Thank you to the gracious reviews so far! I'm glad that so far, this story is generating interest. I was inspired to write this story based on several YouTube videos and my conscience. The story is called I'd Come For You and it really resonates with the song written by Nickelback. Please be patient with this chapter, I am setting up a lot and I don't want to give away too much, which is why quite a bit of it is ambiguous and mysterious. If I got something wrong with the Dino Thunder timeline, let me know. I couldn't remember what year of school Conner and company were in during Dino Thunder. I assumed they were seniors.
Enough of my babbling...on to the story! Remember to Read and Review!
Chapter 1-Retirement...Not So Much...
Tommy Oliver looked out the window of his classroom. He sat at his desk, grading papers like a good teacher should, but part of him was restless.
It had been over a year now since the Dino Thunder Rangers had retired. Kira, Conner, Ethan, and Trent were all at colleges now and he was still teaching in Reefside. Things had been quiet and finally settled into a normal and mundane routine.
'I guess after being a Power Ranger again...I'm having a hard time adjusting back to the quiet life. I feel like every single time I turn around, there might be a monster I need to fight, but there never is.'
He put down his red pen and pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. During his own high school reunion, he had caught up with a lot of the former Rangers that he hadn't seen in a while. He'd been meaning to call and talk to several of them, but with everything that happened with Mesogog, it had made that impossible. Afterwards...well...it was hard to say why he hadn't contacted them.
What had surprised and unnerved him when he went...was that Kimberly hadn't been there. She was so involved with school during their time together and he had heard that she had given input on what was to occur at the reunion, but no one had talked to her in several years.
He hovered over the button to call his best friend from high school Jason Lee Scott, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. Instead, he walked out of his classroom and down the hall. Maybe getting some air would help him.
As he turned the corner and walked towards the courtyard, he was surprised to see several students laying on the ground. He rushed towards the nearest one and felt for a pulse. The student's skin was ice cold. 'There's...no pulse and the skin is ice cold. What the hell is happening here?'
He stopped short when he saw someone dressed very strangely leaving out into the school parking lot. Following instinct, he followed out into the parking lot. Guessing on the stature and length of the person's hair, it was a woman. She had hair that went down her back in long blonde waves. She had a sword in a scabbard at her side and as she walked, he could hear the slight clunk indicating that she was wearing some armor.
'Is this woman involved? What did she do to these students?'
Up ahead, he saw a man waiting for her. He was wearing normal clothes, just a green button down shirt and jeans. The smirk he was wearing unnerved Tommy. The woman picked up the pace and was soon standing in front of the man. She knelt down and began to speak. Tommy couldn't hear, so he crouched and moved towards them, using the side of a car to conceal him.
"Good work Valentina. Were you seen?"
"No, I wasn't seen."
The woman's armor vanished and she was in a pair of brown knee boots, shorts, and a yellow tank top. The man scanned the area carefully, "You're sure? A school is a highly public place, but we need more energy for the Queen of Hearts. She must have more energy to continue her plans."
"I promise. I put searched the area. Anyone I could find...I took their energy." Valentina hissed, not happy at being questioned, "Please...is...is she alright? She's been working so hard and transforming so often, not to mention having a normal human life as well."
"I am her mate! She is my concern! You are merely an instrument to get what she needs!" he pulled Valentina up by her throat and let her legs dangle while he spoke to her, "I am the highest warrior. I am second in command. Only our lady has power over me. You are part of the Inner Circle, but don't ever act insubordinate again. If I choose to question you, that's my right."
Valentina gasped for air, but she nodded.
There was a flash of light and then a ball of white energy appeared. The man threw Valentina on the ground and held the energy in his hand.
"Yes...this will do nicely. Young energy is what we need. It will help our Queen continue to use her powers as she sees fit. She must keep looking for the purest hearts or she will be consumed by the curse."
Valentina coughed a few times and then smiled up at the man, "My Lord...I took these students hearts. Perhaps one of them is pure."
The man's face twisted in rage, but then calmed, "Show me and I will tell you if they are. We will need to cover this up. Students dead won't bode well. You know our lady likes to keep things quiet so it won't alert Earth's defenders."
Valentina got on her knees again and with another flash, there were red balls of light suspended in the air. The man took each one in his hand and inspected them for a moment.
"No...none of these are pure. Return them to the humans if you can. If not...absorb them."
Valentina nodded, "Please take care of her. I don't know what we'd do without her..."
The man suddenly looked up and his eyes widened, "You fool! There is someone there!"
Valentina was up in a flash and both of them were on Tommy before he could comprehend what happened. Both of them had somehow transformed and were both in full armor.
"You're an idiot Valentina." the man muttered.
"Let's just take his energy and heart." Valentina huffed.
"That won't be necessary." a third voice spoke. Tommy looked over to his right and what he saw made his eyes widen. He could only describe it as a Power Ranger, but one he'd never seen before. This one was white, with a strange symbol on her chest. She stepped forward and both Valentina and her male companion were down on the ground, their head bowed into the dirt.
"Spirit Warrior, we are your humble servants." they chanted together.
The Power Ranger ignored them and stopped in front of Tommy, "Well, well...one of Earth's defenders. I knew eventually we'd catch someone's notice. I had hoped it wouldn't be in this way and...especially catching your notice first."
"Spirit Warrior...who are you?" Tommy asked suspiciously.
"Haha, Power Rangers never reveal their identity, even if a ravishing man asks it."
"What do you want?"
She seemed to turn her attention to Valentina, "Take the hearts back...now!"
Valentina stumbled up and hurried into the school, leaving the man and Tommy. The Spirit Warrior turned her attention to the man, "Paul, this was a foolish mistake. You will fix it."
"Yes Milady. We will do better." he looked up at her, "I have some...energy."
All the Spirit Warrior did was nod. Paul stood up and made the white ball of energy appear. It floated in the air and suddenly disappeared, absorbed by the Spirit Warrior.
"Well done, now go."
Paul disappeared, leaving Tommy and this warrior alone. The dirt crunched as she shifted her weight, "To answer your question, I have a plan for Earth. You being a former Power Ranger yourself...let me ask you. What do you think my plan is?"
"World domination? Power? That's usually what they are." Tommy replied.
The Spirit Warrior laughed, "That's true. Experience tells us that is usual the 'bad guys' plan. But...I am not necessarily evil. Not everything is as clear cut as Zordon of Eltar told."
Tommy's blood froze. 'How does this person know about Zordon? He...he's dead now...it's not like tons and tons of people know him right?'
"Unfortunately, I can't stay. I'll be seeing you soon I'm sure."
The Spirit Warrior turned on her heel and started to walk away. Tommy opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, she stopped, "It'll be hard...but try not to interfere...you're retired after all."
She disappeared without another word. Tommy sighed. 'Retirement...not so much...I have a feeling that I won't be in that after the other Ranger teams hear about this. Something is going down...I can feel it.'