The late afternoon sun glowed above them as they drove through the roads of New Avalon. Mary's pathing seemed to be all over the place without any discernible pattern, much to the newly appointed Rangers' confusion. The four hopped into her Land Rover Defender, undisclosed to where exactly they would meet the brains behind this whole situation‒ Arthur Grytffith.
Alexis was seated right next to the Red Ranger, Dante, who was busy looking out the window with his blank face reflecting back at him. She looked to the others; Kris was busy twiddling her fingers together in an awkward manner, Link scrolled through his phone as music blared from his ear buds, and Marco scanned the area that they passed by.
The Yellow Ranger scooched over her Red counterpart, facing forward as she spoke in a low volume. "So… What's it like being a Ranger?"
"Hm?" Dante turned to her, his brows raised before his facial expression tensed a bit. "It's pretty cool… yeah. Been doing it since I was sixteen, it's kinda a family responsibility…"
"Sounds awesome!" Marco commented as he sat in the front seat, "I've always wanted to be one, to be able to lift cars and jump from building to building. This feels almost too good to be true!"
" 'K, maybe tone that excitement down…" Link deadpanned as he took out one of his earbuds, "You're blasting us with an eleven, knock it down to at least a seven."
"Dude, I can't help it! I've always been such a HUGE fan about these guys…" Marco began to ramble on about the history of power, gushing on about the fact that he was to join that legacy as well.
As he went on, Lex looked back to the Red Ranger. Dante's eyes shifted between the window beside him and his fellow passengers. Alexis decided against trying to stir up another conversation with him right now- despite the many questions she had for him.
Instead she looked to her boss, who was driving with one hand on the wheel and the other resting on the dashboard. Mary's lips tightened as the car drew to a slow drift as they turned the corner into a warehouse district, where colors of brick red and brown permeated the buildings and the streets were scarce with people.
"What can we expect?" Lex asked Mary as her fingers went for the gear shift. "From Mr. Gryffith, I mean…"
Mary's shoulders could be seen stifling at the question. But her voice was level and calm, "He'll… won't be happy with our current situation but I'm sure it'll be fine. 'sides, he owes me for what happened to my shop."
She left it on that note before parking the car near a building that melted with the whole bland aesthetic of the area. The warehouse the parked near was small, it looked like it could only hold so much.
"This… is our base?" Marco asked in disbelief as he stared at the stained metal walls and windows that showed no sense of life inside.
"Mm-hm…" Mary parked the car in the lot and stepped out of the car, Dante following her with the same casual demeanor. The two looked at the four newbies, who kept their eyes on the bare building before them.
"Maybe it's nicer on the inside?" Kris attempted to stir up some hope, "Like a… chest full of gold or a… thing full of a better thing."
"Wow, now I can't wait to head in there…" Link swirled his finger around with the energy of a robot. Kris gently punched his arm for his little jab at her before moving out the car alongside Lex. The boys slipped out with the same robotic energy as they walked into the small storage building.
And, lo and behold, it was even worse on the inside. While the exterior had a semblance of color, the building's interior was empty. Shelves with nothing on them, a bulb that continuously flickers when turned on, and a single door that reads out strangle sigils on a rusted sign. The newest Rangers were, to say the very least, unimpressed with the whole of it.
"It's a cautionary location, keeps people from uprooting us." Dante spoke up, giving a small smile as he walked in front of the door with the symbols. He slipped a key into it's lock, opening it to reveal an elevator room. "This leads to the real deal."
Him and Mary gestured for the four to follow them into the chrome room, where they all crowded together with little space in between them. Dante immediately punched in a few numbers into the panel to escape this. 9-9-3, each push registering a short beep. Aftering putting in the code, the room began to shift in color.
The six of them felt the floor tremble as the walls gave a white glow. The four new Rangers clumped together in reaction to this sudden change. Each one of them felt their hearts jump to their throat while their guides looked to be going through the routine.
Luckily, this change went as soon as it arrived. The elevator -of sorts- came to a stop, giving one last beep that chimed. The doors opened up for them, revealing a new scene that they were placed in.
Before them was a room that looked to have been ripped straight from a castle. Walls of ivory with medieval decor, checkered flooring, display screens that hung from the walls, a large futuristic metallic table that was centered into the room. The four gawked at the sight, walking with slow gaits as their eyes scanned the area before them.
Dante moved himself to the otherside of the table and smiled, "Welcome to the Knight Watch, where we'll be monitoring the city's activity for the homunculi."
"Woah…" Marco muttered as he hovered beside a computer console. "Do you guys have any games on this thing?"
"Unfortunately, no…" Dante sighed, "It's all dedicated to running our tech here. Our city monitors, our weapon designs, all that jazz."
With a few clicks of the keyboard, he pulled up a blueprint that showcased the design of their morphers. At the bottom of the graph, it was titled 'VALORIZER V7". On the screen, it displayed a gem right beside the watch and how it was integrated into the device.
"Valorizer?" Kris read out what was on the screen. She looked down to her wrist as she referred to Dante, "That's what these are called?"
"Yeah, they're modeled after G-Tech Watches to blend in." Mary spoke up as she sauntered over to the computer. The woman gave a confident smirk as she folded her arms over her chest, "And you're looking at the one who made them."
"I knew you were a gear head, Mary, but I never would have thought you'd be involved in something like this." Lex commented as she looked down to her Valorizer.
"It's a family business, more or less." She shrugged as her eyes shifted around the room, looking for someone. "Speaking of… where is he?"
As if on cue, the sound of sparks sputtering and exhaust came from another room. From this came a fit of coughing and wheezing that grew closer. A man stumbled out of the room with a welder mask on his head and an apron around his waist. The four new Rangers instantly recognized who exactly was standing before them.
Arthur Gryffith was a man in his late forties. Slicked black hair with grey streaks, always seen dressed in red, and carried an air of respect. He had similarities to Dante in terms of facial features and skin tone and looked to be quite handsome despite his age being as clear as day. The business man walked into the room with a lagged gait, his eyes shifting between the four new Rangers.
"Who… Who are these people?" Mr. Gryffith looked to Mary and his son, who both gave odd glances as their pupils slowly drew to the four. Mr. Gryffith glimpsed back at them, noticing what was around their wrist. The entrepreneur tensed at the realization of what has happened.
He looked to Mary, who stared at him sternly. Gryffith asked her with a taut voice, "I believed that we'd agree on finding mercenaries to bond to the morphers, not random people that you find on the street."
"I never agreed to the idea," Mary shrugged as Mr. Gryffith's eyes went sharp. "Besides, these four were able to bond to the Valorite Gems. That's proof enough that they're worthy for this power."
"Worth or not, I'm not involving these four strangers in our war." He declared in a tone of finality, his words left a dead-silent pause in its wake.
"Yeah, hi, we're here… listening to all this." Lex gestured to herself and the other three, awkwardly looking upon the short argument before them.
"And, Mr. Gryffith, sir…" Marco stepped forward, glancing to the rest of the group with a smile on his face. "I don't mind being a part of this. Heck, I want to be a part of this! If a magical watch chooses me to protect the innocent, then who am I to judge?"
Link gave a hesitant nod as he stepped up, he raised his wrist and looked down to his morpher. "I… agree. I don't know what's exactly wrong with me right now, but I feel like I need to stick with this. Especially after being in those suits."
"Yeah… Same," Kris meekly raised her hand, "I can't really ignore what that all was, or that I transformed into… something amazing. If this gem really chose me to be something special, then who am I to question it?"
The three turned their heads to Lex, who gave a simple shrug in response. "Can't say any different. Walking away from this seems stupid, and I guess… I feel like this is something we're supposed to be doing. I think…"
Mr. Gryffith let out a sigh at their answers, "This is no different from enrolling in the army, you put your very lives at risk for the sake of this city and its people. You kids have other worries, college I presume? If you really do accept this‒ this will never, I mean never, leave you. One last chance here…"
The four shared odd looks, their eyes widened at the mention of the possible loss of their lives. But whatever it was, something kept them going. They all looked to Gryffith, their eyes steeled, and nodded.
Dante blinked in surprise at such obstinance from these normal people. He looked to his aunt, who smirked in his direction with a shrug. Contrasting such attitudes as her's, his father seemed to be quite perplexed with the situation. Gryffith looked away, his expression unreadable but exasperation was evident.
He stood in front of the group with a light smile on his face. And with a small wave of his hand, he greeted his new team. "Welcome to the Valiant Order."
The pool of red before them bubbled with fury. It's fluid rumbled as the glow from it became stronger. The red water began to form a shape from its surface, a hand that slowly arose. The liquid gelatinized and stiffened as another arm arose. The burly figure of slime pulled itself from the pond.
It crawled out onto the outer rim, the mucus around it began to fade. Areos laid there as he re-adjusted to his reformed body. Synapses clicked back into their familiar state as his body began to congeal back into it's gray form. He looked to his attire, expecting to see his old armor and cloth. Instead he noticed how much he was changed.
His armor was of bronze with less weight in it's defense. Areos felt a subtle strain against his shoulders as heaved himself off the ground. He noticed how his body seemed thinner and his skin a paler gray. His horns were thin, short stalks that resembled a bull. Most mind shattering of all, he noticed just how weak he felt.
"Areos of Ego." Genesis' omniscient-like voice called out to his subject. Areos turned to see his fellow homunculi stand beside the form of their master. "You've shown incompetence, allowing your fatal flaw to be your demise. If not for our circumstances, I would have wiped your existence clear long before."
"Thank you, master, for giving me an opportunity to continue to serve you." The warrior restrained his growing indignance to bow his head before Genesis. "Though this new form… what is the purpose?"
The divine-like being gave a distorted hum that lingered for a second before answering, "This form is meant to prevent such incidents as what occur today. A lesson, of sorts, to teach you humility. I know you are capable of such…"
Areos stiffened in realization at what his master was insinuating, "Wait, this body… Master, weakening me will only harm our efforts! The Valorite Gems are out there! I can't take them from the Rangers like this!"
"Which is why Molly here, will be taking over the reins of operation command." Le Faye stepped into the conversation, drinking in Areos' despair. "While you will be… put on probation, let's say…"
Areos looked to the bastard Molock, who stared him down with impassive eyes as he sat beside his fledgling, Falmir. The General of Genesis looked to his master, his thinner arm shooting towards the resting warrior. "Molock? This fool is unmatched to me! My strength outclasses him! What can he do that I can't, milord?!"
"You know when to be quiet, that's something…" Falmir whispered underneath his breath to his master, to which Molock gave a quiet chuckle at. Areos noticed the two snickering like school children and gave a sharp glare.
"This decision is final." Genesis' calm voice raised with a spine rattling boom. "Unless you prove to me you are worth more than foolhardy boasts of power, you will do as Molock commands of you."
Areos' head shifted to his new superior, who only gave him one blank glance before turning his attention elsewhere. The once-proud general was left in this… whelp of a body.
All because of those damn Rangers...
"This is what we use to monitor the city's activity." Mr Grffyth moved himself right near the metallic counter in the room. With a few taps against the screen, the table displayed a holographic map of New Avalon. The underground subways, the central park, basically every nook and cranny.
"Our little Roundtable- as I coined it -tracks any signs of homunculi roaming in the city."
"Cool, it's so high tech!" Kris ogled at the fancy display of images that floated before them. "Can't imagine how it costs to make something like this…"
"It involves a lot of zeroes," Gryffith chuckled. His fingers scrolled against the projected images and brought up numerous frames that floated beside him.
From these floating images, they noticed strange beings similar to that Areos creature that they destroyed. Humanoid monsters that were spotted in various parts of New Avalon. There were pictures that looked to have been taken from various points of history- images of black and white alongside photos of smeared colors.
With a grim expression, Gryffith looked to the four of them as these still frames floated at both sides of him. "These are what we're currently fighting against, the Homunculi. Creatures created by Genesis in his image to serve his bidding. My son and I come from a long line of Knights that have been defending New Avalon city from Genesis… But it seems like now that things are starting to change."
Marco lingered on that previous note that he mentioned, "You… were a Ranger?"
"Yes, I was…" Gryffith solemnly nodded, "The powers of the Red Valorite Gem were given to me by my father, as tradition goes. We've fought for centuries, defending this land from the Homunculi‒ not being seen in the public eye. But, like I said, that has all changed."
The business man pulled up a new article, depicting five familiar Rangers in one of the scarce shop districts of the city. An image taken from a security camera that hovered above them, most likely from one of the neighboring shops near the cafe. It's Headline: 'Rangers From The Roundtable - New Power Rangers emerge from New Avalon'.
"It would seem that the public knows of our existence, what this may lead to‒ I'm not sure…" Gryffith noted with great displeasure in his tone. The four new Rangers looked at each other in unease at such mention of it.
Mr. Gryffith silently dispelled the article to summon diagrams of their morphers. Before them were designs that looked to have evolved over the course of time. Each device bore a resemblance to a portable watch over the course of decades. The most recent of morphers being the ones currently on their wrists. And at the center stage of the display, was a large frame of five gemstones of their Ranger colors.
"The Valorite gems were once one singular crystal that had a unique bond to the Morphing Grid. That crystal was destroyed in the destruction of the Kingdom of Avalon."
Gryffith began to explain once again, "I thought that the other fragments were lost after the crystal's destruction, but our artificial friends had been burying them up in the last two years."
The four looked to their morphers in confusion as Gryffith continued, "If it hadn't been for our systems tracking them, then the gems would have been lost to us. And who knows where we might be right now if Genesis had the four of them."
"How bad are we talking?" Marco asked with an unsure tone in his voice.
"If they ever got their hands on all the fragments, then they would be able to contain the power of a god." Mary explained in a low volume, silence from the people in the room. She continued as her expression became unreadable. "Those gems were from the reformed fragments, molded by the powers of the elements. And bonding to them isn't something that can be done by any average person."
Gryffith hummed as he scanned the four with his eyes, "That's right. As cliche as it sounds, the Valorite Gems are able to sense those with courage and the will to fight. And, well…"
"Guess that makes us, what? Chosen heroes to defend the world?" Link let out an airy laugh at such a played out concept. Mr. Gryffith merely shrugged at his words.
"You can think of it like that, but this business isn't a joke." His tone became stern, his eyes steeled as he looked between the five Rangers. "Taking this responsibility means a lot of sacrifice. So I'm going to ask you four, do you really want to do this?"
The new Rangers all looked at each other, sharing hesitant glances as they thought about the situation. Collectively, they looked to Dante. The Red Ranger's eyes slowly moved between them, unable to linger in their frantic movements. But with a calming breath, he turned to the four and gave them a short nod. The Rangers looked to their mentor, uncertainty clear from them but they held their ground
"We already gave you our answer," Alexis chuckled, "We want to stay with this, er… right guys?"
Three hums of affirmations from the Blue, Pink, and Black Ranger. Kris looked to her friend with a smile forming upon her lips, "Yep, all in."
Gryffith's eyes glazed over for a moment, his breaths stifled at how dismissive these four were about the danger they were to face. But at least, unlike him and his predecessors, his son had a team to support him. Hopefully, every step of the way.
"Very well," Arthur Gryffith cleared his throat, "As… sudden of a meeting this was," He looked to Mary who simply looked away in the other direction with a smirk on her face. "I'm glad that brave individuals as yourselves were granted the powers of gems. And I hope that I'll be sufficient enough as an assistant and tutor."
"Guess that makes it official," Marco pumped his fist in excitement, "We're real Power Rangers! Power Rangers: Valiant Order!"
Dante reeled back in surprise at the title, figuring he must have misunderstood that was the name of their operations. He was about to correct him on this mistake but he noticed just how the name seemed to have psyched up the four. He looked to his father, who seemed to have the same thought process. They looked to Mary, who amusedly watched the newbies talk amongst themselves.
"Has a nice ring to it," She smiled to Arthur, "They seem to like it as well."
"I'll have to rename the base though…" Gryffith sighed, "I thought I had some good names for the team. But 'Valiant Order' it is..."
Dante chuckled at the positive vibe present in the room. Hopefully, there were more moments like this to come.