NeoZeo: The Target

[BeTheSwallow]

Look! I'm not dead! :) Seriously though, I know PRNZ kinda got away from me (in many respects) so I did this. I'm quite proud of it, actually. It's called "NeoZeo: The Target" and the name carries a lot of interpretations, one of which is a reference to "Dardedevil: The Target," infamous for being incredibly late. The best part here, though, is that its already done! I spent all winter break on this. I'll leave Chapter 1 up until Friday, then it'll be updated every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday until the end. It's a nice little bookend to my "Trilogy" of sorts. We'll get to see how the original NZs ended up, new ones brought in, and even the return of an old friend (no, not THAT one!) It takes place after "Legacy," so you guys might wanna read up on your "Alternate PR history" if you've never been to the "Legacyverse" before. Enjoy your stay, though, because we're probably not going back after this.
-----------------------


NEOZEO: THE TARGET


1/13/05
OUTER HAVEN MILIATARY COMPLEX, SOUTH AFRICA
0233HRS
-----------------------

Cpl Graves took one last look at the situation. Entry from the North was their only option. Green Team had secured the perimeter, and Blue was ready to lay down covering fire once the order had been given. His other Teams were ready for immediate dustoff, once they had secured their target. He opened a COM to all Squad leaders,

"Red Team to all Squad Leaders," he said, "Give me a SitRep."

A number of voiced responded.

"Blue Team on standby, awaiting the order."

"Green Team, all quiet. Ready for incursion."

"Yellow Team, circling 20 Kilometers outside the LZ, ready for evac."

"I want complete COM silence from here on out," said Graves, and acknowledgement lights winked on in his HUD as communications were shut of. He flashed his own COM Light three times.

The order was a go. By his calculations, they had two minutes.

Almost immediately shot rang out in the cold night. Blue Team was giving them a way in, taking out the overworked, underpaid, and poorly-trained guards with perfection. In the chaos, Red Team slipped in, with Green protecting their exit route behind them.

Minute twenty left. Now for the hard part.

Behind the first two doors, there were two token guards. Easily dispatched. After that, there was virtually nothing between them and the target. Something wasn’t right. Graves switched to thermal scanners, nothing. NVGs, nothing. No way it was this easy. He reached into his cache of gear, and took out a flare. Lighting, he tossed it into the room. At once, there was a blinding flash, illuminating the real threat. Tripwires refracted the light, giving away their locations. Their locations and the locations of the bombs they were rigged to. The place was set to blow had his team moved even a step further.

Someone was expecting them.

Graves silently split up his squad into four teams. Signaling the bombs out, he assigned each team to disarm them as quickly as possible. Tracing the tripwire carefully with his eyes, he followed back to the lead. Carefully producing a pair of wire cutters, he deftly snipped the line, and proceeded to disconnect the pins, remove the plastique, and pocket them into his cache. Noting that the rest of his team had done the same, he proceeded through the doors.

Forty seconds left.

With visual confirmation of the Target's safety, Graves helped the man up.

"Sir, we're getting you out of here, come with me."

"And who might you be?" asked the older man.

"We're the Power Rangers, sir."

With that, Graves led the man back out the way they had come.

Twenty-five seconds left. Red Team led the Target out the North Gates. Green Team covered their exit, and Graves flashed his COM light once. Time to go. From behind them, a loud roar erupted as Yellow Team emerged from their hiding spot with their ride home. Laying down a barrage of cover fire, Yellow and White teams descended on ziplines. By now Green Team had regrouped and Blue was on its way. Securing the Target firmly to Yellow-1's Zipline, The two were quickly reeled back into the transport.

Blue and Green Teams were linked up six seconds later, and Red Team linked up to them in turn. With a flick of a switch, the entire team had been reeled back in. Four seconds left. The Transport kicked on its afterburners, and the group was gone.

Three seconds later, enemy reinforcements arrived on the scene far too late.

---

1/13/05
INTERNATIONAL AIRSPACE
0236HRS
----------------------------


The ride back home was standard. Debriefing, some pointers from the Field Commander. All in all, it had gone much more smoothly than any of them had anticipated. In and out, a quick securing of the Target, a hostage worth billions: One Jacob Collins, CEO of Biolab.

In the back of the Transport, the head of their Field team looked out the windows in silence. Park was a good Field Leader, even Graves had to give him that, but sometimes he just had those moments...

Back at base, Dr. Cranston offered them a job well done and a breakdown of Power Usage during the engagement. Well within acceptable parameters, but still higher that Graves would have liked. He blamed himself for running through all those lenses looking for a trap where a simple flare had done the trick.

After Powering down, the Squad Leaders turned in their BDAs one by one, and the little box was sealed away behind the largest vault door ever designed by man.

---

1/13/05
NEOZEO AIR STATION ALPHA, NEVADA
0327 HRS
------------------------


Well after the mission, William Cranston sighed, and went over the individual reports again. A successful mission, to be sure. But sometimes he just got that feeling. A familiar voice snapped him out of his trance.

"You wonder if you're doing any good at all."

Will spun his chair around to face Adam.

"I do."

"We're doing a lot of good out there, Will."

"You say that; I see it, but still..."

"So much simpler back in the day, huh?"

"In the good old days? We never had tactical reports; squad leaders. We talked to a giant floating head for Christ's sake, Adam."

"You knew what you were getting into when you signed up for this, Dr. Cranston."

"I suppose. Still, sometimes I wonder…"

"About what?"

"You know."

"Will, we've gone over this a dozen times."

"I know."

"It was years ago."

"I know."

"The program was still in its infancy."

"I know."

"For God's sake, we tried to train them like it was still back in the day! Like they were like us. But they're not. They don't fight Evil Space Ninjas or Witches found in Dumpsters, Will. They fight dictators, rebels, and militias. Harris saw a way to end it, and he did what we were all thinking. There was absolutely no way we could have known."

"Still."

"Men die, Will. We kill them. That's what we do. For all the flashy costumes and catchphrases the public sees each year, we're the one's doing the gruntwork. We're the negatives, without which the photos they want couldn't exist. Team members have been lost, living legends sacrificed for the greater good. And someday, Billy, you're going to have to come to terms with that. Now get some sleep, its 3 AM."

Park left the room, and once again, Dr. William Cranston was alone.

[y3k]

I wondered where the hell you went. You don't call, you don't write, you don't....IM....

....ya....

[BeTheSwallow]

Well, its Friday, and apparently nobody really cared. But oh well. I care, and that's what counts! ;) And yeah, this one really short. I swear they get longer. Hell, Chapter 7's 8 pages long, as opposed to the 2.5 presented here.

1/15/05
NEOZEO AIR STATION ALPHA, NEVADA
2347 HRS
------------

Sparks was already waiting for him by the time Graves arrived at the conference room. Suited up, as always. Graves wondered if the man ever depowered, or if he even could. Nonetheless, he Sparks was in command of the mission they were about to commence. An intel drop into Zanakstan. Graves wondered why now of all times. Their team had never commissioned a preemptive strike on foreign soil for any reason. Dr. Cranston had provide them with the specs on the little country. A relatively tiny country with a "prime minister" (read: dictator) named Valklai Nezakann who muscled his way into power at the turn of the millennium.

Rumors abounded about this guy. He was into the occult. He's Hitler's reincarnation. He's an alien. Reports circulated about zombie soldiers quelling insurrections, and vague descriptions about monsters patrolling the county’s borders came and went. Graves didn’t give these things a second thought. The mission was to get in and get out, with any intel on Nezakann's current goings-on. Why this was a need-to-know for Dr. Cranston, Graves had no idea, but he wasn't one to question orders.

He was one, however, to question authority. Or rather, he liked to know exactly who was commanding him to do what. He had examined Sparks' file thoroughly. Born July 8, 1972, Aaron Sparks was in the running for a spot on the original team, before losing out to one Shawn Harris, only to return later under "special dispensation" of the US Government. After the incident in '98, Sparks left the team briefly for "personal reasons" before returning a year later as a ranking officer. He was one of only four individuals who had been with the project since its inception, along with Dr. Cranston, Adam Park, and June Summers, who designed and tested the new equipment along with Dr. Cranston. The quick-drop ziplines had been her idea. Career highlights for Sparks included the original incident in '98, a near-disastrous attack on Chicago in 2000, and a top-secret mission in '04 listed in the official file only as "6," which included almost a dozen operatives listed only by codenames. "Silver," "Gold," "Quantum," "Samurai," "Green (KIA)," and others.

Assembled here was only half the Powered Team. Sparks, Graves, and Samuel Divens, Green Ranger, a former Navy SEAL with a reputation for ruthlessness. The Drop was to be made tonight at 0200 hrs, about 3 hours away. Graves and Divens were essentially glorified distractions, breaking in, causing general chaos, and making off with any number of “dummy targets,” while Sparks slipped into the main compound unnoticed, gathering the real intel as specified.

After final checks, the rest of the Powereds entered the room to unlock the vault. Kelly Logan, Yellow. Sara Valentine, White. And Matt Stevens, Blue. After all eight of them, including Sparks, Cranston, and Park, had entered their passcodes in turn, Graves and Divens entered the vault and removed their respective Biological-Durability-Augmentatiors, or BDAs. Standing ready, they activated the Power and were encased in their respective suits. Red and Green, a variation on the original NeoZeo suits. Of course, Cranston had made a few improvements on them over the years, including the armor they were now wearing. Technically, it was “High-impact, reflective pressure” armor, but Park in particular invariably referred to them as Battleizers.

“Battleizers,” it sounded like a children’s toy. But he had to give Park some credit, and some room for eccentricities. After all, he, along with Cranston, was a member of the original team. The REALLY original team, back before they were even officially sanctioned. Used terms like “Morphers” and “Zords.” Establishing their HUDS, the two linked up with Sparks, then concealed the brightly colored micro circuitry of their suits beneath standard-issue combat fatigues. To all outward appearances, they looked just like any other SpecOps team. No way to know they were tapping into otherworldly Powers to get the job done. No reason to. The three men and their secondary units loaded up on the Transport, preparing to effectively change the way their program was run.

...


11/19/98
“COMMAND CHAMBER,” GOOM LAKE, NEVADA
1403 HRS
-----------------------

AND AS LONG AS I EXIST


"Sixty-something on about three and a half." quipped Sparky, "What could go wrong?"

"Let's move out!" yelled Jeff.

The Three MegaZords leapt into battle. Positioning themselves between the monsters and the Command Chamber, they were the only thing standing between these things and a powerless group of former-Rangers. Dr. C was doing his best with the NeoZeo Zords, but technology had its limits when it went up against magic. WaspZord had been taken out of the fight almost immediately. FoxZord and HawkZord had managed to take out a monster before being destroyed themselves. Sparky's Ship had formed the Phantom Saber, and combined with the ZeoZords, it was doing quite nicely, all things considered. They weren’t out of the fight yet. Not completely.

Time and again the MegaZords held their ground against increasingly stacked odds. But even Zords had limits. Before long, the Zeo MegaZord had lost most of its left arm to a tentacled creature, and hull integrity was about 60%, threatening to implode the behemoth in on itself. Still, the Rangers piloted the robot as if there was nothing wrong, with no one in the cockpit voicing the thing they were all thinking.

They were going to lose this battle.

Hayden began to weighed his options inside the Red BattleZord. As the only one piloting a MegaZord solo, he made his decision in a heartbeat. If you want to make an omelet, you had to break a few eggs. And this was gonna be one hell of an omelet. He opened a COM channel to all Rangers, former or otherwise.

"Active Rangers, fall back. I have an idea."

Oliver's voice crackled over the COM, "What do you have for us, Jeff?"

"Dr. C, these things are powered by Neo Plutonium reactors, correct?"

"Yeah, Jeff, but I don't see wha--..." his voice trailed off, realizing what Hayden was planning.

"I can give you guys about three minutes, tops. See ya around, good Doctor."

These things stopped here and now, or they wouldn’t be stopped at all.

[Zord_Crazy]

Keep it coming, Swallow! Man, it's been a long while!

[Chaos Son of SoS]

Man I haven't posted here in a while. Good job Swallow I've always enjoyed your fics. Keep it up. Nothing to critic yet. Since I haven't read the whole thing. :)

[KyrieEleison]

This should be good...are you going to tie up NeoZeo loose threads? NeoZeo kinda dropped off there...

[BeTheSwallow]

Yeah, all the strings left at the "end" of PRNZ will be tied up. And there's more or less two stories going on at once here, so we'll be jumping around in the timeine a bit (the readers, not the characters :) ) Try not to get confused, and pay attention to the dates given (also, only the "flashback" parts get "chapter titles" so that should help).


1/16/05
INTERNATIONAL AIRSPACE
0145 HRS
-----------------------

The ride was fairly uneventful. Sparks was his usual stoic self, which Graves always found odd, since he had a reputation for being quite cavalier back in the day, according to Park. Secondary teams had begun to make preparations for landing. Unlike the Powereds, their suits couldn’t take a HALO drop without a chute of some sort. 20 kilometers outside Zanakstani airspace, the hatch doors of the Transport opened up.

The three Powereds leapt out first, analyzing troop deployments and any armored vehicles and their placements in their HUDs. During the decent, Graves allowed himself a personal moment. Opening the external hatches, and disengaging the safety protocols, he opened the main visor, allowing the cool night air to rush by him. This was the part of the job he loved. Nearing the ground, he flipped over, relocked his visor, and landed feet-first onto the LZ. Secondary teams took a bit more time, and by the time they all had been accounted for, Sparks had already mapped their way through the terrain to Nezakann’s home. One that would require minimal enemy contact. After forming up into their respective squads, Graves and Sparks led Red Team into the terrain, while Divens led Green team towards the closest encampment, ready to make some noise.

Just outside the main perimeter, Sparks signaled to halt. Activating his cloaking field, one of many things he had that the others didn’t, he strode silently towards the main entrance. Graves got the notion he had done this before. Sparks flashed his light twice on the HUD. The order was a go. Graves led his team towards the gates and opened fire. Two guards were dropped instantly, and Graves had to restrain himself from taking the last one down before he could hit the alarm. That was, after all, what they wanted.

After the alarm had been tripped, Graves dropped the man with a quick shot to the head. Running past the main gates, he squeezed off one more shot apiece for each of the three, just to make sure. As Red Team entered the main entrance, Graves spread them out. Orders were to shoot on sight, and pick up anything that looked like it might be important. They more they took, the less likely Nezakann was to find out what they were really after. Guards came in droves, but by the time they arrived, Red Team had all entrances sealed and covered from multiple angles. The Honor Guards of Zanakstan were walking into a custom made death trap.

Green Team was on the outside, removing guard towers, and allowing only the most incompetent of squads by them, sending them inside towards Red Team. All the while Sparks was working his way past the chaos and into Nezakann’s personal chambers. Throwing open the doors, Sparks fired one quick shot of tranquilizer into the dictator’s chest, knocking him out for what would be the better part of an hour. They would be long gone before he came to.

Hacking into the man’s personal computer with a device built by Dr. Cranston personally, Sparks uplinked his feed back through to the Command Chamber. Dr. C could now get whatever he wanted from it. Almost at once, the downloading began and Sparks rand back out into the fray to have some fun, decloaking and grabbing a very expensive-looking vase just for the hell of it.

He joined Red Team in dispatching the Honor Guards. For old time’s sake, Sparky decided to mess with them. Sealing off the room, he cloaked and hit one from behind. As the Honor Guard turned around, he decloaked just long enough for the man to get a good look at him. As more guards broke down the hastily-barricaded door, he watched in amusement as the poor man tried to explain that a “ghost” was attacking him. When all three of his compatriots had their attention fully focused on him and his ramblings, Sparky shot out a tripwire and ran it under all four of them, sending them to the ground. As the men stopped to wonder what just happened, he decloaked and laid them all out with more tranquilizers to the arm.

A COM channel opened in his HUD. “Don’t think I didn’t see that, Sparky. You haven’t changed at all.”

”And neither have you, Mrs. Park.”

”You know as well as I do I kept my maiden name, Mr. Sparks.”

”My apologies, Ms. Summers. I take it the big guy’s done snooping?”

”He’s got what he needs, if that’s what you mean.”

”ETA for evac?”

”Forty seconds. Get the uplink and get out.”

”Roger. Copy all teams: Evac in forty.” Acknowledgement lights winked on.

Sparks cloaked and ran back into the chambers. Removing the unplink, he double checked to make sure his Excellency was still out of it. Then he felt the familiar rush that came with a typical evac.

Materializing back at base, he, along with Red and Green Teams was faced with Dr. Cranston, and Mr. and Mrs. Adam Park.

”Successful IDE.” announced Cranston.

”For God’s sake, Will, it’s a teleport.” said Park. “Just call it one.”

”Teleporting is magical, Adam. We don’t do magic here.”

”Got something good I take it?” asked Graves.

”Not exactly,” said Cranston, “And you and the others are dismissed, Graves. This is old-team business. Sparks, we need to show you something.”

…


11/19/98
“COMMAND CHAMBER,” GOOM LAKE, NEVADA
1605 HRS
-----------------------

UPON A FIERY STEED


“Active Rangers, fall back!” yelled Jeff, “Give me remote operations of the remaining Zords.”

“No, Jeff, you’re not doing this!” yelled back Oliver, “There’s got to be another way!”

”Mr. Oliver, with all due respect, I know what I’m doing. Get out while you can. I’ll but you the time you need.” The Red BattleZord began to make its way toward the heart of the mass of monsters.

Tommy took a second to let it sink in, then knew what he had to do.

”Fall back, everyone! Fall back!” He began to make a break for the power room, the one that held all their recently-handed-over Zeo Subcrystals, when Adam stopped him. At first, Tommy thought he was going to try and stop him, but instead he merely warned him.

”Tommy, No!....Not yet. The Rangers need those to get out. We can’t remove them until their safe, and we certainly can’t remove yours until….”

”I know, Adam.”

”So what are you doing?”

”I’m going to wait until everyone else is out, then I’m gonna grab them and run. We’ll regroup back at our base. Our REAL base.”

It took Adam a second to realize what he meant. Finally, “Got it. Good luck Tommy.”

”I’m gonna need it.”

”Hey, if anyone can beat impossible odds, it’s you, man.”

Outside, Jeff was piloting the BattleZord ever closer to the mass. Finally, when he as certain he was as far as he needed, he popped open an emergency hatch and prepared for self destruction. There was going to be no way out for him. The NeoPlutionium explosion would vaporize him instantly. But it had to be done. Sometimes you just had to take one for the team. And he would go down fighting.

June and Sparky had made it out of the Super Zeo MegaZord and met back up with the others. One they were all together, Rangers new and old began to run back towards Tanya’s truck, away from the exposition they all knew was coming. After driving a fair distance, they saw a flash of light and heard the loudest bang any of them would ever hear.

Adam kept driving, and June tried her very best not to cry.

[BeTheSwallow]

Well it be Wednesday (or as I call it: stupid-freakin-full-of-classes-within-ten-minutes-of-each-other-way-across-campus day) so here be part 4. Told you they'd get longer. It all starts to come full circle, and will continue to do so right up 'till the end.


1/16/05
NEOZEO AIR STATION ALPHA, NEVADA
0337 HRS
--------------------------------

“What’s the situation?” asked Sparks.

“Take a look at this, Sparks,” said Cranston, “Look at these files. Incantations, rites. What do these look like to you?”

“It looks like the ceremony that ultimately got Dr. Thomas Oliver killed.”

“Exactly.”

“Question is,” asked Park, “Who’s this guy trying to bring back. And more importantly, why?”

“There are any number of candidates,” said Cranston, “He could be after Dark Specter, like the last time this was tried; Mesogog was recently destroyed. Kiya Watanabe…”

“AKA Lothor,” added Park.

“Has it ever occurred to anyone here that maybe the guy just wants to bring back a relative, maybe an ex girlfriend?” asked Summers.

“No, these rites are designed to release an ultimate evil,” said Sparks, “We’ve already seen that.”

“So now what?” asked Summers.

“According to this, he won’t be ready to attempt this for two more days. Looks like we got this intel just in time.”

Ten minutes later, Sparks entered the main conference room where the other Powereds were waiting. “You’ve got a day and a half to get your Teams to Combat Readiness. We’ve got a mission.”
---

1/18/05
INTERNATIONAL AIRSPACE
1916 HRS
--------------------------

Cranston piloted the Transport as the Teams made last-minute PreJump checks. Once all was a go, Red, Green, and White Teams made the drop, back into Zanakstani airspace. The two minute freefall gave Graves a chance to reflect on the situation. He had just been here not two days ago, gathering intel. Now he was reentering, in an attempt to stop something that was completely beyond his understanding. Dead rising from the grave? It went against everything he ever been led to believe. Still, here he was, against most of his better judgment.

This was something more that just another mission, and Graves knew that. The higher-ups had been so secretive about this mission. Moreso even than usual. They knew more than they were letting on, that much was certain. He couldn’t be sure what, exactly. Maybe it really was in his best interests not to know what it was his team would be up against. Then again, maybe the Brass were just trying to cover their own hides.

The Powereds landed first, as usual. Graves checked his gear, and waited for the rest of his teams, when he heard a voice thick with Zanakstani accent.

“Freeze, dogs!” said the lead SpecOps guard. They were surrounded instantly by the best trained soldiers Zanakstan had to offer. “You think we are stupid, yes? You think we let you in twice, yes?” Graves checked his HUD.

“As a matter of fact, yes. We do think you’re stupid. Good sweep teams check their flanks, look for traps.”

At that moment, Blue and Yellow Teams emerged from their hiding places along the riverbank they had arrived at earlier. Now the Team had them surrounded.

“And we certainly didn’t think you’d let us in. That’s why we brought insurance. Fire at will.” Nineteen dead and one unconscious SpecOps Guards later, and the full team was on its way to breaching the main compound.

Graves never understood Sparks’ refusal to kill. “Always leave some alive to tell that tale” was his reasoning, but Graves always suspected it went deeper than that. Still, his tranq darts did the job, that much Graves had to give him.

Red Team approached the master bedroom from the skylight above. Graves took a peek inside. Nezakann was garbed in some kind of robe. There were various objects scattered about the room, and he was continued to chant as he periodically tossed them into the incredibly large, unearthly orange vortex filling most of the room. Sparks came up behind him and took a look.

“No way…”

Dr Cranston had opened a COM channel all Powereds, though he seemed to be addressing Spakrs in particular; Graves understood nothing. “There’s no way he can do that here, Aaron. The ley lines aren’t right. The closest match would be Miranoi, or maybe--”

“Titan, I know; and tell that to him.”

“He must have found a way to allow for that.”

“No kidding.”

“So what’s the plan, Sparky?” asked Adam.

”We stop him.” And with that, Sparks proceeded to break rank and crash though the skylight, blowing any shot they had at maintaining a Stealth Op. In the chaos of the glass shattering, squads diving for cover, and various Powereds trying to assess the situation, Graves alone noticed something odd.

Nezakann recognized him. He and Sparks had met before.

Or at least, that was the initial impression. Sparks, to his credit, was arming his gun. If he knew Nezakann personally, he certainly wasn’t showing any signs of regret. Graves had never known Sparks to kill, but he showed no such qualms now. The reality of the situation snapped back to him, and Graved ordered his Team to move in, laying down suppression fire for Sparks to get out of harm’s way. Blue and White Teams flowed suit, and Green regrouped with Yellow outside to take care of the guards the sound of gunfire had attracted. This was a disaster in the making.

”You again!” screamed Nezakann, “Will you not die!?”

“No dice, Your Emanence,” quipped Sparks, “Wanna tell us why exactly you’re trying to revive an ultimate evil? Get bored maybe? Needed a playmate?” It was the most Graves had ever heard Sparks say at once, and it was also the most lighthearted.

“The ceremony is nearly complete! You have arrived too late, once again!” And with that, Prime Minister Nezakann threw one last conduit into the abyss. A great light began to emanate from it, and Aaron Sparks knew all too well what came next.

“No!” he screamed, and instinctively hurled himself at the light. The thought of another pointless sacrifice in the name of this damn ritual crossed his mind, but it was too late to change direction now. Suddenly, Sparky felt himself getting ripped apart from the inside out, as if tearing away his very being. Thoughts of friends, family, and a last-second image of June Summers ran through him, and he was greeted at last with the incredibly large letters of “MISSION COMPLETE” before it all went dark…

Then he stood up.

The world was a daze. Nezakann screamed in the background, and the sound of gunfire filled the air. Red Team was coming in after him, but something was wrong, he wasn’t getting any displays. Then, for what seemed like a lifetime, Aaron Sparks was oblivious to the world around him; he had finally noticed what had happened. Something wasn’t wrong. Something was, at long last, right. He was done. He had fulfilled the task laid before him all those years ago. The Keeper’s Power was no more. He had demorphed. He stood there dumbfounded until Graves had grabbed him and attached a zipline; always thinking quickly, that one. In seconds he was back on the roof and out of the fight.

He looked back into the skylight, and was blinded, not only by the intense light, but by his own eyes, which hadn’t seen unfiltered light in years. It didn’t matter. It would all be worth it if he had shut down the abyss. As his vision returned to him, Sparky felt a great relief when he saw the abyss collapsing in on itself. Relief quickly turned to horror, however, when the vortex continued to grow. It began sucking in drapery, chairs, a table.

Then it began sucking in Red Team.

Various squad members first, but all too soon this thing he had created began claiming Powereds. Red was out almost instantly; Graves never had a chance. White was gone next, followed by Blue. The vortex continued to grow, and Sparky had to fight his every instinct to stand his ground, but he knew he couldn’t impact this fight in his state. He turned and ran. Green and Yellow Teams were being pulled in behind him, until Logan herself had been claimed. Then it all abruptly shut down. Sparks fished out his nearly decade-old manual COM unit from his uniform; he still couldn’t believe he was demorphed, or wearing the same clothes he was all those years ago, for that matter. He opened up a COM channel to Cranston.

“Will, what the HELL WAS THAT!?!!?”

“I don’t know Aaron! You tell me!”

“All I know is that thing SUCKED IN MY ENTITE TEAM!!”

“Calm down Sparks! We’re working on it! Why are you transmitting manually, anyway? What happened!?”

---


N/A
UNKNOWN
N/A
-----------------------

"All teams report!" called Graves over the COM, “Who’s still with me?”

“Blue Leader checking in,”

‘Green Leader, I’m ok.”

”Yellow here, I’m fine”

”White reporting in, I’ll be fine”

“Secondary squads report” called Graves. No response.

”Secondary squads, REPORT!” Still nothing.

”Anyone else notice we’ve lost our Fatigues?” asked Blue Leader over the COM. Graves looked down and noticed that he was indeed clad in only his microcircuitry. He looked like all the other fools who seemed to pop up every year; flashy costumes, ornately designed helmets. He reached for his sidearm, and found instead what semed to be a white toy pistol. What had happened? He raised his hand to inspect his gloved arms, and for the first time, he noticed his surroundings. Fire, canyons, the smell of sulfur in the air. Where was he?

…


11/19/98
“COMMAND CHAMBER,” GOOM LAKE, NEVADA
1607 HRS
-----------------------


FIGHTING AGAINST THE WIND


Tommy had to time this perfectly, or Jeff’s sacrifice would be in vain. He waited inside the Zeo Subcrytal Bay, waiting for his moment. A flash of light; Tommy reacted instantly, diving past the open door, grabbing his old Subcrystal, and landing on the other side just as an incredible wall of flames poured through the doorway. His instincts told him to go after Hayden, but experience had already told him Jeff wasn’t making it out of there alive. He had saved them all, taken out all the Monsters, but at a cost Tommy couldn’t even begin to think about. He was silently thankful that his own battles had never had to come to that, and the legend that was Thomas Oliver found himself unsure whether he could ever bring himself to make such a sacrifice. Sadly, slowly, and with mission accomplished, he walked back to his Jeep.

Surveying the landscape around the Command Chamber, Tommy saw nothing but dust and echoes. His Battlezord lay in about nineteen pieces as the NeoPlutonium explosion had ripped it apart. There was no head, it had been vaporized. Various Zords lay burnt, torn, or just plain wrecked, and he knew the Zeo era was at long last coming to an end. He had always wondered where Billy had taken them when they had Shifted into Tubo for the first time, and now he knew. He supposed it was good that someone was able to make use of them after that. The Zeo Powers may not have been able to pierce the Nemesis Triangle, but they still packed one hell of a punch. At last he reached his Jeep. This was insanity. Yesterday, all this was behind him, and he was just another college student. A college student studying paleontology to understand the Power of the mysterious “Dino Gems” he had found, but a college student nonetheless. Tommy figured he had years before any of this would come back for him. He had figured wrong.

He loaded up the assembled Zeo Crystal into the Jeep, and sped off towards the California desert. Back to where it had all begun nearly six years ago.

[BeTheSwallow]

Well, Friday's here, no one cares. Ah well. Three new chapters in a row guys. Is anyone out there reading this? :)

11/20/98
REMAINS OF COMMAND CENTER
CALIFORNIA DESERT
0203 HRS
-----------------------


AND ALL MY DREAMS HAVE FALLEN DOWN


Adam sat by the fire as he waited for Tommy or Aolis to find him. To him, it really didn’t matter who got to them first, he just wanted this to be over. Harris and the other Neos were busy inspecting their surroundings. The veterans knew the layout of the place all too well.

Here in the rubble of the Command Center, stood the last outpost of resistance to Aolis.

Divatox had blown it sky-high almost a year ago, and the new team was always too busy on some sort of Space-Faring adventure or another to really rebuild it. No one knew its exact location, no one except those who had been chosen. Eltarian Magics had kept it off any human tracking systems, and even now it was invisible to any of the dozens of satellites that circled their planet snapping pictures. June emerged from one of the doorways to the lower levels, snapping him out of his thoughts, and sat down beside him.

"So what do you think?" asked Adam.

"It’s… interesting."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, we found the remains of a large tube that Katherine refused to explain to us, and Jeff accidentally opened a secret passage into God knows where. Dr. C called it the 'Door of light' and wouldn’t go further into the matter." She paused for just a second.

"You guys are very protective of this place, aren’t you?"

"It was a large part of our lives, June. A very private part. I guess they just want to keep it that way."

"And you?"

"I had a lot of good times here, made a lot of friends."

"’Friends,’ huh? Anything… else?"

"No, June. Nothing else."

"Too bad..." A flash of light caught Adam’s eye. He looked up and saw the headlights of Tommy’s Jeep as he pulled up to the Command Center. Stepping out of the vehicle, he removed the bag containing the Zeo Crystal. June stood up and began to walk back down the doorway she had come in from.

"Hey, where’re you going?" asked Adam.

"I think I’m gonna try and help Sparky down there. He’s been trying to figure out what’s left of the controls. How did you guys ever operate any of this stuff? It all looks like randomly placed buttons and switches."

"You get used to it." said Tommy, "Give it a few years."

"'Advanced technology' my ass…" muttered June as she disappeared back into the lower levels.

"It looks like I interrupted something there, Adam," said Tommy, "Sorry about that."

"It’s all right. But don’t get any ideas, Mr. Oliver. You can’t have *all* the Pink Rangers."

Tommy laughed, "I guess not. We got one in Space now, don’t we?"

"We do." There was an uncomfortable silence, until Adam finally decided to address what was on both their minds.

"About Hayden… did he--?"

"No, Adam, he didn’t make it. No one expected him to, himself included. He did what he had to do, and he may very well have saved out lives."

"What was left of the Command Chamber?"

"Not much."

"Point of no return, eh Tommy?"

"And here I thought this was all behind me."

"Are you kidding? You’re going to be doing this when you’re thirty."

"God I hope not."

"I think you should take it."

"Take what?"

"Your Subcrystal. Take it. You know you wanted it. And we both know I wouldn’t have taken your offer for me to use it, even if I am technically in charge here."

"I never thought--"

"Yeah you did, admit it. My days of active duty are done, Tommy. You may as well put me in the glass tube down there. It’s all mentoring from here on out."

"…Thanks."

"It’s what you were born for, Tommy."

"You know, sometimes I wonder what would have happened to my life if I had never had that karate match with Jason."

"I don’t even want to think about it. Now come on, we need to prepare. We’re not going to stay hidden from Aolis for long, and when he finds us, I want us to be ready." There was another brief silence. "…What?"

"Nothing," said Tommy, "Glass Tube, huh?"

"Let’s get to work."

…


N/A
UNKNOWN
N/A
-----------------------

"Wait, a second," said Divens, "So you’re saying we’re it? There’s no one else?"

"All support squads and secondary personnel are gone," replied Graves, "No trackers, no locators, nothing."

"What do you think happened?" asked Valentine.

"I don’t know. I think our microcircuitry shielded us somehow. That’s why our fatigues vanished along with our support crew."

"Any idea where we are?"

"Not a clue. But we need to find a way back if we’re going to complete this mission."

"You’re not seriously concerned about that, are you Graves?" asked Divens, "For God’s sake, look where we are!"

"The mission always takes priority." Suddenly, a foreign COM channel patched its way through his systems

"I’m afraid I must agree with your compatriots, Mr. Graves," said this new voice, "Might I suggest a slight adjustment of your priorities. Namely your lives."

"Who said that!? Identify yourself!"

"Certainly," replied the voice, "I’ll ask you all to simply turn around, that you might see your destroyer before I begin." The Powereds spun around, and came face to face with the strangest thing any of them had ever seen. There was no way it was human. Blue skin, horns, long flowing cape.

"I am called Aolis," said the creature, "And you have interrupted my plan. Therefore, you must be destroyed. Please do not take this personally; it is an honor to be removed from the great battle in this way."

"Who the Hell are you?" demanded Valentine

"I have already identified myself, Ms. Valentine, and I’ll have to ask you not to interrupt again. You five do not belong here, of that much I am sure, but no matter. You will soon enough."

"Where’s 'here'?" asked Graves.

"Have you not yet figured it out, my young friend? You are in the land of the dead."

"I don’t know who you think you are," yelled Logan, "But you are NOT taking us down."

"An inexperienced team, barely acknowledging the Power they command, shall stand against me? We shall see, my dear, we shall see." With that, Aolis unleashed a massive burst of energy from his hands, and directed it at the Powereds. The five of them each dove for cover, barely clearing the spot where it landed.

---

1/18/05
PRIME MINISTER NEZAKANN’S PRIVATE QUARTERS
ZANAKSTAN
1945 HRS
--------------------------

"Aaron, report" demanded Cranston.

"Nothing’s changed, Will. I’m here, your team isn’t."

"And Nezakann?"

"It looks like he’s trying to reopen the abyss. The Phantom Power must’ve really screwed it up."

"You’re all we’ve got in there now Aaron, find a way to stop him."

"With no Powers, no equipment, and no support? Wanna tell me exactly how I’m expected to pull off this miracle?"

"He’s only human, Aaron."

"So am I, Will. I can’t cloak, I can barely move. My muscles haven’t had to move under their own power in years, they’ve atrophied."

"Well whoever he’s trying to bring back, you can’t let him."

---

N/A
UNKNOWN
N/A
-----------------------

This was a nightmare. No support, no backup, no equipment, and an unknown enemy with homefield advantage. Graves drew his sidearm and fired off another shot. The resulting beam merely splashed across Aolis’s chest harmlessly. Another energy blast came his way, and he leapt out of the way, taking another futile shot at the creature.

Stevens had been slowly stalking the creature for the past five minutes. He had worked his way around and behind it while the others kept it busy. At last he felt he had his shot. With a silent leap, he lunged at the creature headlong, preparing to beat it into submission of that’s what it was going to come down to.

It didn’t. Aolis immediately spun and caught Stevens mid-leap by the throat. "I was curious as to when you would make your move Mr. Stevens. Frankly I thought you would wait a bit longer. You are quite rash indeed." He continued to hold Stevens there, strangling the life out him, when Logan decided she couldn’t sit there and watch it. She made a mad dash at the creature, who in turn caught her square in the stomach with an incredibly powerful punch that sent her directly into a nearby boulder. Logan slumped to the floor, and didn’t move.

It was all coming apart. Graves shot off another burst at Aolis, but it continued to have no effect. "While I must give you points for persistence, Mr. Graves, surely you cannot think additional shots will have any more averse effects as those past?" Graves tried to block it out. Dozens of his team had vanished, one Powered was out, possibly dead, and another was going to be soon enough if he didn’t do something. Stevens continued to struggle, but to no avail. Divens had rewired his sidearm and hurled it at the creature in an effort to blow it up, but his MacGuyvered grenade had no more an impact on it that did any of Graves’ shots, and now he had no sidearm at all. Worse yet, he had revealed his location to Aolis, who consequently hurled a bolt of energy in his direction. The resulting explosion threw Divens into the air, and he landed near the creature on his back with a loud and resounding THUD. Aolis then proceeded to plant his cloven foot on Divens’ chest and began to crush his ribcage with a massive amount of pressure.

It was now or never. Graves leapt from his hiding spot and ran towards the creature. He had no idea what he was going to do once he got there, but something had to be done. As he got within twenty feet of it, however, something *was* done.

It moved so fast Graves had trouble keeping tabs on it. A whirl of motion, it reached out and struck the arm holding Stevens before sweeping low and tripping up Aolis’ feet, knocking him to the ground for the first time and releasing Divens. As Aolis returned to his feet, this new ally stopped for a moment and looked back at Graves, who immediately tried to place him.

Short, spiked hair. Goatee. Garbed in black, from head to toe. Medium build, and Graves guessed a Native American decent. Whoever he was, this man clearly knew what he was doing, and Johnathan Graves got the notion that he had been doing it for quite a long time.

"Aw man," said their mystery savior, "Looks like I got here just in time."

[Zord_Crazy]

Rock on! TOMMY"S BACK! GReen Ranger gonna kick some ass!

[KyrieEleison]

I'm reading it, and it's awesome. It took me a second to realize that this is the Legacyverse, and there are really two Tommys. Tommy from the past with Adam and the original Neos, and the Tommy who died in Legacy.

[BeTheSwallow]

Monday's here, blech! Boo with the Mondays! Anyhoo, chapter 6, as promised. We've got Tommy back, now its time for the return of some old friends...

N/A
UNKNOWN
N/A
-----------------------


Graves immediately ran to the aid of his new ally. By now the creature had risen and straightened himself out. He gazed at the man briefly, and resumed his stance of attack.

”Dr. Oliver, surely you of all people know how futile this gesture is.”

“All I know, Aolis, is that you’re not where you’re supposed to be.”

“Neither is our young friend here.”

“Yeah, but he’s still alive. Crossed over chasing you I assume.”

“Actually,” said Graves, “We don’t recognize this thing at all.”

“Then why are you here?”

“Your guess is as good as mine. Who are you, anyway?”

“Name’s Tommy Oliver. I work here.”

“’Tommy’? Aren’t you a little old for that name?” A large blast came their way, and the two men dove behind a nearby boulder.

“Can we talk about this later?”

“Sounds good. What’s the plan?”

“We take him out, and we take him home.”

“And how are we supposed to do that?”

“Just cover me.” And with that, Tommy Oliver leapt out from behind their makeshift foxhole. Ducking under another blast, he met Aolis head-on. Aolis threw a quick punch, but Tommy managed to block it with his forearm and deliver a strike to the midsection. Spinning around another punch, he landed a solid hit to the creature’s back before rolling under his legs and connecting with a roundhouse to the head. As Graves watched in awe, Tommy raised his leg, deflecting still another attack, and flipped himself up and over, connecting a fist to the back of Aolis’s head. As it spun around to face him, Tommy leapt into the air with a grace Graves had never seen, landing a spinning roundhouse to the face, and proceeding to do another one before Aolis had time to react. Allowing his circular momentum to carry him, Tommy swept low and kicked Aolis’s legs out from under him a second time. Delivering a quick palm strike to the creature’s chest, Tommy knocked the wind out of it. As Aolis struggled to regain his breath, Tommy stood ready for any sort of counterattack.

The man was incredible. In the course of about thirty seconds, he had managed to accomplish what Graves’ entire team could not. He had taken this thing out. Thoroughly. Graves emerged from his hiding space to inspect Oliver’s handiwork.

“Now what was that all about Aolis?” demanded Tommy, “What were you up to?”

“My dear Dr. Oliver,” said Aolis, who had recovered his breath but not a whole lot of mobility, “You should know better that anyone what I was trying to do. It’s what got you this job in the first place.”

“What do you mean?”

“Not understanding, good doctor? You never were credited for your intelligence. Thomas, it’s what got you killed.” And in that moment, for what may have been the first time in ten years, Tommy Oliver did the unthinkable.

He let his guard down.

Aolis struck instantly. Lashing out with a burst of energy aimed directly at Tommy’s body. Tommy went flying into the air, only to come down right into Aolis’s fist burying itself in his stomach. Crumpling to the ground, Tommy was lifted into the air by Aolis, who raised him above his head like a trophy, before beginning to bend him in a way the human skeleton was not designed to.

Graves ran to help, only to be greeted by a cloven foot to the helmet. Aolis lifted his leg and shoved Graves into a wall, hard. Graves fell to the ground, where another foot to the helmet sent him crashing facefirst into the rock floor. Suddenly a light appeared in the distance. It continued to grow until it was about as big as Aolis himself. Upon seeing this, Aolis threw Tommy to the ground and began to walk towards it.

“I’m afraid we must cut short our little meeting, Dr. Oliver. I’m needed elsewhere.”

“…No--“ coughed Tommy, who struggled to stand up.

“Good luck on quelling any future attempts at escape!” shouted Aolis as he began to disappear from sight.

“Like Hell,” muttered Tommy, who gathered up all his strength and leapt at the creature. As the last of Aolis disappeared, Tommy landed near the feet and held on until he too was gone. Graves stood up groggily and assessed the situation.

“Great…” he said to no one in particular, “Now what?”

---

1/18/05
INTERNATIONAL AIRSPACE
2012 HRS
--------------------------

Sparks was still trying to decide a course of action when the abyss began to reform. A familiar figure began to form, and before long, Aolis appeared, just the way Aaron remembered him. The way he looked before…

There was no time for that now. Unfortunately, Sparks had no way to stop him in his condition. The best he could do was continue to report what was happening to Dr. Cranston.

“Oh Hell…” said Sparks, “Will, you’re not gonna believe who just came out of there.”

“Who is it?”

“Aolis.”

“It he--?”

“No, he’s like he was before.”

“Oh Hell…”

“How did Nezakann know what to---” Sparks stopped midsentence as Aoluis and Nezakann exchanged pleasantries. He couldn’t make out any audio, but almost immediately, Aolis took Nezakann’s hand and engulfed him in light. Once it subsided, Prime Minister Nezakann was no more, and in his place was another creature.

“Great. He’s another monster.”

“Who?” asked Dr. C.

“Nezakann. He’s not human at all. He’s probably been trying to do this since he gained power back in…. Wait, that would place him at…. Dear God, Will, he’s been one of Aolis’s henchcreatures the whole time!”

“Just stay down, you’re in no condition to fight.”

“Hang on, they’re leaving.”

“I’m getting you out of there. Prepare for IDE.”

“No wait, they’re gone. I’m gonna try a… wait a second…there’s something else, Will. Someone else is coming through the abyss.”

“More big bads?”

“I don’t know… It looks like… no way…”

“What? Who? Is it Mesogog?”

“No…. It’s Tommy Oliver, Will. It’s the Green Ranger.”

---

1/19/05
NEOZEO AIR STATION ALPHA, NEVADA
0116 HRS
-----------------------

“How are you feeling?” asked Billy.

“Like I just came back from the dead,” answered Tommy.

"Well you seem to be doing allright. Your body is emmitting some kind of residual energy, probably from the trip through the abyss. It doesn't seem to be doing any harm though."

"Forget it, we have bigger things to worry about."

“Why were you in there in the first place? That ritual was designed to release ultimate evils.”

“Well yeah. They’re all there. Trakeena, Master Org, Bansheera. All of them. Someone’s gotta make sure they stay there.”

“How did you--?”
“I volunteered. Crossed over from the good side of the tracks, if you will.”

“Well it’s good to have you back.”

“We’ve got to get Aolis back in there.”

“I know. Any thoughts on how, though? My team’s trapped in there, and Aaron’s Powerless.”

“We call in my team.”

“Your team? You have a team?”

“You know, for someone who was the brains of the operation, you don’t notice much. Just this last year. They were powered by the Dino Gems I found.

“Those were your Rangers?”

“They were. I don’t know what happened to them after I died, though…”

“I’ll look into it. What do you think we should do in the meantime?”

"Activate the COM signals, Billy, it’s time to call down some Thunder.”

---


1/19/05
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA STONE CANYON CAMPUS
1300 HRS
--------------------

Conner McKnight had left his Rangering days behind. He was in a good college now, on a soccer scholarship. It had been nearly six months since that last battle together. The last time he had ever seen his friends from back in the day. These days he was more focused. Leadership of the DinoThunder team had caused quite the change in McKnight, and he was actually doing well in classes for once. Eric went here too, though not on scholarship, and the two roomed together. After washing out of Ninja School, Eric decided he simply wanted a normal life, something Conner could sympathize with all too well, and for the last semester they had stuck it out pretty well.

Kira attended here too, and he had kept tabs on her. She had a semi-regular gig in the Student Union, and he made sure to attend each one, hiding in the back so as not to be identified. She was going somewhere, no doubt about it, and it was only a matter of time before someone with the right connections realized it too. He saw her every so often around campus, but neither ever attempted to engage the other in conversation. They both knew their time had passed.

So it was with a very hesitant hand that he reached into his gym bag that day, after hearing the one sound he thought he would never hear again. Someone was paging him. On his morpher. Someone needed him to be the Red Ranger again.

---

1/19/05
ETHAN’S CYBERSPACE
REEFSIDE, CALIFORNIA
1300 HRS

Ethan James had long ago given up on the hope that he would be called back into action again. The world was safe, and it seemed there would be no big threat to it for another ten or fifteen years at least. No, he was done, and he had slowly accepted that fact. He was behind the cyber café full swing now, and business had been good lately. He had even had to hire help. This Trent guy was doing an incredible job, and Ethan often found himself with nothing to do simply because Trent would take care of any problem almost as soon as it had occurred.

He wondered what the others were up to. Conner and Kira were at UCSC, though not together, and he wondered how their first semester had gone. Jason was back at the old Juice Bar/Youth Center; Ethan had gone out there once or twice, just to visit. Jason had done ok for himself too, good job, and a son on the way, courtesy of the most attractive wife Ethan had ever seen, though he often wondered if she knew of her husband’s secret past as a Power Ranger.

Ethan had just gotten back from a business trip, solidifying a deal with one Zachary Taylor, head of Mastodon Records, to have one of his up-and-comers do a gig at the Cyberspace. Taylor had a reputation for be untrustworthy; accounts varied as to where he got the money to start his company. In person, though, the man seemed genuinely concerned for his young star’s carrier, and after bringing it up to Jason during one visit, the man vouched for Taylor’s character immediately. How they knew each other, Ethan had no idea. Maybe they were old high school buddies.

Then, from out of the blue, no pun intended, it all came full circle. It was the middle of the lunch rush when he heard the faint sound he was sure he’d never hear again. Running across the room and vaulting over the counter, he quickly unlocked the unassuming little box and quietly took out his morpher. Apparently he was needed after all.

---

1/19/05
ERNIE’S JUICE BAR/YOUTH CENTER
ANGEL GROVE, CALIFORNIA
1300 HRS


Jason Lee Scott had figured he was, at long last, retired. He had seen and done more than he had cared to. He had defeated Rita Repulsa. Stopped Lord Zedd. Helped ensure King Mondo’s destruction. Had a hand in ending Maligore’s plans. Kept Serpenterra from being reactivated. And buried a very close friend. A brother, almost. He had said the eulogy, and even donned the man’s morpher for one last trip into the fray. Saved the rookies, and sacrificed his Power Coin to do it.

He’d been married to Kimberly for a few years now. It was a very romantic wedding; her dress had had just the slighted tinge of pink to it, and he of course had his red bowtie on. There was something about those colors that never left you. To this day, his entire wardrobe consisted of red and black shirts. He had found out only last week that he was going to be a father, and he could think of only one name to christen the boy. One that had a Legacy behind it.

The Juice Bar was doing pretty well, all things considered. New kids were in and out of there all the time, and he was glad to provide the same opportunity he had had back in the day. Still saving the day, one kid at a time. He sensed great things in particular for one of his regulars, a young boy named Jack, and he would often repeat verbatim the same pep talks Ernie used to give him.

Then came the day he knew was coming, but still tried to pretend wouldn’t. His morpher went off. Or rather, Tommy’s did. Someone was paging the Black Ranger.

…

11/20/98
REMAINS OF COMMAND CENTER
CALIFORNIA DESERT
1015 HRS
-----------------------


FEELING SO FAITHLESS


“So we all know the plan, right?” asked Adam

“Our plan consists of the same thing we just went trough,” snapped Vince, “But with a different Red Ranger because the last one DIED!”

“We’ll get through this,” said Tommy.

“Easy for you to say,” said Watts, “You didn’t just watch your friend kill himself.”

"Guys, no one said this would be easy," said Adam.

“Hey, I think I know what this is for,” said Sparky, changing the subject as he held up the little device he had found back when this all started. He paused for a second.

“Well,” asked June after a moment, “What is it?”

“Well, ok, I don’t know what its for, but I know where it goes.” He raised his arm, and slid it into a slot that seemed made to house it. Almost immediately, the device shot out a series of beams, each one connecting to Rangers. The first hit Shawn, and linked itself to Adam. A faint glow of light surrounded Harris’s head, and began to get brighter. There was a brief blinding flash, and Harris was left with a small box in his hand.

“That’s my morpher…” said Adam unbelievingly, “How did…”

The beams next linked June and Adam. Then Vince and June. Finally, Laura, Vince, and oddly enough, Tommy. In each case, something materialized. June got a vehicle of some sort, and she screamed with delight at the “return” of her “Hovercar.” And Tommy’s suit received a Power Upgrade (http://www.geocities.com/thoushallnotdie/btl.JPG) of some kind, too, forming a huge layer of armor around it. All eyes fell on Adam, who looked depressed.

“What’s wrong, man?” asked Tommy.

“I got a cup of tea,” said Adam as he held up his little porcelain mug.

“Hey, beats being a frog…”

“Why didn’t I get anything!?” demanded Sparky.

“You weren’t in each other’s minds with us,” said June, “Now I get it.”

“Don’t feel bad,” said Vince, “I didn’t get anything either.”

“Yeah but you gave him that… Battle…i…zer.”

“And where did you get *that* word from?” asked June

“I dunno, I just made it up.”

“I like it,” said Adam, “It fits.”

“Well ok,” said Tommy, “Before all this happened, we were going over the plan. Everyone still got it?”

“Yeah,” said June, as she held up her Pink Zeo Sub Crystal, “First thing tomorrow we use these things.” She looked over to her Hovercar.

“And, y’know… those things, too.”

[Zord_Crazy]

To quote the Mickey D comercials: "I am loving it!"

[KyrieEleison]

Can't wait to see how this is gonna go! C'est hyper cool! (I learned that in French class!)

[Cuiran]

I missed out on the original NeoZeo (came here too late) but I'm loving The Target like crazy. =D Looking forward to more installments (and good job keeping your two parallel plots going, that can be very, very hard to pull off at times)

[BeTheSwallow]

Chapter 7. And before you go on, I really suggest re-reading the flashback portions of "The Target," or at least the dates given. They're not random...



1/19/05
NEOZEO AIR STATION ALPHA, NEVADA
1652 HRS
-----------------------

Ethan had arrived first, shocked by all the military personnel who not only let him by, but also saluted him. No doubt about it, something was up. He was suited up, fully morphed as the Blue Dino Ranger. No need to blow his identity on all these no-names. Ethan hopped off his Hovercycle and entered the building. He had been thrown off guard enough when he was told by this “Dr. Cranston” to meet in Nevada of all places, but it was nothing compared to the shock he received once he got there.

“Hello Ethan,” said a voice, “Glad you could make it,” Ethan froze in his tracks as his old Science teacher emerged from the shadows.

“Dr. Oliver!” exclaimed Ethan, “What are-- how did-- what’s going on!?”

“That’s a long story, Ethan, and one we don’t have time for right now. We need your help.”

“With what?”

“There’s a creature on the loose and I need you and the others’ help to bring it down.”

“What kind of a creature? A mutation?”

“No,” said a second voice, “It’s an alien.”

“Who’re you?”

“Ethan this is Dr. William Cranston,” said Dr. O.

“I still can't belive you're alive!" said Ethan, before realizing that, while Dr. O obviously knew his identity... "Wait, so he knows--“

“It’s ok, Ethan, he’s a friend.”

“Your secret’s safe with me,” assured Cranston, “I was the Blue Dino Ranger too, once.”

“Wait,” said Ethan, as he put the pieces together, “So you were on the original team with Dr. O?”

“I was.”

“Wow. So this is gonna be like a team-up? All the old Blue Rangers?”

“Not quite,” said Dr. Cranston as he wheeled closer to Ethan, “As you can see, I’m not exactly mobile. I’m also not able to sustain a morph; part of the reason I’m in this chair to begin with.”

“And most of the previous teams have lost their Powers already,” added Dr. O

“So who else is here?”

“I am,” answered a voice, as a young Asian man stepped out from the shadows.

“And you are?”

“Adam Park, field commander.”

“I’m going to be in the military?”

“Not exactly,” said Park, “I ran the Ranger Program here, before our team disappeared.”

“Where’d they go?” asked a voice Ethan never expected to hear again.

“Conner…” said Tommy.

“Dr. Oliver!?” gasped the Red Ranger in disbelief, “How did-- what did--you’re alive!”

“I am. Good to see you.”

“Tommy!” screamed a voice, and he was shocked to see his old White Ranger suit, albeit a bit more feminine looking, come running through the doorway and nearly tackle him as she engulfed him in an almost bear-like hug.

“Whoa,” said Tommy, as he pushed the White Ranger off him, “And who might you be?”

“It’s me Dr. O! Kira!” and with that, she Powered Down, revealing the familiar face of Kira Ford, former yellow Dino, current White Mighty Morphin’ Ranger.

“Kira!? What happened!?” asked Tommy, “Why do you have my old morpher?”

“You don’t want to know Dr. O.”

“What happened to your Dino Gem?”

“It got destroyed,” explained Ethan, “Along with our Zords,”

“I was wondering why it wasn’t responding to the COM,” noted Dr. Cranston, “How did you know to come here?”

“I told her,” said Conner, “After you called me. Figured we’d need all the help we could get.”

“Got that right,” said still another voice. The Rangers, old and new, spun around, coming face to face with the Black Dino Ranger.

"My old morphers really seem to get around," quipped Tommy, "And you are--?"

"An old friend," said Jason, as he Powered down.

“Jason…” said Tommy slowly.

“Good to see you, bro.” said Jason, and the two shared another high five, just like old times. Jason held the high five for just a second, and embraced his friend with hug. Tommy was shocked to see his oldest friend, normally a stoic, proud man, on the verge of tears.

“What’s wrong, Jase?”

“God… I said your Eulogy, Tommy. We all watched you get buried. And now here you are…”

“Hey man, I’m not the first Ranger to come back from the dead.”

“He’s right,” said Billy, “The database shows a case on Miranoi--“

“To Hell with Miranoi!” said Jason, slowly regaining his composure, even managing a faint chuckle, “Not even Death could stop Tommy Oliver when he had a job to do…”

“Lack of a morpher might,” said Tommy, and Jason and Kira both simultaneously produced their respective morphers and held them out to Tommy.

“Wow,” said Tommy, “I never knew I commanded so much respect.”

“You were the best of us,” said Jason, “We all knew it.”

“Thank you, both of you, but that’s not what I had in mind. How did you end up with my morpher, anyway, Jason?”

“I kinda took over for you after you…”

“I see. Well, keep it, we got something even better. Adam?”

“We found this deep beneath the surface of an enormous boulder,” said Adam, as he produced a small wooden box. “We weren’t sure what is was, but we had tracked it from here; it had the Power in it, whatever it was. The appearance of your Dino Rangers shed some light on the mystery, and I present to you, the White Dino Gem.” He opened the box and sure enough there sat a Dino Gem, just like all the others. Tommy reached in and picked it up. It wrapped itself around his wrist and transformed into a Morpher.

“Amazing,” said Kira.

“Green, Black, Two Reds, and Three Whites," quipped Conner, "Has he been all the colors yet?"

“Not Blue,” answered Ethan and Dr. Cranston in unison.

“We’ve tracked Aolis across most of the globe,” said Adam, “He’s was working his way through Africa, but whatever it was he needed there, he got. Last reports place him in North America, near Greenland.”

“How’s he moving so fast?” asked Conner.

“We’re not sure,” said Dr. Cranston, “We imagine some kind of IDE.”

“Say what?” asked Ethan.

“’Instantaneous Demolecularised Extraction.’”

“Teleportation,” the others responded in chorus.

“Whatever he’s collecting, don’t let him get this one. Be warned, he’s extremely powerful, we barely managed to stop him when he was alive the first time.”

“How did you do it then?” asked Kira

“It won’t work this time,” said Park, “Let’s leave it at that.”

“So what’s the plan?” asked Jason.

“We fight.”

“Bit more specific?” asked Ethan.

“Personally,” said Tommy, “I kinda want to kill this thing.”

“What do you say guys?” asked Jason, “One last battle?”

“Count me in,” said Conner.

“Let’s do it,” said Ethan.

“I’m game,” said Kira.

“You want to do the honors?” asked Jason.

“Love to,” said Tommy, “IT’S MORPHIN’ TIME!”

“White Tiger!”

“Brachiosaurus!”

“Triceratops!”

“Tyrannosaurus!”

“White Ranger! Dino Power!”

…

11/21/98
REMAINS OF COMMAND CENTER
CALIFORNIA DESERT
1015 HRS
-----------------------


IN A FINAL HOUR


“This is it, guys,” said Tommy, “Here he comes.”

“Everyone ready?” asked Adam.

“Let’s kick his ass,” quipped June.

“It’s Morphin Time!” yelled Adam, “Mastodon!”

“Zeo Ranger I, Pink!” yelled June

“Zeo Ranger II, Yellow!” yelled Laura

“Zeo Ranger III, Green!” yelled Vince

“Zeo Ranger IV, Blue!” yelled Shawn

“Zeo Ranger V, Red!” yelled Tommy

The feeling was incredible. It was like, all this time they had been on half strength, and now they had the real thing. They were now real Power Rangers, protecting not only the now-powerless veterans, but quite possibly the world. Charging into battle, they pushed aside all doubts, cast off any fears. One way or another, it ended here.

June took to the skies, firing off shots from her Hovercar. Nothing really seemed to faze the monster, but it was all she had, and so she kept at it.

Vince and Laura tried hand-to-hand, but were quickly pushed aside. Shawn and Adam came in for backup, but they too were dropped as though they were nothing. He was going for Sparky.

Tommy stood between them, fully Battelized. Arming his shoulder cannons, he fired off enourmous amounts of energy, but this seemed only to stun his foe. Aolis raised his arm, preparing to toss Tommy away like all the rest, but Tommy caught it mid-strike.

“Sorry,” he said, “But I’m not going down that easy.”

“Neither are we!” yelled Vince, as he, Laura, Adam, and Shawn fired off a makeshift Zeo/Power Blaster. The beam struck Aolis directly in the chest, sending him staggering backwards, right into Tommy’s Battelizer-backed wave of crimson energy. June chipped in with a blast of her own. Sparky decided this was it, this was his time. He drew his Phantom Saber and leapt bringing the ancient weapon down directly onto Aolis. He poured every ounce of strength into it; there was no backing down now. There was a spectacular, completely unexplained explosion; the Rangers stepped back as the smoke cleared…

…and Aolis stood revealed unharmed.

“Quite invigorating,” he said, “My turn.”

…

N/A
UNKNOWN
N/A
-----------------------

“You know,” said Stevens, chucking another rock off the cliff, “I really don’t think anyone’s coming to get us.”

"I doubt it," said a hisssing voice, "But then again, someone is already here for you."

The Powereds, spun aroud, and were faced by a number of creatures. Graves recognized them from the teams files.

Trakeena. Bansheera. Master Org. Lotohor. And Mesogog.

…

11/21/98
REMAINS OF COMMAND CENTER
CALIFORNIA DESERT
1052 HRS
-----------------------

Aolis continued to wipe the floor with the new Zeo Rangers. He was slowly taking out the entire team, one at a time. June was first. Her Hovercar had been shot down and she was placed in some kind of stasis field. Cartwright and Watts had been next, and they were floating midair next to June, helpless to turn the tide. It was down to Sparky, Harris, Tommy, and Adam.

They continued undaunted, not willing to think what would happen to them should he capture all of them. Tommy got in a few good shots from time to time; his Battlizer seemed to be the only thing that could really hurt Aolis. But even it was slowly being broken apart. Bit by bit, pieces of it came flying off as Tommy failed to fully dodge a shot somewhere. Adam leap at the monster, full of rage, Power Axe in hand. It did him no more good than the first time he tried. Aolis immediately caught him in the field and placed him near the others.

Tommy got off another shot as Aolis was distracted moving Adam. This one seemed to genuinely hurt him and he was noticeably hurt as regained his stature. He levitated himself up, eyes glowing yellow. And for the first time since he arrived, Aolis lost his temper.

With an unearthly scream he let loose a shower of energy, catching Tommy square in the chest. The strain was too much for it, and his so-recently-acquired Battelizer exploded into hundred of tiny pieces.

“That should have killed you!” screamed Aolis, “Mark my words, one day you will not be as lucky!”

“As long as I go down fighting…” quipped Tommy, even as he struggled to his feet. Aolis immediately grabbed him in the stasis field and hurled him over to others. Tommy landed with a thud near the rocks; Aolis didn’t even bother to suspend him in midair like the others.

“You…” growled Aolis as he neared Sparky, “At long last, and after FAR too much effort, I will at last have what I came here for…”



Lt. Harris crouched near his post. He was losing Power, and fast. Explosions rocked the landscape as Aolis continued his attack. Not good, he thought. The rest of his team had been captured, leaving him the one remaining Neo Zeo Ranger. All other active Rangers he knew of from the databanks were currently occupied. The forces of evil were closing in, attacking all over the universe. It was only a matter of time before he too was captured and defeated.

It was a countdown to destruction.

He paused, and waited for the opportunity to strike. He wasn't going down without a fight. And if he was to die this day, then so be it. He'd be an unknown martyr from an unknown conflict. No one would remember him or his team. You had to know someone existed before you could remember them...



And then came the miracle.

Harris wasn’t sure what it was at the time. A wave of light of some sort, that was all he knew. Its effects were immediate, though. It passed through him, demorphing him, and he could feel the presence of someone, something, and he knew instinctively that it was here to help. The wave continued on its way towards Aolis, and with a brilliant flash of light, this monster, this alien warlord, was transformed. It vanished. And in its place was simply a man. A man who was terrified by how very close he had come to the edge. But it was over now, that thing was gone forever, and would never again threaten the world. Good had prevailed.

Shawn drew his sidearm and fired off a shot to the man’s head. And he never missed.

[KyrieEleison]

So the dates aren't random. I don't know the dates, but is this what I think it is? (I don't want to ruin the surprise...)

[Zord_Crazy]

And then came the miracle.

Harris wasn’t sure what it was at the time. A wave of light of some sort, that was all he knew. Its effects were immediate, though. It passed through him, demorphing him, and he could feel the presence of someone, something, and he knew instinctively that it was here to help. The wave continued on its way towards Aolis, and with a brilliant flash of light, this monster, this alien warlord, was transformed. It vanished. And in its place was simply a man. A man who was terrified by how very close he had come to the edge. But it was over now, that thing was gone forever, and would never again threaten the world. Good had prevailed.

Shawn drew his sidearm and fired off a shot to the man’s head. And he never missed.

Gee, whatever could that have been? ;) :D Dude, if there was ever a prize for "best use of Ranger continuity in a fanfic", this one would DEFINITELY be on the list of nominees. Kudos! :023:

[BeTheSwallow]

Chapter 8 be here. All your base are belong to us.

1/19/05
NUUK, GREENLAND
1735 HRS
-----------------------

"Ok everyone, stay alert," said Tommy over the COM, "This guy in unbelievably powerful."

"So than what's the plan?" asked Ethan.

"Do not engage him if you come across him. Stay low, find out what he's after."

"Billy, anything showing up on your end?" asked Jason.

"Tracker's showing him about 2 kilometers east of your position."

"Then we all need to be on our guard," said Tommy, "Billy, any luck tracking your team?"

"Not yet, but based on the intel you gave us, I'm pretty sure they can just walk right out of we can get the abyss open again. We just have to figure out how."

"I'm picking up something on the scanners," said Kira, "It might be him."

"It is." said Tommy.

"How can you tell?" asked Conner,

"I can't explain it, Conner, I can just sense his presence somehow."

"As I can sense yours, Dr. Oliver," announced Aolis, as emerged from the shadows, wielding two golden gauntlets.

"Whoa!" yelled Kira, as she leapt back.

"He does that from time to time," said Tommy.

"This ends here, monster!" yelled Jason.

"Foolish Mr. Scott, it hasn't even begun. You think we are here by chance? By luck? No, Jason Lee Scott, former Red Ranger of Earth. We are here by design. We are here by fate." He raised his arms, and the gauntlets began to glow bright white.

"Scattered around the globe," he announced, rasing each arm one at a time, "One to find the Power, the other to consume it." He brought down his arms and released an incredible blast at the Rangers. Experience and instinct took over, and the five veterans leapt away, drawing their respective weapons. Tommy brandished his new Drago Sword and prepared to attack.
"One way or the other, you're going back where you came from!" yelled the White Dino Ranger. Charging his Light Arrows, he fired off a barrage and followed them in towards Aolis.

"I must admit I didn't expect you to come after me, Dr. Oliver," said Aolis, as he deftly dodged the arrows and engaged Tommy hand-to-hand. "But not here, not now. We're going back to where it all began." And suddenly he was gone, leaving the Dino Rangers alone.

"Back where it all began?" asked Kira.

Tommy and Jason looked at each other solemnly. It was all coming full circle in every sense of the phrase.

"Angel Grove," they said simultaneously.

---

1/19/05
REMAINS OF COMMAND CENTER
CALIFORNIA DESERT
1842 HRS
-----------------------

"So he jumped around the world, grabbing pieces of those gauntlet things?" asked Ethan.

"Nezakann must have been doing his homework," said Tommy, "Aolis knew right where they were and exactly how to get them."

"Any idea what he's after?" asked Jason.

"He mentioned the Power," said Conner, "But if that's true, wouldn't he have just taken us?"

"Maybe he's after a specific Power." said Tommy.

"Any ideas which?" asked Jason.

"Which ones are even still active?" asked Ethan.

"The Power Coins still work," said Tommy, "So do the Zeo Powers. The Turbo Powers ran out years ago, but they could still potentially hold a temporary recharge, and the Astro Morphers are in storage on KO-35. The Quasar Sabers are safe on Miranoi, and Mitchell's got the Rescue Technology under wraps. The Silver Guardians are still active, but the Wild Force powers were returned shortly after Serpenterra went down, and the Wind and Thunder Powers are trapped in the Abyss of Evil."

"What about the 6th Ranger Powers?" asked Adam over the COM.

"They're all still active or accessible. Unless something's changed since I've been gone."

"I have," said Aaron, "I used up the last of my Power to shut down the Abyss."

"And got our team sucked into it," added Dr. C.

"It also stopped Aolis from drawing power from it like Dark Specter did," said Aaron, "And we'll get the team out, Dr. C, don't worry."

"We'll worry about that later," said Tommy, "We're coming up on The Command Center. This is it."

The team exited the Transport and spread out onto the California desert. They moved slowly, tentatively. Every team who had come up against this creature had either been defeated with ease or lucked out. And Tommy was in no mood to lose a teammate again. Jeff's sacrifice all those years ago still plagued him, and he wondered how the other Dino Rangers coped with his own death after he made a similar sacrifice back on Titan. And Jason, he still hadn't gotten used to having him as a teammate again. Tommy thought for sure Jason would be content to let Serpenterra be his last hurrah. Apparently not. Still, seeing his own old costume next to him was a bit unnerving, even if his own new Powers were vastly superior. The two had gone back and forth over the years, topping each other respectively. Red. Green. Gold. And now here they were, Black and White. Complete opposites, yet the perfect counterparts.

They entered the remains of the Command Center with caution. Aolis could be anywhere, and all he needed what one good hit to take out any one of them. Descending deeper into the rubble, they came upon what was left of the old Viewing Globe, and past the tubes that had held their old suits and Powers when they called upon the Zeo Crytal. They moved down, working their way through various sublevels. The Turbo Chamber was completely destroyed; the ZeoZord Holding Bay was empty. They continued downward, and came upon a door neither of the former Morphin' Rangers had seen while they were on active duty.

Inscribed on its doorway was a vast collage. Dinosaurs, Mythical Creatures, Galactabeasts, Sacred Animals. It was everything the Morphing Grid had helped create. Encircling it were the insignias of various teams, some of which even Tommy was unfamiliar with. The Aquitarian Lightning Bolt. Playing Card Suits. The Zeo Insignia. A Stylized 'D'. The Crest of Those Chosen by The Quasar Sabers. His own DinoThunder logo. And dead center was a Stylized 'S' with five stars passing through the center.

They went inside.

...

11/21/98
REMAINS OF COMMAND CENTER
CALIFORNIA DESERT
1112 HRS
-----------------------


THEY LIVE WITH EYES TURNED AWAY


Everyone got up slowly. All of them were demorphed, just like Shawn. Tommy was the first to inspect the damage. All Rangers accounted for, one man dead.

"You.... You shot him!" screamed June.

"I saw a means to an end," stated Shawn, "He won't threaten us any more."

"But... he was just a man...." said Vince

"A man who repeatedly tried to kill all of us!"

"That doesn't give you the right to just kill him! He could have been possessed, or-- mind controlled, or any number of things!

"Or he could have been an alien warlord intent on killing all of us in the name of 'honor', just like he said he was."

"You had no right--" began Tommy

"I had every right!" barked Shawn, "And you have no authority here, Mr. Oliver, however much you want to think you do! You weren't selected for this team! You weren't forced to watch your friend kill himelf to save you! You were just there to pick up the pieces and try to relive the glory days! Well try again! It's over, Tommy! Time to leave it to the professionals!"

"You can't just murder an innocent civilian!" yelled June.

"Aolis was not a civilian. And he was not innocent. We don't even know if that thing on the ground there is human. We don't know that he wasn't a threat anymore. For all we know that was a tactic designed to get us to drop our guard, and you all just fell for it. Hell, it demorphed us; all of us!"

"Not me," quipped Sparky

"Not my point, Sparky"

"But you can't--" started Vince

"Listen to yourselves! If this were any other situation, a year ago, none of us would have batted an eye! We're soldiers, for Christ's sake! And I don't know about you, but I have no problem dropping an opponent who has threatened my life on a regular basis."

“It wasn’t right, and you know it. You felt it too, we all did. That wave was a force of good; it was here to help.” He paused for a second. “Hell, it felt like Zordon...”

“Well I don’t know who that is or why he’s so goddamn important. All I know is I saw a shot, and I took it.”

There was a long pause. And the longer it got, the harder it was to break. The Rangers looked back and forth at each other. Tommy and Adam exchanged silent looks. It *was* Zordon that had saved them. Somehow. Maybe the new team had found him out there somewhere in space. Maybe he escaped himself. Maybe he really was dead and that was the last of his power. Either way, the legendary wizard from Eltar had saved them all, and who knew who else, today. All the veterans could feel it. Rocky looked back at Billy, and both former Blue Rangers silently acknowledged to each other that all the pain, all the injuries, all the awkward stares they would get for the rest of their lives, it had been worth it. Tanya looked over to Adam, and felt her last chance slip away as he held June in his arms. Kat looked over to Tommy, hoping that there was still *something* between them. He couldn’t bring himself to return her glance. Finally Adam held out his hand to Shawn.

"Lt. Harris, turn in your morpher, you're done."

"I do not believe this! You can't just--"

"I am your commanding officer, Marine, and I have just given you an order. Now are you going to comply or are we going to have to bring you up for a court martial!?" Shawn held his gaze for just a moment, then slowly began to unstrap his morpher.

"For the record, I did what I had to do, and I do not regret saving your lives."

"Duly noted, Marine. Someone call for an Evac, we're going home."

[KyrieEleison]

Ooh... :eusa_clap Still awesome in every sense of the word...

And now here they were, Black and White. Complete opposites, yet the perfect counterparts.Very poetic.

[Zord_Crazy]

Damn, that was cold of Harris. But, you gotta do what you gotta do.

[BeTheSwallow]

Well it all starts to wrap up. Say farwell to the original NeoZeos, their flashbacks finish up here. The Dino Rangers have one last chapter before they go, though.


1/19/05
REMAINS OF COMMAND CENTER
CALIFORNIA DESERT
1914 HRS
-----------------------

The Seal of the Morphing Grid opened, and inside was none other than the Monster of the Day itself, Aolis. Surrounding him was a stone structure, not unlike Stonehenge, and what appeared to be a map of the cosmos. Aolis was lost in his studies, and every so often, the map would zoom in a bit, as the location of whatever Power Aolis was after got more specific. The White Dino Ranger drew his Drago Sword, and again sent a barrage of light arrows his way. However, this time they struck something about four feet away from Aolis. He was being protected by a shield of some sort. This was going to be tough. Aolis clearly knew where he was and what he was doing. Tommy had called this place a second home for the better part of five years and he never knew this room existed. Jason clicked his Brachio staff to wind strike, but it was no more effective than the light arrows.

"Are you quite finished?" asked Aolis, "I have work to do."

"What is this place?" demanded Tommy, "Where are we?"

"Dr. Oliver, I'm surprised your Eltarian Mentor never explained any of this to you."

"Explained what?" asked Jason, piqued by the mention of Zordon.

"Again you think it is all about you two." snapped Aolis, "The Powers you possess are merely supplementary, a side effect if you will. I came here to take their source."

"He's gonna steal the morphing grid!?" yelled Kira.

"'Morphing Grid' you say? Interesting. Each world does have its own name for it, true enough. On our world we called it 'The Keeper's Power.' Now if you are all content with your failed intercept mission, I have a Power to locate."

A COM channel opened up to Tommy. It was Aaron. "Um, guys. I think I may know what he's talking about."

---

They had split up the big bads, Logan and Valentine had taken on Trakeena and Bansheera. Divens had his hands full with Lothor. Stevens and Master Org were pretty much an even match. That had left Graves to square off against Mesogog. They were holding them off, for the time being, but it was only a matter of time before the team was overcome. They were out of their element; not one of the Powereds was particularly well versed in hand-to-hand combat. Graves himself had boxed in college, but that was about it. And so far that didn't really seem to be helping him. He wasn't even sure what the plan was. Assuming he and his team were overcome, what then? They were all still stuck here. Unless these guys knew something he didn't.

So for the time being, he was resigned to his ignorance and content merely to fight for his life in the land of the dead.

---

1/19/05
REMAINS OF COMMAND CENTER
CALIFORNIA DESERT
1922 HRS
-----------------------

"You're saying we have to go back to Zanakstan?," said Tommy over the COM, "Into the abyss?"

"Maybe not," said Cranston, "If the Phantom Power is really what he's after, he's going to have to open the abyss again. If we can just get him back in there, it should collapse in on itself."

"'Should?'" asked Kira

"There's really no way to know for sure Kira."

"Well guys?" said Jason, "What are we waiting for? Billy, teleport us to Zanakstan as fast as you can."

"I can't," said Cranston.

"What?" asked Conner, "Why not?"

"Your suits weren't designed to teleport. I could get Kira there safely, but the rest of you, I don't know."

"We're gonna have to risk it, Billy," said Tommy, "Get them to the abyss."

"And you?"

"Try and get me as close as you can to the following coordinates. I have a plan."

At once the team was gone from the little room. Aolis looked up.

"Why thank you my human friends. You have saved me much time." He too vanished.
---

1/19/05
PRIME MINISTER NEZAKANN’S PRIVATE QUARTERS
ZANAKSTAN
1935 HRS
--------------------------

The team flew towards Zanakstan, in multicolored streaks of light. Just like the old days, noted Jason. They materialized outside Nezakann's palace, the site of the abyss. Tommy was nowhere to be found. It was up to Jason and the rookies to make sure Aolis entered that abyss. They stormed the palace. Running through the hallways and rooms, Conner noticed no one was here. The place was empty Completely empty. They followed Sparks' directions over the COM and kicked open the door.

And came face to face with Aolis once again.

"I don't believe this!" yelled Ethan.

"Believe what you will Mr. James, the fact remains I am here."

"But how?" asked Kira.

"Your encrypted communications channels are not nearly as secure as you might think."

Conner was not impressed. "You beat us here by eavesdropping?"

"That and a faster-than-light form of teleportation which your race has yet to master."

"And you really think we're just going to let you open abyss up again, releasing God knows who, and get your Phantom Power?"

"No, Mr. Scott. I expect you to throw yourselves fool heartedly into the melee, removing yourselves from the Great Battle."

"Happy to oblige," muttered Jason, as he silently clicked his Brachio Staff into Wind Strike.

"Let's get him!" yelled Ethan, and he ran towards Aolis, TriceraShield armed.

Aolis met him halfway with a kick to the stomach. Ethan flew backwards, crashing into a nearby wall. Aolis followed up with a solid hit to the helmet before spinning around, catching the TyrannoStaff mid-strike, and forcing Conner McKnight back, right into Kira Ford. The two stumbled for a moment, and both were met with a strike to chest, sending the Red Dino and White Morphin' Rangers against the opposite wall. Aolis started towards them, but was blown back by a Wind Strike from Jason, who followed up with a corkscrew kick that sent Aolis flying backwards. The Rangers regrouped, and readied their weapons. Kira and Ethan ran in first, but by then Aolis had been ready for them, and he dodged Saba's initial attack, grabbed Kira's arm, and spun her around, forcing Saba's blade directly into Ethan's body. The Blue Ranger gasped for a second, before Aolis picked him up and threw him at Conner and Jason. Jason managed to leap over him, but Conner was stunned by what he had seen and hesitated just long enough for his friend to crash into him.

"Ethan? Man, you OK?"

"I think he made his point...." said Ethan quietly.

"This is no time for puns, man. Save your strength."

Jason leapt at Aolis, kicking him away from Kira, who rolled away and soothed her arm. The two went head to head, with the Black Dino Ranger barely managing to keep Aolis at bay. Brachio Staff and Saba clashed repeatedly, with sparks flying, both figuratively and literally. Aolis grabbed ahold of Jason's arm and rolled, puling Jason with him. He rolled up unto his feet and threw Jason across the room, and without missing a beat fired a blast a Ethan. It his him directly, and his suit shattered, depowering him and leaving him in even worse condition than before. Conner left Ethan's side and charged in headfirst, but Aolis leapt over him, grabbing his head in the process. Aolis landed on his feet, and Conner's head was slammed to the ground with a THUD! As he lay crumpled on the floor, Aolis hit him point-blank with a blast, and he too was depowered and left for dead.

Aolis stood up, and faced where the abyss had been. He raised his hands, and his gauntlets began to glow. One red, the other blue. He fired a wave of Power, and the abyss was open once more.

"At last we end this." he said.

"Got that right!"

Aolis turned around, and was greeted with a boot to the alien face, courtesy of Jason Lee Scott. This ended here. A fire strike sent Aolis flying backwards. Jason powered up an Energy Orb. Aolis staggered backwards, leaning towards the abyss. It was now or never.

"You have no idea what you're doing." hissed Aolis, full of rage.

"And you've just pissed me off." muttered Jason. He fired off the Orb, and Aolis was sent flying backwards into the abyss. It began to close in on itself, and soon the Abyss of Light was again no more.
---

N/A
UNKNOWN
N/A
-----------------------

Graves had lost. His team was down. The five of them were each held in place, slightly aloft, via some kind of force field, and their enemies seemed content to leave it at that. Mesogog was leading this little band of Evil, and he was now pacing back and forth, as if waiting. Sure enough, a flash of light lit up the area, and Aolis went crashing to the floor. He stood up, and righted himself.

"I take it you were defeated..." hissed Mesogog.

"Not at all," said Aolis, "In fact, I am here for the Keeper's Power. He raised his arms, and soon what could only be described as a blackish light surrounded him. He started to absorb it, and his power began to increase exponentially. He began growing, mutating, surging with Power. His eyes crackled with electricity, and his horns were soon joined by two more. His cape grew into a pair of wings, and his hooves were soon clawed.

He was truly a monster.

"Are we ready?" asked Aolis.

"Not quite," quipped Lothor, "There's still the matter of us and them." He indicated Graves and his team.

"A gift, my friend Kiya," said Aolis, and he fired a blast at the Powereds. Their microcircuitry was ripped to shreds, and beams of light in their respective colors shot out of the Powereds and into the Big Bads. Soon they had nothing, while their foes had it all. Trakeena commanded Logan's former Power, and Bansheera seized Valentine’s. Master Org was Powered up with Diven's Power, and Mesogog took command of Graves' Power. Lothor himself took the Blue Ranger Power.

"I've always had a thing for Blue," he quipped.

"And now we strike." said Aolis.

"And how do you propose we leave here now that the abyss is closed?" asked Mesogog.

"But it isn’t, my ally. It isn't at all." He waved his arms, and the abyss was indeed opened again.

---

1/19/05
PRIME MINISTER NEZAKANN’S PRIVATE QUARTERS
ZANAKSTAN
2126 HRS
--------------------------

Jason helped Ethan to his feet. Kira and Conner had sat down against a wall, reflecting on what had been the most intense battle of their lives.

Then the abyss opened itself up again.

"What the--?" said Kira.

"You've GOT to be kidding me." said Jason.

"I kid you not, Mr. Scott," said Aolis, as he stepped back through the abyss. "For you see, I have a mortal coil to this plane now. I cannot be forced out."

He was huge. If he was after the Phantom Power. It sure looked like he got it. To stop him the first time had been tough. This was going to be impossible.

"I hope you don't mind, but I brought along a few friends." Jason watched in horror as new beings emerged from the abyss. He didn't recognize them, but he knew it couldn't be good. Conner, Ethan, and Kira were shocked to see Mesogog among them. Or rather, a Powered up Mesogog. With only two Rangers still Powered, Kira knew this would probably be, as they say, the proverbial "it."

As it turned out, she didn't even have time to find out. Mesogog had spotted her and fired an incredible beam of red energy at her. It struck her directly in the chest, and the White Tiger Shield shattered under the strain as she flew across the room. She demorphed soon after. Jason ran in undaunted. The other Big Bads readied themselves, but Aolis waved them off.

"No. He's mine."

With a corkscrew kick, Jason leapt at Aolis, who immediately caught him mid air in some kind of force field. With a wave of his hand, the others were also frozen and lifted into the air. Moving them near him, Aolis let them watch what he was about to do. With another surge of Power, the Black Dino Ranger was no more, and only Jason Lee Scott remained. His Power gone, Aolis let him fall to the ground and proceeded to walk towards him. Jason leapt up, and was promptly swatted back down. He struggled to his feet, and was struck in the stomach, sending him down yet again. Still he refused to quit fighting. Picking himself up, Jason was struck in the face and went down hard. Aolis then planted his hoof square into the small of Jason's back. He winced in pain, but refused to give Aolis the satisfaction of hearing him scream. After a moment, Aolis let up and grabbed him by his neck. Holding Jason a good three feet in the air, he punched him in the stomach before backhanding him again across the face.

"Do you see now what we are capable of?" asked Aolis, as he displayed his prize to the Dino Rangers. Jason was broken, bleeding, and barely conscious. Kira couldn't bring herself to watch. She closed her eyes and clung to Conner.

"I truly admire you, Mr. Scott. You refuse to quit, even when all odds are against you. A noble spirit, to be sure. But now our time is ended, for my allies and I have much work to do." He turned around, still holding Jason by the neck, and prepared to throw him into the abyss.

"Congratulations, Mr. Scott, you will be the first to fall by our hands. Any last words? Something noble and inspiring perhaps?"

Jason looked up, groggy and weak. He struggled to say the words; to get them past his strangled windpipe. "Drgu- Srd..."

"I'm sorry, what was that?" asked Aolis as he loosened his grip, "We don't want the final words of a Legend such as you to be indecipherable."

Jason stared at him with cold eyes, caged fury. He looked not at Aolis, but past him; through him.

"Drago Zord" he hissed.

An incredible light filled the little room that had once been Nezakann's bedroom. A faint rumbling could be heard, growing louder by the second. And then, the White Drago Zord came crashing in, piloted by the original White Ranger himself, Tommy Oliver. Jason kicked himself free and dove out of the way and the enormous mechanical assault vehicle tore through walls, shattered windows, and headed straight for them.

"I got your mortal coil right here," said Tommy, "We both come out, we're both going back."

The Drago Zord smashed into Aolis and his allies. Explosions erupted all over the Zord, and the sheer momentum sent them all flying backwards. Right into the still-open abyss. The light of the abyss swallowed up Zord, Ranger, and Villain alike as they were all hurled inside. The light was blinding as the abyss filled with their power, and Jason had to shield his eyes. The force field dissipated, and the Dino Rangers were dropped to the ground. With one last deafening explosion, Alolis and his allies were gone, along with the Drago Zord and Dr. Thomas Oliver. Only Jason, Conner, Kira, and Ethan were left.

---

N/A
UNKNOWN
N/A
-----------------------

As the flaming mass flew through the gateway, Tommy did his best to hold the Zord together. Aolis had been thrown out in front, but as Tommy looked out the cockpit, he was startled to see Aolis being ripped to shreds by the force of the gateway. He couldn't understand why he wasn't, as well, nor the others Big Bads for that matter. Dark Specter had suffered a similar fate after the 6th Ranger mission. But the new team had survived their journey into the land of the dead, and even Aolis made it back safely once.

Suddenly he understood. Aolis was alive. Or at least, he was. Tommy had been his mortal coil, allowing him to reside in both worlds. When the Dino Rangers had tried to send him back, he could easily lay legitimate claim to residing in the land of the living and come right back. But with his mortal coil in the abyss with him, he wasn't a denizen of either realm, and was ripped apart by his own body trying to reside in both worlds. The others had no mortal coil, they were still simply the Dead. They never came back to life, like Aolis or Dark Specter, and were merely being returned to where they belonged. But Tommy too was alive, just like Aolis had been. His own suit must have protected him somehow; that's how the new team had crossed, as well. The gateway to the other side opened up as his journey came to an end, and Tommy braced himself for one hell of a landing...

---

Almost as soon as they had left, the Big Bads were back. Only this time, they were followed by a colossal flaming wreck of a Transport. The entire mess of Villain and Machine hit the ground with a CRASH. Debris was sent flying in every direction. It was a sight to see. And following right behind it were the beams of light that contained their Power. Flying towards them end entering their BDAs, all systems read operational, and the Power came back online.

From out of the wreckage emerged their savior twice over, Tommy Oliver, himself now wearing a suit of microcircuitry, though helmetless. A White Ranger of some sort.

"GO!" he screamed, indicating the closing abyss of light, "It's not gonna stay open much longer!"

Graves ran, Powering up his BDA in the process, he was encased once again in the microcircuitry that came with being a Ranger. The rest of his team followed suit, and one by one, they all leapt through the gateway home. Graves had stayed back to make sure the rest got through safely. Once they had all made it, he look one last look behind him, to this land of the dead and to the battle that had taken place. Finally, he too leapt through, just in time for the abyss to close up behind him. He was flung through an intense tunnel of light, just like before. The gateway opened as he approached, and he was hurled out the other side with a violent CRASH!

Standing up and looking around, he was faced with two civilians, a Powered, and a Legend.

...

11/21/98
REMAINS OF COMMAND CENTER
CALIFORNIA DESERT
1112 HRS
-----------------------

EPILOGUE-
COVER UP THE SCARS; PUT ON YOUR GAME FACE


The team disbanded shortly after the events of that day. Of the original team, only June stayed on, with Adam and Dr. C remaining as advisors. Through the years, members were lost, and members were gained. The project would carry on, expanding its ranks to more than the traditional 6 Ranger setup, though only Squad Leaders would receive the Powered Support. Turning its attention away from traditional Ranger threats and more towards threats neither Rangers nor Military could really handle, by January 2005, the NeoZeo Project had successfully quelled 2 all-out insurrections, a half dozen rebellions, and several hundred politically unsanctioned "engagements."

ADAM PARK, BLACK RANGER remained on board in his role as field commander, and is still with the project today. He and longtime teammate/girlfriend June Summers were wed October 5, 2002. His duplicate morpher ran out of Power near the end of 1999, and he has been out of the field since. And though he has never donned the microcircuitry of a NeoZeo suit, or attempted to find a new Power Source for his morpher, he still says there's "always a chance" to return to action.

DR. WILLIAM "BILLY" CRANSTON also remained on board as technical advisor of Project NeoZeo. His still-brilliant mind continues to improve the technology behind the magic of the Zeo Crystal. Remnants of Tommy's Zeo Battelizer allowed Cranston to outfit all the NeoZeo suits with a similar protective armor. Ongoing projects include a "fully-sentient, multi-functional automaton" and discharging himself of the negative protons which prevent him from receiving the Power.

JEFFREY HAYDEN, NEOZEO I, RED was given the full military honors of a KIA for his actions during the Countdown to Destruction in 1998. He was given a spot in Arlington National Park, and was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for actions above and beyond the Call of Duty. He is one of only four Rangers to sacrifice their life in the line of duty, alongside Kendrix Morgan, Thomas Oliver, and the original Magna Defender.

VINCENT CARTWRIGHT, NEOZEO III, GREEN decided to leave the NeoZeo project after the incident in 1998. After a standard debriefing by his superiors, he turned in his morpher and was given an honorable discharge from the U.S. Army in 1999. He currently lives in Los Angeles, with his wife and two children, Jacob and Alex. He has never told them of his past as a Power Ranger, preferring instead to keep it a private memory.

LAURA WATTS, NEOZEO IV, YELLOW left the NeoZeo project, but remained in the military, eventually rising to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, and her ties to the upper levels of Government were a pivotal factor in getting 1st Lt Taylor Earhardt reinstated in the United States Air Force following her time AWOL. She was honorably discharged in 2004, after nine years of service, and currently resides in Silver Hills.

JUNE SUMMERS, NEOZEO V, PINK retired from active duty at the turn of the millennium, taking the Pink Ranger with her. Her replacement was christened as the White Ranger, and June moved on to the R&D area of the NeoZeo project. Notable contributions to the team's arsenal include a refinement of the HUD visors and an upgrade to the standard Zeo Blasters. As of January 2005, her latest project, quick-ecav "Ziplines", are ready for field use.

AARON "SPARKY" SPARKS, PHANTOM RANGER left the NeoZeo project almost immediately, in a futile attempt to find and explain his situation to one Cassie Chan, former Pink Space Ranger. He returned to the team shortly thereafter, and had stayed on board since as a ranking officer and second in field command under Adam Park. As of January 2005, he has been completely morphed for eight and a half years straight.

KATHERINE "KAT" HILLARD, ZEO RANGER I, PINK never did patch things up with Thomas Oliver, and the two haven't spoken since that day in the California desert. She returned to Australia in late 1999, and earned her teaching certificate in primary education in 2004. She currently works as a Kindergarten teacher in her hometown of Sydney, and as far as she can tell, she has never had a Season worth remembering.

TANYA SLOAN, ZEO RANGER II, YELLOW continued her work at the Little Angels daycare center, finally taking over ownership in 2002, and was the only former Zeo Ranger who did not attend the wedding of Adam Park and June Summers, though she was invited all the same. The two have not seen each other since that day in 1998, though neither party has ever really attempted to reestablish contact with the other.

ROCKY DESANTOS, ZEO RANGER IV, BLUE continued his education at UCAG, and went on to graduate with a degree in business. He currently works out of Mariner Bay as a financial advisor to a major corporation. After the events of the Countdown to Destruction, he mailed his Red Ranger Morpher and Power Coin to predecessor Jason Lee Scott, wanting nothing to do with the Ranger Legacy anymore. To date, his back has not healed, nor does he expect it to.

THOMAS "TOMMY" OLIVER, ZEO RANGER V, RED would don his Zeonizers one last time, working with Andros of Karova to assemble a small strike force to stop Serpenterra in late 2002, before turning them over to Billy for good. He abandoned his dream of becoming a professional race car driver, and went on to get his PhD in paleontology. He began work on his newest discovery, nicknamed the "Dino Gems" alongside one Anton Mercer in early 2003, and the rest, as they say, is history.

UNDERLING NEZRO was also made human by Zordon’s wave. In time, though, his true nature resurfaced, and by 2001, he had worked his way into the Zanakstani government under the assumed name of Valklai Nezakann, and has been working on a way to resurrect his Master, Lord Aolis, since assuming power as Prime Minister.

UNDERLING EMESEN awoke in the land of the dead betrayed by his Master, and has made no effort to assist him in his attempts to escape or claim the Phantom Power. Offered the choice between being imprisoned like his Master or a chance at redemption, he chose the latter, and is currently training under Dr. Thomas Oliver to assist him in his duties as Keeper of the Gateway.

ALEXANDER BROOKS was honorably discharged from the US Navy in 2000, and moved back to his hometown in Blue Bay Harbor. His son Waldo was eventually sent to Kanoi Watanabe’s Preparatory Academy, where he would meet his destiny head on.

DANIEL "STONEWALL" FRANK and KATELYN "BEE-EYE" O'NEIL were wed January 22, 2001

and finally, SHAWN HARRIS, NEOZEO II, BLUE was dismissed from active duty on the NeoZeo Roster by Captain Park, but was never charged for his actions in 1998. Transferring back into the traditional military, he was honorably discharged from the United States Marines in 2004, after rising to the rank of Captain. To date, he has not been told of the existence of Zordon of Eltar, or discovered the effects his Energy Wave had on the Evils attacking the Universe that day. He currently resides in Blue Bay Harbor, where he works as a freelance security consultant to private corporations. He has never had second thoughts about his actions during the Countdown to Destruction, and prefers to keep the past behind him. He remains unaware that he is single-handedly responsible for the death an innocent civilian, a human just like Carla, Robert, Divitriax, and Karone.

[BeTheSwallow]

Well, after almost a whole year (wow!) we wrap up the Legacy Trilogy here. Enjoy.


EPILOGUE

The Dino Rangers began to walk back out of the room, slowly, reflectively. Kira was the only one with any Power left, and who knew how long it would last. Conner and Ethan's Power was lost in the abyss, and Jason had been forcefully demorphed. They were all hurt, Ethan's stomach had been stabbed, and Jason was barely standing. Dr. Cranston opened a COM, with a surprising note of relief in his voice.

"Guys, wait a minute. I'm picking up a reading. Something else is coming through."

"Call the Silver Guardians," muttered Jason weakly.

"Relax, their friends."

The Rangers turned around, and were met the forms of the five Zeo Rangers flying out of the abyss at varying speeds and angles. Not one of them had landed on their feet. Jason allowed himself a slight chuckle. Guess my team's not the rookies anymore he thought. Zeo Ranger V stood up and checked the rest of his team before approaching him.

"Jason Lee Scott?" asked the Red Ranger.

"Tommy?" he asked weakly.

"No, sir. I'm Crpl Johnathan Graves, NeoZeo Red Team Powered," he paused for a second, "You are Jason Lee Scott, former Red Ranger, are you not?"

"The one and only." he confirmed.

"It's an honor to meet you, sir. I've read about you in the Team's archives. Sir, you--"

"Save it rookie. We have a long flight back home. Flatter me on the way back."

"Yes, sir."

Kira motioned to Ethan, who was still standing but clutching his chest in pain. "Is he gonna be OK?"

"Ma'am, we have a Transport inbound as we speak," said still another White Ranger, "Fully stocked with the latest medical technologies."

"I'll be fine," said Ethan, "Go talk to your boy there."

Kira was puzzled for a second, before feeling a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey," said Conner.

"Hi," she said simply.

"I guess we haven’t really talked this whole time, have we?"

"I guess not," said Kira, "Why don't you ever sit up front?"

"What?"

"At my shows. You're always in the back."

"You saw me?"

"I see the whole audience, actually," she said playfully, "You should sit up front next time."

"I'll think about it," he said, with just a hint of the patented McKnight charm, "Any chance we could do something after the show?"

"We'll see..." she said softly, as she leaned in an kissed him.

"Took you two long enough." said Ethan, laughing. "By the way, Kira, I talked to Zach Taylor of Mastodon Records for you. He says he wants in on the ground floor of your, and I quote, 'soon-to-be-incredible' musical career."

"That's awesome! Thanks!" yelled Kira, as she hugged Ethan.

"Hey!" said Conner playfully, "What happened to me?"

"Oh, your just an Ex-Red Ranger," said Kira in a fake scoff.

"I heard that." said Jason.

Once again, Johnathan Graves had no idea what was going on. Hell, he had no idea what happened at all in the last few days, and he wasn't quite sure he wanted to, though he was sure it would all be explained in the debriefing during the ride home. Whatever sense of closure these kids might have felt, he knew he and his Team would be in the briefing room again come tomorrow morning. They had a job to do, after all. At last transport arrived, and Rangers new, old, former, current, and everything in between loaded up. They were going home.

---

The debris had settled, and the smoke had cleared. But there was still a j