Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers. I think Saban owns them again. It was Disney for a while, but whoever owns them, it's definitely not me. I also don't own any song lyrics. I'm just borrowing to set the tone.

AN: Here's chapter 2! Thanks for all the great reviews. Enjoy and let me know what you think!

AN 2: Set in 2007 following the Operation Overdrive episode "Once a Ranger". Refer to previous chapter and prologue for other important author's notes.

Crimson Rising

Chapter 2: Starlight

Far away
This ship is taking me far away
Far away from the memories
Of the people who care if I live or die

Starlight
I will be chasing the starlight
Until the end of my life
I don't know if it's worth it anymore

Song: Starlight

Artist: Muse

Space, nearing the Milky Way Galaxy

The Ooze Empire's massive Royal Cruiser

Purple eyes snapped open and looked from side to side. He sat up sharply, but felt a hand on his shoulder. A purple female hand.

"Easy Father," she urged.

"Toxa…" Ivan Ooze uttered, as his grown daughter stood beside him.

"What do you remember, My Lord?" Xinshing asked. Ivan thought for a moment and purple lightning swirled around him.

"Power Rangers…" he growled.

"You will have your revenge, Father. It has been twelve years since the comet hit you, but we have worked tirelessly to see to your regeneration," Toxa said, as she walked over to the console and pulled up the schematics.

"But we didn't stop there. Your powers are unlike anything you've ever experienced now and in just two days, we'll be within Earth's orbit. They will pay for what they did to you," Toxa said. Ivan sat there for a moment and grinned evilly.

"I'll make sure Zordon can't come back this time," Ivan growled.

"Zordon is already dead, my Lord," Xin said regrettably. He looked to Toxa, who nodded.

"He used his essence to destroy Dark Specter's army of followers during the earth year 1998; three years after the comet hit you. Since the team that destroyed you, there have been approximately twelve teams of rangers, nine if you exclude the Space rangers, Galaxy rangers, and Time Force rangers. Besides the current team that is scrambling to find the jewels of the Corona Aurora, I believe only the Lightspeed team still have their powers. Most have moved on to live normal lives," Toxa informed.

"You've been watching them," Ivan noted.

"I find it strange how these emotional, sentimental fools are able to do all they have," Toxa snorted in disgust, as she stared at the many faces of the former rangers on the screen.

"So did I, but I underestimated them. That will not happen again," Ivan stated, as the task of studying his enemies began…

Blue Bay Harbor

Tori moaned in her sleep, snuggling closer to his warm chest. Sunlight was slowly filling the room, but she didn't want to move or even think about getting up. Beneath the sheets, her limbs tangled with his, their bodies pressed together and as awareness slowly edged their senses, hands began to roam with passionate intent. But an incessant knocking spoiled the morning's passion. Their lips parted and Tori looked out toward the living room in annoyance.

"You've got to be kidding me," she grumbled, glancing at the clock, which read eight a.m.

"Maybe they'll go away," he responded huskily, as he sought her lips again. She greedily captured his in another passion filled kiss. But another knock interrupted them.

"I'm gonna kill 'em," he groaned

"Not if I do first," she said, as she fished a tank top off the floor and a pair of shorts. She looked around for her underwear and he smirked, as he plucked them off the lamp.

"Looking for these?" he asked, smirking deviously. She smiled back and took them from him.

"Aren't you coming?" she asked.

"Uh…yeah I gotta take a quick cold shower, and then I'll be out," he replied, blushing sheepishly. She laughed and leaned in for another quick kiss, before going to answer the door.

As she opened the door with a huff, she was greeted by Dustin and Shane's goofy grins and a guilty looking Cam behind them.

"What are you doing here already? It's barely eight," she demanded to know. She was trying to sound angry, but failing miserably.

"Ah come on Tor! You've been back in action and we're dying for details here!" Dustin pleaded, as he tried not to cower under one her glares.

"I expect this from you two, but you Cam?" Tori said, eyeing the guilty looking guy in green.

"I tried to stop them, but they're impossible, you know that," Cam defended himself.

"We brought breakfast," Shane tempted, as he held up a box containing bagels and cream cheese.

"Are there cinnamon ones?" she inquired.

"Totally…we got extra of those!" Dustin chimed in excitedly. She gave him a weird look.

"How much coffee has he had already?" she asked, as they came in a shut the door.

"Believe it or not, only one cup," Cam drawled.

"Where's Hunter?" Shane asked. Tori smiled coyly, as she went into the kitchen to start the coffee.

"Oh he's showering," she replied, as she took out five coffee mugs. About that time, Hunter sauntered in, damp hair, but dressed in jeans and a crimson muscle shirt.

"All right, Hunter is here. Now you can tell us about the battle," Dustin said excitedly.

"Are you sure someone didn't drop him on his head when he was a baby?" Hunter joked.

"Oh no, we're pretty sure that happened…a lot," she joked back.

"That's harsh dudes," Dustin said, as he chomped on a cream cheese topped bagel.

"I'll tell you everything about my time with the others…after I shower. When I return though, there better be a cinnamon bagel with cream cheese waiting for me and coffee or no story," Tori said.

"Done," Dustin said, as he went to work. Hunter chuckled.

"You realize that you could probably get him to wash your van and wax your board too if you keep dangling the story in front of him," he said mischievously.

"As fun as that would be to watch, it would be mean," she replied, kissing his cheek.

"I'll be back," Tori announced.

"Hurry," Dustin called. Tori rolled her eyes and closed the bathroom door.

The tall, leggy finished pouring coffee into her travel mug in the small apartment she lived in with her seven-year-old son. Blue Bay Harbor was brand new to her and while she hated her job as a receptionist at a small business with her picky boss, the town was lovely. But she didn't get attached anymore; being that this was her fifteenth city in three years. She did what she had to for her baby though and the job provided to her by the witness protection program paid the bills and provided anonymity.

Katherine Hillard's life had gone from a high note after high school to a continual downward spiral from there. She had been accepted into dance programs in both London and New York, before finally settling on Julliard as her choice. She was at the top of her class and Broadway fame seemed to naturally be in her future. After her mutual split with Tommy after graduation, she focused on her dancing during her first two years. In her third year, she starred in a major Broadway dance production and caught the eye of a young, rich philanthropist that was seemingly captivated by the blonde bombshell. Malcolm Renaldi was the son of a very rich and prominent New York family and showered Katherine with attention, begging her for a date. His handsome charm swept her in like any young, naïve woman and she was soon seriously dating the young heir. The wedding a year later was a lavish event and the honeymoon like something out a fairy tale. But that was where the dream had ended and the nightmare had begun.

Katherine soon realized that within the first few months of her marriage that her husband was a very dangerous man, the family business was a front for organized criminal activity, and that she was a prisoner in her own life. Malcolm changed from the charming prince that swept her off her feet to a monster that controlled her every whim. She was a trophy wife, arm candy, expected to cater to his every whim and obey him. And his vice-like grip on her only tightened when she had their son, Aiden. Despite her internal hatred for her abusive, criminal husband, she adored her baby boy and devoted herself fully to him, praying every day that he would somehow turn out to be a good person, despite the fact that Malcolm was simply waiting for the day where he could begin teaching him everything about the family business.

Katherine knew that she had to get out, but it was only when that she had accidentally walked in on a brutal murder that she made her move.

Flashback…2004

Tears fell down her cheeks, as her husband performed his nightly assault on her body. He had come in smelling of alcohol as usual and called her out for not greeting him properly at the door, or so he stated. Malcolm never needed a reason to slap her around and rape her. He just did it and after smacking her a few times, he proceeded to rape her. Kat bit the pillow to keep her agonized screams at bay. He was even more vicious when she screamed and her son was starting to pick up on his father's abuse of his mother. Kat didn't want him to know. Aiden was brazen for his tender age of four and knew that the small boy would talk back to his father. It would only earn him a whipping and Kat would rather her husband rape her a thousand times then to see her baby suffer his abuse.

"Ungrateful whore…after all I do for you…" Malcolm grunted.

"I own you Katherine…" he growled harshly.

As usual, Malcolm cleaned up and left to conduct business elsewhere in the large family compound that had become her prison. Katherine managed to clean herself up and her eyes were still red and puffy when she heard soft footfalls enter her bedroom. Standing in the doorway was her four-year-old, clad in footy pajamas, and clutching a stuffed Tyrannosaurus Rex toy that Jason and Trini had sent when they found out she was pregnant. Her friends knew of her marriage and son, but no one knew about the abuse. She couldn't tell them, because she knew all the guys would be getting in line to beat the crap out of Malcolm and as much as she wanted that, she refused to put them in danger. Malcolm's network ran too deeply. He had people and moles everywhere, even in the police department and none of them had their ranger powers anymore. But she also felt ashamed and dirty. She buried her pain and held on tightly to her son, her only light.

"Mommy, are you crying again?" Aiden asked, his mushroom mop of blonde hair falling in his eyes.

"Mommy is okay, come here baby," she called in her thick accent. He scampered to her and she lifted him into her lap.

"Daddy did bad things to you again, didn't he?" Aiden asked sadly, sounding far older than his four tender years would suggest.

"I'll be okay my love," she whispered, as she kissed his hair.

"Mommy…why can't the friends you told me about help you? They're really strong," Aiden said with a childlike innocence that Kat had lost long ago.

"It's too dangerous, honey. Your Daddy is a powerful man and I don't want them to get hurt," Katherine told him. Aiden nodded sadly.

"Come on, let's sneak down to the kitchen and have a bedtime snack," she whispered, as she took his hand and led him downstairs. They slipped unnoticed past the large living/entertainment room where Malcolm was conducting one of his usual meetings. Plastic bags full of white powder were stacked on the table and a deal was in the process. It was nothing unusual that Kat hadn't witnessed before. She knew that what she knew would end with Malcolm someday putting a bullet in her head, but her only fear was for Aiden. She had all but given up on getting out of this alive…that was until she heard the gunshots in the living room. She pulled Aiden back before he could go running in. She knew what had happened, most likely. Malcolm had probably discovered another person in his operation that was an undercover cop or perhaps it had been one of the underlings that had made a minor mistake. Malcolm never needed a good reason to kill someone; he liked doing so and had told her as such. White hot fear shot through her, as he was suddenly in the kitchen, glaring down at them. She cried out, as he grabbed her arm and backhanded her, before throwing her to the floor.

"Mommy!" Aiden cried.

"Shut up brat," Malcolm hissed, as he pushed the boy down beside his mother.

"Stupid little bitch…get your ass upstairs now. I'll deal with you soon enough," he growled. Sobbing almost uncontrollably, Katherine plucked Aiden up and scrambled upstairs.

"Daddy is a bad man," Aiden whispered. Katherine sobbed harder, as she knew her son's perceptive nature and bravery would soon see him on the receiving end of Malcolm's rage. She went to the bedroom and put him on the bed, before picking up her cell phone, hands shaking violently.

"Who are you calling, Mommy?" Aiden asked.

"Your Uncle Jason," Kat whispered.

"Hello?" Jason answered.

"Jase…it's Kat…" she sobbed.

"Kat…what's wrong?" Jason asked, hearing her sobs.

"Are…you still with the FBI?" she asked, biting her bottom lip.

"Um…yeah, Kat, what's going on, you're scaring me," Jason demanded.

"I'm in trouble Jason…so much trouble. He's…" Kat was cut off by her friend.

"I know what he is Kat. I'm an FBI agent, remember? We've been after him for a long time. It's been killing Trini and me, knowing that you're trapped in all this," Jason confessed. Kat sobbed harder.

"He's going to kill us…I have to get my baby out of here. Please help us…" Kat sobbed.

"I'm calling it in. Hang tight, I'm getting you two out of there," Jason said, as he hung up. Kat tried to calm down, but she knew that this was only the beginning. Malcolm would try to have her killed, she would be forced to testify and then she and her son would go into witness protection. She took one look at her baby though and realized that she would do anything to get him away from this life…

End Flashback…

"Aiden…hurry up. We need to leave!" Kat called. For the time being, Aiden was attending Harbor Elementary School and she knew how tough it was on him moving around so much. But her little one never complained. He was very bright and understood their situation far better than she ever would have at his age.

Since Jason had rescued them from Malcolm, he and Trini remained the only ones that knew about her situation. Malcolm's attorneys had been tying up the legal process for years and she had yet to testify, making witness protection a new way of life. His people always found them and she knew it was only a matter of time. It made her sad, especially since Aiden loved Blue Bay Harbor the most out of any place they had been so far. She had to admit that she was fond of the ocean bordered town as well. But she knew it didn't matter. Malcolm would find them again and they would soon be whisked away to another life. Aiden ran out and grabbed his red backpack, before taking his mother's hand. She smiled down at him, as they hurried down the stairs and out to her car.

"Good morning Jennifer," one of her neighbors called. She was a nice older woman that lived across the hall and had a cute Dachshund, who was currently taking care of business. The cute dog barked at seeing her and especially Aiden.

"Morning Ginger!" Aiden called excitedly to the equally enthusiastic dog.

"Morning Mrs. Lever," Kat called, used to her many different names by now. Jennifer Rice was her name this time and she had gone by a dozen others. Kat wasn't even sure if she knew who she was anymore…

After cleaning up, Tori told them the events of the past two weeks, while they ate breakfast and continued the story, as they rode in her van to Ninja Ops. Once in the clearing, they entered through the portal before the waterfall and went down the stairs to the place that had been their home base during their ranger days. It still remained just a place for the six of them, though Blake had been absent for four years now, and Sensei Watanabe, whom Tori greeted with a hug, as they arrived.

"Welcome back Tori, I trust all went well?" he asked. She nodded.

"Thrax has been dealt with and thanks to Adam, the Morphing Grid was restored so the Overdrive rangers can take over again," Tori reported. Sensei nodded gratefully.

"Mr. Hartford and his son Mack sent their gratitude as well. Your students will be happy to have you back," Sensei said, as he left to tend to his duties. They soon dispersed as well to tend to theirs.

Toxa stood beside her father, as he observed all the data they had collected about Earth's various power ranger teams.

"Many teams don't have their powers anymore, but a few do. The ones that destroyed you lost the Ninjetti powers shortly after they received them," Toxa informed.

"That's what's troublesome about Ninjas and Ninjetti. Even without ranger powers, they never truly lose their powers," Ivan responded.

"The Lightspeed rangers, from what I have learned, don't access their powers through the Morphing Grid. Theirs are completely reliant on the technology. Destroy the Aqua base in Mariner Bay and that will take out the Lightspeed morphers," Toxa said. Ivan nodded.

"And using our own technology, we should be able to create a barrier around the Earth, preventing time travel, thus cutting SPD and Time Force off. They won't be able to interfere," Xin schemed.

"And as far as we know, the Space Rangers are split between KO-35 and Earth, the Galaxy Rangers are on Mirinoi, and sealing the Animarium off will make the Wild Force powers inaccessible. My magic should cancel any spells Mystic Force can manage, the Overdrive rangers are pathetic rookies that even Thrax was able to beat, and the Dino Rangers have no powers anymore," Ivan listed, taking inventory of his enemies.

"They are important to Tommy Oliver too," Toxa mentioned. Ivan chuckled evilly.

"Very good point. The Ninjas of Blue Bay Harbor could be as troublesome as the original brats. They have powers without morphers. Is it really true they defeated Lothor without any ranger powers?" Ivan asked. Xin nodded.

"How embarrassing," Ivan joked, as he examined the six that had destroyed him, the three predecessors and three replacements. The original twelve they were called. Then he examined the Ninjas of Blue Bay Harbor as well.

"Yes, this team could be challenging," Ivan said, smirking evilly.

"Father, we could always just destroy the Earth from space. A few carefully calculated energy blasts in the right places would cause catastrophic natural disasters to occur and it would wipe out most of the population," Toxa suggested.

"But that would spoil my fun," Ivan mused.

"No, I'm glad my conquest won't be boring. I'm expecting a good fight. Ninjas and Ninjetti are particularly fun to torture," Ivan said, glaring at the rangers on the screen. "Yes, I think Blue Bay Harbor will be the perfect place for our first demonstration," Ooze cackled evilly.

"The Ninjas of Blue Bay Harbor are acquainted with the former white ranger as well. He will certainly hear of the attack," Xin said, respectfully reminding his Master.

"Even better then. Poor Tommy will think he has seen a ghost," Ivan chuckled.

"My Lord, allow me to lead your assault on these Ninjas," Xin requested. But Ivan held his hand up.

"In due time, General Xin. This is just a test and to send a message. My ooze men will be sufficient for this," Ivan stated. Xin stepped back, bowing in respect.

"But you will both get your chance to kill the humans. And when I'm done this time, it really will be as if Zordon of Eltar never existed, for nothing but ashes will remain of his legacy…"