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Chapter Text

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #3.1
"Ring Around the Ranger"
Written & Directed By Tobias Christopher

Angel Grove Youth Center

Tommy Oliver, a seventeen-year-old boy dressed in a white tank top and workout pants, was teaching his weekly karate class, comprised of kids from all around the city. He had long brown hair tied back into a ponytail, something he swore he would never cut off. Tommy and his friends Rocky and Adam had gotten together to teach a weekly class to teach kids self-defense, build their confidence, and help them learn to grow into responsible adults.

Tommy's class was usually the most instructive, followed by Adam's, then Rocky's. Rocky's class was the most fun to take part in, as he wasn't the drill instructor that Tommy and Adam were. Rocky never realized that Tommy and Adam labeled his class as a beginning course, and had never really questioned why all of his better students were suddenly joining the other classes.

"Great class, kids," Tommy said as he grabbed a towel. "See you next week."

The small group of boys and girls dispersed as Tommy took a seat at one of the tables where Adam and Tommy's other friend Billy were sitting.

Adam was a seventeen-year-old Asian boy with short black hair. Adam was the second-best karate instructor at the youth center next to Tommy, even though Adam took more pride in helping kids learn martial arts. Adam was wearing a black t-shirt, jeans, and black shoes.

Billy was sixteen, and the smartest kid in Angel Grove. He had short dark blonde hair and wore coke bottle glasses because contacts bothered his eyes too much. Billy was becoming an excellent fighter and was starting to hold his own in unmorphed fights, thanks to Tommy and former ranger Jason Scott. Billy was wearing a blue tank-top, a plaid long-sleeved shirt, blue jeans, and blue high tops.

"How's the study session going?" Tommy asked.

"Phenomenal," Billy replied. "My cranium is filled with extensive knowledge of the subject matter."

"...We really need to get you a girl," Adam responded as he closed his book. "Speaking of which-"

Kimberly and Aisha walked in, holding several shopping bags, Kim was seventeen, and skilled gymnasts. Kim had limited martial arts skills, as most of her fighting techniques came from her knowledge of acrobatics. Kim was wearing a pink t-shirt, mini-skirt, and white shoes with pink socks.

Aisha was Kimberly's sixteen-year-old best friend, an African-American girl with long black hair and beauty that almost outmatched Kim. Aisha was almost as talented as Adam in the field of karate and filled in for Adam's class when he needed time off. The two girls sat down at the table as Tommy noticed the large receipt hanging from Kim's purse. Aisha was wearing a yellow sweater, white t-shirt, and yellow mini-skirt with white shoes and yellow socks.

"You must have spent your whole allowance on that one trip," Tommy told her.

"Not really, I only spent a third of what I had," Kimberly replied. "I've learned to maximize my funds to my full advantage. Oh no! I'm speaking Billy."

"Wow, you really got me," Billy told her without looking up from his book. "I'll have to strain my cerebral cortex to ascertain an appropriate response."

"...We really need to get you a girl," Kimberly said as Ernie was wheeling a large wedding cake out.

"The cake looks great, Ernie," Tommy said.

"Thanks," Ernie replied as he stopped to talk to the kids. "This new catering business is off to a great start, thanks to Rocky's new stepfather."

"Hey, what's that cake made of?" Adam asked. "It looks too good to eat."

"It's called Murder by Chocolate," Ernie said as he looked at the cake. "It's a 6 layer combination of chocolate, devil's food, and chocolate chip cake, deep-fried to perfection. Then I coat each level in a layer of chocolate custard before adding triple chocolate icing, with crumbled peanut butter cups mixed in. Each bite is 5,000 calories of heaven."

"Wow, the wedding's going to turn into a funeral once everyone digs into that cake," Adam said as Ernie wheeled the cake to his delivery van. Seconds later, Tommy's communicator beeped.

"What is it, Alpha?" Tommy asked in a whisper.

"Rangers, Zordon needs you at the Command Center as soon as possible," Alpha's robotic voice told them.

"Rocky's not with us," Tommy said to Kim as the group stood up and gathered up their book bags and belongings.

"He's got a lot to do," Adam replied as they headed toward the exit. "We can handle whatever Zedd throws at us without him today."

The five teens headed outside into the empty hall and teleported away. Elsewhere in the Juice Bar, Ernie was talking to his two newest employees, an overweight teenager, and his skinny friend.

"Alright, since the rest of my help canceled, I just have you two," Ernie said as he reluctantly handed over his van keys to Farkus 'Bulk' Bulkmeyer. "Just drive the van to the church and unload it. I'll be there in an hour, as soon as Richie shows up for his shift.."

"You can count on us," Bulk replied.

"Ay yi, Cap'n!" Eugene 'Skull' Skullovich replied as he saluted, hitting himself in the forehead. The two went to leave and bumped into each other, knocking them both backward. They regained their balance as Bulk grabbed Skull by the collar and headed out the door.

"My business is doomed," Ernie matter-of-factly stated as he headed back toward the bar.

*

The rangers teleported to the desert outside of Angel Grove, where the Command Center stood on top of a hill. It was a large stone building that looked almost like a castle, minus the drawbridge.

The Rangers landed in a large, brightly lit room, filled with large neon tubes and computer equipment. On the right-hand side of the room was a large plasma view screen. In the center of the room was a circular tube that stretched all the way to the ceiling, surrounded by a table with the main control panel. In the tube was a large floating blue-tinted head. This was the Ranger's mentor, known as Zordon.

"Welcome Rangers," Alpha 5 said as he approached them. Alpha was a four-foo- tall robot with a golden saucer-shaped head, a bright red torso with a lightning bolt on it, and golden arms and legs.

"What's the emergency, Zordon?" Tommy asked.

"Rangers, I have summoned you here because a war is looming between the planets of Edinoi and Triforia," Zordon explained. "Behold the viewing screen."

The Rangers looked at the screen and saw two beautiful neighboring planets, one golden and brown and one black and blue.

"War is imminent, although it hasn't reached a critical level yet," Zordon told them. "These two planets are of a peaceful nature, but an unknown force is driving them to war with each other."

"But what can we do?" Adam asked.

"If a war is started, I would like to send both the Rangers and the Megazord to negotiate peace between the two worlds," Zordon replied. "King Lexion, the ruler of Edinoi, and Prince Trey of Triforia are close friends of myself and Alpha. Perhaps peace can be reached between these two worlds before it is too late. But first I must ask if you are willing to undertake this mission if it becomes necessary. I will not force you to go if you do not want."

"I'm in," Tommy replied. One by one the other Rangers agreed.

"I am very proud of you, my Rangers," Zordon said as he looked at the group of teens before him. "We will continue to monitor the situation and hopefully a peaceful resolution can be found."

"Why not just send us before a war is started? Tommy asked.

"The Earth would be defenseless," Zordon quickly replied. "Lord Zedd would undoubtedly take advantage of the situation."

"Hey, where is Rocky?" Alpha asked as he noticed there were only five rangers in the room.

"He's getting ready for his mom's wedding," Adam replied as he looked at his watch. "She's getting married this afternoon. Zordon, what are the odds that Zedd's going to try to ruin the wedding?"

"I have no doubt Zedd will try something," Zordon told them. "Alpha and I will alert you if we detect something."

"That reminds me, we need to get our dresses ready," Kim said to Aisha as the boys rolled their eyes. "And you guys still need to pick up your tuxes. We'd better go pick them up at the shop on our way to the church"

"And we can't forget our accessories," Aisha reminded her. "Makeup, handbags, shoes, the works!"

Kim reached into her purse and pulled out a string of credit cards.

"It's shopping time!"

Visa!

MasterCard!

Discover!

American Express!

*

Rocky, a sixteen-year-old boy with short brown hair, was walking through Angel Grove Park, carrying his new tuxedo for his mother's upcoming wedding. Rocky was wearing a red t-shirt, blue jeans, and red sneakers.

Rocky wanted his mother to be happy, something she hadn't truly been since his dad walked out six years ago, but he wasn't totally sure he trusted his mom's fiancée. Rocky had trouble trusting anyone who dated his mom, and this new guy was no exception. Rocky knew that if his mother went through with this wedding, his real father would have nothing to return home to someday.

He looked at his watch and realized he was going to be late, and started running, but soon found himself blocked off by a group of grey creatures with rock-like features called Putties.
"Dammit, not now!" Rocky shouted as he took a fighting stance after tossing his tux onto a picnic table. "Six against one? That's hardly a fair fight. I feel sorry for you guys."

The Putties charged as Rocky did a cart-wheel, passing through the group, causing the Putties to slam into each other when they tried to grab him. He landed on his feet and punched one of the creatures, knocking him backward into two others. He then leaped into the air, landing a punch on the 'Z' chest plate of two Putties at once, shattering them on impact.

Two more raced toward him, but Rocky ran toward a tree, and rebounded off of it, landing behind the Putties. When they turned around, he punched both of them, destroying them. But before he could turn his attention to the last two, the Putties grabbed him and tossed him to the ground, then one Putty picked up a bowling ball-sized rock, preparing to smash Rocky with it. The Putty charged toward him, but a foot tripped the creature, landing him on the ground face first.

"Leave that guy alone," A small boy with shaggy brown hair, around eleven years old, wearing a green t-shirt with white stripes, blue jeans, and green high tops, said as the other Putty went to attack. Remembering he had zero fighting ability whatsoever, the boy dove between the Putty's legs and crawled out the other side, kicking him in the rear.

Rocky rolled as the Putty tried to stomp on him. He was finally able to get to his feet as the Putty charged. Rocky spun to the side, giving him the chance to punch the creature in the 'Z'.

"Hit the 'Z', kid!" Rocky shouted.

The Putty went toward the boy, who fell backward onto a picnic table. As the Putty rushed forward, the boy pushed his foot forward and kicked the 'Z' on his chest, shattering him.

"Are you alright?" Rocky asked as the boy stood up. "Thanks for the help."

"Why were those things attacking you?" The boy asked.

"Oh, You know that wacky Rita Repulsa," Rocky replied as the boy nodded, who had heard of Rita and her attempts to take over Angel Grove. Rocky noticed the Charterville symbol on his shirt. "You're new to town."

"Just got in from Charterville," The boy explained. "My ride never came for me at the bus station, and I got lost trying to find my dad. I'm trying to find the Angel Grove Chapel."

"I'm headed there now," Rocky told him as he picked up his tux. "The church is less than a mile away. I can walk you there."

*

Lord Zedd's palace on the moon

Lord Zedd, a seven-foot-tall alien, had a skinless, blood-red body, with silver tubes and veins all over. He had a visor and a metal grill on his face, with a metal crown with a 'Z' sticking out on the top of his head, surrounding his exposed brain. Zedd watched Rocky and the kid leave the park and became angry at the Puttie's defeat.

"Fools!" Zedd shouted to his assistants Finster, Goldar, and Scorpina. "You can't even make decent Putties to take care of one dimwitted ranger! A small child was even able to beat a Putty!"

"Cheap labor," Finster, a Scottish-terrier looking monster, replied as he shook his head. "You get what you pay for."

"Oh, shut up!" Zedd angrily replied. "The rangers are going to be attending a wedding, and we're going to make sure it's the last one they ever see! All I need is the perfect monster."

*

Angel Grove Chapel

"Dad!" The boy shouted as he hugged his father upon entering the chapel.

"Justin, you were supposed to wait for a ride to pick you up from the bus station," Doug Stewart replied.

"He never showed up," Justin told him. "So I had to walk. And I met this guy in the park."

"This is your kid?" Rocky asked as he looked at his future stepbrother. "Looks like we're going to be brothers."

"Dad, you won't believe what happened at the park!" Justin excitedly said.

"You can tell me later," Doug said as he patted the boy on the head. "Right now, you two need to get ready for the wedding. And Justin, I have a very special job for you."

Doug handed Justin a small box. "It's your job as the ring bearer to hold onto the ring until the wedding. Think you can handle it?"

"You can count on me, dad," Justin said as he put the box in his pocket, then went to the dressing room to change.

"That's it!" Zedd shouted as he watched Justin put the ring in his pocket. "Goldar, get me that ring!"

"Of course, master!" Goldar, a dog-faced monster in gold-plated armor, with large wings on his back, replied. "I will not fail you!"

"If I had a dime for every time I heard that one," Zedd said as Goldar disappeared.

*

The other Rangers had arrived at the Chapel for the wedding, where they were met by Rocky.

"Guys, I got attacked by Putties in the park," Rocky told the group. "Zedd's planning something. If he ruins my mom's wedding-"

"He won't," Tommy promised. "Not while we're here."

"I'd be dead if it weren't for my new stepbrother," Rocky said as the group took a seat. "I can't wait for you guys to meet him. By the way, does anyone know how to tie a tie? Morphing's easy, but these things are impossible."

"I'll help you," Kim said as Rocky led her toward the back, so they could help Justin tie his as well.

Outside of the Church, Bulk & Skull were carrying in the decorations when Goldar appeared behind them.

"Skull, I think I left the keys in the van," Bulk said. "Go get 'em."

Skull turned around and saw Goldar and started jabbering incoherently.

"Skull, it's the white van we drove here in," Bulk told him as he turned around, and the two started babbling incoherently together.

"Oops, wrong place," Goldar said as he disappeared, just as Ernie came walking up to find the two teens babbling.

"Come on, you two," Ernie said as he grabbed them by their collars and dragged them into the church. "You two are gonna be the death of me."

Meanwhile, Justin was in the back, lacing up his black dress shoes when Goldar appeared behind him.

"This is the brat who defeated one of Zedd's Putties?" Goldar asked as Justin turned around and screamed. "Give me the wedding ring, boy!"

Rocky and Kim heard Justin from down the hall and burst through the door, just in time to see Goldar holding the boy by his throat three feet above the ground.

"Put him down!" Rocky shouted as he prepared for a fight.

"You want him, come and get him!" Goldar replied.

Rocky and Kimberly rushed toward Goldar, but he disappeared in a burst of flame, laughing harshly, which echoed through the room.

"NO!" Rocky shouted.

In the reception area, Bulk and Skull were hanging a banner saying 'Congratulations Doug & Carly'. Bulk was on top of a tall ladder as Skull was keeping the ladder in place
"There," Bulk said as he finished tying the banner up. "Now all we have to do is- Skull?"

Skull's attention was being distracted by Ernie's wedding cake.

"Take a bite, I won't tell," The cake's sultry voice said to him. Skull gave in wandered toward the table, letting go of the ladder, which caused it to start wobbling.

"Skull, get back here!" Bulk shouted as he lost his balance, grabbing the banner as he fell, then proceeded to swing like Tarzan across the room, his legs wrapping around Skull's neck as he went, before smacking them both into the wall on the other side of the room.

"Oy," Ernie said as he walked into the room. "I might as well fire myself from this job."

*

The Command Center

The six Rangers teleported into the Command Center, still in their tuxes and dresses.

"Goldar took my stepbrother," Rocky said as he looked at Zordon. "What does he want with Justin?"

"They weren't after your brother, Goldar was after the wedding ring he was carrying," Zordon replied as his sensors gathered the information the Rangers would need to rescue the boy. "Zedd has created the Ringu Starr Monster, and plans to use him to attack the city."

"What about Justin?" Rocky asked, worried about the boy who saved his life. "What's Zedd going to do with him?"

"Lord Zedd has Justin in a Hidden Valley," Zordon informed them. "Scorpina and a horde of Putties are on guard."

"This is my fault," Rocky said as he looked up at Zordon. "I wanted something to happen to stop my mom's wedding. But I didn't want this. Now Justin has to pay for my stupid wish."

"This isn't your fault, Rocky," Kim said as she put her hand on his shoulder. "Zedd's the one to blame, and we'll get Justin back in time for the wedding."

"Kimberly's right," Zordon told the boy. "Do not blame yourself for the situation Zedd has created."

"Zedd's obviously trying to divide and conquer," Tommy concluded. "He thinks he can take us if we're not all together."

"I have to save Justin," Rocky said as he watched the viewscreen. He turned to face Zordon. "I barely know him, but Justin's already like family to me."

"Kim, Billy, you go with Rocky to save Justin," Tommy instructed, knowing Rocky would never get past Scorpina alone. "Adam and Aisha, you're with me."

"Be careful Rangers," Zordon said. "This monster's powers are as yet unidentified. We will contact you when we have more information"

"Let's do it," Tommy said as everyone reached for their morphers. "It's Morphin' Time!"

TIGERZORD!

MASTODON!

PTERADACTYL!

TRICERATOPS!

SABER-TOOTH TIGER!

TYRANOSAURUS!

The six teenager's bodies were instantly transformed, their tuxes and dresses being replaced by brightly colored costumes, their hands, and shoes being morphed into white gloves and boots, with dinosaur-themed helmets appearing on their heads.

*

Tommy the White Ranger, Adam the Black Ranger, and Aisha the Yellow Ranger arrived in Angel Grove Park and were immediately met by a group of Putties, while a diamond-shaped monster, with a ring around its waist, waited for its chance to strike.

The White Ranger pulled out his sword, a white-handled blade with a tiger's head on the end of it named Sabba and started slashing at the Putties.

The Black and Yellow Rangers had joined hands and were taking turns spinning each other, kicking the Putties as they made their way toward the monster.

"It's time to ring in your destruction, Rangers!" Ringu Starr shouted as he fired an energy blast at the group, knocking them back.

"Is that the best you got?" Tommy asked as he rushed toward the monster as Ringu grabbed Tommy by the arm and tossed him around, causing him to fall back into the other Rangers. "Wow, this guy's strong."

Tommy held his sword up and prepared to charge again while Adam and Aisha tried to stop him, but couldn't hold him back.

"You haven't seen anything yet!" Ringu shouted as he fired a blast of energy at Tommy, trapping him in a crystallized diamond statue.

"We've got to get Tommy out of that diamond," Adam said as he pulled out his battle-ax. and turned it around so he could use it in cannon mode. "But first, let's polish the diamond!"

Adam fired at the monster but didn't make a scratch.

"Hee hee hee, that tickles!" The monster said as he fired at Adam, trapping him in diamond as well. "Two down, one to go!"

Aisha pulled out her daggers and tried to chip away at the diamond holding Adam, but couldn't free him.

"I can't cut through this diamond," Aisha told herself. "I have to get back to the Command Center if I want to help Tommy and Adam."

Aisha teleported away before Ringu could hit her, retreating back to the Power Chamber.

*

The Command Center

"Zordon, how do we beat this monster?" Aisha asked as she arrived with her helmet under her arm.

"The Ringu Starr monster is nearly impossible to beat because of his diamond exterior," Zordon replied, his censors picking up the monster's weakness. "Only Sabba or the Red Ranger's power sword are powerful enough to cut through the diamond."

"And Tommy's been trapped," Aisha said as she looked at the viewscreen. "I have to get to Rocky and the others before that monster does."

*

Meanwhile, in the Hidden Valley, Justin was tied to a stake with his hands bound behind his back as Rocky the Red Ranger, Billy the Blue Ranger, and Kim the Pink Ranger arrived.

"I see Justin!" Rocky shouted. "He's at the Hidden Valley Ranch!"

Before the three Rangers could race to the boy, Scorpina and a horde of Putties jumped out. Scorpina was a six-foot-tall woman dressed in golden scorpion armor. She had a golden blade shaped like a flat scorpion's claw.

"Come on, Rangers!" Scorpina shouted as the Putties charged forward.

"I'll engage the Putties while you two liberate Justin!" Billy said as he pulled out his power lance.

"You really need a girl," Scorpina told him as Kimberly leaped into the air while holding her power bow, and shot several energy arrows at Scorpina, which barely made a scratch.

"My turn!" Scorpina shouted as she went to face Kimberly.

While Billy was handling the Putties, Rocky headed toward Justin, who was excited to see his favorite heroes coming to the rescue.

"You alright, kid?" Rocky asked, trying to disguise his voice so Justin wouldn't recognize him.

"Wow, the Red Ranger!" Justin shouted as Rocky cut him down. "This is so cool!"

Scorpina slashed at Kimberly, who backflipped to avoid being cut. Scorpina rushed forward as Kimberly flipped and kicked the villainess in the jaw, sending her backward.

"You'll pay for that!" Scorpina shouted as Kim turned her bow into a power staff and used it to deliver a series of blows to Scorpina, knocking her to the ground.

"Give it up, Scorpina," Kimberly told her. "You may own the guys in a fight, but against a woman, you're outmatched."

"I'd love to stay, but Lord Zedd wants his monster to finish you. Next time, you pink witch," Scorpina replied as she disappeared, just as Billy was finishing off the Putties.

"That was easy," Rocky said as he brought Justin over to Kim and Billy. "Let's get this kid home and go help the others."

"Too late, Rangers!" Ringu Starr shouted as he arrived. "Your friends are already diamonds in the rough!"

The Rangers pulled out their weapons and raced toward the monster.

"Go hide, kid!" Rocky shouted, just as Aisha teleported down. Justin hid behind a boulder and peeked out from the side to watch the battle.

Kim and Billy both charged at the monster, but her power staff and his power lance had no effect, and he easily sent them flying back. While they were down, he sent a blast toward them, freezing them both into diamond statues.

"Your power sword's the only thing that can cut through him," Aisha explained as she ran up to Rocky. "Tommy and Adam are trapped in Angel Grove Park."

"Then let's turn this guy into diamond dust," Rocky replied as he rushed toward the monster, and sliced at him, actually cutting through him, sending the monster stumbling backward.

"That hurt!" Ringu shouted as he prepared to blast Rocky, but Aisha pushed him out of the way and took the diamond blast, encasing her as well.

"You're going to pay for that!" Rocky shouted as he continued to slash and slice at Ringu, cutting off bits of diamond as he went. "One more good hit ought to do it."

*

"You can say that again!" Lord Zedd shouted from his palace as he tossed a grenade down to the Hidden Valley. As it exploded, Ringu started to enlarge in size, until he was over fifty stories tall.

*

"I hate it when he does that," Rocky said as he held his hand in the air. "I need Thunderzord power!"

A large red robotic Chinese dragon flew in as Rocky teleported into the cockpit. The dragon morphed into its warrior mode as it and Ringu circled each other.

Ringu pulled out a diamond sword and rushed at the Red Dragonzord, who fended off the monster's attacks with a red bo staff. The two matched each other move for move before the Red Dragonzord hit the monster in its stomach with its staff, then used the staff to sweep the monster off of its legs, sending it crashing to the ground.

*

Meanwhile, in Angel Grove Park, Sabba had managed to cut its way through the diamond it was trapped in, and carefully sliced through the rest of the diamond, freeing Tommy.

"Tommy," Zordon said over through his communicator. "Rocky needs your help fighting the Ringu monster. Once the monster is defeated, the diamond will dematerialize and free the others."

"Right," Tommy said as he summoned his White Tigerzord into action before teleporting to the Hidden Valley.

Ringu charged at the Red Dragonzord and sliced into it, damaging the zord, causing it to fall backward. Tommy arrived in time to see Ringu power blast Rocky's zord, trapping it in diamond as Rocky fell out, landing on the ground.

"Are you alright?" Justin asked as he saw Rocky really didn't get out of the zord in time, as his legs, arms, most of his chest, and neck were covered in diamond.
"Can't... breathe..." Rocky said as he started wheezing. The diamond, because it didn't completely cover and paralyze him like the others, was cutting off his air, and he couldn't reach his sword to cut the diamond off.

Justin panicked, then knew he had no other choice. He grabbed Rocky's helmet and pulled it off to give the Ranger CPR, something he had learned at the Charterville Youth Center. He didn't have time to take in the fact that it was his stepbrother under the helmet, as Rocky's face was starting to turn blue.

"I'll save you," Justin said as he tried to keep Rocky breathing. "Just hang on."

Justin started to give him air and pumped his chest, hoping he'd be able to save his new brother's life before it was too late.

The White Tigerzord and Ringu were going toe to toe, as the zord picked up the monster and spun him around, tossing him twenty yards into a mountain range. The monster stood up and pulled its sword out and charged at the Tigerzord, but never got a hit in, as the Tigerzord's sword had reacted quickly and landed several blows on the monster, knocking it back.

Before Ringu could use its diamond blast, the Tigerzord charged up its sword, hitting Ringu with a power blast, destroying the creature on impact, as it blew up in a giant fireball. The Tigerzord triumphantly put its sword back in its sheath as the sun glistened off the zord.

As soon as the monster was destroyed, the diamond encasing the others shattered, including the diamond cutting off Rocky's air. The monster returned to its original form and reappeared right beside Justin, who was kneeling over Rocky. Justin was afraid that he wouldn't be able to save Rocky, but soon the young man opened his eyes and looked up at the boy who had saved him.

"You're alive!" Justin cried as he hugged Rocky.

"That's the second time that you saved me today," Rocky said, trying to catch his breath as the other Rangers surrounded them. "And it looks like we're going to have to have a long talk."

*

"Incompetent fools!" Zedd shouted as he pounded his fist onto the terrace railing in anger while he looked down at the Earth. "I'm starting to think monsters aren't the answer to my Ranger problem..."

*

The rangers teleported behind the church where no one could see them and rushed back inside.

"Justin, where have you been?" Doug asked as he hugged Justin when the group rushed through the door. "We were starting to get worried about you two."

"I was...feeling sick," Justin replied, knowing he couldn't tell anyone about his adventure. "Rocky took me to get some medicine so I wouldn't throw up during the wedding."

"I'm glad you're looking out for your new brother," Doug said as he looked at Rocky, who returned an uneasy look.

"We're looking out for each other," Rocky said as he patted Justin on the shoulder.

The teens took their seats as the Wedding March started, as Rocky escorted his mother down the aisle so he could give the bride away.

"You look great, mom," Rocky said as he led her toward her new husband.

"I know you don't like Doug," Carly DeSantos said. "But I'm glad you're giving him a chance."

"I just want you to be happy," Rocky replied, knowing that it meant that he would have to live with the decision to be unhappy in return.

Bulk and Skull were at the back of the room, watching the wedding. Skull wiped a tear away.

"I always cry at weddings," Skull said.

"You've never been to a wedding before, numb skull!" Bulk reminded him before Skull blew his nose on Bulk's apron.

The vows were soon said, and as much as he wanted to, Rocky didn't object to the wedding. He didn't like Doug, but deep down he knew his mom was in love with the man, and that he loved her. Plus Rocky was growing fond of Justin.

*

At the reception afterward, Kim and Tommy, and Adam and Aisha were dancing, while Billy had found a girl who was equally fascinated with science to talk with, and their combined techno-speak was driving everyone around them mad.

Elsewhere, Rocky was talking to his mother and step-father.

"Rocky, we have something to ask you," Carly said as she looked to her new husband. "Justin was supposed to go back to Charterville to stay with his aunt while we were on our honeymoon-"

"But since you two are getting along so well, we were wondering if you'd keep an eye on Justin while we were gone," Doug said, finishing Carly's sentence. "If you don't want to-"

"I'll do it," Rocky said as he looked over at his new brother, who was trying to talk to a girl his age to see if she wanted to dance. "I want to get to know my new brother."

Bulk and Skull were looking at the wedding cake when a rather large girl and her skinny friend approached the two.

"Care to dance?" The large girl asked Skull.

"Yeah, let's get our groove on!" The thinner girl said to Bulk. Before the two could protest, they were dragged onto the dance floor before they could dig into the cake.

*

The Power Chamber, The Next Day

The Rangers had brought Justin to the Power Chamber, where Zordon could explain to him who they were.

"Justin, by saving Rocky's life you have proven yourself a worthy ally to the Power Rangers," Zordon told him. "I hope you can be trusted in guarding the secrets bestowed upon you today."

"You can trust me, Zordon," Justin promised.

"It will be good to have someone around who is almost as short as I am," Alpha said as he approached Justin.

"Wow, a fully sentient, multi-functional... robot... thing," Justin said as he looked at Alpha, examining him like a child with a shiny new toy.

The alarm went off as the Rangers looked at the viewscreen.

"Goldar and the Putties are attacking the park," Zordon told them as everyone reached for their morphers.

"This won't take long," Rocky promised his brother. "We'll be back in no time, little bro"

"I'll be here waiting," Justin replied as the six Rangers held their morphers in the air. "Go get 'em, big brother."

Alpha, Zordon, and Justin watched the six heroes as they prepared to go out and defend the Earth from the forces of evil.

"It's Morphin' Time!"

Chapter Text

Power Rangers Episode 3.2

'Armored & Dangerous'

Written By Tobias Christopher

The DeSantos Home, early morning

"No, Mom, everything's fine," Rocky said as he walked around the living room with the cordless phone. He was still in his pajamas of a blue t-shirt and maroon sweatpants, having just woke as the phone rang, causing him to fall off the couch where he fell asleep the night before. "Yeah, Justin's fine. We're getting along great."

In reality, Rocky had no idea where Justin was, the last place having seen him was in his room the night before, drawing up some sort of blueprint.

"Hey, Rocky, where's the chainsaw?" Justin asked, wearing blue overalls and a green striped t-shirt, with a backward green and red ball cap on, as he walked through the living room with a box of firecrackers.

"Garage," Rocky said as he went back to the conversation, his mind at ease knowing where his young charge was. "Doug has nothing to worry about. Justin's safe with me."

"Rocky, where's the lighter fluid?" Justin shouted from the garage.

"Top shelf by the door!" Rocky replied before turning his attention back to the conversation. "Alright, Mom, I'll see you in two weeks. Love you, too."

"Rocky, where's the glue?"

"Glue!?" Rocky replied as he raced toward the garage and burst through the door. "Are you crazy? You could get that stuff in your eye and go blind!"

"I'm trying to build a battle bot," Justin said as Rocky saw all tools and pieces of metal lying around him. "Dad was supposed to help me with it, but he won't be back for another two weeks."

"That's only seven days, it's not that far off. Besides, I can help," Rocky said as he picked up the chainsaw, and accidentally pricked his finger, drawing a little drop of blood. "... On second thought, why don't we see if Billy can help?"

*

Lord Zedd's Palace

Lord Zedd, the evilest presence in the known universe, looked down at the Earth with a hatred that grew with every passing minute. It had been almost a year to the day since he had arrived, and every move to take over the planet had been thwarted by... teenagers. And the more he thought about it, the angrier he became.

"Zedd, your brain's going to explode if you don't stop worrying," The screechy voice of Rita Repulsa, Zedd's wife said as she entered the room. Rita was a small woman in an overweight opera singer's clothes. On her head was a hat that resembled two vanilla ice cream cones shaped like Madonna's cone bra. "And I am NOT cleaning that mess!"

"Silence, woman!" Zedd shouted as he stomped toward his throne. "I'm not in the mood for your mouth today. Every second the Rangers live, the more I become enraged!"

"So the mighty Lord Zedd can't figure out how to beat a bunch of kids in tights?" Rita asked mockingly. "Welcome to MY world!"

Zedd was about to reply when he realized Rita had just hit on something. "Of course, that's it! The Ranger's costumes! Why didn't I think of this sooner! Summon Goldar and a group of our strongest Putties, we're going to hit the Rangers where it hurts!"

*

Angel Grove Youth Center, later that day

Rocky was teaching his younger brother Justin an easy kata. Justin had no martial arts training, so Rocky had decided to teach him self-defense. Since Justin had discovered the identities of the Power Rangers, Rocky was afraid his new brother would become a target in Lord Zedd's schemes, and wanted him to be able to defend himself if it came down to it.

"You're doing great, Justin," Rocky said as he moved along with his brother to show him how to do it right. "Are you sure you've never had training?"

"My dad was going to teach me, he even bought his own martial arts school," Justin replied. "But after my mom died, he just gave up on everything. Then he met your mom."

"Let's take a break for a few minutes," Rocky said, changing the subject. When it came to Rocky's mother's recent marriage, he preferred to not speak of it. The two headed for the table where Billy, Kim, and Tommy were sitting. A sixteen-year-old teenager with black hair, wearing a red t-shirt and blue jeans, with a green apron approached, carrying a tray of food.

"Here you go," Richie said as he set the tray down. "The house special."

"Thanks," Tommy said as the others dug in. "I see Ernie's letting you run things by yourself lately."

"Yeah, he's been busy with his catering business," Richie replied as he headed back toward the bar. "Which means longer hours, but also more money."

"Glad to see he's been keeping busy," Rocky said as he grabbed a ham sandwich. "You never see him outside of the juice bar or school."

"Since when do we see anyone outside of school or the juice bar?" Billy quipped as everyone realized he was right, then just shrugged it off.

"Maybe we should see if Richie wants to hang out sometime," Kim told them. "Ever since Zack's cousin Curtis moved away, he hasn't had anyone to hang around with."

"Hey, has anyone seen Adam & Aisha?" Rocky asked as he stood up and stretched, preparing to go back to teaching Justin new moves.

"They went for a jog in the park," Tommy replied. "They should be back soon."

*

Angel Grove Park

Adam and Aisha were heading to the Youth Center when the duo stopped for a rest as Adam looked at his watch.

"The others should already be at the juice bar," Adam said as he looked over Aisha's shoulder and saw an unusual sight. Bulk & Skull were headed their way, pushing a hot dog cart.

"What are you guys doing?" Aisha asked as the two teens approached.

"We're selling hot dogs for some quick cash," Bulk replied as he smacked a hot dog from Skull's hand. "Don't eat the merchandise!"

"Yeah, we're saving to buy a van!" Skull added as he pulled out a crudely drawn sketch. "We're going to fill the van with high-tech equipment, follow the Power Rangers, and find out who they really are!"

"So are you going to buy a hot dog or what?" Bulk asked.

"What the heck," Adam said as he reached for his wallet, knowing their scheme would eventually blow up in their faces. "Give me two dogs."

Bulk reached into the wagon and randomly pulled out a bicycle helmet, a handheld fan, a Ninja Turtle shaped cookie jar, and a kitten, which Bulk nuzzled before setting it aside and pulling out two hot dogs.

"What kind of condiments do you want?" Skull asked as he tried to tap the ketchup bottle, but couldn't get it to come out. He smacked it as hard as he could and squirted Bulk with it. Skull started laughing as Bulk unloaded the bottle of mustard on him.

"So, that'll be three-" Bulk started to say as he realized the two teens were gone. "Hey, where'd they go?"

The two were already on the other side of the park, not realizing something bad was about to happen. Then from out of nowhere, Goldar and a horde of Putties jumped out.

"Great," Adam said as the two took a fighting stance.

Adam launched forward and grabbed a Putty by the arm, kicked his leg back to get another Putty that rushed toward him, then used his other arm to punch the Putty he was holding.

Aisha kicked a Putty in the stomach, then flipped backward and upon landing kicked a Putty backward into the grass.

"Hey, you're supposed to keep off the grass!" Aisha shouted as she ran forward as Adam cupped his hands, giving Aisha a boost. She leaped into the air, spun, and kicked a Putty in the 'Z', shattering it.

As the two continued fighting, another dozen Putties materialized in front of them, as Goldar laughed while watching.

"We need help," Adam said as he hit his communicator. "We'd better morph."

MASTODON!

SABER-TOOTH TIGER!

*

At the juice bar, Billy was working on a science report, Kim was getting ready to hit the balance beam, but had to go to the hall to make a quick phone call beforehand.

Tommy, Rocky, and Justin were back to doing their karate moves, which kind of upset Rocky since he wanted this session to just be between the two brothers. Tommy did a triple spin kick, and landed perfectly, which left Justin in awe.

"Wow," Justin said, not noticing Rocky was giving Tommy a dirty look. "Can you teach me to do that?"

"When you're ready," Tommy told him. "But it'll take lots of practice. Rocky's still learning to pull it off."

"I can do it," Rocky said, knowing damn well he couldn't. "Just watch."

Rocky went to perform the kic and got through it twice before blindsiding a blond teenager heading toward the balance beam, knocking both boys to the ground.

"I am so sorry," Rocky said as he helped the boy up. He sixteen years old, blond, and was dressed in a blue tank top and sweatpants. "Are you okay?"

"No thanks to you," The boy said with an Australian accent. "You didn't follow through with the last spin. It's supposed to be done like this."

The boy did a full triple spin kick, and left Justin in awe once again, just as Kimberly was headed toward the balance beam. The two arrived at the same time and nearly collided with each other.

"Sorry, I was going to use it," The boy said as Kim just looked at him.

"Well, so was I," Kim replied. "I always practice this time of day. I don't think I've ever seen you around here before."

"The name's Christian, and I just moved here a few days ago," The boy told her. "Ladies first."

"Thanks," Kim told him as Christian gave her a hand to help her climb up. "I'm Kimberly."

Tommy's censors went off and immediately flew over to the balance beam.

"The name's Tommy, and I'm her boyfriend," Tommy politely said, while warning Christian at the same time.

"I'll keep that in mind," Christian said as he looked around for a seat to see how good Kimberly is. As soon as he turned his back, Tommy's communicator went off, startling her. Kim fell forward as Christian quickly turned and caught her.

"Thanks," Kim said as she looked up at Christian. He helped her stand as Tommy got in between the two.

"Kim, we need to go," Tommy told her as he tapped on his wrist communicator. "We have an... appointment."

"Hey, Richie, could you keep an eye on Justin?" Rocky asked as he headed for the door. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

"Sure," Richie replied as Christian came up to the bar and took a seat.

"Those guys are... weird," Christian noticed as Richie poured him a juice.

"Welcome to Angel Grove," Richie replied. "Home of the weird... and the colorblind."

"What's going on? Billy asked as the group arrived outside, and looked around to make sure no one else was around.

"Goldar and the Putties are attacking Adam and Aisha," Tommy told him as they reached for their morphers. "It's-"

"Hey, can I say it this time?" Rocky hopefully asked.

Tommy just stared blankly at him for a moment. Lately Rocky had been wanting more and more responsibility as a Ranger, something that Tommy wasn't sure he could handle.

"Sure," Tommy sighed.

"It's Morphin' Time!"

TIGERZORD!
PTERODACTYL!
TRICERATOPS!
TYRANNOSAURUS!

In the park, Adam and Aisha were extremely outnumbered by the Putties. Goldar just laughed as he watched the two Rangers get overrun. Aisha had been knocked to the ground, with Adam too far away to help her in time. Just as the Putties were about to massively attack, Rocky burst his way through and helped Aisha up.

"You okay?" Rocky asked as the other Rangers leaped to Adam's defense.

"I am now," Aisha replied as the Yellow and Red Rangers started fighting their way through the horde to get to Goldar.

"Master, all six Rangers are here!" Goldar said to his master, who was watching from the moon.

"Excellent," Zedd said as he charged up his staff and pointed it toward his target. "Now, let's create the ultimate wardrobe malfunction!"

Zedd fired his staff towards the earth, hitting the jar Goldar had set on the ground. It shattered, sending glass everywhere as a dust-like cloud started buzzing around. The Rangers were finishing off the Putties as Tommy noticed the swarm headed towards them.

"What's that?" Tommy asked the cloud seemed to grow larger as it approached.

"It looks like...," Billy said as he looked at the cloud, instantly recognizing it. "Guys, get out of there!"

Billy rolled out of the way just in time for the others to be consumed by the swarm of mutant moths that Zedd had just created, which now were eating holes in the Ranger's costumes.
"They're eating our suits!" Rocky shouted as he tried to shoo the moths away.

Tommy and Kim were using their weapons to try to swat the moths away, but it was no use. Adam, Aisha, and Rocky were being overrun and could feel their suits being consumed.

"Zordon, teleport everyone to the Command Center," Billy said into his communicator, trying to find a way to help his friends without being attacked. "Hurry!"

Suddenly six multi-colored beams of light were teleported out of the park, toward the desert outside of Angel Grove.

The Command Center

The Rangers arrived in the Power Chamber, with only Billy's costume being fully intact. Everyone's helmets were still alright, but Kim's and Aisha's costumes were gone to the point of just barely being bikinis, Tommy's and Adam's were only half gone, and were now nothing more than half shirts and hole filled pants, and as for Rocky's-

"Tell me we have spare clothes in this place," Rocky said, holding his helmet over his most important area since his costume was now completely gone. Billy demorphed and handed his long-sleeved blue plaid shirt to Rocky to wrap around his waist.

"Follow me," Alpha said as Tommy, Adam, Kim, and Aisha followed. Rocky was the last one out of the room, almost too embarrassed to leave.

"Zordon, Zedd supercharged those moths," Billy said as he looked up at his mentor. "Can the other's costumes be replaced?"

"Yes," Zordon replied. "But it would be useless to do so since Zedd has found a way to destroy them. Your uniforms must be upgraded with a new, more powerful material. You must seek out the Armored Orbs of Mirinoi."

The others came back in just as Zordon made the suggestion, wearing regular street clothes that had been stashed there over a year ago, just in case of emergency. Rocky had to borrow some of Billy's old clothes since Jason's were too baggy. Rocky handed Billy the shirt he had given him earlier.

"Uh, why don't you keep that?" Billy told him as the others gathered around Zordon.

"Zordon, the Armored Orbs are only a myth," Alpha told the group. "We don't know if they exist."

"We have to take that chance," Tommy told them, wearing his old color of green. "Zedd's not going to waste any time attacking Angel Grove."

"We also need to find a way to stop those moths," Billy said as he looked at the tattered remains of the Ranger's costumes. "What if he unleashes these things on the city?"

"Billy, you must remain here and find a way to reverse Zedd's spell over the moths," Zordon instructed. "The rest of you will go to the Lost Galaxy of Mirinoi and find the Armored Orbs."

"But what about our suits?" Tommy asked. "Will we be alright without them?"

"Mirinoi can be dangerous," Zordon told them. "But we have no other choice. All we can do is equip you for your journey."

A panel on the floor opened and six multi-colored packs emerged as each Ranger grabbed his and her designated color, leaving only the Blue pack behind.

"Be careful, Rangers," Zordon told them as Alpha pushed a button to teleport them away. "And may the power protect you."

*

Lord Zedd stood on his balcony and watched five colored streaks of light teleport across the galaxy, headed toward Mirinoi.

"Zordon, you fool," Zedd said with a laugh. "You've just played right into my hands. The Rangers are now defenseless and on their way to an unfamiliar world, leaving their planet open for attack."

"Zedd, they're going after the Armor Orbs!" Rita shouted as she headed toward him. "If they get those, they'll be as powerful as ever!"

"Which is why they won't get to them," Zedd said as he charged up his staff. "With no protection, a monster should easily be able to stop them. Big Moth, arise!"

The moths Zedd had used to attack the Rangers combined into one six-foot moth monster as Zedd's ray struck down, creating an orange creature with brown wings and fangs.

"Big Moth, go to Mirinoi and CRUSH the Rangers!" Zedd's voice commanded before turning his attention to Goldar. "And you and Scorpina shall launch your attack on Earth. Start with Ernie's juice bar and all the Ranger's friends."

"Yes, master!" Goldar replied as he headed off to find Scorpina.

*

The Rangers soon arrived on the planet Mirinoi and saw they were surrounded by a beautiful landscape. The sky was a combination of purple and white, there was a rocky terrain as far as the eye could see in front of them, with a colorful forest behind.

"This place is perfect," Kim said as she looked around. "Untouched by pollution and war."

"Let's save the social commentary for later," Tommy said as he used a pair of binoculars from his power pack to scout the area. "I see an energy source coming from that way."

"I hope Billy's alright," Rocky said as the group started walking. "Zedd's probably getting ready to launch an attack at any moment."

*

Billy was working in the lab in his garage, mixing chemicals together to create an anti-moth spray to stop Zedd.

"Ay, yi, yi," Alpha said as he wandered around Billy's lab, bringing Billy what he needed. "I hope this works."

"We'll see," Billy replied as he held up the bottle of blue liquid. "Now we just wait for Zedd to make his move."

Billy's communicator went off as Zordon summoned him.

"Billy, Goldar, and Scorpina are attacking the Youth Center," Zordon told him. "You must hurry with the anti-moth solution."

"It's already done," Billy said as he reached for his morpher. "I just hope it works. It's Morphin' Time!"

TRICERATOPS!

*

Justin was in the locker room, changing back into his street clothes, waiting for Rocky to return. What was supposed to be a few minutes turned into two hours. Justin knew about Rocky's life as a Power Ranger, but it didn't stop him from thinking that his big brother would rather be off fighting monsters than hanging out with him.

Meanwhile, people were running from the Youth Center in a panic as Goldar and Scorpina laughed.

"This will make an excellent base of operations when we start to destroy the Earth!" Goldar said as Richie came from the kitchen and saw the place was empty.

"Hey, where'd all the customers go?" Richie asked as he saw Goldar, who held his sword toward the teen.

"They ran away, like the pathetic humans they are!" Goldar shouted as he headed toward the counter. "But I will need a slave to serve me, and since the fat man isn't here-"

Goldar was about to blast Richie when a kick knocked Goldar's sword from his hand. He turned and saw Christian standing in the doorway, where he'd just come from the locker rooms.

"You were right, Richie, this is the home of the weird," Christian said as Scorpina whipped her tail at him, but he ducked backward as she hit the doorframe. Richie jumped over the counter, but Goldar clotheslined him as Scorpina tossed Christian next to him.

"They aren't worth keeping alive," Scorpina said as she pulled out her sword. "Let's just kill them now."

They raised their swords and prepared to strike, but a blue power lance blocked them. The Blue Ranger pushed as hard as he could and sent both villains back.

"Silly monsters, Youth Centers are for kids,” Billy told them as he twirled his lance, ready for a fight. Christian and Richie headed for the door and stayed out of sight to see the Blue Ranger in action.

"It's only one powerless Ranger," Goldar mocked as both he and Scorpina prepared to attack. "You should have gone with your friends to their doom."

"You don't know my friends," Billy said as he twirled his staff and got a hit in with Goldar, knocking him back as Richie and Christian silently cheered.

*

On Mirinoi, the Rangers were getting closer to the Armored Orbs, with Tommy leading them. They came to a stop in front of a large group of caves.

"In there," Tommy directed. "Let's hurry."

"You know, this was way too easy," Rocky told the group as they approached the entrance. "You'd think Zedd would-"

Just then a large group of Putties and Big Moth appeared in front of the entrance, blocking the path.

"You and your big mouth," Kim told Rocky as the group took a fighting stance. The Putties rushed forward as Big Moth flew toward them. The monster knocked Tommy and Adam aside as they tried to fight him. Aisha and Kim tried to do a double team, but he managed to knock both of them back as well.

"Without our costumes, we're about as powerful as Pee-Wee Herman," Adam said as the group fended off the Putties while dodging Big Moth's attacks.

"You guys get into the caves," Rocky told his friends as the Putties were almost all but defeated. "I'll keep double fugly here occupied."

"Rocky, I'll stay behind," Tommy said as he motioned the others to head for the cave. "You-"

"Would you trust me for once?" Rocky said as he located a stick large enough to use a staff. He tossed his power pack to the side to move better. "I'll be right behind you."

Tommy nodded as Rocky rushed toward the monster, and tried to get a few hits in. He actually landed a few hits before Big Moth grabbed the stick and threw Rocky back. He broke the stick over his knee and headed toward Rocky, who jumped to his feet.

"You powerless punk, do you think you can beat me?" Big Moth asked as prepared to launch an all out attack.

"I'm only powerless if I give up," Rocky said as he started laughing and wiped a tear away. "I'm sorry, I can't say that with a straight face."

Big Moth charged as Rocky spun to the side and kicked the monster, sending him flying into the wall. He began to run toward the cave when Big Moth blasted him in the back, sending him to the ground face first. The blast had charred the back of his shirt and caused him to bleed a little.

"Ow," Rocky said as he rolled over onto his back. "I swear I'm going to start appreciating my suit more after this."

Inside the cave, the Rangers didn't have to travel far to find what they were searching for. Seven multi-colored orbs were lined up on the wall and were the only source of light in the cave.

"There are seven orbs," Adam noticed as he saw the colors White, Red, Black, Pink, Blue, Yellow... and Green. "But how do we use them?"

Tommy pulled out his power coin and held it in his hand. "Put in on the orb."

The four Rangers put their coins on the colored orbs and watched their coins sink inside the spheres. The sound of lighting was heard as the White, Black, Pink, and Yellow spheres started shrinking, their energy being absorbed into the power coins.

They also didn't realize that they weren't alone in the cave. Squatt and Baboo, Zedd's loyal, but dimwitted henchmen were hiding, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. As soon as the Rangers left, the two headed toward the remaining orbs.

Outside, Rocky was getting his butt handed to him as Big Moth continued to smack him around.

"Just stay down!" Big Moth told him. "I promise your death will be quick if you just stay still. Painful, but quick!"

An energy blast from a power bow hit Big Moth in the back. He turned around saw four multi-colored teens standing at the entrance of the cave. Where spandex once was, was now solid armor. Their respective dinosaur symbols now were placed on their chest, and the white diamonds on their shoulders were no longer present.

"Time to exterminate," Adam told the monster as he turned his power ax around to use in cannon mode. "Bye, bye, buggie."

Adam fired at the monster, almost destroying it as Zedd watched.

"Fools, can you do nothing right?" Zedd asked as he tossed a grenade down to Mirinoi, enlarging the monster to over fifty stories tall.

"We're gonna need the big guns," Tommy said as looked over at Rocky. "There are three orbs left. Get your armor and join us as soon as you can!”

The four Rangers raised their hands to the sky to summon their zords.

"White Tiger Thunderzord Power!"

"Mastodon Lion Thunderzord Power!"

"Pterodactyl Firebird Thunderzord Power!"

"Saber-tooth Tiger Griffin Thunderzord Power!"

In a flash of lightning, the four Thunderzords arrived as the Rangers teleported into the cockpits. Big Moth rushed toward them, but the Firebird let loose a flame attack, followed by the Lion ramming the monster backward.
The Griffin opened its mouth and shot four fireballs, knocking Big Moth to the ground.

"It's time to finish this," Tommy said as he looked at his watch. "I've got a class to teach in an hour."

The Tigerzord, in its Warrior mode, pulled its sword out as Big Moth rushed toward him. The Tigerzord powered up and used its finisher move, destroying Big Moth on impact.

Inside the cave, Rocky had found his way toward where the orbs were found by the others, only to find total darkness.

"Rocky, did you get your armor?" Tommy asked as he rushed inside after him. "Oh, no."

*

Lord Zedd's Palace

"Excellent," Lord Zedd said as he looked at the Red, Blue, and Green Armor Orbs, sitting in a small red and gold box. "For once you fools came in handy."

"Hey, did you hear that, we actually did something good that was bad!" Squatt said. "Or was it something bad that was good?"

"Shut up you idiots!" Zedd shouted. "Before I decide to have you destroyed just for the fun of it."

*

On Earth, Goldar and Scorpina were overpowering Billy and had knocked him back into the wall, where Goldar had pinned him in place with magic bolts.

"Now you die, Blue Ranger," Goldar said as he reached for Billy's helmet. "But I want to see your face as I force the life from your body!"

Goldar put his hands on Billy's helmet and prepared to pull when a double kick from Christian and Richie hit him in the chest, sending him backward. Then the two teens picked up Justin and rammed at Goldar, with the boy wearing a football helmet to keep him from hurting himself when they impacted.

"Teenagers, they're nothing but trouble," Scorpina said as she raised her sword. "I'll finish this-"

A pink whip wrapped around the sword and pulled it away. The other four Rangers were standing in the doorway, with Rocky waiting outside.

"No!" Goldar shouted as he picked his sword up. "They got their armor! This fight will continue another day!"

Goldar and Scorpina disappeared as Tommy freed Billy from the wall. He looked over at Christian and Richie.

"Good work, guys," Billy told them. "Thanks for your help."

"Anytime," Richie said as Tommy looked over at Justin.

"Your big brother's waiting for you outside," Tommy said. "He says he's worried about you."

Justin ran outside as the Rangers teleported away, while Justin joined Rocky and teleported with him.

Seconds later, the six teens and small boy were at the Power Chamber.

"Zordon, Zedd got Rocky and Billy's armor orbs," Tommy explained. "He can't use those against us, can he?"

"No," Zordon replied as the Rangers felt relieved. "The Armor can only be unlocked with the Power Coins."

"What are me and Billy supposed to do without armor?" Rocky asked. "And I don't even have a suit anymore."

"Until we can retrieve the orbs, you and Billy will be highly vulnerable to Zedd's attacks," Zordon told them. "As for your suit, Rocky, it can be replaced, but due to the recent surges in the Morphin Grid, any replacement will be weaker than what you're used to."

"We'll get those orbs back," Tommy promised. "It's just a matter of how."

"Rocky, are you alright?" Adam asked he noticed Rocky's back. "You took a pretty bad hit."

"It's just a little sore," Rocky replied. "I'll have it cleaned up and I'll be fine."

"Rocky, you could have a serious injury," Alpha told him. "Maybe I should take a look at-"

"It's nothing," Rocky replied. "I'm fine. I just want to get Justin home and forget about all of this. There's no way I'm going to let a back injury keep me down."
"Zordon, there were seven orbs," Kim told Zordon as she looked up. "Why were there orbs for both the Green and White Rangers?"

"Yeah, we don't even have the Green power coin anymore," Tommy added. "I gave it to Jason before he left for the Peace Conference, as a souvenir of his time as a Ranger."

"There are orbs for every color, that come into existence whenever a new power is created, Zordon informed her. "Hidden throughout the infinite galaxies are Armored Orbs for Orange, Gold, Silver, Titanium, and countless others."

"So there are other Rangers out there besides us?" Billy asked with amazement. "Cool."

"Yes, Billy, although most are inactive at this point, there are other Rangers in the universe," Zordon replied. "And hopefully someday you will be able to meet them."

*

"The Rangers now have two weak links," Zedd said as he paced around.

Goldar Scorpina, Finster, Squatt, Baboo, and Rita were watching him as he plotted. "But while they are busy protecting the Red and Blue Rangers, we'll go after a much bigger prize. Goldar, I have a special mission for you. It's time we finished off the Rangers once and for all."

*

The Youth Center, the next day

Richie and Christian had become fast friends after their encounter with Goldar, and were sparring on the mats, while Ernie was back behind the bar. Rocky was teaching Justin a few new moves, while Tommy, Adam, and Aisha sat at the table.

"Zedd's not going to give up," Tommy told the group. "We need Billy and Rocky to be extra careful until we can get those orbs back."

"How are we going to get the orbs?" Adam asked, almost whispering so no one could hear. "There's no way Zedd's going to let us anywhere near them. Rocky and Billy may never get their new armor."

Rocky was teaching Justin out on the mats when Justin looked back at the others.

“I’m sorry you didn’t get your orb,” Justin told him.

“It’s just as well,” Rocky said. “I think it’s time I gave up being a Power Ranger.”

Chapter Text

Power Rangers, Episode #3.3
'Power Outage, Part 1'
Written By Tobias Christopher

South America

The door to the lost ancient temple burst open as Goldar entered, followed by a group of Putties, who were bringing in a captive archaeologist.

"Where is the mask?" Goldar demanded as he looked at the woman who been searching for the Mask of Medusa for years.

"It's in a hidden chamber," Maria Sloan said as she gestured at the wall. "Just pull that lever on the wall."

Goldar pulled on what looked like a wal-mounted torch as a passageway opened, revealing a small hole in the wall, which was empty.

"It's not there!" Goldar shouted as he held his sword against Maria's throat. "Tell me what you've done with it!"

"Looking for this?" A voice asked as Goldar turned and saw the White Ranger holding an ancient mask of medusa, a woman with snakes in her hair that could turn people to stone by merely gazing upon them, in his hands.

Behind him were five multi-colored heroes known as the Power Rangers, all of them with their weapons drawn. Four of them were in new, shiny armored suits, while the Red and Blue Rangers were in spandex suits.

"How did you find us?" Goldar asked as he held his sword up, ready to attack.

"It wasn't too hard, considering all the damage you did to the forest trying to find this place," Tommy The White Ranger replied as he drew his own sword, Sabba. "Besides, you don't think Zordon could tell you were causing trouble somewhere on Earth?"

Goldar motioned for his Putties to attack as the Rangers rushed forward. Goldar raced toward The White Ranger, who tossed the mask to Billy, the Blue Ranger.

Tommy motioned to Kim and Aisha, the Pink and Yellow Rangers. "Get the woman to safety!"

Kim and Aisha pushed their way through the Putties, and teleported away with Maria, taking her to a nearby village, while the others dealt with Goldar and the Putties. Goldar and Tommy clashed swords, not realizing another monster was entering the temple.

Billy was caught off guard by Scorpina's tale, who knocked him forward, causing him to toss the mask, which was caught by Adam the Black Ranger, who flipped through the air and caught it before it hit the ground. Meanwhile, Goldar managed to get a hit in, knocking Tommy to the side as he headed toward the Ranger holding his prize.

Scorpina knocked Billy into the wall and headed over to Adam as well. As the two monsters got closer, he tossed the mask, which was caught by Rocky the Red Ranger on the opposite side of the room.

"I love to play keep away," Rocky said as he prepared to toss the mask back to Tommy, but didn't realize he was dangerously close to an open part of the floor, which had crumbled due to years of decay. Just as he was about to toss the mask, the floor he was standing on collapsed, causing Rocky to fall through the hole into the dark pit below.

"We've got to get to Rocky!" Tommy shouted as the three Rangers rushed toward the hole and looked down into the darkness.

"His suit should protect him from any deadly impact," Billy told him. "Provided the drop isn't too far."
Rocky fell twenty feet, hitting the front of his midsection on a statue of an ancient Aztec god, causing him to demorph before falling another ten feet, landing Rocky on the ground on his back in his human form. Instead of his Red Ranger suit, Rocky was now back in his red t-shirt, long-sleeved red plaid shirt, blue jeans, and black tennis shoes.

"Putties, keep the Rangers distracted!" Goldar commanded as he looked down into the hole.
Another dozen Putties teleported into the room before the Rangers could get close to the pit, just as Goldar and Scorpina jumped down.

Rocky felt a sharp pain in his back as he sat up, with the mask in his hand. His morpher had fallen to the side, and because the room was pitch black, he couldn't see where it was.

Then suddenly, several wall-mounted torches were lit through Goldar's evil magic as he held his hand out.

"Give me the mask!" Goldar demanded.

"Over my dead body," Rocky bravely said as Goldar pulled out his sword, then realized who he was talking to. "I really need to stop using that as an option."

Goldar rushed forward and swung his sword as Rocky ducked to his right, then rolled forward until he was behind Goldar. He sprung up and kicked Goldar in the back with his right leg and sent the monster flying forward.

"Come on, Kong, let's dance," Rocky said as Goldar turned around.

"Give up now, Jason, before I- oh wait, you're NOT Jason, are you?" Goldar said, knowing that would hurt Rocky more than any blow from his sword.

The ploy worked because before he could attack again, something tapped Rocky on the shoulder. He turned his head in time for a Scorpion's tail to smack him backward into Goldar, who grabbed the boy and punched him in the stomach, sending him to his knees. At this point, Rocky was struggling to keep his breakfast down.

"I believe you were saying something about taking the mask over your dead body?" Goldar asked as he picked Rocky up by his neck and started squeezing. "I believe that can be arranged."

Up above, Tommy, Adam, and Billy had finally finished off the Putties as Kim and Aisha teleported back into the temple.

"Rocky fell through that hole," Tommy said as the Rangers looked down and saw a faint light from the lit torches. "Goldar and Scorpina are down there, so let's be careful."

The Rangers leaped down and landed on their feet just in time to see Goldar holding the Mask of Medusa, standing over an unconscious Rocky, his sword ready to slice into the boy's neck. The Pink Ranger quickly pulled out her power bow and fired an arrow, knocking the sword from Goldar's hand.

"You're too late, Rangers!" Goldar triumphantly shouted as held the mask up. "Your destruction has just been assured, thanks to the Red Ranger!"

Goldar and Scorpina disappeared in a burst of flame as the White Ranger knelt down and felt Rocky's pulse. He had been roughed up pretty badly before the Rangers arrived.

"He's alive. Barely."

The others breathed a sigh of relief as Tommy and Adam picked Rocky up, while Billy found Rocky's morpher before the group teleported away.

Lord Zedd's Palace on the Moon

Lord Zedd was waiting patiently on his throne as Goldar walked through the throne room doors and knelt in front of his master, holding the mask up.

"Congratulations, you finally did something right," Zedd said as stood up and took the mask. "Now I only await Finster's completion of his latest invention."

"Master, I have also dealt the Rangers a serious blow," Goldar said as he continued to kneel. "The Red Ranger may not live to the end of the day."

"Excellent," Zedd said as he motioned Goldar to arise. "If this is true, then this day will truly be victorious for us. Now, go and gather together our strongest Putties for the next phase of our plan.
And if the Red Ranger truly is dead, then we must make plans to capture his power coin before Zordon can appoint a replacement."

The Command Center

Rocky was lying on a bed in the Medbay as Alpha 5 cleaned the cuts and bruises on his chest and arms. Rocky was still unconscious as his demoprhed friends stood around him.

"Rocky will be fine," Alpha told them as he headed for the door. "He just needs to rest now. He'll be up and around in no time."

Rocky was starting to regain consciousness, but still couldn't open his eyes or really say anything as his friends stood around. But he could hear everything going on around him.

"Goldar's going to pay for this," Adam said as he looked down at his friend and pounded his fist into his hand. "The next time he shows his face-"

"It should have been me down there," Tommy told the group. "Rocky's a great fighter, but there's no way he could have taken Goldar and Scorpina alone and unmorphed."

"Nobody could," Kim reminded him. "Except maybe Jason. Sometimes I wish he hadn't left for that peace conference."

"Yeah," Billy added. "Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if Jason had never left us."

"I was hoping it wouldn't come to this, but I think it's time Rocky gave up his powers," Tommy told them, not coming to his decision lightly. "Look, he's a great Ranger and a skilled fighter, but... he’s not Jason. He’s not Red Ranger material.”

“Rocky’s my best friend,” Adam told him. “But I worry about him, especially after this.”

"Rangers, Zordon wants to see you in the Power Chamber," Alpha's voice said over the intercom. "It's urgent."

"We'll come back and check on Rocky in a while," Tommy said as the others headed for the Power Chamber. "And someone needs to contact Justin and let him know what's going on."

As soon as the others were gone, Rocky slowly opened his eyes. His whole body was in pain as he sat up and set his stocking feet on the floor. He stood up and painfully walked over to the table where his shoes, shirt, communicator. and morpher were sitting. Maybe it was time to give up his powers and move on.

The other five Rangers walked into the Power Chamber, where Alpha 5 and their mentor Zordon were waiting for them.

"Welcome, Rangers," Zordon said as he looked down at the teens. "It is unfortunate what happened to Rocky, but Alpha tells me he will be fine. None of you should blame yourselves for what happened to him, or for Goldar getting the mask."

"What did Goldar want with that ugly old thing, anyway?" Aisha asked. "Unless he wanted to improve his looks, that is."

"That Mask of Medusa is an ancient cursed object, buried in the temple for safekeeping," Zordon explained. "The Mask is said to have the power to turn anything, or anyone, to stone."

"And now Zedd has it," Tommy said as he looked at the others. "What if he figures out how to use it?"
"We know almost nothing about the mask or its power," Zordon replied. "The mask may even be powerless. Only time will tell if it will be a threat. In the meantime, return home to your lives while Alpha and I investigate this further."

"What about Rocky?" Kim asked. "Someone should stay behind with him."

"Ay, yi, yi, Rocky's already gone!" Alpha told them as he looked at a printout. "He just teleported out of the Command Center."

"Without telling anyone?" Adam said as he looked at Zordon. "Why would he just leave?"

"We'll find out," Tommy told them. "He shouldn't be out by himself now in his condition. It'll be too easy for Zedd to pick him off."

Rocky was walking down the streets of Angel Grove, wondering why Zordon had chosen him as the Red Ranger when Jason left for the Peace Conference. Ever since he'd become a Ranger, Rocky felt like he was living in Jason's shadow, constantly being compared to the person he replaced. His friends sometimes jokingly made the comparison, and although he'd laugh along with them, it hurt him that he'd never be the leader Jason was.

Rocky continued walking down the sidewalk, passing two twin boys sitting on the steps of an apartment building, playing with their Power Ranger figures.

"You can be the Red Ranger this time," Eric McKnight said. "I'll be White."

"I don't wanna be Red," Conner McKnight replied. "The Red Ranger sucks. It's like someone replaced him with a totally new guy since the White Ranger showed up. Someone who sucks."

Rocky lowered his head and continued walking, looking for some sort of sign to continue on as a Ranger.

*

"Finster, is it ready?" Zedd asked as the Putties dragged a magnifying glass into the room.

"Made exactly to your specifications, my lord," Finster told him. "The glass was made from the sands of Triforia as you requested."

"Excellent," Zedd said as he examined the large 4x4 glass. "Now we only have one obstacle standing in our way. I trust you can actually do this one simple task?"

"Yes, Lord Zedd," Scorpina said as she bowed. "I will not fail you."

*

Angel Grove Youth Center

"Hey, they're talking about the peace conference," Ernie said as he turned up the radio on the counter.

"And that was the scene in Geneva just days ago, as the Teen Peace Summit officially came to a close. Young people all over the world had come here to negotiate a peaceful future for all, and all proved to be fine ambassadors for their selected nations. None more so than Jason Lee Scott of America, who was truly an inspiration for all-"

Bulk and Skull were sitting at the bar, with Bulk on his third ice cream sundae.

"Bulkie, shouldn't we be getting back to raising money for our van?" Skull asked.

"I need my energy to push that hot dog cart," Bulk said as he slurped down the last of the sundae, leaving a white mustache on his lip. "Another four or five sundaes and I'll be ready to roll!"

"How much have you two made on that cart?" Ernie asked as he made up another sundae.

"Not counting all the wasted condiments and what I safety tested to make sure they were alright for the customers," Bulk said as he crunched the numbers in his head. "Four bucks."

"Well, your tab's twelve bucks," Ernie said as he rang up the register. "Maybe you should set your goal a little lower than a van. Like maybe a tricycle."

Skull laughed at the thought of Bulk on a tricycle as Bulk gave his partner a menacing look.

"Come on, you can do it!" Christian shouted from across the room as he held the punching bag while his new friend Richie pounded away, punching and kicking as hard as he could, training for an upcoming karate tournament.

"I need a break," Richie said as he grabbed a towel. He saw Tommy, Adam, Kim, Aisha and Billy walk in and take a seat. "Wow, you guys look depressed."

"It's nothing," Tommy replied as he looked around the place. "You haven't seen Rocky, have you?"

"Not today," Richie replied as Christian headed to the bar to order a drink. "Justin was here earlier, though. I think he went to the park, that might be where Rocky is now."

"Thanks, man," Tommy said as Richie went to join his friend at the bar. "We already know Rocky's not at his house. Maybe we should go to the park and see if he's there."

The group stood up to leave as Bulk was about to start his next sundae, but was starting to get beyond full at that point.

"Bulkie, you okay?" Skull asked as Bulk felt like he was going to get sick, then got up and rushed toward the exit, knocking his way through the Rangers, pushing Billy into Ernie, who dropped a whole tray of smoothies and shakes all over him.

"You alright, Billy?" Tommy asked as Billy took off his milkshake soaked glasses. His hair and shirt were now a combination of red, pink, and green liquid.

"I've been better," Billy replied as Adam handed him a key. "I'm going to need a quick shower, though."

"I've got some spare clothes in my locker. Get cleaned up and meet us in the park," Adam told him as the group ran off.

*

Rocky was sitting at the lake, skipping stones across the water, trying to decide what he was going to do. He could go on being a Ranger, and continually make a fool out of the Red Ranger, or he could quit and let someone who can actually handle the responsibility take over.

*

At the park, Justin was racing his remote-controlled race car down along the empty basketball court. He'd been separated from his favorite possession for over a year, since the last move, and had finally found it earlier in the garage.

He saw Tommy, Kim, Adam, and Aisha heading down the trail and decided to catch up to them, and find out when Rocky was coming home. He hadn't seen his stepbrother since this morning and wanted to show off his race car. Just as he got close enough to call out to them, Scorpina arrived with a group of Putties. Justin ducked behind a tree to watch the ensuing fight.

"Zedd obviously doesn't know the meaning of good timing," Tommy said as the group prepared to fight.

Adam bent over as Tommy rolled over his back and kicked a Putty in the side of its face, sending it flying back. Adam stood up and did a spin kick to the next Putty that ran forward, then followed through with a punch, sending the Putty to the ground, where he jumped into the air and landed a punch that shattered the creature.

Kim kicked at a Putty then flipped backward as it chased her, then landed on her feet and kicked it again, then spun and punched it's 'Z', destroying it. Aisha was avoiding a Putty that was punching at her as she ducked and dodged, then socked the Putty in its jaw, followed by a kick and another punch to the 'Z'.

A Putty punched at Tommy, who grabbed its arm and spun it to the ground, but was grabbed by two others before he could destroy the one on the ground. They both had Tommy by the arms, but he got the upper hand and swung them into each other, freeing himself. Before they could realize what was happening, he punched both at once, destroying them. The last Putty was about to strike when Kim intervened and punched it's 'Z'.

The group rejoined as Justin silently cheered for his brother's friends from his hiding spot. The only one left to fight now was Scorpina.

"Your turn," Kim said as the group took a fighting stance.

"Come on, bring it," Scorpina said, as she held her sword, ready for action.

"Alright, guys," Tommy said as they reached for their morphers, just as Scorpina had anticipated. "It's morph-"

"Sorry, morphing time's over," Scorpina said as she pointed her sword and blasted at the group, knocking them to the ground, making them drop their morphers into the grass.

"Scorpina has succeeded," Zedd said as he charged up his staff, while Rita prepared her wand. "Now, let's move this party somewhere a little more private!"

The two joined staffs and fired, hitting the four dazed Rangers before they could stand. In a quick flash, the four teens and Scorpina were gone, leaving only four scorched marks in the grass, while a horrified Justin just watched.
*

Outside of town, the Rangers arrived in an empty field as Scorpina laughed.

"Our morphers are still in the park," Tommy said as he hit his communicator. "We've gotta teleport back and-"

The Rangers just stood there as they realized they were cut off from all of their powers.

"Zedd's blocking our signal," Adam realized as Scorpina raised her sword. "We're powerless!"

*

"Ay yi yi!" Alpha said as he watched the situation unfold. "The Rangers are separated from their morphers, Zedd's blocking our signal so I can't teleport Tommy and the others back to the park, and I can't get in contact with Rocky or Billy!"

"My sensors tell me that Billy's communicator and morpher are safe for the time being," Zordon said. "Rocky is on his way here now."

"Zordon, look!" Alpha said as he looked at the view screen. "All might not be lost after all! Justin's in the park!"

*

"Oh, no," Justin said as he started to panic. He rushed out to where the Rangers had disappeared and found only their morphers sitting in the grass. He quickly scooped them up and put them inside his backpack, next to his race car and ran off to find help.

*

"Alpha, you must teleport Justin here immediately," Zordon commanded.

"I can't!" Alpha replied. "He's not wearing a communicator, and I don't have his genetic signal in the computer to lock on to him!"

Just then, Rocky arrived in the room, looking glum. He had his hands in his pockets as he looked down at the ground.

"Zordon, I have to tell you something," Rocky said as Zordon interrupted.

"Rocky, I already know," Zordon replied. "But now is not the time for this. The others are in danger, and unless we react quickly, all will be lost."

*

"Zedd!" Rita shouted as she watched Justin run out of the park. "That little brat's got the morphers! He'll ruin everything!"

"Justin will ruin nothing!" Zedd shouted. "He won't make it far enough to do anything. Billy and Rocky are the only two Rangers we have to deal with now, and they'll be more than easy once the others are out of the way. Let's cast the spell and finish this!"

Zedd set the Mask of Medusa on a pedestal behind the magnifying glass, which was overlooking the Earth.

"The Mask's powers can turn anything to stone," Zedd explained. "But with this special magnifying glass, we can amplify the mask's powers a thousand fold!"

"Then let's do it!" Rita laughed as the two villains joined staffs and fired at the mask, unlocking its powers. The mask started to glow as a beam of pure energy shot out of the eyes and mouth, into the glass, which amplified the stone spell as it bathed the Earth in its energy.

*

At the juice bar, Bulk was heading back to the bar to try to finish off his last sundae. Richie and Christian were still out on the floor practicing, and Ernie was behind the bar, replacing the drinks he had spilled earlier. Billy had finished with his shower and heading back toward Adam's locker, where his morpher and communicator were.

*

In the desert outside of Angel Grove, Scorpina laughed as she disappeared before Tommy and the others could attack, leaving the four Rangers confused.

*

Justin was running down the streets of Angel Grove, trying to find Rocky, Billy, or anyone that could help.

*

"Rocky, you must bring Justin back here before-" Zordon started to say as the alarms went off.

"Ay yi yi, we're too la-" Alpha said as the beam of light hit. In an instant, everything on Earth, both animated and inanimate, were solid stone, including the Power Rangers, Alpha, Justin, and everyone in Angel Grove.

In the Command Center, Rocky and Alpha were solid stone statues, but Zordon was unaffected, because of his being trapped in a time warp. Zordon waited, hoping his theories about the stone spell were correct. Seconds later, a red energy erupted from Rocky's morpher in his back pocket, turning the boy back into flesh and blood.

"Zordon, what happened?" Rocky asked as he looked as Alpha, who was frozen in stone, just like the rest of the outside world.

"Zedd has unlocked the powers of the Mask of Medusa," Zordon explained. "As I thought, anyone holding a power coin will remain unaffected. Which means Justin is in grave danger."

*

The statue of Justin started glowing from the energy of the four morphers in his backpack. Seconds later, the boy was normal again as he looked around. He tried to find the right words to assess the situation.

"This sucks," Justin said as he started running again to find help. "Gotta find Rocky. Gotta find Billy. Gotta find... a bathroom. Shouldn't have had all that lemonade. Why am I saying this out loud?"

Justin turned the corner and ran right into Goldar and a group of Putties.

"Give me the power coins, boy!" Goldar demanded. "And I might let you live long enough to be my servant!"

"Go back to your lawgiver, Bobo!" Justin replied as he turned to run, but was blocked off by the Putties. He took a deep breath and took a fighting stance. "Alright, this is where my martial arts training really OH GOD!"

The Putties surrounded and started pummeling the boy, grabbing his backpack before going back to Goldar, who held the bag in victory. Before Justin could get off the ground, Goldar disappeared in a burst of flame, just as Rocky teleported down.

"Justin, are you alright?" Rocky asked as Justin spit out a tooth.

"He's lucky that was a baby tooth," Justin said as the two returned to the Command Center.

*

"I'm sorry," Justin said as he looked up at Zordon. "Goldar got the coins because of me."

"It wasn't your fault," Zordon replied. "You merely delayed Zedd's plan. But for now we must concentrate on retrieving the coins."

"Billy's coin is still with him, right?" Rocky asked hopefully. "We just need to get it back in his hands, right?"

"Yes," Zordon told him. "Billy is at the Youth Center, just in reach of his morpher. Merely place the coin in his hand and he'll return to normal."

"What about if you put your coin in the hands of the other Rangers?" Justin asked. "And free them?"
"Zedd's placed a blocking spell on their location, and can't be located outside of the fact that they are somewhere in the desert," Zordon informed them. "Even if you did find them, you wouldn't be able to teleport them back here."

"And that still doesn't help us get the other coins back," Rocky said as he paced around."And we have to reverse Zedd's spell. I have to go to Zedd's palace."

"No, I can not allow that," Zordon told him. "We must rescue Billy, and then locate Tommy and-"
"Justin can get Billy's coin and free him from the spell. And then what?" Rocky asked. "Send Tommy up to Zedd's palace alone and unarmed? I'm the only one who can do it, and for some reason you don't trust me to do this. Why? Is it because I want to quit being a Ranger?"

"Rocky, recently your self-confidence has been lowered, and I suspect it has nothing to do with what’s been happening,” Zordon told him.

“You’re right,” Rocky said. “It has to do with my mother’s marriage. I don’t know how to explain it. But this is bigger than me. My friends are in trouble and I still have powers. You have to trust me. I'm going to Zedd's palace, and I'm going to bring back those coins. Justin, it's up to you to save Billy."

“You are right, you are the Red Ranger,” Zordon said. “I am sorry for not putting my trust in a Ranger. Just be careful, Zedd will be prepared for intruders.”

"Rocky, can't you wait until we get Billy free?" Justin asked. "Then he can go with you and-"
Rocky kneeled down and hugged the boy, trying not to cry as he whispered into Justin's ear. "If I don't come back, take care of our mom."

Rocky stood up and reached for his morpher. One or way or another, this was his final morph as the Red Ranger.

TYRANNOSAURUS!

*

Justin was sent down in the middle of the Youth Center, and saw all his friends frozen in stone. He saw Richie in mid kick with the punching bag, with Christian cheering him on. Bulk, Skull, and Ernie were at the counter, with Bulk about to eat his sundae, and Skull laughing idiotically about something.
Justin made his way toward the locker room where Billy was, and closed his eyes.

"Please don't be naked, please don't be naked," Justin wished as he opened his eyes and breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Billy almost dressed, with the locker opened. Justin reached into the locker and felt around, but found nothing.

"Looking for this?" A voice asked as Justin's eyes went wide. He turned around to see Scorpina standing there, holding Billy's morpher. "Come and get it if you dare."

*

The Red Ranger had arrived in Zedd's palace, and was silently making his way around, hoping no one had realized he was there. He started his search for the stolen coins on the first level, but it was a huge palace, and he knew he didn't have much time.

"The Red Ranger is all that stands between us and total victory," Zedd told his wife as he held the small red and gold box with the White, Pink, Black, and Yellow power coins, plus the Red, Blue, and Green Armor Orbs. "Scorpina will soon return with Billy's coin, and we will be one step closer to victory!"

"What about Tommy and the rest of the brat pack?" Rita asked. "What if they use Rocky's coin to free them?"

"They have to find Tommy and the others first," Zedd replied. "That old fool Zordon doesn't even realize that the Rangers are right in his own backyard thanks to my blocking spell. But to be on the safe side-"

Rocky was close to Zedd's throne room when Goldar came marching down the hall, his sword in hand. He was about to turn the corner and see Rocky in the palace when Zedd called out to him.

"Goldar, go to Earth!" Zedd told him. "Destroy Tommy and the other Rangers before they have a chance to be freed!"

"Yes, master!" Goldar replied as he disappeared in a burst of flame, heading toward Earth.

"No," Rocky said as he hit his communicator. "Zordon, come in."

Rocky got nothing but static as he realized he would have to return to Earth to save the others. Before he could do anything, Squatt and Baboo turned the corner and started screaming.

"Ranger in the palace! Ranger in the palace!" Squatt shouted as the two started running as Rocky chased after to try to stop them from giving him away.

"Wait!" Rocky shouted as he raced after, but Zedd stepped out of the throne room just as Rocky tried to stop in time, but slipped, and hit the ground.

"Hello, Red Ranger," Zedd said as he charged up his staff and pointed it at Rocky. "You're not Jason, but at this point, the blood of any Ranger on my hands will be sweet."

*

In the desert of Angel Grove, four stone statues were standing in a running pose, heading toward the Command Center. The eyes of the statues were lifeless and blank, and couldn't see what was going on in the world around them.

It was then that Goldar appeared in front of the statues, and looked at Tommy, who was helpless to defend himself and his friends.

"So, this is how it ends, White Ranger," Goldar said as he laughed, and paced around the statues. "I always thought you would go down in a bigger blaze of glory, like a true warrior worthy of dying in combat, but I suppose this will have to do."

Goldar pulled out his sword and raised it to the sky, just over Tommy's head. "Farewell, Rangers."

TO BE CONTINUED...

Chapter Text

Power Rangers #3.4
'Power Outage, Part 2'
Written By Tobias Christopher

The locker room of Angel Grove's Youth Center

Justin flew through the air, hit a bench, rolled over, and hit the ground, landing on his stomach. He was breathing heavily and was coughing up a little blood as he rolled over and saw Scorpina standing over him, with Billy's morpher in her hand.

"You are the last living human creäture on this planet," Scorpina explained as she examined Billy's morpher, unaware of Rocky, who was now in Zedd's palace, attempting to retrieve his friend's power coins. "So I really want to enjoy this kill. That's why you've lived this long."

Scorpina set the morpher on a bench behind Billy and drew her sword.

"But like a cat softening up the mouse before she devours it, our little game is about to end," Scorpina told the boy as she picked Justin up by his white t-shirt with green sleeves and collar with her right hand and blood stains from his bleeding lip sat. She held her sword in her left hand, ready to slice into the boy when a screechy voice came from behind.

"Scorpina, what's taking so long!" Rita Repulsa shouted, her head appearing in a hologram, floating in midair. "Where's that power coin!"

"I'm just finishing some business, my mistress," Scorpina said as she looked at Rita. "I have the last living human and-"

"What are you talking about?" Rita asked."Is he the Invisible Man?"

Scorpina turned around and saw she was just holding up Justin's shirt, not realizing the boy had slipped out of it, snuck behind her, grabbed the morpher from the bench, and put his hand in Billy's.

"No!" Scorpina shouted as Justin waved goodbye, and pushed the button on his communicator and teleported the two away.

"Scorpina, you fool! Rita shouted. "You let him get away! Come back to the palace, because I'm not telling Zedd this news!"

Rita's image disappeared as Scorpina just looked at the bloodstained shirt in her hand. "Next time, then."

Scorpina put her sword back in its sheath and walked toward the lockers, fading away, returning to the moon palace.

*

The desert outside of Angel Grove

Goldar laughed as he held the sword over Tommy's head, ready to smash the stone statue into rubble. He brought to sword down, and was less than an inch from Tommy's nose when the monster heard an odd noise, like the revving on an engine.

"Impossible," Goldar said to himself. "How could-"

He looked up just in time to see the shadow of a black Harley Davidson come down on him. Goldar barely moved in time at the motorcycle landed, spun, and came to a stop. The rider, dressed in a black leather jacket, white t-shirt, and a red and black helmet got off and wasted no time attacking the monster.

Goldar blocked, but the biker got a lucky kick in and knocked the sword from his hand. The biker's gloved hand shot forward, and pushed Goldar back. He rushed forward and did a flip, going over Goldar's head, landing behind him. He grabbed Goldar's wings and pulled back, causing the monster to scream in pain as he lurched forward. The biker let go as Goldar fell to the ground and looked up.

"Who are you?" Goldar asked as he summoned his sword. "I must know before I kill you!"

The biker unfastened his helmet and pulled it off, letting the helmet fall to the ground.

"No, it can't be!" Goldar shouted.

"Did you miss me, Goldar?" Jason Lee Scott, the black haired, seventeen year old former leader of the Power Rangers, asked as he took a defensive stance and motioned the monster forward. "Looks like you've gotten soft in the last year."

Goldar screamed as he ran toward Jason with his sword and slashed at Jason, but the former Red Ranger twirled to the side, kicked Goldar in the back, ran forward and kicked Goldar from behind, sending him back toward the ground.

"How did you survive the spell?" Goldar asked.

"I don't know," Jason replied. "And I don't care. All I know is that you're not touching my friends."

"I'll be back, Jason!" Goldar promised as he disappeared in a burst of flame. "This fight will be mine!"

Jason breathed a sigh of relief and felt his arm, which was bleeding. Goldar had managed to stab him with his sword. Luckily the Command Center was only a short distance away. Maybe Zordon would have the answers he needed.

*

Justin put the coin in Billy's hand as the energy returned the teen to normal. Billy felt his body and looked around.

"What happened?"

"Zedd's used the Mask of Medusa to turn the entire planet to stone," Zordon told him. "Only you, Justin, and Rocky are left unaffected."

"They're not the only ones," Jason said as he stood at the entrance, holding his bleeding arm. Billy and Justin ran over to him as Jason looked at the boy. "Picking your Rangers kind of young these days, aren't you?"

"I'm not a Ranger," Justin replied. "I'm Rocky's brother."

"Jason, it is good to see you," Zordon said. "How did you manage to break the spell of stone?"

"I don't know, I was on my motorcylce, headed into town when this wave hit," Jason said as he reached down the neck of his t-shirt and pulled out a necklace. It was the Dragon Coin in a small plastic holder. "But I had a feeling it had something to do with this when I came to on the side of the road when I woke up."

"The coin, even powerless, must retain a link to the morphin grid," Billy said as he adjusted his glasses to look at the coin. "That's how you were able to survive."

"The others are less than a mile away," Jason said as he looked up at Zordon. "Almost everyone. Where's your Red Ranger?"

"He's doing something incredibly stupid... and brave," Justin told him as Billy tried to fix up Jason's arm.

"Billy, my sensors indicate Zedd has sent a monster down to Earth," Zordon told the trio. "But facing this monster could be deadly."

"I have to," Billy told him as he looked Jason and Justin. "I'll be back and we'll figure a way out of this mess. It's Morphin Time!"

TRICERATOPS!

*

5 Minutes Earlier, in Lord Zedd's Throne Room

Rocky's power sword was drawn as he circled around with Lord Zedd, who was twirling his Z staff.

"Did you honestly think you could sneak in, steal the coins, and be on your way? Did you think you'd get away that easily?" Zedd asked as the two paced around each other.

"Well, it'd be dumb to say 'yes' now," Rocky replied, his heart racing faster with each passing second. For the last six months, he'd faced monsters and beasts of all sorts, but he'd never once come face to face with the most evil presence in the known universe.

Zedd brought his staff down as Rocky blocked with his sword, but Zedd's seven foot frame towered over Rocky's five and a half-foot body. Zedd put pressure on his end, backing Rocky towards the wall.
"The last Ranger, and you're not even putting up a fight," Zedd said as Rocky used his sword to knock Zedd's staff downward, and spun out of the space between Zedd and the wall.

"He's not the last Ranger!" Rita shouted as she and Scorpina entered, as Rita pointed her finger the villainess. "She failed and lost Billy's coin!"

As Rita and Scorpina walked into the room, Rocky saw Scorpina holding a blood stained shirt. Justin's blood stained shirt. It was then that Rocky lost all control, realizing his little brother was lying dead somewhere.

"Blast it all!" Zedd shouted as Rocky charged toward him. Zedd blocked Rocky's sword with his staff as the Ranger tried to hit him. Zedd swung his staff and knocked Rocky's sword to the left, then saw an opening and brought his staff down on his right wrist, almost snapping it two.

Rocky screamed in pain and Zedd charged up his staff, swung and knocked Rocky in the head, knocking the Ranger halfway across the room, throwing him into the wall, where the Red Ranger hit the ground. The visor on Rocky's helmet was now cracked, blinding the Ranger to the outside world.

"Must I do everything myself?" Zedd asked as he fired his staff at the Medusa mask on the pedestal, bringing it to the life, creating a woman with pale skin, and living green snakes in her hair. She had no pupils in her eyes, and wore a long white dress. "Medusa, turn the Blue Ranger to stone, then shatter him and bring me his head!"

"Yes, my master," Medusa said as she disappeared in a green burst of energy.

"Now, as for you, Red Ranger," Zedd said as he turned his attention back toward the wall, where all he found was a cracked Red Ranger helmet. "Where is he!"

A kick to the back sent Zedd flying forward as Rocky let loose with everything he had. Zedd turned around, and lightly growled as he saw Rocky rushing at him. The boy's face was red with exhaustion and his hair was wet from the sweat, causing it to fall into his eyes as he fought. A final kick to Zedd's chest sent him flying back into the wall. Rocky bent over and tried to catch his breath as Zedd stood up, not even winded.

"Ha ha ha," Zedd laughed as his staff started to glow with energy. "You're soon going to be too tired to even put a decent fight. Not like you were able to in the first place. Zordon really should have picked a stronger replacement for his monkeyboy Jason."

"Shutup," Rocky said as he stood up and took a deep breath, his legs trembling. He briefly used his sword as a crutch to keep from falling. "Shutup and fight."

Zedd rushed forward as Rocky ran toward him. Rocky used every ounce of strength to vault himself into the air just as Zedd swung at him. Rocky swung his sword as he leapt over Zedd.

SLASH!

Rocky landed in a crouching position behind Zedd, who turned around and laughed.

"Was that all you have, boy, I-" Zedd's voice was cut off by the sound of a tink! tink! sound. The sound of something metal hitting the ground. Zedd felt the top of his head, then looked toward the ground, where a metal 'Z' was staring up at him.

Rocky managed to flash a smile at Zedd, whose body was starting to glow with a furious rage. The teen could barely stand at this point, and knew he wouldn't last much longer.

His original Red Ranger suit had been destroyed by Zedd almost a week ago, and because Zedd had stolen the Red, Blue, and Green power orbs, Rocky and Billy hadn't received the upgraded armor their friends had. Rocky's suit had then been replaced, but a surge in the Morphin Grid had created a much weaker replacement for him. A suit that was starting to tear because of all the strenous activity of the last few minutes.

"I'll take you apart a piece at a time if I have to," Rocky said, now struggling to stay on his feet.

"I tire of this game," Zedd replied as he saw Scorpina re-enter the room. "Finish this for me, and I shall forgive you for losing Billy's coin."

Before he could react, Rocky felt a sharp pain in his back. Scorpina's tail had plunged into the exact spot where Rocky had taken a hit from Zedd's Big Moth monster, plus with the recent fall he took in the Amazon Temple, Rocky's back was really sensitive as of late.

"AAAHHHH!" Rocky cried out as he fell forward, with blood starting to soak through the back of his spandex suit. Scorpina kicked him in the face, sending him flying onto his back, putting him in even more pain. He tried to get up, but Scorpina knelt and punched him, knocking him out. Rocky demorphed as soon as he lost consciousness.

*

On Earth, the Medusa Monster was in Angel Grove, looking around at all the stone statues of the people under her spell.

"Come out, Blue Ranger, or I'll start smashing!" Medusa shouted as she grabbed a child off the street. "I'll destroy everyone on the planet to get to you!"

"Put the kid down," Billy said as he arrived with his power lance drawn. "And we'll fight this out, Ranger to Monster."

"Then catch!" Medusa shouted at she tossed the child into the air.

Billy jumped and caught the girl before the statue could shatter, but then realized it was only a ploy. Before he could react, Medusa had turned both his legs to stone as he fell forward.

"I know your coin will not allow you to stay frozen for long," Medusa said as Billy tried to crawl away. "So I'll have to hurry up and smash you before that happens."

*

"We can use Justin's communicator to teleport everyone back," Jason said as looked at up Zordon. "I'll go to Zedd's palace and give Rocky a hand."

"I can not allow that," Zordon told him. "Without powers to protect you, Zedd and his forces would easily destroy you."

"You're the guy that Rocky replaced, aren't you?" Justin asked. He was wearing Jason's white t-shirt since his shirt had been taken by Scorpina earlier, which seemed kind of large on the boy. "You're the original Red Ranger."

"Yeah," Jason replied as he thought about what he'd accomplished as a Ranger. "I was. Being a Ranger was the greatest thing in the world."

*

Rocky opened his eyes and found he was hanging above the floor. His hands were chained together from the ceiling above, and his whole body was in pain. He had been demorphed, and he was bare-chested, but still wearing his blue jeans and black shoes. He could feel the pain in his back from where Scorpina had stabbed him.

"I see you decided to wake up," Zedd said as he grabbed Rocky's face. "I suppose you're wondering why you're not dead?"

"Actually I was thinking that you looked a little shorter," Rocky replied as Zedd backhanded him, then held up Rocky's power coin.

"Laugh now, boy," Zedd told him as he pulled out a knife and cut Rocky's chest, letting the blood drip down, letting some it fall onto the power coin. He handed the coin to Rita, who set it in the middle of a pentagram on a table. Rita started chanting into a crystal ball as a red energy purged itself from Rocky's body, causing him to scream in pain, as the energy went back into the coin.

"What did you do?" Rocky weakly asked.

"I have disconnected you from your powers," Zedd informed him as he held the coin up, then set it on the table next to Rita's crystal ball. "You will never morph as the Red Ranger again! And just in case you did manage to escape..."

Zedd held up Rocky's communicator and crushed it in his hands, letting the pieces fall to the ground.

*

Medusa rushed towards the Blue Ranger, but Billy produced his power lance and tripped her, causing the monster to fall. While she was down, his power coin reversed the stone spell to free his legs. He leapt to his feet and struck a defensive pose.

"You're going down, like all of Zedd's monsters," Billy informed her as he prepared to fight.

"Who writes your dialogue, kid?" Medusa asked as she ran forward and tackled Billy, with the snakes in her hair also lurching forward to try to bite him.

Billy flipped the monster and wound up on top of her, then stood up and prepared to finish the creäture as he powered up his lance.

*

"Oh, do I have to do everything?" Zedd asked himself as he watched the battle. He formed a grenade and, well, you know the drill.

*

Billy looked up at the 50 foot Medusa Monster, stomping her way through the city.

"It's time for the big guns," Billy said as he raised his hand to the sky.

"Triceratops Unicorn Thunderzord Power!"

The sound of thunder clapping was heard as a forty foot blue unicorn appeared instantly, charging towards the monster. Billy teleported into the cockpit of the mechanical creature and took control as it rammed into Medusa, hardly making a scratch.

The snakes in Medusa's hair fired blasts of energy from their mouths, knocking the zord backward, causing it to slide on it's four legs. It stood up as the horn on it's head started to glow with a yellow energy.

"Have some of this!" Billy shouted as the horn fired off a blast of energy, sending Medusa to the ground. Billy looked a lever on the control panel, and pulled it. It was the first time he'd ever used it, as it was something he'd recently added, but didn't have time to test.

The Unicorn's front legs morphed into two arms, it's hind legs stood on their own, standing the zord up. The horn extended and became a power saber while the head sunk into the chest, and a new human like face replaced it. The Unicorn zord's warrior mode was now ready to fight.

Medusa charged forward, and prepared to use her stone gaze, but the zord twirled its saber at a super speed and deflected the blast, knocking Medusa backwards.

*

At the Command Center, Jason and Justin had managed to teleport the stone statues of the other Rangers back, and were now trying to find a way to free them. Jason had tried putting the green power coin in Tommy's hand, but nothing happened.

"The dragon coin isn't working on them," Jason said as he looked up at Zordon. "I guess it just had enough of a charge to free me. It's probably completely dead now."

"Then Billy is our only hope," Zordon said as he looked down at his two powerless friends. "I am sensing that Rocky is in danger."

"We've gotta save him!" Justin shouted.

"Send me up there," Jason said. "I'll bring Rocky back."

"I can't," Zordon told him. "The danger is far too great. Only Billy has enough power to withstand Zedd's forces."

*

"Just kill me now," Rocky said as he continued to hang from the ceiling. "You're going to do it anyway, aren't you?"

"I was," Zedd replied as he felt the top of his head, reminding himself of what Rocky had done to him.

"But now I'm just going to make you suffer. First by sending my forces down to Earth and capturing Justin. Then I'll make you watch his slow and painful dismemberment. That should last a good few weeks."

"No!" Rocky shouted as he tried to get free. If Justin really was alive, he just had a reason to keep on fighting.

"Yes," Zedd said as he laughed. "Then after that, I'm sure we can find plenty of ways to torture you for a good long while. Maybe by having you witness the destruction of everything you hold dear. Oh, I like that."

"Why don't we just destroy the Earth now?" Rita asked as she looked through her telescope. "Get rid of all the Rangers at once?"

"No!" Zedd replied as he used his vision to watch Billy fight the monster. "I want Justin brought here first. Then we destroy the Earth. Rocky will suffer greatly for what he did, and that brat's the best way to do it."

*

The Unicorn zord twirled its power saber as Medusa blocked it's attack and punched it. The control panel in front of Billy was starting to spark from taking too much damage, and wouldn't be able to last much longer.

"Billy, the monster's weak spot is its face," Zordon said over the communicator.

"Of course," Billy remembered. "The monster was made from a mask! Alright, it's time to unmask this villain! ... Wow, I do have corny dialogue."

Before Medusa could attack again, the Unicorn charged up its power saber and swung its full blast of energy at Medusa's face, shattering the mask, and destroying the monster.

*

As soon as the monster was vanquished, an energy wave shot out, reversing the spell Zedd had cast, freeing everyone and everything that had been cursed.

At the Juice Bar, Richie fell to the ground after being freed, but was given a hand up by Christian. Bulk almost choked on his sundae as Skull laughed, so Bulk grabbed his friend's face and dunked it in the bowl.

*

At the Command Center, Tommy, Adam, Aisha, Kim, and Alpha were all returned to normal as Jason and Justin breathed a sigh of relief.

"Jason?" Tommy asked as he looked at his friend. "What are you doing here? What are WE doing here?"

"It's a long story," Zordon told them. "Even though all of you are safe, Rocky is in grave danger."
"Not for long," Billy said over the communicator. "I'm teleporting up to Zedd's palace now. Wish me luck."

"Billy, wait," Zordon said, but got nothing but static.

"Zordon, what's happening?" Kim asked. "Where's Rocky? And Billy?"

"They are both in grave danger," Zordon told her. "And if they fail, the Power Rangers of Earth will be lost forever."

*

"The spell's been broken!" Zedd shouted as he began to glow red with anger. "That means that one or all of the Rangers will be on their way here soon. Rita, charge up your staff. We're going to destroy Earth!"

Rocky struggled with his chains. He had to stop Zedd before it was too late. Elsewhere in the room, a gloved hand reached up behind a pedestal and shut the green and gold box, removing it.

"We'll destroy the Earth before the Rangers know what hit them!" Zedd explained as he approached the magnifying glass with his wife.

Zedd and Rita were too distracted to see the chains holding Rocky up had been cut by a power lance, sending the boy to the ground, where Billy tried to pick him up.

"He's going to destroy Earth," Rocky said as he tried to stand up. "We've got to-"

"You're in no position to do anything," Billy said as he shoved the box of coins into Rocky's hands, then saw he had no communicator. "Get these back to the others."

"I'm not leaving you," Rocky said, trying not to pass out from the pain he was feeling. "We'll stop Zedd together."

"You don't have a choice," Billy informed him as he strapped his communicator over Rocky's wrist.

"Billy, no-" Before he could protest, Billy pushed the button and teleported Rocky out of the palace, catching the attention of Zedd and Rita.

*

The Command Center

Everyone was pacing around impatiently, waiting for word from Billy and Rocky, fearing that something bad was going to happen. Tommy and Jason were on the verge of going up to the palace, whether Zordon granted them permission to do so or not.

It was then that Rocky teleported into the middle of the room, unconscious and holding the box with the power coins.

"He's alive," Tommy said as he checked Rocky's pulse, then saw he was wearing Billy's communicator. "Get him to the medbay."

Justin, Jason, and Alpha took Rocky out of the room as Tommy opened the box and handed Adam, Kim, and Aisha their coins, then saw the Blue and Green Power Orbs.

"Wait a minute," Tommy noticed. "Where's the Red orb? And why wasn't Rocky morphed? And why was he wearing Billy's communicator?"

The red power coin was still sitting on the table where Rita's crystal ball was sitting, already having been fused with the red power orb.

"Alright, guys," Tommy said as the others prepared to morph. "It's morphin-"

The lights started to dim as the four Rangers just stood there.

"The Morphin' Grid has been weakened by an outside force," Zordon said as he used his sensors tried to detect what happened. "I fear it has something to do with Rocky's coin."

"We've got to get up there to help Billy," Tommy told him. "He has no way out."

"Teleportation's down," Adam said as he tried to use his communicator. "Looks like we're stuck."

*

Billy held his power lance forward as Rita and Zedd headed toward him with their staffs, ready to fire.

"You may have rescued Rocky and retrieved the coins, but you will not leave here alive," Zedd told the teen as they circled Billy, who backed his way toward the magnifying glass.

"The others will be here any minute," Billy informed them. "You've lost, Zedd."

"I've lost nothing," Zedd replied as he attacked Billy, who blocked with his lance. Billy managed to kick Zedd and knock him away, but it didn't phase him, and Zedd brought his staff down and knocked Billy to the side, causing him to hit the wall, where he fell to the ground, just a few feet away from the glass.

"Congratulations, brat, now you will be the last living human, forced to witness the destruction of your entire planet!"

Zedd and Rita charged up their staffs and aimed for the magnifying glass as Billy stood up and tried to think of a way to stop them. There was only one way, and he knew what he had to do. He closed his eyes and prayed that his friends would never forget him.

The blast from Zedd and Rita's staffs hit the magnifying glass, causing it to light up as a surge of energy prepared to burst forward. Billy took a deep breath and leapt forward in front of the glass, pushing his power lance forward as his body took the full force of the blast, causing his body to explode in a burst of blue energy.

The lance punctured the glass just as Billy was destroyed, shattering it into a million fragments as Zedd and Rita backed away. The lance disappeared in a blue light before it could hit the ground.

Seconds later, a single power coin and a broken pair of glasses fell to the ground, being covered in a rain of ash.

In the Command Center, the lights came back just as everyone felt a shockwave of sadness, like something terrible had just happened.

"What was that?" Tommy asked. "It felt like... Zordon, is Billy...?"

Zordon remained silent for a few seconds as he tried to find any sign that Billy could be alive.

"I am sorry," Zordon finally said. "Billy is gone."

Kim screamed as she buried her head in Tommy's chest. Tommy looked away as Adam held Aisha. Alpha lowered his head, feeling the sadness of losing his closest friend. Justin remained silent, trying to hold him emotions in. but knew the second he was alone the tears would start flowing uncontrollably. Jason's rage started to build, and he desperately wanted to punch a wall to vent his rage.

*

In the medbay, Rocky felt the shock too, and immediately knew that Billy was gone. He closed his eyes and started to cry, thinking it was his fault that Billy was dead.

*

"The Rangers got their power coins back!" Rita shouted as she looked through her telescope. "They'll be here any minute!

"No, they won't," Zedd replied. "They no doubt know about the loss of their friend by now. His death was no doubt felt throughout the Morphin Grid. They'll try something eventually, but for now, the battle is ours. And I haven't forgotten what that Ranger did to me."

Zedd felt the top of his head, and tried to think of a way to reattach the piece that Rocky had cut from him. "For this insult, I shall see to it that Rocky suffers, and that means destroying the one thing he truly cares about."

Zedd walked over and picked up Billy's power coin.

"The Rangers may have retrieved four of their coins, but we now have the Red and Blue coins, which is all we need to destroy those annoying do gooders," Zedd told her. "Soon we'll launch the next phase of our plan, and this time..."

"We shall not fail, "Zedd said as he spotted Billy's glasses lying on the floor. He then stomped on the glasses, shattering them on impact.

Chapter Text

Power Rangers #3.5
"Duped"
Written By Tobias Christopher

Angel Grove Youth Center

"- And the body of Billy Cranston has yet to be retrieved. Cranston was reported as having fallen into a chasm outside of Angel Grove while gathering information on a science project. The tip was made by an anonymous caller, and evidence surrounding the chasm suggests Cranston did indeed fall in. Police and medical workers both state that the body may never be recovered due to the chasm's size, which is supposedly over 1,000 feet deep, making it impossible to send medical aid or help down-"

Everyone in the juice bar had been listening to the radio on the counter, and it only made everyone all the sadder. Of all the people there, only four people knew what had really happened to Billy Cranston the night he died.

Tommy was out on the floor, kicking and pounding the punching bag, growing angrier by the second. As he looked at the red bag, he envisioned Lord Zedd, who had killed his good friend Billy days ago.
Tommy kept furiously fighting at the bag, and if he were able to punch any harder, he'd literally tear it from the chain holding it.

"Tommy-" Kim said as she got in between Tommy and the bag.

Tommy stopped just short of hitting his girlfriend, who had been watching him from the tables.

"We need to talk," Kim told him. "No one's willing to talk about it, but-"

"Billy's dead," Tommy bluntly told her as he stared into the bag. "There's nothing to talk about. Billy's dead and Zedd's going to pay."

Adam and Aisha were sitting at the counter, sitting silently.

"Haven't heard from Rocky since that night," Adam finally said as he stared down into his milkshake. "Justin said ever their parents came home, he hasn't left his room. All he does is stare out the window."

"This hit him the hardest, between that and Zedd taking away his power coin,” Aisha added as she looked down. Since Billy's death, none of the Rangers could really stand to face each other, each one thinking they had a hand in Billy's doom "Maybe we should, you know, go see him."

"No," Tommy said as he joined them, along with Kim. "Rocky needs time. Maybe it's time I told you guys what's going with him. It started a few months ago.."
*

The DeSantos Home

Carly DeSantos was writing thank you notes for everyone who had attended her wedding to Doug Stewart. The two had recently returned from a two-week stay in New Zealand, where they spent their honeymoon.

"Mom?" Rocky asked as he walked into the kitchen. He was in still his pajamas with no shirt or shoes, and his hair was a mess.

"Rocky, Justin told me what happened with your friend Billy," Carly said as Rocky sat down. "Poor boy, falling into a chasm. They'll probably never find him."

"Mom, Billy was-," Rocky started to say. He wanted to tell her the real reason that Billy was gone. That he was the one who had let it happen. That he'd failed in his mission to retrieve his friend's stolen powers, and as a result, Billy paid the price.

"He was one of my best friends, and I let him die."

Carly could tell her son was in pain and held him as Justin watched from the kitchen door, wishing he had a mother to hold him when he was sad.
*

Lord Zedd's Palace

"This is better than I could have ever dreamed!" Zedd victoriously shouted. "The Rangers are now completely off-balance with the loss of Billy. And with us holding two power coins-"

"Quit narrating and just get to the point!" Rita Repulsa, Zedd's wife, told him. "How are we going to finish off the Rangers?"

"A monster would do the job nicely," Zedd replied as he thought. "But I want the pleasure of actually destroying them myself this time. I know exactly how we're going to bring the Rangers down, and we're going to start by offering a little invitation."
*

The Command Center

Tommy, Adam, Kim, and Aisha were in the Power Chamber, where Alpha 5 and Zordon were briefing them on the current situation.

"Lord Zedd has indeed severed Rocky's connection to his power coin," Zordon told the teens. "I'm afraid Rocky can never be the Red Ranger again. And with Billy's death, Zedd now two power coins without holders."

"So he's going to send an evil Red and Blue Ranger against us, no doubt," Tommy concluded. "Luckily he doesn't have the Blue Armor Orb, though."

"How do we get the coins back before Zedd uses them against us?" Adam asked, wanting to go to Zedd's palace to take Zedd on himself.

Before anyone could reply, the viewscreen lit up, and Lord Zedd appeared.

"Is this thing on?" Zedd asked as he looked forward. "Ah, hello, Rangers. I only see four of you. Whatever happened to your other two Rangers?"

"You son of a-" Adam started to say before Kim and Aisha held him back, as Zedd laughed.

"I believe you want these back," Zedd said as he held up the Red and Blue power coins. "I'm in a generous mood, so I'm going to let you have them."

"What's the catch, Zedd?" Zordon asked.

"The catch is that you have to face my soldiers on the battlefield," Zedd told him. "Your Rangers against my generals, in a fight to the finish. Winner takes all. Last one left standing wins"

"And we're supposed to believe you're not going to cheat?" Tommy asked as he pounded his fist into his palm. "How about we just come and take the coins from you ourselves?"

"Try it, power punk, and I'll have Rita send the coins to a dimension where you'll never get them," Zedd threatened. "Perhaps in that dimension of shrimp I've heard about. Teleport to the coördinates I'm sending to you through your computer in one hour.”

The viewing screen went blank as Tommy looked up at Zordon. "Think we can trust Zedd?"

"You can never trust Zedd," Zordon replied. "So we have one hour to plan for everything Zedd will try once he has you where he wants you."

"We're going to need help," Tommy realized. "Someone to stay behind here and monitor things with Zordon, just in case things get bad. Rocky and Jason can-"

"Jason's out of town," Kim added. "He had family business to take care of. Rocky's-"

"Right here," Rocky said as he stepped into the Power Chamber with Justin.

"Rocky, we need you and Justin to watch things here while we retrieve our power coins," Tommy told him. "We're going to get your coin."

"No, you're going to get the Red Ranger's coin," Rocky told them. "I'm not a Ranger anymore. I doubt if I even was to begin with."
*

Austin, Texas

Jason Scott packed the last suitcase and sealed it. He picked it up and walked over to the window, where a fourteen-year=old boy with blonde hair, dressed in red, was staring out, waiting for someone to arrive.

"Jeremy, it's time to go," Jason said as he picked up another suitcase, and set it next to the two by the door.

"What if they come back and wonder where I'm at?" Jeremy hopefully asked as he continued staring out the window. "I have to be here for them."

"Did you take your pills today?" Jason asked, trying to change the subject.

"Yes, mother," Jeremy replied as he stood up and grabbed his other suitcase as they headed for the door. "I... know mom's not coming back, but dad-"

"Is out traveling the world, that's what archaeologists do," Jason said as they headed toward the cab that was waiting for them. "In the meantime, you need someone to take care of you. Trust me, you're going to love Angel Grove."

"Didn't the last time I was there," Jeremy replied as they put the suitcases in the trunk. "And two years ago I was-"

"Don't even finish that sentence," Jason replied, having heard that line multiple times since he'd arrived. "You're still the same kid, no matter what. You're still my cousin. And I'm here for you, and so are my parents."

"They do know where I've been, right?" Jeremy asked, hoping Jason would just leave him behind so he could wait for his parents.

"... No," Jason replied. He'd gone to great lengths to keep certain information from everyone, including his parents. "I... got the letters and phone messages before they did. They just know you need a place to stay."

"I don't want anyone to know about where I've been," Jeremy said as they got into the cab. "If I made any friends, and they found out about it-"

"Your real friends are going to like you, no matter what's in your past," Jason assured him. "But I promise I won't tell. The only two people who know are me and your dad, and it's going to stay that way, I swear."

"Thanks," Jeremy replied as he stared out the back of the cab window as they pulled away, hoping he'd see a familiar car pull up as the house got smaller in the distance.
*

A hidden location, several miles West of Angel Grove

The White, Pink, Black, and Yellow Rangers teleported down and looked around. The landscape looked like a canyon, and there were cliffs and ranges as far as the eye could see. Everything looked dusty and deserted.

"This is the place where Zedd said to meet him," Tommy said as he held his sword, Sabba, close.
Kim had her power bow drawn, Adam had his power ax ready to go, and Aisha had her power daggers ready for action as they slowly moved forward.

The four Rangers were growing impatient when a stray blast struck, catching them off guard.

"Welcome, Rangers!" Goldar shouted as he stood over them on a large hill. "Let the battle begin!"

"Everything seems normal," Alpha said as he looked at the Rangers moving along.

"Alpha, take Justin and Rocky, and equip the Power Packs," Zordon instructed. "In case the Rangers are demorphed, the power packs must be ready to aid them."

"Right away, Zordon," Alpha said as he left the room with the two boys behind him. As soon as the trio left the room, the viewing screen started to become fuzzy, and the image of the Rangers was soon replaced by that of an old man.

"Zordon," An older man in royal clothing, wearing a crown said. The sounds of explosions were heard all around. "You must be warned-"

"King Lexion, I see the war has begun," Zordon said as he saw the destruction around the man on the screen. "But I'm afraid the Rangers are-"

"In great danger," King Lexion replied. "It is too late for us, but I have to warn you. A great danger is headed toward your planet. You must be warned before it is far too late-"
*

"Where are the power coins?" Tommy demanded as the Rangers watched Goldar stand over them, his sword drawn.

"They are right here!" Goldar replied as he held a small black box in his hands. He opened it and revealed two golden coins. "If you want them, you must face us!"

As he said that, Scorpina and a group of Putties appeared from out of nowhere. Scorpina headed directly toward Kim, as Goldar leaped down to face Tommy while Adam and Aisha took on the Putties.

"Pathetic human, your power coin will soon be mine!" Goldar shouted as he struggled with Tommy.

"Keep dreaming, monkey man," Tommy said as he pulled his sword and sliced Goldar's armor just enough to send him reeling.

Just as Goldar was about to rush forward, Adam and Aisha leaped over Tommy and kicked Goldar, knocking him backward. While they kept Goldar distracted, Tommy rushed for the box.

"Must I do everything?" Scorpina asked as she slashed Kim with her sword, then powered it up and sent it flying toward Tommy, knocking him to the ground. "Don't let them get the box!"

"Great plan, why didn't I think of that?" Goldar sarcastically asked as he pushed his way through the Black and Yellow Rangers and grabbed Tommy and tossed him back.
*

"Warn your Rangers," King Lexion said as the image started to fade. "Don't let them deceive you. Don't let-"

The image had disappeared, reverting back to the Rangers fight with Goldar, just as Alpha, Rocky, and Justin returned, with four power packs ready to go.

"What's Zedd planning?" Rocky asked as he watched the battle unfold. "It just looks like a typical fight. No monsters, no tricks, nothing."

"Nothing with Zedd is ever typical," Zordon replied. "But the power coins still haven't been retrieved, and until they have-"

"Hey, does anyone hear that sound?" Justin asked as he heard a soft rhythmic pounding that seemed to get louder. "It sounds like someone's at the door."

"Don't be silly," Alpha replied. "Unless you are brought in by our teleportation system, no one gets into the Command Center without a power coin."

"No, I hear it, too," Rocky said as he got close to the door. He leaned over to listen in, just as the door started to crack. Before he back away, the metal door exploded, sending Rocky crashing the wall, and was buried in metal debris.

Alpha pushed Justin behind a computer as the dust and smoke started to clear in the doorway.

"No," Zordon said as he saw two intruders enter the Power Chamber.

"Hello, Zordon," Lord Zedd said, with Rita at his side. They both held up a power coin. "We're home!"
*

The plane headed toward Angel Grove was only a short time away from landing, as Jason and Jeremy sat silently.

"So, what do you want to do when you get into town?" Jason asked, trying to make conversation. "Are you still into karate?"

"Kind of hard to do that kind of stuff when you’re strapped down," Jeremy replied. "Hell, for the first three months I don't think I could remember my name. But yeah, I guess I'm still into it. So, you've been out of Angel Grove for a while yourself, huh?"

"Half a year," Jason replied. "Peace conferences are great and all, but really boring. But we did a lot of good."

"They let me watch t.v. on occasion," Jeremy replied. "If I'd been able to think straight, I'd have been proud of you."

"First thing we'll do after we get you settled in is go to the Youth Center," Jason told the boy. "You'll make lots of friends there."

"Yeah, right," Jeremy replied as he stared out the window. "No one's going to want to make friends with a freak."

"This is your captain speaking," A voice said over the loudspeaker. "Today's inflight movie will be Mama's Family the Motion Picture."

"I hear Ben Affleck was born to play Vint," Jason said as he looked over at Jeremy, who had fallen asleep in his seat. Jason put a blanket over him and turned his attention forward to watch Mama and Iola take on the ninja vampires. "I'll take care of you, Jeremy. I promise."
*

"You can't enter here without a power coin," Zordon told the intruders.

"Oh, you mean these?" Zedd said as he held up Rocky's coin, and Rita held up Billy's. "I must thank Rocky for supplying me with the keys to the castle."

"Wait, we saw the power coins in Goldar's hands," Alpha told them.

"You saw Goldar with real milk chocolate coins, fools," Zedd announced as he stormed closer to Zordon's tube. "You didn't think I'd really give them the chance to reclaim these, did you?"

"You made a big mistake coming here!" Alpha said as he pressed a button, putting an energy shield around Zedd and Rita.

"Oh, isn't that cute?" Rita said as she and Zedd joined staffs and destroyed the shield. "I hate cute!"

"Ay yi yi!" Alpha shouted as Zedd charged up his staff.

"Tell me, little robot, did King Lexion build you to feel pain? Let's find out," Zedd asked as he blasted his staff toward Alpha, filling him with energy as the robot's body exploded, sending parts flying everywhere.

"Zedd, let's hurry this up before the Rangers figure out what's going on and-" Rita started to say as Justin came from out of nowhere.

"Too late," Justin replied as he hit the distress signal on the control panel. Before they could do anything, the boy concentrated and did a spin kick, knocking the power coin from Rita's hand. The coin hit the ground and rolled until it fell down a ventilation shaft.

"Again you interfere with my plans!" Zedd shouted as picked Justin up by the throat. "But this time you will die!"

Zedd tossed Justin across the room, landing him hard on the ground. Zedd fired his staff just as Justin ducked behind a console. Zedd saw the toe of his sneaker sticking out, and fired at a ceiling beam, dropping it down, crushing everything underneath.

"Zedd, you are a true monster," Zordon said as he saw the remains of Alpha littered throughout the Power Chamber, as well as the spots where Rocky and Justin were buried. "The Rangers will soon return and-"

"By the time your Rangers return, we will be long gone," Zedd replied. "Why do you think I set up this distraction? I needed to get your power punks out of the Command Center so we could work uninterrupted."

"You can destroy me, but the Rangers will stop you," Zordon informed Zedd.

"Destroy you?" Zedd asked as he and Rita laughed. "We're not here to destroy you. That would be too easy. Unlike your pathetic Rangers, you are far too instrumental to my plans for that."

"Whatever you're planning, the Rangers will stop you," Zordon said.

"The Rangers haven't stopped me so far," Zedd replied as he held up his staff. "Didn't you notice that you're two Rangers short?"

"Zordon's getting forgetful in his old age!" Rita added with a laugh as she held up her own staff.

"Take one final look at your Rangers, Zordon," Zedd instructed as the two prepared to fire upon his energy tube. "For this is the last time you will ever lay eyes on them!"
*

The Putties had finally been defeated, and now all that remained was Goldar and Scorpina, who had their swords drawn, ready for battle. Before the four Rangers could charge, Tommy's communicator beeped.

"Trouble at the Command Center," Tommy realized. "We've got to-"

"But the coins!" Adam told him.

"We'll come back," Tommy replied.

"You're not going anywhere!" Goldar shouted as he and Scorpina joined swords, and through their combined magic, grew to over fifty stories tall. Scorpina had morphed into a full scorpion monster, with no human features whatsoever. Goldar's laugh echoed far and wide as he looked down and realized... the Rangers were gone.

"...Can they do that?"

"Well, that killed the mood," Scorpina said as she looked around. "Now what?"

"I don't know, I've never had this happen," Goldar replied as he looked at Scorpina. "Did I ever tell you how beautiful you look when you're in that form?"
*

The Rangers teleported back to the Command Center and landed just outside of the shattered doors. The group ran inside and found everything totaled. Kim screamed as she saw pieces of Alpha scattered everywhere, as well as pieces of Zordon's energy tube on the ground.

"No," Kim said as she bent down and picked up Alpha's head. "What did this?"

"I don't know," Tommy replied. "But Zedd was behind it, I know it. But how did he get in without a power coin?"

"Unless he had the real power coins all along," Adam realized. "The ones we saw Goldar holding must have been faked. No wonder Zedd wasn't throwing everything he had at us out there. He was here."

"We walked right into his trap," Aisha said as she saw the empty space where Zordon once was. "Is Zordon-"

"He can't be," Tommy told her. "It was only a transmission between his time warp and our dimension. Zedd only cut us off from him. Zordon’s alive, but we have no way of contacting him."

"And Alpha?" Kim asked as she stood up. "None of us have the ability or know-how to rebuild any of this stuff."

"Billy did," Aisha said as she looked at the destruction. "And without him-"

"We're screwed," Tommy finished.

"Not really," Justin said as he stood at the door, holding his arm. His clothes were tattered, one shoe was missing, and he was covered in dust. He walked in and was almost scared by all the damage that had gone on.

"What happened?" Kim asked.

"Zedd and Rita used the power coins to get in," Justin told them. "Rocky's downstairs cleaning up. We couldn't stop them, we-"

"You're alive, at least," Tommy told him as he looked around. "I take it Zedd thought you were dead when he left."

"I tricked him," Justin told him. "I took off my shoe and stuck it out, hoping he'd think it was me. I didn't think he'd drop the entire ceiling on me. I jumped down into the ventilation system. It's really dirty down there."

"So, what do we do?" Kim asked.

"We rebuild," Tommy replied as he picked up Alpha's head. "Then we kick Zedd's butt."

"Guys, there's something else," Justin told them. "I got the blue power coin away from Rita, but... it fell into the ventilation system. It's somewhere in the headquarters."

"Then we've got to find it before Zedd comes back," Tommy told the group. "It's in the vents, it couldn't have gone too far."

"Have you seen the size of this place?" Aisha asked as she motioned around. "It's going to be like looking for a needle in a haystack the size of Europe."

Down in the medbay, Rocky washed the dirt off of his face as he looked into the mirror. He didn't like what he was seeing.

"... I hate you," Rocky said to his reflection, his voice trembling. "I hate you!"
*

Jeremy nervously stepped into the Youth Center, following Jason. The two approached the bar, where Ernie was wiping off a glass.

"Hey, Ernie," Jason said as the two took a seat. "You remember my cousin Jeremy? He's going to be staying with me a while."

"Oh, yeah," Ernie said. "Jason said you were getting pretty good at karate. Maybe you should sign up for that karate tournament next week."

"I don't think so," Jeremy told him as he got up. "Jason, I'm just going to head back to the house."

"He's been through a lot," Jason told Ernie as he looked at the poster on the wall for the karate tournament. "But maybe a little competition might be what he needs. By the way, have Tommy and the others been in?"

"They were here earlier," Ernie told him. "But they left in a rush."

Jason realized where they were, and missed the days of being a Power Ranger. He just ordered a fruit smoothie and pondered a way to make Jeremy feel welcome in his new home.
*

Later that evening

The person set foot into the totaled Power Chamber and started gathering up the bits and pieces of Alpha that were strewn throughout the room. As they were finishing up, they looked into the space where Zordon once was.

"The Rangers need you," The person said. "Where are you?"
*

Lord Zedd's Palace

Zedd was watching as the Rangers teleported back into their base, wondering what their reaction was to what they found.

"Why didn't we just wait for the Rangers and take them out in their own base?" Rita asked.

"Because, my dear," Zedd replied as he turned to face her. "That wasn't the plan. When it comes time to destroy the Rangers, it will be on a much larger scale. Capturing the red power coin and cutting Rocky off from its power and, severing the Ranger's link to Zordon are only the tip of the iceberg."

"So, how soon until we destroy the Rangers?" Rita impatiently asked.

"Patience, Rita," Zedd told her. "For once we're going to take our time. Everything is going perfectly, and all the pieces for the Ranger’s destruction will soon be in place. Nothing can stop us now!"
*

The DeSantos Home

Justin walked through the door, having just returned from an errand, and found his father and stepmother at the kitchen table.

"Dad, Carly, where's Rocky?" Justin asked. "I have to tell him something."

"He's... gone," Carly told him.

"Is he at the Youth Center?" Justin asked, looking at the clock. "Can I go?"

"No, he's not there," Doug told the boy. "Sit down, Justin."

Justin wondered where Rocky was, and why his parents looked sad. "What's going on?"

"Rocky's been under a lot of stress lately," Carly told him. "With my remarrying, and having to worry about school, and Billy's death."

"I know," Justin told her. "But Rocky's been doing great. He was the best sitter I've ever had. We had fun while you two were away."

"We know," Doug replied as he looked at his son. "But we had a talk with him earlier, and all of us thought it would be best if Rocky went away for a while."

"Went away?" Justin asked. "Where? Where's my brother?"

"New Mexico," Carly told him. "He's gone to his Uncle Joe's ranch."

"For what, a week? Two weeks?" Justin asked. "Kind of like his own honeymoon? Only, without the marriage?"

"... He's gone there to live," Carly told him as she closed her eyes. "He's not coming back."

It was then that Justin Stewart's world started to crash down around him.
*

Jason looked in on his young cousin, who was asleep in the guest bedroom. Jason and his parents were doing everything to make the boy feel welcome but knew that Jeremy was going to feel out of place, no matter what. Then he thought about the upcoming karate tournament and decided to try to get Jeremy to compete, to boost his self-confidence.

Jason looked at his watch and realized he was going to be late. Tommy had asked him to come over for a special meeting and decided to hurry after checking in on Jeremy one last time.
*

Tommy's house, a short time later

A thunderstorm was heard outside of the house later that night. The rain was pounding down all around, and the sounds of thunder and lightning were echoing outside the window. Kim, Adam, Aisha, and Jason were sitting on the couch in Tommy's living room as he paced back and forth.

"No Zordon, no Alpha, no Red or Blue Rangers," Tommy recapped as he walked around. "All we have is what's in this room."

"We still have our zords," Adam reminded him. "But we can't form the Megazord without Billy or Rocky."

"The Command Center isn't safe as long as Zedd has at least one coin," Kim told them. "How do we get the Red coin back?"

"We go and get it ourselves," Tommy told the team. "We go to Zedd's palace and take it back, but that's it. We can't afford to turn this into a revenge mission."

"And what if we fail?" Aisha asked.

"We can't afford to fail," Tommy said as he looked at the teens. "Wait a minute, where's Rocky?"

A knock came at the door as Tommy went to answer, thinking it was their missing member. Tommy opened the door and saw Justin standing there, soaked from head to toe as the rain poured. Even through the rain, Tommy could see the tears coming down the boy's face.

"Rocky's gone,"

Chapter Text

Power Rangers #3.6
"The Journey"
Written By Tobias Christopher

Angel Grove Arena

Jeremy Drake entered the large auditorium which held over 6,000 seats and a large kickboxing ring and immediately turned to his cousin Jason when the realization hit him.

"You said we were going to Hobby Lobby!" Jeremy shouted as he pointed his finger at Jason. "You tricked me!"

"Jeremy, I signed you up for the tournament," Jason told the boy. "You don't have to compete if you don't want to, but this is a good way to build your self-confidence. This is a good way to help you feel better about yourself, through sheer martial arts style violence."

"Well, at least you... did what!?" Jeremy angrily replied. "If I weren't so pissed about Hobby Lobby-"
Meanwhile, Tommy and Adam were in the ring with Christian, watching Richie practice his kicks on a dummy.

"You're doing great," Christian told his new friend. "That trophy's going to be yours."

"The trophy's not important," Richie replied as he did a spin kick. "Although I wouldn't mind having it in the trophy case as the juice bar."

"Aren't your other three trophies enough?" A familiar voice asked as everyone looked over to the ring and saw Trini Kwan, a 17 year-old-Asian girl with long black hair.

"Trini," Richie said as he stumbled, catching himself before he could hit the ground. Before Trini had departed for the Peace Conference, the two had flirted with each other constantly.

"Who's this?" Christian asked as Richie virtually ignored him as he rushed over to give Trini a hug.

"That's Trini," Tommy told him as they saw Jason and Jeremy approaching. "They were an almost/kind of/sort of/maybe/possible couple before she left."

"Oh," Christian said as he looked at his watch. "Tournament's going to start soon. Better get back to practice, eh?"

"In a minute," Richie said as he looked at Trini. "Let's go for a walk. I want to hear all about the peace conference."

"Alright, I'll be here," Christian shouted after, doubting Richie even heard him.

"What do you say, Jeremy?" Jason asked as he motioned Tommy and Adam over. "You don't have to do this, but it might help make you feel a little better about yourself. But if you're too scared to do it-"

"Scared?" Jeremy replied with a laugh. He walked up to the training dummy and kicked it, sending its head flying across the ring. "You want to talk scared, I've got stories. What time does this thing start?"

A gong sounded as everyone looked toward the entrance to the arena. Four men, dressed in red robes, holding golden staffs in their hands rushed in, and upon inspection to make sure the room was clear, nodded to each other. They stepped aside as an old man walked in. He was around five feet tall, with a bald head, and a long white mustache and beard. He was dressed in a red kimono and walked with a cane as he headed toward the ring.

"It's him," Tommy said with awe in his voice.

"Him who?" Jeremy asked, then whispered to Jason. "... Jesus?"

"He's the guy who got me interested in martial arts," Tommy said, with the same awe in his voice as the four guards helped the old man into the ring. "Master Fu Kyu Hup."

Everyone bowed in respect for the old man as he looked at all the competitors who would be fighting. He looked at Jeremy, who started looking nervous.

"You have no balance," Master Hup said to the boy, who sensed his fear. "Without balance, you will surely fall."

Jeremy looked confused as Master Hup continued looking at everyone, then stopped at Tommy, who bowed in respect. Master Hup motioned for him to rise, then tossed his cane at Tommy, who caught it, just as Master Hup did a spin kick, which Tommy barely avoided as he ducked back.

Tommy came back up as Master Hup started punching at him, causing Tommy to step back. He caught Master Hup's arm, but the old man pulled Tommy forward and used his free hand to grab Tommy by the shirt, spin him around, and flip him onto the ground.

"You fight well," Master Hup said as he helped Tommy up. "Just like I had heard from my sources. But you still have a long way to go in your training."

"Yes, Master Hup," Tommy said as he stood up as the two bowed in respect.

"I have come to view your tournament," Master Hup said as he looked at the people around him. "I am told many... interesting things happen in Angel Grove, particularly where martial arts are concerned."
*

Lord Zedd's palace

"That's the greatest martial artist in the world?" Rita asked as she looked through her Repulsa-scope. "That old man doesn't look like he could chop wood!"

"This gives me an idea," Zedd said as he stroked his metal chin. "If the world's greatest martial arts master were under my control, just think how easily he could tear apart the Rangers!"

"What about the other plan?" Rita asked. "Weren't YOU supposed to tear apart the Rangers?"

"Rocky and Jason are still roaming around, powerless," Zedd replied. "They'll due for what I have planned. Ironic, the two Rangers who have caused me the most pain don't even have their powers anymore. Send Goldar and the Putties down to distract the Rangers."
*

Master Hup was walking down the hallway toward the concession, with his guards following behind him. Tommy, Jason, and Adam were already there, discussing Ranger business.

"Any word about Rocky?" Adam asked as he ordered a fruit smoothie.

"No," Tommy replied as he tried to decide what to order. "And I haven't been able to get in contact with Justin since he told us Rocky left. It's like he dropped off the face of the Earth."

Master Hup walked toward them as Jason looked behind him. "Doesn't he usually have guards with him?"

As Jason said that, a group of Putties and Goldar materialized in front of them and started the attack. Master Hup didn't seem too worried as he watched the battle unfold.

"And it was starting off to be such a good day," Jason said as a Putty swung at him, but he grabbed the creature's arm and rammed his knee into the creature's stomach.

"What are you talking about?" Adam asked as he punched a Putty, then kicked it twice in the 'Z', all while never spilling a drop of his drink. "I needed a good workout today."

"You call this a workout?" Tommy added as he sent two Putties flying. They hit the ground and shattered. He always had to outdo everyone in a fight. "It's not a real workout until-"

Goldar grabbed Tommy and Adam by the neck the threw them over the counter, then pulled out his sword and looked at Jason.

"You want to fight?" Jason asked as he took a defensive stance. "Let's fight."

Goldar swung his sword as Jason ducked, then kicked Goldar in the chest, which didn't phase him. He went to punch Jason, who backflipped back and spin kicked the monster in the jaw.

Tommy and Adam stood up and jumped over to help Jason when they saw Scorpina sneaking up on Master Hup.

"You're coming with me, old man," Scorpina told him as she held her sword. "You don't have a choice."

"There is always a choice," Master Hup told her as he stood there, waiting for her to strike. "I choose to remain here."

Before Tommy and Adam could make their way over, a portal opened up under Master Hup, dropping him in, and quickly closing again.

"Goldar, we got him!" Scorpina shouted as she disappeared.

"Next time, Jason," Goldar said as he disappeared in a burst of flame.

"They wanted Master Hup," Tommy said as he hit his communicator. "Kim, Aisha, we need you to meet us at the Command Center. Jason, you coming?"

"I wouldn't do much good without any powers in a morphed fight," Jason told him. "But if you need the backup, call me. In the meantime, I'm going to support Jeremy in the audience."
*

Lord Zedd's Dark Dimension

The room was dark and had circular maroon walls with gold posts lining the room. The floor was foggy and impossible to see under. Master Hup was in a cage made of pure yellow energy bars as Goldar, Scorpina, and the Putties stood guard.

"Welcome, Master Hup," Lord Zedd said as he entered the room. "You will make a fine addition to my army."

"I will not join you," Master Hup told him as he sat on the floor with his legs crossed, and meditated. "Evil can never reign as long as there is good to fight against it."

"You sound just like a certain Blue Ranger I knew," Zedd said as he stood closer to the cage. "He's dead now."

"Real goodness never dies," Master Hup said as he continued to concentrate. "It merely hibernates until needed."

"We'll see about that," Zedd said as he produced a serpent in his hands. "Behold the Serpent of Darkness. In one hour it will awaken, and when its venom strikes, you will be turned to evil... permanently."

"You put your faith into the concept of time," Master Hup said without ever opening his eyes. "Faith must always be used in the present."

"One hour," Zedd said as he walked out of the room, then looked at Goldar. "The Rangers will come, they always do. Make sure they don't save the day."
*

The Command Center

The Power Chamber was only half-lit, and the computers and consoles that had been destroyed were in the process of being repaired, but without the technological know0how Billy possessed, it would take a long time to actually get the place running again. Plus the fact that Zordon and Alpha were no longer around didn't help the situation.

"We scanned the place from top to bottom," Kim said as soon as Tommy and Adam arrived. "The Blue power coin is nowhere in the Command Center. Whoever stole Alpha's remains probably grabbed the coin, too."

"Who'd want to take Alpha's parts?" Adam asked as he looked at the empty space where Zordon once was. "And how would they know where to get Billy's coin?"

"We'll figure it out, but first we have to save Master Hup," Tommy told the group. "Can we get the computers working enough to at least figure out where they took him?"

"No," Kim replied as she pointed at the wrecked control panel. "All we can do is teleport and morph. Nothing else."

"Then we do this the hard way," Tommy replied as he thought up a plan. "We'll search all the dimensions we know Zedd has, starting with his Dark Dimension, assuming we have the power to teleport there and back."
*

Angel Grove Arena

"Welcome to the 14th Annual Angel Grove Martial Arts Tournament!" The announcer shouted as he sat in his booth. "And the first two opponents are... Angel Grove's own Richie Jordan, and from the distant town of Cyber Valley, Ryan Steele!"

In the audience, Trini and Christian were sitting in the front row, cheering Richie on.

"So, were you two a couple before you left?" Christian asked without looking over towards Trini.

"No," Trini replied as she watched Richie climb into the ring. "We never really had the chance to go out before I went to the peace conference. But I'm glad to see he found a good friend."

"Yeah," Christian said as he looked up at Richie. "A friend."

Ryan Steele was 17 years old with dark blonde hair and was wearing black sweat pants and a blue tank-top, while Richie was wearing red sweats with a white tank-top. The two met in the center of the ring and bowed to each other before the bell rang, and the two began the fight.

Ryan threw a punch at Richie, who moved his head just in time and countered with a punch of his own, but Ryan grabbed his arm and dealt him a light blow to the stomach.

"First point to Ryan!" The ref shouted as he signaled for the next round to begin. The two teens came back toward each other as Ryan did a spin kick, but Richie backed away before he could get hit. Ryan rushed toward him and backed Richie against the ropes, but dove forward before Ryan could land a punch. Richie did a sweep kick, and knocked his opponent to the ground, leaped to his feet, and mock punched Ryan as the ref blew the whistle.

"Second point to Richie!" The ref shouted as Trini and Christian cheered on.
*

Meanwhile, Jason and Jeremy were in the locker room, getting ready for the match.

"You sure I can do this?" Jeremy asked as he pulled his red sweatshirt off. He pulled two white sweatbands out and slid them over his wrists.

"Just do your best," Jason replied as Jeremy pulled on a white tank top. "Win or lose, you're still giving it a shot. I'm proud of you for trying."

"Thanks," Jeremy said, feeling a little better. "You know, you're the first person who actually pretends to give a damn about me."

"I'm not pretending," Jason told him as Jeremy sat down to unlace his shoes. "There are a lot of people here who care about you, you just don't realize it yet."

"I want to believe that," Jeremy said as he looked away. "Maybe I will someday. And lying about going to Hobby Lobby isn't going to help."

The bell rang as Richie and Ryan came back for the final round of their fight. The ref gave the signal as Ryan did a triple spin kick, causing Richie to backflip backward, land on his feet, and land a hit on Ryan as he rushed forward, but Ryan countered, spun, and lightly kicked Richie in the stomach, sending him back. Ryan then did a sweeping kick, knocking Richie to the ground and prepared to land a punch when the ref whistled.

"Point to Ryan!" The ref shouted. "Ryan Steele is the winner!"

The crowd cheered as the two teens bowed to each other, and then to the ref.

"Good match," Richie said as the two shook hands. "You're pretty good."

"Thanks," Ryan replied. "You're not bad, yourself."
*

The White, Black, Pink, and Yellow Rangers arrived in one of Lord Zedd's alternate dimensions, which looked like a canyon.

"I don't think he's being kept here," Tommy said as he looked around. "Otherwise Zedd would have attacked as soon as we arrived."

"We've already been through twelve dimensions," Adam said as he tried to forget the Dimension of Headless Clowns they'd just come from. "How many more are there?"

"Oh, this is the last one," Zedd said as he arrived in front of them. "Not having Zordon around to point you in the right direction has slowed you down, so allow me to light your path."

Zedd threw down a flash grenade, blinding the four Rangers long enough for an energy field to surround Kim, Adam, and Aisha. Tommy rolled out of the way and pulled out Sabba.

"Where's Master Hup?" Tommy demanded as Zedd laughed.

"I'll take you to him," Zedd said as he teleported the two of them away. They arrived in Zedd's Dark Dimension, where Tommy found Master Hup in the energy prison.

"Don't worry, I'll get you out of there," Tommy said as Goldar grabbed Tommy and tossed him back.
"First you must get through Goldar," Zedd told him. "And you'd better hurry. The Serpent of Darkness will awaken very shortly, then your precious master will be lost forever!"

Zedd returned to his palace through a portal on the wall as Goldar pulled out his sword.

"This ends now, White Ranger," Goldar said as the two paced each other. "Today is the day that the Rangers fall!"

Tommy held up his sword and prepared to fight, not realizing the serpent was awakening.
*

"You did great, Richie," Christian said as he handed Richie his towel. "Of course, if you'd have practiced a bit more-"

"Don't worry, Richie," Trini told him, the two of them almost ignoring Christian. "You're still #1 to me."

"Hey, let me get cleaned up, and we'll head to the juice bar," Richie told her. "And I'll tell you about what went on while you were gone. Hey, Christian, you want to join us?"

"No, I think I'll stay and watch the rest of the expo," Christian said, knowing he'd be the odd man out if he went. "You two go ahead, and I'll see you later."

Meanwhile, Jason and Jeremy were headed toward the ring for Jeremy's match when Jason's white striped communicator went off.

"What was that?" Jeremy asked.

"My wristwatch alarm," Jason replied, thinking up an excuse. "Gotta call home and make sure... the dog got fed."

"You don't have a dog," Jeremy told him.

"The neighbor's dog," Jason quickly said. "They have bad memories. I'll be back.”

Jeremy just headed toward the ring to wait for his match to start and hoped he'd make Jason proud.

"What's going on?" Jason asked as he ducked into a broom closet. "Are you guys alright?"

"Jason-" Adam's voice said in a static-filled message. "Captured- Dark Dimension- Tommy- Trapped-"

"Adam, I can't make out what you're saying," Jason said as he tapped the communicator. "Adam, come in... Dammit!"
*

Jeremy stood at the edge of the ring, with his match about to start any minute. He looked over at his opponent, a boy who looked about seventeen, with short brown hair, wearing a yellow tank top and white sweatpants.

While the commentator was announcing Jeremy and his opponent, the boy looked out into the audience, and couldn't find Jason anywhere. Jeremy started to lose his self-confidence as the Ref motioned for him to come forward.

"No, we're not going to the Hobby Lobby after this," The boy on the other side of the ring said to a girl standing on the outside of the ropes. "Only losers hang out in that place."

Jeremy curled his fist in anger and prepared for the fight.
*

Jason homed in on Adam's communicator signal and arrived in the dimension where Adam, Aisha, and Kimberly were being held. He ran up to the force field and looked for a weak spot.

"Jason, you've got to go find Tommy," Adam told him. "Zedd's got him."

"I'm going to get you guys out of here," Jason said as he found the spot he was looking for.

"Forget it, Jason," Kim said. "Our power weapons had no effect on this thing, and there's no way to—“

Jason gave it a good kick, and the force field disappeared, freeing the Rangers.

"Let's go," Jason told the group.

*
"You can't beat me," Goldar said as he kept Tommy away from Master Hup's cage. "You are nothing to me!"

"Then why are you so nervous?" Tommy asked as he did a jump kick, causing Goldar to move to the side, who swiped his sword at the Ranger, who avoided it and punched the monster in the armor, knocking him backward.

Meanwhile, the serpent had awakened and was headed toward Master Hup, who was still meditating. Jason and the others arrived in the Dark Dimension just in time to see Tommy and Goldar fighting.
Jason spotted the serpent, but couldn't make it over in time to stop it before it struck.

"No!" Tommy shouted as Goldar laughed. The serpent lept forward as Master Hup's arm struck out and caught the creature around the neck. After a few seconds, the serpent stopped fighting and became calm before back into its hibernation.

"NO!" Goldar shouted as Adam fired his power ax cannon, while Kimberly fired an arrow from her power bow, knocking Goldar to the ground. "You haven't won yet!"

Goldar disappeared as Tommy ran up to Master Hup's cage, who was now standing.
"I wonder what Goldar meant by that," Jason asked.

"Don't worry, we'll get you out of-" Tommy stopped mid-sentence as Master Hup simply concentrated and walked out of the energy prison, unharmed.

"You could have escaped anytime you wanted, couldn't you?" Tommy asked.

"There is no situation that is inescapable," Master Hup said. "That is a lesson you must learn for yourself, Tommy."

The other Rangers felt a wave of shock.

"Do not look so shocked," Master Hup said. "A man's fighting skills are like his fingerprints. Do not worry, your secret is safe."

"Let's get Master Hup back to the arena," Adam said, trying to overcome the shock of what just happened. "Maybe we can catch the end of the tournament."

"The tournament!" Jason realized. "Jeremy!"

"Jason, get Master Hup back," Tommy told him. "The rest of us are going after Zedd. We're getting that Power Coin back."

"It's too dangerous," Jason warned him. "Zedd knows you're coming."

"This is going to be our only chance," Tommy replied as he held his sword toward the open portal on the wall. "Zedd's going to use the coin against us if we don't get it back."

"Good luck, man," Jason said as Tommy, Adam, Aisha, and Kim headed toward the portal and jumped through before it closed.
*

Jeremy sat in the locker room, his head in his hands as he sat on the bench. He'd won the match and was going to advance to the next round, but it didn't mean anything to him. The one person he wanted to impress the most hadn't been there to see him. The one person Jeremy desperately wanted to trust had just let him down, just like everyone else.

It was then that he heard screaming coming from outside, followed by loud noises and evil laughter. Jeremy headed out to the auditorium to see what was wrong and saw people rushing toward the exit, while a big monkey in golden armor was holding a sword.

"Nobody leaves!" Goldar shouted as he pointed his sword at the door and fired, cutting off all the exits, trapping everyone outside in the lobby. "You are now all going to be bait for the Power Rangers!"

"I don't do bait," Jeremy said as he climbed into the ring. "You're that big gold guy I saw the Power Rangers fight when we found that Mirror of Destruction thing."

"I remember you! You're Jason's cousin!" Goldar shouted as he struck Jeremy with his fist, sending him toward the ground. "For the crime of sharing Jason's DNA, you must be eliminated!"

Jeremy jumped to his feet and felt his cheek, which stung like hell. He did a spin kick, which Goldar ducked. He swiped at Jeremy, and cut his shirt. Goldar then hit Jeremy with the butt of his sword and knocked him into the ropes. Goldar brought his sword down as Jeremy twirled to the side, as the ropes were cut. Jeremy kicked Goldar's hand, then followed up with several punches, which didn't even phase the monster.

It was then that the boy heard crying as he looked around and saw a little girl standing outside of the ring, who had probably been separated from her parents. Goldar saw the girl too and knocked Jeremy to the side
.
"You want to play hero?" Goldar asked as he fired at a ceiling beam. "Then suffer like one knowing you couldn't save even one person!"

Jeremy didn't even hesitate as he jumped out of the ring and pushed the girl out of the way just in time, but not before the beam pinned his foot to the ground. The girl, no older than three, took hold of his hand in an attempt to help him, just as Goldar stood over them.

"This is where it ends, boy!" Goldar shouted as he raised his sword. Just as he brought it down, a hand grabbed Goldar's arm.

"Get away from my cousin," Jason said as his fist flew forward.
*

Tommy, Adam, Aisha, and Kim arrived in Zedd's throne room, where Zedd and Rita were patiently waiting on their thrones.

"Welcome, Rangers," Zedd told them. "What took you so long?"

"We've come for Rocky's coin," Tommy told him as he pointed Sabba forward. "And to make you pay for what you did to Billy."

"Billy and Rocky entered my palace of their own free will, what happened after that was not my responsibility," Zedd said as he charged up his staff. "And neither will be what happens to you."
Zedd and Rita both fired as the Rangers ducked for cover.

"You know, we probably could have planned this attack a little better," Adam told Tommy as Zedd and Rita approached them.

"This is where it ends, Rangers," Zedd said as he joined his staff with Rita's and they prepared to fire. "Send Billy our regards."

"We're not going down that easy!" Tommy shouted as Kim fired her energy arrow, and Adam fired his power ax cannon.

Zedd and Rita ducked to avoid the attacks, but Tommy and Aisha rushed forward with his sword and her daggers and attacked. Zedd and Rita managed to block them, as Kim and Adam prepared to help if Tommy and Aisha were overpowered.

"Master, Goldar has started the strike on the arena," Scorpina said as she entered the throne room and drew her sword. "Rangers!"

"Scorpina, aid Goldar and crush anyone in your way!" Zedd commanded as Scorpina disappeared.

"Oh, no, Jason's in trouble," Tommy said as Zedd brought his staff down, but he blocked it and pushed the staff up before flipping away. "We have to get down there before it's too late."

"But the coin!" Kim reminded him.

"Jason's life is more important," Tommy told her as the group prepared to leave. "We'll get the coin another day."

Zedd and Rita joined their staffs to fire again, but the Rangers had already teleported back to Earth.
*

Jason kicked Goldar in the chest as hard as he could, as Goldar stumbled, then growled as he raised his sword. Jeremy's foot was still stuck under the beam and had told the girl to go hide under the bleachers until it was safe.

"Your friends are going to their doom as we speak!" Goldar said, trying to unnerve Jason. "You will be the last!"

Just then, Scorpina arrived and pulled out her sword, ready to charge when a double kick from Kim and Aisha knocked her back. Tommy and Adam grabbed Goldar and sent him flying forward, where Jason did a spin kick and knocked him sideways.

"Get out of here, Goldar," Jason told the monster. "If I ever see you messing with my family again-"

"You have just revealed your weakness, puny human!" Goldar shouted as he disappeared, with Scorpina following. Tommy and Adam rushed over and lifted the beam enough for Jason to pull Jeremy free.

"Wow, the Power Rangers," Jeremy said, only noticing four as Jason helped him stand, with one arm around his cousin's shoulder to keep him balanced. "Where are the Red and Blue Rangers?"

"They're... unavailable," Tommy replied as the group prepared to exit. "See you around, guys."

The Rangers teleported away as the doors opened and the people were able to return, where the girl was reunited with her father moments later.
*

Later, at Jason's house

Jeremy was lying in his bed in the guest room, his foot sitting on a pillow with a compress on it. He'd sprained it when the beam struck him, and after a few days of staying off of it, he'd be as good as new.

"I won," Jeremy said as he noticed Jason standing at the door. "I won it for you."

"Jeremy, that little girl you saved, she was the daughter of the referee. And after talking with the other contestants, they've agreed to postpone the contest until you're able to compete," Jason told the boy. "I'm proud of you, Jeremy. But there was a reason I had to leave-"

Jeremy said nothing as he laid his head back on the pillow. Jason just sighed as he turned to leave.

"Jason," Jeremy said as Jason stopped. "What's it like being a Power Ranger?"
*

Ernie's Juice Bar

Master Fu Kyu Hup had decided to stay in Angel Grove a few extra days, just because of the interesting stories he had heard about the city and had taken a liking to Tommy, seeing a younger version of himself in the White Ranger. Currently, Tommy was out on the floor, showing the Master everything he knew.

Meanwhile, Richie and Trini were starting to connect again and were doing a kata together, eager to make up for lost time. Meanwhile, Christian was sitting at one of the tables, feeling ignored.

"Looks like Tommy's found a new best friend," Adam joked as he sat at the bar with Kim and Aisha. "Anyone heard from Rocky?'

"No," Kim replied. "He's probably still getting settled on his Uncle Joe's ranch. Haven't heard from Justin in a while, either."

The alert on the three Ranger's watches went off as they headed outside into the hall.

"Hello?" Kim asked as she talked into the communicator. "Who is this?'

There was nothing but static as they looked in at Tommy and Master Hup.

"Let's go to the Command Center," Adam said as they made sure no one was coming. "We'll call Tommy if we need him."
*

The Command Center

Adam, Aisha, and Kim teleported into the middle of the Power Chamber and were shocked by what they saw. The place was still a mess from Lord Zedd's attack, but several of the computers were now online.

"Who did this?" Kim asked as Justin slid out from under a computer, his face and clothes dirty from the grease and dust.

"I didn't mean to contact you guys so soon," Justin told them. "I... wanted it to be a surprise. I got the computers running again, but-"

"How?" Adam asked as he looked around. "Rocky never said you were a genius."

"I'm not," Justin told them as sat up and wiped off his hands. "I'm just good at mechanics."

"Good?" Alpha asked as he stumbled into the Power Chamber. "I've got a horrible pain in my neck because of you!"

"Alpha!" Aisha and Kim shouted as they surrounded him and gave the robot a hug.

"His memory chips were a bitch to get working," Justin said as Adam helped him up. "And I had to take my battle bot apart to get the parts I needed to fix him. Sorry I didn't tell you I took him, but... I didn't think you'd let me try."

"You got Alpha and the Command Center running again, I think we can forgive you," Aisha said as she patted the boy on the head. "Things are finally starting to look up."

"Justin, when you took Alpha, did you find Billy's coin?" Adam hopefully asked.

"Sorry," Justin said. "I just came in, took Alpha, and left. You don't think Zedd got it again, do you?"
*

Lord Zedd's Palace

Lord Zedd sat on his throne, with the red power coin in between his long metal-tipped claws.

"The Rangers may have regained their precious Blue coin, but we still have the upper hand," Zedd told his wife.

"What are we going to do?" Rita asked. "Destroy the coin? Send it to where the Rangers can't find it?"

"On the contrary, my dear," Zedd replied as he thought up his next plan. "If the Rangers want this coin so badly, we're going to give it to them."

"You don't mean-" Rita started to say before Zedd cut her off.

"Rita, it's time to teach you how to make an evil Ranger the RIGHT way,"

Chapter Text

Power Rangers #3.7
"Seeing Red, Part One"
Written By Tobias Christopher

Six Months Ago

"Jeremy?"

"Yeah, Wes?"

Jeremy looked over to the bed next to his, where Wes Collins, his roommate, was laying.

"What are you going to do when you get out of here?" Wes asked. Wes was thirteen years old, with shaggy dark blonde hair.

"I'm going to get my parents back together," Jeremy told the boy. "They told you why I was here, right?"

"Yeah, I heard a few rumors," Wes replied, as he looked over at his only friend in the whole place. "Jeremy, will you still be my friend, even after you get out of here?"

"Best friends," Jeremy promised as a knocking came at the door.

"GO TO SLEEP!" The orderly yelled as Jeremy closed his eyes and dreamt about life outside of these padded walls.

*

Jeremy opened his eyes and realized he was laying in the guest room at his cousin Jason's house, and looked across the bed at his foot, which was feeling better. Three days ago he'd been pinned by a ceiling beam during a monster attack, and sprained his ankle in the process.

Jeremy set his feet on the ground and stretched before trying to stand up. It was well after ten on a Saturday morning, and Jason was probably already with his friends at the juice bar.
*

Angel Grove Youth Center

"Relax guys, he just knows I was a Ranger," Jason told his friends Adam, Tommy, Trini, and Aisha as they sat at the table overlooking the exercise area. "He doesn't know who the rest of you are."

"I can't believe he figured out his cousin was a Ranger," Tommy said, watching his girlfriend Kimberly on the exercise beam.

"He's had the thought ever since he visited a few summers ago," Jason told them. "Then when Goldar referred to me by name, and then the Red and Blue Rangers didn't show with you guys, he put two and two together. I had to tell him the truth that I used to be a Ranger. It's complicated."

"So, how are things going with you and Richie?" Tommy asked, looking over at Trini.

"He's actually getting closer to asking me out," Trini excitedly told her friends. "I can't believe Richie's missed me so much since the Peace Conference. I just wish I'd come back sooner. I just miss Billy so much-"

Jason put his hand on hers to comfort her. "We all miss him."

"Hey, Trini," Richie said as he approached the group, carrying a tray of milkshakes. "My shift ends in a few minutes, and I was going to go for a walk through the park. Want to join me?"

"Sure," Trini replied as she started to blush.

Christian was spotting Kim on the balance beam, and she saw Trini and Richie flirting, and tried to pretend that it wasn't bothering him.

"I always thought those two would wind up together," Kim said as she did a handstand, before landing gracefully on her feet. "They just have this really great chemistry together."

"Really?" Christian asked as he took her hand as she stepped down. "I don't see it. Are they actually, you know, dating?"

"Well, if they were, I'm sure we'd be the first to know," Kim replied. "We are their best friends, after all. Need me to spot you?"

"No," Christian said as he grabbed his towel. "I think I'll just head home for a while. Got a lot of homework and stuff to catch up on."
*

Crazy Larry's Used Cars & Funeral Home

Bulk and Skull had finally made enough cash to buy their van, and today was the day they were going to make their purchase.

"We're looking for a chick magnet," Bulk said as he pictured himself driving a sleek black van down the street, with a team of super-models in the back, ready to receive some lovin' in bulk supply. "Just imagine what we can do with the right van!"

Skull's thoughts drifted to his plans for the new vehicle, and the 'A-Team' theme song began to play in his mind.

"I pity the fool who doesn't drive a van like T!"

"Well, boys, I have just what you're looking for," Crazy Larry said, so named because he had been the one responsible for the creation of UPN. "Behold the ultimate party wagon!"

Crazy Larry revealed a dilapidated green van, with one flat tire, rusted out doors, no side view mirrors, and no steering wheel.

"We'll take it!" Bulk shouted as he pulled out the money.
*

The Command Center

"And that should do it," Justin said as he tucked the last wire in. "Try it now."

Alpha flipped the switch and turned on the viewing screen to 'Knight Rider'.

"We've got the viewingscreen working," Alpha told the boy as Justin stood up. "Now we can keep an eye out for whatever Zedd's planning next."

Justin started fiddling with the wires hanging out of the control panel in front of Zordon's empty space. "I just wish I could fix Zordon's tube. But I don't know anything about glass making."

"Zordon's tube is made from a special sand that comes from Triforia," Alpha explained as he hobbled toward Justin. Alpha had been blown apart by Lord Zedd, but Justin had managed to rebuild him, although he didn't have all the resources he needed to complete the job. "Even if we could get that, we'd still have to make contact with Zordon's timewarp dimension."

Alpha turned on the viewing screen to check out what was going on in the world. "Justin, look, it's Rocky! He's at-"

"Turn it off," Justin said as he continued to face Zordon's chamber before whispering. "Please."
"But Justin, don't you-"

"I said it turn it off!" Justin furiously shouted as he slammed his hands on the comp. Alpha turned off the viewing screen as he requested and just stood there. He saw something wet hit the board and realized Justin was crying. "He just left me behind without saying goodbye. I thought he cared about me. I thought we were brothers."

Before Alpha could come over to console him, Justin ran out the door.
*

Lord Zedd's Palace

Lord Zedd watched Jason and his friends sitting in the juice bar and looked at the power coin in his hand.

"The time has come, Rita, to create my evil Red Ranger!" Zedd shouted as Rita just yawned.
"Zedd, how many times have we tried the evil Ranger schtick?" Rita asked, bored at the thought. "I failed with the Green Ranger and the badges of Darkness. You failed when you tried to make Rocky, Adam, and Aisha your dark champions, and when you tried to drain Tommy's powers to power your own dark Rangers! Give it up already!"

"Silence, woman!" Zedd shouted. "This time, we won't fail. This time, the Ranger's don't have Zordon to point out his weakness. We will make sure that our evil Ranger's one weakness won't be discovered! Golder, take the Putties, and fetch me my new evil Red Ranger!"
*

Jason was walking back towards his house to see if Jeremy wanted to go the martial arts exhibit at the museum, when he ran into Christian.

"Hey, you're Richie's friend," Jason said as the two shook hands. "You're that new foreign exchange student, aren't you?"

"Yeah, fresh from Australia," Christian replied. "The name's Christian."

"I'm Jason," Jason told him. "Kim says you're pretty good on the balance beam."

"I do alright," Christian said as the two walked along. "I'm going to go to the Olympics someday."

"Hey, I'm going to see if my cousin wants to go to the museum. Want to join us?" Jason asked.

Before Christian could answer, a swarm of Putties jumped out at them.

"Terrific," Jason said as he took a fighting stance. "Can you fight?"

"We'll find out," Christian replied nervously.

"Just aim for the 'Z'," Jason said as the Putties rushed forward.

A Putty swung at Jason, but he leaned toward his right and kicked the Putty under its left arm, then kick him again in the chest, sending the creature flying backward. Two Putties ran up and grabbed him, while a third rushed forward to strike. Jason kicked the charging Putty in the 'Z' and shattered it, then used all the strength he could muster to pull the Putties holding him, and slammed them into each other, sending both falling to the ground, where he kicked both and shattered them.

Christian did a backflip as a Putty tried to hit him. He landed on his feet, turned and kicked a Putty in its 'Z'. Two more rushed toward him from opposite sites as the boy ducked, causing the two creatures to collide with each other. They fell onto their backs as Christian easily punched the 'Z' on their chestplates.

"That was fun," Christian said as he stood up looked around. "Kind of scary, but fun."

It was then that a tap came on Christian's shoulder. He turned around and felt a punch from Goldar, which sent the boy flying back into Jason.

"I've come with a message from Lord Zedd!" Goldar shouted as he held his sword. "You will come with me or else!"

"Or else what, Goldar?" Jason asked as he looked at Christian, whose nose was slightly bleeding. "You're going to toss around threats until I kick your butt back to the moon?"

"Not this time," Goldar replied as he held his sword forward and shot a burst of energy at Jason, knocking to the ground, where the Putties grabbed him.

"Hey, back off!" Christian shouted as he went to attack the Putties as they all vanished, taking both Jason and Christian to Zedd's Dark Dimension.
*

At the Youth Center, Tommy, Aisha, and Adam were getting ready to head over to Rocky's house to see if there was any word from him. It had already been two weeks, and he'd only called once, to talk to his mother, and that was only a few days after he left. Kim was going to meet them there after she went home to change outfits.

The three were almost to the door when Master Fu Kyu Hup and his four guards entered, as everyone bowed in respect.

"Please, rise," Master Hup said as he greeted the three teens. "Like you, I am here for a purpose."
"Master Hup, I thought you were returning to your temple," Tommy said.

"There are matters of greater importance that I must see to here in Angel Grove," Master Hup told him. "And those matters involve the three of you."

*
Jeremy was on his way to the Youth Center when he saw Kimberly walking the opposite way, and tried not to act like a fool around her. He'd developed a crush on her the first time he was in Angel Grove two years ago, and even though he knew she was with Tommy, couldn't help but have feelings for her.

"Hey, Jeremy," Kim said as they stopped to talk. "I thought Jason was heading back toward his house."

"Haven't seen him since last night," Jeremy told her. "He was gone when I woke up this morning. Ankle's feeling a lot better, so I thought I'd surprise him at the Youth Center."

"He probably cut through the park. Let's go see if we can meet up with him," Kim said, using it as an excuse to spy on Richie and Trini to see if they really were a couple.
*

Lord Zedd's Dark Dimension

"This is new," Christian said as he looked around the room, with the maroon circular wall, with a gold railing running around it, where the floor was covered in a dense fog, and there seemed to be no exit.

Lord Zedd and Rita came in, followed by Goldar, Scorpina, and a squad of Putties.

"What do you want with us?" Jason asked as Christian helped him up.

"We only wanted you," Zedd said as he motioned to Scorpina. "Get rid of our uninvited guest."

"Send him back to Earth, and I won't fight you," Jason said as he lowered his guard. "I'll give up quietly."

"You are in no position to barter," Rita said as she looked Christian over. "Zedd, we could fetch quite a bit if we sold him on the intergalactic black market."

"He does look like he'd make a good slave," Zedd replied as he looked at the boy. "Put him in the dungeon, and we'll hit the Intergalactic Flea Market this weekend."

Before Jason and Christian could fight back, they were overpowered and Christian was dragged away. The Putties held Jason down as Zedd grabbed Jason by the hair and held his head up.

"Consider yourself fortunate," Zedd said as he looked into Jason's eyes. "I'm about to restore you to your former glory."
*

Master Hup had brought Tommy, Adam, and Aisha to the dojo where he was staying, and showed them a scroll.

"I have come to Angel Grove to seek three champions," Master Hup explained. "Three who will rise up and defeat a terrible evil that will soon surface. My purpose is to train these three heroes, and show them the path to true enlightenment. Only then will this evil be vanquished."

Master Hup unrolled the scroll and showed three Power Ranger like beings. Their costumes were radically different, and there were only three colors Red, Blue, and Yellow.

"The Storm is coming," Master Hup told the trio. "And you are the three that will calm it."

"Those aren't our Ranger costumes," Adam said to the others, then Master Hup revealed the rest of the scroll, where Tommy, Adam, and Aisha were in these new costumes, helmetless and about to fight a dark creature.

"You three have a higher destiny," Master Hup told them. "And I must lead you to it."

The three stood there, speechless at what they just saw.
*

Richie and Trini were holding hands as they walked down the park trail. Over the last few days they'd really re-connected, and it was like Trini had never left.

"So, did you meet any interesting people at the Peace Conference?" Richie asked as the two walked along.

"Yeah, I made lots of friends there," Trini told him as she looked at him. "But I missed everyone here a lot."

"Does that include me?" Richie asked as they stopped and turned toward each other. Trini didn't reply as they leaned in to kiss, just as Trini spotted Kim and Jeremy headed toward them. Richie went to kiss Trini, but she moved and he fell forward into a pond as Trini rushed over to meet Kim.

"Hey, Trini, have you seen Jason?" Kim asked.

"No, I haven't seen him since he left the Youth Center. Richie and I were- Richie?" Trini asked as she saw Richie sitting in the pond, spitting pond water out.

"Are you alright?" Jeremy asked as he gave Richie a hand.

"Yeah," Richie replied as wrung his shirt out. "Good thing I'm an excellent swimmer."

"You'd better head home before you catch a cold," Trini said as the two hesitated, then shooks hands before he walked away.

"Let's go back to the Youth Center," Kim suggested. "Jason might have gone back there."
*

Jason was lying on a table, unconscious as Rita chanted into her crystal ball, and placed the Red Power coin in Jason's hand.

"The spell is almost complete," Rita said as she looked at Zedd. "The power coin is now casting its dark magic over his Ranger form. Now, cast your evil magic and finish the spell over his human side!"

Zedd charged up his staff and fired at the table, using his dark magic to cast the spell.

"Now, arise my evil Red Ranger!" Zedd shouted as Jason sat up, his eyes glowing a dark red as he held the coin in his hand. “As long as we control him, we have removed his morality and goodness. He will be 100% pure evil.

"Oh, can't you come up with something more original?" Jason asked as he looked over at Zedd and Rita. "Like, 'Go kill 'em, Tiger', or something? Jeez, no wonder we were always stomping your ass."

"You had to give him free will, didn't you?" Rita asked.

"That was your mistake with Tommy," Zedd told her. "He was always waiting for your orders to finish the job. Jason is totally self-reliant when it comes to his objective. Jason, what is your mission?"

"To destroy the Rangers," Jason replied. "Actually, I want to talk to you about that. Can I at least have some fun, first? Torture them a little bit. Maybe snap a few limbs or-"

"Ooh, I like the way he thinks," Rita whispered to Zedd. “You really did remove all of his goodness.”

"Destroy the Rangers however you see fit," Zedd told him. "Just leave Justin and Rocky alive. I have special plans for them."

"Rocky? That loser that took my power coin?" Jason asked. "Can I at least maim him a little?"

"I can tell we're going to have lots of fun with Jason around," Zedd told his wife. "Now, go to Earth and destroy the Rangers!"

"You could at least say 'please'," Jason said as he put the power coin in his pocket and headed toward Earth.
*

Kim, Jeremy, and Trini were about to head toward the Youth Center when Tommy, Adam, and Aisha arrived, looking confused.

"Are you guys alright?" Kim asked. "Tommy, what's wrong?"

"It's a long story," Tommy told her as he took her hand as Jeremy wished that it was him talking to her. "I'll explain it to you later, though. What do you say we go take in dinner and a movie?"

"Trini and I were going to take Jeremy-"

"I'll find Jason," Jeremy said, feeling uncomfortable. "I'll be fine by myself."

Tommy and Kim headed down the trail, leaving Jeremy, Adam, Aisha, and Trini. The group prepared to leave, just as Jeremy ran right into Jason's chest, causing him to stumble backward. "Hey, there he is. I was just-"

Jason backhanded Jeremy, sending him toward the ground.

"Jason, what was that for?" Adam asked as he helped Jeremy up.

"So, you're friends with this little prick now?" Jason asked, preparing to take out his coin at any second.

"Jason, what's gotten into you?" Jeremy asked. "Is this because I found out about-"

"No, I just can't stand you is all," Jason said as Adam, Trini, and Aisha prepared to come to the boy's defense.

"Jason, Jeremy's our friend, just like you," Trini told him. "Why are you being so mean?"

"Oh, that's right, you don't know," Jason said as he looked at Jeremy. "Hey, Jeremy, why don't you tell your 'friends' where you've been for the last year and half?"

"Jason, you promised-" Jeremy started to say.

"What's going on?" Aisha asked. "Jason, what are you-"

"Why don't you tell them about your little incident with the razor?" Jason asked as he grabbed Jeremy's wrist and pulled up his sleeve, revealing a scar. "Why don't you tell them how your parents dropped you off in the looney bin before they abandoned you?"

"You promised," Jeremy calmly said.

"And why the only reason you're here is because you're a charity case my parents felt sorry for," Jason continued. "You're pathetic."

Jeremy didn't say anything as he just ran off.

"Jason, that was cruel," Trini angrily said. "He's your family."

"Oh, he'll get over it," Jason replied. "He'll have to, he'll be dead the next time I see him. But now that the runt is gone-"

Jason pulled out the power coin as a red mist swirled around him. When it disappeared, Jason was in a red armored suit, with a gold Tyranosaurus symbol on the chestplate.

"Oh, damn," Adam said as he and Aisha reached for their morphers.

MASTODON!

SABER-TOOTH TIGER!

The Black and Yellow Rangers rushed forward as Trini rushed off to find Tommy and Kim before they left the park. Aisha kicked at Jason's side, but he blocked and punched her backward, jumped toward her and kicked her across the grass.

"So, Zedd's finally decided to use the Red coin?" Adam asked as he went to punch Jason, but they blocked each other move for move until Jason caught Adam's arm and swung him around, tossing him beside Aisha.

"Alright, time to die," Jason said as he spun around and produced his power sword.

"You want to play dirty?" Adam asked as he stood up and pulled out his power axe, and turned it to cannon mode. "Let's have a blast."

Adam fired as Jason rolled out of the way. Before he could fire again, Jason leaped into the air and swung his sword, knocking the axe from Adam's hand, and took another swipe to knock Adam backward. Jason held his hand and punched Aisha as she tried to attack from behind.

"Tell me again how you guys were chosen to be Rangers?" Jason asked as he grabbed Aisha and tossed her into a tree as hard as he could. He then grabbed Adam and bodyslammed him onto the concrete. "You guys couldn't take a twelve year old."

Jason looked down as Adam and Aisha demorphed from being knocked unconscious.
"Two down."
*

Jeremy was sitting on the steps of his house, crying to himself as Justin walked past on his way home.

"Are you alright?" Justin asked as he looked at Jeremy. "You're Jason's cousin, right?"

"Far from alright," Jeremy said as he tried to stop the tears. "I just lost my only chance at making friends, and the one guy I thought I could trust turned on me."

"You can trust me," Justin said as he sat down next to Jeremy. "I've been there. I looked up to my step-brother, Rocky. But he left without saying goodbye. It's like he never even cared about me."

"I have a little brother," Jeremy said as he stared forward out into the street. "He's about your age. Haven't seen him in years."

"What happened to him?" Justin asked.

"Lives with my mom somewhere," Jeremy replied, trying to remember the last time he saw his baby brother. "Don't know where. She doesn't want me to know. It's a long story."

"Want to hang out with me?" Justin asked. "If you need a friend-"

"You don't want to hang around with me," Jeremy replied. "You'll just wind up hating me when you find out about me."

"Do you like Aaron Carter?" Justin asked.

"No," Jeremy replied.

"Do you drown puppies while you're dressed up as a clown while singing the theme song from 'Jem' ?"

"... ... No," Jeremy replied.

"Then we're cool," Justin told him as Jeremy smiled, having actually just made a friend.

"I just wish I knew why Jason betrayed me," Jeremy wondered as an unmorphed Jason appeared from out of nowhere.

"Let's see," Jason said as he picked Jeremy up and kneed him in the stomach. "First of all, you're a loser," Jason kneed him again, causing the boy to almost vomit.

"Second, you ate the last of my Honeycomb for breakfast," Jason then rammed Jeremy as hard as could into the wall, making a small indent. Jeremy fell to the ground, unconscious. "And third... well, the Honeycomb thing was what really pissed me off the most."

Jason turned his attention toward Justin and cracked his knuckles.

"Now, I'm supposed to bring you in alive," Jason said as he tilted his neck to crack it. "But I'm sure Zedd will understand if you're a little... damaged."

Justin knew better than to try to fight someone like Jason, who was almost twice as big, and was a martial arts master. Justin had only limited training, and since Rocky had left, no one had been around to teach him. In a situation like this, Justin could only think of one way to fight.

So he took off his right shoe and tossed it at Jason, which made a squeaky sound as it bounced off of Jason's chest. An awkward silence filled the air as the two just stood there, motionless. Finally, after about thirty seconds of silence

"Did you just throw a shoe at me?" Jason asked. "...That's just dumb."

Before Justin could run, Jason had grabbed him by the shirt, but Justin decided to make an attempt to fight and punched Jason in the gut, cracking his knuckle on Jason's abs.

"OW!" Justin said as he shook his hand in pain. "I want you tested for steroids if I live through this."

Jason just laughed as he punched Justin, knocking him out with one blow, but not before Justin tried to hold on to something, grabbing the necklace around Jason's neck, taking it to the ground with him.
*

Christian was sitting in a dungeon in Zedd's palace, hoping that someone would come to his rescue soon. He hoped Richie would be the one to come bursting through the door to free him, but he knew the odds of that were impossible. He was starting to wonder if anyone even realized he was missing.

The teen looked around and tried to find a way to escape. Jason was out there somewhere, and if Christian could find him, they could find a way out together. That's when he saw the keys to the dungeon hanging on the wall across the room, but there was no way to reach them. Christian pulled off his black t-shirt and start to rip it into long strips. No more waiting around to be rescued.

Jason slung the unconscious Justin over his shoulder and prepared to head toward Zedd's palace when a white handled sword flew down in front of him.

"Going somewhere?" The White Ranger asked.

"Oh, for the love of-" Jason said as he tossed Justin to the ground and morphed into the Red Ranger, pulling out his power sword. "You people just don't give up."

The two clashed swords as Tommy pushed Jason out into the yard, where they began their fight. The two continued to swing their swords as Tommy tried to talk sense into his friend.

"Jason, you saved me when I was evil," Tommy pleaded. "Let me help me you before it's too late."
"It was too late when I took out Adam and Aisha," Jason told him as he slashed at Tommy, knocking him backward. "It was really too late when I beat the stuffing out of Jeremy. And once I get rid of you-"

Jason brought his sword down as Tommy ducked and kicked Jason in the side, sending him flying toward the ground.

"You can't win," Tommy told him. "Zordon designed the White Ranger's powers to be the strongest ones."

"You see, I have to question Zordon's decision making skills," Jason said as he picked up his sword and ran toward Tommy. "He makes the guy who almost killed us leader, he picks a grade A moron to become the Red Ranger, and he let the only one of you that was able to form a coherant thought get himself killed. Wise mentor, my ass."

Jason slashed his sword, knocking Tommy backward.

"Maybe the White Ranger's powers are stronger," Jason said as he jumped over Tommy and slashed at the support beams on the porch roof. "But how's your moral judgement?"

Jason grabbed Justin, leaving Jeremy lying on the porch as Tommy rushed forward and tossed Jeremy onto the grass before the small roof collapsed on top of him, trapping Tommy underneath.

Jason walked up to Tommy, who had become unmorphed, and was buried underneath the rubble and couldn't get out.

"Remember when you were evil and you trapped me in Zedd's Dark Dimension?" Jason asked. "Well, it's time I returned the favor."

Jason teleported himself, Justin, and Tommy away, leaving Jeremy lying in the grass as Kim rushed up to him.
*

The Command Center

"Ay yi yi!" Alpha shouted as he rushed around, trying to figure out why the alarms were going off. "What is going out there?"

A bruised Adam and Aisha arrived in the Power Chamber along with Trini, who had found them in the park.

"Jason's got the Red coin," Aisha said as Alpha went to get the first aid kit. "Zedd's turned him evil."

"Out of all of us, Jason was always the best fighter," Trini said as she ran her hand through her hair. "And now that's he's evil-"

"Wait a minute, where's Tommy?" Adam asked.

Just then, Kim arrived, holding Jeremy up with his arm around her shoulder. The boy admittedly liked this, even though he was in pain from Jason’s beating.

"We're too late," Kim said. "Jason's got Tommy and Justin. He beat up Jeremy pretty badly."

"Get him to the medbay," Adam told Alpha. "If he wakes up, he might have a clue about how to stop Jason. It's all we got to go on right now. I just hope Tommy and Justin are alright."
*

Tommy opened his eyes and looked around. He was lying on a beach that looked familiar. A few feet away, Justin was laying in the sand, still unconscious. His eye was black and blue from where Jason had punched him, but other than that he looked to be fine.

"Justin, wake up," Tommy said as he shook Justin. The boy sat up and felt his swollen eye.

"Did I miss something?" Justin asked. "When did we get to the Caribbean?"

"This isn't a tropical island," Tommy told him. "It's the Island of Illusion. Rita must have recreated it."

"It was recreated for Zedd and Rita's honeymoon!" Goldar shouted. Tommy almost threw up at the thought of what those two did on the island while they were there.

"Alright, Goldar, it's Morphin-" Tommy reached for his morpher, which wasn't there. It was lying on Jason's front porch.

"What's the matter, Tommy, lose something?" Goldar asked as he pulled out his sword. "Too bad you have no powers to protect you."

"I don't need powers to beat you," Tommy said as he rushed forward.

"We have no hope of beating Jason like this," Adam said as he paced around. "We need Tommy. We need the Blue power coin. We need-"

"Billy and Zordon," Kim said as she hoped Tommy was alright. She looked up at Zordon's empty tube. "It's just the three of us now. Adam, Aisha, I think that-"

Kim heard the sound of two objects smashing into each other, turned around and found Adam and Aisha lying on the ground, with Jason standing over them.

"Hello, Kim," Jason said, looking at the two unconscious Rangers on the ground. Kim's eyes went wide as Jason rushed toward her.

Chapter Text

Angel Grove Youth Center

Richie walked into the juice bar, having just come from his house. An hour ago, he'd fallen into a pond and had to cut his walk through the park with Trini short so he could change clothes and dry off, and now was eager to find Trini and hopefully get the kiss that he'd been looking forward to since she returned from the peace conference.

"Hey, Ernie, have you seen Trini?" Richie asked as he sat at the bar.

"No, haven't seen her since she left with you a while ago," Ernie said as he wiped out a glass. "As a matter of fact, none of the regulars have been here in a while, not even Bulk & Skull. Look around, I don't even know the names of anyone here. By the way, if you see Christian, tell him I have a job opening. He's been looking for an after school job."

"Yeah, I need to talk to him," Richie said as Ernie poured him an orange juice. "I think he's been feeling left out since Trini came back. Christian's become my best friend, and I want to make sure he's alright. I'll bet he feels really alone right now."
*

Christian Hillard is a survivalist. He knows the Australian Outback like the back of his hand, and ever since the age of 5, has survived every trick, trap, and pitfall the Outback had to offer. So being trapped in a dungeon in an evil alien's moon palace was just one more adventure for him to survive.

He'd used his shirt and belt to form a crude rope to try to reach the keys to his cell on the opposite side of the room, and hoped that the rope was long enough. He was about to try it, when Squatt and Baboo entered the dungeon, holding a tray of what looked to be fried worms and green sludge.

"Dinner time!" Baboo said as Squatt used the keys to open the cell. "Hope you're hungry!"

Christian wondered just how competent of a fighter these two were. Ten seconds later, Zedd's minions were locked in the cell as Christian tossed the keys as far away as he could, before leaving to find Jason and get out of this place.

"Well, at least we won't starve," Squatt said as he picked up one of the still moving worms.
*

The Command Center

Jason rushed toward Kimberly, who was backed against the control panel. She jumped on the panel, and used her legs to push Jason back before jumping off and rushing toward the door, when Jason grabbed her arm.

"Jason, please don't do this," Kim said as she swung at Jason, who grabbed her other arm. "We helped Tommy when he was evil, we can help you, too."

"In case you haven't noticed, I'm not Tommy," Jason said as he held onto her. Kim could the pain in her arms from his strong grip. "Zordon's lap dog, who was given everything on a sliver platter. His powers, leadership of the team, a girlfriend. He didn't earn ANY of those things."

"Jason, you're hurting me," Kim said as she struggled to break free, before Jason forced her into a kiss, and after a few seconds, she stopped fighting against him. He pulled away, just in time for a kick to the side to send him to the ground, clutching his side in pain.

"Leave her alone," Trini said, taking a fighting stance as Jason laughed, even though his side was killing him now.

"You think you can stop me?" Jason as he stood up, still feeling the pain. "You don't even have any-"

A punch from Kim knocked Jason clean out, landing him right beside Adam and Aisha.
"So, how was that kiss?" Trini asked.

"Say one word to Tommy and I'll go evil on you," Kim replied.
*

Tommy kicked Goldar's hand, but failed to make him release his sword as the monster backhanded Tommy onto the sand, and brought his sword down. Tommy rolled out of the way and jumped back to his feet, just in time to duck as Goldar swung again.

Meanwhile, Justin was standing back, trying to get his communicator to work. So far teleportation wasn't working, and he couldn't send a message to the others to tell them where he and Tommy had ended up. The signal in his communicator just wasn't strong enough.

Justin was still holding onto Jason's necklace, having put it his pocket. He knew the green dragon coin was now powerless, having been severed from the Morphin' Grid permanently, but didn't want to take the chance of it ending up in Lord Zedd's possession.

"This will be your final resting place!" Goldar shouted as he rushed toward Tommy, who flipped backwards to avoid the charging monster. "Lord Zedd has given you to me as a token of my loyalty!"
"Personally I would have just asked for a raise," Tommy said as he avoided Goldar's sword and punched, hitting Goldar's armor, barely phasing the monster. Goldar laughed and punched Tommy, sending him flying backward, where he fell onto a jagged rock lying on the beach, hitting his leg, which made a crunching sound.

"What's the matter, White Ranger, did you break your leg?" Goldar asked as he held his sword up. "Looks like we'll have to amputate!"

"NO!" Justin shouted as jumped onto Goldar's back, putting his hands over the creature's eyes. The monkey struggled to get the boy off his back as he dropped his sword as Tommy tried to stand, but his leg had become fractured in the fall.

"Justin, run!" Tommy shouted as he looked for anything he could use as a crutch.

Goldar had managed to grab Justin and was about to break the boy's back over his knee when Tommy dragged himself toward Goldar's sword and grabbed it, then swung it into Goldar's leg, forcing him to drop Justin.

"Our communicator's don't have enough power to get us out of here," Justin said as Goldar kicked Tommy and grabbed his sword. "What do we do?"

"You die!" Goldar shouted as Tommy grabbed Justin's leg and pulled him to the ground.
"Let's try using them together," Tommy said he grabbed Justin's wrist, putting the two communicator's together, and teleported them both away.

*

Angel Grove Park

Tommy and Justin arrived at the top of a steep hill and hit the ground rolling, finally coming to a rest at the bottom. Seconds later, Justin raised his head and saw Tommy laying next to him, his leg twisted in an almost impossible position.

"Don't worry, I'll get help," Justin said as he felt his forehead, which had a cut on it, and was bleeding pretty badly. "Oh, jeez, dad's going to kill me if I come home with this."
"Go, get help," Tommy told him. "I'll be fine."

Justin ran off as Tommy hoped the other Ranger were alright.
*

Bulk and Skull looked at their 'brand new' van as it sat up on cinderblocks in Bulk's front yard.
"The ultimate chick magnet is just a fix up away!" Bulk said he held a wrench in his hand, and Skull stood next to him with a toilet plunger. "Today, we make history!"

"Ah, I'm failing history, Bulkie," Skull said while he chewed his gum. "Why can't we make detention?"

Bulk grabbed his friend and launched toward the van.

"Onward... TO DESTINY!"
*

Jason woke up, tied to a chair as Trini, Kim, Adam, Aisha, and Alpha stood around.

"Jason, this is an intervention," Kim said as she looked into his eyes. "You've got a problem with being evil."

"I don't have a problem, I can stop anytime I want," Jason as he struggled to break free. "Just untie me and I'll show you."

"Alpha, how do we break the spell over him?" Adam asked.

"The last time we had to destroy the sword of darkness," Kim told the group. "But the last I checked, that was a one of a kind item."

"Hello? I'm chafing here!" Jason shouted as he struggled.

"Well, there might be one way to break the spell," Alpha told them. "But I don't think you'll like it."
"I hate it already," Jason said as the Rangers looked at him.

"What is it?" Aisha asked, just as their communicators went off.

"Guys, it's Justin, Tommy's been injured, and we're on our way to the hospital. I'll explain everything when you get here."

"We've got to go," Adam said as he looked at the three girls. "But what about Jason? We can't leave him here alone."

"I'll keep an eye on him," Alpha told them. "Please make sure Tommy and Justin are alright."
The four teens teleported away as Jason just laughed.

"What's so funny?" Alpha asked.

"I know what you're thinking, you rusted out piece of garbage," Jason told him. "And you're right. But you're never going to break the spell, because the only thing that can do it isn't even on Earth."
*

Christian was wandering around Zedd's palace, and was in one of the dark, lower chambers, only lit by a faint light from the cracks of the upper level. He saw a candle sitting on a table, pulled out his lucky lighter, and lit the wick to find the exit. Before he left, he grabbed another candle sitting on a pedestal and put it in the back of his pants just in case he lost the one he was holding.
*

"Any visitors today?" Jeremy asked the orderly.

"Sorry, kid," Larry the orderly told him. "No phone calls, mail, or messages, either.”

Jeremy returned to the rec area where an older woman was playing chess with her imaginary friend. It had been six months since Jeremy's parents has put him in this place, and had never once come to visit him, no matter how close he was to making a recovery.

"Hey, Jeremy!" Wes shouted as he ran up holding a book. "Want to help me read to the guy who thinks he's a Smurf?"

"Sure," Jeremy said, wondering if his dad was alright. Surely something terrible must have happened to keep his dad from coming to see him.

The boy sat up on the cot and looked around. Jeremy was lying in the medbay, wondering where he was. The last thing he remembered was Jason beating him up and calling him a loser. The boy stood up and headed for the door to try to find someone who could tell him what was going on.
*

Kim, Adam, Aisha, and Trini found Justin sitting in the waiting room, where his father and step-mother were crushing him with attention.

"Dad, Carly, really, I'm fine," Justin said as he saw the other Rangers approaching. "Tommy saved me. I was about to be hit by an oncoming biker, and he pushed me out of the way. I guess he didn't see the hill behind us."

"Is Tommy alright?" Adam asked.

"He broke his leg," Justin said before pointing to his head. "I had to get four stitches, isn't that cool?"

"We'd better get Justin home," Doug said as he ran his hand through the boy's hair. "He's had a long day."

"Dad, can't I stay for a while?" Justin asked. "I want to make sure Tommy's alright."

"He'll be alright with us," Adam told them.

"Just like your friend Billy was?" Carly asked, visibly angry at what happened with Justin. "And Rocky? Rocky was perfectly normal until we came to Angel Grove, and now all of a sudden he's like... like-"

"A scared child," Doug finished for her. "Did any of you even notice how timid and frightened he was before he left? He was a mental wreck who might never recover. No offense, but I don't think it's a good idea for Justin to be hanging around such a... negative influence."

"And look what hanging around you has done to him," Carly said as she looked at Justin's black eye, and the stitches on his forehead. "I thought I could trust you since Rocky was with Justin, but now..."

"But, Dad, Carly, I-" Justin started to say as his dad picked him up.

"Don't expect Justin to come around the Youth Center anymore. I've already lost a step-son because of you people, I'll be damned if I'm losing my other son."

The Stewarts left with Justin, leaving the four teens standing there, wondering how this situation was going to get any worse.
*

Jason had managed to get his hand to his pocket where his power coin was as Alpha was trying to get in contact with the other Rangers. While Alpha's back was turned, Jason morphed into the Red Ranger and broke free from the ropes holding him.

"Ay yi yi!" Alpha shouted as he turned around and saw Jason holding his power sword.

"I'm going to cut you open like the tin can you are," Jason said as a kick to his chest sent the Red Ranger flying back.

"Leave that... whatever it is... alone," Jeremy said as he took a defensive stance.

"You've got to be kidding me," Jason said as he looked at the boy and the robot. "You know I've got like, superpowers, right? AND a sword. Don't forget the sword."

Jason and Jeremy paced each other, both looking the other over.

"Oh, that's right, you're the one with the death wish," Jason said as he twirled his sword. "I know this is a bit bigger than a razor, but still-"

"You're under some kind of magic spell, aren't you?" Jeremy asked as he tried to keep his distance. "That's why you're doing this. You're not really Jason, you're some jerk in Jason's body."

"Wrong!" Jason said as he rushed toward Jeremy, slashing and slicing, with the boy doing backward flips to avoid him. "I AM Jason, and everything I say is what that coward Jason never had the testes to admit."

"Jason would never humiliate me like that," Jeremy said as he rushed toward Jason, punching and kicking, looking for a weak spot in the armor. "Jason was one of the good guys. He was the best of the good guys, and I looked up to him."

Jason hit Jeremy with the butt of his sword, sending the boy stumbling backwards as Alpha tried to contact the other Rangers. Jason grabbed Jeremy by the hair and held him with he put his sword to the boy's throat.

"You're nothing," Jason whispered to the boy as he held the sword closer. "That's why your parents abandoned you. That's why you have no friends. And that's why no one's going to remember you after you're gone."

"That is it!" Alpha shouted as he reached into the control panel and pulled out a large wire, and put it Jason's back, shocking him with several thousand volts of electricity, forcing him to let Jeremy go.
Jason fell to his knees as he demorphed and Jeremy waited for him to make a move, and that's when Jeremy saw Jason's eyes.

"Jeremy?" Jason asked as he started to be swirled in a cloud of red mist before disappearing. "Help me."

"Did you see that?" Jeremy asked. "He was Jason again. He was really Jason there for a moment."
"The surge of electricity must have temporarily disrupted the spell," Alpha concluded.

"Then Jason's got a chance of being himself again," Jeremy said as he looked at Alpha. "And who are you, anyway? And where the hell am i?"
*

Tommy was lying in the hospital bed with his leg in a cast as the others walked in. Master Fu Kyu Hup was already there, meditating.

"Tommy, what happened?" Kim asked as she hugged him.

"Jason happened," Tommy replied as he looked at the people in the room. "He sent me and Justin to the Island of Illusion. We were able to get out, but not before I hurt my leg."

"We've got Jason tied up at the Command Center," Aisha told him. "And we just heard about Rocky."

"Yeah, I got an earful from Mr. Stewart a few minutes ago," Tommy said as the others took a seat around him. "Maybe it's best if Justin doesn't hang around. He's too young to be dealing with this stuff."

"What do we do about Jason?" Adam asked. "How do we get him back to the way he was?"
"The path will be lit when the time is right," Master Hup said as he finished his meditation. "Unfortunately Tommy is in no condition to fight."

"He's right," Tommy told his friends. "The doctors said I'll recover, but it's going to be a few means no White Ranger for a while."

"We're just losing Rangers left and right lately," Adam said as he slumped in his chair.
*

The DeSantos home

Justin lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling. The boy's room was filled with Nascar memorabilia: Posters and flags decorating the wall, toy racecars lined up on his shelfs, and books on all his favorite drivers on the the shelf by the door. Ever since he was five, Justin's dream was to become a racecar driver. It was what he dreamt about, what he wanted to be when he grew up.

But for the past few weeks, the thoughts of driving fast cars and living life on the edge were replaced by one thought: Bringing his brother Rocky home. It had been a few weeks since Rocky left for his Uncle Joe's ranch in New Mexico, feeling responsible for Billy's death at the hands of Lord Zedd.

And for that time, Justin had waited for the phone call from Rocky saying he was coming home.
Not one call from Rocky ever came, not even to say 'hi'. And now he forbidden to go the Youth Center because his parents didn't feel he was safe hanging around Rocky's friends. So now Justin had zero friends in Angel Grove, unless Jason's cousin Jeremy wasn't on the 'forbidden friends' list.
*

Richie was sitting in the Youth Center, having had no luck in finding Trini or Christian. It's like both of them had disappeared into thin air, along with everyone else he knew. So now he was sitting at one of the tables, watching everyone else in the juice bar having fun with their friends.

"Richie, I've been looking for you," Jason said as he sat down at the table. "I've got a message from Trini, she wants to see you."

"Really? Where is she?" Richie asked, trying not to sound too excited.

"She's in trouble," Jason told him. "We're the only two who can help her."

"Then let's go," Richie said as they stood up to leave. "By the way, have you seen Christian around?"

"Yeah, he's waiting for us," Jason lied as they headed out the door.
*

The Command Center

Adam and Aisha stayed behind to keep an eye on Tommy in case Goldar came back to finish the job, while Kim and Trini returned to the Command Center, where they found Jeremy waiting with Alpha, who was telling Jeremy about Zordon, and everything that had happened since Jason returned.

"So, you're the Pink Ranger," Jeremy said as he looked at Kim. "I always thought she was the hottest one."

"Uh... thanks?" Kim said, not sure how to reply to that comment. "Where's Jason?"
"He bolted, but Alpha and I kicked his- We took care of him," Jeremy said, watching his tongue around the ladies.

"We need to find out where Jason is now," Trini said as she started pressing buttons on the console. "Before he really does any damage."

"Can I help?" Jeremy asked as he looked down toward the ground. "I'll understand if you don't want me around."

"We need all the help we can get at this point," Kim told the boy as she looked at him. "Jason's your cousin, so you might be the edge we need in this fight."

"You don't care about... what I did?" Jeremy asked.

"We only know what Jason told Adam and Aisha," Trini replied as she looked toward the viewing screen. "After this is all over, we'll help you through this. But for right now we have to concentrate on finding Jason before-"

It was then that a pair of red and black sneakers teleported into the Command Center, hitting Jeremy in the head. They were tied together with a note in the laces.

"Those are Richie's," Trini said as she read the note. "Rangers, come to the football field if you want to see Richie alive again. Love, Your Enemy Jason. He's got Richie."

"Not for long," Kim assured her. "I'll get Adam and Aisha and we'll stop Jason."

"But now you're three Rangers short," Trini told her. "Tommy, Rocky, and Billy are all out of action."

"But you've still got me, and Trini," Jeremy said. "That's something, right? I know we'll get Jason back, we just have to figure out how."
*

Richie was tied to the goal post on the football field, his mouth gagged and his hands bound as the Red Ranger held his sword, ready to attack whatever came his way. He was still unconscious from Jason knocking him out earlier, but as far as Richie knew, the blow came from elsewhere.

"Nothing personal, Richie, but you're the last friend the Rangers have got that I haven't really tortured and beaten up," Jason said as he waved his sword around. "But don't worry, we'll get to that soon enough. After the Rangers are dead."

The Black, Yellow, and Pink Rangers arrived in the center of the field as Jason looked over to Richie.
"Don't go anywhere, I'll be back to kill you shortly," Jason said as he ran to meet the other Rangers. "Three Rangers left. Want to draw straws to see who goes first?"

The Rangers pulled out their weapons and rushed toward Jason, who used his sword to block Aisha's sais as he kicked Adam in the chest. He slashed at Aisha with the blade, and butted Kim with the end of it. Adam rushed toward him as Jason leaped into the air and landed behind him, and kicked him in the helmet, sending him toward the ground.

While Jason was distracted, Jeremy came up behind Richie and untied him just as Richie started to wake up.

"Kid, what's going on?" Richie asked after pulled the gag out of his mouth. "Why am I tied up-"

Jeremy punched Richie to knock out again, then dragged him away to teleport him to safety.

"Don't worry, pal, this will all just be a bad dream when you wake up," Jeremy said as he gave the thumbs up to the other Rangers to let them know Richie was safe.
*

Lord Zedd's Palace

Christian had snuck into the throne room, where Rita and Zedd were watching the battle below.

"Jason's finally going to destroy them! What do you say we go to the football field and get a front row seat for the Ranger's destruction?" Zedd asked.

"They'd better have a good half time show," Rita replied as they joined their wands to disappear. Christian saw his chance and ran up behind them, teleporting to Earth with them.
*

Zedd and Rita arrived in the bleachers, holding 'Go Jason!' banners, while Christian had arrived under the bleachers, and saw the Rangers fighting Jason.

"The Red Ranger must be Jason," Christian told himself. "But who are those other guys?"

Before he could get a closer look, a hand wrapped itself around Christian's mouth and pulled him away.

"It's time to finish you once and for all," Jason said as knocked the three Rangers to the ground and raised his hand to the sky.

"Red Dragon Thunderzord Power!"

Jason teleported into the cockpit as the zord assumed it's Warrior mode.

"Looks like Jason wants to elevate the battle," Adam said. "Let's take him down a peg or two."

"Mastodon Lion Thunderzord Power!"

"Pterodactyl Firebird Thunderzord Power!"

"Saber-Toothed Tiger Griffin Thunderzord Power!"

The three zords arrived as the Red Dragon Zord twirled its bo staff and struck a defensive stance, and tried to hold the Griffin and the Lion at bay as they charged forward.

"You're coming back to the Command Center with us, one way or another," Kim said as the Firebird shot a stream of fire at the Red Dragon, but it twirled its staff, dispersing the flames before they could hit.

The Lion charged forward at ramming speed, but the Red Dragon grabbed it as it hit, and pushed back, finally stopping it, then picked the Lion up and slammed it to the ground.

The Griffin raced forward as the Red Dragon twirled its staff and whacked the Griffin, sending crashing onto the ground, where the Red Dragon shoved it's power staff into the Griffin's side, causing sparks and fire to rise from it. Seconds later, the Firebird flew in and clipped the back of the Red Dragon's head, sending it crashing onto the Griffin.

The Red Dragon picked itself up and turned it's attention toward Kim's zord, when the Lion tackled it, but the Red Dragon flipped the Lion off of it, stood up and twirled its staff at lightning speed, focusing the energy, and hitting the Lion, sending it to the ground in a mass of flames and flying sparks.

"Kim, our Zords are too badly damaged," Adam told her as he stood to the side with Aisha. "We can't fight anymore."

"Then I'll finish this," Kim said as she flew in for a close ranger attack, but the Red Dragon was just standing there, motionless. It was then that she heard Jason laughing, only it was coming from-
Kim turned around just in time for Jason to attack. Adam and Aisha watched as the Firebird crashed to the ground in flames. Soon Jason walked out of the fire, dragging Kim behind him, and tossed her toward the others.

"I've beaten you at every possible turn, Rangers," Jason said as he pulled out his Power Sword again. "You're never going to beat me, so I'd suggest-"

It was then that the three Rangers teleported away, as Jason just stood there, amazed that they'd just run away.

"Was that it?" Jason asked as he looked around. "Did we win?"

"No, but we're very close," Zedd said as he walked up beside Jason. "We have them on the run, now. They're off balance and under manned. They have no where to hide, and nothing with which to fight us with. Once the final three Rangers are removed, we will truly be victorious!"

"Then I'll remove the final three Rangers," Jason said as his sword disappeared. "Then nothing will stand in our way."
*

The Command Center

Kim, Adam, and Aisha returned to find Jeremy, Trini, and Alpha waiting.

"Jason's won," Adam said as the three demorphed. "Now we have no zords, no White Ranger, and no way of winning."

"Wrong," Jeremy said as he sat back on the control panel. "While you guys were getting crap kicked out of you, Trini and I found a way to beat Jason."

"How?" Kim asked.

Jeremy pointed to the shadows, where Christian stepped out and nervously said. "Hi."

"Christian's the way to beat Jason?" Aisha asked. "Uh, Jeremy, exactly how long were you in that asylum?"

"It's not me," Christian said as he reached into the back of his pants and pulled out a red candle and tossed it to Kim.

"How did you get this?" Kim asked.

"Found it when I was playing hide and seek in that alien slimeball's palace," Christian told her. "I didn't know what it was when I found it, though."

"I saw Christian arrive with Zedd and Rita on the football field," Alpha told them. "And as soon as I saw the candle, I sent Jeremy to get it."

"But I couldn't get it without bringing Christian back to the Command Center," Jeremy told them. "Zedd and Rita were right on top of us, I couldn't risk them finding out about the candle."

"The candle is authentic," Alpha told them as he examined it with a handheld scanner. "It's made from a special wax that comes from a Ranger's aura when they gain their powers."

"Zedd must have made it to keep Jason in line just in case he ever turned," Kim suggested. "But we can't use it."

"Yeah, wouldn't using the candle drain the Red Ranger's powers forever?" Aisha asked. "And possibly kill Jason in the process?"

"It's possible that if Jason's power is drained to a certain point, the spell over him will be broken," Alpha told the group. "But it is only a theory. And through the three of your coins, the candle can be restored as long as it's done before the candle burns out."

"Wait a minute," Kim said as she looked at Jeremy. "This isn't our decision to make. It's Jeremy's. Jason's his cousin, and the decision to do this should be his."

"What do you say, Jeremy?" Adam asked as he put his hand on the boy's shoulder. "We can find another way to do this if you don't want to go through with it. Remember, this could possibly kill him."

Jeremy walked away from the group, and faced the wall with his back to them.

"Jason was my hero. He was the one who taught me self confidence when no else would. He was the guy I wanted to be when I got older. He's like a brother to me, and I know that if it came down to it, he'd rather not exist than live his life serving evil," Jeremy shed a tear before he turned back around.

"Use the Candle."

*
"The Rangers are going to attempt one last strike, I know it," Zedd said as he paced around with his minions standing in line. "The Pink, Black, and Yellow Rangers are all that stand in our way now. Any other ally of the Rangers will fall soon enough."

Jason, Goldar, and Scorpina were waiting for their orders.

"Now, go forth, and DESTROY!"

"Yes, master," The three replied as they disappeared.

"The Rangers final downfall is about to begin," Zedd said as he looked down at the Earth. "And nothing can possibly stop us."

*
Meanwhile, Kim was about to light the Red Candle...

Chapter Text

Angel Grove Youth Center

It was a busy evening at the juice bar, and Ernie had his hand’s full tending to his customers, and couldn't get in contact with Richie, or any of his other workers to come in and help. Ernie loved his customers, and appreciated their business, but wished something would happen to give him a break for a few minutes. His wish came true three seconds later.

Goldar appeared in the middle of the room, laughing and waving his sword as people started running for the exit.

"Where are you going?" Goldar asked. "I came here to hang out with you!"

Goldar fired his sword and blocked the exits, trapping everyone in the building.

*

Angel Grove High School

Not too far away, Scorpina entered the High School, where the teachers were holding a meeting, and burst into the Teacher's lounge.

"What do you think you're doing?" The Principal, Mr. Kaplan asked as he stood up, just in time for Scorpina to punch him back into his chair, causing his toupee to fly off.

"I'd advise everyone to stay where they are," Scorpina said as she drew her sword. "Now let's just sit back and wait for the Power Rangers."

*

The Command Center

The Red Candle had been lit and was slowly burning as red energy rose from it. Just then, the alarms started going off as Alpha turned on the viewing screen.

"Ay yi yi! Goldar and Scorpina have taken over the Youth Center and High School!" The robot shouted.

"But where's Jason?" Adam asked as the alarms went off again, revealing him to be in the park, terrorizing the people.

"That answers that question," Kim answered. "They're in three places, and there's only three of us."

"Four," Trini added.

"Five," Christian followed.

"Six," Jeremy said as he stepped forward.

"I'll take Scorpina," Aisha volunteered. "I'll take Trini to cover me."

"I'll take Christian to the Youth Center to help get the people out," Adam replied.

"I'll handle Jason," Kim said. "Jeremy, you stay here with Alpha and guard that candle."

"But Kim, I can't let you fight Jason alone," Jeremy told her. "No, I won't let you fight him alone."

"It's alright," Kim told the boy. "I just have to stall him long enough for the candle to drain his powers enough to break the spell. But if he figures out what we're up to, he'll come here. If he does that, I want you and Alpha to take the candle and run. No matter what, you've got to stay away from him."

"O- Okay," Jeremy stuttered as the three Rangers reached for their morphers.

"Alright, let's bring Jason home," Kim told the group. "It's Morphin' Time!"

MASTODON!

PTERADACTYL!

SABER-TOOTHED TIGER!

*

The Black Ranger arrived in the Youth Center, just across the room from Goldar.

"Hello, Black Ranger," Goldar said as the people were crowded around the bar. "Where are your little friends?"

"They'll be here shortly," Adam said as he pulled out his power ax. "In the meantime, why don't we take this outside?"

"It's more fun with an audience!" Goldar replied as he swung his sword, which was blocked by Adam's ax.

Meanwhile, Christian had snuck in through the back entrance and motioned for Ernie and everyone in the bar to follow him out while Goldar was distracted.

*

Aisha and Trini ran into the High School's main corridor and were immediately met by a group of Putties, with Scorpina waiting by the stairwell.

"I'll take care of these clay brains," Trini said as she rushed off to fight. "You get Scorpina!"

Trini grabbed two Putties and swung them into each other as Aisha backflipped down the hallway as the Putties lunged at her, colliding with each other in an attempt to get her.

*

The Red Ranger was in the park, as the Putties were terrorizing the people. Little Connor McKnight came up to Jason with tears in his eyes.

"Why are you doing this?" Connor asked. "You're supposed to be a hero."

"Don't worry, little boy, this is all just an act to draw the real bad guys out so I can kick their butt," Jason told the kid, who started to smile. "Now turn around and go home so you don't get hurt."

Connor turned around to run, not seeing Jason was raising his sword to strike, as an energy arrow hit his sword, knocking it from his hands as the boy ran home, unaware of what just happened.

"Power down, before it's too late," Kim said as she held her bow, ready to fire. "We can still help you if you let us."

"I don't need your help," Jason said as he picked up his sword and walked toward her. "You're three Rangers down. Tommy's in the hospital. Rocky's a basket case. Billy's dead. You have no Zords, no Zordon, and if Goldar and Scorpina do their jobs, no Adam and Aisha. I'd say you were the one who needed help."

Kim was about to fire as Jason rushed forward and knocked the bow from her hands, spun her around, and held her.

"So, how did you like that kiss?" Jason asked. "You know, Zedd could 'free' your mind, too. We could be together and you could be rid of that loser Tommy."

"That 'loser' is my boyfriend," Kim said as she elbowed him, causing him to back up. She did a flip and kicked him in the helmet. "And Goldar and Scorpina couldn't beat the Rangers on their best day."

Kim punched and kicked at Jason, with him blocking her every move, but he finally got a hit in and knocked her away.

"You think you have what it takes to beat me?" Jason asked as he held his sword, ready to strike. "Let's see how good you really are."

*

Meanwhile, the Red Candle continued to burn, as red energy seemed to flow from it. Jeremy stood and watched it get lower and lower.

"Is this really going to make Jason good again?" Jeremy asked.

"Yes," Alpha replied. "But Jason's will is strong, so it might take a while for it to take effect."

"I hope it works," Jeremy said as his eyes remained focused on the candle. "I want my cousin back. Jason's the only guy who's ever really believed in me. If it weren't for him, I might still be in that place."
*

"I guess this it," Jeremy said as he hugged Wes goodbye. "I'll be back to visit you, I promise."

"I don't know if I can make it without you," Wes said as he looked down at the ground. "You were the only one that understood me."

"You're going to get out of here someday," Jeremy told him. "And when you do, I want you to come stay with me, alright? We've gotta stick together."

The orderlies came to take Wes back to his room as Jeremy waved goodbye.

"Friends forever?" Wes asked.

"Friends forever," Jeremy told him as Jason came up to claim his cousin. Jeremy turned around, hoping to see his parents behind Jason, but there was only him.

*

Our Lady of the Tramp Hospital

Richie knocked on Tommy's door and came in with a 'Get Well Soon' card.

"You up for a visitor?" Richie asked as Tommy motioned for him to come in. "I heard what happened when you saved Justin. Sorry about the leg."
"It'll heal," Tommy said as Richie took a seat. "So, how are things with Trini?"

"Well, we're-" Richie started to say as a Putty dragged Richie out of his chair and punched him, knocking on to the bed, landing on Tommy's broken leg.

"Looks like Zedd's come to finish the job," Tommy said as he looked around for something to fight with. Richie felt his jaw as he stood up, as Lord Zedd entered the room via portal.
"Hello, Tommy," Zedd said as he held his staff. "I'd say 'get well soon', but that'd be redundant considering what I'm about to do to you."

"You're Lord Zedd," Richie said as he walked toward Zedd. "You're the guy that the Power Rangers are always fighting. But if you're here, then wouldn't that make Tommy-"
Zedd clapped his hands. "Congratulations, you finally figured it out. That makes you smarter than 99% of Angel Grove."

"Whatever," Richie said as he looked around for something to fight with. "You're not hurting Tommy. Well, any more than he already is."

"And who's going to stop me?" Zedd asked as he pointed his staff at the boy. "You? You don't even have any powers to fight me with."

Richie grabbed the IV stand and prepared to use it as a weapon. "This'll do."

*

Elsewhere, Bulk & Skull were looking at a fully restored green van.

"See that?" Bulk asked as he put down the picture of the van as they saw what they actually had to work with: The same dilapidated van they'd been working with all day. "That's what the van should look like after we're done!"

Bulk & Skull were soon busy fixing up their new chick magnet in Bulk's driveway. Bulk was under the car, trying to fix the oil, before it squirted all over him, while Skull was getting the new tires.

As Bulk was soon trying to get the brakes in, Skull was chasing the four tires up and down the street, like trying to catch a dog off its leash. Bulk hit the new horn, which sounded like 'Go, Go, Power Rangers' as Skull tried to get the tires on, but all four fell off at once.

Several hours and several pratfalls later, the two had fully restored the van, although the bumper fell off when Bulk kissed it.

*

Christian had gotten everyone out of the Youth Center as Goldar and Adam continued to fight, and Adam was on the losing end. Goldar had him over the bar, with Adam's ax being the only thing keeping Goldar's sword from cutting his head off.

"Don't resist, Adam," Goldar said as he pushed harder. "Let Goldar send you to your friend Billy."

Christian rushed back in, picked up a stool, and smashed it over Goldar's head. He looked up, loosening his grip on Adam enough for the Black Ranger to punch Goldar backward, and swing his ax, hitting Goldar in the chest, knocking the monster to the ground.

"Alright, Goldar," Adam said as he turned his ax into cannon mode. "You can either go back to Zedd in one piece," Adam cocked his cannon. "or twenty. The decision's yours."

"This isn't over!" Goldar said as he disappeared as Adam's communicator beeped.

"Adam, Zedd's at the hospital, and Tommy's defenseless!" Alpha shouted.

"I'm on it," Adam said as he looked over at Christian. "Go back to the Command Center and back up Jeremy-"

Adam was knocked to the ground by a stray blast from Rita's magic wand, as she started laughing. Before Christian could react, she fired at him, sending him to the ground.

"If you want a job done right, you've got to do it yourself!" Rita said with a laugh as she hit Adam over the head with her wand to knock him out.

*

Aisha jumped up and did a spin kick to hit Scorpina, knocking her onto the stairs as she pulled out her blade. Trini had finished off the last of the Putties and led the teachers out of the school, before heading back to make sure Aisha was alright.

"I wanted the Pink Ranger!" Scorpina shouted as she slashed at Aisha, knocking her back down the stairs. "You're no fun."

"The teachers are alright," Trini said as she looked at the charging Scorpina.

"Then let's get Scorpina out of here before she causes any real damage," Aisha said as she pulled out her daggers and rushed forward to meet the villainess as Squatt's arm wrapped around Trini, putting a cloth over her mouth and nose, knocking her out with the smell of chloroform.

Aisha did an overhead kick at Scorpina's head, who ducked and lowered her sword, but Aisha blocked and kicked, sending Scorpina to the ground, where Aisha stepped on her chest.

"It's over," Aisha said as Squatt and Baboo grabbed her, just in time for Finster to arrive through a portal and blast her with a laser, knocking her out next to Trini.

"My, that was fun," Finster said as Scorpina stood up. "One Ranger and one ally down."

"We're four for four!" Goldar said as he dropped Adam and Christian down next to their friends. "What are we waiting for, my queen!"

"For Zedd and Jason to bring us their captures!" Rita shouted as she looked down at the fallen Rangers. "Then we're going to destroy these power punks and create an entire army of evil Rangers!"
*

Zedd brought his staff down and divided the IV unit in two as Richie found he now had two weapons to fight with. The boy struck at Zedd with both ends, but Zedd blocked him at every turn, then swung again and knocked Richie back against the wall.

"Pathetic," Zedd said as he fired at Richie, who didn't get out of the way in time as the blast struck him in the chest, sending him to the ground. "And now, for you-"

Zedd turned his attention toward Tommy, who tossed his bedpan at Zedd, hitting him in the head.

"Now that was uncalled for," Zedd said.

"Well, I had to try," Tommy told him as Zedd fired his staff.

*

The Red Candle was halfway gone as Jason continued to attack Kimberly, sending her rolling across the grass.

"This is getting boring," Jason said as he rushed forward and kicked her forward. "And you're way too fine to just kill like I would with any of those other dorks."

Jason then felt pain all over his body as he dropped to his knees. "What was that?"

"It's about time," Kim said as she stood up and used her bow staff to hit Jason in the head and knock him onto his back. "Just have to stall you for a few more minutes."

"You...," Jason said as he tried to stand up. "What did you do to me?"

*

"The Red Candle," Zedd said as he watched the battle from the High School auditorium. "That brat Christian must have stolen it when he escaped. Goldar, Scorpina, take care of the Pink Ranger!"

Tommy, Adam, Aisha, Richie, Christian, and Trini were trapped in a force field not too far away as Zedd approached them.

"Soon, Kimberly will join you," Zedd said as he looked in on them. Tommy's leg was in pain, as Zedd was anything but careful in taking him from the hospital. "Soon, Rangers, Endgame will begin."

"I hope that candle works," Aisha said as she looked for a way out of their trap. "Jason and Kim are our only hope."

*

Kim had Jason on the ropes and was about to capture him when Goldar and Scorpina stepped in and punched at the same time, knocking her backward.

"Go, destroy the Red Candle!" Goldar commanded as Jason stood up. "Kill anyone who stands in your way!"

"Don't kill her, I want her alive," Jason said as he disappeared in a red mist. "I'll be back, babe."

"Babe?" Kim asked as she went to fight both monsters.

*

"I'm not getting any response from any of the other Rangers," Alpha said as the alarm went off. "Oh, no, Jason's on his way here-"

Jason's hand unplugged Alpha's main circuit, turning the robot off as Alpha's body went limp.

"Jason's already here," Jason said as he looked around for the candle, and finally spotted it. But before he could get anywhere near it, a kick to his chest sent Jason flying back into the console.

Jason just laughed. "You're the last one left, brat. You do realize that I am going to kill you, right?"

"... Yeah, I know,” Jeremy replied. "But I know my cousin's in there somewhere. I know Jason, the real Jason, would never hurt me."

"Well, let's put that theory to the test, shall we?" Jason asked as Jeremy saw his cousin's fist fly forward.

*

Kimberly hit the ground rolling, as Goldar and Scorpina continued to attack. She couldn't keep fighting too much longer and hoped the spell over Jason would soon be broken.

"It's time you joined your allies in captivity," Goldar said as he joined swords with Scorpina and fired, teleporting Kimberly to the prison that held her friends.

A demorphed Kim stood up and saw everyone else had been captured.

"We'll get out of this," Adam said as he felt his way around. "Jason's at the Command Center, but we told Jeremy to run with the candle if Jason showed up."

"And if he didn't?" Tommy asked as he continued to lay on the ground, trying to ignore the pain in his leg. "What if Jason kills him?"

"We'll know shortly," Christian said as he watched Zedd and Rita on the outside, plotting with their minions.

"I say we destroy the Rangers now," Rita said as she looked at their prisoners. "If Jason succeeds and stops the candle, we can always get better. more evil replacements to hold the other coins."

"Perhaps you're right," Zedd said as he thought about it. "They are way too pure and noble to turn evil without having to worry about them turning back. Destroy them all!"

"As you wish, Master," Goldar said as he led Scorpina and a horde of Putties toward the force field. "Leave no one alive!"

The force field lowered as the three Rangers and their friends formed a circle around Tommy.

"Remember," Richie said. "No one gets insi-"

A punch knocked Richie back as the Rangers rushed into battle. Kim, Aisha, and Adam ran forward to lead the charge, unmorphed, as Trini, Christian, and Richie handled the onslaught of Putties.

"You won't leave this gymnasium alive, Rangers," Zedd said as he and Rita opened fire on them with his staff and her wand. The teens tried to avoid the blasts as they battled Goldar and Scorpina, while Squatt and Baboo were cheering on their masters in the background.

Richie saw a rack of dodgeballs and pushed it toward Trini and Christian, while Zedd was trying to hit Kim, Aisha, and Adam.

"Hey, Zedd!" Richie shouted as he held a dodgeball in his hands. "It's dodgeball time, bitch!"

Richie, Christian, and Trini started hurling dodgeballs at Zedd and Rita as Kim, Adam, and Aisha knocked Goldar and Scorpina back toward their masters.

"It's over," Aisha said as the six teens closed in.

"It's far from over," Zedd said as his evil family began to disappear. "The last time I checked, you had no zords!"

"I don't like the sound of that," Kim said as she looked at the others. "Trini, Christian, Richie, can you get Tommy back to the hospital?"

"We'll meet you back at the Command Center," Trini said as they went to help Tommy up.

*

Jeremy's forehead, nose, and lips were bleeding as he continued to try to keep Jason away from the candle. The candle was getting lower and lower, and Jason's power continued to weaken.

"Why don't you just fall already?" Jason asked as he kicked Jeremy, grabbed him by the back of the shirt, and flung him into the console. "You have nothing to fight for. Your parents hate you, you have no friends, and I'm about to totally mess up that pretty little face of yours permanently."

"You're wrong," Jeremy said as he stood up. "I have something to fight for. I have a friend. I have a friend who's waiting for me."

Jason grabbed Jeremy around the throat and forced him onto the control panel, but the candle had gotten so low that he had been forced to demorph. Jason's grip tightened as Jeremy started to gasp for air.

"You wanted to die, Jeremy," Jason said as he squeezed the life from his cousin. "Well, here's your chance. You should be thanking me. I'm giving you the one thing you've always wanted."

Jeremy was about to give up when he realized what Jason had just said to him. It was then that Jeremy's knee raised into Jason's groin, creating a sickening crunch that echoed through the Command Center.

"What I want?" Jeremy cried as he choked for air. "I didn't know what I wanted until just now.

Jason, still feeling the pain of that last blow, stood up as Jeremy punched him.

"I wanted to be like you," Jeremy said as he landed another punch. "I wanted to be like my cousin, Jason Scott, the world's greatest Power Ranger, but I know I can do better."

Jason went to hit back, but Jeremy blocked and kicked Jason in the chest.

"If you're truly evil, if you're not going to stand up for what's right," Jeremy said as he did a spin kick and knocked Jason backward. "If you're not going to be the good guy and defend people-"

Jeremy jumped and kicked Jason, knocking him onto his back.

"Then, dammit, I will."

Jason started to sit up as the Red Candle grew closer to the end, as the evil red look in Jason's eyes disappeared, and Jeremy finally saw his real cousin staring back at him.

"What did I do?" Jason weakly asked as Kimberly, Adam, and Aisha returned to the Command Center just in time.

"Is it really you, Jason?" Kim asked as she looked into his eyes. "The Candle! Jason, put your coin on the candle!'

Jason pulled out the coin and shoved it into Jeremy's hand. "Hurry."

Jeremy rushed over and put the coin on the candle as Adam, Aisha, and Kim pulled out their power coins.

MASTODON!

PTERADACTYL!

SABER-TOOTHED TIGER!

The energy of the three coins shot forward and re-energized both the coin and candle, restoring the Red Ranger's powers to normal.

"Jason, are you alright?" Kim asked.

"Just weak," Jason said as Aisha and Adam tried to help him stand. "Guys, I'm sorry. I said and did a lot of things that I can't take back."

"You were under a spell," Kim told him. "That wasn't you that did those things."

"Yes, it was ,"Jason replied as he leaned back against the wall. "Evil spell or not, it was me who was doing it."

Jeremy came up and put Jason's power coin in his hand.

"This is yours," Jeremy said as the alarms went off.

"Goldar and Scorpina are about to stomp Angel Grove," Kim said as she looked at the viewing screen. "And we don't have our zords."

Jason put the coin back into Jeremy's hand as a surge of red energy flowed up Jeremy's arm.

"It's up to you," Jason told his young cousin.

"But I can't," Jeremy started to say.

"I'm too weak to fight," Jason told him as he looked into Jeremy's eyes. "And I can't really walk since you gave me a shot in the pills."

"Yeah, sorry about that," Jeremy told him. "If I could have found another way-"

"You can do this, I know you can. Piloting a zord will be like second nature once you're morphed," Jason said.

Jeremy looked over to Kim, Adam, and Aisha, who nodded in agreement.

"It's Morphin' Time!" Jeremy shouted.

TYRANNOSAURUS!

Jeremy's clothes instantly morphed into armor, his white sneakers becoming white boots, white gloves appearing on his hands, as a red dinosaur-shaped helmet formed around his head, with a golden chest plate with a Tyrannosaurus symbol appeared on his chest.

"Go get 'em, kid," Jason said.

*

"Tyranosaurus Red Dragon Thunderzord Power!"

A 50 foot Goldar and Scorpina were headed toward Angel Grove when the Red Dragon Thunderzord, in its Warrior mode, landed in front of them.

"The Red Candle has freed you from Lord Zedd's spell," Goldar said as he pulled out his sword. "But it won't save you from your destruction."

"Wrong Red Ranger, dipstick," Jeremy said as the Red Dragon pulled out its bo staff as the two monsters charged forward. The Red Dragon blocked both monster's swords as they came flying down, then pushed up to knock their swords back, and used the staff to ram Goldar in the stomach.

Scorpina's tail wrapped around the Red Dragon and shocked it until it fell to the ground, smoking from the attack.

"Jeremy, get up!" Jason told him. "You can beat them!"

"Systems are damaged," Jeremy told him. "I don't know if I can take them."

"You CAN!" Jason said. "I believe in you, now kick their butts!"

The Red Dragon looked up as the two monsters rushed forward. It stood up and twirled its bo staff and swung, knocking both Goldar and Scorpina to the ground. It stuck the staff into the ground and swung around on it, knocking the two monsters back down as they stood up.

"Time for the finishing move," Jeremy said as the Red Dragon twirled its bo staff at a supersonic speed, building up energy, and fired the energy blast at the monsters.

"We'll be back, Red Ranger!" Goldar shouted as he disappeared with Scorpina before the attack could finish them, as the Red Dragon put down its staff.

"I did it," Jeremy said as he laughed. "I did it!"

*

Lord Zedd's Palace

"Incompetent fools!" Zedd shouted. "You let a child beat you! And to make things worse, the Rangers have regained their Red Ranger! Can you do nothing right!"
"Oh, be quiet," Rita told him. "You're giving me a headache!"

"This isn't over," Zedd told them. "Finster, fetch the scrolls. It's time we really started playing dirty."

Zedd walked over to a giant glass tube, which contained a giant blue floating head.

"Your Rangers haven't won yet," Zedd told Zordon. "I still have a few tricks left."

"When the prophesied 7 finally join forces, you will be defeated," Zordon informed him.

"Who are the prophesied 7?" Zedd demanded as Zordon remained silent. "It doesn't matter, I will destroy anyone who opposes me like I did with Billy."

*

Tommy had been returned to the hospital and Christian, Richie, and Trini were keeping him company.

"It's just so... weird," Richie said as the group sat around Tommy's bed. "I had no idea who you guys were."

"I know we can trust you guys to keep our secret," Tommy said. "I guess this makes you guys honorary Power Rangers."

Master Hup appeared in the doorway as everyone bowed in respect.

"Tommy, it is time to fulfill your destiny," Master Hup said as the four teens looked confused.

*

Jeremy returned to the Command Center, where Kim, Adam, Aisha, and Jason were waiting, just as Kim had turned Alpha back on.

"Ay yi yi," Alpha said as he moved around nervously. "What happened? Is everyone alright?"

"We're fine, Alpha," Jason told the robot. "And I'm not evil anymore."

"Did you see me?" Jeremy excitedly asked as he held his helmet in his hands "I actually did it!"

Jeremy demorphed and held the coin in his open hand, reaching it out to Jason.

"I guess you want this back," Jeremy told him.

"No, I don't," Jason said as he closed Jeremy's hand. "The power is yours, now. Use it wisely."

"But you're the Red Ranger," Jeremy told him. "You're the guy everyone looks up to."

"I need to make up for all the trouble I caused," Jason told him. "I'm not ready to be a Ranger again. But I'll here to help you along, and show you how to use your powers."

"Congratulations, Jeremy," Kim said as she put her hand on his shoulder and kissed him on the cheek. "You deserve it."

Jeremy fainted as soon as she planted her lips on his face as everyone laughed. Seconds later, Justin arrived, looking sad.

"Justin, are you alright?" Aisha asked.

"Th- This is the last time I can ever see you guys," Justin said as he pulled Jason's necklace out of his pocket. "Here's your necklace."

Jason took the necklace and put it around the boy's neck. "Keep it. It'll bring you luck."

"How'd you get past your parents?" Kim asked.

"They went out of town," Justin replied. "Left me with a sitter. I think they went to see Rocky. They didn't even tell me they were leaving until they were going out the door. I guess Rocky doesn't want to see me."

"That's not true," Adam told him. "Rocky loves you."

"Then why did he leave me without saying goodbye?" Justin asked. "Why hasn't he called? It's like he's forgotten all about his family here."

Justin took off his communicator and handed it to Alpha. "Can you teleport me home?"

Everyone waved goodbye as Justin was sent back to his empty house. He lied when he said he had a sitter to go home to. His parents had called for one before they left, but she never showed up. So it was just Justin alone in the big, empty house.

"Now we just need to get Tommy healed, and get the blue power coin," Kim said as she looked around. "Jason, did Zedd say anything about the other coin?"

"He doesn't have it," Jason told the group. "I heard him talking about it, and he thinks you guys are waiting to use it."

"But if Zedd doesn't have it," Aisha said. "And we don't have it, and it's not in the Command Center, then who does have it?"

*

A long way away

"Thanks for coming," Joe Haley said as he hugged his sister, Carly. "I know you guys trusted me with Rocky, but-"

"Is he hurt?" Doug asked, hoping his step-son wasn't in any danger.

"No," Joe replied. "He's actually the best damned Ranch hand I've ever had. He does his chores, he doesn't complain, he gets along with everyone, but..."

"But what?" Carly asked. "What's wrong with my baby?"

"When he arrived, he seemed fine," Joe told them. "But after a few days, he started acting weird from the repeated nightmares he kept having, so I brought him to my psychiatrist friend. Here she comes now."

A woman with long black hair walked up to them with a clipboard in her hand. "Hello, I'm Dr. Katharine Manx."

"What's wrong with Rocky?" Doug asked.

"It's serious," Dr. Manx told them. "I've seen cases like this before, but nothing as severe as this. Follow me."

They approached a room, where Rocky was playing Candyland with a smaller girl and boy.

"Hello, Rocky," Dr. Manx said as she entered. "Look who's here to see you."

"Mommy!" Rocky said as he hugged his mom. "I missed you."

"I missed you, too, baby," Carly said as she held onto him.

"Rocky, how do you like living on the Ranch?" Dr. Manx asked as she held her clipboard out, preparing to write on it.

"It's great," Rocky told them. "If I do all my chores and keep my room clean, Uncle Joe lets me ride the horses on the weekend."

"Rocky, do you miss your family in Angel Grove?" Dr. Manx asked.

"Yeah, I miss my mom and dad. But we live in Stone Canyon, not Angel Grove, I told you that the last time," Rocky said as he looked around to see Carly, Doug, Joe, and Dr. Manx in the room. "Is daddy here? Where is he?"

"Rocky... how old are you?" Dr. Manx asked as what seemed like a long pause filled the air since she already knew the answer.

"10," Rocky said as Carly and Doug got a look of shock on their faces as Rocky just smiled.

Chapter Text

"Are you sure about this?" Carly DeSantos asked as she looked into the room. Her son Rocky was in a session with the world-famous therapist, Dr. Zigmund Fraud.

"Dr. Fraud is a trusted associate," Dr. Manx assured her. "He's going to try to use hypnotism to learn why Rocky has regressed."

"I just want him back to the way he was," Carly said as her husband Doug held her. "Why is this happening?"

“The best guess is that Rocky regressed to just before his father walked out,” Dr. Manx said. “Just before he started doing martial arts and building his confidence.”

Doug held on to his new wife. "I realize that I barely know Rocky, but I've seen enough to know that he's a strong kid. He's going to pull through this, and soon we'll all go home to Justin, as a family."”
"Did you call home to see how he's doing?" Carly asked.

"I keep getting the answering machine, but I'm sure he's fine," Doug assured her. "Justin's a smart kid, he knows how to get by."
*

Justin was sitting at the kitchen table, eating a bowl of Fruit Loops, eating all the colors one at a time, until only the green pieces were left. It'd been three days since his parents left for New Mexico to see Rocky. They thought they'd left Justin with a babysitter, but the sitter canceled at the very last minute.

So for the past 72 hours, Justin has been in total solitude, his thoughts always wandering back to why his big brother, the person he looked up to, hated him so much that he'd leave without even saying goodbye.
*

"Thank you, Darlene," Dr. Fraud said as his new secretary, who just started this morning, brought him his cup of coffee.

Dr. Fraud took a long drink of the coffee and set it next to him as he started to swing a coin on a string in front of Rocky.

"Now Rocky," Dr. Fraud said as the coin swung through the air. "I want you to focus on the coin. Let your mind clear as your eyes get heavy. I want you to-"

Rocky instantly fell asleep as Dr. Fraud looked shocked. "Wow, it never happens this quickly. Rocky, we're going to go deep into your subconscious. When I count to three, we're going to go back into your past, and find out what the cause of your regression is."

It was then that the good Doctor felt strange and looked at the cup of coffee.
"Darlene, what was in this coffee?" Dr. Fraud asked.

"Heavy on the milk & cream," Darlene replied.

"Huh, that's funny, I'm deadly allergic to dairy products," Dr. Fraud replied as he fell over while Rocky continued to drift deeper into his subconscious.

'Darlene' ran outside the room and laughed as she morphed into Scorpina, and faded away.
*

Lord Zedd's Moon Palace

"Excellent work, Scorpina," Zedd said as he watched Rocky. "I couldn't have planned this better. Rocky is in a hypnotic state so deep that he'll never wake up! By the time they find a doctor that can reverse Fraud's hypnosis, it will be far too late."

"So, now what?" Rita asked. "Do we kick him while he's down?"

"No, my vengeance on Rocky is complete," Zedd said as he walked away. "He'll live the rest of his life as a mere vegetable. There's no greater justice."
*

"I have to know what's going on," Carly said as Doug held her back.

"We have to wait until the Dr. tells us it's alright," Doug told her. "Hypnosis is very touchy. If we walked in at the wrong moment, we could cause some serious damage. Why, I heard that if someone stays under hypnosis too long, they'll go into a coma so deep that they might never wake up."

"Let's hope that doesn't happen to Rocky," Carly hoped as they continued to wait in the lounge, hoping Rocky would walk out soon, back to the way he was. Back to the son she thought she knew.
*
Rocky woke up in his bed in Angel Grove and rubbed his eyes.

"I feel like I've been asleep for weeks," Rocky said to himself as he sat up and saw someone sitting in a chair next to him. A teenager wearing blue overalls, sneakers, and glasses, and looked exactly like-_

"Billy?" Rocky asked in shock.

"Hello, Rocky," Billy Cranston said as he smiled.

*

Jeremy knocked on the door of the Stewart home and waited. After a few minutes, he realized that no one was coming and noticed the open window.

The house was dark and eerily quiet. It scared Jeremy as he walked through the living room because he knew the feeling of an empty house. He found what he was looking for as he walked into the kitchen.

"Justin," Jeremy said as he saw the boy sitting at the table, unmoving. "I knew you were here alone. My aunt knows the girl who canceled on you."

"Get out," Justin quietly said as he continued to sit there. "No one wants to be around me. Not my parents. Not Rocky. Not even a stupid babysitter."

Jeremy said nothing as he sat down at the table and took Justin's hand as the two sat in silence, seconds before Justin broke down and started crying.
*

Dr. Fraud had been carried out on a stretcher as Carly and Doug tried to wake Rocky up. Luckily the doctor was given an injection in time to save his life, but it would be a while before he would be released from the hospital.

"Rocky, baby, wake up," Carly said as she shook him. "Please."

"Only Dr. Fraud can wake him up," Dr. Manx told them. "He was the one who put Rocky under. Only his voice can bring him out of it unless we knew exactly what he said when he put Rocky under."

"And he's on his way to the hospital," Doug said. "And that secretary's disappeared. What do we do about Rocky?"

"Take him home," Dr. Manx told the two. "I'll contact the ranch the minute we know something."
Carly looked over at Rocky, who was slumped in the chair, with his mind who knows where...
*

"You're alive?" Rocky asked in disbelief. "How? We all thought you were dead."

"I am dead, Rocky," Billy said as Rocky stood up. "...It's complicated. But I'm here to help you get home."

"What do you mean?" Rocky asked as he stood up. "I am... Wait, how did I get home?"

"This is just a dreamscape," Billy told him as they looked out the window, where it was a sunny day outside in Angel Grove. "This is your own personal world, in your own mind. Your mind regressed to 10 years old almost a month ago, Rocky. That's why you feel like you've been asleep for so long."

"10?" Rocky asked in disbelief. "Zordon said my mind wouldn't get any worse."

"He meant Zedd's spell wouldn't get worse," Billy replied. "What's happened since the night you lost your powers was all you. Come on, we've got to start where your problem began. The reason your mind went back to 10."

"No," Rocky told him as he backed up. "I won't go back to that. I can't."

"It's the only way," Billy replied as he grabbed Rocky's arm. "You've got to face your demons. And the only way to do that is to go through the door."

Rocky's bedroom door opened, with a bright light flowing into the room. Rocky took a deep breath and followed Billy through the door, which soon closed after they walked through.

"Hey, that's me," Rocky said as he saw his 8-year-old self playing with a golden retriever. "And my dog, Buster. He was my best friend."

"He was the only one you could talk to about your problems," Billy said as he watched the boy play. "What happened when you lost him?"

"I didn't lose him," Rocky said. "Mom sold him to a Romanian Circus Troop while I was at school. Good thing, too, because a tree fell over in our yard that day. I was glad Buster wasn't there, or else he might have been hurt."

Billy took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose as they walked through another door.

10-year-old Rocky made sure his mom was sound asleep as he heard the truck pulling up in the driveway. He headed downstairs and waited on the stairwell. He hoped his father would be in a good mood tonight, and waited in suspense as he heard his father walk through the door.

"Where's your mother?" Curtis DeSantos said as he came through the door.

"She's... she's asleep," Rocky said as his father brushed past him.

Rocky had taken extra care to make sure his mother had unknowingly taken the sleeping pills, so she wouldn't have to hear him scream. He knew only one of them could be protected, so he chose her. The boy ran over and grabbed a vase and threw it to the floor, catching his father's attention.

"You just never learn," Curtis said as he reached for his belt. Rocky closed his eyes and waited for it to end. Rocky and Billy watched from the doorway as young Rocky was beaten until he couldn't get back up. After that, Curtis just headed upstairs, too tired to bother with his wife, just like Rocky had planned it.

"You took the beatings for your mom for three months," Billy said as he saw the tears in Rocky's eyes. "Once you knew how to play his game."

"I couldn't watch him do that to her anymore," Rocky said in a quiet voice. "I'd started taking martial arts a few months before. That's how I learned that I could stand up for others, even if I couldn't fight back. No matter how much I wanted to, I could never hit my father like he hit me."

"Your dad left you a few months after," Billy reminded him. "Do you still miss him?"

"He was my dad," Rocky said as he saw his younger self get up and stumble to the bathroom to clean himself up. "I always thought that maybe if I was a better son, if I didn't work so hard to make him mad to stay away from mom... One day he'll come back. He'll come back and he'll be changed. And he'll be sorry for what he did to us."

"Is that why you don't like Doug?" Billy asked.

"If my dad comes back and finds out Mom got remarried, we'll never be a family," Rocky said.

Billy just shook his head in disappointment. "You're not getting the lesson here, your dad was a bad guy. He beat you and your mom for no other reason than to make himself feel better."

"He'll change," Rocky said as the two walked back into the light. "You'll see."
*

"They just left me all alone," Justin said as sat in the kitchen with Jeremy, as the two talked about their pasts. "They ditched me, just like Rocky."

"I'm sure if they knew the sitter was going to cancel, one of them would have stayed," Jeremy told him. "Why didn't you tell any of us?"

"I was afraid," Justin replied with sadness in his voice. "I thought you guys would leave me too. Everyone always leaves me. My Mom, Rocky, my Dad, and Carly..."

"I'm not leaving you," Jeremy said as he looked over at Justin. "I know what it's like to be abandoned and give up all hope. It doesn't feel good."

"You got abandoned, too?" Justin asked.

"Worse," Jeremy told him. "My parents spent ten years blaming me for their problems, then Mom left with my little brother. You're lucky, Justin. Your parents love you."

"Yours didn't?" Justin asked.

"M- my mom," Jeremy tried to resist stuttering, something he did when he got really upset. "Sh- she never wanted me. Told me they'd be b- better off if I was dead. Ever since I can remember."
Jeremy rolled up his sleeves and showed Justin his scarred wrists.

"Then about a year and a half ago, I- I heard my dad arguing with her when she came to town for money, and that subject came up," Jeremy continued. "I thought my dad loved me... but he agreed with her. He said things would have been better if I'd never existed. He said he never wanted me either. So I tried to take myself out of the equation. If the neighbor's hadn't found me, I wouldn't be sitting here today. My parents were so shocked and embarrassed, so they dumped me in an asylum... and that was the last time I saw them."

"How could a parent hate their kid so much?" Justin asked as he looked at Jeremy. "I'm sorry about what they did to you."

"I did it to myself," Jeremy said as leaned forward. "They didn't force me to pick up that razor blade. They just put the suggestion in. That's why I'm here, to make sure you don't go down the path that I did."

"What makes you think I'd do what you did?" Justin asked.

"Because," Jeremy said as he looked at the boy. "All it takes is an empty house and the feeling that no one loves you."
*

"Where are we now?" Rocky asked as he followed Billy into the Stone Canyon Youth Center. "Hey, I remember this place."

12-year-old Rocky was practicing his kata when young Adam and Aisha entered the scene and were immediately met by a big-boned child and his equally skinny friend.

"What do we have here?" Skulk, the fatter one said as his partner, the skinnier Bull, just laughed. "It looks like we have two kids who haven't given me their lunch money."

"Hey, leave them alone," Rocky said as he came up to them.

"What are you going to do?" Skulk asked as Rocky did a double spin kick, barely avoiding the bully's face, scaring both of them off.

"Are you two alright?" Rocky asked.

"Yeah," Adam replied. "I'm Adam, and this is Aisha."

"Hi," Aisha said as three became fast friends, and were soon headed to the bar to get a juice from the bar's proprietor, a skinny man named Bernie.

"I was going to give up martial arts," Rocky said to Billy as he watched the three kids. "When my dad walked out, I didn't have a reason to continue. But Adam and Aisha convinced me to keep at it. If it weren't for them..."

"You'd have lost all your self-confidence before you ever really got it," Billy told him. "It was through your friends that you started to like yourself. You actually had a real purpose to keep going."

"Yeah," Rocky said as they headed for the door. "If it weren't for my mom and Adam and Aisha, I might have actually grown up to be completely different."

"You mean you'd be like your father," Billy told him. "And you might be right. But things happen for a reason, Rocky. Everyone has a destiny, even if we sometimes wander off the path."

"I'd like to believe that," Rocky said as they ended up in the Command Center, where Rocky, Adam, and Aisha were about to receive the Red, Black, and Yellow Ranger powers. "This is the day that I got my Ranger powers. I was actually happy that day. I thought being a Power Ranger was supposed to be my destiny."

"It is," Billy told him. "Things just got... sidetracked."

"You mean by me losing the Red Ranger coin?" Rocky asked.

"Not exactly," Billy replied. "You see, you were never supposed to get that coin at all."
*

"It was supposed to be my birthday in a few days," Justin said as he walked down the street with Jeremy. "I'm going to be 12, but I guess it doesn't matter since no one's here to celebrate."

"You only turn 12 once," Jeremy told him. "My dad always tried to celebrate my birthday with me. Never got any presents or a cake, though. I guess he thought just spending time with me was enough."

"Not even a birthday card?" Justin asked as they passed a store window, where Jeremy stopped and look in awe at what was inside. Justin looked into the window and saw Jeremy was staring at an electric guitar. "You know how to play?"

"A little," Jeremy said as he saw the price tag, which was way out of his five-dollar price range. "My neighbor taught me a few chords when I was 8. Said I was a natural, just needed practice."

"I want to be a Nascar driver," Justin told him as they continued walking. "I love racing. I remember when I was a baby I would cry because my stroller wouldn't go fast enough."

Jeremy laughed as they neared the park. "Ever thought about being... you know?"

"Never," Justin immediately replied. "That's the last thing I want to be. I saw what it did to Rocky. Being a Power Ranger is something that I never want to be."
*

"What do you mean I was never supposed to be a Ranger?" Rocky asked as he found himself in Lord Zedd's palace with Billy.

"I never said that," Billy told him as they watched Rocky be disconnected from his power coin. "I just said you were never supposed to get the RED power coin. Sometimes fate takes a detour."

Rocky walked over to his past self, being hung by chains.

"Being helpless, defenseless against what Zedd did to me," Rocky said as he touched his past self's cheek, and felt the coldness. "It... reminded me of how helpless I was against my dad. I've had nightmares about it ever since."

"And it finally got so bad that your 10-year-old self, the one that actually experienced the beatings, took over," Billy concluded. "He's the one who's been living your life for the past month."

"And I was looking forward to riding the horses on Uncle Joe's ranch," Rocky sadly said as they walked back through the door and found themselves in the Command Center, days later, where Rocky was berating himself in front of the mirror in the medbay. He was shirtless, tending to the scrapes that he'd gotten from being buried in rubble when Lord Zedd invaded the Command Center.

"The last shred of dignity was gone for you," Billy said as he watched the past Rocky break down after screaming at his reflection. "That's when the regression started to happen. When you started to give up."

"I had nothing left," Rocky told him. "Except for Justin, and my mom. But I knew I couldn't protect them. I knew that at some point they'd wind up dead... because of me. Just like you died because I was too weak."

"I died because I made a choice," Billy said as he looked at Rocky. "I made a sacrifice. No one forced me to jump in front of that beam. We all make sacrifices, Rocky. Me, you, everyone. One of these days you'll have to make one.”

"Hey, what's that?" Rocky asked he looked over at his shirt sitting on the chair. "Something fell into my hood from the ventilation shaft..."

Before he could investigate, he found himself in a snowy environment but felt no cold.

"Where are we?" Rocky asked. "I don't ever remember being here."

"That's because we've actually gone forward in time," Billy told him. "We know what made you give up the fight, and now we're going to see what happens as a result. Welcome to the Devil's Freezer, in Antarctica."

"Why are we here?" Rocky asked. "What's going to happen-"

It was then that Rocky saw a pair of legs under the snow. He rushed over and started digging, and found a small body buried under the snow. A small body without a head.

"Who is this?" Rocky asked as he recognized his old snow coat, which was currently buried in the garage, where it was to be given to—Justin?"
*

"So, what's your little brother like?" Justin asked as he skipped rocks with Jeremy across the lake.

"He's about your age, blond hair, kind of cocky," Jeremy said as he tossed a rock. "That kind of runs in the family. I promised him that I'd always watch out for him, but then mom took off and took him with her. He was the son that was actually planned. The one that they made time for."

"Do you know where he is now?" Justin asked as he continued to fling rocks across the water to beat Jeremy's record.

"Last I heard, Mom got remarried and moved to Charterville," Jeremy replied.

"Charterville?" Justin asked. "I lived there with my aunt for a few months until school was out so I could move here. I heard that place has an authentic haunted house."

"Well, I'm going there when I get enough money," Jeremy said as he looked over at Justin. "I'm going to get my little brother, then we're going to go to Texas and get my friend Wes. Then the three of us are going to be our own family, just three brothers looking out for each other."

"And what about the Rangers?" Justin asked.

"I'm just doing the Red Ranger thing until Jason's ready to come back," Jeremy told him. "I love being a Ranger, but I know Jason's going to want his coin back soon."
*

"What do you mean you don't want to be a Ranger anymore?" Tommy asked as Jason sat across from him. The two were sitting at Tommy's house, waiting for Adam and Aisha to arrive. Master Hup was coming by to give them a special announcement.

"I... can't," Jason said as he looked down at the coffee table. "I did some bad things as the Red Ranger. I hurt Jeremy. I made a promise and I broke it."

"That wasn't your fault," Tommy told him. "It was-"

"A spell," Jason interrupted. "That's what everyone says, but in the end, it doesn't matter. It was still me who did those things to you guys. And there's no amount of apologizing that's going to make it right."

"But the Rangers need a leader while I'm healing," Tommy told him. "Jeremy's a good kid, but-"

"He's a great kid," Jason assured him. "Jeremy's had a lot of bad breaks in his life. Being a Ranger is going to be the start of a better life for him, I know it is. But as for me, there's a lot I need to do to make up for what I did. And I know exactly where to start."
*

"Justin's going to die?" Rocky asked as he looked down at the headless body in front of him. "How? Why?"

"He got in Zedd's way one too many times," Billy told him. "His last thought was 'I wish Rocky was here to save me'. It was quick and painless if it helps."

"It doesn't," Rocky coldly told him as he kneeled next to the boy. "Where are the other Rangers? Where were they when this was happening?"

"Kim died here," Billy told him. "She's out there, somewhere. The others... Zedd hunted them down one by one until the Rangers were no more. Even took out their friends and families. Left no one standing."

"And what happens to me?" Rocky asked.

"Mental institution," Billy told him as they found themselves in the DeSantos kitchen, where Rocky's mom was sitting at the table, crying. "It literally broke her heart to put you in that place."

"Mom," Rocky said as he sat next to her. "Where's Doug?"

"Dead," Billy told him. "He died about a year after Justin. It wasn't just seeing his sons dead, it was seeing his wife in so much pain."

"Sons?" Rocky asked. "But you said I was-"

The two continued through the next door and found a war-ravaged world. Rocky looked around and recognized the Youth Center, which had been decimated.

"This is a few years from now," Billy said as they looked around. "After Zedd wiped out every Ranger that crossed him, he stripped the Earth of all its resources, and sold what humans that survived into slavery."

"How?" Rocky asked. "How did he beat the Rangers?"

"It all goes back to being short a Blue Ranger," Billy told him. "The Blue Ranger was supposed to change things back in the Devil's Freezer. Represent a changing of the tide."

"But the Blue Ranger's not going to be there," Rocky replied. "Because of me."

"The point is, things change," Billy said as the two were now standing in a bright white landscape. "You can choose to not give up and fight."

"But how?" Rocky asked. "I have no powers. Hell, I don't even have a mind or body anymore."

"You've still got your spirit," Billy told him. "As long as you have something to fight with, you've always got a chance."

"I just want to get out of here and make sure no one else dies because of me," Rocky said as he looked around.

"There's only way out," Billy told him as a kick to Rocky's stomach sent him flying back. "You've got to go through him.

Rocky looked up to see who kicked him. "Oh, hell no."

10-year-old Rocky took a fighting stance and got ready to attack again.

Young Rocky rushed forward and punched at his future self, who tried to block before the younger boy knocked him back to the ground. Rocky picked himself up off the ground and saw his younger self coming back for more.

"Wow, I was a wiry little bastard," Rocky said as he tried to find a way to stop the younger boy from attacking.

"Beating him is the only way out," Billy told him as he watched the fight unfold. "He's in charge of your mind now."

"I can't fight him, he's just a kid!" Rocky said as his younger self kicked him in the groin. "Alright, you're going down!"

Rocky stood up just as the younger boy jumped onto him, latched himself on to Rocky, and started punching him repeatedly, which lasted for the better of a minute before the boy jumped off and Rocky fell back.

"This is getting ridiculous," Rocky said as he looked up Billy, who gave him a hand up. "I can't hit him. I can't hit a kid. If I did, I'd be-"

"No better than your dad," Billy finished for him, then took off his glasses and cleaned his lenses. "You know, there's a saying that goes 'Show me a man who resorts to violence, and I'll show you a man who's run out of good ideas"."

"I get what you're saying," Rocky said as the boy stomped on his foot. "Just wish you would have said it sooner!"
*

"You don't have to do this," Justin said as he brought some blankets down so that Jeremy could sleep on the couch.

"You're not staying home alone," Jeremy told him. "I already got permission to sleepover. So either I stay here or you come home with me. Either way, you're stuck with me."

Justin just smiled as he sat on the couch next to Jeremy. "Why are you doing this? Why are you so interested in me?'

"Because I don't want to see you make the mistakes I did," Jeremy told him. "That's something I've thought about lately. Maybe my destiny is to take my mistakes and use them to help people. Stop them from doing what I did."

"Is that the only reason?" Justin asked.

"That and...you remind me of my own little brother," Jeremy told him. "And maybe, if I took care of you like I promised to take care of him..."

Justin hugged him as Jeremy thought about where his real brother was right now.
*

Tommy, Adam, and Aisha had met Master Hup at Tommy's house, where the Master had a special announcement for the three.

"Master Hup, you keep talking of destiny," Tommy said as the group sat in his living room. "What do you mean? I thought our destiny was to be Power Rangers."

"It is," Master Hup said. "But not here. Your destiny lies elsewhere. I have come to America to seek the three chosen ones. I have found them, in you three."

"Okay, so what do we do?" Adam asked.

"You must return to Japan, with me," Master Hup told them. "Where you will begin your training to fulfill your destinies."

"You mean, we'd have to leave Angel Grove?" Aisha asked. "And our families and friends?"

"Not only that," Tommy told her. "We'd have to give up our Ranger powers."

"Can we think about this?" Adam asked. "What you're asking... it's huge."

"Discuss it as long as you like," Master Hup told them as he headed for the door,. then turned back to them. "But destiny can not be changed. Even if it wanders off the path, it will still find its way back."
*

Young Rocky came rushing forward again, his fists and feet flying in a mad rage as Rocky blocked every move to keep him at bay.

"It's your fault!" Young Rocky shouted as he continued to punch at his older self. "It's your fault that he left! I'd still have a daddy if it weren't for you!"

Rocky caught the boy's fist and pulled his arm forward and held the boy in a bear hug, as the child tried to break free.

"It's not my fault!" Rocky shouted as he held the boy, refusing to let go, then realized what he said. "It's... not... my fault..."

"You finally got the lesson," Billy said as the boy stopped fighting, and was now crying as Rocky held him. "Took you long enough."

Rocky let the boy go, who was still crying and looked into his younger self's face. "You're safe now. I promise."

The boy smiled as he started to fade away as Rocky stood up, actually feeling good about himself for the first time in a long time.

"About time," A voice said as a young man wearing a blue uniform with an SPD badge said. "I was wondering when you were going to figure it out. It's like waiting for the final horse to cross the finish line."

"Something like that," Another young man with a goatee and a blue and gray jacket saying 'Lone Wolf' on the back, told him. "You've got more power than you realize."

"What's going on?" Rocky asked as more young men and women wearing blue came from out of nowhere. "Who are these people?"

"We're the past, present, and future Blue Rangers," Sky, the Blue SPD Ranger told him. "Every Blue Ranger who ever was, and who ever will be, connected to the Morphin' Grid."

Rocky looked around and found a group of at least twenty Blue Rangers standing around him.
"Wait a minute... Blue Ranger?" Rocky asked. "But I was the Red Ranger."

"You know, I said the exact same thing when I got my powers," Sky seriously told him.

"And if you recall, I told you that you weren't meant to be the Red Ranger," Billy told him. "You were supposed to take my place that day. I was meant to go to the Peace Conference in Jason's place. You were always intended to be my replacement. But like I said, fate can take detours sometimes."

Billy opened Rocky's hand and handed him the Triceratops coin, sending a blue surge of energy up his arm.

"The power is yours," Billy told him. "Use it wisely."

"I- I don't know what to say," Rocky said as Billy hugged him. "But I can't replace you."

"You're not replacing me," Billy told him. "You're going to forge your own path as the Blue Ranger. I've seen the future, Rocky, the REAL future. You're going to do great."

"We all have a destiny," Lucas, the Blue Time Force Ranger said.

"We all have a purpose," Ethan, the Blue Dino Thunder Ranger added.

"We've all been pulled together, through every time and era, to make you realize yours," Tori, the Blue Ninja Storm Ranger finished.

Rocky looked around, the Blue Wild West, Zeo, Ninjetti, Turbo, Space, Wild Force, Lightspeed Rescue, Aquitian, Mystic Force, Thunder Ninja, Lost Galaxy, and several other Rangers nodded in approval.

"Some of us haven't been born yet," Sky told him, then looked at Billy. Some of us have already died. But we're all Power Rangers, connected through one another."

A door opened as Rocky realized he was about to go back to the real world. He looked at Billy, who looked sad.

"Billy, we can find a way to bring you back," Rocky told him. "You can even have my body if you want. We can timeshare!"

"Sorry, Rocky," Billy told him. "But I've already done the destiny thing. I saved the entire world, and now it's time to go on to the next place."

"I'm going to miss you," Rocky said as he looked down at the coin. "I just wish I could find a way to thank you for everything you've done."

"You'll think of something," Billy joked as he leaned in and whispered into Rocky's ear. "You have 48 hours to get to Justin. When you wake up, you'll know where to find your coin."

Rocky headed toward the door as all the Blue Rangers waved goodbye. The door closed as Billy just smiled, knowing he'd just done the last thing required of him before moving on to a higher calling.

Rocky sat up in his bed at the ranch and rubbed his eyes. There was a thunderstorm happening outside as he stood up and felt like he'd just woken up from a long nap. He rushed over to the dresser and dug through it for his red hooded sweatshirt, and reached into the hood, and pulled out the Triceratops coin.

"Thanks, Billy," Rocky quietly said as he looked outside, just as his mother walked in, dropping the tray of food she was holding. She rushed over and hugged Rocky. "Are you still..."

"Mom, I'm fine,” Rocky said, not wanting to let go. "I... just want to go home. I want to go home to Justin."

"We will," Carly told him, glad to hear that Rocky didn't think he was 10 anymore. "But there's a nasty thunderstorm out there, and the airport's been shut down. They say it might be at least three days before we can leave."

Chapter Text

Power Rangers #3.11
"Power Play"
Written By Tobias Christopher

46 Hours Later

Justin and Jeremy sat on the edge of the pier, their fishing lines out in the water, waiting for the line to be tugged so they could reel in their catches.

"Where'd you learn how to fish?" Justin asked as his feet kicked in the water alongside Jeremy's. "I haven't caught one yet, and we've been out here for an hour."

"Jason taught me," Jeremy replied as he looked out over the water. "He taught me more than anyone else has. I'm sorry that this had to be your birthday present, but it was all I could think of."

"It's cool," Justin replied. "I always wanted to learn to fish. And it is the thought that counts. I just wish my parents were here today."

"They're probably on their way home right now," Jeremy assured him. "And they've probably got tons of presents and a cake waiting for you. And maybe Rocky's with them."

"I don't care if he is or not," Justin told his friend. "If Rocky doesn't care about me, then I'm not going to care about him."
*

The Stewart Home

Doug and Carly rushed through the door, hoping to find Justin and Rocky waiting for them. Instead, they found another—

"SURPRISE!" The teens shouted before realizing the two people weren't who they thought. Kim, Trini, and Christian had decorated the house for a surprise party while Jeremy distracted Justin for a few hours by taking him fishing.

"What's going on?" Carly asked as she looked around. "Oh my God, we completely forgot about Justin's birthday."

"We were just trying to make him feel better," Kim explained. "Ever since Rocky left-"

"Has Rocky come home?" Doug hopefully asked. "He left the Ranch over a day ago, and left us a note, saying he had to get home to Justin no matter what. The airports were shut down, and we're afraid he may have tried to hitchhike home. We left on the first flight last night as soon as the airports were open."

"Rocky's coming home?" Kim asked. "We haven't heard from him since he left."

"You really care about Justin and Rocky, don't you?" Carly asked as she looked around. "We didn't even know the sitter canceled until just before we left New Mexico."

"Jeremy's been staying with him," Trini told the Stewarts. "We know you told him he couldn't see us, but he needed-"

"We were wrong," Doug replied. "I can see how much you care about him. Thank you. Where is Justin?"
"At the pier," Christian replied. "Jeremy took him fishing while we set up the party. We'll go get him."

As soon as the teens left, Carly started feeling sick.

"Are you alright?" Doug asked.

"Yeah, I just feel like I'm going to be sick," Carly told him. "For the last few mornings, I've felt like this."

"I think we should take you to see a doctor," Doug said as he walked her toward the door. "We'll call from the doctor's office in a little while, once Justin's come home."
*

Lord Zedd's Palace

"Finster, have you translated those scrolls yet?" Zedd asked as he paced around. He looked at himself in a mirror and looked at the 'Z' attached to the base of his crown, which had been reattached recently, after having been cut off by Rocky in a furious battle. "The sooner we figure out how to open the Abyss of Evil, the sooner we can destroy the Rangers."

"I have translated the scrolls, Lord Zedd," Finster said as he laid the scrolls on the table. "It will take a very large amount of energy to open the Abyss, more than we have I'm afraid. Fortunately, there is a large source of energy just waiting to be tapped into."

"Where?" Zedd impatiently asked.

"In a place called the Devil's Freezer," Finster replied. "Down on Earth. Once every millennium, a gateway to a dimension made entirely of energy can be opened when the planets are aligned. Today is the day that the portal can be accessed, but it must be done within the next few hours."

"Rita, gather the troops!" Zedd commanded. "We're going to Earth! We're going to Antarctica!"

"A place that's not Angel Grove?" Squatt asked. "I never thought I'd see the day!"
*

Kim, Trini, and Christian found Justin and Jeremy sitting on the docks, and ran up to them just as Jeremy's communicator went off.

"Rangers, you're needed at the Command Center!" Alpha's voice said over the frequency. "Hurry!"

"Damn," Jeremy said as he stood up and grabbed his shoes and socks. "Duty calls."

"Justin, your parents are home," Kim told the boy. "And Rocky's on his way back, too."

"Can I go with you guys?" Justin asked after a brief pause. "I really don't want to go home just yet. Maybe I can just watch you guys on the view screen or something."

"Well, you're the birthday boy today, so what the hell?" Jeremy replied. "Trini, Christian, you want to come?"

"We'll cover for Justin with his parents," Christian replied. "Just try to make it back soon."
*
The Command Center

Jeremy, Kim, and Justin arrived as Alpha was trying to get the alarms under control.

"Rangers, Lord Zedd is in the Devil's Freezer!" Alpha said as he rushed around, pushing buttons to get things under control. "He's trying to gain access to a dimension of pure energy!"

"Like the song?" Jeremy asked as everyone looked at him strangely. "Hello? Pure Energy? Information Society? 80's pop tune? Am I the only here who listens to 80's rock?"

"Does Duran Duran count?" Justin asked.

"Anything they put out pre-1990 would," Jeremy replied.

"Where are Tommy and the others?" Kim asked, ignoring the two boys, as the viewing screen turned on and the Rangers saw Zedd and Rita arrive in the Devil's Freezer.

"I'm trying to get in contact with them, but they're not answering their communicators," Alpha replied. "I'll keep trying, but you have to keep Zedd from opening that portal!"

"We're on it," Jeremy replied as he reached for his morpher, then looked over at Kim. "Do I get to say it, or do you? I'm not sure how the chain of command works around here."

"Go ahead," Kim replied. "You are the Red Ranger and all."

"It's Morphin' Time!" Jeremy shouted.

PTERODACTYL!

TYRANNOSAURUS!
*
Trini and Christian were on their way back to the Stewart's home when Adam and Aisha stopped them on the sidewalk.

"You guys got a few minutes?" Adam asked.

"We're on our way to talk with Justin's parents," Trini replied. "What's going on?"

"Come with us," Aisha said. Before Trini and Christian could say anything, they were teleported away.

*
Jason was packing his bags, getting ready to get on the road when a knock came at his bedroom door. He opened it and found Tommy on the other side.

"Tommy, I was just on my way out of town," Jason told him. "I have to go see-"

Tommy teleported himself and Jason away before he could finish his sentence.
*
Jeremy and Kim had arrived in the Devil's Freezer and found Lord Zedd and Rita, along with Goldar and Scorpina, trying to find the spot they'd need to open the portal.

"It's here," Zedd said as he pointed his staff at the snow. "This is where the portal will open. We just need to activate it."

It was then that several energy arrows fired around them, as Jeremy and Kim ran toward Zedd and his minions with their weapons drawn.

"The Power Rangers," Zedd said as he held his staff forward. "Can't a person be evil in peace? Destroy them!"
Goldar and Scorpina pulled out their swords and rushed forward as Jeremy and Kim met them.

Kim and Scorpina were both evenly matched as Kim used her bow to block Scorpina's sword.

"I will kill you," Scorpina said as she struggled with Kim. "Then maybe I'll take a shot at your boyfriend."

"Not even if you dyed that armor pink," Kim said as she kicked Scorpina, then used her bow to land several blows, knocking Scorpina back into the snow.

"You're even scrawnier than the last Red Ranger!" Goldar shouted as he brought his sword down, which was blocked by Jeremy's power sword.

"Hey, I'm drinking milk, and someday I'm going to be big and- Ah, the hell with it," Jeremy said as he rammed the butt of his sword into Goldar's face, and did a spin kick to knock him back.

While Scorpina and Goldar were keeping the Rangers busy, Zedd and Rita were getting to open the portal. They put their staffs together and prepared to open the gateway.
*
"Ay yi yi! Where are the other Rangers?" Alpha asked. "Zedd and Rita are going to open the portal!"
"Is there any way to close it once it's been opened?" Justin asked.

"If the portal is hit with a powerful enough force, it might close," Alpha replied. "Maybe I can rig a laser to hit it with enough force, but it will take time to assemble."

"Then I'll buy you some time," Justin said as he looked at the viewscreen.

"I can't let you go," Alpha told the boy. "It's too dangerous."

"I'll be fine," Justin replied. "I'll stay out of sight and try to close the portal while Zedd and Rita are distracted."
"And how are you planning to distract them?" Alpha asked.

"Trust me," Justin replied. "Just keep trying to get through to Tommy and the others. I might need a coat for this one."
*
"Where are we?" Trini asked as she looked around. Christian and Jason were looking around the large, nearly darkened room. The only light came from fixtures overhead, and there was fog covering the ground.

"You're deep in the Command Center," Tommy said as walked in with Adam and Aisha. "This is a room you never got to see."

"What is this place?" Christian asked. "What are we doing here?"

"We're doing a ceremony here because it's time to fulfill your destinies," Tommy replied as he pulled out his power coin. "Adam, Aisha, and I... We're leaving Angel Grove at the end of the school year."

"Why?" Jason asked as the three Rangers approached.

"We're going to Tokyo," Aisha said as she came face to face with Trini. "To train with Master Hup at his academy. It's something that we need to do."

"What about the Power Rangers?" Christian asked as Adam put his coin in Christian's hand, where a surge of black energy shot up his arm, automatically morphing Christian into the Black Ranger armor.

"Christian, you demonstrated bravery and a level head when Jason was turned evil. If it weren't for you, we wouldn't have had the means to make Jason good again." Adam said as he shook Christian's hand. "That's why you are the new Black Ranger."

Aisha put the yellow coin in Trini's hand as a yellow surge of energy flowed up her arm, morphing her into the Yellow Ranger.

"As the original Yellow Ranger, you were wise and fearless. That's why I decided to make you the Yellow Ranger again," Aisha explained.

"I had a tough choice when I was making this decision," Tommy said as he pulled out his coin. "Jason and Richie both have the traits needed to be the White Ranger. But I could only choose one."

"Tommy, I told you," Jason said as he looked at his friends. "I can't be a Power Ranger. Not after-"

Tommy put his coin in Jason's hand as white energy went up his arm and turned him into the White Ranger.

"There's no better leader for the Power Rangers. The White Ranger's powers can never be turned to evil. Use them to find peace."

"Why are you doing this now?" Christian asked as the three Rangers pulled off their helmets. "The end of the school year's not for another few weeks."

"We didn't want it to be a last-minute surprise," Aisha explained. "We wanted to see the Rangers in action a few more times before we left."

"Now all we need is to do find the Blue Ranger coin, and we'll be a complete team," Jason said as Tommy's communicator went off.

"Rangers, where are you?" Alpha asked. "Jeremy and Kim are being outnumbered!"

"Good luck, guys," Tommy said as Jason, Trini, and Christian prepared to teleport.
*
Jeremy and Kim were trying to keep Goldar and Scorpina at bay, while Zedd and Rita were opening the gateway to the dimension of pure energy. They brought their staffs together and fired at the snow, where a large circular portal began to open over it.

"Perfect," Zedd said as he looked into the portal, which was glowing light blue with flashes of white, as if it were shooting sparks of energy. "This will be more than enough power to open the Abyss. And possibly to power Serpentera forever."

Zedd prepared to put his staff into the portal to absorb the energy when a rumbling was heard. Zedd and Rita turned around and saw a giant snowball rushing down a hill, growing as it raced toward them.

"You've got to be kidding," Zedd said as he fired at the giant snowball, destroying it, but not before burying Zedd and Rita in a small avalanche.

"What just happened?" Jeremy asked as he punched Goldar.

"Looks like we finally caught a break," Kim replied as she knocked Scorpina in the head with her bow.

Justin ran down the hill and looked around for something heavy enough to toss into the portal, and spotted a large chunk of ice. "That'll work."

Justin picked up the chunk of ice with his gloved hands and rushed toward the portal, carrying it over his head.
Before he could get close, the ice exploded into a million pieces, sending Justin flying forward until he was face down in the snow.

"You weren't thinking of tossing that ice into the portal, were you?" Zedd asked as he walked up to Justin. The boy rolled over onto his back in just enough time to have Zedd's staff pointed at his throat. "It's over, boy. You've been nothing but a nuisance to me for the last few weeks. So much so, that the first thing I'm going to do when I collect all the energy is kill your entire family, starting with your brother!"

Jeremy and Kim were too far away to get to him in time, as Zedd prepared to push his staff forward and take Justin's head off. Just then, a power lance blocked the staff, pushed it up, and sent it flying until it landed in the snow.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were about to hurt my kid brother," The Blue Ranger said as he held his power lance toward Zedd while looking at the boy on the ground. "Hey, Justin."

"This can't be!" Zedd furiously shouted as Rocky twirled his lance and sent Zedd stumbling back. "I disconnected you from your powers!"

"You took away my powers as the Red Ranger," Rocky said as he leaped into the air and kicked Zedd backward. "But luckily I have friends in very high places. And personally, I think I look better in blue."

Jeremy and Kim had sent Goldar and Scorpina retreating when they saw the Blue Ranger fighting Zedd.

"Who's that?" Jeremy asked.

"Don't know, but I hope he's on our side," Kim replied as a stray blast knocked them to the ground.

"You forgot about me, didn't you?" Rita asked as she fired her staff at the two Rangers as she laughed wickedly.
Jeremy and Kim picked themselves up and began to run, ducking behind a snowbank.

"We could really use some help right about now," Jeremy said as Rita ran toward them. Just as Jeremy said that the White, Black, and Yellow Rangers jumped in, with the Black Ranger using his power ax to block Rita's staff.

"The cavalry's arrived," Kim said as she ran up the White Ranger. "How's your leg?"

"Fine, thanks," Jason said as Kim stumbled back in shock. "But I'm sure you meant to ask that to Tommy."

"If you're White, then where's-" Kim started to ask as Trini put her hand on Kim's shoulder. "Long story, but we'll explain after we stop Zedd. Guess who's back in Yellow?"

Christian and Rocky knocked Zedd and Rita back into each other, as Goldar and Scorpina joined them.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Rita shouted. "They're a whole team again!"

The White, Red, Pink, Blue, Black, and Yellow Rangers walked side by side towards Zedd and his minions, with their weapons drawn.

"The Rangers are back!" Jason shouted as he held Saba forward towards the villains.

"You should have known you can't keep us down!" Kim said as she held her power bow.

"If you mess with one of us, you mess with all of us!" Jeremy said as he held his power sword.

"One for all, and all for one!" Trini said as she held her power daggers
.
"The good guys are back to kick your butt!" Rocky said as he held his power lance.

"We're a team, and you can't break us!" Christian said as he held his power ax.

The Rangers posed as a large fiery explosion happened behind them to signify that the Power Rangers were whole once more.

"It doesn't matter how many Rangers there are, I'll destroy all of you!" Zedd shouted as he joined his staff with Rita's and fired at Goldar and Scorpina, making them over fifty stories tall.

"Alright, Rangers, let's take these creeps down," Jason said as he prepared to call on his Thunderzord, just as Kim tapped on his shoulder.

"Uh, hello? You destroyed three of our zords!" Kim reminded him.

"Dammit, woman, I was under a spell!" Jason told her. "You're never going to let me live that down, are you?"

"Kim, Christian, Trini, you keep Zedd from opening that portal," Jeremy told them. "The rest of us will deal with Goldar and Scorpina."

Rocky looked over toward Jeremy. "Who's the short guy? You guys didn't pick a 12-year-old to replace me, did you?"

"TRICERATOPS UNICORN THUNDERZORD POWER!"

"TYRANNOSAURUS RED DRAGON THUNDERZORD POWER!"

"WHITE TIGER THUNDERZORD POWER!"

The sound of Thunder was heard as the three zords appeared, and all three soon transformed to Warrior mode as soon as the Rangers teleported into the cockpits.

Goldar and Scorpina, who was now a hideous Scorpion monster, rushed toward the zords with their swords drawn. Goldar brought his sword down as the Tigerzord blocked with its saber, then knocked Goldar's hand down and kicked the monster in the chest.

Scorpina fired a blast of energy at the Red Dragon, which twirled its staff and deflected the blast, as the Unicorn zord swung its sword at the monster, knocking Scorpina to the ground.

Kim, Trini, and Christian were trying not to be hit by Zedd and Rita's energy blasts and ducked behind a snowbank. Kim had her power bow drawn to try to counter when they stopped firing long enough to get a shot in.

"This battle is so not going our way," Kim said as she looked over the bank, and ducked just in time to avoid losing her head.

Justin was also hiding, waiting for Alpha to send him the laser.

"Alpha, how's the laser coming?" Justin asked into his communicator.

"Ay yi yi, it's not coming at all!" Alpha replied. "I can't even find half the parts that I need!"

"The Rangers can't keep Zedd distracted too much longer," Justin told the robot. "We need to shut that portal now."

"The only other is way to toss an object heavy enough into the gateway," Alpha replied. "That might destabilize the portal and close it."

Justin started to think about what would be heavy enough to toss into the portal. If the portal wasn't closed, and Zedd got the energy, his step-mom and dad would be the first ones Zedd went after. He couldn't let that happen. Justin reached down his shirt and pulled out the coin necklace Jason had given to him.

"Jason said you're supposed to bring me luck," Justin said as he held the dragon coin in his hand. "I hope he's right."

The Rangers had Goldar and Scorpina on the ropes as Justin contacted everyone.

"I figured out how to shut the portal," Justin said to the Rangers. "I just need to toss a heavy object into it."

"Heavy object?" Rocky asked as he fought. "You're only about 95 lbs. What could you possibly pick up that was-," Then the realization hit him. "You wouldn't dare!"

"I have to," Justin said as started cramming snow and ice into his pockets to get more weight."If Zedd gets that energy, the first thing he's going to do is kill my dad and your mom. I won't let that happen."

"Justin Jacob Stewart, you stay put!" Rocky ordered as he tried to keep Goldar from bringing his sword down on top of his zord's head.

"Oh no, you used my middle name," Justin sarcastically replied. "Now I HAVE to stay put!"

"Good, now just teleport back to the Command Center and... you were being sarcastic, weren't you?" Rocky asked.

"Take care of my dad," Justin said as he looked toward the portal. "He's going to need a son if I don't make it."

"Justin, don't do this, please," Rocky pleaded as he tried to put Goldar down so he could get to Justin. "I'm sorry I left you behind. I'm sorry about everything, I'll do anything you want, just please don't do this."

"I'm sorry, Rocky," Justin said as a tear ran down his face. "I have to protect our parents. At least I have an excuse for leaving my family behind"

Goldar rushed toward the Unicorn, but it slashed the monster with its sword and prepared to use its finishing move, just as Scorpina was sent crashing to the ground by the Tigerzord.

"Let's finish these guys," Jeremy said as the three Zords powered up.

"Next time, Rangers!" Goldar shouted as he disappeared along with Scorpina. Rocky wasted no time in bailing out of his zord and rushed toward the portal.

He arrived just in time to see Zedd and Rita trying to keep the Rangers at bay while Zedd headed toward the portal. It was then that Rocky saw Justin racing through the snow, trying not to stumble.

"Justin, NO!" Rocky shouted as everyone looked toward the portal, where Justin was getting closer. Zedd and Rita turned their attention from the Rangers and fired at the boy, missing the mark as Justin jumped and tossed himself into through the gateway.

"NO!" Zedd shouted as a surge of energy flew out of the portal, which seemed to expand before quickly returning the portal, which quickly shrank and created a large crater in the ground, which was quickly covered by snow as the wind blew over it.

"That brat has sealed the portal! Now we can't open it again for another millennium!" Zedd said as he motioned toward his wife."Come on, Rita, let's get out of here."

Rocky's power lance stopped him. "You're not going anywhere."

"And who's going to stop me?" Zedd asked with a laugh as the six Rangers gathered around. "I've already killed one Blue Ranger. I can surely take out another one."

"You killed Billy," Rocky said as he paced around Zedd. "And now my little brother's gone because of you. We're ending this here."

Zedd twirled his staff as the other Rangers prepared to get involved in case Rocky needed help.
"Kick his butt, Zeddy!" Rita shouted as Kim punched her.

Zedd pushed his staff forward as Rocky swung his lance and blocked it, and raised his lance as Zedd pulled his staff back, and raised it above his head and brought it down, but Rocky raised his lance to stop its descent. The 'Z' on the staff started to glow as Zedd brought it closer to Rocky's helmet.

"Now you die, Blue Ranger," Zedd said as something sharp hit his hands, forcing him to drop the staff. Rocky fell backward into the snow and looked over toward where the crater was. "What in that world-"

"It can't be," Jason said.

"I don't believe it," Kim added.

"Is that-" Trini started to ask.

The Green Ranger stood in the crater, holding his dragon dagger in one hand, and a blade blaster in the other, as Zedd and Rita started to back away.

"Hey, how come he gets a cool shield?" Jeremy asked.

"Not another Ranger," Zedd said as he joined his staff with Rita's, and fired at the new Ranger, but the Green Ranger put the dragon dagger to his mouthpiece and began to play a tune, powering his shield as he walked toward Zedd. The blasts were deflected off of the Ranger's shield, back towards the villains.

"Zedd, we'd better get out of here!" Rita said as the Rangers began to surround them.

"This isn't over, Rangers," Zedd said as he looked at the group. "Next time we meet, you will all fall!”

Zedd and Rita disappeared as the Rangers looked over toward the Green Ranger, who stood less than five feet tall.

"Justin?" Rocky asked. "Is that you?"

"We'd better get back to the Command Center," Jason said as he looked at the group. "I think we all have a lot of catching up to do."
*
Lord Zedd's Moon Palace

"Incompetent fools!" Zedd shouted as he stormed into his throne room. "All of you are worthless! Because of you idiots, the Rangers shut the portal, and now they have SEVEN Rangers on their side! Now we can't even open the Abyss of Evil!"

"Actually, Lord Zedd, I may have made an error in translating the scrolls," Finster said as he laid the scroll out on the table. "It wasn't the pure energy from that dimension that we needed to open the portal, but the pure energy of good. As in-"

"A sacrifice?" Zedd said as he started to cheer up. "As in a pure soul. And now we have seven to choose from..."
*
The Command Center

The Seven Rangers teleported into the Power Chamber as all but the Green and Blue Rangers removed their helmets.

"Ay yi yi!" Alpha shouted. "The team is whole again! Just like Zordon prophesied."

"But how did Justin morph into the Green Ranger?" Jason asked. "The coin was powerless."

"The portal," Trini realized as she thought about it. "When Justin threw himself into the portal, the coin must have absorbed the energy."

"I'll have to examine it to make sure," Alpha told them. "We don't want any surprises like the last time."

"And now Rocky's back," Kim said as everyone began to demorph. "But how did you get the coin?"

"It's a long story," Rocky said as he demorphed. "But now I'm the new Blue Ranger. Isn't that AHH!"

Justin punched Rocky in the gut as soon as he demorphed before powering down himself.

"What was that for?" Rocky asked as he tried to keep from doubling over in pain.

"You left me without even saying goodbye," Justin said. "I thought you said we were brothers."

"We are," Rocky said as he leaned back against the control panel. "And now that you have powers, we can-"

Justin held the power coin in his hand and threw it at Rocky.

"I don't want to be a Power Ranger," Justin coldly said. "And I don't want anything to do with you!"

"Justin, come on, we're brothers," Rocky said as he put his hand on Justin's shoulder before a surge of energy sent him flying back, holding his hand in pain.

"We're not brothers," Justin said as he looked at Rocky. "Don't ever call me that!”

Justin teleported away as the others gathered around Rocky.

"Happy birthday," Rocky quietly said as he closed his eyes.
*

Angel Grove Clinic

"Well, the good news is that you're not sick," The Doctor said as he returned to talk to Doug and Carly.

"That's good," Doug said as he held his wife's hand. "Then what is it?"

"Well, I ran the test a few times to make sure it's correct," The Doctor told them. "So now I can safely say... Congratulations, you're pregnant."

"Looks like Justin and Rocky are going to have a little brother or sister," Carly said as she held her stomach. "The way those two get along, we shouldn't have anything to worry about."

Chapter Text

4 Years Ago

8-year-old Justin was crying uncontrollably as his dad hugged him.

"Your mom went peacefully, Justin," Doug said as he held his son. "She's in a better place now."
*
6 Months Later

Justin stood on the porch and watched his dad drive off, hoping to find a job that would allow him to support his son. His aunt put a hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Don't worry, he'll be back," The boy's aunt said. "Soon you'll both be in a better place."
*
A year and a half later

Justin's best friend was getting ready to move away and was saying goodbye.

"Dad says we're going to a better place," Devin said. "It's called Reefside."
*
One Month Ago

"Rocky's gone to his Uncle Joe's ranch to live," Carly said as Justin sat across from her and his father. "He's not coming back. He's in a much better place now."
*
Now

Angel Grove Park, Night

"I'm not leaving," Tommy said as he looked over at Kim. They were laying on a blanket in the park, looking up at the stars. "I can't leave you."

"What about your destiny?" Kim asked. "Master Hup says you have big things ahead of you."

"None of that matters if you're not with me," Tommy said as he took her hand. "We've been through too much for me to just leave you."

"I can't keep you from your future," Kim said as she kissed him. "You'd do the same for me if it were me who was leaving."

"And what about... us?" Tommy asked. "We're going to be on opposite sides of the planet."

"Even an entire planet between us couldn't stop me from loving you," Kim told him. "But your future is with Adam and Aisha at Master Hup's Academy. You can't pass this up."

"What about us?" Tommy asked. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Kim said as she looked into his eyes. "But I can't keep you from your destiny. You have to go."

The two looked up at the stars and saw something falling.

"Make a wish," Tommy said as Kim closed her eyes and wished there was a way to keep Tommy in Angel Grove.

Meanwhile, the shooting star, which was actually a meteor, flew through the sky and crashed into the grassy field on the other side of the park. The rock-like object began to crumble until a creature with armor-like black and green skin emerged. The monster smiled as he sniffed the air.

"Rangers...," Ecliptor said.
*
The Following Morning

Justin woke up, yawned and stretched, and stood up. He was on his way toward the door when he saw the lamp beside his bed was on. He turned it off, but the light bulb continued to glow. So he reached down to unplug it, but the bulb was still lit.

"Must have a short in it," The boy thought. "Better have dad look at it."

Justin walked into the hallway, and headed toward the bathroom, but ran into Rocky.

"Justin, I know you're mad at me, but-" Rocky started to say as Justin brushed past him, unintentionally giving Rocky a shock on his arm. "There's a reason I had to leave. But I came back for you. I had to ride trains, hitchhike, hell, at one point I was riding a moose."

Rocky tried to hand Justin a wrapped package. "I- I bought this for your birthday a few weeks before everything happened."

Justin didn't say anything as he ran into the bathroom and closed the door. He wanted to make up with Rocky, but ever since he was eight years old people had been leaving him: His parents, close friends, and every relative he'd been sent to over the last four years, and recently Rocky. He couldn't risk getting close to Rocky. Not if Rocky was going to walk out again.

He looked at himself in the mirror and saw his long, shaggy hair, affectionately dubbed 'The Pudding Bowl' by Rocky, was a mess. It looked as if something was forcing it up. After a few tries of trying to get it under control, Justin finally grew angry and grabbed a pair of scissors from the counter and started snipping away...
*
Angel Grove Youth Center

"Come on, you can do it!" Jason said as he held the punching bag while his cousin Jeremy pounded away at it. "Just a couple more!"

"I can't feel my arms anymore," Jeremy said as he gave everything he could to punch the bag and finally fell forward, holding onto it to keep from falling to the ground.

"That was good, but your punches need improving," Jason told him as tossed the boy a towel. "You're almost ready for the tournament."

"Too bad they had to postpone it until the summer," Jeremy said as they headed for the table. "I was looking forward to the final round."

"You're getting your confidence back," Jason said as they sat down. "Like the kid I used to know."

"Thanks to you," Jeremy replied. "I don't know what I'd without you, Jase. You've helped me out more than anyone else. I wouldn't even be here if it weren't for you.”

"I could say the same thing," Jason said. "We'll take five and hit the punching bag again."

"That should be long enough for me to get enough energy to recover from this," Jeremy said as he fell forward and hit his head on the table.

Meanwhile, Christian was waiting for his turn on the balance beam and was passing the time by reading a letter he'd gotten in the mail earlier from his family in Australia. At the bar, Richie was trying to work up the courage to ask Trini an important question.

"Trini, I know you've only been back a little while," Richie said as he held Trini's hand. "But I've had a lot of time to think while you were at that peace conference. I... I love you. Will you- well, if you're okay with it, could you possibly be... my girlfriend?"

"I don't know what to say," Trini said as she looked around.

"Say yes," Ernie whispered as he leaned across the bar.

"Yes," Trini said as Richie leaned over and kissed her as everyone started cheering and clapping. It was at that point that Christian stood up and ran for the door, crumpling the letter in his hand as he went.

"Are you alright?" Adam asked as Christian ran by.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Christian replied, trying to keep from crying. "I- I gotta go."

Christian grabbed his gear and headed toward the door as Richie and Trini watched.

"What's the matter with him?" Richie asked.
*
Fifteen minutes later, Christian was in the park, sitting on a bench. He dug into his duffle bag and pulled out a picture of him and his big brother Jesse, which was taken three years ago.

"It should have been me," Christian quietly said as a single tear rolled down his cheek. "You were the one they loved."

Just then the sound of screaming was heard from in the distance. Christian stood up and rushed toward the sound and found Ecliptor causing havoc by firing laser blasts at innocent people.

"Ranger," Ecliptor said as he looked at the boy. "I can smell the power on you."

"Who are you?" Christian asked as he put his hand behind his back and reached for his morpher, making sure that everyone in the park had gotten away safely.

"I am Ecliptor, and I have come for the fugitives that you and your friends are hiding," Ecliptor told him. "Give me the ones that you are harboring and I may let you live."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Christian said as he walked toward Ecliptor. "But I'm not going to let you hurt innocent people."

"Very well, then I'll hurt you instead," Ecliptor said as fired a laser saber at Christian, who was struck, and fell to the ground. He pulled out his morpher and held it up.

MASTODON!

The Black Ranger stood up and produced his Power Axe, then rushed toward the monster. He brought his ax down as a blade shot out of Ecliptor's right arm and blocked him. He pushed Christian back and fired a laser from his left hand, knocking the Ranger back to the ground.

"I tire of this," Ecliptor said as he pulled out a small orb and tossed it at Christian, hitting him in his chest. A series of steel belts shot out and restrained Christian, de-morphing him as he lay on the ground. "If you will not give me the fugitives, I will barter for them. Your life for theirs."
*
At the Youth Center, Jason and Jeremy were about to return to training, when their communicators sounded.

"Saved by the bell," Jeremy said as he rushed for the door.

"Training's not over, it's just delayed," Jason shouted after.

"Duty calls," Trini said as she stood up from the stool.

"I'll be here waiting when you get back," Richie said as he kissed her goodbye. Trini, Jason, and Jeremy headed to the empty hallway and teleported to the Command Center.
*
The Power Chamber

Rocky and Kim had gotten there just seconds before the other Rangers arrived.

"Alpha, what's going on?" Rocky asked. "Did you run those the tests on the green power coin?"

"Yes, but the coin appears to be dead again," Alpha told the group. "There doesn't seem to be any trace of energy in it. But that's not why I called you here. A monster has captured Christian, and is holding him outside of town!"

"Is he one of Zedd and Rita's creations?" Jason asked as the others looked at the viewing globe.

"I'm afraid not," Alpha replied. "Ecliptor has no allegiance to anyone. I don't know why he'd come to Earth unless there was something to gain."

"He obviously wants something," Kim told the group. "But why would he capture Christian? Unless he wants to draw us into a fight."

"If he wants a fight, then he's going to get one," Jason said as he looked at Alpha. "How do we bring this guy down?"

"Ecliptor is far stronger than anything Rita and Zedd could come up with," Alpha replied as he headed for the computer. "But I'll try to find a weakness. Just be careful."

"Let's go get our friend back," Jason said as everyone reached for their morphers. "Jeremy?"

"Really? I can say it?" Jeremy asked as Jason nodded. "IT'S MORPHIN' TIME!"

TIGERZORD!
PTEROADACTYL!
TRICERATOPS!
SABER-TOOTHED TIGER!
TYRANNOSAURUS!
*
The five Rangers arrived in the desert and found Christian tied to a stake, as Ecliptor marched in front of him.

"Christian, are you alright?" Trini asked.

"Outside of the fact that I'm tied to a stake, and have to use the bathroom really REALLY badly I'm just peachy," Christian replied.

"White, Pink, Blue, Yellow, and Red," Ecliptor said as he looked at the Rangers. "Where are the others?"

"This is it," Jason said as he held Saba forward. "Now let our friend go."

"It will do you no good to protect the fugitives, I know they were on a course for Earth," Ecliptor said as the blade shot out of his arm. "I am here to collect the bounty on their heads."

"It's one against five," Jeremy told the monster. "How do you expect to beat us?"

Ecliptor laughed as he tossed a silver sphere into the air, which exploded and created several robotic drones. "Quantrons, attack!"

"You and your big mouth," Kim said to Jeremy as the robots marched toward them. Jeremy smiled under his helmet, not realizing Kim had insulted him. Anything she said was like music to the boy's ears. The Rangers pulled out their weapons and rushed forward.
*
The Stewart Home

Justin walked into his room and saw the present Rocky had tried to give him sitting on the bed. He picked up the small box, pulled off the ribbon, removed the top, and found two tickets to the upcoming Nascar race inside.

"He spent his martial arts camp fund on those," Carly said as she came in and looked at Justin's hair, which was now cut short and spiked. "What did you do to your hair?"

"My mom was a professional hairstylist," Justin told her as Carly sat on the bed next to him. "I learned a few things by watching her when I was little. She wanted to open her own beauty salon before she..."

"I know you were upset with Rocky for just leaving home like that<“ Carly said as she put an arm around Justin's shoulder to comfort him.

"Everyone I've ever known has left me," Justin replied. "My mom, my dad, my relatives didn't even want me around after a while. Then Rocky left. I don't want to get close to him again if he's going to leave. It'll hurt too much."

"He has no intention of leaving," Carly said as Justin looked up at her. "I think you're old enough to hear what happened to Rocky while he was gone. He loves you, Justin. He loves you like you were a real brother."

"I love him, too," Justin said as he looked up at his stepmother. "What happened to him while he was gone?"
*
The Rangers were fighting their way through the Quantrons, but they were much stronger fighters than the Putty Patrol.

"These guys are hard to take down," Kim said as two Quantrons grabbed her and tossed her into Trini.

Jeremy and Rocky were fighting back to back, but they were eventually dogpiled.

Jason ran toward Ecliptor with his sword in hand. He did a jump kick over Ecliptor's head, but the monster ducked and slashed Jason with his armblade. He slashed again and knocked Jason back into the Quantrons, who grabbed his arms.

"This is your final chance, Rangers," Ecliptor said as the Quantrons grabbed the Rangers and held them in place. "Give me the two fugitives and you can keep your lives."

"For the last time, we don't have any fugitives!" Jason told him as Ecliptor tossed an orb at his chest, trapping Jason in steel restraints, which demorphed him.

Ecliptor then tossed two at Trini and Kim, trapping and demorphing them. He threw one more at Jeremy and then tossed one at Rocky, but Rocky pulled on his arm at the last second, pulling the Quantron on his left into range, trapping him instead.

"Get the Blue Ranger!" Ecliptor shouted as Rocky was chased away by the pursuing Quantrons. "He won't get far. You may not be willing to give up the fugitives, but I'm sure that I can collect a handsome bounty for an entire set of Earth Rangers."
*
The Command Center

"It looks like the Quantron's have a weakness, after all," Alpha said as he looked at the printout. "But there's no way to tell the Rangers."

Just then, Justin arrived, hoping to find Rocky, since he wasn't at the Youth Center or the park.
"Ay yi yi, what did you do to your hair?" Alpha asked.

"Alpha, have you seen Rocky?" Justin asked as he saw the green power coin sitting on the console, which had two wires attached to it, which in turn were attached to a small device to measure how much power it had.

"The others are facing a monster named Ecliptor," Alpha told him. "But they seem to be losing. Everyone but Rocky has been captured."

"Then I have to help," Justin replied. "I- I don't want to be a Ranger, but my dad always told me I have to accept some responsibilities, whether I want them or not."

"I'm sorry, Justin," Alpha told the boy. "The power coin has lost its charge. I guess it didn't absorb enough energy to—“

Justin picked up the coin, and the device went crazy. It started to smoke and exploded from picking up too much energy.

"Ay yi yi!" Alpha said as he looked at the device. He picked up a scanner and held it over Justin, at which point the scanner exploded. "Uh oh..."

"Uh-oh?" Justin asked. "I don't like 'Uh-oh's'. 'Uh-oh's' are bad. Boy band bad."

"I don't think the coin absorbed the energy when you went into that dimension," Alpha said as he looked for a stronger scanner. "I think your body did."

Justin held up his hand and saw a small surge of energy flow through it.
"Son of a bi-"
*

“—Itch," Christian said as Trini looked at him. The five Rangers were now all tied to stakes, waiting for Ecliptor to return.

"What?" Trini asked.

"I've got an itch on my nose and I can't scratch it," Christian replied.

"Rocky's still out there," Jason said as he looked out as far as he could see. "As long as one of us is out there, there's a chance."

Jeremy laughed, then quickly stopped. "Oh, you were serious."

"Richie asked me to be his girlfriend," Trini said as she looked over at Kim.

"Oh my God, congratulations," Kim replied as the two girls began discussing their love lives, as Jeremy and Christian tried to band their heads against the stakes to knock themselves out.

Rocky fell to the ground, landing on his stomach as the Quantrons overran him. He fought as hard as he could but eventually was overpowered as Ecliptor walked up to him.

"Where are they?" Ecliptor asked.

"I don't know," Rocky replied as he tried to break free. "We don't have any fugitives."

Ecliiptor pulled out an orb and prepared to capture Rocky when a whistling sound was heard to get his attention. He looked over and saw Justin standing about twenty feet away.

"Justin?" Rocky asked as the Quantrons continued to hold him. "What did you do to your hair? Oh, yeah, and RUN!"

"Leave him alone," Justin said. "No one inflicts pain on my brother but me!"

"That's right!" Rocky added, then thought about it. "Wait-"

"And who might you be, child?" Ecliptor asked as he laughed. "Who are you to stop me?"

"Me?" Justin asked as he looked down at the power coin, then looked back at Ecliptor. "I'm the Green Ranger."

Ecliptor laughed as his armblade shot out. "You're just a kid, but nevertheless, I will take pleasure in killing you."

"No one messes with my friends," Justin said as he held his morpher forward. "It's Morphin' Time!"
DRAGONZORD!

The boy flipped forward through the air as the green and white armor morphed around his body, followed by the dragon-themed helmet surrounding his head. Finally, the golden armored shield appeared in a bright light as the boy landed on his feet.

"Cute parlor trick, but let's see you take me on!" Ecliptor shouted as he rushed forward with his blade.
Justin pulled out his dragon dagger and ducked as Ecliptor swiped at him. He did a spin kick and knocked Ecliptor back, and rushed forward to punch the monster, but Ecliptor caught his arm and slashed at him, knocking the Green Ranger onto his back.

"You can not beat me," Ecliptor said as he headed toward Justin, who jumped to his feet.
Ecliptor rammed his blade forward as Justin spun to the side and kicked him, then slashed the monster with his dragon dagger, then grabbed him by the arm and sent him flying into the Quantrons holding Rocky, making them release him.

"Your powers are strong, but you haven't won yet, Ranger," Ecliptor said as his body started to glow. Soon the monster grew to over fifty stories tall and started to laugh as Justin and Rocky rolled out of the way as he stomped through.

"I'm going to handle Ecliptor," Justin said as he looked at Rocky. "You free the others."

"Justin... Are we-" Rocky started to say as Justin grabbed his arm. A surge of energy shot up Rocky's arm, placing the golden shield on his shoulders.

"The Quantron's have a weakness in the chest area," Justin told him. "Be careful, big brother."

Rocky rushed back toward the others, as Justin put the dragon dagger to his mouthpiece and started playing a tune to summon his zord. Moments later, the Dragonzord arose from the water and stomped its way toward the sound of the music that was commanding it.

"Awesome," Justin said as he looked at the Dragonzord for the first time.

"Nice toy," Ecliptor said as his arm blade was held forward. "I shall enjoy breaking it."

"Bring it on," Justin said as he commanded the Dragonzord to attack from the sidelines.

Rocky was fighting his way through the Quantrons, the golden shield giving him an energy boost as he headed toward his friends.

"Hey, how come he gets to have the cool shield?" Jeremy asked.

Rocky twirled his lance and started hitting Quantrons as he passed through, finally finding the weak spot to destroy them. He eventually reached the others and swung his lance to break the steel belts holding Jeremy, who immediately morphed.

TYRANNOSAURUS!

"Get the others out," Rocky told him. "I have to go help Justin."

The two boys looked over and found more Quantrons coming their way, and took a defensive pose.
Ecliptor stomped toward the Dragonzord with his arm blade ready to strike. He swung, but Dragonzord spun to the side and used its tail to hit Ecliptor's chest.

"You don't know who you're messing with," Ecliptor said as he rushed forward and sliced at the Dragonzord, hitting its chest, then repeatedly struck, finally sending it to the ground. "I am the greatest warrior in the galaxy. You have no hopes of defeating me."

"Time to take the driver's seat," Justin said as he jumped into the Dragonzord's rarely used cockpit. "I still have a few moves. Dragonzord, I know this is our first battle together, but I know we can do this. Let's send this dork back to wherever he came from."

The Dragonzord picked itself up as Ecliptor rushed toward it with his blade, ready to strike.
Justin hit a button on the console, and seconds later, the lights on the Dragonzord's chest lit up. Missiles flew out of the zord's fingertips and hit Ecliptor, knocking him back.

"You still haven't shown me any new moves," Ecliptor said with a laugh as Justin noticed a large red button.

"You want a move?" Justin asked as he slammed his fist down on the button. "How about some Mortal Kombat, bitch?"

The Dragonzord's fist flew out, attached to a chain, and wrapped itself around Ecliptor.

“Get overt here!" Justin shouted as the chain retracted and send Ecliptor flying forward.

The Dragonzord punched the monster as he got within striking distance, then turned around as its tail drill struck. Ecliptor reeled back as the Dragonzord fired more missiles, sending Ecliptor to the ground hard enough to return him to his rightful size.

"Come back and see me when you learn to fight, son," Justin said as he patted the controls. "Good work, Dragonzord."

Ecliptor rolled to the ground, his normal size again, as Justin jumped out of his zord and was met by the other Rangers, who had finally defeated the last of the Quantrons.

"Good job, Justin," Rocky said as he patted Justin on the shoulders. "But we'll take it from here."

"You may have defeated me, but be warned, Rangers," Ecliptor said as he stood up. "For soon, every bounty hunter in the galaxy will ascend upon Earth to seek what you hide!"

"Let's finish this clown," Jeremy said as the Rangers drew their weapons and touched them together.

"POWER AX!" Christian cocked the power ax's cannon mode and tossed it up.

"POWER BOW!" Kimberly tossed the bow, which attached itself under the ax.

"POWER LANCE!" Rocky separated the weapon and tossed it, which attached itself to the far ends of the bow.

POWER DAGGERS!" Trini tossed her weapons up, which attached next to the two parts of the power lance.

"POWER SWORD!" Jeremy jumped up and attached the sword to the top part of the ax and brought the weapon down, where he was joined by the other Rangers. "FIRE!"

"Let's talk about this!" Ecliptor shouted as the Rangers fired the weapon at him, which sent the monster flying backward, finally causing him to explode in a giant fireball.

"That was fun," Jeremy said as he looked at the others. "But why did he think we were hiding fugitives?"

"We'd better get back to the Command Center and find out," Jason suggested.

As soon as the group teleported away, a hand reached out of a small crater in the ground.

"You haven't seen the last of me, Rangers," Ecliptor said as he turned into a ball of green and black light and flew away.
*
Shorty, at the Power Chamber

Justin was sitting on a table in the medbay as Alpha scanned him with the most powerful device he could find.

"His body seems to have absorbed a lot of energy from that dimension," Alpha said as he turned toward Rocky. "It looks like he can power the Green Ranger coin merely by holding it. He also seems to have gained some type of energy-based power."

"Which is why he shocked me this morning, and yesterday," Rocky concluded.

"How long is this going to last?" Justin asked. "Is it going to hurt me?"

"I can't say," Alpha replied. "But there seems to be no bodily harm just yet, but I'll continue to monitor the situation."

Alpha left the room as Rocky sat down next to Justin.

"I'm sorry," Rocky said as he looked away. "I didn't mean to hurt you. But there was a reason-"

"Carly told me everything," Justin said as he looked up at Rocky. "You were... sick. I'm sorry I yelled at you. Carly says I have abandonment issues."

"I can't promise I won't ever leave," Rocky told him as he looked into Justin's eyes. "Sometimes stuff happens. Someday it may be you who leaves me."

"Like when I go off to become a Nascar driver?" Justin asked as Rocky smiled.

"Yeah," Rocky replied. "So, are we cool?"

"Yeah," Justin told him as the two hugged. "But about being a Power Ranger-"

"You don't have to do it," Rocky said as they walked toward the Power Chamber. "Maybe the Green Ranger power wasn't meant to be revived."

"I'll stay," Justin told him as they walked into the room, where Jason and Kim were waiting. "But only for the big stuff. I don't want to be on call 24/7 like you guys. But I'll be here if you need me."

"Deal," Rocky said as he looked at Justin's hair. "We'll hold a funeral for the Pudding Bowl later. Have we found out what Ecliptor was searching for?"

"No," Jason replied. "It doesn't help that we have no idea where to start."

"He said we were hiding two fugitives," Kim said. "But if Ecliptor's one of the bad guys, wouldn't that make these fugitives someone on our side?"

"Ecliptor's a bounty hunter," Alpha told them. "He'll hunt anything that will net him a profit, good or bad."

"Then good or bad, we need to find whoever Ecliptor was hunting," Jason concluded. "Before anyone gets hurt. I just wish Zordon was here."

"We all do, Jason," Alpha told him. "But all we can do is try to carry on without him. I just hope we can hold on until we can rebuild his energy tube."
*
Thousands of Light Years From Earth

"Surrender or be destroyed!" The voice boomed from the giant black and white ship. "This is your only chance."

"More bounty hunters. Master, I await your command,"

A young man, around 21 years old, sat in the shadows, his face concealed. "Fire the lasers."

A hand pushed the lever forward and fired off a laser, hitting the bounty hunter's ship, causing it to spin out of control.

"Get us out of here, while they're distracted!” The young man said. "Go to Hyperspeed."

"As you wish, master,"

The Mega Winger rushed past the bounty hunter's ship, hitting hyperspeed until it was safely away.

"We are safe, master," The young man behind the controls said as he turned around. He was around sixteen years old with blonde hair with a silver streak in the front. He never once blinked as he addressed his master. "But where do we go now?"

The other young man leaned forward. He had golden-brown hair, and wore a royal Triforian symbol on his shirt.

"Good work, Zhane. Set a course for Earth. Only Zordon of Eltar can help us now," Prince Trey of Triforia said as he sat back.

"Yes, master," Zhane replied as the ship flew across the galaxy.
*
Later That Day

Christian sat on his bed at his exchange family's home. After almost an hour of working up the courage, he picked up the phone and dialed. The phone rang three times before a familiar voice picked up.

"Mom?" Christian asked, his voice trembling. "It's- It's Christian. I just-"

His words were met with an immediate dial tone. He closed his eyes and sat back against the wall, and tried to hold himself together.
*
The Power Chamber, late at night

Alpha was working feverishly on the computers, trying to find a way, any way to sever Justin from the power he had gained. But he was coming up with nothing. He had lied when he told Justin and Rocky that he found nothing deadly with Justin's new abilities.

"I won't let him die, not like this," Alpha said as he looked up at Zordon's empty space. "Oh, Zordon, where are you?"
*
Lord Zedd's Moon Palace

Zordon was alone in the big empty, room in Zedd's palace, with no way to contact the Rangers. But through the Morphin' Grid, he knew everything that was happening. And what was coming.

Chapter Text

Power Rangers #3.13
"The Young & The Restless"
Written By Tobias Christopher

Another dimension, a place where darkness and evil reign supreme

"Tonight is the night. The planets are aligned. The stars are in place,"

As the being chanted, a cup sitting on top of a multi-colored flame began to fill with a dark black fog.

"At the stroke of midnight, the Power Rangers will fall into a trap from which there is no escape."

The dark mist floated up into the air, as the being who summoned the spell began to chant once again, before blowing the mist into a small crystal ball placed on a golden pedestal.

"Sleep well, Rangers. For there is no awakening from what I have planned."

The relic holding the dark magic continued to sit, waiting for its evil to take effect.
*
The Stewart/DeSantos home, 9 O'Clock

"You want me to do WHAT?" Rocky asked as his step-brother Justin climbed into bed, as Rocky took out the last lightbulb. Ever since Justin had gained almost uncontrollable powers from the energy dimension, everything electrical always seemed to turn on when he was around, whether it was plugged in or not.

"A bedtime story," Justin said as Rocky tucked him in. "My mom used to tell me bedtime stories when I wasn't feeling well. And my stomach's been bothering me all day."

"I really don't know any stories, though," Rocky said as he sat down. "The only story I ever heard growing up was 'There once was a little boy who got his ass beat because he didn't get Daddy another beer. The End.' And trust me, that story DID NOT have a happy ending."

"Don't you know any stories?" Justin begged, making a sad puppy dog face.

"Oh, no, not the puppy dog look. That's only gonna work until you hit puberty, so you'd better enjoy the sympathy that gets you while you can," Rocky told the boy.

"Just one story?" Justin asked.

Well, there is one story, and it does involve sleeping," Rocky said as he thought about it. "Once upon a time, there was a man named Freddy Krueger..."

One Hour, and A Nightmare on Elm Street 1 & 3 Summary Later

"And so Freddy's soul was sent to hell, where he lived in eternal torment... until Elm Street 4," Rocky said as he kissed Justin's forehead, not noticing the boy was shaking horribly. Justin's eyes were wide open as Rocky closed the door, leaving Justin in total darkness. "Good night."
*
Trini was sitting on her bed, talking with Richie over the phone. The two had been communicating non-stop for the last few days, whether it was in person, passing notes in class, sending e-mails, talking on the phone, or merely staring into each other's eyes.

"It's getting late, Richie," Trini said, wishing she could talk longer. "I love you, too. But I'll see you in the morning... I know, I can't wait that long, either... Good night... No, you hang up first... No, you.."

"Both of you hang up," Trini's father said as he picked up the phone. "Good night, you two."
*
Christian tossed and turned in his bed, and finally sat up, looking over at the clock. It was only 11 o'clock, and he still wasn't able to get any sleep. He kept thinking about the letter he'd received from his family in Australia a few days ago. The letter that he knew would come sooner or later, but still hurt when he read it.

Christian knew he wouldn't be able to get anymore sleep for a while, so he got out of his bed, pulled his communicator and a tank top, and teleported to the Command Center in his pajamas.
*
Jeremy woke up a few minutes before midnight and headed downstairs to the kitchen for a drink. He poured a glass of juice and was soon ready to head back upstairs when he saw a letter sitting on the table. A letter that was written on 'Silver Hills Asylum' stationery. The very place that Jeremy had spent the last year and a half for attempted suicide.

"No," Jeremy said as he dropped the letter and backed up. He closed his eyes and prayed he'd read the letter wrong. "Please, God, don't let it be true."

Just then, the clock struck midnight, as the dark mist in the crystal ball began to take effect, spreading its magic all over the city of Angel Grove. Everyone asleep didn't realize what was happening as the black mist spread throughout the town.
*
Jason was sleeping peacefully in his own bedroom, dreaming of something he knew couldn't happen. He was dreaming of Kimberly, the person he was starting to get feelings for ever since he returned from the peace conference. The person he knew still loved Tommy with all her heart.
*
Kim was sound asleep in her bed, hugging an old teddy bear her father given to her tightly. She always kept the bear close, as it was the only thing of her father's that she had left since he moved out of town after the divorce.
*
Justin was sitting up, too afraid to go asleep. That coupled with the pain in his stomach was sure to keep him awake all night. He was wrapped in the blanket and was constantly making sure nothing was coming for him.
*
Rocky was sound asleep, comforted by the glow of his Homey D. Clown nightlight.
*
Trini and Richie, although several miles apart were dreaming of each other.
*
Lord Zedd's Moon Palace

"ZEDD!" Rita's screechy voice shouted as she looked through her telescope. "You'd better look at this!"

"What is it now, woman?" Zedd asked as he walked over and used his vision to look at the city of Angel Grove, finding it covered in black mist. "Who dares attack Angel Grove? We've laid claim to destroying it!"

"And have failed miserably!" Lokar replied as he appeared as a giant floating head outside of the palace. Lokar had spiky hair and dark markings under his eyes. "The Power Rangers are now helpless, trapped in their sleep. And I shall be the one to destroy them!"

"Dream on, Lokar!" Rita shouted. "You're only the hired help!"

"Very well, Lokar, make your pathetic attempt to destroy the Rangers," Zedd said as he thought about it. "But when the Rangers start beating you, don't expect any help from us!"

Lokar disappeared as Rita looked over at Zedd.

"Are you really going to let him destroy the Rangers? What about our plan to open the Abyss of Evil?" Rita asked.

"We can still open the abyss," Zedd said. "With the Rangers out of the way, we can easily kidnap the pure soul we need to open it. Goldar, gather the Putties and bring the Rangers to me!"
*
Jeremy was sitting with his head down on the table. He'd gone over the letter a dozen times, and it said the same thing every time.

The asylum board had discovered that Jason, the one who claimed responsibility for Jeremy and signed the paperwork to release him, was still a minor himself. That coupled with a conversation with Jeremy's mother, a woman who bitterly hated him, made them reach the decision that Jeremy would have to be returned to the asylum for further analysis.

"I can't go back," Jeremy told himself as he raised his head off the table, with tears running down his face. "I won't. I'll run away before that happens."

It was then that Jeremy saw a Putty sneak past the kitchen window. He quickly ran to the door and looked outside, just as a Putty punched him backward, as several more rushed in, followed by Goldar.

"This is our first stop!" Goldar said as he grabbed a banana off the table and ate it, peel and all. "Get Jason and Jeremy, then we'll go to Rocky's!"

"Surprise, dog ace!" Jeremy said as he punched a Putty in its 'Z', causing it to shatter. He looked around for a weapon and picked up a rolling pin. He was barefoot, wearing maroon pajama bottoms and a red t-shirt, with his morpher all the way up in the guest room.

"How did you escape Lokar's sleep spell!" Goldar shouted.

"Sleep spell?" Jeremy asked. "I don't know, but I'm feeling wide awake, and more than ready to kick your-"

Two Putties grabbed him from behind and sent Jeremy flying over the counter sitting in the middle of the kitchen. He quickly stood up and slid back over and swung the rolling pin at one Putty while punching another that was coming up behind him. He stepped on the Putty's foot that was standing in front of him, then swung the pin again, knocking him back, then punched him in the 'Z' with his free hand.

The last two Putties ran toward him, but Jeremy did a split, causing them to ram into each other. He got back up and kicked one Putty in the 'Z', then touched the last one with the edge of the rolling pin, shattering them both at once.

"Face me, Red Ranger!" Goldar shouted as he pulled out his sword. He swung, slicing the rolling pin in Jeremy's hand. The top half slid off as Jeremy just stood there, before tossing the other half at Goldar's face.

Jeremy raced for the stove and grabbed an empty pan and slammed it into Goldar's chest, then swung around and hit him in the face, knocking him back into the counter.

"You can't save all your friends!" Goldar shouted as he disappeared. Jeremy looked out the window and saw the black mist all over the ground, and getting higher.

He raced up to Jason's room and tried to get his cousin to wake up, but had no luck. After a few minutes of trying, he finally ran back to his room and grabbed his communicator and a pair of sneakers.
*
The Power Chamber

Jeremy arrived seconds later and found Christian sitting in a chair, watching the viewing screen.
Jeremy said nothing as he snuck up behind Christian and saw he was watching a family gathered around the dinner table. A mother, a father, a teenage girl, and a smaller boy. They looked happy, but there was something... missing.

"Christian?" Jeremy asked as the boy jumped up. "What are you doing here?"

"I- I couldn't sleep," Christian replied as he quickly hit a button, turning the viewing screen off. "What are you doing here this late?"

"There's something bad going down in town," Jeremy told him. "Some kind of black mist is all over the place, and I can't get Jason or his parents to wake up. I was going to see if Alpha could tell me what's going on."

"Alpha's recharging," Christian said as he stood up. "He won't be up and about until at least seven o'clock. But why don't we see what the computer has to say?"

"Okay, how do we work this thing?" Jeremy asked.

"Let's just randomly push buttons," Christian replied. "That seems to work for Alpha."
*
Justin was still sitting in his room, still too scared to go back to sleep, and too scared to get up and run to Rocky's room to beat the hell out of him for scaring him in the first place.

He didn't realize that the Putty Patrollers were downstairs and on their way up. One Putty accidentally knocked over a lamp, and the noise was just enough to scare the boy more than he already was. Justin, still wrapped in the blanket so that only his head was visible, ran as fast as he could toward Rocky's room.

He slammed the door as soon he ran through and jumped into the bed with Rocky, still shaking. As soon as he entered the room, all the lights turned on, due to his newfound power.

"Rocky, wake up," Justin said as he shook his brother. "Wake up!"

The doorknob started to turn as Justin watched, causing him to shriek in terror as he fell down on the mattress to try to play dead. The Putties rushed in, followed by Goldar as Justin sat up.

"Wait a minute, why am I scared of you guys?" Justin asked as he looked at Goldar. "For a minute there, I thought it was a real monster."

"I'll show you what a real monster can do!" Goldar shouted as he pulled out his sword. Justin pushed Rocky off the bed and stood up on the mattress.

"Let me know when he gets here," Justin said as Goldar swung his sword. Justin moved to the side and when his guard was lowered, Justin jumped onto Goldar's back and held on.

"I will kill you!" Goldar shouted as he struggled to stab the boy. Justin then licked his two index fingers and prepared to stick them into Goldar's ears.

"WET WILLY!" Justin shouted, but just as he stuck his fingers in, a surge of energy blew Justin off of Goldar's back, as the monster screamed in pain from the electrocution he'd just received. Justin flew back and slammed into the wall, knocking him unconscious before he hit the floor, as Goldar held his head in pain.

The monster and the Putties disappeared just as Christian and Jeremy arrived, finding both Rocky and Justin on the floor.

"We're too late for the party," Jeremy said as he looked around. "But at least they're still here."
"Should we take them back to the Command Center?" Christian asked.

"Yeah," Jeremy replied. "You get them, I'll get Jason and we'll meet back there in a few minutes."

"What about Kim and Trini?" Christian asked as he picked Justin up. "What if they're the next targets?"

"We'll keep an eye on them from the Command Center in case Goldar tries anything, but personally," Jeremy said as he looked around and lowered his voice. "I think they'd stake us, burn our corpses, and spread our ashes over an Indian burial ground if we snuck into their rooms this late."

"Good point," Christian replied.
*
"You are SUCH a baby!" Zedd shouted as Goldar tried to get his ears to stop ringing. "You can't even beat the Rangers in their sleep!"

"What!?" Goldar shouted.

"Let me try, Lord Zedd," Scorpina said as she bowed.

"What other choice do I have?" Zedd asked, then sighed as he waved her away. "Go, and do not fail me."
*
Shortly, Jeremy and Christian were going over the information they'd gathered since Jeremy's fight with Goldar.

"Well, according to the computers, this black mist is a sleeping agent," Christian read off the printout. "It'll put anyone who's already asleep into a deep trance."

"Which means that as long as we stay awake, this stuff can't hurt us," Jeremy concluded as Christian started to yawn. Jeremy smacked him as hard as he could.

"What the hell?" Christian asked as he rubbed the side of his face.

"Had to be done," Jeremy replied. "We can't afford to fall asleep."

Christian was about to retaliate when the alarms went off, and the image of a fifty-story tall Scorpina appeared on the viewscreen, headed toward Angel Grove.

"I'm the only one who has a zord," Jeremy said as he looked at a monitor, where Jason, Rocky, and Justin were sleeping in the medbay. "Keep an eye on them and try to find a way to break this spell."

"Just don't fall asleep at the wheel," Christian told him as Jeremy reached for his morpher.

"It's Morphin' Time!"

TYRANNOSAURUS!

TYRANNOSAURUS RED DRAGON THUNDERZORD POWER!
*
Scorpina, in her monster form, had her sword drawn as she headed toward the city when the Red Dragon Thunder Zord blocked her.

"You Rangers never give up, do you?" Scorpina asked as she rushed toward the Red Dragon, who pulled out its bo staff.

"The Rangers will still be here fifteen years from now," Jeremy replied as his zord twirled its staff. "And odds are you'll be dust by then.”

Scorpina brought her sword down as the Red Dragon blocked with it's staff, as the two struggled. Scorpina managed to push the zord backward, then used her tail to swipe the Red Dragon, sending it to the ground.

"Jeremy's in trouble," Christian said as he started looking over the information he had. "According to this, the only way to break the spell is to shatter the object housing the spell's magic. That means I'd have to track down where ever this Lokar guy is hiding. Where does he hang out, anyway?"

Christian started playing with the computer again, hoping he'd stumble across a way to wake the others up. Soon he came across the information he needed.

Lokar was watching Scorpina and Jeremy fighting from his home in another dimension. His plan was coming along perfectly. With Zedd and the Rangers distracted, Lokar was now free to work on his true agenda.

The Red Dragon Zord picked itself up and charged toward Scorpina, who turned and swung her tail at Jeremy, shocking the zord.

"Systems failing, losing power," Jeremy said as he looked at the controls. "And the radio's busted. You're gonna pay if I miss any good songs!"

Jeremy started pushing buttons to try to divert power to keep fighting and hoped Christian was finding a way to send help.
*
The Black Ranger arrived in a darkly lit dimension, only lit by fiery pools of lava around the place. There was a dense fog covering the ground, and there was no sign of life anywhere.

"Yeah, this is where I'd expect an evil mastermind to hang out," Christian said as he carefully walked along, not realizing Lokar had noticed his arrival.

"Hello, Black Ranger," Lokar's voice boomed as Christian looked around. "You must have come for the relic."

A fiery explosion occurred twenty yards in front of Christian, and when the flames died down, the relic was sitting in the open.

"If you want it, come and get it," Lokar challenged the teen. "It's right here, all you have to do is take it."

Christian slowly made his way toward the idol, when he heard a voice calling out to him.

"Christian," The voice said as Christian turned around, and saw a boy about his age walking toward him. The boy had dark blonde hair, and was dressed in camping gear, and was soaking wet. "Why didn't you save me?"

"No," Christian said as he backed away. "This is all... this is all an illusion."

"The closer you get to the relic, the more your deepest fears will come to life!" Lokar evilly laughed. "Your mind will be destroyed before you can even lay one finger on the relic!"
*
Scorpina and the Red Dragon Zord were still fighting, and Scorpina was winning, as Jeremy grew more and more tired.

"I can't stay awake too much longer," Jeremy said as he started to yawn. "I'm going to have to do something quick before I fall asleep."

Scorpina rushed toward the zord, and was about to deliver another series of strikes with her sword when Jeremy spun to the side and hit her with his bo staff.

"Time to end this," Jeremy said as he raised his hand. "I call upon the power of Titanus!"

Titanus the Carrier Zord came crashing through a mountain as the Red Dragon Zord jumped into the seat of the gigantic zord, and immediately opened fire on Scorpina, knocking her to the ground in defeat.

"This isn't over, Ranger!" Scorpina said as she disappeared.

Jeremy was trying his best to keep awake as he rushed back to the Command Center to see if Christian had found anything.
*
Christian was struggling to stay focused and was finding it hard with his deepest fears coming to life.

"It's all just in my head," Christian said as he moved closer, and found a smaller boy with blonde hair standing in front of him.

"I hate you," The boy said with a heavy Australian accent. "You're the reason everything bad is happening."

"No," Christian said as his parents approached.

"You're not my son!" Mr. Hillard said as he pointed his finger at Christian. "You're an embarrassment to this family!"

Christian fell to his knees as the boy in the camping gear came closer to him.

"I was only trying to help you," The boy said as he kneeled next to Christian. He looked up and saw the boy's flesh was rotting. "Now see what you did!"

Christian took off his helmet as a nauseous feeling came over him, and tried to get closer to the relic, as his family followed, insulting and belittling him, blaming him for everything that had happened.

"The closer you get, the more you will weaken," Lokar said as Christian looked up from the ground.

"Thanks for the tip," Christian said as he pulled out his power ax and stood up. "If I can't get close to the relic, then I'll just do the job from here."

The boy tossed his power ax, hurling it at the relic, smashing it on impact. The relic shattered, as the dark magic inside vaporized. As soon as the relic was smashed, Christian's family disappeared, fading away into nothingness.
*
On Earth, the black mist was fading away, as the citizens of Angel Grove began to wake up, not realizing the danger they had been in the previous night.

"You will not leave this place alive!" Lokar shouted as thunder was heard in the background, and the ground started to shake. Cracks started to form in the ground as Christian grabbed his helmet and teleported away.

Christian arrived back in the Command Center and landed on his stomach. He looked up and saw Jason, Justin, and Rocky standing around in their pajamas.

"What THE HELL is going on?" Rocky asked.

"We'll explain in the morning," Jeremy said as he yawned, and looked at the clock. It was now 6:00. "Son of a-"
*
"The Rangers broke the spell," Zedd said as he looked down at the Earth. "Lokar's plan has failed!"
"Has it?" Lokar asked as his giant floating head appeared outside of Zedd's palace. "The Rangers may have broken the sleeping spell, but thanks to your distraction, they weren't able to stop from achieving my true goal.”

"And what goal was that?" Zedd asked. "What could possibly be more important than destroying the Rangers?"

"Freeing the Master," Lokar replied as Rita got a scared look on her face. "A job that YOU should be trying to accomplish. While the Rangers were distracted, I was able to perform a powerful spell that would have otherwise been detected in the Morphin' Grid."

"The Master has been missing for thousands of years," Zedd told the giant floating head. "No one even knows where he is!"

"HE knows," Lokar said as he disappeared. "And when he comes, you will know true evil."

"The Master's second in command is coming... here?" Rita asked with panic in her voice. "He's even badder than you are!"

"No one is badder than me!" Zedd said as his body started to glow with a furious rage. "Let that blowhard try to overthrow me! In the meantime, we must hurry and open the Abyss as soon as possible. We shall need its energy to find and free the Master before anyone else."

Zedd turned and headed toward the exit, then turned back around.

"It is now a race against time," Zedd said as he looked back. "Whoever frees the Master will be rewarded greatly, and I intend to be the one to do it."
*
"How are you feeling?" Rocky asked as Justin came downstairs, ready to go to the Youth Center.

"A little better," Justin said as he pulled Rocky down by his collar. "No more bedtime stories."

Christian sat in the Youth Center as he read the crumpled letter again.

"What are you reading?" Richie asked as he sat down next to him. Christian shoved the letter in his pocket.

"Just a letter from home," Christian silently said as Richie put his hand on Christian's knee.

"You look kind of bummed," Richie said. "A little sparring should cheer you right up."

"Alright," Christian said with a smile. At least he had one good thing in his life going for him currently.
*
Jeremy had slept until one o'clock the following afternoon, after having filled Jason in on what happened earlier, so Jason had let him sleep late just this once. Both had forgotten about the letter from Silver Hills, at least until Jason had a talk with his parents just before Jeremy came downstairs.

"You lied to us," Austin Scott said as he sat with Jason's mother, Darla. "Why didn't you tell us about Jeremy?"

"Because I didn't know how you'd take it," Jason replied, not being able to look his parents in the eye. "I... I thought I could handle this. I didn't think this could happen."

"If you'd have told us about this sooner...," Jason's dad said as a knock came at the door, just as Jeremy was walking down the stairs, dressed and ready to go to the Youth Center to work out, his morpher stashed in his back pocket. "I'm afraid it's out of our hands."

Mr. Scott opened the door as two men in white walked in, just as Jeremy arrived at the bottom of the stairs.

"No," Jeremy said as he realized what was about to happen, and looked over at Jason, and started to get nervous. "Please."

"Dad," Jason started to say as the two men grabbed Jeremy before he could run. "We can work something out, don't do this!"

"I don't want to go back!" Jeremy said as one of the men pumped a sedative into Jeremy's arm as he cried out. "Jason!"

"This was his mother's decision," Mr. Scott said as he held Jason back to keep the men in white from getting hurt. "She's still his legal guardian, and she wants him back in the hospital. There's nothing we can do."

The two men carried Jeremy out to the van, which was headed to the airport to transport the boy back to Texas that afternoon. Jason ran out onto the lawn just in time to see the van drive away.

"I'm sorry," Jason said as he closed his eyes. "I'm so sorry."

Chapter Text

Jeremy was sitting in the rec room of the Silver Hills Asylum, playing chess with an older woman, who was there because she thought she was a toaster.

"Checkmate," Jeremy said as he moved his piece. The woman sat there for a moment, then threw two pieces of bread at Jeremy before walking away.

"Drake, you have a visitor,," The orderly said as Jeremy stood up. He was wearing a white t-shirt and powder blue pajama bottoms, and a pair of brown slippers. His hair was mussed and he had a sad expression on his face as he walked toward the visitor's area, where he got a huge surprise.

"JASON!" Jeremy shouted as he hugged his cousin. Tears started flowing as he held tight. "You came for me."

Jason looked down at his young cousin and said in a calm voice. "That's right. I came for you."

Before Jeremy could say anything, he felt a sharp pain in his stomach. He backed up and found Jason had plunged a knife into him. Jason pulled it out as blood began to flow from the wound. Jeremy looked up in shock, his hands covered in the red substance as he looked up at his cousin with a saddened look on his face.

"Why?"

Jason shot straight up in his bed as he screamed. He was nervously shaking as he looked around and found he had fallen asleep on Jeremy's bed.

*
Angel Grove Youth Center

It was a busy day at the Juice Bar, and Ernie, Richie, and Christian were frantically trying to keep up with the customers. The tables and seats at the counter were all filled with paying customers, and so far Richie and Christian were making a pretty decent amount on tips alone.

Rocky and Justin were out on the training floor with Trini, who was helping train the boy in self-defense. The three were doing a kata together, and Justin was coming along pretty well in his training.

Kim was sitting with Tommy, Adam, and Aisha, who were going over books of different places to visit in Tokyo.

"So, when do you guys head out?" Kim asked as she looked over one of the books.

"In about two weeks," Tommy replied as he read over a book on Japanese customs. "We'll be leaving the weekend after school lets out. I just hope I can get used to eating sushi in that amount of time."

"It'll be weird spending our senior year at a new high school," Adam said as he looked at a book on Japanese traditions. "Especially one where you have to learn a whole new language."

"You guys are going to keep in contact with us, right?" Aisha asked as she looked over at Kim. "I feel bad leaving with Zordon still missing."

"Alpha's working on finding him," Kim told them. "As soon as he can reconstruct Zordon's energy tube, we can work on bringing him back. But we'll keep you guys in the loop."

Just then, a man came up and put his hands over Kim's eyes.

"Guess who?"

"Ben?" Kim asked as the man removed his hands. She looked up and let out a scream before jumping up to hug him. "Dad!"

"Hello, Princess," Kim's father said as Trini, Rocky, and Justin came up to the table. "These must be your friends. Trini and Tommy I remember."

"This is Rocky, Adam, Aisha, and Rocky's brother Justin," Kim said as she introduced them. "It's such a-"

"Surprise that I'm here?" David Hart said as he lowered his voice. "Can we go somewhere and talk in private?"

*
Jason arrived in the Command Center, as Alpha was finishing the repairs on the computer system.

"There," Alpha said as he pushed the button, and lights came back on. "The Command Center is 100% back online. The damaged Thunderzords should be completely operational in a matter of hours."

"Alpha," Jason said as the robot turned around. "I don't know if I can do this anymore."

"What's the matter, Jason?" Alpha asked as Jason pulled out his power coin.

"I'm not a leader," Jason replied as Alpha approached him. "I lost Jeremy. I let them take him without a fight."

"That wasn't your fault," Alpha said as he tried to console Jason. "You'll find a way to bring Jeremy back, you'll see."

"Poor kid's probably miserable," Jason said as he thought about what Jeremy was going through right now.

*
Silver Hills Asylum

"I've been here almost a year, and I'm still no closer to being cured," Wes Collins said as laid on his bed, staring at the ceiling. "All the medication, all the therapy, and nothing."

"You know, outside of the reason they put you in here," Jeremy said as he rolled over on his bed across the room and looked over at Wes. "You seem pretty sane."

"It scares me," Wes said as he continued to stare at the ceiling. "Every time I close my eyes, I see it. Every time I turn around, I see it. It won't leave me alone."

"What won't leave you alone?" Jeremy asked.

Wes looked at Jeremy, and at the foot of his bed... it was there, staring back at Wes.

"He's coming to kill you, Wes..."

"Wes?" Jeremy asked as he sat up and walked over to his friend. "You're seeing it again, aren't you?"

"Yes," Wes said as he looked up at Jeremy. "But you know what? It's not as scary when you're around."

*

"Dad, you look upset," Kim said as the two stood in the hallway of the Youth Center. "Is everything alright?"

"It's your brother," David said as he turned away. "He's run away. I think he's come to Angel Grove."

"Oh my God," Kim said as she tried to stay calm. "Why would he run away?"

"He's dying," David replied as Kimberly gasped. "He doesn't have much time left, so we have to find him as soon as possible."

"What's wrong with him?" Kim asked.

"It's a long story," Kim's father said as he put his hands on her shoulders.

"Promise me you won't tell anyone about Cody's condition. I don't want your mother getting upset."

"She doesn't know?" Kim asked. "Does she even know Cody's in town?"

"No, I came directly here from the airport," David said. "I'd appreciate it if you and your friends would help me search. I'm leaving right now to search."

"Of course," Kim said as she headed back toward the juice bar as her father held up his wristwatch and spoke into it.

"We'll have the boy soon," David said as he watched his daughter talk to her friends. "Have the boys ready to move out."

*
16-year-old Cody Hart came to a rest inside of an abandoned building and carefully looked out the window to make sure he hadn't been followed. He had short brown hair and looked almost like his sister, and was wearing a green tank top, black pants, and black army boots.

Cody was sweating and was out of breath as he felt a sharp pain run through his body. He'd returned to Angel Grove to seek his sister's help, only he had no idea where to find her.

"Kim, where are you?" Cody asked himself as he realized he had to keep moving.

*

Lord Zedd's Moon Palace

"Aw, poor Kimberly's brother is sick!" Rita said as she watched the situation through her Repulsa-scope. "We can use that brat to lure the Rangers into a trap!"

"Yes, and if he's as sick as Kimberly's father says, he shouldn't be hard to capture," Zedd said as he used his visor to look down at the Earth. "Goldar, bring me Kimberly's brother while the Putties distract the Rangers!"
*
The Putties arrived in the parking lot of the Youth Center and waited for the Rangers to exit, just as Kim, Rocky, Trini, and Justin were headed out. Kim had convinced Rocky, Trini, and Justin to help in the search, and Richie and Christian would join in when their shift ended.

"Mom and Dad never really kept in contact after the divorce," Kim said as the group walked along. "Dad took Cody to live with him in New York a few years ago, and I stayed with Mom. I haven't seen Cody in almost three years. I don't want to lose him like this."

"He'll be alright, Kim," Trini said as she pulled Kim in for a hug. "We'll do whatever we can to help."

"Why don't we go to the Command Center and find him with the equipment there?" Rocky asked. "It'd be better than searching the whole city."

"I hadn't thought of that," Kim replied. "But I'd feel better if some of us were searching on foot, though. Maybe we could contact Alpha and-"

Just then, the Putties jumped out and surprised them.

"Great," Trini said as the group rushed forward. "Just what we didn't need."

The Putties attacked as soon as they saw the Rangers. A Putty swung at Trini, who ducked backward, and returned the punch before kicking the Putty back, then punched the Putty in its 'Z', shattering it.

Kim rushed forward and kicked a Putty several times in the chest before doing a spin kick, knocking it back against the wall, then punched it's 'Z'.

Two Putties grabbed Rocky's arms, but he swung them into each other, then did a spin kick to knock both of them back, then flipped forward and hit both of their 'Z's.

A Putty was rushing towards Justin, who kept backing up as the Putty swung at him. He was finally backed up against the wall and tried to punch, but instead sent a blast of energy directly into the Putty's 'Z', destroying it on impact.

"Whoa," Justin said as he looked at his knuckles, which were bleeding. He quickly put his hand behind his back as Rocky approached.

The last of the Putties were soon destroyed as the three teens looked around to make sure no more were there to surprise them.

"That was a distraction," Kim realized. "But from what?"

*

Cody was headed toward the Juice Bar, hoping Kim would be there, when Goldar grabbed him by the neck and pulled him back.

"Look what I found!" Goldar shouted as he lifted Cody up. "We have big plans for you!"

"Let my son go," David said as he pulled a gun out and fired at Goldar, but the bullets only bounced off of his armor. Goldar laughed as he walked toward David, still holding Cody in the air.

"He is now the property of Lord Zedd!" Goldar told him as Cody struggled to break free. "And no one can stop me from taking him!"

It was then that Kim and Trini arrived and saw what was happening, then ducked into an alley to morph.

PTERODACTYL!

SABERTOOTHED TIGER!

They rushed back out and drew their weapons, but before they could attack, Cody got a mean look on his face and a fierce look in his eyes, then grabbed Goldar's arm and twisted it, forcing him to drop the boy.

"How did you-" Goldar started to say before Cody picked Goldar up and tossed him across the street.

"Cody," David said as he put the gun away and pulled out a tranquilizer. "Son. Just stay where you are, and I'll-"

Cody looked over at his father, then saw the Pink and Yellow Power Rangers rushing toward him with their weapons drawn. He walked over, picked up a car, and tossed it at the trio. Kim pushed her father out of the way as Cody started to run.

"You've got to stop him," David told the Pink Ranger, not realizing who it was. "In his current mental state, he's dangerous to everyone in Angel Grove."

Kim didn't say anything as she and Trini rushed off and teleported to the Command Center, where Jason, Rocky, and Justin were waiting.

"I don't think my dad was being totally honest with me about Cody," Kim said as she took off her helmet. "He didn't mention the ability to pick up cars and toss them at us."

"You've got to find out what we're dealing with," Jason said as he looked at the group. "Kim, find out what he knows. The rest of us will find Cody and try to contain him."

"Be careful," Kim told her friends. "He's dangerous... but he's my brother."

"We'll bring him in without hurting him, I promise. We'll need Christian to join us as soon as he can," Jason said as he looked at Justin. "Justin, you up for a fight?"

"Sure, I can-" Justin started to say as he fell forward. Rocky rushed toward his side and rolled Justin over as the boy sat up. "Sorry, I just got a little dizzy."

It was then that blood started to trickle down Justin's nose. Trini handed him a tissue as Rocky helped him stand.

"I think you'd better sit this one out," Alpha said as he helped Justin to a chair. "I'll stay here with him."

"Alright, guys," Jason said as he and Rocky held their morphers up. "IT'S MORPHIN' TIME!"

TIGERZORD!

TRICERATOPS!

*
"Did you see what that brat did to Goldar with his bare hands?" Zedd asked. "I want him brought to me immediately! Forget luring the Rangers into a trap, we'll turn the boy into one of my minions and have him destroy the Rangers! We just need the perfect monster to do the job."

*

Cody was running through the downtown area and was starting to calm down. His heart was racing faster and faster as he looked for a place to hide, just as Jason, Rocky, and Trini arrived.

"Cody, we just want to talk," Jason said as the three approached. "We don't want to fight."

"No," Cody said as he backed up. "Everyone wants to fight me. No one wants to listen to what I have to say. Nobody wants AHH!"

Cody grabbed his head in pain as he fell to his knees.

"Cody, we can help you," Trini said as the group came closer. "Kim asked us to-"

"Kim?" Cody asked as he raised his head. "Is she- is she alright? I need to talk to Kim. She's the only one who-"

A gunshot was heard as the three Rangers looked up and saw a group of heavily armed soldiers approach.

"We'll take it from here," The head soldier said as he raised his gun and aimed it at Cody's head. "This won't hurt a bit."

"Damn straight it won't," Jason said as he tossed Saba, slicing the gun in two. "You're not taking Cody until we get an explanation."

The soldiers raised their guns at the Rangers as Rocky leaned over toward Jason.

"Are we bulletproof?"

"You know," Jason said as he thought about it. "It's never come up."

The soldiers were about to open fire when a stray blast struck, creating a monster from the gun that Jason had sliced in two. He stood six feet tall and had a gun barrel for a head, and a trigger on his chest.

"Time to bite the bullet, Rangers!" The monster shouted as he bent over and started firing at the three Rangers, who ducked behind a car.

"I'm now officially in favor of gun control," Rocky said as he leaned back against the car.

*

Jeremy looked down at the food they expected him to eat, which looked like it already had been eaten, digested, then re-served.

"It's not so bad," Wes said as Jeremy thought he saw it try to move. "Just pretend like it's something good."

"My imagination isn't that strong," Jeremy told him.

*

"Dad," Kim said as she found her father walking up the steps to her house. "We need to talk."

"Have you found Cody?" David asked as Kimberly walked up to him.

"What did you do to him?" Kim asked as David just laughed.

"What do you mean?" David asked as Kim threw him against the door.

"I saw that stunt with the car," Kim said as she grabbed him by the collar. "And those guns you carry obviously aren't just for show. I love you, Dad, but I'll do anything to save Cody. Now, what did you do to him?"

David just sighed. "Let's go inside, where we can talk privately. What I have to tell you is top-secret information. I could be killed for—“

"Cody's already dying," Kim told him. "I need to know why and how so I can find a way to help him."

"It started after your brother and I moved to New York," David explained as the two walked inside.
*

I was only a low-level engineer working for a top-secret military installation. Our purpose was to come up with new ideas for homeland security. Preventing acts of terrorism and making the world a safer place was our main objective.

Then news of the Power Rangers started spreading across the country. A small group of superheroes based out of Angel Grove was making headlines and the U.S. Government wanted in.

Well, not just the U.S. Government. Countries around the world are now working on formulating Ranger powers of their own. No one's come close in the slightest way, except for an experimental serum made by our boys here in the states. If made right, the serum would grant superhuman strength, cat-like reflexes, and an immediate healing factor.

But the serum couldn't be tested because it was deemed too dangerous and was supposed to have been was before Cody was involved in a car accident. You and your mother were never told because of what happened next.
Cody was near death and would have died that night. I'd do anything to save him. So I gave him the serum. It took less than two hours for him to get out of his hospital bed and stand on his own. He was the picture of health, but he was also now part of the experiment, whether he wanted it or not.

Tests were run, experiments were performed. Cody passed all of our expectations. He was going to be the first manufactured Power Ranger. The first of what we hoped to be many super soldiers.

But then a few months ago, the problems started. Cody started to become more aggressive and violent to everyone around him. He would pass out several times in a day. Painful migraines, body spasms, and more would strike him during the day. But that wasn't the worst part.

If Cody didn't take the serum at least once every 72 hours, he'd die. It's been 70 hours since his last injection. If he doesn't take the serum in the next two hours, we'll lose him.

*

David opened a pouch and held up a syringe with a green substance.

"This is what Cody needs to live,"

"You used Cody as a lab rat," Kim said as she sat at the table with her father. "You didn't think about what that junk would do to him. Didn't even bother telling me or mom what was going on."

"I was acting in everyone's best interest," David replied as he took Kim's hand. "I just wanted to save my family."

"Yet you divorced mom, took her son to New York, and didn't tell us when he was dying?" Kim asked in disbelief as she pulled her hand away. She grabbed the pouch from her father.

"Where are you going?" David asked.

"I'm going to save Cody," Kim said as she looked back. "Then we're all going to have a long talk about what you did to him."

*

The soldiers were firing at the Rifle monster, but the bullets were having no effect. The monster opened fire and sent the soldiers running as Jason, Rocky, and Trini rushed forward with their weapons drawn.

Jason sliced at the monster with Saba, but the monster stepped to the side as Rocky swung his lance. The monster ducked and hit Trini as she was about to use her daggers, then knocked Jason and Rocky off.

"We could really use some help right now," Jason said as the Rifle monster charged, just as Christian jumped in and swung his power ax down, knocking the monster back.

"Sorry I'm late," Christian said as he ran up to the others. "The Youth Center was busier than usual. Made a ton of tips today."

The Rifle Monster prepared to fire when Cody rammed into it and started pounding on the creature.

"This is new," Christian said as the Rangers rushed to help Cody as a squad of Putties showed up.
*

"Bring me that boy!" Zedd shouted as he watched the battle unfold.

*
The Rangers tried to fight through the Putties as the Rifle Monster knocked Cody off of him, and prepared to blast him when a shot from Kim's energy arrow blasted him back into the wall.

"Cody, you have to take this serum," The Pink Ranger said as Cody backed away.

"No, I won't," Cody said as the Rifle Monster blasted both of them, knocking the two of them to the ground. "I'm tired of being an experiment."

Just as the Rifle Monster was about to get close to them, the Green Ranger jumped in and kicked the monster in its chest.

"Are you alright?" Rocky asked as he punched a Putty.

"Still feeling a little dizzy," Justin replied as he did a spin kick to knock the monster off balance. "But you guys could use some help."

"Cody, please," Kim said. "I can't lose you."

"What do you mean?" Cody asked as Kim made sure no civilians were around and took off her helmet. "Oh my God..."

"You don't have much time," Kim said as she handed Cody the syringe. "Please."

Justin was sent flying back and hit the wall as the Rangers grouped together.

"Go back to the Command Center," Rocky said as he helped Justin up. "We'll take it from here."

Justin nodded as he teleported away. Kim put her helmet back on as she stood up, and the group drew their weapons.

*

"We're going to need a bigger gun," Zedd said as he tossed a grenade down to Earth, causing the monster to grow to over fifty stories tall.

*

"Let's hurry up and take this guy down," Jason said as he looked at the Rangers. "Alpha said your zords should be back online, so let's put them to the test."

Mastadon Lion Thunderzord Power!

Pteradactyl Firebird Thunderzord Power!

Triceratops Unicorn Thunderzord Power!

Saber-toothed Tiger Griffin Thunderzord Power!

White Tiger Thunderzord Power!

*

Cody slumped back against the wall, and held the syringe, his hand nervously shaking.

*

The Thunderzords raced into battle, as the Rangers teleported into the cockpits. The Lion, the Firebird, the Unicorn, and The Griffin merged with the Tigerzord to form the Mega Tigerzord, as the Rangers sat in the cockpit, with each Ranger controlling a different part of the Megazord.

"Time for some gun control," Jason said as the Mega Tigerzord pulled out its power sword and stomped toward the monster.

The Rifle monster bent over and fired several blasts from its barrels, but the Mega Tigerzord deflected the blasts, then sliced into the monster, sending it crashing to the ground.

"Let's finish this so I can get back to Cody," Kim said as the others agreed.

The Mega Tigerzord charged up its power sword, and used its finishing move on the monster, causing it to explode in a giant fireball. The Mega Tigerzord turned around put its sword back in its sheath.

*

"This isn't over, Rangers," Zedd as he watched his latest monster get destroyed. "Soon, the Abyss of Evil will be opened, then I will be unstoppable!"
*

Kim demorphed in an alley, and ran back to find Cody leaning back against the wall of the building. She kneeled down next to him, finding the syringe of serum shattered against the wall behind him.

"Cody, please tell me you took some of it," Kim said as she took Cody's hand. "Please don't die."

"I've been dead since the car accident," Cody weakly said as he looked up at his sister. "Dad was just kept me on life support."

"We'll find a cure for you," Kim said as she felt Cody's grip weaken. "Just hang on."

"I'm tired," Cody said as he stared forward. "I'm just going to close my eyes and go to sleep."

Kimberly cried uncontrollably as her brother's grip weakened, his hand finally falling out of hers.
*

Jeremy stared up at the ceiling and wondered what Jason and his friends were up to. If they even thought about him anymore.

"What are you thinking about?" Wes asked as he stared across the room.

"About getting out of here," Jeremy replied as he continued to stare at the ceiling. "Neither of us belong here, Wes. You said it yourself, that you're not scared when you're with me. And the only reason I'm here is that my mom hates me."

"It's not like we can just walk out of here, " Wes replied. "The security guards and doctors might not like that."

"I'm getting out of here," Jeremy said as he rolled over to look at Wes. "And you can come if you want. Tomorrow we're breaking out."

"Don't do it, Wes!"

"Okay," Wes replied, ignoring what he thought was a figment of his imagination. "But where would we go?"

"Home," Jeremy replied as looked back toward the ceiling. "Come home with me, I'll take care of you."

*

Kimberly returned and found her parents sitting at the kitchen table.

"Cody's dead," Kim said as she headed toward the stairs. "In the end... he wanted to die. He wanted to die instead of being an experiment."

"Kim, I'm sorry," David started to say as Kim looked at him.

"Get out of Angel Grove," Kim told him. "I never want to see you again."

"I just-" David started to say as his ex-wife slapped him.

"You heard my daughter," Ms. Hart said. "Get out of town, and out of our lives."

David Hart exited the house, as he talked into his wristwatch.

"Clear out," David said as he took one last look at the house. "Objective complete... The Titanium Ranger Project is dead. Tell the higher-ups I'm now free for Operation Turbo."

David looked up and saw Kimberly staring back at him, before shutting the window. He turned around and headed for the airport.
*
The Command Center

"Are you sure about this, Jason?" Alpha asked.

"It's the only way," Jason said as he looked at the robot. "No one can know about this. Not until we find him a cure. Not until Cody is the same kid that Kimberly remembered before he left."

Jason and Alpha looked down at the sleeping boy in the cryogenic chamber, which was deep in the bowels of the Command Center. Alpha had determined that Cody had a small spark of life left in him, so Jason had retrieved his body and brought him to the Command Center.

"I have a reason to stay now," Jason replied now. "For Cody. And Kim. And Jeremy. The Rangers do need me. But I'm leaving town for a few days."
"Where are you going?" Alpha asked as Jason headed toward the door.

"Jeremy's mom is the reason that he's back in the asylum," Jason said as he turned around. "I'm going to Charterville. I'm getting our Red Ranger back."

Chapter Text

Angel Grove Youth Center

Richie and Christian were busy waiting tables, while Trini was spotting Kim on the balance beam.

"Did Jason say when he'd be back?" Kim asked as she did a somersault and landed gracefully.

"Charterville's only about a day's drive, so he should be back in about a day or so," Trini replied as she watched Richie waiting tables, impatiently waiting for his shift to end. "Do you think he'll bring Jeremy back with him?"

"I hope so," Kim said as she got off the beam. "I felt sorry for him, having to go back to that asylum. But Jason will bring him home."
*
Charterville

Jason knocked on the door of the suburban home and patiently waited. Soon a brunette woman opened the door and saw her nephew standing there.

"Hello, Aunt Tracy," Jason said. "I came to talk about Jeremy."

"Jeremy's where he's supposed to be," Tracy told him. "And there's nothing that's going to get him out of that place."
*
Silver Hills Asylum

"The patients are rioting!" The orderly shouted as the doctors were trying to calm everyone down. Patients were running down the halls and creating havoc, thanks to Jeremy.

"How did you manage to replace everyone's pills with M&M's?" Wes asked as the two snuck into the storage area.

"I've been stockpiling when they allow us candy," Jeremy replied. "Plus I snuck some paint out of the rec room, and with some modification, I made the candy look like the pills they usually give out to keep everyone calm."

"You're a genius," Wes said as Jeremy looked for the box with his personal belongings. "But what are we doing here?"

"We can't sneak out in our pajamas," Jeremy said as he found his clothes and his morpher in the back pocket of his pants. "Find your things, we're getting out of here."
*
Lord Zedd's Moon Palace

"With both the Red and White Rangers out of Angel Grove, we have a chance to destroy the Power Rangers once and for all!" Zedd said as he watched the teens in the Youth Center. "Goldar, prepare the Putties. We must wait for the proper moment to strike!"
*
The Command Center

Justin was sitting shirtless on a table in the medbay as Alpha ran the scanner over him.

"Justin's been having dizzy spells, and he's been having constant nose bleeds," Rocky said as Alpha put the scanner down. "We know it's got something to do with his new powers, and we can't hide it from our parents too much longer, especially with mom being pregnant. I don't want to worry her with this."

"I know what's wrong with Justin," Alpha said as Justin pulled his shirt on, and the two boys followed him to the Power Chamber. "When he jumped into that dimension of pure energy, he absorbed the energy, and it's getting to be too much for his body."

"So, we just have to shut off the power," Justin said. "How?"

"There's only way, but it's almost impossible," Alpha replied as he pushed buttons on the console.

"You'd have to go to the dimension where Justin absorbed the energy and try to disconnect him there. But it's impossible to find a portal to it anywhere on Earth."

"So, I have to sit back and watch my brother die?" Rocky asked. "I don't think so. Find a way to open the portal."

"I don't think I can-" Alpha started to say as Rocky looked at him.

"I've gone through too much hell to get back to my family, and I'll be damned if I lose my brother like this," Rocky said as he looked down at Justin. "Find a way, I don't care how you do it, or what it takes to do it."

"Rocky, I don't you want you getting hurt to help me," Justin said as Rocky stooped down so they could be face to face. "We're not even blood-related. Why are you willing to risk so much?"

"You're important to me," Rocky told the boy. "I've always wanted a little brother. Someone to watch out for. To hang out with. The day I found out you and I were going to be related... it felt good. It felt better than the day I became a Power Ranger. We don't need blood to know we're brothers. We just are."

Justin hugged him as he started to cry, as Alpha went back to work to find a way to open the portal.
Now more than ever, he wanted to make sure Justin would survive.
*
Jeremy and Wes entered a small coffee shop and sat at the counter.

"We can rest here for a while, then we have to keep moving," Jeremy said as he looked at the menu. "We have to get out of Texas."

"Where are we going to go?" Wes asked as he put down his menu and came face to face with... something.

"He's coming, Wes! He's coming to kill you!"

Wes closed his eyes and started to nervously shake as Jeremy looked over.

"Dude, chill," Jeremy said as he put a hand on Wes's shoulder. "Remember that talk we had about not drawing attention to ourselves?"

"Why am I still seeing it?" Wes asked. "For the last year and a half I've been seeing it, and no matter how many pills and needles they force on me, it's still there. Why?"

"What is it that you're seeing?" Jeremy asked. "Maybe if I knew what it was-"

"I don't know what it is," Wes replied as he looked at the counter, where it was still sitting. "It- it's like a little bluebird. Like one of those Furby things. And it comes and goes, like a t.v. channel."

Two police officers came in as Jeremy faced forward.

"Great," Jeremy said. "They must have found out we're missing already. We've got to try and sneak out of here."

The two officers came up and sat on opposite ends of the boys, and ordered a coffee and pie.
"What are you two doing here?" The first officer asked. "You're in a lot of trouble."

"We know," Jeremy said as he closed his eyes. "But if you knew why we had to get out of there-"

"Cutting class is a major offense," The second officer told them. "Leaving school is not cool."

"Wait, you think we're skipping school?" Jeremy asked with a laugh. "Wes, they think we're skipping school!"

"Well, that beats our real excuse for being here by a longshot," Wes replied as Jeremy covered his mouth.

"Gee, officer, we sure learned our lesson," Jeremy said as the two boys stood up and headed for the door. "We'll go back right now and continue our education. I can't wait to get back and learn some stuff."

The two boys ran as fast as they could down the street, as a call came in over the first officer’s walkie-talkie, describing the two boys who just left as being escapees from a mental ward.

"Oh damn!" The officer said as his partner ran out the door after him.
*
"Jeremy's been nothing but a thorn in my side since the day he was born," Tracy said as Jason continued to stand outside the door. "I hope that little bastard's suffering as much as he made me suffer."

"How can you say that about him?" Jason asked, growing angrier. "He's your son.”

"He was a mistake," Tracy told him. "He ruined my life. My future. My dreams. If I had the choice, I'd have removed the problem before it happened."

"You don't know anything about Jeremy, do you?" Jason asked. "You don't know what a great person he is. What he means to everyone in Angel Grove."

"I don't care," Tracy said as she tried to shut the door. "Jeremy can die in that place for all I care."

"Mom?" A voice asked from behind her. She turned around as an eleven-year-old boy with blonde hair, wearing a blue and black striped shirt and blue jean shorts, with blue high tops was standing at the staircase. "You said Jeremy was dead."
*
Rocky and Justin walked into the Youth Center and found their friends sitting at a table.

"Is it just me, or are things just a little too quiet today?" Kim asked.

"Yeah, you'd think Zedd would pull out all the stops with Jason and Jeremy gone," Rocky said as his communicator went off. "Oops, spoke too soon."

"Rocky, come back to the Command Center, and bring the others!" Alpha told him. "Hurry!"

Rocky, Trini, Kim, and Justin stood up and headed for the door as Richie headed over toward Christian.

"I'll cover for you," Richie said as Christian nodded and headed out with the others.
*
The Rangers returned to the Command Center, where Alpha was watching the news.

"This is Maria Selena Consuela Gonzalez Ribeiro Garcia Lopez Finklestein reporting from Silver Hills, where the search is on for two escaped mental patients."

Jeremy and Wes's picture appeared on the screen.

"They are considered to be very dangerous, so if they are spotted, call the police."

"Oh, man," Rocky said as he turned toward the others. "I wonder if Jason knows about this."

"Think we should try to find Jeremy?" Christian asked. "Maybe we can get through to him if he really has lost it."

"We can't leave Angel Grove unprotected," Trini told him. "Kim will go find Jason. Justin and Rocky will find Jeremy and keep him safe, you and I will stay behind and protect Angel Grove if Zedd attacks."

The Rangers agreed and teleported away, leaving Rocky and Christian standing there with Alpha.
*
"Zedd, three of the Rangers are leaving Angel Grove!" Rita said as she watched Rocky, Kim, and Justin teleport away through her Repulsa-scope.

"They must be up to something," Zedd said as he saw Trini and Christian teleporting back to Angel Grove. "The time to strike is now. With five Rangers away, we can easily take out the remaining two."
*
Rocky and Justin arrived in Silver Hills, just outside the asylum.

"Where do we start looking?" Justin asked.

"We're going to have to get into Jeremy's mindset," Rocky told him. "We have to think like him. We to have think about where he'd go."

"He'd want to get back to Angel Grove, where his only real friends are," Justin said. "The bus station!"

"Good thinking," Rocky said as the two ran off.
*
Meanwhile, at the Collin's Estate

"Master Myers has arrived, sir," Phillips, the kindly old butler said as a young man entered the room.
Eric Myers was 18, with black hair, and was dressed in a black and gray officer's uniform.

"Eric, I'm glad you're here," Edward Collins said as he turned around in his chair. He was in his mid-forties with thinning brown hair. "Wes is in trouble."

"I heard, sir," Eric told him. "I'm ready to deploy the troops at your command to bring him back."

"That won't be necessary," Mr. Collins said as he looked at Eric. "I've been thinking about it, and... this was perhaps the hardest decision I've ever had to make."

"What is, sir?" Eric asked as Mr. Collins motioned for him to sit down.

"I've talked with Wes's doctors, and it's not good," Mr. Collins told him. "My boy is dying, Eric. And there's nothing that can save him. Believe me, I have all the money in the world, and no one can do anything for him."

Eric looked like he was going to start crying as he sat in the chair.

"Wes was like my little brother," Eric said as he tried to hold his emotions back. "I can't believe this. There's nothing anyone can do?"

"No," Mr. Collins told him as he opened his desk drawer. "But there is something you can do. I won't watch my boy wither away and die. I want to spare him what his mother went through when we lost her."

"Sir, I don't get what you're-" Eric started to say as Mr. Collins passed him a box.

"This is something I had wanted to give Wesley when the time was right, but I think you far more deserving of this power," Mr. Collins said.

"Sir, I can't-" Eric started to say.

"Eric, you're like a son to me, which is why I'm asking you to do this. For me, and for Wes," Mr. Collins said as Eric opened the box. "As the leader of the Silver Guardians, and my #1 man. Put Wes out of his misery before he starts to feel the pain."

"I- I can't," Eric said as he looked down at the Quantum morpher sitting in the box. "He's like family."

"He deserves to die like a man," Mr. Collins said. "Let him put up a good fight, then end it for him. Please. Don't let Wes die a meaningless death."

"I-," Eric started to say as Mr. Collins walked around the table and put his hands on the boy's shoulders. "How much time does he have?"

"Without medication prolonging his disease, a week at the most," Mr. Collins said as Eric stood up and headed for the door. "I'm proud of you Eric. Don't let me, or Wes, down."

Eric slowly walked out as Mr. Collins sat back down and turned back around in his chair, then let out a slow laughter as his left eye started glowing a bright red.
*
Trini and Christian had returned to the Juice Bar, which was empty except for the two Rangers and Richie, who was clearing tables.

"So, what are the two lovebirds up to tonight?" Christian asked as he closed down the cash register.

"Dinner with the parents," Trini replied as Richie brought a tray of dishes to the counter. "You're still coming, aren't you?"

"Of course," Richie replied as he kissed her before heading back to finish clearing the rest of the tables. "Wouldn't miss it. I just hope your parents like me."

"They're going to love you as much as I do," Trini replied as Christian grabbed the tray of dishes.

"Richie, I'll finish up here. You and Trini can go ahead and go," Christian said, not being able to take too much more of the couple's cuteness.

"You sure?" Richie asked as he took his apron off.

"Yeah," Christian replied. "Not like I have plans or anything tonight. You two go and have a good time."

"Thanks, bro, I owe you," Richie said as he walked out of the room with Trini, holding hands.

"No problem," Christian said to himself as he headed into the kitchen with the tray of dishes.
Trini and Richie were walking down the sidewalk and were waiting for the signal to change so they could cross the street when a group of Putties jumped out at them.

"Terrific," Trini said as she kicked a charging Putty, then backflipped as another ran toward her.

Richie punched one Putty before getting knocked backward by another, but when it tried to attack him again, Richie grabbed its arm and kicked it in its 'Z', shattering it.

Trini did a sweep kick to knock a Putty to the ground and punched its 'Z', then found two more rushing toward her. Richie grabbed both from behind and collided their heads together as Trini punched their chest plates to shatter them.

"Zedd's up to something," Trini said as she looked around. "I'd better call Christian and warn him."
"Too late, Trini," Zedd said as he charged up his staff. "Crosswalk, arise!"

Zedd's energy turned the crossing signal into a yellow and black monster, that was only a few feet away from Trini and Richie.

"Simon says stop!" The monster shouted as it fired at Trini, but Richie knocked her out of the way, taking the blast, which froze him in place.

"Richie!" Trini shouted as she reached for her morpher. "You're going to pay for that!"

SABER-TOOTHED TIGER!

The Yellow Ranger pulled out her power daggers and ran toward the monster, who blocked her moves, then punched her backward, landing her on the ground, with Richie about twenty feet from her.

"Freeze, Ranger!" Crosswalk shouted as it froze her in place, then laughed as it ran off to freeze everyone else it could find.
*
"Jeremy's not dead," Jason said to his young cousin. "He's in a hospital in Texas, and he can't get out unless your mom signs the papers to get him released."

"You lied to me," Drew said to his mother. "You said Jeremy died in an accident. I want to see him."

"Jeremy is dead to us," Tracy said as she looked at Jason. "Goodbye, Jason."

"Please, at least sign the papers so he can live with me and my family," Jason pleaded. "You'll never have to see him again."

"I don't have to see him now," Tracy said as he prepared to close the door, just as Jason's father came up behind his son and stopped the door from closing.

"Sign the papers, Tracy," Austin Scott said. "Or you're going to jail."
*
Jeremy and Wes found themselves in an alley, while several police cars drove by.

"We're not going to make it out of the city," Wes said as he leaned back against the wall. "Everyone's got to be on the lookout for us by now. What are we going to do?"

"We'll find a way out of this," Jeremy assured him as he tried to think up a plan. "We just need a safe place to hide until it's dark enough to make a break for it. As long as we're not spotted, we should be safe."

"There he is!" Justin shouted toward Rocky.

"What are you guys doing here?" Jeremy asked as Rocky and Justin ran up to them.

"We're here to make sure you stay out of trouble," Rocky told him. "Speaking of which, and ignore the irony of my question, but are you crazy? Why did you run away from the hospital?"

"We had to," Jeremy told him. "Wes and I... we didn't belong there. We're not... well, I'm not crazy."

"Kim's bringing Jason, so we'll figure out what to do when they get here," Rocky said as he looked out of the alley to make sure no police were coming. "In the meantime, we have to lay low. We should be safe as long as we stay right in this spot."

A stray bullet bounced off the wall behind Rocky.

"Okay, maybe we need to find another spot," Rocky said as the four boys soon saw a group of men in black and gray armored suits surround them, with guns aimed at their heads. "Have you guys ever heard of the word 'subtle'?"

"Stand down," Eric said as the troops lowered their guns. Eric walked through and looked at Wes. "I'll handle this."

"Eric," Wes said as he hugged his old friend. "I thought for a minute there we were in trouble. I owe you."

"No, you don't," Eric said as he punched Wes, sending him to the ground. "Now get up and fight. I can't do what I was sent to here to do unless you fight."

"What's going on?" Justin asked.

"No idea, but I think we need to take down these armed guards before anything else," Rocky replied as Justin and Jeremy agreed. The three rushed forward, and before the Silver Guardians could raise their weapons, the three Rangers were on top of them.
*
"Jeremy tried to kill himself because you and my brother neglected him, but since he's out of the country, we really can't touch him, now can we?" Austin asked as he looked over the case file. "I've been doing my research as soon as I found out the truth. Neglect, child abuse, mentally that is, and various other things. I've got enough evidence here to send you to prison for at least a few years, or at the very least, have Drew taken out of your custody."

"What do you want?" Tracy asked.

"Sign these adoption papers," Austin said as he handed her the papers. "As of right now, I am Jeremy's legal guardian. He'll be living with my family in Angel Grove from now on."

"Take the little bastard," Tracy said as she signed the paper. "Just stay away from me and my real family."

"I've got news for you, Aunt Tracy," Jason said as he looked at Drew. "Drew knows the truth know. How long do you think it'll be before you lose him because of your hatred for his brother?"

"I want to see Jeremy," Drew pleaded with tears in his eyes. "Let me see my brother."

"No," Tracy coldly told him. "You're not going anywhere near that psycho. And I never want to see any of you again."

Tracy slammed the door on Jason and his father, as Kim finally found the right house.

"Dad, I don't know what to say," Jason said as they walked down the steps.

"I just wish you'd have told me the truth, son," Austin said. "We could have avoided this whole mess. Now, let's get home and make a few phone calls. We can have Jeremy home with us in a matter of days."

"Jason," Kim said as she ran up to him. "We've got... problems."

"Dad, I'll meet you at home," Jason said. "Kim, what's wrong?"

The two Rangers watched Jason's dad get into his car as Kim led him to where no one could see them, where she explained what was happening with Jeremy.
*
Christian had finally finished closing up the bar and was about to head home when his communicator went off.

"Christian, Trini's in trouble!" Alpha told him. "She was frozen by Zedd's Crosswalk monster! It's going around, freezing everyone in the city!"

"How do I stop it?" Christian asked.

"I'm working on that right now," Alpha told him. "Just be careful, and avoid its beams!"

"It's Morphin' Time!" Christian said as he reached for his morpher.

MASTODON!

The Black Ranger arrived where Trini and Richie had been frozen and saw Crosswalk had been freezing everything that moved. Even the birds in the sky were frozen in mid-air.

"Don't worry, I'll get you guys free," Christian said as he realized that this the chance to do something he'd been wanting to do for a while. He kneeled down and looked at Trini, and removed his helmet. "Trini, I know you can't hear me. That kind of makes what I have to say easier. Richie's... special to me. He has been ever since we met."

Christian looked around to make sure the monster wasn't around before he looked back at Trini. "I know there's no chance he could ever be with me, but I'm glad he has you. You two... you go good together. You make him happy. I know you'll take care of him when I'm gone-"

"Another Ranger? Good, I was running out of targets!" Crosswalk said as it fired at Christian, who jumped out of the way and tossed his power ax, hitting the monster in the face, sending it flying backward. The monster stood up and saw it had a crack, and could no longer fire its beams.

Christian put his helmet back on, picked up his power ax, and jumped into the air, landing more blows on the monster. Crosswalk fell onto its back as Christian turned his power ax into its cannon mode.

"Nobody hurts my friends," Christian said as he fired at the monster, blowing it up. As soon as the monster was destroyed, everything it had frozen returned to normal.

"You two alright?" Christian asked as Trini and Richie stood up.

"Yeah," Trini said as she looked around as she and Christian demorphed. "What happened?"

"Monster's taken care of," Christian said as he walked away. "I'll be at the Command Center."

"Come on," Richie said as he took Trini's arm. "All that fighting made me hungry."

"Yeah, let's get going before we're late," Trini said, looking at Christian walking away, trying to figure out what to do about what Christian had unintentionally revealed to her.

"Your stupid monster failed!" Rita shouted as she watched Trini and Richie walk away.

"On the contrary," Zedd said as Rita turned toward him. "That was only the warm-up to lull them into a false sense of security. The next strike will be their downfall!"
*
The Silver Guardians were all laying on the ground as Rocky, Justin, and Jeremy stood over them.
"Fight me!" Eric shouted as he tossed Wes to the ground. "I can't do this unless you fight me!"

"Get away from my friend!" Jeremy shouted as he went to fight Eric, who blocked Jeremy move for move, then sent the boy flying backward into a pile of garbage cans.

"This is between me and Wes," Eric said as he looked down at Wes, whose lip was bleeding. "You're going to die, either way, Wes. You can either die fighting or take it lying down."

"Why?" Wes asked as he stood up. "What did I do?"

"It's not you, it's your father," Eric told him. "He told me about your disease. He won't watch you wither away and die, and neither will I. You're going to die like a man."

Eric pulled out the Quantum morpher and held it in his hands. "Goodbye, old friend."

A flashing red light morphed Eric into the Red Quantum Ranger, who stood in front of Wes with his sword drawn.

"He's coming to kill you, Wes!"

"Not now!" Wes shouted at the... whatever.

"He's a Ranger?" Justin asked. "No freakin' way!"

"I believe this satisfies the legal burden of escalating a battle," Rocky said as he reached for his morpher. "Justin, you get Wes out of the line of fire."

TRICERATOPS!

TYRANNOSAURUS!

Kim and Jason teleported into the alley just as Rocky and Jeremy rushed forward as Eric was about to finish off Wes, but stopped his blade just inches from Wes's throat.

"I- I can't," Eric said. "You're like my little brother. I can't hurt you."

Jason and Kim, fully morphed, ran up to Jeremy and Rocky as Eric helped Wes up.

"I'm not dying," Wes told him. "I'm perfectly healthy! Well... physically at least."

"Then why would Mr. Collins-" Eric started to ask as a clapping was heard. Mr. Collins stood at the end of the alley and walked toward them.

"I see you couldn't finish the job," Mr. Collins said as he saw the four Rangers standing around Eric. "The Power Rangers? In Silver Hills? This is a pleasant surprise."

"Dad, what's going on?" Wes asked as he ran toward his father to hug him, but Mr. Collins punched Wes hard enough to almost break his nose.

"Why don't you ask your little bird friend?" Mr. Collins asked. "Yes, Wesley, I know he's there. His name is Circuit, and he's very real. But he's a split second ahead of this time, so he's out of phase to everyone except you and me."

"Why?" Wes asked as he felt his bloody nose.

"Why can you see him? Because he's encoded to your DNA," Mr. Collins said as his face started to melt. "And to me? Well, I'm the reason he's trapped."

"Alright, enough backstory," Jeremy said as he held out his power sword. "What's your game?"

Mr. Collins just laughed as his flesh started peeling away. "The game is called: Kill Wesley Collins before he grows up and has a family."

Seconds later, a man with a half mutated body, with a faceplate covering the left half of his face was standing before the Rangers. He looked like a mutant biker dressed in black leather. "My name is Ransik, but in a few minutes you'll be calling me 'Master'."

"How about we call you 'Mud'?" Jeremy asked as Jason held him back.

"Jeremy, wait," Jason told him. "We don't know anything about this guy."

"What's to know?" Rocky asked. "We're the good guys and him, being a bad guy, needs a serious ass bruising."

Ransik stood there and laughed as he pulled out a bo staff and a sword from his body.

"Well, come on, Rangers," Ransik said as he twirled the staff. "Unless you're afraid."

"Justin, get Wes out of here," Rocky said as he pulled out his power lance. "Get as far away as you can."

"Yes, run while you can," Ransik said as Rocky and Kim rushed toward him, but Ransik took his staff in one hand, twirled it, and sent Kim flying back into the wall without even breaking a sweat, then used the sword in his other hand to block Rocky's lance, then slashed Rocky, knocking the Blue Ranger to the ground. "Two down..."

Ransik walked forward as Jeremy and Eric came at him, but he just laughed and knocked Eric to the side, before letting his own sword hit the ground. Jeremy rushed forward and brought his sword down, but Ransik grabbed the blade in his hand and held it. Jeremy got a look of surprise under his helmet as Ransik picked him up by the throat and threw him twenty feet.

Jason was the last one standing, holding Saba forward.

"Let's go, little boy," Ransik said as Jason rushed forward, but before he could get close, Ransik produced a large gun and blasted Jason back into the wall.

"Pathetic," Ransik said as he saw Justin taking Wes out of the alley. "If this is all that stands in my way, the humans deserve to die."

Ransik tossed his staff, tripping Justin, causing him to fall forward. Wes came back to help him up, but Justin tried to push him away.

"Keep running," Justin said as he saw Ransik coming. "I'll distract him."

Wes just stood there, as he saw Circuit appear again.

"He's coming to kill you, Wes!"

"Well, duh!" Wes shouted as he stepped backward, then saw something even stranger. A DeLorean sitting on the side of the street started to spark, then suddenly exploded. When the smoke cleared, five multi-colored heroes were standing where the car once was.

"Hello, Ransik," Alex the Red Time Force Ranger said as the Rangers behind him drew their weapons. "Did you miss us?"

TO BE CONTINUED...

Chapter Text

The Year 3000

Six armed guards stood outside of a large prison, as the gates opened and a large metal chamber was brought out, floating on a small metal table suspended a foot above the ground. The chamber was taken toward a large police van with the letters 'PRTF' on the side.

The head guard, dressed in red and black armor, with a black visor over his face walked up the chamber and looked inside as the guards opened the doors to the van.

"This is it, Ransik," Alex Collins, the 26-yea- old leader of Power Rangers Time Force, said to the prisoner inside. "You're going away for a very long time."

"I'll get out," The man inside said, his voice echoing around him. "And I'll finish what I started. Unless you want to try and finish me here."

Alex said nothing as he gripped his gun, wanting nothing more than to open the cryo chamber and kill the man inside.

"You can't hold me forever," Ransik promised as the guards were being watched. "Then I promise you we'll have our final battle."

"Get him out of my sight," Alex said as the cryo chamber was put inside the van. Soon the group was headed toward the courthouse to attend Ransik's trial.

Alex and his three teammates stood inside the courtroom, which was dark except for the light shining down on Ransik, who was imprisoned inside a blue light shining down on him.

"Where's Jen?" A young man with green hair asked over toward Alex. "I thought she'd want to be here for this."

"She's busy packing," Alex replied in a whisper. "She's leaving tonight. She's headed toward the Mirinoi Galaxy."

"I'm sorry," A young black woman said as she put her hand on his shoulder. "Is there anything we can do?"

"Yeah," Alex said. "You could turn back time so none of this ever happened."

"Ransik, leader of the Mutorgs," A loud voice boomed. "For crimes against humanity, plotting to steal Time Force technology, and the unforgivable crime of murder-"

Alex's friends turned away as the young man shed a tear.

"You are condemned to permanent isolation," The unseen judge said. "You will be cryo frozen, and launched into the darkest depths of space, where you will spend the rest of eternity."

Ransik just smiled as the lights came back on. He looked over toward Alex and laughed as the guards came in to take him back to his cryo chamber.
*
Jen Collins, 25 years old and already has been through more in her life than any young woman should, packed her final suitcase as Alex walked in and sat on their bed. He noticed the only thing she didn't pack was the picture on the nightstand, of Jen, Alex, and a six-year-old boy.

"Ransik's going to be gone very soon," Alex said as he turned the picture facedown. "Then this nightmare's going to be over."

"No, it won't," Jen told him. "The nightmare's never going to be over. Because every time I close my eyes... I see what he did to us happen again, and again, and again."

"Is that why you're leaving me?" Alex asked as he looked down at the floor.

"Every time I look at you, I see him," Jen told him as she headed toward the door. "And it kills me to know that I could have done something to stop it."

Alex stood up and walked toward her. "Jen, there's nothing either of us could have done. I wish we could fix it, but you know the rules."

"The rules," Jen said as she started to cry. "The rules are what keeps that bastard alive. The rules are what let him kill our son!"
*
Ransik was in the cryo chamber, awaiting transfer to the launch site, as Katie, Lucas, and Trip were standing guard. Trip was playing with a little blue toy owl, who was flapping its arms and blinking its eyes.

"Just another hour, and you'll be on your way to the other end of the galaxy," Lucas said as he looked inside the cryo chamber. "Although if it were up to me, you'd suffer a far worse punishment."

"But it's not up to you," Katie told him as she stood next to her friend. "Even lowlifes like Ransik deserve a fair punishment. Although I wouldn't be too upset if his cryo chamber went off course and flew into the sun."
*
"There you go," Trip said as he finished with the toy owl. "Circuit's 100% operational. He'll come in major use during missions."

Trip set Circuit on the ground as the owl started waddling away. Meanwhile, a woman wearing a cloak was walking toward the group. Lucas saw her coming and held out his arm.

"Halt!" Lucas shouted. "This is a military base. Who are you?"

"I just came to say goodbye to the sweet old man inside the cryochamber," The woman said. "Can't a daughter say goodbye in peace?"

"It's her," Lucas said as the woman tossed a gas grenade to the ground, knocking the three Rangers unconscious. Before Katie passed out, she managed to hit a button on her pager.

"Sorry I'm late, father," The woman known as Nadira said as she tossed off her cloak, revealing a pink-haired woman in white and pink armor. "Frax had a difficult time bypassing the security."

Nadira opened the cryo chamber as a cold mist poured out. Ransik stepped out and stretched before kissing his daughter on the cheek.

"Thank you, my dear," Ransik said as he looked around. "Now, let's get to work. We have a lot to do before we're discovered.”

The two walked away as Circuit began to flap his arms and fly off after them.
*
Shortly, in a building not too far away, the doors to a high-tech lab blew off its hinges as Ransik and Nadira entered, quickly taking out the guards and scientists in the room.

"This is the place," Ransik said as he saw a large platform in the middle of the room. "Now all my years of planning and hard work are about to come to fruition."

Ransik walked over to a small table, where a glass dome was over a wrist-held device. He shattered it and picked up the Quantum Morpher.

"The final piece falls into place," Ransik said as he looked over at Nadira. "Didn't think getting this would be that easy."

It was then that a laser blast narrowly missed Ransik's head. He turned and saw Jen and Alex standing in the doorway with their blasters aimed at him.

"This is where it ends, Ransik," Alex said as he looked at the villain. "You die here."

"You don't have it in you to take a life," Ransik said with a laugh. "I, however, I do. You should have heard him scream, Alex. You should have heard him scream for his mommy and daddy as I tossed him into that vortex."

Jen said nothing as she fired her blaster into Ransik, landing several blows. Ransik fell backward as Jen continued firing, with tears running down her face. Alex kept his blaster pointed at Nadira as Jen stood over Ransik, whose eyes were closed. She kneeled to make sure he was dead.

"It's over," Alex said. "It's finally over."

Jen turned her head toward Alex as Ransik's eyes shot open. He grabbed Jen and held her in a chokehold. "Give your blaster to Nadira."

Alex didn't hesitate as he handed the blaster to his enemy. Ransik laughed as he pushed Jen into the wall, knocking her out.

"Fool, you know you can't kill me with a simple blaster," Ransik said as he started punching keys on the console. The platform began to light up as Circuit waddled into the room. "You can't kill me, you don't have what it takes."

"You can't escape," Alex told him. "We'll find you, no matter where you go."

"It's not where I'm going, it's when," Ransik said as he stepped onto the platform, just as the other Rangers ran into the room. "Why bother killing you here when I can kill you in the past? Soon you won't remember your child dying, because you won't exist at all."

Nadira was about to step onto the platform when Katie tossed an orb, trapping the woman in a yellow plastic shield.

"Shut the portal down!" Alex shouted to Trip, who started hitting buttons.
"I can't shut it down, he's changed the access code!" Trip replied as Alex grabbed Circuit and opened the back panel.

"Find my descendant," Alex said as he pressed his thumb onto a small plate, downloading his DNA into the robot. "Tell him Ransik's coming to kill him."

Ransik laughed as he disappeared in a blinding flash of light as Alex tossed Circuit toward the platform, and soon Ransik was headed toward the past, with Circuit right behind him. Ransik saw the owl following him and pulled a blaster from out of his body and fired, seemingly hitting Circuit, knocking him one second out of phase with Ransik's arrival.

"We've got to follow him," Alex said as the console started smoking.

"We've got to figure out where he landed first," Trip said as he cleared the smoke. "I just hope we can get back in time."

"Jen," Alex said as he helped Jen up. "Are you alright?"

"I won't be alright until we get Ransik," Jen told him. "And make him pay."

Silver Hills, Texas
2 Years Ago

In the large, lavish, Collins manor, 12-year-old Wes Collins sat at one end of the extremely long dining table, with his father at the other end.

"Dad," Wes said as he ate his breakfast. "I want to go to summer camp this year."

"You go to camp every year," Mr. Collins replied as he sipped his coffee.

"No, not junior businessman's camp," Wes told him. "I mean a real summer camp. Where they have swimming and hiking and campfires-"

"Out of the question," Mr. Collins replied as he read his paper. "Wesley, you are a proper young man, being groomed to take over one of the largest corporations in the United States. Proper young men do not sit around campfires."

"But it's fun," Wes told him as his father looked sternly at him. "I'm tired of business and proper etiquette and knowing the difference between a dinner fork and a salad fork. I want to eat with a spork!"

Mr. Collin's eyes shot open as if Wes had just used a curse word.
*
Wes sat alone in his room, looking out the window, where he saw his next door neighbor playing football with his dad. They were having fun, doing things a father and son should be doing. Something Wes and his father never did.

"I just want a friend," Wes said to himself, then turned back toward his room, when he came face to face with a small blue owl.

"He's coming to kill you, Wes!"

Wes just sat there for a second, then let out a scream before running out of the room.

Mr. Collins was sitting in his study, looking over his daily reports when he heard Wes screaming. He reached over and hit a button on the intercom.

"Phillips, explain to Wes that it's perfectly natural to be growing hair down there," Mr. Collins said into the machine. "Give him the same talk you had when he found that chest hair that just turned out to be a stray eyelash."

"Very good, sir," Phillips replied on the other end of the line.

Mr. Collins returned to his work when he felt a draft behind him. He looked up and turned his chair around, only to come face to face with Ransik.

"I usually love it when they scream," Ransik said as he held a small device in front of the man. "But I'm in a hurry."

Ransik hit a button and froze Mr. Collins where he sat, then pulled out another device and scanned the man, then scanned himself. Seconds later, Ransik looked exactly like Mr. Collins. Soon, Wes ran into the study and saw the man who looked like his father sitting in the chair.

"Dad, it keeps following me," Wes said nervously as he closed the door. "I don't know what it is, but it keeps saying someone's coming to kill me."

Mr. Collins just folded his hands on the desk and realized that Circuit had made it back.

"Tell me all about it, son," Mr. Collins said with a smile, coming up with new, more twisted plan.
*
Silver Hills Asylum

"How long will my son be like this?" Mr. Collins asked with false emotion.

"We don't know," The doctor told him. "It depends on if we can get these visions to stop."

"Just do what you can," Mr. Collins said as he walked away, knowing Wes would be spendinghis entire life in the asylum. "Just help my boy."
*
It had been six months, and Wes was still seeing visions of Circuit. No matter how many drugs he was given, no matter how much therapy he'd gone through, he was still seeing a little blue robotic owl. But it was the day that Wes got a roommate that things started to change. Because of overcrowding, some patients had to share their rooms.

"H- Hi," Wes said as he sat across the room, where Jeremy Drake had been strapped down to his bed. "I'm Wes."

Jeremy said nothing as he stared at the ceiling. Wes had heard rumors about why Jeremy was there, but didn't dare ask the question he wanted.

"I've been here six months," Wes told him. "I just turned 13 a few weeks ago. What a way to spend a birthday."

"Why couldn't they just let me die?" Jeremy asked as he started to cry. "Why didn't they just leave me alone?"

Wes cautiously walked over and sat next to him, and continued to talk to him until Jeremy fell asleep. It took several weeks, but Wes and Jeremy soon became best friends, helping each other get through their problems as best they could.

"Jeremy?"

"Yeah, Wes?"

Jeremy looked over to the bed next to his, where Wes was laying.

"What are you going to do when you get out of here?" Wes asked.

"I'm going to get my parents back together," Jeremy told the boy. "They told you why I was here, right?"

"Yeah, I heard a few rumors," Wes replied, as he looked over at his only friend in the whole place.
"Jeremy, will you still be my friend, even after you get out of here?"

"Best friends," Jeremy promised as a knocking came at the door
.
"GO TO SLEEP!" The orderly yelled as Jeremy closed his eyes and dreamed about life outside of these padded walls.
*
Then a year later, Wes had to say goodbye to his friend.

"I guess this it," Jeremy said as he hugged Wes goodbye. "I'll be back to visit you, I promise."

"I don't know if I can make it without you," Wes said as he looked down at the ground. "You were the only one that understood me."

"You're going to get out of here someday," Jeremy told him. "And when you do, I want you to come to stay with me, alright? We've gotta stick together."

The orderlies came to take Wes back to his room as Jeremy waved goodbye.
"Friends forever?" Wes asked.

"Friends forever," Jeremy told him as Jason came up to claim his cousin. Jeremy turned around, hoping to see his parents behind Jason, but there was only him.
*
Three Months Later

"Jeremy, what are you doing back?" Wes asked as Jeremy was led back into his old room.

"It's a long story," Jeremy replied as he looked around. "Hey, you got new curtains."
*
The Year 3000

"We found him," Trip said as he looked at the monitor. "He's in the 20th Century. Thanks to Circuit, we were able to pinpoint him. Ransik's in some kind of disguise we can't pinpoint, though."

"He hasn't caused any damage has he?" Alex asked as the Rangers stood around, fully morphed with their helmets in their hands.

"No," Trip told him. "Not if we can get back in time. Right now, your ancestor is about to be pummeled... and so are that century's Rangers."

"They had Rangers back then?" Katie asked.

"Well, this keeps getting better," Trip said as he continued to monitor the past. "Ransik's given the Quantum Morpher to his ancestor."

"Terrific," Alex said as the Rangers stepped onto the platform. "Let's hope he doesn't call on his zord. The past Rangers would be torn to shreds."

Trip pushed the button to activate the time machine and joined his friends.
*
Present Day

"Well, come on, Rangers," Ransik said as he twirled the staff. "Unless you're afraid."

"Justin, get Wes out of here," Rocky said as he pulled out his power lance. "Get as far away as you can."

"Yes, run while you can," Ransik said as Rocky and Kim rushed toward him, but Ransik took his staff in one hand, twirled it, and sent Kim flying back into the wall without even breaking a sweat, then used the sword in his other hand to block Rocky's lance, then slashed Rocky, knocking the Blue Ranger to the ground. "Two down..."

Ransik walked forward as Jeremy and Eric came at him, but he just laughed and knocked Eric to the side, before letting his sword hit the ground. Jeremy rushed forward and brought his sword down, but Ransik grabbed the blade in his hand and held it. Jeremy got a look of surprise under his helmet as Ransik picked him up by the throat and threw him twenty feet.

Jason was the last one standing, holding Saba forward.

"Let's go, little boy," Ransik said as Jason rushed forward, but before he could get close, Ransik produced a large gun and blasted Jason back into the wall.

"Pathetic," Ransik said as he saw Justin taking Wes out of the alley. "If this is all that stands in my way, the humans deserve to die."

Ransik tossed his staff, tripping Justin, causing him to fall forward. Wes came back to help him up, but Justin tried to push him away.

"Keep running," Justin said as he saw Ransik coming. "I'll distract him."

Wes just stood there, as he saw Circuit appear again.

"He's coming to kill you, Wes!"

"Well, duh!" Wes shouted as he stepped backward, then saw something even stranger. A Delorean sitting on the side of the street started to spark, then exploded. When the smoke cleared, five multi-colored heroes were standing where the car once was. Circuit was sitting next to them, having been pulled back into the regular timestream along the way.

"Hello, Ransik," Alex the Red Time Force Ranger said as the Rangers behind him drew their weapons. "Did you miss us?"

"I was wondering when you fools were going to show up," Ransik said as Wes helped Justin up. "Luckily I had time to prepare for you. Alex, meet your ancestor, Wes Collins."

"You," Alex said as the Rangers cautiously approached Ransik. "Wes is the one who takes BioLab Industries and uses it to improve the Earth's resources rather than deplete them. It's because of him that the destruction of Earth begins to stop."

"Blah blah blah," Ransik said as Eric and the present-day Rangers ran in. "Now, meet my ancestor: Eric Myers."

"I'm... related to you?" Eric asked in shock. "Well, that sucks."

"But Eric's not evil," Wes told them as he ran toward Eric. "And he's got Ranger powers!"

"Yes, he has the power," Ransik said as he laughed. "But as for being evil..."

"Wes, get away from him!" Alex shouted as Wes reached Eric. Ransik secretly pushed a button on his wrist as a blade shot out of Eric's forearm and into Wes's shoulder.

"No!" Eric shouted as the Rangers drew their weapons. Wes fell backward and saw blood coming from his wound.

"You are my ancestor, and you are evil," Ransik said as the Rangers tried to figure out who to fight. "And you just proved it."

"I'm sorry, Wes," Eric said as the Time Force Rangers attacked.

"You're going down!" Trip shouted as the Rangers fired their blasters. Justin reached Wes and tried to stop the bleeding.

"Justin, get him to the hospital!" Rocky shouted. "We'll cover you!"

Justin grabbed Wes and teleported away as the present-day Rangers charged Ransik, who easily threw them off.

"Use your zord!" Ransik shouted toward Eric. "Use the Q-Rex!"
"I don't want to fight these guys," Eric said as he hit a button on his wrist. "But I have to defend myself."

It was then that the Earth started to shake as the Quantasaurus Rex appeared.

"Rangers, take care of this," Alex shouted. "I'm going after Ransik!"

"You're not going alone!" Jen shouted as she ran after.

"What do we do, Jason?" Kim asked.

"I'm going to help them," Jason replied. "Rocky, come with me. The rest of you, help fight off that thing."

"Pterodactyl Firebird Thunderzord Power!"

"Tyrannosaurus Red Dragon Thunderzord Power!"

The Thunderzords arrived, just as the Time Force Ranger's Time Fliers arrived through a time portal.
"It's five against one," Katie said as the zords lined up. "Want to give up now?"

"Oh, please," Eric said as the Q-Rex roared. "I'll eat your zords for lunch."
"Then come get a taste," Jeremy replied as the Red Dragon twirled its bo staff.

The Q-Rex held up its arms and fired its flying fists, knocking the Firebird out of the sky, and the Yellow TIme Flier to the ground.

"Nice trick," Jeremy said as the Red Dragon twirled its staff at superspeed, sending a wind attack against the Q-Rex, which barely phased it.

"My turn," Eric said as he fired his missiles at the remaining zords.
*
"We have to go back," Wes said Justin as rushed him toward the hospital. "We have to help."

"You've been stabbed," Justin told him. "We have to get you some help."

"Let me," Circuit said as he flew in. "I'm pretty good at first aid."

"You're the... thing I've been seeing," Wes nervously said.

"My name's Circuit," The owl told him. "And I've been trying to warn you for two years now. Now, let's look at that wound."
*
Jason, Rocky, Alex, and Jen chased Ransik back to the alley, who turned around and laughed at seeing the four Rangers.

"Fools," Ransik said as he reached into his body and pulled out a bo staff. "You should already know you can't defeat me."

Jason and Rocky rushed forward. Jason's sword Saba was blocked by Ransik's staff and quickly threw him back. Rocky leaped over him and tried to spin kick him, but Ransik grabbed the boy by the leg and threw him into a dumpster.

"Next?" Ransik asked. "Unless there's another kid you want me to take care of beforehand."

Jen rushed forward with her chrono saber, and slashed at Ransik, actually hitting him before he knocked her back, just in time to see Alex ram his sword through Ransik's chest, just as Wes and Justin arrived.

"I'm going to help my friends," Justin told him. "You stay hidden. It's the only way you'll stay safe."

"If you're aiming for my heart, I had it moved," Ransik said as he grabbed Alex by the throat. "I guess you knew my weakness all along. Too bad you didn't know where to aim."

Ransik took Alex's chrono saber and rammed it through his heart, then tossed him aside as Jen's scream was heard throughout the block. Ransik laughed as he walked away, leaving Jen to rush to her husband's side, as the two demorphed at the same time. Wes slowly approached them.

"I guess this is it," Alex said as he coughed up some blood. "I'm sorry, Jen. I wanted to give you so much."

"Don't leave me," Jen pleaded. "I need you. I won't leave if you just get up and stay with me. I'll never leave you again, I promise."

Alex looked over and saw Wes standing over him. He weakly grabbed his chrono morpher and held it out.

"Take it," Alex told him. "You need to protect yourself if Ransik can't be stopped."

Wes had tears in his eyes as he took the morpher. Alex looked back toward Jen.

"I see him, Jen," Alex weakly said as he started to smile, looking up toward the sky. "I see Jacob. I see our boy. He says he loves you, Jen. I'll take care of him until you get there..."
Alex's grip slipped out of Jen's hand as Alex's head fell backward.

Ransik watched as the Time Fliers and two Thunderzords were getting thrashed by the Q-Rex.
Currently, only the Red Dragon Thunderzord and the Blue Time Force Flier were left standing against Eric.

"Your zords are weak," Eric said as he laughed. "Can't you at least give me a real challenge?"

"How about me?" A voice asked from a nearby building, just before the Dragonzord's theme was heard. The roar of the Dragonzord was soon heard as Justin's zord arrived. "Stand down before anyone else gets hurt."

"Oh, you've got to be kidding," Eric said as the Dragonzord's chest began to light up, then fired several missiles, hitting the Q-Rex. When the smoke from the attack began to clear, Eric saw the Dragonzord's tail slash across its chest, knocking the Q-Rex to the ground.

Eric jumped out as the Time Force and Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers rejoined, except for the Red and Pink Time Force Rangers.

"This is going to be fun," Ransik said as he looked at the group. "I haven't killed nearly enough Rangers today. Eric, join me, and we can finish these losers. Then we can focus on getting rid of Wes once and for all."

"I can't," Eric said looking between the two groups. "Not Wes. He's my friend. I didn't mean to hurt him."

"You're my ancestor, you're destined for evil," Ransik told him. "It's your future descendants that strive to conquer the Earth."

"But why?" Eric asked as he looked at the Time Force Rangers. "Why does my family turn out to be so evil?"

"Because you kill Wes in twenty years," Lucas told him. "The records aren't clear, but something happened between the two of you and Wes dies. From then on, the Myers family sinks deeper into the grip of evil."

"I'm not going to kill Wes," Eric promised as he pulled out his saber. "I'll take my own life first."

"Do you honestly think that-" Ransik started to say as a sword was plunged through his lower chest. Wes the Red Time Force Ranger stood behind him and pulled his sword out.

"Found your heart, you murdering bastard," Wes told him as Ransik fell forward. Before the Rangers could react, a time portal opened, and Nadira grabbed Ransik, pulling him through. Frax's laugh was heard as the portal closed.

"Ransik's gone back to the future," Trip said. "Where's Jen? And how did he wind up with Alex's morpher?"

Jen came back, carrying Alex's body as the Rangers gathered around.

"We have to stop Ransik before he can be healed," Jen said with tears in her eyes as Lucas, Katie, and Trip tried to keep from crying. "We have to stop him before he can time travel again."

"But what about him?" Lucas asked as he looked at Wes. "We can't take him with us, and we need a Red Ranger."

"Then take me," Eric volunteered. "I'll be your Red Ranger. It's the only way to make sure I don't harm Wes in the future."

"But wouldn't that affect the past?" Jason asked. "If you go to the future, no descendants."

"I have an infant daughter," Eric told them. "She was... put up for adoption after she was born because I couldn't care for her like I should have. Maybe if I'm not around, she will have a chance to grow up to be good."

"What about Alex's morpher?" Katie asked as Jeremy looked around.

"Where's Wes?"

"And Circuit?" Lucas asked. "We can't leave without Circuit."

"We have to," Jen told them. "Circuit will keep an eye on Wes, and with the Red Chronal Morpher, he'll have protection from Ransik. And if he lies low, Ransik can't find him."

A time portal opened as Jen carried Alex's lifeless body through. She looked back at the present-day Rangers.

"All of you are going to have a huge impact on things," Jen told them. "Just stay true, and you'll prevail."

"If you find Circuit, make sure he gets regular oil changes," Trip said as he walked through.

"Goodbye, Rangers," Lucas said as he walked through.

"Hey, he looks kind of familiar," Rocky realized.

"Maybe we'll meet again another time," Katie said as she walked through, as the portal closed.

"Wait a minute," Kim thought. "If Ransik was posing as Wes's father, then what happened to the real Mr. Collins?"

*
The Youth Center, the next day

"The real Mr. Collins had been found in a secret space behind the bookcase, in a cryogenic state," Jason said as the other Rangers sat around the juice bar. "That's how Ransik was able to keep up his disguise, by constantly using the real Mr. Collin's DNA to keep up his appearance. Luckily Alpha was able to find him."

"Cryogenically frozen?" Kim asked. "I feel sorry for anyone who has to go through that."

Jason squirmed uncomfortably in his chair.

"But Wes is still missing," Jeremy said. "We looked all over Silver Hills and we couldn't find him."

"I saw on the news that the first thing Mr. Collins did when he was revived was to make it his goal to find Wes," Rocky told them. "I wonder where he went, or if we'll ever see him again?"

"He'll come back when he's ready. I'm the only one he trusts," Jeremy said as he looked down. "I just hope that wherever he is, he knows he's got friends."

"And we're all together again," Jason proudly said. "Thanks to dad, we're not just cousins anymore. We're brothers."

"Yeah, it's like the seven of us are a family," Justin said. "It's like having four brothers and two sisters. Just think of the Christmas presents!"

Everyone laughed as Jeremy sighed, wondering what Wes and his brother Drew were doing.
*
Charterville

Drew sat at his bedroom window, wondering how far he'd get if he just ran away to Angel Grove tonight.
*
On the night train to Reefside, Wes was huddled on the floor, sleeping peacefully with the Red Chronal Morpher on his wrist, and Circuit under his arm.

"We're gonna be alright, Wes," Circuit said as he closed his eyes.