Power Rangers Crystal

[TreyX]

The following is a combination of multiple ideas I've had for Power Rangers over the years. Basically, this story is what I would produce if I had control of a season of the show. The whole storyline is already mapped out and will be posted as I finish them one at a time. This story also marks the return of one of the most disliked Rangers in history, but he's the perfect challenge for a writer to take. All comments and critiques are welcomed and I sincerely hope you enjoy my work.

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POWER RANGERS CRYSTAL
By. TreyX

CHAPTER ONE: A NEW DAWN
ANGEL GROVE NASADA SPACE PORT: MAY 1997
As the 30-second count down began, TJ Johnson tightened the straps that locked him into his chair. The spaceship’s converters fired up, sending a low vibration through the cockpit. For the first time all day, TJ was finally able to breath. They had made it. Though the coming dangers were great, now was a rare chance to rest before the next chapter of his life began. As the adrenalin rush faded, the cuts and wounds on TJ made themselves known. He looked forward to a long shower and washing off the dried blood on his chest. Unfortunately, his poor shirt was beyond saving. TJ looked to his right, confirming the arrival and safety of his friends and fellow Turbo Rangers: Cassie, Ashley, and Carlos were all seated and ready; as well as their robotic counterpart, Alpha 6. But where was Justin? He hadn’t arrived.

Ashley looked to TJ. “Where is he?” she asked. TJ’s heart began racing. This was no time to fool around. Justin had been at Mission Control, helping to set up this sudden flight, but if didn’t arrive soon, he would miss the ship and be stuck on Earth. “Come on,” he muttered, “Let’s go, Justin.” TJ hit the communication switch. “Justin, we’re missing someone.”

At Mission Control, Justin peered out the window at the starship that held his four closest friends. At the age of twelve, Justin was the youngest Power Ranger in history. But as his teammates prepared to rush into the depths of space to confront the looming evil, Justin could not make the same sacrifice. NASADA officials stood nearby as TJ’s words came across the speakers. Swallowing hard, Justin spoke into his headset. “He… he can’t go with you,” Justin quietly said, cautious of revealing his identity to those around him, “There’s reasons.”

TJ came back on the speaker. “Reasons?! What reasons?” Justin closed his eyes and thought hard of how to express his feelings. There was a pause before TJ’s voice returned. “Justin… tell him he has very good reasons. And that we’ll miss him.” Justin felt his eyes water, but he fought to hold them back. “He already knows,” Justin replied. As the countdown boomed overhead, Justin removed his headset. “I’ll miss you too.”


TEN YEARS LATER
The black warship of Dark Aver cruised past the sole moon of Earth. From his chamber, the feared Emperor gazed upon the blue planet in front of him. It astonished him how such a small world could have such an impact on the Universe. In this whole galaxy, only one planet sustained life. And from this world came the immeasurable abilities of the legendary Power Rangers. Dark Aver was impressed. “So,” he mused, “This is the planet that spawned the soldiers who dethroned Dark Specter.”

The shadows of the room seemed bright in comparison to Aver’s black skin. His long hair flowed behind him, elegant and proud. In the decade that had passed since Dark Specter’s death, a universe full of warlords had battled for power. It was Aver whom had stepped up and taken Specter’s former territory. After a fierce battle with a former Ranger, Aver had earned the title of “Dark Lord,” forever being christened “Dark Aver.” Yet, as universally feared as he was, Aver could not yet claim complete control of the universe. As long as the often-forgotten Earth was free, there would be a chance for more Rangers to emerge and defeat him, as his predecessor had been. But Aver had not gained his power through strength alone. He was most well known for his strategic maneuvering. Already, his plans were in motion. All chances of Earth resistance would soon topple and Dark Aver would have nothing more to fear. It was all so closely within his grasp. Soon, nothing would be able to stand in his way. Nothing.


* * *


SABLE CITY
Metallica blasted over the radio. In the apartment near the edge of town, the smell of rotting food reeked with little mercy. A militia of ants formally worked to scavenge the old plates of food on the floor. The sun shined in through the window, but did little more than spotlight particular messes. Behind the couch in the living room, the current resident of this trash pit began to stir. One would think that perhaps the mess could be explained by a full night of wild partying and out-of-control fun, but they would be wrong. Justin Stewart, apathetic college graduate, was not much for partying. These days, he wasn’t much for anything. And the only thing wild was his hair. Long and unkempt, Justin did little to improve his appearance on a daily basis.

Justin stumbled across the apartment to his bathroom where a cracked mirror allowed him to look over himself. If he cared about his look, he might have been disgusted at the sight. He felt his chin and eyed the growing facial hair which had been unattended to in at least two weeks. Justin had long ago lost his motivation for living. Not that he was suicidal or anything, but what motivation is there for living when your life peaked at age twelve?

The greatest possible accomplishment of Justin’s life had occurred and ended ten years ago. His job was done. So, he figured, what was the point of it all? Justin removed his shirt and prepared to shower. From behind him, a heavenly voice appeared, “It looks like you’ve seen better days, Mr. Stewart.” Justin turned around and was startled by the sudden appearance of a beautiful woman.

She looked to be in her late twenties and stood tall and proud. Her blond hair fell to her chest with both style and shine. Justin eyed her long legs and took note of her business attire. She was a woman of success. Who was she, Justin wondered. And what the hell was she doing here?

“I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” she remarked. Justin smirked and looked around at his surroundings. “As you can see,” he noted, “I’m quite busy.” She smiled and nodded, “So I see. I must admit, I did expect former Ranger, like yourself, to be living a bit more sanitarily. Despite it all, I hope you will allow me a few moments of your time.” Justin leaned back against his sink and folded his arms. “Well, since you went through all the trouble of breaking and entering, I suppose I could hear you out,” he said, disguising his surprise in her knowledge of his former identity.

The woman smiled and offered Justin her hand. “My name is Cassandra Reynolds,” she revealed, “I’m the CEO of Rave Tech.” Justin nodded and shook her hand. “I know the place. You’re stationed here in the city.” Cassandra nodded, “I think I’m actually surprised that you know that.” Justin glared. “I may not be the neatest person in the world, but I’m not blind,” he remarked. Cassandra’s small smile remained unwavering as she nodded slightly and continued, “Then you must also know that we have dealings throughout the entire city. We work closely with the Mayor and Sable Academy in particular.” Justin looked at the imaginary watch on his arm. “If you have a point, Ms. Reynolds, please come to it quickly. It’s almost noon and I have some very important lounging to get to soon.”

Finally, Cassandra’s smile faded and she locked eyes with the surly man before her. “Mr. Stewart,” she hissed, “As amusing as your outdated angst is, I think it would be in your best interest to drop it for a moment and listen to what I have to say. I am trying to offer you what you’ve been searching years for.” Justin looked to her, slightly intrigued. “And what would that be?” he asked. Cassandra’s smile returned, “A reason to live.”


* * *


A mass of teenage students flooded the Academy courtyard once the lunch bell rang. After a long morning of lectures and work, a chance to sit and unwind was always appreciated. Allie Johnson sat at a table outside, wearing her designer sunglasses to block the bright September day. From her lunch bag, she removed a tray of fresh sushi that the maid had prepared earlier that day. Allie had expensive tastes. Everyone knew it. She was as proud of her upbringing as she was of her naturally blond hair. During football games, her golden locks seemed to set her apart from her fellow cheerleaders. She readjusted her shades and eyed her childhood friend, James Kennedy, while picking at her first California roll of the day.

James eyed the football soaring through the air at him and positioned his hands accordingly. He got it perfectly and stepped back to toss it back to his friends. With Fall tryouts coming in a few weeks, James was eager to finally make the team. After two years of rejection, he felt sure that this was his year. All his friends played and he was ready to join them. He looked over to the cafeteria tables and saw Allie watching him. She smiled and waved. James threw the football and motioned for a time-out.

Allie saw James jog up to her and he took a seat. “Hey,” he remarked, “What’s going on?” She shrugged, “Not much.” For a moment, they just sat and smiled at each other. The peacefulness was broken up when Allie’s friend, Natalie Nguyen, arrived. “Oh god, not again,” Natalie moaned, “You could cut the sexual tension here with a knife. Just do it already.” Allie turned beat red and James seemed to have a sudden fascination with the ground. Allie forced a weak laugh, “Real funny, Natalie.”

The three sat and continued their lunch. Together, they practically ruled the social regime of the school. Though the Academy only held a few hundred students, the small size only made it easier for a select group to control. James, Natalie, and Allie were three of about seven students whose names were known throughout the school.

As they ate and chatted about recent gossip, Natalie glanced up and frowned. “Oh no,” she muttered. Allie and James looked up to notice two students coming towards them. If Allie and her clique were the social elites of the school, these two students were the social rejects. Shawn Grayson and Rick Meyers covered themselves in reds and blacks, taking pride in their lack of popularity. While Shawn was quiet and more of a presence than a voice, Rick seemed to have studied Judd Nelson’s performance from “The Breakfast Club.” Shawn and Rick made their way through the courtyard towards the cafeteria.

Rick eyed Allie with a slick grin and made his way to her table. Allie tensed as she felt him approaching and tried to ignore it. James glared at Rick as he approached. “Keep walking, Meyers,” James spat. Rick shot James a smile and leaned on the table, facing Allie. “Hey, Barbie. How’s your food,” he mused, thick with fake kindness. Natalie sighed and glared. “Leave us alone, Rick,” she hissed. Rick glanced up at Natalie, but returned his sight to the uncomfortable Allie. “Must be awfully hard for you to be slumming it down here with us normal folks.”

Shawn watched from close by, folding his arms and sighing heavily. Finally, he spoke up. “Hey, Rick,” he said, “Cut it short today. I’m hungry.” Rick looked up to Shawn and reluctantly nodded. He quickly turned back to Allie and let his greasy black hair hang centimeters from her face. “Take care, Barbie. Don’t break a nail.” James’ fists clenched tightly. He would love to smear Rick’s face across the pavement, but he had promised the girls that he would let them deal with it.

Just as Rick proudly stood up to leave, the stern feminine presence of the Vice-Principle appeared. “Mr. Meyers, what are you doing?” she questioned. Rick stood tall and rolled his eyes. “Nothing, Miss Jacobs. I was just saying ’hi’. There’s no rule against that, is there?” Shawn flashed a half smile to his friend as the disagreeable VP looked over them. Finally she pointed to them all. “You five to the Principle’s office. Right now,” she declared. James and Allie’s jaws dropped as Natalie let out a gasp of disgust. Before any of them could argue, Miss Jacobs pointed away. “Now!!” she bellowed. With hesitation, the five students sadly walked off to the office.


* * *


Justin gazed out the tinted limousine window, reflecting over faded memories and old friends. Beside him, in the backseat, was Cassandra. She checked her cell for messages and then returned her attention to Justin. “Well, Mr. Stewart,” she said, “You clean up well.” Justin had showered before leaving. Though still unshaven, the clean clothes were indeed a sharp improvement for both sight and smell.

Justin ignored her. She smiled with amusement. “Lost the ability to speak?” she asked. Finally, he turned to her. “You still haven’t told me where we’re going. Or what you want with me,” he noted. Cassandra smiled and nodded. “I suppose I can begin explaining a few things.” She pulled out a folder from the seat pocket in front of her. “Are you aware of the Ranger project that took place in Mariner Bay a few years back?” she asked. Justin nodded, “At Lightspeed Rescue. Carter’s team. Good people.”

Cassandra pulled out a photo from the folder and handed it to Justin. It was a satellite photo of space. A large ship was the focus of the picture. “This photo was taken fifteen hours ago. By all definitions, it is a UFO. One we believe to be hostile,” Cassandra explained, “We’ve been informed of a new galactic terrorist name Dark Aver. It is believed that Earth is his next target.” Justin handed the photo back. “And you want the Lightspeed Rangers to look into it?” he asked. She shook her head, “When Lightspeed’s program was successful, some of the technology used was distributed to similar companies and projects. Rave Tech was one of the companies that acquired the technology. Since then, we’ve been creating our own Ranger devices. Morphers, Zords, weapons, the whole arsenal.”

Justin frowned, “You want me to be one of your Rangers? That’s what this is all about?” Cassandra opened her mouth to speak, but Justin’s hand came up and stopped her. “You’re wasting your time, Ms. Reynolds. I have no desire to be a Ranger again. Find someone else,” he said. Cassandra smiled and laughed to herself. “Mr. Stewart,” she remarked, “You misunderstand me. My employers have no desire to make you a Ranger. What we have in mind for you is far more important.”

TO BE CONTINUED...

[Dani]

Brilliant! I can't wait to see more! ^_^

[TreyX]

POWER RANGERS CRYSTAL
Theme Song: 1st verse of Linkin Park's "Breaking the Habit"

CHAPTER TWO: TRANSFORMATION
Outside the Principle’s office, the five students sat quietly. Rick picked at the hole in his jeans while Shawn sat peacefully with his eyes closed. Allie and Natalie were shaken up, having never been in this position before. James stayed calm, going over in his head what to say to the Principle. Allie leaned forward and turned to Rick and Shawn. “This is all your fault,” she spat, “We didn’t do anything.” Rick clutched his heart and pretended to cry, “I know! I just feel so distraught!” Allie rolled her eyes in disgust and sat back up against the wall.

From the hallway, a student passed by and glanced into the waiting room. He stopped and stepped into the doorway. “James, what happened?” he asked. James looked up to see his friend, Chris. He smiled and shrugged his shoulders, “Long story. I’ll explain later.” Chris nodded and looked over the five students. He waved to Allie and Natalie before continuing on his way.

The Principle’s door opened and a middle-aged, gray haired man stepped out. Principle Jordan looked over the five students. He motioned them to enter his office, “Okay. Let’s go.” The girls stood up and immediately tried to talk their way out of the situation. Principle Jordan raised his hands, hushing them. “Easy. Easy. We’ll get into it in a moment.” Defeated, the girls entered the office. Shawn and Rick entered without a word, followed by James.

* * *

On Dark Aver’s star cruiser, the warlord sat on his throne, contemplating the coming events. His fingers traced the edge of his wine glass. One of his alien officers stepped up. “My lord,” it said, “We are hovering above the planet’s atmosphere.” Aver nodded, “Good. Wait for our agent’s signal. Then, send our selected soldier to the ground.” The officer nodded and walked away. Aver took a sip from his glass and savored the taste. The waiting, the preparations… after all this time, it was all coming together.

* * *

Inside the Office, were five chairs facing Jordan’s desk. Rick looked around and noticed several men and women in suits hanging near the wall. He had visited this office more than a few times over the years and had never seen anyone else in it. He turned to Shawn who shook his head, motioning to ignore the new people and wait it out. They took their seats and Principle Jordan slowly took his. He eyed the five students carefully and placed a pair of reading glasses on as he sorted through various papers and files on his desk.

Natalie spoke up, “Principle Jordan, we didn’t do anything. We were just eating our lunch when Rick started harassing us.” Rick rolled his eyes, “Oh, please.” Jordan shushed them. “You five weren’t called here because of that. It was just a coincidence that you all were in the midst of yet another scuffle,” he explained. Shawn tilted his head and observed the situation carefully. It was a rare moment when he wasn’t fully aware of the situation at hand, and that both bothered and intrigued him.

Principle Jordan looked over their student files briefly. “You all have been attending Sable Academy for almost four years now, right?” he noted; more as a statement than a question. They all nodded. “In this time,” he continued, “you five have all been involved in a variety of activities, both legal and otherwise.” Jordan eyed Rick as he emphasized the last word. The principle eyed the five students. “Can anyone here tell me the purpose of Sable Academy?” he asked. After a pause, Allie quietly spoke up. “To prepare us for college and life as best as possible?” she asked, unsure of herself. Jordan smiled and nodded, “A good try. I’m sure you all remember the extensive testing you had to go through before being accepted here. As you know, Sable Academy is a private school with very strict guidelines for membership.” The five students dreadfully remembered the amount of testing they had gone through when applying. Jordan continued, “Now, I’m sure you’ve wondered why we would be so strict about the students we take in, and yet, we allow someone like Mr. Meyers, here, to attend.” Rick glared, but could not deny the logic of the question.

Principle Jordan sat back in his chair. “It is because we look for more than just academic smarts here. The purpose of this school is far more special than we’ve ever revealed. It is a testing ground, allowing us to observe the students and determine the best candidates for our ultimate goal.” Jordan suddenly sat up tall in his chair and eyed the students very seriously. “Before I continue,” he said, “I must have your word that whether you accept and reject our offer, what I am about to explain to you must never leave this room. Do you understand?” The five students were all deeply interested into where this was going and nodded in agreement.

Jordan looked them all in the eyes and a small smile came across his face. “Have you ever heard of Power Rangers?” he asked. Rick turned to Shawn in confusion. Shawn’s eyes glanced to Rick, and back to the Principle.

Jordan stood from his desk. “Sable City has always been weary of attack. This Academy was built to train and select a group of students that could step up and become Power Rangers, protecting the city from all threats.” There was silence as the students absorbed the information. James let out a small laugh, unable to restrain his baffled amazement.

The men and women in suits approached the five and handed them files. As they looked over the information, Jordan continued, “Our intelligence has revealed that the city will be attacked by an alien force in two hours. You five have been chosen to be activated as Power Rangers and confront this force.” James was the first to speak up. “Are you crazy?” he asked, “We don’t have the training to handle something like this.” Jordan shook his head, “On the contrary. You each have a variety of abilities, ranging from mental and physical capacities which make you the best candidates for the job.”

Shawn spoke up, “Assuming that’s all true, I think you need to rethink your combination of people. You can’t expect the five of us to actually work together successfully.” Rick listened to Shawn and nodded, “Uh, yeah. What he said. Expect with smaller words and more cursing.” Jordan stepped away from his desk and walked over to a woman who held a metal case. “It is true that the five of you are less than perfect as a team. Hopefully, in combat, you’ll learn how well you five can mesh together,” he noted.

Natalie stood from her chair. “Uh uh. This is too much. I can’t fight anything. I’m out.” Principle Jordan nodded, “I understand, Miss Nguyen. You are free to go. However, I should note that on the more selfish side of things, Rangers would be so busy with training, that petty things such as homework and class attendance would be often removed from their schedules.” That stopped Natalie in her track as the thought swirled in her head. “Really,” she asked, “Maybe trying it one time wouldn’t hurt.” She took her seat again.

Principle Jordan placed the metal case on his desk, “We’ve improved on the technology we were given and with a bit of help from Rave Tech, we’ve constructed what we believe to be the most powerful morphers ever designed.” Jordan opened the case, revealing five slender, shining devices. One at a time, Jordan handed them out to the five students. “These are your crystal morphers,” he explained, “There is a voice code on them, making you the only ones who can activate them. When in danger, hold them up and call out “Ranger Crystallize” before pressing the activation button which will morph you into Crystal Power Rangers.”

The five students examined the morphers and found that there were wristbands that allowed them to wear the devices. Principle Jordan gave them a moment to let the new information sink in before continuing on, “In time, you’ll be given a larger arsenal to use in battle. You will not be left alone when fighting either. The radio comlinks in your helmets are connected with our Command Station, which will monitor your activities and guide you along the way. However, we cannot lead you. It is up to your team leader, the designated Red Ranger, to keep you all together.” James looked up, “So, then, who’s the Red Ranger?” Allie touched his knee, “I think you’re the obvious choice, James.” The principle shook his head. “Actually, Allison, the Red Ranger of your team is Shawn.” Shawn’s head snapped up. “Me?” he asked. “Him?!” Natalie remarked in shock.

Principle Jordan walked over to Shawn. “You’re a natural leader, Shawn. You just need to learn to speak up. Over the years, you’ve proven yourself to be creative; quick on your feet. You can relate to people. You know how to speak to different personalities and get your point across,” the principle explained. Shawn shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “I don’t know about this,” he said. Jordan placed his hand on Shawn’s shoulder. “Trust in yourself, lad,” he softly said, “And you will discover your strength.” Reluctantly, Shawn nodded.

The principle motioned towards the door. “If you’ll all exit the office, our representatives will lead you to the vehicles outside. They’ll take you to the drop zone, where the enemy is expected to arrive.” The five students hesitated. Noticing this, the principle glanced over them. “If you have any reservations,” he announced, “Now is the time to back out.” Shawn and James were the first to stand and accept the offer. Rick shrugged his shoulders. “Screw it,” he said as he got to his feet. The girls looked to one another and finally stood. The principle nodded, “Good luck.”

* * *

Justin eyed Cassandra carefully. She hadn’t elaborated anymore on her proposal, since telling him that he wasn’t expected to be a Ranger. She sat quietly, patiently waiting with her legs crossed. Justin looked through the folder that lay between them. After all these years, the best technology on Earth still paled in comparison to the devices he once used in the Power Chamber. “Funny,” he thought, “Ten years later and still a hundred behind.”

The limousine slowed to a stop and the driver’s voice came through an intercom. “Miss Reynolds, we’ve arrived,” the driver announced. Cassandra smiled politely. “Thank you, John,” she remarked. Turning to Justin she motioned for him to step out. “Shall we?” she asked. Justin frowned and stepped out of the car.

It had been a few years since he had been in this area of the city, but Justin recognized it perfectly. Downtown. This time of day, it was filled with men and women, walking to and from work, talking on cell phones, or eating meals at the expensive outdoor restaurants. Justin turned around, surveying the whole area. “What are we doing here?” he asked. Cassandra glanced up to the building rooftops and she pulled out her phone. “We’re going up,” she remarked. Justin turned and looked up to the building she had glanced at. It was only two stories high and had a fire escape ladder on the side. Justin put his hands in his pocket and wondered what could happen next. “You certainly know how to show a guy a good time,” he mused. Looking over, he noticed that she wasn’t listening. Cassandra was on her phone. He listened in, catching only the end. “We’ve arrived,” she explained before hanging up. Justin nodded at the phone, “What was that?” Cassandra placed the phone back in her purse. “My employer likes to be kept up to date,” she explained as they walked to the fire escape.

* * *

The five students sat quietly in the jeep as they were driven to an unknown destination. Each dealt with the recent revelations on their own, having plenty of questions and fears that they kept to themselves. Allie spoke up first, “Are we really about to fight some sort of space monsters?” James shrugged his shoulders, “I guess.” Natalie rubbed her arms. “The only fighting I’ve ever done is with my brothers,” she moaned. Rick frowned, “I don’t think this’ll be much different. Just because something’s alien doesn’t mean it’s stronger than us. Just stay focused. Barrel in when you see an opening and don’t let up.” For some reason, Rick’s confidence gave Natalie a feeling of security. She smiled at him. “Thanks,” she said softly. Rick looked at her and, seeming to realize how uncharacteristic his remark was, glared. “Whatever,” he scowled.

Allie looked over everyone. “Has any of us ever been trained to fight?” Shawn and James raised their hands. They seemed surprised to have something in common. James nodded to Shawn, who understood the unspoken question. “Judo. Black belt,” Shawn said, “With some Tai Kwan Do and wrestling. You?” James tilted his head, “Karate. Second degree. A little boxing.” They nodded to each other in respect.

The jeep came to a screeching halt, jerking the students around in the back. The gruff driver turned back to them, “This is it.” Shawn nodded and turned to the others. “Uh,” he stated, trying to fit into his leadership role, “Let’s, uh, let’s go.” The five stepped out of the jeep and looked around. Rick frowned, “Where are we?” The girls recognized it right away. “Downtown,” they both stated together. Shawn glanced around at his surroundings and noticed a shopping mall several blocks away. “Figures,” he muttered. James turned back to the driver, full of questions, but before he could ask them, the jeep pulled away and drove off. Allie threw her hands up into the air, “Great. Now what?” As if to answer her question, a large explosion shook the city street. Smoke and fire marked the presence of chaos not three blocks away. James stepped up, “Let’s go! People could be hurt.”

James and the girls began heading for the scene at a quick place. Shawn started to follow before he was pulled back by Rick. “Are you sure about this, man?” he asked. Shawn turned to his old friend. “People are going to die unless we do something, bro.” Rick frowned, “We may die if we do anything. I’m no hero.” Shawn made sure to look Rick in the eyes. “You’re a good person, Rick,” Shawn stated, “You may be a bit of a dick at times, but I’ve known you long enough to know the real you. This is happening really fast, but a huge responsibility has been dumped on our shoulders. Let’s prove to everyone that we’re not as worthless as they think we are.” Rick thought this over and slowly nodded. The two rushed to catch up with the others.

* * *

From the restaurant rooftop, Justin surveyed the damage. A block away, he spotted the shadowy presence of an alien monster. Cassandra stood next to Justin, carefully observing his reactions to the scene. He turned to her. “You knew this was going to happen,” he stated. She nodded, “Of course.” Justin eyed the bodies of several people who had been caught in the explosion. A flood of panicked people ran from the area, screaming and crying.
“Why didn’t you try to stop it?”
“It’s being taken care of, Mr. Stewart.”
Justin eyed Cassandra and then returned his sight to the scene of destruction. Coming down the street were five kids. He left out a sigh of frustration. It was like watching a memory from outside your own body. What Justin saw was a scene he had participated in many times. An evil monster threatened peace and humanity until five unidentified teenagers rushed in to save the day. Cassandra smiled at the sight of the five teens making their way through the crowd. Justin folded his arms. “So,” he said, “Those are the new Power Rangers.”

* * *

Once they were free of the crowd, the five teenagers stood a distance from the carnage, looking over the ruined buildings and rivers of smoke that flowed into the sky. Allie looked over the scattered bodies on the ground and felt her stomach crawl into her throat. From out of the cloak of fire, a monstrous creature stepped into sight. Scaly like a reptile, the monster stood like a man, eyeing the five kids with its beady eyes. Protruding from each shoulder was a sort of bio weapon that seemed to be the cause of the explosions. Each hand projected three clawed fingers. It was the type of sight often seen and mocked in comic books, but when faced in real life, brought a feeling of terror and wonder.

To the teenagers’ surprise, the monster spoke. “So,” it hissed with its beaked-shape mouth, “You must be the five I’ve been expecting.” They turned to each other and wondered how the creature had known of them. Shawn shook it off and stepped forward. “You’ve done enough damage for one day,” he shouted out, “Leave this city now. We won’t ask again.”

* * *

From the nearby rooftop, Justin rolled his eyes. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” he muttered. He turned to Cassandra, “You can’t really expect these kids to save the city. Please tell me you didn’t put something as powerful as a morpher in their hands.” Cassandra smiled, without looking to Justin. “Says the boy who was a Ranger at age twelve,” she quipped. Justin frowned and went back to watching the scene.

* * *

Shawn stood waiting for a response. The monster seemed to ponder this offer before stepping back. “Prove your authority,” it hissed. Sparks of light filled the street and became black suited soldiers. “Dark Soldiers,” the monster growled, “Attack!” The soldiers rushed for the five teens who scrambled into their first battle.

The chaos that followed was a blur for all involved. Rick rushed into the fight, tackling two soldiers at once and pounding them heavily. Shawn bellowed various suggestions. “Allie! Natalie! You two have the least amount of training. Stay together!” he shouted. James rushed to the girls’ side. “I’ll take care of them,” he said. Shawn was nailed in the cut and knocked to the ground. He recovered quickly and jumped back to his feet, kicking away several soldiers. He turned to James, “No! James, clear a path to the creature! We have to go after him. These drones are just distractions.” With twenty soldiers to defeat, the five teenagers did what they could, slowly making headway.

Rick grabbed one of the soldiers and slammed it against a nearby car door. And with that, the last of the twenty were battered and defeated. The same spark of light that had brought them to the ground, took them away and the soldiers disappeared. The monster watched and laughed. “You fight well,” it growled, “But you will be no match for me.”

The five regrouped and stood together. Shawn smiled. He wasn’t sure if he was suppose to be enjoying this or not, but he had to admit he was. Glancing over to Rick, it seemed like he had thrived on the good fight. Shawn looked back to the monster, “I hate to break it to you, but we’ve got a little trick up our sleeves,” The five all held out their arms, displaying their morpher. “Ready?” asked Shawn. “Ready!” the four shouted. In a quick motion, the five brought their morpher close to their faces. In unison they called out, “Rangers! Crystallize!!” With a press of a button, the five teenagers were covered in a bright light.

It was an amazing sensation that was difficult to describe. They suddenly felt covered in a warm light. A sense of peace and confidence filled them all. The warmth of the light seemed to wrap tightly around their bodies, silently promising to protect them from harm. Reality faded back into sight and the five were now clad in skintight armor. They were Power Rangers.

TO BE CONTINUED...

[TreyX]

CHAPTER THREE: MY LIFE, MY CURSE
Each Ranger was clad in a different color. All their boots, gloves, and belts were white. In the middle of their chest was a crystal symbol. The symbol’s side corners marked where the upper chest and shoulders were also white.

Almost by instinct, they dropped into a pose. Shawn stood center. “Red Crystal Ranger!” he shouted. Rick stepped up next, “Black Crystal Ranger!” James followed, “Blue Crystal Ranger!” Allie proudly stood tall, “Pink Crystal Ranger!” And finally, Natalie joined her team, “Yellow Crystal Ranger!”

The monster would have smiled if his beak allowed such movement. The bio weapons on his shoulders began charging themselves. The new Rangers took a moment to look over themselves. Lost in their own astonishment, they forgot the situation at hand. Rick flexed his biceps. “I’ve never felt such strength,” he remarked. James threw several punches. “We’re a lot faster, too!” he observed. As they looked over themselves, the monster fired an energy blast from his bio weapons. The blast hit the ground in front of the Rangers. The explosion knocked the five warriors off their feet.

Shawn scrambled to his feet and regained his focus. He noticed a black gun in a holster on his belt. He pulled it out and aimed at the monster. Pulling the trigger, he braced himself for any possible kick back, but was surprised to feel none. However, a shot of energy exploded from the tip of the gun, zipping down the street at the monster. The shot hit and the monster stumbled back. Shawn glanced to the others. “Are you all okay?” he asked. The rumble of a few groans were heard before the others confirmed their safety. James came up to Shawn’s side, “We have to find this things weakness.” Shawn nodded.

Rick stood tall and cracked his knuckles. “To hell with plans. Let’s just beat him to death,” he snarled. Rick broke out into a run and rushed the monster. He landed a hard blow in the monster’s chest and followed it with a barrage of attacks which forced the monster backwards. After a few seconds, the monster grabbed Rick’s fist in mid-punch and slashed the Black Ranger with his claws. Rick was thrown to the ground, feeling the sharp cuts that had nearly torn through his armor. Shawn rushed to his side and pulled him to safety. Shawn looked him over, “Are you okay?” Rick took a few breaths. “All right,” he finally got out, “I’m ready to listen to any plans.”

* * *

Justin rolled his eyes and turned to Cassandra. “This is a joke,” he stated. Cassandra raised her eyebrows to him, interested. Justin pointed to the five Rangers on the streets below. “The kids are pathetic. Why not just hand the city over to Dark Aver?” he scowled. Cassandra nodded, “What they need is someone to guide them.” Justin shrugged off the suggestion, “That’s what the Red Ranger’s for.” The elegant woman shook her head, “I don’t mean a leader. I mean a mentor.” Justin opened his mouth to continue his rant when her words finally made sense to him. He laughed and looked up to the sky in disbelief. “Oh my... you have got to kidding me.” Cassandra placed her hands behind her, “I rarely joke, Mr. Stewart.” Justin looked at the kids below. “This is what you dragged me out here for?” he asked, “This is what this is all about? You want me to mentor these kids? Train them?” Cassandra slowly nodded.

Justin run a hand through his hair and shook his head, laughing at the situation. He started walking towards the ladder. “You’ve got the wrong veteran, Ms. Reynolds,” he said, “Look up Tommy.” Cassandra turned to him. “If we had wanted Dr. Oliver, we would have gone to him,” she shouted so he could hear, “We came to you for a reason.” Justin stopped and faced her as she approached him. He rolled his eyes. “This should be good,” he muttered.

Cassandra stood tall, facing Justin, “This is what you’ve been waiting for. This is an opportunity to be someone important again. You’ve been a waste of life ever since the Turbo Rangers disbanded. I am offering you a chance to make a difference again. You can help protect the Earth by protecting this new generation of Rangers. Who better to train these kids than a person who’s been there before.” Justin stepped back, angrily. “Look, I appreciate the thought, but this is not a good idea. Don’t you understand? Look at what I’ve become? You’re dead on when you called me a waste of life. There’s more to that than not being a Ranger anymore. It shows the type of person I am. I don’t deserve the power. It was a fluke accident that I got it in the first place. A right place, right time situation. Even before I was a Ranger, I wallowed in self-pity. It was the people around me that kept me going. I will not go play teacher to some kids and pretend to be a hero.”

Cassandra stepped up to Justin and looked him in the eye. “If you can see all that about yourself,” she remarked, “Then, you can change your life. I told you that I had an offer for you and I do. And what I’m offering you is much more than a job.” Justin glared at her, “Then, what?” Cassandra smiled, “I’m offering you redemption.” Justin closed his eyes and let out a heavy sigh. Sounds off battle filled the air as the two stood there quietly. Justin opened his eyes and walked back to the edge of the roof where the fight could be seen from. Cassandra kept quiet, merely watching what would happen.

Justin felt a breeze of wind pass by him as he prepared himself. He flicked his left arm and in a blue flash, his old Turbo morpher appeared on his wrist. In his right hand, the ignition key sparked into existence. Justin thrust the morpher arm into the air. “Shift into Turbo!” he bellowed. Cassandra had seen video archives of Justin morphing as a child. Now, his voice was full of bass and strength that she had not expected. Justin locked the key into the morpher and turned it, activating the morphing process. He flexed his arms, shouting, “Mountain Blaster Turbo Power!!” A blue light consumed Justin’s body as he was transformed into the Blue Turbo Ranger.

In a flash, Justin leapt from the roof to the ground bellow. He landed in between the Crystal Rangers and the monster. Since his one time battle alongside the Space Rangers, Justin had only morphed twice. Once during Astronema’s invasion of Earth and once two years back during a drunken brawl outside a club. It felt good to be in uniform again. The power always had a danger of being addictive. It was one of the reasons that Rangers had to be carefully chosen by Zordon.

The five Crystal Rangers starred at the Blue Turbo Ranger in disbelief. To say the least, their afternoon had been filled with one surprise after another. This was just the latest. The monster was startled by the sudden appearance of a sixth Ranger. “Who are you?” the monster hissed. Justin stepped forward. “A fool,” he said before rushing the monster. Using his enhanced reflexes, Justin dashed behind the monster and grabbed him in a full nelson. “Shoot him!” Justin shouted to the young Rangers. The five grabbed the guns from their holsters and aimed at the monster who struggled with all his might.

The monster had been warned of being confronted by a squad of young Rangers, but it had not anticipated facing someone who knew how to use the power. The five Crystal Rangers fired at the creature and nailed him in the chest. The force knocked the monster off his feet, allowing Justin to use the momentum to twist and slam it into the ground, face first.

Justin flipped the monster onto his back and pulled out his Turbo blaster. He pushed the nozzle of the gun against the wounded chest of the creature. The monster shook off its daze in time to see and feel the gun pressed against him. “Wait!” it hissed, “Don’t! What do you want? I can deliver a message to Dark Aver for you.” Justin nodded, “Yeah. I’ve got a message.” He pulled the trigger and the shot splattered the chest of the monster across the street. Justin put his blaster away and stood over the dead monster. “Think he’ll understand it?” he asked the corpse.

Justin turned to the Crystal Rangers who watched in shock. Justin walked up to them. He pointed to the Red Ranger. “What’s your name,” he asked. The Red Ranger pointed to himself, “Me? Uh, Shawn.” Justin nodded, “Great. Stand up straight. And speak with confidence. You’re the leader. Act like it.” Shawn nodded, “Uh, yes sir.”

Rick stepped up, “Who the hell are you?” Justin turned to the Black Ranger and looked him over. “So, you’re the rebel without a cause, eh? That’s great. Just make sure to do your part.” With great difficulty, Rick resisted the urge to punch Justin in the face.

Justin placed his hands on his hips and addressed the group, “My name is Justin Stewart. I’m a former Ranger who’s been alerted to your recent activation. Basically, I’ve been asked to shape you kids into a real team with a fighting chance against this Dark Aver character.” With that, Justin crossed his arms and powered down. In a flash of blue, his Ranger gear disappeared and he stood before the group as merely Justin. “Don’t expect to see me morphed again,” he announced, “I’m not a Ranger anymore and this is your war. I won’t fight it for you. Consider the monster today a freebie. I’ll be here to help you all along the way, though.”

The five nodded and each began powering down. Justin sniffed and surveyed the damaged streets. He stretched and looked to the five uneasy teenagers. “So,” he said, “Who’s hungry?” As they all discussed places to eat and discuss the day’s adventure, Justin looked up to the rooftop, but saw no sign of Cassandra Reynolds. Justin assumed that she had exited shortly after he morphed. “No matter,” he thought, “She’s the CEO of Rave Tech. I’m sure I’ll see plenty more of her before this war’s over.”

* * *

Cassandra reapplied her makeup in the back of her limousine. The events of the day had gone well. She had been worried for a moment when Justin seemed ready to walk away, but with some quick thinking she had been able to convince him to help the new Rangers. “Well, that’s why they pay me the big money,” she thought to herself. She crossed her legs and pulled out her cell phone. Punching her speed dial, she waited for her employer to pick up. He did.

“Mission accomplished, my lord,” she stated. “Good,” came the voice of Dark Aver from the receiver, “You have done well, Cassandra.” The woman smiled with pride, “I live to serve, master.” The warlord laughed in delight. “The pieces are now in place. Soon, this world will be mine. And the legacy of the Power Rangers will be forever destroyed.” Cassandra smiled. She could hardly wait.

END OF STORY ONE
TO BE CONTINUED...

[TreyX]

New chapter up. This one deals mostly with group dynamics and slowly developing the lead characters.
POWER RANGERS CRYSTAL
Cast
Justin Stewart - Team Mentor
Shawn Grayson - Red Ranger
Rick Meyers - Black Ranger
James Kennedy - Blue Ranger
Allie Johnson - Pink Ranger
Natalie Nguyen - Yellow Ranger
Cassandra Reynolds - CEO of Rave Tech; designer of new Ranger technology
Dark Aver - intergalactic warlord; successor to Dark Spector
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

CHAPTER 4: TRAINING EXERCISE
Stepping out of the shower, Justin dried himself with the towel at hand and looked himself over in the mirror. Deep in the Command Station, located underneath the school, Justin was finally able to clean himself up. He was clean shaven and had cut his hair down to a much shorter length. Looking over himself, he had to admit that the change was certainly for the better.

It had been two weeks since Dark Aver’s first strike against the city. Since then, Justin had met with the Sable City officials to announce his intentions of training the new Rangers. It took a few days, but after Rave Tech confirmed their belief in his abilities, the city accepted Justin with open arms. The idea of a veteran Ranger teaching the new kids was certainly a luxury that the officials recognized.

Justin looked at himself in the bathroom mirror and sighed. He may have looked better, but he certainly didn’t feel any different. Justin understood his role in this game. He could train the kids and even make it look like he knew what he was doing, but deep down Justin knew in his heart that he was unworthy. As soon as his job was done, he would go back to his apartment and wait for an end to his miserable existence.

Justin splashed water on his face and stepped out into the training gym of the Station. It was large and quite obvious that the city had spared no expense. The kids had already arrived. Taking a seat, Justin decided to sit back and observe them for awhile. Every Ranger team had a different dynamic. To understand that dynamic and discover the role of each person in the team, would allow him to better guide these teenagers in their new duty.

Across the room, Allie attempted a set on the bench press machine while Shawn spotted her. Pushing herself hard, she strained to push the weight up one more time. Focusing her will, she just barely accomplished her goal. Shawn grabbed hold of the weight and placed it back on the stand. Laying still, Allie took a drink of water. She was breathing heavy and looked spent. Shawn stood over her. “I’ve got to admit,” he mused, “I’m impressed.” Allie laughed to herself and sat up. “Gyms and I go way back. You think cheerleading lacks athletics?” she asked. Shawn smiled and shook his head. “It’s not the athletics I think it lacks. It’s the intelligence,” he remarked. Allie rolled her eyes and used a nearby towel to wipe the sweat from her forehead. She was use to being stereotyped for her cheerleading. It use to rile her up, but she had long since calmed down and accepted that people would always make judgments without learning the facts. Allie frowned and looked across the room to Rick. Perhaps she was guilty of judging him in the same way.

Rick sat on the bleachers and lit a cigarette. Inhaling deeply, he surveyed the room. Still unsure about this whole ordeal, Rick had decided to ride it out as long as possible. His time in class had been greatly reduced in order to squeeze in training, so he was quite happy to play hero for now. James walked out of the locker room and looked up to Rick, frowning immediately. “Hey,” James called out, “If you’re trying to get in shape, maybe you should drop the smoking.” Rick breathed out a whiff of smoke and forced a smile. “I’ll make you a deal,” Rick said, “When you quit being a pussy, I’ll quit smoking.” James shot him the bird and stormed off.

Justin lowered his head and rubbed his eyes. This was not going to be easy. He thought about calling several former Rangers for advice, but the no-disclosure papers Justin had signed forbid it. The company was strict about keeping their projects and information in house. Finally, Justin stood up and approached the center of the room. Whistling loudly, he called the teens to his side. He looked over them. Shawn, Rick, James, and Allie were all present. Justin frowned, “Where’s Natalie?” The teens looked amongst themselves and shrugged. Justin sighed. This job just kept getting better. “I wonder if Zordon ever had this problem,” he muttered to himself.

Regaining his focus, Justin began the day’s training. “You did well in your debut battle. Throughout the fight, you showed that each one of you has potential to be a strong asset to the team. You kept your heads in a stressful situation and found a way to overcome. However, you all are far from perfect. There was no strong teamwork. Shawn’s commands as Red Ranger were constantly questioned and, sometimes, outright ignored. The girls were a constant liability in battle and without my assistance, I doubt the fight would have ended in victory,” he explained. Justin watched their reactions to his words. Allie was embarrassed by his comment on the girls. Rick’s eyes had glazed over, marking his boredom. Shawn and James stood stone faced, listening to every word. As he was about to continue, the door swung open and Natalie sauntered in, dressed up in her usual fashion. She removed her sunglasses and walked up to the group, daintily holding a cup of coffee. “Sorry I’m late,” she explained, “The line to Starbucks was just out the door. You know how it is.” Justin glared and looked her over. “What we’re doing here is just a bit more important than you coffee, Ms. Nguyen,” Justin stated. Natalie let out a sigh of annoyance. “Sor-ry,” he moaned. Justin looked at the floor for a moment. Then, in a sudden movement, he grabbed the coffee from Natalie’s hand and threw it across the room. It splattered against the wall. The whole group froze and tensed up. Rick burst out laughing, unable to hold back his delight. Justin’s head swung around to face Rick. “Shut up!!!” he snapped at the teen. A flash of anger flickered across Rick’s face, but he quieted.

Justin turned away from the group, trying to regain his composure. When he turned back to them, the five kids were looking over him with a mix of fear and confusion on their faces. “I don’t think you understand the position that you’re in,” Justin said, “This isn’t a game and it’s more than an excuse to cut class. There is a man above our heads that wants to destroy everything you’ve ever held dear. The fate of billions rest on your shoulders. Everyone you love. Everyone you hate. The people you ignore on the street. They’re all depending on you to do your best. But none of you are taking this seriously. You’re still concerned about your own personal feuds or maintaining your accustomed lifestyle. You’re quickly coming to a time when your lives will depend on each other. You will be hurt. You will bleed. And you will be expected to go on without question. I can help you survive this war. But you have to take it seriously or you’ve lost already. Think about it.”

Finished, Justin relaxed a bit. “Does anyone have any questions?” Allie raised her hand. Justin nodded to her. “What’s your story? Can you tell us anything about your days as a Power Ranger?” she asked. The whole group turned their attention to Justin, waiting on his answer. “No,” Justin replied, flatly. With that, he turned and exited the room, leaving them all to ponder his advice and question where their new mentor had come from.

Natalie took a seat a sighed. “That guy is such a jerk,” he scowled. Allie shrugged her shoulders, “He means well. But he is intense. I wonder where he came from.” James walked up to her and threw his arm about her shoulder. “We’ll find out sooner or later,” he said, sweetly eyeing the blond. Shawn folded his arms and looked back to where Justin had been. “He’s right, though. We’re really going to have to pull it together if we’re to have a chance against Dark Aver,” he stated. Allie smiled at Shawn. He was a far better person that she had initially assumed. She looked over to Rick who was picking his ears. Her opinion on him still hadn’t changed. She understood that his strength and ability in a fight had gotten him onto the team, but she questioned his character. Could he really turn out to be a valuable asset to the team? For all their sakes, she hoped so.

* * *

Cassandra Reynolds sat at her desk, high up in her office on the 30th floor of Rave Tech’s home office. It wasn’t even two in the afternoon and she had already had a full day. Being CEO of the company had increased her work by ten fold. There just weren’t enough hours in the day for everything she needed to get done.

Cassandra picked up her phone and hit speed dial. “John, I’m still waiting on the new specs,” she stated. He replied and she let out a sigh. “We have got to get these Zords up and running by the end of the week. I don’t care what it takes.” On the other line, John pleaded with her. Issues such as time and money came up. It was all things that Cassandra had heard before, and it hadn’t impressed her then either. “Let me put this in a way you can understand,” she chimed, “Finish the combination alterations by Friday, or I’ll kill you daughter.” Cassandra hung up the phone and sat back in her chair. She wondered if you could make good on her threat if it came to that. Could she? Would she? She smiled. Friday would be an interesting day.

There was a knock on the door. “I don’t have time for this! Come in!”” she growled in frustration. The door opened and Justin stepped into the office. “Busy?” he asked. Cassandra smiled and shook her head. “No! Not at all. How did you find me, Mr. Stewart?” she wondered with renewed spirit. “You said you were CEO of Rave Tech. There’s not many other places you could be on a weekday,” he noted, looking out at the city from her window. Cassandra threw her hands up in the air, playfully. “Guilty as charged. What can I do for you?” she asked. Justin turned to face her. “I assume it’s your company that’s creating all the new technology for the Crystal Rangers. I was wondering how far along you are,” he explained. Cassandra tilted her head, “Pretty far. The advance weaponry is ready when they are. Even the new Zords are up and running. We’re just working on the Megazord sequence at this point.”

Justin nodded, “You work fast.” Cassandra pushed her chair back and stood up. “You noticed. That’s why they pay me the big bucks,” she cooed. As she sat on her desk, Justin couldn’t help but note her short skirt. Cassandra eyed him with the look of a woman on the prowl. “The hair’s a big improvement from the last time, Mr. Stewart.” she noted. Justin flashed a half smile, “Enough with the ‘mister’. Call me Justin.” Cassandra nodded, “Whatever works for you.” Justin went back to looking out the window. “I’m sure there’s plenty more you can tell me. As the man training these kids, I’d like to know as much as possible. Would you care to discuss your projects in more detail. Say, over dinner?” he asked casually. Cassandra stood up. “I get off at 8... So to speak.” she said with a smile. Justin masked a smile and nodded, “I’ll pick you up in the lobby.” With that, they said their farewells and Justin left the office. Cassandra returned to her seat and pondered the affair. The idea of using Justin for her own enjoyment before destroying his whole world was quite enticing to her. “The game continues to unfold,” she mused before returning to work.

TO BE CONTINUED...

[BatRanger]

This is a great story. I wasn't the biggest fan of Justin, but this story makes him a complete bad ass. I look forward to more of it

[Faqa]

It is a mark of the lack of justice in the world that this story gets less reviews than shitty script fics or Power-wanking crap.

Well done. Justin , too.

[TreyX]

This is a great story. I wasn't the biggest fan of Justin, but this story makes him a complete bad ass. I look forward to more of it
It is a mark of the lack of justice in the world that this story gets less reviews than shitty script fics or Power-wanking crap.
Brilliant! I can't wait to see more! ^_^

Thank you all for the kind words. It is appreciated. I'm glad you're enjoying it. I hope that, as the story unfolds, you'll continued to be entertained.

As for Justin, I'm not a fan of his in the Turbo series, but the question of what happened to him has the potential to be a great story. I hope that people will enjoy the take I have on him.

[TreyX]

CHAPTER FIVE: THE NIGHT LIFE
Allie unlocked the front door and stepped into her home. “Sorry if it’s a bit of a mess. Rosa doesn’t come until Saturday,” she said to James who followed her in. Allie took off her shoes and called out to her parents, announcing her return. James shifted in place, nervously. He hated visiting with Allie’s parents. They were nice people, but James so desperately wanted to make a good impression. An elegant woman stepped into the room, cheerfully greeting her daughter. Mrs. Johnson turned to James after hugging her daughter. “My, James, it’s so good to see you again,” she said. James nodded, “Thank you, ma’am. You too.” Allie glanced to her mother, “We’re going to go study, mom.” The two teenagers headed to the dining room. Allie rolled her eyes, “Sorry about that. My mom can be such a pain.” James shook his head, “No, she’s great.” They sat down and spread their books out. After a long day of training in the Command Station, studying would actually be an enjoyable change of pace.

* * *

Rick kicked open the door and sauntered in. It had started raining several blocks ago, so the young teenager was soaking wet. Rick dropped his books on the floor and headed for his room. From out of the living room came an angry man in a wife beater. “Hey, where the hell have you been?” Rick’s dad asked. “School,” replied Rick coldly. His father spat to the ground, “Don’t feed me that crap. You were out with those loser friends of yours again, weren’t you? Shape up, boy.” Rick spun around to face his dad. “Get out my face, dad. You don’t know me!” he shouted. Rick’s dad slapped him across the face. “You think you’re tough kid? Huh?” asked Mr. Meyers. He slapped Rick down again. “Who’s tough now, Ricky? Eh? Come on, tough guy,” he shouted at the teenager, “You need to shape up and get your act together. They’re gonna throw you out of that school. Then, you’ll be a bum. You wanna be a bum?” Rick stood up, eyes filled with tears of rage. He turned away and walked off. “At least I made it to high school!” Rick shouted as he slammed the door to his room. Rick sat against the wall in his room and took deep breaths, lightly touching the large red mark on his face. Down the hall, he could still hear his father yelling at him, “Don’t you walk away from me. You ain’t nothing, kid. You hear me? You’re nothing!!!”

* * *

Deep in space, Dark Aver’s warship hovered above the Earth’s atmosphere. The warlord, himself, sat on his throne, patiently analyzing his plans for conquest. It had been several weeks since his initial attack on the city. As expected, it had drawn out a new team of Power Rangers. They were young and inexperienced. With time, that would change. And that’s exactly what Aver would give them. Time. Soon, he would have the opponents he needed. Only then, would his plan be able to succeed.

Aver’s commander walked into view. He was a lowly creature who, like most, cowered in the presence of Aver. Never the less, he was a brilliant strategist when it came to piloting starships. “Forgive my intrusion, master,” the commander said with a bow. Dark Aver nodded, “What is it you have for me, Commander?” The officer stood tall, “Everything is in place for phase 3.” Dark Aver smiled, “Excellent. The word is given. Send another soldier down.” The commander bowed again and exited the room, “Right away.” Dark Aver pondered a thought for a moment and called the commander back. “Bring me a glass of Eltar Wine, circa 27,184 GC,” Aver remarked. When the officer had left, the warlord waved his hand in the air, initiating a music program. The songs of Mozart came into earshot and Dark Aver leaned back in his throne, savoring the beauty. “It is truly a privilege to enjoy the finer things in life,” he mused with a smile.

* * *

The Sable City Power Plant could be heard humming at night. The amount of power it produced on a daily basis was amazing. With a full moon lighting the night sky, two security guards roamed the Plant’s grounds. They never had any real problems to worry about. There would be the occasional teenager, trying to vandalize the walls in protest, but that was the worst it ever got. By all rights, it was a simple job that allowed the two guards to breath easy and enjoy the quiet life.

As they made another walk around the fenced area, they looked up into the sky, noticing what appeared to be a shooting star. However, it seemed to be heading straight for them. As it got closer, the guards rushed to get out of the way. Just in time, the removed themselves from the area. The shooting star crashed into the ground they had just been standing on. A large, glowing crater was left behind. After a few moments, the guards regained their nerve and tip-toed towards the crater edge, wondering what they would find. As they finally reached the edge, a tentacle shot up and grabbed one of the guards. The next minute was full of confusion. The other guard attempted to shoot the tentacle, but missed. Another tentacle reached out and grabbed the remaining guard. They shouted for aid, but were soon crushed by the vice-like grip of the mysterious creature. They howled in agony as their spines were snapped in two and they soon lay motionless. The creature dropped their bodies to the ground and pulled itself out of the crater. It was nothing more than a giant eyeball with tentacles to crawl on. The creature crawled towards the plant, intent on completing it’s mission.

* * *

Cassandra and Justin burst into laughter. More than a little tipsy, Cassandra continued with her story, “… so, there I am. Completely unaware that I’m mooning the whole crowd. And Lacy pokes me on stage and whispers, ‘Nice buns’.” The two burst into laughter again. It wasn’t really that funny a story, but after a great evening, the two were just having a blast with one another. Sitting in the most expensive restaurant in town, the two were able to relax and enjoy themselves. Justin took another bite of his steak and savored the taste. It had been more than a few years since he had tasted such high quality food. Cassandra took another sip of white wine and smiled at the man across the table. “So, what about you? Do you have any embarrassing childhood stories?” she asked. Justin smiled and nodded his head, “Plenty. And if you ever hear any of them, I’ll have to kill you. They die with me.” She overdramatically pouted, “That’s no fun.” Justin shrugged, “Them’s the breaks.”

Cassandra emptied the remains of the wine bottle into her glass and waved to the waiter for more. “You were the youngest Power Ranger in history. I have to wonder what that was like,” Cassandra remarked. Justin frowned, “Not much to tell. I got to work with some of the greatest heroes the world has ever seen. I did my time and knew when to walk away. I went to High School, college, and that was about it.” Cassandra put her arms on the table and looked at Justin intently. “Must have been hard to detach from that type of experience,” she mused. Justin looked down at his plate and then away from the table. “I was fine,” he said distantly.

The sound of an explosion echoed throughout the city, followed closely by a shockwave. The restaurant shook and the sound of glass breaking rang into the air. Cassandra and Justin looked to the direction the explosion had come from. Justin looked out a window, squinting to see the source. “What’s out there?” he asked. Cassandra had already pulled out her phone and dialed Rave Tech. “The Power Plant,” she replied swiftly. Justin backed away from the window and looked to his date. “I think I better go call the Rangers,” he stated before rushing out of the building.

* * *

James had finished studying with Allie about an hour ago. He had been driving with his friend, Chris, when the explosion caused them to pull over. Chris stood on top of the truck and did his best to see what had happened. James looked up to him. “See anything?” he asked. Chris shook his head, “Nothing. But it looks like there’s smoke coming from the Power Plant.” James squinted, “That’s not good.” Chris shrugged his shoulders. “Probably just an isolated accident. They’ve got to have tons of security around that place for this type of thing,” Chris pondered. He looked down to James who had received a phone call. James nodded and confirmed that he would soon be there. When he hung up, Chris hopped off of the truck. “What was that?” he asked. James shook his head, “Nothing big. Look, I’ve got to run and take care of something. Why don’t you drive home. I’ll pick up the truck in the morning.” Chris frowned, “Are you sure?” James nodded, “Yeah. You go on. I’ll see you later.” Chris waved goodbye as James broke off into a sprint, running down the road to an unknown location. Chris tilted his head, “That was odd.”

* * *

Within ten minutes, the five teenagers had arrived at the designated spot. Justin was waiting for them. “What’s the deal?” Allie asked. Justin pointed to the Power Plant. “We’ve got another situation that requires your attention,” he explained. Rick smiled and cracked his knuckles, “Good. I’m in the mood to hurt something.” Natalie looked at him with disgust, “Neanderthal.” Shawn rolled his eyes, “Oh goody. You learned a new word.” It was late at night and tempers were beginning to flare. “Hey!!!” shouted Justin, “Pull it together. It’s time for you five to shape up and work like a team. The Power Plant is a volatile location for a fight. The danger of radiation is everywhere, so watch out for each other. Your costumes should protect you, but make sure they don’t get torn open. I’ll be at the Command Station, listening over the radio. Good luck.” The five pulled themselves together and nodded. Justin sighed. “Time to see if any of this training is working,” he muttered.

TO BE CONTINUED...

[TreyX]

CHAPTER SIX: SEQUENCE INITIATED
With that, the five teenagers broke into a sprint towards the Plant, three blocks away. Natalie, the most out of shape, was the first to start griping. “Y’know, I heard that other Ranger teams got things like bikes and cars and robots. Why are we the ones who have to run everywhere?” she moaned. No one answered. The run became an unspoken competition between James and Shawn. They raced hard, eager to outdo the other.

* * *

The five arrived at the Power Plant and walked over the steel mesh fence that had been knocked down during the explosion. The Plant itself was in shambles. There were small fires everywhere and the main building was missing a wall. Shawn did his best to imitate Justin’s tough attitude. “Okay, guys,” he started, “Let’s get to work.” In a quick motion, the five brought their morpher close to their faces. United, they cried out, “Rangers! Crystallize!!” Hitting the center button, the morphers were activated and the five teenagers were transformed into the Crystal Power Rangers. James flexed in his blue armor. “A man could get use to this,” he remarked. Shawn stepped forward, “Keep your eyes open. There’s a monster down here somewhere. We stand a better chance of finding it if we split up. James, go with the girls and check the perimeter. Rick and I will venture into the buildings, themselves.” The four other Rangers nodded and quickly split up. With that, they went their separate ways.

Shawn and Rick walked towards the smoldering building in front of them. Rick kept his fists tightly closed as they continued onward, ready for anything. Slowly, they entered the area and began searching various rooms for evidence of a new monster. Rick walked past a mirror and stopped. He couldn’t help but look over himself for a moment. In his Black Ranger gear, Rick thought he looked pretty good. He smiled to himself, “If you could only see me now, dad.”

Shawn walked into a room and squinted, trying to see into the darkness. The electricity was out, making the search that much slower. “I could really use a flashlight,” the Red Ranger muttered to himself. From inside his helmet, he received a response. “You’ve got voice activated night vision. Just call for it,” Justin answered. Shawn had forgotten that Justin was listening. Shawn cleared his throat. “Night Vision,” he stated clearly. His visor shifted colors and suddenly, he could see perfectly. “Wow!” Shawn gasped, “What else have you guys put into these suits?” He heard Justin chuckle. “All in good time,” was his response.

After a few minutes of searching, Shawn and Rick regrouped in what was left of the lobby. “Any luck,” Rick asked. Shawn shook his head. “Maybe it’s gone,” suggested Rick. With that, the light sound of squishing was heard. The two Rangers turned to face a dark hallway. The sound grew louder and before long, the giant eyeball stepped into view. The sight startled the two before they moved into attack position. Before they could act, the pupil of the eyeball began glowing brightly. A thick laser beam blazed from the eye, straight at the Rangers. The blast knocked both of them backwards, crashing into the wall, which felt apart around them.

* * *

Outside, the other three Rangers walked the grounds. Besides putting out a few fires, they had not come across anything of interest. Natalie yawned, “Well, this is a big waste of time.” Allie ignored her and tried to keep up with James’ pace. She was still thinking of Justin’s comment about the girls being liabilities last time. The Pink Ranger was determined to step up her game. Allie promised herself that she would learn to stand without the boys’ help.

James looked up ahead and noticed two lumps on the ground. “Over there!” he stated before rushing towards the objects. Allie and Natalie followed. They came up to the crater. It was empty now. James knelt down at the two bodies that lay on the ground nearby. Allie peered into the crater and then looked up into the night sky. “Whatever it is, it must have been sent directly from Dark Aver’s ship,” she theorized. James closed the wide eyes of the corpses and stood back up. “We should report this to the others,” he said. The girls nodded.

As they turned back to head for the buildings, multiple flashes of light appeared in the area and a squad of Dark Soldiers materialized. James immediately fell into defense mode and stood back to back with the girls. “Great,” the Blue Ranger spat, “Just what we need.” The Dark Soldiers rushed them and the Rangers rushed into battle. James rushed into the thickest group of soldiers and started throwing wild punches. He was determined to thin the numbers quickly, and it worked, for the most part.

Allie and Natalie stayed together, doing their best to combat the Soldiers. Allie attempted to use her recent combat training, but she was too slow and unsure of herself. Natalie had already pulled out her blaster and was firing at the Soldiers coming at her. Allie swiftly followed suit and before long, they had defeated most of their enemies.

James was grabbed from behind and thrown against a large rock. A Soldier rushed him and attempted to stab the Blue Ranger in the chest. James’ threw his hand out and grabbed the Soldier’s arm, halting it’s downward motion. The two fighters battled in a test of strength for a moment before James dropped backwards, using the Soldier’s own strength against him. James flipped the Soldier onto his back and proceeded to punch him in the face. With the last of the Soldiers defeated, the three Rangers regrouped and doubled back to the building Shawn and Rick had entered.

* * *

Rick, buried under rubble, pushed with all his might to free himself. After a little effort, he was finally able to free himself. He looked around the room. The creature had fled. Next to him, Shawn was working to free himself. Rick leaned over and began helping the Red Ranger to remove the wood and metal. Once they were both safe, they sat for a moment and allowed themselves a breath.

Shawn looked over to Rick. “You okay? Anything broken?” he asked. Rick shook his head, “Naw. I’m fine.” With that, they stood up and stretched. “We better find the others. That monster couldn’t have gotten far,” Shawn said. Rick nodded and they headed outside. They had only taken a few steps when they ran into the other three Rangers. James looked them over, “You guys look terrible.” Natalie smirked under her helmet, “Nothing new there.” It was true that Shawn and Rick’s armor was covered in dust. Never the less, this was no time to worry about appearances. The Red Ranger brushed off some dirt on his shoulders. “We saw the creature,” he noted. Allie placed her hands on her hips and looked around. “Where did it go?” she asked. Shawn shrugged his shoulders and the group looked for a possible path the monster could have taken.

Natalie pointed out to the distance. “Look!” she shouted. The others turned to see the creature moving away from the Plant. Allie squinted, “Okay. First: eww. Second: It’s holding something in one of its tentacles.” The Rangers strained to identify the object which appeared to glow green. “Plutonium,” James muttered, “That freak stole some plutonium.” Shawn placed his hand on the side of his helmet. “Did you guys hear that?” he asked. Justin’s voice came in response, “Yes. Stop him at all cost. We don’t want to find out what he wants with it.” The Rangers broke into a run and raced after the creature, desperate to halt it.

As they rushed for the monster, they were horrified to realize that they were too late. The creature came to a stop and paused for a moment before a bright light lifted it into the air. It raised up into the sky. The Crystal Rangers reached the spot and looked upwards, but all they could make out with a starry night. “Damn it!” Rick spat in frustration. Suddenly, a low hum was heard above. They looked up just in time to see a slew of lights flash on. A giant metal object was overhead and coming down fast. “Scatter!!!” shouted Shawn and the five dove out of the way.

The object landed with a thunderous crash. It was ten stories high and a block long. Armored from front to back, its weapons were proudly displayed on all sides. It rolled on treads and began making its way towards the heart of the city. The Rangers watched with amazement, having never seen anything like it before. With a feeling of hopelessness, Natalie spoke what the others were thinking. “Now what?”

* * *

In the Command Station, dozens of people scattered around the main room, shouting and scrambling for information. Justin stared at the monitor, eyeing the metal monstrosity that was heading for downtown. Principle Jordan stepped up to his side. Justin turned to him. “What is that think?” he asked. Jordan pulled out a file folder and handed it to him. “We only have a few details that we’ve gotten from… out of town sources. Its a war tank. Dark Aver’s been known to use them for ground assaults. Its likely the creature that attacked the Plant is piloting it.” Justin thought about this and let out a sigh. “It used the plutonium to power the tank,” he moaned, putting it together. Composing himself, Justin turned back to Jordan, “Get Rave Tech on the phone. We need the Zords. Now.”

* * *

From the desk in her office, Cassandra juggled multiple phone lines, trying to settle various things at once. “How far along are they, John? Its not a hard question,” she scowled over the speaker phone. A nervous employee replied with little confidence. “Huh. The individual aspects seem to be, uh, working fine,” John tried to explain, “And we just finished activating the combination sequence into the programming, but the energy cells are not fully developed. We don’t know how long it will stay activated in the field.” Cassandra listened and ran through a couple of scenarios in her head. “Send them out immediately,” she ordered. John gulped, “But ma’am, I’m not so sure that’s a…” Cassandra slammed her fist on the table. “Do it NOW!!!” she roared. Disconnecting the call, she stood from her desk and looked out the window. In the distance, she could see the War Tank moving forward. The CEO was quite interested to see how this battle would end up.

* * *

The Crystal Rangers stood in position, awaiting further orders. Everyone was quiet and worried about the city. Even Rick. After what seemed like forever, Justin finally came back on over the radio. “Rangers, can you hear me?” he asked. Shawn acknowledged and the team waited for the word. “We’re about to give you kids another piece of weaponry,” Justin explained, “Your zords are on the way. Five different vehicles. One for each of you. When you arrive, jump towards your specific zord. The system should lock onto you and pull you directly into the cockpit. From there, I’ll direct you further.”

The Rangers waited in anticipation and before long, five large vehicles made their way from the Industrial section of town. Each were color coded and relatively similar in design. A tank, a truck, two cars, and a jeep. The stood at two stories high and were the size of a house. The initial sight was breathtaking. Allie looked up at her car zord and smiled to herself. “Now I know where all my tax dollars go,” she joked. When they got close enough, the five jumped towards their zords and were, as told, pulled into them.

Shawn sat in his seat and took a moment to look over the whole system. It was full of buttons and switches that he knew nothing about. There was one wide monitor in front of him and a flight stick in front of him, similar to those used by fighter pilots. Justin contacted Shawn. “Place your hand on the panel on the panel in front of you. Once you’re online, use the controls in front of you to move the Zord. We’ll be monitoring your progress from the Station,” Justin explained. Shawn looked at the system in front of him and saw a large scanning panel to the right of him. He placed his hand on it and the panel glowed. Multiple lights turned on in the cockpit and his monitor was activated. As the other Rangers logged in, small screens of them appeared on the side of Shawn’s monitor, allowing him to see his teammates clearly.

Once the five Zords were up and running, Shawn tested the communication link. “Rangers, sound off,” he ordered.
“Black Ranger activated.”
“Blue Ranger ready.”
“Pink Ranger ready.”
“Uh, Yellow Ranger here.”
Shawn looked over his controls and tried to get accustomed to them quickly. He would not have time to do so when the battle started up. Luckily, the Zords were able to move at a much quicker speed than the War Tank. Within minutes, the Crystal Rangers would catch up with the Tank and the battle would begin. As they got closer, Shawn realized that most of the switches and buttons had been labeled by the engineers. However, there was a large lever which was unmarked. Shawn wondered what it was for, but decided that was a question for later.

Rick and James were the first to reach the Tank. Shawn saw their approach and the assault began. “Fire when ready, guys,” Shawn shouted. The Black Jeep and Blue Truck fired various projectiles. The explosions upon impact produced a cloud of smoke that concealed the War Tank from sight. The girls sped up and blazed into the smoke, eager to continue the assault.

The War Tank continued onward, ignoring the Zords’ attacks. As it moved forward, a building in it’s path was destroyed. “Try to minimize damage to the city,” Justin called out from the radio. Shawn plowed forward and locked on to the tank with his targeting system. Pulling the trigger, he fired multiple plasma bursts into the back of the War Tank, with little effect. Shawn sighed, letting his mind race for new ideas. “This isn’t working,” he finally admitted, “It’s too big.”

Over the radio link, Shawn could hear voices talking in the background. Finally, Justin came back. “Okay. We’re going to try something. The five Zords need to be near each other. When you get into position, pull the lever to your left side,” he ordered. Quickly, the five vehicles regrouped. With great anticipation, they each pulled the levers in their cockpits and waited to see what would happen. There was a series of beeps before a robotic voice came on overhead. “Megazord Sequence has been initiated,” it stated.

From inside, Allie could feel the Zord shaking. Things were moving around, but she couldn’t tell what was happening. From the outside, it could be seen that the Zords were changing shape, shifting and reforming. The cars’ backsides flipped up to form feet and legs. Shawn’s tank zord lifted into the air and the reformed cars locked into place. The blue and black zords also rose into the air and formed arms. Together, the five Zords had united to form the Crystal Megazord.

Shawn felt his cockpit rising higher and as the head of the Megazord emerged, Shawn finally came up through the floor into a wide room. He stepped out of his chair and stood on a platform. Behind him were five control systems. It occurred to him that the wide screens in front of him were the eyes of the Zord. The eyes glowed and the Megazord hummed to life. “Megazord activated,” called out the robotic voice. Justin’s voice came through the Red Ranger helmet. “Shawn,” he started, “The Megazord is locked into Mimic Mode. Sensors will view your movements and the Megazord will copy them.” Shawn rolled his eyes, “Oh, great. So its all on me?”

Shawn ran in place and soon felt the Megazord move forward. The giant robot rushed towards the War Tank. Shawn reached out grabbed the Tank in his hands. He planted his feet and tried to stop its movements. Lifting his right hand, he curled it into a fist and swung hard. The Megazord pounded on the Tank.

Suddenly, Justin shouted into Shawn’s ears. “Stop!! Stop!!!” he cried. Shawn froze, “What? What did I do?” Justin came back swiftly, “That thing is powered by plutonium. Its nuclear! If you hit the wrong thing, you could take out the whole city.” Shawn felt his heart start beating faster. “Well, then what do I do?” he whined. “We’re working on it,” Justin said, “Just keep it from moving.” The Megazord continued to hold onto the Tank.

Shawn looked around, feeling immensely helpless. “Rangers,” he said, “Got any ideas?” Allie thought hard, watching from her cockpit in the left foot. “I’m thinking, but I’ve got nothing,” she admitted. Shawn’s eyes darted all over the Tank, trying to guess where the plutonium power core would be on it. As he analyzed the machine, he noticed a window near the center. “The cockpit,” he whispered. If he could take out the pilot, they would be free. But the window was on the other side of the machine. Shawn only needed one hand to hold onto the Tank, but to reach the window he would have to let go. The Red Ranger felt himself sweating inside his helmet as he weighed his options. Then, an idea struck him.

Shawn held out free hand. Holding his fingers together and flat, the Megazord followed suit. Shawn leaned back and then, with all his might, plunged his hand straight forward. When the Megazord mimicked the move, the Zord’s fingers tore through the back of the Tank and out the other side, destroying the cockpit from behind.

James, who was inside the right arm, felt like he was about to have a heart attack. As his zord remained inside the Tank, he could hear and feel small internal explosions of the Tank as it shut down. Over the radio, the sounds of celebration and excitement were heard from his fellow Rangers. They had faced a giant threat, saved the city, and done it on their own. Breathing a sigh of relief, the Blue Ranger sat back in his chair and closed his eyes. “That’s one way to spend a night,” he murmured.

TO BE CONTINUED...

[TreyX]

New chapter is up. After last chapter's zord battle, this episode deals with the civilian lives and thoughts of the Rangers. Its called character development. Sue me. To those reading this not-so-lil' fic of mine, thank you for your interest and I hope you enjoy the coming chapters. Suggestions and critiques are always welcome. Otherwise, kick back and enjoy the new chapter.

POWER RANGERS CRYSTAL
Cast
Justin Stewart - Team Mentor
Shawn Grayson - Red Ranger
Rick Meyers - Black Ranger
James Kennedy - Blue Ranger
Allie Johnson - Pink Ranger
Natalie Nguyen - Yellow Ranger
Cassandra Reynolds - CEO of Rave Tech; designer of new Ranger technology
Dark Aver - intergalactic warlord; successor to Dark Spector
-------------------------------------------------------------------
CHAPTER SEVEN: A DAY IN THE LIFE
The alarm clicked on, beginning a barrage of noise. Awaking from her slumber, Allie stretched and let out a yawn. Heading straight for the bathroom, she proceeded to shower and prepare for a day at school. After the recent battle with the War Tank, the Command Station was busy trying to research the remains of the Tank. In the mean time, the five Crystal Rangers would resume their normal lives, which Allie was thrilled to do. She had found herself really enjoying the challenge of being a Power Ranger, but she missed running around with her friends and cheerleading.

When she was all cleaned up and had a small breakfast in her, she grabbed her backpack and headed off for school. Living only four blocks from school, Allie had the option of walking to school every day and she liked it. As she approached the courtyard of Sable Academy, she recognized her group of friends in their usual spot, waiting for the morning bell to ring.

Allie waved and walked up to them. “Hey,” she said cheerfully. She could see that Natalie was already there. Casey, the most vocal of the group was the first to smile back. “Allie, honey,” she chimed, “Where have you been?” Allie shrugged, “Here and there. Natalie and I have been busy on a new project.” Casey smirked with a pseudo smile, “At least Natalie takes the time to remember her friends.” The remark threw Allie off her balance for a moment. She remembered all the times that Natalie had been late for training. It occurred to Allie that she had been making time to stay in the social circle. If she hadn’t been so surprised by the revelation, Allie would have applauded Natalie right there and then.

However, Allie didn’t make it to the top of the social circle by being completely sweet all the time. Putting on her best “queen bee” face, Allie looked over Casey with distain. “Maybe I’d be around more often too, if you were worth hanging out with,” Allie sneered with a smile of her own. The other girls watching ate up the verbal confrontation, eager to spread the gossip of it throughout the coming day. Casey rolled her eyes, “Whatever.” With that, the conflict faded and the girls went about tearing into everyone who passed by. Yet, somehow, Allie just wasn’t as into it as she use to be.

The bell rang and the flock of students waiting outside entered the Academy. Casey turned to Allie. “Oh, and by the way, I’m having a party this Friday. Why don’t you come and bring James,” she mentioned. Allie nodded, reluctantly, “Okay. I, uh, think I’ll be free.” Walking down the hall with her friends, Allie noticed Shawn passing by. He glanced over and noticed her. “Hey, Allie!” he shouted. She stopped as he came up to her. They leaned into each other. “I’m suppose to tell you that you’re scheduled for simulation training Thursday morning,” he whispered. She nodded, “Thanks.” Casey watched carefully and smiled. “So, that’s where you’ve been,” she mused. Shawn prepared to walk away when he noticed Natalie as well. He waved, “Hey, Nat.” She threw him a look of disgust. “Loser,” she spat. Shawn looked a little confused. “Okay,” he said before turning around and walking off to class. Allie sighed. Being a Ranger was great, but the effects it had on her personal life were beginning to take its toll.

* * *

Deep in the underground gym of the Command Station, James and Rick continued their individual training regimes that Justin had assigned to them earlier that week. While Rick worked on free weights, James continued to jog laps around the facility. They had been in the same room for two hours and not a single word had been spoken between them.

When he was finished, James took a seat and grabbed a bottle of water. Exhausted and breathing heavily, he watched Rick work out. Working his triceps, Rick’s form was flawless. He had obviously spent some time training in the past. James thought about the team and how they needed to pull together. “Well,” James muttered, “Here goes nothing.” Standing up, he walked over to the weight area and took a seat near Rick.

“What’s going on?” James asked. Rick glanced over to him and then turned away again. “Nothing,” he finally replied. Rick looked to the wall. “This is going well,” he thought. Rick finished his last set and took a seat to rest. “You did great out in the field the other week,” James mentioned, desperately looking for any topic. Finally, Rick turned to him. “What are you doing?” he asked. James looked confused. “We’re not friends. Why are you talking to me?” Rick questioned. James’ first instinct was to walk away, but he forced himself to stay seated. “Look,” James started, “We’re suppose to work together. We have to trust each other. Shouldn’t we at least try to get along. At least on a professional level?” Rick shrugged, “I dunno. I guess.” James smiled. It wasn’t much, but it was a start.

The two sat quietly for a moment. “So,” Rick said, “What’s the story with you and Barb… uh, Allie.” James smiled and looked at his shoes, “Nothing. We’re just friends.” Rick stood up and grabbed a towel to wipe off his sweat. “But you wish you were more, right?” he asked. James shifted in place and titled his head, “Yeah. She’s great. Really nice. Really pretty. She just... I… I just can’t seem to ask her out. I get too nervous and then I bail. Pretty lame, right?” Rick nodded, “Yeah, but it happens. She’s just a girl. Ask her. What’s the worst that could happen?” James thought about it. “I will. Thanks.” he said. Rick looked him over and frowned, “Well, don’t get all girly on me, Romeo.” With that, Rick walked out of the room. James watched him leave and shook his head. “I just can’t figure that guy out,” he said.

* * *

Isolated in her office, high up in the looming headquarters of Rave Tech, Cassandra Reynolds continued examining and filling a pile of paper work. The battle between the Megazord and the War Tank had caused a great deal of damage to city property. Property that Rave Tech would have to pay to repair. Not to mention repairing the damage done to the Zords as well. All in all, Cassandra could see the annual budget plummeting fast.

Weary and in need of sleep, Cassandra rubbed her eyes and tried to continue focusing on the computer monitor before her. As she cross-referenced data, she was interrupted by a knock on her door. “Come in,” she said, eager for any interruption. An office boy entered, timidly. In his hands was a long, narrow box wrapped with a bow. “I apologize for the interruption Ms. Reynolds, but this just came for you,” the boy meekly explained. Intrigued, Cassandra motioned for him to place the box on her desk. When he did, she took it in hand and looked for a card. There was none. “It was just here when I came in,” the boy spoke, “I don’t know who brought it in. If you want I… uh… could…” The boy trailed off as he noticed she wasn’t listening. Without a word, he excused himself and left her to her thoughts.

Unwrapping the bow, Cassandra opened the box and was startled to see a long stem rose inside. A small white card was also included. She picked it up and looked it over. It was short and to the point: “Had fun the other night. See you soon. -J” Amused, Cassandra held the rose to her nose and breathed in. He was getting attached. And, much to her bitterness, she wasn’t sure she couldn’t say the same.

* * *

The lunch bell rang, and like a herd of cattle, the student body of Sable Academy moved outside to eat. Out near the shade, Allie noticed her friends sitting together at a table. She started to make her way over to them when she noticed James and Chris throwing the football around. Allie waved. “Hey James,” she greeted with a smile. James, ball in hand, noticed her and seemed to tense up. “Ok,” he thought to himself, “Just go over there and ask her. Will you go out with me? That’s all. That’s easy. Six words. Will you go out with me? Piece of cake.”

As Allie continued on her way, James walked to her side. “Uh, hey, Allie,” he stuttered. She turned to him, noticing that he seemed a little off today. “What’s up?” she asked. James shifted in place and seemed to look at everything but her. He shrugged, “Uh, nothing much. Uh, you know. Just hanging with Chris.” Allie nodded and pointed to the ball, “Tossing the football?” James nodded, “Uh, yeah. Footballs rule.” Allie nodded, unsure of how to respond. There was a moment of awkward silence before she finally motioned to her friends. “Well, I’m going to go eat,” she said. James nodded, “Cool. I’ll, uh, see you at training.” Allie smiled and waved goodbye, “Have a great day.” James waved goodbye until she was away. Frustratingly, he smacked himself in the head. “Footballs rule?” he moaned, “Smooth.”

Coming up to her friends, Allie took a seat and started unpacking her lunch. Casey leaned in to her, “So, what’s the scoop with you and James? Is something finally going to happen?” Allie gave her a bewildered look, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Natalie rolled her eyes, “Please, Allie. You didn’t even try to hide your crush back in middle school.” Giving a shrug, Allie frowned, “Yeah, but that was then. I accepted that he just doesn’t feel that way about me. It’s cool. Life moves on.”

Casey looked over Allie carefully. “And what exactly have you moved on to?” she asked. Allie gave her a confused look. “What do you mean?” she asked. With a grin, Casey looked up, “I guess we’re about to find out.” Allie turned around and saw Shawn coming up with Rick by his side. Rick nodded, “What up, Barbie… uh… Allie?” Allie looked around her, bewildered that he was actually speaking to her. “Uh, nothing,” she finally replied. Shawn pointed to an area off to the side of the school, “Rick and I are going to kick back over near the gym for a bit. When you’re finished eating, do you or Natalie want to come?” Acting as if she had been slapped in the face, Natalie gasped in disgust. “Uh, no,” she spat, “Freaks.” Allie looked to all her friends who starred her down. Swallowing hard, she turned back to the boys and shook her head regrettably, “Sorry.”

Rick rolled his eyes and turned away. “Whatever,” he muttered. Shawn kept looking at Allie for another moment before turning away. “It’s cool,” he said with a forced smile. They walked away and Allie felt immensely dirty. Less than a month ago, she would have loved to see both of them get run down by a monster truck. Now, she understood them better.

Allie watched them leave, which did not go unnoticed by Casey. “Well, well,” she mused, “Little miss princess has decided to throw away her chances with James to go swim with the rats of the school.” Allie turned to her, “What?” Casey smiled proudly, “Don’t worry, hon. If its losers you want, I’m sure we can dig you up a nice little band geek. You’d look so cute together.” Allie looked to Natalie for support, but she was obviously torn between her loyalties to her friend and maintaining her own image. Having had enough, Allie finally stood up, “Hey, you can cut the crap right now. How dare you try and tell me who I can and can’t hang out with. They may not be the coolest guys on Earth, but at least they tried to be nice to me, which is more than I can say for me so-called friends.” With that, Allie gathered her things and walked off. With every step, she felt her heart pondering. But, considering she had just committed social suicide, she actually felt pretty good. With that, she made her way over to gym.

* * *

Rick and Shawn leaned against the wall of the gym, enjoying the sun’s warmth. “I told you they wouldn’t go for it,” Rick stated. Shawn frowned, “It was worth a shot.” As they relaxed, one of their own friends stepped up. “Hey, I saw you two talking to those prep chicks up there. What the hell? Are you two going soft?” he demanded. Rick raised his hand up to the boy, “Shut up.” The boy scurried off and the two returned to enjoying their lunch period.

Much to their mutual surprise, Allie stepped up to them. “Room for one more?” she asked. Rick looked her up and down, like he was staring at a ghost. Shawn smiled and nodded at the spot next to him. “Be our guest,” he replied. As she leaned against the wall, she thought over the situation. Here she was, hanging out with a pair of outsiders. It wasn’t what she was use to, but at least it was real. She didn’t have to put on an act. She could be herself. For that, Allie felt a sense of peace that she never knew was missing. Rick look over at her and laughed to himself. Maybe there was hope for this team yet.

* * *

From his ship, hovering high above the Earth, Dark Aver walked down a corridor and entered the arsenal chamber. Inside, various alien beings scurried around, trying to prepare the ammunition and equipment that had been requested for the eventual invasion of Earth. When Dark Aver stepped foot into the room, everyone stopped dead in their tracks. The poor creatures shivered in fear as the dark lord slowly walked into the room.
He came up to the creature in charge of the preparations. The creature, a small beast with green scales, bowed before Aver. “You honor us with your presence, my lord,” it hissed. Aver lowered his eyes to the creature and glared, “You are behind schedule.” The creature felt a shiver down its spine as it began trying to explain himself, “My deepest apologies, Emperor. You have made a large request. I give you my vow that I will speed things up a swiftly as possible. The loss of the War Tank was…” “Was expected from the start. We are feeding the Rangers easy opponents for a reason. Do not again try to presume you understand my methods. I want this arsenal fully prepared in three months,” Dark Aver snarled. The creature shifted uncomfortably, “Sire, I just don’t know if we can…” Before it could finish the sentence, Aver reached out and grabbed the alien’s head with his hand. Squeezing, Aver crushed the creature’s skull and the internal fluids flowed out onto the floor. The warlord looked at his hand and gave his wrist a flick to remove the various chunks of brain.

With that, Dark Aver stepped up to the nearest creature. “I want this arsenal fully prepared in three months,” he stated. The creature bowed, “I will have it for you in two.” Aver nodded and walked away. There was a time for class and a time for action. Nothing would stand in Dark Aver’s way. In three months, he would have the Rangers he desired. He would have the battle he craved. And when it was all said and done, he would have Earth. Then, the entire universe would be his.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Next Time: Chapter 8 - Self Worth; The Crystal Rangers step into battle again, but come to a new stumbling block when one Ranger questions their spot on the team.

[Dani]

More!!! I want to see more! I can't stop reading! MORE!!!

[TreyX]

CHAPTER EIGHT: SELF WORTH
Saturday. The greatest day of the week. It didn’t have the looming threat of Monday that Sunday comes with. It was a day without school and without cares. Saturday was a good day. Or, at least, its suppose to be. Out in the Sable City Park, Chris tuned his guitar and began tweaking the notes of a song he had recently written. In the past month, he had a lot more free time than usual. Though his music was getting the benefits of that time, he missed hanging out with James. The two use to be pretty inseparable, but lately, he seemed to be much busier and less attentive. Never the less, Chris could only take it as it comes and keep doing his own thing in the meantime.

He glanced down and noticed a crumbled up newspaper from last week. A photo of the robot battle was on the front page. Chris shook his head, still unable to comprehend the concept of Power Rangers living in Sable City. He never would have guessed it. Since their debut, the news had covered them extensively, constantly replaying video footage and trying to analyze it from every angle. Chris laughed to himself. “Maybe that’s where James has been,” he joked, “Maybe he’s a Power Ranger.” He smiled at the notion and started playing the guitar until the thought developed a bit more in his head. Chris frowned and put down his guitar. His eyes darted back and forth, going over memories in his head. James had run off the night the Plant had exploded. Could it be? Chris narrowed his eyes skeptically. “No way,” he muttered.

* * *

Rick stormed towards the Command Station entrance, with Shawn at his side. “This is total crap,” Rick spat. Shawn tried to slow him down. “Relax. It’s one afternoon. You can handle it,” Shawn pleaded. Rick stopped and glared at Shawn, “Of all the people to partner me with for training today…” Shawn raised his hands, “Hey! I don’t make the schedule. But from the looks of it, the men upstairs made the right choice. You’ve got to learn to work with her.” Rick frowned. They stepped up to the entrance of the training room and slid a keycard through the scanner. The door chimed and opened. Rick looked in and saw Natalie reapplying her makeup. “This sucks,” he muttered. Shawn patted him on the back and turned to leave. “Have fun,” he quipped.

Rick walked in and put his things down against the wall. The sooner he got started, the sooner he could leave. Trying to avoid the prissy Yellow Ranger, Rick kept his head down and walked by her. She stepped in his way, bringing him to a halt. She looked up to him and pointed at her face. “Does this look like a beauty mark or a zit?” she asked. Rick looked at her with disgust. He leaned down and stared her in the eye. “I hate you,” he bluntly stated before sidestepping her and walking to the weights.

* * *

Shawn walked off the grounds when he came across Allie. Surprised, he smiled. “What are you doing here?” he asked. She tilted her head, “Zord Simulation Training. I just finished.” Shawn nodded, “Yeah, I’ve gone through a few of those sessions too.” Allie pointed over to some shops across the street. “I was going to meet James,” she mentioned, “Do you want to come?” He thought about it for a moment and then nodded, “Sure. Thanks.”

The two walked together across the courtyard toward the small strip of quaint stores and restaurants. Shawn looked to her, “So, how’s life without the bitch squad?” Allie sighed, “I had to quit cheerleading yesterday.” He frowned, “What?! Why?” She shrugged her shoulders, “It wasn’t worth the hassle. I’ve basically been blacklisted. Its okay though. I hadn’t really been able to practice much since becoming a Ranger. Its probably for the best.” Shawn noticed the sadness in her voice and felt for her. She would have denied it, but he could tell that she loved cheering. He placed his hand on her back and rubbed her shoulder. “I’m sorry,” he said. She smiled at him and nodded, “Thanks.”

* * *

Inside a small coffee shop across the street, James sat at a table for two, lost in thought. Almost like a mantra, he sat focused and repeated the same phrase over and over. “Allie, I like you. Would you like to go out? Allie, I like you. Would you like to go out?” he muttered to himself. This was it, he decided. There would be no more running away. He would finally be able to just flat out ask her, no matter the consequences. James sighed and nodded. “She’s going to hate me,” he stated, “She’s going to slap me. Hate me. And never speak to me again.” James raised his hand, “More coffee! Black!!”

Trying to build up his courage, James glanced out the window and saw her coming. His heart began pounding faster. Swallowing became tougher. Then, he saw Shawn. He was following her this way. “Oh no,” he muttered. James looked around and grabbed a pair of chairs from a different table. Adding them to his table, he made the two seats into four. Neither would know that he had planned this to be a personal meeting. James leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs, doing his best to appear casual and cool.

The two entered and James pretended to suddenly notice. “Oh! Hey, Allie! Shawn. What’s going on?” he asked cheerfully. Allie smiled, “Hi! I ran into Shawn as he was leaving the Command Station. You don’t mind, do you?” James shook his head, scoffing at the idea of him minding. “Are you kidding,” he asked, “The more the merrier.” The three sat together and began chatting. James could hardly focus on anything as he looked to Allie. He had been so close. “I was really going to ask this time, too,” he thought to himself.

* * *

Justin walked down the hallway of the Command Station, heading for the training facility. He checked the schedule to see who he would be working with today. He saw the two names and groaned. “This should be fun,” he whispered sarcastically. As he came up to the door, his cell phone rang. Digging it out of his pocket, he flipped it open. “Justin here,” he stated. A woman came on, speaking in an overly thick southern accent, “Is this the really real blue Turbo Ranger?” Justin closed his eyes and chuckled quietly. “Hello, Cassandra,” he replied, “What can I do for you?” Cassandra, returning to her normal tone of voice, continued, “I was wondering if you’re free tomorrow night.” Justin nodded, “Sure. But I’ve got to train the kids right now. Give me a call later, okay?” Cassandra agreed casually. “More training, huh? Who with?” she asked. Justin sighed, “Rick and Natalie.” On the other side, he could hear the Rave Tech CEO let out a laugh. “Good luck,” she remarked before hanging up. Justin put his phone away and opened the door to the room.

Inside, Rick and Natalie were already yelling at each other. The reason for it was long gone and was only an excuse for them to start up anyway. Justin closed his eyes and braced himself. “This is not going to be pretty,” he groaned. With that, he walked into the room. “HEY!!!” he roared, “Knock it off!” Immediately, the two teenagers shut up, startled by the arrival of their instructor. Justin smiled on the inside. “Lucky for me,” he thought, “When it comes to teenagers, they listen to whoever has the bigger bark.”

Justin stood them next to each other and looked over a clipboard which stated the activities of the day. “Okay,” he started, “You two are going through the obstacle course today. If you want to get out of it, you’ll have to work together. Its impossible to escape alone.” Rick and Natalie started to protest, but with a single glare, Justin shut them up. He was getting good at this ‘teacher’ thing. “Now, why don’t you both get some water and then we’ll…” Justin started, but was cut off when the Command Station shook violently. He brought his hand up, motioning for the teens to remain quiet. Justin looked up to the ceiling and listened carefully. There was a muffled crash and the former Ranger slowly walked forward, trying to pinpoint its location.

There was another crash. This time, it was much closer. The Station’s alarm sounded and emergency lights everywhere started flashing. Justin turned to the two nervous teens. “We better get out of here until we know what’s going on,” he decided. The three rushed for the door and pulled it open. In front of them was a tall stranger in a brown cloak. He lifted his pale white hand up and raised it to the three. There was a high pitched squeal and suddenly, the three Rangers were thrown backwards. Justin was the first to stand and rushed towards the hooded creature. He leapt into the air and swung a kick, but the creature swiftly moved out of range. Landing on his feet, Justin followed up with a barrage of punches, striking quickly, but precisely. Despite it all, the creature was dodging every attack with ease. Dropping down, Justin swung his foot around in a sweep kick motion. The creature hopped into the air and hovered. Justin tried to see the face of his opponent, but the shadow of the hood was too dark to penetrate. The creature looked down, “We can continue this dance all day, but then the bomb would not be disarmed.” Angrily, Justin slowly stood. “Where is it?” he demanded. The creature pointed down the hall, “I have installed it into the system hard drive. Rest assured, it has the power to take out this facility as well as the Academy above us.” Justin looked into the training room. Natalie and Rick were slowly getting to their feet. Forced to make a choice, he glared at the creature before turning and rushing for the computer room.

With Justin long gone, the creature turned his attention to Rick and Natalie. Still hovering, he slowly entered the room. “Hello, Rangers. My name is Naa’seth. I am here to help you,” the creature stated. Rick finally made it to his feet, still woozy from the odd blast that had knocked him down. Natalie got to her knees and looked up. “Help us?” she asked, “What do you mean?” Naa’seth looked to her, “Fear, Yellow Ranger. I am here to help you conquer fear; by giving it to you in very large quantities.”

Naa’seth raised his arms out of his cloak and a white light began to emanate from him. The brightness forced Rick and Natalie to shield their eyes until the light finally died down. When Rick looked, he was shocked at the sight in front of him. Standing over him was the intimidating presence of his father. “Look at you,” Rick’s dad sneered, “Still trying to hide from the world. I told you, boy. You’re nothing. You’ll always be nothing.”

Rick backed away, unable to speak. He toughened himself up. “This isn’t real,” he whispered to himself, “It can’t be.” Mr. Meyers walked towards Rick. “You’re a pathetic waste of life, Ricky. Just floating through school until you get to prison. No friends. No strength. No hope,” he scowled. Rick shook his head, “You’re… you’re wrong. I am something.” With that, Rick held up his arm and revealed his morpher. “I’ll show you what I am,” he said. “Ranger! Crystallize!!” Rick shouted. In a flash of light, he was transformed into the Black Crystal Ranger. Standing ready for battle, Rick smiled, “How do you like me now, ‘dad’?”

* * *

From the small coffee shop, the other Rangers had heard the thunderous crashes that had been Naa’seth’s arrival to Earth. Shawn, James, and Allie rushed back to the grounds. As they came up to the entrance of the Command Station, a legion of Dark Soldiers appeared. They swarmed the three teenagers and began to attack. Shawn and James began fighting off as many as they could. “We can’t hold out forever,” James shouted over the noises of battle. Shawn nodded and he back fisted a Soldier in the face. “Let’s morph and finish this quick!” Shawn called out. The three teenagers got to each other’s backs and raised their morphers. “Rangers!! Crystallize!!!” they cried. In an instant, they were covered in their Ranger armor.

Shawn flipped into the air and threw a swinging kick which knocked down several of the Dark Soldiers. He landed and immediately jumped into a back flip that kicked away another two Soldiers. As he continued to fight, Shawn was amazed at how well he was doing. All the training was really paying off.

Allie pulled out her gun and started firing away at the Soldiers approaching her. From behind, a Soldier came up and grabbed her. She struggled, but his grip was too tight. The Pink Ranger swung her leg behind her and between the legs of the Soldier. The impact jarred him into releasing her. Spinning around, she finished him off with a punch to the face. Finally, Allie felt like she could hold her own.

The Blue Ranger picked a Soldier up overhead and threw him into several others. Once they were down, he pounced onto them and slammed his fist into their faces, causing them to release an alien squeal of pain. James stood back up and cracked his knuckles, eager to continue. He thought to go protect Allie, but to his surprise, she actually seemed to be doing okay on her own.

As the battle waged on, more and more Dark Soldiers arrived. For every one that was defeated, three more seemed to take his place. Allie pointed to the entrance of the Station. “They’re moving inside,” she shouted to the others. Noticing that the boys were too busy with their own struggles, Allie raced inside to take care of the situation herself.

Shawn flipped a Soldier onto his back and stomped on his neck, ending the fight. The Red Ranger looked up in time to see Allie rushing off on her own. “Allie, wait!” he called out, but she was already gone. Shawn turned to James, “Let’s go!” The Blue Ranger looked up and nodded. Together, they headed inside to join their teammate.

Inside the facility, they rushed down the long hallway. The two Rangers came up to a fork in the road. They looked down each one, unsure of which way the Pink Ranger had chosen. “What should we do?” James asked. Inside his helmet, Shawn frowned, “Tough call. We really need to stick together, but…” The Red Ranger looked down both halls and thought to himself for a moment. Finally, he turned to James. “You go right. I’ll go left. One of us will find her,” he commanded. With a nod, the two Rangers ran off in different directions.

* * *

The Black Ranger swung at his father. Mister Meyers easy moved out of the way and laughed hard. “All that power and you can’t even touch me. Is it a wonder why I’m ashamed of you?” Rick’s dad mocked. Angrily, the Black Ranger charged after his father and ran right through him, touching nothing. Stopping in his tracks, Rick turned back around. “Impossible,” he muttered. Again, Mr. Meyers broke out into laughter, “What’s the matter, boy? You too stupid to figure it out?” Rick’s rage ignited. “Shut up!!” he roared.

Mr. Meyers rushed up and slapped his son down. The Black Ranger was amazed at the force of the blow as he slammed against the ground. “Now you listen to me, boy,” his father viciously said, “You can dress yourself up as differently as you want, but you’ll always be worthless.” Rick stood up and glared. “You’re wrong,” the Ranger said with confidence. His father smiled, “Am I?”

Before Rick even realize what was happening, his father rushed up and threw him against the wall. “They’ll never accept you,” he hissed at his son, “Sooner or late, they’ll reject you. They’ll find someone better and toss you out like the trash you are.” Rick shook his head, “No.” His father continued, “Then, you’ll have nothing. Everything you value will be stripped away because you don’t deserve it. You’ll be nothing. You are nothing. It’s just a matter of time.” Snapping, Rick couldn’t take any more. “NO!!!” he screeched with all his strength.

* * *

Cautiously, the Blue Ranger rushed down the hallway, looking for any sign of Allie. As he came around a corner, he crashed into Justin. The two fall to the ground and looked to each other. Justin looked perplexed, “What are you doing here?” James shrugged, “Uh, saving you?” Justin stood up and dusted himself off. “Swell,” he said, giving James a hand. Without a moment to waste, Justin continued heading for the computer room and grabbed James to follow him. “C’mon,” he called out to the Blue Ranger, “We’ve got a bomb to stop.”

The two rushed down the corridor and came up to the room. Justin pulled out his keycard and swiped it in the scanner. The door swung open and the two entered the room. It was much larger than anything they had expected. Hanging from the ceiling were monitors that showed the entire Station. On every wall, giant computers wired together stood majestically. James looked around, “So, which computer has the bomb?” Justin sighed, “It can never just be easy.”

* * *

At break neck speed, Shawn rushed down the hallway. A Dark Soldier stood in his way, but the Red Ranger refused to slow down. With a quick clothesline, he dropped the Soldier and continued without pause. If there were enemies in this area, he figured he must be close to Allie. Continuing onward, Shawn finally caught up with the Pink Ranger who had stopped to catch her breath. He came up to her side. Seeing him, she tried to explain herself, “I… I saw… they’re all in this area. Like they’re trying to guard something.” Shawn looked around and tried to think of where they were. It quickly donned on him and he turned to Allie, “The training facility is right up ahead. Rick and Natalie… they must be going after the other Rangers.” Inside her helmet, Allie’s eyes grew wide, fearing for the safety of her friends. With renewed strength, she stood tall. “We’ve got to help them,” she stated. Shawn nodded, “Let’s go.”

* * *

In the training room, Natalie struggled with her own vision. Standing before her was an image of herself, looking down on her. Natalie tried to fight back, but her strength was weakening with each passing second. She couldn’t explain it, but with every insult that was hurled at her, she seemed more and more faint. Natalie backed against the wall and shook her head, wanting the experience to stop.

Mercilessly, the wicked image of herself stepped forward. “Look at you. Little poor girl trying to be bigger than she is. It won’t work. No matter what you do to hide, they’ll see through you. They’ll know the truth. You don’t belong with them. Casey sees it. Allie sees it. They all do. Why bother trying to fit in? I’m sure they make fun of you behind your back. You’re a joke to them. A pity project,” the cruel vision of herself said. Natalie covered her ears and shook her head harder, “Go away. Its not real. Its not true. They do accept me. They do like me. They won’t leave me. They can’t. ‘Cause if they do. Then… then, I’ll really be… alone.” Natalie dropped to her knees as the tears began to flow.

Across the room, the Black Ranger had snapped. With the strength that comes from true fury, Rick tore right through his father and headed to the center of the room. Looking from side to side, he spotted Natalie on the ground. No doubt, she was experiencing her own fears. As he turned to her, Naa’seth came forward. “Well done, Black Ranger, but you’ve gone far enough,” the creature hissed.

At that moment, Shawn and Allie rushed into the room. “Back off!” Shawn shouted. Naa’seth turned to face the new arrivals and when he did, Rick broke into a run and headed for Natalie. Angered, Naa’seth moved toward Shawn and Allie. “You two were not invited,” he growled. The two Rangers got ready for battle. In a flash, Naa’seth lunged at them and his arm extended swiftly towards them. His hand opened up to reveal the sharp blades on the end of his fingers. The clawed hand raced towards Allie. Like a deer caught in the headlights, she froze in a mix of shock and terror.

With the claws less than a foot from her face, Shawn’s grabbed the hand and stopped it from touching the Pink Ranger. Allie looked to Shawn with amazement. He struggled to match the strength of Naa’seth. In a smooth motion, he raised his free arm and chopped off Naa’seth’s hand. The creature howled in agony.

Meanwhile, Rick rushed to Natalie’s side and grabbed hold of her. “Snap out of it,” he shouted, but she was lost in her own mind. Lightly, he slapped her in the face. She blinked and looked at the Black Ranger. “Rick?” she asked. He nodded, “Are you okay?” Hesitantly, she nodded. He helped her to her feet, but she fell down again. “I’m too weak,” she revealed. Rick kneeled by her side and placed his hand on her shoulder. “Its okay,” he said, “I’ll protect you.”

* * *

Justin tore open computer after computer, frantically searching for the bomb. James helped where he could, but was unsure of what to look for. Justin finally stopped and put his hands on his hips. “This is getting us nowhere,” he sighed. For a moment, he let his emotions get the best of him. He closed his eyes. “Even now, I’m a failure,” he whispered. James lifted his head, “What?” Justin looked to him, “Nothing.”

Digging into his pocket, Justin pulled out his cell phone and dialed Cassandra. James sat down and waited. Looking around, he noticed a monitor that was viewing the training facility. He could see the other four Rangers facing off against the new creature. James located Allie on the screen and was pleased to see that she appeared safe.

Justin paced around the room, while on his cell. “… I need your help here. Where would a bomb be?” he asked. On the other end, Cassandra came on, “Justin, there can’t be a bomb in there. We have security systems linked to both the Station and Rave Tech. If anyone had tampered with the computers, we would know.” Justin looked around the room and his face fell. “It was a trick,” he muttered, “God, I’m a fool.”

* * *
Shawn jumped at Naa’seth and dragged him to the floor. The two exchanged blows before the creature threw him off. Naa’seth stood and smiled. “You’re stronger than the others,” he hissed. Shawn shrugged, “I’m the Red Ranger.” With that, he dove for Naa’seth, but the creature faded away and Shawn crashed to the floor.

Across the room, the Black Ranger carried Natalie in his arms and brought her over the others. “She’s really weak,” he explained to Shawn. Allie rushed over to her, “When I came in, I saw energy flowing from you two into that creature.” Rick gl