A/N: It's once again update time. So sorry that it took an entire month though. Some days, I wish I had more free time to write and do other things that I love, but be actively involved in school, church, and community projects can get in the way. Anyways, thanks to those who left feedback on the previous chapter. I'm sure you're all itching to find out how Leo will be of help getting Carlos released from prison. I guess it's time to put an end to that mystery.
REMINDER:
- This story is an AU. It follows the events of the series; but for the sake of my O.C. Molly, the time frame in which each season of Power Rangers has lengthened. So yes, this story does take place during the season of Dino Thunder, but everyone's ages have been altered to better fit this original idea of mine. If you can't accept that, you might as well click away now.
- I have switched Tommy's profession to history at this point because I am HORRIBLE at science & chemistry and felt that writing about history would be a lot easier. Plus, I think that studying dinosaurs and fossils leans more towards the history side of the educational world.
- Tommy x Kimberly are the main pairing of this story, but there are SEVERAL other pairings that will be used during the course of this story as well. For starters, Hayley and Tommy are a couple when this story begins. As with most romances, theirs is going to take a while to blossom. So don't expect things to be all "sunshine and rainbows" in the beginning.
- Although I edit this story frequently, I do tend to make a few mistakes. So if you spot them, KINDLY let me know and I will take care of the issue immediately. Insulting my intelligence or skills as a writer for such minor mistakes is not only rude, but I will not tolerate it.
- Most importantly, I have made this story a personal challenge for myself and have written it ENTIRELY in the present tense so it seems like the story is happening right before your very eyes. It has proven to be a difficult challenge, but fun nonetheless. So I hope you guys like it too.
Disclaimer: I do not own the popular television series Power Rangers, which is based off of the Super Sentai series that air in Japan. I do not own the rights to any of the show's characters that are used in this story. Both aspects are being used for entertainment purposes only. I am the creator of Molly Hart, Samara and Austin Scott, and all other original characters featured in this story. The plot of this story was also developed by me. DO NOT REPRODUCE ANY ASPECT OF THIS STORY. Thank you.
"Voices"
Carlos is sitting on the bottom bunk of the bed he shares with his cellmate Luis. His older, gruffer friend is leaning on the wall opposite him, his arms folded across his chest as he waits for the on duty guard to release them for dinner. Carlos feels as though he's suffering from a heat flash, his nerves getting the better of him as he waits to execute his plan with the other rangers. It is risky he realizes, but he has no other choice at this point. He is a Power Ranger first, an innocent civilian second. There isn't a doubt in his mind that his absence will be noticed, causing an uproar within the facility; but if it means he can help his teammates save the world, he is willing to do the unthinkable.
"So, did your folks come and visit you earlier?" Luis asks, his deep, Hispanic accent echoing off the walls. "You were gone for a long time."
"My old friends from high school came to see me." Carlos says quickly, not bothering to say any more. Luis looks at him for a moment, waiting for him to continue explaining; but when Carlos remains silent, he shrugs before resuming his thoughts.
"Alright boys." the on duty guard says as he approaches their cell. The man is quite large, reminding Carlos of Farkas Bulkmeier, or "Bulk" as they used to call him in high school. The man scratches his beard before entering a security code in the provided keypad beside the cell door. He then steps aside, to allow the boys out so they can be escorted in an assembling line towards the cafeteria.
Carlos falls in line with his fellow inmates, looking around as they walk through the halls en route to the cafeteria to keep an eye out for the other guards. Carlos keeps in mind that he doesn't have much time before his rescue team steps in and looks up towards the ceiling as they pass by several security cameras. As they pass by the hallway leading to the Warden's office, Carlos slips away, bowing his head to avoid drawing attention to himself. He quickens his pace, his tennis shoes padding softly against the concrete floor as he makes his way down the hall.
"Mr. Vallerette?" a female voice calls out to him from behind. He freezes, his heart taking off in a race as he does his best to remain calm. He can hear the woman's footsteps approaching him and he turns around to greet her, plastering a fake smile on his face. He recognizes the guard as the female officer who had escorted Andros and the others to meet him just a few hours earlier.
"What are you doing down here?" she questions him, her hands on her hips as she pauses her stride in front of him. "It's meal time and you have no escort, nor permission to be visiting the warden."
"I'm down to my last jumpsuit." he explains quickly. "I managed to tear my backup while doing laundry and I was going to put in a request to have one ready for me after dinner. I already got permission from O'Riley before coming down here. He gave me five minutes to make the request and get back. You're making me lose valuable time."
"Allow me to escort you then." she says before pointing towards the office door. Carlos nods, swallowing his fear before resuming his walk into the office. Thankfully, the guard opts to wait outside as he steps into the room, the smell of the old 1970's carpet turning his stomach as he steps inside. His eyes travel to the glass window wear the warden's secretary is seated, his back facing away from the door as he talks to someone rather loudly on the phone. Carlos carefully maneuvers his way past the window without being noticed and slides into a small utility closet just on the other side where a water heater is currently running.
Carlos stands still for a few moments, his heart thudding wildly in his chest as he peers through the small metal slits in the door, giving him a good view of the office. He prays that the guard waiting outside doesn't come in looking for him just yet while he continues to wait. Suddenly, a familiar rush of energy flows over his body and he sighs in relief as he realizes he's finally being rescued. Just as the office door flies open and the guard comes in to retrieve him, he closes his eyes and is teleported out of the closet to destination unknown.
Tommy stifles a yawn before leaning back in his chair, the rest of his friends standing around him and Hayley as her fingers move hurriedly across her keyboard. She opens several screens and a scanning program, earning intrigued looks from Billy and Trini as they read over her shoulders. Everyone had gotten up at the crack of dawn after a restless night of sleep so Hayley and Tommy could explain their findings, and everyone was a little on edge over the situation. Hayley finishes typing before turning on a second monitor beside her first, revealing an even larger scanner program. She points at the second screen, everyone's eyes following her hand.
"This is the energy reading that Tommy and I stumbled across a few weeks ago." she explains. "At first, we weren't entirely sure what we were dealing with, so we had to run a few tests and download software that could help us decipher the energy levels. Surprisingly, Tommy had a few of Alpha 5's computer programs saved to floppy disks. They were a bit outdated, but we managed to integrate them into our system with no issue. This energy currently being displayed is Lord Zedd's life force. These other screens show Rita and the Machine Empire's. We had a reading on Divatox's signature until yesterday afternoon, meaning she has probably finished healing and is free."
"This is unreal." Adam says, saying the words that he knows are in everyone else's mind. "Who would revive them, and why?"
"We're still trying to figure that out for ourselves." Tommy admits as he spins around in his chair to face his friends. "Like I told you all yesterday, we expect that there is a much stronger force behind these recent events; but at this time, we still don't know who is calling the shots. I'm worried that the longer we go without knowing, the further in the dark we'll be."
The conversation comes to a halt as alarms start screeching throughout the lab. The veteran rangers look around in confusion, none of them sure what is happening, while Conner and the other Dino Rangers push their way to the front of the crowd to huddle around Hayley as she pulls up a different screen.
"There's an attack downtown." she announces as Tommy stands to his feet, ready for action. "My readings are a little unclear, but it looks like it could be a Putty attack."
"Well, what are we waiting for?" Jason asks as he's filled with a small bit of excitement. "Let's go take care of those goons."
"No Jase, let me and my students handle this." Tommy says, stopping the former leader from getting any crazed ideas. "I know that you guys want to help now that you know what's at stake, but for the time being, you guys aren't Power Rangers. Depending on who's behind the attack, you won't stand a chance out there."
"So you expect us to just sit back and watch?" Adam asks. "The Putties are our enemies too Tommy."
"I get that Adam. Really, I do - but you guys have to let us take care of things for now."
Adam frowns at Tommy's words, but nods in understanding. Tommy and the rest of his rangers stand in a straight line before pulling their sleeves up and morphing into action.
"Dino Thunder, Power Up! Hah!"
"White Ranger, Dino Power!"
The former rangers watch as their friend and his new team of rangers morph into their suits and summon their Raptor Cycles. Conner climbs onto his, Kira opting to climb on behind him so Molly and Trent can share hers. Tommy then climbs onto Ethan's, opting to drive the Blue Ranger around.
"Molly, please be careful." Kimberly calls out to her daughter as she revs the engine of the Yellow Raptor Cycle. The newly morphed Green Ranger gives her mother a thumbs up before speeding through the cave entrance with the others right on her tail.
When Carlos opens his eyes, a smile spreads across his face as he recognizes his familiar surroundings. He can hear the humming of a loud engine and the hiss of the air vents running overhead. His eyes slowly take in the metal walls, ceiling, and floor around him and a large window just on the opposite wall where billions of glittering stars stretch on for miles. He's finally home where he belongs - on board the Astro Megaship.
"Carlos?" Ashley's sweet voice calls out to him, alerting him of her presence. He turns around, his grin widening at the sight of her and the rest of his teammates. Ashley's arms are around him in a second as she breathes a shuddering sigh, relief washing over hear at the sight of one of her oldest friend, orange jumpsuit and all.
"I was beginning to think you'd forgotten about me." he laughs as he returns her hug and relishes in the fact that he's finally able to touch someone without any restrictions.
"I would never forget about you Carlos. You are an Astro Power Ranger and you have every right to be on this mission just as we do."
"The Megaship looks more or less the same." Carlos comments as he and Ashley break apart. "It looks like the scientists on Terra Venture were able to make a lot of repairs after the Galaxy Rangers' last battle. I'm glad."
"I'm glad that Leo was able to send us the ship on such short notice." TJ says. "Ashley's idea really came through for us, but not without consequences. It won't be long before the guards at the prison realize you're missing."
Carlos nods, his smile fading away as he thinks of all the phone calls his family and friends back on earth are going to get. It won't take more than a few days before he is declared an escapee and has a warrant out for his arrest. Going back to earth without his ranger uniform on is not an option.
"We'll keep you safe Carlos, don't worry." Cassie says, completely dismissing the idea of them aiding and abetting an accused criminal. "So, now that the six of us are all back together again, I propose we have a small celebration to commemorate the occasion."
"That sounds great." Ashley agrees as she begins wracking her brain for all the appetizers she could whip up using the Synethetron.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa you two." Andros says, taking on his leader voice. "We have a lot of things to take care of before we even consider relaxing and having fun. We have to figure out who is behind creating those barriers and we have to track down Ecliptor and Karone."
"There's no need to start a search party." a female voice comes from behind them. The rangers turn around, startled by the sudden appearance of the voice. What was once the windshield of the Megaship is now a large viewing screen; and much to everyone's shock, a very familiar blonde-haired, blue eyed blonde is staring at them, a smile on her face and tears in her eyes.
"Karone...?" Zhane whispers as a smile spreads across his lips.
The Dino Rangers speed down the streets of Reefside, buildings and trees whizzing past them as the motors of their cycles rev and echo throughout the streets. Several pedestrians watch as the rangers pass by them, cheering in encouragement as the rangers follow Hayley's sent coordinates to an old construction yard just on the outskirts of the city. Conner revs his engine twice before speeding ahead of the group to take the lead, Kira's arms wrapping tighter around him as she prays he won't cause her to fall off the bike.
"We're here." Conner speaks into the headset of his helmet, alerting the other rangers that they should start to slow down. They slowly veer off the highway and park their cycles just beside a group of inactive cranes and bulldozers. They then slide off the cycles and walk towards the center of the large, vacant lot.
"Are you positive these are Hayley's coordinates?" Molly asks as she looks around the emptied area. "I don't see any Putties."
"Something isn't right." Kira says as her ankle throbs dully. She has managed to heal up enough to walk on it, but she still has to be on the safe said to avoid re-injuring it.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't the Power Rangers." a female voice comes, her voice dramatic and boisterous. The rangers spin around and are surprised to see a woman standing on top of one of the three, parked bulldozers. She has fair skin and long brown hair with purple highlights that is pulled up into a high ponytail. She is dressed rather seductively, a red strapless dress with gold accents and a flared skirt that hugs her body close, exposing her full chest with the help of a laced bodice. She is also garbed in a pair of black gloves, thigh-high black boots, and a high-collared red cape that flows behind her, keeping a golden necklace safe inside. One of her most striking features is the golden masquerade mask that covers as set of piercing green eyes. The woman smiles, her blood-red lips curving up and revealing sharp pearly whites as she leaps down from the bulldozer and strolls towards the rangers, her hips swinging with each step. She stops about a yard away from them, the rangers all raising their arms in defense.
"Divatox." Tommy growls, earning gasps from his teammates.
"That babe is Divatox?" Ethan says in disbelief as Tommy's stories of the Turbo Rangers' battles with the demon diva cross his mind.
"Hold on a sec Ethan, babe?" Kira says the word with disgust. "I didn't know that badly dressed hookers were your type."
"So, you're Divatox?" Conner says as he narrows his eyes and goes completely on the defense.
"The one and only." she smiles before focusing her attention on the Black Dino Ranger. "How's it going Tommy? I have to say, I was a little surprised when my Master told me that you were still sporting the spandex. Aren't you tired of trying to defend the good of humanity yet?"
"What are you doing here?" Tommy demands to know, anger boiling inside his chest.
"Save the dramatics Tommy. I'm just here on business. Piranhatrons, attack!"
Tommy's eyes narrow as a large swarm of nearly sixty of Divatox's trusty henchmen appear. The other Dino Thunder Rangers are taken aback by the human- fish hybrids as they begin running towards them. Their gills and fins back and their eyes large and a fluorescent sea green. Each of the creatures is carrying some sort of weapon from hammers to spears as they run towards the rangers.
"Doctor O, you handle Divatox." Conner says. "The rest of us will handle the Piranhatrons."
Tommy nods and takes off in a sprint, leaving his students and daughter behind to take on the sea of foot soldiers. Divatox smirks at him, her hands on her hips as she watches him closing in on her. He stops just a few feet in front of her, raising his arms in defense as he assesses the situation. She doesn't seem to be making any sort of move towards him, almost as though she were waiting on him to confront her.
"Tell me Divatox, who revived you? You're a pretty independent woman from what I recall. Why bother taking orders from someone else?"
"It's none of your damn business Tommy." she scoffs. "You will know all you need to know in due time. Now, get out of my face!"
Divatox swings her leg forward, sending the heel of her boot forcibly into Tommy's chest. He stumbles back with a cough, surprise on his face that she had actually managed to inflict him with pain. In the past, Divatox never engaged him or the other rangers in battle, opting to use her henchmen to do her evil bidding. She was just as much of a diva as her name suggests and wouldn't dare to dirty her hands.
"You don't want to mess with me sweetie." She says with a laugh. "I've gotten a major upgrade during my recuperation, and getting on my bad side will be your undoing."
Tommy growls in anger before running towards her again. He throws a right hook towards her face, but she manages to block him with ease, a laugh escaping her lips. Tommy tries again with his left fist, only to wind up with the same results. He continues to throw every punch and kick he can manage, his eyes widening and frustration taking over him when he realizes just how quick she is at avoiding his advances. After what seems like the dozenth time of trying to strike her, Divatox screams before jumping into the air and kicking him hard across the face, snapping his head violently to the left as he is knocked to the ground. As Tommy slowly sits up, he is stunned as Divatox holds her hands up above her head and summons a long, golden pole into her grasp, a red and sharp ruby at its tip.
Slowly, the Black Ranger stands to his feet as Divatox begins twirling her new weapon around her head like a baton. Before Tommy can defend himself, she swings the weapon down with a loud grunt, hitting Tommy in the shoulder and knocking him back to the ground.
"You look like you're at your wit's end." Divatox laughs maniacally. "Tough luck for you Tommy. I'm just getting started!"
Divatox swings her staff down in a slicing motion, but Tommy rolls out of the way quickly to avoid being hit. The end of Divatox's staff jabs into the dirt covered ground and she uses it as a sturdy pole, holding onto it tightly before spinning around it and kicking Tommy across the face. His helmet protects him of course, but his suit takes a significant amount of damage. Thinking quickly, dives forward, tackling Divatox to the ground. She holds her staff up in front of her, using it as a shield to prevent Tommy from getting any closer to her as he straddles her chest. He manages to slip past her metal barrier, punching her once across the face and causing her teeth to slice through her cheek. She cries out in pain before spitting a mouthful of blood in his face, kneeing him in the stomach to free herself from being trapped. Tommy hunches over before he's struck in the back of the neck with Divatox's pole, rendering him nearly motionless as he face plants on the ground.
"Dad!" Molly shouts as she spies her father being overrun by the space pirate. Forgetting about her battle with the Piranhatrons, Molly uses her super strength to over throw her two opponents. She then rushes to her father's aid, crouching down beside him as she checks him over. Tommy groans as Molly helps him up into a sitting position, her hand resting on the small of his back.
"What are you doing here Molly?" he asks. "You're supposed to be helping Conner and the others."
"They'll manage without me." she reassures him. "I'm not going to let this witch defeat you."
"So you're the infamous Molly Hart I've been hearing so much about." Divatox says, interest swinging on her every word. "I've got to admit Tommy, I am rather impressed that you've managed to keep your daughter within the family business. It gives me so many ideas on how to exact my revenge against you for foiling my plans."
"Where the hell do you get off making threats against me?" Molly snaps as she stands to her feet, her chest out as she shows Divatox she isn't going to take her threats lightly.
"You dare to challenge moi?" Divatox asks, placing a hand over her heart as she pretends to be hurt. She then smirks before throwing her head back in laughter.
Not waiting for an invitation, Molly flicks both her wrists as she summons her Dragon Daggers into her hands. With a battle cry, she rushes towards Divatox with an intense speed, forcing the space pirate to raise her staff to defend the oncoming blades. The two of them push against each other with their weapons, their eyes locked as they try to over power one another. Molly channels her super strength, forcing Divatox back with a surprised yelp before she spins around quickly and kicks the older woman in the chest. Molly is back on her like a heat seeking missile, swinging her daggers relentlessly as she tries to get a decent hit in. Divatox bites her bottom lip in concentration as she uses her staff to block each of Molly's swings, sparks spitting off her staff from the amount of force the teenager is using.
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say I've struck a nerve." Divatox taunts before laughing again, causing Molly's blood to boil as her thoughts turn to her injured father.
"Can it you snake." she hisses. With Molly's concentration temporarily broken, Divatox takes the opportunity to knock the right dagger out of Molly's hand, sending it flying to the air before it skids to a stop right beside Tommy. The Black Ranger takes the dagger into his hands, his attention pulled away from his daughter's battle as he eyes it curiously. He feels his breath catch in his throat at the familiarity of the blade all the way from its shape to the pattern in crested in its hilt. The dagger is an exact replica as the Green Ranger dagger he used as a teenager to control the Dragon Zord. His eyes quickly snap to his daughter and Divatox just as Molly is leaping up into the air.
The teenager kicks at Divatox's staff four times before landing on the ground and dropping into a sweep kick. Divatox jumps over Molly's leg before bringing her staff down on the teen, striking her helmet. Molly grunts in pain as her suit goes through a power surge from taking on the damage, but she isn't the least bit fazed. Divatox swings her staff a second time, hitting the teen in her shoulder, but before she can shout a snide remark, Molly growls and stabs her remaining blade into Divatox's exposed calf muscle, pulling an agonizing, throat-scraping scream from the pirate's mouth.
Divatox's screams catch the attention of her teammates and the Piranhatrons, all of them confused by what is happening off in the distance. Trent spies Molly's hands wrapped tightly around her dagger while Divatox is bending over in agony trying to pull it from her leg, but Molly doesn't appear to be making any attempts at removing it. Worried for his friend, Trent defeats the Piranhatron he had previously been engaging in battle with before running towards the Green Ranger.
Divatox starts to bend over, the pain in her leg becoming increasingly unbearable as he reaches a shaky hand towards Molly's, her gloved hands covering the teen's own as he tries to pry Molly's fingers free. The teen doesn't back down and pushes the dagger further into Divatox's leg, bringing tears to the woman's eyes.
"Molly, that's enough!" Tommy shouts as he tries to crawl towards his daughter, but she doesn't let up. Molly smirks, an odd sense of satisfaction overcoming her as she quickly stands to her feet and swings her right leg up into a powerful high kick, her super strength knocking Divatox about a yard away from her. Divatox skids across the ground, crying out as the dagger pushes even further into her leg. Molly run towards the villainess and takes hold of her ponytail in her left hand, her fingers tangling into the long locks and pulling at Divatox's scalp. Blood is pouring from the wound at this point Molly notices and she chuckles before yanking the blade from Divatox's leg. The diva cries out again, slumping down to the ground as Molly slides behind her and presses the bloodied blade to the exposed skin of the pirate's throat.
The Piranhatrons take their empress's defeat as a sign to retreat and quickly vanish, leaving no trace or indication that they had been in the construction zone behind. Confused by their sudden departure, Conner, Ethan, and Kira look around for Divatox. When they see Trent helping Tommy up, they run to join them, their eyes fixated on Molly and Divatox just a few yards away from them. They freeze, none of them able to process what they're seeing as the sun glints off the blade Molly currently has pressed to Divatox's throat.
"Molly, stop it!" Tommy shouts as he extends his hand towards the teen, but his pleas fall upon death ears.
"Do it Molly..." a voice ghosts through her mind. "She hurt your father. She is a no good villain who only seeks to destroy the earth. She threatened you and your family. It would be so easy to unravel her life."
Molly grits her teeth as the voice continues to taunt her, begging her to finish the job she started. Her hands are shaking and the resolve she had just moments before is slowly starting to fade away; but for some reason, an unknown force keeps her hands glued in their places - one within the confines of Divatox's hair and the other closed around the remaining Dragon Dagger.
"Tell me who's behind this?" Molly demands to know, her voice rather commanding and rough in comparison to how small and weak she feels inside. The unknown force that is holding Molly's hands in place forces her right hand to slowly, yet lightly, drag across Divatox's throat, slicing a thin line into the skin and causing more tears to fall from the woman's eyes.
"You guys, we have to do something!" Kira cries out, her voice frantic. "She's going to kill her!"
Trent and Kira run towards Molly as they scream for her to stop. Meanwhile, Ethan and Conner have helped Tommy onto his feet and do their best to hurry him over to his daughter to stop her from making a mistake.
"Who revived you Divatox?" Molly growls, her hands shaking as she pressing the blade back to Divatox's injured throat. "I'm not going to ask you again?"
Just before Divatox can answer, a large explosion erupts around her and Molly, forcing the Green Ranger to fall back, her hold on the space pirate breaking. Divatox stands to her feet weakly and takes a shaky breath as she stares with wide, fear-filled eyes at the Green Power Ranger. Before Molly can recover, Divatox disappears in a flash of light, leaving a pool of blood in her place.
"Damn it." Molly curses as she slams her fists down onto the ground. "Damn it, damn it, damn it!"
Tommy and the others finally reach the teen, all of them unsure of what to say or do. Molly's shoulders are heaving as she struggles to regain control of her emotions, the teen refusing to acknowledge their presence around her. Trent looks up at the sky in search of where the blast could have come from before scanning the area. There is no sign of any ship or enemy that could have saved Divatox; but whatever was the cause of the blast, he was thankful. If there was one thing Tommy had basically integrated into the mind of him and the others during their times as rangers, it was that they did not kill. They were only to defeat their enemies.
"Molly...?" Tommy calls out to his daughter, the teen stiffening at the sound of her father's voice. Slowly she stands to her feet and turns around to face them. She is worried when they all take a step away from her; and although she can't see their faces at the moments, she can feel the fear radiating off of them. She raises her hands into her line of sight and gasps at the sight of her green gloves stained with blood.
Zhane and the other rangers stare at the viewing screen in shock, all of them unsure of how Karone managed to hack into the Megaship's mainframe or exactly how she knew where they were. All that aside, Zhane and Andros are relieved, smiles on their faces as they take a step forward.
"Karone, is it really you?" Zhane asks, hopefulness in his voice as she stares into her blue eyes. Karone nods, a smile gracing her lips as she stares at her family.
"Karone, where are you?" Andros asks as he fumbles through his thoughts for the right questions to ask. "We know that Ecliptor kidnapped you from the dental office. Are you okay? Has he hurt you?"
"Andros, please calm down." she says, her smile fading away as her brow lines with concern for her brother. "I am safe for the time being. I was contacting the Megaship in hopes of reaching Leo and the rest of my former team so they could get in contact with you guys. I never expected that you all would already be on board."
"You're contacting us from another space ship." Ashley realized. "The Dark Fortress?"
Karone nods. "Yes. Darkonda was assigned a mission to kidnap me; and when Ecliptor found out, he decided to act first. I wasn't willing to cooperate at first, being I didn't know what his intentions with me were. So he knocked me out and took me far away from earth to avoid being captured. When I awoke, I was back in my old room on the Dark Fortress."
"Why did Darkonda need to kidnap you?" Zhane asks. "Who is he working for?"
"Ecliptor just refers to him as the Master, for he isn't entirely sure of his true name. The Master is hell bent on conquering the earth and has revived the Power Rangers past enemies to do his evil bidding. The Master also has a group of special henchmen known as the Comdrites, a group of witches possessing special powers that can help him carry out his evil plot. There is a lot more to the story that I can't explain right now, but all you need to know is that I, or rather Astronema, is one of these super powered sorceresses. The Master needs my power, so that is why Darkonda was sent to take me."
"He was going to brainwash you into being Astronema again." Cassie realizes. "This is so twisted."
"Ecliptor is a part of the evil alliance, so I won't blame you guys if you don't trust him as I do; but so far, he hasn't given me a reason not to rely on him. He did save me after all. He has been gathering information on the Master and his plans and has been relaying it to me with hopes that I can get you and the rest of the Power Rangers to take him down. We don't have much time though. The Master's ship should reach earth in exactly two weeks from today."
The rangers gasp, none of them having expected this bombshell. "Two weeks isn't nearly enough time." TJ argues. "Karone, we don't even know what this guy is planning. How are we to defend the earth with so very little information? It's insane!"
"TJ, I understand your frustrations, but we have to figure something out or the earth is doomed. I know that you guys probably need me on the home front, but for now, I think it's best that I stay with Ecliptor. I will relay what information that I can gather back to you guys while you develop a plan. You guys, this is going to be one of the biggest threats the earth has ever faced, and we're going to need the help of every Power Ranger available if we intend to win. I have to go now, but I promise to get in touch with you again soon."
"Karone...I love you." Zhane says quickly, earning a warm smile from his wife. She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear with a nervous laugh before blowing him a kiss.
"I love you too." she says before the screen goes black.
"I think the coast is clear guys." Tommy says as he looks around them. "Power down."
The teens nod before morphing out of their suits, all of them relieved that Molly's bloodied gloves are gone. The brunette continues to stare at her hands flexing her fingers as the image of the blood she had been staring at moments before lingers in her mind. She takes a shaky breath before looking up at the concerned faces of her teammates, their gazes weighing heavy on her.
"Molly, what the hell happened?" Conner asks, his voice calm as he does his best not to rattle the girl.
"I don't know." she stammers, her voice shaky with fear. "I was just trying to protect my dad and before I knew it, something had come over me. I was so angry at Divatox and I just wanted her to pay for what she had done, but I couldn't stop myself. It was almost like my body was being piloted by someone other than myself. I couldn't ground my thoughts and regain control of my emotions. I wanted to hurt her. I thought...no, I was going to kill her. Oh my God..."
Molly's hands go to her mouth as she does her best to suppress an oncoming sob, but her shoulders start to shake as she comes unraveled. Tommy moves to his daughter, no longer seeing her as a threat as he pulls her into his arms, tucking her head beneath his chin as he holds her close. Molly starts crying, her voice pained while her friends watch her, none of them sure of what to do.
"Let's get back to the Command Center." Tommy says quietly before leading Molly back to where he and the others had parked the Raptor Cycles.
Leo Corbett, the former Red Galaxy Ranger, can't contain his joy as he stares down at the small blue bundle he is holding in his arms. The small, infant's eyes are shut as he snuggles closer to his father, seeking comfort as he dozes off into dreamland. Leo can feel his heart swelling with pride that he helped to create something so beautiful, a child to place his hopes and dreams into that would one day grow up and hopefully be half the man he ever could have dreamed of being.
"Hey there mister Brandon Lee Corbett." he says to the infant as a small wrinkled hand takes a firm grip on his index finger. "Welcome to the world little guy."
"Hey, maybe I want to spend some time with my two favorite men." a tired, yet playful voice calls out to him. Leo smiles before turning around and facing his lovely wife, Kendrix. The blonde-haired genius has definitely had better hair days, but after being in labor for twenty hours, she had every right to look however she wanted. Tired eyes stared at her husband and son from behind her glasses, her messy ponytail losing a few strands from its holder as she shifted into an upright sitting position on the bed.
Leo approaches his wife, slowly settling onto the bed beside her as he places the infant into her await arms. Kendrix's face lights up at the feeling of having her little boy in her arms once more, and she presses her lips to his forehead, giggling as the infant stretches his mouth open wide to release a small yawn. Leo wraps an arm around her shoulder, pressing a kiss to her temple before staring down at little Brandon.
"I'm so proud of you Kendrix." he says, their eyes never leaving the baby. "You did great."
"No Leo, we did great." she corrects him. "In case you've forgotten, you had a major role in our son being here."
Leo laughs, the sound making Brandon's lips curve into a smile. Just as Leo shifts to get more comfortable on the small bed, his communicator beeps. Brandon's face scrunches up when he hears the high pitched sound and Kendrix quickly quiets the boy, humming a soft lullaby to him while Leo stands to his feet.
"I'll be back in a second." he says, earning a nod from his wife before he steps out of the room and onto the adjoining balcony.
"Leo here." he says as he spares one more glance towards his wife and son through the glass windows of the door.
"Hey there Leo. It's Ashley again." the cheerful voice of the Yellow Astro Ranger floats through the speaker of his communicator. "I certainly hope that I'm not interrupting you again. So, is the baby finally here?"
"You bet." Leo says with a small laugh. "Brandon Lee has officially been born as of twenty minutes ago. So, to what do I owe the pleasure of this call? I assume the Megaship got to you and the others okay?"
"Yeah, it did. Thank you for sending it on such short notice, but I had no other choice. We had to get Carlos out of that facility without him being detected."
"I understand. So, what exactly is going on? I know that our call was cut short earlier and I didn't really get the chance to ask too many questions. Is everything alright back on earth?"
"For the time being. An evil monarch is on his way to destroy the earth, and he has revived the Power Rangers' past beaten enemies to do his handy work. Karone was kidnapped by her old mentor Ecliptor before Darkonda could get to her and brainwash her to being Astronema again. He's holding her on board her old fortress for now, but it won't be long before the two are found out."
Leo's smile fades at the mentioning of his former girlfriend. "Is she alright?"
"She managed to hack into the Megaship's mainframe to set up a video feed with us about ten minutes ago to fill us in on what she knows. Seemingly, she is unharmed, but she doesn't want to come back to earth until she can learn more about this dark being that Ecliptor refers to as the Master. Apparently, when Karone was Astronema, she had powers that made her a powerful witch that belongs to a cult known as the Comdrites. They apparently serve as the Master's right hand fighting force."
"I've heard of the Comdrites." Leo says as he recalls a small briefing he and the other Galaxy Rangers had about two months before. "There was a planet not too far from Mirinoi that was destroyed by a massive fire spell last year. Rumors report that a witch by the name of Hellina set the planet ablaze."
"Leo, with everything going on, we have to pull ourselves out of retirement to protect the earth. That is my reason for calling you. Although you and everyone else on Terra Venture are no longer citizens of earth, you all still have ties with the planet. We need the help of you and the other Galaxy Rangers to protect us from the Master's evil plans."
Leo rubs the back of his neck, suddenly feeling overwhelmed by all of this information. "Ashley, I understand how important it is to keep the earth safe, but I can't leave Terra Venture right now. Kendrix and Brandon need me and I can't just abandon them, not like this. Please, try and understand."
"I do understand Leo." Ashley says, a smile in her voice. "I wasn't expecting you to drop everything just to come to our aid. I was hoping that you could talk to Maya and the others though. Do you think they can help?"
"I'll see what I can do." Leo says with a nod of his head. "I'll talk to you soon Ashley."
Leo ends the communication link before staring up at the bluish-green sky overhead. Terra Venture had become a home to him and his friends over the past five years and it was their duty as the Galaxy Rangers to protect it. Although they hadn't been in need of their powers since Trakeena and her army's defeat, they still had a duty to uphold on the space colony. All thoughts cast aside, Leo plasters a smile on his face before stepping back through the sliding doors to rejoin his wife and son.
"I can't believe that Divatox showed up in Reefside." Adam says as he rubs his face in disbelief. "With her being freed from her barrier, it's only a matter of time before Rita, Zedd, King Mondo and the others are released. Tommy, we can't just stand by on the sidelines anymore. You need our help."
"And we are going to help." Billy says as he claps his hands together, grabbing everyone's attention. "First thing's first, we have to find a way to get our powers back. Then, we are going to work together to come up with a plan to take down this evil alliance of villains. Lastly, we have to find out who sent Divatox and everyone else back to earth."
"The last two parts of your plan sound great." Aisha agrees. "But Billy, how are we supposed to get our powers back? They're gone."
"Aisha's right." Rocky agrees as he wraps a free arm around her waste. "The Mighty Morphin powers were destroyed when Master Vile came to earth and turned us into children. I mean, that's what sent us on our quest for the Zeo Crystal."
"The Zeo Powers were more than likely lost when the Command Center was destroyed." Katherine concludes as she recalls Cassie's update following Astronema's defeat. "We all know that the Turbo Powers were left unusable following the Command Center's destruction as well. We have no powers."
"I wouldn't be so sure about that." Billy says, earning confused looks from his friends. "Even though the Turbo Powers were completely wiped out, I don't believe that the Zeonizers were destroyed. Zordon and Alpha had so many sub levels within the Command Center. I mean, that is how they managed to keep the construction of Tommy's White Ranger powers a secret from us. When they created the Turbo Morphers, I wouldn't put it past Alpha to have stored them within a sub level."
"But the explosion Billy." Jason says. "The Zeonizers couldn't have possibly survived the blast."
"Then there's only one way to find out." Billy says. "We have to head back to Angel Grove and find them for ourselves."
A/N: Could Billy be correct - are the Zeonizers still operational? We never did find out their fate after Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie. What about the Galaxy Rangers coming to help defend the planet they all left behind years ago; and what about Molly's strange behavior? The circumstances in which she found her Dino Gem were a little unusual after all, and danger undoubtedly lies ahead for the team. What's going to happen next? Is there any part of this fanfic that I need to clear up for you? Well, leave me a review and I'll be back with you soon. Until next time guys!
-KairiAngel13
Thanks for Reviewing:
Hewhoreaps (Thanks for the birthday wishes!)
Hopelessromanticgurl (Your idea just might be used in a future chapter!)
red neo ranger
RKF22
fly2fly
brankel1
MaxKnight1010101
sabina21
Ghostwriter
starfire1994
Valepinkcrane (Thanks!)
NightWatcher666
Jeremy Shane
clonewars1143
Hawaii50girl
Emileighterrange
SunshineWitch91
Andyg2525 (My you tube account is fine again! And it's the same as my pen name! KairiAngel13)
Kelly bird (I LOVED your review! And don't worry! I'll be sure to let Zack say something about Tommy's new color when he finally arrives! Lol)
springbaby83
Purple Dragon Ranger
Zero H Gundam
Gulliman
AquaHikari
TightEnd48
ShikamaruNaraChunin (Loved your review! And I'll see about your ideas! Lol)
Ivettina-PR Luv1992