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 grand finale of the Warstar Arc!
~PRM~REDO~PRM~REDO~PRM~REDO~PRM~REDO~PRM~REDO~
"With Malkor gone, everything else should be smooth sailing, right? But wait, something's wrong. An enraged Creepox challenges the Rangers to a death match."
Sanctuary
Power Rangers: Megaforce REDO – dubbed Starforce
Season 1, Episode 14: Who's Crying Now?
Paradise Beach, Harwood Country, Oregon
October 19, 2015
"Those Ranger pests defeated the Admiral?!" Creepox exclaimed. "I don't believe it!"
"Believe it," Vrak calmly replied. "But if it makes you feel better, he did put up one hell of a fight."
It had been about four days since Admiral Malkor was defeated.
"Yeah, a fight that was not able to participate in because I was in the prison!"
Vrak sighed, not wishing to start a fight that Creepox obviously wanted, "Just remember, I could have very easily left you to die." That shut him up quick. "You owe me."
"Fine," Creepox groaned. "What do you want?"
"The same thing that you want," Vrak replied. "To avenge the Admiral. I want those 'Ranger pests' gone."
Creepox laughed, "Consider it done!"
~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
The halls of the high school were filled with students just going about their day like nothing was wrong. The Rangers' memory spell after Malkor's defeat was still holding strong, to which Jake and Gia smiled, as the two stood at Gia's locker and listened to all the conversations of those passing by. None of them consisted of Malkor or how the oxygen of the entire planet was being sucked away; no, everyone remained blissfully unaware.
"So far, so good," Jake whispered to Gia, as she grabbed the books for her first two classes of the day. "No one remembers."
"Let's keep it that way," Gia whispered back.
Their good mood was ruined by people scrambling to the sides of the hallway with a look of fright. Once the two saw what the commotion was about, Gia lowered her eyes into a glare and Jake swallowed hard.
They were the school's 'bad kids', Roy MacDonald and Barry Rodewyk. Well...to be honest, 'bad kids' was understating it.
They were bullies. Straight up bullies. Worse-than-queen-bee-Tiffany bullies.
Gia and Jake coldly stared at them as they walked down the hall. Emma and Noah emerged from their before-school Nature Club meeting (held in a classroom nearby), with Emma saying something like, "Hiking up there is just the best."
Noah replied with, "It has been written down, Miss President," making her giggle, before the two met up with Jake and Gia. "What's going on?"
All Jake had to do was point at the two slowly walking down the hall, cracking their knuckles and obviously looking for someone to prey on. Noah immediately tensed up and moved closer to Jake for support, while Emma did the same, hiding behind Gia completely and tightly clutching her black denim jacket.
Jake and Gia did not flinch, as they understood the other duo's fear of these two bullies, and they steeled themselves up, because they had basically become, by this action, the protectors.
Roy smiled was he spotted Gia, as Barry licked his lips. Roy had a rather disgusting crush on Gia, and in freshman year (they were seniors now), he was on the verge of becoming a full-on stalker until Gia went to her parents, who called his parents and let them know they were going to press charges on Roy if he didn't stop (that was not a joke nor an empty threat; her parents were very clear that they meant it).
Fortunately, while his crush was still there, Roy's parents listened, and he was no longer a borderline-stalker, as evidenced by his behavior in the weeks and months that followed. He was still a bully, but he tended to steer clear of Gia and give her space.
Roy also hated Jake, because he was 100% convinced that the Black Ranger had a crush on Gia too, so thus, they were rivals.
Barry, on the other hand, was not the smartest kid in the school. In fact, he had a lot of learning disabilities. The fact that he was easy to manipulate made him an easy target for Roy's toxic behavior.
"Hi, Gia," Roy greeted her, and was about to sling an arm around her shoulder.
"Don't touch me," Gia immediately said, sternly, and Roy removed his arm like she had just burned it. Yep, he still had that lawsuit firmly in mind.
"Sorry," he said. "It's just that you and I haven't seen each other in so long."
"Let's keep it that way," Gia offered a fake smile, out of spite and sarcasm.
Just then a familiar voice spoke up, "Excuse me, I'm trying to get to my locker."
The four Rangers turned to see Troy standing there, his nose in a book, seemingly unaware of who he was talking to. Which made sense, as Troy was the new kid and thus, did not know who to steer clear of.
When Roy and Barry did not move, Troy looked up from his book, and carefully surveyed the scene. The first thing he noticed was that two of his friends were fearfully hiding behind the other two, one of whom was scared too but trying not to show it (Jake) while the other was glaring (Gia).
The second thing he noticed was the two boys cornering them.
Troy spoke again, politely, "Excuse me, could you please move? My locker's right there." Which was true. It was right next to Gia's.
Barry started cracking his knuckles, which was never a good sign, as Roy's smile got darker, "Well, if it isn't the new kid? Going somewhere?"
This was when Troy realized what kind of people they were, and he wisely chose not to answer, and replaced his confusion with a stoic expression.
Roy continued, "Do you know what we call new kids around here?" He paused for a moment. "Fresh meat."
Once she realized that Roy and Barry were now threatening Troy, Emma immediately stepped out from behind Gia to rush to his defense.
But Gia put her arm out to stop her, whispering, "Don't interfere. You'll only make yourself a bigger target, Em. Trust me."
"But they could clobber him in a second," Emma whispered back.
"You know Troy," Gia replied. "Cool as ice."
Troy remained silent, and Roy taunted, "What's wrong? You gonna cry?"
"Take a good look," Troy quietly said, almost threateningly. "Do you see any tears?"
It was a rhetorical question, and Roy knew that. That's why his smile dropped and his faced started twitching. Barry was laughing, but he stopped when he realized that Troy had gotten the best of his friend.
Noah and Emma exchanged apprehensive looks, afraid of where this was going to go. Roy was not someone you wanted to piss off.
"Come on," Roy snapped his fingers, "this chump is boring me."
Roy walked away, with Barry closely following.
Troy watched them for a moment before heading over to his locker, and Emma gave the two bullies and look of disgain as they passed, before asking, "Troy, are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," he replied, before opening his locker. Taking a good look at him now, he seemed to be right. The smile he offered them here was not at all fake. "Trust me, those kinds of people stopped bothering me a long ago."
Before third grade, he got bullies all the time, moreso than any of his classmates, probably because he was the only kid without any friends to hang out with, in school or on the weekends. He wasn't always a lone wolf, but he was always alone.
Until one day, a group of bullies beat him up and left him inside the school dumpster. He was found by the janitor two hours after school had ended, but the bullies did not get into trouble because according to the principal, the lead bully 'was his sweet son who would never hurt a fly'. Later that night at the hospital, his uncle convinced him to take up martial arts, while his aunt went to the police to file charges of assault and battery. Neither of them were happy about this, but none of it was aimed at Troy. He had done nothing wrong.
Needless to say, a week later, Troy was starting to learn classic karate and the bullies were in jail, and the principal fired. The vice-principal had taken over as principal and she was much nicer yet more strict about the rules than the previous principal, but his aunt swiftly decided to transfer Troy to another school at the end of the semester anyways. She, understandably, did not feel like her nephew was safe at that school anymore.
It was not a pleasant experience at all. Even when the perpetrators were being hauled off to jail, in the middle of recess no less (where everyone could see it all happen), Troy felt no joy. All he could think about was how the bandages and bruises on his face in that moment made him feel like a victim to pity, and how he could prevent that from happening again. That was how he always steeled himself (learning how to fight really helped with that), and how he decided to distance himself from other people.
Because those bullies had only gotten close enough because they had befriended him first.
But his teammates did not know any of that, nor was it a story he felt like sharing.
Noah asked, "How do you do it, Troy? How did you stay so calm?"
"I learned a long time ago," Troy admitted, as he grabbed the book for his first class, "that it's okay to care about people. But if you show a bully that they're getting to you, then it only gives them power. Bullies thrive on the satisfaction that they're winning." That's why Roy's smile had faded into a frown when he realized Troy wasn't taking the bait.
"He's right," Gia agreed, before adding, "A bully's power is only what their victim gives them."
"Absolutely," Troy said. "So how did I do it? Years of martial arts, with the added bonus of steeling yourself up for a fight."
"Oh," Noah commented.
"That makes a lot of sense, actually," Jake said. "I think I'm going to join you and Gia for Martial Arts Club today."
"Sensei Kenji is out sick today actually," Gia relayed. "I can teach you some moves at the park after school instead."
"Thank you, Gia."
Their conversation was interrupted by a little kid shouting, "Give it back!"
The five Rangers turned to the source of the cry and saw Roy and Barry tossing a small cylindrical container over a boy's head (probably a freshman). The boy was trying to get the container back, but he was too short to reach it. Roy and Barry simply laughed.
"There's a live bug in there! Stop it!" the boy cried.
The five Rangers saw other students surrounding the three, some watching, some walking away, but no one helped the boy. Troy shut his locker.
"You're going to hurt it!" The boy said, as the Rangers walked towards the commotion. "Be careful, please!"
Roy and Barry stopped tossing the container, and Roy held it up high. The boy walked up to him, clearly upset.
"What?" Roy taunted, and Barry laughed. "You gonna cry?" His smile faded into a frown. "Wait, you really are gonna cry. I'm sorry, bud." He held the container towards the boy.
The boy reached for it, relieved, but Roy yanked it away before the boy could grab it. The boy's face contorted into tear-filled glare, and the two bullies laughed at him.
But the fun and games stopped when someone grabbed Roy's wrist.
Roy turned around to see the new kid, Troy, holding onto his wrist with a strong grip. Troy's face held the same stoicism as earlier, this time with some added anger that definitely came through in how firm his grip was.
Troy lowered Roy's hand, as he said quietly, "Just because you're bigger, doesn't mean you can pick on him, or this bug." With his other hand, Troy snatched the container away from Roy. "No matter how small, everything deserves respect."
Roy looked behind Troy to see Jake, Gia, Noah, and Emma, all with glares on their faces and clearly ready to fight.
Now unsettled and rather frightened, Roy yanked his hand out of Troy's grip, "Whatever, freak show." Roy walked away, telling the boy, "I'll see you later." And Barry, like always, was right on his heels.
Troy's stoic face turned into a gentle smile as he turned to the boy and held out the container, "I believe this is yours."
The boy took the container with a smile, "Thank you."
"You're welcome," Troy replied, as his four teammates joined him.
"I've seen you eyeing our Nature Club posters," Emma said. "What's your name?"
"Howard Bell," the boy replied. "But I prefer 'Howie'."
"It's nice to meet you, Howie," Noah said. "You know, you're welcome to join us at any time."
"What bug is that?" Jake asked.
"A haldeman click beetle," Howie replied. "They're very rare."
"It's pretty cool that you were able to find it," Gia said.
"Thank you," Howie said. "Y'know, people talk about you guys. They always call you an oddball friend group," made sense, because all five of them came from drastically different cliques, "and they're right, in a way. But they always say it like it's a bad thing. But really, you guys aren't that bad. I mean, you did just stick up for me against them." Roy and Barry, but their names were like Beetlejuice or Bloody Mary. Say their names enough times, and they will come. "You guys are actually like everyday Power Rangers!"
The five all immediately blushed. Sweet little Howie didn't know how spot on he was.
"Thank you guys again," Howie waved at them as he walked away.
The five turned to each other, smiling.
~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~
Gemstone Park, Harwood County, Oregon
"Your foot shouldn't be so far back," Gia commented on Jake's stance. Like she promised, the two were at the park, doing some after school martial arts training. The only other person there was Howie, who was studying his bug and writing down behaviors he noticed.
But they didn't mind. Howie was a cool person, and not just because he called them 'everyday Power Rangers'. He was a lot like Noah due to similar interests, with some Emma innocence sprinkled in there. He also did indeed join the Nature Club at lunch, as revealed by Noah.
Jake moved his foot, and immediately noted a change, "Oh, you're right. That does feel better."
"You doubt me, Holling?" Gia sassed. Once upon a time, the two were once enemies, rivals, because Jake was jealous of how much of an ace Gia was. But not anymore.
Maybe some jealousy did still linger, but they now had a nice vitriolic friendship budding, a relationship both were comfortable with. They had indeed come a long way since they first became Rangers.
Jake chuckled, before the two heard a faint snap. They turned to see Roy and Barry right behind Howie, whose smile immediately disappeared.
Howie quickly grabbed the container his bug was in and started walking away, and Roy and Barry quickly followed.
Jake and Gia shared a concerned glance, before quietly following, just in case Howie became minced meat.
"Aren't you going to wait for us?" Roy taunted.
"Leave me alone!" Howie kept walking, trying his best to stay ahead of the two.
"Aw, come on! We just want to see that bug!" Roy then dropped the innocent act. "Your buddy is not here to protect you now," He said. "We're going to squash that bug of yours." He laughed, but stopped when Barry pulled him back.
Roy looked at him annoyed, and yanked Barry's hand away, but when he turned around, he saw why his minion had stopped him.
Just ahead of all three of them was a strange-looking creature, a creature that Jake and Gia immediately recognized.
Creepox...
There was no time to figure out how he had survived. The two Rangers shared another glance, before holding up their morphing Cards.
The monster hadn't seen anybody yet. He just seemed to be stalking through the trees, muttering, "Time to find some witless human to menace. That should draw the Rangers' attention." He turned around and finally spotted Roy and Barry.
Creepox walked towards. Now completely scared, the two bullies backed away only to end up falling on the ground, while Howie quickly hid behind a tree.
Now on top of the two bullies, Creepox taunted them, "Go on, humans! Cry for me! Your howling will draw out the Rangers!"
"Please don't hurt us!" Roy pleaded. Barry opened his wallet and offer Creepox all the money inside.
But Creepox did not accept. He simply raised his arm, ready to strike, only to hear, "Leave them alone!"
He turned around to see Howie, fear in his eyes, but courageously standing his ground.
"You dare to challenge me, puny human?" Creepox asked.
"Just because you're bigger doesn't mean you can pick on them!" Howie recited, having memories Troy's earlier words.
Creepox snarled, "How wrong you are!" Howie was obviously very frightened, but kept a firm hold on his sanity. He was determined to stand there until this monster left Roy and Barry alone. "You're just another worthless human who needs a lesson on the superiority of insects!" Roy and Barry both watched as Creepox then rounded on Howie. "Allow me to teach you that lesson!"
Howie started to back up, but he did not run away. Creepox was surprised by this.
"Little human, you are either brave or a fool." How stumbled and fell onto the ground behind him.
Before Creepox would walk forward, out of nowhere, the Black and Yellow Rangers jumped down from above, landing in front of the three civilians on either side of Creepox, with Black guarding the two bullies and Yellow guarding Howie.
"These are the last humans you'll ever threaten!" Gia told the monster.
"Good, you Rangers have come to their aid," Creepox was apparently happy to see them. "Just as I planned."
As Gia breifly turned to escort Howie away, Jake turned to Roy and Barry behind him and said, "You two get somewhere safe. Leave him to us."
Both nodded and scrambled to the feet, before running away as fast as they could. Jake could not help but feel a sense of satisfaction at seeing Roy and Barry, the school's main bullies, afraid of someone stronger than them for once.
Jake attacked Creepox first, but Gia quickly entered the fight after escorting Howie away from the area.
As they exchanged and blocked punches, Creepox told them, "Once the Rangers fall, then all the other worthless humans are next!"
After getting kicked by both Rangers, one after another, Creepox struck both of them across the chest, sending them both flying into a warehouse nearby.
"Man, he's tough," Jake commented, before the two got back to their feet and fired at their opponent with their Star Blasters.
But Creepox easily blocked their shots, before he sliced at them. Both Rangers were hit hard before they stumbled back.
The two fortunately caught themselves, and summoned their weapons, "Shine Down!"
"Summon Battle Gear!"
"Snake Axe!"
"Tiger Claw!"
But the fight was still difficult. There was dirt all over their main-white uniforms now, and underneath their spandex were lots of cuts and bruises. Creepox easily knocked them down again.
"You Rangers have no chance against my strength!" He said, as the two got back to their feet. He quickly cut Jake down, before blocking a blow from Gia's Tiger Claw.
He pressured her, forcing her to her knees, and she struggled, "You're strong, but that doesn't mean you'll win!"
"Think again!" Creepox said, before striking her hard. He turned around in time to block Jake's Snake Axe.
"You're going down, just like any bully!" Jake cried, before Creepox struck at him.
The two Rangers kept fighting him, until he knocked them both down at once, and he said, "The strong take from the weak! That's how it's always been and how it always will be!"
"Not here!" Jake grunted, before charging at his enemy, Gia closely following. "Not with us!"
Soon, the two were knocked down again. Jake reached for his Morpher, to call the others for help or to use Rockrush or something, he honestly didn't know. But Creepox sliced at him again, before knocking over to where Gia was.
Gia rushed to Jake as soon as he hit the ground.
"This is what strength is for!" Creepox said, forming a fireball in his hands. "Meteor Shot!"
The attack hit the two Rangers dead on, and they couldn't hold on anymore. They de-morphed as they hit the ground, with their Morphers flying several feet away from them.
Creepox watched as they struggled, but only for a moment, before they passed out. "Two down, three to go. Attacking the city should do the trick."
Creepox laughed as he exited the warehouse.
~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~
It was about fifteen minutes before Troy, Noah, and Emma ran through the same park. The trio paused before a moment and surveyed the area. It was empty and peaceful, save for the trees and a couple of benches.
"Where's the monster?" Emma asked.
Noah pulled out his Morpher, "Gosei? Tensou? A little help? We can't see anything."
"It's in the area," Gosei replied. "Jake and Gia are already there. Tensou's scanners would not mislead you."
Troy chose to trust Gosei and Tensou, so he said, "Then, let's contact Jake and Gia."
Noah hung up on Gosei before calling the two Land Rangers, "Jake? Gia? Come in, either of you."
No response.
A frustrated Noah reported, "Nothing."
"I have a bad feeling about this," Emma muttered.
"Guys, if they're here, we'll find them," Troy reassured them. "Let's go."
Noah and Emma followed after Troy. As they ran through the trees, Noah offered, "I think I can triangulate their coordinates!"
"Do it!" Troy called back.
Their search led them two minutes later to a nearby warehouse, where the first thing they saw Jake and Gia lying on the ground, out cold and covered in cut and bruises. While Emma and Noah immediately ran to their friends, Troy was frozen in place.
"Jake, are you okay?" Emma asked him, as she took him into her arms, and Noah did the same with Gia, and moved the two into a sitting position.
Gia tried to stand up, and struggled, but didn't get very far, as Noah calmly pushed her back down, saying, "Don't get up. You're banged up pretty badly."
Troy swallowed, hoping to get rid of the sudden dryness of his mouth, and asked, "What happened?"
"Creepox," Jake managed to get out, sounding defeated. "He just left. Must've thought we were done for."
"We almost were," Gia sounded the same way. "He's stronger than ever. He's on a rampage and he's gone to attack the city."
Troy shook his head in an attempt to clear it, before saying, "Emma, stay here and take care of them. Call Tensou to help you." Emma noddded. "Noah, you're with me." Noah nodded, before standing and running after Troy.
No matter what he did, Troy just couldn't get out of his head the image of falling into that dumpster, too exhausted and injured to climb out himself or even move his fingers. He couldn't get out of his head the image he saw when his aunt and uncle took him to the hospital and he passed by a mirror in the bathroom.
The image of a lonely boy who was now a victim, and the bruises only proved that. The boy's eyes were dull and sad, clearly showing how defeated Troy had felt then.
And the moment he saw Jake and Gia on the ground was the moment all of those memories came rushing back to him, and he froze up for the first time since that day.
Because now all he could picture was Noah getting beaten up by people who once claimed to be his friends, Emma falling into that dumpster with no way out, Jake being found by the Janitor in a pitiful state, and Gia looking into that mirror and seeing how pathetic this experience had forced her to become...
Troy didn't want that to happen to any of them. He couldn't let it happen.
Creepox was going to pay.
~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~
Paradise Beach, Harwood Country, Oregon
Creepox stood at the edge of a cliff that overlooked the city. "This planet should have been broken in half like a twig long ago," he muttered. "At last, that day has arrive. Behold, pathetic humans, the downfall of the Land Between!" He formed several fireballs with his hands and threw them all toward the city. He watched as many of them hit the city below.
He also watched as one of them hit a mountain, but he wasn't paying any attention to the box (with a strange insignia) that a following landslide had revealed.
This was how Noah and Troy found him, who had his back turned towards them. They stopped a few feet away, before Troy shouted, "Enough, Creepox! We're here! It's what you really wanted, isn't it?!"
Creepox turned around to face them. "Figured that part out, did you?" He walked towards them, further speaking, "I've been waiting for another chance to face you ever since our last fight. When we battled before, I was mopping the floor with you, but I got cocky. And that gave you an opening that you were lucky enough to exploit, and I got thrown into the Admiral's prison because of it. But that won't happen this time. Maybe I'll keep you around long enough to cry over your lost Realm. Make no mistake, this Realm will belong to the Insectoids!"
Troy held up his Morpher, before locking eyes with Noah, who nodded. "Starforce: Shine Down!"
Once morphed, the two pulled out their Star Blasters and fired at Creepox repeatedly. The monster charged through their shots towards them, before striking.
Noah fell to the ground fairly quickly, but it was lucky that Troy was holding his ground.
"This is what real power looks like," Creepox said, before Noah fired his Blaster at the monster's back.
No effect.
"That's it?" Creepox asked Noah, before grabbing Troy and tossing him to the ground, where Noah was.
Noah quickly tried to catch Troy, but the Red Ranger fell to the ground anyways. Before the two Rangers had a chance to recover, Creepox leapt in and struck them several times.
Creepox blocked Noah's kick, and when Noah landed, he helped Troy stand back up. Creepox blasted them again.
Once they recovered, Troy summoned his Dragon Sword, while Noah summoned his Shark Bowgun. As Troy fought Creepox head-on, Noah peppered in some shots where Troy wasn't.
Soon, Creepox knocked Noah down.
But Troy kept fighting. He was no longer doing this for himself, but for the other Rangers, for all the victims who had to look at their own reflection and realize how defeated they were.
As they fought, Creepox said, "Now, it's just you and me, Red Ranger. So, you ready to cry yet?"
Troy chose not to answer, before he pushed back and landed a solid strike. But Creepox was not weak. It was incredibly strong and his skin was like an insect's outer shell.
Eventually, Creepox managed to kick Troy to the ground, and said, "Pathetic. I said last time that our battle wasn't over, but it's time to end this once and for all." The monster turned around and walked a small distance away, telling him, "I expcted more from you, Red Ranger."
Noah struggled to stay standing, and now he was desperate since Troy was in rough shape and about to be destroyed. He pulled out his Morpher, just as Creepox turned around.
"Meteor Shots!"
"Defenstream: Shine Down!"
"EXPAND!"
Noah stepped in front of Troy right as the fireballs reached him. A wall of water immediately blocked the fireballs, but Noah was struggling against the force.
"Noah!" Troy got to his feet.
"Hurry! Think of a plan or something!" Noah called back. "I don't know how much longer I can hold it off!"
Before Troy could say anything else, the blast broke through his water wall and forced them off the cliff, and they de-morphed when they hit the ground.
As the two struggled to even sit up, Troy quietly said, "Thanks, Noah. If you hadn't blocked that shot, I'd be done for." Red finally got to his knees, but Blue hadn't. So Troy asked, "You okay?"
"Yeah," Noah replied, as he struggled to get into a sitting position. "I'm fine." He tried to stand, but he couldn't.
Troy ignored the dumpster image that came to his mind in that moment and rushed over to him, kneeling next to him, "Don't worry. I can take it from here." Noah nodded, and Troy stood up and started thinking. "Creepox seems to be driven entirely by rage."
"Maybe you can exploit that anger," Noah offered, still sitting on the ground.
"Martial arts teaches you how to do just that," Troy explained. "That's how you can tell when someone's experienced, because they don't let their emotions dictate how they fight."
It was strange, Troy realized. Once upon a time, he had distanced himself from other people in order to prevent another dumpster beating. He didn't want to be a victim again. That's why people started calling him the school's 'lone wolf' wherever he went.
He hadn't realized that being around nerdy Noah, jock Jake, popular Emma, and outcast Gia would make him like people again. They all had their own problems, their own issues, and especially their own instances of being the victim too, but that had all become his friends without him knowing.
But he didn't mind.
He was no longer the lone wolf, but the Red Dragon.
"So you're saying that you're an experienced fighter?" Noah asked, and Troy turned to him, his face red. Noah smiled, "I know you're too humble to brag about it, but I've seen you fight. You're always stoic, and you always manage to land the right hits. So...how do you do it?"
Troy swallowed the lump in his throat, before kneeling beside Noah again, "Can I tell you something?" Noah nodded, and Troy could curiosity in his eyes. "Once upon a time, I didn't know how to fight. And the fact that I was a loner made me a prime target for bullies. One day..." He paused, not only because he needed some more courage, but also because he couldn't believe that he was actually telling someone about this. But when he met Noah's gentle, calming eyes, he was able to keep going, "But one day, I was no longer a target of bullying, but a victim of assault. I don't want to get into the details right now, but I know what it's like."
Troy's breath was shaky as he finished, which was why he wasn't really surprised when Noah pulled him into a hug, "I'm sorry you had to go through that, and thank you for gathering up enough courage to open up about it and tell me." Noah released the hug and looked Troy dead in his eyes. "You don't have to tell me the details today, only when you're ready, but I do know how you do it now. So, thanks."
Troy offered a small smile.
Unfortunately, the moment between them was ruined by Creepox jumping down and landing in front of them. The two Rangers turned to face him.
"I wish I could help," Noah muttered, before urging, "Be careful, Troy."
Troy nodded, before standing up and walking towards Creepox.
Creepox was impatient, "Enough already! Fight me!"
"Starforce: Shine Down!" Troy morphed in a flash of red, his Dragon Sword at the ready.
Creepox laughed as Troy charged at him. Noah could only watch as the two exchanged blows. It seemed like forever until someone finally said something.
"You won't get away from me this time, human!" Creepox taunted. "Accept it! Take what's coming to you!" He added, before firing several blasts at Troy.
Troy managed block them with his Dragon Sword, before he flew up at the monster, firing his Star Blaster.
This was when the fight began to get away from Noah, which frustrated him since it hurt to move right now.
But he got up anyways, intent on being there in case Troy ever needed help.
He saw them just in time for Troy to get hit with Creepox's Meteor Shots. Noah watched in horror as Troy de-morphed upon hitting the ground. The Dragon Sword was still there, fortunately, but whether or not Troy was able to use it still was the question.
Creepox jumped up and landed near Troy and raised an arm, ready to strike. Noah breathed a sigh of relief when Troy did use the nearby Dragon Sword to protect himself.
But he still did not move, because if he knew Troy, and if Troy's story earlier was any indication, then Troy would not stay down for long. Noah knew from experience that no one wanted to be a victim forever. Eventually, they would seek out a way to prevent that from happening again.
If it happened to Troy, then anyone could follow the same path.
Creepox put pressure on the Sword, hoping to get Troy that way, saying, "No strength left. No one to save you. So cry. Cry and beg as I destroy you and your Realm."
Troy struggled to keep Creepox from hitting him while he was down.
Creepox continued to taunt, "I said cry! Cry for me! Do it! Beg for mercy!"
He didn't, instead, with his mind filled with memories of his friends, angrily telling him, "Take a good look, bully! Do you see any tears?!"
He then knocked Creepox's sharp pincer away, before leaping into the air and spinning around, morphing as he did so.
"Impressive," Creepox said. "But you are only delaying the evitable!"
The two charged towards each, breifly clashing, before moving away.
Unbeknownest to them, Vrak had arrived, standing on a cliff above them, "Don't blow this, Creepox."
Meanwhile, Noah felt some robotic hands help him stand. He turned to see, "Tensou?"
Tensou nodded, and Noah was alerted to another prescence when Emma asked him, "You okay?" as she came up on his other side.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Noah smiled, as he turned to the side Tensou was on and saw Jake and Gia there, helping each other stand. "Better now that we're all back together again."
The other four smiled as Emma slung Noah's arm around her shoulder.
"Good, I'm glad," Tensou replied, before all five of them looked to where Troy and Creepox were standing off. "Now, let's just hope that Troy doesn't meet the same fate."
Troy and Creepox continued to face each other, both determining how they could land the final blow. Troy kept in mind that it wasn't himself that he was doing this for, but the others, his friends.
"Okay, Red Ranger," Creepox stated. "Let's see, at last, who is truly the most powerful."
Troy said nothing, and a few tense moments passed, before they charged towards each other. Both leapt into the air and Troy finally landed a powerful blow on his opponent.
The allies from both sides watched as the two landed on opposite sides of the field, their backs to each other.
Sparks began to erupt within Creepox's body, and he fell to his knees, screaming, "No! It can't be! Me, the mightiest of all Insectoids, fall to a weak human!"
He was then engulfed in a giant explosion, signaling his defeat.
Tensou started cheering, which immediately caught Troy's attention. He got to his feet and turned around to see Tensou and the other four Rangers smiling and cheering at his victory.
And underneath his helmet, he returned their smiles with one of his own.
He walked towards them, as they ran down the hill to meet him halfway, with Gia saying, "Great job, Troy!"
"I knew you could do it," Noah said.
"Thanks," Troy calmly replied. "I'm glad you're all okay."
Up on the cliff, Vrak remained unseen. He sighed, "You had victory all but assured Creepox. But you let your anger give the Red Ranger the opening he needed to turn the tables. You're a fool. But I can use you one final time." He snapped his fingers, and the Zombats flew down.
The Rangers watched as Creepox was revived to a giant size, "I'm even stronger now."
Troy turned to the others, "You know what to do."
Noah led the morph, "It's Morphin' Time!"
"Starforce: Shine Down!"
Once morphed, they all placed the needed Cards inside their Morphers. "Mechazords, Shine Down!"
"Summon Zords!"
After the Rangers all leapt into their mechazords, Troy told his team, "Let's do this!" before holding up his copy of a certain Power Card.
"Zords Combine!"
"Summon Megazord!"
Jake and Gia connected first, forming the legs. Troy followed up, forming the torso. Noah and Emma were last with the arms. The head was formed last.
"Gosei Great Megazord! Ready!"
"Let's shut him down!" Troy ordered.
"You thought I was mad before?" Creepox taunted, as his pincers started glowing a bright violet. "Watch what I can do when I really get mad!"
Troy turned to his team, "Keep calm and stay focused. We'll defeat him again."
Creepox and the Megazord clashed, and he hit them several times.
"He's stronger than ever," Noah noted.
Creepox stepped back and formed a violet-colored fireball and threw it at them, "Now watch as I obliterate you! Galaxy Meteor Shots!"
The blasts hit the Megazord hard and it fell to the ground. Tensou became worried as Creepox laughed.
"We need more power!" Jake cried.
"We need Hyper power!" Troy said, before turning to the sidelines, where Tensou was waiting, "Tensou, we need you!"
"Roger that!" Tensou suddenly grew the Megazord's size, holding his Hyper Headder, before announcing, "Activate Hyper Data Megazord!"
He gained gloves and new boots, and the Headder became his new face.
The five Rangers placed new, identical Cards into their Morphers, "Zords Combine!"
A card-shaped portal formed in the sky, and out flew all nine of their other Zords, which all fired at Creepox before flying towards the Megazord.
Tensou found himself doing a handstand, and the back of him immediately connected with the back of the Megazord. The five main Headders connected to the chest, and the nine Brothers connected to the other ports. Finally, the Hyper Headder became the new hat, so to speak, for the Megazord.
"Hyper Gosei Great Megazord! Ready!"
Creepox formed another violet-colored fireball, "The bigger you get, the harder you'll fall. Galaxy Meteor Shots!"
But all the blasts missed the Megazord as it walked towards him.
"Look for openings in his defense," Troy advised, before they fought their opponent.
And this time, they were the ones on top. For once.
The Megazord's Headders then all fired at Creepox at close range. Hit hard, Creepox took several steps backwards.
The five Rangers produced the same card, as Troy said, "Now let's prove that all bullies, no matter how big, always get what's coming to them."
"Victory Charge: Shine Down!"
Creepox formed another fireball, this one a much darker purple (and black), "The only victor here will be me!"
"On behalf of The Land Beyond and The Land Between, your sentence is destruction! Hyper Headder Strike!"
All of the Headders immediately flew at Creepox, hitting Creepox's Meteor Shots. The Rangers struggled briefly, and the Headders came out on top.
As Creepox went down, he warned, "You may have won this battle, Rangers, but you won't win the war! The Land Below will always rise up again, each faction stronger than the last!"
It was clear that he wanted to say more, but his destruction in that moment ruined any chance he had to continue.
The Rangers cheered as the dark clouds in the sky cleared to reveal the evening sun.
~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 five Rangers walked through the mall's main doors, and once Emma saw the sign for Ernie's, she excitedly said, "Hey, let's go get some froyo!"
Noah cheered, "Absolutely! If that isn't a way to celebrate, I don't know what it is!"
Troy chuckled, before saying, "Alright. I'm just glad you guys are all okay." He couldn't believe it. He actually had friends now.
However, as soon as they entered, they heard Roy snap his fingers and shout, "Stop!"
The five Rangers did indeed stop, in a straight line, like they were at boot camp, and the one in charge just told them to line up for an inspection. Troy shared a look with the other four, and they were clearly exasperated. They already had to deal with Creepox, and they were sick and tired of facing bullies.
But then Roy surprised them. He paid the Rangers no attention as he and Barry searched the floor.
When Barry crawled underneath a table, he called out, "Found it!"
Roy rushed over and picked something up. He turned around to reveal a bug, Howie's beetle, and he let it crawl over his hand.
That was when Roy turned to the Rangers, Troy especially, quietly reciting, "No matter how small, everything deserves respect. I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused to you, to all five of you. It will never happen again, I promise." The five found themselves smiling at him.
Howie rushed over with the open container, "Thank you, Roy."
"No problem, bud," Barry smiled as Roy gently placed the bug back in the container. "You stood up for us against that scary monster when you didn't have to."
"Yeah," Barry replied. "It's the least we could do."
Roy, Barry, and Howie sat at a table together, admiring the bug, and Troy turned back to his friends, "Lesson learned." The four smiled, before moving over to a table. Gia, however, rushed over to the counter to give Ernie their order, the usual.
Gia rushed back and sat down at the table, and Jake started the conversation, "You did a great job fighting Creepox, Troy."
"Yeah, but you also did a great thing getting those bullies to see the light," Emma added.
"Thanks, but it wasn't just me," Troy revealed. "It was all of us. Howie was cearly inspired by the Rangers and how they stand up against monsters every single day." He paused before admitting, "Now, I'm just worried about what will come next after Creepox. He told us that each faction that comes will be stronger than the last."
"Don't worry about that right now," Gia reassured him. "Just relax and enjoy the peace while we still can."
"Gia's right," Noah cut in. "Because remember that we never actually saw Vrak die."
The air was tense as they remembered that they still had one Insectoid left to deal with.
Emma chose to change the subject. "So...everyday Power Rangers, huh?" she asked, as she turned back to Roy, Barry, and Howie.
Troy smiled, as did the others, "Yea, that's one hell of a compliment, isn't it?"
~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~
Paradise Beach, Harwood Country, Oregon
Unknown to anybody, the strange box had opened, and monstrous footprints were now leading away from it.
~PRM~REDO~PRM~REDO~PRM~REDO~PRM~REDO~PRM~REDO~
Original Goseiger Episode: Epics 12 & 16
Original PRM Episode: Who's Crying Now?
Note: The Toxic Mutants Arc is foreshadowed here, just like it was in Goseiger.
Now, I know everyone's primary complaint about this episode: the fact that the canon episode solidified Troy as a 'robotic character'. Trust me, that isn't the case here. As you can tell, I've dived deeper into Troy's backstory, and even gave him a proper arc in this chapter.
Also, the episode had great potential to be a PSA about bullying, but the canon kinda fell flat. Here, I tried to make it more impactful.
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 15: "The Silver Lion"
"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 him."