It had been several days since Overlord Vratix's initial attack against the
colony. Although the scientist inhabitants didn't actually see the battle,
word got around from the surface of the return of the Power Rangers. All
the parents' and young adults' conversations were bustling with stories of
Power Rangers past, and how they saved the Earth, time and again. Every
time Ben overheard such an exchange he would inwardly smile.
They had managed to hide Avot's alien features, particularly the fin-like edges of her ears and her gills with a variety of headbands and close- necked shirts. The markings were not so unusual, nor the hair, as a number kids expressed themselves with various piercings and hair styles. Ben was able to secure Avot a position in his school's sub-repair and exploration group. The great amount of time spent in the water was very relaxing for her, and the tinkering with the machinery was easy, since the technology was so far behind the level of her race's own ships. Even though Avot could easily live outside of the water, she was more at ease after being able to take refreshing dips in the ocean and give her gills some exercise.
The two of them were now at a local teenager hangout, an arcade/soda shop place called "SF," short for "Sea Floor." Amidst the hustle and bustle as well as the many discussions, they sat in a secluded corner, able to talk safely.
"Ben, we really need to find suitable individuals to become the last two Rangers," she took a sip from her fruit smoothie.
"I have a couple people in mind, but I'm not so sure yet..."
"We really shouldn't hesitate. You never know when Vratix plans to launch another assault."
"That's true... but..." His gaze wondered off.
"But what?" she put her hand on his. He never got used to the sensation, warm, like human skin, but with an almost aura like feel of coolness, like an aquatic creature. He quietly shifted his hands.
"Just tell me the candidates," she said in a more serious tone, which grabbed his attention. She stared deeply into his eyes.
"Alright, I guess," he leaned forward, and she did as well.
"The two prime candidates are two friends of mine who graduated from the academy last year, Jen and Jake. Instead of going on to become full fledged scientists, they've taken a leave of absence to live on the surface working as lifeguards at the beach we were just on. They had been senior members of the Martial Arts team with me, so from an abilities standpoint, they're pretty suitable."
"And the surface issue wouldn't be a problem due to the bubble-wave transporter function of the Depth Gauges. In fact, their being on the surface would be an asset to us, since we could rely on their reports of news onshore. I've noticed that even with your Internet and all that, news doesn't travel here that fast."
"Yeah, the Internet connection thing at the ocean floor hasn't had all the kinks worked out yet."
"The other person is my best friend David. He's in a number of my classes - the Martial Arts team too - and I think the camaraderie that exists between us would be a lot to the team."
"This is all great, but we only have two more depth gauges. You've named three candidates."
"So then it's either Jen and Jake, and then ignore my best friend. Or, we pick David and split up the Jen and Jake combination, which might be hard in terms of one of them being in on the secret and having to hide it from the other."
"Which would be strenuous at best," from the emphasis of her answer, Ben could tell which direction Avot was leaning toward.
"Ok, so I'm sensing we're gonna go with Jen and Jake."
"Yes, I think that's the wisest course of action. With all due respect to your close friend David... it just seems like such a mess will develop if we break up the pair of Jen and Jake." Ben's thoughts flashed to his friend for a moment and how disappointed he would be if he knew what was going on.
"I guess it's settled then," he pursed his lips and nodded. Avot smiled.
"Oh wait, I forgot!"
"What is it?" She tilted her head to the side a little.
"Jen is actually back home this week, visiting her family."
"So then it seems we have an opportune time to present her with a Depth Gauge."
"Yes, after we leave here I'll get in touch with her and set up a meeting between the three of us."
"Sounds good, I'll see you then. I'll leave my communicator on." She tapped the phone-like device clipped to her belt at the hip. Ben watched her get up and saunter out the door. He lowered his gaze and stirred his soda with his straw, and thought about David - how he might react at their decision to omit him as a member of the team. He left a tip on the table and went to find Jen.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"So that's the deal, Jen," Ben concluded his summary of the situation and the offer being presented. The three of them stood in Ben's room.
"We need both you and Jake for our team," Avot added, her aquatic features uncovered in this private location.
"Well," Jen put a hand to her chin, balanced it on the other arm which she placed across her chest, and began to think. She walked to the far end of the room and remained still in this thoughtful pose for a moment. She whirled around suddenly, which startled Avot temporarily. Her shoulder- length medium brown hair fluttered about her shoulders. She was few inches shorter than Ben, and wore loose cargo pants and a sweatshirt with a hood pulled back.
"I'm in. However, I can't speak for Jake. You'll have to tell him about all this. I'm sure he'll accept a position as a Ranger as well. I just can't say for certain," she put her hands on her hips.
"Alright!" Ben reached out his hand and they shook in agreement. Avot dug out the box containing the remained Depth Gauges from under Ben's bed. She presented the open case to Jen, who chose the Pink Gauge.
"Jen, you are now the Pink Giant Squid Ocean Force Ranger," Avot smiled. Jen's expression showed that she was a little disgusted by her Power Animal of choice.
"Squid?" Jen repeated.
"Giant Squid," Avot corrected her.
"That's not making me feel any better about it, Avot," she strapped the Gauge to her wrist.
"If this is any consolation, Jen, you have a really cool Zord," Avot said. The other two teens laughed. Ben's computer started sounding a high- pitched, whooping alarm, and a minimized window opened to full size.
"What's that?" Ben asked.
"I made a few modifications to your desktop computer. This is a warning system. Whenever one of several ocean-bound cameras I set up spots any danger related to an attack by Vratix, it sets off this klaxon. If you'll notice, your Depth Gauges are setting off a similar alarm," Avot sat down at the console. Ben heard his Gauge beeping, but ignored it and walked over to the computer with Jen. The screen showed a group of Sharkons attacking a group of beach goers.
"Wait, isn't that where you and Jake are normally stationed?" Ben asked.
"Yes."
"So that means we can give him the last Depth Gauge!" Avot finished Ben's thought.
"Not exactly. We're both on vacation at the moment, so he's visiting some of our old classmates somewhere in North Carolina. I can't remember where exactly, sorry."
"It's ok, we'll have to take them on with just the three of us," Avot said. The three of them lined up, crossed their arms below the wrist, raised their arms upward into a diving position, and activated the Depth Gauges.
"Power Rangers Ocean Force! Dive in!" They were enveloped in beams of light particular to their own Ranger colors. Jen's Ranger Suit was more like Ben's, but pink with a skirt. Her helmet was a mix of pink and white, with the pink parts resembling a squid with tentacles wrapped around to the back of the helmet. They formed a point above the middle of the helmet, where the top and bottom halves met.
"You guys go on ahead. I have something to take care of!" Ben said unexpectedly.
"Be quick about it. We'll see you soon," Avot replied. She nodded to Jen to see if she was ready. Together, columns of bubbles covered them, and they were gone. Ben grabbed the last Depth Gauge and teleported as well.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Avot and Jen were making short work of the Sharkons. Ben hadn't been joking when he said that Jen was a high-ranking member of his Martial-Arts team at school. Her agility and power were a sight to behold. Reaching out, she slammed to Sharkon heads together and performed a split to avoid being bitten. Rising to her feet, she slipped her hands underneath the monster's armpits and flung him into a another group.
Avot cartwheeled to dodge an attack, but suddenly stopped when a Sharkon leaped in front of her. She stood balanced on her right hand. As several more Sharkons approached, she initiated a spinning pinwheel kick, which sent them flying in all directions.
Jen pulled out her harpoon dagger and sliced a trio of Sharkons before they knew what had hit them. She flipped the blade over her shoulders, bringing the blunt end of the hilt crashing down onto the head of a sneaky Sharkon. They both rushed at the last group of Sharkons. However, another group burst from the sand, surrounding them. One creature hit Jen with a one-two punch combo. Another elbowed Avot in the guy and swept her feet from under her.
Abruptly, two Sharkons' chests exploded in showers of sparks. Both young women looked up from the ground and saw the Red Ranger running towards them, his harpoon blaster outstretched in his hand. He dropped another Sharkon before something connected hard with his back, sending him sprawling to the ground beside the others. The three Rangers saw what had attacked Ben. It was one of Vratix's monsters. This one was modeled after an eel, with a large slimy green-brown head, yellow eyes, and clawed hands at the end of serpentine arms. It wore body army that covered its chest and back, with a sheet of armor extending down between its legs in the front. Its flattened tail whipped back and forth behind it in the air.
"Hello there, Rangers. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Moraygo, and Overload Vratix sent me with the job of eliminating you pesky brats!" The monster put its hands on its chest and laughed heartily. The remaining Sharkons grabbed the Rangers and stood them up with their arms pinned behind them.
"Oh boy am I going to enjoy this!" the monster reached into a sheath on his back and pulled out a wriggling green eel. Moraygo held it near the tail and cracked it like a whip, and the eel straightened out into a sword, with the ridge running down its back as the blade. Moraygo began its charge.
"Now!" Ben shouted. In unison, the Rangers pulled their legs to their chests, and rolled forward. Their Sharkon captors smacked into the sand on their backs, stunned. The Rangers drew their harpoon daggers and quickly struck down the last few Sharkons just as Moraygo reached them. All four blades crossed when he swung his sword down. Moraygo shoved the Rangers back. He blocked Ben's dagger strike and planted a kick in his chest. Ducking below Avot's swing, he elbowed her in the back, and then sliced her between the shoulder blades.
Jen jumped forward, batting aside Moraygo's weapon. She scored a pair of kicks and slashed him across his armored torso. Moraygo staggered, but came back with a head butt, which lifted Jen off her feet. He quickly backhanded Ben as he was getting to his feet, and uppercutted Avot on her chin with the hand guard on his sword. All three Rangers lay on the ground, clutching their injuries.
Out of nowhere a black staff with a blade on the end cut Moraygo from hip to opposite shoulder. He crashed to the ground in a hail of sparks. The Black Orca Ocean Force Ranger stood between his comrades and the monster. His black power suit resembled Ben and Jen's. His helmet was black on top, white on bottom, with a pointed fin rising from the top, a pair of green eyes in white spots on either side, or the eye port was surrounded by two rows of teeth. In his hands he held his power weapon, the Orca Staff. It was a long staff with a black and white pattern across its length, a rounded stud at the bottom, and a single blade at the top. He spun it around, holding the blade pointing downward with the opposite end pressed against his back and over his shoulder.
"Just how many of you guys are there!?" Moraygo cried. The Black Ranger raced toward the monster. He spun his staff around, batting Moraygo across his long face with the blunt end of the weapon. Reversing direction, he smacked his head the other way. He parried Moraygo's blade to the side, planted the round end of the Orca Staff into the group and spun around the pole to kick the creature in the chest with both feet. Moraygo flew backward, and landed in the sand several feet away with a loud thud.
"Jake!!" Jen cried out. However, the Black Ranger kept his back turned to the others.
"It's time to finish him!" he yelled over his shoulder. The others scrambled to their feet and pulled out their own power weapons. Ben pulled out his Mako Sword, with its hilt resembling a shark engulfing the handle. Avot pulled out the Turtle Shield, which resembled a sea-turtle's shell with razor edges. Finally, Jen pulled out her twin Squid Kamas, small staffs with sickle-shaped blades on the ends. They joined the Black Ranger and combined their weapons to form the Wave Buster. Avot rotated the handle of her shield downward, Jen's Squid Kama attached to the bottom of the Turtle Shield, blades poking out from beneath in front, Ben laid his Mako Sword across a notch in the top, and the Orca Staff shortened, the bladed end placed atop the hilt. Moraygo noticed what was happening and scrambled to his feet.
"Oh no," he blurted, raising his sword in a defensive position.
"Wave Buster, fire!" The Rangers said together. A large, bright blue beam with two white beams rotating around it shot from the end of the Mako Sword. It shattered Moraygo's eel saber and slammed into his chest before piercing through his back. He fell to his knees and exploded, spraying sand everywhere. They disassembled the Wave Buster and teleported back to Ben's room. There, Ben, Avot, and Jen removed their helmets and turned to face the Orca Ranger.
"Jake, is that you?" Jen asked.
"No," came the reply.
"Then who are you...?" Avot's brow furrowed.
"I'll show you," The Black Ranger replied as his hands reached to the clasps of the sides of his helmet. Slowly, he unbuckled the clasps and slid off his helmet.
"No way," Avot and Jen said together. Ben smiled.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They had managed to hide Avot's alien features, particularly the fin-like edges of her ears and her gills with a variety of headbands and close- necked shirts. The markings were not so unusual, nor the hair, as a number kids expressed themselves with various piercings and hair styles. Ben was able to secure Avot a position in his school's sub-repair and exploration group. The great amount of time spent in the water was very relaxing for her, and the tinkering with the machinery was easy, since the technology was so far behind the level of her race's own ships. Even though Avot could easily live outside of the water, she was more at ease after being able to take refreshing dips in the ocean and give her gills some exercise.
The two of them were now at a local teenager hangout, an arcade/soda shop place called "SF," short for "Sea Floor." Amidst the hustle and bustle as well as the many discussions, they sat in a secluded corner, able to talk safely.
"Ben, we really need to find suitable individuals to become the last two Rangers," she took a sip from her fruit smoothie.
"I have a couple people in mind, but I'm not so sure yet..."
"We really shouldn't hesitate. You never know when Vratix plans to launch another assault."
"That's true... but..." His gaze wondered off.
"But what?" she put her hand on his. He never got used to the sensation, warm, like human skin, but with an almost aura like feel of coolness, like an aquatic creature. He quietly shifted his hands.
"Just tell me the candidates," she said in a more serious tone, which grabbed his attention. She stared deeply into his eyes.
"Alright, I guess," he leaned forward, and she did as well.
"The two prime candidates are two friends of mine who graduated from the academy last year, Jen and Jake. Instead of going on to become full fledged scientists, they've taken a leave of absence to live on the surface working as lifeguards at the beach we were just on. They had been senior members of the Martial Arts team with me, so from an abilities standpoint, they're pretty suitable."
"And the surface issue wouldn't be a problem due to the bubble-wave transporter function of the Depth Gauges. In fact, their being on the surface would be an asset to us, since we could rely on their reports of news onshore. I've noticed that even with your Internet and all that, news doesn't travel here that fast."
"Yeah, the Internet connection thing at the ocean floor hasn't had all the kinks worked out yet."
"The other person is my best friend David. He's in a number of my classes - the Martial Arts team too - and I think the camaraderie that exists between us would be a lot to the team."
"This is all great, but we only have two more depth gauges. You've named three candidates."
"So then it's either Jen and Jake, and then ignore my best friend. Or, we pick David and split up the Jen and Jake combination, which might be hard in terms of one of them being in on the secret and having to hide it from the other."
"Which would be strenuous at best," from the emphasis of her answer, Ben could tell which direction Avot was leaning toward.
"Ok, so I'm sensing we're gonna go with Jen and Jake."
"Yes, I think that's the wisest course of action. With all due respect to your close friend David... it just seems like such a mess will develop if we break up the pair of Jen and Jake." Ben's thoughts flashed to his friend for a moment and how disappointed he would be if he knew what was going on.
"I guess it's settled then," he pursed his lips and nodded. Avot smiled.
"Oh wait, I forgot!"
"What is it?" She tilted her head to the side a little.
"Jen is actually back home this week, visiting her family."
"So then it seems we have an opportune time to present her with a Depth Gauge."
"Yes, after we leave here I'll get in touch with her and set up a meeting between the three of us."
"Sounds good, I'll see you then. I'll leave my communicator on." She tapped the phone-like device clipped to her belt at the hip. Ben watched her get up and saunter out the door. He lowered his gaze and stirred his soda with his straw, and thought about David - how he might react at their decision to omit him as a member of the team. He left a tip on the table and went to find Jen.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"So that's the deal, Jen," Ben concluded his summary of the situation and the offer being presented. The three of them stood in Ben's room.
"We need both you and Jake for our team," Avot added, her aquatic features uncovered in this private location.
"Well," Jen put a hand to her chin, balanced it on the other arm which she placed across her chest, and began to think. She walked to the far end of the room and remained still in this thoughtful pose for a moment. She whirled around suddenly, which startled Avot temporarily. Her shoulder- length medium brown hair fluttered about her shoulders. She was few inches shorter than Ben, and wore loose cargo pants and a sweatshirt with a hood pulled back.
"I'm in. However, I can't speak for Jake. You'll have to tell him about all this. I'm sure he'll accept a position as a Ranger as well. I just can't say for certain," she put her hands on her hips.
"Alright!" Ben reached out his hand and they shook in agreement. Avot dug out the box containing the remained Depth Gauges from under Ben's bed. She presented the open case to Jen, who chose the Pink Gauge.
"Jen, you are now the Pink Giant Squid Ocean Force Ranger," Avot smiled. Jen's expression showed that she was a little disgusted by her Power Animal of choice.
"Squid?" Jen repeated.
"Giant Squid," Avot corrected her.
"That's not making me feel any better about it, Avot," she strapped the Gauge to her wrist.
"If this is any consolation, Jen, you have a really cool Zord," Avot said. The other two teens laughed. Ben's computer started sounding a high- pitched, whooping alarm, and a minimized window opened to full size.
"What's that?" Ben asked.
"I made a few modifications to your desktop computer. This is a warning system. Whenever one of several ocean-bound cameras I set up spots any danger related to an attack by Vratix, it sets off this klaxon. If you'll notice, your Depth Gauges are setting off a similar alarm," Avot sat down at the console. Ben heard his Gauge beeping, but ignored it and walked over to the computer with Jen. The screen showed a group of Sharkons attacking a group of beach goers.
"Wait, isn't that where you and Jake are normally stationed?" Ben asked.
"Yes."
"So that means we can give him the last Depth Gauge!" Avot finished Ben's thought.
"Not exactly. We're both on vacation at the moment, so he's visiting some of our old classmates somewhere in North Carolina. I can't remember where exactly, sorry."
"It's ok, we'll have to take them on with just the three of us," Avot said. The three of them lined up, crossed their arms below the wrist, raised their arms upward into a diving position, and activated the Depth Gauges.
"Power Rangers Ocean Force! Dive in!" They were enveloped in beams of light particular to their own Ranger colors. Jen's Ranger Suit was more like Ben's, but pink with a skirt. Her helmet was a mix of pink and white, with the pink parts resembling a squid with tentacles wrapped around to the back of the helmet. They formed a point above the middle of the helmet, where the top and bottom halves met.
"You guys go on ahead. I have something to take care of!" Ben said unexpectedly.
"Be quick about it. We'll see you soon," Avot replied. She nodded to Jen to see if she was ready. Together, columns of bubbles covered them, and they were gone. Ben grabbed the last Depth Gauge and teleported as well.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Avot and Jen were making short work of the Sharkons. Ben hadn't been joking when he said that Jen was a high-ranking member of his Martial-Arts team at school. Her agility and power were a sight to behold. Reaching out, she slammed to Sharkon heads together and performed a split to avoid being bitten. Rising to her feet, she slipped her hands underneath the monster's armpits and flung him into a another group.
Avot cartwheeled to dodge an attack, but suddenly stopped when a Sharkon leaped in front of her. She stood balanced on her right hand. As several more Sharkons approached, she initiated a spinning pinwheel kick, which sent them flying in all directions.
Jen pulled out her harpoon dagger and sliced a trio of Sharkons before they knew what had hit them. She flipped the blade over her shoulders, bringing the blunt end of the hilt crashing down onto the head of a sneaky Sharkon. They both rushed at the last group of Sharkons. However, another group burst from the sand, surrounding them. One creature hit Jen with a one-two punch combo. Another elbowed Avot in the guy and swept her feet from under her.
Abruptly, two Sharkons' chests exploded in showers of sparks. Both young women looked up from the ground and saw the Red Ranger running towards them, his harpoon blaster outstretched in his hand. He dropped another Sharkon before something connected hard with his back, sending him sprawling to the ground beside the others. The three Rangers saw what had attacked Ben. It was one of Vratix's monsters. This one was modeled after an eel, with a large slimy green-brown head, yellow eyes, and clawed hands at the end of serpentine arms. It wore body army that covered its chest and back, with a sheet of armor extending down between its legs in the front. Its flattened tail whipped back and forth behind it in the air.
"Hello there, Rangers. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Moraygo, and Overload Vratix sent me with the job of eliminating you pesky brats!" The monster put its hands on its chest and laughed heartily. The remaining Sharkons grabbed the Rangers and stood them up with their arms pinned behind them.
"Oh boy am I going to enjoy this!" the monster reached into a sheath on his back and pulled out a wriggling green eel. Moraygo held it near the tail and cracked it like a whip, and the eel straightened out into a sword, with the ridge running down its back as the blade. Moraygo began its charge.
"Now!" Ben shouted. In unison, the Rangers pulled their legs to their chests, and rolled forward. Their Sharkon captors smacked into the sand on their backs, stunned. The Rangers drew their harpoon daggers and quickly struck down the last few Sharkons just as Moraygo reached them. All four blades crossed when he swung his sword down. Moraygo shoved the Rangers back. He blocked Ben's dagger strike and planted a kick in his chest. Ducking below Avot's swing, he elbowed her in the back, and then sliced her between the shoulder blades.
Jen jumped forward, batting aside Moraygo's weapon. She scored a pair of kicks and slashed him across his armored torso. Moraygo staggered, but came back with a head butt, which lifted Jen off her feet. He quickly backhanded Ben as he was getting to his feet, and uppercutted Avot on her chin with the hand guard on his sword. All three Rangers lay on the ground, clutching their injuries.
Out of nowhere a black staff with a blade on the end cut Moraygo from hip to opposite shoulder. He crashed to the ground in a hail of sparks. The Black Orca Ocean Force Ranger stood between his comrades and the monster. His black power suit resembled Ben and Jen's. His helmet was black on top, white on bottom, with a pointed fin rising from the top, a pair of green eyes in white spots on either side, or the eye port was surrounded by two rows of teeth. In his hands he held his power weapon, the Orca Staff. It was a long staff with a black and white pattern across its length, a rounded stud at the bottom, and a single blade at the top. He spun it around, holding the blade pointing downward with the opposite end pressed against his back and over his shoulder.
"Just how many of you guys are there!?" Moraygo cried. The Black Ranger raced toward the monster. He spun his staff around, batting Moraygo across his long face with the blunt end of the weapon. Reversing direction, he smacked his head the other way. He parried Moraygo's blade to the side, planted the round end of the Orca Staff into the group and spun around the pole to kick the creature in the chest with both feet. Moraygo flew backward, and landed in the sand several feet away with a loud thud.
"Jake!!" Jen cried out. However, the Black Ranger kept his back turned to the others.
"It's time to finish him!" he yelled over his shoulder. The others scrambled to their feet and pulled out their own power weapons. Ben pulled out his Mako Sword, with its hilt resembling a shark engulfing the handle. Avot pulled out the Turtle Shield, which resembled a sea-turtle's shell with razor edges. Finally, Jen pulled out her twin Squid Kamas, small staffs with sickle-shaped blades on the ends. They joined the Black Ranger and combined their weapons to form the Wave Buster. Avot rotated the handle of her shield downward, Jen's Squid Kama attached to the bottom of the Turtle Shield, blades poking out from beneath in front, Ben laid his Mako Sword across a notch in the top, and the Orca Staff shortened, the bladed end placed atop the hilt. Moraygo noticed what was happening and scrambled to his feet.
"Oh no," he blurted, raising his sword in a defensive position.
"Wave Buster, fire!" The Rangers said together. A large, bright blue beam with two white beams rotating around it shot from the end of the Mako Sword. It shattered Moraygo's eel saber and slammed into his chest before piercing through his back. He fell to his knees and exploded, spraying sand everywhere. They disassembled the Wave Buster and teleported back to Ben's room. There, Ben, Avot, and Jen removed their helmets and turned to face the Orca Ranger.
"Jake, is that you?" Jen asked.
"No," came the reply.
"Then who are you...?" Avot's brow furrowed.
"I'll show you," The Black Ranger replied as his hands reached to the clasps of the sides of his helmet. Slowly, he unbuckled the clasps and slid off his helmet.
"No way," Avot and Jen said together. Ben smiled.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~