I don't own Power Rangers. Rick, Rebecca, Louis, Zara, Alex, Joe and Jin were created by Jetman21, Thewhatzupwriter26, RushQuake, GoseiShinkenPink, decode9, TimmayIsAwesome and Gadget the Critic, respectively. Ted, Cronus and the Professor were created by me.

...

Ted and Cronus walked over the ice of Antarctica. Unlike in England, they'd opted to stay morphed on this part of their little trip, to avoid hypothermia or frostbite. And, of course, big scary things that might try to eat them.

"The energy readings are getting stronger." Cronus said "We're almost there!"

"Good, it's freezing!" Ted replied "Why'd we have to do this at night?"

"To make sure we didn't bump into anyone from McMurdo." Cronus replied "The signal's getting weaker again; we've passed it."

"Let's split-" Ted began before collapsing and hitting the floor, unconscious but still morphed.

"Ted?" Cronus said, dropping down beside his son, taking scans from him "Ted, wake up!"

...

The Professor stood in the lab. He'd been going over the telemetry from the battle with Komodus. The alien had put out higher energy readings than he'd seen in a long time. When it had been in the appearance of the Rangers, the energy output had peaked. Almost like it was using some kind of internalised fusion source which was putting out the energy to alter it's molecules.

Something with that much power could be dangerous. He heard the doors behind him opening and closing, looking behind him to see Alex.

"What're you looking at?" She asked, walking over and peering over his shoulder at the display "Any luck finding a way to stop him vanishing?"

"No." The Professor answered "Near as I can tell, he's not teleporting exactly. He's using his shape shifting ability, probably becoming a gas; you can't increase or decrease your mass, or you'll risk destroying yourself."

"How can we stop that?" Alex asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Well, in nature, if a gas is cooled enough, it will enter a liquid and then solid state." The Professor said "Alternatively, if we were to agitate the electrons of his molecules the right way, theoretically, we could force him back into a solid form. It wouldn't prevent him shape shifting, but it would prevent him from disappearing like he was."

"We could hit him." She said, moving to a nearby terminal "Let's get to work then."

"There's something else you should know." The Professor said, pausing before continuing "If you are able to defeat him, there's a chance, given the energy levels he was putting out, that there could be collateral damage. I'm not sure even in your morphed states you'd be able to survive it."

"Well, we'll have to try." Alex said, beginning to input data on the terminal "Let's crack this problem, shall we?"

...

Ted woke up in a large, ornate chamber. It resembled something from an old movie, like a pantheon of some kind. His HUD was gone, so that meant the helmet was too, but upon looking down, he saw he still had the rest of his Ranger suit on, minus his Father's shield.

"You're awake." Came a voice from up ahead, up a long set of steps leading towards a plateau "Good."

"Who said that?" Ted said, beginning to slowly move forward, his right hand instinctively moving to the Rev Protector on his hip "Who are you?"

"I've had many names, many faces, many lives." The voice said, Ted beginning to note a similarity between it and the one from his dream "One of those names was Zeus. However, you may call me simply Guardsman, for that is my role. Guardsman of the Spear."

"Guardsman?" Ted asked "Zeus? Don't tell me you're saying that Jin's little legend was-"

"True, yes. All of it." The Guardsman replied, Ted finally getting a clear look at him, seeing a man in red armour with gold shin guards and bracers with a red trim, a long, ornate red and gold cape flowing down his back "For eons, I have guarded the Spear, kept it safe from those who would use it's power for corrupt purposes. I was one of three Guardians that came to this world from a far off Galaxy. One sacrificed himself to destroy evil, one, his pupil, imprisoned himself to act as a tome of knowledge and wisdom, and I was eternally linked to the Spear."

"Great." Ted said "Look, as much as I love history, I-"

"You cannot take the Spear." The Guardsman cut him off "Not without passing my test."

"Test?" Ted asked, as the completed spear materialised in the Guardsman's hands "I was worried that'd happen."

"If you can defeat me, you will be proven worthy of the Spear." The Guardsman said, beginning to spin the Spear dramatically "If not, you will leave empty handed."

"I was worried you'd say dead." Ted said, pausing "That's not an option is it?"

"Defend yourself!" The Guardsman said in response, charging at Ted, who ducked and rolled under the attack "Evasion will only work for so long!"

"Transport Saber!" Ted called, his saber materialising in his hands just in time to block the Guardsman's next strike "Not so rough, big guy!"

The Guardsman said nothing, instead swinging the Spear, sending Ted's sword clattering away. Ted ducked and rolled as far away as he could. The Guardsman charged him, Ted side stepping the attack and grabbing the bottom of the Spear, holding the Guardsman in place by it. As he did, he pulled his Rev Protector, jamming the barrel into the Guardsman's back.

"Yield." Ted said, smirking to himself "Let it never be said the Indiana Jones method of bringing a gun to a sword fight doesn't work."

"Your tactic is crude, but effective. I yield." The Guardsman said, Ted releasing his grip and holstering his weapon as the Guardsman turned, holding the Spear out in both hands "You have proven yourself worthy. Take the Spear and use it's power wisely."

Ted took the spear. As he did, the Guardsman's armour disappeared, leaving him in red robes, the man standing there for a moment before disappearing. As he did, Ted felt himself begin to float away from the plateau. It was time to go home.

...

Rick was sent flying back by a strike from Komodus. The creature had returned, along with Knighterror, about ten minutes before, and had spent the last eight or nine of those kicking the Rangers around like balls.

"Rangers, regroup!" He yelled, pulling his Rev Protector and shifting it into saber mode "We don't have a chance against them together!"

"He's right." Komodus said with a laugh "Your orders, General?"

"Let's end this." Knighterror said with a laugh, before being hit in the back by a red blast as Komodus was struck by a silver – white one "Who dares attack me?!"

"That'd be me." Came a voice from the smoke coming from debris around them behind the two Kaltax warriors, Ted and Cronus slowly walking out of the smoke, Cronus wearing his shield once again "Miss me, ugly?"

"You think you can defeat me?" Knighterror scoffed "Komodus, make sure the others don't intervene."

"With pleasure." Komodus said "Silver, with the rest of them!"

"Go for it." Ted said, pulling his morpher and pressing a control on it, powering down from Over Rev mode to his base form "I've got this."

"Your confidence will be your undoing!" Knighterror said, before Ted had a red staff with golden handles on it and a silver blade with golden trim on top appear in his hand "The artefact! Give it to me!"

"You asked for it. Paladin's Spear, activate!" Ted said, red energy running down from the staff, forming a gold device with red and silver trim on his left wrist, the design nearly identical to his morpher "Paladin Morpher! Power Up!"

He span the gyro, throwing the Spear into the air as he did. Red lightning bolts descended from the sky, impacting Ted, giving him first gold shin guards and bracers with a red and silver trim, the Paladin Morpher embedded in the left bracer. Then, a red chest piece was formed, gold stripes going from the shoulders down to the gold coloured gear in the centre, a black crystal in the centre of the gear. Finally, a series of armoured plates moved up around his neck, forming a flexible armour, whilst a red cape with an ornate gold pattern fell from the shoulders of the chest piece down his back.

"Red Paladin Ranger!" He called as he caught the Spear "Knight mode, complete!"

"You think a makeover will help you?" Knighterror scoffed "Come on!"

"Not just you." Ted said, smirking inside the helmet "Both of you."

"You heard the man." Knighterror said with a smirk, Komodus taking on the form of Ted, minus the Spear "As the Humans like to say, let's dance."

Komodus and Knighterror both charged Ted. Komodus managed to reach him first, Ted parrying the punches the copy threw at him, kicking the alien in the stomach, causing it to revert to it's natural form. As it did, Knighterror came at Ted, swinging his sword, only to have it blocked with the handle of the Spear. Ted flicked the spear up, slashing down on Knighterror, who attempted to block with his shield, only to have the tool cut in half.

"Sorry, did I break your toy?" Ted asked, pressing a control on the morpher "Red Paladin Ranger! Mode Two!"

He leapt into the air. As he did, he pulled the two halves of the Spear's handle apart, his Transport saber materialising in the end of the staff without a blade. The two long handled swords had flexible golden bars attach them to his bracers. As they did, his cape became a rigid metal structure, forming what looked like metal angel wings on his back, an afterburner in the centre of his back.

"Red Paladin Ranger!" He called "Flight mode complete!"

He flew up in the air before coming back down at near supersonic speeds, his swords glowing with red energy. Komodus began to fade, the swords narrowly missing the Kaltax warrior. Ted flew back up higher, pointing the swords down at Knighterror.

"Red Paladin Ranger!" He said "Paladin Saber blast!"

The swords fired blasts of red energy down, impacting Knighterror, causing him to begin to swell, like a balloon being over inflated. A moment later, Knighterror exploded in a mass of flames. Ted slowly lowered himself to the ground, reverting to Knight mode as the other Rangers ran over.

"That was so cool!" Joe said "I want a go!"

"Sorry, apparently, gotta be chosen." Ted said with a chuckle "Come on, let's get back to base, I'll tell you guys the whole story."

...

Rektax sat in his chair on the bridge of the Uria. He was less than pleased about the Red Ranger's new powers, and about the fact that Komodus had come running back to the ship without even destroying one Ranger. However, he was more than a little pleased about the destruction of Knighterror. With the General gone, Rektax was, once again, in charge of the invasion force. Granted, it was an invasion force dealing with a team of Power Rangers more powerful than ever, but he could deal with them at a later date.

There was a beeping from one of the terminals on the bridge. Rektax nodded to the Kaltax soldier. After a moment, the image of Emperor Prothiak appeared on the display in front of him.

"My Emperor," Rektax said, standing and bowing "General Knighterror has failed you. By your leave, I will-"

"You will do nothing, you snivelling sycophant!" Prothiak bellowed "You will await my arrival. Clearly, this Power Ranger problem merits my presence. Once I arrive with my elite guard, the invasion will proceed more smoothly. Prothiak out."

The image disappeared. Rektax swallowed hard. The Emperor's guard was made of the most deadly warriors in the Empire; only the Emperor himself was more powerful than them, and if they were being brought in, it meant only one thing.

Rektax was no longer to control the Earth as he'd originally been promised.

He was to be witness to it's annihilation.

...

Voila! Meet the Red Paladin Ranger, or as was correctly guessed by decode9, ! I'd like to go ahead and say thank you to you all for the reviews of this fic; it really is nice to know my work is being read and appreciated! To those of you asking about submitting OC's, unfortunately, the team is now finalised and in place, but thank you so much for asking! R&R, please, no flames. B.