Power Rangers: The First and Last Hope
Chapter 7: Unwanted Blue
"Isn't life just funny?" the Scarlet Ranger taunted her captive as she walked around his firey prision in a circle, a grin beneath her helmet. Her muscular teenage prisoner struggled in his chains, being hung by his wrists not all that high above the pit of fire. "You listen your whole life about how great your father is. How he was the greatest Power Ranger of them all, leading the original team to save the world more times than anyone can count? And you prepare all your life to someday take his spot, someday lead the good guys and save the world just like your father...and yet here we are. You're about to die, and even if you do survive, you're not even going to be a Red Ranger! You're going to be the freaking BLUE Ranger! The one that NO ONE cares about! I almost feel sorry for you...Andrew Scott."
Andrew merely growled at her, still struggling fruitlessly in the chains.
"For one thing, you're going to have to get a whole new waredrobe." the Scarlet Ranger teased. "All those reds are gonna have to go, being replaced by lovely blues. Won't that be fun, Andrew? To show up in blue in front of your father? He'll have to watch his mighty son be the team's joke."
Suddenly, the Scarlet Ranger flew backwards, having been shot with blaster fire! She stood back to her feet, smoke coming out of her chest, and looked angrily towards the source.
The Red Ranger strode into the cavern confidently, Blade Blaster pointed at her. Quickly, he turned his head towards Andrew and revealed himself.
"It's okay, Andrew, I'm here now." came the voice not of Tristan Williams, but of Jason Lee Scott.
"Dad!" Andrew yelled. He wasn't quite sure what he was feeling...sure, he was happy to be saved, but how was he supposed to face his father having been revealed to be the BLUE Ranger?
Soon, the Power Sword appeared in Jason's hands, and he rushed the Scarlet Ranger, slashing her to the ground with an explosion of sparks accomponying her fall. She growled as she got back up onto one knee, weakened, and disappeared in a flash of energy.
"Andrew, you alright?" Jason asked his son as he turned to face him.
Andrew simply nodded in response.
"Good, but son, I'm going to need your help if she comes back!" Jason told him. "Find the power within you and morph, and we'll fight together, two Red Rangers united, father and son!"
Andrew shook his head, a tear welling up in his right eye.
"What do you mean no?" Jason asked him, confused. "Morph and fight with me!"
Again Andrew shook his head no, but then realized something wasn't listening to him...because he had begun to glow.
Unfortunatley for Andrew, it wasn't red that he glowed, but blue instead.
"Andrew...what's happening to you?" Jason asked his son.
He watched as Andrew morphed...into the Blue Ranger.
"I'm sorry dad!" Andrew called out to him. "I'm sorry!"
"You...you're the BLUE Ranger?" Jason asked in disbelief. "You...you were supposed to be...I couldn't be more disappointed in you, Andrew Scott!"
"I'm sorry dad!" Andrew said again, crying out.
Suddenly, the Scarlet Ranger re-appeared behind Jason, and let out a blast of scarlet-colored energy from her right hand, striking Jason in the back hard. The Red Ranger collapsed to the ground as Andrew cried out again, sparks flying everywhere, before demorphing as he hit the ground.
"Dad...dad..." Andrew murmured to himself as he saw his badly burned and bruised father hit the ground, not moving. "I'm...sorry..."
From her spot in front of him, the Scarlet Ranger watched young Andrew Scott struggle with the illusions that had been created for him. His eyes were clenched shut tight, and he began to struggle less and less in the chains. The Scarlet Ranger could only imagine what horrors he was seeing.
Your feelings are hard to read, my dear. Is everything alright?
"I've been better." the Scarlet Ranger replied to the silent voice in her mind. "This sort of thing used to make me sick to my stomach, especially in the early days. Now it's like I'm numb to it. I've been doing this too long."
We all have. That's why it must come to a close soon.
"We always say that, and it never does, does it?" she asked aloud.
It will soon. More and more of the Zarset Empire is beginning to see things my way.
"I certainly hope so." the Scarlet Ranger replied. "But I don't think Command will ever come around."
It will when it has nothing left to command. Give it time.
"That's the one thing we all have too much of." the Scarlet Ranger said dryly. "Time."
She looked at Andrew, a few tears rolling down his cheek, and sighed.
Michi looked around at the Command Center, still amazed she was really here.
"This place is everything my mother described it as..." Michi said, walking around and placing her hands gently on the panels.
The other three Rangers couldn't help but be jealous, having never known their own Ranger parents.
"She described it as being like from the set of a bad 70s sci-fi movie?" Ada asked sarcastically.
"Now now, Ada, that's no way to treat our newest comrade." Zordon scolded her from above. "Michi, it's nice to know SOMEONE appreciates this place."
Michi blushed and smiled, which only caused Jerrelle and Ada to roll their eyes in unison. Tristan, on the other hand, thought it was very cute.
"I liked this place too!" Tristan spoke up.
"No, you were scared of it." Ada corrected him.
"He was...what!" Jerrelle said in disbelief. "And this guy is supposed to be our leader? The one who's scared of our base!"
"Aww, don't be so hard on him." Michi spoke up in his defense. "I think it's kind of cute."
Now it was Tristan's turn to blush, and once again both Jerrelle and Ada rolled their eyes.
Just as they were about to speak up with some scathing insults, the sirens went off in the Command Center.
"Ai yi yi yi, we've located the Blue Ranger!" Alpha-5 said.
"Finally, we can get our Power Weapons!" Jerrelle shouted.
"Yeah, and drag another poor soul into this mess." Ada said dryly. "Who is it this time?"
"Ai yi yi yi, I don't know!" Alpha replied. "I can't get a visual lock inside the location!"
"Well, where is the location?" Tristan asked.
"It's a small cavern on the outskirts of Angel Grove, California." Alpha replied.
"There's a location I know well." Zordon said, amused.
"My dad used to live there growing up." Jerrelle said.
"Yeah, my mom too." Michi added.
"I'm sure our parents did as well, then." Tristan said. "After all, that's when they were all Power Rangers, right?"
"Who cares." Ada spat. "Come on, guys, we've got a job to do."
"Rangers, proceed with caution." Zordon warned them. "If something's jamming our visual lock, we can probably only teleport you outside the cavern as well. It could be a trap."
"Don't worry about it, head-man." Ada replied. "We've got four Rangers now. We should be able to handle it."
"Here's hoping that bitch Neresa is there." Jerrelle grinned, slamming his fists together.
"Alright then." Tristan said. "It's morphin' time!"
"Mastadon!"
"Pterodactyl!"
"Sabertooth Tiger!"
"Tyrannosaurus!"
The four Rangers teleported in outside the cavern, and as Zordon warned, a group of Minions immediatley rushed them.
"Come on, guys, we can take 'em." Tristan said. "Blade Blasters!"
"No duh." Ada replied, rolling her eyes underneath her helmet. "Sure am glad we have you leading us, Captain Obvious."
"Ada, now's not the time!" Michi said as she took out her Blade Blaster.
Oh, now newbie girl's telling me how to treat my own brother! Ada thought as she did the same.
God, will they ever shut up? Jerrelle thought to himself as he pulled out a Blade Blaster of his own.
Tristan and Michi rolled to the same spot with theirs in Blaster mode and fired on a group of Minions, knocking the caped evildoers backwards as sparks flew. Ada and Jerrelle, meanwhile, each leaped into the air with theirs in Blade mode and slashed two Minions, before each turning to the opposite side and kicking another Minion down.
Ada and Jerrelle each turned to each other and nodded, before leaping into the air at the same time, flying past each other and taking out another Minion each with a hard slash of their Blade Blasters. Meanwhile, Tristan gave Michi a boost, helping to send her flying into the air, and she blasted three more Minions on her way down.
Inside the cavern, the Scarlet Ranger realized she had uninvited visitors.
They were even able to detect his awakening in the illusion. the Scarlet Ranger thought to herself. Impressive.
Knowing it was finally time for her grand introduction, she smirked to herself beneath her helmet as she left the cavern.
Outside, the Rangers had made short work of the Minions, watching as they disappeared in a flash of black energy while laying on the ground. Just as they turned their heads toward the cavern, however, each Ranger was hit with a flash of scarlet-colored energy, sending them flying to the ground, sparks flying.
"What the hell was that!" Ada yelled out as she and the other three Rangers pulled their battered bodies off the ground.
The flash of energy zapped past them and suddenly took a form...the form of the Scarlet Ranger, landing gracefully on one knee with both of her arms out-stretched.
"Okay, what the hell IS that!" Jerrelle said in disbelief as he watched the strange new Ranger slowly climb back to her feet.
"I'm not a 'that', Black Ranger." the Scarlet Ranger grinned beneath her helmet. "I'm so much more...than that."
"Whoever you are, you're in our way!" Tristan yelled, pointing a Blade Blaster at her.
"Yeah, and that whole sending us to the ground in a smoking heap thing wasn't very nice!" Michi added, pulling out her Blade Blaster as well.
"Oh give me a break with those puny little things." the Scarlet Ranger said sarcastically. "Scarlet Whip!"
A scarlet-colored whip soon appeared in her right hand, and she quickly sent it towards the Red and Yellow Rangers, smacking each of their hands and knocking the Blade Blasters to the ground.
Jerrelle and Ada looked at each other and nodded, each Ranger deciding to try a different approach and leap up into the air above. Before they could come down with an attack, however, the Scarlet Ranger sent her whip flying high into the air, smacking each of them out of the air in a single motion. The Scarlet Ranger laughed as they each hit the ground, smoke pouring from their chests. Tristan and Michi helped them up to their feet as the Scarlet Ranger continued laughing.
"Why are you doing this?" Michi demanded. "You're a Power Ranger, why are you fighting against us?"
"It's our job to protect this universe, not to help an evil group like the Zarset Empire!" Tristan added.
"Poor Power Rangers." the Scarlet Ranger said, shaking her head. "Still thinking it's as simple as black and white, good and evil. It's not. I'm the Scarlet Ranger, and consider me your lesson. Some things transcend good and evil...you're about to learn that the hard way."
"I don't care about good and evil, all I know is that you're working for the group rseponsible for my mother's death, and that makes you my enemy!" Jerrelle yelled.
He ran forward, jumping and rolling out of the way of her whip attacks, before leaping into the air and pulling out his Blade Blaster in blade mode. The other three watched, astounded, as he actually landed a hit on the Scarlet Ranger, slashing her across her chest. If it did any damage, however, she didn't show it, and she quickly dropped her whip and got both of her fists up to block his next slash, before pushing him backwards with incredible strength and kicking him square in the chest, causing sparks to pour out as he flew backwards to the hard ground.
"Passion alone will not win you many battles, Black Ranger." the Scarlet Ranger taunted him. "That's your lesson for the day."
"Oh yeah? Well, unfortunatley for you, I never got along with teachers." Ada said, and pulled out her Blade Blaster in blaster mode, firing on the Scarlet Ranger.
"Scarlet Speed mode!" the Scarlet Ranger yelled, and transformed into the flash of scarlet energy once more, easily dodging the blaster fire. The flash of energy went flying right past the Pink Ranger, sending Ada flying to the ground in a flash of sparks, before the Scarlet Ranger gracefully landed on one knee in her regular mode just as she did earlier.
"Is that really all you've got, Power Rangers?" the Scarlet Ranger taunted them. "You have a lot to learn..."
"So do you, Scarlet Ranger!" came a familiar voice from behind her.
The Scarlet Ranger turned around...just in time to be hit with a huge blast of black-colored energy, sending her flying to the ground, sparks flying! The Rangers all looked for the source of the blast...and there was Jason Lee Scott, the orignial Red Ranger, running towards them, carrying a huge black-colored blaster rifle that took both of his arms just to hold!
"First lesson- never mess with the kid of the original Red Ranger!" Jason yelled.
The Scarlet Ranger angrily picked herself up off the ground and raised one arm towards Jason, but she was grabbed from behind by Tristan and Ada!
"Second lesson- never underestimate the Power Rangers!" Jason added as he leaped over the heads of the Rangers and the Scarlet Ranger alike, then made a mad dash for the cavern.
"NOOOO!" the Scarlet Ranger screamed, struggling to be free from the Red and Yellow Ranger's grasp. She finally threw both of them over her shoulders, and quickly let out a blast of scarlet-colored energy from her right hand towards Jason. But it was too late, as even demorphed Jason managed to roll into the cavern just in time to avoid the blast.
"Damnit!" the Scarlet Ranger added as she rushed forward towards the cavern.
The Black and Pink Rangers rolled forward to block her path.
"Out of my way!" the Scarlet Ranger screamed, kicking and punching Jerrelle and Ada down quickly, and continued running for the cavern.
That damn Jason, he's going to ruin everything! the Scarlet Ranger thought as she rushed for the cavern's entrance.
Jason entered the cavern just in time as he saw his son Andrew struggling in the chains, his eyes clenched shut tightly and a look of worry and anguish on his face.
"Andrew! Andrew! Listen to me! You have to snap out of this!" Jason yelled to his son desperatley.
Inside Andrew's illusion, he was still crying at the sight of his father, lying motionless on the ground.
"You failed your father!" the Scarlet Ranger taunted him from below. "He's so disappointed in you he's better off dead!"
"I'm...sorry." Andrew kept murmuring over and over again as he cried beneath his Blue Ranger helmet.
Suddenly, Andrew heard it. The faint call of someone...
"Dad!" Andrew said, his head snapping up at the sound.
"Andrew! Andrew! Please, snap out of it Andrew, the other Rangers need you!"
"Dad! I can hear you!" Andrew yelled.
The Scarlet Ranger and Jason below disappeared, the illusion ending. Suddenly, all Andrew saw was a bright light.
Andrew opened his eyes from his spot in the chains, still demorphed, and spotted his father below.
"Dad...you're...alive?" Andrew asked in between tears.
"Yes! I'm alive! That was all just an illusion! But this is no illusion now- you have to morph and help the other Rangers!"
"But...dad, I can't! I'm not the Red Ranger, like you were...I'm just the Blue Ranger! Aren't you disappointed in me?"
Jason shook his head in disbelief.
"You really thought I'd be disappointed in you over a color!" Jason asked him. "You're my son! I'd be proud of you if you were the Pink Ranger! Now morph and get out there, the other Rangers need your help!"
Andrew was crying again...but this time it was tears of joy. Secretly, he always hid his more nerdish pasttimes, his love for science and videogames, away from his dad, working out to look like him even though he always hated it...but now he realized that no matter what Andrew did, his dad would always love him. He clenched his fists, and nodded his head, as he began to glow blue. Jason smiled as he watched his son morph...into the Blue Ranger.
The Blue Ranger easily snapped the retraints and flew down onto the ground over the pit of lava. He turned to Jason, who nodded and pointed out at the outside of the cavern. Andrew nodded back and ran outside.
Just as the Scarlet Ranger was about to make it to the entrance, out ran...the Blue Ranger.
"You...you morphed!" the Scarlet Ranger said in disbelief. "But you didn't even want to be the Blue Ranger! How could you awaken!"
"I accept who I am now, no thanks to you, whoever you are!" Andrew yelled back. "Take this!"
Andrew let out a loud hi-yaaa, similar to the ones his father yelled all those years, and hit the Scarlet Ranger with a hard fist that sent her to the ground. He then leaped over her head and joined the other Rangers.
"Yay, it's the Blue Ranger!" Michi yelled happily, pumping her first into the air.
"We're finally a complete team!" Tristan added, just as happy as Michi was.
"Hey, so what about those weapon things?" Jerrelle asked.
"Yeah, doesn't this mean we get..."
As if on cue, before Ada could even finish her sentence, all five Rangers glowed with their respective colors, and when the glow disappeared from all of them, they were each holding their Power Weapons!
"Alright!" Michi yelled happily, raising a dagger in each hand. "Power Daggers!"
"This is pretty freaking cool!" Andrew agreed, raising his lance into the air. "Power Lance!"
"I'm gonna put a real hole in that Neresa bitch with this." Jerrelle grinned, moving his axe into cannon mode just like his father had so many times. "Power Axe!"
"Oh, so I gotta load these stupid arrows all the time!" Ada asked no one in particular as she raised her bow in there. "Oh well, I can still whack people with it. Power Bow!"
"Alright, I get the coolest one!" Tristan yelled, raising the sword in the air and then bringing it down in a slash motion. "Power Sword!"
"Together, you don't stand a chance, evil Ranger!" Andrew yelled, pointing his lance at her. "Because together we're the POWER RANGERS!"
Isn't that my line? Tristan thought to himself.
The Scarlet Ranger simply growled in response.
"You don't stand a chance now that all of the Power Rangers have awakened!" Tristan yelled, trying to take back his role as leader.
Not ALL of them... the Scarlet Ranger thought to herself. But still, she knew this wasn't the time or the place for this fight.
"We'll just have to wait and see about that, Red Ranger." the Scarlet Ranger replied. "On another day. Today's final lesson, Rangers...you haven't seen the last of the Scarlet Ranger!"
The Scarlet Ranger disappeared in a flash of energy, leaving the five Power Rangers as the only ones there.
"Aww, I wanted to see what these weapons could do!" Michi said, clearly disappointed.
"There will be plenty of time for that later, I'm sure." Ada said. "After all, she'll be back! Muhahaha!"
Michi and Tristan laughed at Ada's hokey mocking of the Scarlet Ranger's speech. Andrew and Jerrelle, meanwhile, seemed distracted, each looking off in a seperate direction.
I don't care about the Scarlet Ranger...I just want to know when I'll get my hands on Neresa again. Jerrelle thought. I promise I'll get vengeance for you, mother.
The pressure's all on me now. Andrew thought to himself as he looked off in another direction. I won't let my dad or the other Rangers down!
Meanwhile, the Scarlet Ranger teleported back into the Command room yet again just as the blue screen of Command came to life once more. Araken appeared in the opposite doorway, interested in watching her failure.
"Scarlet Ranger, we could not be more disappointed you!" Command yelled, clearly upset with her. "Why didn't you just kill the Blue Ranger when you had the chance, before he could awaken!"
"Because I was trying to turn him evil!" the Scarlet Ranger shot back. "Do you forget the prophecies? If we turn a Ranger to our side, then we'll win and complete our conquering of this planet!"
"So you went for it all, and got nothing." Araken grinned from the doorway. "Great job, Scarlet."
"Quiet, Araken." Command hissed. "Your track record is not exactly spotless."
That shut Araken up in a hurry, and caused the Scarlet Ranger to grin to herself beneath her helmet.
"But Scarlet Ranger, we cannot overlook your grave failure here. Twice in a row, in fact. We have no choice but to make the next mission Araken's."
"I understand." the Scarlet Ranger simply replied.
She's not even trying to argue it! Araken thought to himself. Something must be up...
"You will not be disappointed!" Araken said as he stepped fully into the room. "I'll use Drilliago and launch a full-out assault on the Power Rangers! Even with all five of them awakened, they don't have the experience to defeat us!"
"You'd better hope so, for your sake, Araken." Command replied. "Both of you are dismissed!"
The Scarlet Ranger quickly turned and walked out of the Command room, before Araken could say anything to her. He simply watched her go and shook his head, knowing that was way too easy.
She MUST be up to something... Araken thought.
Meanwhile, the Scarlet Ranger walked through one of the Mothership's massive hallways, looking down at the Earth below.
Let that idiot Araken have his shot at the Rangers. the Scarlet Ranger thought to herself. He won't win anyway. Besides, I have a more pressing matter to attend to...
One of the Mothership's gigantic windows turned into a screen, overlooking a very tall girl, at least 6'1 if not taller, walking down a sidewalk dressed in a green top and black mini-skirt, with short black hair and piercing green eyes. A confident smirk was on her face, one that gave the impression she thought she owned the entire world.
Just a little bit longer...until it's time for you to awaken. the Scarlet Ranger thought. My Green Ranger.