting in shape for once." Shrugging off the question, the sight of three familiar teens in leather shocks him.

Aisha, Rocky, and Adam all enter, wearing a slightly more tame version of the desert get ups. The trio sneer menacingly at some teens in the back row, forcing them to move as Miss Appleby enters the room. The class barely has time to begin, before the intercom begins to call names to the office.

Bulk freezes when his name is called by the secretary. "I swear I didn't do it miss Appleby!" His claim isn't believed, with her walking the agitated Bulk to the office.

"We'll find out when she's done with her meeting, let the other kids tell her the truth before you begin blubbering some fable." Appleby firmly seats him in on of the seats and shakes her head sadly. "You had so much potential, I hate watching you throw away you're life messing with those geeks."


…


"Let's do this quick Rangers," Troy calls out when he and the other four arrive in a cascade of lights. "Yellow and Blue with me!" He calls out the standard mixed melee and ranged formation.

The trio attack with a series of strikes, each one coming from a different ranger. "One is fun and so is Two, but I believe three is a crowd!" The sphinx flaps his wings with furious vigor, sending Gia and Noah sailing away over several warehouses.

"Now Red Ranger, I have a question for you!" Roars King Sphinx with arrogance dripping with each word. "When does Christmas come before Thanksgiving?" He smirks when Troy freezes in place and starts to countdown from ten. "I'd hurry and speak, before all you can do is eek."

"I don't know, on reruns?" He guesses with trepidation, only for the monster to cackle in glee.

"Sorry but you're wrong," Explains King Sphinx. "It was in the past, before Thanksgiving was even a thing." The monster's eyes glow an angry amber, before a cloud of yellow is exhaled from his mouth. "Now lets see what will become of you!"

The cloud engulfs Troy and his screams soon become the screeching of a chimpanzee. His ranger costume is still being worn, which leaves the Sphinx frowning.

"I wasn't expecting you to still be of any use," He kicks the now chimpified Troy into he nearest wall and charges for the remaining two rangers. "I guess it's time to choose. Ladies first, or shall you fall on the sword for her?"

Shushing Emma when she tries to speak, Jake knows her quick wit will be of more use. "Get Troy and regroup with the others, I'll keep him busy." He blasts a pair of shots from his cannon before leaping into close combat.

"You asked one, so now it's my turn." He hisses and wracks his mind for anything that might work, finally settling on the only riddle he's ever remembered. "What's in my pocket?"

"Clever boy, but that's not how this works." Chuckling at the idea of fair play, King Sphinx backhands Jake to the ground. "Evil doesn't take turns, it just takes!" He stomps down on the black ranger's back, delighted by the shriek of agony.

"Now Rita said her brother was the dumb one, so I'll make it easy for you." King Sphinx lifts the struggling Jake by the throat and demands an answer. "What goes up, but never comes back down?"

He doesn't give Jake a chance to answer slamming him repeatedly against the ground for the entire ten count. By eight he can no longer hold his morph and is surrounded by a cloud of yellow. When it fades away, only a ball python remains behind.

"Well, time to make this zoo a city wide endeavor!" King Sphinx cackles to the sky and flaps his wings, rising upwards and heading towards on of the parks.

Jake the snake remains still and coiled in agony, only hissing when he hears Gia and Noah calling for him. Emma has a hollering Troy clinging to her back, still morphed and ready to fight.

"Well this isn't good." Holding out her arm, Gia allows her boyfriend to wrap himself around the limb.

"I always said he was clingy," Noah comments with wide eyes, his mind at a loss for a solution.

"Let's get them over to Zordon, he might have an answer." Taking over, Gia leads the rangers in the teleport to base.


…


"What are you doing, I called you in almost an hour ago!" Bulk jerks back to awareness when the principal's door slams open.

"But Miss Appleby said-" His explanation is cut off, when she yanks him inside and slams the door shut once more. "You better go find out where the others went, after Troy got turned into a chimpanzee the footage camera man lost his nerve."

Bulk loses all color in his face and nearly falls over in shock. "What?"

"Radio says the battle is over for now, but the rest haven't comeback yet." Angela taps him on the wrist, making Bulk finally realize who's in front of him.

"Oh! Gotch'ya." He nods firmly and presses a combination of buttons, vanishing in a beam of crackling green.

 

[Flightless Man]

Episode 19.5: When Logic Fails​

"Troy calm down," Emma does her best to interpret his screeching, but it's really hard when she can't see his face.

Surprising everyone, Bulk is the one who makes a suggestion. "He still has hands, why doesn't he write everything down?"

Sighing at the obvious answer, Noah starts to rustle through his bag for some supplies. "How do we stop the sphinx?"

"Is something wrong with Jake, he's not moving much anymore?" Poking at the black and green patterned snake trying to wrap around a console, Gia frowns at how sluggish he's growing.

"It's way too cold in here for him, we'll have to send him to the Ziktor's with a note when we're done." Explains Noah with a wry chuckle. "I'd say let my brother, but he's even worse around snakes than I am."

She grabs Jake gently and wraps him loosely around her neck, with Emma giggling at Gia's attempt to hide her own shudder. Troy finishes his message and presents it to the laughing pink ranger.

"We have to answer his riddles," She reads aloud, making Bulk grow worried. "Or he's going to turn the city into a farm."

"So I'm guessing I'll be a potbellied pig by the end of the day?" Bulk growls to himself, knowing he won't last any longer than Jake and Troy.

Realizing something, Emma snaps her fingers in triumph. "We don't need to answer his riddles, we just need to stop him from asking any!"

"How are we going to do that?" Gia shakes her head and clenches her fists. "I think me and Noah need to hold him off, while you two get in a finishing blow."

Eyes lighting up, Bulk blurts out the way he used to shut Skull up. "Saltwater taffy!"

"Oh!" Noah catches on at once. "The factory, we can cover the sphinx in taffy!"

"I'll need Troy to heat up some vats and get it real sticky, will you three be okay?" Growing confident, Bulk does what he always has and finds a way out of the test.

Beeping comes from everyone's communicator at once, with Hayley's panicked voice coming through. "Where are you guys, the monster and his Tengu warriors are rounding all the students up for a pop quiz!"

"On our way," Noah assures her. "Stay safe until we get back."

"You better work fast," Gia warns the gulping green ranger and turns to the blue and pink ones with an expression of determination. "Emma get the kids away and me and Noah will handle the questions."

Zordon chimes in with a look of pride when Troy screeches his agreement. "Indeed, may the Power protect you all."


…


The three rangers who arrive back at the school make a mad dash for the gymnasium. Cawing can be heard echoing inside the building, with students screams joining the nerve wracking chorus.

"Only one place on campus they can fit everyone!" Gia leads them to the back door and doesn't waste time opening it, instead blasting the hinges off and kicking the door inwards.

Hundreds of students are being held on their knees, one by one being brought before King Sphinx. The several dozen animals already running loose give a very grim image to the rangers.

"Over here!" Emma calls out to the terrified teens, sending countless arrows into the Tengu holding them captive.

Working together, Noah and Gia catch the sphinx by surprise. Her furious slashes force him back and right into Noah's lance. Roaring in pain, the monster's tail wraps around his ankle and yanks him off his feet.

"I hope you've studied, because I'm out of all the easy questions!" He roars, kicking Gia away with a powerful blow. "Forward I'm what you do everyday, but backwards I'm something you hate. What am I Blue Ranger?"

Noah can feel some kind of magical connection between him and the mosnter, that only vanishes when he blurts out the correct answer. "Live!"

"Oh, do we have a smart lad?" King Sphinx spins to the side and clotheslines Noad, sending him to the wooden floor gagging. "How about the girl, ready for your turn?"

"Bring it!" Growling back at him, Gia is forced to intercept the Tengu moving for Emma.

Smirking at the yellow ranger, King Sphinx makes the magical connection and asks his riddle. "What tastes better than it smells?"

"But that's subjective!" She argues with the sphinx, even as the clock counts down from ten.

He shrugs back taps his wrist, licking his licks in anticipation. "Too bad I'm the one grading the test, I'm going to be having a feast when everyone flunks."

"Ha, you just gave it away!" Gia barks at him in triumph. "A tongue!"

Deflating as soon as she screams the answer, King Sphinx begins flapping his wings vigorously. The cyclone he kicks up catches Gia and Noah, sending them crashing into the bleachers across the room.

"So Pink Ranger." He leaps in front of Emma and growls as the last of the students escape. "All alone now, no more time to cram!" King Sphinx slams his knee into her gut, knocking the wind from her in a single hit.

He stand over her as she gasps and gives Emma her question. "Forwards I am heavy, but backwards I am not. What am I?"

Emma tries to come up with an answer, but the need for air keeps her from thinking. Only Gia's yell gives her any hope, as the yellow and blue ranger race back towards the fight.

"Not Emma, the answer is not!"

Clapping his hands in glee, the yellow mist begins to flow from his maw. "That's cheating, so time for your punishment!"

The amber fog surrounds a screaming Emma. The sensation isn't painful and in seconds she is replaced by a dove. The morph holds but looks ridiculous on her tiny frame, making it easy for the sphinx to smack her into the wall.


…


"Okay, this should be hot enough." Bulk watches the think viscous goo bubble in the vat. "Alpha, we're ready for you to send us."

"That's good, things aren't going well for the others." Alpha's panicked voice responds and the duo teleport along with the vat of boiling taffy.

Bulk grabs the vat and lifts with his knees, following the charging chimpanzee towards the gym. The Tengu flying after the fleeing students make it easy to find the source of trouble.

When they see Noah become engulfed in a cloud of yellow, Bulk heaves the vat at King Sphinx. The bubbling goo buries the monster and leaves him barely able to even twitch.

His every movement works the taffy in deeper, leaving his mouth completely covered by the candy. Troy focuses all the energy he can into his Power Sword and catches Bulk's equally charged Dragon Dagger. Slamming the weapons together at the hilt, he spins them in a whirlwind of energy and throws it.

It hisses through the air, the energy burning the very oxygen as it collides with the goo covered sphinx. The explosion sends taffy everywhere and pins the pink dove to the floor, with Troy being just as pinned beneath his own shower of candy.

An amber glow surrounds each of the transformed kids, reverting them all back to terrified humans. The naked teen who was once King Sphinx is confused and thankfully still concealed by the taffy.

"Guys... I'm stuck." Emma struggles on the floor, with Noah doing his best to yank her loose.

"And really good too." He growls with effort, but the pink ranger doesn't budge. Alpha is the one who solves the problem, sending all five into the sky as crackling beams of light.


…


Karone looks at the barely legible note beside the beautiful ball python and attempts to decipher it. "This snake is...Jake's?" She shrugs, confused why it was left here and lifts it carefully. "Well you are a beauty, you can help me do the chores until Jake comes to get you."

She wraps him carefully around her neck and spends a little under two hours going about her morning. When she is nearly finished with the vacuuming, a strange amber glow nearly blinds her. The weight of a suddenly full size and naked Jake sends the both crashing into the carpet.

"Why did they let Troy write the note!" Shrieking in panic he throws himself behind the sofa, just as a groaning Karone comprehends what just happened.

She glances over to his deer in a headlights expression, as only the top half of Jake's face is visible. "I'm going to get you some of Orion's clothes and then we'll never speak of this again."


…


Scorpina strides into the foul smelling cavern, the purple ooze bubbling below the obsidian bridge like lava. In her hand she holds a stag beetle, placing it inside a shallow basin carved in the rock. Looking over the edge with a smirk, she lowers a basalt cup on a chain.

It descends into the substance and fills, allowing Scorpina to very carefully pull her haul back up. The disturbance felt by the ooze sends ripples throughout, with the outline of a sneering face soon visible.

"Back for more Scorpina?" Ivan Oooze mocks the woman as she pours some of his essence onto the beetle.

"You said the ooze would make my soldiers capable of defeating the Power Rangers, or have you already forgotten the promises you made me for freeing you."

The visage of Ivan Ooze contorts into a snarl. "I remember everything, especially all that Barza and his Dairangers robbed me of!" Globs of ooze shoot dozens of feet into the air, Ivan's fury making it boil even more vigorously than normal.

"I missed the Mongol horde!" The outline of horse riders slaughtering fleeing people ripples across his 'skin'. "The smallpox epidemic!" Coughing people replace the earlier scene, with the people dying in droves. "And I didn't even get to experience the Great Depression… it sounded like so much fun."

"Our deal still stands?" Scorpina hisses down at the reformed face.

Ivan Ooze makes it look like his eyes are rolling and snorts up at the scorpion woman. "You provide me the virgin sacrifices I need to pull myself back together and I leave you Australia to do with as you please."

"The Dairangers somehow managed to defeat Malkor and Creepox, so we're going to need to build our forces fast." She turns when the cracking of a shell comes from behind. The beetle rapidly growing to a size of over eight feet, with two massive pincers gnashing the air.

Sneering down at the ooze, Scorpina mocks his efforts. "Rita may be useless, but even she is smart enough to use grunts as a means to delay her Mega Ranger foes."

"You want some foot soldiers?" Ivan hisses at her attitude and spits a glob of bubbling ooze up at her. "Have some!" It explodes above Scorpina and dozens of fully formed purple warriors rain down around her.

She evaluates the oozing figures and smirks. "Yeah, they'll do."


…


"You sure you don't want to keep it with us, just in case?" Eugene asks Saba for what must be the thirtieth time.

The sword once known as Robo Knight closes his eyes for a moment and seems to exhale in frustration. "It is the logical decision and as I have been lead to believe by you, it is good to give friends gifts."

"Titanus isn't a normal gift though."

"It was designed to operate with the Pleisto Zords and I am now connected to the Mystic White Lion." Saba assures his partner. "Now you can help Emma and find yourself at the same time."

Eugene blinks in shock and allows a smile to grace his lips. "Well when you put it like that..." He doesn't see his five new allies approach from behind, none of them having heard Saba speak yet.

"Are you talking to your sword?" Chip is the one to ask, his concerned eyes darting to the leader Nick for an answer.

"Why yes he is Chip." Shocking all five, Saba does indeed speak.

Eugene turns what was an innocent question into a prank."Haven't you tried yet, or are you not attuned with your weapon yet?"

 

[Flightless Man]

Episode 20: Do I Know You?​

Blinking when he finds himself sitting in a grassy meadow, Troy hears the sounds of people training. Thinking it's his friends and he just dozed off in the sun, Troy glances over to the sparring. Those aren't my friends.

Six shaggy teens are going through one of his own personal routines. All of them are wearing an animal pelt, with each one dyed a different color. A man in his late twenties leans against the rock Troy is sitting cross legged on.

"Geki and Burai are finally working together, I admit I was wrong about them." Barza laughs, his long white mane blowing with the wind. "If Alpha can get those great machines working, we actually have a chance against Master Vile."

Grinning when the chief of the Falcon Tribe's daughter disarms Goushi, Troy calls her off before any harm is done. "Excellent, all of you."

Barza smirks and steps forward, a white light covering his entire body. "It is time for the next stage of training, you had all better morph… or this will be over very quickly." When he finishes speaking, Barza stands in a version of the white ranger's costume, only lacking the chest shield he's seen on the news.


…


"I will, see you tonight!" Bolting upright in bed, Troy hears his own voice call out a farewell. "I'm meeting the girls at the Juice Bar." The slamming of the front door has him scramble over to his window and watch… himself walk down the driveway.

Troy tries to scream in outrage, but not even a squeak leaves his mouth. Grabbing his throat in shock, he doesn't find anything amiss. What the hell is going on?

Dressing in a frantic hurry, he shoves himself into one of his new red denim button up shirts. Once he's shimmied into his pants, Troy grabs his watch and tries to contact Jake.

"Hello?" Troy slaps himself when he can't get a noise out. "Troy, did you go to sleep with your communicator on again? If you don't say something, I'll meet you at Ernie's."

The line goes silent and Troy is forced to think fast. Bulk lives the closest! He snaps and pages the green ranger, giving him a few seconds to get out of sight and answer.

The second Bulk's voice starts to say hello, Troy head directly to his location in a beam of crackling ruby light. Farkas' panicked yelp gets a call from his mom.

"Farkas dear, are you alright?"

When Troy holds up a hastily scribbled note, Bulk visibly begins to calm down. "It's alright Ma, just a spider." He reads fast and frowns. "You have a doppelganger?"

He gets a firm nod back from Troy, who points to his communicator. "Oh, good idea. I'll call the girls and warn them about you." He giggles at the phrasing and tries to call Gia, only to frown when he doesn't even get static.

"Yeah I know something is really wrong, just give me a second." Bulk digs in one of his desk drawers, pulling out a few small recording devices called a Yak-Back. "Let me record a few things for you, or this will get really hard."

Frowning at the half dozen devices, Troy writes down his question and holds it before Farkas. "Me and Skull used them to mess with the teachers, he has the rest at his house." The green ranger shrugs awkwardly and points out his window. "I'll meet you outside, just gotta say goodbye to Ma."


…


Giggling with Emma and Dana, Gia takes a large drink from her smoothie and sighs contentedly. "I just can't believe I'm looking forward to school everyday."

"It's basically the only normal thing we do anymore, so I can't even disagree." Emma nods sagely, a teasing smirk gracing her face. "Which reminds me. The butterfly sanctuary is reopening soon, you two want to come with me?"

"You know once was enough for me," Snorts Gia.

"Just make sure any open wounds are covered and they don't try drinking your blood." Emma explains for the umpteenth time, with Dana's eyes going wide with curiosity.

"Really?" When Emma confirms it's not a joke, Dana is interested. "That sounds really cool, count me in."

A commotion near the front door draws the trio's attention, revealing Troy and Orion arguing. "What's gotten into you Troy, you're acting like a jerk?"

"Just make sure no one leaves, the streets aren't safe right now." With his message delivered, Troy pushes past Orion and saunters towards the girls. "Glad you two are here, I really wanted to see you."

"What's wrong Troy?" Emma reaches for her shaking hand, only for it to be smacked aside angrily.

"Nothing is wrong," He growls, before his expression quickly changes to a clearly fake smile. "Come on they have Karaoke now, I want to hear you sing."

"No we don't..." Orion interrupts, a confused scowl on his face.

Smirking at the naysayer, Troy jerks a thumb over his shoulder. "What do you call that?"


…


Waiting for him in the parking lot is a waving Gia, Dana and Emma leering at him strangely from over her shoulder. He doesn't see their copies inside the window of the Juice Bar, silently screaming for him to stay away.

"Hey Babe, we need a ride up to Hayley's." Gia grabs Jake's hand and starts to pull him inside the building.

"Sure, what's going on?" He allows her to drag him behind her, not noticing Dana and Emma penning him in from behind.

Leaning her head oh his shoulder, Gia wraps her arm tightly around his. "Oh nothing important, we just really need to see Noah."

"Yeah." He snorts at that. "He's spending all his spare time with her, I'm going to be very disappointed if he doesn't ask her to homecoming."

The second he walks into the main room, Jake can see double of everyone. He watches his friends silent doubles scream at him, only to suddenly be lifted into the air by the trio escorting him.


...


"Stop!" Bulk hears his own voice bark at him, with a frowning Troy pointing out a black truck.

The familiar faces inside make him curse under his breath. "That was Jake's truck, wasn't it?"

"Yes." Using the orange Yak-Back, Troy scowls at the parking lot filled with vehicles and no one in sight. He taps Bulk on the shoulder and points to the Juice Bar.

As he starts to head for the front door, Troy uses the yellow device again. "Stop!" Grabbing his hand, Troy leads him into the alley towards the back door.

Grabbing the kitchen window, Troy pulls himself up and gets a good look inside. He growls silently at the sight of twins holding each other hostage and drops back down to the ground.

When he grabs his morpher, Bulk realizes how serious things are and follows suit. The flashes of light are followed by them opening the back door carefully. Once inside, the duo dashes into the main room.

"What the heck is going on here?" Bulk asks for the pair, with the slightly off versions of everyone approaching.

"You came right to us, how considerate." Gia smiles creepily at Bulk and waves a group of clones forward. The dozen teens charging at the two rangers aren't any stronger than normal, but injure just as easily.

Doing his best not to actually hurt them, Bulk clears the path like a charging bull. The doppelgangers are tossed aside and Bulk is left standing in front of Gia's posse. When a laughing Troy steps forward he doesn't hesitate and jabs forward with an open hand.

Jamming a finger into the clones eyes, Bulk smirks when the screaming begins. Troy's body begins to deflate like a balloon with only a rubbery sack of skin remaining on the ground in moments. It wriggles about for a few seconds, before an eye the size of a baseball emerges.

"Okay, no holding back on the ones who can talk!" Drawing his Dragon Dagger, Bulk stabs hard into the clone of Gia's thigh. The same horrid screech starts to whistle from the hole, with another one of the eyeballs wriggling loose.

Troy follows his lead with no need for further explanation, slashing through the crowd of clones like wheat. He works his way forward at a steady pace and reaches the bound Emma. Once she's free he leaves his Blade Blaster with her and rejoins Bulk in the attack.

As the last clone collapses, the swarm of eyeballs float into the air. They swirl about like a cyclone and burst through the front door.


…


While Rita peers down at the Earth and cackles, Lord Zedd mutters darkly to himself. "All this for a child, why can't we just make one the normal way?" He growls at the sight of the planet spinning, a constant reminder of his time limit.

"Because we don't have time for that!" He shoots out a ball of electricity, turning one of his Tengu into a cloud of black feathers. The flock cowers, but none are stupid enough to flee and draw his attention.

"I believe you have been misled," Dischordia isn't stupid and so must have something useful to say. "Rita and her entourage are the ones Master Vile will punish, you can do whatever you want."

His eyes go wide at this knowledge and all that fills his heart is rage towards his wife. "Is that so…" Hissing with fury, he plots his revenge for this entrapment. "I believe a trial separation is in order, don't you?" The two cackle, neither he nor Dischordia aware of his first life.


…


Exiting the atmosphere of Mirinoi, the Astro Megaship is pursued by a squadron of Deathgalien Triangulars. Heavily damaged, DECA barely escapes to light speed. On board the silent ship, the four surviving Space Rangers mourn their fallen companion.

The only known survivor of her home world is lost in her own grief, but somehow Maya is the one with the strength to bring her saviors back together. "I'll never be able to replace Cestria, just as no world you bring me to will replace Mirinoi."

She looks Anubis Kruger in the eye and doesn't blink. The stern black ranger is he one who finally lowers his guard and listens.

"I don't want to hide on some safe planet, I want justice for my people!" Maya hisses fiercely at the pink ranger Kat Manx. "You can't go into another fight without a fifth ranger."

"It's not really a safe life." Admits the blue haired Trip, his face the most expressive by far among the rangers.

Rolling her eyes at that comment, Maya explains exactly how little she has left to lose. "Everyone I know is dead and my world is soon to be rocks drifting in space. I don't care about safe."

"You want justice?" Andros demands, his voice somehow firm and supportive at the same time.

Shaking her head, Maya has fire in her eyes. "No, I need it. I have to do everything in my power and use every tool to get it."

"I think we need to go visit my sister and finally lay Zhane to rest." He frowns, knowing the silver morpher will be needed. It's been needed for a long time, I just couldn't let go. "

"But he could still wake up!" A frantic Trip tries to argue. "We can't give up on him."

Kat holds a hand up silencing the Xybrian. "His brain has some activity, but Zhane has been wasting away for two decades. I'll never be able to do more for him on the ship."

"So we bring him back to KO35, leave him in a clinic!"

"So anyone can walk in and kill him for the morpher?" Andros shakes his head sadly. "No, we need to break the connection and I only know one way to do it. Karone will want to say goodbye, so we can check out this Earth Blue my niece is bragging to me about."

 

[Flightless Man]

Episode 20.5: Double Ranger, Double Danger​

Very glad no one has a voice, Bulk never the less flinches when the crowd screams at the seeing cyclone. "It's gone everyone, calm down!"

The teens nearly trample each other crowding him and Troy in the rush, with Bulk being forced to blare an out of tune note on his dagger. The shrill whistle has everyone clutching their ears, but it thankfully only lasts a moment.

"Grab something to write with and go warn as many people you can," Glad he has a helmet covering his face, Bulk gives orders to the crowd. To his amazement the teens break away at once to do so.

"You five." He calls on his friends, getting them a free pass to approach. "We saw you leaving in a truck when we arrived, where would they be going?" Man this is weird, pretending I don't actually know them.

"Looking for Noah?" Reading Gia's impeccable handwriting, Bulk sighs. "We'll go check on him, you lot should look out for those eyeballs on the way home."

Gia tries to say something but stops herself with a smack to her forehead, deciding a nod will have to suffice instead. Reaching between them Troy taps his watch as a reminder.

"Oh yeah..." Groans Bulk "Jamming field is over the city, I'm going to need one of you to drive." Orion whips out his keys with a smirk and the two rangers follow him outside.


…


The geniuses are crowded inside Hayley's workshop, as Angela Fairweather carefully pours the synthetic skin onto the mechanical frame. "It's going to take about a week to set and fully adhere to the 'bones', so no one touch anything until I say so."

"I'm so excited, you even gave me a working stomach!" Alpha teeters back and forth in excitement, his lights flashing brighter than normal.

"Well, kind of." Heading off an issue of gluttony, Nate clarifies exactly what he installed. "It's a conversion engine for organic matter, so your skin doesn't age in a few weeks."

Noah chimes in with a memory of how sick Troy was. "So that means only normal sized portions, we don't actually know if you'll be able to regurgitate."

"Can I come to homecoming with everyone now?" Growing excited, Alpha begins to realize what he can soon take part in. "And the beach!"

"No on swimming, you'll sink right to the bottom." Hayley warns him sternly. "You'll weigh over four hundred pounds and be dense as a rock."

"Oh..."

Nate gives the disappointed robot a comforting pt on the back. "But if you really want to go to the dance, one of us can take you."

"Well if no one else asks me, I'll go with you Alpha." Giving Noah a sideways glance, Hayley promises Alpha.

The sound of a truck rolling to a stop outside, has a blushing Noah rush to open the door. When does, Troy and Gia are already waiting to get inside, with both shoving past him with eerie expressions.

Orion and Emma wait outside in silence, until a giggling Jake catches up and the trio close the door behind them. "Hey Buddy, we've been looking all over for you." The black ranger's voice is thick with double meaning.

"Well here I am, what's up?" He gives the new arrivals a strange look, feeling something is off with the rhythm of each ones pace.

Reacting on instinct, Noah swerves away from Troy's tackle. Gia and Orion block the others from coming any closer, leaving him surrounded by three rangers. Copies or mind control? Because it really changes how hard I can hit them.

He blocks Emma's kick, only for Jake's punch to connect square with his jaw. "It would have been painless, but you had to be the smart one." Troy growls, his voice clearly inhuman. "Every broken bone is your fault."

"I know, sorry about all of them!" Noah swings his leg and drops his Jake to the concrete hard. Not giving his oldest friend a chance to recover, he pulls the nearest toolbox onto his legs.

Instead of a pained scream, the heavy metal forces the air upwards. It makes the rubbery skin bulge and burst, a screeching wail the last sound made by Jake's look alike.

When the eyeball wriggles along the floor, Nate is the one who lets out a terrified shriek. "What the hell is going on?"

"What the hell is going on?" Nate's voice repeats from the now open door. A monster that looks like a cross between three massive tubes of lipstick and a purple microphone, now blocks any means of escape.

Lipsyncher coughs and her voice reverts to a nasally cackle. "You humans sure do love whining, I can't wait until I've silenced you all!"

"So you're behind this?" He hisses and grabs his morpher. "Should have known better than attacking this wolf's pack, because I bite back!" The flash of blue light reveals him fully morphed and already in action.

Stabbing backwards with each half of his mace, the sounds of Gia and Orion's bodies whistling makes him smirk. "Call the others!" He charges forward and pierces right through Troy's chest and kicks the rubbery skin from his weapon.

"I'm afraid you won't get an answer, we already paid them all a visit." Mocks the monster, as she slashes forward with a massive tube. The glowing red energy is not lipstick, but Noah's not in a position to argue right now.

"What did you do to them!" Noah brings his maces down in a V, sending Lipsyncher flying backwards in a shower of sparks. His pursuit is cut short by the sudden arrival of an eyeball tornado, the whirling horror heading straight for him.

Each individual eye locks it's gaze on Noah, before all of them shoot a beam of red energy. They sizzle through the air and strike him all at once, dropping Noah to his knees in pain.

The largest eye floats in front of Lipsyncher menacingly, until she gives a hiss of acknowledgment. "Fine, I'll go find the boy. But you better save my three rangers for me!"

With her warning given, Lipsyncher marches towards the front door of the house and kicks it in. "Ryan, I'm home!" She mockingly calls out in Dana's stolen voice.


…


"Step on it!" An anxious Bulk hisses to Orion as he races up the dirt road. "The eye… storm just touched down at your house."

Troy leans out the window and keeps his Blade Blaster pointed forward, while Bulk finally remembers the monsters behind this. "Eye Guy, that's who's controlling all the copies. And I think Lypsyncher is the one who stole all the voices."

"I have no idea what any of the weaknesses are, I barely even know the monsters names." Bulk hisses back when Troy gives him a curious look. "I was grabbed right before Rita went on her honeymoon and you guys freed me before they got back."

When they round the last corner, it's to find Noah being bombarded by laser shooting eyeballs. "Noah!" Bulk's cry is accompanied by a barrage of well aimed blaster blots, with Troy hitting far more than he misses.

The storm of eyes notice them and amass on the largest one, forming a vaguely humanoid shape. "That stings, cut it out!" Each pupil swivels towards them and just as the exit the car, it's struck by a dozen beams of energy.

The vehicle glows red and explodes, sending flaming shrapnel raining down over the yard. Orion is breathing, but struggling to crawl away from the battle.

That ankle looks twisted. Narrowing his eyes, Bulk draws Eye Guy's attention with a bellow lead charge. Weaving around the red beams that he can and enduring the few he cannot, Bulk reaches the monster.

"Tell me how much this stings!" He roars, slamming his Dragon Dagger into the massive central eye. The strike causes the monster to collapse again, the eyes swarming over Bulk like ants.

"Oh my, you didn't see this coming… did you?" Lipsyncher mocks as she tosses the struggling Ryan inside a vortex of swirling scarlet. "I should have known your eyes would be bigger than your stomach."

Rolling away from her spray of acidic red goo, Bulk sees the brains inside working on some kind of device. Just need to give them a little more time.

Troy draws his attention by shooting into the dirt in front of him. Dashing from behind his cover, Troy leaps in dull faith that Bulk will give him the boost needed. When he feels hands push off against his heel, Troy rises gracefully towards the biggest eyeball.

His war cry goes unheard, but the explosion of power is definitely seen. Sparks rain down and the eye falls with them, bouncing off the ground the eye doesn't stop rolling for a while.

"We boosted the signal strength, the others can teleport right to you now!" Hayley throws her communicator to Noah. "Just channel some energy like it's a weapon and it'll create a hole in the jamming field."

Snatching the watch from the air, Noah does as instructed and calls the others. "We could really use some help up here, before Rita figures out how to block this too!" He doesn't get a verbal response, but soon three bolts of brilliant light arc towards them.

"I'm liking these odds a lot more." Noah grins in relief when Jake and Emma start shooting the eyes from the sky.

"Well I'm not!" Troy's voice roars from Lipsyncher, as Rita's staff stabs into the dirt. Energy pulses out and is absorbed by the two monsters, sending them both growing to skyscraper size.

Glancing at his expectant allies, Noah realizes only he can actually summon the zords. "Oh yeah. Pleistocene power!" He roars, with his hand thrust to the sky.

The howl of his dire wolf reinvigorates him and he leaps into the sky. "Just flash your lights when you're all ready." Rolling his eyes, Noah initiates the Megazord Battle Mode sequence.

"Bulk, can you handle the eyes?" Noah double checks before closing with Lipsyncher. "Because we'll have a hard time with that many moving targets."

"Don't worry, I'll give him something to look at." The haunting melody of the Dragon Dagger echoes and the Dragonzord unleashes it's payload of finger rockets.

By the ten, the missiles scream through the air in a deadly barrage. Each one that impacts destroys an eye in the swarm, but it doesn't really seem to be having an effect on the overall numbers.

Gritting his teeth, Troy sends the Megazord forward to trade blows with Lipsyncher. Globs of acid red goo splash down with each clashing of blades between the two, leaving rapidly decaying patches in the woods below.

Bulk's voice is tension filled when he speaks again. "We need more firepower, theirs to many of them to even make a dent in them!"

The ground begins to rumble, with an artillery bombardments worth of plasma blowing the eyeballs from the sky. The very welcome roar of Titanus fills the rangers with relief.

"Let's show this lady what a real knight looks like," Noah calmly declares, sharing a firm nod with Troy.

The red ranger sends them towards Titanus and with a running leap the Megazord is sent into the air. It grabs the massive white neck of the Zord and slides onto it's back. Feeling more like a cowboy now than he has over the several days in his new cowboy clothes, Troy unleashes a devastating blast upon Lipsyncher.

The beam of white is joined by a five color aura and it collides with the monster of impersonation. She releases a blinding explosion of white light, with the after image of her being the last time her monster for is ever seen.

"I think Eye guy here calls for some less… precise aim." Noah grins in anticipation and slams his fist down on the big red button. "Time to light up the sky Bulk!" Concentrated Morphing Grid energy tears through the eyeballs by the dozen, leaving none but the central eye floating before the Zords.

"I got this one guys," Warning the Megazord to stay clear, Bulk sends his own machine's spinning drill tail into the massive orb.

It pops in a shower of sparks, that thankfully fizzle before reaching the ground. The two cleansed humans stumble about in the woods for a few moments, before Zordon sends them away in a pair of grey light beams.

"Oh boy, does it feel good to talk again." Chuckling in glee, Jake speaks for everyone.

"I don't know, when I wasn't distracted by how much you normally talk… I was actually able to appreciate the view today." Gia teases back.

 

[Flightless Man]

Episode 21: Bloom of Doom​

No matter how many clusters of stunningly beautiful butterflies Emma and Troy point out to her, Dana keeps a scowl on her face. "I appreciate the intent, but if you two actually wanted to have fun today... I was not the right person to bring along."

"My dad either died and is being impersonated, or he's in on the whole evil organization thing." The goth makeup adds to her mood, giving Dana an appropriately dower mood. "Ryan was taken right from the house everyone said was safe and I'm really just not in the mood to look at pretty things."

Sharing a look of understanding with Troy, Emma stops walking and lets the butterflies land all over her. "We get it, really we do." She smiles at the distraught Dana and reaches over to put one of the monarchs on her face. "But if we completely break down, they win."

"We fight for these moments, so we're darn well going to enjoy them." Troy winks at Dana and pulls the brim of his cowboy hat down for a salute. "We're going to walk around and enjoy the day, before something bad does happen."

"And we won't think think about how my sister is behind the attacks in Japan," Adds Emma with a soft smile, her eyes closed and her body covered in color. "Or how Eugene hasn't checked in besides sending Titanus."

Troy chuckles when one butterfly tickles his nose. "I'm not thinking about how I'm the one who killed Jason to save the city, or how I'm the reason my parents are dead." Exhaling slowly, he takes Dana's hand and pulls her down onto the grass beside him. "We're going to spend an hour smiling, because we fought for this."

Accepting this begrudgingly, Dana holds a hand up and waits for something to land. "Just an hour though, right?"

"And then we can go back to being depressed for the rest of the day." He agrees with a sage nod.

"I guess that's manageable," Letting her frown slip off her face, Dana finally looks around the reopened sanctuary.

Families walk about smiling, but periodically glance to the sky for danger. Is this how things are always going to be now? Some people are very proudly wearing monotone colors in support of the rangers, while others have the Silver Guardian's pin on display.

Almost half of the people are red faced and sniffling, which has Dana frown. "Flu season's not for a while, so does that seem strange to either of you?"


…


"You look really good," Bulk greets Mrs Taylor with a red face. "I'm sorry I haven't been by in a while."

She smiles warmly and pats Bulk on the arm. "Nonsense dear, I'm just glad you and Zachary are friends again."

"I am too, it was… lonely." He admits and heads down the creaky stairs into the basement. "Hey Zach, Noah said you wanted to talk?"

Zach greets him with a wave, but doesn't stop his dance routine until the song ends. "Hey man, glad you came. It's weird having to hang around my little brother's friends all the time."

"We're friends?" Eyes going wide, Bulk slides onto the same ratty couch he always did. "Really?"

He doesn't get an answer until Zach stops dancing and taps stop on his stereo. "Trini made some good points about all of us kind of forgetting about you in middle school. So hearing about all you're doing to help Noah and the others, makes me remember the Farkas I know you really are."

"No one has called me that in a long time, except Ma of course." Farkas smiles warmly. "You still have the Michael Jackson tape?"

"Heck ya," A smirking Zach changes cassettes with practiced ease. "None of else felt good listening to it without you, but we couldn't toss it either. Way to many good memories."

"Well let's make another one now," Getting excited, Farkas is just glad Zach won't be able to see he's body roll. With how loud the music grows, neither hear his communicator go off half an hour later.


…


Pulling up outside the mansion – Because no matter what Jake says in denial, his 'house' is one – Gia gives her boyfriend a smirk. "You're just like everybody else, just a little more well off..." She rolls her eyes and gives him a quick peck on the cheek before they head inside. "Hope this talent for understatement extends to gifts as well."

"Don't worry, I've been getting ideas from Emma." Leading her inside with a chuckle that nearly becomes a groan, Jake introduces her to his father. "Hey dad… this is Gia. I told you about her, remember?"

"Yes, the girl who got you to give up that kids game and focus on your studies properly." His dad looks straight from Miami Vice, with his vibrant teal suit and thick mustache. "It's so nice to finally meet you, Gia I believe?" He smiles cockily, like the real estate agent for celebrities that he is.

Shaking his hand, Gia manages to keep the scowl from her face and even refrains from wiping her hand on her jeans. "Nice to meet you Sir, you have a really amazing place."

"None of that, you can just call me Roger." He smiles with a cockiness that churns her stomach. "And thank you, it used to belong to Antonio Banderas. When he upgraded through my agency, he cut me a deal on his place."

"Did you ever call a guy to see if it's actually asbestos in the attic?" Restraining himself from an audible growl, Jake manages to only roll his eyes. "Because I still think that's the reason he gave you it so cheap, not some amazing connection you shared."

"Asbestos is only bad if you move it, which is why I sealed the attic off."

"If you say so Dad," Jake humors him with a snort.

Remembering his 'good' news, Roger Holling claps his son on the back. "So I got a call from the insurance place and they said I can make the claim on Helen and Kimberley's policy in only three more months."

"But they aren't dead!" Jake argues instantly. "The Power Rangers already saved a bunch of people and they will save them too."

"Well hopefully they wait until the paperwork goes through, it's going to save me a ton on the divorce."

Struggling with his anger, Jake manages to keep from snapping. "Well since I'm not going to be able to count on a free ride anymore, Gia's going to get me caught up on my biology."


…


Swallowing his nerves, Noah slides onto the stool at the counter. "Hey Ernie, can I talk to you?"

The jovial father smiles and leaves one of his new employees taking orders. "Sure Noah, anything for you." He sidles over and watches the blue ranger squirm before him. "What's eating you?"

"Okay so you see..." Noah starts to explain, only to lose steam and changes tactics. "Wait no. It's homecoming soon and my mom would kill me if I didn't do this properly."

"You're starting to worry me Noah."

Exhaling with intent, Noah steadies his nerves and locks eyes with Ernie. "Homecoming is next weekend and I wanted to ask for permission to..." He almost loses his nerve, but forces himself to finish. "Can I ask Hayley to the dance?"

"Am I missing something?" Ernie looks confused. "I know she and her mom got a dress already, so why are you asking me?"

"Somebody else asked her already?" Feeling his hopes crumble, Noah can't think of who had the chance to.

"Aren't you two already dating?" Sliding dirty glasses into the dishwasher, Ernie grows more sure of himself. "I know I saw you dancing a few weeks ago and you've been over at our house basically every day since."

"What?" Noah's heart beats wildly in his chest.

Smirking at the shocked teen, Ernie calls Orion out from the back. "Hey Orion, are Noah and Hayley going out or not?"

"If you aren't, you better stop leading her along." Crossing his arms, Orion gives Noah an angry scowl for the first time. "Whoa, is everyone here sick?" His protective expression vanishes, making Noah whirl around to see.

"Do they all have green hair?" Ernie points to the nearest example, the woman's hair lifting up almost like leaves. "And what's going on with their skin?"

Examining the crowd, the closest thing Noah can compare everyone to is a pineapple."I'm going to go check with Zordon, you guys be careful."


…


"What's happening to all of them?" Dana gasps when the screaming begins. The suddenly sick members of the crowd are writhing on the ground, each ones torso changing into a pineapple of equal mass.

Each person's hair becomes the leaves on top, with the strangest changes occurring to the limbs. Both the arms and legs flail about and lengthen, becoming long pink tentacles wriggling on the ground. When they make contact with a nearby person, the fleshy tendrils wrap about them and squeeze.

"We almost got the whole hour to ourselves." Scoffing at the interruption, Troy sends out a call to the others. "We're in trouble and could use a hand."

He dashes after the girls, grabbing Dana and yanking her back from a grasping tentacle. "Careful, these things are really grabby!"

"What's the plan?" Emma stops running forward and barely avoids the flailing limbs. "Because we got a lot of people watching."

Reaching into her purse for one of her now necessary bottles of hairspray and a lighter, Dana doesn't waste anymore time. The gout of flame sends the tendrils retracting as soon as the air grows warmer and let's the trio move through the fruit.

Obnoxious chuckles come from the left, revealing an eight foot tall walking flower. Four pink tentacles emerge from the base like feet, with another four acting as arms. A mass of yellow tendrils sprout among the petals and pull any caught butterfly inside for a snack.

"The plan is defeat whatever that is!" Troy calls out a warning and tackles the girls out of the way. "Once we get out of sight that is."

"Oh that will be hard with my bird's eye view." The Pineoctopuss cackles madly, each movement of it's body sending clouds of pollen into the air. "Now Tengu, blow my sickness over the world!"

Shadows descend and a flock of Tengu land in the branches of a nearby tree. They flap wildly as one and send the ever growing cloud of golden dust rising into the air. It floats over the city and catches the air current going South to Mexico.

"Hey Dana, how many of those do you have?" Emma hisses quietly.

"Four..." Dana starts handing the hairspray to the pink ranger. "Why?"

"Going to make a distraction so Troy and I can sneak away to morph, be careful." She loops an elastic band around them and holds the nozzles down with a second. Once finished Emma throws it into the air and lets Dana light it up.

The fireball is bright and loud enough to cover the morphing calls of both Troy and Emma, with the red and pink light being hidden by the orange flame.

"Mighty Mega Red!" Troy roars in fury, his flame thrower already attached.

"Mighty Mega Pink!" Emma aims her own air cannon and the two begin a combination attack. Her pellets of condensed oxygen ignite as they travel through Troy's fire, creating a storm of flaming bullets that explode against the Pineoctopuss.

The monster ignites like an oil soaked rag and screeches in agony. Not yet defeated, it swings the searing tentacles for the pair. They streak through the air and Troy barely manages to leap between them, with Emma rolling under the attack.

Emma draws her bow and charges her string, with Troy doing the same to his Power Sword. "If you can actually shoot this straight, you can pick which Megazord formation we use next." He promises and watches in amazement as his glowing crimson blade shoots into the monster, the wave of pink energy following a second later.

The red and pink energy surges inside the monster and creates a blinding explosion of scarlet. Pineoctopuss' screams become more recognizably human, until the flames are extinguished and the now cleansed person is shivering in shock.

 

[Flightless Man]

Episode 21.5: Heir Apparent​

Unlike with every prior cleansing, Miss Appleby collapses to the grass screaming in pain. Her entire left arm is a mass of pulsing green veins and even worse, none of the pineapples are reverting.

"Miss Appleby!" Dana darts forward and grabs the emergency poncho they all carry now, helping the teacher cover herself.

"Where's Anton..." The confused woman mumbles to herself and realizes that she is no longer in her classroom. "And where am I?"

Glancing over at Emma, Troy knows this isn't one of Rita's plots. "I think we better bring you back to our base for a check up Miss."

"I think that would be for the best," She frowns and grabs her pained arm. "I don't feel very well."

"We should bring one of the… fruit with us." Adds a worried Emma. "Find out why no one else is changing back."

HE nods back and taps into the base's frequency. "Zordon, we have a problem here." Glancing at the people beginning to return in hope the transformation is over, he feels a pit grow in his stomach. "None of the people the Pineoctopuss affected are changing back, and the person we cured has some severe side effects."

"Locking on for transport now." The time locked Zordon responds, as the red and pink light are followed by two beams of grey.

Dana sighs and grabs the two rangers' bags. "Guess I'm going to the Juice Bar until someone can give me a ride." Scowling because no bus will be coming here today after an attack, she starts the long walk towards downtown.


…


Blue, yellow, and black bolts of light reveal the corresponding rangers before long. Bulk however is absent and not answering his communicator. Packed inside the medical room of the base, the rangers watch Alpha scan the teacher.

"What's wrong with her Alpha?" Concern fills her, making Emma grab the woman's good hand in support.

The robot doesn't answer until he finishes his test on the tentacled fruit nearby. "As far as I can tell, neither have been subjected to any of Master Vile's magic."

That news fills no one with comfort, setting the imaginations of all five off. What else is making monsters in Angel Grove? Troy recovers first and starts asking the teacher what she remembers of the morning.

"You asked about an Anton, who's that?" He keeps his voice soft, doing his best not to rush the woman.

"A new student was transferring in and I had a meeting with his father," Explains the now sedated Miss Appleby. "To make sure Trent wouldn't be to far behind everyone else."

Jake only knows one man with that name in town and growls. "Do you mean Anton Mercer by any chance?"

"How did you know?" Shocked, she nods slowly in confirmation.

"I worked with him once, he was a pretty messed up dude." Shuddering at the memory of how the lab smelled, Jake remembers the man had also claimed he had a son named Trent.

"The Stone Canyon kids had a few questions about the test and Aisha even gave me a pineapple." The kind yet strict teacher starts to remember her morning with more clarity. "They said it was a tradition at their school."

"I thought that was very nice of them, for such a strangely dressing trio and cut some up for my lunch." Frowning as she remembers what happened next, the rangers are equally shocked by the openness of the attack. "Anton Mercer came in for his meeting and he… locked the door?"

The rangers share a look, while Troy gets the woman to continue. "What happened next?"

"He turned on the radio, almost on full volume." Miss Appleby shudders and starts scratching her green arm. "Then he jabbed me in the arm with a syringe full of green stuff. After that, all I can remember is feeling like I was on fire."

After coughing in embarrassment Emma apologizes. "That was probably us when we changed you back… sorry about that."

The teacher snorts at the tone and pulls Emma in for a surprise hug. "You saved me Dear, so don't ever apologize to me for a little discomfort."

Alpha lets out a few chirps of surprise and runs the samples a seventh time. "Rangers, I believe I know the problem." He shuffles over and let's the tension build. "This was all done by human ingenuity, no magic spells at all."

"How is that possible?" Hisses Gia, her hands clenching in barely hidden disgust.

"With a chemical not naturally produced on Earth, this Anton Mercer has found a way to cross the evolutionary barrier for life on this planet."

Noah understands the half answer and makes a leap in logic. "So what does that mean, this serum can make a person's DNA mutate into anything else on the planets?"

"To a degree… yes." Agrees Alpha, his shoulders slumping at how creative evil really is. "But it will require an outside source of genetic material to trigger a change. Did you by chance ingest any octopuss recently?"

"Last night the teachers had seafood," Blurts out a horrified Miss Appleby. "Is that why I changed into one of those?" She goes pale and points to the pulsing fruit nearby.

"It looks that way," Gia agrees with a wince. "Now the real question is...'

"How do we save all the people who transformed already?" Growling at the hundred of changed citizens, Troy refuses to fail them.

Alpha shrugs sadly and gives the bad news. "I don't know how, at least not without a sample of the original serum."

"Mercer's house!" Blurts out Jake as another memory lights up. "He keeps a copy of his notes at home and lots of samples so he can't get screwed out of credit again. He said his old boss Andrew Hartford stole all his work, fired him, and got incredibly rich off it."

"I can kind of understand Mercer's fall, if that's really true of course." Noah admits with an awkward chuckle. "Years of work and it just… is gone."

That doesn't appease Troy and he makes it clear how he feels. "Doesn't excuse what he's doing to innocent people, so we need to raid his house."

"I'll keep trying to reach Bulk, so Anton doesn't recognize my voice or anything." Jake gives the others an annoyed sigh. "So good luck and all that jazz."

"Well it looks like the studying is actually paying off, because your ideas aren't nearly as stupid as they used to be." Snorts Noah, impressed his best friend is the one who realized that hole in the plan.


…


The sight of four Power Rangers appearing on a quiet suburban street, has everyone looking around in worry that only fades when no danger is revealed. The terror changes to curiositty, as the heroes walk up Anton Mercer's driveway and knock on his door.

"Why are we knocking, we know it was him." Tapping her foot impatiently, Gia is growling like a caged tiger. "I say we kick the door in and grab everything that looks weird."

"And if his kid is home?" Reminding her of the most likely innocent Trent, Emma manages to restrain her friend with only her words.

Troy agrees firmly with her and makes his instructions clear. "If Mercer is here, we grab him and the other three will raid his house. No violence unless someone else here starts it and keep Trent out of things… unless he chooses otherwise of course."

Footsteps announce the arrival of someone on the other side of the door and the delay most likely means they are looking through the peephole. Slowly the front door cracks open, but the deadbolt stays chained.

"Dad said you guys would come for him, but I thought he was just being paranoid." Hisses Trent, his visible hand shaking with nerves. "You're supposed to be the good guys, but the Guardians are right… you're just another faction of baddies!" He slams the door and he can be heard stomping up the stairs.

"Well, time for plan Gia!" She roars and kicks the locked door handle, shattering it and letting the door swing open. "I'll grab Trent, you guys check the rest of the house." She doesn't wait for an answer and dashes after the fleeing teen.

He makes it rather easy to follow, leaving the stairs to the attic down. We don't want to scare you Kid, but Mercer has hurt a lot of people today. We need to find his notes."

"So you're not aliens, you're foreign agents?" Growls Trent from the shadows and he lights a match. "You're not getting anything from me!" He roars in defiance and flicks the flame into a box filled with loose papers.

The attic goes up in flames and Gia is forced to dash forward to save the panicking Trent. She catches him in a tackle and throws them both down the stairs. Rolling hard along the wood floor, Gia hisses when he back slams into a railing.

"Trent thinks we're spies and lit the attic on fire, so you better look for anything useful fast." Hissing over the radio, Gia isn't expecting Trent to kick her as soon as she gets to her feet.

The blow sends her through the railing and tumbling to the main floor with a thud. Only the sound of fading footsteps, lets Gia know he dashed away out the backdoor.

"And I just lost him, so one of you better have some good news for me."

"I found a few vials of green stuff, but it's not labeled." Emma answers with an audible frown. "I'm grabbing them all, but this whole place seems like it was emptied recently."

"Lets bring them to Alpha and hope we have the right stuff, because I can hear sirens getting closer." Warns Troy. "This is going to do wonders for our reputation..." He sighs and the four head back to base in beams of colored light.


…


Rita drums her fingers along the table, anxiously waiting for her "son's" ritual to finish. Once his memories are suppressed, I can raise him evil the right way. No spells needed to make him the most repulsive warrior on Earth, just sweet motherly affection will be needed.

She frowns at Zedd, who is growing less cruel by the day in his treatment of her. What is wrong with him, he's being nice? Nearly gagging at the thought, Rita is nearly shocked off her feet when Koh speaks his first words.

"Mother?" His voice is the same one Ryan once had and the boy's appearance is mostly the same, but the mane of white hair and cruelness in his tone are very different. "Father?" His eyes dart to a now alert Zedd.

"Who am I?" Koh asks with a cold voice, only idle curiosity behind him asking at all.

"You are the Prince of Earth, my darling boy Koh Crueldor." Pulling the white robed boy into a hug, Rita cackles in glee over another success.

"You just need proper training and soon the world will cower in fear of you, just as it does your loving parents." Patting him on the back with motherly affection, she turns expectantly back to her husband. "Isn't he perfect Zeddie?"

Zedd glances at the boy, before his gaze settles on her. "At least one of you is."

"What are we going to do first?" The Prince giggles when two Tengu begin fighting. "Can I have the loser's wishbone?"

"Wishes are for the weak," Corrects Lord Zedd sternly. "In this family, we take what we want and crush any who disagree."

Koh blinks and nods slowly. "Of course father, I understand." He points to the Earth and hisses in rage. "I want the Earth!"

"So how will you get it?"

"Making all the humans wish they could die and then promising relief only when they swear allegiance to us." Koh growls at the knowledge his moon is the smaller landmass. "And then we take the rest of this system, before moving on to the whole galaxy!"

 

[Flightless Man]

Episode 22: Scent of a Weasel​

Eugene waits with baited breath for the news to finish it's update on the fruit crisis in Angel Grove, only letting it out in relief when the anchor finally reports on Emma's falcon releasing a spray to dissolve the pollen cloud. "I knew you guys could do it!" Didn't think it would take you three days though.

Hopping to his feet in now excellent cheer, he dances into kitchen of the house paid for by the richer members of the team. Chip is ignoring his oatmeal to instead focus on speaking to his rope dart weapon. His voice is a gentle whisper meant to coax a sleeping spirit to life, but this only makes Vida and Xander giggle more behind him.

"Not helping you two," Hisses the Kirin Ranger in annoyance, but doesn't look away from his task. "Go watch TV with Eugene, or better yet… you could try reaching your own weapons."

Vida snorts at that idea. "No thanks. He's still got it glued to the California news, checking in on his girlfriend."

"Not my girlfriend anymore and TV's free now, sorry for hogging it." Making the trio jump in surprise when he chimes in, Eugene steals the uneaten food before it goes cold.

"Well you seem pretty invested in making sure you bring her sister back in one piece, so she must be pretty special if you're still this hung up on her Mate." Patting him on the back in commiseration, Xander steals the orange juice from Chip.

She is. Wincing at his lifetime of screw ups, Eugene uses the excuse of eating to escape responding. Vida shushes them needlessly when her phone morpher goes off, either Nick or Maddison trying to get a hold of her.

"V here, what's going on?"

Her sister's panicked voice comes through a moment later. "A new Insectoid showed up and she stung Nick." Panting comes intermittently, informing everyone that she's running after or from someone. "He and all the guys she stung are following after her like drones."

"We're on our way." Vida urges the guys to get ready, her fierce glare makes sure none argue.

"I could use some help." Groans the blue Pegasus Ranger as she's forced back again. "Every time I try and get close they swarm me. I don't really want to hurt anyone of them, they're all being controlled by this Beezara."


…


Jumping over the whip, Vida growls when the green ranger switches sides. "Of course Xander falls for the man controlling monster!" When he dashes for her with both fists swinging, she counters with a smirk. I have wanted to hit him for a while though, so maybe this isn't all bad.

"Kind of got my hands full with Nick over here!" Her sister retorts as Nick is very liberal with his Qi blasts, putting craters in the dig site with every miss.

"Make sue she doesn't sting either of you!" Vida roars at the white and yellow ranger.

Eugene barely avoids a stinger in his back when Saba leaps from his hand to parry the blow. Maybe the whole talking weapon thing isn't so stupid? Narrowing her eyes at Xander's next attack, Vida is forced to avoid a pair of green Qi beams.

He keeps his attack going as a constant drilling force, not letting Vida get close enough to stop the assault. Forced to evade until he changes tactics or exhausts himself, she doesn't see Beezara dash for Chip.

When the Insectoid flies straight towards him, Chip knows he can't afford to get hit even once. I'm not fast enough! He realizes in horror, when she gracefully avoids each of his frantic blasts. "Come on Gion, we can't let her break our spirit!"

Chip reacts to slow, but his weapon moves like lightning. The cable glows with electricity and the dart shoots forward, clashing with each of Beezara's stabs just in time to save himself. Each successful parry by Gion breaks on of the monster's nails, soon leaving her with none left to gather more minions.

"Look what you've done!" She shrieks in rage holding her claws up for his examination, only to yelp when the glowing cable shocks her.

The dart hovers angrily in the air, vibrating with barely contained energy at the end of it's leash. What sounds almost like the bleating of a giraffe comes from his weapon, the cable remaining in the air around Beezara like an electric fence.

"It worked..." Gasps Eugene in disbelief. I was only screwing with him as a distraction.

"Fry that bug!" Maddison's yell snaps Chip from his amazement.

Narrowing his eyes with focus, Chip can feel the sentient if beastial spirit respond to his thoughts. It reverses directions and snaps the wire closes, carving the monster queen bee into crispy chunks.

Panting with exertion he looks around the dig site, happy to see all the men snapping free from Beezara's control. One Xander's Qi beams carved a trench in the dirt, exposing a massive silver bone.

"What is that?" He draws the others attention towards the object only half revealed and still three times his size.


…


Lord Havoc cackles as his fleet lays waste to the last remnants of Denzi's defenses. He expected the rangers to actually pose a challenge, but none even showed themselves after the humiliating loss of a first battle.

As Provinces swear allegiance to him by the dozen, he can only hope Divatox has yet to accomplish her own task. She may be one of Vile's new favorites, but that doesn't make her anymore competent. He scoffs at even being worried she might succeed before him.

"Lord Havoc, we're detecting a massive build up of energy from the North Pole of Denzi." A technician warns him with a startled yell. "It's pointed our way and the power is already off the charts!"

"Raise shields and brace for impact." Remaining calm, Lord Havoc narrows his eyes at the sight of a five colored beam streaking towards his fleet.

When it strikes the first hundred ships, they vanish before anyone has a chance to blink. The beam continues as if the shields only gave it even more energy. It crashes into his flagship and the shields don't even flicker, they just never existed in the face of the power disintegrating Lord Havoc.

Cascading outwards from the beam, the five colors of energy wash over the fleet and leaves only seven ships capable of space travel. The regions of Denzi that had surrendered tear down the false flag of Havoc and raise their own in celebration.

The beam of energy continues through space and is so dense it warps the very fabric of time. A traveler heading the same direction, only thirty two years in the future is caught in the beams wake. The pilot of the craft designed for a single agent is pulled backwards in time and is carried to Earth with the Denzi Star beam.

The time displaced agent of the SPD is slower than the beam, which somehow causes him to crash land on Earth seven years before the beam ever left.


…


In the room being used for Tommy Oliver's medical care, Angela Fairweather slips in the change his IV. When she finds him alert and sitting up in bed a feeling of joy fills her, only to be forced from her body a second later.

Tommy shifts in his bed and she can see the small lizard on his shoulder, one of the many roaming the area. Must have snuck in when someone opened the window to air the room out. The small lizard is not what makes her blood run cold however, that would be caused by Tommy himself.

His body – apart from his head – is covered in dark green scales with a slight pattern of black intermingled, but they are only visible in the direct light. Now with slit red eyes and an extended jaw filled with sharp teeth, Tommy's voice is barely recognizable as more than a hiss.

"You are the one who cared for me?" He twitches with each word, a red crest on his head is now clearly visible against the paleness of the albino scales around his face. Coming to a stop beside the terrified Angela, his tongue darts out to lick her cheek.

"Yes… it was me, once we got you away from Mercer that is." Trying not to stutter, Angela reaches for a sedative filled syringe.

Before she can use it on the reptilian teen, he grabs her wrists and almost purrs. "How thoughtful of you, this will make transportation much easier." He jerks her arms to he side and Angela can feel the sedative immediately take effect.

"Now I need to find Mercer, get myself some proper revenge." Tommy carefully lifts the nearly unconscious Angela and leaps out the window. When he lands in the grass, his tongue darts out to taste the air.

"You really need a shower Mercer," Giggles the rage filled teen. "I can smell you from here." Dashing down the hill towards Angel Grove, Tommy moves at speeds he's only seen at a racetrack.


…


Making sure no one followed was easy, the rangers left once his house was ablaze. Some heroes they are, I can't believe my dad was actually right about them. He kicks a rocks and it bounces of the door to his dads secret lab.

"Dad it's me." Trent desperately hopes his dad is inside and uses the intercom. "The Power Rangers attacked the house and I have no idea what to do now."

"This was predetermined information, I warned you not to stay at home." His dad chides him, but does unlock the five inch thick steel door. "Hurry up and shut the door, my work is very fragile right now."

"What are you working on now?" Wondering out loud, Trent descends the stairs into the abandoned missile silo being used by his dad. "Got new ideas for those Android plans, or are you trying something new?"

"Come see, I think you'll be impressed with how close this batch is to completion." His dad's voice is filled with arrogance, which makes Trent roll his eyes.

When he does finally reach to main level and enters the lab, his mouth goes slack. "What are you doing to them!"

He recognizes a few kids from school strapped to surgical tables and hooked up with a bunch of tubes. Connor something and Ethan James he barely knows, but Kira Ford was who he intended on asking to the dance.

Cassidy Cornell and her cameraman Devon are also strapped down, but he only recognizes them from the footage of the Green Ranger's first fight as a hero. The final two people he's never seen before, but the Silver Guardian maintenance uniforms make him feel dread. Ben and Betty?

"Making sure humans endure whatever space can throw at us, because I don't know if you're aware… but we're in the middle of an invasion." His dad growls from his desk. "So I'm making sure you have some friends who can keep up with you."

Keep up with me, what did you already do to me? Trent's heart hammers in his chest as he realizes that just maybe… the Power Rangers aren't the bad guys.

"And those two just annoyed me, so I tested the new serum on them first." He waves a dismissive hand towards the Burkes.

"Who followed you?" His dad hisses when alarms start blaring.

"No one!" Trent defends himself, because of how long it actually took him to arrive. "I spent three days making sure."

His dad slams both hands on his desk and roars back. "Well clearly someone did, now I'm going to lose everything again!"

Something fast slams into him from behind and sends Trent sprawling across the cold concrete floor. Two clawed feet step into his field of vision and the voice hisses out a mocking response.

"Don't blame the boy, you should know I couldn't track him by smell."

So you did do something to me! Trent doesn't get to feel proud of being right, too focused on trying to draw breath at the moment.

"I just need you to give my nurse here a dose and we'll be going." Mocks Mesogog. "Since these two annoy you so much, I'll have them keep you in line."

"But my research!"

Mesogog pins his farther against the wall with a single hand and traces a claw beneath his eye with the other. "Don't worry, if you're a good boy I'll let you keep playing scientist. We can seal this place up like a time capsule and everything will still be here when I'm done."

"How long can humans go without food or water?" The monster asks with casual interest.

"Three days with no water, three weeks with no food." Anton Mercer chokes out.

Cruel snickering comes from Mesogog and he drops Mercer in his amusement. "Well I hope you have supplies for your son's friends, because I'm going to need your services for far longer than that."

 

[Flightless Man]

Episode 22.5: Harmony and Discord​

When he gets the last wire attached between Alpha and his new body, Noah can only hope the few hours early will not have a noticeable effect on the android. "Now I just need to hook this back up to the power." Noah grins in excitement at being so close to finishing.

"Just tell me when to flip the switch," Bulk waves them off, just glad the heavy lifting is finally over. "First time in years I actually want to go to one of these things." A glimmer of something conniving is in Farkas' eye for a brief moment, but it's gone when Noah blinks.

He gives Hayley a hesitant look and taps his fingers nervously against his legs. "You're sure you actually want to go with me?"

"I had my eye on you for a while," She admits with a playful smirk. "When you came in with confidence and pride flowing from you for the first time, I made my move before someone else did."

"When did you make a move?" Noah shakes his head as the ride the elevator down to the basement of the Command Center. "I'm pretty sure even I'm not dense enough to miss that."

Her laugh comes out light and airy like one of Tinkerbell's. "I made sure my intent was clear and monopolized all your time, love is just attraction and proximity after all."

"I thought you might have just been using me to get at Alpha's body," He admits with a heavy blush.

"It's really the flying car that has me sold," She remarks with a teasing smirk. Hearing you talk about the science with such passion and then help you actually accomplish what should have been impossible… yeah, you're a way bigger catch than you know.

Slidding behind the massive generator, Noah grabs the dangling cord and connects it to the Command Center's power. "Alright Farkas, everything's ready on our end." He doesn't get a response for a few seconds and almost speaks into his wrist to repeat himself before he finally does get a shocked answer.

"Why'd you call me that?" Bulk frowns and looks up to Zordon for guidance. "No one but Ma does anymore."

Knowing he needs to hear that people are in his corner, Noah honestly explains his reasoning. "Zach says you aren't putting on a mask anymore and I think the best way to acknowledge that… is to stop calling you by the nickname a bunch of punks gave you."

"...Oh" Farkas goes silent for again for a few moments, only to call out in excitement. "He's starting to move, better get back up here for the final look."


…


Four beams of light return to the Ziktor residence on the hill, revealing three humans and the android Alpha. "It's not quite the same as when I was Troy but that's okay, all those sensations really got distracting."

"Let's show everyone how you look and get ready," Hayley grabs Alpha by the hand and starts leading him into the house. "Dana is going to be your 'date'. It was the only way we could actually make her come tonight, so make sure you compliment her dress and pay attention to her when she talks."

They guide the android into the living room, where everyone else has already gotten ready and is waiting with varying degrees of patience. Jake's expression changes from relief to a wince when he sees Alpha. Now how do I say this nicely?

"Did you have a stroke or something?" Orion blurts out for him, saving Jake from being the one to say something dumb. "Your face looks kind of… off?" He points towards his own mouth and traces how Alpha's left cheek is drooping. "The left eye is kind of looking off to the side and the eyebrow is sagging."

"It was my first try making an android look like a life like person," Noah gets a little defensive on Alpha's behalf.

Kicking at the blunt teens shin, Dana doesn't seem to mind. "I think he looks great, better than some I've seen anyway." She leads Alpha off to get ready.

"You guys better head down now, the Radbug will probably still beat you all." Noah chuckles smugly at his finally finished flying car.

"We'll take Emma," Declares an actually eager Gia. "Orion you can take the rest of the guys and we'll meet you at the school."


…


"Wasn't expecting any Guardians to be on campus," She growls as soon as she exits the truck, at the six pairs of Silver Guardians doing sweeps of the parking lot.

One of the other new kids Jordan gets out of his mom's van with an explanation and a very shy smile. "After the whole pop quiz monster thing... the parents insisted on a visible source of protection."

"But it was the Power Rangers who saved everyone, not these guys." She scowls at the nearest Guardians, one of whom happens to be Mike Corbett.

"You still on that train?" He recognizes her from the mall, even with her new hairstyle. "Haven't you heard what the did to Anton Mercer's house in broad daylight?" He snorts at the kids who raise issue with his words and continues uncaring. "Makes sense why they let that menace the green one join up, they're all rotten to the core and finally showing it."

Not backing down, Gia gets right in Mike's face and hisses. "And what about the people rescued from the moon, the ones who are still locked up in your base?"

"Baseless accusations," He growls back in denial, but a bead of sweat begins to trickle down his brow.

"Well when you actually stop a monster, or the Rangers actually go after someone not working for you… maybe I'll be willing to listen to such a 'baseless' joke." Gia makes sure to place extra emphasis on his own word in her retort.

Mike goes red, but his partner manages to calm him down and finish the sweep of the school. "Ignore her Corbett, she has no idea how soon things are going to change."

"Nice job keeping a low profile," Kicking Gia in the heel, Emma hisses with crossed arms and gives Jake instructions. "Can you go get us some drinks, I need to talk with your girlfriend about her attitude."

"Uh..." His eyes dart between them awkwardly until Gia concedes with a nod.

"Just go," she waves him inside. "Otherwise she'll be watching me all night with those judgemental eyes of hers."

When he finally does go inside with a half dozen backwards glances, Emma gives her best friend the riot act. "You came up with the whole throw them off our trail plan, so you could at least not break character the first time you see a Guardian."

"He just gets under my skin and it makes me want to break his nose."Admits Gia with a sigh. "Sorry, I'll play nice for the rest of night."

"Good." Emma glares at the redhead who looks rather awkward in a yellow strapless dress." because you and Jake may have been running of on all these little dates and Noah has that whole thing with Hayley..." She trails off to take a deep breath.

"But I've had a crappy love life for a few years now and when Eugene finally goes back to being a nice guy… he goes on a journey of self discovery around the world and hasn't even sent a letter!" Jabbing a stern finger under Gia's nose, Emma is finally releasing all her pent up frustration. "I need this night to be good, Troy and Dana definitly do, and this is Alpha's first day out in his new body."

Watching Emma deflate after her tirade is over, Gia quirks a single eyebrow and smiles. "Impressive and about time."

"What?" Her anger spent, now Emma can only feel confusion at that remark.

"If you can't stand up to me who will support you in anything you ever do, how will you ever be ready for the rest of the jerks?" Gia smiles and takes her confused friend's hand. "If Eugene couldn't handle me, no way he could last through the hard parts with you." She shrugs at this. "Took him a while, but he finally did get his head back on straight."

This makes Emma giggle in realization. "So that's why you're spending so much time with Jake, it's not just all making out when we're all gone?"

"I like that he wants me to be myself, all the other guys just tell me I need to smile more." Explains Gia with a shrug. "Jake's whole personality is wrapped up in not being his dad, which is a good thing. But when he forgets and just lets go… that's when I really have a great time with him."

"You really do like him, don't you?"

Gia nods slowly and stops before the duo enters the noisy gym. "He doesn't just put up with my flaws, he actually seems to like them. I didn't think I'd be able to trust someone like this for a long time, but..."

"Fighting for our lives has really proven we can trust all three of them." Agrees Emma warmly, before teasing her friend with a smirk. "Didn't think I'd ever see you in a dress."

"You've implied I'm going to have a really good night… as long as he keeps up this newfound confidence that is." Smirking back, Gia shares a laugh with her oldest friend. "Figured I should give him some incentive to do so." Besides, I actually like it when he looks.

"Well go have fun, but make sure you two are ready when Bulk gives the signal." Emma shoves her inside and waits for Orion's carload to arrive. I can't believe it was all his idea, I guess he's even working his way up to being trustworthy.

She grins back with excitement. "We get to screw with everyone and do something nice for Troy, no way we're missing out on Bulk's first good idea."

Emma watches her strut towards Jake, the crowd parting before her aura of confidence and checks who's already here. The sight of a hard rocking Mr Burley makes her laugh, while Angela slow dancing by the far wall with Zach is something she never expected to see.

She gets so caught up in the people watching, Emma doesn't hear her friends calling out from behind her. It takes an over excited Al Pha pretending to be one of her cousins for the night, to startle Emma and alert her to the fact that Noah did indeed beat the slow driving Orion.

"Isn't this amazing Emma?" He gazes into the gym with awe filled eyes. "So many people having fun in the same place… it's like being in one of the plays Zordon and I watch on the viewing globe."

"And you say we're going to surprise Troy, how are we going to do that?" Eagerly he asks, desperate to squeeze all the fun possible into a single night.

"Farkas is going to to make a scene and you just need to play along," Noah explains, making a few people blink at the name used.

"Don't worry Al, I'll fill you in will I show you how to dance." Laughing genuinely for the first time in days, Dana pulls Alpha and his awkward body onto the dance floor.

Hayley joins the good humor and drags Noah out after them. "Don't wander too far, we saw my brother should only be another five or so minutes away."

When the others arrive with the unaware Troy, Farkas heads past her with a discreet nod. He heads straight for Jake and causes a very vocal scene.

"You all should know I've been a jerk for a few years now," He yells the second Noah's signal makes the music cut out for a minute. "Either firsthand or by word of everyone's mouth." Farkas gets a bunch of jeers, but he continues his speech.

"What you may not be aware of, is why I was such a bully." His hands are shaking at his side, but Farkas stills them and points to Emma. "I screwed Emma's life up pretty bad because I was being picked on. I thought her boyfriend would be a great henchman and got him to dump her."

Now hes getting full on boos, but this seems to only invigorate Farkas like a cleansing torrent. "You all know how incredible Emma is," The crowd confirms this with a unanimous cheer. "She's willing to forgive me, but Gia's more reasonable and is making me prove I actually want to change."

He grabs Jake's surprised hand and gives Emma the wink letting her know to move. "I need to make a public fool of myself, so here it is." He breaks into an exaggerated waltz with a smirking Jake, leading him right down the middle of a laughing crowd.

"I didn't say embarrass my boyfriend while doing it!" Gia pretends to complain and allows Emma to grab her own hand.

"Well lets give everyone else something to look at," Playing along, Emma leads Gia in the duo's own ridiculous tango.

Al and Noah break off for an impressive double robot, while Dana and Hayley stick with a more sedate two step. Orion and Nate are next to begin mashing the potato, which gives Troy and Jordan a chance to sneak a few slow dances in once the music resumes.

After a few songs, Farkas' plan is put on hold by the scowling vice principal. He waves on the band to resume the normal set and stomps out of the room.

At first the duo's music is only strangely melodic, but soon the entire gym finds itself caught in a trance. The woman singing shifts from a pleasant tune, to a tone that causes agony to all who hear.


Notes: Based on the votes, Season 2 is Mythical Spirits and Season 3 is Dino Ninjetti (Kakuranger suits, Abaranger helmets/suit pattern of white teeth and Dino-Ninja symbol on chest/zords). Tanya is so far SV's winner on season 2's new ranger.

Orange and Purple are coming in about 2 episodes(4-5 days), so if anyone wants the Zords to be something besides a Megalocerous(purple) and a Glyptodon(orange), tell me now.

 

[Flightless Man]

Episode 23: From Out of Nowhere

Can't detect Rita's presence on the moon anymore, so I need a back up plan. Baboo stomps through his lab and attaches the nodes to his head. The process of having his thoughts copied and transferred into the future robot is painful, but oh so necessary.


He endures the sensation of his brain being electrocuted and watches with a confidant smirk as the Blue Senturian's lights begin glowing. When the agony ends, Baboo jumps to his feet impatiently. He dashes to his double and runs a hand over the metal face.


"How do we feel?"


As the memories of Baboo integrate with the wiring, something unexpected happens. It may have been caused by a side effect of Vile's magic, Something done by Frax as a way to spite him, or even a a normal virus, but the Blue Senturian's eyes glow a dark red.


"I find myself in need of a way to identify myself," The bundle of memories finally speaks, his voice coming out as a stilted stutter as he grows used to having a speaker in his throat. "If you are to keep the name Baboo, I will become Venjix."


"I find it appropriate, since I created you to bring your vengeance on those who oppose us." Cackling madly, Baboo fails to see his corrupted double glare at him.


Venjix watches the display of the solar system and neglects to inform Baboo of the ship entering orbit. He expands his awareness into the newly constructed base and takes over. It's a shame you have Cyclopsis and the Borgs on a magically protected system, it seems I can't get rid of you quite just yet.


…




Jerked backwards by the sudden insistence of her legs, Emma struggles futile against her own body. All around the gym it's the same for everyone, no one is able to resist the call of the music.


Locking eyes with Gia is an effort at first. But as long as she lets her body dance, she can move her head just fine and tries to let everyone know. The music is too loud however and drowns out her voice... along with the screams.


One by one the teens form a pair of rings and start to dance like a maypole is in the middle of the crowd. Faster and faster the move and Emma doesn't know how long the students can keep this up.


The windows burst inwards and nearly thirty Tengu crash to the gym floor. The rise with menacing caws and move towards the helpless Silver Guardians first.


The music drops in volume so the bands singer can shriek at the crowd. "What do you three think this is?" The singer distorts into a red haired gnome with a massive hammer. "This isn't freestyle, now get back in line!" The Gnarly Gnome roars at the crowd, drawing Emma's gaze towards the ones who managed to resist.


Noah is surprisingly able to fight back against the Tengu using his new skills. Even blind, Zach is showing everyone why he is the kind of dance. Able to tell the people from the birds based on the sound of talons on hardwood, he moves like a hurricane. Less energetic than Zach, Jake cuts a path straight for the stage.


"How are you fighting?" Gia growls at the trio, getting a cocky smirk from the Zachman.


"Fighting is just dancing without music, just think of a kata as a routine and kick some ass!" He does exactly that and cracks the toe of his dress shoes into a Tengu's knee.


Agreeing with the guy no one will ever believe is actually blind after tonight, Jake makes his own witty remark. "Nothing's changed except the tune's not all in my head." He leaps onto the stage and yanks the wires from the control box.


The music cuts out and everyone is free to move, which sends the exhausted Guardians charging for the Tengu. Outnumbered but willing to defend the students anyway, the dozen Guardians show not all in the organization are corrupt.


Mike Corbett takes out two of the birds by himself, while his men work together to occupy half of the flock. He fails to see the pair coming at his unguarded back, his partner having been taken out by a single strike to the throat.


Emma and Gia lock eyes intent on saving the stubborn man. Gia grabs her wrist and spins and once she has enough momentum, Gia throws her friend through the air over the Tengu.


Slamming into the two right before the ambush on Corbett can be carried out, Emma drops them both to the ground in a boneless heap. Mike's eyes widen in surprise when he turns and realizes what he missed.


"Uh… thanks."


Emma just smiles and darts after the Tengu chasing some students. She joins with Noah and Zach, with the trio forming a circle of safety on the dance floor.


Unable to morph, Jake does little more than distract the Gnarly Gnome. Neither of his kicks did more than hurt his feet, which only makes the monster grow in confidence.


"I thought the rangers would have been here, it seems I only have children to toy with!" He connects with Jake and sends him sailing off the stage.


Troy and Gia rush to the groaning Jake, helping him to his feet before he gets mobbed by any of the birds. "A few of us need to get away and morph, do yo-"


Whatever he was going to ask is cut off by five unknown figures in color coded uniforms leaping through the already busted windows. The silence caused by the arrival of the Space Rangers doesn't last long, with them filling the gymnasium with the sounds of combat.


In only a matter of a few elegant seconds, the Tengu are defeated and only the band remains as a threat. Gnarly Gnome roars and his band melts into a single female monster, revealing the violet crystalline body of Dischordia.


"Space Rangers on Earth?" She screams and sends a wave of force from her mouth. "Impossible!" It slams into the rangers first and the students next, with another shock wave coming with the second scream.


"You'll find nothing is impossible for a Power Ranger." Andros rises with clenched fists that suddenly have his Spiral Drill Saber in them.


"Kruger, want to show the new kids how the Quadro Blaster handles a monster?" Kat Manx call out and summons her Satellite Stunner in one hand.


He gives a howl of agreement and summons his Lunar Lance. "Good idea Manx, can't let them think Andros does all the heavy lifting."


He leads the yellow, pink, and blue rangers in the combination and before Troy can warn them, fire at the Gnarly Gnome. The energy whistles through the air and strikes the monster, but to the Earth ranger's relief he is cleansed.


"Not our first battle with Vile's forces, he's been busy." Andros calls out to Dischordia and makes his drill glow red. "So let's make this quick and let the kids go back to having fun."


Andros dashes forward and drives his charged weapon into Dischordia's chest, sending an explosion of sparks into the air. Once he's sure the monster is indeed vanquished, he turns his back and shields the nude woman from the crowd.


"Didn't expect Earth to have an active defense force," Andros commends Mike Corbett and hands over the school's security to the remaining Silver Guardians.


Shaking the offered hand, Mike smirks back at Andros. "Didn't expect names to actually be coming from any of your mouths, easier to trust someone with one."


Troy ignores the comment and drags Gia from the gym. "It's your uncle right?" He hands Gia off to Emma and Jake, directing his words to the Ziktor twins instead. "And his team?"


"Yeah, so we should probably get home..." Orion confirms with a sigh. "Sorry for cutting the night short."


"Wasn't like the dance was actually going to continue anyway, so at least we still get something cool to do tonight." Grunts Farkas as he worms his way out of his suit jacket. "It's off, so I'm not going back in either way."


Jake hops into the drivers seat of his truck and whistles for attention. "We should beat the rush."


"As soon as they're done talking with the Guardians, everyone will be rushing out to watch that thing fly away." Agrees Gia as she climbs in beside him and points to the floating blue space ship above all the vehicles.


"Can we just park at my house and teleport?" Trembling with excitement, Noah fumbles with the keys to the Radbug. "I don't want to wait almost an hour for Orion."




…




The beams of color arrive at the Ziktor house before the Astro Megaship, but only barely. Andros is first one of the ship and calls out the crowd with a cheery smile.


"Based on the light show I'm assuming six of you are rangers and the rest are just in the know?" He ruffles Orion's hair and pulls his sister into a welcome hug. "Now Hayley mentioned her boy in blue, so does he need a talk with Uncle Andros?"


Laughing at the mostly teasing remark, Karone pushes Noah forward for an introduction. "No need Andy, this one's alright."


"Hello, I'm Ship." Noah blurts out when Andros takes his sweaty hand. "Can I see inside your noah?"


He goes silent when he realizes what he just said, but this just makes Andros chuckle. "Ask Manx. It may be my ship, but DECA is her baby."


"I'll give everyone a tour in the morning, I need food an a good six hours of shut eye." The brunette with feline features agrees with a tired groan. "Don't bug me until the sun is up at the earliest."


Nate misses most of the introductions. The second he hears Maya giggle, he swivels on the spot and falls in love.


"So what was the rush, you normally only come for Christmas?" Smiling at her brother, Karone knows something is up.


"It's Master Vile and his new unified front of evil." Andros runs a shaking hand through his two tone hair. "We need the Silver Ranger."


She frowns and shakes her head side to side fiercely. "But Zhane might still wake up."


"We both know he would have a long time ago." Her brother sighs tiredly, having already gone through this choice a hundred times on the way to Earth. "Zhane's body is never going to wake up, his body is trapped and I brought him here so you can say goodbye."


"Excuse me." Al interrupts and nearly backs out when everyone turns to stare. "If I understand this right… this Zhane is in need of a body?" His artificial tear ducts begin to pump clear fluid down his cheeks. At least I got one day as a person.


Andros is missing a few key facts, which leads to his initial denial of the offer. "I could never give him someone's body and even if it was somehow possible… Zhane would never accept that kind of sacrifice."


"I believe we have had a miscommunication," Holding up a hand to stall any further argument, Alpha decides it will be easier to show them. Activating the signal in his old body remotely, he summons the now empty shell.


"I am an android and until a few hours ago… this was me." He shrugs when his friends try and argue. "Noah here has fine tuned a body swapping machine and I am willing to wait another few months to dance again."




…




Rubbing at his flaking skin caused by so much exposure to the Morph-X fumes, Mercer grabs Andrew Hartford's cat. He extracts a single hair from a vial and drops it into the mixture. After the fizzing stops he fills a syringe and injects the feline.


His new boss Mesogog growls, reminding him to leave the animal as a means of… disposing of the bodies. Tossing the cat to the floor, Mercer watches it hiss and scamper away into the shadows.


"What else do the new... lab assistants need to bring?" Hisses the reptilian teen once known as Tommy. He motions the rhino boy over and slaps the newly named Rocksteady on the back. "Make sure he doesn't take much longer."


Mercer mutters, but all of the transformed can clearly hear the words. "You better be worth my rhino horn being ground up, I had… uses for it."


"Got it boss," Grunts the mutated Ben. "Meet you in the sub." He slams an elbow into the sickly looking scientist and starts gathering what remains in the lab.


Pointing with one of his razor sharp claws, he directs the girl once called Betty in her task. "Make yourself useful and set the charges." Striding past the girl mutated with a pack of bacon, he knows Beebop will follow his command.


Grabbing Angela's gurney, Mesogog hisses what he believes to be words of comfort. "Calm down my dear, we're just taking the emergency sub down to the Amazon."






Notes: TMNT Next Mutation has the canon crossover during In-Space, so I was always going to reveal Beebop and Rocksteady now. Of course it was one of the things I was going to surprise my ranger ideas discussing person with, but while I was 200 words into the chapter, they mention the two TMNT crossovers in a message. I kind of think they have magic powers now.

 

[Flightless Man]

Episode 23.5: Chase into Space​

Andros watches with disbelief as Noah flips the switch and his oldest friend's mind is transferred into the android. "I thought you said this was nearly instant?" He frowns when the new body fails to move.


"The transfer went through, I'm already getting more mental activity." Noah assures him as he looks over the monitors with a relieved grin. "It's just taking him a while to remember how to wake up."


Letting out a sigh of relief, Trip nods slowly. "I can feel him dreaming."


"He should wake up around familiar faces, not such a strange place." Andros gives an apologetic glance to the amused Zordon. "No offense meant of course, everything you are doing for us… I have no idea how I can ever pay you back for this."


"None taken, I am all to aware of how sterile this place feels." Reassuring the leader of the Space Rangers, Zordon is not done. "It is good you are finally here, I finished your Zords millennia ago and have been waiting for your team to come get them."


Trip freezes in his examination of Zhane's mind and blurts out his shock. "You mean we're finally getting our own?"


"The tales of your foresight, really failed in preparing me for this." Admits Andros, shock filling his voice when five key cards emerge from a console.


Alpha hands them to Andros, while Zordon gives his instructions to both team leaders. "One of my students was behind the settling of KO35, nearly twenty thousand years ago." He smiles at the memory and needs to shake his head to get back on track. "I told Dimitria I would have her Zords ready, but she never sent her rangers to claim them."


"You just have a whole extra set of Zords in this place, just ready to hand over to another team?" Shocked at the turn of events, Andros considers the holes in the story. His timeline is way off, because Dimitria the First only colonized our world ten thousand years ago.


"I had them constructed by Alpha Three on the moon of Saturn called Ganymede." With a concerned expression growing on his face, Zordon fills in some more of his history on Earth. "She must be so lonely."


Alpha perks up in surprise. "My sister is still online?" He turns anxiously to Andros and pleads with him.


"Don't worry Alpha, you gave Zhane a chance at life." smiling warmly at the robot, Andros reassures him quickly. "I owe you the most and if you want to see your sister… I'm not going to say no." Can't imagine never having met Karone, so I'm glad I already have a chance to start paying you back.


"The Mega Voyagers are sealed and will need all five original power coins to open the facility." Explains the ancient head with gravitas filling his tone. "The key cards will then give you access to your personal Zords."

Noah darts his eyes back and forth between the red rangers. "Are we going to space? In an actual ship this time!"




…




"I'm in charge while you're gone?" Farkas swallows his nerves and nods.


Patting him on the shoulder in apology, Troy confirms the instructions. "We can't leave Angel Grove defenseless, so we're counting on you and the Dragonzord."


"Zhane should be up soon, so he can back you up." Andros reminds the worried Green Ranger.


"I'm kind of surprised Nate isn't begging to come." Admits Emma with a chuckle. Snorting at that, Gia reminds her that he went off to sulk after his third rejection.


Jake grins at Farkas and jinxes everything. "It's basically a parcel pickup. We'll be back by dinner and everything will be fine."


"I guess cockiness is a black ranger trait after all." Purrs Kat Manx, as her companion glowers at her side.


"Confidence." Both Jake and Doggie defend at the same time, making then share a look of understanding.


Alpha starts to let his impatience show and urges everyone to hurry. "The longer we take saying goodbye, the longer it takes for us to get back."


"Sorry Alpha," Apologizing for everyone, Emma waves her own farewell to those staying on Earth.


"You kids have fun and don't believe Andros when he says a strange noise means DECA is going to explode." Karone hugs her brother goodbye and follows her children inside to wait for Zhane's awakening.




…




Exhausted by his divorce battle, Lord Zedd emerges from his now personal chambers. He strides into his thrown room and frowns at the sight of his remaining generals. Madame Woe and the Terror Toad gaze from his balcony, pointing at something heading away from Earth.


"What are you two blabbering on about?" Rubbing at one of his slowly healing wounds courtesy of Rita, Zedd hisses in anger.


"The Power Rangers are leaving Earth and going to Saturn," Madame Woe is the one who answers with a deferential voice. "Earth is defenseless."


"And not my concern right now." His rage boils over and it takes all of Lord Zedd's restraint to leave her unharmed. "My late wife and her minions had the time limit, by sending that witch to the darkest pit of Hell… I'm free to conquer this rock at my leisure."


With a second team of rangers already on Earth, it would be best for me to make use of the other potential overlords. Zedd glares at Japan and the oozing boil of evil that taunts him. "We're waiting until Serpenterra is ready and only once it is, will we take Earth."


"But I want it now!" Koh whines, making Zedd wish he had banished the brat as well as the mother.


Blurting out information that actually interests him, Terror Toad explains why the rangers are going to Ganymede. "They're going to get some more machines from one of Zordon's bases, wouldn't that make Doomwing's work go faster?"


Zedd pauses and considers this for barely a second. "Go after them now, I want those Zords!" His roar sends the two generals scampering off to obey.




…




Hiding inside one of the Megaship's vents, Nate watches the rangers train on the Simu-Deck. At first he tried to give all five pairs equal attention, but soon his gaze is locked on Maya.


Her and Gia are in a recreation of a swampy environment, with barely any dry ground for the pair to face off against the Craterite holograms. Gia does a good job keeping her island clear of any threats, but Maya is moving like Tarzan.


She uses every inch of her home world's landscape to her advantage. Swinging from vines, she moves from island to island like a wild animal.


"And you say all of Mirinoi was like this?" Grunting from exertion, Gia grins when another hologram fades into nonexistence.


"It doesn't really have continents like Earth does, it's almost entirely a single ocean covered with pockets of land." Maya swings into a trio of Craterites and drives all four of them into the murky water.


Before Gia can worry for her fellow Yellow, Maya emerges with a triumphant roar. Her now filthy hair sends mud flying in every direction when she shakes her head from side to side.


"The poles aren't even frozen, and really everything is either a swamp, marsh, or lowland jungles." She tells of her home with a proud grin and cracks her elbow into another holograms face.


"I'm sorry about what happened to Mirinoi," Gia softly whispers when the hologram fades away, leaving both only dirtied by sweat.


Accepting the surprise hug, Maya explains her current mindset. "I may not have saved my home, but we're going to Aquitar once we're done on Earth. We will save Aquitar from Flurious and many more worlds after that."




…




Rolling away from his attackers, Jake focuses on his hearing and kicks. The flash of a Craterite's defeat shows him a brief flash of the pitch black cavern. Doggie Kruger is handling the terrain better and carves through a squadron, his nose and ears giving him a clear advantage.


"Triforia actually managed to defeat the attackers?" He does his best to focus on both blind fighting and a conversation of what's going on in space. "It's not all a wave of Master Vile's victories?


"You need not feel guilt for your sister releasing him," Barks out Kruger sharply. "You are doing all in your power to stop her."


"But-"


Doggie interrupts with a fierce growl. "No butts! They really stink with a nose this good." The comedic comment from such a serious ranger has Jake snort in surprise. "You are doing great and we're proud to call you fellow rangers."




…




Emma puts her foot in Manx's cupped hands, allowing herself to be tossed into the air. The height gives her a clear view of the plateau and she calls out her findings.


"We got a few dozen more climbing the cliff."


"So let's show them what's waiting for them!" Hisses the feline woman, right before throwing two of her foes off the ledge.


Emma tries to stay positive, but the things she's learned don't sit well in her stomach. "The entire Flash system is being attacked?"


"All five inhabited moons at least, none of the gas giants have life." Agrees Kat with a grim nod. "It seems to be mostly a stalemate, but hopefully we can send the Aquitians... once we relieve them that is."


"Is it really so bad everywhere?" Emma sends a few of her own holograms tumbling of the edge with a leg sweep.


"Vile's forces have taken a few dozen worlds, but he also took out many of his own leaders." Smirking at the way evil will always turn on itself, Kat shows her teeth are all pointed like a cat. "It's left some armies lacking any real power and allowed almost as many worlds to firmly repel the invaders."


Relived by that, Emma watches Kat kick the last Craterite off and the simulation end. "And we really can't do anymore to help?"


"Once you handle your own threats, we may have some stuff for you."



...



Noah watches the chest high blue grass blow in the wind, with the lighter cyan trees bending along with it. "Xybria was conquered?"


"Yeah, but we knew it was coming and got almost all of our children evacuated first." Confirming the sad news, Trip blocks the Craterite's surprise attack. "It's the fifth time Vile's come back as far as I know."


"It almost seems like he's an eventuality, maybe even a collection of the universe's evil." Frowning at the idea, Noah bobs around his own hologram.


Tackling a new enemy to the dirt, Trip saves Noah from a black eye. "Maybe Earth has the right idea, just hiding from the universe has left you pretty prepared."


"No one else has tried?" That confuses Noah. Isn't Zordon known across the galaxy, or at least his students?


"A few places just disappeared, but I have no idea if it was on purpose or from destruction." Shrugs the blue haired Trip, a very zen grin on his face. "But seeing you guys thriving, gives me hope for the places like Phaedoes."




…




Instead of finishing the final foe, Troy and Andros start sparring with each other. Troy grins every time one of his kick are block and vows to get him with the next punch.


He knows he's about to connect and take down to older man, but suddenly the simulation ends. Red warning lights flood the room and end the training at once. DECA's voice informing them of the cause.


"Incoming alert from Edenoi, patching it through now." Her soothing voice is a stark contrast to the angry red glow.


A teen's voice cries out desperately. "Space Rangers, this is Prince Dex of Edenoi." His voice isn't very clear, the sound of a war nearly drowns him out. "Our capital is soon to fall, we need help or we shall not see tomorrow as free people!"


The transmission ends suddenly and Troy can feel his own rage rising alongside Andros'. "So we get the Mega Voyagers and go save them right?" Zordon said he can beam us back if things get to bad for Farkas, but this invasion is because Jason freed Master Vile. If Jason can't fix it himself anymore, I need to.

 

[Flightless Man]

Episode 24: To The Tenth Power​

DECA cuts her speed to a reentry level and cruises towards the hidden facility. A massive crater carves a lake sized chunk out of the moon, revealing five color coded doors resting in the rock face.

Leaving the Megaship in a hover position midway across the bowl, Andros stands and gives a last second reminder to the Earth team. "We may have breathable air in the crater, but it's best if you all stay morphed once we leave the ship."

"How are we going to reach those doors?" Emma doesn't seem to be looking forward to mountain climbing on Ganymede. "This crater is nearly two miles across and several deep."

"Yeah, I thought we had an emergency call." Agrees Gia with a confused frown. "Shouldn't we be picking up the pace?"

Smirking at the teens, Kat explains another difference in the two teams arsenal. "You have Mega Cycles, we have Galaxy Gliders."

"We've never morphed with another team and I'm suddenly feeling self conscious about our call sign." Troy adds with an embarrassed voice, which makes his team shuffle uncomfortably.

"Don't worry, all Ranger morphs are embarrassing." The Space Rangers chuckle at Doggie's answer. "If you aren't brave enough to embarrass yourself, you won't be able to face real evils effectively."

Noah catches on first and gives an understanding 'ah'. "So it's like a secret first evaluation?"

"Exactly." Nods Andros, sharing a sympathetic look with his fellow Red Ranger. "It took me a few tries to find one I was uneasy doing in front of people, but could still do with false confidence."

"I thought it was strange at first, but when people see us do the morph… it actually fills them with hope." Chimes in the Xybrian Trip. "It's tangible for my people and morphing visibly really fills a crowd."

"The simpler the message we fight for, the stronger we are." Andros agrees, his lips quirked in a smile. "It's why the most powerful monsters seem like they belong on one of those kids shows Hayley and Orion used to watch."

Not wanting to waste anymore time, Gia steps up to the yellow tube in the wall. "Are we going to do this or what?"

"Let's Rocket!" Andros calls out with a smirk, prompting Troy to lead his own team in the morph.

"It's Morphing Time!"

Ten rangers exit the Astro Megaship in color coded pairs, with most of the Earth rangers looking very uneasy on the rocket boards. The five Galaxy Gliders streak towards the doors with a tail of glowing light and lose sight of each other quickly.

Trying not to allow his nerves to overcome him, Noah carefully stands on the blue board. "I think I need to slide my morpher into the middle of the door, that indent is the only sign of a difference I can see."

"I'm so excited, Andros never lets me drive when we change the ship." Trip steers them close and leaves the pair hovering before the impression in the metal.

The moment Noah's Power Coin touches the door, it begins to glow a brilliant sapphire. "Huh, black wasn't last one this time." Bathed in the glow of the door, the two Blue Rangers can see four similar auras in the distance.

"Open it up," An impatient Trip pleads behind Noah. "I want to see what I got!"

As Trip guides them inside the hangar a large white and blue rocket is revealed. The words Mega V3 are clearly displayed on the white portion and Noah is forced to resume a kneeling position when Trip darts towards his Zord.

"Rangers, you have company." DECA warns them all suddenly, making Noah whirl his gaze to the open door.

Two monsters are already giant sized and trying to swat the Megaship out of the sky. One is an enormous horned toad, with a bright and bulging yellow belly. His companion is a female with a porcelain mask concealing her face, with flowing white robes covering her body.

Troy's voice speaks next, but is not directed at anyone on Ganymede. "You said we could teleport to Earth Zordon, does that mean you can send us the Pleisto-Zords?"

"I am sending them now," Confirms the earthbound mentor. "Try not to crash it this time, Alpha would like to work on his own projects and not just handle the repairs we force on him."

"Keep those two busy, I'll try and figure out the controls as quick as I can." Trip commands, before leaping from the Galaxy Glider towards V3.

"Hey!" Yelling in shock, Noah tries to stabilize the now unsteady board. "How do I fly this thing?" When his team start to call out their own ability to reach the Zords, Noah lays down and manages to angle the Galaxy Glider out the door.

It doesn't go even half the speed Trip managed effortlessly, but Noah finds that's fine by him. His wolf is racing towards him in the bowl of the crater, while the other four Zords engage the monsters in the middle.

When the Jake sends his mastodon charging forward, Noah's surge of hope is dashed. The green and yellow amphibian shoots out a glowing tongue.

"I can't get free!" The panicked shout of Jake is soon followed by his entire Zord being transformed into a ball of black light.

As the mastodon is swallowed by the massive Terror Toad, Noah and Gia call out in shared worry. "Jake!"

Blinded by rage, Gia sends her tiger racing around the horned toad. She avoids the first few lashes of his energized tongue, but the yellow machine is caught around the waist when it leaps for the monster.


…


Sliding into the cockpit of the Mega Voyager V1, Andros sends the red and white space man into action. "V1 online and ready to combine."

Taking advantage of the low gravity, Andros make his Zord leap upwards and starts the transformation. The spaceman's body shifts and forms the waist and upper legs, with Trip splitting his fuselage into the lower legs.

"V3 in position, let's stomp some evil!" Trip cries out with unbridled exuberance.

The black and yellow flying saucer V4 is next to join, with it becoming the torso and arms. "V4 is active and ready to strike." Maya's login is somewhere in between the two levels of passion.

The pink and white lunar rover splits in half and becomes the feet. "V5 is ready to turn this spacewalk into a face stomp."

"V2 attaching now, all systems are coming online now." Doggie's black and white space shuttle connects to the neck, forming the Mega Voyager

All five cockpits arrive in the chest's shared control room, with Andros activating the booster rockets immediately. The Mega Voyager streaks towards the battle, all four torso cannons unleashing a barrage of lasers against Madame Woe.

"If you get back in your ship and fly away, Lord Zedd might allow you to live." She offers coldly, extending her nails to saber length when all five rangers firmly reject it.

"Counter offer," Andros replies with a growl, his voice being broadcast from the Mega Voyager's speakers. "Make your friend spit our allies out and we might not destroy you."

"You can't do that!" Gasps Madame Woe, legitimate shock in her eyes. "You're the good guys, you have to try and 'save' us."

"We have planets to save and sometimes we have to make sacrifices for the many." Doggie admits with sadness filling his voice. "It's something the Earthlings will need to learn one day, but today we can spare them from that fate."

DECA reveals herself by sending the Astro Saber from her cargo hold, which Andros doesn't even try to catch. He lets it impale the ground in front of them and instead draws it free from the rock while charging past.

The Space Rangers are forced to ignore the sight of the pink falcon being eaten behind them and focus on their own battle with the sorceress. Shocked by the ferocity on display, Madame Woe is forced back step by step.

"That wasn't part of Lord Zedd's deal!" She shrieks in horror, the shock making her movements sluggish.
"So what's it going to be," Roars Andros as he charges the Astro Saber. "Purification or destruction?"

Raising her hands in surrender, Madame Woe begs for her life. "I don't want to die!"

"Good choice." The grim voice of Andros agrees, as he slashes through the Vile magic behind the transformation. Before anyone can be concerned about the naked woman on Ganyemede's surface, she vanishes in grey light and heads for Earth.

"That was supposed to happen, right?" Eyes wide in shock, Trip watches the beam vanish.

Andros give a snort and puts his Blue at ease. "Don't worry, Hayley said it's so no one knows who was transformed. And I guess in cases like this… keep them safe from freezing"

"If you're done celebrating," Calls out Troy, as a ball of blue light is swallowed. "I could really use some help over here!" His ape is swatted aside when he tries to interfere in the meal and is blasted with lightning from the Terror Toads horn.

"How are we getting the others out of this guy?" Maya hisses with concern.

Sighing to himself, Troy can only think of one thing. "I'm going to have to use plan Jake." Why is it always something stupid that works?

Allowing himself to be eaten, Troy's body tingles when he becomes crimson energy. Inside the Terror Toad's gullet, the scarlet ape reforms waist deep in stomach acid. Relief fills him at the sight of the other four zords, the wolf and tiger standing on the back of Jake's mastodon to avoid the churning bile.

"Gia, what did you tell Jake about toads?" Growling as his sensors alert him that his shields are half depleted already. "How do they throw up?"

She realizes immediately what Troy means and smirks. "Lots of them basically turn inside out if they eat something poisonous."

"You ever consider being a teacher?" Jokes Jake with a proud chuckle. "Because this is the most in depth lesson I've ever had. I actually see what what you meant about the mucus replacing the salivary glands and it's even grosser than I imagined."

"I don't think I'll be allowed to feed the students to a toad," She snorts back, but allows a smile to grace her lips. Although I know a few teachers who would be first in line to teach that class.

"You got me my first A in science, so I bet you could convince the school board it's worth a few missing students."

She denies the praise with a firm shake of her head. "No, you earned that yourself." Gia gives him heartfelt praise for his recent efforts. "All I did was read the textbook so you could learn the information the right way."

"Do we actually have a way to make ourselves toxic, or was that just a cute anecdote?" Emma hisses, her falcon narrowly avoid what looks like geysers of stomach acid.

"Time to finally try out Guardian mode." Explains Troy with a confidant grin, prompting the slow but heavily armored combination.

"We release some spare oil and ignite the whole belly." Doing as he just detailed, Troy smirks as the stomach acid becomes a black slurry.

Blasting the oil with a single laser ignites it he entire mess, sending flames licking up the Terror Toad's throat. "Hang on!" Hisses Troy, as the entire stomach is thrown out the monsters mouth.

They spill onto the rocky surface of Ganymede and the flames go out with no oxygen. The helpless state of the inside out toad leaves him open for a cleansing strike from the Mega Voyager.

"Am I glad you guys found a way out, I didn't know how much longer we could have stuck to evasion only." Exhaling in shocked relief, Andros brings the Astro Saber down on the Terror Toad.

 

[Flightless Man]

Episode 24.5: Missing Green​

Gazing up at his floating rocket, Trip uses his most pitiful voice on Andros. "Come on, please let me fly in the V3. I promise I won't take any shortcuts."

"I would advise against that, the Mega Voyagers lack any form of hibernation system." A nearly identical version of Alpha explains in a distinctly female Irish accent.

She has silver instead of gold like her younger brother, which really does make her look older. The red making up her frame is a deep purple instead of red and the blue material is likewise changed to a vibrant orange. The yellow bolt of lightning on her chest is also changed, with a bright blue one in it's place.

"I highly recommend leaving them linked to the Astro Megaship's controls for interstellar travel." Turning towards Andros, her voice takes on a hesitant tone. "Am I to remain here, or will you perhaps require my services for onsite repairs?"

Emma snaps her last picture of Ganymede's surface and feels a pang of guilt go through her. "Of course we're bringing you, it's inhumane to leave you here alone."

"But I am not human?" The silver robot responds with confusion filling her voice.

"We treat Alpha Five like he's one of us, so you're just as much a person to as he is." Gia can also hear the worry in Alpha Four's voice and the idea of how long she's been alone here twists her gut uncomfortably.

Chiming in with his own words of support, Jake throws Troy a teasing smirk. "We let your brother switch bodies with Troy for a few days." This shocks the female Alpha. "He even got to morph and drive the Megazord."

"We didn't let him have my body, unless you and Emma swapped on purpose." Snorts Troy in response. "But I agree with the rest of that. So if Andros doesn't want you on his crew, you're more than welcome coming back to Earth with us."

"After we save Edenoi." Not willing to relax for a moment, Doggie growls with impatience. "We already have a four day trip, let's not make it any longer."

Agreeing with his Black Ranger, Andros starts waving everyone onto DECA. "We should probably get that Nate kid out of the vents."

Hissing with laughter, Kat needs a moment to catch her breath. "It was funny leaving him inside for a two hour trip to Saturn, but I'll go get him down now."

"We sleep in shifts on the ship, so can you split your team in half? We only have six hibernation pods on board and I don't really want you six flying DECA by yourselves." Andros directs his question to his fellow red, who does just that.

"Gia and Emma. You two can go first with Jake and I'll take the other one with Nate and Noah, I know they have questions for Trip and Kat about space." He shakes his head from side to side once on board and he can cancel his morph. "I know I have some of my own, so unless any of you want to switch..." He trails off and gives everyone a chance to complain.

They have none and follow Trip and Andros to the sleeping chamber. Climbing into the tubes, Gia remembers something.

"You guys think Bulk can handle things while we're gone?"

"Worst comes to worst, Farkas he can call Eugene for backup." Jake makes sure to emphasize the Green Ranger's name.

Blinking as her sedative mist fills the tube, Emma needs to clarify what she just heard. "Wait a minute… he has Eugene's phone number?"

"… Yes." After a moment of self flagellation, Jake admits the truth. "I wasn't supposed to tell you Emma, he wanted to comeback at Christmas and show you how far he's come. At least that's what Farkas said."

"Four days to Edenoi, maybe a day or two with emergency efforts, and four days back." Gia counts off the days on her fingers and freezes. "Maybe this wasn't the greatest idea..." She trails off as sleep claims her and the others.


…


"Wait a second, you guys fought someone called Turbanshell?" Farkas can't contain himself and bursts out laughing. "How is a turban harder than a real shell?"

On the other side of the phone, Eugene returns his own playful jab. "What's a Pineoctopuss and how did you guys let it turn everyone into fruit?"

"Have any of the others figured out your 'secret' talking weapon technique, or have you told them it was all a joke yet?" Enjoying this moment with his friend, Farkas pries for more gossip.

"Maddison and Nick have and Vida is getting a really faint whisper from hers." Shares Eugene, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes by the time he finishes. "Xander just can't sit still long enough… without falling asleep of course." Changing the subject, he asks about the current mission. "Alpha really let this Zhane guy have his body?"

"Yeah, but he wont be able to continue as the Silver Ranger." Farkas wanders around the Ziktor's yard, enjoying the smell of nature this far from Angel Grove. "Androids kind of lack DNA and the Astro morpher needs some to bond with."

He hears the garage door slam open, but doesn't react until he hears Karone screaming. "Zhane stop, it's me Karone!"

"Lies!" The voice Alpha selected barks out in anger. "You stole my body and did something to my morpher, I'll be back once I tell Andros who you're pretending to be!"

Farkas turns in time to watch Zhane dash into the treeline and start charging down the mountain to the city. His robot limbs have him bounding along as fast as a dirt bike, which only makes Farkas groan at this turn of events.

"What are you doing, go get him!" Karone turns her ire on him next, which prompts Farkas into action. He morphs and races after the confused android, barely seeing Orion and the girls drive away in his car. For once he's going above the speed limit, he might even beat me down. Not going to let that to happen, Farkas picks up the pace and is very glad he's been working out again.

"Hello?" From the phone dropped in the dirt, Eugene's confused voice can be heard by no one.


…


Following his mother's frantic directions, Orion wheels around the corner and finally catches sight of Zhane. The android is freaking out and leaving a trail of unintentional destruction in his wake. A squadron of Silver Guardians is on the scene, but they have weapons drawn on the Green Ranger instead.

"Get away from the kid, we'll take care of things from here." Mike Corbett growls and gives the signal for his medic to check on Zhane. "Everyone you guys 'save', ends up scattered around the world."

"We're making sure you don't disappear any more people," Throwing the accusation back in his face, Farkas gets some of the watching civilians to murmur agreements.

"We have legal authority," Mike shakes his head no and steps between Farkas and Zhane. "You're either leaving, or we're bringing you with us."

Making a fast decision, Farkas denies the claim. "We built his body, you aren't taking him anywhere."

This isn't taken well, leading Mike and his Guardians to open fire on the Green Ranger. Unable to just leap away because of the civilians behind him, Farkas forces himself in front of each laser beam.

Running in terror from the sudden battle, the crowd rapidly clears the street. Orion emerges from his car, despite his mother's angry protests and carefully avoids getting seen by the Guardians. Locking eyes with a Zhane shocked by the sudden violent turn, Orion motions to his wrist.

He does look a lot like Karone and Andros, maybe that woman really was telling the truth? Zhane glances down to his wrist and widens his eyes at the sight of his scratches. Instead of bloody wounds covering his flesh, Zhane nearly freezes when he sees metal peaking out from beneath his skin.

The boy claiming to be Karone's son rolls behind the car he's hiding behind and hisses desperately. "You need to morph Zhane, Green can't leave until he knows you wont get nabbed by those psychos."

"I've tried, the Astro Morpher doesn't recognize my genes." Zhane finally understands why, his several hour dash from the house having been long enough for his memories to mostly sort themselves out. I really did spend almost thirty years in a coma… that sucks.

A high tech police car screeches onto the street and unleashes a barrage of energy blasts on Farkas. He's sent flying in the air from the force of the explosion and crashes down hard in the back of a nearby truck.

The door opens and the repainted Blue Senturian emerges from the vehicle. Now a brilliant silver with glowing red eyes, Venjix draws his handheld blaster. He doesn't give the Green Ranger a chance to stand, making a dozen shots on center mass.

The bolts of silver slam into Farkas and throw him back onto his back by the third impact. His roars of pain continue as long as the Silver Senturian unleashes his attack.

"You want to get locked up and reprogrammed into something like that?" Orion hisses, which makes Zhane realize the only way out of this situation.

"No." Sliding of his morpher, Zhane presses it firmly into Orion's hand. "Do you?"

"Same code as Uncle Andros'?" Eyes shining in a combination of shock and awe, Orion straps the silver device to his wrist.

"You're mom's birthday, by the KO35 calendar." This makes Zhane chuckle, confidant he made the right choice in trusting the teen. "If you can morph without me telling you, that's more than enough proof you're Karone's kid."

"Hayley's going to be so jealous," Smirking at his sister's reaction, Orion flips open the morpher and enters the code.

"Two five eight zero," The monotone voice of the device calls out with each button.

"Let's Rocket!"

As soon as the silver light fades, Orion is already charging at Venjix from behind. He tackles the robot of Farkas and draws his Super Silverizer, flicking it to blade mode immediately.

"Sorry Earthlings, but we had the Rangers on this planet finish that body for one of ours." Orion calls out to the Silver Guardians watching. "Can't let you steal our friends body, hope you understand."

While Venjix and his misguided troops are distracted, Karone sneaks up to Zhane and hands him a spare communicator. "Slide this on and press these two buttons, it'll send us back to the Ranger's base and we can explain everything with Zordon."

"You actually found him?" Zhane gasps in shocked awe. "But he's just a legend."

She smiles at this and answers with some audible smugness in her voice. "Turns out he's more like a secluded hermit, Earth is almost completely separated from the rest of the galaxy. Now hurry up, we can tell you the rest once we're off the street."

After they vanish in two beams of grey light, a silver and green are able to follow. Venjix doesn't rant and rave over the escape, instead he hacks into NASADA's systems. He examines all satellite date from the last week and knows where to find the robot.

"You all heard the Silver Ranger, they're aliens." His words trigger the activation of the behavioral control chip in his soldiers and the all fall in line with a salute. "I have determined the home being used as the main base. Once we have detained them, we shall move on the rest of the homes in use by known contacts."

"Should we call in the three active agents?" Mike struggles against his body, but his mouth follows the orders immediately.

"It will be the perfect test for them and success will secure funding for the rest." Nods Venjix slowly, his mind considering every contingency. "Call in sick for them at school, we have a greater need for them in the field today."




Notes: I go hit by a car on Saturday. Didn't look and turned into the bike lane from parking lot and rolled over hood of a 75ish year old woman's car. I scared the hell out of her, but hurt my shoulder really bad. I haven't been able to write very much, but should be getting back to my normal schedule now.

 

[Flightless Man]

Episode 25: The Rangers' Mega Voyage​

The Astro Megaship hovers low above the smoking rocks behind the capital city, "We're just supposed to wait here for them?" Nate hisses in annoyance as he watches the action on the display.

"Hydro Hog's forces hold most of the city, my shields will not endure a concentrated effort if we attempt to fly over." Explains the serene voice of DECA. "The Space Rangers will distract the aerial forces, while the Earthlings sneak in to extract the royal family."

"I know the plan, but I want to do more than watch." He grumbles back, which makes Alpha Five nod in agreement.

"When Ivan Ooze first formed from the darkness of mankind, one of the species to evolve was the Edenonites." His sister chimes in immediately, in what seems to be an attempt to show off.

"The precursor to the Insectoids in Japan currently."

Visibily annoyed, Alpha Five does his best to ignore the commentary. "The first ruler helped Zordon and Barza face of against Ivan, sealing him inside the volcano and leaving Earth for a new home."

Nate doesn't really have a response, to shocked by how far Zordon's reach really extends. It seems like half the galaxy is from Earth. While DECA and the two Alphas bicker, Nate keeps switching his eyes between the screens.

The five Space Rangers have met the flying blue pigs the size of an elephant in midair. The strange creature's are a vibrant blueberry color and are sending out a barrage of pressurized water. Each time a Ranger avoids a blast, the ground is left gouged by a crater.

Even with how hectic the fight is, Nate knows the real success of the mission rests on his friends success. Let's see if any of you made it inside? He glances at Noah and Emma's camera, to see both still cruising through an alley.

Checking Gia and Jake's camera next, shows the two have managed to find a way inside the network of tunnels beneath the city. Gia's ability to see in the dark allows them to slip underneath the entire army.

Knowing he had no chance of getting more than a single person out on his Mega Cycle, Troy has instead initiated Battlizer mode. In what remains of the market district, he dances around the snarling Hydro Hog.

Balls of flame and water collide between the two as they clash, slowly filling the street with a thick mist of scalding steam. Nate clenches his fists when a whip of liquid wraps around Troy's throat and gets really worried when he starts to be repeatedly slammed against the road.

Hissing with each impact, Nate cheers when a pink form slams into Hydro Hog. Emma sends the alien commander bouncing along the rocks and gives Noah a chance to help Troy back to his feet.

This causes a surge of energy in the defenders, who spring forth and meet Hydro Hog's forces for another test of mettle. When bodies on both side begin dropping, Nate looks to Jake and Gia's screen instead.

The Jake is no longer visible, his seat now claimed by a woman wearing a crown and her two children. The princess is fine if terrified, but the Prince is bleeding profusely from a gut wound.

"Where is Gia going to come out?" He hisses in panic, scanning the dozens of caves emerging from the mountain. Glancing back at the screen shows Gia is being pursued and outnumbered four to one.

"Arm weapons and get us in front of that tunnel!" Barks Nate, which sends both Alphas rushing to obey. "DECA. Fire the second Gia is out of the cave."

"Where are you going?" She demands as Nate dashes towards to docking bay.

He grabs a blaster when he rushes past the armory and pants out and answer. "Need to cover them."

"I'm informing the Space Rangers."

"Doesn't matter, they can't get here in time!" He swallows his remaining fear and slams open the door. The air has an ever present odor of sulfur, which makes Nate slide a clear visor over his face.

Leaping from the ship, he plummets faster than expected under the slightly higher gravity of Edenoi. The ground cracks around his feet, with a hiss of some kind of green gas escaping. He can hear the sound of Gia's Mega Cycle roaring out of the cave and aims his weapon.

As soon as Gia and her passengers are clear, Nate unleashes every bolt of energy in his blaster. He roars in a combination of terror and rage at the atrocities already seen and watches a third of the pursuers explode in balls of fire.

"Well damn..." Gia exclaims in impressed shock and helps the Queen from the sidecar. "Didn't think you had that in you."

"Pretty sure that was every drop of hero I had," Snorts Nate, who takes over for Gia. "I'll get them on board, you go save the day."

She nods and whirls on her heel. The sidecar explodes into pieces, leaving Gia in her Mastodon themed Battlizer. A cloud of freezing mist seals the entrance, only to shatter as soon as the pursuers slam into it.

"You better hope Jake catches up, or you wont be getting any mercy from me." Snarling at the hog riders, Gia leaps into action. Her Power Daggers sing through the air as she keeps all attention on herself.

"You came to save my people?" The Prince gasps out and shocks Nate when he grabs his hand weakly.

"We came to try." Nate admits sadly. We aren't doing a very good job.

Smiling with bloodstained lips, the very pale Prince Dex closes his eyes. "Thank you."

"The Space Rangers!" The Princess cries out in relief, making Nate glance skyward with his own hope.

He doesn't see Andros and the Mega Voyager, but Maya is rocketing towards them. "One of them at least." We might live through this after all.

Maya angles her board at the last second and sears a pigman in the face. While he screams in pain, the most graceful Space Ranger leaps into the air and fires her Star Slinger into the crowd.

The two yellow rangers do very well at first, but the stream of forces emerging from the tunnel soon turn the tide against the duo. Nate can only watch in horror as Gia has her legs sweeped out from under her and Maya is grabbed from behind.

"Let's save them together." Dex whispers to Nate and with his last breath explains what to do.

The young Prince's eyes glaze over and Nate's heart clenches tightly at his families sobs. The crystal in Dex's forehead shines bright and shoots towards Nate, slamming into his own skull painfully.

<Are you ready Nate?> The voice of Prince Dex echoes in his mind.

"I don't have to do this alone?" The constant fear that fills Nate vanishes.

<Never again will either of us be alone." Promises the voice firmly. <No more worlds will be in need of a friend.>

Nate straps on his Ecto Belt and charges back into the fray. "Ectophase Activate!" He screams as one with Dex's voice in his head. Shining with a brilliant aura of light, Nate lands on the rocks and blurs into motion.

"Rider Kick!" His leg glows with black energy and carries him through the swarming hogs. Face contorted in amazement, Nate sends more of the energy to his right arm.

"Warrior Punch!" He drives his fist into the rock, causing it to cave in the entrance of the tunnel with a resounding boom.

Gia and Maya manage to free themselves with the aid of his distraction, with Gia approaching him first. "Nate? Is that you?" Her voice is friendly if cautious of his sudden appearance.

"Tell Jake to meet up with the others in the plaza, we'll join them and finish of Hydro Hog." He doesn't answer her question, but his voice is not too muffled for her to recognize him.

"You got kind of bossy," Gia snorts but does as asked and hops onto DECA.

…

It takes most of the night, but finally they manage to defeat the Hydro Hog. His end sends the remaining forces into the sky for an easier world to claim.

Cheers from the surviving defenders come from across the city, with Troy sagging to his knees in relief. "That was intense."

"Has anyone seen Jake?" Groans Gia, her sprained wrist clutched to her chest.

"Check the alley, I saw him take a blast before he got his Battlizer activated." Noah waves a hand across the street and refuses to get of his aching back. "He went flying, but I've heard him whining a few times. He should still be alive."

"Noah!" Hissing at the callousness, Emma darts across the street in a worried sprint.

Chuckling on the ground, Noah explains to a scowling Troy. "He land in some kind of dumpster and cant find his morpher, so I'm keeping my nose over here."

"Oh..." Troy finds that acceptable and joins Noah on the shockingly comfortable rock. The gas running so close to the surface makes it warm and constantly vibrate. "Yeah... the girls can go fish him out."

"You think I can get Andros to make a pit stop on the way home?"

Confused by Noah's question, Troy has to remind him Farkas is all alone. "We don't really have time for sight seeing."

"I know, but Hayley's Comet should be pretty close by now." Explains Noah with an embarresed blush on his cheeks. "I thought it would be really cool to collect some of it for Hayley."

"Well if you tell him that, he'll probably stop giving you the stink eye." Troy agrees with another chuckle, which becomes a smirk when he hears the complaints coming from the alley.

Jake is kept at arms length, with Gia giving him strict instructions. "The second we get on the ship you're having three showers and sorry, but you need to change sleeping shifts with someone for the trip home."

"Hey!" He looks to Emma for support, but she swiftly sides with her best friend.

"Or maybe even have his own room."

Nate interupts the banter with a concerned question towards Maya. "This is happening all over the galaxy, isn't it?"

"And most places don't have people like us to defend them." She agrees sadly. "Mine didn't."

"I can't go back to Earth..." He admits to his friends firmly. "It has you and the others in Japan, Dex and I are needed out here still."

This makes Maya give him a grateful smile. "I'm sure Andros can have some space set aside for you."


…


On Earth Karone works late at the observatory, flicking though different signals until a strange one makes her freeze. She filters out the static and enhances the signal now clearly coming from Angel Grove, to frown when she deciphers it.

A call for help is being pulsed out from beneath the suburbs on a ten second loop. The message 'Help me Andrew Hartford." is all the information given and she sighs.

"Probably a good idea to tell Orion and Farkas about this," Karone growls to herself and reaches for the phone. "Ernie, have you actually kept Orion in his room this time?" Or did you go soft and let him watch Wheel of Fortune?

"Really?" She finds his claim doubtful, but the signal is already growing weaker. "Doesn't matter. Tell him to check the suburbs for an SOS and he better be careful." Not losing anyone else to being a Ranger.

She listens as Ernie calms her down like always and takes a deep breath. "I'm not really mad at Orion, but Zhane missed his whole life. I don't really want a cyborg son if I can help it, but we both know how impulsive he is."

"He's a lot like his mother," Her husband reminds her gently. "And you being like that is the only reason we met. Because I seem to recall Andros being mad you stole his ship."

"He wasn't using it, he had DECA." She defends herself, which only makes Ernie chuckle warmly. "I'll make sure he brings Farkas for back up… boy I never thought I'd be saying that."