Note: The Power Rangers are the property of Saban, although this story references a lot of the Disney years. The only original characters of mine are Kel Tate and a monster or two who appear later on. Takes place in the present day.
Merrick Baliton was a member of the Power Rangers Wild Force seven years earlier, in between being possessed almost three thousand years before and exploring an unfamiliar modern world since. He had just returned to Turtle Cove, where the Wild Force Rangers were based, when the ground shook, signaling the start of the robot attack on Earth by the Venjix virus. If he were near a radio or television at the time, he may have heard the instructions to get to Corinth, but he was on the highway, walking alone on his way to visit his old friend Willie, an older black gentleman who runs a roadside bar outside of the city. Fearing for his friend's life, he ran as fast as he could the rest of the way. Upon entering he found Willie on the floor, barely conscious, surrounded by a group of mechanical Grinder soldiers. The Grinders immediately focused their eyes on Merrick and rushed to attack him. Concerned about Willie's welfare above all else, Merrick brushed off their initial attacks to be at his side and help him to his feet. Dazed, Willie was startled to see him here after being gone so long.
"I should have known it was you, son. Here you are, saving me again."
"How do you feel?" Merrick asks. "Can you move?"
"A little stunned, but I'll manage. Thanks to you." he answers.
"I'll deal with these guys. When I clear the way, run out of here to safety, and don't look back." Merrick instructs.
Before an argument can be made, Merrick rushes the Grinders, swinging his arms and legs at all of them to get their attention on him. As planned, Willie makes it to the door and escapes. Merrick fights on, but eventually the soldiers outnumber him. One holds his arms to the floor as the others start to kick and punch him repeatedly. A few minutes of struggling go by, until Merrick hears an all too familiar voice from inside his mind.
"Merrick! You need me. I can help you."
Merrick recognizes the voice of the deceased Duke Org Zen-Aku. By putting on the wolf mask, Merrick was once possessed by Zen-Aku until being freed by the Power Rangers Wild Force.
He calls out "No! You're not really here. This isn't happening."
"You've always needed me. Put the mask on", the voice tells him.
Merrick visualizes the wolf mask within his reach. The mask is not physically there, nor is Zen-Aku's voice real. Nevertheless, Merrick continues to hear it.
"Put on the mask, Merrick. This is who you are."
Merrick finally gives in and embraces what the mask represents. With renewed strength, he battles the Grinders and defeats them, and after defeating them he destroys them, literally tearing each one to pieces. More arrive, and they meet the same fate. To Merrick, it almost feels like a dream. Like he's simply watching as his animalistic instincts and rage, his "inner wolf", takes over. As he destroys these robots, the days and weeks become months and before he realizes it, no one was left to fight. Without fighting, he began to regain his humanity and no longer liked what he became. The more he thought about again becoming the man he was under Zen-Aku's control, the more it depressed him, but that isn't all. He feels like something is missing from his life, a purpose, and if he cannot discover it then these negative emotions will overpower him inside.
Now the danger has passed. Venjix has been destroyed, and the planet is rebuilding. In the town of Ocean Bluff, the staff of Jungle Karma Pizza is making the final repairs on their restaurant before preparing to reopen. As Theo Martin finishes painting the walls in the main dining area, his boss and the owner of JK Pizza, R.J., is speaking to someone on a cel phone nearbye.
"Yes, Fran, the place will be good as new by the time you and Dom get back. (nods) I know. That turned out to be the luckiest investment I ever made. I take a risk opening a second Jungle Karma location in Corinth while not completely out of debt, robot armies attack everyone, Corinth gets sealed away in a dome, and just when I think I'm about to lose everything, I find out that the Corinth location's business is cleaning up. Well, it was the safest place to be this past year, and now that the war's over I'm getting my share of the profits. Thanks for looking in on the place for me. So, what's it like in Corinth now? (listens) You saw Dr. K in person? What's she like? (listens) Well in those circumstances, I'd be tightly-wound all the time too, I suppose."
On the other end of the phone, Fran starts talking and talking more about the city, and the rangers, and Dom, and other things, leaving R.J. little opportunity to respond back. After a few more seconds, he decides to cut back in.
"Breathe, Fran" R.J. says, holding his arm up as if she were physically in front of him. "Let me talk to Dom again."
As R.J. wanders into the kitchen, Theo is interrupted from his work by an appealing sight.
"I thought you could use a little break, so I made us a snack."
It's Lily Chilman, Theo's coworker and best friend. She sets down a delicious-looking pizza onto the counter top, but to Theo, Lily herself is the appealing sight.
"Sounds great", he answers, and sits down with her. Another employee enters through the kitchen, wearing dark sunglasses and a cap.
"I have finished cleaning the pizza ovens!" Flit exclaims in his usual speedy announcer delivery. "What do we have here? Theo and Lily, Jungle Karma's pizza making and serving champions, taking a much-deserved rest from their exponential efforts to reopen our restaurant and feed pizza to the masses! Let's watch…"
Lily smiles out of amusement, and Theo rolls his eyes. Suddenly, the front door opens and Merrick walks in. Theo stands right back up and comes over to him.
"Whoa, whoa, hold on there, pal. We're not open for business yet. Come back in a week."
"I'm not here for pizza" Merrick responds, in an uncompromising manner. "I'm looking for R.J., the so-called wolf master."
"How do you know who he is?" Theo asks him, in a firmer tone of his own. "What are you doing here?"
"That's none of your business, now is he here or not?"
"Well I don't think that's any of your business, now why don't you walk back out the door?"
Merrick's anger starts to rise inside of him. He hasn't come this far to accept no for an answer. However, he also hasn't come to ask R.J. for help only to resort to violence. He resists his baser instincts and tries one more time to settle things peacefully.
"I don't want any trouble" he begins, speaking in a more peaceful tone, but maintaining his urgency. "My name is Merrick. I know that R.J. is a Pai Zhua master of the wolf spirit, and the Jungle Fury Wolf Ranger. I've come to ask him for help. I can't tell you any more than that."
Theo considers Merrick's request, as Lily and Flit get up and join them.
"If you know all that about R.J., then I'm sure you're also aware that I'm a Pai Zhua master myself possessing the spirit of the jaguar. If you're really here for help, why don't you tell me what you're looking for?"
"I'm sorry" Merrick answers. "R.J. is the only one who could understand what I'm going through. The struggle to control our inner wolf."
Lily speaks up. "I think we understand what you're trying to tell us. You can stay here with us for as long as you like. Flit, why don't you run upstairs and bring down R.J.?"
They turn and face the door to the kitchen only to find R.J. already standing there.
"No need for that, I overheard most of it already. It was Merrick, right?"
"Yes. Merrick Baliton" he confirms.
"Well Merrick, I'm R.J." As he shakes Merrick's hand he turns to introduce the others. "Theo, Lily, and Flit."
"Nice to meet you, Merrick" greets Lily, cheerfully.
"Hi" says Theo, flatly.
"Welcome, my new friend" Flit adds.
R.J. shows Merrick to his loft, where they can talk in private. Outside, under the cover of the dark night sky, another visitor to town is outside of the restaurant. A young man in his late 20's wearing ratty clothing wanders down the street, somewhat disoriented.
"Something about this place" the man wonders aloud to himself. "Something has drawn me here. But why?"
He feels a sudden throbbing pain in his chest. As he clutches it with his right hand, he tries to talk himself through it.
"It's … happening again. No, I … I have to do something. (he touches his wrist and a unique device strapped to it marked by the initials S.P.D. with his other hand) My morpher … My morpher might be able ….. to …. contain it."
He presses it's top buttons, and a power ranger costume instantly appears over him. Seconds later the suit disappears, revealing that the man has transformed into something no longer human. Back inside the pizza parlour, Theo and Lily clean up a bit before going to bed.
"I still don't fully trust this guy Merrick" Theo admits. "Something seems off about him."
Lily has other opinions. "Theo, we just need to get to know him more. You remember what R.J. went through during that period when Dai Shi attacked his spirit. Merrick is probably going through the same thing."
"Really, Lily?" Theo asks skeptically. "Do you really believe that there could be more than one person out there who could turn into a mindless werewolf and cause trouble?"
Right then, a large set of claws breaks through the locked door and a werewolf creature bursts in, snarling and growling.
"You had to say that, didn't you?"