Sorry to keep you guys waiting, but I was debating for a bit on what I should do. I felt this chapter was long enough, so I resorted to splitting Kick Into Overdrive into two parts like the show, with more detail. Yes, this is unfortunately, Part 1; feel free to yell at me and toss me into a volcano with Moltor. Please forgive me! Don't worry, I won't be splitting other chapters, except for the one you all anticipate: Once a Ranger. I just need you to bear with me and remain patient, the chapters will be posted in due time.
I should have said in the Prologue Chapter, but saying this in the official chapter made more sense. If you're new to this, I absolutely recommend reading the previous two stories to this: The Lost of Zordon and Never Stopped Loving You. There is some foreshadowing in them. Any questions related to this or the previous stories, just take the time to read them. Please? It's just to save explanation.
Enjoy Chapter Two!
"I'll say this: the scariest monster in the world is human beings and what they are capable of;
especially when they get together."
- Jordan Peele
Chapter 1: Assemble Project Operation Overdrive Part I
One Week Later…
13:00…
Monday…
21st May 2006…
Canon: Kick Into Overdrive Part I
(Scene: Guest Room, Hartford Mansion, San Angeles, California, Earth/Kimberly's POV)
Roughly a week passed after Andrew and I found and recovered the Corona Aurora from Scotland, of all countries. Now, he's in the middle of recruiting the new Operation Overdrive Rangers he picked and I agreed upon. I'm still raising eyebrows at the Formula One racer and the stuntman, guess they'll have to prove what skill sets they actually have. The spy for hire is making me ask questions, he certainly looks like the lone wolf type, hasn't much experience in working with teams. That's going to be a problem, if you can't work with your comrades, it's going to cause unwanted rifts and get everyone killed; OK, backpedal from that, unlucky to get them seriously hurt, maybe he'll learn that lesson from being on this team. Rose Ortiz, the Mensa university student interests me, I still think she grew up far too fast and never really got to enjoy her childhood. A part of her is going to be a child at heart, to make up for what she lost; she even undermines her intelligence, despite that, she goes by this quote: she is 'always never wrong'. Sorry honey, the world can turn that on you and tell you, you are wrong. I've been bitch-slapped by that sort of thing too many times in my life. We're all human; well… I'm Eltarian, but you get the point; nobody is right, we make mistakes and learn from them, but her Billy-level intelligence will be undeniably helpful.
Andrew is still trying to get me to change my mind in becoming Overdrive Red, but I still persisted that I'm not getting involved in any ranger business. Even if my father's disappearance crosses over with them, I am not getting involved in direct fighting. I told Andrew, to make it clear to him, I don't mind mentoring or offering advice to the new rangers, even giving them some sparring lessons, but that's as far my services will go. I made a vow that I will not take up the spandex again after the Dino Thunder Rangers and the trip to Firebird's Earth. I constantly asked him why not recruit his son, but he even denied that. He's too scared to see Mack get hurt in this kind of operation. I understand Andrew is protective of his son, but he's too overprotective, Mack is an adult now, he can make his own decisions. Surprisingly, he hasn't discovered the secret base underneath his own home; but Rhea tells me it won't stay secret for long. Bloody hell though, Rhea is even begging me to accept the Overdrive Morpher and lead the new team; it resulted in an argument between myself and my Spirit Animal, which Spencer - the mansion's butler, awkwardly stumbled upon. Anyone who has not touched the Power cannot see the Animal Spirits, so it appeared that I was talking to thin air. I had to sit down with him and explain the whole thing about Animal Spirits and all that jazz.
As for what I'm doing right now, I'm looking through various news headlines relating to my father, surprisingly there isn't many. Most them are pretty offensive and mocking, it seems like father published or well… was in the middle of publishing a paper about the Corona Aurora. However, since there was little texts about it and its history, dad was looking into a myth and his peers laughed at him for going on a fairytale treasure hunt. He… made himself a controversial figure among his peers, he risked his reputation for all this. I would love to see their faces if I showed them the crown, then they'll regret laughing at him; now I understand what both he and Andrew told me: 'Myth is based on some version of the truth'. After recovering the crown, it has opened my eyes to see how close or intertwined our myth and truth is. I guess that is why he left, maybe that's what all the fights were about, father started to obsess over the whereabouts of the crown and even began spending less time with me. Mom even saw this and confronted him, which is what led to all those heated arguments. Now, thinking about it, he didn't want me to be picked on in school, to be known as the girl who has a crazy father. But why did have to cost him his marriage? Why did he choose to push me away? Perhaps the answer is simple: he did not want to see me isolated, or lose my friends. My dad wasn't crazy, he was right, the world just doesn't like to hear things that doesn't coincide with their level of thinking or beliefs. People are suddenly afraid to defy 'herd mentality' and be the black sheep, think outside the box and take risks. People want to hold onto things that matter, like reputation and it's kind of sad. How can the world move forward like this?
I turned my head to look out the window, just in time to Mack fall off the hammock. I tried so hard to hold in my laugh. It looks like Andrew's son was dreaming again, fell asleep reading his adventure book. All Mack wants is to explore the world, go on endless adventures with his dad, I'm pretty sure he even had dreams about saving the world, being the hero. I don't know if he really knows this or not, but the world is a cruel place, it's not a fairytale; there are days I think that there are no heroes, only survivors. The known parts of the galaxy is equally cruel as well, perhaps with time, Mack will learn that hard lesson, as did I. I watched as he and Spencer talked, I couldn't hear what they were saying, but Mack is aware myself and his father have found the Corona Aurora. Mack and I haven't really exchanged much words apart the odd 'hello' passing each other and he's been respectful enough of my privacy. I don't understand why Andrew won't let his son be the Red Overdrive Ranger, there's a quality in him, that will make him a great Red Ranger; putting him up there with Jason, Tommy, TJ, Andros, Leo, Carter, Wes and Eric; he's technically a red, despite his title Quantum Ranger, Cole, Shane, Conor and I can't believe I'm saying this, Nick even. It maybe a lot of Red Rangers before him, setting a challenging standard, but I know he can meet those standards.
My days of leading are done, unless my mother: Aria contacts me, if there's trouble on Eltar and she needs me back in the Eltarian Army. After everything I've been through: losing many of my brothers and sisters in arms, sometimes, I think I have become a bad luck charm; anyone under my command is just doomed to get seriously injured or end up dead. The last time I led, was myself, Aegis, Tommy, the kids and the alternate version of our friends, to retrieve the crystallised Morphing Grid from the Power Vault on their world. It sort of scared Tommy that I didn't care if anything happened to me, all I cared was my team being alive and safe. He was surprised to watch me soldier through my injuries! I made a promise to myself to never lead again, with the exception I mentioned, if mother calls me to return to Eltar. I would just hate myself if I got those kids hurt or killed, it's one of my many reasons to push myself away from the action, the fighting or a ranger. I just have enough of it, during Tommy's team, I barely got a breather; being forced back into action, frozen in amber, trapped in my own ranger suit, being turned invisible, put myself in a god damned comatose, my PTSD, nearly burning Reefside to the ground as Firebird and finally, there's the wormhole… actually it was an inter dimensional portal. So yes, I've been through enough shit in my lifetime, I helped Andrew find the crown, now he expects me to take up the mantle again? I'm sorry, but I have to be selfish. My ranger days are far behind me.
"Once a ranger, always a ranger, my young crane." Said a ghostly voice. I swear to god, did I just hear my father's voice or am I going crazy? I did certainly hear the Power Ranger motto, but sadly, it's not applying to me. If I really have to, I will help the new Overdrive Rangers with my powers of the Ninjetti; but I know, they'll be more than capable. They won't need a veteran ranger to help them fight their battles. Closing my laptop and gathering all the news clippings about my father, placing them carefully into a box, I decided to go down to the kitchen for some tea and even check up on Andrew. I might even run some diagnostics/maintenance checks on the Zords. What's a ranger team without their Zords? Hm… speaking of which, I wonder did our recruits get our message; like what Andrew did with me? We both recorded messages into four devices, sending them off to each recruit and hopefully, arrive at the mansion tomorrow, if not, the day after.
(Scene: Film Shoot, Hollywood, San Angeles, California, Earth/No POV)
A young man of Asian background, dressed in blue leaped over a wall as fake gunshots were heard. He was quick to soften his landing, crouching into roll and back on his feet with equal dexterity to challenge a parkour enthusiast or a free runner. The action he was enjoying was short lived when the director called out the familiar:
"CUT!" Through his speaker. A towel was passed to the stuntman in his early twenties, he smiled politely, taking it. The young stuntman is Dax Lo, who is looking to work his way up the top in the demanding acting career. He swapped places with the real actor, who so happened to look similar to him, that's why he was picked to cover the stunts deemed 'too dangerous' for the actor or actress.
"Too dangerous." He thought, "Look at Angelina Jolie; who brought freaking Lara Croft to life, and Tom Cruise in his Mission Impossible films." Of course, not every celebrity is capable, or have the guts of performing their own stunts. Dax was sort of getting tired of doing stunts, however, he holds onto bright hopes that he will ascend the ladder in Hollywood. His charisma and enthusiasm hasn't failed him, yet. Making his to way to a chair to sit down and rest his legs, Dax frowns, seeing a strange device sitting on one of the equipment boxes. The small device with the odd symbol sat there like it was waiting for him. Since curiosity took over him, he looked left and right to see everyone was busy with their own jobs; seems like no one bothered to notice this. He picked it up and lifted the top part of the device, upon doing that, a hologram of a man he didn't recognise appeared.
"Mr. Dax Lo, my name is Dr. Andrew Hartford. You may not know me, but I'm certainly a fan of you and your stunts. I have a proposal for you, if you're interested."
(Scene: Formula One Race Track, Italy, Europe, Earth/No POV)
A Formula One car with bright yellow colouring raced around the track at an insane speed, passing some of the other competitors, placing the driver in first place. The crowd was going crazy during the F1 Italian Championship, judging by this reaction, it is clear this driver is a favourite among the community of this competitive sport. Nearing the finish line, the driver hit the accelerator for one last speed boost, the F1 car sped towards the black and white checked line, the flag of the same colour waving over his head. The crowd roared that their favourite driver came first place and watched as the victor raised his arms to celebrate. The driver pulled himself up with help of the staff, the mechanics taking the car off-track to check it over. The driver removed his helmet, only to see he is a she! Long blonde hair tumbled out, the crowd chanting her name, she smiled and waved at her fans. It's not everyday a female F1 driver makes it this far, especially in a male dominated sport. However, she defies expectations and is already a favourite and role model for young females, who are too scared to make a career in racing. On the side, Ronny, as she is known in the racing world, is a face for encouraging females into racing and fights to make racing a gender equal sport. The female driver has even earned the respect of her male peers, with some friendly and unfriendly competitive rivalry.
Ronny steps up on the podium and accepts the silver trophy passed to her, smiling at the camera as the crowd shouted her name. Some people are already asking her for autographs from her. It took a whole three hours for the excitement to calm down, allowing Ronny to breathe. She walked over to her trophy, another one to add to her collection and strangely finds a device in the cup. She pulls it out and opens it. A hologram of a female in her late twenties, with brunette hair appears.
"Congratulations Ronny." The unnamed woman said. Ronny raises her eyebrows, but taking the kind remarks from the brunette. "Figured you win this race, you'd put my husband to shame in his racing days, and my friend now owes fifty dollars." The racer tried so hard not to laugh, that this woman placed a bet on her and that friend of hers lost the said bet. "I'm Dr. Kimberly Hart-Oliver. I have an offer for you, one that is too tempting to turn down." Ronny cocked her head to the side, but an offer too tempting, there's no way she can turn it down.
"Alright then, 'Dr. Hart-Oliver'." She muttered to herself, "I accept."
(Scene: Vault, Banco Del La Fortalezo, Brazil, South America, Earth/No POV)
In Brazil, in one of the many banks, a lone person managed to get inside to one of the vaults; suspended by a cable wire that can support his weight. One could say he or she is quite a sophisticated thief, having the money and resources to afford such equipment for a break-in. Suspended from the air, the room was protected by security lasers, it doesn't take a genius to know: hit one of them, you'll set off the alarms and have the entire security staff on you. After getting close enough to the vault, the person slid a metal card, one that looks like a typical keycard; except it's designed to bypass any lock that requires a card and override it. A few seconds passed, the keycard was accepted, the numbered dial automatically turning, allowing the 'thief' to turn the wheel-shaped handle, opening the vault. To his disappointment, it was just a device with a symbol on it. Frowning behind the mask, the thief removed it, revealing it to be a male.
"What is this?" He asked himself, "I thought I was recovering a stolen Corinthian diamond from the museum!" Looks can be deceiving, as he did not appear to be a thief, if his mission was to recover a stolen item. Taking the device, he opened it, hoping to get some answers and see if his informant was pulling his leg or if the whole set up was a test. Opening it, the hologram of a man appeared before him on the device.
"Nice job William, just to let you know, it was me, who hired you to break into my own vault. Trust me, I have many more, with better security than this." Will scoffed to himself, why would this man hire him to break into his own vault!? "I wanted to test your skills, you passed with flying colours." Will didn't look exactly amused that he wasted his time, only to hear he was being tested. He knew he was the best in his field, no one could have that little doubt if he got hold of his name. "Now, the real reason why I actually hired you. I have a job bigger than this for you." Will smiled upon hearing those words.
"Now we're talking." He said out loud.
(Scene: Wicker Bridge University of Technology, London, Europe, Earth/No POV)
In the prestigious university of technology in London, the laboratory for robotics and Artificial Intelligence testing wasn't exactly being prestigious at the moment, as there was chaos in the lab. A single robotic arm was wildly firing lasers at everyone in the room, who were running to find cover; while the professor, who was actually demonstrating one of his top student's project to the current final year students, was furiously typing on the laptop to shut down the robot. He tried every single code and algorithm to shut it down, even an overdrive command, but nothing worked. At that moment, a student, who had the appearance a punk. She looked to be only seventeen years old, even one could mistake her to be sixteen, far too young for a typical undergraduate. The student walked in, chewing gum, listening to her music and ducking here and there when a laser was fired at her. She reached the laptop to where the professor stood, shoulder bumping him to move over. She typed on the laptop and actually turned it off, the robot stopped firing, sending a wave of relief throughout the lab.
The young student turned to her professor, who was thanking her. She smiled sweetly at him, but one could tell, she has a fair bit of spunk and is not afraid to put you in your place. She pulled out her earphones.
"Professor, if you want to mess with one of my robots, please don't!" The professor nodded, walking off. The undergraduate sighed, she was supposed to be having lunch break, only to hear her robot has gone on a rampage, because someone messed with it. Picking up her school bag, she hears a clang, something has fallen out of her bag. She sees a gold device with an unidentified symbol on it and picked it up. Turning on the device, an accurate hologram of a female brunette appeared before her.
"Interesting project you got there Ortiz." The unknown woman started off. "You might not know me because of our different areas in research. I'm Dr. Kimberly Hart-Oliver, very impressive of you to get into university at eight. You sure a Mensa." Rose couldn't help but feel proud at that comment, but why is this random person contacting her? If she has a Post Doctorate, what area does she specify in? Dr. Hart… Rose didn't know whether to call her Dr. Hart or Dr. Oliver, it does imply she is married. Although, the surname Hart is tugging strings at her, where has she heard that surname before? She decided to go with calling her Dr. Hart and continued to listen to the rest of the message. "I have an offer for you, a friend of mine needs help and we need your expertise and knowledge. You wouldn't know what reward could come out of this, I can put in a good word for you with William Cranston. He may offer you an internship at end of this." If Rose had any drink or food on her, she surely would have choked on both, she somehow has not choked on her chewing gum. This woman knows William Cranston!? The famous William Cranston!? Rose knows he is a famous astrophysicist, while also specialising in Quantum Mechanics and Artificial Intelligence! He even set up his own successful business! It is said he only asks for the brightest and smartest researchers and even students into his company; to just work on some of his projects is a dream come true! An internship with Cranston Technologics… if this woman truly knows him, she will have one damn résumé. "Come to Hartford Mansion in San Angeles, California. I hope to meet you Ms. Rose Ortiz." And the message ended. Rose had her mind made up by the end of it, she's going to California.
Next Day…
14:30…
Tuesday…
22nd May 2006…
(Scene: Andrew's Office, Hartford Mansion, San Angeles, California, Earth/No POV)
It seemingly didn't take long for the four strangers to gather in Dr. Hartford's mansion, all standing in his office slightly confused. They were waiting to meet this Dr. Hartford and Hart-Oliver. They four young adults… well three young adults stared at each other, they quickly figured out that the petite girl with black hair and pink highlights was the youngest of them all. They assumed she was only in high school, which was crazy. To break the awkward silence between them, it was the male dressed in black spoke.
"Well, Hartford is quite loaded with the money." He admired the architecture of the mansion and it reflected Hartford's fortune. He turned his attention to the pool table and fiddled with the pool cue. The other three stared him and of course, he knew he forgot his manners. "Nice to meet you all, I'm William. William Aston. Will is fine though." Next was the blonde haired female.
"Veronica, but Ronny will do." She greeted,
"I'm Dax." The young man of Asian decent introduced, but telling by his accent, it was clear he was raised in an English speaking country. The final person to introduce them self was young, supposed high school student.
"My name is Rose. I assume we're all here because of the same invitation?" They all nodded in agreement. They pretty much got the earliest flight possible to San Angeles, California, they even didn't pack much with them and surprisingly, a taxi was waiting for them all. By some sort of pure luck, they all got a plane that landed at the same time. That was when another person walked in, another male, with a bowl in his hand. Ronny spoke to him first.
"I guess you're here via invitation too?" She asked him, but he just looked at her confused. Before he could get an answer, Dr. Hartford appeared with his butler Spencer. Awkwardly seeing his son, Andrew had to push his son out, closing the double doors on him, ignoring his questions and protests. There was no way he was getting his son involved in all of this, it was too dangerous. Andrew turned his attention back to the four recruits he invited and hopefully, they will accept their role in Project Operation Overdrive.
"Hi, I'm Andrew Hartford, I'm the one who invited you here." He then turned to Spencer. "Spencer, go get them all lemonade." Nodding respectfully, the butler left his side for the kitchen. Then Ronny and Rose interjected.
"Um… we didn't get invited by you, we were invited to come by-" Her statement was finished for her.
"Oh yes, Kimberly Oliver, she's a co-researcher. She should be joining us very shortly.",
"Alright Hartford," Said Will, who was losing his patience. "Why are we here?",
"I asked you all here, because I need your help. With Kimberly, we managed to uncover an ancient crown: the Corona Aurora." He said. Then Ronny scoffed slightly, because she was totally lost. She knows cars inside out, but nothing on History, as if she ever listened to her high school History Teacher.
"What is that?",
"The Corona Aurora is a crown, which I said, believed to hold unimaginable power. If it falls into the wrong hands, Earth will be doomed." Andrew explained. Then Rose went into the mythology.
"The crown was sought after by two brothers, they located it and attempted to steal it. They couldn't touch the crown and it changed them, their forms and all, into the beings known as Moltor and Fluious. Then it banished them to planets of their element: fire and ice." She finished and everyone was just looking at her stupid. It's not the first time she gets looked at like that. Rose is pretty sure in her lifetime, she has lost count at this stage. "What!? I took a year to study Ancient Universal History and Mythology in Harvard." Then she turned her attention back to Andrew. She thought Andrew was messing with them in saying he and his researcher actually found the crown. "No one has ever found the crown, it's just a myth, a fairytale." After she said that, another voice spoke from behind them.
"Myth is based on some version of the truth, Rose." They turned around to see the brunette woman. She was petite alright, standing at five foot two and dressed quite casually; wearing a plain pink checked shirt unbuttoned, with a white t-shirt inside it and a pair of blue jeans. Her caramel brown hair was tied back in a ponytail. Though, what really stood out to them, was the glistening silver coming from her necklace, they were able to make out a crane and a staff, but none of them understood the symbolism or what it meant. "Allow me to formally introduce myself as Kimberly Hart-Oliver." The surname finally struck Rose. How did she not connect the dots?
"You're the daughter of the disgraced Historian Kevin Hart, right!?" Unfortunately, Rose realised her mistake and knew she should have held her tongue or used kinder words, as Dr. Hart gave her the most menacing and threatening glare. The soft doe-brown eyes became hard, stone cold. If looks could kill, she'd be dead now and Rose took a slight step back.
"I'd appreciate it Ortiz, if you kindly do not insult my father or my family name." Andrew was quick to disperse the tension.
"Now Kim, please don't scare our guests. Ms. Ortiz meant no offence.",
"I'm sorry. Just… please don't insult my dad again." Kimberly was quick to change her tone, getting down to the main reason the four of them were brought here. "It wasn't a coincidence that we brought you guys here. We picked you because of your individual skill sets and abilities. It is true we have found the crown." She looked over to Andrew. "Show them Andrew." Without saying a word, Andrew walked over to the painting and removed it, revealing a secret safe. He placed his hand on it, showing only his handprint can unlock it. The safe opened and he carefully removed the golden crown, showing it to them all. They all looked shocked, Rose was fascinated that she stood before a real myth, now busted. There were gaps in the crown, meaning they are meant for the jewels that were scattered across the Earth.
"The crown must be protected from Moltor and Fluious, it can't fall into their hands." He said,
"Andrew," Voiced Ronny, "With all due respect, you have money! Hire a god damn army!" Kimberly on the other hand was looking frustrated, a part of her wondered why she couldn't get a past ranger team to protect the crown or take it away off planet! Hell! She could take it to Eltar and they would protect it. Names of other planets came to mind: Aquitar, Troyforia, Edenoi, Phaedos, Inquirius, KO-35, Mirinoi; they all can offer a form of protection, better than the Earth army here. More ideas were fired at the archaeologist, even reasoning what made him think they could protect it better than the US Army. She lost her patience and slammed her fist on the office desk, making a slight indentation, that they thankfully couldn't see. They last thing she needed was to explain to them her real heritage as an Eltarian. It did however, shut them all up and got their attention.
"You four don't understand the seriousness of this extent. The army is worthless against Moltor's and Fluious' forced, you'll have them all slaughtered." She gritted, "We wouldn't have brought you here if those fuckers weren't set free, but they are. It's why we need to take matters into our own hands.",
"Kimberly and I, along with some friends of hers, helped us with some… special equipment, the tools needed to stand against the two forces of evil." He explained to them,
"The four of you are chosen to become Power Rangers, the nineteenth team in the legacy.",
"Power Rangers?" They all asked at the same time. She stared at Dax, who was smiling with glee, like a little child.
"That is awesome! I always wanted to be the hero and save the world!" Kim smiled a small bit, his enthusiasm matched her brother Jason's, when they were chosen to be the first Power Ranger team. It feels so long ago now. While it sounds great to be a hero or heroine, sometimes it's not as glamorous as it seems. "It would make an awesome movie!" The young historian and History Teacher fought the urge to smack her head off the table, after all that, they still refuse to believe them! It'd be so much easier if her father, her biological father Zordon was here. He'd talk some sense into them. Hell! A part of her wanted to punch all four of them, she kind of figured sending in new recruits would be a waste of time. Kim even thought going as far as letting Firebird loose on them. Instead, she should have just made a few phone calls with her friends, surely they wouldn't mind in taking up the mantle again. It would save time from training. Then the other part of her thought it would be wrong of her, they're all trying to live normal lives, the last thing they want to hear from her is: to be called back to action with new powers. Kim could not afford to let them halt their personal lives for this; it is why she kept this quiet from most of them. She decided to speak to them one last time.
"I know you don't believe us, it may seem like we're spouting insane bullshit; makes us no better than my father. We are not lying though, but it's your choice. Stay and learn more, if not," She gestured to the door. "The exit is over there." And they took the latter, heading for the door. Both she and Andrew sighed, looks like they'll have to call in some of the old ranger team, if they refuse to help. Without warning, the four recruits were stopped in their tracks when lightening came out of nowhere. In a flash of bright light, a ghostly spectre appeared before them, glowing brightly. They were able to make out the bodily shape, just about and it spoke.
"Young ones, they do not lie. I am the Sentinel Knight, Keeper of the Corona Aurora. Dr. Hart and Dr. Hartford have unintentionally unleashed the evil that the crown banished many, many years ago. You four have been chosen to protect the crown as Power Rangers." He said, "There is a long lineage of them and you four, stand before one." They turned again, looking between Kimberly and Andrew. "Kimberly was once the Original Pink Ranger in nineteen-ninety-three." And their jaws practically dropped, they stood before a real veteran ranger! Now they sort of felt bad for poking fun at her, about them being chosen to carry on the legacy. "The two of them cannot do this alone. Please help them." The Sentinel Knight disappeared. Suddenly, the four new recruits decided to change their minds, after hearing the statement from the Keeper of the Corona Aurora himself.
"So, what do we do?" Rose asked them. Andrew out the crown back in the safe, placing the painting over it and activated a switch, revealing a hidden firepole. Kimberly gave them the signal to follow her and Andrew. Without further question, Will, Dax, Ronny and Rose followed them.
15:15…
(Scene: Underground Base, Hartford Mansion, San Angeles, California, Earth/Kimberly's POV)
The recruits followed behind me as I slid down the firepole, bringing them into mine and Andrew's hidden base. I even made the Batcave joke the kids used on Tommy's Dino Lab, because he built his base underneath his house too. Look what you started Handsome, I can imagine him smirking with pride. I turned to see our soon-to-be rangers look around the base with awe, Rose was most impressed because of the technology here. I could make out Will making joke about breaking into this place, then Dax and Ronny were like kids in a candy store. Andrew and I let them get their bearings for a few minutes, only to gain their attention once again; but first of all, we need them to dress themselves in their new outfits. Andrew got that sorted and he spared no expense on them, ensuring that these exploration gear can withstand the elements, combat and wears and tears.
"Alright, before we go any further. Here are your outfits for official exploration." One by one, I handed their outfits. They were simple, all black, the only thing differentiating them is the individual lining of there ranger colour. The four them took their uniforms, left for a moment to change. While myself and Andrew waited, I stared at the black uniform with the red lining, my hand running over it. Of course, it went unnoticed by Andrew.
"This is your last chance to accept Kimberly. You are more than capable of leading them." He said to me, but I still shook my hand. Rhea cried out to me, telling me I'm making a mistake, though… this is a mistake I am not going to regret.
"I'm telling you again, no." I replied softly, trying to not let my anger get to me. There's a part of me still a Lieutenant, it gives me the urge to lead, but I can't. Here, on Earth I'm Kimberly Hart-Oliver; on my home planet, I'm Lieutenant Kara of Eltar. "I told you the stories of the times I led a team, particularly on Eltar. It taught me I'm nothing but a bad luck charm." Before my former lecturer could counter my statement, the new rangers walked back in. To be fair, they're all looking pretty good. Ronny and Rose were checking out their uniforms, while Dax and Will were stretching their arms to make sure they had room and comfort. When all that was done, we got them to stand in a line between two machines. Andrew told them not to worry, as I talked through what was happening. "So what we're doing is re-sequencing specific genes in your DNA to give you powers, abilities. I don't know what they'll be, it's completely random, therefore you guys have to figure it out." That was when they seemed to have worried looks on their faces, primarily because it's involving the changing of the genes in their DNA. They heard me chuckle slightly. "Don't worry, there won't be any repercussions. Billy tested this device one hundred times over during the two years up to this. It's completely safe." Andrew turned the machine off, allowing them to step out. Then I was questioned by Rose.
"Who's Billy?" I fought the urge to smack myself, I completely forgot I used Billy's proper name.
"Sorry Rose. Billy is William Cranston and don't worry, I will hold onto my promise." I said,
"Allow me to ask, how do you know Dr. Cranston?",
"I was in school with him. We attended the same high school, we're still best of friends." The Pink Ranger looked like she was ready to faint. Billy isn't really one to boast about his fame like me and I forgot how famous he in his field of science, which crosses over with Rose. Next, we heard someone slide down the firepole, it couldn't be Spencer, he would use the secret lift, he's too old for that, no offence to him. The figure wearing a red and white t-shirt turned around, revealing to be Mack; Andrew's son.
"Secrets don't stay secret forever." Rhea said in my head. Well, shit hit the fan real quick.
"What are you doing here son?" Andrew questioned, "You should go home." Oh wow, statement of the year! That caused Mack to frown and respond.
"I am home." Mack isn't stupid, this base is directly built underneath his home. He looked around the base. "What is this place?" I knew an argument was going to be underway, I could tell from a mile. I turned to the recruits, telling them they should head outside to get some air. That also equals: 'go figure out your powers'. Nodding without question, they all left via the lift, when Spencer also came down. Good, I need him to referee here, because this isn't my place in the argument. Instead, while the arguing between father and son went underway, with the odd voice of reason from Spencer, I watched the new rangers from the hidden security cameras. They located in each room, then I can get live video feed from the NASADA and NASA satellite dishes in space, to watch them from the outside. It's not illegal, Andrew and I sorted that out, with help from the Astro Rangers. A little token of understanding after the Forever Red Mission on the moon. With them on our side, they sort of prevent The Pentagon from snooping into our business. You can't blame us rangers for our distrust towards our own government. While the arguing was still carrying one, I watched the new team as they ventured out into the gardens. I began to frown. Hm… they're investigating something, I wonder what it is? Suddenly, the alarms went off, now seeing the group being attacked by their first foot soldiers and they no doubt belong to the ranks of Moltor's army. If I remember right, they're called Lava Lizards; because that name is so original, it'll be a matter of time before Fluious and his army: the Chillers make their appearance. The previous teams are lucky, they only had to deal with one primary villain, we get landed with life and death Piggy-in-the-Middle.
Mack, Andrew and Spencer rushed to my side to watch the fight, it was clear the recruits were getting their asses kicked. Only Will has discovered his ability so far, which I believe now is Super Hearing and Telescopic Vision. That only leaves Ronny, Dax and Rose to figure out theirs and master them. We watched the fight, it was clear they are no fighters, I guess I have to set a day to give them all a crash course in self-defence. While the Morphing Grid can offer knowledge on combat, you have to rely on your own skills. This won't be the last unmorphed fight they will come across. At the rate these guys are going, they're all going to be the Lava Lizards' next meal. Then, they were thrown back, landing on their sides. I noticed Mack and Andrew about to leave, but I put my hand up to stop them.
"Dr. Hart! They're going to get hurt!" Mack argued, not seeing my reason.
"They have powers, they need to master them." I said sternly, "Let this be lesson one for them." My words spoke true, seeing Ronny as a yellow blur, pushing all the foot soldiers down. Aw, Conor is going to be jealous, he'll demand a Super Speed race now. It makes sense for her to have that ability, Ronny lives for life in the fast lane. Dax was second last to show off his ability, some sort of Super Jump or Agility. His legs and muscles act like springs, allowing him leap at inhuman height and distances. Then the young Rose was last, her power is Invisibility, oh boy! Tommy will be jealous too and I had my fair share with invisibility after I took a horrifying bath in green slime. It was fun for a while, scared the living daylights out of my brother and The Devil's Trio; Trini, Aisha and Kat. After that, the foot soldiers went on the retreat, I think they're running back to their leader. Let's see if we can intervene them, as the other four Rangers went after them. OK, now they need their ranger powers. I turned to grab the silver case containing their morphers, and ran for the lift, with Andrew, his son and Spencer behind me. This time, Mack was adamant in coming with us, so Andrew didn't protest this time, but there will be words spoken at the end of this.
17:30…
(Scene: Battlefield, Clearing, Few Mile From Hartford Mansion, San Angeles, California, Earth/Kimberly's POV)
Andrew skidded the jeep to halt after catching up with our new ranger recruits. The Lava Lizards have retreated and now, they're back again with larger numbers. The case I carried was not the only one, it also contained the fake Corona Aurora to drive our enemies off our tails. Thank god that some of my friends have brilliant artistic skills and perfectly replicated the crown. The real one was what Andrew showed them and is sealed in his vault. Seeing our opponents, the Rangers were about to charge, before I stopped them quickly, opening the case to reveal their Overdrive morphers, the proper is Overdrive Tracker. They took them with a nod, I closed the case and gave them the shorthand version of how to activate their powers.
"The command is 'Overdrive Accelerate'." Without a word, they stepped out in front of me and morphed, watching them perform their morph like it was riding a bike. To keep my distance from the fight, I ran back to the jeep. I have to say, the suits look cool and sleek, certainly fit the theme, however… it looks like four isn't enough on the field. I knew Spencer was keeping Mack back in the jeep, I turned to see Andrew grab the red Overdrive Morpher, leaping out. He was about to morph, until he got blindsided by a pair of Lava Lizards, making him drop the device. My old ranger instincts kicked in, without thinking, I leaped in, kicking the foot soldiers away; only for both of us to see Mack pick the morpher up and I knew he was going to do it.
"Mack, no!" I put my hand on Andrew's arm, giving him a hard stare. Mack successfully morphed into Overdrive Red and ran into the thick of the fight. It didn't take long for more of Moltor's soldiers to come after us, seeing that we are a threat. It's a good thing I gave Andrew a few lessons, he's not doing too bad. I did a backflip to avoid a punch from the lizard, then gave it a hard front kick, knocking it down and out. More and more soldiers just kept swarming out, this is got to be a joke, no choice now. I got into my morphing stance.
"I need Ninja Ranger Power! The Crane!" I called out, surrounding myself in bright pink energy. The glow died down and I was in Ninjetti robes, the fighting stopped for a moment, to see everyone gawking at me, but it was short-lived when one of the two big bad guys appeared. My eyes flashed, recognising one of the brothers. "Moltor." I said to myself. Moltor locked eyes on myself, Andrew and the jeep, instantly realising the crown is where we are standing.
While the rangers were busy with his Lava Lizards, Moltor sprinted across the battlefield, completely ignoring the rangers. Time to have some fun, brandishing my Power Bow, I pulled back the bow string, summoning an energy arrow and let out a flurry of them loose. Unfortunately, none of them fazed Moltor, as he continued approaching with his weapon unsheathed. Fuck me! Banishing my Power Bow, I called forth my Eltarian short sword and ran at the enemy. I raised my weapon, clashing with his and we were locked in a sword fight. I parried an attack away from me, getting three quick strikes, before I was kicked down. Moltor raised his sword and brought it down on me, thanks to my reflexes, I rolled out of the way, slashing him behind the kneecap. I pulled myself up, just to realise I only pissed him off even further, Moltor was quick to recover from my attack, grabbing me by the neck. I dropped my weapon, only to be thrown into the jeep, shoulder first. Ouch. The impact left me dazed, as I felt another pair of hands on me and a voice. It sounded like Spencer. Regaining my senses, I saw Moltor opening the case, with the fake Corona Aurora, but he didn't realise it was a fake and fell for it. Moving away from us, Mack intervened, but was tossed to the side, landing next to his father. Spencer helped me onto my feet, as I clutched my left shoulder, glaring at Moltor, as he laughed.
"Power Rangers, huh? You know what?" He mocked, "If you want to be a hero," He stretched out his hand, firing an energy blast towards the volcano's vent, causing a forced eruption. "Then be a hero!" And he vanished. I looked towards the volcano, lava pooled out from the vent and moving rapidly towards the city centre of San Angeles. Shit! The civilians! The Overdrive Rangers gathered around us, I have to help them too, they need extra hands. There will certainly be buildings coming down if the seismic shockwaves were sent out because of the eruption. Then once again, my Lieutenant persona came through. The rangers were saying they should go retrieve the crown, but they need to learn that they maybe here to find the jewels; the protection of the citizens come first. It's what my father Zordon always preached.
"There's no time!" I shouted, shutting them up. "The crown is a fake. Civilians are in danger, we need to help them, as our duty as the Power Rangers! Come on! The civilians don't save themselves." Not in the mood to argue with me, which was good, because they would see a completely different side of me if I'm pissed. Ask my last year's high school students. The six of us headed for the city centre, leaving Andrew and Spencer to return to the mansion.
19:20…
(Scene: City Centre, San Angeles, California, Earth/Kimberly's POV)
After we reached the city, it was chaos, as the people fled to get away from the lava flow. I could tell some were trapped, we all decided to split up. Myself an Mack went our own way, Ronny and Will paired up, along with Dax and Rose. We wasted no time and went out separate ways. As I ran through the rubble, fallen by the seismic shockwave, I heard civilians cry out for help. Rhea told me the sound was coming to my left, seeing their exit about to be blocked off. They would have moved, but they were paralysed with fear, I don't blame them. Activating my ninja streak, I raced over, just to see a heavy beam fall; I just barely made it, catching the beam. Focusing on my enhanced strength, thanks to my Eltarian genes, I lifted the beam up on to both my shoulders, almost heaving at the weight on me. I looked the civilians, a mother, father and two children, they were in shock, to see a Ninja Ranger saving them.
"Pink Ranger?" The little girl whispered. I smiled underneath my hood.
"Go!" I ordered, "Now!" Grabbing the kids, the parents rushed out. When they ere out of the vicinity, I dropped the beam, leaping back. Too close, I won't be surprised if I'm caught on the news, so… I'll expect a long lecture by one of my friends, or two. Then, my eyes widened, seeing the lava coming this way. I signalled the parents and kids to run, as I picked up their young girl, as the father had his son in his arms. I ordered them to keep running, almost colliding with Will and Mack, only to find ourselves and the civilians cornered and the lava was flowing towards us. People panicked, not knowing what to do, or even if they could trust the new team of rangers. Then I had an idea, but I'll feel really sorry for the reconstruction workers. If I remember right, Will has the Drive Slammer as his primary weapon. I turned to Will.
"Overdrive Black," I said, also to avoid revealing his real name. "Call your Drive Slammer!",
"Good idea!" He replied and summoned it. He got the idea instantly and brought the hammer down with strong force, splitting the road in two, to form a well. The lava flowed down it, leaving us and the civilians unharmed. It didn't take long for the lava to drain and the volcano to cease its lava flow. I breathed a sigh of relief, as I have the young girl back to her parents. When the mother put her down, the child instantly hugged my waist, and the citizens of San Angeles clapping, praising us for rescuing them. They know, whenever danger appears, the Power Rangers are always on the scene, the people are not alone. Sometimes, they trust us more than their own army or security forces, but we can't be there all the time. It wasn't long for Dax and Rose to join us. Unbeknownst to all the civilians, everywhere, the Power Rangers are human and we walk among them humbly, not as Gods. After spending the better part of an hour, receiving thanks from the people, we were finally allowed to leave and return to Andrew's mansion. Something tells me, things won't be pretty for Mack. I hope Andrew won't be hard on his son, he's already proven he's a capable Red Ranger! More capable than me.
21:00…
(Scene: Outside Andrew's Office, Hartford Mansion, San Angeles, California, Earth/Kimberly's POV)
I spoke too soon when I said the situation between Mack and Andrew would not be pretty; it isn't. Spencer was inside with the father and son, attempting to cease fire on the argument. Myself and the other four Overdrive Rangers stood outside the office, listening to the argument carried out, on the other side. It sort of reminds me of the fighting between my adoptive parents, brings back painful memories. Those two are very stubborn and I hate to their father-son bond strained because of this. I do actually Mack's point of view on this, Andrew is being way too overprotective and it's not right of him to prevent his son from doing what he did so well for a first timer. He led the team, I may have been shouting orders, but Mack got the others to listen to him. He kept his cool and stayed level headed, the few good traits of a red. They're the traits I do have as well, but I'm too scared to lead again. I do see myself as a bad luck charm, a doomed or cursed leader. Soon, the doors opened, with Mack storming out.
"DAMN IT DAD!" He stomped up the stairs, heading to his room and slamming the door. I turned to the rangers.
"Listen, there's guest rooms for you all. Pick one, get some sleep, you had a long day." Murmuring in agreement, the Overdrive Rangers retreated upstairs, to get much needed rest after their little 'initiation' into the World of the Power a Rangers. When they were out of sight, I walked into Andrew's office, closing the door. I dismissed Spencer, because the archaeologist and I, need time alone. Spencer knew I was in my lecture moods, he didn't want to be there for any of it. When I go off, I go off. I saw Andrew standing at the vault, holding the real Corona Aurora. "You can't protect him forever.",
"I can't lose him Kim. He's all I have left." He told me, "It's why I pushed for you to be the Red Ranger.",
"I appreciate the offer, but… I have demons, that prevent me from leading a group." I admitted and it is true, I still have demons that I need to face, but I haven't yet. "Andrew, Mack has proven himself to be capable Red Ranger, you need to believe in him. Stop shielding him! He's an adult!",
"AND WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT RAISING KIDS!?" Roared Andrew, but I stayed unfazed. Not the first time I've been yelled at. Jesus, I hope we didn't wake the rangers.
"You're right, I know nothing. However, I bloody well know what Mack is going through!" I heard Andrew scoff and rudely at me.
"Says the alien over there." I lost it and saw red, literally. Walking over to Andrew, she's in my eyes are flashing a dangerous red, I drew my fist back and punched him square in the jaw. He dropped the crown and hit the floor.
"Speak to me like that again Hartford, I will fucking walk away from this operation!" My former lecturer was still recovering from the fist I gave him, as he groaned. I guessed I punched him too hard, I pray Mack won't be upset with me. He will either be upset or thank me for it. Let's see if that made Andrew see some sense into that hard headed skull of his. Our war of words was interrupted when we both heard a familiar voice. Andrew, somehow stood up, slightly wobbly from my punch, as we both faced Moltor and his Lava Lizards. Fuck! They found a way inside without tripping the alarm, guess the lizard freaks were doing reconnaissance this morning, until Will busted them.
"As touching as this is." Growled Moltor, "Give me the real crown!" Damn it! He figured it out! Getting in front of Andrew, I was about to morph, until Moltor fired a laser beam at both of us. I got the brunt of it, slamming into Andrew and then… the last thing I felt was hitting the wall hard, before crumblimg to the floor and all I see was fading to black.
To Be Continued…
For the sake of newcomers, I decided to to put in a timeline here at the end, chronological listing the important events up to this, but I still recommend reading the previous two stories.
The Lost Child of Zordon:
Some years ago/1979: Kara of Eltar, renamed Kimberly Hart is left at the doorstep of her adoptive parents.
1993: The Power Rangers appear to fight Rita.
1994: Jason Scott, Trini Kwan and Zach Taylor transfer their powers to Rocky DeSantos, Adam Park and Aisha Campbell. Kimberly figures out Zordon is her father and she was born on Eltar.
1995: Ivan Ooze is set free and attacks the Rangers and their hometown. Kimberly discovers her aunt: Dulcea on Phaedos, not long after finding her uncle: Ninjor.
1996: Kimberly leaves the team, passing her powers onto Katherine 'Kat' Hillard and secretly leaves for Eltar to join the War Effort. The infamous 'Dear John' is sent to Tommy.
1997: Kimberly returns to Earth on a 'forced' vacation on her mother's (Aria) orders. Meets Jason, both get kidnapped by Diavatox and sacrificed to Maligore. Result is the duo now having to suppress alter egos: Jason - Rex, corrupted Tyrannosaurus Spirit and Kimberly - Firebird, corrupted Pterodactyl-Firebrid Thunderzord.
1999: Countdown To Destruction begins, the entire galaxy is at war.
Never Stopped Loving You:
2001: Kimberly and her cousin Aegis (cover name: Aaron Callaghan) return to Earth after the war ended.
2003: Kimberly and Aegis begin teaching in Reefside High School. The Dino Thunder Rangers make their official appearance. Old lovers reunite.
2004: Firebird is set free and almost destroys Reefside. Ranger teams from the Original to Astro aid the Dino Thunder Rangers. Ninjetti succeed in sealing Firebird away once more. Kimberly leaves Earth for a month and returns in time for the teens' prom. Tommy and Kimberly receives Andrew Hartford's message to aid him in locating and recover the Corona Aurora. He also reveals her adoptive father: Kevin Hart has disappeared a few years ago.
2005: Rangers forced back into once again. All get sent to an alternate universe where Firebird conquered Earth. The combined efforts of the Rangers from Earth-1 and the rebels (The Sword of Light) from Earth-X defeat Firebird. Kimberly continued to help Andrew with his and her father's research and investigates her father's disappearance.
So, Kimberly is not having a great first day with the Overdrive Rangers. I did find it satisfying to have her punch Andrew, boy did he need that. Well, what so you expect? Nothing is ever easy in the Ranger World. Well, that's Part 1 covered, now, Part 2 will be next.
If you like what you are reading, hit the Follow and/or Favourite, the odd constructive criticism is nice, but taking the time to read to nice too.
Keep an eye on your notifications for Chapter 2: Assemble Project Operation Overdrive Part II