Disclaimer: I don't own the M.M.P.R.'s at all and with how the series is being mashed already with bad advertising, I'm happy I don't right now. I liked the older seri4es, yes, I'll admit I am a fan, but my version might leave little to be desired by younger readers. So, as a warning, this contains very violent content, blood, and some graphic language. I'll try and tone it to just be swear words not aimed at anyone, just at situations.
This part of the story is set a while after Zordon's demise. The rest is set long after Power Rangers Time Force, on an alternate Neo-Earth. It only has links to the seasons up to Zordon's death, nothing more.
~Mighty Morphin Power Rangers ~
Z-Force
Prologue
Z~ Earth ~
- Late 21st century -
The Earth was at the end of its rope. It had to be true. The war of good and evil between the Power Rangers and the legions of evil led by Dark Specter had taxed its energy and beauty more than anyone wanted to admit. The ships had long since left with many brave young pioneers, ready and able so long ago to find a new world to call home.
They had succeeded, and now the Earth was being evacuated to the new world those brave pioneers had finally found. All hearts were breaking. This was their home, their world, dying like a wilted flower, and they couldn't help it anymore.
It was strange, with such days of conquest far behind this worn out planet's history. The world was beyond hope of lasting any longer than its sun. It would die before much longer, sadly.
Zordon was long since dead, leaving so much behind on Earth, memories of the first Power Rangers, and the generations that came afterwards flitting into oblivion. Heroes were needed, symbols, but heroes bled like everyone else, they felt pain, they were captured, and felt the toils of battle. Heroes didn't need to be labeled, they were inside everyone's hearts and dreams, as the people of earth had proved to Dark Specter's forces by trying to protect the Ranger's identities.
It had proved to be a proud day for humanity, and evil was destroyed, changed to the good that lay dormant within. Though, evil had won really in the end. Evil had damaged the planet enough that the humans had to leave. It could no longer support the human race, or the stranded aliens among them, Rita….Zedd, and even the former space pirate Divatox. They had left as well, to wander the universe endlessly until their lives were spent. As all people did, time ended for some, but not these aliens. Even in their true good forms, they would go on for centuries. All were leaving, their Mother Earth would soon be vacant….and alone.
~
Soldiers went around through the streets and buildings, making sure everyone was out of Angel Grove. This was occurring world wide, to evacuate the planet fully, so none would be left behind to a cruel and lonely fate on this dying world. It was only fitting and right to do so.
Two such soldiers were growing agitated, wanting to lave as soon as possible to be with their loved ones, their families, not in some desolate condo or house looking through empty rooms. Everyone had to have left by now, no one was being charged for the flight, only to bring as much of their clothing and belongings as possible, not furniture. Weight was a must to keep down for some ships, too much could cause problems.
"I think we're done….this is so boring. Its creepy out here, you can hear your own voice echo on a street….reminds me of a zombie flick. Can we go now, Dex?" the first soldier said, looking in an empty laboratory. This house was strange and large, like some mad scientist lived here. It was seriously freaking him out. He wanted to just get on the ship to the new world and forget about this. Who could be stupid enough not to go to the ships?
"I'd like to say yes, Mike, but our captain says we have to check it all….let's hit the attic, then we do the rest of the street. Maybe then we can fake an injury and gets sent up early. I agree about how weird it is with barely anyone left on the planet. But we need that paycheck for when we get to our new Earth. Stomach it for a little longer." Dex replied, his green eyes flashing around as he went up the stairs.
Mike just sighed and followed. The house had looked weird enough on the outside, several large and tube like metal chimneys on top of the concrete home. It was more equipped to be a research facility rather than a home. Still, there were couches and tables, a raided and opened fridge, the works of a family having lived there. The weird lab they'd found was unsettling, weird slabs of clay sitting around, broken colored bottles, and some odd tubes.
Mike just wanted out, he'd fall down the stairs now if he had to. He wanted no more of this search and save. He'd done enough the first fifty blocks, God would forgive him just this once for wanting to leave. This was freaky and boring.
He looked up as Dex pulls down the attic stairs and went up them. He waited a moment, then started to follow. "Holy….Hey Mikey, I think I found something…." Dex called down.
"Something or someone?" Mike asked, coming up slower. "I don't know…." Dex replied. Mike frowned a bit, but went all the way up anyway. He blinked at Dex's find, two small cryo-tubes* embedded in the walls. There was a single console between the two tubes, alive with lights and blinking knobs and buttons. Air hoses ran from each tube to the walls, energy crackling across the wires inside.
Mike looked at Dex, who started towards the tubes. Mike just watched his companion wipe off a bit of frost from one, revealing a baby boy inside. He wore an adult sized silver necklace round his small neck, the piece broken in half with a red gem in its center. He squinted a bit at it, getting closer. "What's that on his head? A scar?" Mike asked.
Dex peered closer and shook his head. "It's a Z. It's black, might be a birthmark…or a tattoo, some folks do that with their kids."
"What folks? The sadist freaks or the foreign weirdos?" Mike grumbled, staring at the odd baby boy.
"Cram it….show some respect for other opinions. You're such a damn racist," Dex let out and wipes the other one, a baby girl revealed within," must have been here since their parents left. I wonder why they'd leave their own babies behind. Hey, she's got the other half of that weird gem necklace. They look like twins, must be something cute their parents cooked up."
"I am not a racist, I just want out of this weird science freak show, and second, how should I know why they're here. I don't care about what they have or look like anymore. Can we just leave?" Mike grunted out, leaning on the console beside the boy's tube. "No,….this is fascinating. Just don't touch anything….they could be alive…." Dex said evenly, looking about the tube for something to open it.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm just gonna relax right here." Mike replied, setting his hands down on the console, where he believed there was only metal casing.
"Beep! Beep! Launch Initiated! Launch Ignition will commence in 2 minutes….please vacate the premises….Warning, Dangerous Temperatures will be reached in….t-minus…one minute…." A robotic female voice let out.
Dex yelped. "What the hell did you do?"
"I just leaned….forget what I did. Dangerous temperatures in one minute, RUN!" Mike yelled and bolted out of the attic, then down the stairs. He heard Dex at his heals as the heat rose in the house, the walls catching fire.
Mike and Dex started screaming as they rammed through the front door together, flame and smoke gushing out of the doorway behind them. The two young soldiers tucked and rolled away from it, ramming into an abandoned car with their backs. Upside-down, singed, and winded, they watched the tubes atop the house spit out the cryo-tubes at lightening speed, the house falling in on itself in a rush of ash, flaming billows of smoke, and heat shattered concrete.
They watched until the two pods went in different directions into the cloudy and dusty night sky, leaving their smoke trails behind. Then, there was nothing but the memory of the smell of smoke to greet them, their eyes fixated on the now empty sky. Dex turned his head a bit, looking at his companion with wide, shocked eyes. "What just happened?"
Mike looked back, only with his eyes. "I don't know….and I don't want to know. All we know is some crazy scientist had some explosives in his house and we stumbled onto them. Nothing more or less….we don't have the time to fill out a report about freezie pop babies that launch on us and explode their house. WE saw explosives and that is it….I'm too young to wither here in paperwork." Mike said sharply.
"Yeah, me too. Let's go tell them that…argh, after my spine realigns out of this car door….ich." Dex groaned. "Could be worse…"Mike replied.
Dex shot him an exasperated look. "How could it possibly be worse?"
Mike shrugged, best he could. "Could be raining…." No sooner did it leave his lips did the dusty sky toil and spill rain drops onto their precariously positioned bodies.
Dex shot him a dirty look. "Big mouth…." Mike simply pushed away from the car and stood with aches and pain. It didn't pay to be a good guy anymore.
~ The Oni** Galaxy ~
-- 1 Million Years Later -
The ship of the Oni Galaxy's royalty rode the stars like a dark specter, darker than the sky, near invisible to the naked eye. It could avoid detection so easily, able to cloak itself in the camouflage of the stars, then would reveal itself when a planet was to be attacked, for it would be far too late to fight their grand armies. The last things anyone they were fighting would see, would be the giant asteroid ship that held their warriors and rulers, their superior technology, and superior wrath. The universe deserved to be ruled by the Oni alone. No evil was good enough to compare, not any of the ancient evils of the Dark Specter followers, not the foppish Machine Empire, no, none of them were worth the mud under their boots, or worth more than a crushed insect.
Now they were on a mission, to find the Power Gems of the recently conquered world of Valuria. Their priests and shamans had escaped with the five precious stones, gems of incredible powers of ancient warriors. With those gems, no more fuels would need to be exhausted by their vessel, they could conquer at will from their home world.
The lord and master of them all was their great queen, Viper. She was the greatest of them, the most destructive warlord to be born. She had survived the trials against the others who had wanted to rule, time and time again, beating men and women alike. She was as powerful as she was beautiful, her hair green and black like deadly acid, her eyes like those of a snake, her nails were green and claw like, and she wore the best of emerald armor there was. Her sword was one that only a ruler could hold, the mighty Killian, the sword of the god of their world, the god of war and death. Only one so strong could hold it, and only those with her in mind, to do whatever was necessary to win, were allowed to serve her.
She sat upon her throne as her soldiers directed the ship, her slit eyes ever watchful of the stars and planets in her view. She looked at her aging Captain of the Guard. He was a foolish old man now, and no one seemed to meet his standards. Captain Holun was strong, yes, brave, there was no doubt, but he had grown senile and deaf. She hated weaknesses, and his were wearing dangerously on her nerves. He would be destroyed soon, and she would have a new captain trained as all warriors were, from early childhood. It would be better with some fresh meat around. Listening to or even being near a doddering old man with a horn in his ear was embarrassing and tedious.
"My Queen, we've picked up something on the radar….a tiny vessel." A pilot shouted. She tilted her head up, bored, and sighed. "Another bit of space garbage…..this universe is boring and I'm not fighting any faster with these meaningless reports." She snarled, yawning tightly.
"Forgive me, my queen, but there's a life form aboard it." The pilot said more politely.
"Life!?…Well that's something much more interesting. Activate our tractor beam and bring it aboard immediately. I shall see to it myself." She said quickly, jumping out of her chair with new excitement.
He saluted swiftly and got to work. "Yes, Queen Viper."
Life forms were better than space junk. Maybe she could torture it, or eat it. It didn't matter, it was probably some escapee or some fool who tried to escape her. Either way, it was new, and that was always agreeable.
~ Main Hanger ~
Her soldiers were waiting for her, a group of twelve for now, the usual number for a live boarding. She grinned, it was so suitable to see them still active. She hadn't lost her touch at least.
The small vessel was at their feet, steaming out, as two of her soldiers were getting it open. It wasn't big enough to hold an escapee or a refugee at all. It was barely big enough to shop armor. "Hurry up, fools. I don't have all day for this." She hissed.
The two men nodded and quickly got the vessel to open. Steam rushed out, but it was cold. She didn't like the cold very much, but it was dissipating. One of the soldiers looked inside, waving the steam away with his hands. "Baby?" he said.
"What?" she asked. The soldier reached in and pulled out a baby boy with a tuft of dark brown hair, a black "Z" on his forehead. He squirmed a bit in the man's arms, yawning softly. He must have just woken up from a long sleep. "A baby…..way out here, who would send a child here….do they think I will spare a baby?….Oh." she said, nearly drawing her blade, before she got a thought.
"Give him to me, soldier." She demanded. He obeyed and she too the squirming, curious child. He looked up at her, staring quite seriously into her eyes. His eyes were an icy blue color, as cold and brilliant as newly formed ice. "On second thought….," she began, grinning evilly at the baby, then looked to the soldier who had picked him up," You will care for this baby and make it into a fine soldier. What is your name?"
He flinched a moment, then straightened up, his dark helmet and armor hiding his facial features from her. "Lt. Terran, my Queen….I will honor your command with my life." He stated.
She shoved the baby back into his arms. "See that you do. You and the grand generals will train him to….replace Captain Holun. Do not fail me…Lt….or you will pay with your measly life….slowly."
He nodded quickly and ran off with the baby. Then her sharp eyes went to the remaining soldiers. "The rest of you….take captain Holun to his room as usual….and help him….retire through an airlock on the way. He's not to reach his room….alive." she grinned wickedly, letting it deepen as they saluted and ran off.
"Perfect….things are going better for the load of boredom I have suffered. This will prove interesting….very interesting indeed." She glowered, then let out a loud cackle. By the time their system was cleared, this baby would be a man, and if the soldiers did their jobs right, he would pave her way to her true destiny, total universal domination.
To Be Continued…..
Teaser: Z all grown up, and works for the Queen of Evil, but fate has not warranted him to the destiny of Queen Viper's victory, but to the destiny of a sibling lost, and powers beyond human reason falls into the clutches of evil.