Not even a single chapter in and I've already got people interested in this story. Thank you to all who have left a review, whether you are a guest or have an account on this site. But it seems that some of you have forgotten what I said in my first chapter.
Izuku will still be getting the Quirk of All Might, so the idea of him being a ranger isn't what I have planned. Being the descendant of Tommy Oliver? That's also out of the question, considering Tommy is American and Izuku is Japanese, sure Tommy could have married some from Japan or one his descendants could have, but I already have plans for a descendant of Tommy Oliver, and it involves one of the new rangers. Though, the ideas are interesting.
Did I forget to mention that a certain gold-winged creature fought by the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers will be returning, along with my favorite Power Ranger villain who has his own zord? No. Well, I told you now. Also, I think I figured out the pairing I want for this story, in terms of the OC anyway.
Finally watched Power Rangers: Now and Forever and it was awesome, but I wished they showed something from Lightspeed Rescue.
Alright, onto the chapter, but first. I would like to thank Omni-Remnant for his help in my creation of the character who will be replacing Mineta. Don't get me wrong, it's funny when he fails to be a pervert and when Jiro jabs him in the eye with her jack when he tries to peep on the girls, but he doesn't seem to fit in with my story. So, are resident pervert with balls on his head won't be appearing.
Now, onto the reviews.
The guest DCD GOJIRA: Yes, I am a nineties guy, born six years before lightspeed rescue and let me tell you, if I was inspired by Carter to be a fireman, I would certainly be a fireman, but I'm not.
PopCultureFan101: Yes, Tommy is one of the greatest rangers of all time, but Izuku is not his descendant.
Just a reader now a writer: I'll try my best.
Clynch3: No, Izuku won't be the descendant of Tommy Oliver, and I have an idea of who should be the white ranger.
SparkySparkpaw: I'm pretty sure there are many people who want Izuku to be a ranger, but he's not going to be a ranger, but as for the master morpher, wouldn't that be dangerous if the wrong person got their hands on it?
Karlos1234ify: Thank you.
Luffy L Deathwalker: Well, maybe after reading a few chapters, you might get into My Hero Academia.
Alright, que the intro.
Power Rangers… Lightspeed! Lightspeed Rescue!
(The Camera flies over the water as the Rescue Bay rises from the ocean floor, with the five Rangers standing on top of it and looking at U.A Highschool in the distance.)
The Signal is calling, our planet is falling, the danger will test you. Better make it Lightspeed Rescue!
(All Five Rangers flip open their morphers and morph, ready for battle, then leap off the rescue bay and land on the top of the Rail Rescues.)
Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue!
Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue!
Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue!
Light… Speed… Go!
(The rangers leap off the Rail Rescues and stand beside various Pro Heroes, including Mirko, Lady Ryukyu, Best Jeanist, Endeavor, and All Might. Also beside them are the students of U.A Highschool's hero course, including Izuku, Nejire, Ochako, Iida, Tsui, Bakugo, Kendo, and the rest of their classmates.)
Powers on its way. Rangers save the day.
(In front of them, shrouded by shadows is All For One, with Olympius in front with an army of Batlings and Monsters, along with the League Villians.
Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue!
Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue!
Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue!
Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue!
Light… Speed, Go!
(The Heroes and Rangers then charge forwards to battle.)
Disclaimers are the same as always, please enjoy.
Chapter 2: Connor Grayson Origin
"You're certain that the Lightspeed Rangers have returned, Ghouligan?" Olympius asked, standing in front of the kneeling fire monster.
"I could never forget those uniforms, my prince. They may not be the same rangers I fought before, but they have returned." Ghouligan answered. Having returned from his failed mission, he believed that he would face the fury of his prince. He awaited the inevitable attack, but it never came, only the laughter from his prince.
"This is perfect! These rangers are but children and we can destroy them easily with very little effort." Olympius cackled, before recomposing himself. "That's what the old me would say. Like I said, we underestimated the rangers before and it cost us our victory, something I don't intend on repeating anytime soon." He then raised his hand and cast a spell that projected a sort of projection into the air, contacting Jinxer. "Jinxer, how goes your search for new allies?"
"I have already gathered the lifeforce energy some of the most dangerous enemies ever faced by the Power Rangers, even from before we were unsealed from our imprisonment. I have several allies in mind to act as your generals. Of course, we must be weary of those who plan to double cross us." Jinxer reported.
"That's the last thing we need! I won't have a repeat of Tri-Skull working for the likes of Trakenna instead of me. However, it appears the Power Rangers have returned, but they are only children. Even so, we must ensure that we are not betrayed." Olympius said with anger. "Where are you now, Jinxer?"
"I am now traveling the vast reaches of space to seek more allies. I believe a few of the warriors who served Dark Specter and Trakenna should do nicely." Jinxer replied.
"Gather the energy of these warriors, then return to the Skull Cavern immediately. It will take time to resurrect them, and I want them ready while I plan our next move." Olympius ordered.
"As you wish, my prince. It shall be done." Jinxer answered, vanishing from the projection.
Without even an order, Ghouligan left the throne room, leaving the demon prince alone. "Perhaps, we should try a different tactic and look to other allies besides just monsters." He mused to himself, then cast the same spell as before, this time to the ground and appearing through the projection were numerous Pro Heroes in Japan. "Perhaps, we should consider gathering strength from these so called, 'heroes."
Back on Earth, the five Lightspeed rangers looked to the small animal creature before them in disbelief. "You're names, Nezu?" Anthony asked.
"That's me! The one who could be a mouse, or a dog, or bear. But the important thing is… I'm the principal!" the small creature said, tilting his head and raising one of his paws in the air. "I originally came to I Island looking for new security systems to install at UA High School, and you can imagine my surprise when I heard on the news that the Lightspeed Power Rangers had returned. I was excited to hear that the heroes who protected us for years before the emergence of Quirks have returned. It appears yours and Mondo's theory was correct, doctor." Nezu spoke.
"Wait? You knew about the return of these monsters?" Melissa asked in surprise.
"Nezu here was one of the people who believed me and Mondo about the demons return. He felt that if the demons returned, they would target his students at UA and possibly take their quirks by force and use them to enhance the monsters. He's one of the few UA staff that took my warning seriously, along with All Might." David explained.
"I should also mention that I am a huge fan of the Power Rangers. More specifically, on how five teenagers with attitude were chosen to protect our planet from evils far more dangerous than anything in the history of Earth. It just proves my belief that, even those without quirks can become heroes and after seeing your actions earlier today, how can I not be impressed." Nezu said with a smile. "Which is why I have a proposal for all five of you. How would you all like to attend UA High School?"
The five rangers stood in surprise with their jaws practically dropped. "I'm sorry, but did I hear you right? You want us to attend UA High School?" Lena asked.
"But I thought only those with quirks can attend schools that train heroes?" Thomas added.
"That's just a myth started by some of the early heroes who didn't want those without quirks to interfere with their goal of becoming heroes, although it later became a mandate to prevent the children of those with checkered pasts from entering the schools and aiding any villains." Nezu clarified.
"Yeah, but hasn't exactly done anything to keep those with quirks putting down those without quirks and telling them that they're useless, unworthy of being a hero in anyway or anything else like that." Connor scoffed, partially speaking about Bakugo and from personal experience. "You know a lot of teachers have turned blind eyes to those with promising quirks and their attitudes towards those without quirks and those with 'weak' quirks."
"That's why I'm the principle." Nezu said with his paw in the air. "My school doesn't tolerate the bullying of anyone, quirk less or with 'weak' quirks. I know from experience that many schools will do anything to allow a student with a promising quirk to enter schools like UA. Aside from bullying, many schools have used embezzlement and extortion to give these students a chance to enter my school, even threatening the families of students who have filed complaints against these bullies, which has resulted in many schools shutting down when such actions have been confirmed."
"So, we don't need to worry about being bullied? What if people find out that we're the Power Rangers?" Connor asked.
"I'm pretty sure that everyone now knows who the Lightspeed Rangers are, your fight has been shown on news networks across the world, but only the people who know you will know you are the Power Rangers." Nezu assured. "That being said, does the leader of the Power Rangers wish to except my offer?" he asked, turning to Connor.
"Wait? Leader? I'm only fourteen, going to be fifteen in September. I'm the youngest ranger here, wouldn't Thomas, Anthony, Lena, or Melissa be a better choice for the leader?" Connor protested.
"The Red Ranger is traditionally the leader of the Power Rangers, although there have been times when another ranger leads the team." Nezu pointed out. "So, in a manner of speaking, the decision rests with you, young Grayson."
The other rangers turned to Connor. Aside from Melissa, they had only known each other for only a few hours and yet now, they were being offered a chance to attend one of if the most famous school to turn out promising pro heroes in the entire world, despite being among the twenty percent of the population that were quirk-less. It was all too much for him, but at the same time he felt a deep sense of shame. "Could… Could I have some time to think about this, Nezu, sir?" Connor asked.
"Of course, you can. I'm here for another few days and I didn't expect an answer right away. After all, it is a big decision to make, and I won't force you or your friends to go if you don't want to. Discuss it with the other rangers and I'll await your answer at the hotel." Nezu answered and turned towards the door. "Oh, I should mention that Power Loader said that he would be honored to assist in repairing and restoring the Megazords and helping in the construction of newer Zords."
After Nezu left, the other rangers turned to Connor and looked at their leader in confusion. "Dude, why would you tell Nezu that you wanted to think about his offer? Do you know how many people dream of going to UA High School?" Anthony asked.
"It's a great honor and great chance for us to become better rangers. Sure, there are other schools around the world, but UA High School? That's the school where Endeavor, Best Jeanist, Edgeshot and Present Mic went to let alone All Might himself." Thomas pointed out.
"I agree. We should take this opportunity. It will help us. Like the doctor said, Olympius might target those heroes in Japan and take their quirks for his monsters. If we're at UA, we have a better chance of helping them and fighting those monsters." Lena added.
"No." Connor said. "I'm not going to accept his offer." This shocked the others, except for Melissa and David who knew why he said no.
"But you haven't even had time to think about it. Why would you just say no?" Lena asked.
"I don't want to talk about it!" Connor shouted, storming out of the lab, leaving the other rangers back in the lab, save Melissa who went after her brother.
"What was all that about?" Thomas asked. "Does he have a problem with heroes?"
"It's more like he used to have a problem with them." David said, taking a seat at the table and pulled out a photo that he showed the other rangers. Three people were in the photograph. One was a younger Connor when he was two years old, while the other two were a man and woman in their early to late twenties to early thirties. The man had silver hair with blue eyes and pale skin, while the woman had blonde hair and blue eyes, like Connor. Both of them were wearing lab coats and Connor was being held in the hands of the woman. "And because a hero was indirectly responsible for the death of his parents."
"Wait, you mean these two are Connor's parents?" Anthony asked.
"Yes. Linda and Jack Grayson, they were scientists like me, but they most focused on using ranger technology to build equipment to be used by both heroes and non-heroes, such as the suits used by the rangers being able to protect them from harm, or how the rescue blasters are able to act as fire extinguishers." David said with a sigh.
"What happened?" Lena asked.
"It's a long story." David said, taking a deep breath before he started to tell the other three rangers the story.
The following day, after breakfast, Melissa had hoped to talk with her brother about what happened yesterday but found that he had already left the house on I-Island and went to Mariner Bay. She tried to call him, but her calls kept being ignored by her brother, causing her to become worried. Not even the other rangers, her father or Sam knew where he was, but Melissa had an idea of where he was, seeing as he had talked about a certain machine being in Mariner Bay that was going on a trip around the country, a machine that had interested her brother since he was a toddler.
Clouds of steam billowed into the air as the nearly three-hundred year old Union Pacific Big Boy 4014 Steam Locomotive, the largest and most powerful locomotive in history thundered down the tracks towards Marnier Bay's Union Station, passing by a passenger train and freight train that were passing by on the outer lines with railfans young and old lining the trackside with camera's and phones, taking photographs and videos of this massive machine while Pro-Heroes kept the people back away from the tracks.
As the train passed through a short tunnel before the station, Connor watched the train pull into the station with tears coming down his eyes. Before his parents died, his father promised him that one day they would go and see his son's favorite locomotive, which he became fascinated with after a neighbor showed him the locomotive on his model railroad. "Well dad, I finally got to see my favorite locomotive in person. I just wish you and mom could see it with me." He said to himself, taking a video of the engine pulling into the station with his phone, before he left the station and headed to another place, far from the station.
After walking for thirty minutes, he came to his destination, a park in the middle of the city that was popular for dog owners. Finding a place in the park, he laid back on the grass and stared at the sky, thinking about Nezu's offer. "What am I going to do? I really want to go to UA, but after everything I said all those years ago, I'm not sure I'm worthy of walking through the halls of UA high school. Mom, Dad, what would you do?" he asked himself.
"Hey, hey! Aren't you the red ranger?" a voice said from nearby. Startled, Connor looked to his right and saw the voice belonged to a fair-skinned sixteen-year-old Japanese girl of average height, with wide and curious eyes, long and thick upper eyelashes, royal blue eyes that complimented her periwinkle hair with side-swept bangs tucked behind her right ear while hanging over her left ear and two short clumps of hair on both sides of her face. Their clothing consisted of a blue tank top, light black leggings, sneakers, and armbands on her wrists. With her was a woman of about twenty-five years old with chin length blonde hair, thin yellow eyes, slit pupils and most notably, extremely sharp teeth. Their clothing consisted of a grey shirt, black running shorts and sneakers. "Talk about a crazy coincidence, running into the red ranger here of all places, don't you have training to do, and shouldn't you be looking for those monsters? Oh, are you staking out the park in case they show up?" the girl asked.
"Woah, woah, woah! Back it up. Time out." Conner said, getting to his feet and crossing his hands like a t. "One question at a time, please. You're making my brain hurt."
The older woman, whom Connor assumed to be from Okinawa spoke up. "Please forgive Hado, she's a very curious girl, especially for a young hero in training." The older woman apologized.
"Not the first time I've had someone like her ask me so many questions." Connor chuckled, thinking about the first time he met Izuku. "But to answer your question, yes. I am the red ranger, but you both probably knew that already, I mean you did see the broadcast of the fight yesterday, so keeping our identities a secret has pretty much gone out the window."
"There you are Connor!" Melissa shouted as she ran into the park. "I knew you'd be here. You always come here to think when you have something on your mind."
"Your names Connor?" the older woman asked.
"Yes, ma'am. Connor Grayson. This is my older sister, Melissa Shields. Well, more like my older adoptive sister." Connor answered.
"Wait, when you say Shields, do you mean as in David Shields? The unofficial sidekick of All Might when he studied in America. That's so cool!" the blue-haired girl said with excitement. "Oh, right. My name is Nejire Hado."
"And I am Ryuko Tatsuma." The older woman introduced.
"Wait! You mean you're the Dragoon Hero Ryukyu? The Number 9 hero in Japan?" Melissa asked in surprise. "What brings you all the way to America?"
"Tracking down a dangerous villain. He fled Japan a few days ago and one of my old friends in America said they spotted him in California. Nejire is my work studies student and a second year at UA High School and the two of us had a few run-ins with this villain before he fled." Ryuko answered.
"I thought foreign heroes couldn't operate anywhere outside of their home country?" Connor asked.
"Normally, that's the case. But we were given special clearance by the hero safety commission to travel overseas and apprehend this villain before he could disappear again. But we didn't expect to be fighting monsters. I don't think you can imagine our surprise that during our investigation, we see the Power Rangers return after nearly two centuries of being considered legends." Ryuko explained.
"Hey, speaking of Power Rangers, why are you here anyway?" Nejire asked, looking at Connor.
"I needed someplace quiet to think." Connor answered.
"You're still thinking about Nezu's offer?" Melissa asked.
"Wait, what kind of offer did principle Nezu offer you?" Nejire asked.
"He offered to allow all five of us to attend UA High School, despite the fact that our powers come from our morphers and we're quirkless." Melissa answered.
"Hey! That's cool! You should totally go to UA. I'll be a third-year next year and I can definitely help you guys out if you need any help." Nejire said excitedly.
"I have to agree with Nejire. It's a tremendous honor that you shouldn't pass up. Even if you are quirkless, the Power Rangers are still heroes and while they do have the authority to operate without being classified as vigilantes, UA can help you all be better trained to face villains." Ryuko added.
"I'm not going to accept the offer." Connor said bluntly. "I'm not worthy to go to UA, not after what I've done."
"This is about what happened to your parents and how you acted afterward, isn't it?" Melissa guessed.
"Yeah, it is?"
"What happened?" Ryuko asked.
Connor took a deep breath, sighed, and turned towards the two Japanese heroes. "My parents were scientists who had a strong fascination with ranger technology. They believed that they could use ranger technology to build support items to be used by future heroes. Imagine it, the mega battles used by the blue and green lightspeed rangers used by heroes who specialize in rescue work, a blaster in the hands of a hero with a quirk that gave them incredible accuracy, etc.… the possibilities were endless."
"I've heard of those scientists. Jack and Linda Grayson. They attended I-Island academy and presented a thesis about ranger technology being used by heroes. You're their son?" Ryuko asked.
"I am. One minute they were partners in the lab, the next minute they were husband and wife. I came along a year after they married and even though they were scientists, they always made time for me. I was their pride and joy, even after I was declared quirkless." Connor continued. "I think deep down, they wanted a child with a quirk, one who they thought would be able to support, but they loved me just the same and didn't see me as a lab rat. They loved me and always supported my hobbies. You know the UP 4014 that's on a rail-tour across the country? First time I saw that locomotive on TV, I told my dad that I want to see it in person one day, and my parents promised me that we would go and see it one day."
"I'm almost afraid to ask what happened to them." Nejire said with regret.
Connor sighed again and told them what happened. "I was four years old when my parents and I were at a local bank in a town outside Mariner Bay. My parents needed money to fund a research project they were working on. I think it had something to do with the carrier based megazords or the zords used by the Overdrive rangers, but I was too young to remember the details. But what I do remember is the events that transpired that day." He closed his eyes as tears started to form around his eyes. "A small-time villain tried to rob the bank, but the police had already surrounded him and the bank, causing the villain to take everyone in the bank hostage. My parents kept me close to them, as a way to shield me from the villain, who shouted they wouldn't think twice about killing a kid. From what I remember, the police were trying to convince the villain to let the hostages go, trying to resolve the matter peacefully, but it didn't end the way they wanted."
Melissa noticed the pain in her brother's voice as he continued to tell the story. "A recently licensed hero was nearby and saw the incident and rather than wait for the villain to surrender, he charged headfirst into the situation, crashed through the wall, and tackled the villain, inadvertently activating the villains quirk, that turned their hair into quills similar to that of a porcupine. The quills went flying everywhere, but the only casualties where my parents who shielded me from harm."
Flashback
A four-year-old Connor's eyes widened in fear as blood trickled down the sides of his parents and onto his face. Tears fell from his eyes before he screamed for his parents.
End Flashback
"My parents died that day, protecting my life after a hero acted without a plan and it was that day, my hatred for heroes and quirks emerged." Connor stated.
"You… hated heroes and quirks?" Nejire asked in shock.
"He did. Every time Uncle Might came over for a visit, Connor glared at Uncle and didn't even interact with him, despite his best efforts to get along with him." Melissa answered.
"Every time the news showed a hero being 'heroic' on the news, I silently said I hated them and wished they would get their asses handed to them. Even if they were saving people's lives, I still hated heroes with a fire that burned hotter than lava and having All Might as an 'uncle' didn't help much." Connor admitted, deeply ashamed of his past actions. "To me, all heroes were the same as the one who got my parents killed. Later I heard that the hero involved with the robbery had his license revoked because he made a repeat of the same actions a few months later."
"And yet, you now support and respect heroes, despite what happened to your parents. Something must have changed in those ten years." Ryuko noted.
"Actually, it was four years that I hated heroes." Connor clarified. "Four years after my parents were killed, a plot against the leader of this nation occurred. One of the candidates running for president, they had a plan to take the entire election and carry out their plan. This candidate believed in the whole quirk singularity doomsday theory, that quirks would become too powerful to control and eventually wipe out humanity. Even though the theory wasn't proven, the candidate was appealing to others who believed in the theory, promising that if he was elected as president, everyone with a quirk, be they man, woman, child, hero or not would be exterminated, to protect the security of the country."
"Sounds like he didn't do well in the polls." Nejire guessed, already not liking this man.
"Heh. He wasn't. As the election went on, the polls were clearly shifting in the direction of the current president and the other candidate, who didn't believe in an unproven theory. That didn't sit well with the man, so he concocted a plan that would guarantee the election. People with the same beliefs as him, managed to sabotage the engines of Air Force One, forcing it to land on an uncharted island close to Japan, taking the president and staff hostage while another group assassinated his opponent in what was called a 'terrible accident'. The plan was to execute the president and his staff, so that way with no opponents, the man would become president and be able to carry out his plan, all for the preservation of humanity as he called it." Connor continued.
"But he failed. I heard that the coup failed, thanks to All Might who was nearby on another assignment and saved the president, his staff and family." Ryuko pointed out.
"He did, and the president was so grateful that he was saved by All Might, he invited him to Washington D.C. so he could award All Might with a special Medal of Honor. All Might was honored and decided to invite my sister, her father, her mother, and myself to D.C. to attend the ceremony." Connor explained. "The plan was to take a plane to D.C. and explore the city for a while. Doctor Shields got special permission to leave I Island so he could attend the ceremony, but he and All Might were the ones who took the plane. I'm ashamed to admit it, but I caused a bit of a tantrum about going to attend some ceremony for a hero, so we missed the plane and ended up taking a train to Chicago, where we would meet the two of them and then fly the rest of the way."
"You had a sour throat because of your yelling." Melissa teased.
"What about your hatred of heroes?" Nejire asked.
"I'm getting to that. Anyway, we took the Grand Continental, one of the newest trains to run the rails. Fourteen superliner cars, two baggage cars, dining cars, sleeper cars and powered by four of the newest Genesis locomotives, this train was to travel along the original overland route from the west coast to the east coast along the same route as the original transcontinental railroad and it was its inaugural run. We were lucky to ride that train, but it would have been better if it was pulled by a steam engine." Connor continued.
"Wait, are you telling me that you were…" Ryuko began with widened eyes.
"Yes. We were on that train when it happened." Melissa answered.
"When what happened?" Nejire asked.
"The Grand Continental train wreck." Ryuko said. "One of the worst disasters in American railroad history. It happened in the Moffat Tunnel in Colorado, a single tracked tunnel with a length of about six miles. Opened in 1928, long before quirks ever existed."
"Yeah, that's where it happened. It was on the second day of the journey. We had left Salt Lake City in the middle of the night and when we awoke the next morning, we found out that somehow, the train had entered dark territory, a section of track five-hundred miles between Salt Lake City and Denver where no signals control the tracks and communications between railroad dispatchers and engineers are impossible. It caused many trainwrecks in the past and it's most reserved for freight trains, so you can imagine the surprise on the conductors faces when they saw we were on the wrong track, but they couldn't do anything." Connor continued. "None of us knew, but at the time, a freight train carrying military equipment and components requested by the scientists on I-Island for their research. Not even the crew of the freight train knew about what happened, but then again, they couldn't have known as the train was unmanned."
"If I remember correctly, the engineer of the freight train said he put the throttle in idle while he went to switch the points, but for some reason the throttle moved into full power on its own, which resulted in the engineer being hurt when he tried to climb back onboard the train." Ryuko said.
"Yeah, and it got worse. Right after our train exited dark territory, that freight train had already made past Denver and heading right towards our train, which had somehow came to an unexpected stop in the middle of the tunnel, with no way of restarting the train. By the time the crew realized that the engines had failed, the freight train was already half-way into the tunnel. The crew of the train had only just started to evacuate everyone of the train when the freight train collided into our train." Melissa added.
"The cargo on the first half of the freight train went up like firecrackers, echoing through the tunnel and around the town of Fraser. Fires broke out, smoke billowed into the air, and the passenger cars at the front of the train were wrecked, trapping many passengers underneath the rubble. Among them were us." Connor continued, remembering that day.
Flashback
Six years ago
Smoke and fire raged through the wrecked superliner cars, as passengers screamed for help, hoping that someone would hear their cries. Among the twisted metal and seats, Connor was trapped underneath a mountain of debris while Melissa was helped to her feet by a conductor. Ahead of them, multiple explosions continued to go off as more cargo from the freight train detonated, weakening the structure of the tunnel.
Connor tried to call for help, but his hoarse throat made it difficult for anyone to hear his calls. Passengers ran from the fire as emergency personnel and pro heroes arrived to assist the injured, not even looking through the rubble for Connor whose right arm was broken in the crash and starting to lose consciousness from the smoke and fire.
More explosions continued to echo through out the tunnel, causing the ceiling to start buckling from the weakened concrete, causing those in the tunnel to help the injured out of the tunnel before the inevitable, not even looking for Connor.
Still pinned under the rubble, Connor felt his life slipping away before he heard the sound of metal being thrown off him. Struggling to keep his eyes open, he could only watch as more rubble was tossed away and appearing before him was the number one hero himself, with a smile on his face. "Fear not young man. You are safe now. Because I am here!"
End Flashback
"Wait! You were saved by All Might!?" Nejire practically screamed.
"Yeah, and I still have a hard time believing it." Connor said with a chuckle. "I mean, every time he came to visit Melissa and her father, I just stayed clear of him, thinking he was the same person as the hero who caused the death of my parents. But when the accident happened, he came to save me. Me! The boy who hated heroes like him and never even so much as talked to him when he visited the states."
"Did you thank All Might?" Ryuko asked.
"That's the thing, a part of me is afraid to thank him. I spent four years of my childhood hating heroes and then my faith in heroes was restored when the number one hero saved my life, when everyone else had left me for dead. If I were to meet him now, he'd probably have forgotten all about it." Connor continued.
"Knowing All Might, he'd never would have forgotten about that rescue. He talked about it in an interview not long ago, saying that if he had gotten there sooner, he could have stopped the runaway. But his biggest accomplishment that day was saving all those lives." Ryuko smirked. "So, what after All Might saved you?"
"Anyway, that's the last thing I remember before I lost consciousness and when I awoke, I found myself in the hospital in Denver. My arm had to be put in a cast, but thanks to the heroes and local authorities, there weren't any fatalities, and the line was soon cleared. The ceremony was put off for a few more days, at All Might's request, but while I never got to thank him for saving me, he inspired me to become a hero in my own way." Connor said. "Sure, I don't have a quirk, but that didn't stop me from wanting to be just like All Might. So, I made it my goal, to become a hero in a way similar to All Might, despite being quirkless. People with quirks bullied me, saying that I could never become like All Might, but I continued to work to my goal, training to become someone people can look up to, who can be inspired by my actions. But going to UA, I'm not sure if it's the right action."
"Why should that matter?" Nejire said. "You've got a chance to go to UA and that's not an opportunity you shouldn't pass up. Being the first rangers to attend UA, that's going to be something to remember long into the future, plus you don't have to go to become a pro hero. You can be whatever kind of hero you want to be and that's the kind of choice only you can make and if you do end up going, then you can count on me and my friends to have your back."
Connor smiled after Nejire finished speaking. At first, he thought she would put him down and say that he shouldn't go to UA, due to the fact that he and the other rangers were born without superpowers, but here she was, actually saying that she and whoever their friends were would have their backs. "Thanks, Hado. That means a lot to me. I guess what I really needed was a pep talk from someone like you." He chuckled, his face turning red. "M-maybe, when we go to UA, if you have t-time, we could… maybe… g-grab a bite to eat?" he stuttered.
"Are you asking me out? We only just met and you're like totally younger than me." Nejire said, before she giggled. "I'm just kidding, I've had a lot of people ask me out. But" she began only to be cut off when sirens filled the air as fire trucks raced past the park, heading towards the station. "That doesn't look good."
"Neither is that!" Melissa exclaimed, pointing to the smoke rising from the direction of the train station. "Connor."
"Yeah, I know." He said and brought up his morpher. "Doc, we've got a fire at Mariner Bay Station, send the other rangers to the station. Melissa and I will be there shortly."
"Understood, Connor." David replied over the communicator.
"You two need a lift?" Ryuko asked.
"We'll be fine. You two have your own mission to deal with." Connor replied and ran out of the park with Melissa behind him.
The Rescue Rover was already parked by the station by the time the two of them arrived, while the station itself was completely engulfed in flames. "How did this happen?" Melissa asked Lena.
"I don't know, but it doesn't look like a small-scale fire." Lena answered, shortly before an explosion shattered one of the station's windows. "Watch for glass!"
Fireman rushed past the rangers, running into the burning building as fire engines continued to dose the building with water, trying to put out the fire. "They're going to need help. Let's do it guys." Connor said with determination, then held up his hand.
The others followed suit, then all shouted at the same time. "Lightspeed! Rescue!" all five teens morphed into their ranger uniforms, much to the surprise of the bystanders standing behind the barriers placed by the fireman and police, then rushed into the burning building.
Banners, benches, and plants were aflame as fireman rushed in behind the rangers with firehouses, spraying water on the flames while other fireman broke down the doors to various sections of the station, guiding the bystanders still trapped in the building to safety, but the flames were already starting to grow out of control. "Woah! Thank god this isn't like that old pre-quirk movie 'Volcano' otherwise no one would be able to stop this!" Anthony exclaimed.
"This is real life, not a movie." Thomas reminded the green ranger, scanning the station with the scanner in his helmet. "The doors to the platform are blocked by flames and the fire on the platform is spreading rapidly." He reported.
"Thomas, Anthony, Lena! Help the fireman evacuate the people in the concourse, Melissa and I will handle the platform. Get these people out of here!" Connor ordered, before running towards the platform with Melissa, while the other three rangers helped the others.
Rescue blasters in hand, the blue, green, and yellow rangers sprayed the fires with their blaster's extinguisher mode, putting the blaze out and allowing the fireman to carry several bystanders out of the station. One bystander sprained their ankle when the fire started and was hobbling towards the exit before Lena picked them up and carried them out to safety.
"This door is stuck! We can't break it down!" A fireman shouted from one of the nearby restaurants where some bystanders had hoped to take shelter from the fire. "We need some help over here!"
"Stand back!" Thomas shouted and kicked the door down hard, allowing the fireman and himself to carry the injured out the building before the fire began to spread rapidly. "Stay low and follow the fireman, we'll get you out of here." He assured the bystanders.
Anthony had picked up an elderly man who was stuck in his wheelchair. Handing him off to a fireman, Anthony raced back into the fire and looked for more bystanders, when he heard the sound of a dog barking loudly. Following the barking, Anthony found the dog hadn't left the side of its owner, who had fallen unconscious due to the smoke. "Don't worry, boy. I'll get you two out." Anthony said, picking up the dog's owner and carried them out of the building with the dog following him.
The situation in the concourse was under control, but the platform was a different story. The people stuck on the platforms were scrambling through the doors as fast as possible, knocking others down and almost trampled them, but were helped up by the rangers or the fireman that had followed the red and pink rangers to the platform. "Is this everyone?" Melissa shouted.
"The driver of that steam locomotive is still inside! He's got to get out of here!" one of the fireman shouted back.
"I'll get him!" Connor exclaimed and ran back onto the platform towards the parked Big Boy, connected to several tanker cars that were parked on the platform and climbed into the cab. "We gotta go! This place is about to burn down!" he shouted to the driver.
"I've got to get this locomotive and the cars out of here! Some idiot decided to park those fuel cars in the station because there wasn't enough room in the yard. There's five-thousand gallons of fuel in those cars and if they go up, then they'll take the whole station and three city blocks with them. I've got to get them out of here!" the engineer countered, coughing from the smoke and flames.
Connor could see the determined look in the engineers' eyes as they reached for the throttle, almost collapsing from the heat, but Connor caught him and placed his hand on the throttle. "Then let's get this thing out of here quick!" he said to the engineer who opened up the throttle.
The engines' massive wheels spun on the rails, trying to get a grip, but at last the world's largest and strongest locomotive finally lurched forwards, pulling its unexpected cargo, blasting its whistle long and loud as it cleared the station. Flames leapt from the platform as the engine and cars slowly made it's way out of the station and onto the open line. "Yeah! That's it old girl! Come on, give it everything you got." The engineer said to the engine.
Connor chuckled as he jumped from the cab as the engine as it left the station yard, just as helicopters with water tankers arrived, dropping water onto the burning station, and finally putting the blaze out. As the fires died down, Connor could have sworn that he saw a creature with a three clawed hand and a rocky body glowing like lava. "Power Down!" Connor shouted, demorphing as the last of the fire faded away. 'What was that thing?' he thought to himself before the other rangers arrived in the Rescue Rover.
"Fire's under control, we'll let the fireman handle the rest. Everyone's alright, thanks to us and the heroes." Thomas told Connor, who climbed into the rover, then drove back to David's lab.
Days after the fire, news reports about the fire, praising the actions of the heroes and Power Rangers for saving the lives of everyone trapped in the station and saving a piece of railroad history. The cause of the fire was still under investigation, but Connor was thinking about what Nejire and Ryuko said to him about the offer. 'My parents would want me to follow my heart. And I know where my heart is leading me.' He said to himself, then picked up his cell phone and called the hotel where Nezu was staying. "Principle Nezu, it's Connor Grayson. About that offer you made us."
So, what do you think about that? Didn't expect Nejire and Ryukyu to appear this earlier in the story. Well, that's in part to a pairing I have in mind, but at first, I was thinking of having it be Hitoshi Shinso or the OC that I have taking Mineta's place, but I went with these two.
What do you think about Connor's back story? Kind of like Kota's story isn't it. Well, I kind of took an inspiration from Kota's back story. Not bad right? But which villains has Jinxer gathered the lifeforce of?
So, does anyone care to guess what Connor's decision about Nezu's offer will be? You'll have to wait until next time. For now, it's time for me to get back to Resident Evil 4, the 2023 game. Got my own tv set up, Xbox X and everything. Good thing too, especially when it gets into the eighties or nineties.
So, until next time, please read and review and if anyone has any suggestions for newer Lightspeed Zords, please leave them in a review.