A/N: I don't own Power Rangers or anything associated with it. The Power Rangers in this series are owned by Saban

Date: November 23, 2002

Date: November 23, 2002

Kimberly was resting in the park, strumming her guitar. It was a quiet day at Angel Grove for once. She heard footsteps approach her, and she looked up, expecting to see one of her friends. She was surprised to see it was her ex-boyfriend Matthew!

Kimberly asked, "Matthew, what are you doing here?"

Matthew said, "I was just walking through here when I saw you sitting at the tree." He looked around, and he asked, "Where's Tommy?"

Kimberly said, "He's busy with a project."

What Kimberly didn't tell him was that Tommy was still undergoing NASA's and Lightspeed Rescues' tests. They were grueling, but it wasn't too difficult.

Matthew said, "I see. I'm honestly surprised to find you out and about, what with all the monster attacks. A lot of people are staying indoors."

Kimberly said, "Well, I have faith in the Power Rangers. If anyone can save us, it's them."
Matthew nodded, and he said, "It has to be awesome to be a Power Ranger. Running around in that suit, crushing enemies with giant robots. That's how you take care of things!"

Kimberly said, "It does look fun. Are you hoping to join?"

Matthew shrugged, and he said, "If there's a way, sure! And I would love it if you joined too. It will be like old times!"

Kimberly shook her head, and she said, "No, it won't. I'm with Tommy now, remember?"

Matthew sighed, and he said, "Yeah, I know. Anyway, there has to be a way to join!"

Kimberly said, "There might be a way for you to join, but I have a feeling they need to come to you first."

As if on cue, there was a loud roaring sound above them. They looked up, and they saw a huge fireball screaming towards them. Kimberly got a glimpse of the fireball, and it looked like a vehicle. It smashed into the ground nearby and created a huge trail of debris. Kimberly and Matthew both stared in shock.

Matthew cried, "Someone may be hurt! Let's go help!"

Matthew and Kimberly ran to the wreckage. The vehicle looked like an escape pod, and it was badly beaten up. Matthew walked around to the front, and he gasped.

Matthew said, "No way! Hey, Kimberly, look at this!"

Kimberly joined Matthew at the front, and her stomach turned. They had a good view of the pilot, and it was a Red Power Ranger! Kimberly's stomach made noises, and she walked away from the wreckage.

Kimberly said to her communicator, "Jason, Rocky, are you two okay?"

Jason said, "I'm fine, just finishing up my round of tests here."

Rocky said, "I'm good too. Are you okay? You sound shaken up."

Kimberly said, "Just come here and you will see why I'm shaken up."

Jason and Rocky arrived, and Kimberly took them to the wreckage. They saw Matthew trying to retrieve the unknown Red Ranger.

Jason said, "I understand now why you're shaken." He turned to Rocky, and he said, "Rocky, that guy there is Kimberly's ex Matthew."

Rocky said, "Ex? Oh, Tommy will love that!"

Kimberly said, "The two already met. They adjusted."

Jason and Matthew pulled the unknown Red Ranger out of the wreckage. Matthew got on his knees, and he started to examine him. The Red Ranger made a gasping sound, and Matthew leaned in closer. His face wrinkled as he tried to hear what the Red Ranger was saying.

Matthew stood up and said, "This Ranger keeps saying 'Zordon.' Do any of you know who he is?"

Jason, Rocky, and Kimberly looked at each other. Kimberly was about to say a lie, but Serpentera interrupted them. The three Rangers saw Serpentera's massive form flying in the sky. Kimberly shivered, and she decided that it was best to leave now.

Kimberly ran over and picked up the unknown Ranger's arm. Matthew reached down and grabbed the other arm, and Jason and Rocky each grabbed a leg.

Kimberly said to her communicator, "Zordon, we have an unknown Ranger and I believe Serpentera is searching for him. Get us out of here!"

Zordon teleported the Rangers and Matthew to the Command Center. They put the unknown Ranger on the ground, and Matthew took a moment to look around.

Matthew said, "Whoa, where am I?"

Kimberly said, "You are somewhere safe. Zordon, I know we aren't supposed to bring people who aren't Rangers here, but...thank you for taking Matthew with us."

Zordon said, "Serpentera is a threat to all of us. If I left him there, he would have been killed. You're right, Kimberly. Serpentera was searching for this Ranger. I will summon the other Rangers and update them on the situation."

Matthew said, "Hold up, are we talking about bringing in Power Rangers!?"

Kimberly said, "Yes. You know about the Command Center and Zordon. We should tell you everything."

Zordon summoned the other Rangers, and they all arrived at the Command Center.

Zordon asked, "Alpha, how long will it take for Andros to wake up?"

Tommy asked, "Who is Andros?"

Zordon said, "Andros is the Ranger Kimberly, Jason, and Rocky rescued. While we wait, we need to explain to Matthew about what is going on."

Matthew listened intently to Zordon's explanation. He wasn't surprised at all by what he heard. It certainly explained why Angel Grove became the weirdest place in America right now. Zordon ended his explanation by asking Matthew if he had any questions.

Matthew said, "Yeah, I have a question. Can I join?"

Kimberly said, "He's a good guy. I vouch for him."

Alpha 5 asked, "Isn't Matthew your ex-boyfriend? I don't understand human relations, but Zack is angry with his ex Angela!"

Zack said, "That's different. Angela broke my heart earlier this month, so that's still recent. Kim and Matthew stopped being an item shortly after we became Power Rangers."

Kimberly said, "It was also a mutual breakup, we both agreed to split. Anyway, we are past that. He wants to help and he already did with Andros."

Tommy said, "If Kimberly is good with him, then I am too."

Zordon said, "That is good, but before I have him join, he needs to prove himself more. He needs to assist you in more situations."

Rocky said, "That's fair. It took a few days for Adam, Aisha, and me to join. We had to prove ourselves."

Matthew said, "I will do whatever is required."

Andros groaned, and he slowly sat up. Matthew ran over to him and said, "Easy! Easy!"

Andros waved Matthew away, and he said, "I'm fine."

Matthew said, "You were just in a violent crash. You could have a concussion!"

Andros said, "My suit and helmet protected me. I'm fine."

Andros stood up, demorphed, and gently leaned onto a console for support. Zordon introduced Andros to the other Rangers, and then he asked Andros to explain his presence here.

Andros said, "I came here to tell you of the situation with KO-35, Zordon. Things aren't looking good. The Alliance of Evil is looking to attack that world."

Kimberly asked, "What is KO-35?"

Andros said, "That is the world I've come from. I'm one of the Power Rangers from that world. My friend Zhane is the other one. He's currently trying to lure Serpentera away from Earth."

Matthew asked, "There are more of you!?"

Zordon said, "That is correct. Andros, you told me you were searching for more Rangers the last time we spoke. Were you successful?"
Andros shook his head, and he said, "Sadly, no. People are too scared to join. I came here to see if you had any luck."

Zordon said, "These teenagers before you are the result of my efforts. Everyone here, except for Matthew, is a Power Ranger."

Andros said, "That is impressive. I could use more Rangers, but I don't know them well enough to recruit to my team."

Tommy said, "We proved ourselves again and again."

Andros said, "I have no doubt about loyalty. It's the powers and skillset I'm concerned about. That brings me to one of the things I wanted to tell you, Zordon. There is another source of power the Rangers can use."

Jason said, "There is? Good. Alpha 5 got worried about the Morphing Grid in the last couple of battles."

Billy said, "I also share that concern. I don't want to find out what will happen if we overload the Morphing Grid."

Andros said, "You don't. Rocky, Adam, and Aisha are using copies of the power coins, and the Morphing Grid doesn't respond well to that."

Rocky asked, "Is there a way for us to keep using our copies of the power coins?"

Andros turned to Rocky and said, "No, but there is a way for you three to gain your own powers." He turned to Zordon, and he said, "Ninjor is also searching for more Rangers. You could assign them to the Ninja Rangers ranks."

Billy said, "Smart. That's good thinking, Andros."

Zordon said, "Agreed. Rocky, Adam, and Aisha, you three will train with Ninjor to become Ninja Rangers. Matthew, if you prove yourself, you will work with them."

Andros said, "They still need a fifth Ranger on the team."

Kimberly thought for a moment, and she said, "My friend Katherine might be able to help after she moves here. She's finishing the fall semester in Australia right now."

Zordon said, "Good. For now, we will focus on recruiting Matthew. Matthew, we will inform you of a mission when one arises."

Matthew said, "Understood."

Andros said, "In the meantime, I need to get back to my ship. My escape pod has a distress beacon inside. Once I activate it, I can signal Zhane to pick me up."

Zordon said, "The Rangers will assist you in returning to your ship. Alpha, where is the escape pod?"

Alpha 5 checked the location of the escape pod, and he cried, "Ay ay ay, Promethea is currently taking the escape pod to one of their bases!"

Tommy said, "Looks like Promethea is our destination. Let's move!"

The Rangers morphed, and they teleported to Promethea's base. The truck carrying the pod came to a stop in front of the Rangers.

Tommy yelled, "You have something that belongs to our friend! Return it now!"

Andros said, "Diplomacy is important, Tommy."

Andros stepped forward and said, "You have something very important to me. I would like you to return it to me now. I promise that no harm will come to you."

The truck remained still, and no one got out. Tommy looked over at Andros, and he said, "I thought you said diplomacy is important."

Andros said, "It is, but something isn't right here."

The driver of the truck got out, and he said, "Rangers, I'm glad you are here. Our boss wants to speak to you. Once she speaks to you, you will be able to get your pod back." The driver looked at Rocky, Adam, Aisha, and Matthew, and he asked, "Are these four Power Rangers too?"
Rocky said, "We are, and if we were morphed, we would be teaching you a lesson!"

Aisha jabbed Rocky in the side with her elbow, and she shot him a look.

Rocky said, "What?"
Aisha said, "The guy might have a gun."

Rocky said, "We're teenagers! No one would shoot a teenager!"

Zack said, "You never had to deal with gangsters, haven't you? If you want, I can show you the bullet wounds I got from the gang-controlled parts of Angel Grove. If I hadn't moved out, I might already be dead."

The driver said, "I promise you, none of you will be harmed."

Andros said, "Very well, take us to your leader."

The driver took the Rangers to Promethea HQ. It was a large building in downtown San Francisco. It was a futuristic-looking skyscraper that was roughly as tall as a Megazord. Andros and the Rangers were escorted by armed guards through the lobby and into the elevator. When they reached the top floor, they entered a huge penthouse. They saw a woman in her 60s sitting at her desk. She looked up, and she smiled.

The woman stood up and said, "Power Rangers, I am honored to meet you. I'm Grace Sterling, the CEO of Promethea." She looked at Billy, and she added, "I hope you accept our invitation for you to join, Billy. We have a wonderful internship program."

Billy asked, "How did you know who I am?"

Grace Sterling said, "I put the pieces together. It wasn't even that hard really. You all morphed in public, you never gave excuses for your disappearances, and you are all wearing color-coded outfits. It's glaringly obvious that you are the Power Rangers. But I didn't bring you here to reveal that I know who you are. I brought you here to see if we can work together."

Andros asked, "Did you make the escape pod crash?"

Grace said, "No, but I was aware of your ship. When my satellites picked up your escape pod, I knew that the Power Rangers would end up looking for it. It turns out I was correct."

Tommy asked, "Why do you want to work with us?"

Grace said, "Because I have more balls than Zordon. Unlike him, I plan on actually doing something about Lord Zedd and Rita Repulsa. I also have plans for how to make the whole planet safe from aliens."

Tommy asked, "How did you know about those two?"

Grace said, "Because I was a Power Ranger myself."

Grace stood up, and she said, "I took the power with me when I left Zordon. It's Morphin Time!"

Grace morphed, transforming into a Red Power Ranger. She looked directly at Jason, and she said, "I am your predecessor. It's nice to meet my successor."

Jason asked, "What happened to you? Zordon said that his last team of Power Rangers ended in disaster!"

Grace asked, "Did he tell you the whole story? I'm sure he told you that he wanted my team to destroy Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd. What he didn't tell you was that my team wasn't trained at all to work as a team. We all failed because we fought too much. When the other Ranger and I returned, Zordon wanted us to return our powers. He didn't want us to use our powers to help our people."

Tommy said, "I am sure there is a good reason behind that!"

Grace laughed bitterly, and she said, "No, there wasn't. The offer still stands, by the way."

Jason asked, "If we worked with you, what would you give us?"

Grace said, "Ranger Sentries. On the outside, they look like Power Rangers, but on the inside, they're machines. They are run by a rudimentary AI, able to make their own decisions to some extent."

Andros cried, "You're making AI!?"

Grace said, "Relax, I'm not an idiot about it. There are limitations on what they can make decisions on. I've also created Megazords to help fight against monsters. Operation Lightspeed uses the older models. Those require Power Rangers to pilot them. The newer models we are building are also run by the same rudimentary AI process."

Andros said, "You are playing with technology your species doesn't understand!"

Grace said, "No, I am working with technology that we are actively developing. In time, every country will have its Megazord and Ranger Sentries. The planet will be defended."

Tommy said, "I'm with Andros on this one. This seems risky."

Billy said, "The potential consequences can be disastrous!"

Jason said, "I am not entirely sure about this either."

Grace said, "Well, the offer is still there regardless. Come back when you change your mind."

The Rangers returned to the Command Center, and Tommy explained what happened with Promethea.

Tommy said, "Grace said her team ended up failing her mission. Is that true?"

Zordon said sadly, "Yes. Her team did fail. A lot of Rangers died, and they weren't able to beat Rita Repulsa. This is why I selected you and the other Rangers, Tommy. I knew that a team that already works well together is the key to success. I also selected you all because of your martial arts skills. Teamwork and your knowledge of martial arts have both come in handy in many battles. This is why your team is still together."

Zack said, "That makes sense."

Matthew asked, "So if I join, will I have a chance to train?"

Rocky said, "You will. If you're lucky like me, Adam, and Aisha, Lord Zedd may do it for you by throwing Z-Putties at you."

Alpha 5 said, "Zordon, the Lightspeed Rescue Rangers are asking to speak to Andros!"

Andros said, "I heard of these Rangers. Let's go meet them."

The Rangers teleported to the Lightspeed Rangers' base, and they filled them in on the situation.

Captain Mitchell spoke up first, saying, "So you're saying that those anomalies on Ganymede are parts of another Megazord?"

Andros nodded, and he said, "That is correct. Zordon and I had the Zords buried on the moon you refer to as Ganymede. They are buried there, waiting for a team of Power Rangers to retrieve them."

Captain Mitchell asked, "Why haven't you gotten them?"

Andros said, "I don't have a full team. Even if I did, Zordon has requested that I give them to his Rangers."

Zack said, "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go up and get them!"

Andros said, "You aren't ready yet. Even if you were ready, Serpentera would stop you."

Jason shuddered, and he said, "I am not looking forward to another fight with Serpentera!"

Captain Mitchell said, "None of us are. Is there a way we can beat it?"

Andros said, "Yes, with Zeo crystals. These crystals hold immense power, and they power an immensely powerful Megazord."

Carter asked, "How strong can these Zeo crystals get?"

Andros said, "Infinitely powerful. They grow more powerful over time. They repel evil just for that reason. Only the pure of heart can get it."

Tommy asked, "What happens if someone evil grabs it?"
Andros said, "Then they will experience an unbelievably large amount of pain."

Captain Mitchell asked, "Who do you recommend we send to retrieve these Zeo crystals?"

Andros said, "I recommend sending Tommy. He was originally the Green Ranger, and he caused a lot of pain and upset as the Green Ranger. This Zeo crystal can be a test of sorts."

Jason cried, "No way! I am not letting him get hurt again!"

Kimberly said, "I agree. Send me instead!"

Tommy asked, "Kim, are you sure?"

Kimberly said a little defensively, "I'm pure at heart."

Aisha said, "I don't know, you got violent with Scorpina. You shouldn't go up. I should go up."

Rocky asked, "You!? You were talking about shoplifting during our shopping trip!"

Aisha said, "You tried to do that too! Weren't you trying to shoplift a video game from a store on that same day!?"

Andros shook his head, and he said, "I believe this will be a good test for all of Zordon's Rangers, regardless of what they have done. If we are going to send them to fight the Alliance of Evil, I need to know that their morals are clear. They're human, after all."

Carter asked, "Are you going to test me and my team as well?"

Andros said, "From what I observed, I say you all passed that test. That is beside the point though. Zordon has made it clear that his Rangers will have the Zeo Crystals."

Tommy asked, "Where is the Zeo crystal? And what do we do after we get it?"

Andros said, "The Zeo Crystal is buried underneath the Moon Palace. They know they need a Power Ranger to get it for them. That's the only reason why they haven't blown up the planet. That's also why they are so interested in Zordon's Rangers."

Tommy said, "Hold up, we're going to the Moon!?"

Andros said, "That's right, but first you need to get your team ready. You are short two Rangers. Once Matthew and Katherine are recruited, you will have two full teams of Power Rangers. Once you have two full teams of Rangers, seek out Ninjor and his training. Once the Ninja Rangers completed their training, your two teams will be ready to retrieve the Zeo Crystal. Good luck, Rangers."

Andros' Morpher beeped, and he answered it.

Andros said, "Zhane, it's Andros. How did things go with Serpentera?"

Zhane sounded out of breath, and he said, "It was exhausting! Thank goodness the gas giants are full of radiation. I took Serpentera on a joyride through their moons. Serpentera spent so much energy deflecting the radiation and ring particles that it had to retreat.

Andros asked, "Did Lord Zedd find the Zords buried on one of Jupiter's moons?"

Zhane said, "Thankfully, no. I made sure the Megaship was the only thing on his mind. I'm heading to your coordinates. Is there a place we can recharge?"

Andros said to Captain Mitchell, "My ship is low on energy from luring Serpentera away. Can we use your base?"

Captain Mitchell said, "Of course. I am going to have the Megazords on standby, in case anything happens. You understand, yes?"

Andros said, "I do."

Captain Mitchell said, "Good. You keep your Megaship under control, and we won't attack you. But if there is a sign of danger…"

Andros said, "Understood. There won't be any problems from us."

Captain Mitchell said, "Good."

The Astro Megaship landed at the Lightspeed Rescue Headquarters, and Captain Mitchell gave Andros and Zhane their own bunks.