Hell Hath No Fury

Chapter I: The Pink Ranger

Beneath the faceless helmet of his armor, Tommy Oliver's face was a mixture of sudden confusion and horror. His eyes had widened and his pupils were fully dilated. The other four Dino Rangers saw their mentor, paralyzed by shock, and hesitated to react. Trent and Connor both kept their hands on their swords, yet neither of them attacked. Two figures stood opposite the five Power Rangers, neither of them familiar to the team. Both of them were Rangers though. The former Green Ranger was easily able to recognize both of them by the sound of their voices. The one on the left, a woman dressed in a hot pink Ranger suit had her arms crossed over the white diamond that was depicted on her chest. The helmet she wore had a strange color scheme and design to it, like it had been modeled to look like some sort of bird. A white went around her slender hips. A similarly colored holster dangled on the left side, a red colored blaster inactive inside. The belt buckle resembled one that Tommy himself had worn so many years ago, and the small golden disk in the center had an engraving that he had never seen before inscribed on it. The wicked voice that had emanated from the helmet's voice filter resembled a much softer one that he had known so many years ago.

Her companion was not a Power Ranger, though he seemed to resemble one. His black armor was much thicker than the durable thin material that the rangers wore. His face was obscured by a black helm, which had small slits that served as eyeholes in the center. A cloak hung from his shoulders, which billowed slightly in the breeze. His gloved hands rested on the sword that hung from his left hip. The body was angled slightly, so that the left side was further away from the rangers. Knees were bent, left leg behind the right. It was a typical battle stance of a swordsman. All of the Rangers knew that it was a defensive form, not an offensive one. Still, none of them were taking chances. The White Dino Ranger held his sword in a reverse grip in his hands, ready to strike at a moment's notice. The three original Dino Rangers each held their Thundermax Sabers at the ready. Dr. Oliver was the only one who had dropped his guard completely. His Brachiostaff dangled uselessly in his right hand. The tip of the weapon rested against the ground. His very stance reeked of flaws. His shoulders had sagged and he wouldn't be ready for an attack, should one come.

The attack came. The woman in pink pulled the blaster from its holster, fell to her knees in order to get a better angle, and fired three precise shots. Each one struck the Black Ranger dead on. He was thrown backwards and rolled across the rocky ground, while the other Rangers retaliated. Trent was the first to react. He quickly used his sword to produce a barrage of energy arrows, which he unleashed on his mentor's attacker. The pink assailant dove out of the way, while her companion simply knocked them away with a sweep of his arm. Connor, Ethan, and Kira all jumped towards the one in black armor, leaving the woman to Trent.

Tommy pulled himself to his feet, allowing the shock of what had just happened to pass. He gripped his Brachiostaff tightly and charged into the fray. As he approached, the pink warrior delivered what looked like a very powerful kick to Trent's ribcage, sending him backwards. She turned towards the oncoming Black Ranger, converting her blaster into a short, but effective blade. Tommy swung his staff in a broad arc, which she blocked with her own weapon. They entered a grapple, each trying to force the other one off balance. The Black Dino Ranger was physically larger than his opponent and much stronger. Through sheer force, he was able to push the blades back towards her. Still, she was smaller, slighter, and far more agile. There was little difficulty in sliding out of the conflict, moving behind the veteran Ranger, and slashing him across the back with her weapon.

A searing pain exploded just under his shoulder as Tommy stumbled forward and crashed into the ground. He landed near Trent, who was beginning to pick himself off the ground. "Dr. O, are you alright?" the White Ranger asked.

"Fine," he replied as he got up. "Let's get out of here."

"What? Why?" Trent didn't want to retreat. Sure, these two warriors were good, but they weren't unbeatable. The Rangers hadn't even exhausted all of their options yet. They could still tap into their Super Dino Powers if the situation became severe enough. Connor still had his Triassic powers as well. Retreating didn't sound smart at all.

"Just do it!" Tommy shouted.

"I don't think so!" the woman in pink sneered as she charged the two Rangers. The woman delivered two quick, yet deep slashes to the Black Ranger, who against was sent backwards. He fell to one knee, using his weapon as a balance. Their enemy was sends a lot of heat his way and he wasn't sure if he would be able to fend her off for too long, especially if he was reluctant to attack her. Tommy had to try to reason with her. It was the only logical option he could consider.

"Why are you doing this?" he asked as he slowly rose to his feet.

There was no response. The Pink Ranger simply raised her blade as if she were about to attack again, though she made no move forward. The Black Ranger and the White Ranger simply stood opposite her, waiting for something to happen. Unfortunately, what happened next was not what they had wanted. Three loud cries of anguish erupted into the air. Tommy and Trent both spun around and saw that the black armored warrior had unleashed some sort of furious assault on the other three Dino Rangers. Connor, Ethan, and Kira were all lying on the ground, barely able to move. They were clearly down for the count and wouldn't be getting up to resume the battle.

"We need to retreat," the oldest ranger repeated.

Trent knew better than to argue this time. With three of their comrades down, the two remaining Rangers would stand no chance against these two foes. None of Mesogog's forces had ever done so much damage to them with so little effort before, yet these two hadn't broken a sweat. Even his Super Dino Powers wouldn't be enough to fend off the both of them.

"Rest up, Tommy," the black warrior said as he pointed at the Black Ranger, his voice a deep, threatening sound that rumbled in his chest as he spoke. "We won't cut it so short, next time."

With that said, the black warrior dissolved into what looked like a bunch of purple spores, which dissipated into the air. The pink assailant was engulfed in pink embers, which burned out quickly, leaving nothing where she stood except a charred scorch mark. Tommy and Trent wasted no time wondering who those two had been. Their suits faded away, returning them to a civilian look, as they rushed towards their friends. The other Rangers' suits had faded as well, allowing Tommy to assess the damage that had been done.

"Let's get to my car," the high school science teacher suggested. "I'll take you back to my place."

Tommy's car was parked nearby, so it was relatively simple to get there. Kira needed some support, having twisted her ankle in the fight. Trent quickly came to her aid and helped her limp along. Connor and Ethan were able to walk, although the former was suffering from a nasty looking bruise that was starting to swell over his left eye. All of their injuries were superficial, though they were all in quite a bit of pain. Their armored suits were good at protecting the skin from damage, though they didn't do a whole lot to repel force-based injuries. All things considered, the situation could have been worse.

"How could things be worse?" Connor argued once they had all settled into their science teacher's living room. "Did you see what happened out there?"

"Dr. O, who were those guys?" Ethan asked. "And how'd we get our butts kicked by a Pink Ranger?"

Tommy didn't answer. He was curious to know the answer to that question himself. How was there still a Pink Ranger? The last one that he had known of had been Dana Mitchell, a woman serving with the Lightspeed Initiative in Mariner Bay. Rumors of another one in Silver Hills, though reports indicated that she was no longer in this time. Therefore, there shouldn't be an active Pink Ranger. There was. Tommy wasn't an idiot. He knew that there were hundreds of different power sources across the globe that could have granted an individual the energies of a Power Ranger. That didn't explain how that particular Pink Ranger had come back.

Trent took a look around the room. The Rangers had not made out well. Kira had sprained her ankle and wouldn't be able to walk on it for a few days. That aside, she had taken a blow to the ribcage, which had left a deep bruise. Tommy had given her a large ice pack, which she had gratefully taken. The White Ranger looked at the area she was clutching painfully. Even with the ice beneath her shirt, the pain was apparent. He was impressed by her ability to keep silent about it however. The only indication that she was the least bit uncomfortable was the fact that she kept biting her lip.

Connor had a large bruise on his left temple and his left shoulder had been dislocated. Thankfully, Tommy had become quite adept at popping shoulders back into their sockets over the years and now the injury was just a little sore. That, however, did little to assuage the anger he was feeling. He stepped forward and asked the question that had been burning in everyone's mind since that Pink Ranger had first appeared.

"Dr. O, why did you freeze up when you saw those two?"

Tommy met his student's gaze and felt the burning eyes of the other three Rangers watching them. He folded his arms and sighed. He couldn't begin to explain why he had lost his nerve in the middle of a fight to the younger Rangers. They wouldn't understand. They were high school students who had almost no real life experience. Being Rangers made them more mature than most teenagers their age, but that wasn't enough. They just couldn't understand.

"Did any of you recognize the Pink Ranger?" he asked, deciding that they deserved to know part of the truth.

"She looked familiar," Ethan answered.

"You probably saw her in my records," he explained. "That was the original Pink Ranger; the one that I worked with."

All of the Rangers looked up at this. They didn't seem stunned, seeing as how much of their lives were made up of shocking information. Out of the ordinary was to be expected. This was just interesting for them.

"She's one of the original Power Rangers?" Kira asked. "Like, the first?"

Tommy nodded. "I don't know if that was the same woman that I worked with," he lied. "But that was definitely her uniform."

"But I thought you said your powers were all destroyed," Ethan pointed out. "How would she still…"

"I don't know, Ethan. I'll have to talk to Hayley about that," he responded.

No one spoke for a moment, each trying to think of something else to say. They all had questions that they wanted to ask, but breeching the subject was a bit difficult. They had worked with Dr. Oliver for almost a year now. While they all considered themselves to be talented individuals and good Power Rangers, but their mentor was a legend. They had never seen him react on the battle field the way he had when he had seen the Pink Ranger. Just seeing someone that he had used to know shouldn't have thrown him off the way that it had.

"Look," Tommy said when the silence became awkward. "There's nothing you guys can do right now. Just go home and take care of yourselves. I'll let you know if anything comes up."

Not bothering to argue, the Rangers all stood up and started towards the door. Before she walked out, Kira deposited her ice pack on the table, next to Tommy's laptop. The four teenagers walked out together and into the main portion of their teacher's house. Spotting the security cameras, they decided not to speak until they were off the grounds. Connor's truck was parked outside, next to Tommy's. The four all hopped in, Connor and Trent in the front, Ethan and Kira in the back. The Red Ranger backed his car out of the driveway and then took off down the main road.

"Alright, so who else gets the feeling he's not telling us something?" Connor asked.

No one answered, but it was gravely apparent that they all agreed. "Why would he lie to us?" Kira asked.

"I don't know," Connor responded. "But he is."

"We don't know that," Ethan stood up sheepishly.

"It was kind of obvious," Trent argued. "There's something about that Pink Ranger that got to him."

"You think Hayley might know?" the Blue Ranger wondered aloud.

"If Dr. O told her not to tell us, she won't," the White Ranger said with a shrug.

"But you work with her, Trent. Maybe she'll open up to you," Kira said from the back seat.

"I doubt it," he replied.

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The Pink Ranger and the Black Warrior stepped into the main common room of a fortress on the moon. This structure had once been the home of the evil space sorceress, Rita Repulsa, and her husband, Lord Zedd. Now it served a new master. The throne that Zedd had once sat it still stood in its place. The back was turned towards the two newcomers. The Pink Ranger stepped forward and fell to one knee in due respect.

"Did you complete your mission?" their master asked.

"Yes Milord," she answered with a nod.

"The Power Rangers?" he inquired thoughtfully.

"Strong," she responded. "But not strong enough. They won't stand in our way."

"Interesting. I had heard differently."

"From Mesogog?" the black armored warrior scoffed. "Of course you did."

"That is true," their master agreed as his throne turned around. They both looked up at the impressive figure. His name was Sargonnas, Emperor of the East Quadrant of the Galaxy. He looked human, for the most part. His skin was a dark color, similar to those of Middle Eastern descent. He was dressed in a regal black robe that bore no marking or crest to indicate his high position. His black hair was pulled back into a ponytail. His red eyes flashed as he glanced at the two of his servants that were before him.

"Rise, Pink Ranger," he ordered with a wave of his hand. "There is no need to be formal."

She did as she was told and folded her arms over her chest. Pink flames engulfed her again, similarly to her departure during her battle with the Dino Rangers, but this time she did not disappear. The suit of armor that she wore did, however, revealing a petite brunette woman. She looked to be in her mid-twenties or so. She was well groomed and actually rather attractive. She was dressed in regular blue jeans with a hot pink tank-top, which left little to the imagination. Her master's eyes lingered on her for a moment before he turned to his second servant.

"Your opinion, Kaz?" he asked.

"I concur with Kimberly," he responded. "The Rangers won't be a problem."

"Excellent," Sargonnas said as he leaned back in his throne. "What word is there on any other Rangers?"

"There aren't many left, milord," Kim answered quickly. "There's the six Space Rangers, who aren't even in this part of the galaxy at the moment. Then the Galaxy Rangers are on Mirinoi. The only ones who might try to stop us would be the two Red Rangers in Silver Hills and the Lightspeed Rangers in Mariner Bay."

"Kaz, that is your job," his master stated. "Take out Lightspeed Rescue. The Rangers in Silver Hills can wait. If they become a problem, then we'll handle them."

"As you command, Master," the warrior replied.

"Kimberly, the Dino Rangers are your responsibility. I trust that won't be a problem?"

"It would be a pleasure," she answered with a crooked smile.

"In the mean time, I will continue to search for your former friends, Kimberly. If I can, I believe it would benefit us to create a whole team of Dark Rangers, such as yourself."

Kim didn't respond and hid her distaste towards the idea. As far as she was concerned, they didn't need to find the other four original Rangers. She could handle the Dino Rangers on her own and the rest of the galaxy was defenseless, now that Zordon was dead. Still, the Pink Ranger knew better than to argue with the man that had restored her powers. He liked her, which she could use to her advantage from time to time, but he didn't see her as irreplaceable. This was one of those times when she had to grudgingly submit to his will.

"Master," the black knight said stepping forward. "The original four Rangers can't simply reclaim their positions of power. The Blue Ranger, on Aquitar, cannot hold connect to the Morphing Grid any longer. His connection was severed when Lord Zedd destroyed their original base of operations. The Red Ranger's connection has been weakened as well. His body began to deteriorate when he controlled the Gold Ranger powers."

"Very good points, Kaz," Sargonnas acknowledged. "And what of the Red Ranger's replacement?"

"Rocky injured his back in a martial arts competition," Kimberly answered. "He's been using a walker for years now. He can't become a Ranger again."

"So we are short two," the master mused. "Unfortunate, but not insurmountable. I can find replacements."

"Master, may I make a humble suggestion?" Kaz requested. Sargonnas shrugged his indifference. "Kimberly is a fine warrior. Give the Dark Power Coins to four new Rangers. She can train them."

"Why would I do that?" he snorted. "Three already trained Rangers are better than one." He let his head roll back, cracking it loudly before he sat up straight. "Kimberly, I want you to find Trini Kwan and Zachary Taylor. Kaz, begin searching for candidates to become the Red and Blue Rangers."

"Yes milord," they answered together.

"Now leave me. I have important work I must begin."

They both bowed and started out of the room. Once they had exited their master's throne room, Kaz shrugged off his armor, allowing it to shatter away harmlessly. The warrior was actually an attractive man. His skin was paler than most humans' but he was in no way deathly white. His face seemed to be around thirty years old, despite the fact that he was actually several hundred years older. He wore a black jumpsuit and his sword still hung at his hip, clanking against his leg as he walked. His hair was a fiery red color, slicked back neatly. Like his master's, his eyes were blood red, the only indication that he was not, in fact, human. He noted Kimberly's angry expression as they walked.

"What is bothering you?" he asked her.

"I don't need the others to take down Tommy," she answered.

"I don't think you do either," he stated as they continued to walk.

"Then I shouldn't have to track down those two!"

"I'm sorry," he said with a shrug. "If I could help, I would." Another crooked smile began to form on Kimberly's lips. She stopped in her tracks, causing Kaz to stop a moment later. "What is it?" he asked her.

"You could help me," she answered sweetly.

"How is that?" he inquired with a smug smile.

She moved closer to him, looking up into his dark red eyes with a pleading look of her own. "You could get to Zach and Trini before I do," she responded, biting her lip for added effect.

"You want me to disobey the master and kill them?"

Kimberly closed the distance between them completely, pushing herself into him. "Please, Kaz," she said to him.

"You're mad," he replied, somewhat uncomfortably.

She decided to change tactics. She shoved him up against the wall of the narrow corridor and pressed herself into him as much as she could. She leaned in close to him, so that her lips were just centimeters from his neck. "Please," she whispered softly.

Her hot breath on his skin made the normally stoic warrior cringe and he closed his eyes, trying to battle against these human feelings that were surging through him. It became very difficult when Kimberly lifted her leg up, pressing herself into his groin area.

"Alright," he breathed.

Kimberly smiled coyly. As thanks, she planted a soft kiss on his neck before breaking away. With that, she turned away from him and walked off, leaving him to stare after her. The warrior shook his head, unsure of what had just happened. He was beginning to dislike the side-effects of being human. If Kimberly had that sort of power over him, she could be a dangerous threat. He would have to watch her carefully in the future.