CHAPTER 1 – IGNITION (PART 1)
(inspired by Toei Company's Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters and Ressha Sentai ToQger, and Saban Capital Group's Power Rangers)
(Note: the reason that I've assigned voice actors to the roles instead of live-action actors is that I'm not very familiar with martial arts performers and who has auditioned for or aspires to be in the Power Rangers series. So consider this more like an animated series with different VAs providing voices for the Rangers and supporting cast)
Stone Canyon, California
February 14, 2024
"Come on, come on..." Jessie Yamada muttered anxiously under his breath as he watched the numbers on the pump rise slowly. His bike was coasting close to an empty tank, so he needed to fuel up immediately. But time was a crucial issue this morning - his alarm failed to go off, and he was already racing the clock to get to work, having woken up just 20 minutes ago, with only 10 minutes left until his shift started. Now this emergency stop was cutting into his time even more. Biofuel may be better for the environment, but it pumps as slowly as molasses
As Jessie gripped the handle tighter, subconsciously hoping that it might somehow speed up the flow, he stifled a deep yawn. He'd been in such a rush to make it to work on time that he didn't even bother to brew any coffee after showering and getting dressed. He could probably grab some from the break room at work, but he wasn't sure if there'd even be any left, or if there was, if it had been sitting so long it had gone bitter. I'll just grab a cup while I'm here, he thought. Maybe a breakfast bar as well; get something in my stomach. He reached into his jeans pocket to grab his wallet with his free hand, then stopped in a stunned panic. "No, oh please no!" He stopped pumping to check his other pockets. After frantically turning out his red windbreaker jacket Jessie had to accept the inevitable. "Are you kidding me?!" he groaned as he slapped his forehead in in frustration. In his haste to make it on time, he'd forgotten to grab his ID badge.
Seven minutes later, Jessie's bike sped towards the gate surrounding his workplace. Beyond the gate and the sprawling parking lot was a four-story building that stretched out for blocks, the center standing out from the more traditional steel exterior on both its sides with brilliant blue-tinted glass windows that shimmered in the still rising sun stretching up from the ground to the roof. This was the Stone Canyon division of Helios Industries, one of the nation's top scientific research laboratories. Stone Canyon's branch specialized in innovative energy solutions: finding ways to make fossil fuels more efficient, increasing the output of green energy, working to make less conventional power sources like geothermal and hydrogen energy safer and more viable. Maybe one day, Jessie mused as the chilly early morning wind whipped at his face and blew through his spiky black hair, they'll make a biofuel that doesn't take a lifetime to go through the pump.
Pulling up to the gate, Jessie hit the button on the intercom. The LCD monitor clicked from a still black screen to a feed from the front desk. A familiar figure, a man in his late 20s with slicked-back brown hair clad in a light grey uniform was seated behind the desk - Jon Hoffman, the first shift security guard. Jon leaned forward to respond to the call. "Helios Industries, how can I... oh, hey Jessie. Forgot your badge again?"
"Yeah," Jessie responded, embarrassed that this had happened yet again. This was not an uncommon situation for the 25-year-old tech to find himself in. "Sorry, I was under a time crunch. Can you let me in?"
"Sure thing." Jessie was grateful that Jon was so laid back and understanding. Last month he was in this same predicament when Jon had been out on vacation, and the substitute guard, a real jerk, refused to let him in. Thankfully Jessie was early that time so he was able to tailgate when another employee arrived, but today he didn't have that luxury.
The gate swung open and Jessie pulled into the lot. He had to park in the first open spot he saw near the gate since he didn't want to waste any more time trying to find a spot closer to the doors. Jessie dashed towards the entrance, panting by the time he reached the door. Jon noticed him through the glass and buzzed him in. The young maintenance tech sighed in relief as he looked at the clock behind the desk. It was 6:59. He'd made it with a minute to spare.
Jessie pumped his fist and silently declared "Yes!" at having made it. He moved towards the door to on the left side of the lobby, turning to address Jon as he passed. "Hey man, I still have to punch in. If anyone asks, will you say I was here before seven?"
"Sure thing. It's technically the truth. Have a good one."
"You too." Jessie left the lobby and headed down the hall, stopping by the nearest log-in terminal. He punched in his ID number, checking the time once it registered. Eleven seconds after eight. Technically late, but he had Jon to vouch for him, so he wasn't too worried if anyone questioned him. With the pressure off, he made his way past the central labs to the maintenance office at the end of the hall. The two other techs acknowledged him as he entered.
"Wow, didn't think you'd make it," Austin, a scruffy man in his 30s remarked.
"What's this now; four times in the last month?" Johnny, the older tech asked.
Jessie rolled his eyes and brushed off their comments. "It's only been three, and that's been since the start of the year." His colleagues snickered at his weak defense. "I know, I'm sorry. What can I say - winter affects me. Sometimes I'm not at the top of my game when I get up. But I'm good now. Had my caffeine and I'm ready to go." He tossed his jacket on an empty chair and grabbed his work overcoat from a hanger on the wall. "What's on the agenda today?"
"First on your list should be tracking down the idiots who're slowing down my work." An irritated voice came from behind Jesse. He turned to see an African American woman wearing a lab coat over her yellow V-neck, her hair pulled back into a ponytail and a look of fury on her face. It was Ashley Morgan from the synthetics research division, and he could tell someone had made the very bad decision to tick her off. "Someone on the night shift messed something up with the spectrometer. It's not registering any samples, and it still won't work after recalibration. They didn't tell me when I came in, didn't leave any notes... they know we're a team, right?!" Her indignation was rising. "If I can't get my work done, that affects them as well? How did they even get hired here if they don't even have the common sense to let people know-"
"Okay, okay Ash, calm down," Jessie tried to keep his friend's temper in check. "I'll take a look at it, don't worry. Just let me grab my tools and I'll be right over."
Ashley muttered angrily as she inhaled to calm herself. "Thanks. I appreciate it. I'm gonna report this to my supervisor though. This isn't the first time third shift has left a mess for me to clean up. It's disrespectful."
"It is. Hopefully your boss will take some action. Come on, show me where the problem is."
Thankfully it wasn't too difficult to fix Ashley's problem; the isolation valve just needed to be realigned, most likely after someone bumped it or adjusted it incorrectly. She was grateful for his assistance, and could now get through her shift, hopefully, without any further frustration. The rest of the morning went smoothly for Jessie, with few machines acting up that needed inspection, and those that did were easy to resolve. He wouldn't need to send in any trouble tickets to the manufacturers today. As noon rolled around he wrapped up his latest repair and headed for the cafeteria, only to stop stunned as a stern voice with a Manchester accent called out from behind him. "Jessie, can I please speak with you?" He knew the voice, and he knew what trouble awaited him. Turning, he faced an Indian woman in her early 50s wearing a cream-colored three-piece suit. It was Dr. Mira Patel, the lab's director and a stickler for the rules. "I was reviewing the morning's logs and I noticed that you didn't register until after your shift started. Can you please explain why?"
Jessie froze momentarily. He felt like a student who'd been busted playing hooky. "Yeah... sorry about that. I forgot to set my alarm, and I had my phone off, so I didn't hear that either. I was on site before my shift stared though, I swear. You can ask Jon."
Dr. Patel muttered and adjusted her glasses. Jessie often wondered if when she pushed them up using just her middle finger it was a subtle insult towards someone who'd gotten on her nerves. "Jessie, you're a good tech. You do your job well and you have a strong rapport with everyone working here. But Helios expects reliability from its employees. You've been cutting it close too many times this year when it comes to punctuality, and we're barely into February." Her expression softened a bit to let him know this wasn't anything personal. "While this is only your first late occurrence, I'm going to have to mark this as a written warning based on the past few weeks. Stop by my office before your shift is over to sign it. Hopefully this will give you incentive to be better prepared in the future."
"Yes ma'am. Thank you." Jessie was upset that his reprimand was harsher than expected, but trying to make excuses would probably just dig him into a deeper hole. "It won't happen again. I promise."
"I'll hold you to that. Keep up the good work."
Dr. Patel walked past Jessie, who resumed his trip to the cafeteria, stung by the warning in his record. Since he didn't have time to prep lunch in his morning run, he just settled on getting a sub and chips. After getting his order he scanned the room for a place to sit when he noticed Ashley's brother Davis from energy storage solutions dining at a table near the wall. He moved over, hoping for some good conversation to lighten his mood. "Mind if I sit here?"
Davis looked up from his lunch. "Jessie, how's it going? Yeah, have a seat." Jessie got off his feet. "Looks like something's bothering you. Was my sister that bad? I heard her venting, and I knew she was out for blood."
"Nah man, wasn't anything with Ashley. That went fine. I just got written up for coming in late. Guess the lucky streak of making it just in time had to end eventually."
"Well, hopefully this'll be the only time." He scratched the back of his closely-buzzed head before taking another bite of his burger, wiping away some ketchup that got on his chin before it dripped onto his blue polo or khakis. "Let's talk about happier things. Did you give Natalie her gift yet?"
"Not yet. Gonna see her after I'm done eating... oh, no!" Jessie slammed his sandwich down onto his tray. "I was in such a hurry this morning I forgot the tickets!" He groaned. "This sucks; I can't see her empty-handed."
"Come on, she'll understand. Just bring them tomorrow."
"You're right, you're right," Jessie took in a few breaths to calm down. "I just wanted to surprise her with them. Tomorrow I'll have missed the opportunity. But you're probably right; I'm sure she'll understand."
"Never pegged you for such a risk-taker, Jessie," a woman's voice suddenly came from his side. Jessie looked up to see a redhead in thin-rimmed glasses wearing a marigold blazer and slacks had approached the table with an empty tray while he was busy talking - Cathy Crawford, one of the researchers in the hydrogen fuel division. "Going to see your girlfriend on Valentine's Day without a gift; that's not a gamble most guys win on." There was a playful tone to her warnings. "Just so you know, if it blows up on you, I'm free this weekend and I love the theater."
"If things hit the fan, then it's a date," Jessie responded, playing along with the joke. "I'll let you know how it goes." He finished his sub and stood up from the table. "Catch you guys later."
"When you get back, stop by my division," Cathy called. "We're having some trouble with the ionic resonation chamber and we could use your advice."
"Sure thing. I'll - " he stopped mid-sentence to catch himself. "Not a real machine."
"Nice. You're catching onto my technobabble," Cathy smiled as she took a sip of her soda. "Sweep her off her feet, Romeo."
The two went their separate ways as they left the cafeteria, Cathy going back to her lab while Jessie made his way through a series of halls until he arrived at an elevator. The ID panel required employee authentication to activate for security purposes, but luckily for him it would also register his number manually. He entered the elevator and traveled down to the subterranean lab. Stepping out Jessie walked up a long corridor until he arrived in a large circular room. There were nine scientists seated at various terminals around the circumference of the room going to a large metallic wall with clear, thick plastic doors that bisected the chamber down the center. Behind that barrier, specially constructed to shield from radiation and cancel out the noise made by its activity, was a machine that resembled a 20-foot diameter ring of blue and silver metal with a mess of cables extruding from it. Natalie told Jessie that this was a non-scaling, fixed-field alternating gradient particle accelerator, still relatively new technology, but useful for conducting small scale research more cost-effectively than a much larger accelerator.
Jessie scanned the room until he spotted the woman he was looking for, recognizing the back of her head by the brunette pixie cut. Natalie Davenport, a specialist in theoretical physics, and his girlfriend of nearly a year. Jessie made his way up to her console and tapped her on the shoulder. She turned her head up and grinned when she saw who had arrived. "Happy Valentine's Day, Natalie."
Natalie wheeled around in her chair and got up to hug Jessie. "Happy Valentine's Day, babe. How's it going?"
"A few hiccups, but mostly good." Jessie rubbed the back of his head, his inflection showing he was becoming slightly nervous. "Uh, I was in a rush this morning so I forgot to bring your gift, but I'll have it tomorrow, I promise. Two tickets to see Les Mis on Saturday." Natalie was a great fan of the theater, and Les Misérables was one of the few major shows she'd yet to see. After this weekend, she could finally cross it off her list. Natalie was clearly pleased with the news of her gift. Her eyes widened, her smile grew, and she kissed Jessie. "So you're happy?" he jokingly asked.
"Very happy. I've been waiting years for a chance to see this show, and I can't think of a better time than seeing it with you. You are the best."
"Hey, will you give the mushy stuff a rest?" a heavyset man with thick glasses and stubble sitting next to her station cut in harshly.
"Mind your own business, Shawn!" Natalie shot back.
Jessie also gave a death glare to the rude scientist, then resumed his conversation. "How's the research going?"
"We're seeing progress. Nothing concrete yet, but the results suggest we're getting close." There was optimism in Natalie's hazel eyes. "I'm confident that before the year's over, we'll have proven the existence of dark energy. Once that door's open, the possibilities are infinite."
"I know you'll crack it." He glanced at a clock on the wall. "I have to go; my break's coming to an end. But I'll see you tomorrow, and I promise I will have the tickets with me." He gave Natalie another hug. "Catch you later."
"Later." Natalie returned to her desk as Jessie headed back towards the elevator. As he was starting to step out of the central room, he heard a low hum that quickly rose in intensity. The ground beneath him soon started to rumble. A siren's klaxon started to blare. Jessie stopped in his tracks and did an immediate 180, knowing something was wrong but still compelled to know what was happening. He saw the scientists begin to panic, and noticed the accelerator rattling wildly from behind the barricade.
"We have a fault in the accelerator!" A man shouted out. "Executing emergency shutdo-" he never got a chance to finish his sentence before the blast. The accelerator exploded with such force that it shattered through the partition. A chorus of screams sounded out as a surge of dark violet energy erupted from the device, spreading outward and upward. Jessie barely had time to react as he saw the wave sweep over Natalie and the rest of her team before it hit him with an intensity that knocked him down the hallway, causing him to black out from impact.
Minutes before the accelerator exploded, on the second story, Cathy was back in her department plugging test results into a spreadsheet. The division had been running a new program to try and compress hydrogen into a metallic state, but from the data before her, it was proving fruitless. "Don't think there's any way to increase the pressure," she muttered while looking over the information. "Already putting enough strain on the equipment as is. Not sure if we could drop the temperature any lower either without..." a low repeating electronic chirp distracted her. She looked over at the man sitting next to her. "Scott, you're beeping."
The other scientist, Scott Grey, was caught off guard at first before realizing what she meant. "Oh, thanks Cathy." He picked up the tablet next to his desktop and turned it on, the screen showing an icon of a medieval knight in white armor speaking with a text bubble. "My scheduler; set it to remind me about my doctor's appointment later today."
"Well, at least your battery isn't running low. I don't know where your port is, and I'd feel uncomfortable plugging you in."
"What are you talking about, the port's - oh, you meant on me. Now I get it." Scott was unable to resist rolling his eyes.
Cathy chuckled as she returned her attention to her screen and hit the print button to get a record of the data for her files. Seconds later a page came out of the printer, but the bottom half was completely blank while the top was faded and scattered. She sighed in frustration. "Great. I've gotta get a new ink cartridge." She got up from her seat and went to the supply closet near the back of the lab. As she opened the door, she felt a subtle shaking beneath her that soon grew to a massive tremor. A loud explosion sounded behind her, and the force of the blast hurled her into the closet, the door being slammed shut behind her.
Cathy groaned in pain as she picked herself up off the floor and brushed aside the office supplies that had fallen onto her from the shelves. Complete darkness surrounded her, and the air, to her at least, was starting to feel stale and sickly. Panic began to set in as she turned around and made her way to the door, feeling for the knob. She turned, but the door wouldn't budge. Her efforts to get it open became more frantic with each failure. "Help! I'm stuck in here!" she shouted, hoping someone could hear her.
"Cathy?" Scott's muffled voice came from the other side of the door. "Are you okay?!"
"I'm good, but I can't get the door open!" She was starting to breathe more heavily. "What happened out there?!"
"I thought it was an earthquake, but something shot up from the ground and ripped through the lab! It brought down some rubble from the ceiling. The door's blocked. Stay calm, I'll try to find a way to get it clear."
"No! No, stay here!" There was no response, but she thought she heard footsteps moving away. Scott was going, presumably to get help. "No, don't leave!" She started pushing on the door again, hyperventilating as she strained to get it open. "Don't leave me alone! I can't breathe! Get me out of here! Get me out!"
One floor above, Davis and Ashley were walking through the hall while conversing. "You going to see the new Spider-Man this weekend?" Davis asked.
"Probably not." his sister responded. "I'm tired of them always rebooting the series, and I'm not a fan of the new Peter."
"Yeah, I feel the same. They keep starting over again, and we still haven't gotten a fight against the Sinister Six. It's crazy. Oh, hey, there's Dr. Patel. I have to talk to her about something. Catch you later." Davis left Ashley's side and stepped forward to speak with Mira, who was heading in the opposite direction. "Dr. Patel, sorry to bother you, but I wanted to know if you got my e-mail. About the portable power cells?" He started walking alongside Mira, passing Ashley as she continued along her original path.
"I didn't have the chance to yet. Any developments?"
"Some good news. We think we've found a way to increase the storage capacity by about 40 percent. I sent attachments with the full details but - did you feel that?" Davis noticed the sudden shaking, and before Mira had a chance to respond the energy surge burst through the floor, throwing both of them to the ground. The blast burst through the ceiling, bringing down rubble and joists, one of which landed on Mira's left leg. She screamed out in pain as the hefty metal support crushed her thigh.
Davis stood up, covered in dust, and saw Mira writhing in pain before the massive hole in the floor. "Oh god... oh god..." He grabbed the end of the joist closest to him and tried to lift it, struggling with the massive weight. "Try to stay calm! I'll get this!" His own fear belied his urge for Mira not to panic. No matter how much he tried, he couldn't move the beam. It refused to give any leverage, and with each attempt to lift it it felt like his wrists would break from the pressure. But he kept trying. He would not let Dr. Patel down when she was in need.
Ashley was thankfully clear of the blast range and closer to the stairs when it erupted, but the shock still nearly knocked the wind out of her. After she heard the explosion she quickly turned back and ran down what was left of the hall. There, across a massive circular gap, she saw Dr. Patel pinned under debris while her brother attempted to free her. "Davis!" she cried out.
Davis looked up to respond to her call. "I'm fine! Go get help!"
Ashley froze. She knew that there was nothing she could do on her own. But seeing her younger brother and her boss in distress, and hearing the cries of panicking people on the floors below her, concern overtook reason. Ashley took another look at the gap in the floor. She stepped backwards, breathed deeply, sprinted for the edge of the hole, and jumped.
Out by the front door, Jon was speaking with a delivery man who'd come with pizza and other orders for employees who called for takeout. The young man's arms were full, so Jon had to go and open it for him. As he was about to let him into the lobby, they felt the tremor beneath them. "Woah. Is that a quake?" the delivery man asked nervously.
"Can't be. We're not on a fault line." Jon tried to reassure him, but he was wary as well. "Hopefully it's not a gas leak or -" his train of thought was interrupted by the sound of the blast. Though neither he or the delivery man saw the energy surge, they were in the path of one of its after-effects, as the shockwaves shattered the glass in the doors and the windows above them. They both looked up instinctively at the rain of glass shards coming down on them from both sides of the door. The delivery man started to scream, while Jon, knowing he'd never be able to make it away in time, put his arms up in what he hoped would be some effort to shield the impact. He turned his head away and cringed, anticipating the immense pain he was about to endure, and silently praying he would live through it.
In the accelerator chamber, Jessie regained consciousness and slowly got to his feet, coughing as he tried to shrug off the pain. He felt something wet and sticky under his nose and ran his hand under it, wiping the blood off on his jeans. He looked down the hallway leading to the chamber and saw the chaos left in the aftermath of the energy surge. What was left of the accelerator lay in ruins, the wreckage throwing out sparks wildly. The barricade had been demolished, as had every computer terminal, with shards of metal and glass strewn about with such force that some had embedded themselves in the walls. The most morbid sight were the bodies of the research team strewn about on the floor, completely still and some distorted from the force of the explosion. They were all dead... all except for one. He saw a figure crawling towards the hallway, and was stunned when he saw who it was. "Natalie!"
Jessie tried to run to reach his girlfriend, but he barely made it a step before a sharp pain in the side of his chest forced him to stop. He almost collapsed again, but kept moving forward. Jessie took another step as his vision started to blur, and when it was clear again, he was near the end of the hallway, just a few steps away from Natalie. Something in the back of his mind told him this wasn't right, but he had more important concerns. Jessie stumbled towards Natalie and knelt down next to her. She had several deep cuts in the right side of her face, and she was breathing heavily. "Jessie..." she weakly moaned, the vitality draining from her expression.
"Yeah... it's me..." He was fighting to hold back tears, grateful she was still alive yet still fearful he could lose her. "I'm gonna get you out of here. You'll be fine, I promise." Jessie tried to get her up off the ground, but as he bent down something hit him in the side of the head and knocked him down once more. As his vision began to fade again, he saw what looked like a person standing over him and Natalie. It was difficult to make out any distinct features, but just before he closed his eyes again, Jessie thought he noticed a face as black as onyx peering at him with malicious red eyes.
June 3, 2024
The luxury car pulled into the visitor's spot closest to the entrance of Helios Industries. A well-dressed blonde man in his mid-40s stepped out and looked over the building, impressed that the rebuilding had been carried out so efficiently. The labs showed no scars of the accident that ravaged it four months ago, at least not externally. He made his way to the door and was buzzed in, approaching the desk where Jon sat. "Dr. Patel will be with you shortly, Mr. Collins," the guard addressed his guest. "Just need you to sign in."
"Thank you," the man took a pen and signed his name in the log. He caught sight of the plaque posted on the wall behind the security desk. There were 13 photos on it of men and women, some in laboratory garb, others in more casual clothes. Beneath each picture was a name, and at the top of the plaque a memorial inscription: "IN MEMORY OF OUR FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES." As the man put the pen back he noticed something around Jon's left wrist - a metallic band with a raised blue trapezoid on the side near the back of his hand. He heard a door open and looked to see Dr. Patel enter the lobby.
"Wesley, it's so good to see you again." Mira approached her guest and the two shook hands. "How is your father doing?"
Wes smirked. "He's good. He's taken up painting. It's amazing; last year he hated the idea of retiring, and now he's the most relaxed I've seen him in decades. I'm just glad he found something to keep himself occupied. How have you been, Mira. Holding up okay?"
Mira let out a sigh. "It's been a challenge. The loss of equipment and data set us back severely in several divisions. And it hasn't been easy recruiting new staff to replace the team members we lost... there's quite a bit of fear that such an accident could repeat itself. I don't blame them for being wary." Sorrow was beginning to creep across her face as she thought of the deceased staff, but she quickly regained her composure. "That's why I'm so grateful you offered to help with repairs. It will take time, but we'll get back to full efficiency soon. Can I show you around?"
"That would be nice, yes." Wes followed Mira as she led him through the doors into the main labs, though his eyes drifted down. She was wearing a skirt because of the warmer weather, making her legs visible. And though her new prosthetic leg had full articulation and matched her skin tone well, the segmentations were noticeably visible. He averted his gaze after a few seconds though, not wanting to bring up the subject or make her feel uncomfortable. "I was also wondering how you've been faring with the other support BioLabs provided. Your security guard... he's part of the team?"
Mira nodded. "He's proven himself to be exceptionally capable. They all have. I hope you will get the chance to meet each of them while you're here. Ah, what good timing." She stopped and gestured towards the ceiling. "Miss Morgan and Mr. Yamada are also part of the team." Wes looked upward, his eyes widening and his mouth agape when he saw Ashley hovering above him. She was holding a large pane of plastic that had been removed from one of the light fixtures while Jessie replaced the fluorescent bulb from a rolling ladder. Like Jon, they also had bands around their wrists.
"Thanks for helping out, Ash," Jessie showed his gratitude as he took the panel back.
"No problem." Ashley floated back down to the floor where she acknowledged Mira and the still-surprised Wes. "Afternoon, Dr. Patel. Who's your guest?"
"This is Wesley Collins, CEO of BioLabs. He provided a substantial grant to help rebuild the labs. Wes, Ashley is one of our top chemists in the synthetics division. Jessie is part of our maintenance staff."
Wes snapped out of his dumbfounded state when introduced and shook her hand, doing the same with Jessie after he descended the ladder. "Nice to meet you Ashey, Jessie. Sorry, I was just caught off guard by your... talent."
Ashley chuckled. "I understand. Everyone who works here is used to it, but it must be interesting to newcomers."
"Thanks for all your help in getting us back on track, Mr. Collins," Jessie chimed in. "We really appreciate everyth-" His expression of gratitude was interrupted by a siren blaring over the intercom. "Another attack." His demeanor had gone from laid-back to defensive, anticipating a threat. "Where're we going?"
"Let me check." Mira took her smartphone from her pocket and hit an icon, bringing up a satellite view of part of the city. A red dot was blinking next to a street. "The subway station on Diamond Avenue."
"On it." Jessie looked at Ashley, who also appeared ready to fight. "Let's get the others and go."
The pair ran off, leaving Wes to catch up with the rapid turn of events. Mira took his hand. "Let's go to my office. Full introductions will have to wait. You're about to see them in action."
A group of commuters made their way up from the stairs leading to the Diamond Avenue terminal. Workers getting ready for their afternoon shift, students on summer break, and some people who weren't employed at all but were just enjoying the day. A teenager was texting while he stepped out onto the sidewalk when he was struck with a beam of yellow light, vanishing in an instant as his phone dropped to the ground. Several people around him gasped in shock, their screams growing louder when more disappeared the same way. The source of the beams was making its way down the road. It was a hideous creature with body that resembled a tattered coin purse. The monster had two faces, one that looked like a withered old man, the other like a plague doctor's mask. Clutched in its hand was a staff with a forward end that also resembled a coin purse, but ringed around the lips with spikes. Flanking him on both sides were a dozen white-faced humanoid figures clad in black garb that made them look like a hybrid of Old West bandits and Prohibition-era gangsters, each carrying a double-bladed axe.
The mouth of the monster's staff opened again and fired more beams of energy, striking civilians as they fled and causing them to vanish before they returned to the weapon. "Running is futile, fools!" the monster gloated with two voices speaking at the same time, one deep and menacing, the other higher-pitched and more manic. "Surrender and your suffering will be minimized." It readied its staff for another round of attacks, but the sound of a rapidly approaching vehicle drew its attention.
A black SUV rapidly sped towards the creature's location, coming to a stop feet away. Jessie, Davis, Ashley, Cathy and Jon stepped out of the vehicle, sizing up their opponents with expressions of grim determination. "This one's new," Cathy remarked as she stared down the purse monster.
"Yeah, but he'll fall just like his mooks," Jessie responded. He pointed at the creature, a righteous fury in his voice. "This is your only warning. Free everyone you've abducted and leave now. We will not allow you to harm any more innocent people."
The monster let out a sick laugh. "Such impertinence. Am I to assume you are the pests that have been interfering in my master's plans?"
"Guilty as charged," Ashley cockily shot back. "And until your master finally gets a clue and leaves us alone, we'll just keep showing up."
"Well then, there's no better way to prove my worth than by finally removing these thorns in his side." The monster twirled his staff around, and his minions did the same with their axes
Jessie gritted his teeth. "Fine. We gave you a chance." He looked at the rest of the team. "Let's go." The five of them touched the indicators on their wristbands, changing them from deep blue to vibrant orange. Each spoke the same two words in unison to trigger their morphers' voice activation. "Helios: Ignite!"
A flash of light surrounded each of them. Within moments their civilian clothing had been covered by suits made of self-assembling nano-fiber, the intercellular shape-memory alloy contouring itself to fit their bodies. Helmets made of a low-density shock-absorbing polymer formed around their head, each containing a camera system in their visors that fed back to a central hub and a comm link near their mouths. When the light faded, the quintet emerged wearing the uniforms of Power Rangers: Jessie outfitted in red, Davis in blue, Ashley in yellow, Cathy in gold, and Jon in silver.
As their suits' systems activated, the visors sent visual and auditory feedback to a laptop in Dr. Patel's office where she and Wes were observing the battle from their perspective on five sub-screens, each one with the Ranger's name in the lower right corner.
The monster did not appear impressed. "Is that gaudy dress supposed to intimidate me?" he mocked the team dismissively before addressing his minions. "Shades; destroy them!"
As the Rangers assumed battle stances, Mira's voice came through over their comm system. "Jessie and Jon, get that staff away from him. The rest of you need to keep the Shades at bay."
"Will do," Jessie acknowledged the order. "Let's go!" The Rangers ran towards the oncoming horde of Shades. Cathy, Davis and Ashley moved to the front of the formation to draw their attention so their colleagues would have easier passage.
Four Shades went after Davis, flailing their axes wildly. The Blue Ranger reacted quickly to dodge each swing, getting in a punch or a kick when he could, but his blows had little effect. "Let's even the playing field," Davis muttered, bending down to quickly touch the sidewalk with his open palm. When he stood back up he pivoted to his right and delivered a rapid punch to an approaching Shade. This time there was much greater weight behind the hit, and the simple creature was sent reeling. As he twisted his body again to face the other three, he withdrew a long combat knife from the holster around his waist and leaped towards them, slashing them across their chests. The Shades dropped their axes in response to the pain, allowing him to deliver another volley of intense punches. They quickly fell, disappearing in wisps of black smoke.
Cathy had lured a pair of Shades across the street, taunting them by moving them close enough to get in a swing, then doing a backflip before they could lower their weapons. Eventually she found herself with her back to the wall of a building. The Shades rushed her from the sides, but the Gold Ranger didn't even flinch. She simply stepped back and phased through the wall, leaving nothing for the Shades to hit but a brick exterior. As they looked at the empty space before them in utter confusion, Cathy rushed back out through the wall with a clothesline that knocked them both down. She turned back and looked at the building. One day, I'm gonna pull this trick off with a wall that has a tunnel painted on, she mused, and it will be incredible. She drew a laser blaster from her holster and fired multiple shots at each of the Shades, obliterating them. With that minor annoyance taken care of, Cathy rushed back to rejoin the rest of the team.
Ashley chose to get the advantage on a quartet Shades coming after her. She levitated herself several feet above them and pulled out her laser pistol, firing on them from a safe distance. The beasts jumped back from the shots and looked up at her. They then flipped their axes around and lowered the bladed end, making their weapons look like crude submachine guns. And unfortunately for the Yellow Ranger, they acted like submachine guns as well, as the Shades unleashed round after round of bullets. Ashley floated about trying to dodge their fire, but a few were drawing too close. "Hey bro, a little help here?!" Davis heard his sister's call for help and joined the fray, rushing behind the Shades and hitting them all with a roundhouse kick. Once downed, the siblings unleashed their laser fire until nothing remained of the nuisances.
Jessie and Jon ran towards the station entrance to fight the monster and a pair of Shades who had remained by its side. The creature pointed its staff at the approaching Rangers, the spikes around its rim glowing before a volley of fireballs erupted from the weapon. The Rangers jumped to avoid the oncoming blasts, coming down with flying kicks that knocked back the Shades. They then turned their attention to the monster, drawing their blades to fight it at close range. Jessie tried to swipe at his foe, but with every attempt the creature blocked the knife with its rod. The monster scoffed at the Red Ranger's efforts before smacking him down with the head of his staff. He raised it up ready to impale Jessie on the spikes, but stopped when he felt something pulling on the weapon. "What is this?"
The monster looked in the direction his staff was being drawn and saw Jon gesturing like he was attempting to pull it away. "We tried to do this the easy way," the Silver Ranger said, "but if you won't play nice, I'm taking away your toys." He gestured harder, almost succeeding in yanking the weapon away with the force he was exerting, yet was interrupted when the Shades tackled him from behind. "Gah! Forgot about you!"
"Pathetic." The monster turned his gaze on Jon, his staff glowing again. "I have no interest in taking you alive." Before he could fire, Jessie struck him from behind, delivering a sweeping kick that knocked the beast off his feet before kicking him down the stairs leading to the subway terminal. He turned to Jon, blaster ready, and shot at the Shades to get them off his friend. "You okay?"
"I'm fine. I'll take care of these clowns. You get the staff." Jon twisted around to face the staggered Shades and pushed his arms forward, producing a force blast that threw them back further.
"On it." Jessie made his way down the stairs, dodging another blast of fireballs coming up towards him. A few of the shots grazed him, but he endured the pain. Rolling to dodge the final shots, he stood up to fight the monster on the platform. Fists flew, but the creature kept blocking and dodging successfully. "I can keep this up all day," Jessie grunted.
"Your tenacity is admirable, but I am growing bored with this game."
The monster slammed Jessie in the gut with the butt of his staff, then while the Red Ranger was doubled over, grabbed him by the shoulder and tossed him onto the tracks. As Jessie got to his feet, he saw a light coming around the corner of the tunnel, and a rolling sound growing ever louder. He ran for the edge of the platform, but the train was approaching too rapidly. It was unlikely he'd be able to pull himself up in t
In Dr. Patel's office, she and Wes watched the scene unfold in the feed from Jessie's camera. They saw him struggle to pull himself up, as he craned his neck to see the train coming his way, the feed going to static at the moment of impact. "NO!" Wes screamed in horror.
From the platform, the monster let out a contented chuckle. "Farewell, pest. I promise that your comrades' demises will be equally painful." Before the creature could continue gloating he was struck from behind with a sharp strike. He turned to see the Red Ranger standing there, alive and well, his combat knife bared. The monster was shocked and outraged. "Impossible!"
Wes was equally surprised to see what had transpired. "How... how did he..."
"It caught us off guard as well the first time it happened," Mira explained. "For some reason when he teleports, his link goes offline temporarily. We are trying to find a way to fix the problem."
Jessie was now gaining the advantage in the fight. He would vanish, get in close to hit the monster with his blade from an unguarded angle, then teleport again. The beast grew more and more furious with each hit. "Stop flitting about like an insect. Accept your death, coward!"
Another strike from behind sent the beast down on his faces. Jessie was starting to breathe more heavily, showing signs of fatigue. Think I have only one, maybe two more in me right now, he thought. Need to make them count. Jessie ran at the beast as it was getting up, jumping to deliver another flying kick. The monster raised its staff to block the attack, but as the Ranger descended, he vanished once again, using his power to strike the beast in the back. The impact was thankfully enough to not only knock the monster down, but make him lose his grip on the staff. Jessie grabbed the staff and ran for the stairs, panting heavily.
Once back on the streets Jessie spotted Jon and the other three coming to the scene, all having disposed of the Shades. "Nice work, guys. Davis, it's all yours." He tossed the staff over to the Blue Ranger.
"Thanks, man." Davis caught the staff in his right hand, then used his left to grab onto a nearby metal fence railing for a few seconds. He placed the weapon on the ground, grabbed both ends of the purse-shaped end, and started to pry it apart. The purse opened releasing multiple streams of yellow energy that flew around the air before reforming on the street and sidewalk as the victims that had been held within. They were weakened, but thankfully still alive. After they'd been freed, Davis picked up the staff again and brought it down over his knee, breaking it in half.
The bag monster staggered up the stairs in pursuit of his quarry, arriving on the sidewalk just in time to see his weapon shattered. "You worthless wretches!" he screamed in frustration.
Davis tossed the broken fragments behind his back and pointed at the creature. "It's over. Your weapon's gone, and your victims are free. There's no way you can beat us."
"I don't care if I fall... as long as I take some of you with me!" With a fearsome yell the monster began running towards the Rangers.
"We tried to warn him," Cathy remarked. "Some people just never learn. Ready to go?"
"Ready." Jessie and the other Rangers drew their blasters and switched them to the highest setting. The five trained their sights on the approaching monster. "Let him have it!" The Rangers opened fire, beams of highly concentrated energy striking the monster at the same spot on his chest. After the fight it had endured, this final strike was too much for it to handle. It let out a sickly moan before falling forward and exploding, leaving nothing behind but a pile of smoldering ash.
Jessie holstered his laser as he activated the communicator in his helmet. "Dr. Patel, the threat has been neutralized. Civilians are safe, but they need medical attention."
"I'm contacting emergency medical services now. They should be at your location in a few minutes. Excellent work." Mira moved the microphone on her headpiece away from her mouth and turned to Wes. "Not exactly how I wanted to demonstrate how we've been using the technology, but I hope this was satisfactory."
Wes smiled and nodded. "Very satisfactory. You've trained them well." He looked back at the monitor, impressed with how far these five had come in such a short amount of time. It brought back memories of when he had been part of a Ranger team, fighting to ensure a more peaceful and stable future. He wasn't with them anymore, but that spirit was still strong in groups like this.
Mira and Wes were not the only ones who had been surveying the battle, however. Far beyond the boundaries of Stone Canyon, beyond the realm of our reality, a figure stood in a room that resembled a medieval castle chamber, bathed in shadow except for a faint violet glow coming from several candles and torches. On the wall before him was a large rectangular crystal. Using this, the onyx-faced figure had seen the battle play out. His red eyes narrowed as he saw the Rangers destroy his monster. These humans were more capable than he had anticipated; he would need to amend his strategy if he wanted to eliminate them.
End of Chapter 1
Featuring the voices of:
Eric Bauza as Jesse Yamada/Johnny
Khary Payton as Davis Morgan/Austin
Kimberly Brooks as Ashley Morgan
Jennifer Hale as Cathy Crawford
Ben Diskin as Jon Hoffman/Scott Grey/Shawn
Indira Varma as Dr. Mira Patel
Erin Van Oosbree as Natalie Davenport
Jason Faunt as Wes Collins
Kevin Michael Richardson as Snatcher