Chapter 3
Angel Grove Beach
The next day, Georgiana "Gia" Marco found she was sitting on the rocks overlooking the oceans of Angel Grove Beach. The wind flowed through her shoulder-length red hair as she kept her eyes closed in her moment of meditation. Being out in the middle of the beaches of her hometown made her feel the most at peace, and it allowed her to escape from the toxicity of her household.
It was a known fact among her friends that Gia's homelife was dysfunctional. Her father was a criminal who had gone to prison for possession of illegal firearms, fraud, stalking, and murder when Gia was four years old. However, although Gia's mother had ended up divorcing her dad, she'd gotten remarried several times to men who were gold diggers. Her mother was a successful interior designer and often made bad choices in terms of the boyfriends she brought home. Almost all of them wanted Gia's mom strictly for money. For Gia, the fifteen-year-old was frustrated that her mother could not see how badly it hurt her. She didn't have a relationship with her dad. But luckily, she'd found surrogate parents in Doctor Tommy Oliver and his wife, Kimberly.
Tommy and Kim had been more of parents to her than her own parents. When she was younger, it was often Gia would sleep over at Roxanne and Brianna's house to avoid her toxic homelife. It got to a point where she started calling Tommy and Kimberly "Mom" and "Dad," because they made her feel so loved. Although she knew her mother loved her, Gia still could not take that her mother kept dating people who took advantage of her like that.
As Gia sat there on the rocks, she took a deep breath. The smell of sea water filled her nose as she could hear another presence behind her.
"You're here early," quipped Jake, setting down his equipment for their scuba diving that day.
"I've always been an early riser, Jake," Gia said.
Jake took a seat beside her. Over his wetsuit he was wearing his red hoodie. "What are you thinking about?" he asked her.
"Just thinking about how and why my crap homelife can cause me such a misery," Gia said with a sigh.
"Come on, G," Jake whispered. "Let me guess. More troubles with another boyfriend your mom brought home?"
"How'd you figure?" Gia asked.
"I just know," Jake said.
Gia breathed out a sigh. "I just wish she'd go about finding men in a different way. Isabella, Gabrielle and I agree that she has got a shitty taste in men," she sighed, referring to her two older sisters. "Sometimes I just wish I could get away."
"Go where?" Jake asked.
"Anywhere," Gia said. "Sure, Angel Grove is beautiful, but my shitty life at home makes me wish I can change it all."
"Well, if you'd want to, we can to get up and go anywhere else right now," Jake teased.
"Okay, you do not have the balls to do something like that, Jake," Gia said with a smirk.
"I think I do," Jake said.
"You'll fuck up your entire career as Angel Grove High's start athlete, and you will be viewed as a disgrace."
"My dad won't be pleased about that," Jake quipped bitterly. A huge part of why he did sports was simply to please his father, who constantly compared his son to him. As they continued to sit there, they could hear Bobby approaching with Casey.
"Greetings, my friends," Bobby said.
Gia and Jake both grinned in their brainy friend's direction as Roxanne and Brianna came up behind them.
"Alright guys, are we ready to do this?" asked Casey with a smile.
"Yes," said Jake. "Bobby, did you bring the camera?"
"Yes, Jake, I did," Bobby said as he pulled off his yellow sweatshirt to reveal his own wetsuit he was wearing.
Roxanne and Brianna breathed out sighs as they checked their diving gear over. Once they made sure their gear was working properly, they put it on and they got into the water, swimming with no particular destination in mind.
Being under the oceans of Angel Grove reminded the teenagers of the simple things in life. Feeling the cool, ocean water hitting them against their skin briefly made Gia, Roxanne and Jake forget about their drama and troubles in their personal lives. The ocean was the one place where they could escape to and have some serenity in their lives. Gia stayed close by Roxanne and Casey while Brianna stuck with Bobby and Jake. Under the water, Bobby was in his element, taking photographs of the sea life that was there. Going deeper under the water to explore further, the teenagers had the intention of going towards a small, secluded island that was off the coast of Angel Grove. For the last two years, that area had been their space to go if they needed a break from reality. With their cell phones, bags and towels locked away in lockers at the beach, the kids knew they had a few hours to kill before needing to go back home to their parents.
Casey, being the daredevil that he was, swam even deeper than the rest of them. He could have sworn he saw something glowing underneath the sands of the ocean floor. Casey had always been the one with a taste for adventure. Oftentimes, it led to him doing something stupid. Luckily, Casey made it easy to communicate with the others while they were in the water.
Hey guys, I found something in the sand. I think we should check it out, he signed to them, using sign language. Due to his father being deaf, Casey was fluent and had taught the others how to sign.
Casey, don't do anything stupid, signed Jake, rolling his eyes under his eyewear.
He's Casey, Jake, signed back Roxanne, rolling her eyes as well. She loved Casey to death, but he did things that often made her question his sanity. Not wanting Casey to get caught up in any kind of trouble, the five others followed him, going deeper underneath the water to examine what was glowing in the sand. Reaching the bottom, the teenagers dug around to find what appeared to be six crystals. The six crystals were glowing with strange auras of pink, yellow, white, red, blue and black.
'Holy shit,' thought Gia as she picked up the pink crystal shard, examining it closely.
'What is this?' wondered Bobby as he picked up the yellow one.
Brianna and Roxanne each took the white and blue crystal shards in the palms of their hands. It was a sight that looked much more stunning than anything the teenagers could have ever imagined seeing in their wildest fantasies. Jake's eyes grew wider in fascination as he examined the red one, the same with Casey and the black one. However, that was when they all took notice to something. There were auras surrounding their bodies, matching the colors of the crystals.
Guys, we glow! Gia signed to them excitedly as she took notice to the glow of pink surrounding her.
Everyone laughed at the sight. It was quite the surprise to them all that they had found something so magnificent. As the six teenagers floated underneath the waters of Angel Grove, that was the moment they could feel something that felt unmistakably like fire surrounding them. Fire . . . under the water? It had to have been a mistake.
Guys, we better split, signed Roxanne, determined to lead herself and her friends out of the water.
Right with you, sis, Brianna said, reaching for her older sister's hand so that they could swim back towards the beaches of Angel Grove. Just as they were about to head back to the safety of the shoreline, they could hear something that sounded like angry snarls, and the combustions seemed to increase around them as the smell of fire grew. The six teens choked on the smoke surrounding them, despite the oxygen tanks that they were hooked up to bringing oxygen to their lungs.
The waves around them seemed to increase as the heat grew more intense. The fire burned on their skin as they clutched onto the crystals in the palms of their hands. Brianna and Roxanne were by far choking the worst out of everyone. The waves thrashed about as they struggled to try and reach the surface of the waters above. Jake instinctively grabbed onto Gia's hand, squeezing hard while Bobby gabbed hold of Brianna. Tears filled Roxanne's eyes as she could feel herself growing weaker and light-headed as her anxiety started to grow. Her lungs seemed to constrict as she struggled to take in a breath. Between the smoke and fire building up in the oceans and the ocean waters thrashing so heavily, it was making it difficult for all six to breathe. After about twenty-five minutes of struggling, the six teenagers felt their eyes roll into the back of their heads as they lost consciousness.
Underwater Command Chamber – Thirty-Five Minutes Later
That morning, Billy found that he was half-asleep at the lab station in the new Command Chamber, leaning over his desk with a cup of coffee resting there. He sipped at it slowly, trying to gather up all the data that the Time Force Rangers had sent their way regarding Lord Hades.
Billy was known amongst his friends for being a workaholic. He was very passionate when it came to his research. Back when he had been a Ranger, he'd been the one responsible for building the communicator watches that they all used. Some joked Billy had technically created the first cell phone, since the communicators had a cell phone range. But when it came to stopping and resting, especially when a threat arose, Billy was remedial. He often used his work as a way to distract himself, especially after having lost Trini.
Thinking about Trini never failed to bring tears to his eyes. He couldn't help but think of all the times he could have had a chance with her. He would never admit it, but Trini truly had been one of his first crushes. But he's suppressed it. He thought that there was no way Trini would want to be with somebody like him. Plus, he'd found a string of other girls he'd had an interest in. Melissa . . . Marge . . . Laura . . . Violet . . . Cestria. None could ever compare to Trini. He remembered her beauty . . . her thick black hair, her warm, dark brown eyes, her smile, her laugh. Nothing could ever compare to her. However, he'd always felt fear that Trini thought of him as nothing more than a brother. That was why Billy had held back from telling her how he'd truly felt. It was one of the many regrets he held onto. That was why Trini's death had hurt the worst.
Forcing the tears back, he decided to get back to his work as he let out a deep yawn. However, he could hear the sounds of the others teleporting in, with his breakfast.
"Hey, buddy," Jason whispered, placing a bag from the Youth Center down on the table, as well as a to-go cup that held a berry smoothie. "Any progress?"
"Affirmative, Jase," Billy yawned out.
"How much coffee did you drink?" Kimberly asked, concerned as she sat next to him, a hand on his back.
"Numerous pots," Billy whispered, yawning again as he attempted to sit up.
"Bill, it's official. You gotta give yourself a break," Tommy said with a shake of his head, worried about his friend's lifestyle choices, especially when it came to sleep.
"Eat," Katherine insisted, thrusting the to-go bag towards Billy which held a bagel with a sunny-side-up egg, bacon and melted cheddar cheese, as well as home-fries. "You need breakfast," she added.
Billy nodded, straightening himself up in his seat as he proceeded to eat his breakfast. The others joined him in eating.
"So, Billy, tell us the progress you made last night," Kim said, drinking her strawberry smoothie.
"Well, from what I've congregated based on the statistics sent to me by Eric and Taylor, this rogue, Lord Hades – he's apparently viewing himself as the successor to Lord Zedd. Do you recollect the vocation you did those years back, Jason, with all the other previous Red Rangers?" Billy asked.
"Yes, and Katherine and Kim never allowed Tommy and I to forget the consequences of going off to the moon without telling them," Jason said, catching Kat's glare she was sending as she drank her chocolate, banana smoothie.
"Well, ostensibly, that was not Zedd's zord," Billy said with a shake of his head. "It was a decoy. And apparently, Lord Hades has the real one."
"That's impossible," Tommy said with a shake of his head.
"Have I ever deceived you previously, Tommy?" Billy asked in a serious tone as he ate his breakfast sandwich.
"No, never," Tommy said.
"Well, trust that I am telling you the truth," Billy said. "Apparently, Lord Hades has got quite the god-complex. He'd named himself after a Greek God believing he has got the rights to take hegemony of the universe. He wants to conquer Earth next, since he's already conquered other planets. He's baser than Zedd ever could have been. Ostensibly, he's looking for Zeo crystal shards . . . yes there are other shards of the Zeo crystal. All Taylor and Eric have told me is that Lord Hades has his hands on two Zeo shards: green and purple, and they hold the spirit animals of the phoenix and the fox. If he gets his hands on six more, he will have the ultimate power and control. Nonetheless as you already understand, whoever is worthy becomes bonded to the Zeo crystal. This means we must have faith that if those Zeo crystal shards are found by anyone, that those crystal shards are in the right hands. But Lord Hades isn't without his followers. He has companions called hell hounds – mongrels that can be transformed from ash. They are by far the most hazardous beasts anyone has faced."
Jason, Kat, Kimberly and Tommy sat there, taking in this information.
"Well, where are those Zeo crystal shards now?" Kim asked.
"That's the enquiry at hand. No one knows. Alpha hasn't been able to find anything." Billy drank his smoothie, thankful his friends had come by with food.
Suddenly, that was when Kim's cell phone rang. "Hello?" Kim asked.
"Is this Kimberly Oliver?"
"Yes, this is her," Kim said.
"Mrs. Oliver, this is Nurse Bailey Logan. Your daughters, Brianna and Roxanne have been brought to Angel Grove Hospital along with their friends, Jacob, Georgiana, Robert and Casey. They were found scuba-diving in the oceans of Angel Grove Beach, and were seen floating on the water unconscious. You must come immediately," the voice on the other line said.
"Oh – Okay, my husband and I will be right there!" Kim said, the panic in her voice alerting Alpha.
"What's wrong?" Jason asked.
"Brianna and Roxanne are in the hospital. We have to go," Kim said, grabbing her husband's hand as she gestured for Alpha to teleport them out and to the hospital. Once they landed outside, the worried parents ran into the building, seeing the other parents there. Gia's mother Donna was sitting in the waiting room chair, her leg shaking. Jake's father and mother Louis and Deborah looked worried sick. Casey's mother and father, Damien and Alison looked pale with fear. Bobby's father Johnathan had his hands folded hard in his lap. Kim and Tommy let out a sigh as they took their seat next to Bobby's father. Bobby's father was raising his son as a single dad, as his wife Amanda had died in a car accident when Bobby was an infant. In many ways, Bobby considered Kim and Tommy his second parents. Kim had given him a mother's love from day one and gave him her heart.
"Kim, Tommy," Johnathan Hanson breathed as he hugged the both of them.
"Hi," Kimberly breathed. "We came as soon as we heard."
That was when the doctors came into the room.
"Family for Roxanne and Brianna Oliver?"
"Family for Jacob Black?"
"Family for Georgiana Marco?"
"Family for Casey Adams?"
All the parents rose from their seats.
"We're Roxanne and Brianna's mother and father. Are they okay?" Tommy asked anxiously, wanting to hear the news on his girls.
"My name is Dr. Heather Carlson. Well, the condition for all six of them is the same. They were found floating out at sea by the coastguard, unconscious. They were brought to shore by the lifeguard on the beach. All six have caught pneumonia due to the water that somehow got into their lungs, despite them wearing protective gear meant for scuba-divers. They all have mild hypothermia, as well, and there are signs of smoke inhalation. Luckily, they all would only have to stay here overnight for observation, then they can all go home," the doctor for Brianna and Roxanne said.
"Thank you," breathed Kimberly in relief that her daughters were alright.
"You can go in and see them," the doctor said.
Kim and Tommy quickly went down the halls towards their daughters' hospital room. Walking inside, they could see both their girls' faces had slightly blue tints due to the fact they'd been left in freezing water for as long as they had been. Both were shivering from the cold despite the blankets wrapped around their bodies. Walking over to their kids, Tommy and Kim sat in the chairs at either side of their daughters' beds, kissing their foreheads. However, that was when Brianna and Roxanne's doctor came into the room.
"Mr. and Mrs. Oliver, I just wanted to ask you something. Brianna and Roxanne were holding these when they were found by the coastguard." The doctor handed them two, glowing shards which were bright with white and blue auras. "Do these mean anything?"
Tommy and Kimberly shook their heads. Though this did mean something. Somehow, Brianna and Roxanna and their friends had found the six Zeo crystal shards Billy had mentioned earlier. Tommy and Kim instantly knew that that meant their daughters held onto the spirit animals of the wolf and the falcon – Billy and Tommy's spirit animals, to be specific.
"But we are assuming that whatever these things are, they mean something to Roxanne and Brianna. We'll hold onto these," said Tommy, taking the Zeo crystal pieces from the doctor and placing them on the table next to Roxanne and Brianna's beds. The doctor left the room, leaving Kimberly and Tommy alone with their daughters.
"You do know what this means, right?" Kim asked softly.
"I know, Beautiful," Tommy whispered. "This means the Zeo crystal shards are bonded to Roxanne and Brianna. They now hold the powers of me and Billy's spirit animals. There's nothing we can do about it; you know that."
"But . . . Tommy, I thought we agreed we did not want to involve our daughters in our pasts as Rangers," Kimberly said quietly.
"I do not think we have got much of a choice at this point, Kim," Tommy said. "They're both such great kids. You know those two do not back down from anything. They're spitfires – even if we tried talking them out of it, we wouldn't be able to, especially if it's what they want. Although I hate it, the Zeo crystals are bonded to them. There's no forcing it away. I've seen it with the Dino Thunder team; Kira, Conner, Ethan and Trent were bonded to their dino gems, much like how I was bonded to the black dino gem. If the gem or the crystal or the power coin chooses you, it means you're worthy of being a Ranger."
"I don't like this, Tommy," Kimberly said quietly as she leaned into her husband's arms.
"I don't like it, either. But Kim, we have got to be honest with the girls now. Do you think we should show them our video diary – the same one we had Conner, Ethan and Kira watch after I was kidnapped by Mesagog?"
"I think that that would help put some things into perspective," Kimberly said in agreement.
Unknown Location
The fiery depths of an unknown location seemed to scorch with a blaze of rage. White-hot flames licked the ground of a throne room as growls and rattling chains sounded throughout. Water dripped down from the ceiling of the dungeon-like space. This was no place for anybody to ever be. But for the self-proclaimed God of Hell, Lord Hades sat at his throne, stroking the heads of two of his hell hounds, who snarled at his sides. They were attached to chains mounted to the brick walls, their glowing red eyes making them look all the more menacing.
Lord Hades sat there, observing the planet known as Earth from his palace on the moon. His red, scaled, body armor was the color of blood. His distorted face further looked disturbing as his eyes glowed a shade of violet. The alien-being who had managed to succeed Lord Zedd's legacy growled as he watched the activity that was happening below on planet Earth. With his vision enhanced to X-ray vision, the hellish alien demon growled in anger, further aggravating his already-enraged hell hounds, which looked like dogs cross between a Pitbull and a wolf. He'd just watched as his efforts of stopping those six teenagers – two of them being the daughters of former Power Rangers – from bonding with the Zeo crystals had failed. He'd been so close to getting the last six Zeo crystal shards after having gotten two of them. They had been spread throughout various planets, yet somehow, six of them had arrived on Earth at the bottom of the ocean. He'd sent his hell hounds down to retrieve the crystal shards, but the six teenagers had gotten their hands on them. In addition to that, those six teenagers had survived his attempt at killing them in the Angel Grove ocean. It proved the crystals had bonded themselves to the teens, furthering angering the man who had named himself after the God of the Underworld.
'Those teenage brats bonded to the Zeo crystals!' Lord Hades thought as he sat there, his anger boiling over as his glare darkened on his features. 'Doesn't surprise me too much, though, given the original Power Rangers here on Earth were nothing more than teenage pests. I cannot give up my destiny of holding the power of the Zeo crystal. I must succeed where Lord Zedd and Rita Repulsa failed.'
As Lord Hades spied on the six, now-unconscious teens who were lying in hospital beds, he took notice of Tommy Oliver and Kimberly Oliver – the original green and pink Power Rangers. Lord Hades felt as though he should have figured that the crystal shards would choose to bond to the next of kin in the Oliver and Hart family bloodline. Turning towards the zord Lord Zedd had once possessed, the demon smiled bitterly.
'It would amuse me to go up against these . . . adolescents,' Lord Hades thought, the smile on his face cold, calculated and enough to scare the piss out of anyone. Around him, the flames seemed to raise higher as his hell hounds snarled and howled at his sides.
