Rita Returns
Some time after their adventure in Japan with Spider-Man, the Power Rangers returned to their lives in Angel Grove, which, thanks to harvesting the gold from the monster, Goldar's body, was in an economic upswing that allowed it to expand to having skyscrapers and warehouses on the coastline. Some at Angel Grove High School were excited by the changes as a result of the city getting bigger. Others, like Zack's, the Black Ranger, looked up to the towering skyline with caution. Having lived in a trailer park alone with his mother, Zack didn't see why anyone would use that gold to build bigger buildings instead of using the new wealth to heal the sick and injured, but he had resigned himself to the fact that some people look down on others long ago. Just then, Zack was snapped out of his thoughts by the beeping of his communicator. "Zachery", said the booming voice of Zordon, the floating head, "Do you copy?" "I read you", said Zack, "What's happening?" "There is a monster attack in your area", explained Zordon. Zack looked up to see the Yellow and Pink Rangers kicking a giant chicken with a large pair of scissors through a billboard. "Is the monster a big chicken with a giant pair of scissors?", Zack asked. "That is correct, Zachery", said Zordon. "I'm on it", said Zack.
He morphed into the Black Ranger and pulled out his axe as the chicken started spitting fire! He blocked the flames with the axe's blade and slammed it into the creature's shoulder! The Pink Ranger then fired an arrow into the chicken's wound as the Yellow Ranger slashed its legs with her daggers! "Where are the others?", asked the Black Ranger. Just then, the chicken was impaled by a double trident as the Red Ranger sliced the scissors in half! "Found them", said the Yellow Ranger. The Blue Ranger leaped down and kicked the chicken in the face! "Keep him surrounded in the construction zone", said the Red Ranger, "Don't let Buck Cluck get away!" "On it", said the Yellow Ranger as she threw her daggers, stabbing the chicken's wings against an incomplete stone wall!
As the Power Rangers ganged up on the chicken, Tomoko "Tommy" Oliver, the new girl in town, watched as members of the crowd took videos on their cell phones. She marveled at how the Rangers all charged the chicken, stabbing it with their energized weapons and blowing it up. "I always did love chicken nuggets", said the Black Ranger as the Power Rangers disappeared in blast of rainbow light. "Gotta get me one of those", said Tommy as she walked off. She expected the Power Rangers to be on the evening news in about five minutes. They've been on a lot since their trip to home country of Japan, though everyone considered them apart of the city. 'Fair enough, they were more popular than her school's football team', thought Tommy as she climbed up the stairs to her apartment building.
"I'm home, Okasan", she said. "Tomoko, did you see them", asked her mother. "The Power Rangers?", asked Tommy as she took off her shoes, "Yeah. They're almost like the Sentai shows back home". "Hai", said her mother. Tommy stopped at the photo of her father, a clean shaven man with long, black hair and wide smile contrasted with his US Marine Corps uniform. Tommy bowed to the photo of her late father before helping to set the table. "IS everything OK at school?", asked Tommy's mother, "I know American schools are a little rougher, though I was surprised you got detention on the first day". "Wasn't that bad", said Tommy as she brushed her short hair back. "You threw two guys into a dumpster", said her mother. "To be fair, I did warn them", said Tommy as she laid the napkins on the table. "This sukeban phase will be the death of me", said her mother.
The two then sat down to eat ramen. As they ate, Tommy noticed her mother's forlorn expression. "Have...you been thinking about him lately?", she asked. "I never stop thinking about your father, Tomoko", said her mother, "I think you have a lot of him in you". Tommy blushed happily. "I'm serious", said her mother, "You have his strength, his heart. You have such a spark that's wonderful to see. I know life has been difficult since the funeral, but you have a way of making things better than they are. So please, don't throw your potential away just to prove yourself. You're already the best." "Arigato gozaimasu, Okasan", said Tommy with a bow, before then looking to her green leather jacket with a white dragon emblazoned on the right sleeve. The last gift given to her by her father. Tommy and her mother went back to eating quietly, unaware of danger brewing in the world.
On a remote island in the South Pacific, Finster, a furry, white elf, was busy making a new monster to replace the dead chicken when he heard a shriek of pain from his master, Rita Repulsa. "Finster!", she cried out. Finster ran into the medical bay of the cave he was forced to live in to find Rita convulsing as sickly, green energy spread through her veins. "It is as I feared", said Finster, "The Green Power Coin is rejecting your body. Zordon must have found a way to begin the purification ritual". "Oh, I have such a headache", groaned Rita, before she shrieked with such strength, it shattered multiple glass bottles! "We have to remove the coin", said Finster as he grabbed Rita's staff, "If we do not, it will kill you, Mistress". Rita grabbed her staff and began focusing her energy into it, before firing the Green Power Coin high into the sky! "I have no choice but to rely on my magic", said Rita, "But I'll get the last laugh on Zordon". "How, Mistress?", asked Finster as Rita used her magic to conjure a bronze and pink cloak. "I used my energy to cast a spell on the coin", said Rita, "Whoever finds it will be mine".
"Ay yi yi", said Alpha 5 as he monitored the energy levels, "It would appear that your purification spell work, Zordon". At that moment, Zordon, a giant head floating among blue energy, appeared inside of his tube. "We were lucky that Demitria decided to aid us when she did", said Zordon, "However, I sense the ritual is incomplete". "That energy surge might have destroyed the Green Power Coin", suggested Alpha 5, "If we're lucky, it might have killed Rita as well". "Perhaps", said Zordon, "But I fear other dark forces may soon be at work".
At the same time, Melanie Sheer of Apex Cybernetics saw the power surge as she looked out at the sunny coast of Pensacola, Florida. Just then, Robert, Melanie's young assistant, burst in. "Melanie, did you see it?", he asked excitedly. "Oh, I saw it", said Melanie as she stood up, "Follow me, Rob". The two walked down the hallway and into the Battle Room. "What are we looking at here?", asked Melanie. "Well", said one of the scientists, "around five minutes ago, a massive power surge occurred somewhere in the South Pacific before dissipating in the sky above Angel Grove". "No doubt it's something involving the Power Rangers", said another scientist. "Is Operation Lightspeed ready?", asked Robert. "Not yet, though I have someone in mind once it gets underway", said Melanie, "For now, we do as we always do. Observe, report, and track down any anomalies. We're going to Angel Grove".
As Apex personnel readied the jet planes for take-off, Robert and Melanie looked over the files she had on Operation Lightspeed. "So, what are we looking at here?", asked Robert as he adjusted his glasses. "Lightspeed Operative Number One", said Melanie, "Alias: Carter Grayson. At just forty years of age, he has not only extensive combat experience, but also field experience working as a firefighter in the Silver Hills area". "So he's a Marine that moonlights as a firefighter?", asked Robert. "No, he's a firefighter that moonlights as a Marine", said Melanie, "If I know Grayson, he'll already be on the look-out for anything like what happened last spring".
The next day, while at school, Jason and Kimberly looked over at Billy's laptop. "OK, what are we seeing here?", asked Jason. "Looks like a massive energy surge went off last night", said Billy, "Get this. Remember when we took on Goldar and Rita combined with it? The readings I'm getting are almost the exact same". "Meaning Rita is coming back", said Jason, "What could she be planning?" "Another monster, I guess", said Kimberly, "You'd think she'd learn after the last seven in a row". "It was eight, counting Goldar", said Billy. "You think Zordon would know about this?", asked Kimberly. "Let's ask him after school", said Billy.
On the other side of the campus, Tommy drew something in her journal as Trini walked over. "Anything interesting there?", she asked. "Just some doodles I'm working on", said Tommy as she showed off some detailed drawings of traditional Japanese temples. "If those are doodles, I'd like to see a full mural", said Trini.
Cue Song: Bulk and Skull's Theme by Ron Wasserman
Just then, Bulk, a fat guy, and Skull, his skinny friend, arrived, ready to cause trouble. "Yo, Trini, where'd the other goodie goods run off to?", asked Bulk. "Yeah, where are they?", asked Skull. Trini looked to her messages. "Looks like they're in the last place you'd ever look", she said. "Guess again, Trini", said Skull, "We already looked in the library". "Yeah, the only thing we found there was an old book on the history of the town". "Now why would you two need a history book?", asked Tommy as she stepped forward, causing Bulk and Skull to flinch. "Come on, none of that", said Tommy as she wrapped her arms around their shoulders, "I know we got off on the wrong foot, but we're friends now, right?" "Yes, Ma'am", said Bulk and Skull. "Perfect, now answer the question", said Tommy. "We hope to use this book to look for clues to the secrets of the Power Rangers", said Bulk. "That's your master plan?", asked Trini. "OK, where's the dumpster?", asked Tommy. "No, really", said Skull, "With those secrets, we'll become superheroes". "You know that's right", smiled Bulk as he and Skull bumped fists. "Oh, really?", asked Tommy with a glare as she cracked her knuckles. Bulk and Skull ran off in terror at the threatening display.
Just then, Trini got a message on her phone from Zack asking her to meet with the others. "That's my cue", said Trini, "I'll see you later, Tommy". "Stay safe", said Tommy as Trini grabbed her bag and went outside, where Jason, Kimberly, Billy, and Zack were waiting. "What took you, Trini?", asked Jason. "Tommy and I got side-tracked by Bulk and Skull", said Trini, "Come on, let's go". "OK, teleporting in 3, 2, 1", said Billy before he pushed a button, transporting them to the Command Center, a room inside of a spaceship hidden beneath a lake with no bottom. It had five circular tiles surrounding a mass of green and yellow energy with blue lighting, multiple computer panels, and a giant tube flank by two Tesla coils. The coils energized, and Zordon, a gigantic, blue floating head, appeared in the tube. "What troubles you, Rangers?", Zordon asked. "Zordon, we detected an energy surge from last night", said Billy. "I see, and I can explain", said Zordon, "Alpha and I were attempting to purify the Green Power Coin, cutting Rita off from its power. We were hoping that a surge of light magic could prevent its use by the forces of evil, but at the moment, we are unsure if the ritual was a success". "I'm not sure Rita would hold onto something that could be a liability", said Kimberly, "Come to think of it, Billy, where did the power surge occur?" "Let me check", said Billy as he typed something into the computer terminal, "Looks like it started in the South Pacific, but dissipated over Angel Grove". "Could the ritual still have worked?", asked Jason. "I'm not certain, but if it hasn't, Angel Grove may be in terrible danger", warned Zordon ominously.
As Tommy walked home, taking a short-cut through the wooded park, she thought she heard a whisper in the air. She turned to see no one there before seeing something glowing in the distance. She pushed past some branches and walked into a clearing. There, she saw a small crater, at the bottom of which sat the Green Power Coin. "Reach for it", the whispers said as Tommy looked into the crater. She felt compelled to take hold of the Power Coin. As she held it up, Tommy noticed the power of the coin seeping into her left arm. "Tokumade", she said with a smile.
At her island hideout, Rita smirked. "The coin has found its new owner", she smirked. "I take it the spell will begin its work soon?", asked Finster. "The Rangers won't know what hit 'em", said Rita as she held up her magic staff.
To Be Continued...