I do not own Power Rangers. This season is fanmade.

Episode 6: Timid Ranger

Junior MMA students were battling one another in separate rings as training in the Performance Center in town. One of the students was none other than DJ himself, who wearing a tank top and navy blue shorts, while his opponent, a timid Latin-American boy with a shaved head, stepped forward and balled his fists.

"Listen, m-man," the boy trembled in fear, holding his balled himself to cover his face. "Today is my first day, just...please go easy on me."

DJ frowned and rolled his eyes, dropping his fists. "Alright, man, I'll go easy on you."

The boy removed his fists from his face, looking hopeful. "Really?"

"Nope," DJ smirked before laying a brutal kick to the boy's abdomen, sending him back and onto the ground. The boy gasped after having the wind get knocked out of him.

DJ chuckled, removing his gloves. "Yup, this is why I am a two-time junior MMA champ." He then turned and walked over to the bleachers, where his water bottle and towel sat. He sat down and picked up the bottle and took a swig. He surveyed the entire center, filled with nothing but teens punching, kicking, and practically beating each other up. This satisfied him, and now that he is a Ranger, kicking butt is practically his duty.

At the corner of his eye, DJ noticed his Martial Arts teacher talking to an unrecognizable student. DJ figured this kid was new to town since this was a small town and everyone knew everyone.

Just then, Cole, the dark-skinned teacher, approached DJ along with the new student. The kid was about his age, probably around 16, and had amber hair and a taper haircut, along with green eyes and freckles, and like DJ, was wearing a tank top and shorts, the only difference was that DJ's shorts were blue, while this boy's shorts were an interesting color of green.

Cole smiled. "DJ, I'd like you to meet your new partner. This right here is Donald Reef."

DJ stood and nodded. Cole then walked off, wishing the two boys good luck.

DJ smiled and offered his new partner a handshake. "Nice to meet you, Donald. My name is Dean-Jamal, but of course, you can just call me DJ."

His new friend smiled back and shook his hand strongly. "Nice to meet you too. But Donald is just my full name. You can just call me Donnie."

DJ smirked and stepped aside, allowing Donnie some room. "Ok, Donnie. Let's see some of your moves.

"Alright," Donnie spoke. He readied himself but bending his knees slightly and jumping backward and, much to DJ's pure shock and astonishment, performed a picture-perfect double backflip. This caught the attention of the other students in the room as Donnie began performing high kicks the moment he land on his feet before doing another backflip, which earned him a round of applause from the other students, including DJ himself.

He looked up at DJ's face and nearly chuckled. DJ grinned in pure disbelief. "Dude, that was sick! How could you perform those moves?"

Donnie shrugged and smiled. "It took a lot of practice. I am not new to MMA."

"That's awesome. Hey, do you attend the high school in this town?"

"I'm going to when school starts. Why do you ask?"

DJ smiled. "Donnie, I have a feeling you and I are going to get along very well."

In the dark, deep closures of Kartae. Po was pacing around his dark chamber, rubbing his temple trying to get his head straight. Now that there are three Power Rangers out to stop him from complete annihilation of the system of Karate, as well as the planet itself. He needed to come up with a plan to weaken the Rangers, either physically...

Or mentally.

Po smirked and called out for his sister. "Sky!"

In an instant, a dust cloud erupted. Once faded away, Sky became present. She approached her brother and spoke, folding her hands. "Yes, dear brother."

Po narrowed his eyes and spoke. "So, what have you learned about each of the Rangers."

Sky nodded and pulled out a triangular-shaped portable computer, and pressing a few buttons on the screens, she spoke. "All three of them go to the same high school. The Red one is excellent in sports, while the Yellow Ranger is your typical over-achiever." She raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Wow. Valedictorian since Kindergarten. Not bad."

Po spoke through his teeth. "What about the Blue Ranger?"

Sky rolled her eyes. "Not the brightest of the bunch, but he is the top student in mixed martial arts. Out of all the Rangers, he is practically the muscle of the group. He taught himself how to be tough ever since his mother passed away. By the looks of it, he had a few rough years of his childhood."

Po turned in the opposite direction and still speaking to his sister. "I need a way to weaken one of the Rangers psychologically so they wouldn't be strong enough to help their friends. That way, if one falls, they all fall."

Sky held her tablet to the side. "And dare I ask how?"

Po turned back to his sister and smirked. "I want you to get to obtain the Globe of Nightmares and Anxiety as well as Psychorica. I want her to hinder the Blue Ranger's mind so that he will be weakened by his troubled past." He then chuckled evilly. "He will be too mentally crippled to fight. This will drive him mad!"

Sky smirked and nodded. "As you wish, brother."

After a long day of training, DJ and his new friend was exiting the small building as Donnie was going to stay behind to wait for his mother, while DJ was simply going to walk home.

They stopped at the exit as DJ held out his hand for Donnie to shake. "It was nice meeting you, dude. Today was fun," he said with a grin.

Donnie smiled back and shook his hand strongly. "It was great hanging with you too, man. I'll see you around."

"Alright, see ya," DJ spoke, waving goodbye as he walked down the sidewalk on his way home. He pulled out his iPhone and looked through his social media as he walked home. As he walked through an empty football field his neighborhood was near, he felt a sudden gush of wind sends a stumbling backward.

He widened his eyes and looked around. There was nothing in sight. At least, there was nothing in front of him. Then DJ heard the scratchy sounds. Almost like several bugs that were yelping. He turned and realized what was charging at him.

Karadracs!

DJ held his fighting stance as the group of foot soldiers surrounded him. "Come on, creep!" He challenged them. A few tried to swing at him, but he dodge and either kneed them in the gut and kicked them in the chest. Then DJ felt himself be dominated by two other Karadracs from behind as they grabbed each of their arms.

DJ struggled to get free, the purple gush of wind returned. It traveled several feet from where DJ was being held captive by the Karacdracs. It then formed into a being. She had a black face with red eyes, the left one being half-lidded. She also wore a purple, sleeveless robe with a hood. Her arms were a sparkling shade of pink, one of them holding a dark, sharp dagger, and the older holding a sparkling orb.

She laughed maniacally, which almost got DJ to cringe. "Hello, Ranger."

DJ kicked and struggled to break free from the Karadracs' tight grip. He glared at the Humanitor. "Who are you?!"

"Psychorica's the name. Messing with people's minds is my game." She spoke. Her voice was like a distorted female chipmunk. She pointed the orb towards DJ. The object shot a thin, blue beam at him. DJ shrieked as he felt his inside heating up dramatically. His head was throbbing, and his heart felt like it was going to explode. The pain was agonizing. He only wished it would end, until...

"There, now we are finished!" Psychorica cackled as she and the Karadracs suddenly vanished into thin air.

DJ collapsed onto his knees. The head throbbed for a few minutes before the pain finally diminished. He looked up and he realized he was still in the middle of the football field. He slowly stood up and checked his surroundings. Sure enough, the Karadracs and that creepy witch were gone, but DJ felt this sort of fear. He didn't know what was causing this sort of fear, but he felt as if he was going to have a panic attack, but he knew he had to get home soon.

He casually walked through the football field and down the neighborhood and into the culdesac. He entered his house, only to be greeted by a pleasant smell coming from the kitchen. He walked in and found a tray of lasagna laying on the stovetop. He walked over to the stove and found a note written on it. He picked it up and read it:

Hey son! I'm off out of state for a business trip, so you will have the entire house to yourself for the weekend. You can invite your friends over if you'd like, just no parties

-Dad

DJ rolled his eyes and tore the paper to shreds. Yeah, his dad goes on yet ANOTHER trip, and to think that DJ was going to become very close with his father, but that man dared to believe some premade pan of lasagna would lighten his mood.

DJ didn't even feel hungry anyway. It was already pitch black outside so he simply decided to hit the hay early.

5-year-old Dean-Jamal was sitting at the top of the staircase as his parents were arguing downstairs. His mother had lost her job and told his father that she would find another, but would then proceed to wastefully spend their savings.

"You were supposed to find a job!" Mr. Tee screamed. "But you are spending our money on drinks!"

"Monroe, calm down," Mrs. Tee spoke, "I'll find a job soon."

"Soon? Soon!? You were saying that for almost a week now, yet you continue to spend OUR savings on alcohol!"

"What I do with the cash is none of your business?"

"None of my business! Sarah, I AM YOUR HUSBAND! We are partners and we are supposed to support each other with this money situation. You have been wasting our money!"

"What else am I supposed to do with this cash?"

"Let's see. How about OUR SON?!"

"That brat is fine! Maybe we are giving him too much, don't you think?"

"No! Because he needs food to survive, as well as a stable home. I have to struggle every day in hopes that my business will rise so we don't have to worry about money, but now you need to find a job! We can't ignore this problem forever!"

"I am done with this!" Sarah spoke as she marched towards the door.

"Sarah, I have had it with you! I want a divorce!" DJ's dad finally screamed, causing DJ to flinch from the top of the stairs.

"Fine by me, I don't need you or that little shit!"

DJ awoke at the dead of night, drenched in sweat. That was a horrible nightmare. He was hyperventilating as if his life depended on it. He never had that sort of dream in years. Why had it suddenly popped into his head? Did he think about his mother?

He felt this fear pump through his blood as he laid his head back down. He drifted back to sleep, only to be haunted by the same dream.

It was going to be a long night for him.

The next day, Maya and Max were training in the dojo, with Ellie sitting at the monitor. Maya's karate attire was a bright shade of yellow, while Max's was a dark shade of crimson red.

Maya did a high kick towards the punching bag. She looked over at where Max was standing and speaking.

"Hey, isn't DJ supposed to show up?"

Max set his kendo stick aside as he thought. "Quite frankly, I haven't seen him all day."

Sensei Uni suddenly appeared from thin air between Maya and Max. He had his hands behind his back as he spoke. "Dean-Jamal's absence will not go unnoticed nor unpunished. Action will take place if he does not appear today."

Ellie turned her chair towards them and spoke with a smirk. "Honestly, expulsion would be nice." She chuckled.

Just then, the portal opened from the other end of the dojo. The four watched as DJ entered the dojo very tiredly, already wearing his blue attire.

Maya and Max both gasp. DJ looked terrible. His hair was a mess, there were bags underneath his eyes and he looked as if he hadn't eaten yet.

Maya approached DJ and spoke. "DJ, are you ok? You look terrible."

DJ was trembling as he couldn't speak about how he felt. It was as if he would have a heart attack from all the anxiety he was experiencing.

Right when he was about to speak when red lights flickered around the dojo. The alarm went off, signaling a disturbance in the city.

Ellie turned back to her monitor and rapidly began typing, trying to find out what was going on. Then the disturbance was tracked down at East Side beach.

Uni and the rangers stood behind Ellie as they watched the action unfold through the computer screen. A Humanitor was terrorizing the beach-goers. DJ gasped quietly as he realized that was the same monster from yesterday.

Uni gave the Rangers the thumbs up. They both backed up and lined up in formation, DJ still trembling.

Max spoke. "Ready?"

Maya nodded. "Ready."

DJ took a deep breath and spoke in a shaky tone. "R-ready."

They held out their hands and their gems appeared.

"Call into combat!"

Thus the morphing sequence began. Winds are flowing around each of the rangers. The colors of the air matched their respective Rangers colors. Once the wind diminished, they were seen with their suits. Then their Spirit Animal came up behind them, their jaws helping form the Rangers' helmets.

"Ah, a fun day at the beach!" Psychorica boasted as several people were screaming and running away.

"Come on! I was just having fun!" She laughed maniacally, then, in an instant, she was blown away by a swish of dust.

She soon managed to get up back onto her feet. She looked over to the west side of the beach and noticed the three rangers.

"Ah, you must be the Rangers I have been hearing about!" She spoke.

Maya and Max both charged at the monster, but DJ just stayed where he was standing and could barely move.

Maya and Max pulled out their blade and charged at Psychorica, but she was a bit too fast. Maya tried to slash her from the right, but she dodged it and spun before striking Maya with her blade, sending her backward. Max tried to one-up her, but Psychorica managed to block every single swing of Max's blade before striking him as well.

Maya and Max were moaning as they struggled to get up. Maya looked back and saw DJ sitting with his arms hugging his legs and he was trembling.

"What's going on with him?" She asked incredulously.

Max shook his head. "I have no idea."

They then turned their attention back onto Psychorica as she cackled. "Rangers, taste my sharp flakes!" Soon enough, dozens of flakes flew from her face and towards Maya and Max. They exploded as they made contact with them. Maya and Max were sent backward and into the sand. They moaned in pain as they struggled to get back on their feet once again.

"Well, this is no fun! I'll come back when you all are ready to fight! Too-da-loo!" She spoke, folding her arms and diminishing into thin air.

Max and May got back onto their feet. Max was clenching his arms as he demorphed. "Unbelievable?"

Maya looked over at where DJ was still sitting. "I believe we need to discuss this with a certain someone, huh?" She spoke as she demorphed as well, rubbing her shoulder.

They both walked towards DJ as they were ready to give him a good tongue-lashing, but then anger quickly turned to worry as they realized DJ was shaking and hyperventilating.

Max knelt and put a hand on DJ's shoulder. "Deej, are you alright?"

DJ jerked his head up as he gasped, but then released it as he realized it was just Max. He demorphed as he spoke, shaking his head. "I-I...no. No! I am not ok! I don't feel okay! I-I feel as if I am going to explode! I feel as if I am going to have a panic attack or even a heart attack! I am losing my mind guys..."

He couldn't get any more words out as he broke into tears. Max and Maya both looked at each other in awe. DJ was never like this. They knew him as the coldest, fearless person they knew. The DJ in front of them wasn't acting like the best friend they knew and loved all these years. What could be troubling him?

They needed to talk to Sensei.

Part two coming soon...