Trini and the other rangers materialized just inside the city limits of Harwood County. Once the teleportation beam released its hold on them, the rangers were met with a harrowing sight. The town lay in shambles, a haunting tableau of destruction and chaos. Skeletons remained of the buildings that once lined the streets, barely resembling their former selves. Debris and bodies littered the streets.
Trini was glad she asked Silvia to pick up Minh from school telling her she had to make a business out of town. It's no secret that Harwood County was the current target of alien invaders. Silvia would throw a fit if Trini told her that's where she was going. Being a ranger for about 20 years at this point had allowed her to perfect her lying.
Scattered pockets of X Borgs roamed the town, their mechanized forms a stark contrast to the remnants of civilian life. They approached an injured survivor and readied themselves to deliver the final blow. The rangers summoned their blade blasters while still in their civilian forms and fired at the foot soldiers, dropping all of them.
With each step they took, the rangers ventured further into the devastated heart of Harwood County. The once-thriving city had been reduced to a landscape of ruins, wreckage, debris, and death. Dust and ash hung in the air, casting a pall over the desolation.
Their vigilant eyes scanned the surroundings, and it became painfully clear that survivors were few and far between. The survivors they did find were in varying states of distress, their faces etched with, shock, grief, and horror. They extended their help to those they encountered, hoping to provide a reassuring presence amidst the chaos.
Fighting off X Borgs in front of the survivors gave them a glimmer of hope as they could see all was not lost. With enemy engagements becoming more frequent the deeper they got, the rangers had since morphed to handle them.
One X Borg had the drop on Billy, its mechanical eyes glinting with malevolence. Trini caught sight of the danger. She threw one of her power daggers at the encroaching foot soldier knowing it wasn't going to get there in time. Desperation gripped her heart as the weapon was fast slicing through the air. She was about to jump into the air when suddenly, the back of the X Borg exploded.
Trini stopped in her tracks recalling her weapon. Billy took notice of the explosion and turned around after sliding his power lance across the neck of his opponent. More explosions erupted from the X Borgs.
It was the Zeo Rangers. They had arrived to help, minus Zeo Red. The two teams made short work of the remaining X Borgs.
Once the dust settled, Trini, her heart pounding with gratitude, locked eyes with Billy from behind their respective visors. He nodded in silent acknowledgment.
"Thought we might stop by and help," Adam said walking up to them.
"Always appreciated," Zack said putting a hand on Adam's shoulder.
"Is Tommy not with you?" Kat asked.
"He called us to come here," Kimberly said. "But we haven't seen him yet."
"I hope he's okay."
"You know him," Jason said. "He's probably saving the day himself. He might've met up with one of his other teams." At that, Jason's communicator vibrated as Tommy's voice came through. He lifted his wrist to his mouth. "Go ahead, Tommy."
"Can you guys make it down to the quarry? There's trouble down here."
"On our way," Jason said. He looked at his teammates and nodded. Together, the nine of them teleported into the sky and materialized moments later on top of a quarry. Trini peered down below just as an explosion erupted. Nearby were six people just getting to their feet. It was the newest ranger team but she didn't know what they called themselves. She watched them suddenly go into a panic. Following their gaze, she now understood why. There was an actual army of X Borgs, thousands of them, marching toward the rangers in columns that seemed endless.
Another team appeared next to them. This team shared the same colors but had chrome accents and what looked to be a compass on their chests. It was the Operation Overdrive Rangers. One by one, each team appeared to help the new rangers. They all made their way to the bottom. It was there when they met up with Tommy who was sporting his original green ranger powers. He took point and led the ranger army to their new brothers and sisters in arms.
The new rangers morphed and they all sprinted into battle.
Minh had grown into a confident and independent freshman in high school. Her daughter's newfound sense of self-reliance brought a certain sense of relief to Trini. Minh was no longer the child who needed constant supervision, but a young adult who embraced her own adventures and impulsive choices, a trait from her father for sure. Thinking on that alone, maybe she needed more supervision so she didn't go on some adventure that would put her in the middle of something ranger-related.
However, Trini had grown to trust her daughter's judgment most of the time, even if it led to the occasional headstrong decision. Minh's independence was a testament to the strong foundation of values and responsibility Trini had instilled in her...hopefully.
Trini's communicator beeped. With no one around and Minh immersed in her school routine, Trini put her wrist to her mouth.
"Go ahead."
"Trini," Alpha 8 said. "Can you teleport to the command center? There's a situation."
This didn't really surprise Trini. Her ranger team had been relatively inactive over the years but recently there's been a need for her team to jump into action. She didn't mind assisting other rangers and it was her duty as a ranger to do so. It just felt odd there was a sudden need for past teams.
As a mother, her worry for her daughter would never go away but wasn't as potent these days due to Minh's growth. She wondered if one day Minh would take over duties as a ranger.
"On my way." Pressing the buttons on her communicator she disappeared in a yellow light.
The new command center was below Billy's company, Cranston Tech. The overall design resembled the old one but looked sleeker. Trini recalled Zack asking Billy if the command center had Primestar because of the satellite dish positioned on the top of the building. Jason further commented that none of Billy's employees would probably know what that is and warned Zack to be careful not to reveal his age with such jokes. Zack shrugged it off saying "black don't crack."
Once the yellow energy around Trini dissipated, she was met with the usual surroundings of the commander center, the three faces of her teammates and one face she had only seen when they fought off an army of X Borgs six years prior. It was Wes Collins, Time Force Red.
"Now that you're all here, I have a message from Jason. He's currently in Coral Harbor dealing with a revived Goldar."
"Goldar?" Zack asked. "He's back. I thought he was long gone with the Z wave."
"He's been reanimized and now poses a giant threat. He's stolen the energems from several of the Dino Charge rangers. Jason needs you with him and will signal when the time comes. I'm here to open a portal to his location."
"Why don't we just go there now?" Kimberly asked.
"You know Jason," Zack said. "He likes to bring us in at the last possible moment. Remember when we fought King Sphinx? We used the power crystals instead of just teleporting there."
"I thought we couldn't teleport there due to Rita's magic or something."
"I thought so too at first," Billy said. "But then Zordon later told me that Jason needed to fight on his own first and using the crystals he could bring us to him when he wanted us there."
"So, you're saying Zordon left it up to Jason on whether or not to let us help him?"
"Precisely."
The device in Wes's hand beeped. "Okay, there's the signal."
"All right, let's do it," Zack said taking point. "It's morphin time!"
In the early light of morning, Trini found herself alone in the kitchen, preparing a special breakfast. Ryan had always cherished the simple pleasure of steak, eggs, and hashbrowns for breakfast. It was something Ryan was always happy to have for breakfast. While Trini was accustomed to a more nutritional breakfast, she had to admit Ryan's go-to food was damn good. That particular meal had woven itself into their life together not long after they started dating.
Minh came downstairs once she was ready for school. Trini didn't hear her come into the kitchen and take a seat at the counter behind her. The aroma of cooking steak fills the air, causing Trini's thoughts to wander to Ryan. His memory was a bittersweet presence in the room, a poignant reminder of the love they had shared. Tears began to make their presence known. She didn't cry every time she thought of her late husband but there were times she did. However, this was usually at night when she'd lie in bed staring at the ceiling just wishing she had him next to her.
The arsonists had been caught but their sentencing was a mere slap on the wrist. She was tempted to morph right there in the courtroom. Zack and Kimberly had interlocked their arms with hers to restrain her before she even made a move.
With great care and devotion, Trini cooked the meal exactly as Ryan had liked it. It had become a ritual of remembrance. She turned to find Minh sitting there staring at her.
"You okay?" Minh asked.
"Yeah, I'm good."
"Thinking about Papa again?"
Trini nodded reluctantly. "But don't worry. I'm okay. Sometimes, the feelings are very powerful and overwhelming."
She set a plate in front of her daughter, whose eyes beamed at the sizzle of the steak mingling with the fragrant scent of fresh eggs.
Trini joined her with her own plate. Minh watched her sit down, noticing her mother's smile carried a touch of sadness. She knew the importance of this breakfast. Despite his death over ten years ago, there was an enduring bond between her parents.
The two engaged in lighthearted conversation, their words a blend of nostalgia and desires. This continued until it was time for Minh to leave for school. She grabbed her backpack and slung it over her shoulder. Trini kissed Minh on the forehead, her touch held the warmth of a mother's love and the legacy of her husband.
"Have a good day at school. I'll be here when you get home."
Minh waved with her infectious smile and then disappeared down the street.
Trini had just finished cleaning from breakfast when Billy's voice came over her communicator.
"I need backup at the command center. It's Rita! I'll try and lure her outside but...HURRY!"
"Rita?" Trini said to herself. "How is that possible?"
Answers to those questions would have to wait. She threw down the towel she was holding and walked into the living room. She looked at a picture of Minh as she put her hand behind her back like she had done countless times before.
"It's morphin' time! SABERTOOTH TIGER!"
Once morphed, she headed into battle. She materialized alongside her teammates in a grassy field that overlooked the ocean. She was impressed they arrived at the exact same time and faced the same direction so they all could turn around at the same time as if it was rehearsed. If one didn't know any better, one would assume it was planned.
Trini crossed her arms as she, Jason, and Tommy stepped forward while Kimberly and Zack helped Billy to his feet. She was taken aback by Rita's new appearance.
"Man, that's Rita Repulsa?" Zack asked. "The robot look is not for her."
"She'll look better on a junk heap," Billy said sounding irritated. All six rangers lined up and sprinted into battle.
Trini flipped into a group of putties and did a series of backhand springs before reaching a good spot to start her attack. She dodged a few futile attacks from the putties before she threw her first punch. Each ranger took on a group of putties while Billy took on Rita himself. While the putties were more aggressive than they were in the past, they still didn't stand a chance against the Rangers.
Rita cried out after Billy smashed her face with his elbow. She blasted him with her wand sending him tumbling back toward the cliff's edge.
Trini fought off two putties, kicking the last one across the face, and flipping it onto its back. She looked over and saw Billy was slow getting to his feet as Rita charged her staff for another attack. Everyone else seemed oblivious or too busy to be of any help. Rita aimed her staff and launched her crimson-colored energy ball.
"BILLY!" Trini, driven by her unwavering dedication to her teammates and an innate sense of selflessness, acted on instinct. She sprinted forward as fast as her legs would take her. Just as the energy ball was about to hit, Trini jumped in its path, letting it strike her in the torso. She expected to fall to the ground but the energy ball kept her suspended in the air as it enveloped her. Time seemed to slow down. The energy penetrated her suit, waves of searing pain surged all throughout her body.
Trini's thoughts raced, and her heart ached with a final, poignant yearning for her daughter. She wished she could see her daughter grow and see her thrive and embrace life. Tears fell from her eyes as random memories of Minh dashed through her mind.
"I love you, always and forever..." she muttered just before she was consumed by the destructive energy.
The resulting explosion caught the attention of the other rangers. It took a moment for it to register in their minds that they just lost Trini.
Zack and Billy removed their helmets as the smoke dissipated. Rita made a strategic retreat, knowing that the loss of one of the rangers may send them into an incandescent rage that even she wouldn't be able to stop. She made a threat of returning and revenge to save face but at an undetermined time before teleporting away in a swirl of purple smoke.
Billy and Zack returned their gaze to the cliff below as the other three rangers sprinted over to them. Kimberly dropped to her knees behind the others. She pulled off her helmet and screamed into the air. Tommy removed his helmet and knelt down to hug her tightly. Jason didn't bother removing his helmet. He stared out into the vastness gritting his teeth and shed tears he wouldn't dare show the others.