Hey, everyone! Shunya Toshiki here brings you another new update for Power Rangers Nexus Force.
Also, I know this is a bit sudden, but I decided to change Max Reilly's name to Harrison 'Harry' Reilly. I just wasn't feeling it for Max anymore, especially since there's a Power Ranger with the same name.
But anyway, that's enough from me…Cue Disclaimer!
I don't own Power Rangers or Cross Ange; those belong to their creators. This is for fun, not profit.
Chapter 20: Finding Her Own Path
Hilda was still confused on why this guy was standing by her bedside and why he was smiling like that. She was about to sit up but stopped as she groaned.
"Easy there. You're still wounded from those cops, so you shouldn't move so suddenly." He told her.
Then the man walks and knelt down to a medical kit as he opens to bring out the things he needed while exposing his back. Hilda then noticed there was a table close to her bed that had a plate of apples on it including a knife no doubt to peel and cut the apples into pieces.
"I know that you're a bit confused right now. But don't worry, I'm a…" He said before he stood up but the moment he did, Hilda managed to sneak up behind him and brought the knife to his neck. "Whoa! Hey there!"
"You really love to hear yourself talk…Now where am I?! What is this place?!" Hilda questions him but he strangely remains calm despite the knife to his neck.
"Okay, is this how you treat all your rescuers? Because I…" He said before Hilda brought the knife closer to his neck.
"Just shut up and get to the point already?!" Hilda demanded.
But then he surprisingly grabs onto her wrist and manages to pull it to her back and grabs onto neck with his arm around it. Hilda struggles to break free, but he strongly keeps his hold on her.
"Listen, I'm not going to hurt you but that doesn't mean I won't defend myself. So how about we calm down and take a moment to trust each other, okay?" He said, while reluctant Hilda relaxed and nodded. "Okay, now let's start with a baby step. Drop the knife and I'll let you go."
Hilda then let's go of the knife and it falls to the floor, and he lets go of her.
She then turned to him, but his eyes widened, and his cheeks turned red before he quickly turned around.
Hilda blinks before she notices that she was missing her clothes, even her underwear. She quickly covered her private bits and glared at the man as he explained the reason why she's naked.
"Really sorry about that. I had to take off your clothes to treat your wounds, but I promise you, I didn't do anything inappropriate." But Hilda wasn't convinced by that. "There's a change of clothes in the closet and dresser. After you pick something out, there's a bathroom next door, use that if you want to wash up first."
He then left the room and closed the door. After he left, Hilda sat down on the bed to think about this situation.
Hilda then saw that the stranger had indeed treated her wounds with gauze and bandages, there was even a thawed out cold pack on her eye that reduced the swelling around it.
This doesn't make sense to Hilda, it should be obvious that man is a human, those who persecute and ridicule Norma like her, and yet here he was helping her.
Hilda then sneezes and feels a bit chilly due to her lacking clothes.
Hilda then turns to the closet and dresser before she clicks her tongue.
"Fine…Guess I'll play along for now." Hilda mutters before she stands up and heads to the closet and dresser to pick out some fresh clothes.
(Play: Believe in Nexus by Masaaki Endoh)
(Instrumental) (As the song starts, two Earths appear one at a time before they collide against each other creating a flash of light which blinded the screen.)
(Sono te nobashi te mabayui ashita o tsukamitore! Mugen no sora hamatake Believe in Nexus!) (Five of the Nexus Zords had appeared as the Racer, Wolf, and Dozer Zords were racing on a large road while the Chopper and Falcon Zords were flying above them before they turned into a flash of light and flew into the vast open sky before the story's title appeared on screen.)
(Araburu kono shoudo daremino tomiranai!) (The Nexus Rangers were standing on a hill as they looked at the town where the Children of Aura resides as some of them in DRAGON form flew above them as they watched them in awe.)
(Hiri asa mi kirikou o taka maru kono Heart Beat!) (Then it changes to a split screen with Salamandinay looking at her Enryugo as it was still incomplete, and Ange who was in her room in Arzenal as she was seated on her bed while looking at her ring, before it changes to Embryo and behind him was Kurt who was holding his Lion Knuckle Morpher.)
(Bi chinai sou o natato sekawaerai!) (Then it changes showing an army of Xedroids and behind them were Prince Crimson, General Swartz, and Cyber.)
(Koko de oarasatakunai Go For It!) (Next the screen changes to the Rangers commencing their Morphin Sequence as they Morph into their suits before their helmets appeared.)
(Tachiagare kodoku ni obiekuru e naide!) (The screen changes showing a fleet of Xe-Fighters and an army of Xe-Bots charging forward to attack, then changes to the Nexus Rangers loading their Zord Cards into their Morphers as they soon appear, and the Rangers jump into them.)
(Nakama ma batte irukoto mou ichido omoidase!) (In his cockpit, the Nexus Red Ranger inserts his Battle Mode Card into his Morpher and his Racer Zord changes into the said mode.)
(Kowaku wa naisa akirame wa shinai donna tsugoi yatsu ni mo make wa shinai itsudatte o kino yuuki de Believe In Nexus!) (Then each of the Nexus Zord launch respective attacks on their enemies before the Kaiser Sphere in the sky. Then the Zords combine forming the Nexus Prime Megazord, and then energy appears around the Megazord before it flies at the Kaiser Sphere to attack and when it collides against the Sphere a large flash of light appears blinding the screen. Then it changes to both Earths before the Nexus Rangers along with the villain leaders appeared as they faced each other.)
After picking out some clothes, Hilda then used the bathroom to wash off any mud and dirt on her hair and body, but it wasn't exactly relaxing at first as she still felt some stings from the hot water due to her wounds, but after a few minutes, Hilda could feel the relief after washing her body.
After the shower, Hilda changes into the outfit she picked out which consists of a simple red T-shirt, black pants and red sneakers. She then walked in the hallway and found her way to the living room where she heard two men talking, one belonging to the one she met along with a stranger.
"So how is the girl?"
"Well…I wouldn't say that I made a great impression on her."
"What did you expect? You did strip her naked."
"Hey! I didn't have a choice and you know it!" He told him which caused the other man to chuckle.
Hilda then arrived in the living room and saw the two men. The one she met was in the kitchen as he was cooking a meal while the other was on the couch.
He appears to be in his 20s. He had short blonde hair and gray eyes. He was wearing a black T-shirt with a green pancho and had black combat pants and boots.
"Great…two of them." Hilda grumbles.
The two men notice her before the one in the kitchen turns off the stove to greet.
"Alright. I'm glad that you're out of the room." He said as he walked to Hilda. "How are you feeling? Do you have a fever? Did your wounds reopen?"
Instead of answering, Hilda chose to be silent.
"I'll take your silence as a no. Oh right, I haven't introduced myself. My name is Tony. Tony McCloud." He said as he reached out his hand for a handshake.
Instead of shaking his hand, Hilda only looks at him in contempt and Tony notices it before he retracted and raised both of his hands.
"Okay. I can tell that you don't do handshakes." Tony said before he introduced his partner. "That's my partner, Steve. Steve Batson."
"A pleasure." Steve greeted her.
"Spare me the pleasantries and answer my question. Like where am I and who are you people?" Hilda questions them.
"Okay, that's fair." Tony said. "I can't go with the full details, but Steve and I are from a group known as the Underground. We're a group of humans who help the Norma."
"Help Norma? Are you kidding me?" Hilda questions as she thought of that as some kind of sick joke.
"No, I'm not." Tony shook his head before he explained. "Despite what you were thought to believe, not everyone views the Norma with contempt."
"And you honestly expect me to believe that?" Hilda questions him once again.
"Well…I guess not. But Steve and I did save you from those cops." Tony reminds her but Hilda only clicks her tongue. "In any case, I finished making breakfast for you and us. Best to enjoy it before it gets cold."
Tony then heads to the kitchen to gather the plates and utensils.
But instead of accepting his kind offering, Hilda only folded her arms and turned away from the two men.
"Forget it…I'm not hungry." Hilda stated before her stomach suddenly growled which surprised her as her cheeks turned red.
Both Tony and Steve chuckles to hear before the latter stands up and walks to the kitchen to get things ready.
"Yeah. I'm pretty sure your stomach has a different opinion." He deadpanned and Hilda clicked her tongue.
"Fine…It's not like I'm going anywhere." Hilda grumbles.
Hilda along with Tony and Steve were seated on the table together to have breakfast. It was a simple breakfast consisting of scrambled eggs, bacon and a piece of toast.
Hilda begins eating the meal prepared for her with Tony and Steve.
"So, how is it? I know I'm not much of a cook, but I'm quite confident in my skills." Tony said but Hilda scoffed.
"It's fine, I guess…" Hilda grumbles before she takes a bite on her toast.
"Hmmm…Here I thought you'll play hard to get." Tony commented. Hilda scoffed as she continued to eat.
After they finished eating, Steve was washing the dishes while Tony and Hilda were seated on the couch so he could check her wounds, despite wanting to recheck his help at first, Tony refused to take no for an answer.
After checking the bruise on her eye, Tony then checks the bruise shape footprint on her chest and applied some ointment on it causing Hilda to wince for a bit but was able to endure it.
"Just try to bear it for a little longer, I'm almost done." Tony told her and Hilda frowns.
"You don't have to pretend you're concerned about me." Hilda mutters.
"Jeez. No reason to be that skeptical towards me." He said before he finished applying the ointment. "There you go. Thankfully, none of your bones appeared to be broken."
After lowering her shirt, Tony picks up a glass of water and some medicine.
"Here. Some painkillers to help ease the pain and some after some rest, you'll be good as new in no time."
Hilda clicks her tongue before she accepts the water and medicine, she puts the painkillers in her mouth first and drinks the water to wash it down. After that, Hilda noticed that Tony was smiling at her.
"What? If you're expecting some thanks, then don't." Hilda told him but Tony just shrugs it off by chuckling.
"Don't worry, I wasn't planning on it anyway." Tony said.
"Uh-huh…So what's next after this?" Hilda questions them and both Underground members flinch.
Tony sighed while rubbing the back of his neck.
"Well…Normally we would bring you back to our base. But I'm sorry to say, we'll have to escort you back to Arzenal." He explained. Hilda then burst out laughing.
"Hahaha! I should've known! After all that talk about helping Norma like me, you're just like all the other humans!" Hilda said before she continued laughing.
"There's no reason to laugh about it." Tony rolled his eyes before Hilda stopped laughing.
"I know it won't mean much, but we don't like this any better than you do. But we have our orders, not to mention this is a request from Commander Jill." Steve told her and Hilda blinked.
"The commander? How?" She asked.
"Believe it or not, she contacted us using an old channel that was given to her personally." Tony answered.
"Why would she know you guys?" Hilda questions the Underground members.
"Well…we can't explain the exact details, but Commander Jill once had prior association with the Underground along with her predecessor." Tony told her and Hilda was surprised by that.
"What? Seriously?" Hilda said.
"Yeah. In fact, Chief, our leader, used to have a close relationship with Jasmine back when she was in charge." Steve told her
"Close? Wait, do you mean…?" Hilda said and the Underground members nodded.
"Oh yeah." Tony said.
Hilda was once again surprised by this. She did hear a rumor or two that Jasmine was the previous commander of Arzenal before Jill's time, but this is quite something.
"Y-You can't expect me to believe that!" Hilda said.
"Well…I suppose that's true. But regardless, this will be your temporary home for the time being. Once we hear from the Strike Team." Steve told her.
"Strike Team?" Hilda said.
"It's the team we sent to Misurugi to help another associate of ours." Tony explained.
"And what exactly are they doing?" Hilda asked.
"Sorry but that's a need-to-know business. And you don't need to know." Steve replied. Hilda clicks her tongue and turns away from him.
"Fine. It's not like I care what your little club does." Hilda said.
"Well…At least you understand." Tony said while scratching his finger on his cheek. Steve then coughs in his hand.
"In anycase, you should take this time to rest and recover. We can't have you being unwell when we move out." He told her.
Hilda clicks her tongue before she stands up and leaves.
"Fine. It's not like I have somewhere else I could go." She mutters as she leaves the room.
Tony sighed.
"I should've she was going to be a bit high maintenance." He said.
"I suppose that's true. I also know this is difficult for you to accept, but this might be our best chance to repair the Underground's relation with Arzenal. Especially since they're planning a new Libertus." Steve said.
"I know, you don't have to remind me. But do you really think this Ange can master Villkiss in time?" Tony asked. Steve thought about it before he sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.
"Well…at this point, all we can do is to wait and see what happens after." He told his partner.
"I guess there's no denying that." Tony remarked
He remembers that one guy who saved a Norma known as Serra and how he along with the said Norma and her mother went missing. Then to how he saw him again in Misurugi along with two friends of his and how he with Steve helped them escape from the police.
'I wonder what that guy is doing right now.'
(Back in the present)
Back in the True Earth, Misty is seen walking in the many hallways inside the Nexus Hub with Pixel beside her to give her a tour of the base, so she could familiarize herself with the base.
"This place is quite amazing." Misty said as she studied her surroundings.
"Yeah, Salamandinay pretty much said the same thing." Pixel told her.
"I see. But still, I wonder how you and your friends were able to build this place." Misty said.
"Oh, that was because of Shin. He…" Pixel said before she and Misty stop as the latter notices that the training room door was opened, Pixel chuckles. "And history repeats itself."
Curious about this, Misty walks to the training room and sees two of the Nexus Rangers, Claire and Aaron were in the said room as they were training right now.
Aaron was on a stationary bike and was using it for a while as his body was sweating.
Claire was on a floor mat to stretch out her body to help improve her body's flexibility.
Both Rangers then took a moment to stop and rest, Claire then saw Misty had arrived as she entered the room.
"Hey there, Misty." Claire greeted her.
"Hello." She greeted her back.
Aaron got off of the stationary bike and wiped off the sweat on his head.
"Hey. Are you enjoying the tour with Pixel?" He asked.
"A bit. The door was opened, and I was curious what was inside." Misty said.
"No reason to be shy about it. Even we agree that the Hub is amazing, and we live here." Aaron said. Misty chuckled.
"So do you train like this often?" Misty asked.
"Pretty much. We always tend to keep our skills sharp and our bodies in shape. Best to be prepared for any attacks." Aaron said.
"I suppose that's one way to look at it." Misty chuckled and Aaron chuckled with her.
The Black Ranger then notices Claire smiling at them.
"What?"
"Nothing." Claire rolled her eyes.
Misty took a moment to study her surroundings and saw that Dean, Shin and Alisa were missing.
"Wait…Where are Dean and the others?" Misty asked.
"Well…that's a bit complicated." Claire said while scratching her finger on her cheek.
Three of the Nexus Rangers, Dean, Shin and Alisa were in the cave where Claire had found the Nexus Cobra Zord in the hope of finding another clue for one of their missing Zords.
With them on their search was Salamandinay, Naga and Kaname as they were using flashlights.
"Hmmm…" Alisa hummed as she continued to search before she spoke to Shin. "Are you sure we'll find another clue here, Shin?"
"It's highly possible. The Cobra Zord was buried under here for 500 years, so there's no telling if something else is hidden in here." Shin said as he continued to search for something.
"But that's still a big if though." Dean said.
"Which is all the more reason we should search. Just in case." Shin stated.
"Whatever." Alisa rolled her eyes before she continued to search.
Dean then spoke to Salamandinay.
"Sorry again for dragging you into this, Salamandinay. But with Aaron and Claire standing by in the Hub, we needed some extra help."
Salamandinay shook her head with a smile.
"It's fine. Besides, I'm quite curious what else our ancestors had kept save for you and your friends." Salamandinay said.
"Assuming that we'll find it." Dean said.
During Alisa's search, she soon found something that really took her interest before she moved close to it to get a better look.
"Hey! I think I found something!" Alisa calls out to her friends.
"You have got to be kidding me." Dean said while Shin chuckled with a smug tone.
"And you thought you could doubt me." Shin commented.
They moved to the Yellow Ranger and saw what she was looking at, and it appears to be a stone mural carved into the wall.
Carving was based around a gorilla's head and beneath it was a carving that resembles a Megazord.
"A gorilla?" Dean said and Shin closely looked at the Megazord carving.
"And this strangely resembles a Megazord. I think this might be a clue to the Gorilla Zord." Shin said.
"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing." Dean nodded.
"Gorilla Zord?" Kaname said.
"Another of your missing Zords, correct?" Naga asked and Dean nodded.
"Yeah. A Zord with great animal-like instinct and wild ferocity. By combining with my Racer Zord, it will form a Megazord with unparalleled strength and unmatched agility." Dean explained to them.
"That's amazing." Salamandinay said before she looked at the mural. "And yet another sign from our ancestors' faith that you would return."
"While that's great and all, it would've been nice if they left another clue on how to find it." Shin said.
"Actually, I think they did." Alisa said, getting their attention before she pointed at another craved symbol beneath the mural.
It was their own 'N' symbol with a fist in the center of it.
"A fist…" Shin said before he realized something as he turned to Dean. "You don't think?"
"Well at this point, I think there's only one way to find out." Dean said before he steps in front of the fist symbol. "You may want to step back."
After heeding his advice, the others step back before Dean puts his flashlight down and pops his knuckles.
"To whoever made this mural, I'm really sorry about this." Dean said.
The Red Ranger then uses his superhuman strength to punch into the fist symbol before he pulls it out and sees that there was a hole inside and something was hidden within.
Dean then picks up and uses his flashlight to look at it, he then removes the dirt and rock off of it and sees it was a cylinder capsule. Dean pulls the capsule out before he turns to his friends as they approach him.
"A time capsule. Very clever." Shin said.
"But who left it though?" Alisa said.
"I think we're going to get that answer soon." Dean said before he opened the capsule and he pulled out the Card for the Gorilla Zord. "We found the Card!"
The others look at it as well.
"Nice! Now all we have to do is find the Zord." Alisa said.
Shin then notices something else inside the capsule.
"Hey, Dean, there's something else inside." Shin told him.
Dean looked and saw it as well before he pulled it out and saw it was a disk device with a clear sphere on the top that serves as a button to activate it.
"What is this?" Salamandinay asked.
"It looks like a holoprojector. It's used to record and play messages." Shin said.
"You think this is another clue somehow?" Alisa asked.
"Let's see." Dean said before pressed the button to activate it and a projection of his grandfather appeared which surprised the Nexus Rangers. "Grandpa?"
"Harry?" Shin and Alisa said.
"Harry? That's Dean's grandfather?" Salamandinay asked and Shin nodded.
"Yeah, that's him." Shin said before the projection of Harry spoke to them.
"Dean, if you're receiving this message, then you have found the Cobra Zord. By now, you have already found new allies you can trust. Good job on that, but try not to take advantage of their interest towards men." He said with a smirk on his face and that only annoyed Dean.
"Really, Grandpa?" Dean said and Salamandinay chuckled.
"Anyway, I managed to find the Gorilla Zord and downloaded the location to this device. I wish I could do more for you, but this is the best I can do. I leave the rest in your hands."
With that, the recording of Harry disappeared and appearing in its place was a map with a set of coordinates.
"Thank you, Harry." Shin said.
"Even though he's in another dimension, he still manages to find a way to help us." Dean said.
"Indeed." Salamandinay nodded. "I hope I can meet him one day."
"Funny. I was thinking the same thing." Dean said before he and Salamandinay chuckled together.
Naga's eyebrows twitch to see those two like that and Kaname placed a hand on her shoulder to calm her down a bit.
"Well either way, let's make sure his help isn't wasted." Dean said and the others nodded.
But unknown to them is that someone was watching them in the shadows and overheard their conversation.
"A new Zord. I must let the prince know about this." He said before he left.
After returning to the Hub, Dean contacted Claire, Aaron, and Pixel. They soon enter the command center along with Misty.
"Hey. So I guess your little scavenger hunt has gone well?" Aaron asked.
"Pretty much. Thanks to this." Dean said before he brought out the holoprojector and soon showed the footage of Harry.
"Grandpa?" Claire said.
"He left this behind after finding the Gorilla Zord. It has a set of coordinates and everything." Dean said before he spoke to Shin who was looking at the said coordinates with the computer. "Well, Shin, anything?"
"Based on what I can tell, the Gorilla Zord is somewhere in the African rainforests." Shin said.
"Somewhere?" Alisa repeated.
"Yes. If I had to guess, the location on the map must be the starting point. Harry must've made it that way to help ensure the Gorilla Zord's safety to make sure that enemies won't appear to destroy it." Shin concluded.
"Yeah, that does sound like Grandpa alright." Dean nodded before he looked at the holoprojector. "Guess that we'll have to search for it on foot and hope that this will lead us the rest of the way."
"It's probably best that we split our forces, one team will remain in case something happens while the other search for the Gorilla Zord." Shin advised and Dean nodded.
"Yeah, that sounds like a plan. Aaron and I will head to the Gorilla Zord. Shin, you're in command of the others until then." Dean said.
"You got it." Shin nodded.
"But that's still a lot of ground to cover. If you want, I can make arrangements for a personal transport for you two." Salamandinay offered but Dean shook his head.
"Thanks, but we already got that covered with the N-Rover." Dean told them and the Children of Aura and Misty blink in confusion.
"N-Rover?"
The Nexus Rangers and their allies rode the elevator to a different floor and entered a room that was new to the Children of Aura and Misty.
It appears to be a hangar that is used to store vehicles with a runway that leads to a gate. But strangely there were no vehicles in the room.
"Ummm…Dean?" Salamandinay was going to ask the Red Ranger a question and he quickly answered it.
"Don't worry. You'll see it soon."
That's when the starting point of the runway opens up, revealing a hidden elevator as it goes up while carrying a vehicle before it stops.
It was a customized jeep colored gray with the Nexus Rangers' symbol on the hood and the on the wheels. It has two-barrel blasters in the front and has a pair of lights on the roof while having two launchers that contain three missiles and two rocket boosters on the back for extra speed and horsepower.
The Rangers' allies were deeply amazed.
"This is the N-Rover. An all purpose and all terrain fighting vehicle of my design." Shin said with a proud smirk on his face.
"It certainly looks amazing." Salamandinay said.
"That it is. Teleporting can be cool sometimes, but it doesn't hurt to be prepared for anything." Shin stated.
"He says that but he just wanted an excuse to build his new toys." Claire whispered to Salamandinay's crew which caused them to chuckle.
"Somehow I'm not surprised." Salamandinay commented, and Shin coughed in his hand to deny their claims.
"I don't know what you mean by that." Shin stated and the others in the room chuckled.
Dean then claps his hands together to gain everyone's attention.
"Anyway, that's enough joking. Best that we move out." Dean said before he turned to Aaron.
"Right." The Black Ranger nodded.
Both Dean and Aaron boarded the N-Rover, with Aaron on the driver seat and Dean was seated on the passenger seat beside him.
The controls for the Rover consist of a steering wheel along with a gear shift and a touch screen with a built-in GPS. The steering wheel has some buttons and the gear shift had some extra symbols besides it which were a wheel, air and a water.
Aaron then pressed the start button for the N-Rover as the engines began to rev up and boosters lit up.
Pixel then uses her personal computer to check the N-Rover's systems and they were all green.
"All right. Systems are good and good. Activating gateway." She said before she types on her keyboard.
The gate in front of the Rover soon opens and creates a tunnel of energy and a bridge.
Aaron then steps on the gas pedal and the N-Rover soon drives forward at high speed and enters the tunnel as it drives on the bridge before the gate closes behind the Red and Black Rangers.
"So, I suppose that we're on standby?" Naga asked.
"For now. Hopefully this search and retrieval mission will go well without any incidents." Alisa said.
"One could only hope. Anyway, let's head back to the command room, just in case." Shin suggested and the others nodded.
The three Nexus Rangers and their allies head to the elevator. But then Claire stops as she notices that someone is missing.
"Wait…Where's Misty?"
Dean and Aaron soon arrived in the African rainforests as the N-Rover exited the tunnel as a portal appeared and closed.
The moment they had arrived and even inside the N-Rover, both Dean and Aaron could feel the strong humidity and heat in the area.
"Oh man. You could really feel the humidity here." Aaron said as he waved himself with his hand.
"Guess it's a good thing that the Rover has a built-in air circulation." Dean said before he uses the touchpad to activate the said systems to make the inside of their vehicle cooler.
Both Rangers sighed in relief.
"That's better." Aaron said.
"You can say that again." Dean said before he brought the holoprojector. "I really hope you added another trick to this, grandpa."
Dean then turns on the holoprojector and after sensing they had arrived at the starting point, a red arrow appears to act as their guide.
"Alright. Way to go Harry." Aaron said.
"Yeah, he always pulls through for us." Dean said.
"So where to?" Aaron asked.
Dean then pointed the arrow in different directions and saw that the destination coordinates is north-east from where they stood.
"That way. North-east." Dean told him.
"Got it." Aaron nodded before he drove in the said direction.
But little did Dean and Aaron know; they had a stowaway in the Rover's cargo compartment.
(Meanwhile)
In the Kaiser Sphere, both General Swartz and Cyber were kneeling in front of Prince Crimson as he angrily berated them of their most recent failures.
"Honestly, I can't tell you how displeased I am about your failures!" Prince Crimson said before he pointed his finger at Cyber. "You call yourself the brightest mind that the Empire has, but time and again the Rangers have outsmarted and treated you like a fool!"
"Please, Your Highness! I know I have no excuses, but I still have much to offer with my own talents." Cyber said.
"Trust me I know. But that still leaves you, general." Prince Crimson turns to Swartz. "You promised me an elite army of the Empire's best and brightest, but yet time again, the Rangers had beaten them!"
"They still are! I'll admit that my failures are indeed my responsibility. But these Rangers continue to prove more formidable." Swartz said.
"But yet, you're still in command of the military! So I expected better results than this!" Prince Crimson said before a voice calls out to him and the others.
"Excuse me, but is now a bad time?"
After hearing that, General Swartz and Cyber stood up as they looked for the source of the voice along with Prince Crimson.
"Who's there?! Show yourself!" General Swartz calls out.
"Relax, general, it's just me." The source of the voice appeared before he revealed himself by dismissing his invisibility.
He was a human based reptile that resembles a chameleon with some bronze pieces on his body and face with large teeth.
"Oh, Commander Reptileon. I presume your recon has proven useful?" Prince Crimson questions him.
A few days ago, Prince Crimson had sent Reptileon to the Earth to spy on the Nexus Rangers and their allies.
Reptileon bows to the prince.
"Indeed I have, Your Highness. It appears that the Rangers are on the verge of discovering a new Zord." Reptileon told him and the prince was surprised by this along with Swartz and Cyber.
"What?" Swartz said.
"And you're sure about this?" Cyber questions him and Reptileon nodded.
"Yes. I didn't get the full details but based around what they said, this Zord is quite powerful." Reptileon told them.
"If that's true, we can't afford to allow them to acquire it." Swartz said before he spoke to the prince. "Your Highness, I strongly suggest sending a strike team after the Rangers and to destroy this Zord."
"I don't need you telling the obvious." Prince Crimson told him.
"Of course, sir." Swartz bowed his head. But then Prince Crimson had an idea.
"But…We might use this to our advantage." Prince Crimson said.
"How?" Cyber asked.
"General Swartz, call upon Commander Aggron." Prince Crimson told him.
"Of course. But what exactly do you have planned?" General Swartz asked.
"Simple. We'll divide their forces and conquer them." Prince Crimson told them.
Both Dean and Aaron continue to drive to the direction the arrow is pointing before it changes to the left.
"Okay, make a left here." Dean told him.
"Got it." Aaron said before he made the said turn.
As they headed to set direction, Aaron saw some rocks on the road in front of the N-Rover.
"Heads up, the road's going to be a bit bumpy." Aaron told him.
Heeding his advice, Dean grabs onto the handle on the ceiling before Aaron drives on the bumpy road. The Rover shook as it moved on the rocks but it wasn't too serious before it hit a large bump, that's when they heard some movement in the back along with a voice.
"Ow!"
Aaron stops the N-Rover before he and Dean blinks to hear that voice and turns to the back before both Rangers turn to each other.
"Was that…?" Aaron said and Dean nodded.
"Most likely."
After getting the N-Rover off of the bumpy road of rocks, Dean and Aaron exited the vehicle and heads to the cargo compartment and opens it, they soon saw Misty inside as she was rubbing the back of head after hitting it there and soon saw that both Rangers had found her as they gave her a narrow look.
Misty nervously smiles and waves at them.
"Hello…"
After Misty exited the cargo compartment, she was on the ground with Aaron in front of her to speak to her personally.
"Honestly…What were you thinking, Misty?" Aaron asked. "I mean leaving the Hub was one thing but sneaking aboard in the N-Rover like that!"
"I'm sorry. But I just wanted to see if I can be helpful in finding your Zord." Misty said.
"I can understand that. But this is a Power Ranger mission, and you're not a Ranger." Aaron said.
"True…But I want to at least help. You said you'll be there for me, until I find out what my destiny was supposed to be." Misty said.
"I know. But that was then, and this is now."
As he watches those two argue, Dean can't help but chuckle as he finds this somewhat amusing. The Red Ranger then heard movement behind him, he looked and saw it was from a nearby bush with large leaves. Thinking that it was the wind, the Red Ranger turns away from it.
"There are too many risks involved in this. We can't protect you and find the Gorilla Zord at the same time." Aaron told her.
Dean once again heard movement from a nearby tree as he looked at it.
"But Alisa once told me that I must adapt in my current environment. How can I learn that if I can't learn from these things?" Misty asked.
"By not risking your life in this situation. I'm pretty Alisa, didn't mean it would be something like this."
Dean then saw moving events between tree branches and heard something jump to another tree.
"Even so, I…" Misty said before Dean shushes at her as he continues to look through the surrounding area.
"What's wrong?" Aaron asked.
"Something's here." Dean answered.
Aaron took a moment to study the surroundings, but he couldn't find anything.
"You're sure? I don't see any-!" He said before he was attacked and was sent to the ground.
"Aaron!" Both Dean and Misty said in worry before the invisible attacker struck Dean next as he was sent to the ground.
"Dean!" Misty said as she was about to move to check on him but stops as the invisible attacker grabs by the neck and on her arm.
"Misty!" Aaron said in worry as he and Dean stood back up.
Both Nexus Rangers were about to move in and help before the invisible attacker became visible and revealed himself as Commander Reptileon who strengthened his hold on Misty's neck forcing both Dean and Aaron to stop.
"Nahaha, Rangers! If you want this girl back, I wouldn't make any sudden moves." Reptileon warned them.
Both Dean and Aaron gritted their teeth before they took a step back.
"Let me guess, you're from the Kaiser Empire?" Dean questions before he notices that Repilteon was standing close to the Rover's rear boosters.
"Good guess." He said.
Dean then taps on Aaron's foot drawing his attention before he carefully signals him to look at where Repilteon was standing, and Aaron quickly understands and notices what Dean saw as well.
"Then why are you?" Aaron questions him before he and Dean begins to move to the side and Reptileon followed their movement.
"Good question. You see I had my eye on you Rangers for some time. I know about your little gorilla." Reptileon said.
"Is that so?" Dean said as he noticed that Reptileon's back was getting closer and closer to the booster.
"Yes. But sadly, his highness, can't afford to let you have another toy to add to your arsenal. So how about you give me your little device, and I can find your Zord for you." Reptileon requested.
"First and foremost, give us the girl." Dean said.
"Oh please, do you honestly think that I'm stupid!" Reptileon said before he unintentionally fell into their trap as his back was exposed to the Rover's booster.
Both Dean and Aaron smirks.
"Actually, yeah. N-Rover! Voice command engage, activate left booster!" Dean shouted.
"Huh?" Reptileon said in confusion.
The N-Rover turns on before it ignites its left booster which sends Reptileon flying and let's go of Misty before he falls to the ground and Misty falls on her knees with her hands.
Aaron quickly knelt down to check on her.
"You okay?" Aaron asked and Misty nodded.
"Yes, thank you." Misty said.
"You can thank me after we get out of here. Come on!" Aaron said before he helps Misty stand up and enters the N-Rover with her and Dean.
"Floor it!" Dean told him.
Aaron quickly pressed on the gas pedal and pressed a button to activate the Rover's boosters to quickly accelerate and leave the area while leaving Reptileon behind as the Commander stood back up.
Despite the fact that they got away, Reptileon wasn't worried about that as he chuckled.
"That's right, run Rangers, but there's nowhere you can hide." Reptileon said.
There was a tracking device on the N-Rover's rear as it had a blinking red light to give off its signal which was personally placed by Reptileon to track their location wherever they go.
Reptileon then contacts the Kaiser Sphere.
"It's me. I need some air support."
In the Hub, the three Nexus Rangers along with Salamandinay's crew and Pixel were in the command center as they waited to receive contact from Dean and Aaron.
"Well, Pix, anything?" Shin asked as the AI checked on her personal computer before she shook her head.
"Still no contact from Dean and Aaron yet." Pixel told him.
"That's a bit worrying. I hope they're alright." Salamandinay said.
"But I'm mostly worried about Misty. Do you really think she snuck on board the N-Rover when we weren't looking?" Claire asked.
"It's highly possible. Especially Pixel can't seem to find her here." Shin concluded.
"But still, I'm impressed she was able to do that. She might be a natural." Alisa commented.
"Can we please not encourage that?" Claire said.
"Sorry. But I can't help but wonder why she would do that." Alisa said.
"Maybe she wanted to figure out what her purpose is in all of this. Don't forget, the Prism did appear before her." Shin said.
"That's a good point and I can understand. If I was in her shoes, then I want to figure out what that destiny is too." Alisa said.
"But still, she shouldn't rush these sorts of things. I mean figuring out her own destiny doesn't happen right away." Claire said.
"Very true." Shin nodded. "But in any case, at least she'll still have Dean and Aaron to keep her safe. Assuming that they'll call back."
That's when the alarms had gone off which alerted them that there's trouble.
"Oh, no. Don't tell me…" Claire said before he and the others turned to Pixel who was checking the cause of the alarm.
"Afraid so. The Empire's attacking." Pixel said before she brings out live footage of the said attack in a village.
"Now that's just great and we're two Rangers missing." Alisa said.
"It doesn't matter either way. We need to move out. Pixel, contact Dean and Aaron and tell them what's happening." Shin said and Pixel nodded.
"You got it."
"Alright. Let's move out." Shin said before he heads to the transporter with Alisa and Claire following him.
Shin, Alisa and Claire soon arrived at the area of attack and saw the Xedroids right in front of them as they spotted the three Rangers.
"So, I guess you were waiting for us." Alisa said.
That's when they heard the Commander leading them is moving towards the Nexus Rangers while pushing the Xedroids to the side.
"Get out of my way! Stand aside!" The Commander spoke out as he soon revealed himself.
He had a metal coated body with some red in the front of his waist and had a red right hand and had a large red eye on the right side of his face. In his hand was his personal weapon of choice which was a long staff with a small hammer on the top end.
"It's about time you show up, Rangers. I was getting tired of waiting." He said.
"So, you're the big shot here?" Shin said.
"That's right! The name Aggron! Proud commander of the Kaiser Empire!" Aggron proclaims with pride. "I would've preferred fighting all five of you, but the prince's orders are absolute. So, I hope you're prepared for a beatdown!"
"We'll see about that! It's Morphin' Time!" Shin said before he along with Alisa and Claire changed the mode of their Morphers and brought out their Cards.
"Load Card! Access the Morphin Grid!" The three Nexus Rangers said as they loaded their Cards and pressed the button to morph.
(Morphing sequence)
Standing in their respective rooms, Shin, Alisa and Claire before they fired a beam to bring out the screen for their Ranger forms and gear.
The platforms soon open and three Nexus Rangers jump down as their suits begin to form before they land on the ground.
They soon stood up as their helmets appeared.
(End of sequence)
"Nexus Rangers, we stand united!" The Rangers declared as they strike their poses.
"Stand united? More like smash into pieces!" Aggron said before he charges at the Rangers, and they charge at him as well.
The Commander then attacks Shin and Claire with his staff, they avoid his attacks with Shin moving under it using his wolf movement and Claire jumping over it using her agility.
Aggron then attacks Alisa, she avoids his attacks and soon counters by landing some punches on his chest, but Aggron didn't even feel that due to his iron-clad body, Alisa was surprised at first before she throws and lands a kick on his head which ends up hurting her.
Aggron pushes back her leg and attacks her with his fist, and the Yellow Ranger quickly jumps back to avoid it.
Shin and Claire then move to her side as Alisa groans while rubbing on her shin.
"Gah! What is that guy made out of? Rock?" Alisa said and Aggron took offense to that.
"Wrong! I'm made out of pure cold steel!" Aggron told her and the others.
"And apparently you make bad jokes." Shin said and Aggron scoffed.
"Hmph! We'll see who the real joke is! Xedroids, attack!" Aggron ordered and the Xedroids obeyed as they charged at the three Nexus Rangers.
"Nexus Dagger!" The three Rangers soon bring out their Daggers before they charge at the Xedroids and battle them with their weapons.
As he watched the Nexus Rangers battling against the Xedroids, Aggron couldn't help but chuckle.
'Nice! The prince's plan is working like a charm! While Reptileon deal with two of the Rangers, I'll take my time in dealing with these three!'
Dean, Aaron and Misty were riding on the N-Rover as Dean and Aaron kept watch if Reptileon had caught up to them.
"You think we lost him?" Aaron asked.
"Possible. But we're dealing with someone with Alisa's trick, there's no telling if we did." Dean said.
"Good point."
"Then maybe we should call Shin and the others." Misty advice.
"We've been trying. But we can't contact them or Pixel. He must be jamming our communications somehow." Aaron said.
"Meaning we're on our own." Dean said.
"Well…It's not long things could get any worse." Aaron said before a laser blast fired beside the Rover which caused it to shake.
"You were saying?!" Dean asked.
"Me and my big mouth…" Aaron mutters.
Everyone in the N-Rover looked and saw it was a squad of Xedroids following them as they flew in the air using jetpacks.
"Great! So those things can fly now!" Aaron said in annoyance.
"Seems like it!" Dean said before he and Aaron quickly put on their seatbelts. "You may want to put on your seatbelt, princess. Because we're going to experience some really rough driving."
Heeding his advice, Misty quickly put on her own seatbelt.
The flying Xedroids then fire at the N-Rover, Aaron manages to avoid their blaster fire as shots create explosions which cause the Rover to shake. Misty screams to feel that shaky as she tries her best to secure herself.
Dean then types on the touchpad to activate the N-Rover's missile pods.
"Ready?" Dean asked and Aaron nodded. "Then spin!"
"Wait…spin?!" Misty said.
Aaron pressed on the brake while sharply turning the steering wheel and put the Rover in reverse and faced the flying Xedroids.
The Rover's missile pods extended and locked on to the Xedroids before Dean pressed the fire button, the missiles then launched from the pod and headed towards the Xedroids.
Some of the missiles were able to hit and destroy several of the Xedroids as they exploded while some managed to get away but were forced to pull back.
Aaron then spun the N-Rover to drive forward once again before he looked at Misty using the rearview mirror and saw she was looking a bit pale.
"You alright?" Aaron asked in concern.
"Not really…" She groaned before she placed a hand on her mouth as she was on the verge of vomiting.
"Just hang on a bit longer!" Dean said before he brought out the holoprojector and the arrow began to point right. "Turn right here!"
"Got it!" Aaron said as he sharply turned to the right.
Despite the rough shaking and the situation, she was now in with Dean and Aaron, Misty was able to swallow her vomit back inside but saw that the N-Rover was heading towards a large lake.
"Lake!" Misty calls out.
"I see it!" Aaron said.
"Lake!"
"We see it!" Dean said.
As they were getting closer, Aaron tapped on the Rover's touchpad to change the systems of the vehicle's wheels and soon brought the gear shift to the water symbol.
The boosters then ignited to make the N-Rover go faster and were about to dive into the lake, but then, the wheels spun horizontally and spun rapidly and acted as repulser as the N-Rover glides above the water as it continues to move forward.
A bewildered Misty blinks before she sees what is happening and turns to the Rangers as Dean turns to her as well.
"What? Shin did say this was an all-purpose vehicle." Dean told her nonchalantly.
Dean then turns back to the holoprojector before the arrow pointed to the left.
"Now turn left." Dean told Aaron and he soon made the said turn.
"Are these types of situations truly common for you?" Misty asked and Aaron nodded.
"Yeah, pretty much." He answered.
Misty sighed and placed a hand on her forehead.
"Can you open a window…I need some air." Misty said.
In the Kaiser Sphere, Prince Crimson along with Swartz and Cyber receive a report from Reptileon.
"The Rangers along with their pet are now on the run. I'm pursuing them right now; with luck they might lead me to their new Zord."
"Well done, Reptileon. Continue in your pursuit and if the Rangers do find this Zord, destroy it along with them." Prince Crimson told him.
"But of course, Your highness." Reptileon bowed his head before he ended the transmission.
Prince Crimson chuckles as it felt good to have progress for a change.
"Finally. Hopefully with this, I'll finally be rid of the Power Rangers."
After driving for a while, the N-Rover soon stops by a nearby mountain. The Rangers and Misty check and there is no sign of Reptileon or any more Xedroids.
Misty still felt a bit nauseous as she leaned on the Rover while having her other hand on her mouth. Aaron then checks on her.
"How are you feeling?" He asked.
"Fine…I'm just a bit carsick." Misty mutters.
"Yeah. Maybe you should learn from this and not sneak aboard a fast and all purpose vehicle." Aaron told her and Misty still found the humor in that as she chuckles.
"Right. Of course…" Misty said before she once again covered her mouth.
"Hey." Dean calls out to them to gain their attention. "I hate to ruin the moment, but don't forget we have a job to do."
Dean moves in front of a cave with Aaron and Misty following behind him, they then see the projector's arrow pointing at that very cave as the signal grew even stronger.
"Alright. Seems like the Gorilla Zord is here." Dean said.
"In another cave. How original." Aaron commented which caused Misty to chuckle.
"At least it's here. Now all we have to do is find it before…" Dean said before he felt something attacking him which sent the Red Ranger to the ground.
"Dean!" Aaron said as he quickly realized who attacked Dean.
The Black Ranger quickly grabs onto Misty to protect her and Misty blushes before the attacker sends them both to the ground.
"You okay?" Aaron asked.
"Yes, thank you." Misty said while her face was still a bit red.
After helping Misty stand up, Dean stood back up as well before they all saw that their attacker was Reptileon who attacked them with his tongue as he retracted it back to his mouth and became visible once again.
"Before he shows up." Dean said in some annoyance.
"Thanks for leading me here, Rangers. Now I can destroy your gorilla!" Reptileon declared.
"Don't bet on that!" Dean said before he tosses the holoprojector to Aaron as he catches it. "Aaron, take Misty with you and find the Gorilla Zord. I'll handle him."
"What? But Dean…" Aaron said.
"There's no time to argue! Right now, protecting her and the Zord is our top priority. Now go." Dean said.
While a bit reluctant, Aaron nodded.
"Alright, you got it. But I better see you again in one piece."
Dean smiles.
"Funny, I was hoping for the same thing." Dean said before he and Aaron use their Morphers.
"Access the Morphin Grid!"
After morphing into their Ranger forms, Aaron took Misty's hands before they entered the cave together.
"Hold it!" Reptileon was about to chase after him but avoids an incoming attack from Dean using his Racer Saber and the Red Ranger lands a kick on his chest forcing him to stumble back.
"Your opponent is me now." Dean said but Reptileon only scoffed at him.
"Oh, please! How can you expect to beat me if you can't see me!" Reptileon said before he became invisible once again.
Dean was on guard as he waited for Reptileon to make his move, but as expected, Reptileon easily lands a punch on his face and Dean stumbles back, the invisible Commander then attacks him from behind and Dean spins around and attacks with his Saber but ends up missing.
The invisible Reptileon then attacks Dean several times with his tongue and the Red Ranger is sent rolling on the ground. Dean then stood up on knee and foot.
"It's no good. I can't beat him like this…" Dean said before he remembered Harry's words.
"Listen Dean, almost anything could happen in a battlefield. So, it's important to remember to remain calm and focus while adapting to the situation. Don't just rely on one thing, there are other ways to defeat your opponents, you just need to find it."
After remembering his words, Dean stood up as he now knows what he needs to do.
"No…I'm doing this all wrong. I can't beat him by relying on my sight. So…" Dean said before he remembers his sparring match with Alisa where he fought her being blindfolded. "I have to rely on something else."
Dean deeply inhales and exhales, the Red Ranger then assumes a kendo stance with his Saber as he closes his eyes.
Dean waited before he heard Reptileon moving in different spots, but Dean continues to wait, he then senses the Commander throwing an attack at him and Dean avoids it and lands a slash on him.
"What?!" Reptileon said in shock before he attacked the Red Ranger several more times.
Just like before Dean avoids attacks and slashes on his body while still having his eyes closed.
"Dang it! How are you doing that?!" Reptileon exclaimed at him.
"Simple. I remain calm, focus, and I adapt." Dean said as he assumed his different stance as he pointed his Saber forward while tracing his hand on the back of it. "But it doesn't seem like you're able to do the same."
"Grr…You little…!" Reptileon said before he charges at Dean and the Red Ranger charges at him as the two fight with Dean avoiding his attacks and slashes on the Commander while having his eyes closed.
In the cave, Aaron and Misty walk through the cavern with the Black Ranger leading the way with his helmet's headlights turned to help light their way and holding Misty's hand so they won't be separated.
They then spot as the path leads in two different directions. Aaron then uses the holoprojector to find out which direction to take and it points to the left.
"This way and be careful, the ground can be filled with rocks." Aaron told her as they headed to the left path.
"Got it." Misty nodded. "I'm sorry you have to leave Dean behind because of me."
"Hey, it's fine. He probably would've done that anyway even if you weren't here." Aaron assured her. "But I'm also sorry for being rough on you. It's just that I feel responsibility for you now, after what happened back on your own Earth and bringing you here."
"Like you said, it's fine. But I'm still sorry for getting your way, it's just…after hearing stories about the Prism and its creators, I can't help but wonder what I was supposed to do after it appeared before me. Like what path I'm supposed to take and what my destiny is supposed to be."
"Well…Like I said before, it's still up to you to figure that out. But you can't rush things like that. I mean finding your destiny doesn't happen so suddenly."
"I suppose you're right. I just need to be patient if or when that happens." Misty said. "But being in this position, I can't help but be reminded of Angelise."
"Angelise? Oh, you mean that princess from Misurugi, right?"
Misty nodded.
"Yes. I hadn't told you, but I was on Arzenal about a few weeks ago and met her." She told him and Aaron was a bit surprised by this.
"Really?"
Misty nodded once again.
"Before her brother exposed and exiled her to that island, I greatly admired and respected her. Not only as a fellow royal, but as a person. She was so beautiful and majestic and was caring to those who she formed a close bond with and respected them despite their differences in class. I wanted to be just like her."
"I see." Aaron said in understanding.
"But when I reunited with Angelise on Arzenal, I hardly recognized her at first, it was like she was a different person. But I highly doubt it happened overnight, no doubt she faced many hardships after arriving on that island."
"Yeah. I've been on that island too, I highly doubt Arzenal is a popular vacation resort." Aaron said.
"You don't know half of it. Shortly after we met, Angelise requested to allow her to kidnap me and with a smile on her face." Misty told him and Aaron chuckled.
"Really? That must have been something." Aaron deadpanned.
"Yes. I was scared at first, but overtime, I understood why she did it. She was only trying to escape to save her sister…And now, after everything you and your friends had told me, I can't help but feel guilty for what my family…No for what my entire world has done to her. I hope to meet her again, so I can apologize to her in person, along with the Norma."
"Well…You better stay alive until then if it does happen. But don't worry, I'll always be here for you." Aaron swore to her.
Misty once again blushes before she shyly turns away from him while having a smile on her face.
"Th-Thank you…" Misty said before she asked him a question. "But if you don't mind, what sort of relationship Dean has with his grandfather?"
"Why would you ask that?" Aaron asked back.
"I'm just curious. I notice that Dean has a great deal of trust towards him. I would understand because they're family, but it seems there's more to it than that."
Aaron hummed before he shrugged.
"Sure, but just don't tell him I told you. Back when Dean was a kid, he lost his parents in an airplane accident."
Misty was shocked to learn this.
"What? Truly?"
Aaron nodded.
"Apparently the plane crashed and fell into the ocean, they never found it or the bodies of the passengers."
"I had no idea."
"Yeah. That's when Harry took him in and raised him, becoming both of his parents, his guardian and mentor."
"I see. That explains a lot now." Misty said.
"Yeah. After we become Power Rangers, Harry volunteers and teaches us everything he knows despite." Aaron said.
"Then was he a Ranger himself?" Misty asked.
"No, but strangely he still knows a bunch about Power Rangers along with a lot of other things. We never know how he knew such things, I always assumed he was an old war vet or something like that, but he often joked and said he was a plumber or something."
"Then you never asked?" Misty asked and Aaron nodded. "Why?"
"Because we respected the man's privacy. He became more than a mentor to us; he was often like a father to us too."
"I see. Then I won't pry any further than that. But still, I hope I can meet him one day." Misty said.
"Me too. I especially want to know what he's been doing after he left our dimension." Aaron said.
Aaron then checked the holoprojector and saw the signal was getting stronger but to the Black Ranger's confusion, the arrow was pointed downward.
"Strange."
"What?" Misty asked.
"If I'm reading this right, we should be right on top of the Gorilla-" Aaron said before the cave begins to shake.
Aaron grabs onto Misty's shoulders before he sees that the ground beneath begins to crack up.
"Oh sh-!" Aaron said before the ground shatters and both him and Misty fall into the hole.
Aaron uses his back to slide down a slope to protect Misty before they both roll to the bottom and Aaron manages to quickly land on his back to cushion her.
Aaron groans before Misty manages to sit up.
"Aaron, are you okay?" She asked in concern.
"Not really…But I'll live." Aaron said before he sat up. "But what was that…?"
Aaron then notices that Misty is staring at something as her eyes widened before Aaron felt that same something breathing at them.
The Black Ranger looked and saw that they had found what they were looking for.
"Oh, that's why." Aaron commented before the 'something' pounded on its chest.
Dean continues to battle the invisible Reptileon while continuing to avoid his attacks and land slashes on him as he still has his eyes closed. The Red Ranger lands one slash on his chest which sends the Commander rolling on the ground.
"What's wrong? Can't beat someone who can't see?" Dean said with a mocking tone.
Reptileon growled as he stood back up and dismissed his invisibility.
"Grr…Fine! I don't need invisibility to beat you!" Reptileon exclaimed as he brought out the tongue in his mouth along with four others from his back.
Dean saw that as he opened his eyes and was a bit creeped out by this.
"Heesh…Just when I thought you couldn't be any uglier." Dean said as he was ready to fight nonetheless.
Just as Reptileon stretch out his tongues to attack the Red Ranger, he stops as both parties felt the ground shaking.
"What the…?" Reptileon said in confusion as he retracted his tongues.
"Could it be…?" Dean said as he had a good idea what was causing this shaking.
Then emerging from the mountain as it smashed through was the Gorilla Zord as it landed close to Dean and Reptileon.
The Gorilla Zord is colored mostly red with some black parts. The Gorilla Zord has large hands while having a black face and a redhead with blue eyes, it also has the 'N' symbol on the chest.
"The Gorilla Zord!" Dean said with a smile on his face.
"Oh, no! I forgot about that!" Reptileon said.
Dean then heard his Morpher ringing and accepted the call, and Aaron soon appeared on the screen with Misty as they were both inside the Gorilla Zord's cockpit.
"Hey, Dean! Am I late?" Aaron waved at him, and Dean chuckled.
"Nope. You're just in time."
"Dang it! I hate to cut and run, but I have no choice!" Reptileon said before he turned invisible and attempted to sneak away, which Dean noticed.
"I don't think so." Dean said before he closed his eyes to follow his movements and soon spoke to Aaron. "Aaron, swing a punch at two o'clock!"
"Got it!" Aaron said as he controls the Gorilla Zord to swing a punch at Dean's direction which hits the invisible Reptileon as he was sent rolling on the ground and becomes visible once again.
"No way! Again!" The Commander cries out.
"Time to finish this!" Dean said as he pulled out his SuperCharge Card. "Load SuperCharge Card!"
After loading the said Card into his Saber, it soon glows with energy as Dean's headlights lit up and wheels appeared beside his feet.
Dean then races at Reptileon as he stands up and slash straight through him.
"It can't be!" Reptileon cries out as he falls to the ground and explodes.
Dean swung his Saber to the left and right before he swung it downward.
"Guess you were all tongue but no spirit." Dean said.
Dean then heard his Morpher ringing once again and pressed the call button and appearing on the screen was Pixel.
"Finally! I've gotten through!" Pixel siad.
"Pix? What's wrong?" Dean asked.
"You tell me? I was trying to call you for a while." Pixel told him.
"Really?" Dean said before Aaron appeared in a split screen.
"That little lizard must have jammed the communication somehow." Aaron concluded.
"Then I guess you had some trouble in your search?" Pixel asked.
"Pretty much. But we've already taken care of it." Dean told her.
"Good. Because now we have another problem to deal with." Pixel told them.
"How so?" The Red Ranger asked.
After defeating the Xedroids, Shin, Alisa, and Claire battle Aggron as they attack with their Daggers, but the Commander manages to parry their attacks while blocking some with his ironclad body.
Aggron then swung his staff around and attacked the three Nexus Rangers one at a time which sent them rolling on the ground.
"Hahaha! And here I thought you would be more of a challenge! Guess I was wrong!" Aggron stated as the three Rangers stood up.
"Oh, don't worry, you're not wrong!" Shin said as he and the others were still determined to fight.
Just as both parties were ready to fight once again, they heard a loud roar and saw it was from the Gorilla Zord as it dashed towards them.
"It's the Gorilla!" Claire said.
"Then that would mean…" Alisa said before the Gorilla Zord stops.
Then jumping down from the Zord is Dean and Aaron as they land beside their friends.
"Dean! Aaron!" Claire said.
"Hey, seems like you need some help." Dean said.
"You don't know half of it." Shin said as they all faced Aggron who clicks his tongue.
"So, you manage to defeat Reptileon…like that's a big deal! I'm a whole lot stronger than he was! Especially with my metal body!" Aggron said as he punched on his chest.
"He's right. That steel plate of his isn't just for show." Shin said.
"Oh really? Then let's see if you're stronger than ninja steel! Time to go legendary!" Dean said and his teammates nodded.
The Nexus Rangers then brought out the Ninja Steel Ranger Cards.
"Load Legendary Ranger Card! Ninja Steel!" The Rangers called out together as they loaded the Cards into their Morphers. "Ninja Spin!"
The Nexus Rangers soon transform into the Ninja Steel Rangers with Alisa being a female version of the Yellow Ranger and Aaron being a male version of the White Ranger.
The Nexus Rangers soon armed themselves with the Ninja Star Blades and struck their poses.
"Ninja Rangers, Fear No Danger!"
"Oh, you'll feel alright!" Aggron charged at the Rangers, and they did the same.
Aggron throws in the first attack by swinging his staff at Dean, the Red Ranger blocks it with his sword before he pushes it back and lands two slashes on Aggron's chest.
That's when Shin and Alisa jump over Dean to slash even more slashes on Aggron. After that, Aaron and Alisa appear behind Aggron in a puff of smoke and slashes on his back, Dean then jumps at Aggron to land a double kick which forces the Commander to stumble back.
"I'll admit that was impressive…but it's still not enough to make a dent on my armor!" Aggron stated.
"Then how about we do a little science experiment." Shin said before he and the others brought out the Elemental Stars and inserted them into the Star Blades and spun the Stars.
"Ninja Spin! Element Star! Fire Attack!" The Nexus Rangers said as they shot streams of fire at Aggron which heated up the metal coated on his body.
"Hot! Hot! HHHHoooottt!" Aggron said.
"Oh, can't stand the heat! Sorry, here's some water!" Shin said before he and his team set the Elemental Stars to Water Mode and spun them.
"Water Attack!" The Nexus Rangers then shot streams of water at Aggron which began to cool him down.
After the Rangers stop their attack, Aggron angrily glares at them before he approaches the Rangers.
"You think you're so smart! You won't be for much longer after I'm…" Aggron said before his body started to become stiff as it makes some creaking noises and isn't able to move a muscle now. "What the…I can't move!"
"Yeah, that was pretty much the point." Shin said as he tapped his Ninja Star Blade on his free hand. "After being heated for so long, most metals will expand and after being cooled down with water it will reharden."
"Way to go Shin!" Claire cheered.
"And that's you're the brains in the group!" Aaron said.
"Now it's time for the finisher!" Dean said as they changed back to the Ninja Power Stars and pressed the button on their Blades to activate their finishing attack.
The Nexus Rangers glowed with energy as they assumed their stance.
"Five Ranger Ninja Strike! Steel Slash! Ninja Spin!" The Rangers declared as they spun their Stars and soon charged at Aggron at high speed.
The Rangers then slash at Aggron one at a time before they jump above the Commander.
"Final Attack!"
The Rangers then swung their Blades down at Aggron which destroyed him as he exploded and the Nexus Rangers jumped out of the explosion before they changed back to their base forms.
"Morphinominal!" Dean said as he swipes his tongue on his helmet's nose.
In the Kaiser Sphere, Prince Crimson along with Swartz and Cyber saw both Reptileon and Aggron's defeat against the Nexus Rangers.
Prince Crimson screams in frustration as he slams his fist on his armrest.
"Damn it all! First Reptileon lost against the Rangers and now Aggron! I refuse to let this happen! Cyber, use the Kaiser Reanimator on Aggron! Swartz sends a legion of Xe-Bots, now!" Prince Crimson ordered them.
"Yes, Your Highness!" Both Swartz and Cyber said at the same time as Swartz sent the Xe-Bots and Cyber activated the Kaiser Reanimator as it fired a beam at Aggron's remains.
The Reanimator's beam soon made contact with Aggron's remains and brought him back as a giant as he looked down at the Rangers.
"Hahaha! I'm back and I'm sturdier than ever!" Aggron exclaimed.
Dean soon pulls out the Racer Zord Card and loads it into his Morpher.
"Deploy, Nexus Ranger Zord! And as an added bonus!" Dean said as he pulled out a Megazord Card which was a combination of his personal Zord with the Gorilla Zord. "Load Megazord Card!"
Dean loads the Card into his Morpher.
"Initiate, Gorilla Formation!"
Then the words 'Initiate Megazord Sequence - Gorilla Formation' appeared on his Morpher's screen.
(Megazord sequence)
The Racer Zord, in Battle Mode, is seen running on a rocky cliff before it jumps down to a jungle filled with trees and vines. Then swinging to the Racer Zord is the Gorilla Zord using the vines before it jumps to the former.
The Gorilla Zord then separated into several pieces and attached to the Racer Zord itself.
The hands and arms attach to the Racer Zord's arms and then to the feet and legs and the Gorilla Zord's head then folds backwards behind the chest before it attaches to the Racer Zord's engine and own chest.
The Racer Zord's helmet changes form, resembling a gorilla's head with a clear visor that shows the blue eyes and a black mouth.
The Nexus Rangers then appear in the Megazord's cockpit and attach their Morphers to their platform's slot.
"Access Controls!"
"Nexus Me-!" They started before someone spoke out.
"Umm…Excuse me."
The Rangers blink before they see that Misty was in the cockpit and was standing close to Aaron.
"Misty?!" Claire said in shock to see her here.
"Oh…right…Forget you were still in the Gorilla Zord. Sorry." Dean said.
"It's alright. But is this…" Misty said as she studied her surroundings.
"Yeah." Aaron nodded. "You're inside a Megazord."
"Amazing…So this is what it looks like." Misty said.
"What should we do now?" Alisa asked.
"No choice, we just have to adapt like we always do." Dean said before he coughed in his hand and the Nexus Rangers resumed their declaration.
"Nexus Megazord - Gorilla Formation!" The Nexus Rangers declared as the Megazord pound its fists on its chest.
(End of sequence)
The Nexus Megazord assumed its stance as it was ready to fight the giant Aggron and the Xe-Bots.
"You may have beaten me last time! But I won't be beaten again!" Aggron declared.
"You shouldn't make assumptions like that!" Dean said.
"You may want to hang on tight, Misty! Riding in a Megazord is rougher than in a car!" Aaron said.
Heeding his advice, Misty quickly knelt down and grabbed onto the part link between the Black Ranger's platform and Morpher.
The Xe-Bots with blaster arms fired at the Megazord and avoided their energy shots using animalistic movements by jumping and rolling on the ground while moving towards them.
Misty screams as the cockpit shakes as the Megazord does, it flips and jumps before she becomes nauseous once again and covers her mouth to keep it in.
The Nexus Rangers then threw two punches and responding to their movement, the Nexus Megazord landed strong punches at the Xe-Bots which sent them to the ground before they exploded.
Then the Xe-Bots with drill arms then attack the Megazord, and it avoids their attacks before the Megazord grabs onto one Xe-Bot and spun it above its head before throwing the Bot to two others as they collided against each other and fell to the ground.
Two Xe-Bots then attack the Megazord with their drill arms, and the Megazord strongly catches them with both hands before the Megazord crushed the drills to shatter them into pieces and landed a double lariat at them sending the Xe-Bots to the ground.
"Is it over yet?" Misty groans.
"No, not yet. Just hang a bit longer, Misty." Claire told her before the Nexus Rangers saw Aggron charging at them.
Aggron attacks the Nexus Megazord with his staff and the Megazord avoids his attacks.
The Nexus Rangers then threw three punches, and the Megazord did the same as its punches landed on Aggron's chest which forced the Commander to stumble back.
The Nexus Rangers then jump on their platforms and the Megazord jumps towards Aggron to deliver even more punches on him before it lands an uppercut right under his jaw, knocking Aggron off of his feet as he falls to the ground.
"Th-This won't stop me!" Aggron said as he slowly stood back up.
"Super Nexus Blaster!" Dean calls out and the Blaster soon appears in his hand.
Dean then readied and aimed the Blaster at Aggron.
Responding to that, the Megazord's eyes lit up as it begins to roar before it raised both of its fists and they begins to enlarge as they glow with energy.
"Nexus Megazord! Mega Gorilla Punch!" The Nexus Rangers declare before Dean fires his blaster while his team throws a double punch.
The Nexus Megazord then throws its giant fists at Aggron which destroys him as he explodes.
With that, the Nexus Megazord's arms shrunk down to their base size before it turns around and flexes its biceps.
"Never underestimate humans!" The Nexus Rangers cheered in their victory, but it was short lived before they saw that Misty was on the verge of losing her lunch and could barely keep it in.
"Whoa! Whoa! Just hang on Misty, you'll make it!" Claire said as she quickly moved in to support her.
"Yeah! We'll be back in the Hub in no time!" Aaron assured her.
"Well…I suppose this will be the last time we'll bring a passenger in a Megazord fight." Dean said.
"Indeed." Shin nodded.
(Later)
After the battle, the Rangers returned to the Hub. Aaron quickly brought Misty to a nearby restroom where she'll lose her lunch.
Dean was in the Gorilla Zord's cockpit as he brought it to its personal hangar.
"There. Now you're back where you belong. Sorry that we made you wait for over 500 years." Dean said as he traced his hand on the Gorilla Zord's controls. "You really did pull through for us, Grandpa."
That's when Dean heard something dropping in the cockpit, he blinked before he looked and saw it was another holoprojector.
"Another projector?" Dean said before he picks it up and activates it and it was another recording left behind by Harry.
"Dean, if you're seeing this message, then you find the Gorilla Zord. I don't have much time, but I was able to acquire new information you need to hear. It's about Kurt."
Dean was left curious before the recording told him the rest of Harry's message.
After arriving in the command room, Dean then calls upon his friends to meet him here. The other Nexus Rangers soon arrived as Dean and Pixel were waiting for them.
"Hey, thanks for coming." Dean said.
"Well, you did make it sound important." Alisa said.
"So what's up? What's the big emergency?" Aaron asked.
"I couldn't call it an emergency. Just a piece of a puzzle." Dean said before he brought out and showed the holoprojector he found in the Gorilla Zord.
"Another holoprojector?" Shin said.
"Yeah." Dean nodded. "I found this in the Gorilla Zord's cockpit, and it has something you all need to hear."
Dean activated the projector to show the hologram/message of Harry before it said this.
"Don't trust anything that Kurt does or says. He's not what he appears to be."
With that, the projector turned off which left the other Nexus Rangers a bit confused on what Harry meant by that.
"Kurt isn't what he appears to be?" Alisa said.
"What does that mean?" Aaron asked.
"Beats me." Pixel shrugged. "If Harry found something off about Kurt, he definitely didn't told me about it."
"Then I guess it's safe to assume that we have another mystery to solve." Dean said.
"Indeed." Shin nodded.
"But still…It would've been nice if he gave us a straighter answer. But this is Grandpa afterall." Claire said.
"Yeah…" Alisa mutters.
The Yellow Ranger wasn't sure how to feel about this. Harry's message really shook her to her core. The fact that Kurt isn't acting like himself was a bit relieving but she also felt scared about that, because the answer to what really happened to the White Nexus Ranger is frightening to her.
(Meanwhile)
In the world of Mana, Embryo is seen in a dark room and was standing in front of a cryopod which contained a person who was in a suspended animation.
"I knew I would find you here." Said Kurt as he approaches Embryo who turns to his personal envoy. "Care to explain what's wrong?"
"Oh, it's nothing Kurt. I'm just feeling a bit joyful." Embryo said, and Kurt hummed in thought as he had a good idea what it was about.
"And let me guess, it has something to do with that Ange girl, right?" Kurt asked and Embryo chuckled.
"You really don't know how to hold back, even if you speak the truth." Embryo said before he turned back to the cryo-pod along with the person who was sealed inside. "There are times that I wonder how things would've gone if he had accepted my offer."
"Then you wouldn't have me." Kurt told him and Embryo chuckled in amusement.
"Well…I suppose there's no denying that."
Embryo then heads to the door to leave the room.
"But we have no time to waste on trivial matters. Come, we still have much work to do." Embryo told him and Kurt soon followed him.
"But of course, my master." Kurt said.
Both men left the room which left the room now vacant. Inside the cryo-pod, despite his state in suspended animation, he could still hear their voices faintly and could see things, things that only Kurt himself had experienced. Events where the evil White Ranger had fought his former team and friends.
'Dean…everyone…'
To be continued...The Shadow of Harry's Past
There you have it, hope you like it. Review to tell me what you think of the story.
Today's villains
Reptileon
Base: Chameleon Zodiart from Kamen Rider Fourze
Aggron
Design: Metal Dopant from Kamen Rider W
Yep, there's indeed a hidden secret behind the White Nexus Ranger but the rest will remain hidden…for now.
But in the next chapter, the Rangers will receive a surprise visit from a 'Shadow' of Harry's past.