Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers or anything associated with it. Nor do I own anything associated with Super Sentai – the Zangyack are their property, and their property alone. And frankly, they can keep them :-p
Rating: K+
A/N: I know, terrible: thou definition art me. I haven't touched any of my fanfics in so long! I kept trying to write the next chapter, but nothing was coming. So this idea has been bugging me FOREVER, so in the hope that finally kicking it out of my brain will help me write the rest of my stories, I'm finally putting pen to paper, so to speak. And yes, I realise I already have a Gokaiger adaption story started, but like I said: this idea will not be shook!
A/N2: I think I maybe got a bit carried away and got my Aussie on in this chapter. Any sentence/phrase/word that doesn't make sense: stress less. It's just Aussie-English :-)
MIGHTY MORPHIN' PIRATE FORCE
Part one
"It's not so bad," she said to herself, quietly. Steeling herself. One last, deep breath and then she had to step forward. Just had to. Okay, she lied. One more, then she'd move. Just one more.
"Stop being ridiculous," she scolded herself, finally putting one foot before the other. This was only school. She'd faced much scarier things before. Sure, it was an all-new school in an all-new country, but what of it? Toughen up, princess.
She stepped into up to the sprawling steps leading up to the main entrance door. Students brushed past her, laughing, joking—that one was scowling—happy to see their friends on the first day of school. Happy to see their friends alive, she thought.
Not all the students would be returning this year, it was the same everywhere. Ever since the first Zangyack ships had returned. Armies all over the world were doing their best to keep them at bay, but there was only so much they could do against firepower and technology the likes of which people of Earth had never encountered. No one knew what to do. No one—except the Power Rangers. They'd done their best, given all they had, and even that had only been enough to destroy one fleet.
Now, two years on, the second fleet had arrived—and there were dozens more out there yet. Hundreds more.
She shook her head. No use worrying about what you can't change. She avoided the white, vacant gazes of the students who returned to school to find their friends hadn't made it. The quiet, hunched students who had lost siblings. She'd seen it all before. She'd seen it in the mirror.
"Watch where you're going," the rough voice came before the bump. She was sent stumbling forward, but she managed to keep her feet. She looked behind her, eyes wide. A girl with chocolate skin and mystic blue eyes was grinning impishly at her, but did not stop to apologise. Why would she? She'd done it on purpose. The other girl laughed harshly before turning to face forward again, her braids fanning out as she did so.
"Just find the office," our girl said. She forced herself to look up from her shoes, not wanting to bump into anyone in the overcrowded hallway. The missing students were more than made up for by new students, students whose schools were no longer standing, or who had moved to be closer to remaining relatives.
The girl shook her head at her thoughts. She was scaring herself again. It wasn't quite as bad as that made it sound, not yet. The army was doing a good job. But it was just treating the illness, not curing it.
"You look lost," a friendly voice said. She looked up in shock, and encountered a pair of bespectacled green eyes. A Filipino boy stood before her, grinning a goofy smile. With peroxide blond hair and a bowtie, his appearance brought a smile to her face.
"I fear I am," she said quietly, politely. "I'm looking for the student office."
"Ah! That's an easy one," the boy smiled more broadly. "Just keep going down this hall and it's just around the corner, on your left."
"Thank-you," she said. He waved farewell and kept walking. It was going to be okay. Not everyone's spirit was broken. In fact, looking around, she saw that remarkably few students looked upset at all. Most were happy to be back at school. As sure a sign of the end of world as anything, but she knew she didn't mean it this time. School was something normal, something from before.
She dodged and weaved, smiling at her fellow students, as she made her way to the student office to get her timetable. The friendly receptionist there gave her a map of the school, too. Easy done. She had maths first—a disaster in and of itself, but she'd manage.
With the help of her map and some obliging students, she at last found her way to Room 314. It'd taken longer than she hoped, and by the time she stepped through the lime green door, almost all the seats were taken. Hesitantly, she made her way down the first aisle to the first available seat.
She groaned internally when she saw it was the girl who had bumped into her earlier that morning. Fixing her smile firmly on her face, she stepped toward the empty seat.
The other girl raised her eyebrow, and nodded towards her legs which were resting on the seat. "Keep moving, princess," she smirked.
The girl kept walking, as there was a spot in the next row, next to a tall Hispanic boy. He shot her one bored glance, saying, "Don't even think about it". Exasperated, she went to the next row, were a gloomy-looking Japanese boy was sulking. He shook his head, 'no'.
"I'm sorry, but I really must sit here," the girl said. "There are no other seats." She sat forcefully in the seat to prove her point. The boy glared and shifted. He made to pick up his books and move, but just then the teacher, Mr Yates, walked in.
"What do you think you're doing, Joe?" Mr Yates asked, placing his text books on the table up front. The boy, Joe, meet the teacher's gaze disdainfully. "I'm moving, next to Ian."
"No, you're to stay there, class has started."
Joe sank slowly into his chair, glaring at the teacher. Ian, the tall boy in the row in front, turned around and raised an eyebrow. Joe just shook his head, slowly, inching away from the girl on his left.
Mr Yates didn't bother to take the roll or welcome the students to the new school year. He went straight into explaining trigonometry on the board. The girl opened up her book, but did not start to write. She eyed the boy next to her, before turning to face him, offering a friendly smile.
"Hi," she said cheerfully, under her breath. Joe ignored her.
"I'm Tilly," she persisted. She looked at Joe, expectantly. He was feigning interest in what was going on up the front of the classroom.
Feeling her gaze and clearly irked by it, he said, "I didn't ask."
Delighted she'd forced him to speak to her, Tilly continued. "I'm Australian."
"Couldn't tell," he muttered.
Joe made a big show of listening to Mr Yates, and Tilly finally gave up, sighing. It felt so forced now, but that was who she'd been, before. It was who she was determined to be again. Bright, friendly, bubbly, personable. It was a start. It was a start.
At the end of the double maths period, Joe couldn't leave his seat fast enough. He caught up with Ian and the rude girl on their way out of the room. The girl looked back over her shoulder, curiously, at Tilly. The boys did not spare her a glance as she collected her books and made their way to the front of the classroom.
Chemistry was next—goodness help whoever ended up as her partner—and then it was her lunch break. She could do this. One third of the day down, two thirds to go.
When she traipsed into the science labs, she was pleasantly surprised to see the friendly Filipino boy she met before school there. She frowned when she saw the girl and the boy—Joe—from maths standing near him. Joe was clearly bored, staring off into space, his long fringe falling forward to hide half his face. The girl, however, was clearly saying something to the blonde boy. She laughing disparagingly, and the boy flushed with embarrassment.
"Ah, and here's the koala," the girl said cheerfully. Joe scowled, but the other boy looked up, smiling when he recognised Tilly.
"I know you," he said brightly. Turning to the other girl, he asked, "Is that the only Australian animal you know, Tamika?"
"It's the only one worth knowing," the other girl, Tamika, pouted, crossing her arms. "Run along, Koala, I'm having a conversation here."
"You're making my life miserable," the boy corrected.
"You're confused," Tilly said pleasantly, smiling at Tamika. Tamika shifted uncomfortably. "Koala's don't run. They crawl and climb. Perhaps you're thinking of an emu?"
The boy laughed, and held out his hand. "Darc," he introduced himself.
"Duck?" Tilly blinked in confusion. Darc flushed. Tamika laughed before wandering off to find Joe, who was sulking at a bench.
"Close enough," Darc said. Seeing Tilly didn't mean to tease, he smiled hesitantly at her. "You probably need a lab partner, don't you?"
"At some point, that would be pleasant," Tilly smiled, a little vacantly, Darc had to admit.
"You can pair with me—saves you having to deal with the miserable duo over there," Darc said, tilting his head in Joe and Tamika's direction.
"Oh, I wouldn't wish being my lab partner on anyone," Tilly said hurriedly, still smiling pleasantly. It was this smile that lead to Darc's fatal error of insisting Tilly be his lab partner.
"Well, I'm an excellent lab partner, so between us we should be able to muster up a semi decent grade – I could even help you with your work," Darc said, thinking Tilly was being modest but hedging his bets. She smiled brightly and he responded likewise.
When Ms Johnson walked into the room and dully informed to students to pair off, Tamika approached Darc.
"Come on, Ducky," she said.
Darc mumbled something, but neither Tamika nor Tilly had any idea what it was.
"Come again?" Tamika raised an eyebrow.
Darc flushed, and looked at his feet.
"I believe Duck said he's already agreed to be my partner," Tilly broke in, firmly. Tamika was caught off guard – either by the information or by the stoutly polite tone of the remark.
"Now it's your turn to be mistaken, Koala – he's my partner. Has been every year since middle school. Hop along."
"Kangaroo," Tilly smiled demurely, shaking her head.
"She's right," Darc mumbled.
"I know koalas don't hop!" Tamika said, exasperated.
"No, I mean yes, but I meant," Darc stumbled over his words, flushing, staring at his shoes.
"You're seriously not going to be my partner?" Tamika asked, surprisingly quiet. Tilly spared a glance at the other girl, and saw that she was genuinely taken aback. "Fine, be that way. Joe, you're my partner."
"I already have a partner," Joe said mundanely. A blond boy was standing next to him at a bench.
"Beat it," Tamika said roughly to the boy, and he hastily collected his books and rushed off. "Joe, you're my partner," she repeated.
"Whatever," Joe muttered, leaning against the wall.
Tilly and Darc took the bench opposite, having wasted so much time no other space was available.
"You better watch yourself," Tamika said to Tilly, dangerously. Tilly simply smiled in response, and Tamika looked away, uncomfortable.
"Okay, so you really are bad at chem," Darc said as they left the room, still slightly amazed Tilly had managed to create an explosion using just water, sugar and something she insisted was labelled 'salt'.
"I did try to warn you," Tilly sighed.
Tamika brushed past Tilly on her way out of the room, still laughing. "I think I like you a whole lot better now, Explodaroo."
"She's really terrible with nicknames," Darc muttered to Tilly. "Don't tell her that, though, or you'll walk with a limp for the rest of the week."
"Did you learn through experience?" Tilly asked. Darc nodded.
Tilly opened her mouth to speak again when the ground suddenly lurched. Students braced themselves against walls, lockers and doorways as the school continued to shake. Seconds later, the sound came. The blasts, the explosions, catching up with their impact.
"Zangyack!" someone screamed.
Tilly and Darc looked at each other, before following the throng of students bolting for the door. Better to risk your luck out in the open than have a building collapse on you.
Students were falling over, helping each other up. Tilly saw Joe standing in a doorway, casting a contemptuous glance at the students rushing for the exit.
"Joe!" she shouted. He slowly turned to look at her. "Run!" she shouted. He stayed where he was, so she turned back, fighting through the sea of students, to get to him. "Run! Are you crazy?" she said. When he looked at her impassively, she shrieked in frustration, grabbing him by the wrist and attempting to drag him along behind her.
"What's the point? It's not the school they're attacking," he said. He planted his feet, and she tugged fruitlessly.
"Don't you know how shockwaves work?" she shouted at him.
"The building can withstand stronger knocks than this," he said, but he began to move nevertheless. Tilly was relieved.
"We're just going out to be easy targets," he informed her.
"You were the one who said they weren't attacking the school!" Tilly pointed out. She was not the tallest of people, and was finding it hard to breathe in the overcrowded hallway. "Move, move, move," she silently begged. One girl just beside her looked truly traumatised. Her face was pale to the lips, tears streaking down her face. Not the first time she's been through this, Tilly thought. She reached out to the girl to give her hand a comforting squeeze. The girl turned to her, shocked, then offered a small smile.
"Stay strong, it'll be alright," Tilly said, trying hard to keep the fear from her own face. Behind her, Joe made an exasperated sound that was lost in the general pandemonium.
When they eventually pushed through the double doors at the entrance of the school, Joe and Tilly saw throngs of students rushing off in every direction, while teachers fruitlessly tried to initiate the emergency action plan. Tilly saw Mr Yates trying to call a few students over, and calmly made her way towards him.
"Took you long enough!" Tamika scolded Joe when she caught sight of him. Seeing Tilly serenely making her way towards the teachers, she asked, "What's she doing?"
"How would I know?" Joe asked, glancing around with a bored expression. Finding a grinning Ian, he gave a nod of acknowledgement.
Ian strode up to them. "This is fantastic," he said. "Couldn't have timed it better. Right before physics."
"Hey, you," Tamika called out to Tilly, who was completely oblivious. She either could not, or would not, hear Tamika. "Blabaroo!"
"Please, stop," Joe scowled.
"Tilly," she called to the girl, jogging to catch up to her. "What on Earth are you doing? Get going! Go home."
"I am going to wait in the emergency evacuation point with the staff," Tilly said, blinking in confusion.
"You're the only one, don't bother," Tamika said. "Go home and pray those space ship gunners don't pick your sorry hide out."
"You're mistaken," Tilly smiled her off-putting, serene smile. "I am not the only one. Duck is there, too." With that, she turned and walked up to Mr Yates, who looked a little perplexed, but marked her name on a piece of paper regardless.
"Hells bells," Tamika muttered under her breath, following behind. She strode up to Darc and said, "Just because your name is Duck doesn't mean you have to act like a sitting one."
"My name isn't Duck," the boy flushed again, looking more upset than annoyed.
Ian, curious at the hold up, made his way over to the group. Joe, after a moment, followed behind.
"What's with the mother's club?" Ian asked in a bored voice, smirking at Darc and Tamika.
"What do you mean?" Tilly asked.
"Hate to break up the chat," Joe said in a louder voice than usual, but no more urgent. "But it would appear something big and destructive is headed this way." In terror, the other four glanced at the sky, at a bright light that was fast approaching. Joe turned to Tilly, and said in his usual monotone, "I told you you would have been better off staying inside."
There was no time to run, no time to do anything but fruitlessly brace themselves as the light rapidly grew larger and brighter, a blast headed their way.
The last thing any of them saw before the world turned black was a flash of red.
Okay, so long, lack of ranger-ness intro, but I thought it'd be good to sorta set the whole end-of-humanityness that was going on at the moment. Suits and weapons galore next chapter most likely, if I can rein in my meandering.
Now, I should've put this at the start of the chapter, but I figured three notes before the story might've been pushing it a bit. For this timeline of events to make sense, a number of non-cannon assumptions have been made. Most you'll be able to work out yourself as the story progresses, but I suppose the big one is this:
Let's just all pretend that there'll only be one season of PR Megaforce (which hasn't aired yet in Australia, I'm getting so impatient! But at last the first toys are hitting the shelves…) which ends in the Legend/Mega War. Which sorta goes the way of the Gokaiger one. Everyone's powers go caput.
Anywho, you know the drill! I love to hear from you so please review if you've made it this far and can be bothered.