S.P.D: In the Shadows

Chapter 1: Sidelines

A/N: Hey guys! It's another story! I'm happy to announce that this story won't be a long one like all of the others. I just wanted to write this short story to prove to people that romance fanfics can be based on villains :D!

I haven't run into any... Well, particularly, ones focused on male villains. So- I decided to start my own and try and make a difference in the Power Rangers fandom. Power Rangers always felt one-sided to me, because they never really dive much into the villain's side of the story and the Rangers themselves never try to understand what made them evil in the first place. So here it is!

This is my first story that's not based on an anime. I hope everyone enjoys it! Happy reading my lovely readers and Power Ranger fans! :D
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Horns, honks, wiring sounds from vehicles, barking dogs, and distant talking all echoed around a young woman who slept inside a makeshift home. The streets weren't for the rich, because the homeless and the poor wandered past the hidden alley she resided in.

From a sip of her water, a sigh escaped her soft lips and for a moment the woman stared into the reflection it gave her. A pair of violet eyes, inhuman, full of thoughts, rippled when she swirled the contents and took one last drink.

When she placed her tin cup onto a small stone next to the pile of blankets she claimed as her bed, a soft thud echoed when she laid down. Pondering, staring at nothing for the longest time, her eyes never broke from the transparent plastic that hung high over her head like a tent. The white sheet on top of the plastic concealed her from the hot sun and was just enough to provide some shade.

Faint murmurs from an old television resonated through her small space, to which her attention was piqued at some sort the mention of Power Rangers. From a soft rustle of her blankets, she sat up and looked at a tiny TV that had a cord plugged into an old electrical socket.

A large fight was once again underway, as it showed the S.P.D Power Rangers in battle with an alien. Annoyed, with a roll of her eyes, she plopped backward onto her blankets once more. "It's like this nearly every day... Where's that fight taking place, anyway?" Just slightly to the left her head turned and watched the rest of the news that was a little hard to see, from how small the television was. "I think I know where that's at now. It's near one of the small stores I go to. Speaking of which, I better head there now while all that's going on," Without another word, she sat up and stretched. If she had any visitors in her little living space, they would be able to hear the snap and crack from her bones.

From a box in the far corner, next to her television, sat folded clothes and some worn-out shoes that she needed to replace. Her feet patted across, knelled before it, and rummaged through until she found something decent. It was better than sitting around in her underwear and tank top all day, for she pulled out some thin cloth, stretchy pants with a more suitable tank to match. "I wished it wasn't so hot in the summer. I have to wear my oversized jacket every season and it gets tiring," A sigh proved her exhaustion just by thinking about the countless times she's worn it; from the box came out the said coverage.

From black pants, to a similar tank top and tattered socks, she began to put her sneakers on that many would believe to be outdated. Earthy, wavy hair brushed past the sides of her line of sight, just to be accompanied by the large hood when she tied her shoestrings. Tap, tap, tap, she tested out the thickness of the tip of her shoes when she stood back up and examined them. Old, light purple, its colors had faded over the years since she got them.

Finally, she turned her television off and pushed past the flap of her makeshift tent. Ahead of her was the tall fence, wooden and aged, which grew closer the more she walked. The moment she reached for a loose board, her hand lifted it and her head ducked just to push past another loose one on the other side. Out she came with a gentle clunk, the boards both returned to their spots when she let go.

Aliens and humans, all roamed the street, they were too focused to see her leave the hidden alley. Calmly like the others she wandered along the crowd, her hood did her justice as no one could see her face. The city was huge and full of energy, full of life, and advanced technology. However, the poor didn't go unnoticed by her because she was no different than them. Some homeless citizens lingered in the shadows and begged for bits of money, while others simply hunkered close to a small fire. I honestly wished I could thank the lady who gave me this jacket... She passed out free clothes to the poor, she was so kind. Meeting her again, though, would be impossible. For a moment, she pondered and moved her attention back to her path.

Turn after turn, corner to corner, and from block to block, her feet trekked. Accidental shoulder bumps were inevitable since everywhere she walked the area was crowded with people. The sound of footsteps and murmurs from passerby citizens filled her ears as she peeked up beneath her oversized hood and saw many others stir up panic. Screams of fear gave away the location of the battle, for they all caused the others to do the same. They nearly ran her over where she stood, if she hadn't pressed her back tightly against a brick-made General Store.

One after another, extraterrestrials and humans all scurried past and ignored her. Thankfully she wasn't dragged along by the stampede, because once the coast was clear her attention moved to the store she had her eyes on and quickly sprinted.

No thoughts, no words spoken, the woman huddled close to the wall and could feel the heat from it. The overly large jacket made her a little too warm to her liking when it began to build up, simply staying in the shade wasn't enough. Why does Summer always have to be so hot? Why can't it ever be comfortable? I much prefer spring or a warm fall... I can only imagine how hot it must be for those Power Rangers wearing their suits. Anyway... I hope no one sees me. This is my only chance to run in and grab. Saliva built up and with a gulp, she looked up at the side window the store had. Fear, worry, and adrenaline filled her veins and made her heart pound when she cranked the pane open.

Through the opening and inside, quietly she got in. Despite the explosions and the cries of pain from the rangers or whatever villain was outside, she crept through the isles with a few things in mind. Okay- Some black lipstick, eyeliner, some toilet paper, and a few snacks... Wow, if I think about it now, that's a very weird shopping list. If she wasn't picking up a large pack of toilet paper, she would've given herself a face-palm but instead, her eyes rolled.

Under one armpit she tucked the pack so she could use both of her hands. I need to move, fast! When the sound of the final explosion sounded off outside, her feet scurried through the isles as quickly as they could. In the makeup aisle, she picked out the things she listed and ran to the register to steal some plastic bags.

Off the shelf, since no one was in the store and all employees deserted the place for their safety, she grabbed a large handful of candy bars, chips, and soda.

Alright, go, go, go! Urgency filled her mind when the bags she stuffed were carried across the store in a hurry and climbed back through the window. She did her best to be as quiet as possible, now that the loud noises settled down, the rustle from the bags made it difficult to so much as move.

After she managed to walk away from the store and stood close to the other one made of brick, a voice from behind made her halt. Devastated, the woman could feel her pulse in her neck and chest from the situation.

"Hey, you!" Came one of the rangers who still donned their suit. The Red Ranger soon ran up to her and examined the clear, plastic bags.

"Jack- it's okay! Maybe she was stuck in that brick store there and thought it was safe to leave. She was probably waiting until the fight was over," The yellow ranger, who the woman noticed when she turned sideways to peek at them, reassured the man.

"Right, but most citizens would've run away by now. Power down," Jack, the red ranger, was seen with a hand lifted to do as he commanded and she watched as he stepped closer.

Dark skin, dreadlocks, contemplative dark eyes, and dressed in an S.P.D red uniform, the woman in the jacket took a quick note of his looks. Wait... Why does he look so familiar? Pondering, questioning her memory, she took some fearful inches backward from him. It was almost instinctive to keep a good distance, nonetheless, her lips parted to answer before he could speak again.

"I... I was just hiding in the store until everything was over. Sorry, if there was a misunderstanding," Nervous, fearful, her hands began to shake the closer he came.

"It's not safe to do that. Why do you think everyone left it? The building could've been demolished by the alien and you could've been killed in the process. I'll let you off with a warning for now," The man who the yellow ranger pointed out as Jack, gave her a nod of his head and turned to leave with a rub of his shoulder. "Man, that guy knows how to kick!" As he wandered back to the other rangers who hopped into their vehicle, he paid the woman little to no mind anymore and never noticed the relieved look on the earthy-haired lady's face.

As she watched their backsides gain more distance her own feet stepped backward just to see the yellow ranger linger behind the red one and stare at her for a moment. Thank God, they're leaving... But why is she staring at me? Curiously she blinked, her eyes glued to the yellow ranger until they widened at the sight. It was too far away now, but when she saw her power down, the bright suit disappeared and revealed a brunette.

"It's her. The one who gave me this jacket," Whispering, the grip on the bags tightened, nonetheless her feet turned the other way and hurried back through the sidewalks as she had before. She became a Power Ranger? Weaving through the crowd, which was hard considering it was a lot more pact now no thanks to the battle moments ago, did her best to get back to her supposed home.

It was difficult to trek and squeeze past everyone, nonetheless, she managed. It took her ten minutes to get back home, the fence before her eyes sat there mockingly since there was no real way to open it. From side to side, her hidden eyes peeked at everyone who passed by in hopes of no witnesses. Everyone completely ignored her and continued their way, although, fear spiked a tiny bit at what she was about to do; something she was afraid might go out of hand. I can do this. From a shaky exhale several breaths were taken, before the boards on either side of the fence began to lift on their own.

It'd be impossible for anyone to see her glowing, violet eyes, with the large hood masking half of her upper face and the majority of her hair. As quickly as she could, those faded purple shoes were nearly caught by the edge of the rotted wood on her way through, to which a wiggle helped it get loose.

There it was, her home, draped with the plastic tent and white sheet on top of it. The gentle thunk from the fence behind her let her know that it shut, so she casually returned to her makeshift shelter and used her head to push the slit apart.

Inside, her bags were placed next to a small plastic crate and a beige-tattered cushion. "Well... I barely made it. That was close," With a sigh of relief, she removed her jacket and threw it back into the box full of various old clothes.

Plopping onto the cushion nearly made her chest hurt from how hard she sat down, the discomfort made a small grunt escape her lips. "D- Don't sit down as hard, next time... Ow," Her arms crossed over her chest to keep them still, it wasn't long before her hand reached into one of the bags and pulled out a chocolate and peanut butter candy bar. "Can't let these melt. It's friggin hot out, I wouldn't be surprised if they already were by now," Carefully, to not tear the chocolate, her fingers peeled and tore the wrapper just to see that it sticking to it. "Oh, come on! It was a ten-minute walk, how did it melt so quickly?" Annoyed, her eyes rolled and viewed her ceiling.

Thoughts of that woman in yellow and the man in red soon filled her mind, as she began to lick at the wrapper to eat the melted chocolate. It's better this way, anyhow. She doesn't need to recognize me, as the one to whom she gave the jacket. If I thank her... She'll know it's me and I can't let that happen. To the side, the wrapper was flicked, annoyed at how the chocolate became mush.

"I need a fridge. A mini fridge at least. Luckily the small T.V there's just taking up one out of the two plug-ins to the socket. I guess I have to go out again," As reluctant as she felt, when her head shook, she stood back up and sped across to grab her jacket once more. "I can't let things melt, it's gross," With a quick flop, the hood over her head returned, and out she walked from her tent.

"Now... Where can I find a good appliance store?" Questioning as her hands were lifting the boards and pushing herself through, a mental map of Newtech City occurred. Weaving through the crowd as she had before, it felt like twenty minutes of exploring until she found herself among skyscrapers.

Tall structures that kiss the sky, with reflective windows all aligned and clean. Some old and some new, some full of business and others not so much. Beautiful bushes full of flowers outlined a path that many strode, as aliens and humans sat on benches to take breaks.

Community buildings and apartments paled in comparison to the much larger ones surrounding them. The sheer amount of people and the height of everything was rather overwhelming, for the woman's breath became hesitant. It's okay Feige, no one's looking at you. Just keep walking. I'm sure in all of this mess there's bound to be an appliance store... I just wasn't expecting to run into the center of the city. From a thick gulp, with her hands in her large jacket pockets, her attention moved back down to continue.

Careful steps, through the crowd, she made her way past and reached the area near the benches and floral bushes. However, with her eyes glued to the much clearer path and her mind full of thoughts she hardly paid attention to where she walked.

Straight into someone's hard chest, a man she ran into, caused her to back up and rub her nose. "I- I'm sorry!" With her head low and focused on the man's black shoes, she moved aside when a growl reached her ears. When she saw he had done the same, coincidentally moving in front of her, she spouted another apology and stepped to the left. "S- Sorry, again! Excuse me," Again and again, they just seemed to do a little dance and were both rather annoyed.

However, something on the ground caught her eye, something small and round. To the side, she leaned over and picked up a device of some sort, its red button and tiny signal antennae stood out the most. "H- Here. I think you dropped this," Anxiety, she could feel her fear rising when she peeked up at his tall height. His shadowed figure was clad in black and was a little hard to notice his somewhat- tan skin. What caught her by surprise was when her power activated unwillingly, for she heard his thoughts as if they were in an echoing cave.

This human, this woman, is doing this on purpose! Why is she suddenly afraid of me? She must know who I am... His thoughts echoed for a moment until the woman saw his dark eyes widen.

She knew he was staring right into her eyes, which spiked more fear. It was at that moment when she shoved the device into his hands and yanked on the hood despite it still on her head, it was enough to push her into a full sprint away from the shady figure.

Heart pounding in her chest, devastation filling her mind, anyone would be a fool to think that she was at all calm. Right into a store she ran into people and hid inside, the many customers were ignored as her hand patted at her breast. "Breathe," In and out, she did her best to calm herself down so she could focus. Even her hands shook from the adrenaline and fear. Softer panting left her lips after a few minutes of collecting herself, therefore her feet strode. Huh- lucky me, I spy some microwaves. This must be the place I've been looking for. Although it was nice to finally find the store, an earthquake just so happened to take place close by and caused everyone to scurry out of there like ants. Everything shook, shelves, and the items on display, some glass even broke from the force but it didn't stop her.

As fast as her feet could move, her eyes examined every appliance in the store while the ruckus went on. To her it was normal, to steal things that she needed or craved while chaos or battles ensued outside. It was the best cover-up and the most secure way of escaping without anyone seeing her.

After all that had transpired, the moment the shady man had left, it became chaotic and time was of the essence. In a ship sat the same man as before, watching the events take place on a holographic screen, of how a dark ranger took on one of the mercenaries that were sent to finish him and the giant who planned to flatten the city. His surroundings were too dark to discern any details save for a pair of rubies which barely glinted in the shadows.

From the silence came a deep and raspy voice. "Yes... I have failed thus far. I underestimated the Power Rangers. I have underestimated, Doggie Cruger. I swear, it will not happen again! No- that won't be necessary... I can do this. No more mistakes, no more miscalculations! I will be victorious! Victorious! I fear- nothing!" From an outburst, as though the mysterious man argued with himself, his breath was lost and a heavy slump into his chair showed his exhaustion. Heavy panting, his head drooping, he continued. "Except... One," With that, his head leaned back to reveal a skull with rubies in eye sockets, a single horn protruded from one side of his head while the other seemed as though it was lopped off.

"That woman," Fists clenched against the armrests of his seat, for he pondered her reaction for the longest time and remained quiet for another minute. Thoughts of her glowing violet eyes and her earthy, wavy hair peeking out from beneath her large hood kept lingering in his mind. "She picked up my teleport device and shoved at me... It was as if she knew who I was and ran for it! This calls for... An investigation. I need to figure out who she is and what she knows. I cannot have her leak any information to the Power Rangers! I won't let anyone ruin any plans!" From a quick stand and a glow of his ruby eyes, fury laced his words before he strode out of the dark room.

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A pair of pale hands plugged up the cord to a white miniature fridge. Just beneath the cord to her television, she stepped in front of it and pushed it further against the wall. "There. That took forever... My arms hurt," Painful stings in her muscles were inevitable, for needing to haul the heavy miniature fridge through alleyways and past citizens. Especially getting it over the fence that she normally squeezes past, was difficult. "Using my power to lift things isn't too bad but... I still hate it. At least no one saw me use it when I raised the fridge over the fence," With a close of her eyes, she sighed, relieved that she didn't have to do anything else for the day.

One after another, the sodas and melted chocolate were placed into the fridge. It was obvious it wasn't going to get cold right away, given that the fridge was just plugged in, but she knew eventually it would and the chocolate would solidify.

"Why does it feel like such a slow day today? It's afternoon now, I haven't had lunch, and it's so hot. I can't wait until nighttime," she mumbled to herself, her peripherals barely saw the tips of her toes when she made her way to the cushion. With a much more careful plop, unlike before, she sat down and watched the news anchor speak of the heroic deeds the Rangers had done. "Wow, those goons were going to flatten the place, huh? No wonder I got away with stealing the fridge. They were too busy trying to prevent mass murder," The moment her head moved to lay down on the plastic crate in front of her, she spotted something strange during the recording on the news. A woman carrying a fridge, the camera was too swift with panning and capturing the fight to focus on her. "Oh no... You have to be kidding me! I thought I was stealthy enough!" Groaning, her eyes rolled and her face planted onto the crate.

"I just hope no one sees me," Mumbling quietly to herself, albeit her face still on the crate, her head lifted to nonchalantly view the slit to her tent where she'd enter and leave. "I'm hungry. I'd eat some chips but... I want some chicken. Maybe I should sneak into Clucker's Cafe' to see if they have any leftovers; But... Maybe in a little bit. I need to sit for a while," After having a long morning, her eyes drifted closed, the exhaustion made her mind fall into a nap, and thoughts of the man she ran into before lingered in her dreams.