Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers

Chapter 2 – Dino Thunder, Power Up!

"Give me the gems." Was the first thing Kira heard when she came to. An ominous voice had spoken and by her surroundings and the lab table she was on, she had no doubt she had been taken by a new enemy.

"Who's there? Come out where I can see you." She got off the table and looked around, trying to find whoever spoke.

"Give me the gems."

"Is this about jewellery? As you can see, I'm not wearing any."

"I have waited far too long. " Kira spun around and a mutant being with a form like a human but the head, hands and feet of a dinosaur stood before her. "To allow an insignificant kid to get in my way. Now, where are the Dino Gems?"

"You mean those rock things we found in the cave?" she asked, deciding to play dumb. If this guy considered her an insignificant kid, then he obviously had no idea who she really was.

"Yes."

"I gave mine to Connor and Ethan, you'll have to ask them. Can I go? My dad's gonna freak if I'm not home for dinner. It's taco night." The monster disappeared in the time it took Kira to blink. "Ok that's it, no more cafeteria food." She turned around to go but was met with another being, this one human, though Kira had no doubt she'd be a minion to the dinosaur head guy.

"You'll be lucky if you ever see food again." She said, placing her hands on her hips and staring Kira down.

"You got a name?" Kira asked.

"My Master calls me Elsa."

"Your master? Ok, whatever. Look, I'm gonna let myself out." Kira turned to go but had anticipated the attack Elsa launched her way. The two fought for a few seconds, before Kira was able to knock her back. She ran to the door but was stopped by another mutant being.

"Meet Zeltrax." Introduced Elsa.

"Are you two dating, or just friends?" she quipped. She didn't wait for an answer but instead let loose one of her new supersonic screams, knocking Zeltrax and the foot soldiers he brought with him back. She ran passed them and down a hallway, following it along, trying desperately to find the exit. She could hear Elsa and Zeltrax pounding after her and she was getting nervous. Eventually she rounded a corner right into a dead end. There was, however, a little glowing green orb floating in the centre. Thinking things couldn't get worse, Kira reached out and touched the orb. She was sucked into it and seconds later was deposited back in Reefside, falling onto the hood of her father's car.

-C/K-

At the cave, Tommy was getting incredibly frustrated and now angry. First Anton Mercer's name reappears, over a year after his death, then he's chased by this giant robotic tyrannosaurus, then he discovers the Dino Gems he's trying to keep out of evil hands are gone, and now two of his students appear in his secret cave.

"Dr. O, what are you doing here?"

"Better question is, what are you doing here? And where's Kira?"

"Kira's gone." Said Connor. Tommy's eyes widened in horror, and his teeth clenched in anger and worry.

"Gone? What do you mean gone?"

"She got taken by these weird- looking dinosaur things."

"They're called Tyrannodrones." He said. He relaxed a bit though his worry didn't abate at all.

"And you know that because?" asked Ethan.

"I helped create them. It's a long story. For now, we got to figure out what they want with Kira." Connor and Ethan shared a look before they pulled out the gems.

"It might have something to do with these." Tommy's eyes widened again and Connor handed him Kira's Gem.

"We're really sorry. How were we supposed to know that those things had superpowers and those lizard dudes were gonna come looking for them?" Tommy held the Gem and stared at it, not at all liking that his daughter had touched it.

"I guess it's not something you see everyday." He said finally.

"Kinda like a science teacher with the ruins of an ancient civilization in his possession." Added Ethan.

"Look, not that this isn't all really cool, but seriously dude, you gotta come clean."

"Ok, first of all, don't call me dude. Second, as hard as this may seem, you two need to forget all about this. I'll find Kira." He turned around, effectively dismissing them, however Connor would have none of it. He used the super speed his Gem had given him and blocked Tommy's path.

"I see the Gem's power is already starting to bond with you." Tommy commented, really not liking where all this was headed.

"You can tell us all about it now, or at my next parent-teacher conference." Tommy sighed but bobbed his head in acceptance.

"Alright, I'll explain everything. But let's do it on the go, we gotta find Kira." Connor and Ethan quickly agreed and Tommy led them up a set of stairs, which let out through a large trunk and into a house.

"Wait, is this your house, Dr. O?" asked Ethan.

"Yes, it is."

"You have a secret cave with powerful objects under your house. Who are you, batman?" asked Connor, as he took a look around.

"Not quite." Tommy laughed. "Something a little more real." He led them outside and over to his jeep, climbing in the driver's seat and taking off the moment they were buckled in.

"So when you say you helped build those Tyranno-whatevers….you were just kidding right?" asked Ethan as they sped out of the driveway and down the road. Connor was impressed with the speed and skill at which his teacher handled the car; teacher and fast, skilled driving weren't things he usually put together.

"They weren't supposed to be used like this, someone's modified their programming. A couple years back, I was doing research on combining dinosaur DNA with technology. My partner, a scientist named Anton Mercer-"

"The rich guy who disappeared last year."

"Yep. Shortly after Mercer disappeared, our lab was attacked. All of our research was destroyed. Or at least I thought it was."

"And the guy who did this is back?" asked Connor.

"He calls himself, Mesogog."

"And you think he's after the Gems."

"Looks like it."

"This is all totally fascinating, but how is it helping us find Kira?" asked Ethan. "I mean she's not just gonna fall out of the sky and land right in front of us." Except she did. A flashing green orb appeared above the car and Kira dropped out of it, landing on the hood. They stared at each other for a moment asking themselves if that had really happened. When their brains caught up with their eyes, the three boys jumped out of the car and ran to help Kira.

"Are you alright?" Tommy demanded, helping his daughter off the car and doing a visual check for any injuries.

"Yea, I'm fine."

"How did you do that?" asked Ethan, psyched out of his mind.

"I have no idea. One minute I'm being chased by Franken-Lizard through this creepy lab, and the next thing I know, I'm a hood ornament!"

"Invisi-portals." Said Tommy. Kira whirled around and gave him her best glare, courtesy of her mother.

"What?" she hissed. "You know what those things are?"

"Not now, Kira."

"Just wait till mom gets home." Tommy visibly paled at the thought and Kira smirked at his reaction but let it go for now.

"What are you guys doing here?" she asked of Connor and Ethan.

"We came to rescue you."

"Nice job. Way to show up when I don't need you anymore."

"You sure about that?" said Connor, pointing behind her. Kira turned around to see Zeltrax and some Tyrannodrones. She sighed in anger, preparing to fight.

"Mesogog find a new goon to do his dirty work?" asked Tommy, coming to stand protectively in front of his daughter and the teens.

"You are not fit to speak my master's name. Come with me peacefully or suffer the consequences."

"I'm gonna have to say, no." Zeltrax launched on the attack going for Tommy as the Tyrannodrones went around them and attacked the others. Kira immediately went on the offense, seriously ticked off at these guys. Ethan and Connor were left standing in awe as their teacher and his ten-year-old daughter took care of these monsters. However, there were a lot of them and some broke away from Kira and came after them. Ethan and Connor put their new abilities to the test, Connor using his super speed and Ethan his armour arms. The battle wasn't long, and they were able to push Zeltrax and the Tyrannodrones back fairly easily. Obviously they had anticipated little to no resistance.

"Make sure to tell your master Dr. Oliver's back."

"I will inform him. This battle is over, but the war has only just begun!" with this final word, Zeltrax and the Tyrannodrones disappeared in one of the Invisi-portals.

"That's the best he can do? That was easy!" bragged Connor. Kira looked at him with a mix of disbelief and disgust.

"That was just one battle Connor, with a bunch of foot soldiers. His master won't underestimate us again." Connor looked down to the short girl beside him.

"And you would know that, would you?"

"Come on guys, let's get outta here. It's getting late." Interrupted Tommy. "I don't want your parents to worry."

"I bet you don't. Then you might have to explain something." Said Ethan.

"I'll fill you in tomorrow after school, I promise." The guys accepted this, knowing it was indeed getting late and having to answer to their parents would only make things worse. Tommy drove them back to Reefside High and again promised to explain things tomorrow. Connor and Ethan left with little fuss, but Kira was far from done with her dad.

"Alright, start talking." She said when they were back on the road. "What are these Gems, who is Mesogog, why do we now have super powers, and why did this all start in a cave with an insignia that greatly resembles your Dragonzord Coin?" When he didn't answer her right away, Kira went in for the punch. "Or, I can call mom and get her to come home early. I'm sure she'd be really interested in knowing the answers to those questions too." Tommy sighed in resignation. Kira was a lot her mother, least of all in her ability to get him to do whatever she wanted, whether by persuasion or threats. He began explaining everything from the beginning, and by the time they got home, Kira was more then ready to both throw her dad to the proverbial wolves, aka her mother, and to start on a game plan for the inevitable war that she was now a key player in.

-C/K-

The next day Kira had barely stepped into homeroom when the ground shook. Literally shook. Her classmates were panicking about an earthquake though Kira knew better however; this was no earthquake. She waiting calmly as the principal came on the PA system and announced that there was an attack on the city and the mayor had declared a state of emergency. The moment they were dismissed Kira bolted out the door, the communicator her Uncle Billy had made for her years ago at her lips.

"Dad, I'm on my way!" she said.

"We're at home. Once you get somewhere safe teleport in." Came his reply. Kira spoke her affirmation and was already looking for a secluded corner. Although, truthfully she needn't have bothered as everyone was so panicked, no one would pay even the slightest attention to her. But find a secluded corner she did and mere seconds later she was teleporting out in a white and pink energy beam. She arrived in the middle of the cave that Tommy called the Dino Lab.

"Mesogog revived the Bio Zords." Tommy told her, before she had even realized he was standing next to her. Connor and Ethan were there too, looking absolutely dumbstruck at how Kira had suddenly appeared out of thin air.

"I guess you haven't told them."

"Didn't have time, we gotta act fast if we want to keep the Bio Zords out of Mesogog's hands."

"What do we do?" Kira asked.

"The Bio Zords are fusion-powered replicants using actual dinosaur DNA for their neurofunctions. "

"Wait, let me guess. You helped build them." Said Connor.

"I'm afraid so. But right now we…I mean you, have to tame them. "

"I'll B.B.L. if it's all the same to you." Said Ethan.

"What's that mean?" Tommy asked

"Be back later."

"Ethan wait!" cried Kira. "The world needs us." Ethan gave her a look that clearly said he thought she was as crazy as her father.

"You guys can do this. But you won't have to do it alone." Said Tommy. He walked over to a panel build into the wall. A keypad appeared beside it and he punched in the code. The panel opened and Tommy pulled out a large metal case. "Ever since I found the Dino Gems, I've had these waiting, in case I ever needed to harness their powers."

"Wait, don't tell me…" Kira said, knowing exactly where he was going with this.

"Dino Morphers. You use these to become Power Rangers." Connor and Ethan were in shock. Naturally they'd heard of the Power Rangers, but to become them was something else entirely.

"I gotta sit down." Said Ethan.

"Breathe, dude."

"The Gems you took are from the asteroid that crashed into the Earth millions of years ago, wiping out the entire dinosaur population. When I found them, I recognized their power and hid them so they wouldn't fall into the wrong hands."

"How do you know these are the right hands?" asked Connor.

"The Gems are yours. You didn't choose them, they chose you."

"Can't they un-choose us?"

"They've already bonded with your DNA. That's what's giving you your powers."

"So, if they already bonded with us, how come Mesogog and his creeps are still after them?" Ethan asked, after he had calmed down.

"The only way these powers can be taken away is if you're destroyed."

"Ok, for future reference, that's not a great selling point."

"Don't worry. You'll find Power Rangers aren't that easy to kill. If they were, Earth would have been destroyed long ago." Said Kira. Tommy turned to his daughter and looked her straight in the eye.

"Your mom's gonna kill me." He said, a small smile gracing his face. "We've tried to keep you out of all this and now I'm sending you right into the middle of it all." Connor and Ethan didn't really have any idea what was going on, but they figured they'd eventually find out.

"I'm not going down without a fight." She assured him. "I'm me, aren't I? Mesogog has no idea the hell he's brought down on himself."

"You are never to use that power do you hear me?" Tommy took a step forward and grasped her shoulders, holding her in place and raising his finger in warning, his best parent face and voice in place. "Unless you are about to die, and I mean a lot closer to death then we usually are, you do not use that power. Am I understood?"

"Yes, dad. Don't worry, I know the cost and I have no desire to pay it anytime soon."

"Good." Tommy said when he saw the sincerity in her eyes. He pulled her into a hug, holding on tight, not wanting to send his daughter into the thick of things.

"Ok, as nice as this moment is," interrupted Connor. "There are monsters rampaging around outside, and all I know is I'm expected to save the world, but I don't recall signing up to be a superhero."

"The Power chose you. The Gems wouldn't have bonded to you if you didn't already have something inside you that could handle The Power." He paused and allowed it all to sink in, but he knew they didn't have long. "Please. The world needs you." Kira didn't hesitate to reach for her Morpher. She felt a power surge rush through her starting with the Gem in her pocket and ending with the Morpher she had clasped on her wrist. Connor and Ethan hesitated for only a moment before they too, took their Morphers.

"So what now?" asked Ethan. "Do we have to say some secret password or command?"

"What's the morphing call?" Kira asked, a smirk forming on her face. Tommy smiled at her.

"Dino Thunder, Power Up."

"Dino Thunder?" scoffed Connor. "What did you come up with that?" he addressed Ethan.

"I kinda like it."

"You would." Kira rolled her eyes but smiled. The two of them grew on you if you let them, and if they were going to be teammates, she'd have to let them.

"Once you're morphed, you guys will know what to do from there." Said Tommy, needing to bring this to an end. "You guys are from different worlds, I get it. But you have to work together or this will never happen. It won't be easy. Nobody knows that better then I do. But you're going to have to believe in yourselves, because I believe in you."
"Really?" asked Connor. "Her I can understand, but us?"

"Yea, you guys too. Now let's go." He led them back upstairs and into his jeep, racing downtown to where the Bio Zords were wreaking havoc. Kira looked around in horror at the carnage. She knew her parents had seen a lot of it in their time but she hadn't, not in person at least. This was only the second time she'd seen something of this magnitude, the last time having been during The Countdown, which she admittedly didn't remember much of.

"Ok this is it." Said Tommy as they all hopped out of the jeep.

"That must be them!" cried Connor, pointing to the three towering Zords.

"Wow, good call Connor." Muttered Kira. Any retort he might have given was cut off by the arrival of Zeltrax.

"You'll have to get past me before you get those Zords."

"That's the part I'm looking forward to." Connor said. "You guys ready?"

"Oh yeah." Said Ethan. The three of them raised their Morphers, but two of them hesitated.

"Uh how do we…?" Kira rolled her eyes.

"Just follow my lead." She said. The guys nodded and Kira stepped forward and activated her Morpher.

"Dino Thunder Power Up!" she cried, waving her arms in a specific pattern. Not two seconds behind her, Connor and Ethan copied her movements. For the amount of power morphing called on it took a surprisingly short time, Kira mused as she came out of her morph for the first time. She'd seen many Power Rangers morph, seen how long or short it took, but it was nothing like doing it for herself.

"So you're Power Rangers." Snarled Zeltrax. The three of them fell into fighting stances, Kira noticing she was on closer in height to them. Like with Justin, the only child Ranger before her, The Power had grown her to an adult's body.

"Call on your weapons!" called Tommy from the sidelines.

"You got it Dr. O!"

"Tyranno staff!

"Ptera Grips!"

"Tricera Shield!"

"Enough!" Zeltrax summoned Tyrannodrones, all of whom were easily defeated with the added power the three were given.

"You showed me your weapons, now meet mine!" cried Zeltrax. He disappeared through an Invisi-portal and the hovercraft machine that had been attacking the city, along with the wild Bio Zords, launched a barrage of attacks at the Rangers.

"Ok, how do we fight that?" asked Connor.

"You've gotta tame the Zords." Said Tommy. "Concentrate. Your Morphers will communicate your thoughts to them." The Rangers nodded and ran toward their respective Zords, getting to a better vantage point. Once they calmed their Zords enough so they didn't crush them, the Rangers raised their Morphers and laid claim to the Dino Bio Zords.

"Tricera Zord!"

"Ptera Zord!"

"Tyranno Zord!"

"Alright, yeah!" they cried when they successfully completed bonding to their Zords.

"Only one thing left to do. Put them together. You can do it." Said Tommy. The Rangers nodded before turning back to their Zords.

"Alright, let's do it!" cried Connor. The Rangers jumped up high and felt themselves meld into their Zords.

"Combine Powers!" they cried and they came together, forming the Thundersaurus Megazord. With the power of the Megazord, the Rangers were able to defeat Zeltrax's machine and send him packing. The Rangers' victory was short lived, however, as with the attack on the city having stopped, the authorities were making their way downtown. The Rangers and Tommy high tailed it out of there, not wanting to answer unwanted questions.

"Keep these bracelets with you at all times." Tommy said back at the Dino Lab as he used the computer to turn the Rangers Morphers into communicators; their Dino Gems melded into the middle. "They'll access your Morphers when you need them. And you can use these to communicate with me and with each other.

"Dr. O, I know you're smart and everything, but how did you…?" asked Connor, indicated to their communicators/Morphers.

"I'll fill you in, in time."

"So you think Mesogog's going to stick around." Said Ethan. It wasn't a question.

"Unfortunately, they always do."

"They?"

"I know this is a lot to take in."

"That's for sure." Muttered Connor.

"Your lives have just changed in ways you probably couldn't have imagined. But as long as you work together, and remember that you're a team, no one can defeat you. No one."

"Maybe no one can defeat them, but I can destroy you." Hissed a voice from the stairwell. Tommy and Kira stiffened, knowing that voice all too well; twenty Mesogog's wouldn't instil fear in them like she could. They all turned around to see a short brunette wearing a pink t-shit and jeans standing on the stairs. What drew their attention however, was the fire in her eyes the steel in her voice.

"Kim, honey, you're back." Stuttered Tommy.

"Obviously." Her voice was barely more then a whisper, but it was heard loud and clear.

"Hi mom." Kira muttered, not meeting her mother's eye. She didn't know how much trouble she'd be in. The only consolation was that her dad would be in even more trouble and so she may get off lightly.

"That's your mom?" Ethan asked in disbelief, the woman before him looked not much older then some of his classmates.

"Whatever you're gonna say Connor, don't." Kira said, anticipating the remark of 'she's hot,' or 'she looks more like your sister.' While annoyingly common, Kira couldn't fault them. Tommy and Kim were only twenty-six and with Kim's short stature and normally bubbly personality, she often passed for five to six years younger then she actually was.

"Thomas James Oliver, did I just hear correctly?" Kim came down the stairs and stood before Tommy, a feat that in itself wasn't impressive given the height difference, but had Tommy cowering before her. "Did you just make our daughter, our ten-year-old daughter a Power Ranger?!"

"Kim, honey, you know as well as I do that The Power chooses you."

"I leave for three days! Three days and you make our daughter a Power Ranger!"

"Kim, we always knew it was going to happen."

"Yes but I didn't think you'd be the mastermind behind it! Especially going behind my back! How long has this been going on? You have a secret lair in our supposedly basementless house, you've found a power source and had someone make Morphers to harness that power. You're smart, Tommy, but you're not Billy smart; someone else had to have been behind the technology." Kim's voice was getting louder and louder, which was not a good sign. Normally a deathly quiet Kim was the one you had to watch out for, but a Kim who was yelling at an octave normally unreachable by the human voice was worse. Kira reached out and began pulling Ethan and Connor away to the far corner of the room.

"Trust me, you do not want to be anywhere near her right now."

"Why don't we just leave then?" asked Connor. Kira's grip on him tightened.

"No!" she hissed. "Don't make any sudden movements!"

"You're serious, aren't you?" whispered Ethan. Kira merely nodded. The yelling, cowering, accusations and revelations continued for at least another ten minutes before Kim finally whacked Tommy upside the head, called him an idiot and told him they'd discuss it later. She then turned her attention to her daughter and the two boys beside her.

"I swear I had no idea!" Kira said immediately. "I only found out yesterday, the same time as these two." Kim sighed and nodded, not really mad at her daughter. She then put on her trademark bright smile and addressed the two newcomers.

"Sorry you had to see that." She said, sticking out her hand in greeting. "I'm Kimberly Oliver."

"Nice to meet you." Said Ethan, being the first one to break out of his trance and shaking the offered hand. "I'm Ethan James."

"And I'm Connor McKnight." Imputed Connor, not one to be out done by Ethan. Kim's previously forced smile became genuine. She had no reason to be mad at these two.

"Nice to meet you. So, you're the new Power Rangers. How you guys holding up?" Connor and Ethan shared look but then they both shrugged noncommittally.

"It's a lot to take in, but it's ok." Connor said, to which Ethan agreed.

"Well, if it ever becomes too much or you need to talk we're here. I know we might not be your first choice, but I'm sure Tommy's told you that you can't tell anyone you're Power Rangers." Connor and Ethan looked confused. "He hasn't? Why do I even bother…?" she muttered darkly. "Alright, so there are three rules you must follow as a Power Ranger, or you risk losing the protection of The Power." Both boys were listening intently, both not wanting to miss this, and because Mrs. O could be scary as hell and they didn't want to get on her bad side. "First, you never escalate a battle unless your enemies force you. Second, never use The Power for personal gain. And third, unless absolutely necessary, you keep your identities a secret." They nodded in understanding and Kim smiled at them again.

"When things settle down we'll call up some friends of ours so you can meet them. Welcome to the family."

"She means Power Ranger friends." Kira added when they looked confused again. "Mom and dad were part of the Original team of Power Rangers. Original Pink and Green followed by White respectively."

"Dr. O you were a Power Ranger?!"

"Is that really so hard to believe Connor?"

"No, it's just…you're a science teacher."

"You don't have to be all brawn and no brain to be a Power Ranger, Connor. My uncle Billy is one of the smartest people in the world, hell in multiple worlds, and he was the Original Blue Ranger."

"Sweet." Said Ethan. A fellow brainiac who shared the same Ranger colour; he liked him already and he only knew his name.

"Alright, it's time for you guys to head home. Your parents will be getting worried." Said Tommy. Connor and Ethan nodded in acquiescence and followed Tommy and Kimberly up the stairs, with Kira bringing up the rear. They were stepping out of the trunk when Kira tripped. Connor, who had been in front of her, reached out to stop her fall, but only ended up falling with her; for when their hands touched, both felt a sharp surge of power go through them before their worlds went black.

A/N - Wrapping up Day of the Dino! More of my original plot line and the juicier stuff starts next chapter.

Also a note on the rating: this fic is rated M. In the early chapters this is largely to be safe, though there is the possibility of some semi-graphic scenes between Tommy & Kim. And before anyone can bring it up, NOTHING inappropriate will happen with a ten-year-old Kira, or, as this fic will cover many years all the way through to the Megaforce reunion, with a child Kira. In the second half of this fic, when she's a teenager and reaching adulthood that may change, but NOT anytime soon. More will be explained in the next two chapters.

Review please!