POWER RANGERS
ALL THAT IS GOLD
Chapter 1:
Does not shine
Angel Grove.
The crown jewel of the east coast of the United States.
Ever since it's humble beginnings as the first English colony on the east coast, it has always served as a primary destination for those visiting California, and had slowly become the top tourist resort in the entire US.
Ever since Microsoft, Dell, and HP went under, and Apple buying out Verizon, and AT&T, it had become the new Silicon Valley.
At any given time, billions of US dollars, among other foreign currencies, were flowing in and out of the city. It brought industry back to the United States and became the number one reason why we were able to come back form the brink of a triple dip recession.
Technology, tourism, recreation, even agriculture...this metropolis had it all. And then some.
AN urban legend had it that a person could spend their entire lives in downtown and still not be able to see or do everything the city offered.
Given its stellar growth, and expansion, it easily eclipsed New York City as capital of the world.
Quite impressive, given the city was nearly abandoned because of weekly monster attacks by Rita Repulsa, Lord Zedd, among others. During the 90's it garnered the reputation of most dangerous place to live in the world.
But people refused to leave for various reasons. The chief among them being a chance to see the Power Rangers in action.
A group of mysterious, costumed figures that commanded huge mechs to beat back the forces of evil and darkness, and rallied a community to have hope, courage, and bravery in the face of long odds.
They would need it.
One disastrous day, the city was nearly leveled in what was coined "The Day of Destruction". Rounded up and herded into large groups, the citizens were given an ultimatum: Give up the Power Rangers, or face mass extermination.
The citizens rose up and beat back their attackers just long enough for the rangers to claim victory!
That's when the rebuilding started.
The Department of Public Works became adept at quickly repairing whatever damage had been left behind. Mayor Jerome Stone himself personally commissioned a well thought out, 15 year plan to rejuvenate the city, nay, reinvent the city into something glorious!
Skyscrapers became the tallest ever built, monuments were constructed, parks were expanded, in particular Angel Grove Park, which was now twice it's original size.
And it worked!
After everything was said and done, the people, and money, started flowing in like crazy. In the face of a devastating recession, a depression some would say, Angel Grove prospered in spite of it, and even reversed the entire country's financial outlook.
Zero homelessness, .5% unemployment, the biggest crime being a man dumping used motor oil down a sewer drain, and it's no mystery why people chose Angel Grove to live, to work, to play.
But there was one thing that didn't change.
One thing that was the constant in this city.
The most important land mark of all.
No, not the remains of the command center, which became a museum to the Power Rangers.
But rather the Gym and Juice Bar. A location all the teens and adults in Angel Grove were familiar with and visited frequently.
As the name implies, it's a juice bar, and a gym, but it also doubles as a community center. Despite the additions of a Olympic size pool, a room full of tanning beds, and other rooms for various activities, like aerobics and yoga, the interior largely remained the same for the past 20 years.
Some time ago, it's future was in doubt.
Lt Jerome Stone, formerly of the local police department, quit there to focus on his campaign for mayor, and after Bulk and Skull, the two remaining proprietors, went their separate ways.
Bulk moved away to become a samurai, and Skull went to Scotland to get a degree.
It looked like the main stay of Angel Grove was going to close for good, until a new face turned up.
Bernie, the son of Ernie, the original owner and founder, returned to head up the bar, and everyone took a big sigh of relief.
Well...enough about that. I still get nostalgic when I think about sometimes. I've lived in this city since '93. I've seen a lot of changes...but the atmosphere still remains the same. It's still Angel Grove, a city that hasn't lost or forgotten it's roots. In a way, it still seems like a small town, like the way I knew it all those years ago.
Now, you maybe thinking, who is this?
Who am I?
Ok. I'll tell you.
You may know me as Jason Lee Scott.
The original red ranger.
Then the gold ranger.
And the story I'm going to tell you...let's just say it'll open your eyes to a few things.
For now though, sit back, relax, pop open a cold one, and listen to a tale of how a rag team of rangers, came together, fell apart, and still managed to pull off the greatest victory known to man.