Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers. Only my OCs.
Chapter 23: Shane's Karma: Part 2
"Maybe now would be a good time to contact Sensei," Hunter suggested as he walked up to Cam.
"I've tried already. Whatever is interfering with Shane's morpher is keeping us from reaching my dad, too" the Samurai said, frustrated.
"Don't worry, Cam," Jenna consoled, "we have faith in you."
"Yeah, man. You'll figure it out." Andy grinned, "In the meantime, I'm sure Big Red has everything under control."
"Don't call him that." Zoey warned, "That's the name most of the past Reds save for Jason. Rocky even calls him that."
"Seriously?"
"Yep." Jenna said, grinning, "And it irritates him to no end. You can blame Ryan, though."
"Whose Ryan?"
"Titanium Lightspeed Rescue Ranger. Takes sarcasm to whole new level."
Zoey poked her in the shoulder, "True sarcasm is an artform, ok? It's a talent I take very seriously."
"Yadda, yadda, yadda."
"Hey," They looked over as Dustin nudged Tori, "I'm sorry your birthday got messed up." Tori just shrugged.
"I know. It's nobody's fault," she spoke softly.
"Except Lothor's." Raina grinned, "Maybe Marah and Kapri." Her grin became a little more wicked, "Can I electrocute them for their crimes against birthdays?"
"No." Zoey poked her again, "Behave."
"If anything, the fashion freaks need to be tortured for just being horrible bad guys. Come on, at least let me take out the Bug Head." Pouting, she looked at the Thunder Ninjas, "No offense."
Everyone laughed, "None taken." Hunter smiled, patting her on the head, "Flutterfly."
"Monarch," Raina glared, "I'm a Monarch Butterfly. And quite poisonous." Hunter held up his hand in defense against the White Ranger.
"Raina." One syllable from Zoey and Raina turned back around with a smile on her face, trying to ignore the Earth Ninja, who was sitting just a little too close to Tori for her liking.
"Maybe we should go get our stuff from the beach," Dustin suggested, completely oblivious to the look of longing on the White Rangers face.
"Might as well," Blake sighed, and everyone got up to leave, "our day off is pretty much over now anyways."
"We'll be back, Cam," Hunter told the Green Ranger, grabbing Jenna's hand.
"I'll call you if anything else happens," Cam called out.
1-2-3-4-5
The Rangers walked along the beach as massive waves crashed against the rocks.
"Check out that swell! I haven't seen waves like this for weeks!" Tori stared wistfully out at the waves.
"Tell me about it," Zoey grumbled, "I haven't surfed since I came to Blue Bay. I just got my board from my brother's house."
"Yeah, I know what you mean," Hunter said, "I was really looking forward to some downtime," he slung his arm around Jenna as everyone nodded.
"We really haven't had that have we?" She asked.
"Not really." Zoey said, her arm linked with Raina and Tori's, "Outside of facing Lothor's goons almost every day, if we're not working, we're training."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Wait a minute!" they all looked over at Blake as he stopped, "I don't want to sound paranoid here but, uh, wasn't this where we left all of our stuff?" They looked around, realizing he was right.
"What the hell?!" Jenna exclaimed.
"Aw man! I can't believe our gear got jacked!" Dustin yelled angrily. "Ah, this reeks!" he shouted.
"No, no, no!" Zoey said, frustrated, "My board."
"Uh, oh." Raina and Andy exchanged looks before backing away from the Pink Ranger. Jenna reached out and rubbed her arm, looking worried.
"I mean, it's just a board, right?" Hunter asked, confused.
"It's more than just a board," his girlfriend piped in, rescuing him from Zoey's glare, "that thing was custom made. It was a birthday present from Alpha 5. He gave it to her before they left to go back to Eltar."
"Oh. Right." The Crimson Ranger said, looking apologetic, "We'll find it. Don't worry."
"I've had that board for 6 years. Someone is about to seriously get hurt."
"Maybe our stuff got washed out with the tide or something?" Blake suggested hopefully.
"The tide hasn't come in yet." Tori pointed out.
"So where is it then?" Hunter questioned.
"Whoever was stupid enough to take my board is going to pay!" Zoey said, looking ready to start lighting things on fire.
"Easy girl," Jenna said, hugging her shoulders, "your hands can't seem to make up their mind. And we, as the innocent party, implore you. Please do not set us on fire."
Looking down, sure enough, Zoey's hands were flickering from pink sparks to rainbow shimmers. "Crap."
"Hey, look!" Dustin spotted a group of Kelzacks, plus Choobo, running off with their things.
"That is the last straw," Tori growled as her eyes narrowed. "Nobody steals my birthday cake."
"Oh, too perfect." Zoey said menacingly. "Let's go."
The Rangers ran after the thieves. When they reached the isolated spot that Choobo had taken their stuff, the scene before them was horrifying.
"No way..."
"This is wrong on so many levels," Dustin blinked rapidly.
"That is so gross." Jenna said, looking disgusted.
"Hey, you just sounded like Kim." Raina commented with a grin, horrifying the Purple Ranger even more.
"Zoey, I need you to knock me out later, please."
"What are best friends for?"
"Tori, promise me you'll never wear that bikini ever again," Blake asked, unable to look away from the Kelzack that was modelling the blue bikini.
"No problem," Tori mumbled, equally as disgusted with the sight.
"I'm going to have to burn all my clothes," Raina covered her eyes, "And I'm definitely going to need some mind bleach."
"I think I have some back at Ops." Zoey commented, not taking her eyes off the Kelzack who had her board.
"Give us back our stuff!" Hunter yelled at them furiously.
"Make me!" Choobo laughed as the Kelzacks scattered.
"Dude, childish much." Andy said, rolling his eyes.
"Ok," Dustin rolled his eyes, and they then ran at their enemies. Using what the Kelzacks had stolen to fight them off. Taking out her frustration on them, Zoey speared the unfortunate Board Stealing Kelzack, sending him to the ground. Jenna came up from behind and caught her friend's board. Standing back up, Zoey flipped another one coming at her, and one back into another, tossing them into the rocks. Nearby, Dustin stumbled and slammed the cake into Choobo's face, covering the large green alien in cake and icing.
"Oh, why do I always take it in the face?" he whined as the Kelzacks collapsed around him. "Retreat!" Choobo cried, and he and the Kelzacks disappeared.
1-2-3-4-5
They walked along the beach, quiet and exhausted, carrying their things back to their vehicles.
"We kinda killed your cake," Hunter told the Blue Ranger.
"Let's just get back to Ninja Ops, before anything else goes wrong," Tori sighed.
"I'm giving you a pass because it's your birthday," Zoey quirked a brow at the Blue Ranger, holding her board protectively, "but let's refrain from jinxing us, please."
Laughing, Jenna looked at Dustin who was covering himself in some sort of lotion, "What's that? Sun block?" she asked him, and Dustin grinned widely.
"Nah, just the opposite!" he told her as he started rubbing it into her other arm. "Cyber Cam gave me this new Sunless tanning lotion," he grinned, showing them the tube.
"You sure you wanna use that much?" Tori asked with a small laugh, seeing that most of it was already gone.
"Yeah! I'm gonna be a bronze god!" Dustin cheered, walking on ahead of the others, continuing to rub it in.
"$20 says that turns him orange," Andy said, looking at Raina.
"You're on."
"What is wrong with you two?" Zoey asked.
"You know, Adam asks that same question regularly." Andy said, shaking his head, "I remind him that he has no room to talk. He's best friends with Rocky." He looked at Raina as she nodded her head.
1-2-3-4-5
"Look who's back!" Cam said as the rangers returned to Ninja Ops.
"Is the Megazord fixed?" Tori asked as they gathered around the mainframe.
"Of course. I am the brains of the operation, remember?" Cam glanced at her, and they grinned.
"What about the other Zords?" Hunter asked.
"The energy field in the forest is weakening," Cam replied as he continued typing. "I should be able to call them any second."
"All of them?" Zoey and Raina asked in unison, making them grin at each other.
"Yes, all of them."
"We'll meet you out there." Hunter said, looking at the two Wind Rangers.
"Hopefully, I'll be able to get a lock on Shane," Cam added.
"We'll take it for now," Tori told him, and glanced to Dustin. "You ready, bronze god?" His whole face bronze, except his eyes.
"He looks like a raccoon." Zoey muttered to Jenna, who was trying not to grin.
"NINJA STORM!"
"RANGER FORM, HA!"
1-2-3-4-5
"Guess you're ready for round two," Zurgane growled from his Zord as the Wind Megazord appeared behind him, holding their sword at the ready.
"Oh, it's on," Dustin said.
Tori nodded, "Let's go!"
Zurgane powered up his Zord and fired lasers at the Megazord, sending them crashing into the side of a mountain.
1-2-3-4-5
"I got it!" Cam said, startling the others who were watching the battle, "I got the other Zords back online."
"That's great," Zoey said sweetly, the knocked him upside the back of the head, "Sensei's son or not, scare me like that again, and I'm going to use you for target practice."
The Samurai backed away from, suddenly very scared.
Hunter just sighed and shook his head, "Let's go."
"THUNDER STORM!"
"FIRE STORM!"
"ICE STORM!"
"LIGHTNING STORM!"
"RANGER FORM, HA!"
Morphing, they ran off to form their Megazords and join the fight.
They showed just as Zurgane went to attack the Wind Megazord again. The Thunders intercepted the attacked and kicked Zurgane backwards.
"Welcome to the party!" Dustin called with a grin.
"Thanks," Blake grinned
"Lightning Mode, online!" Zurgane called out as his Zord took on a slimmer version of itself.
"I am so sick of the bad guys always stealing our stuff," Zoey mumbled, "Hey, No-Face! Can't you come up with your own ideas?"
"I don't think he knows what No-Face is." Jenna commented, tilting her head.
"Yeah, well I bet he stole that too."
"It's only, like, two years old." Jenna defended.
"Do I sound very rational right now?"
"Come on guys!" Tori called. "Enough. Let's this!"
"Yeah!" Everyone agreed, but as Dustin called on a Power Disk and summoned a sphere, Zurgane shot at them and stole it.
"So easy," Zurgane mocked.
"What did I just say about stealing!?" Zoey called out, "So, what, you have no ears as well as no face?"
As the Megazords grouped together, the Samurai Star Megazord joined the fight, and Cam called on another power sphere. This one opened to create a spider, which flew out and caught the stolen sphere. Using the unopened ball as a weapon, Cam swung it and hit Zurgane's Zord over and over.
"Ok guys, put 'em together!" Cam called to the others as the Megazords stood together.
"With ya!" Hunter nodded as he lifted his Power Disk. "Locked and dropped!" He and Tori summoned Mini Zord, who combined the two Zords into the Thunderstorm Megazord. It flew into the air, and towards Zurgane, easily avoiding his attacks.
"This does not look good!" Zurgane gulped but leapt into the air to meet them regardless. However, it was useless, as he was battling all four Zords, and he was knocked out of the air and back to the ground.
"Fire!" Everyone blasted the General's Zord at the same time and destroying it. Unfortunately, Zurgane escaped just before it exploded.
1-2-3-4-5
Back on the ground they looked up to see fly over their heads. "Nice battlizer." Zoey commented high fiving Jenna, who looked equally impressed.
"What's a battlizer?" Dustin asked.
"It started with Andros, the Red Space Ranger. It's like this supercharged power up only Red Rangers get," Zoey pointed to where Shane was battling, "Looks like armor with a weapon upgrade."
Andy sighed, "The Red Rangers always get the cool stuff."
"Not always," The Pink Ranger rested her arm on his shoulder, "I'll tell you later about some of the cool stuff the Extra Rangers get."
"Extra Rangers?"
"That what Zoey calls the Rangers who come after the core team." Jenna explained, "Usually a different color, sometimes not an actual Ranger, it'd take too long to explain."
They looked back up, just in time to see Shane destroy the ship. They cheered, and Shane flew down to meet them, landing gently. They gathered around, studying his new battlizer with a laugh.
1-2-3-4-5
"Hey, you alright?" Blake asked as all of them, except Dustin, Cam and Zoey, stood around Shane. He had told them all that had gone on in the forest, and even after an impressive victory, he couldn't bring himself to smile.
"Yeah, I feel kinda bummed..." Shane shrugged, his eyes on the floor as he sighed.
"You miss her, don't you?" Tori asked softly, and Shane nodded as he looked at the Blue Ranger.
"Yeah, I guess I do," he admitted.
"She will always be with you Shane," Sensei spoke up, having returned during Shane telling his story. "Her power lives through you, for all eternity," Shane finally managed a small smile at the though.
"Thanks, Sensei," he nodded.
"Yeah, but can we talk about the Battlizer?" Hunter finally asked, grinning widely. "How sick bro?" Shane smiled a bit more as he let out a soft laugh.
"Now that was the ultimate rush or what man?" Blake laughed.
"Yeah, it's pretty sick," Shane admitted with a grin.
"Insensitive much?" Jenna rolled her eyes, pushing Hunter and making him grin even more. "And you wouldn't have even known what it was called if it wasn't for me and Zoey."
"Come on Jenna, cut them some slack," Raina said standing next to Tori, "You know how boys get when they see a shiny new toy."
"About how girls get at the mall." Andy said with a smile, "Oh, speaking of mall. Don't forget that you wanted Zoey to beat on you later. Not sure why, though I kinda have a guess."
Jenna just smiled and punched him in the shoulder, "Thanks for the reminder."
He ducked away to avoid her wrath as everyone laughed.
"How did you connect that with the mall?" Tori frowned.
"Kimberly, the original Pink Ranger, was obsessed with the mall. She was always there." Jenna rolled her eyes. "Always."
"You all did well in my absence," Sensei told them "I am proud," Sensei smiled at them.
"Sorry it had to happen today of all days," Raina nudged Tori, who smiled back.
"Hey, no worries, there'll be more, right?" she shrugged, trying to hide her disappointment.
"Well, the day's not over yet," Dustin called over, and he and Zoey walked out, carrying a cake with lit candles on it as Cam emerged from the back.
"Well, well, if it isn't the Orange Ranger," Tori mocked as she saw just how orange Dustin's tan had gotten.
"Dude. Not sure what's brighter, you or the candles." Andy said, holding his hand out to receive his $20 from Raina.
"Ha-ha, yeah," Dustin gave a fake laugh. "Cyber Cam is going to be cyber toast next time I see him," he told her. "Since your cake kinda got a bit smooshed in Choobo's face, Zoey made you another one," he held it out for Tori to see.
"Dude, Zoey," Shane looked down in awe, "This is nicer than the one I got from the bakery. What can't you do?"
The cake was covered in blue and white icing made to look like waves. It had gram crackers dusting the base with seashells and starfish lining the boarder. A miniature replica of Tori surfboard lay on one side, with Tori painted down the front, and her van sat on the other. Ninja Girl was painted on the side . A dolphin, coming out of the waves, sat on top of the cake wearing glasses, had the Ninja Water symbol painted on its dorsal fin.
"This is amazing." Tori gushed. "The only thing that would make this cake, absolutely perfect... " she trailed off, looking at the Pink Ranger.
"Is if it was a triple chocolate brownie cake filled with chocolate ganache, fudge, and chopped up snickers?" Zoey asked innocently as everyone eyes got bigger.
"She's not kidding," Dustin shook his head, "I gained five cavities watching her put it together. I was mesmerized. I've never been so sick in my life just watching someone make a cake. And all I want to do is tear into it. I'm disgusted with myself."
After the laughter died down and Tori blew out the candles, Zoey put the cake on the table. "Ok. Before we do anything, how about you open your presents?"
"Boy am I glad we put them in Tori's van. We were gone so long someone might have taken them out of your jeep." Jenna said, looking relieved.
"Here you go Tori," Andy handed her a long, and heavy, flat box. Opening it, she pulled out what looked like a black plank of wood with Japanese writing in the blue on the front. "Um, thanks."
Laughing, Raina held up the chain dangling from it. "It's functional and decorative. It's a tradition at the Lightning Academy. All new students get one. It's a prayer, or mantra, to ward off bad nightmares created by the creature Baku."
"Oh, wow. Thanks." Tori smiled at her newest teammates appreciatively.
"Ok, um. This is technically from both me and Hunter," Blake handed her an envelope.
Opening it, Tori pulled out tickets, "The Kung Fu movie festival?"
"Yeah, you know. To make up for the last incident." Laughing, she tucked the tickets back inside the envelope and gave them a hug. "Thanks."
Cam gave her a book on the history of surfing. Sensei gave her a how to kit for customizing surf boards. Dustin gave a her a new Surfboard cleaning kit and Shane got sentimental and gave her a picture of the three Wind Rangers right after they joined the Academy.
"Damn Shane. Way to make her cry." Jenna handed her a gift bag. Laughing, Tori started pulling out the tissue paper under to see what was on the bottom.
"Oh, wow." She held up a hand made over the shoulder purse in shades of blue and white. "Thanks Jenna."
"No problem. Now if Blake would give you his actual present instead of the one with his brother, I won't have to hit him." She looking at the Navy Ranger with a glare.
Shuffling his feet, he handing Tori a box, "I was actually going to give you this later."
Suddenly shy, she opened the top and turned into mush. Reaching into the box, she pulled out a beautiful statue of glass dolphins coming out of blue waves.
"It's perfect. Thank you."
"I guess I should have gone first," Zoey commented handing her a small box, "Nothing should follow those dolphins. Well done Blake. Those are gorgeous."
"Thanks."
Opening the box, Tori pulled out a silver necklace with a surfboard locket on it. "Awe. Thanks Zoey."
Before she could respond, Zoey got dizzy and stumbled into the Water Ninja. "Zoey, are you ok?"
Tori's voice sounded like echoes in a wind tunnel. Before she knew it, her vision went black and she was caught before she hit the ground.
To be continued…
It was brought to my attention that I don't put the "To be continued" at the end of some of my chapters with cliff hangers. So, I'm gonna try my best to remember. Sorry about the wait guys. This COVID-19 is kicking out but. My mom got furloughed from her work, it was a major fight with unemployment, and I just started a new job. My great aunt just got put in a nursing home, and my ex sister-in-law is threatening a lawsuit against my mother and me after my brother died this past October. So I haven't really been feeling like writing. This chapter felt a little rushed to me. Hope you like. And I'll try to do better on the next one.