Power Rangers: Zero Tolerance

[bushwacka666]

Morning all (*waves*), your friendly neighbourhood bushwacka666 here. And the wait is finally over. The fourth and final installment of THE BENNET LEGACY begins right here, right now.

Here's the history lesson, just in case you don't know: The Bennet Legacy is a fic series that has been pretty much my only writing project for the last few years. The first installment in the saga, Primal Fury, was originally intended as a standalone series, following the adventures of our hero Steven Bennet as he single-handedly fought the villain Devastator and defended his city of Golden Creek as the Primal Ranger. But temptation soon got the better of me and I wrote a sequel, Fury Of The Zodiac, which saw Steven finally gain a team of his own - the Zodiac Rangers - as they fought against Ivan Ooze in Angel Grove. Again I intended to leave it at just the two, but then I went totally mad and busted out the third fic, Special Ops - definitely the most ambitious fic I've ever written so far. Here I put Steven in the role of mentor, guiding a new team in Water Rose City against the dangers of Lord Lizzax as well as the deadly DarkStar. It was a bittersweet victory however, as the finale saw our hero and his wife Tara greet their newborn baby into the world, but Steven would then meet his untimely end, in the most twisted of fates...

If for some bizzare reason, you actually give two hoots, all three fics can be found here:

Volume 1: Primal Fury (http://www.rangerboard.com/showthread.php?t=32350)
Volume 2: Fury Of The Zodiac (http://www.rangerboard.com/showthread.php?t=41834)
Volume 3: Special Ops (http://www.rangerboard.com/showthread.php?t=57996)

***

Special Ops ended about a year and a half ago (blimey how time flies! :o ), so I figured it was about damn time I got back down to business. Now I don't know if I can ever top what I did on Special Ops, but damn if I'm not gonna give it a shot! This is Volume 4, and the couple of points you need to know:

- This is set 17 years after the end of Special Ops. Baby Bennet is all grown up now, and if you read SO, you'll already know that she's the one destined to fight the evil Metal Minds. But I decided to take a leaf from Operation Overdrive/Boukenger's book - the Metal Minds won't be the only threat out there...

- I want to maintain links to the past fics, especially SO, so know that you'll see all of the Ultrastar Rangers again - not their powers (there won't be a team-up) but definitely the characters. One of them is a main character in this fic, four more will play important roles further down the line, and the other two may make occasional appearances.

- Finally (and unfortunately), expect long gaps in between most chapters. I've got the fic planned up to Chapter 46 at the moment, but I'm currently only writing Chapter 5 - basically I'm way behind, but I figured I've held it off long enough! Usually I write up the majority of the fic before I start posting it, but this time will be different and I'll be continuing to write and post as I go along. So yeah there'll be many more delays I'm sorry to say, but I hope you'll bear with me!

***

*catches breath* Right then, that's all the boring crap out the way - let's get this show on the road. The next post will be reserved for character profiles, which I'll try and keep updated as we go along. Then head on down to the first chapter - I'll warn you now that I start things off with everyone's favourite subject: animal cruelty (I'm such an evil bastard!) So here we go! I hope you enjoy...

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[bushwacka666]

***SUIT-RELATED CREDIT STUFF***
Basic template courtesy of Acatl.

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A very special individual whose birth was brought about through mystical means rather than conventional means – has no biological father as her mother became magically pregnant with her. Her arrival is foretold in an ancient prophecy, declaring that she is the one destined to fight the evil Metal Minds and protect humankind from the threat they pose.

Jasmine inherits many traits from her mother Tara: she is a beautiful young woman whose strength is commendable, whose skill is impressive and whose determination is unwavering. Told about her destiny from a very young age, she has grown up over the years with the knowledge of what her future holds, allowing her the time needed to accept and train for the battle to come. She also possesses a unique ability to assist her with this: she can observe any manoeuvre or fighting style, and then instantly copy it without hesitation or error.

Despite her not having any genetic ties to him, Jasmine also seems to have inherited some characteristics from her adoptive father Steven: she is able to remain level-headed in even the most critical of situations, and offers nothing but her best effort to accept the burden of her destiny with a smile – such qualities will prove vital if she is to ultimately emerge victorious.

Jasmine is a very popular girl at school, although her only two close friends are Tyler and Craig. In her life of being a chosen one and fighting evil, she relies on the boys to maintain her connection with a more normal existence. Her friendship with Craig can prove complicated at times though, as she knows about his deeper feelings for her that she is simply unable to return. Her best friend of all, however, is her mother, with whom she shares an extremely close bond. The Bennet women have always supported each other through the last 17 highly chaotic years. Jasmine also finds essential support and guidance in the form of her deceased father, whose ghost secretly remains to watch over her.

As Ranger Zero, Jasmine is the key ingredient in keeping Stone Canyon, and indeed the whole world, safe from the Metal Minds. She wields the Fatal Zero, a versatile weapon with six different modes. Her Zord is the Zero Striker, a mighty warrior-class machine capable of close combat, as well as the potent Zero Blast attack.

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Tyler is one of Jasmine’s closest friends. A strong and talented martial artist, he can often be found working out in the gym at the Dominion or shooting hoops down at the basketball court. He does well at school, although would much rather be relaxing given half the chance.

Both Jasmine and Craig know they can count on Tyler to stick by them as well as lighten the mood in any depressing situation.

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Craig is one of Jasmine’s closest friends. A quiet and reflective young man, his keen attitude to school along with his glasses and dress sense sometimes earns him the label of “nerd”. Both Jasmine and Tyler try to bring him out of his shell, however, with Tyler teaching him martial arts.

Although he is a shy individual, Craig is nonetheless fiercely loyal to his friends, always willing to do whatever it takes to help them. Secretly he also carries a torch for Jasmine, even though he would never summon the courage to tell her.

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Back when her surname was Lawrence, she fought against evil as the Green Zodiac Ranger. Now, 23 years later, Tara guides and trains her daughter through her own battles.

Once upon a time, little did Tara know that she was destined to magically fall pregnant through no action of her own, and give birth to a miraculous child who would grow up to be mankind’s best hope against the evil Metal Minds. The Metal Minds made an assassination attempt which resulted in Tara falling into a six-year coma. She pulled through, however, and had Jasmine. The Metal Minds now fight Ranger Zero without realising her true heritage.

The greatest trauma in Tara’s life came shortly after Jasmine was born, when her husband Steven died during the final battle against DarkStar. Her emotional pain that followed was unbearable, and it was only for her daughter’s sake that she carried on. Tara and Jasmine have since formed an exceptionally close bond, vowing to stand by each other through all the joys and hardships that their lives bring. Although she can sometimes be a little overprotective, Tara has complete faith in her daughter’s abilities. The pair are able to talk openly to each other about many topics, but the one guilty secret that Tara keeps from her daughter – and indeed everybody – is the truth about who really killed Steven… Tara herself.

Strong and determined as ever, Tara continues to support her daughter through the ongoing struggle. She now works as a gym instructor at Stone Canyon’s local youth centre, the Dominion.

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Former technical director and Power Ranger for secret organisation Ultrastar, Katrina now returns to her roots, developing weapons and technology to help in the fight against evil.

Seventeen years ago, Katrina’s career as the Black Ultrastar Ranger was cut tragically short in the final battle against DarkStar, who left her paralysed from the waist down. Now confined to a wheelchair but refusing to let that stand in her way of carrying on with her life, she still maintains her positive and upbeat attitude in spite of every obstacle she now has to cope with.

She is one of the many people who still believe that DarkStar was the one who killed Steven, and offers his widowed wife her unconditional love and support through their shared grief.

Katrina now lives with Tara and Jasmine, helping them out wherever she can. She is the one responsible for creating the powers of Ranger Zero, as well as her arsenal and Zord. Her continued dedication to the task at hand remains a crucial necessity to the good guys staying one step ahead.

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Former Primal Ranger, former Red Zodiac Ranger and former General of secret organisation Ultrastar… time and time again, Steven Bennet had earned himself the accolade “hero”.

After his marriage to long-time sweetheart Tara and the birth of their daughter Jasmine, Steven’s future looked perfect. All this changed, however, during the final battle against DarkStar. Fooled by the villain’s treachery, Tara mistakenly opened fire on Steven instead of the enemy… his instant death drove the woman who was both his wife and his killer into a downward spiral of grief and guilt. Only Jasmine, and her impending destined war against the evil Metal Minds, persuaded Tara to carry on.

Tara and Katrina guide Jasmine through her new life as Ranger Zero, but secretly the young seventeen year old has a third mentor – the spirit of Steven remains with her to advise and teach her in any way he can. She is not his biological daughter but he loves her all the same, never missing an opportunity to offer his support and comfort whenever she needs it. Even though he is long since dead, Jasmine has had her father with her throughout her entire life, and he has been an essential part of her upbringing.

[bushwacka666]

It is believed that all those connected to the Morphin’ Grid have some specific goal to achieve, some ultimate purpose to fulfil.

For the young human Tara Bennet, her purpose was to play a crucial part in an ancient prophecy. The deadly Metal Minds were destined to someday target Earth as a possible new foothold in their universe-wide dominion, and Tara would give birth to a child – the only one who could hope to stop them.

Despite an attempt by the Metal Minds to thwart this prophecy, the chosen-one baby finally came into existence. Following the birth, Tara would take it upon herself to guide and train her child. Other than that, all she could do was wait for the Metal Minds to arrive, and wait for the battle to begin.

Now, seventeen years later, the wait is finally over…

*

A dense forest, remote and far away from the poisons of modern civilisation. Clear blue skies, a bright shining sun, a calm and gentle breeze, the emphatic chirps of the singing birds filling the air… a perfect example of nature in all its tranquil beauty.

A pair of small rabbits (one white, one brown) happily hopped their way along, darting among the trees, joyfully jumping across the unspoilt grass, then across the soil, then across… a large metal floor.

The rabbits quickly came to a halt, seeming to instinctively realise that something was not right here. Metal floors had no place in this forest, so what was this? As the animals turned their tiny heads to survey their surroundings, the enormous metal building came into their view. A strange and imposing bunker, situated in the very spot where many trees had once stood.

It was then that a loud buzzing hum suddenly began to build up, small tremors easily felt beneath the floor. The rabbits wasted no more time, quickly turning tail and scurrying back in the direction they had come. The brown one made it safely back onto the forest’s natural earth. The white one, however, was not quite fast enough…

The small and innocent creature had its first introduction to electricity, countless volts coursing through its fragile little body. The death was swift, the animal remaining motionless right on the edge of the metal floor.

The brown rabbit cautiously hopped back to its fallen companion but kept its distance, not risking stepping onto the metal again. It could only stare on in mourning, trying to ignore the smell of singed fur, knowing that it had just lost a dear friend.

The remaining rabbit knew that it could not do nothing. It would find the other rabbits in the forest. It would warn them about this threat. It would tell them that they should all stay well clear…

…until a laser blast blew it away.

*

“Wow that was fun!” exclaimed the screeching voice of a figure inside the metal building, stepping away from the controls to the laser cannon, the image of the dead rabbits fading from the screen.

The figure turned around: a small and slender parrot-looking creature, its metal body coloured a dull brown all over except for its shiny brown beak. Feathers, again entirely made of metal, decorated its back and its winged arms.

“Tests are complete boss, the defence grid is working perfectly” he spoke. “The Compound should now be protected against almost any attack.”

“Excellent” replied another voice, this one having an electronic, almost metallic quality to it. “You have done well Coppertron, I am most satisfied with your services.”

“Well as long as you’re happy boss, then so am I.”

The other figure stepped forward, coming up beside Coppertron. This one had a metal body that seemed to be made of small square plates. The face was exactly the same, with only the glowing yellow eyes providing any variety. The robe and hood that he wore completed the truly frightening look.

“Coppertron, I never said that I was happy” this figure told his minion. “Happy is something I shall not be until this miserable planet is under my control.”

“No offence boss but that’s a pretty tall order” Coppertron reminded his master. “We’ve all heard about just how many villains have tried to conquer this planet. Dark Specter, the Machine Empire, Lord Lizzax, Lord Zedd, Divatox, Devastator, Lothor… the list just goes on and on.”

“True, but none of those fools are myself. The Earth shall long remember the day that the mighty Steelador came to stay, the day when all of their freedom and values came crashing down around them.”

“Well there’s no time to start like the present boss. Shall we start an attack now?”

“Not just yet, but the time will almost be upon us. Where is Iron Claw?”

“In his chamber, training I think. Shall I summon him?”

“Yes, do it immediately” commanded Steelador. “Our wait is finally over. We shall invade this miserable little world – and best of all, nobody exists who can stand in our way!”

*

The bell rang loud, and a few moments later several doors began to open, dozens of teenagers promptly pouring out into the hallways. It was hardly a surprise: after all, it was the end of the school day – chances were that many wouldn’t be willing to stick around any longer than they had to.

One young man wearing a blue T-shirt waved goodbye to a couple of classmates as they parted ways. He let out a weary sigh as he ran a hand through his short dark hair, glad that the torture was through for the day. Not that he was someone who completely hated anything and everything to do with school, but it had seemed to drag on a bit today. He now stood at his locker, putting some books away when he heard somebody call out his name:

“Tyler!”

Tyler turned round, smiling as he saw the other boy approach. This one wore black trousers that looked a lot smarter than Tyler’s white jeans, and a yellow and black-striped woolly jumper. Not the most fashion-conscious guy who ever lived, Tyler had to admit, but he was a great friend.

“Hey Craig, my main man” Tyler greeted him along with a quick high-five. “How were classes this afternoon?”

“Yeah pretty good” replied Craig. He waited for Tyler to finish in his locker before the two walked down the hall.

“Last period was history,” Craig continued, “and it was actually pretty fascinating. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to actually…” He paused briefly to push his glasses back up his nose, “…live in the same time as George Washington?”

“Can’t say I have actually” Tyler chuckled. Craig was the guy who always got excited about this stuff, and usually made loads of contributions in class. With that and his glasses and his socially-ignorant dress sense, he would probably be labelled as a “nerd” by many. Tyler was someone who experienced more in the way of extra-curricular activities, such as his martial arts and soccer. Quite amazing really, that two such different people could get on so well.

The pair continued down the hallway, passing other students. Unfortunately, Craig did not notice a foot suddenly extending out from a group of people at the side…

“AHH!” he cried in surprise as he went down, stumbling over the foot and landing face first on the floor, his glasses flying off. As on-looking students laughed at the poor nerd’s misfortune, Tyler looked round to see who had tripped him. He recognised the guilty ugly mug instantly: Rocco McCarthy, resident school bully.

“Enjoy your trip dweeb?” Rocco chortled, watching Craig fumble around trying to find his glasses.

“Damn it Rocco, leave him alone!” yelled Tyler. He tried to move in to help Craig but found himself held back by Jake “Jackal” Matthews, Rocco’s main sidekick.

“Come on Nolan,” Jackal told Tyler, continuing with his and Rocco’s annoying habit of calling almost everybody by their surnames, “you know better than to interrupt Rocco when he’s teaching dweebs who’s boss.”

“You know Scanlon, you really need to watch where you’re walking” Rocco taunted the still grounded Craig. “You never know who could be waiting to give you a hard time. In fact, I think that…”

Rocco’s gloating was cut short when a pair of hands suddenly grabbed him by the arm, pulling hard and shoving him up against the locker with a hard thud. Enraged that anybody would dare do that to him, he made a step forward again – only to abruptly pause when a foot came to a halt just a mere inch away from his nose.

Finding himself practically pinned up against the locker by this person, Rocco didn’t even have to see the face to know who it was. He practically spat out the name:

“Bennet…”

Sure enough, a young woman dressed in a red blouse and matching trousers was there, maintaining perfect balance on one leg whilst her other stretched up high to keep Rocco at bay. He managed to turn his head enough to look down at her, and she moved a hand to brush her long jet black hair away from her face so she could look back up at him.

“Rocco” she replied with a wry smile. “Escaped from your cage again, I see?”

“I suppose this is the point where you ask me to leave your friends alone?”

“No, this is the point where I tell you to leave my friends alone. Now why don’t you and your Goon Squad go and do your homework like good boys?”

What followed was a tentative silence that swept through the entire hallway, other students watching in anticipation as to what Rocco would do next. Then again, they could pretty much guess. Rocco was a tough guy, but for some reason there was always one person that he seemed scared of – and she was currently aiming a foot in his face. Rocco’s expression told everybody else all that they needed to know.

“Jackal, let’s bail” he said to his fellow bully. “This place is crampin’ my style.”

The girl finally lowered her leg, allowing Rocco to walk away with Jackal and a couple of others. She stood guard to make sure they left, while Tyler now extended a hand down to Craig and helped him up, before crouching back down and picking up his glasses for him.

“You alright man?” he asked his friend, handing his glasses over so he could place them back on.

“Yeah I’m fine, thanks” answered Craig. They then stepped up each side of the girl to watch Rocco and Co. move round the corner and out of sight.

“It’s pathetic, is what it is” Tyler said with a disapproving sigh.

“Yeah,” Craig agreed, “but it’s a good thing you’re here to teach them a lesson, Jasmine.”

“Well somebody has to” Jasmine replied. “Can you imagine the bad reputation that Stone Canyon High would get if creeps like that were just left to do whatever they wanted?”

The trio now began to continue their walk down the hall.

“Well I’m heading down to the Dominion,” Tyler announced, “work out a little, maybe grab a shake. You guys coming with?”

“Yeah man, I’m there” Craig approved of the idea.

“I might catch up with you later, but I want to go home first” said Jasmine.

“Oh right, it’s Friday. Your mom finishes work early today” Craig realised. “You really like to spend time with her, huh?”

“You bet! She’s awesome!”

“I wish my mom was like yours” chuckled Tyler. “All mine ever does is nag at me to clean my room!”

“Tyler, I’ve seen your room” Craig reminded him. “Trust me, she has a point!”

“Okay guys I really better going” Jasmine told them. She gave them a little wink; her trademark parting gift. “See you later.”

The boys said their goodbyes and watched her go. Tyler couldn’t help but notice the way Craig stared after her.

“Man you’ve really got it bad for her, haven’t you?” he laughed.

“Well you’ve got to admit,” replied Craig with a shy smile, “she really is something!”

“Come on Romeo, let’s go.”

*

Inside the Compound, Steelador and Coppertron turned to see their other comrade enter the main chamber. The hulking figure of the light blue robot towered above them both, his rectangular red visor glowing brightly.

“You sent for me sir?” he enquired in his deep and booming voice.

“Indeed I did, Iron Claw” Steelador confirmed. “The time has come to launch our first attack on this planet. Since you are my most trusted general, the honour is yours. Do you feel you are ready?”

“Sir, I have been ready for my entire existence” Iron Claw assured his master, emphasising his point by clenching his right fist tightly in anticipation. “I shall unleash the power of the Metal Minds upon this miserable world, and we shall not be stopped, especially since the prophecy about the human who would oppose us was thwarted twenty-three years ago.”

“Yes,” Coppertron chimed in, “you yourself made that happen, by killing the chosen one’s mother before the chosen one was even born. The perfect crime!”

“It really was quite an achievement,” Steelador agreed, “which is all the more reason why you should carry out the first attack – you have earned that right. Coppertron, are the Tin Men ready?”

“Just putting the finishing touches on them now sir.”

“Good, let me know the minute they are ready” Iron Claw declared. He raised his left arm high above his head, the huge menacing claw sharp and proud. “As soon as possible, I shall be having a lot of fun!”

*

Completing the short walk from school, Jasmine turned into the driveway of her house, heading for the door. Her eyes darted between the three steps leading up to the door, and the low ramp beside them. Usually she would take the lazy option and go for the ramp, but today she was feeling more energetic and jumped the steps in a single leap. Taking her key and opening the door, she went inside.

“Mom, I’m home” she called out. “Mom?”

“In the kitchen sweetie” replied a voice. Jasmine wasted no time, dumping her school bag at the foot of the stairs as she passed. She entered the kitchen, and sure enough there she was: the woman who had brought her up. The woman who had raised her and cared for her for longer than she could remember. The woman who was one of the most important people in the world to Jasmine.

“Hey” Jasmine greeted happily, giving her mom a brief but warm hug.

“Hi honey” said Tara with a smile, looking up from the book she was reading. The years had been good to her: her hair still kept its natural colour, and she was always in great shape. A few ageing lines were beginning to appear on the face, but Jasmine knew without question that she had never looked more beautiful.

“How was your day?” mother asked daughter as she turned back to her book.

“Yeah it was fine, I guess. School’s school, you know? How about yours?”

“Not too bad. Being a gym instructor pays the bills okay but I sure wouldn’t mind a bit more variety in my job.”

“Well you can’t really complain, at least you can stay in shape. Speaking of which, I should go and get some training done. Got the new material?”

“Yep, picked it up today. It’s over there on the counter.”

Jasmine looked and saw what she needed. She walked over and picked up the DVD case:

“Drive?” she asked, reading the title. “Marc Dacascos, Kadeem Hardison… never heard of it.”

“Well it’s a pretty old film now, from the mid 90s” replied Tara, her head still buried in her book. “It’s awesome though, and some of those moves could really challenge you.”

“Mother please! None of the others have been challenging, and I don’t see it happening yet.”

Jasmine began to walk back over, when she caught a glimpse out of the corner of her eye. As she stepped nearer and peered over her mother’s shoulder, she realised that it was not a book she was reading. No, it was a photo album. More to the point, it was that photo album – and the man pictured in it was unmistakable.

“You really miss him, don’t you?”

“Every day” Tara replied after a moment. She sighed: “I wish… I wish you had the chance to know him.”

“Yeah, me too” replied Jasmine. She left the conversation at that, gave her mother a quick kiss on the cheek, and then went to start training. Tara was left alone to stare on at the photographs in front of her, of that one special man. Of his genuine smile and kind eyes. Of him and her together, the way it was supposed to be.

God, why did she keep torturing herself like this?

A tear fell from her eye, its watery trail staining her cheek. Even now, seventeen years on, the memory of that fateful day still plagued her mind as though it had happened only moments ago. The memory of how the treacherous DarkStar had assumed his form, and the great confusion that followed. The memory of when she squeezed the trigger, sending several shots into the chest. The memory of DarkStar finally reverting back to her true shape, revealing the full and horrifying consequences of the wrong choice she had made. It still made her sick to the stomach, her guilt and shame all-powerful and all-consuming. She knew that she would have given up on life long ago, if it were not for the fact that she had to remain strong for their daughter.

It was true that her child had taught her to smile once more, but Tara knew that she would never truly be happy ever again. Not when she had to carry on without him. Part of her liked to think that maybe he was still watching over her somehow, but the rest of her remained convinced that he would have hated her now. Despised her for her unforgivable treachery. What would he say, if he were here now? Indeed, what would any of the others say if they knew the truth about what had happened?

“Hello?” called a voice. “Anyone home?”

Speaking of one of the others… Tara quickly closed the photo album and hid it in the nearby cutlery drawer, her self-induced guilt causing her to feel almost ashamed for looking at it in the first place. She forced her tears to stop as she called out with a “Hey” in response.

“I’ve got the shopping,” the voice called again, another female, “would you mind giving me a hand?”

“Sure thing” Tara agreed. She put on her happy face as she left the kitchen and went to help her housemate.

“Hey Katrina.”

“Afternoon” greeted Katrina as she wheeled her way forwards, several of the smaller shopping bags balanced expertly on her lap. “It’s just the couple of bigger bags outside, thanks.”

Tara picked up the bags and kicked the door shut behind her, before following Katrina back into the kitchen. The still youthful 34 year old took a second to brush her long black hair aside before lifting the bags off her lap and onto the counter.

“Get everything on the list?”

“Every last item. You know me: Katrina Dearing, always the resourceful one.”

Tara smiled as she silently agreed with that statement. Resourcefulness and integrity had always been among Katrina’s many fine qualities. As she watched her casually move herself and her wheelchair from one side of the kitchen to the other, Tara could not help but admire the courage and resolve that Katrina had exhibited in the seventeen years following the blow from DarkStar that had left her paralysed from the waist down. It hadn’t always been an easy task, far from it, but she had finally begun to make peace with her new and permanent circumstances. Truly Katrina was an inspiration to Tara in many ways.

“Jazz home?” Katrina asked.

“Upstairs, doing her training” replied Tara, helping to put the shopping away.

“Man I still find it amazing, you know? The things she can do, the fact that she needs so little effort to do them…”

“Yeah she’s real special, that one. I guess that when you’re a chosen one prophesised to fight the forces of evil, you’re usually extended a few privileges.”

“I bet you consider yourself the luckiest woman in the world, don’t you?”

“Well…” Tara stammered hesitantly, “not always.”

Tara left with the pile of new magazines to put them in the living room. Katrina knew what she had been referring to, but she chose not to draw too much attention to it. His death had affected all of them, but it was no secret that Tara had been hit the hardest by the whole ordeal. There were some things about him that she just wasn’t willing to discuss, and his death was one of them. If Katrina could bring him back, she would. But what was done was done. DarkStar had killed him, and nothing could change that now.

She pulled the last item from the final shopping bag: a new cutlery set that she had bought on the spur of the moment. She wheeled over to the cutlery drawer and opened it – and discovered the photo album resting inside, with a single partially dried teardrop splashed on the cover. Katrina had seen the album hastily stashed in so many places before, enough times to figure out what that poor widow had been spending her spare time doing yet again. She sighed sorrowfully:

“Oh Tara…”

*

They stood ready, they stood willing, they stood patient.

Steelador, Iron Claw and Coppertron all entered the room to inspect the fresh batch of Tin Men, loyal foot soldiers of the Metal Minds. The bright blue eyes shone from the white heads, the red energy spheres glowed inside the transparent chests of glass on the otherwise black bodies, radiating light out into the dark corners of the Compound’s walls. Steelador walked slowly along the long row of soldiers, eying each one in turn.

“Your verdict boss?” Coppertron pressed, awaiting praise.

“You have done well, Coppertron” Steelador replied. “Robust, finely constructed… you continue to maintain your usual high standards.”

“I am humbled by your generous words boss” said the technician as he bowed.

“Iron Claw, they’re all yours” announced Steelador. “Command them as you wish.”

“Tin Men, hear my words” Iron Claw declared as he stepped up to them. “You will shortly be deployed into the heart of the city these Earthlings call Stone Canyon. I will be your superior for this assault, you will obey only the orders that I give you. Your duty is simple: to attack, to destroy, and to serve the Metal Minds until you rust. Understand?”

The Tin Men thumped a fist to their chests in perfect unison, their version of the devoted salute.

“They are ready sir,” Iron Claw reported, “as am I.”

“Excellent. Then by all means go, Iron Claw. Go now and lay waste to this planet.”

The general and his soldiers wasted no more time, teleporting away in flashes of light. Steelador’s thick metal lips twisted into a cruel smile: after countless millennia of waiting, the show was finally about to begin.

*

The Dominion, local youth centre of Stone Canyon. Teenagers and a few younger kids bustled about, some working out in the gym area, others having another try at beating the high score on their favourite arcade games. The place had often been compared to the old Juice Bar at neighbouring city Angel Grove, but the Dominion often scored more points for its larger size, updated facilities and overall more modern feel.

“Here you go man,” announced Craig as he walked up to a table with a couple of glasses, “a nice cool soda.”

“Cheers dude” Tyler thanked him as he took hold of his glass. His forehead still held a few beads of sweat from his earlier workout, and this was the perfect way to cool off.

“I’m surprised Jazz hasn’t arrived yet” said Craig, taking a seat. “She said she’d show.”

“She said maybe she’d show. Hate to remind you man, but you have a habit of always hoping for the best whenever Jasmine Bennet is concerned.”

“Well can you blame me?”

“No I guess I can’t. She is a really great girl.”

Craig’s eyes narrowed suspiciously at his friend: “And what’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing!” Tyler insisted with an amused grin. “Relax C, I’m not looking to steal your honey.”

“Except she’s not…” Craig paused briefly as he pushed his glasses back up his nose, “… my honey.”

“Well maybe not yet. But dude, maybe if you just told her how you feel…”

“Aw she’d never say yes.”

“How do you know?”

“Look, I’ve seen the type of guys she’s dated…” Another pause while he pushed his glasses up, “…before. She wouldn’t see anything in a guy like me.”

Tyler almost opened his mouth to argue again but ended up quickly biting his lip instead. Thinking about it, he found that he couldn’t argue with part of what Craig had just said. Jasmine had only dated a couple of guys that he was aware of, but he had to admit that they had been worlds apart from Craig. Those guys had both been the rugged, muscular jock type – far closer to Tyler himself, truth be told. Nobody could ever deny just how much Jasmine cared about Craig as a friend, but yeah… they wouldn’t exactly be the Ross and Rachel of Stone Canyon High.

Craig managed a small smile: “Your silence speaks volumes, my friend.”

“Hey, now you know nobody wants you and Jazz to get together more than I do…”

“Yeah, yeah I know. Don’t sweat it man, I’ll survive. Anyway, weren’t you meant to be teaching me some new karate moves today?”

“You bet. Let us train, my young grasshopper.”

“Stop calling me that!”

*

It was quite spacious, Jasmine’s bedroom. Furniture like her bed, wardrobe, desk and so on were up against the walls, purposely leaving large amounts of empty floor perfect for her regular training routine. A lot of time was spent in her room practising and training, whether it be just a few simple stretches or a lengthy and intricate kata. She always thought of her room as her sanctuary, something which her mother had been only too happy to help out with. The Bennet women really did hold great care and respect for each other.

Jasmine’s expression remained completely passive as her eyes locked on the television, the movie Drive playing in the DVD machine. The main character, Toby Wong, had just put a pair of a bad guy’s boots on his own hands, and was now using the rubber soles to block several incoming electrical stun sticks. Wong then proceeded to switch to a handstand, the boots providing sturdiness whilst his legs flailed out in a rapid awe-inspiring spin to kick the bad guys down. Jasmine’s eyes took it all in, scanning the images into her memory, her brain then preparing to transmit them through her nerves and down into her body.

She lifted the remote and pressed the pause button. That was major cool – she was seriously impressed! But she was confident that even that display would give her no trouble whatsoever. She walked over to her shoe rack and picked up her favourite pair of stylish red boots, slotting them over her arms as she returned to stand in the middle of the room. Her eyes gently closed, she took a deep breath in and out, then another, then another. Then her eyes flew open again…

And she began to move. Visualising those same bad guys standing in front of her, she positioned her arms to block the imaginary attacks, her movements every bit as fast and fluid as what she had just witnessed on the film. It was as though she herself was Toby Wong, matching the character’s display move for move, speed for speed, position for position. Without pausing even once she flipped onto her hands and perfectly executed the twisting kicks, another flawless mirror image of the movie. When she returned to her feet and concluded the move, she thrust her arms forward to remove the boots, the footwear flying onto the bed. She calmly brushed her hair from her face, not even the slightest bit out of breath.

“Eat your heart out Dacascos!” she quipped with a sly smile.

This was the gift that Jasmine Bennet seemed to possess: the capacity for rapid absorption of body movement and rhythm. Her brain able to understand the way a human body moves and store it in memory, and her body able to copy those motions without flaw or error. When it came to fighting skills, such an ability proved particularly valuable: she could learn virtually any technique purely by observation. All she had to do was see someone performing some martial arts, even for a few brief moments, and mere seconds are all it would take for her to become every bit their equal.

Jasmine honestly couldn’t remember when she realised she possessed this unique ability, but she knew she had been very young. Her mother had told her about her excellent co-ordination even as a baby, and so she figured this was an ability she had from birth, courtesy of whatever was responsible for making her the “chosen one”. All Jasmine really knew for sure was that she was capable of so many things with this gift – and she loved it!

*

Meanwhile, downstairs in the living room, Katrina flicked through the TV channels, trying to find something – anything – even half-decent to watch. It was a futile attempt, she knew. Maybe she was just beginning to show her age, but she no longer found herself gripped by those cheesy teen dramas that she used to watch years ago. In fact, not much of anything on the Box these days seemed to hold her interest for very long. How times had changed for this young woman: she lost the ability to walk, she was worried about getting old, and modern TV sucked!

Finally her channel surfing came to a halt on an old rerun of Family Guy, a cartoon that was dated even in her youth, but it had always made her giggle. She remembered this episode: Joe, the wheelchair-bound character, had built himself a new home theatre, which main guy Peter was insanely jealous of. She watched the part where a movie started playing, with Joe pushing forward in his wheelchair before flying into the air, both arms stretched high in pride and a happy smile on his face.

Katrina couldn’t help but smile sadly as the new meaning of the scene hit her. She used to watch that part of the episode with nothing more than a slight giggle about the corniness of it all, but that was before she was put in a wheelchair herself. Now she had to admit that it was kind of inspiring. This guy was stuck in a wheelchair, denied a “normal” life in many ways. But he was happy, and he continued to reach for those goals.

Katrina had been forced to accept her circumstances too. When the doctors had first broke the news to her that she would never walk again… well, “upset” didn’t even begin to explain how she had felt. But somehow, over time, she managed to made peace with herself, to build her life again. She knew now that she had to keep reaching up with a smile on her face as well. Maybe, just maybe, she would someday feel like she too could fly.

Suddenly, a man’s voice jumped out from the speakers: “We interrupt this program to bring you an urgent news bulletin. We now go live to our on-the-scene reporter, Michaela Cornell.”

“Damn it!” Katrina muttered to herself. She finally finds something decent to watch, then this happens. It was as she thought: TV sucked!

“I’m Michaela Cornell,” spoke the woman now on screen, a middle aged blonde, “and I’m here in downtown Stone Canyon, where a terrifying event has just occurred.”

‘Great, another tragedy,’ Katrina thought to herself, ‘that’s all you get on the news these days’. Still, she couldn’t deny that Michaela Cornell was the right woman to send for reporting on these things. Her big sister Cassidy had been one of the most famous reporters in Reefside, and it seemed like the talent ran in the family.

“Our cameraman will now carefully peer around the corner of the building behind me,” Michaela continued, “where you will witness the latest threat to befall our planet.”

The camera did indeed veer around the corner to look down the street – and Katrina’s eyes immediately widened in shock.

“As you can clearly see,” Michaela’s voice carried on off screen, “a small force of unknown soldiers have invaded our fair city. Alien attacks have not occurred near Stone Canyon since Angel Grove was targeted by Ivan Ooze 23 years ago, but now it would seem that our time of peace has finally come to an end.”

Katrina couldn’t believe what she was seeing. She had never seen these soldiers herself, but she immediately identified them from the description she had been given before.

“Tara!” she yelled out. “Tara, get in here!”

“Hang on a sec…”

“Now, damn it!”

Moments later and Tara entered the room: “What’s all the fuss…” She trailed off when she saw the TV, and she too recognised those soldiers instantly.

“Tin Men” she breathed in astonishment.

“We knew it was going to happen Tara, we just didn’t know when” Katrina reminded her.

As if Tara needed any reminding! Within seconds she was standing at the foot of the stairs and shouting up: “Jasmine!”

In her room Jasmine heard her name being called and went to open the door. “What’s up?” she asked.

“It’s started.”

“What has?”

“The thing I hoped never would.”

Jasmine finally cottoned on: “You mean…?”

“Yes!” Tara confirmed. “I’m sorry Jazz, but peaceful days are over. It’s time.”

Jasmine needed no more explanation. She hurriedly ran over to switch off her TV and DVD player, then headed back for the door, knowing that this was the day she had been mentally preparing herself for her whole life.

She got to her door, paused, and turned around to stare back into her room. She awaited some silent words of encouragement, which she promptly received…

“Go get ‘em, Princess!”

With a confident smile, Jasmine left her room and headed downstairs.

[bushwacka666]

I think you already know! Jasmine makes her Ranger debut. I'll also be trying something that I usually avoid when writing fics, so I hope I manage to pull it off okay.

[Jacen]

To quote the dude on the Starcraft 2 trailer. "It's about time" :D. Now for the comments.

I think the way you brought the bad guys in was amazing. Poor bunnies through. I'm not really liking the bad guy names through :(

Even for a single chapter, I'm really liking Jasmine. I really can't wait for the next one.

I noticed a spelling error somewhere in there but I can't find it now :( Either way, really can't wait for the next chapter Bush.

EDIT: And I got first reply too ^_^ But you knew I would ;)

[roc da mic]

man i have follwed the story since primal fury and it is obvious that you have not lost a beat.

[Time Ranger]

I am really liking this so far. Jazz is going to kick some tin man butt. Canit wait for the second chapter man. Peace God Bless

[T-Rexor Ranger]

Been waiting for this, the villains seem to be cool, though I need read more before I make my final verdict on them.

Tyler and Craig are cool characters, for some reason they kinda gave me a Rocky (Zeo) and Billy (MMPR Season 1) sort of feel. Which is pretty interesting to see and look forward to see how that progresses. Jasmine is definitely Red Ranger material I think, though with her unique gift I can see her getting a little too cocky, which could end up getting her in way over her head and it'd be a nice way for her to have developement later on. Maybe Craig will have a part to play in helping her through some of those situations.

I'm a little dissappointed that there will be no team up, after finishing Special Ops I was expecting it and to me this sort of begs for it. But that's just mean.

Good luck on finishing it man, I'll keep reading when I get the time. :)

[Silver-Ranger]

Sweet Bushwacka your series has come back with a vengence.

[bushwacka666]

Well thanks guys, as ever I always appreciate the early support.

Jacen: I'm sorry you weren't so keen on the villain names. I'll be honest and say I didn't put too much thought into them, I was just thinking of puns to play off the whole metal theme. Personally I think they're not too bad, but I guess you can't please everybody. ;)

Oh and if you or indeed anybody come across any spelling mistakes, please don't hesitate to let me know. I do go through them afterwards and try to catch as many as I can, but there's always a chance I've missed something, and I welcome the proof-readers.

T-Rexor Ranger: I am sorry to disappoint you about the lack of team-up. I thought that with the way Special Ops ended, a team-up wasn't going to be easy to pull off. The Ultrastar Rangers clearly went their separate ways at the end, with Katrina losing the ability to walk and Jessica severing all contact due to the potential danger of her mysterious tattoo - bringing them all together again in a way that didn't seem... shall we say "convenient"... would've been a tough thing to do.

But as I say, even though the powers of the Ultrastar Rangers are done and dusted, the characters themselves will certainly still make their presence felt. HINT: the first of them will pop their head in during Chapter 4! So no team-up, but try not to worry: I don't forget the past and I will make them a part of the future! :)

Thanks again for the early support everyone - any more where that came from? :D

[Angelfox]

welcome back BW

[[]V[]etal []_ion]

Whey finally man, finally!!!
Well i like how you used the bunnies and how you killed them, you psycho! Finally we get a bit more about the Metal Minds, Steelador sounds evil, and Iron Claw will see how wrong he is soon i think.
As for lil Jasmine Bennet, Taskmaster anyone? I think it rules, i reckon red ranger from the colour of her blouse alone and that Steven was red back in the day? Either that or green, cuz of Tara. Nice Cameo by Katrina but i think she's gonna have a bigger role than that right mate?
And nice references to Dino Thunder and the other series with Coppertron's list and the Cornell sisters.
You continue to carry on your magic in this first chapter man, may it never run low :023:023: I cannot wait till the next capter man, can't beleive it took me this long to find this fic! Won't be making that mistake next chapter :)

[Einsider]

AWESOME! and it needed to be in capitals. Been reading your first fics on and off man (although VERY slowly due to exams etc) and your story-writing ability is incredible - and this series is the same! I doubt i will end up reading the first three before you finish this series, simple due to time constraints(!) but be sure that il be reading this fic chapter by chapter! ML said he'd fill in any gaps in my knowledge about the 1st 3 bennetts so im well up for chapter 2! Write on man, write on!

[bushwacka666]

Thanks Angelfox, M_L & Einsider, glad you liked. :)

M_L: you are correct that Jasmine will be Red. In fact if you remember from the Suit Creation thread, you've already seen all the suits that will appear. As for Katrina: well personally I thought she had more than just a cameo here, but whatever. In any case, she's the one former Ranger from Special Ops who continues to be a main character here, so you'll definitely see more of her.

And I'm glad you liked the little references to past seasons there. If you notice, Coppertron's list of past villains also includes Lizzax and Devastator from the previous Bennet fics. I like to do little things like that to help sell the belief that The Bennet Legacy could actually exist alongside real PR seasons.

Einsider: velcome to my vorld, ya? :D I always appreciate the new fans. I understand that real life always has to take priority, and also that there's a Zordon's Head-sized amount of Bennet stories to get through. As I said though, I'm posting this one as I go along so there will be longer waits between chapters. So there's always a chance for you to catch up. But M_L's kind to offer helping bring you up to speed - I extend the same offer myself, so if there's any questions then feel free to ask. :)

I'll get Chapter 2 up soon just so we can get things really started. I'll also try and put up the first lot of character profiles at the same time. The ride has begun, people, and it's a rollercoaster! :023:

[bushwacka666]

Alrighty then, so here's Chapter 2, just so the Ranger related action can really kick off.

At this point, I'd like to give a special shout-out of thanks to my main man []V[]etal []_ion (or Metal_lion as I will continue to refer to him as because that new spelling is a bitch to keep typing! :P ).

There's one thing I always avoid in my fics: writing in the first-person perspective. I never think I'll be able to handle it effectively or do a character justice by it, so I just don't even attempt it. Metal_lion, however, busted out his insanely awesome fic Unholy Confessions, which used the 1st-person perspective to epic effect! It is largely thanks to this fic that I've been inspired to finally try it myself.

Therefore, I present the first of the Dear Diary chapters, which will mix my normal writing style in with a few excerpts written from Jasmine's point of view. I'm not saying it'll be done to the same extent or handled anywhere near as effectively as Unholy Confessions managed it, but I hope you'll appreciate the fact that I'm having a go at something new.

So a huge thanks to you M_L - next time you're in town the milk & cookies are on me! :)

Well, hope you all enjoy the next chapter.

[bushwacka666]

Dear Diary:

From what people have told me, the first day in a new job can be full of surprises. Sometimes you’re excited, sometimes you feel nervous – and often it’s both! You never quite know how things are going to turn out at the end of that first day, let alone several weeks or months down the line.

Today was my first day on the job, and I understand now what they were talking about.

*

Jasmine bounded down the stairs as fast as she could, joining her mom at the bottom.

“Tell me this is just another one of your drills” she said hopefully.

“I only wish it were, but I’m afraid this is the real deal” replied Tara. “Come on, follow me.”

Tara began to walk, her daughter following close behind.

“Are we going where I think we’re going?” asked Jasmine.

“Yes. It’s time you finally visited the Hyperlock.”

Jasmine drew a breath of anticipation. She knew the Hyperlock existed, she knew where it was and she knew how to get there, yet she had never before been allowed to go in. Until now.

The pair turned into the hallway. Jasmine had been down this hallway countless times before, as it led to the bathroom, but this time she had a different destination. Katrina sat waiting for them in the hallway and, when Tara and Jasmine joined her, they all turned to look at the framed poster on the wall:

It was a life-size photograph of the man himself, dressed in a bright red T-shirt and white jeans, standing up against a tree and smiling brightly. Tara had to force a tear back as she stared at the face of her dead husband.

But only the face as a whole, not the eyes – Tara knew she would never be able to look him in the eye ever again.

“Are we ready?” Katrina asked.

“Let’s do this!” answered Jasmine, eager to get this show on the road.

Katrina reached forward and took hold of a certain portion of the frame, and opened it up like a little hinged door. A smooth glass surface rested inside, which Katrina placed her finger on. Her fingerprint was promptly scanned and verified, and the entire picture slid open sideways. The three women made their way into the now revealed elevator, the secret door closing again behind them.

“You’re going to program my fingerprint into the scanner as well now, right?” Jasmine enquired.

“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you get full access” Katrina told her.

“The only reason it’s been off limits up until now,” added Tara, “was because I really didn’t want you starting any of this before you absolutely had to.”

*

Those were the words she used: “before I absolutely had to”. As much as I love Mom, she’s always been a little overprotective of me. Then again, you’d already know all about that, Diary, I’ve talked about it often enough. Like how she never lets me stay out past ten, even though she knows full well that I can take care of myself. Or like the time she wouldn’t let me go on the Flying Elephant ride at the fairground when I was little. Hell I’m 17 now, and she’d probably still keep me away from it if she could!

Anyway, maybe now that this has all started, I might be able to get a little more leeway with things like that. After all, I can finally go down to the Hyperlock whenever I like. I tell you something: seeing that place for the first time was soooo cool!

*

The round elevator came to a halt following its descent, ending up in a small chamber. Four doorways circled the elevator, marked CONTROL ROOM, LAB, GYM and LOCKUP. Katrina led the way through to the Control Room, and Jasmine’s jaw dropped at the sight.

Never before had she ever seen so high-tech a place. A large room, numerous computers and other machines lining the walls, the countless flashing lights enough to induce an epileptic shock. There was more than one level as well; a couple of higher walkways ran along the side of the far wall, and a ramp led down to a lower pit in the middle of the room. This pit had some kind of circular black device sitting inside.

“Whoa!” she gasped in amazement. “This place is amazing! I knew there was a base under the house but I didn’t know you’d have the whole Batcave down here!”

“I’m glad you like it” said Tara with a smile. “Katrina was working on this place for a hell of a long time.”

“A lot of it’s based on the existing Ultrastar technology, with a few improvements and other little tweaks here or there” Katrina told the still bewildered young girl. “The late Andrew Hartford was a great help with some of the systems too.” After a moment, she also added: “I miss Spencer…”

“Alright enough of the gawping, we’ve got a job to do. Katrina, get it out. Jazz, take a look.

Katrina wheeled back through the doorway and out of sight, while Tara led Jasmine down into the pit with the round device. Tapping a few buttons on the control panel at the side, Tara switched on the device. A bright beam of light promptly shot up from the base, stretching outwards to produce a large holographic screen. The holograms displayed the images of the soldiers currently causing chaos in the city. Jasmine studied these figures closely as she saw them for the very first time.

“I take it these creeps are the Tin Men?” she enquired.

“That’s right” Tara confirmed. “If you think they look freaky here, how do you think I felt when they burst through the restaurant wall and ruined your father and I’s romantic evening?”

“They look pretty tough.”

“Yeah, as I remember they were quite a pain.”

“How do you stop them?”

“I have to admit I’m not entirely sure. Katrina thinks the red energy spheres in their chests may be their power source – and therefore their weak spot – but that’s just a theory. Anyway, as you can see they’re already making a nuisance of themselves as we speak. It looks as though the Metal Minds have officially begun their attack on Earth.”

Jasmine continued to watch the soldiers on the hologram. She had only had these freaks described to her before, and she had to admit that they did look scarier than she had imagined, even as a little girl. Still, her confidence remained in control. She knew she was prepared for this. Her entire life had been just that: preparation.

She turned to her mother: “I’m ready. Just give me the word and I’ll show those walking junk piles what the chosen one thinks of their invasion!”

“I’ve no doubt sweetie! But if you’re going to face the Metal Minds, you’ll need an edge.”

“And luckily,” announced Katrina as she returned to the Control Room, “I’ve got that edge right here.”

Katrina wheeled herself over to Jasmine and handed over a small item, which Jasmine readily took. She examined it: it was like a necklace or pendant, a small sphere of the most beautiful red, with two silver rings orbiting around and crossing over one another in an X shape. A small silver knob was stuck to the bottom of the sphere, whilst a long gold chain extended from the top. Jasmine had never seen any necklace like this before, but she knew it would be easy to pass it off in public as an ordinary piece of jewellery.

“It’s beautiful, Aunt Katrina” she said in all sincerity.

“Good, because you’re going to have to wear it all the time” replied Katrina. “This is your Zero Morpher, the one and only of its kind. This little gem will give you the powers you need to defend Stone Canyon.”

Jasmine’s eyes lit up when she heard that: “By powers, you mean… Ranger powers, right?”

“Just like your father and I before you,” Tara told her, “you’ll make a great Power Ranger. By using that Morpher and calling “Zero Point”, you will morph into Ranger Zero, the Metal Minds’ worse nightmare!”

“Awesome! What about weaponry?”

“Ah now that’s the really cool part!” Katrina grinned. “The Fatal Zero is your personal weapon with six different modes, and I’m sure you’ll find it useful. Unfortunately there isn’t time to explain it all to you now, but you’ll know what to do with it once you morph.”

“Alright, let’s get this show on the road! I’m outta here!”

“I’ll set the teleportation co-ordinates. You’ll be sent into the city faster than you can blink!”

Jasmine stood ready, slipping the Zero Morpher around her neck and fastening it up. Taking hold of it with one hand, she took a deep breath, and prepared to make the call…

“Jazz, wait a sec” Tara stopped her. She stepped up to her daughter: “I just want you to know…” She paused, not really wanting to say those words out loud. Tara somehow thought that it was a little premature. She had faith in her daughter’s abilities, no question about it. She knew Jasmine was a strong, confident and capable fighter, but she was also still her little girl. It was only natural for Tara to be worried about what might happen to her.

“You… you know I wish there was another way right?” she said finally. “You know I wish you didn’t have to be the one to do this.”

“I know Mom,” said Jasmine, “but it’s fine, really. This is what I was born to do, and I’m going to do whatever it takes.”

Tara smiled: “That’s my girl!” She planted a quick kiss on her daughter’s cheek: “You be careful, okay?”

“I will.”

“Hate to break you two up,” Katrina cut in, “but a large group of evil Tin Men not getting any friendlier!”

“Don’t sweat it, I’m on the way” Jasmine told her. Holding her Morpher out in front of her, she spoke the words without any hesitation: “Zero Point!”

*

I can’t find any words to really describe how morphing feels. Mom had told me it was like some kind of electrical charge running through your entire body. I kind of get why she said that: it’s tingly and fuzzy and super cool! But it’s really one of those things that you’ll never understand unless you experience it – and what an experience it was!

Teleportation was a different story, I’m already used to that. It was one of the few Ranger privileges Mom and Aunt Katrina showed me when I was a kid. Anything to help me get prepared for the big day, I guess. I still remember fooling around with Aunt Katrina’s portable teleportation device and getting into all sorts of mischief with it, which didn’t make Mom too happy! At least it was real useful when we played Hide & Seek – Thailand’s a beautiful place…

After I morphed and began teleporting, I kept thinking about what Mom had said to me, making sure I knew she wished I didn’t have to do this. Like I said, overprotective, but she’s real sweet to care. Mom’s always cared, she’s always been honest with me about stuff. I might have been pretty young but she told me the truth about everything as soon as she felt I was ready.

She told me about when they used to be Power Rangers; her and Dad, and Aunt Katrina too. About the battles they fought and the villains they faced. Those stories were always cool to hear at bedtime!

She told me about the Metal Minds, and that I was going to be the one that had to stop them. That knowledge really helped: when me and Mom started my training, I knew what the training was for. I knew what I had to do and how important it would be – it really helped me to focus.

She even hit me with the fact that my Dad wasn’t actually my Dad at all. Actually she admitted that I didn’t even have a biological father. Now there’s a WTF alarm if ever I heard one! But in the short time he had been alive after I was born, he played the role of Dad right up to the last moment. Gotta give the guy props for taking on that one!

I can’t remember too much about how I reacted when Mom told me all of these things. They probably weren’t the easiest things in the world to hear at the time, but it really was all so long ago. But I’m cool with all that now, I’ve accepted these things and made my peace with them. A lot of this isn’t stuff I tend to broadcast to the nation, of course, but for me it’s all been just a normal childhood.

But yeah… it’s cool that she was open about all that stuff, it’s cool that she told me everything when I was little. I don’t think we would be as close as we are now if she hadn’t, and if there’s one thing I’m grateful for, it’s my awesome relationship with my awesome Mom – couldn’t have asked for anyone better!

Anyway, where was I? Right, the first day on the job. I reached the end of my teleportation ride and touched down in the city. First thing I noticed was my slammin’ new suit!

*

A streak of red light solidified into the form of Ranger Zero. She took a few seconds to admire the new look: a super-sleek suit that fit Jasmine’s body like a glove. A white stripe stretched towards the chest from all four sides, merging together into a ring shape in the centre. The helmet bore a large round visor, and the edges of the gloves and boots were each accented by a smaller red and white circle. Overall the design was relatively simplistic, but damn if Jazz wasn’t impressed!

“Oh yes!” she breathed excitedly. “Oh hell yes! Oh my sweet Jesus yes!”

“Um Jasmine?” a sudden voice made her jump. It took her a moment to realise that it was coming from what was apparently a communication system built into her helmet.

“I’m really glad you like the suit,” Katrina’s voice spoke again, “but a little focus please?”

“Sorry Aunt K. It’s just a little like a massive sugar rush, that’s all.”

“Oh believe me, I know the feeling! But a word of advice: take all that energy you have, and put it to good use.”

“Right, on my way” Jasmine agreed, proceeding to head off in search of the metallic invaders. It didn’t take her long either. She ran for a couple of blocks (no problem with her new enhanced speed) and after turning a corner she found her targets: the Tin Men were visible at the other end of the street. Not actually that far from the Dominion, they looked ready to tear up the town. Jasmine, knowing how packed with people the Dominion could get, realised the danger that a lot of people could get hurt. She wasted no time in advancing forward, alerting the robotic soldiers to her presence. Every one of them – she guessed about thirty in all – turned their heads towards her in perfect synchronisation, their bright blue eyes gazing eerily into her dark visor.

“Hey Tin Men, over here” she yelled. “Think you’re so tough? How about taking on an innocent young girl like me?”

It seemed as though the Tin Men were eager to take up that offer, promptly responding in the most appropriate manner they knew: charging forward as fast as their electronic legs would allow.

“Okay Jazz, this is it” the new heroine whispered to herself as she assumed a fighting stance, watching the soldiers as they came ever closer. “This is what you’ve been training for your whole life so give it everything you’ve got.” She clenched her fists tight: “Time to show these creeps how it’s done… Bennet style!”

That was all the verbal encouragement she needed to give herself. There was no time for anything else as the Tin Men finally began to surround her. Her reaction was swift, immediately thrusting a fist forward. A dull crunch was heard as it connected with a soldier’s glass chest, breaking it with ease. The robot’s body collapsed back to the ground. The red energy sphere promptly flew out of its shattered storage, speeding up into the air and away out of sight. That was one soldier taken out already.

“Nice!” Jasmine exclaimed. “Alright, who’s next?”

More soldiers gave their answer, moving in. Jasmine was more than ready for them, leaping up with an impressive roundhouse and knocking down two of her attackers at once. She then grabbed a third and threw it over her shoulder, straight into the path of three more. All four clumsily went down, two more energy spheres flying up and away from the pile. The other two quickly got back to their feet and resumed their attack.

“That’s the problem with you guys” sighed Jasmine. “I guess you never run out of breath, huh?”

She backflipped across the street, placing more of the goons in front of her. Grabbing a Tin Man by each arm and swinging them round, she caused both to collide, their glass chests cracking wide open from the force. That was five down now, but still about another twenty-five to go. She leapt forward, stepping on the shoulders of a Tin Man to launch herself up even higher. A rapid corkscrew kick struck home into another soldier and took it out. Three then began to charge in together, and it was here that one of them landed their first successful hit on the Ranger, slamming a hard kick straight into her back. With a pained cry she stumbled forward – straight into the waiting arms of the other two. They used no words to communicate to each other, yet could somehow agree on what action they would both take. Grabbing her arms and tightening their hold, they dragged her forward and rammed her straight into a wall.

“Ahh! Let go of me, Rust-For-Brains!” she yelled. Yet they retained their grip, shoving her into the wall again.

“If you guys do that once more, you’ll seriously tick me off.”

As if testing her, they did indeed slam her against the wall for a third time.

“Well, don’t say I didn’t warn you…”

They pulled her forward again, but this time she wouldn’t be intimidated so easily. With a quick jump she used the momentum to swing round and run up the wall, before flipping over the two soldiers’ heads and landing behind them. Quickly ramming a flat palm into their backs she shoved them into the wall, giving them a taste of their own medicine. More crunches were heard as their glass chests gave into the pressure, signalling their final defeat. She then quickly ran back up to the wall and pushed herself off again, spinning round with a powerful tornado kick that almost took the head off another Tin Man.

“Alright,” she breathed, a little smile forming underneath her helmet, “now here’s the part where it gets interesting…”

*

In the Hyperlock, Katrina observed the action through the holographic projector. Her eyes had to widen at the sight of some of Jasmine’s moves. She was seriously impressed: she knew that the Ranger Zero powers had to be contributing to the strength and speed of Jazz’s attacks, but the skill and agility was all her.

“Ooh, that’s gotta hurt!” Katrina declared with a chuckle.

“Don’t say that like it’s a good thing!” shrieked a voice behind her.

“No I meant that’s gotta hurt the Tin Men, not Jazz” she clarified. She glanced over her shoulder: “Of course, you’d know what I meant if you were actually paying attention to what was going on.”

Tara did not move her hands that were covering her eyes: “I can’t bear to watch…”

“Would it kill you to have a little faith in the girl?”

“I have faith, but I also have the fear that she’s going to end up with her brains splattered all over the sidewalk!”

“Oh lighten up a little Tara. She’s doing great, and she’s getting a real buzz out of it too. Come on, sit back and enjoy the show.”

“Oh God please…”

“Hey come on, this is her big debut at being a Power Ranger. Wouldn’t she want you to see her in action and be proud of her? What if it was her first day as a cheerleader, or a track meet? Think she’d appreciate it if all you could do was cover up your eyes? Show your daughter a little support for heaven’s sake!”

Katrina had said the whole thing light-heartedly, but it couldn’t be denied that she kind of had a point. Reluctantly, Tara separated a couple of fingers so her eye could peer through at the hologram viewer…

She was just in time to see Jasmine latch onto a Tin Man and vault up so she was executing a perfectly balanced handstand on its shoulders. Then with a quick twist of her arms she pushed off again. The Tin Man went with the momentum, corkscrewing rapidly in midair before crashing chest first on solid concrete, the chest breaking and the sphere flying free. Jasmine made a perfect landing on her feet.

“Wow!” Tara gasped, now slowly lowering her hands.

“See, told ya” said Katrina smugly. “Now you tell me your heart isn’t swelling with pride at this very moment.”

Tara just smiled.

*

The remaining Tin Men – all three of them – regrouped opposite Jasmine. The speed with which she had taken out the others surprised even her. Now there was just this trio of hopeless hacks left. As they assumed their fighting stances, Jasmine readied herself…

She didn’t get the chance to do much else, however, as the Tin Men suddenly lowered their arms again. Jasmine frowned in confusion as she watched them stand down, stepping back and away from their opponent.

“What the…?” she muttered. “So, you guys do know when to surrender then?”

“They have only stopped because I signalled for them to do so.”

The deep booming voice resonated in through Jasmine’s ears and sent shivers straight down her spine. A moment later she saw the large shadow approach from behind and loom over her. Slowly, she turned around, and stared up at the imposing form of Iron Claw…

“Um… hi there, Mr Big Scary Robot” she stammered with a little gulp. This guy was huge!

“A Power Ranger. Hmm, interesting” he mused, his red visor examining her form. “Are you all alone, little girl? Are there more of your team around here somewhere?”

“No team. One girl is all this city needs to take you guys down.”

“Nothing exists that can stop us. Any resistance will be painfully insignificant for you and your kind.”

“Well hey, I took out your Goon Squad. What have you got?”

Jasmine had invited a response, and the hulking general was only too happy to provide it: he swung up his arm with the oversized metal claw and slammed it straight into the pathetic human warrior. Jasmine could not prepare herself for such strength – she hurtled backwards through the air just as if she had been a tennis ball somebody had thrown, and only the structure of the Dominion youth centre stood to slow her flight path…

*

“Okay Craig, that’s it, keep your guard up. Now, do the kick… yeah nice job, grasshopper.”

Craig glanced over with annoyance: “I told you to stop calling me that!”

“But you are my grasshopper” his chuckling friend teased. “And I am… err… whatever’s more dominant than a grasshopper.”

“An irritating laughing hyena?”

“Ah don’t get so hostile man,” replied Tyler, stepping up as he tossed Craig a towel, “you know I’m only messing around. My taunts are taunts of love.”

“Yeah right…” Craig muttered, although even he had to crack an amused smile. “So tell me Sensei, how am I doing?”

“Seriously, you’re really improving. A few more lessons and you’ll be ready to take on Jazz herself!”

“Whoa baby steps, my friend, baby steps! But speaking of Jazz…” Craig paused briefly while he put his glasses back on, “… is she going to show up tonight or what?”

“Hate to disappoint you, but probably not. Place is closing soon anyway.”

“But she said she would.”

“No, she said she might, but might does not mean absolutely will. Don’t get your hopes up man, Jasmine Bennet is not just suddenly going to drop in.”

It was at that exact moment that a red blur came smashing through a nearby window, the destruction of the glass resulting in an almighty crash that resounded throughout the entire room. The civilians immediately went into a panic at the sudden intrusion, some already making a run for it. Tyler and Craig instinctively leapt clear in their surprise, turning back just in time to see the figure hit the ground among the shards.

“Whoa dude!” exclaimed Tyler. “A Power Ranger!”

Jasmine quickly flipped back to her feet, allowing herself a moment to shake the daze out of her head: “Man, now there’s an experience I don’t wanna repeat anytime soon…”

“Hey,” Craig called, “are you alright?”

Jasmine turned and instantly recognised her two closest friends. Seeing them there threw her for a second, but luckily her helmet disguised any expression her face might have betrayed.

“Stay back, you two” she ordered them, “it’s not safe.” The realisation that she would have to keep her Ranger alter-ego a secret from them only seemed to hit her at that moment.

A noise forced her attention back to what remained of the window. Quickly snapping into a fighting stance, she prepared herself as the first of the three remaining Tin Men leapt in after her. Jasmine was ready, jumping into a swift spinning back kick that promptly broke open the soldier’s glass chest, releasing the energy sphere that powered it. Its now limp body promptly falling to the floor.

“Whoa dude!” Tyler declared again, both his and Craig’s eyes wide with amazement. They’d seen plenty of Power Rangers in pictures and on the news, but never before had they witnessed one fighting just a few feet away from them. Perhaps it would have been wise to get clear, but they were both too stunned by the sudden revelation to really register the risk they were taking.

The other two Tin Men now entered, but this new heroine took them both out with ease. A quick back flip brought up both feet to shatter both chests simultaneously. Jasmine made another perfectly balanced landing on her feet, glad that all the Tin Men had been defeated but knowing that she couldn’t relax just yet – the hulking form of Iron Claw now made his charge from across the street, the small tremors heralding his approach. He too leapt in through the window, the jump surprisingly agile for a being of his size.

Tyler’s jaw dropped when he saw the massive blue robot for the first time: “Holy motherfu…”

The crash heard when Iron Claw landed drowned out the rest of that sentence.

“Shall you battle me, Red Ranger?” enquired Iron Claw in his trademark booming tones.

“The names Ranger Zero, please be accurate” Jasmine shot back. “And you bet I’m ready… Fatal Zero, Sword Mode!”

On her command, her weapon was deployed. The belt buckle was detached from the rest of the belt, and everybody watching – even Jasmine herself – had to be astonished as a long blade slid out of the side, soon followed by a handle, and two axe blade-shaped metal plates that formed the hilt.

Further words were not necessary. Jasmine immediately went on the offensive, expertly swinging the sword round into a mighty slash across Iron Claw’s chest, sparks flying as he stumbled back from the hit. She attacked again but this time he was ready for her, bringing up his claw arm to block. With a quick twist he had caught the blade and held it secure. However Jasmine would not back down so easily, crouching and spinning to deliver a low kick to her opponent’s midsection. Iron Claw staggered back again, forcing him to release his grip on the Fatal Zero. Jasmine was thankful: the guy was big, bulky and made of metal, but he didn’t seem too resistant to her attacks.

“Fatal Zero, Cannon Mode!” she announced, commanding a change in her weapon. The blade, handle and one of the metal plates retracted back inside the core. A long round barrel then appeared at a 45-degree angle to the remaining plate, with a small trigger magically forming on the plate’s underside. Jasmine now held the cannon and took aim, pointing straight at Iron Claw’s chest.

“Alright Iron Claw, I’m sure you’ll get a real blast out of this!”

With that she squeezed the trigger, sending several bolts of red energy shooting out of the barrel. They all struck their target dead centre, causing him to topple over and back out of the window.

“What a clumsy landing, Mr Claw” giggled Jasmine. “Do you need some help getting up?”

“The only one who shall need help is you, human” Iron Claw retorted as he managed to stand. “You have won this battle, and your victory over me may have seemed incredibly easy to you. But know this: the Metal Minds are a powerful force, and you could never hope to stop us. You have no comprehension of the danger you are in. Until next time, human.”

Iron Claw teleported away in a flash, the lifeless bodies of the Tin Men disappearing with him. As Jasmine switched the Fatal Zero back to its buckle form and reattached it to her belt, she reflected on what Iron Claw had said and she had to agree: he had been beaten incredibly easily, even more so than the Tin Men. Surely the almighty general of the Metal Minds had to be more of a threat than this! Was Jasmine just that good? Or was Iron Claw perhaps just biding time, trying to lull her into a false sense of security before delivering the true strike?

Her train of thought was interrupted by her two friends now coming up to her.

“Man, that was totally awesome!” cheered Tyler. “I mean, seriously, how cool was that?”

“Glad you enjoyed the show” replied Jasmine. “Are you guys alright?”

“Yeah we’re fine. More to the point, how are you?”

“Pretty pumped after that first battle, but I’m worried that it’s just the beginning of the long fight to come.”

Jasmine headed back for the broken window to leave, feeling it wasn’t wise to converse too much with the guys yet in case she accidentally said or did something to give the game away.

“Wait a second,” Craig asked her, “who are you?”

She turned back for a moment: “I’m Ranger Zero – tell your friends.”

*

Back in the Hyperlock, Tara wasted no time in throwing her arms around her daughter: “You, young lady, were fantastic!”

“Yeah,” replied Jasmine, hugging her mother back, “I kind of was, wasn’t I?”

“Although, I was still worried sick about you!”

“Oh Tara, relax” Katrina chimed in. “She did fine, she came back in one piece... Will you just chill, woman?”

“You know, I have to wonder about what Iron Claw told me though,” said Jasmine, “that the Metal Minds were powerful and I couldn’t stop them. I thought I was the only one alive who could stop them.”

“But that’s just it, they don’t know you’re the chosen one” Katrina enlightened her. “When Iron Claw attacked your mother all those years ago and injected her with that poison, his plan was to kill her so that you could never be born. But he probably doesn’t know that she managed to pull through. Chances are the Metal Minds will figure you’re just a random Ranger who decided to try her luck.”

“And that’s the way I’d like it to stay” added Tara. “If they discover you’re the one in the prophecy, they’ll do whatever it takes to destroy you. But as long as they don’t find out, hopefully they’ll decide you’re not a serious threat, and maybe let their guard down a little.”

*

What did I tell you? Mom’s totally overprotective! She’ll do whatever she has to just so the Metal Minds won’t give me too much of a hard time. I get where she and Aunt K. are coming from though. Maybe that’s the reason Iron Claw backed down so easily – he figured I just wasn’t worth the hassle. They figure they can just take me out, and… well, maybe they’re right. Just because I’m the chosen one, doesn’t mean I’m invincible.

But what they probably don’t realise is just how much of a fight I’ll put up before it ever comes to that! I’ll show the Metal Minds that if they want this planet, they’ll have to go through me first. And whether they find out who I am or not, they’ll sure have hell to pay for thinking they could ever take me on!

Well Diary, I guess that pretty much covers it – my first day of what I guess is more than just my new job, it’s my destiny! What a mind-blower huh? I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little scared about what the future’s got in store for me, but I’ve got to try and not let that get to me. Everybody’s counting on me. Mom will be counting on me, and I can’t let her down.

Man it’s getting late, and I’m shattered! I guess I’ll sign off now and hit the sack. I know it’s going to be a long road ahead and I’ve no idea what’s going to happen next. But one thing’s for sure Diary: from now on your entries are going to get a lot more interesting!

Love & hugz,
Jazz.

*

Jasmine clicked the lid back on her pen and set it down on her desk, closed up her diary, then leaned back in her chair with a satisfied sigh. She was already dressed in her red pyjamas and ready for bed, but knew she had to get everything written down while she was still on an adrenaline high. She rubbed her eyes and let out a little yawn.

“Feeling tired?” asked a voice. A male voice.

“Exhausted!” she replied. She turned around: there was nobody else in the room, yet she was not in the slightest bit surprised or confused about where the voice had come from.

“It’s been a long day” she said.

“Yeah I bet it has” the voice spoke again, this time with a little chuckle. “Go on then, get yourself to bed, young lady.”

“Yes sir!”

Jasmine walked over to her bed and climbed into the covers, settling down for the night. Looking over to the side, she waited for the event that she knew would happen. And happen it did: it started out as nothing, but then a white light began to appear, gradually growing brighter until it took the form of a human figure. His ghostly form was semi-transparent, yet every feature, every expression, was unmistakable. Jasmine remained calm and relaxed; she had seen him countless times before throughout her life.

Steven Bennet smiled down at his daughter.

“I just wanted to tell you that I was really proud of you today” he told her. “You handled yourself like a true Bennet!”

“Thanks” she replied, smiling back. “I just hope I can keep up the good work.”

“You’re going to be great, I know it. Now, try and get some rest – you deserve it!”

“Okay. Goodnight Dad.”

“Goodnight Princess.”

Jasmine rested herself and closed her eyes, the smile on her face showing her excitement but betraying the strain of worry that remained running through her mind.

But Steven’s smile disguised nothing. He felt pure pride and joy, and confidence that his daughter was going to save the world.

[bushwacka666]

Now that she's become Ranger Zero, Jasmine knows she's got a long fight ahead of her. But could she be taking her new responsibility just a little too seriously?

[[]V[]etal []_ion]

Awe-Some-ness.


Well done for using the 1st person, i think you handled it more than well; I actually thought i was reading a 17 year old girl's diary, which is creepy for 2 reasons: 1, i know you're a bloke, and 2, i'm older than 17 and it feels creepy reading a girl's thought's who is younger than me. Congratulations for crepping me out and getting truley inside your character's head; that's what makes first person a lot more challenging but you've done it.

I like how Katrina and Tara interact, you can instantly tell they've had a long history between them and i like how you go Tara's motherly feelings expressed through her language and actions. Nice touch with the ghost of Steven at the end too, although i'm sue there's something deeper with that.

And ranger Zero, i'm gonna track down the suit in the corrct thread, and i like how Jazz's mrpher is completly different form anything else that's been used. I think it also fits her character. The action was great, that's what i need to work on atm (it's the whole reason the next project is not out yet!), but you've been great at it since Bennet 1/Primal Fury. Can we be expecting the debut of the Zord battles soon?

All in all, a great chapter with some new styles that have added to it. Keep it up mate i'm looking forward to chapter 3 :023:

P.S. cheers for the shout out and i know, the new spelling of []V[] []_ is a bitch.

[Einsider]

awesome second chapter! loved jazz' fight scenes! really exciting and your 1st person was gd, different from M_L's but it was just like reading a diary! I liked how they were just in the chapter but the whole chapter wasn't first person - that worked really well! and i agree with ML, something definatly more going on with his ghost :)

[bushwacka666]

I thank you, kind sir. :)

Hehe well it wasn't my intention to creep you out with Jazz's diary entries, so I apologise. Then again, after the freak-fest that was Unholy Confessions, maybe you deserve what's coming to ya! :P (And if you think it's creepy reading a 17yo's diary, how do you think I felt writing it? :D ) Seriously though, after reading your fic I knew I wanted to give 1st-person writing a try, but obviously I couldn't just start switcing between 1st and 3rd-person just for the hell of it. I thought the diary approach would be a nice way of working 1st-person into the flow of things and also help get to know our main character a little better in the process. I'll be bringing in a few more "Dear Diary" chapters in the future.

Glad you liked Steven's appearance at the end. I actually put in a subtle line from him at the end of Chapter 1 ("Go get 'em, Princess!") and wondered if anyone would pick up on it and guess that it was him. Sadly nobody seemed to, but I guess you win some you lose some. All the times I mentioned him throughout the first 2 chapters, I purposely never referred to him by name, and only wrote in the words "Steven Bennet" once he actually appeared. Something about that approach just seemed to work to me.

In any case, Steven is certainly a important character here. After his death in Special Ops, some people voiced concerns over whether ZT was really going to feel like a proper Bennet Legacy fic without Steven. Hopefully this revelation will put those fears to rest.

Finally, no need to track down the suit in the creations thread now m8. I've now put up the first profiles and pics for Jazz, Tyler, Craig, Tara, Katrina and Steven. These might give you a little more background if you don't mind a little light reading on the side, and I'll be changing and adding details to them as the fic continues. Oh, and the hot and heavy Zord action intros in Ch.4.

So glad you liked it M_L. Hope the rest of you do too. :)

EDIT: Ooh Einsider, you sneaked in there while I was typing that up. Thanks for the compliments m8, I appreciate it. And I have noticed there's an update on your fic btw, I'll set aside some time to read that soon.

[[]V[]etal []_ion]

Hehe well it wasn't my intention to creep you out with Jazz's diary entries, so I apologise. Then again, after the freak-fest that was Unholy Confessions, maybe you deserve what's coming to ya! :P (And if you think it's creepy reading a 17yo's diary, how do you think I felt writing it? :D )

Yeah, touche. Don't think i'll be able to top UC with my next project, just not feeling it at the moment.
I like how you added in the 1st person stuff, so i understand why the Dear Diary bits came in, and like you've said, they make good additions and help us as readers get to know Jazz better.
I also noticed the BIOS appear, good to see some familiar faces once again.
As for the ending of chapter 1, i was too busy fan-gasm-ing to notice Steven's words, but i did pick up on lack of namage until the end of chapter 2.
Remember, i'm always availbe for hosting and suit making shizz...

[bushwacka666]

V[]etal []_ion;2824045']Remember, i'm always availbe for hosting and suit making shizz...

Well now that you mention it... ;)

lol well not really. I had been thinking whether I should get a Bennet Legacy banner, to cover the series as a whole (seems weird that each fic has a logo but not the flag under which they all fly, so to speak). But what I had in mind would include photos of the 3 Bennet members which would require expert digital insertion and resizing and blending and removing of backgrounds etc (i.e: requirement of Photoshop skills that I do not possess). I figured if I was going to beg anyone it'd be you, (considering how you are the King of, like, everything!), but I somewhat followed the whole fiasco in the Suit Creation thread and I know you weren't taking requests anymore and the whole timing was just really off.

But such is life - when it gives me lemons, I... well I don't make lemonade because it makes me really snotty. But I do go back to the supermarket and exchange them for oranges! :D

[[]V[]etal []_ion]

Hey, i always take requests for mates, just not the noobs horribly bastardizing my creations! So pm the details you 'crazy yahoo' to quote a mate :)

[Jacen]

Well, that was... interesting. I personally don't like first person stories, and diary entires even less, but netherless, that chapter was exciting. I do think Jasmine was a little over excited through.

As a note Bush, I still have these for ya. http://www.xares.net/bush/

[bushwacka666]

Well M_L, maybe I will send you a PM about it when I have more time, I appreciate the offer. :)

Jacen: I somewhat understand your dislike towards the first-person perspective. I don't dislike 1st-person stories persay, but as I said I have always been hesitant to write them. Rest assured that most of the chapters will remain in the classic style all the way through. Only those beginning with the words "Dear Diary" will experiment with 1st-person, and they'll be few and far between.

As for the flesh-eating horror that is the SO music... BURN THEM, BURN THEM ALL!!! :D

[Jacen]

Jacen: I somewhat understand your dislike towards the first-person perspective. I don't dislike 1st-person stories persay, but as I said I have always been hesitant to write them. Rest assured that most of the chapters will remain in the classic style all the way through. Only those beginning with the words "Dear Diary" will experiment with 1st-person, and they'll be few and far between.

Thats good to know. I'm half tempted to try a few "dear dairy" chapters myself in my HW-Rewrite. Tempted anyway. Just because you made it work well enough. :P

As for the flesh-eating horror that is the SO music... BURN THEM, BURN THEM ALL!!! :D
I did. To CD :P

You going to do any for ZT?

[Bionic Red]

Great Work Bush, but I have a question...

A Friends reference? Seriously.

[bushwacka666]

The bell signalled the end of the school day, the numerous students at Stone Canyon high promptly filling the hallways as they visited their lockers and prepared to make their getaways. Tyler and Craig were two such students, chatting as they put away a few books that thankfully they wouldn’t need again, at least not until tomorrow.

“Man that maths test was a killer” sighed Tyler wearily.

“Tell me about it” Craig agreed. “I’m meant to be the maths whizz, and even I…” he paused while he pushed his glasses back up his nose, “… found it challenging.”

“Well at least it’s over and done with. I think this calls for some serious fun time.” Tyler closed up his locker and turned to his friend: “What do you say, head to the Dominion? It’s just reopened now they’ve repaired the damage after that attack the other day.”

“Ah yes,” Craig reminisced as he and Tyler began to walk down the hall, “the attack which was stopped by our new resident superhero, Ranger Zero. Man that was incredible to see. Who do you think she is?”

“What’s with the interest? Should I warn Jazz she’s got some competition for your affections?”

“Very funny, you’re well aware that there can only ever be one for me! Seriously though, are you telling me you’re not the least bit curious to know who this Ranger is?”

“Hell yes I’m curious! Although you know what a lot of Rangers are like – it’s not often you ever get to find out who one is. Anyway you didn’t answer my question: do you want to head to Dominion?”

“Yeah for sure. After that maths test, I could do with a relaxing environment. What about Jasmine?”

As if on cue, the form of a very hurried Jasmine suddenly rushed past them.

“Hi guys, bye guys” she speedily spoke.

“Hey Jazz, we’re heading to Dominion” Tyler called after her. “You coming with?”

“Can’t, busy” she called back. “See you tomorrow.”

Tyler and Craig both raised their eyebrows in confusion as they watched their preoccupied friend practically sprint out the door.

“Okay, deja-vu” said Tyler. “She did the exact same thing yesterday. She’s in a rush once, alright. But twice in a row, I’m starting to wonder. She trying to blow us off or something?”

“Doubtful” Craig replied with a smile, knowing that his female friend just wasn’t that kind of person. “It’s probably like she said, she’s busy.”

“Busy with what is the question? Seriously, I’ve barely seen the girl all week.”

“Hmm, well now that you mention it…” another pause while Craig pushed up his glasses, “…I’ve been having even less Jazz Time than usual myself. I wonder what she’s up to?”

*

Jasmine was home in record time. She ran up to her room, threw her schoolbag onto her bed, changed into some workout gear, ran back down the stairs to the kitchen, poured herself a glass of juice and downed it in one go – all in the space of three minutes. She was certainly wasting no time as she moved to the hallway with the life-size photo, taking a brief moment to stare at the image of her dad before reaching down to the hidden thumbprint scanner and activating it. Within moments she was in the secret elevator and heading down to the Hyperlock below. Reaching the bottom she immediately walked into the Gym area.

Actually, that last part wasn’t entirely accurate. She didn’t walk in, she backflipped, straight through the door and not stopping until she reached the middle of the mats. The second that she landed back on her feet she had already begun a fast and furious kata, hoards of Tin Men visualised in her mind as she worked to dispose of them. Her face was one of pure concentration, her eyes locked firmly on her imaginary targets with unwavering focus. Her arms and legs moved with lightning speed and pinpoint accuracy, never letting up for a moment. Her heart pounded forcefully but she chose to ignore it, continuing her onslaught.

It was training. It was all about training.

*

“You have won this battle, and your victory over me may have seemed incredibly easy to you. But know this: the Metal Minds are a powerful force, and you could never hope to stop us. You have no comprehension of the danger you are in. Until next time, human.”

The screen showed the image of Iron Claw teleporting off, and following a hand signal from Steelador, Coppertron paused the video with the remote control he held.

“Such threatening words, Iron Claw” Steelador spoke to his general. “Such threatening, menacing, spine-chilling words. But tell me, if you would be so accommodating, why you chose not to show this Power Ranger just how powerful a force the Metal Minds can be?”

“She is of little concern to us sir” replied Iron Claw. “The only human we would have had to worry about is the one foretold in the prophecy. But both that human and its mother were eliminated. This pathetic girl could never defeat us, and you know that as well as I.”

“Indeed you speak the truth. Even so, why not kill this one anyway? Why let her get away with her pointless meddling?”

“Sounds to me like the big blue bot would get bored” Coppertron chimed in.

“Silence!” Steelador growled. “I did not invite your opinion.”

“Actually sir, I must confess that he does have a point” Iron Claw told his master. “With no chosen one to stand in our way, our eventual victory is assured. I have a feeling that our journey to that victory could become very tiresome very quickly. Why should we not allow ourselves a little fun with this Ranger? If she wants to fight us, let her try. Shall success not be all the more sweet when we have an obstacle to overcome, however insignificant it will ultimately prove to be?”

“Hmm…” Steelador murmured, pondering his general’s words. He could certainly see some sense in them, there was no denying it. After all, this Ranger was not the human spoken of in the prophecy. She could still win battles against them of course, but in the long run she would never be able to stop their complete victory, no matter how she tried. This “Ranger Zero” truly was of little consequence to their grand plans.

Movement on the screen snapped Steelador out of his reverie. He saw the video rewinding to the point where Ranger Zero aimed her weapon at her opponent:

“Alright Iron Claw,” came her voice through the speakers, “I’m sure you’ll get a real blast out of this!”

Steelador watched on as Ranger Zero fired her weapon, blasting Iron Claw and sending him toppling through the window and slamming onto his back. Suddenly the video rewound again back to the same point, Iron Claw’s clumsy crash shown again in an instant replay.

With an annoyed growl, Iron Claw looked over at Coppertron, who used the remote control to rewind and re-watch over and over again.

“Oh this is classic stuff!” Coppertron chortled. “I could watch this all day!”

“That’s enough out of you” Iron Claw warned him.

“The way you trip back over the ledge, it’s hilarious!”

“I said cut it out!”

Coppertron ignored him, continuing to cackle away as he watched the scene yet again.

“Alright, that’s it!” roared Iron Claw, finally having enough of this imbecile. He charged forward, grabbing Coppertron by the neck, his huge fist able to clench all the way around. With ease he lifted him clear off the ground. Steelador just sighed wearily, both of his servants sorely testing his tolerance.

“Enough, you two” he told them.

“You’re really starting to bug me Coppertron” Iron Claw snarled, apparently not hearing his master. “One of these days I’m gonna…”

“I SAID ENOUGH!” Steelador bellowed again. He raised his hand towards them, and instantly Iron Claw found his grip on Coppertron suddenly being released against his will. A moment later and he flew backwards for a few metres before coming to an abrupt halt in midair.

“How quickly you forget that I command the power of magnetism” said Steelador. “You are both made of metal, and never safe from my influence.”

“I always remember that boss, believe me” Coppertron quickly assured him.

Steelador turned to Iron Claw: “I know how easily Coppertron can grate on the nerves, but you must learn to control yourself. If the Metal Minds are not functioning as a team then there is no point keeping the team intact, if you understand my meaning.”

“I do understand sir, and I apologise” replied the still floating Iron Claw. He shifted one last glance in Coppertron’s direction before adding, “I shall try to resist the temptation.”

Steelador lowered his hand, bringing Iron Claw back down to the floor and releasing him from the magnetic field. He turned back to the screen, the video now paused at the exact moment where the blast from Ranger Zero’s weapon struck Iron Claw.

“I believe you are correct, Iron Claw” he announced. “This Ranger can never defeat us, but there is nothing wrong with a little healthy challenge – I think I would welcome it. So let us see just how much of a challenge we could have… Coppertron, ready a monster immediately.”

*

Back in the Hyperlock Gym, Jasmine was still going full bore on her training routine. The simulator had been activated, her surroundings changed to that of the local park. She had now acquired herself a wooden staff, twirling it around with expert skill as a large hoard of Tin Men charged towards her. A wide horizontal swing of the staff promptly smashed open the glass chests of three Tin Men, releasing the energy spheres that powered them and rendering them inoperable. She then proceeded to go close quarters with a few more, trying her best to strike them down before they had a chance to react.

Two more Tin Men suddenly surprised her from behind, grabbing onto her and forcing her to drop her weapon. She struggled to break free but their grip remained firm. Peering down, she noticed the staff had landed on top of her ankle. With a knowing smile she kicked her leg up, sending the staff airborne and over. It clonked the heads of the two soldiers, momentarily dazing them and sending them stumbling back. This gave Jasmine the chance to snatch back the staff from the air and swiftly jab it into their chests to defeat them.

She turned back to the main group, her eyes frantically darting from one side to the other as she assessed the danger she was in. Her heart pounded and her breath was heavy, her cheeks were flushed and sweat coated her forehead. She chose to ignore all of these signs, instead remaining focused on the task at hand. Those two earlier opponents had surprised her, she could not let it happen again. As the hoard charged in again she did the same, using the staff to pole vault herself skywards and into the middle of the group. She began to attack before she even touched the ground, lashing out in blind rage yet with precise accuracy. Soldiers fell by the second but more kept coming. Jasmine fleetingly wondered whether she had set the simulator a little too high, but she welcomed a chance to trial herself.

A trial this certainly was: her brief lapse in concentration allowed one Tin Man to get in closer than she would have liked. A swift chop from the soldier snapped the staff in two, sending both halves to the grass with muted thuds. Jasmine snapped back to attention, but it was too late – five Tin Men had already grabbed hold of her, their combined efforts easily flipping her to the ground. Weak and out of breath, she could do nothing to stop the Tin Men as they all reared back their fists, before thrusting them forward towards her. Jasmine instinctively clamped her eyes shut and awaited the inevitable…

It never came.

Reluctantly, she opened her eyes again. The park environment had gone, replaced by the huge square room that was the Gym. The Tin Men army had disappeared also – what now stood in their place was Tara, her arms folded and her eyebrows raised in half-amusement as she looked down at her daughter.

“Hey, why did you stop the simulator?” Jasmine asked her mother between involuntarily breaths. “I had ‘em right where I wanted ‘em.”

“Oh yeah, it looked like it!” Tara quipped back. She extended a hand down and pulled Jasmine back to her feet.

“I think that’ll be enough, young lady” she told her.

“No let’s keep going,” the girl protested, “I’ve still got more to do.”

“Not today, you haven’t.”

“But I’ve only just gotten started.”

“I bet you’ve been training ever since you got home from school – which was about two and a half hours ago. That’s not called just getting started, that’s called pushing yourself too hard.”

“Oh Mom…”

“You’ve been training for hours on end every day since your first Ranger battle” Tara cut her off. “Seriously Jasmine, I’m starting to get worried. You keep this up, you won’t have any strength left to stand. I’m not having you missing any school because of it either!”

“But what I have to do now, being a Power Ranger… this is really important.”

“I know that, I’m not saying it’s not. But even so, you shouldn’t let it take over your whole life. I admire your dedication but you’re wearing yourself out. There’s nothing wrong with a little downtime every now and then. Now, you’re going to walk – not run – into the shower right now to cool off, and then set the table for dinner.”

“But…”

“I’m your mother, don’t argue with me!” She pointed to the door: “Go.”

Grudgingly, Jasmine did as she was told. Tara watched her go, sighing as she shook her head. Her daughter’s commitment earned respect, but there was such a thing as taking even the most serious of situations a little too seriously.

*

“Do you really think this is worth it?” Craig asked as he and Tyler approached the Bennet household.

“What kind of a question is that? She’s our friend.”

“I didn’t mean it like that. I’m just saying that she hasn’t hung out with us at all for days, outside of school. You sure she won’t just turn us down again?”

“Well maybe, but we won’t know until we ask, will we?”

Tyler stepped up to the door and rang the bell, he and Craig awaiting a response. A few seconds passed before they received that response, the door opening.

“Hi Miss Dearing” Craig greeted with a smile.

“Oh hey boys – and I’ve told you both before, you can call me Katrina. What can I do for you?”

“Me and Craig were thinking of catching a movie tonight,” Tyler informed her, “wondering if Jazz wanted to join us.”

Katrina knew straight away that that probably wasn’t going to happen. Jasmine was keeping pretty focused on her training lately, probably a little more than she should be but… As a matter of fact she was down in the Hyperlock right now, but Katrina thought Tara had gone down to talk to her. In any case Jasmine wasn’t free at the moment, but Katrina couldn’t exactly say the real reason why. An excuse was needed.

“Sorry guys, I’m afraid she’s pretty busy right now” she told them.

Tyler let out a little half-chuckle: “Seems to be the story of our lives lately. Come on Katrina, level with us. What’s the deal?”

She thought for a moment: “You know what? It’s actually my fault. She’s been helping me.”

“Helping you?” enquired Craig.

“Yeah, in my lab. You know me, I’ve always got some project on the go. Jazz has been helping me out with some of the more physical tasks for something I’m working on.” She nodded down to her wheelchair: “I can’t exactly manoeuvre myself around like I used to.”

“So you don’t ever think about giving her the night off or something?” Tyler asked as politely as he could.

“I’d love to, really,” she laughed, “but she’s actually gotten pretty hooked on it and now wild horses couldn’t drag her away – I think I’ve created a monster!”

“Well then, that’s a bust” declared Tyler with a sigh. “I guess it’s just you and me C.”

“Well if that’s the way it’s got to be…” said Craig, sighing himself. “Will you tell Jasmine we’ll see her at school tomorrow?”

“Yeah sure thing” replied Katrina.

“Katrina!” Tara’s voice suddenly called from inside the house. “We’ve got a bit of a problem here.”

“That sounds like my cue to leave” said Katrina. She smiled apologetically: “Sorry boys.”

She closed the door again as Tyler and Craig said their goodbyes and walked away.