Power Rangers: Spirit Force
by: Shamrock Holmes
Rated: 13+
The Topic of Cancer
Disclaimer: Power Rangers and all its related logos are property of Disney Entertainment and/or Saban Entertainment, the X-Men and all its related logos are property of Marvel Entertainment, and both are being used without permission on a non-profit basis. Any original characters belong to me.
A/N: This fic takes place approximately one year after the end of Power Rangers: SPD and around twenty years after Operation Overdrive. Familiarity with both series is recommended but not essential.
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"To me... to me!"
The yell momentarily startled Tia out of her concentration. She looked up over her book and smiled. All was well, it was Joe being his usual loud self. He was playing an improvised game of football with Danny and Mary. Tia noted that despite being outnumbered two-to-one by the boys, Mary appeared to have the upper hand as she easily stole Danny's throw. Reassured that everything was fine, she rolled over to tan her back.
The three teens had finished their assignments just in the nick of time, and Danny had got onto his Computer Science course, though given his sub-par mark – a legacy of his Ranger commitments – he felt that he owed the principal for her consideration. Tia agreed with him, but was unsure as to the reasons for it, Joe had suggested that the former X-Man had guessed they were Rangers, though Tia privately doubted it, though she did agree that the woman had figured out that he was capable of doing better.
The first couple of errands were minor enough, but it was the last one that had lead them here. During the power outage, the Academy's virtual simulator had been badly damaged and although repairs were nearly completed one final component – a Somatic Vectorization Processor – was still outstanding. However, none of the usual sources had any available, so the Headmistress dispatched Danny to Maine to pick up a relay direct from the closest – and oldest - of the companies that made them. When he heard about the trip – which would take the entire weekend - Joe suggested that she join the two of them so that they could spend from time at their favorite beach before picking up the relay. He also invited Mary along for 'bonding time', something that he had been doing a lot since the fight against the Geminii.
They had left the Academy after classes on Friday, stopped off in Boston overnight, staying at a hotel rather than with the Veicolos this time, though did stop in to visit for a while before heading into Maine, stopping for lunch at their beach.
Tia adjusted her top and rolled over to tan her back a little. She had just reached the end of the current chapter in her book when the alarm on her cellphone went off. She checked it and confirmed the alarm. Grabbing her bag, she stowed her book away. Once she was dressed again, she shouted over to the other three.
"What's up Tia?" asked Danny, jogging over.
"Time to go," she replied. "We're expected in an hour."
Danny nodded. "I'll get the others."
About five minutes later, the other three were dressed, and four of them on the road heading towards the QE Compound. They arrived with about ten minutes to spare. "Name and business please?" asked the computer at the main gate.
"Daniyyel al Shlomo. Picking up a package for Paige Guthrie at the Massachusetts Academy."
"Identification please." Danny took out his driver's licence and placed on the scanner. "One moment, please."
A few seconds later, the gate whirred open. "Please proceed to your left until you reach the lighthouse. Then remain there until summoned."
"Understood."
It didn't take long to reach the building, and a tall, strawberry-blond youth dressed in a t-shirt and jeans was waiting for them there. "Hi, you're from the Academy? Ben Quest, IRIS told me you were coming."
Danny nodded, and shook the proffered hand. "Danny al Shlomo. I've got to ask, who is Iris... the manager?"
Ben chuckled, "No, it's I-R-I-S not Iris. She's the computer that runs the compound," replied Ben. He smiled at the youths' odd looks. "IRIS's programming is based on the brain patterns of my paternal grandmother, so she's a little more interactive than most."
"I see," said Danny. "Do you live here?"
Ben nodded. "My family founded QE. My mother still runs the company. She's away at the moment. Who are your friends?"
"Sorry, I should have said. Tia Gardner, Joe Veicolo, both Academy students. And a friend of ours, Mary Othinnsdottir."
"That's an old and unusual name," observed Ben as he ushered them into the lighthouse.
"I am from an old and unusual family."
"I see... Well, I can understand that," said Ben. "IRIS said you were after a Somatic Vectorization Processor?"
Danny nodded, "The simulator was in use just before the power outage on April 1st, so most of the components were badly damaged. The SVP is the only component we haven't been able to source from the Academy's usual outlets."
Danny nodded, "Doesn't surprise me. There are only two companies that deal in that level of virtual technology. Us and Cross World Technologies, and the closest CWT site is in Chicago. Well, there's Hammond Technologies, but their Simudeck technology isn't cross-compatible with ours or CWT's."
"Normally, we can repair anything that goes wrong, but not this time."
"I'll go get the relay," said Ben. "Stay here."
It didn't take him long to locate the part, which was about the size of an old-fashioned full-size laptop. Joe and Mary quickly stored it in a hidden compartment in the back of the Ootori while Danny signed off on the required paperwork, then they said goodbye to Ben and set off back to Snow Valley.
They were just entering the city limits when a massive spout of water burst towards them. "Watch out!" screamed Tia as Danny swerved to avoid the blast. He was successful, but was caught by surprise when the spout caused an explosion, which caused the car to flip over, landing on it's roof.
"We've got trouble," observed Danny.
"Obviously."
"Triggering roof ejector," said Danny, ignoring the barb. The force of the ejector flipped the car back onto its wheels again, and the Rangers clamoured out.
"Check out the Catch of the Day," observed Joe, indicating the armored monster that was eyeing them from across the street.
"Draw him away from the car!" ordered Danny as they split off.
"We're on it!" promised Joe.
"Phobiads... Attack them!"
"I'll handle the monster!" said Mary as several of the cloaked foot soldiers materialised around them.
"Wait!" ordered Danny, then paused to contend with one of the Phobiads. "Never mind."
Mary managed to avoid the Phobiads on her way towards the monster, and get in a couple of punches before it grabbed her with one of its pincers and raked her with the other before throwing her into a tree.
"Don't seem to be handling me now," crowed Cancera. "Take this!"
Mary dodged another icy water blast and attempted a flying kick, but this was unsuccessful as her initial attempt.
"Puny ranger... you can't defeat me!"
"Guess again!" said Mary. "Power of the Wolf, Power of the Stallion!" Her two spirits emerged from her and charged towards the monster. However, when they reached it, they dispersed harmlessly. "What... How?!"
"My armored shell is proof against all of your puny attacks!" declared the monster. "Prepare to be destroyed!" Two more icy jets knifed towards the fallen woman, who just about dodged the blast and was again thrown to one side.
"Need a hand?" asked a voice from above her as she struggled to get to her feet.
"I'll be fine!" she said, but after three failed attempts she accepted Joe's assistance to rise. Looking around, she could see that a couple of the Phobiads still remained, but most had been destroyed.
"Cancera looks pretty tough."
"He is a formidable foe," agreed Mary.
"Then let's Ranger up!" said Danny. "Ready?"
"Ready!" agreed his three team-mates.
"Ancient Source, Spirit Force!"
"Swift as the Caribou... Red Spirit Ranger!"
"Agile as the Hare... Yellow Spirit Ranger!"
"Fierce as the Husky... Blue Spirit Ranger!"
"Power of Judgment... Valkyrie Ranger!"
"Strength from the Spirits, Power Rangers Spirit Force!"
"Let's take this beast!" declared Danny, summoning his shield to deflect another ice blast towards the last of the Phobiads. "Tia, Joe... go!"
The two Rangers ran out from behind the cover, and dashed towards the monster. Tia was slightly faster than Joe and landed the first blow, but the staff bounced off the monster's hide and she was caught by one of the claws and sent flying backwards. Joe attacking with his long daggers as the monster was distracted by Tia and it screamed in pain, but before Joe could strike it again, the monster swung around and grabbed by the neck and head. It shook him hard, and then threw him to one side. Joe hit a wall hard and fell to the ground, clearly semi-conscious at best. Tia staggered to her feet and sent one of her 'spirits' at him, but all it did was attract his attention and an ice blast took her down a second later. Then Cancera turned and fired two ice blasts at Danny and Mary, who had almost reached him, forcing them to take cover.
"The daggers hurt him, but not enough," observed Danny. "I doubt my shield would work any better."
"Agreed. However, my weapon may turn the tide in our favor," said Mary. "Valkyrie Lance!" Her two-meter long spear-like weapon materialised in her hand. "Can you distract him?"
"Only for a moment."
"That is all I need."
"I'm on it!" promised Danny and dashed from their cover, avoiding two blasts as he ran. "Power of the Caribou!" Danny's spirit form rushed towards the monster and dissipated harmlessly on his shell.
"That won't stop me!" declared Cancera. "I am invincible!"
"I think not!" retorted Mary, who had moved close to him while he was distracted. "You defeated me before... but now I am prepared!"
"I don't think so!" said Cancera and fired a powerful ice blast at her.
"I disagree," said Mary, as she ducked to avoid the blast, her glowing weapon held at her side. "Valkyrie Lance... Crescent Slash!" The weapon glowed brightly as Mary rotated it through a three-quarter circle then sliced downwards. The blade struck the monster, scoring a deep energy trail in his shell.
He staggered backwards, and threw a blast at Mary, which she dodged easily.
"Time to finish this..." she declared and raised the weapon to chest height. "Cancera of the Zodiac Clan, you are unworthy. Valkyrie Lance... Judgement Slash!"
With that, she swung her weapon towards him in a brutal sideways cut, then swung down and up again for a final vertical cut that sent him to his knees. "You... are done."
"Not hardly!" said the monster, then he glowed and shot up to giant size.
"Oh no," said Tia, who had limped over to join them.
"I really thought you had him, Mary," said Joe as he moved to stand at Mary's side.
"Regretfully not," she replied. "We should summon the Zords."
"Agreed," said Danny. "Guardian Spirits Descend!"
A beam of rainbow energy appeared to curve down from the sky, and three ethereal animals rode it down to the ground. The three core Rangers jumped into the air and merged with the animals turning them into the solid forms of the Spirit Rangers' Zords, Mary followed after a slight pause and merged with the Stallion Spirit, which then turned into its Zord form, followed by the Wolf a second later.
"Let's bring them together," ordered Danny. "Guardian Spirits Combine!"
The head and neck of the Caribou separated from the body, then the body shifted, creating a hollow area at the front and allowing the two sets of legs to merge back into the body. Next the head split, folding down onto the neck to expose a second humanoid head below and it reattached to the front of the Caribou, forming a chest plate. The four remaining Zords dropped into a crouch, folding their legs underneath themselves - Wolf and Stallion Zords shifted to form a pair of arms and attached themselves to the Caribou followed by the Husky and Hare Zords which their bodies flipped forwards and up, locking into place as a set of legs, which immediately docked with a pair of stumps under the center of the Caribou.
"Soulhunter Megazord!"
"That won't stop me!" declared Cancera, fired two blasts at the Zord, which staggered a little as it absorbed the attack.
"I think it will!" retorted Danny, as the four Rangers steadied themselves. "Spear of Wotan!" A large three-pronged spear rocked down from the skies and flew to the Zord's hand. Two swift cuts with the bladed tip caused sparks to fly from the monster's shell, then it struck back, sending the Zord to its knees.
"Now, we finish this," declared Danny. "Spear of Wotan... Judgement Strike!"
Red, yellow, blue, purple and silver lights surged into the Spear and began to glow brightly. Then it swung the weapon in two horizontal cuts, catching the monster in the resulting energy wave. Immediately, it screamed, then collapsed and exploded.
"That did it!"
"We have the Power!"
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A/N: Unfortunately, due to work pressures and a bad case of writer's block I haven't been able to keep up the momentum on this story as planned. However, it is still a work-in-progress and I have about half a chapter written out already. This one is going to be a little different though as it focuses strongly on two secondary groups of characters (SPD and some OCs) so although it is part of the ongoing story it may be posted as a one-shot. Hopefully within the next month or so, but I can't promise that.