A/N: Here is the next chapter of my Megaforce rewrite, which I've dubbed "Starforce". I hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers Megaforce/Starforce or Tensou Sentai Goseiger in any way. I just own most of the plot and the characters and things you don't recognize from the original version.
Here is the beginning to the Toxic Mutants arc! If you didn't feel like the Rangers were being tested before, then hunker down. We're just getting started.
Also, this arc will last until Season 2, Episode 8.
~PRM~REDO~PRM~REDO~PRM~REDO~PRM~REDO~PRM~REDO~
"Just as Gosei warned them about, a new faction takes Warstar's place, but the Rangers also gain a new ally. The funny thing about this ally, however, is the mystery surrounding him and that fact that he wants to test them."
Sanctuary
Power Rangers: Megaforce REDO – dubbed Starforce
Season 1, Episode 15: The Silver Lion
The Land Beyond
October 22, 2015
"Candles are turning red?!" Samedi exclaimed.
"Do we know what the cause is?" Mercredi asked, calmer than Samedi, but still concerned. Candles turning red (and not just the flames; the entire candle) was a serious issue.
Solis and Lunae, the bearers of the bad news in this case, both shook their heads, as Lunae admitted, "Not at the moment."
Solis continued, "But we have reason to suspect that it's the doing of a new faction attacking the Land Between."
"Should we send someone down there to investigate?" Veneris asked, trailing off because she was still deep in thought.
"We have the five Rangers down there already," Jovis pointed out, just like Veneris knew someone would say.
"I know, I know!" Veneris replied. "It's just...do they know what candles turning red means? Do they even know what the candles are? Just how much about our way of life has Gosei told them?"
"Only what is necessary," The Boss cut in, conveying some of what Gosei had reported back. "Yes, they do what the candles are, as well as what the flame turning blue means, but nothing beyond that. You bring up a good point, Veneris. Who would be willing to go down and keep an eye on the Rangers, and step in when they need assistance?"
Mardi, who was quiet until this moment, raised his hand, "I would. Leave it to me."
The Boss nodded their approval.
~S~A~N~C~T~U~A~R~Y~~~P~O~W~E~R~~R~A~N~G~E~R~S~~S~T~A~R~F~O~R~C~E~~~M~E~G~A~F~O~R~C~E~~R~E~D~O~
Keystone Park, Harwood County, Oregon
Mr. Burley had taken his homeroom class on a field trip, which the students were enjoying. Their teacher was one hundred percent a nerd, but he was fun and had rather unconventional ways of teaching.
"Welcome, class, to the most beautiful state park on the western shores of America!" Mr. Burley was saying. "While here, please treat everyone and everything here with the utmost respect. Remember, we are just guests. Now, you will all group up in pairs - not right now!" He called out when the students began to move in order to pair off, but they all fortunately stopped and let him continued. "Thank you. Please wait until I am done. Now, you will all group up in pairs, and together, you and your study buddy with explore the park and collect interesting plant samples to bring back to school, for analysis. Now, you may pair up."
Jake found himself almost being trampled by the crowd, but it fortunately dissipated within the next five seconds. And when it did, he found himself standing there with his (probably) least favorite person.
Jordan Burke.
Jordan shrugged, "I guess you and I are the last two."
"I guess," Jake muttered, not happy at all.
"So, where do you want to go first?" Jordan asked, rather quiet, almost shyly, as if he was afraid to make a wrong move. He sounded like someone who had made a mistake and wanted to make up for it.
"You know, the other Rangers aren't bad, but I pretty much handle those monsters all by myself. They're basically useless."
Jake was still hurt by the comments Jordan had made while he was high on the fame that claiming to be a Ranger was giving him. Yes, Jordan had an excuse, and yes, he had come clean, but that didn't mean Jake had to forgive him, and he never understood why Troy was never really upset.
But Jordan sincerely sounded like someone who was trying.
Had Jordan made any friends since then? Or was he still a social pariah?
With mixed feelings, Jake softly replied, "We could just explore for now. You know, find some specimens on the way."
Jordan nodded, "Sounds good."
"I could've chosen blue, but Blue's too nerdy. Black's too egotistical. Pink's too girly, and Yellow? Eh, too dull. Red's obviously the best choice!"
As the two started walking, Jake couldn't help himself. He had to ask, "So, how are things going for you?"
"Lonely," Jordan quietly admitted, and Jake had a feeling he was telling the truth. "But I deserve it. I messed up, I lied, and now I have to start over."
Remembering the time he almost let his pride and egotism nearly destroy the team, Jake added, "At least this will let you find real friends. Friends who don't care about the mistakes you made in the past. Just about how you act now."
Jordan tilted his head sideways, thinking, "True. I never thought about it like that," and it was then that Jake made his choice.
He was still hurt by Jordan's previous comments; he was allowed to be. But he chose to give Jordan a second chance. And if Jordan did indeed prove himself to be a changed person, then Jake would become Jordan's first real friend.
A couple miles away, Troy and Gia were kneeling in the grass, studying the grouping of tulips that was between them.
"You okay?" Gia quietly asked, as Troy placed one tulip into their bucket. When he raised an eyebrow in confusion, she continued, "You look a million miles away."
"I'm just worried," Troy replied, in the same tone and volume as her (because anyone could overhear them).
"About what?" She continued to press, as she wrote some observations down in her notebook.
"About this new faction," he explained. "I had suspected that they would've shown up by now. Or maybe, they've already attacked and we just don't know it."
"We'd know if they attacked already," she reassured him. "We are their mortal enemies, after all."
"True," Troy couldn't deny that, but he also couldn't shake his bad feeling, his feeling that something bad was going to happen today.
Meanwhile, Noah and Emma were heading towards the river, since most students wouldn't likely be there, so it would be quiet.
"This is nice," Emma was saying. "You know, we've been so busy fighting monsters lately, that I haven't had the chance to get outside and enjoy nature in a while."
Noah agreed, "Our lives are different now. I haven't had any time for my experiments."
"You don't regret it, do you?" Emma asked, and Noah didn't have to ask what she mean. He already knew.
"Absolutely not," he replied. She was talking about being a Ranger. "I'm proud of who we've become and what we do."
"So am I," she agreed. "And the best thing about all of this is that I have you guys as my new best friends." She stopped and nudged him with her elbow. "Let's go down this way." She pointed to a branching path that was covered with trees and bushes.
"Okay," and he followed her in.
But the two immediately stopped when they saw a building up ahead, a building that was surrounded by fencing decorated with signs warning people to 'KEEP OUT' and 'WARNING: RADIOACTIVE'. This was clearly not a path meant to walk down.
As the two slowly walked closure, "I read about this factory. It was closed down years ago because of too much pollution."
"And they still haven't cleaned it up?" Emma asked. "Look at the stream. It looks like the chemicals are still seeping through."
The two walked over to the stream and knelt down beside it, but were careful not to touch any part of the water, or the surrounding areas.
"It's probably been happened for years," Noah said, as he reached into their bucket and took out a small vial. "Ever since it closed down."
As Noah filled the vial with a sample of the contaminated water, Emma softly said, "I can't understand how people could do this, or why they would do this."
As he secured a lid onto the vial, "Let's analyze this back at the lab."
The duo's thoughts, wherever they were going next, were cut off by a sudden, bloodcurdling scream.
~S~A~N~C~T~U~A~R~Y~~~P~O~W~E~R~~R~A~N~G~E~R~S~~S~T~A~R~F~O~R~C~E~~~M~E~G~A~F~O~R~C~E~~R~E~D~O~
Noah and Emma quickly rushed over to where the scream had come from, and found the other students all gathered in a circle. When they got close enough, they could see why whoever screamed had freaked out.
Within a patch of mud were two large footprints. And they were way too big for a humans.
Almost as if they belonged to a monster from the Land Below...
Mr. Burley was the last one to arrive, and when he saw the footprints, he gasped in excitement, "Great caesar salad! Bigfoot was here!" He covered his mouth immediately, as his students all looked at him as if he had just grown two heads.
"Don't you think we should...leave or something?" Jordan asked. "They could belong to a monster's."
Despite him being a social pariah, everyone was quick to agree with him, rather than admit it was Bigfoot, like Mr. Burley had said.
"You may be right," the teacher replied, now fearing for his students' safety. "Everyone back to the bus. We'll have to cut our field trip short."
As the class began to head back to the bus, Troy was lagging behind, and the other four Rangers noticed.
"Troy," Emma softly called out. "You okay?"
He was staring intently at the footprints, and when Emma called his name, he seemed to snap back to attention. "Sorry, those footprints have me concerned..."
"Dude, relax," Jake told him. "Bigfoot is not real."
"Not that," Troy cut him off. "It's just that...this park is very close to where I defeated Creepox..."
~S~A~N~C~T~U~A~R~Y~~~P~O~W~E~R~~R~A~N~G~E~R~S~~S~T~A~R~F~O~R~C~E~~~M~E~G~A~F~O~R~C~E~~R~E~D~O~
Underground Cave, Land Between
Bluefur returned to his and Bigs' base to give him a status update, "Those ugly humans keep closer and closer to us."
"This cave is filled with more sludge," Bigs replied. "Just further proof that humans don't care and turn a blind eye to the mess they created. They're only making it worse. I suggest we make them pay."
"Sounds great," Bluefur agreed. "But how?"
"By getting our friend Hisser to help us."
~S~A~N~C~T~U~A~R~Y~~~P~O~W~E~R~~R~A~N~G~E~R~S~~S~T~A~R~F~O~R~C~E~~~M~E~G~A~F~O~R~C~E~~R~E~D~O~
Harwood County High School, Harwood County, Oregon
Jake had joined Noah and Emma in the computer room, watching them as they studying a sample of water they had brought back with them.
"These people don't care about the environment at all," it was clear that Emma was upset. "I mean, they close up the plant, but don't clean up the chemicals? Disgusting."
"Agreed," Noah said, looking into a microscope before leaning over and taking notes.
Noting their mood, Jake couldn't help but ask, "Why are you guys so upset by this? It's just some dirty water."
"It's not dirty water," Noah corrected, looking up from his work. "It's water that is no longer drinkable, not to humans, not to animals, not even to plants."
"And we're upset because humans contaminated it," Emma added, "and they didn't care enough to clean it up. Place yourself in the shoes of the wildlife that live near that factory. The air you breathe is toxic, the water you drink is toxic, and the food you eat is probably toxic too. But this is your home, so you stay. And, the result is you living an abnormally short lifespan, or worse."
Jake was quiet as he digested this, "So that's why you guys formed the Nature Club. To spread awareness on things like this."
Noah didn't deny that, only adding, "And to make sure nothing like this ever happens again."
"Good luck with that," Jake reminded them. "You guys are only two humans on a planet with billions of people on it."
"True, but we're also Power Rangers," Emma shot back with a smile. "So we do have some leverage."
Jake returned her smile, before joining them in studying their notes.
~S~A~N~C~T~U~A~R~Y~~~P~O~W~E~R~~R~A~N~G~E~R~S~~S~T~A~R~F~O~R~C~E~~~M~E~G~A~F~O~R~C~E~~R~E~D~O~
Four-Leaf Clover Mall, Harwood Country, Oregon
The first thing Troy saw when he came too was a yellow blur that was Gia waving her hand in front of his face, "Troy, Troy! You okay?"
"What just happened?" he asked her, before suddenly becoming aware of the pain in his nose.
He went to rub it, but Gia quickly stopped him, "Don't. You'll make it worse."
Sensei Kenji came into view and handed him some tissues, which Gia took and pressed against his nose. It was here that Troy remembered where he was: he was in Martial Arts Club, and the last thing he remembered was Kenji telling him and Gia to spar, like they always did.
"Did I break anything?" Gia asked their Sensei, worried.
"I don't think so," Kenji replied, "but why don't you two go take a break at Ernie's? Don't worry about returning today. You're both excused."
"Thank you, sir," Gia bowed to him, before slinging Troy's arm over her shoulder and helping him on his feet.
As Kenji continued the club with a spar involved a different duo, Gia, carrying both hers and Troy's backpacks, led Troy to Ernie's, where she dropped him off at the counter, letting him rest, before turning to Ernie and asking if he had a first aid kit, just in case.
"What's the last thing you remember?" Gia asked, as Ernie reached under the counter and placed a first aid kit down on the counter next to Gia. She nodded her 'thank you' at him, before turning back to Troy.
"Sparring against you," Troy said, before lightly sniffing. "Don't worry about me. I'm fine. No concussion, no pain anywhere."
"I punched you right in the nose," Gia shot back. "A shot that you usually block..." She then understood. "You're really concerned about this Bigfoot thing, aren't you? Nothing else would explain you blanking out in the middle of a fight like that."
"I didn't blank out," Troy muttered.
"Your eyes were glazed over like you were deep in thought," Gia told him. "Yes, you did. Now, you said you felt no pain?"
"No pain at all," he replied. "Go ahead and take a look, if you don't believe me."
She gently took his hand and pull down the now bloodied tissue a bit to get a good look at his nose. After a few seconds, she noted, "Well, there's no swelling anywhere, no bruising either, and it's not crooked. You having trouble breathing through your nose?"
"Nope," Troy replied, before demonstrating to prove his point. "It's just bloody."
Gia breathed a huge sigh of relief, "Thank goodness. I thought I really did hurt you for a moment. I would check with a doctor, though, just in case."
"Me too," Troy agreed, before a news report on the tv nearby caught their attention.
"We interrupt your program with this breaking news. The string of mysterious disappearances, involving strange slime that is still unidentitied, has greatly increased within the past twenty-four hours, and one of the new victims is the mayor of Harwood County herself. Authorities are unable to determine the cause, so they have requested that if you see something strange, please say something. However, authorities were able to determine the first sighting, at an abandoned chemical plant in Keystone Park."
The news reporter continued to talk, but Troy and Gia stopped listening at that point, because the footage showing now, of the park and the chemical plant, was very familiar.
It was where they had their field trip earlier.
The two share a knowing, concerned glance, before getting up from their seats and leaving the building.
As soon as she was clear to, Gia pulled out her Morpher and called the others, saying, "Guys, meet us at City Square! Right now! We have a problem!"
~S~A~N~C~T~U~A~R~Y~~~P~O~W~E~R~~R~A~N~G~E~R~S~~S~T~A~R~F~O~R~C~E~~~M~E~G~A~F~O~R~C~E~~R~E~D~O~
City Square, Harwood County, Oregon
Noah, Emma, and Jake quickly ran up to Troy and Gia, who were hunch over something on the ground. All five Rangers were fully morphed.
"We're here!" Emma said. "What's wrong?"
Troy and Gia merely stood up and stepped aside, letting the other three see what they were looking so intent at.
It was a pile of sludge on the ground, in the shape of a person.
Emma covered her mouth, or she would have if her helmet didn't stop her, in shock, as Jake asked, "W-What is that?"
Noah pulled out his Morpher and analyzed the sludge, "I don't know, but it contains the DNA of a human being."
"That's not the only one we found," Troy admitted, before he and Gia led the other three to two more, side by side.
Noah ran his Morpher up and down these piles, "These contain the DNA of human beings too. Two sisters, in fact."
Emma looked around the area, and pointed out what she had just noticed, "Guys, look!"
The other four followed her gaze, only to see similar piles of sludge through the entire area (with was pretty big).
A few feet away, Noah suddenly panicked, "This pile contains the DNA of the mayor!"
"Wasn't she just reported missing?" Jake asked.
All Noah could do was nod, before Tensou admitted through his Morpher, "And if that sludge remains, it will harm the Land Between."
"Then, I was right," Troy said. "The next faction is here."
All of a sudden, the ground behind them broke and out popped a pill-bug looking monster.
But it was not an Insectoid. No, it had a different emblem on its neck.
The Rangers immediately regrouped and turned around to face it.
"It's time to destroy some humans!" it said, with clear male voice.
"Back off," Troy coldly stated. "You're not destroying anyone."
The monster scoffed, "You back off. Your species has had their day. My toxic venom will destroy all of you!"
Out of nowhere, two distinct laughs were heard, and two more monsters appeared, one short and a blob, and the other tall with blue fur.
"Give up now, Rangers," the blob monster. "We are the Toxic Mutants, and we are unstoppable. My name is Bigs."
"Bluefur," the second, taller monster added. "Now, enough introductions. It's time bash you little runts!" He slammed his foot into the ground, leaving a foot print behind.
A very familiar footprint.
Emma gasped, remember the field trip earlier, "You're Bigfoot. But how?"
"You humans closed down that factory, but never cleaned up the chemicals," Bigs explained. "You had the chance to take of that toxic mess for years, but did you? No human ever lifted a finger to make things right. Now, it's our time."
"Yes, we are another faction of the Land Below," Bluefur said. "But we are not as weak as that fool Malkor."
"We never knew just how bad the pollution was," Emma tried to defend humans.
But Bigs waved her off, "We don't care. You humans brought this upon yourselves. Think of harmful toxins and sludge are to you, and then imagine how it must feel to be made of it. Now, we're going to finish what mankind foolishly started: the destruction of your enviroment!"
"We're planning to use your own mistakes against you," Bluefur added.
"You won't get past us!" Jake warned.
"You're the ones who created this toxic world!" Bluefur shot back. "We're just speeding things up."
Bigs simply laughed, "It's useless, Rangers! Once we beat you, we'll turn you into sludge just like those other people!"
"What?!" Gia demanded. "So, people disappearing...and turning into piles of sludge...that was you?!"
"Yes, indeed," the first monster spoke up, the one shaped like a pill-bug. "I told you that my toxin would destroy you. It's what destroyed those humans, after all."
Those piles of sludge...were people that had been melted into the goddamn ground?!
"Hisser," Bigs ordered the monster, "attack!"
"With pleasure!" Hisser replied, before leaping up and flying past the Rangers, knocking them down as he went by.
But they quickly got up, and when Hisser came in for a second attack, Noah leapt up and met him halfway, kicking the monster's chest and knocking him back.
Noah turned to the other four, "I've got this one. Watch your backs!" He then raced over to Hisser to fight him.
The other four turned around to face Bigs and Bluefur.
Troy turned to his Sky partner, "Emma, you and I will take the blobby one."
"Right!" Emma said, before the two charged in to fight him.
Jake and Gia pulled out their respective weapons, with Jake saying, "That just leaves us and Bigfoot."
The two Land Rangers charged in, brandishing their weapons, and Bluefur met them halfway, apparently eager for the fight. He easily knocked Gia down, before he turned on Jake and doing the same to him.
Meanwhile, Troy tried to use his Dragon Sword on Bigs, but it had no effect on the blob that stood in front of him and Emma. Troy kept fighting swinging his Sword around, but Bigs kept out-maneuvering him.
Noah leapt into the air, his Shark Bowgun in hand as he fired it. All arrows hit Hisser dead on, but they only made him fight between them continued.
Gia jumped into the air and swung her Claw down on Bluefur, only for him to stop her by grabbing her wrist. She dangled from his grip, before he tossed her aside. Jake ran over to see if she was okay, before running towards their opponent with his Axe. Bluefur landed several powerful blows on him, and pretty soon, Jake was on the ground too, and it was Gia's turn to see if he was okay.
Hisser released his toxic spot, sending it Noah's way. But the Blue Ranger leapt out of the way just in time, shielding himself with his Bowgun. When he lowered it, he immediately noticed that Hisser was gone. Noah looked around the area for him, before being ambushed by Hisser from right below his feet, as the monster emerged from the very same ground Noah was standing on.
Bigs used his bulk to knock Troy to the ground, and that was Emma's cue to jump in, using her Phoenix Shot to fire blasts. But thanks to his slimey reflexes, they did nothing to him. Bigs then fired on the two Rangers, who were immediately hit and they went flying before hitting the ground.
The other three quickly ran to them, as Bluefur and Bigs also regrouped.
"We really thought that the powers you Rangers are borrowing would make you stronger than normal humans," Bluefur said. "I guess we were wrong."
"No," Bigs corrected. "The powers you Rangers have are only a small fraction of the entire supply. But I do wonder how strong the entire supply is when a small fraction is this weak."
Creepox and Gosei were both right. This faction of the Land Below was much stronger than the Insectoids. It was five to three, and the Rangers were still outmatched.
"I guess more pollution every day means more power for us Mutants," Bluefur added.
"What?" The Rangers were surprised at this. Pollution in the Land Between made these guys stronger?
Just then, Hisser came bursting out of the ground, and surprised them by spitting on them with his toxin, the same kind that had turned those innocent people to mere piles of sludge.
"Toxic waste in action!" Hisser said, as he landed in front of his two superiors.
The Rangers were now covered in filth. Their borrowed powers would protect them, but not for long. They had to hurry.
"This stuff really is nasty," Jake said, as all five Rangers fell to their knees.
The Rangers fell further to the ground, as Gia added, "It's sapping all my energy. I can't move anymore..."
Bluefur laughed, "Once you lot are gone, then we can start the real fun!"
Bigs glided over to the fallen Rangers, telling them, "We're going to break open all the chemical tanks everywhere."
"The Land Between will become a sea of slime," Hisser added. "A paradise for Mutants and a graveyard for humans."
"No!" Troy protests, he and the others struggling to get back to their feet. As they did, Troy vowed, "We will protect this Realm with every ounce of strength we have!"
The five Rangers, despite the sludge they were bogged down by, charged toward Hisser. They needed to focus on him. If they defeated him, then those people would probably return.
Hisser dove beneath the ground and back above several times, avoiding blows from the Rangers' weapons and dishing out a blow of his own that made them fall back down to the ground.
He gloated at his easy victory, "Down for the count."
But Troy urged his team, "Keep fighting. We're humanity's last hope."
Hisser was surprised, "You humans are more resilient than I expected."
"Perhaps a ball of toxic fire will change that," Bigs said, as he charged it up, before it at the Rangers.
The giant purple enery ball hit the five dead on, knocking them back to the ground.
Hisser readied his toxin again, "And now for the finisher!"
But Hisser's laughing was cut short was a sudden bright light streaked past him, knocking him off his feet and landing a short distance away. He demanded, "What was that?!"
A figure emerged from the light, leaving both parties speechless as to who, or what, this was.
The figure began to walk forward, revealing more of itself the more he stepped into the light. It was a suit of silver armor, modeled at a lion it seemed. On it's helmet was a very familiar symbol.
"That emblem!" Troy exclaimed. "It's just like Gosei's!"
"Several candles have turned completely red," the figure said, whoever was inside the armor sounding male. "Including those of the Rangers. Am I safe to assume that was your doing, Toxic Mutants?"
"That's none of your business, you freak!" Bigs exclaimed, angry at this sudden intrusion.
"If you are who we think you are," Bluefur cut in, "then it's about time you guys got off your butts! Took you long enough!"
The suit of armor did not reply to this, only stating, "Stand down, Mutants. You only get this one warning," before performing a rollcall, "Roar of the Lion, Starforce Knight!"
"I knew it!" Troy exclaimed, hope in his voice. "He is on our side!"
"'Starforce'?!" Bluefur asked. "That's the same name that these Rangers have named themselves!"
"I am aware," Starforce Knight admitted, before coldly saying, "You were wondering how much stronger the entire supply is compared to a small fraction, yes? Then pay very close attention. I'm about to show you just how strong the real deal is."
"I don't care!" Hisser exclaimed. "My slime will take care of you!"
He spat his slime at the Knight, who moved backwards and avoided getting hit, "I don't think so. You use noxious elements to harm the Land Between and weaken its barriers." He then produced a blaster, "Knight Blaster!" and shot it several times at the monster. "I cannot allow that to happen."
Hisser was hit with all shots the Knight made, but the Knight did not let up.
"He's super powerful!" Noah said. "I wonder who he is."
"That doesn't matter right now," Troy said, trying to get back to his feet. "What matters is that we save all those people! If he can take these Mutants without breaking a sweat, then we can too!"
Bigs and Bluefur watched as the five Rangers, back on their feet, began to glow their respective colors. After a bright flash of multi-colored light, the five Rangers were standing there, their suits perfectly clean and their energy restored.
The Rangers charged in to fight the two Generals. Noah and Emma leapt into the air at the same time, firing their weapons in unison. The two Mutants managed to block the blows, but Jake and Gia used Noah and Emma's shoulders as launch pads. Their strikes were also easily parried. But the two Land Rangers stepped aside to reveal Troy running at the Mutants at full speed, brandishing his Dragon Sword.
Meanwhile, Starforce Knight was still fighting Hisser. The Mutant was still determined to defeat this annoyance, so he dove underground. Once under the surface, he headed straight for his opponent.
But the Knight merely summoned his Knight Blade and struck it into the ground, hitting Hisser, before using the Blade to yank Hisser back above ground. The Knight then struck the Mutant several times with said Blade, and Hisser hit the ground in pain.
Troy finally landed a solid hit on the two Mutants. Once the five had regrouped, Troy pulled out the Sky Brothers Card, and activated it, "Sky Brothers: Shine Down!"
"Crow Star!" Jake called.
"Phoenix Star!" Emma called.
"Dragon Star!" Troy called.
"Ptera Star!" Gia called.
"Hawk Star!" Noah called.
"Set! Sky Brothers: Final Strike!" Together, all five Rangers fired their Blasters, and the combined force finally hurt their opponents. It was not a strong hit, but it did damage them.
"You Rangers will pay for that!" Bluefur growled.
However, Bigs disagreed, "No. Let's retreat for now. We can bathe in toxic waste to recharge our strength for the next encounter. Next time, you Rangers won't be so lucky!"
And the two finally retreated the same way they arrived, via teleporation.
"They're gone!" Emma exclaimed.
"We'll get them next time," Troy calmly said.
"He's right," Jake said, as he turned to his right. "That Hisser monster is still here. Look!"
The others followed his gaze in time to see Hisser spinning furiously and flying through the air, before hitting the Knight at full force. The blow forced the Knight back into a building, and pieces of the now damaged building fell on top of him.
Hisser looked very pleased with himself, "Looks like my slither spin move spelled the end for you!"
But the Knight stood back up, unfazed, "I told you, already, that I won't go down so easily."
"What?!" Hisser asked in shock.
"It's time to end this," the Knight said, before pulling out his cellphone (thing?) and connecting it to his Blaster.
He then pulled out a Power Card, with the words 'Vulcan Headder' on it. He placed the Power Card inside his cellphone (was it a morpher or something?) and pressed the buttons for the number combination '8-4-8', before pressing the pound button.
"Summon Vulcan Headder!" Out of the Card came a red cynlindrical Headder and it landed in the Knight's hand. "Vulcan Cannon: Set!" He then inserted a 'Knight Dynamic' Card and pressed the numbers '4-7-4', which charged up the cannon. "Knight Dynamic: Fire!"
The moment he fired that cannon, Hisser was hit and exploded into flames.
"Threat eliminated," the Knight announced, as the piles of sludge around the battlefield turned back into the humans they were hit by Hisser's toxic slime, including the mayor.
The Knight watched the five Rangers all rush towards the people and began to usher them to safety.
Just then, out of nowhere, Zombats flew in and enlarged Hisser right where he had fallen, "This ends now!"
"Those were Zombats!" Noah exclaimed, as the Rangers regrouped. "I knew it. Vrak is still alive."
Although still giant size, Hisser changed forms, transforming into a tank shape, before rolling towards the Rangers and firing at them, knocking them off their feet.
Troy saw Starforce Knight reach to pull out another Power Card, and said, "Don't worry. We've got this!"
But the Knight held his hand out, stopping them before they could do anything, "No. That monster is still too strong for you. I'll handle this."
The Knight then pulled out a Card that said 'Groundion' and placed inside his Morpher, and after pressing in the code '7-1-7', he activated it, "Groundion Form: Shine Down!"
"Lion Zord: Morph!"
Who was this person?, the Rangers couldn't help but ask themselves. He seemed to be like Tensou, whose new body was able to switch from normal mode into battle mode and back again, but this guy's version of that technique seemed much more refined.
He just turned from a suit of armor into a Lion Headder!
The Lion Headder rammed into Hisser, forcing the Mutant back into the mountains. A dump truck the appeared on the scene and the Lion Headder connected to it, gaining a body.
"Lion Mechazord!"
The new Mechazord charged at Hisser, who had created a wall of rocks. But Lion charged through the wall like it was nothing, continuing to move forward towards his opponent. Hisser fired several times at Lion, but missed each time. He then knocked a huge boulder towards Lion, but Lion just blasted through it as it continued to roll towards the Mutant.
Lion uses a spin maneuver, which hit Hisser. Lion kept it up with a charge attack, with which the Mutant was hit and rolled over several times on the ground.
As Hisser got back up, now back in normal form, the Rangers could only watch. Lion activated his final attack, "Wheel Missiles!"
"W-Wait! Can't we talk about this?!" Hisser stuttered.
"You are a threat to the Land Between," Lion replied, as he charged up his final attack, "Knight Power Charge: Victory Strike!"
Hisser was immediately struck by all this power, and was destroyed.
On the ground, the Rangers cheered, as the Lion Mechazord reverted back to its suit of armor form by inserting a 'Gosei Knight' Card and pressing the buttons '5-3-5'.
"Starforce Knight: Morph!"
~S~A~N~C~T~U~A~R~Y~~~P~O~W~E~R~~R~A~N~G~E~R~S~~S~T~A~R~F~O~R~C~E~~~M~E~G~A~F~O~R~C~E~~R~E~D~O~
Starforce Knight landed safely on the ground, back in his suit of armor form. He was about to walk away when the five now un-morphed Rangers ran up to him.
"Thank you for saving us!" Emma said.
"Yes, thank you," Noah added. "We couldn't have done it without you."
Troy held out his hand for the Knight to shake, "Welcome to the team."
"You guys didn't do anything," the Knight coldly said, surprising them. "You Rangers don't deserve to be Rangers. Not when even one Toxic Mutant is too much for you to handle. Defeat one on your own, without my help, and then we can talk."
That was all he said, and the Rangers were offended as they watched him walk away.
~S~A~N~C~T~U~A~R~Y~~~P~O~W~E~R~~R~A~N~G~E~R~S~~S~T~A~R~F~O~R~C~E~~~M~E~G~A~F~O~R~C~E~~R~E~D~O~
Underground Cave, Land Between
"As much as I hate to admit that we lost today," Bigs said, "and we did...I really want to know how Hisser was able to grow into a giant like that."
"That's true," Bluefur agreed. "We don't have that ability."
The two were suddenly surprised when a Zombat flew in, dancing around them, before flying back to the entrance and landing on a stranger's hand.
"And just who are you?" Bigs asked the stranger.
"I am Vrak," the stranger replied, revealing his face to them. "I fight for the Land Below, as a freelancer, offering my services to the factions in most need of my assistance. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"A pleasure to meet you too," Bigs said. "And what services can you offer us?"
"My Zombats," Vrak replied, stroking the one that had landed on his hand. "They are invaluable in stressing the Rangers out. And I also have ideas that have worked in the past."
"Brilliant!" Bigs exclaimed, happy. "You are now one of us, Vrak!"
"Yes, welcome to the Toxic Mutants," Bluefur agreed. "Our next step should be recycling that tin can!"
"I concur," Vrak replied. "And I may have an idea."
"How do you know it will work?" Bigs asked.
"Because I know who's in that suit," Vrak revealed.
~S~A~N~C~T~U~A~R~Y~~~P~O~W~E~R~~R~A~N~G~E~R~S~~S~T~A~R~F~O~R~C~E~~~M~E~G~A~F~O~R~C~E~~R~E~D~O~
Star Cave, Harwood County, Oregon
The Rangers returned to the base thirty minutes later to Tensou asking Gosei, "What is he doing here? He's supposed to be with the others!"
"I do not know, Tensou," Gosei replied.
"I wonder if the candles turning red are the only things he was looking to fix, or if he has other objectives," Tensou wondering.
That was when the Rangers stormed in, looking very pissed off.
"Why didn't you tell us there was a sixth Starforce Ranger?" Jake asked.
Gosei was quick to explain, but remained completely calm, "Starforce Knight is not a Ranger. He is General Mardi, who is using his own powers to fight the threat directly. That's why he was able to defeat the enemy today and you were not."
Troy sighed, upset, "I can't believe they're stronger than us. I expected them to be tough, but not 'wipe the floor with us' tough."
Gia placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, "Don't worry. We'll all work to get stronger from now on. We can start by daily training and lessons at Sensei Kenji's dojo."
Troy smiled at her, as the other three nodded in agreement.
But Emma quickly changed the subject, "Gosei, General Mardi mentioned candles turning completely red. You mentioned the candles before, and explained what they were, but what does the red mean?"
Tensou was the one who explained, "It means that the person it's connected to is in danger of dying when they're not supposed to be."
Noah began to connect the dots, "So Hisser's sludge was placing innocent people in danger before it was their time to die. Including us, according to General Mardi."
"Exactly," Tensou said.
"What bothers me the most," Jake cut in, upset and unhappy, "is that he told us we didn't deserve to be Rangers."
Gosei sighed, "Out of the seven Generals, Mardi was the one who was most opposed to lending their powers to humans. He's likely here to test you and make sure they made the right choice in letting five humans become Power Rangers."
"So, they don't really trust us?" Gia asked.
"That's not what I said," Gosei corrected. "I said, that Mardi was the one who was most opposed to it."
"But that implies that there was someone else who was also opposed to the idea," Noah saw where Gia was going with this.
"There was," Gosei admitted. "But only one other, and after your first few battles, that General began to entrust you with such an important task. General Mardi is a special case, because it appears that, to this day, he still remains defiant in his current position."
"How can we convince him?" Emma quietly asked.
Troy answered that with a hard, "We have nothing to prove to him." They all turned to face him, and let him continue, "We have more important things to worry about, like getting stronger so that the next time we face those Mutants, we stand a better chance at protecting the Land Between."
"Agreed," Gia immediately said.
One by one, Noah, Emma, and Jake also nodded in agreement, and Gosei couldn't help but feel a sting of pride as he watched them plan for the tough battles ahead.
TO BE CONTINUED...
~PRM~REDO~PRM~REDO~PRM~REDO~PRM~REDO~PRM~REDO~
Original Goseiger Episode: Epic 17
Original PRM Episode: Robo Knight
Note: I know this episode was similar to canon, but I also added some more elements from the corresponding Goseiger episode in order to make it properly feel like a proper introduction for the Toxic Mutants. Like I said before, each faction will be stronger than the last, and this chapter needed to prove that.
Also, Starforce Knight is not a robot. It's a mechanical body that supernatural beings can inhabit, like Tensou's two bodies (the one from Megaforce as well as the Datas one). I'll explain this better in the next chapter, I promise.
And yes, we will being seeing Jordan again down the line.
A/N: Review, please. Tell me what you think. If you guys have any ideas you want me to consider adding, or any questions about the story, please PM me. A preview for the next chapter:
Season 1, Episode 16: "Sacrifices"
"While the Rangers try to figure out how to prove themselves to General Mardi, Vrak takes advantage of one of the Land Beyond's figure heads being in the Land Between."