A/N: Really bad Rita/Rito/Zedd scene here, sorry. I just don't write villans well. I'm also sorry because I got caught up reading some fanfiction for inspiration and forgot that this was unfinished. Really bad wandering POV here, I tried to fix it, but I may have left stuff out. There will be an explination for what Rita and Zedd do to Hunter and Shane later on, just work with me, please.
Disclaimer: I own nothing of the Power Rangers franchise except what it publically available; i.e. copies of the movies, toys, ect. I get no money from this.
Rocky leaned against a tree and stared at Adam, waiting to see how his friend would react to Rocky's confession, that he was gay. He pushed off the tree, not exactly sure what he was going to say. He'd taken a step when a yell caught his attention, seconds before what had appeared to be a red blur smacked into him, knocking him to the ground. He began to push himself up when a second yell, and thud, made him look at Adam, who had jumped out of the way of what appeared to be a Power Ranger. Two flashes of light, and his 'assailant' and the other were a pair of teenagers, probably just a little bit older than Rocky and Adam. "Sorry man," the guy on top of him said, scrambling up. "Ow," He rubbed his head, "killer wipeout." He offered his other hand, "Here, need a hand."
Rocky grabbed and pulled, easily getting to his feet, "You ok?" He asked, not sure if he should start freaking yet or not. He glanced at the other arrival, he was flat on his back, and then he flipped to his feet.
"Shane, when I get back, remind me to kill Cam," he muttered.
"What? Why?" The other asked.
"He lost the key to that closest."
"You mean, Tori and Blake are stuck in there."
"Kind of," the young man actually looked sheepish.
"Kind of? Kind of? Hunter, I don't believe you. Of all time to decide to be twelve, you pick right in the middle of this?"
"Cam helped."
Rocky caught Adam's eye and raised his eyebrow, Adam smiled slightly, "Hey!" Rocky yelled, catching the two strangers' attention. "Who are you and how did you get here?"
The two looked at each other, or rather glared, and then shuffled closer to mutter in each other's ears. "Before you say anything," Adam said, "we both saw you come out of nowhere as Power Rangers, and demorph."
Some more muttering ensued, then they stepped back, "Well," said the one who had turned Rocky into a landing pad. He wore a white t-shirt under a red jersey and jeans. At first, Rocky had wanted to call him Hispanic, but he wasn't, Rocky could tell. "I'm Shane Clark, the Red Wind Ranger."
The other teen was wearing a grey shirt under a dark red button down and jeans, he had spiky blond hair and looked highly annoyed, "I'm Hunter Bradley," he said, shoving his hands in his pockets, "Crimson Thunder Ranger."
"Crimson?" Rocky repeated. "What, red isn't good enough?"
Hunter eyed him for a moment, "It's my elemental color."
A six tone chime filled the air, sending Hunter and Shane into defensive stances. "Easy," Rocky said, he lifted his wrist, "This is Rocky, and Adam."
"Rangers, there has been a sudden energy surge in the Park." Zordon announced.
"Would that have to do with the opening of a portal of some form and the arrival of two strange Rangers?" Adam asked, dryly.
"What do you mean?" Zordon asked.
"Well," Rocky said, "Adam and I were hanging out when this guy in a red Ranger suit ran into me. Then one in a red, excuse me, crimson suit appeared, and then they powered down. They're looking at me funny, by the way."
Hunter and Shane glanced at each other, clearly not amused. "Bring them to the Command Center," Zordon ordered.
"On it," Rocky replied and cut the connection. "All right, I'm Rocky DeSantos, Red Ninja Ranger and that's Adam Park, Black Ninja Ranger. The man we were speaking with is our mentor, and leader, Zordon. The Command Center is just that, our base of command. If anyone can help you get back to where you're from it is Zordon."
Again the pair leaned together to talk before turning, "All right," Shane said, beating out Hunter by a breath. "Lead the way."
Rocky lifted his morpher again, "Alpha? We're ready."
"Alpha?" Hunter said before vanishing into a dark red stream.
Three columns of red, one darker than the other two, and a black, arrived in the Command Center, as they cleared to reveal four teens, other teleportation signatures appeared, white, pink, yellow and blue. The two newcomers were tense, sticking close to each other for comfort, but at the same time, apart, as if they weren't comfortable with each other. "Zordon, what's going on?" Asked Tommy, eyeing the two strangers, they weren't trading Rangers again where they?
"I think that Rocky and Adam can explain better than I," Zordon said calmly.
As attention came their way, Rocky nodded at Adam, "Well, Adam and I were hanging out in the park," he said.
"You told him?" Aisha asked, her question directed at Rocky.
"Yes; but we will finish that conversation later," Rocky said. "Well, I was suddenly hit by what appeared to me to be a red blur, knocking me to the ground, and it landed on top of me. Then there was a yell, and a second red-clad person arrived, also falling on the ground. There was a flash of light and the two, who did look like Power Rangers, revealed themselves as these two."
"I saw more," Adam said, "There was a portal, it was a very sick shade of pink, it opened and the first one came flying through. It was as if he'd jumped through, but the portal had thrown him off. Then the portal snapped shut, and then opened again and the other guy came flying out."
"And who are you?" Tommy asked, looking at the two.
"I could ask you the same question," Hunter snapped, hands rising slightly.
"I'm Tommy Oliver," Tommy said calmly, "White Ninja Ranger."
"Kim," Kim said, "Pink Ninja Ranger."
"Aisha, Yellow Ninja Ranger," Aisha said.
"Billy, Blue Ninja Ranger," Billy finished.
Hunter's lips twitched, "I'm Hunter Bradley, Crimson Thunder Ranger."
"Shane Clarke, Red Wind Ranger," Shane said.
"Crimson," Aisha said, "why not say red?"
"Because," Hunter replied, "I am not a Red Ranger, I'm Crimson. Stronger, faster," he turned his head to his companion, "better."
Shane snorted, "Please, every team in the comic books had a Red, how many had a Crimson."
"Quality over quantity," Hunter replied.
Adam sidled over to Tommy, "They were doing this earlier," he murmured.
"Then we'll stop it." Tommy replied. "You two are clearly certain that we aren't evil." He said louder, cutting through what ever Shane's retort would have been.
Shane rolled his eyes and Hunter covered his mouth for a brief moment, "Well," Hunter said, "if you were evil, you would have either attacked already, or you won't do it until you morph, so as to confuse us. However, we already know you're Rangers. You are also amazingly trusting."
"Yeah," Shane said, muttered really, "especially since some of us have a history of being evil, infiltrating bases and making off with mentors."
Hunter grinned, but Tommy flinched. Kim laid her hand on Tommy's arm, "Tommy?" She asked quietly.
"I take it he's referring to you," Tommy said, eyes on Hunter.
"Yeah," Hunter said, his grin becoming a smirk, "We, my brother and I, were brainwashed to fight for Lothor, the evil space ninja trying to take over the planet. We totally trashed the Winds while pretending to be their friends. Then Blake, without any planning or back-up, went up against a monster to protect Tori, the Blue Wind Ranger. He got hurt and Tori brought him to the Wind Academy's front door. Once we had that, it was easy. We paid our debt to Tori, and then went after their Sensei because part of Lothor's brainwashing was to make us believe that Sensei Watanabe had killed our parents. We almost destroyed him." Again, that smug look at Shane, "The Winds didn't stop us, though. We needed to use the Gem of Souls to break the energy sphere Sensei Watanabe had placed around himself, which is located in the Cavern of Souls on the Mountain of Lost Ninjas. The Gem enabled our parents to appear, and freed us from the brainwashing. Then I used the Gem to shield us from Lothor, who had really killed our parents, but the blast broke the Gem. We hid it where Lothor will never be able to get to it."
"Don't you feel at all guilty about it?" Aisha asked, her eyes flicking to Tommy.
Hunter crossed his arms, his attitude going from cocky to solemn, "I feel guilty about many things, but this I know. When we were Lothor's Rangers, Blake and I fought on our terms, or not at all. We fought in the quarry, or the woods. We weren't in it for the rampant destruction, we had a goal: find the Wind Academy, get in, get the Sensei and destroy him. It wasn't at all costs, and I made sure of it. To this day, I don't know how they suckered Blake into stepping into that damn machine, but I know why I went in. I knew what they wanted me to become, I knew what I would be forced to do. I also knew that Lothor would kill Blake in a heartbeat if I was anything less than compliant. The last day I ever saw my parents alive; my mother asked me one thing, to take care of Blake. I don't give a damn about anyone else like Blake. I became evil to protect him, and that I cannot regret. I've made my peace with what I did when the need for vengeance overwhelmed me, and I have forgiven myself. I can't be guilty, because Blake needs me." A brief look at Shane, "Who else hears when he has nightmares? Who else siphons energy when the lightening burns his blood? It has always been Blake and me, it always will be. I had to forgive myself to show Blake it could be done. Do I feel guilty for what I almost did? Do I wake up at two in the morning with nightmares over what might have happened? I do, but even when I would howl from the imagined anguish of a friend, I do not. Blake needs me too much."
"Even if you do lock him in closets," Shane muttered.
"That's not related," Hunter said, dismissing it with a wave of his hand. "That was just being annoyed over…Ow!"
The alarms had started blaring, cutting through his words, he looked around. "Rangers," Zordon said, "There is trouble in the park."
"What else is new," Aisha muttered.
"Observe the viewing globe." Zordon continued, as if he hadn't heard Aisha. The six Rangers headed for the viewing globe, and Hunter and Shane followed.
"Hey it's the frog-pig," Hunter said.
Shane looked closer, "It is! That's the monster we were fighting when we got sent here."
The others looked at them, and their horrified disgust, "How did he get here?" Hunter demanded.
"Well, usually when these guys can access a different dimension they follow." Shane pointed out, "We've seen it often enough."
Hunter nodded, "Good point, is this, then his dimension or just a dimension?"
"Hunter, Shane," Zordon said, "I must ask you to stay here for now. If you were demorphed by the portal, it may be that your powers do not work as well here. Until that can be determined, it is wise for you not to morph."
Shane nodded, "Yes sir."
Hunter sighed, "Fine. Whatever." He turned back to the globe.
"All right then," Tommy said, looking at the others, "We need Ninja Ranger Power Now!"
Hunter looked at Shane, and then back as the six became clad in loose fitting clothes of the old style. "I take it back," Shane muttered, as the Rangers teleported out of the Command Center.
"What?" Hunter asked.
"When I first started training, I wasn't too happy about the training uniforms, but I got used to them," Shane said. "Just think; we could have been wrapped in bed sheets." Hunter snorted, but it was true, they did give off that resemblance.
"Shane and Hunter, I must ask you some questions," Zordon said. The teens exchanged glances and turned to talk to the floating head that vaguely disturbed them, even though they took lessons from a guinea pig.
After the brief fight with the frog-pig, who did not name himself and vanished when the other two Rangers did not reappear, the team returned to the Command Center. Shane was sitting on a medical bed, while Alpha went over his shoulder with a scanner. Hunter was talking quietly with Zordon, a conversation which stopped when they appeared. "That thing was looking for you two," Tommy said.
"Then we'll stay out of his way," Hunter replied.
"There," Alpha said, "you should be good as new soon enough."
"What are we going to do now?" Tommy asked as Shane thanked Alpha.
"You will return to your daily lives," Zordon said, "Hunter and Shane will go with you until we have devised a way to return them home."
"I'll stay here," Billy said, "I'm sure I can help somehow."
"Thank you, Zordon," Hunter said, quietly.
"We can go to the Youth Center," Kim offered, "I need to do some training anyway."
"All right," Tommy said.
"The Youth Center is where we train," Kim explained, "and hang out. There's a juice bar and a gym."
"Well," Hunter said, "I am hungry."
Shane nodded, "I was waiting on you to show up because Tori, Dustin and I were going to grab something to eat."
"Youth Center it is, then," Aisha said.
The teleportation picked them up and deposited them in the back ally that was their usual teleportation spot. The teens slipped out of the ally unnoticed and headed inside. "Hey Ernie," Aisha said, waving at him.
"Hey, Aisha, everyone, how are you?" Ernie asked.
"We're good," Tommy said. "Just showing around some friends of ours; Hunter, Shane, this is Ernie, he runs the center. Ernie, this is Hunter and Shane."
"Hunter's my cousin;" Kimberly said smoothly, "he and Shane are doing the college thing and stopped here to see AGU."
"Nice to meet you," Hunter said, wondering if the man was thick enough to believe that story.
"Nice to meet you two," Ernie said, "so, what'll it be."
Various smoothie and food orders were given and paid for, and then they found a table. "I'm going to go change," Kim said. "I can do some beam work now and floor later, when it isn't as crowded."
Shane glanced around, "Kim's a gymnast," Aisha said quietly. "She only studied martial arts to help. The rest of us studied martial arts."
Hunter felt a slight smile tug at his lips again, "Anybody want to spar?"
"Sure," Tommy said.
"I'll need to borrow a gi," Hunter pointed out.
"Take mine," Rocky said, "it is red."
"That'll work," Hunter replied.
Tommy led him back to the locker rooms and they changed quickly, "How long have you been training?" Tommy asked.
"Since I was six or seven," Hunter said, "ever since I was adopted by the Bradleys at least. My parents…didn't care enough about me to do anything but enroll me in school, and make sure I went everyday."
Tommy winced, "Wow, I'm adopted, but I didn't go through that with my real parents. I don't even know who they are."
"Oh look, something else in common," Hunter drawled, seemingly amused. "Now that we've had a bonding moment, let's spar." He headed back out to the gym. Tommy shook his head and followed.
As Hunter and Tommy went off to change, Rocky noticed Shane's glare directed at Hunter, "Hey, Shane, what's your problem with Hunter?" He asked.
"Well," Shane said, "currently it's the whole Blake and Tori in a closet thing."
"Is that all? What happened?" Aisha asked.
Shane rolled his eyes, "Hunter, for reasons known to him, locked his brother, Blake, in a closet at our base. He then got our friend Cam to get Tori in the same closet. Then Cam, who never loses things, lost the key. Apparently, they're stuck there."
Laughter broke up around the table, causing Shane to scowl at them, "What? It is funny," Rocky pointed out.
"Yes, but just after they locked them in, there was an, emergency, and we could have used all three, but Cam was looking for the key and Blake and Tori were locked in. That's how we ended up here. I also don't know if Dustin's ok or not, he was the only one left out there." Shane said.
"Why didn't Cam go help him?" Rocky asked.
"Cam isn't, isn't, he's just the Sensei's son and tech support. He's not," Shane glanced around and then hissed, "a Ranger."
Understanding dawned on the three's faces, "So, why do you think Hunter did this?" Adam asked.
"He said he was tired of seeing them flirt," Shane said.
Hunter, in a red and black gi, dropped by the table, "I presume you're telling them the closet problem," he said.
"Obviously," Shane replied.
"Well, if they aren't out when we get back, I have the spare key." Hunter grinned, "Sensei gave it to me." He jumped down the stars and trotted over to join Tommy on the mats. In moments, all attention was on Tommy and Hunter as they sparred, on Tommy because he was considered one of the best martial artists at the gym, and Hunter because he was a good looking blond who's expertise was clear in every move.
Lord Zedd growled, "Rita, Rito, get in here," he called.
The siblings arrived moments later, "What's going on Ed?" Rito asked.
Zedd snarled at Rito, but let it go, "There are two new Rangers on Earth. I want them gone!"
Rita looked through her 'scope for a moment, and then said, "Let's send them to the Isle of NyghtMayre."
Zedd laughed, "It's perfect! No one escapes the Isle of NyghtMayre."
"What's the Isle of NyghtMayre?" Rito asked.
"The Isle," Zedd says, "forces anyone on it to live through their deepest nightmares involving other people. The last Ranger team we sent there wound up killing each other to stop the nightmares."
Zedd and Rita crossed their staffs, "Evil Power, transit time," they called, "Send these two into the mind. Fear and anger, hate and greed, the Isle of NyghtMayre will do the deed."
Having sparred for a while, Kim and Aisha talked everyone into going to the Park. As they were walking to their favorite spot, two bolts of red lightning flashed down, striking Hunter and Shane. When the other Rangers' vision cleared, Hunter and Shane lay unmoving on the path. Quickly, Tommy and Rocky grabbed them and teleported them to the Command Center. Zordon would know what had happened.
