AN: I've returned to this story after a long hiatus and a renewed interest. I also began watching the series again, so that's another reason why. As a viewer, you know that Venjix may or may not be truly dead, as he is a mere virus, able to jump from one body to another, and in this case, possibly the Ranger Series Red morpher. I was going to originally set this story after Key to the Past, but then I got to thinking, What if Venjix wasn't dead, but hibernating in Scott's morpher, where we may have last seen him, just ready to make his comeback? It would mean an overhaul of this story as you, my readers, knew it, but I think it could make the story more interesting and I can still explore my subplots as I was going to in the original story. As of now, all of the "canon" couples are exactly as they are in the series proper, not together, but in some way, shape, or form aware of their feelings for each other. My job in this story is to tie up the loose end of Venjix potentially being alive and to get our three "canon" couples together. I'm going to come up with some cute, but unique and action-y, ways, as befitting of an action series, to finally get all of our favorite ship-tease-y couples together, plus some other surprises I'm keeping to myself and coming up with as I go along.
As the morphers sat there in their case, one of them glowed an eerie red.
"I am back and I will build my army to be bigger and better than ever. I will finally destroy those Rangers once and for all! Now, I just need to find a way to get into a new body, since my old body was destroyed by those wretched Rangers."
The red light vanished from the morpher, traveling off to parts unknown.
"I need new Generals, since my old ones have failed me, especially Subject D78, formerly Tenaya 15. I shall seek my revenge on Tenaya 15 for betraying me."
The red light traveled to an area that was familiar to it, its former hideout, the Venjix Palace. Venjix took his rightful place in his tower, his throne, his red eye glowing over his empty throne room.
"For my first order of business, I need new Generals, then I shall create an Attack Bot to destroy that precious city the Rangers call home. The Rangers will not know what hit them until it is too late.
With a flash of light, the claw arm was operational and a group of Grinders was tossing scrap metal into the pit underneath it. Before long, the claw arm reached into the pit and pulled out a large robot. He had a helmet, like that of a medieval knight, and was wearing silver armor. He looked like General Shifter's Knight Bot, but with silver armor and his face hidden behind a helmet. He also stood a bit taller than the Knight Bot and carried only a lance, rather than a lance and a shield. He introduced himself as General Lancelot and pledged his undying loyalty to Venjix. General Lancelot decided, as his first order of business, to create a new Attack Bot to show that Venjix was indeed back in action. Lancelot had the Grinders throw some more scrap metal into the pit and in no time, the claw arm pulled out a large robot with a cloud motif.
"Master Venjix, please allow me to present my first, and greatest creation, yet, the Dream Bot, Generation 8. He has the power to give his victims dreams, which quickly turn into nightmares. The best part is, his victims cannot be awoken from their dream, so he must be destroyed before his victims can be freed from his power. In addition, whatever damage Dream Bot inflicts on his victims in the Dream World, he inflicts on them in real life."
"Interesting, General Lancelot. Deploy him at once! I want to see how the Rangers deal with this."
General Lancelot nodded, and with that, deployed his newest creation into the domed city of Corinth.
Summer looked around the battlefield. She was the only one left standing and the only one with minimal injury. She had no idea how that was possible when she looked at the bodies of her friends around her. It seemed like she had barely a scratch on her, compared to the grievous wounds of her closest friends and teammates. She couldn't be sure that any of them were alive, but if they were, she had to protect them from the oncoming army of Grinders. She had no time to figure out if her friends were alive or dead, she just needed to fight, otherwise she was going to end up like them, bruised, battered, broken, and strewn about the battlefield like broken dolls. Summer put everything she had into her Energy Blast and sent her attack flying at the Grinders. It destroyed a good portion of the Grinder army, but not all of them, and her energy levels were being depleted at a fast rate. She couldn't keep this up. At this rate, she would end up like her friends. She looked back at them, all unmorphed as a result of being so heavily injured, Scott, Ranger Red, laying there, broken, not moving, and bleeding heavily. Flynn, Ranger Blue, bleeding heavily, condition unknown. Ziggy, Ranger Green, no longer laughing or joking, only bleeding, and probably dying. Gem, Ranger Gold, lying on the ground, too still to still be considered alive. Gemma, Ranger Silver, much like her brother, too still to be considered alive. And then, there was Dillon, Ranger Black. Summer cried as she looked at him, skin broken to show his cybernetics, blood pouring out of other wounds, body lying motionless on the ground. She couldn't tell if anyone, let alone him, was dead or alive, but she figured they would all be dead if she didn't come up with something quick. Her energy levels were close to depleted, she couldn't summon her Zord in this condition, and she didn't know what injuries she may or may not have. She figured if her friends were going to die, she would die alongside them. She limped over to Dillon and laid down beside him. She demorphed and curled her body around his, intertwining her fingers with his, and waited for the Grinders to launch their final, deadly attack on them.
Summer Landsdown, formerly Ranger Yellow, jerked up in bed. She grasped her sheets, gasping for air, terrified. She thought that she hadn't been heard until Dillon, formerly Ranger Black, came into her room and sat down on her bed. Did I scream? I must have screamed. What the hell was that? Were we all dead? I've never had anything like that happen to me before.
"Summer what's wrong?" Dillon asked. She screamed loud enough to wake the dead. What happened to shake her up this bad?
"Nothing's wrong, I'm fine." I must have screamed loud enough for the entire Garage to hear. I'm clearly not fine.
"You don't sound fine to me." She's not fine, I can tell. No one screams that loud and is fine afterward.
"Well I am, so just leave me alone, okay." I'm not fine, so don't leave me alone. I don't want to be alone!
"Fine." A few minutes later they heard four more masculine voices and one more feminine voice. They walked into her room, well more like ran, and all crowded around her bed.
"Summer what's going on?" Scott asked.
"Aye."
"Ditto."
"Summer," Gemma began, "what's wrong?" Gem finished.
Those were the voices of her friends. Scott was formerly known as Ranger Red, the leader, now leader of Eagle Squadron. Flynn was formerly known as Ranger Blue, the Scottish mechanic, now running a shop with his father. Ziggy was formerly known as Ranger Green, the clown with a heart of gold, now running a school with Dr. K, and Gem and Gemma were formerly known as Ranger Gold and Ranger Silver respectively, "The Boom Twins," as they were affectionately nicknamed, now members of Eagle Squadron under Scott.
"She's not going to talk about it, so we might as well leave her alone like she asked." Dillon said. I can tell she doesn't want to be left alone and I want to stay with her, but I don't want to do anything she doesn't want me to.
"I'm not leaving until I know what's wrong with her," Scott said.
"Aye, me either."
"Ditto, she's my friend too."
"We want," Gemma began, "to know what's wrong." Gem finished.
"That'll have to wait." That was the voice of Dr. K, their mentor, over the intercom.
"What's up Doc?" Dillon asked her.
"We have a slight issue. I need all of you to assemble in my lab immediately." I have no idea how this could have happened. Why did I not notice this before?
Scott took that as his cue to take control of his former team.
"Let's move, people. Gemma, stay here with Summer, help her get ready, and then go wake Tenaya. I have a feeling this is something she's going to want to hear.
"Yes, Sir." Gemma saluted and closed the door, practically shoving the boys out the door. "Come on, Summer, let's get you ready!"
Summer was skeptical, but knew her friend just wanted to help her. She watched as Gemma pulled a pair of jeans and a yellow top out of a drawer. Out of another drawer came a yellow bra and panty set and a pair of yellow socks. Finally, out of the closet came Summer's black RPM jacket, with the number "3" on the back, in the shape of a bear. Gemma set the clothes out on Summer's bed and pulled her friend out from underneath her covers. Summer, used to emergencies, got dressed in record time and both girls made their way to Tenaya's room.
The former Venjix Infiltration Attack Bot, and Dillon's sister, was sound asleep in her room, even against the sound of the intercom. She hadn't had a proper sleep in a while, the last time was before being abducted by Venjix, so she was taking every advantage to experience something that everyone else took for granted. Summer and Gemma opened the door and walked in. Summer shook Tenaya awake, gently, so as not to scare her, while Gemma pulled out some clothes for Tenaya to wear. She pulled out a pair of jeans, a black top, and a black jacket, not unlike Dillon's, and laid them out on the bed. Gemma also pulled out a pair of socks for Tenaya to put on and laid them out with the rest of the outfit. After Tenaya woke up, she, too, got dressed in record time and the three girls made their way down the stairs and into Dr. K's lab. She had thought that after she, Dillon, and Summer had returned from the Wastelands and trying to find signs of other life, that life would settle down for all of them, but she didn't know how wrong she was.
"Alright, what's up, Doc?" Scott asked, echoing Dillon's earlier question.
"The city seems to have a problem. We have an Attack Bot infiltration." If this keeps up, Ziggy and I will have to close the school until this is really over.
"But, that's impossible, Doc! We destroyed Venjix, the battle is over."
"Apparently not, Rang-," she caught herself, "Scott. It would appear as though the battle is not over yet." It would seem old habits do not die hard, as they say.
Dr. K got up from her computer and pulled out a familiar briefcase, one that no one thought they'd ever see again.
"Ranger Series Operators, I need all of you to take up your morphers again to fight this new threat.