Nicole flew across the California desert, slamming into the dirt and rolling a dozen feet before coming to a halt.
She brushed sweat-soaked hair out of her face and spat out dirt, rising to her feet with a gasping breath of pain.
"Aren't we supposed to have armor and weapons?" Nicole heaved, bringing her Morpher device to her mouth (despite that she didn't need to; it was alien tech, and it could transmit and receive audio just as easily on her belt with absolute clarity). "Shouldn't we be training with those, instead of- ahhh!"
Nicole bent her knees and flipped back through the air, sailing far away from Zordon's huge training robot that had lunged for her. She landed, stumbled, and twisted before falling hard on her side.
"Instead of standing out here like a bunch of losers, getting the shit kicked out of us?" Rachel finished for her, as she ducked under a burly alien robot's strong punch. "Do the suits have air conditioning? That'd sure fucking help with this heat!"
"Access the Morphing Grid, and the armor will aid you - even in maintaining an optimal body temperature," Zordon replied. "Unfortunately, the simple fact is that none of you have managed it thus far."
"It's only been a week," Alycia said, wiping at her forehead. "Oh shit-!" An alien robot kicked her in the ribs, sending her flying.
"Where the hell is all of that past Ranger combat skill we're supposed to get zapped into our brains?" Rachel said, frustrated as she rolled and leaped back to avoid a robot.
A sigh over their Morphers. "As I told you before: that will be downloaded into your consciousness the first time you conjure your armor. The information, the knowledge, is stored in the Morphing Grid, along with the energy and particles that make up the armor itself."
Chloe leaped left, then right, flipped back high into the air in a corkscrew. She came down and kicked a robot in the chest, sending it stumbling. She bent a knee and jumped up, kick-flipped off the robot and soared away toward Rachel. She hit, rolled, and swept a leg from down low to topple her robot.
"How the hell are you the one taking to this so easily?" Rachel growled, throwing up her hands. "When did you become an ultimate badass?! Miss Pink-Girl I-Love-Makeup-And-Fashion! You've probably never been in a fight in your life!"
Chloe, of course, ignored her, and leaped away to assist Alycia, her smeared lipstick lips twisted in determination.
"Yeah, that's what you get for trying to have makeup on for combat training in the desert!" Rachel shouted after her, flipping her off behind her back. Then she remembered Chloe couldn't hear her, and she smacked her fist into her palm and whirled away.
"Why can't we do this?" Michael cried, sitting down in the dirt, flat on his butt without a care. He looked toward the huge plateau of rock that was actually a holographic entrance to the alien, underground Command Center.
The robot that had been going to attack him stopped dead - so did the rest. One for each of them: five.
"Yeah, I thought we put the coins in the Morphers and we just transform?" Rachel breathed, shaking her head. "Call the phrase, and bam: we're alien armored badasses."
"There are often issues with compatibility," Zordon said patiently. "The first time is always difficult. But, after, it should come to you easily. It can be helped by a heightened emotional state - most often expressed as a dangerous situation."
"So that's why we're out here letting ourselves get pounded into the dirt by alien robots," Rachel said, sarcastic. "Now it all makes so much sense!"
Another sigh from Zordon. "You're out there to be trained to handle your new physical abilities before you put on your armor. Even with the fighting abilities of past Rangers that you will inherit, it can't substitute entirely for real, physical training of your own. Your own muscle memory." He paused. "And...Rita has faced the past team of Rangers before - many times over; most of the techniques you'll adopt will be familiar to her."
"If the previous team of Rangers managed to seal her away for ten thousand years," Nicole began. "why didn't they just kill her instead?"
"Because that isn't what Rangers do," Zordon said firmly. "And it is not what you are going to do!"
"Okay," Nicole said, shrugging. "We won't, then."
"Good," Zordon replied, sounding genuinely relieved.
It hadn't escaped any of their notice that the whole "Rangers don't attack," thing was a big deal to Zordon.
Or that he tended to get a lot more testy when the subject of Rita came up.
Sworn enemies were going to sworn enemy, Nicole supposed. It must have been frustrating to know that the alien witch was back, after so long of not being a problem anymore. No matter how Zordon and those past Rangers had chosen to handle it.
"Your training is concluded for today," Zordon spoke again. "You all did well; and Chloe, you did very well."
Of course, to Chloe, he did not speak vocally: instead, out of Chloe's Morpher was a small hologram window, within which alien hands were committing to expert ASL. Zordon had explained before that he knew all Earth languages, including sign languages.
Chloe was beaming at the praise, and she gave a high, twirling jump of pure superhuman joy.
Rachel was fuming.
Nicole made eye contact with Alycia, who stared right back.
Something really would have to be done about that, before it became an even bigger problem. Maybe even a problem in the field - in battle! In the fight to save the whole world.
There couldn't be problems like that, when it came to that.
Nicole might not have had friends, and she might not know people too well, but she knew that. And she knew Rachel was about as subtle as a bull.
And because she at least knew how to watch, and listen.
"Hi, mom."
Nicole walked in the front door, trying to seem natural about it, after having just been teleported right into the alley between her house and the next. Covered in dirt and sweat she'd done her best to wipe up with her own shirt hem.
Her mom was hunkered over the kitchen table, a slew of papers and folders everywhere. A pen held in hand, sharply scribbling across pages. She paused, tapping its end to her mouth in concentration.
Nicole stood silently, watching her. She tried again. "Mom?"
Her mom startled, her head whipping around. She stared at Nicole, cheeks flushed. "Oh - Nicole. Hello. You're back from your...those friends you said you made?" She scrutinized Nicole, then added, "What were you doing with them?"
"Um - just - hanging out," Nicole hedged. "Screwing around - we rode- dirt bikes. It was awesome."
Her mom gave an absent nod, a glance down at the table. "Awesome," she repeated. "I should have dinner ready on time for us. If I don't, you know to make yourself something..."
"Yeah," Nicole said quietly. "I know. I'm going up to my room."
"Of course - good. Love you, honey," her mom said absently. She was already nose-deep in her paperwork.
"Yeah...love you too, mom..."
Nicole hurried away to her room. Up the stairs, to the second floor landing.
Immediately upon entering her room, she wished she could be with her friends again - wished she could have them over, like normal friends did.
But, then she thought...they weren't friends, were they?
They were a group, but not friends.
Not really.
Nicole woke in the middle of the night to a scream, and loud noises.
Her mom's voice!
She didn't think; jumping out of bed and racing out of her room. She jumped down the stairs - one leap - from top to bottom. Nicole skidded in the downstairs hallway and hit the wall: hard. It dented. She pushed off and launched herself into the living room - and froze.
A tall woman of strange, sharp features stood in the middle of the room, holding her mom from behind - by the throat. She had long dark hair, darker eyes, and a long, golden scepter with a glowing crystal in its tip. Electrical jolts of energy danced out from that crystal, a bright emerald color. The woman wore a similarly green kind of armor, with strands and shards of gold around the edges, as if it had been broken. As if it were in tatters, here and there. In those places where the armor was ruined, there was evidence of some sleek black undersuit.
Nicole saw that the strange energy scepter had its sharp end dug right into her mom's cheek.
"N-Nicole - run!" her mom cried out, her gaze finding Nicole - pleading.
"Run?" The tall woman spoke, a wicked smile curving her lips. "How will the little Ranger get you back, then? Or do human children do that here - abandon their parents?" she added, with a high cackle. "Do you want her back?" she addressed Nicole.
Ranger? Nicole clenched her fists, meeting the woman's eyes. "Rita Repulsa?"
"So Zordon's told you about me, has he? I'm so flattered!" Rita exclaimed. "Listen well, Ranger: if you want your mother back, you'll meet me in one hour, on the north side of this city - and you'll bring your team with you. If you're not there in time, I'll kill her. Agreed?"
Nicole lunged forward with superhuman speed and agility, a fist cocked back and ready for a swing.
Green light erupted, blinding her! When it faded a mere heartbeat later, Nicole found herself slamming right into the wall. And breaking it.
Her mother was gone, and so was Rita.
Green particles drifted on the air, turning to nothing when they hit the floor.
No, no, no!
Nicole whirled around and raced back upstairs, running into her room and snatching up her Morpher - and Power Coin.
She jammed the coin into the device and wrapped the belt around her waist, clasping it into place. "It's morphing time!" she called out furiously.
The Morpher glowed dark purple - energy bolts began to flicker off of it - and then it sputtered, and died.
Nicole stared down at it in disbelief. She smacked a fist to it. How couldn't this qualify as a stressful enough situation to trigger it?!
She ripped the device off the belt and held it to her mouth. "Zordon! I need your help!"
A dark purple light enveloped her immediately, and she found herself being transported to the familiar Command Center.
Other lights arrived beside her - the others were there, all looking various levels of groggy.
"What has happened?" Zordon spoke, his familiar face appearing on the giant screen.
"Rita! She showed up at my house and took my mom!" Nicole explained. "She said to meet her on the north side of the city - and to bring the others."
Zordon looked extremely troubled. "I- I am sorry, Nicole. I never expected that Rita would...I had thought her first move would be toward conquest, not seeking out the-"
"It doesn't matter! What are we waiting for? Beam us over there!" Rachel immediately demanded of Zordon, setting her jaw.
The others' Morpher devices appeared on their waists - the coins, in their hands.
Rachel slotted hers into place without hesitating; Alycia, Chloe and Michael followed her lead, with varying reluctance.
Zordon looked at them all, serious and somber. "Stay together - work together - and your family will be safe. You will get her back. But you must be the team you are - a team of Power Rangers. Trust in yourselves, and one another, and your suits will come to you."
Nicole nodded, drawing a breath. "I think we're all ready to go."
"Good luck, Rangers..."
The five were enveloped in their colors, and were sent away from the Command Center back to Angel Grove.
Angel Grove's northern edge was a place of warehouses and shipping containers, and large trucks.
A great, big maze of sorts.
This maze, the five teenagers navigated together, silent and swift as they could be.
It didn't take too long to find what they were looking for.
One warehouse had a broken door, charred and glowing green.
And inside...
Scraping, tapping noises.
Nicole crept up to the doorway, peering inside. Darkness, and a great big space - high, huge aisles of shelves and crates.
A green light flickering, energy bolts sparking within to light it up periodically.
Nicole passed through the doorway, entering the warehouse, with the others behind her.
They hurried down the aisle, rounding the corner to come upon the source of the light.
Rita stood next to Nicole's mother, who was bound by thick ropes. Her weapon was leisurely held in one hand, the tip bursting with energy right in the ear of Nicole's mother.
Rita glanced up, taking them all in. She took a step forward, twirling the scepter and aiming it at them. "Rangers - you all made it! Now, let's see what we have to work with." She gave her weapon a quick slash through the air; thick ropes surged up out of the floor itself, pulsing with green energy, and began to ensnare them all before they could even think to move.
Arms, legs - necks. Burning and tight. Choking.
Rita moved forward, and began to pace in front of them - moving from one to the next. She waved her scepter at them, tapped it to their chests; it gave little sparks and bursts of light on contact.
"We have...blue...red...yellow...pink - oooh, how strong pink is, she doesn't even know it - and...black."
Rita stopped before Nicole, and seized her chin in hand and jabbed her scepter's tip to her throat. "Black - leader...interesting. Rare! But...we seem to be missing someone."
"Wh-what? No, there's only five of us..." Nicole uttered, gasping for air against the ropes.
Rita shoved her scepter up further, tilting Nicole's head back painfully. "Where...is...green?"
"Green? There's no green Ranger!" Nicole stammered. "Zordon didn't-"
Rita's hand swung around in a fist, bashing Nicole across the face with a scream. "Zordon. Didn't...no green?! No, of course not...Zordon doesn't trust green anymore, does he?! Doesn't care, doesn't love - doesn't see as worthy anymore! Green is nothing to him; green was erased from Ranger's history! Its color, its power never to be seen again!"
Rita whirled away, stalking left and right as she ranted, raved. "Because Zordon..." she breathed harshly, paying glance to them all, rolling her neck. "can't bear...to see green again."
"L-listen, we-" Nicole started.
Rita aimed her scepter at her; the ropes rippled with green magic energy, and tightened around Nicole's arms and legs - and her neck, further still. Painfully.
"But he'll see Green again soon," Rita continued, more to herself now. "You Rangers will all see Green again - see just how worthy she is, how powerful she is..." She stood before them, staff clasped tight in hand, held vertical. "But, back to the matter at hand, hm? The Zeo Crystal: where is it? If none of you tell me within the next five seconds, I'm going to start killing you - one by one." She rounded on Chloe, pointing her scepter. "How about this one goes first? She seems a little too tight-lipped..."
"Leave her the hell alone, she can't even hear you!" Rachel yelled. "And we don't know what you're talking about, anyway! What fucking crystal, you alien cunt-?!" Thick ropes surged into her mouth, gagging her and causing her eyes to go wide, her head to thrash.
"Unprofessional, unrefined, immature and pathetic - and one who can't even hear?! Broken, ruined! Weaklings, all of you, of body and mind!" Rita shouted, waving a hand at them. "Zordon should be ashamed of himself that this is the best he could do on this planet! Not a single one of you are worthy of the power you wield - a power you don't even know how to fully use yet! The Morphing Energy is infinite and you can't even reach for it!"
"I'll kill you if you don't stop doing that to- Rachel!" Alycia screamed.
Rita laughed, twirling on a heel to stride away. "How much longer can she keep breathing - hold her breath? Even after she passes out, I won't let up on her. She'll die, and it will be horrific. But you can stop it if you just tell me what I want to know."
"We don't know, please, just stop it, stop it!" Nicole yelled.
"Rangers begging!" Rita shouted, disgusted. "Like helpless children! The Rangers I knew were all the best in the universe: they were all strong, steel willed, courageous to the very end! They were willing to sacrifice their lives - and even Zordon's life - to seal me away! And because of that, they succeeded in stopping me for ten thousand years!" She stared coldly at them. "But you...not a single one of you would make the sacrifice. Not a single one of you has that will, that strength, that courage. The Rangers I knew could have broken free of this, done something to save themselves - to save their friend and comrade!"
"We're not Power Rangers, okay?!" Alycia burst out, gasping. "We a-are just helpless kids - so let us go-"
"Pathetic," Rita hissed. She clenched a fist, and Rachel's face turned purple, and she went limp in her binds. "I'm going to enjoy tearing each one of you apart. You worthless Earth rats-"
Nicole burst with energy, the ropes burning away, and Rita was sent flying backwards.
Rita went into a perfect backflip and landed easily on a knee, supporting herself with her scepter. She gazed at Nicole anew, a light to her eyes.
Nicole's body rippled with particles and crackling electricity of dark purple, and night black armor appeared on her. Glossy, strong. A full visor helmet covered her head.
A sickly pleased smile crossed Rita's lips, and a fondness flickered in her eyes for a brief instant. "Well, there might be some hope for you yet! Look to your leader, Rangers!" she exclaimed with nothing but demented glee. She straightened and gave her scepter a twirl, taking slow steps forward. "What will she do now? Attack me, or free her teammates? I wonder...what kind of leader are you, human girl? One Zordon would approve of? Let me tell you, his approval is impossible to get."
"You really love to hear yourself talk, don't you?" Nicole said quietly. She looked to her bound friends, then turned her visor'd gaze on Rita, her gauntlet hands becoming fists. Then, she moved. She moved fast, incredibly fast, almost gliding across the distance in a single step and swinging a fist up for Rita's stomach.
Rita stepped backwards and swung her scepter down, batting Nicole's armored arm away, sending Nicole stumbling.
Nicole went with the momentum and came around with a high roundhouse kick for Rita's face. It was as natural as anything - superhuman, instinctive, unthinking. As if she'd been doing it her whole life. Fighting, combat, martial arts. It was like Zordon had said!
Rita leaned back to avoid it, and her hand shot up to seize Nicole's armored boot. She squeezed, and then twirled and spun Nicole bodily in the air and hurled her away.
Nicole soared across the warehouse wildly, but somehow flipped herself around in mid-air and planted her feet on a wall, then sprang herself forward. She rolled and came up swinging and kicking, trading furious blows with Rita.
Nicole went into a low leg sweep, which Rita dodged by doing a frontflip that ended in her heel coming down on Nicole's head. Nicole hit the concrete floor and shattered it, her visor buried in the floor.
Rita yanked her up quickly and jabbed her in the chest with her scepter; green energy exploded, and Nicole slammed into a metal shelf, knocking over many crates and boxes.
"Morph, dammit!" Alycia's voice rang out. "We have to help Nicole!"
Several lights suddenly flared to life.
Nicole and Rita both turned, and found three armored figures standing freely - identical to Nicole's armor.
The armor of the Power Rangers.
Alycia's blue, Michael's yellow, and Chloe's hot pink (to her absolute joy).
The three raced at Rita together.
Nicole shook her head at them, jabbing a gloved finger at the unconscious Rachel - and her own mom, laying on her side, bound still, staring at them all with sheer shellshock. "Get Rachel and my mom out of here! One of you can stay!"
Alycia immediately turned back, racing to pick up Rachel and toss her over a shoulder. Easily, effortlessly. Strength beyond human. Michael picked up Nicole's mom in his arms, bride style. The pair made for the warehouse exit together.
Leaving Chloe behind.
Nicole met her gaze past Rita, who was standing still between the two girls. Like the witch wasn't even concerned - not threatened by the team-up.
In fact, Rita seemed outright excited at the prospect.
That strange smile of hers, that look in her eyes...
"Show me what you think you can do - Black and Pink!" Rita said with delight.
Nicole ran at Rita from behind, while Chloe moved to attack her front.