To each a different gesture, to each a different call, but to each the same gift.
Rocketing into the galaxy a mystical force answered their emergency call, powering them up in a barrage of fractal colors. Light flowed over them, wrapping around them and solidifying into something like cloth. Not quite spandex, not quite vinyl, each wore form fitting outfits of similar but radically different designs.
A ferocious warrior in Black. A series of golden triangles lined his sides with a bestial maw forming the visor of his helmet.
An electrifying swordswoman in Yellow. A white breastplate across her chest and a wolf glaring from above her visor. In her hand was an ornamental sword with a wolf design at its hilt.
An explorer in Red. Five squares of color running along his chest and a circuit board visible in his helmet.
An officer in Pink, her left arm dyed black from the wrist up where it formed a large number '5' over half her torso.
And, lastly, a mage in Blue. Her short blue cape flapped as she raised her axe like wand into the air.
They stood in a line, excess energy burning and bursting behind them. The night illuminated as they posed, weapons drawn into fantastical battle ready stances.
"Power Rangers!" They yelled as the last of the energy died behind them.
The man standing let out a raspy breath, his own cape flapping behind him from the remnants of the explosion.
"Unimpressive." He breathed, dismissing the display of power with a flick of a finger.
The Red Ranger went flying, tumbling across the asphalt even as the others rushed forward. Most of the others, Pink had started to circle around while Blue stood her ground.
She placed her wand to her forehead, holding still as the fin shaped gem glowed brighter and brighter. A nearby fire hydrant burst, water gushing into the air before slithering towards her like a rushing snake. With a yell, "Ha!", she thrust her wand forward and the coils of water followed.
Slipping between the charging Black and Yellow the stream slammed forward. The geyser splashed as it met its target, who didn't move an inch. Who kept his steady advance. Who didn't have a single drop of water touch his armored form.
The rush of water splayed and separated feet away from his open hand. His breath remained a steady rasp, uncaring of the oncoming attack. In his other hand a red blade hummed, water hissing as stray droplets met the heat of the weapon.
A weapon he swung casually as the Yellow Ranger rushed towards him, she answered with an upward swing. Behind her, someone yelled a warning but she wouldn't hear it over her own war cry. "HIYAH!"
Her ornamental blade met the red bar of heat and her opponent paused. Yellow energy sparked from her blade as she struggled to match his strength, it was frankly inhuman. Especially considering her newfound strength. The creature, for this was no human, regarded the white star of energy where their weapons met.
"Interesting." He spoke, another raspy exhale gushing from the triangular grill of where his mouth would be. His voice was a solid baritone that chilled her, literally and spiritually. This creature was not right. As unnatural as a Psycho Ranger, more so. "But not enough."
He pushed her blade down, guiding her momentum and power to stumble that sent her tumbling behind him. Out of his way as he quickly parried a quick succession of attacks from the Black Ranger. "EYIAH!" the Ranger yelled, his rapier like weapon lighting up the night with every collision with their enemy's blade.
Even as the creature faced the quick onslaught he made enough time to block a burst of pink laser fire aimed at his back. The Pink Ranger only stopped her fire when the bolts started flying back. "Whoa!"
He regarded them all, hand still raised and blocking the stream of water. The small parking lot flooded as the Rangers cautiously surrounded the dark figure. The figure's feet crunched on freezing water, slowly turning to regard each of his opponents.
"You possess interesting equipment." He said, still uncaring of Blue's efforts. "I look forward to scavenging them from your corpses."
"Okay, seriously, who IS this guy?" Pink asked, her blaster still raised and trained. "He looks like that guy from those ancient movies."
"He IS the guy from those movies! He's Darth Vader!" Blue yelled, finally letting go of her command of the stream. Swiping her wand up to form several spheres of water, each of them hovering at the ready. "HE can move things with his mind, is a cyborg, and has a lightsaber that can deflect lasers and cut through almost anything!"
Yellow held her own saber up to the ready, "Well, he can't cut through our weapons."
"As a team, we can beat him!" Black said, turning the dial at the hilt of his weapon.
"Yeah, let's do this!" Red said, holstering his blaster to summon a large drill like sword.
With another rasp the dark figure, Darth Vader, raised his now freed hand in a clenched fist. "If you believe that is the limit of my power, that your mere teamwork will be enough, then you are painfully mistaken." With that statement hanging in the air he splayed his fingers, and the air bubbled.
A sphere of force rushed along the wet asphalt and sent the Yellow and Black Rangers skidding back. Pink lasers streamed through the air with deadly accuracy only to be summarily deflected and avoided as the monster advanced.
Spheres of half frozen water rushed towards the Blue Ranger. She struggled to control her own element as Vader redirected them again and again. Ever closer the dark figure advanced, only to jump back as a whirling blade slammed down.
The Red Ranger pushed back his hand, "Keep up the pressure! We'll keep him off you!" He yelled, rushing forward to join Yellow in the growing melee.
They were pushing him back, Quasar Saber and Spiral Saber sparking in rapid succession against the lightsaber. Then the Red Ranger flinched back, sparks flickering from his shoulder. "What the?" He said as the Yellow ranger hissed, forced to kneel as sparks flew from her knee.
Behind his visor, the Red Ranger watched as the red blade of plasma shrank to its original length. "A cheap trick!" He yelled, slashing downward in an arc of blue energy.
In reply, Vader seemed to glide backward. "A winning strategy." He said, raising his hand again and clenched. Andros felt a pressure around his neck. His suit sparked under the pressure as he struggled from the invisible grasp. Thanks to the power of his suit he could still breathe but it was becoming more difficult by the second. Becoming more worrying as his feet left the ground, toes splashing against the asphalt.
Pink laser fire peppered the monster again. His lightsaber blurred as he deflected the blast back to their source. The Pink Ranger rolled out of the way, her free hand snapping out a baton like weapon as she rushed into the fray.
Then she backpedaled as she spotted something behind her opponent. Vader turned his head to see the Black Ranger raising his sword into the air. "Brancho Staff, Full Power! Earthquake!" He yelled, slamming the tip into the ground.
And the earth cracked.
The ground shook as a fissure expanded from where he struck, pipes burst and an underground cavern caved in. Sewage and treated water mixed and splashed as rubble fell in. But not their opponent.
He slammed to the other side of the new gorge in a rush of power. Away from the makeshift team as he examined the new landscape.
The Black Ranger ripped his weapon from the dirt as he made an observation. "This isn't working, we need more power! If you got a power-up, do it now!" He yelled, crouching low as he let out another yell. "Super Dino Mode!"
His helmet roared. Black energy stretched from his helmet's visor into a feral jaw. Jaws that clamped down with enough force that the golden design lining his sides pushed out into spiked armor.
The Pink Ranger was quick to join in, thrusting her badge shaped device into the air and yelling her own phrase. "SPD SWAT Mode!"
A headset-like device unfolded from the side of her helmet as a heavy black armored vest covered her chest in a flash of pink light. Light that still radiated from the '5' on her chest. In her hands a large laser cannon with a passing resemblance to a shotgun formed.
The Red Ranger, more hesitant than the others, pressed a button on his wrist. A '3' rang through the air and energy crackled along his form. His muscles swelled and the material of his suit hardened. A second computer forms within the chest armor. On his back a jet pack materialized, long wings worthy of a small fighter jet unfolding as he took to the air.
If the Red Ranger was hesitant Yellow and Blue were near paralyzed. Each for different reasons.
For Yellow, it was because she didn't know if she even could. To activate the Lights of Orion the other Rangers of her team needed to be there, and they weren't. Still, she tried. Reaching out to the air she called for them. She could feel them, trying to reach back, their figurative fingers touching but never grabbing ahold.
And then something reached out from within her. Dark, demanding, lonely, and filled with a burning desire to strike down evil. She was really hoping that was whoever dressed as her but she'd take every bit of help they could get.
"Lights of Orion, activate!" She yelled, golden bands forming around her shins and forearms. A Yellow clawed gauntlet flashing into reality as the cross guard of her Quasar Saber extended. A green gem flashed with power on her right biceps, the same energy within the 'V' of her new belt buckle.
The Blue Ranger, on the other hand, was struck by indecision. For while she had a way to empower herself she wasn't sure if it would be enough, not against this man. And she did have another option, even if it was escalating. If there was such a thing with Darth Vader.
She pulled out her Morpher and typed in a series of numbers, summoning up a magical circle around her.
And then she grew.
Flesh turning to various shades of mechanized blue armor, towering over every building in the small town.
Vader stood on his side of the fissure, staring at the transformations, and did not so much as sigh. All he did was adjust his stance and readied himself for the coming battle.