Long Beach, CA
Chinatown District
The Chinatown district was very massive like the Chinatown in Yokohama, Japan and nearby Los Angeles. There were at least 10,000 Chinese Americans living in this area and it is considered to be one of the most mysterious and unique places in the city. There were traditional markets that sold unique treats and others that sell medicine and other Eastern Remedies. There were Martial Arts stores and other places like restaurants, malls, and antique stores to find the most unique of Chinese rarities.
For a moment Mishelle "Mish" Rodriguez, allowed herself to think about what it might have been like to be a Chinese Warrior in those Martial Arts movies. Personally she thought it was a little romantic, fighting against the evil Warlord and meeting another fighter who would become the man of her dreams. She liked thinking about things like that, especially since it took her mind off of her academic life.
A senior at Lakewood High School, she considered herself a woman with a lot of hopes and wishes for her future. By many of her classmates, she was considered to be very attractive; even though she personally did not think she was. Since modesty was one of her most charming personality traits. Not to mention that she was very athletic and fierce when she had to fight someone when she was threatened, but she personally preferred peaceful means to anything else.
She took a look to her left and then to her right while she looked out at the people mingling and talking among themselves while she and her friends waited for the red light to change to green in her Suzuki Samurai. It didn't really bother her much since where they were going to head was only a few miles away.
In the passenger seat was her friend, Angela Steele. A junior at the high school she was mainly part of the ROTC program. She was very athletic due to her participation on their drill team and the school's martial arts team. She was very quiet and very deep in thought looking out the window letting her mind drift while waiting for the light to change colors. In the back seat was their friend Jamie Gonzales, who always hung around Angela and Mish but always chose to nit-pick everything.
"How much longer until we get to Del Amo?" Jamie Gonzales asked as she sat in the back of the car, messing with her hair
"We'll get there when we get there!!" Angela Steele answered looking out the window of the car.
"Gee, Angela why are you so touchy today?" Jamie asked a little surprised to hear her friend getting a little snappy.
"I just got a lot on my mind." Angela said being defensive.
"Who?!?" Mish asked while she continued to drive down the road, "Is it that cute Eric guy in your ROTC class?"
"No, I bet it's that martial artist dork who went to China." Jamie chided.
"For your information he went to Japan." Angela said feeling a little annoyed by Jamie's statement, "The last letter I got from him, it stated that a few of his friends were killed in a brutal accident at his high school in Tokyo, along with his mother."
"Why do you still worry about him? From what you told me, the two of you never really went out." Mish asked noticing that they were slowly getting out of Chinatown towards the 710 on ramp.
"It's a long story." Angela said keeping the statement very short and to the point.
"He was just some big goof ball who also got his butt kicked a lot because he stood up for her and others." Jamie answered, "I wasn't too fond of the guy and I liked picking on him, because he made it so damn easy."
"You do not know when to shut up, do you?" Angela asked turning around to face her friend.
"WHAT?" Jamie snapped back, "It's true; Tommy Li always got his ass kicked whenever he tried to do something to protect people."
"Yeah, I know he could be an idiot when it came to taking chances." Angela said in defense of her friend, "But the one thing I always liked about him was that he had a lot of heart."
"I always thought it was the fact that he liked to ride a motorcycle." Jamie laughed while Angela blushed at her comment and just rolled her eyes before looking out the window.
******
Not too far away from Mishelle's Samurai stood a young Chinese woman who watched the three girls with great interest. She was dressed in a white and violet DKNY jacket which covered a black Cheongsam shirt and her faded blue jeans; it was the one thing that made her look like she was F.O.B. But she didn't care about that right now as she moved her long black hair towards the back. The only thing that concerned her was the group of people that were racing out of Chinatown.
"Well there they go." The woman said towards a young man who was behind her, sitting on his Blue and Gold Kawasaki Ninja.
The young man fumbled with his helmet before he took a look at the Samurai driving towards the 710 on ramp. He sat there silently dressed in a pair of faded jeans and black converse along with a Japanese High School jacket, which covered his yellow and blue jersey. He felt the wind blowing his already messed hair before the front of his bangs came back down to cover the upper part of his face and the pair of John Lennon sunglasses that covered his face. Even though he was there with the woman observing the car, it was obvious his thoughts were somewhere else.
After hearing his comrade's comment, he took a moment to stand up showing that he was pretty tall, but the one thing that distinguished him was his Asian and African American features which made him look unique.
"I wish we didn't have to do this." The young man sighed.
"We have no choice, especially given what is at stake." The woman said noticing the look of concern on her friend's face, "I know that you don't want her involved, but it's just how the fates work."
The young man played it off, "You think that I am worried about that."
The woman nodded and said, "I know you are."
The young man sighed, "Let's just get this over with, Nancy."
The woman, Nancy put her hand on the young man's shoulder, "It will be all right, Li."
The young man, Tommy Xiaou Li; smiled softly before he sat back down on the motorcycle and put his helmet on. Starting up the motorcycle, he waited a moment before he felt Nancy put her arms around him and proceeded to speed off in the direction that the others headed.
Li, looked ahead at the road in front of him seeing the Samurai heading on the freeway. He sped up to keep close but at the same time keep his distance from the girls. He did not like the fact that he had to do this, but at the same time he had no choice. Being back here in America was the furthest thing from his mind, personally he wished he was back in Tokyo at his family's place there and just relaxing in his bed before he would go to Ginza and hang out with his friends.
That was long before his life changed into the one he was living now. A year ago there was an incident at the school he attended. Among the people who were killed were some of his friends; as well as his own mother. The incident involved a strange creature which claimed to be part of a group called the Gorma. From what Li was able to find out, the Gorma was an ancient tribe that originated in what was now China. They were militaristic and even barbaric, some records stated that they killed people and fed off of their souls.
Yet the Gorma was stopped by another tribe, which called themselves the Dai. This tribe had been known for being able to harness the power of Chi and make it into a weapon. These two tribes battled until there was barely anything left of them. But there were stories that some of those warriors who fought the Gorma, lived through out the ages to make sure that the atrocities that were caused in ancient times, would not happen again.
Li always thought that the ancient stories of the Dai were only a legend, given that his father was from one of the modern Dai tribe villages that reside near Thailand. He thought it was just a story he would be told before he went to bed. But that tragic day in Tokyo changed all of that; he would be plunged into a war that had been going on long before he was born. That day he became a warrior, and eventually he met his friend Nancy Wu, who was also a descendant of the Dai Tribe.
The two of them fought the Gorma in Japan for a while until rumor had it that they were moving their base of operations to Southern California Basin. Li and Nancy followed the trail and along the way met two other people who were chosen like her and Li. They had been in So Cal for the past few days trying to find out anything.
But their searching led them to where they are now, watching the three women in the Samurai. Their mentor, Chin Mei told them that one of these three played a vital part in what was to come. Li worried that his friend, Angela would be involved with any of this given that he had lost those close and did not want to lose anybody else.
******
"Did any of you hear about the strange attacks that the police have been reporting?" Jamie asked trying to change the conversation.
"You mean the ones where people have been taken and all that is left is their belongings?" Mish asked hearing Jamie answering back. "Given all that has happened out here in the past two years, it doesn't surprise to hear more crazy shit."
"Some people said that they thought they saw a tentacle grab the victims." Jamie said excitedly, "Now how strange is that?"
"Not as strange as the riots and everything that has been happening." Angela commented, "And don't forget Northridge, I mean this is California, strange is just part of the norm out here."
"Man, you can be a real downer sometimes," Jamie started, "I mean don't you ever think about why it all happens? Or are you more concern with your studies?"
"Well, yeah!" Angela snapped back, "I mean if you don't have a good education, you can't do much out there."
Mish laughed even though she felt the same way as her friend, "Sometimes you need to take a little bit of a break. Go out and meet some guy, or are you actually waiting for Tommy Li to come back?"
"Give me a break." Angela said defiantly, "The only thing Li and I have in common is that we have known each other since we were kids."
"Well you did take Martial Arts after he left for Japan." Jamie smiled, "I still think you have some kind of crush on the guy."
Angela kept quiet and looked back out the window, when she noticed the blue and gold motorcycle behind them, her eyes widened for a second as she thought that could have been Tommy riding on the Ninja he used to have. But she shoved the thought aside knowing that if Li was in town, he would have gotten a hold of her immediately. Unless he wanted to be alone, given all that he had been through.
She read his letters explaining how alone he felt in Japan after his mother died, but also stating that he was not ready to come back to America. As a friend, she could understand that, but at the same time she wished that he did come back when he did. Angela knew that Li was seeing someone at that time, but she could not remember the woman's name at the moment.
"Thomas… what are you up to?" Angela whispered wishing that her friend was well.
It wasn't long before the three of them made it to the Del Amo Plaza. Mish parked the car closest the main concourse and walked out of the car almost in a rush. Angela and Jamie were still talking among themselves about the guy that went overseas. She shook her head wondering how a simple trip to the mall could turn into an argument about a guy who was not even around.
She slowly walked away from the two of them, noticing a motorcycle ride past them towards the upper level of the complex. Mish thought the guy was going a little too fast for this place and prepared to walk off, when she heard something faint in the distance. At first she thought it was someone playing an old song on the radio, but it sounded live; almost nearby.
Mish looked around for where the sound was originating, but what got her attention was that the song was not in English or Spanish, it was another language, almost Asian like Chinese or Japanese. She took a look back in front of her and saw a little boy dressed in a school uniform playing with a yo-yo. At first her reaction was to ask if the child was lost, but something told her that there was something totally off about all of this.
"Kokoro kara, aishite imasuyoto, amai kotoba no urani ha hitori garashino samishisa…." The child sang as he stood in front of the three of them, their happy attitudes changed to concern.
"Are you okay?" Mish asked feeling a little concerned, but all the same a dark feeling of dread started to come over her.
The child stood there playing with his yo-yo as Mish continued to slowly move closer towards him. Angela and Jamie stood their ground, waiting to see what was about to transpire, until he looked at the three of them with a cold stare which sent shivers down all of them.
"I want to add you to my collection." The little boy said as a loud crash was heard from behind them.
From within the complex, a large tentacle crashed through some of the cars that were in the lot and headed straight for Mishelle. Immediately she dodged out of the way and motioned for Angela and Jamie to get in the car. The former took a look around and tried to keep her composure, while the latter was scared to death. She did not think for one moment she would actually see the tentacle that was attacking people.
Mishelle saw that the tentacle was coming back towards her and proceeded to run, hoping that this would give her some time to let her friends get to safety. She took a look towards Angela and Jamie trapped outside the car. There was no time to worry when the tentacle was still chasing after her. She jumped towards a lower level and continued out into the open area where she hid quietly behind a Dodge Caravan and waited to see what was going to happen next.
Back in the complex, Angela and Jamie stood quietly as they heard that eerie song still being sung by that little kid. The former's first reaction was to clench her fists and just hope that they could get out of this. She knew that Mishelle's reaction to leave was only to provide a distraction.
"Come on, let's get in the car." Angela said opening the door.
"But what about that thing?" Jamie asked.
"It's out here and we might have a better chance in the vehicle where…" Angela started but was stopped midsentence as she felt the air escape from her lungs and her body being lifted off the ground. She took a look back and saw that the tentacle had grabbed her. She took a look back and saw another tentacle nearby, but this one had an opening at the end of it, with sharp razor teeth. She tried to break free before this thing would try to kill her; she struggled and screamed, doing her best to fight back, but it was not having any effect. She closed her eyes hoping that her death would be quick, but instead of being pulled in, she felt herself being dropped onto the ground.
"Ang, are you all right?" Jamie asked checking on her friend.
"Yeah, what just happened?" Angela asked when she saw Jamie pointing to two figures standing in front of them, a man and a woman.
Both figures wore helmets which had different symbols on them. The one in the pink had what looked like a firebird on the front, while the one in the yellow had what appeared to be a Kirin. They both wore white vests with gold trim but pink one had a skirt that continued with hers, and each had a symbol on their left breast which was a circle with a line split vertically in the middle with five colors on one half, and on the other what appeared to be a "D".
"You are not going any further!" The yellow figure said.
"I can't believe it." The child said looking at the two of them, "Well I have always wanted to go up against Dai Warriors."
"Then this is your lucky day." The pink one said summoning forth a weapon that looked like a bo-staff and charged after the Gorma; leaving the Yellow one to take the other two to safety.
"You got to get out of here, now!!" The yellow one said as he opened the door of the Samurai.
"What about our friend?" Angela asked as she looked at the yellow figure.
"Don't worry about her, Ang." The yellow figure said, "She'll be all right."
"What did you…" Angela started to say when she felt Jamie pulling on her arm.
"You heard the guy, let's go!!!" Jamie said pulling her friend to safety.
The Yellow warrior joined the Pink one and the two of them squared off against the creature. In the next instant all three figures were fighting in the middle of the parking lot, neither side was backing down as the creature attacked the Pink warrior and sent her into the Yellow one, both of them were on the ground but only for a second as they continued to charge the creature who disappeared before the warriors could try again.
"DAMN IT!!!" The yellow warrior said as he powered down to reveal the face of Li.
"We will get him next time." Nancy said as she powered herself down, "I think it is time we get the other two involved."
"I think so too." Li said while he clenched his fists, "The battle is about to really begin."
******
Mish continued to sprint through the parking lot, looking back to see the tentacle chasing her. She continued to jump over cars and other obstacles trying to find some way of escaping this weird monster that was following her. She hoped that Angela and Jamie were someplace safe, but where was safe when there was some kind of tentacle was chasing you?
What the fuck is going on around here…. Mish thought, catching her breath for a moment looking around hearing nothing but silence. Until she heard the strange tune that the child was singing earlier, echoing in the parking lot. She looked around and could not see any sign of the child. Suddenly she heard the sound of glass breaking from a nearby car. In a mad dash she tried to make a run for it, but felt the tentacle grabbing her from behind.
"Let me go!!!!" She screamed trying to break free of the tentacle only to feel its grasp get tighter, making it harder for her to break free.
"Now why would I want to do that?" The child asked when he took off his glasses and began to transform into something else. His head became a knot with one blue eye in the center and the rest of him became something rope like, the sound of laughter was all that Mish could hear while the creature's grasp continued to constrict her.
Mish continued to fight her way out of the grasp, when she noticed the sky turned black around them and lightning beginning to crackle in the sky as a giant roar echoed throughout the city. The creature looked up in fear of the roar and letting go of Mish, when the mysterious roar's owner began to fly through the clouds.
A giant red dragon soared above the streets of Lakewood, Mish was in awe and fear as it grabbed her suddenly and soared back up into the sky. She tried to scream for some help, but she looked down noticing the city getting smaller and smaller by the second. In one big cry for help she ended up passing out due to the lack of air at the altitude that they were flying.
Not too far away a hooded figure looked up at the dragon flying away and smiled as the creature had picked the person it was meant for.
******
Li took a look around the parking lot making sure that everything was all right before he even continued to look for Angela. He was worried about her, and he hoped that they would be able to find her before this creature would.
"You okay Li?" Nancy asked noticing the concerned way he was still looking around the scene.
"I am just worried." Li said clenching his fists together.
"We'll find her." Nancy said to reassure her friend.
"It's my fault." Li answered back, "I just wanted her to be safe."
"Look, Tommy." Nancy said sternly, "I need you to hang in there; I promise you that we will not let anyone else suffer."
Li took a deep breath and said, "You're right, it's just don't want to lose someone else."
"I know." Nancy said soothingly, her tone changing immediately. She knew that even though Li had been doing this longer than her; he still had a hard time trying to cope with the fighting that came along with being a warrior. She wondered if she went through what he had, would she be the same way, "Just stay strong all right."
Li nodded when he noticed two other people walking into the Parking Lot. The first one was a young man dressed in a blue and white sports jumpsuit with the Lakewood NJROTC symbol on the grey T-shirt underneath. His neat kept hair and round glasses fit well on the kind face they belonged to, his name was Steven Hart, though Li just called him Steve.
At one point he and Li were in the same class in Jr. High School; it was because of Steve's love of mechanics that led him to work on an old motorcycle that Li had. A bookworm, but at the same time very knowledgeable in design and application, he was part of the group that Li and Nancy belonged to.
Next to him was another young man, whose blond hair was unkempt and one side covered part of his face. Dressed in a black hooded sweater, jeans and a white t-shirt, his name was Nick Starr. Li had heard of him from his days of living out here before he moved to Japan. He was considered a loner, used to be picked on like Li was, but where he tried to defend himself. Nick was pushed almost to the point of committing suicide.
Apparently the past couple of years were a little better for Nick than they had been for Li since he looked a little more in control compared to how he was still trying his best to control his temper. Tommy assumed that this cool headedness was what mad Nick chosen to be the second in command of the team.
Nick made a small nod towards the two of them and took a look around at the damage caused by the creature that attacked. He let out a small whistle and then looked at the somewhat shaken Li.
He felt bad for Tommy, partly because like him they shared a similar past. But at the same time he also knew what brought Li into this mess in the first place. Nick wondered what it must have been like for someone to see his friends and family killed because of these things that have been showing up. Casually he put his hand on his shoulder and gave him a look to let him get his thoughts together.
Nick looked at Li walking towards his motorcycle and diverted his attention towards Nancy and asked, "Will he be okay?"
"Yeah, he is just worried about Angela." Nancy started.
"You haven't changed much, Tommy." Steve answered, "It doesn't surprise me that she would be in the middle of this. She gets herself into more trouble than Lois Lane does in the Superman comics."
"So, what happened here?" Nick asked.
"We did a tail, like we planned and then the Gorma came and attacked the three girls in the car. Li and I attacked and the creature made a temporary retreat. Then we saw Ryu Sei Oh appear from the sky and take someone with him."
Nick looked at the ground and said, "It looks like he found the fifth member."
Li pulled himself together and said, "Well we still have a Gorma to take care of."
Nancy let out a sigh of relief, "Sometimes you worry me, Xiaou."
Li nodded and said, "I'll be fine."
A light beep rang from all four of their left wrists, revealing a small device which looked like some kind of device. Nick took a look at his and moved it towards his mouth while the other three moved in close towards him, knowing that it was a communiqué from their mentor.
"Guys, report back to the Lair." A female voice said through the speaker, "The one we have been searching for has been found."
Li looked nervous when he heard those words through the speaker. He hoped that the one they were searching for was not his friend, but at the same time he knew that like the others around him, he wanted to know who the one was.
"What about the Gorma?" Nick asked.
"That will have to wait for the moment." The voice said, "Report back immediately."
******
Mishelle opened her eyes noticing nothing but darkness, but she slowly regained her bearing as she gained focus noticing nothing but a faint light in the corner, which shined on some old railroad tracks on the ground. She took another moment to realize that she was underground somewhere, which meant that she was safe from the mysterious monster that was attacking her. Yet she was now somewhere else which could be either safe or more danger depending on who or what she would encounter from here.
"Where the hell am I?" Mish said looking around to see if she could get someone's attention.
She continued walking for a couple of minutes in the dark, until she noticed one more doorway with some light coming from it. Very cautiously, she walked into the room and noticed that this was some kind of living room, with a couple of couches placed next to a small television at the far left corner of the room. To the corner next to her, were trees and a counter covered with some Chinese artifacts and some Japanese newspapers. She took a look at the other corners and noticed that they had Chinese Statues of a man and a woman, and to the center she saw a large pedestal and a floating green orb next to it.
This is too bizarre…. Mish thought when she felt something nudging against her.
She slowly turned around to see a red motorcycle with the initials R.K.-1 on the sides. It moved up to her slowly and nudged her again. This time, Mish moved back and fell onto the floor in complete fear. She didn't understand what exactly was going on around here, but the fact that a motorcycle was following her seemed to be enough to frighten her.
"Now this is too damn weird!!!" Mish screamed heading into the room, noticing another door leading out which she immediately headed towards to find some way to safety.
She continued to run, regardless of the pain she was feeling in her legs while she noticed a light in the distance getting closer and closer until she finally headed through it into the outside. It took her a second to regain her bearing once more when she found that she was near Lakewood Community College. Well at least I know where I am, so I can get home. She thought when she noticed two men appear from behind her. One was black hooded sweater, and the other she couldn't really make out. But the next thing she could make out was the fact that someone grabbing her by the arms.
"Let me go!!!" Mish screamed while they headed back to the underground dwelling.
In the distance the two people in shades watch. Both of them look at each other and activate a small button on a device designed like a watch, and disappear without a trace.
******
The Underground Lair…
"Will you let me go!!! I don't want any trouble from anyone!" Mish cried, fearing for her life.
"Relax Mish, we're not going to hurt you." The young man with blonde hair and a green and white striped jersey said.
Mish looked behind her and saw that the man had taken off his hood. He was at least a couple of inches taller than she was, and his blonde hair covered part of his face. She recognized Nick Starr immediately and wondered what exactly was going on.
"Nick?" Mish asked not sure what to think of this.
"It's a long story Mish." Nick said letting go of her motioning for the other two to do the same.
"Is this some kind of sick joke?" Mish asked, her anger becoming very evident.
"This is not a joke." A young man dressed in Chinese garb said while he took off his shades, "You are here because the fates that be chose for you to be here."
Mish and the others stood quietly looking at the young man, while a young woman came and approached her comrade. She was dressed in more contemporary clothing, but she still had some kind of Chinese garb on her person. She took a look at the three people standing in front of them, and smiled warmly as she realized that these three were the ones that they were looking for.
"You have been chosen to fight against an evil that you cannot begin to comprehend." The woman said looking at the four of them.
"Who are you people?" Mish asked.
"I am Chao Wufan, I am one of the people, who has been sent to find you. My associate is named Chen Mei Teijiousei. We are from an ancient tribe known as the Dai." The man in shades said looking at each of them.
"You are lucky to be alive Mishelle Rodriguez; a few have survived an attack from Himo Dansaku." Chen Mei, the woman in shades answered.
"What?" Mish said confused on the whole situation.
"Himo Dansaku is from a race of ancient beings called the Gorma, the Dai and the Gorma have been fighting for six millennia." Nancy said. "I am a descendant of a Dai Warrior who fought the Gorma. I was chosen to be the Hou-ou Ranger also known as the Phoenix. Steve is the Tenma Ranger or Pegasus, and Nick here is Shi-Shi Ranger or Lion."
"You have been chosen to become the mighty team, Ryuranger. Created mainly to keep the rest of the Gorma and other evils from destroying the Earth, and both Western and Eastern Civilization as we know it. "Chao said. "Mishelle has been chosen to be the leader of the Ryurangers; she will carry the power of the Heaven Lightning Star, the Ryuu Ranger, and The Dragon."
"Ryu—what???" Mish asked.
"Ryuranger. The chosen warriors of the Dai Tribe." Chen Mei said,
"If we're warriors chosen to fight for the Dai Tribe.," Steve started find some confusion in the name of the team, "Wouldn't be easier to call us 'Dairanger' or something along those lines?"
"Actually the name has been taken by some company in Japan." Chin Mei sighed knowing that this question was going to come up.
"Even big companies have a say in what name a team can use in saving the world." Nancy smirked as she heard all of this before.
"As I was saying." Chin Mei continued, "You each have the ability to harness great amounts of energy and use it to fight this unholy threat plaguing our world."
"Why me?" Mish asked, "Surely there are others that are more worthy of this."
"Perhaps, but you have always known that you have been destined for something grand and mystic. This is the beginning of that journey Mishelle, and you have been chosen to be the leader of this team by Ryuu Sei Oh." Chen Mei said motioning to a picture of the red dragon that rescued Mish.
"You mean, she will be the one that will lead us?" Nancy said a little surprised by the statement.
"Correct Nancy, she has been chosen by Ryuu Sei Oh to lead you into battle." Chin Mei answered looking at the door seeing one more person enter the room, "Welcome back to the lair, Tommy Xiaou Li."
Nick, Mish, and Steve looked in surprise to see the fifth member of their team walk into the room, the name said it all for them. Tommy Xiaou Li. She looked at the young man and saw that he was a little different from what she remembered of the name and the person. She saw the look of fear and confidence in his eyes that told her that this was the same guy Angela was talking about earlier
"What took you so long?" Nancy said looking at him with some contempt, "I was afraid you would never make it."
"I just needed a moment to recompose myself" Li answered.
Nancy nodded and let a small smile come across her face as she looked at the other three.
"Now if everyone can pay attention; you five have been called together to stop the Gorma from destroying this world and enslaving humanity. Mishelle will be the leader of the team; I only hope that you all can stop this from escalating into something very horrific."
Mish took a moment to look around knowing that some of these people were strangers to her, and yet some were friends. She knew that they were chosen for a specific reason, and no matter that reason she would have to follow through. That whole incident at the mall told her that something wrong was going on in the city, and maybe they were the ones to stop it. She took nodded at the two people in front of her, letting them know that she was ready to follow through with the task that was given to her.
"Now since you are the last to become a Ryuranger, here is the one important thing you need to use." Chin Mei said as she handed Mishelle two small devices. The first one was a small oval shaped device with silver lining a little ring sticking out of it, with the phrase "Aurachanger" written in the center it, this device was called a Gyazar Bar. The second device was also rounded and had gold lining; on one side there was a slot to place the small circle, this device was called an Aura Spader. "These Aurachangers will increase your Chi abilities, and give you the edge to fight against Gorma."
The green sphere in the center of the room started to shoot out lightning, hitting the wall, and almost hitting a few of the Rangers. Chen Mei looked up at it, and saw an image of a young woman and her friend still in the area of the mall; it was Angela Steele and Jamie. Both of them were looking around cautiously as they tried to keep in public places, unaware that Himo Dansaku was still there.
"Angela…" Li said as his eyes narrowed at the sight of his friend in danger.
"You got to get them out of there." Chao said.
"How do we use these?" Mish asked looking at the Aurachanger, finally realizing the seriousness of the situation.
"You will know when the time comes for you to use the device." Chin Mei answered, "Good Luck."
******
Outside the Lair
The five Rangers walked out of the underground headquarters and looked around at the city. All of them feeling different about the situation at hand; and that was when all eyes were turned towards Mish. She could feel it, and that made her a little uncomfortable. Not too long ago she was living a normal life being a High School student, and now she was being told that she had to lead a group of people against an evil force.
"Look…" Mish started, "I don't know what is going to happen from here on out, but if this Gorma is going to come after us, then we will all have to work together."
Nick spoke up, "With the exception of Li and Nancy, we're fairly new at this."
Li piped up, "I wouldn't call myself a pro."
"Well, Ryurangers." Mish said noticing that Nick had an old Honda Sedan nearby, "We got a job to do."
Nick motioned for Mish and Steve to join him in his vehicle, while Li and Nancy got on his Motorcycle. Both vehicles raced off into the city, with each of the five feeling a sense of fear at this exact moment. For two of them; they had dealt with this before, and the other three were new at this, but maybe together they had a chance to stop all of this from escalating to something worse.
******
Near Downtown Long Beach
Angela and Jamie looked around the corner from which they were hiding in. Both of them scared that the creature might still be out there waiting for them. The former walked quietly into the main concourse outside of the mall seeing that it was just a little too quiet given what had just happened here. She felt the hairs on her neck beginning to stick up as she took a look around and saw some people riding bikes nearby.
"Is it all right to come out, Angela?" Jamie asked taking slowly walking out of the corner.
"It looks safe to me, but I just can't shake this feeling I have." Angela said when she noticed the bikers were turning around, following them, "Which has just gotten a lot worse."
The bikers stopped in front of the two of them, and in an instant changed from ordinary people to these black clad things with white faces, red lips and no eyes. Her first reaction was to run, but she motioned for Jamie to run back towards the Samurai. Angela's first reaction was to fight and buy her friend time to get to safety.
These strange creatures were known as Copotros, the foot soldiers of the Gorma Army. Three of these creatures charged towards Angela and tried to attack, but she moved herself back a couple of inches and grabbed one by the arm and threw it down. Another came towards her and she moved out of the way and used her left leg to kick it into a couple more of those creatures. She continued to fight her way out of the situation managing to keep her own in this small battle.
Angela heard a rip of her shirt as one of them tried to grab on to her and moved herself back and let the article of clothing come off of her to reveal the white sports bra she was wearing and jumped into the air sending the thing falling to the ground and redressed herself in the middle of the action.
Moving herself into a drunken fighting stance, she took a look at the Copotros and saw that more were coming. She knew that she was tough but she did not know if she could do this on her own. That was when she heard the sound of vehicles racing towards her, what surprised her was that one of them was a familiar sound of a motorcycle racing into the area.
She saw the driver jump off and land into the middle of the fight taking out as many Copotros as possible while the person that was behind him took over control of the vehicle. But the man was not alone as two other people she recognized from school came in and helped the bike rider fight.
Angela looked at the bike rider fighting as he took off his helmet to reveal the face of her rescuer, Tommy Xiaou Li. She never felt so relieved to see him like she had right now. She was amazed by the way he was blocking oncoming attacks, followed by landing a few kicks onto some others. It was like he was different from the Tommy she remembered when she was younger.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Li screamed throwing his helmet into the face of a nearby Copotros, "Get the hell out of here!"
She moved back to go towards safety when she saw that Mishelle was coming to help along with Nancy.
"Are you all right?" Mish asked Angela, who only nodded as her answer, "Good I want you to take my car and get out of here. Don't ask any questions, just go."
Mish looked back to see Angela going off in her car towards safety, leaving the five of them to fight the Gorma without any innocent people getting mixed in the fray. The other three joined the two women and prepared to continue the fight, watching the Copotros staring them down.
"So, Mish what do we do now?" Nick asked cracking his knuckles.
"I say we kick some ass." Mish said moving her head to the left hearing her neck crack.
Li smiled and said, "I feel like I am back in Tokyo."
"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!" Nancy screamed as she decided to be the first one to fight and started using her moves against the foot soldiers.
The five of them went into battle, still scared of what was going to come from this; but for the first time in their lives there was a sense of this was the right thing to do. Li and Nancy fought back to back repelling Copotros from reaching them. While one of them launched a kick, the other landed a punch.
Nick brutally punched his way through the ones that were coming towards him, getting some satisfaction at watching them fall to the ground one at a time. He felt one hit him in the face and looked back at the creature and landed a kick in the groin; wiping the blood that he felt trickling down his mouth. Nick spat out the remaining blood in his mouth and continued to wail on the Copotros that continued to head towards him.
Steve was getting himself cornered by the group that was trying to attack him. Pushing one away at a time, he continued to swing, block, and throw wild kicks towards whoever was coming towards him. Immediately coming to his aid was Mishelle, who was moving fast and deadly. Her punches were landing on all of their targets and then.
"Everybody move together!!" Mish screamed as the others followed what she was telling them.
The five teenagers moved back to back and continued to fighting off the Copotros coming at them until finally there were none to continue attacking. There was silence in the area, an eerie silence; Mishelle looked around to see if there was something that she was missing.
Suddenly like the wind picking up, she heard a familiar song, "Kokoro kara, aishite imasuyoto, amai kotoba no urani ha hitori garashino samishisa…."
Himo Dansaku walked down towards the five and launched his tentacles at them; the Rangers barely had time to move as they struggled to break free. Mishelle let out a painful scream as she felt the grip tightening against her. She took a look at the others beside her, all of them doing their best to break free. This was not how she wanted to go out, but she did not know how she was going to save the other four people who she had been chosen to lead, until she took a look at the devices on her arms.
She moved her arms out in front of her and opened up the first device on her right and pulled out the key and screamed out a word which she had never heard herself say in her life, "Ki!!!"
Nick in turn followed suit by pulling out his Aurachanger and screamed, "Ryoku!!!"
Steven was next by calling out the phrase, "Ten!!!"
Li roared out the next part of the phrase, "Shin!!!"
"Yo!" Nancy called out the last part, her Aurachanger ready to be used.
In one loud voice the five teenagers screamed out, "AURACHANGER!!!"
Five bright flashes emanated from Him Danasku's tentacles. One was Red followed by Green, Blue, Yellow, and Pink. The heat from the light was too much for the monster to handle and had to release his prey as they landed on the ground transformed and staring him down. Each of them was wearing the same white vests with gold trimming, with the symbol emblazoned on their left breast, but the only thing that made the difference was each of them wore a distinctive color.
Li and Nancy were still garbed in Yellow and Pink respectfully represented by the Kirin and Phoenix. While Steven Hart stood proudly in Blue represented by the Tenma; Nick Starr in Green by the Lion and Mishelle in Red by the Dragon; Himo Dansaku looked at the five in front of him with great interest as he knew that this fight would be more than he was hoping for.
Mishelle felt her body moving in a way that she had never felt it move in her life, almost like the suit filled her with the knowledge on how to use it. She recognized that she was performing a martial arts kata, but what surprised her was that she was doing it like she had been training all of her life. In a roar she called out, "Ryuu Ranger, Mishelle Rodriguez!!"
"Shi-Shi Ranger, Nick Starr!!!" Nick screamed out performing his kata swiftly and ferociously like a lion ready to go on the attack.
Moving like the Pegasus in flight Steven performed his kata, "Tenma Ranger, Steven Hart!!!"
In complete drunken form, Li performed the drunken fist technique, "Kirin Ranger, Tommy Xiaou Li!!!"
Graceful like the bird that was her symbol, Nancy performed her kata and said, "Hou-ou Ranger, Nancy Wu!!"
Mishelle looked back at Dansaku and said, "Shining bright in the heavens, we are.."
In unison the five Rangers performed a kata and screamed, "Go Sei Sentai Ryuranger!!!"
"Ryuranger, you say?!?" Himo Dansaku said looking up with interest.
"That's right Dansaku!" Ryuu Ranger said confident in herself and the people beside her, "Do you think you can handle us?"
"Bring it on, Baby!!!" Himo Dansaku said as the Ryurangers jumped towards their destiny.
To Be Continued.