Power Rangers created by Haim Saban and adapted from Super Sentai; property of Hasbro

RWBY created by Monty Oum and property of Rooster Teeth (Or… it used to be :( )

Hero.

What do you think of when you hear that word? Do you imagine an almighty savior some see as a god or do your thoughts turn to an ordinary person going out of their way to do the right thing? Do you think of one who endangers their life to save another? Do you see a champion battling against a dark, unspeakable force that has conquered countless worlds or do you see someone like you lending your hand to a stranger in a way that seems inconsequential to most?

Whatever you see right now, know this. That champion you imagine- real or fictional, super or ordinary- is defined by many things. Among these aspects is one that can be found at their very core: power. Not the kind of power that allows them to perform feats that appear impossible, but the power that gives them the strength and will to be a hero in the first place. This power can be found anywhere, and it can be mixed with the extraordinary to mold one into a true hero. If you need an example, look no further than our world… and another.

After scheme after scheme to conquer the Earth was foiled by the legendary Power Rangers, the wicked sorceress Rita Repula found a spell that would banish them to a world that rested outside of the Morphin Grid that spanned the entirety of the universe. While she did succeed, the Rangers' interference caused the witch and her minions to be transported to the target world as well. In this world, the teenagers with attitude were stripped of their powers and were seemingly stranded, with no means of contacting their mentor Zordon or returning home.

But all was not lost.

The other world- a planet known to its inhabitants as Remnant- had its own defenders: warriors called Huntsmen who battled deadly creatures of darkness called Grimm. The altered Power Rangers crossed paths with a Huntress-in-training named Ruby Rose and her fellow classmates, who offered to aid them however she could. Friendships grew between both teams… but Rita and her minions took advantage of sinister forces in Remnant to ensure their enemies would never return to Earth.

Team RWBY, Team JNPR, and the Power Rangers were tested at every step, from friends being taken out of action to the philosophy of protecting a world single-handedly when the populace had enough defenders. Truths were revealed and hidden on both sides, as the Rangers learned that Ruby's professor was not what he seemed and Rita's actions drew the attention of a woman with greater plans for Remnant. In the end, Rita was defeated once again and returned both herself, her minions, and the Power Rangers to their home dimension…

…but not without one last trick up her sleeve.

The Grimm were heartless, soulless beings that craved only death, chaos, and destruction: the perfect tools for Rita. She altered the spell so that the Grimm were transported to Earth as well, the beasts causing chaos throughout Angel Grove and on the verge of terrorizing a world unprepared for them. They would have succeeded if not for an intervention… but not an intervention the Power Rangers were solely responsible for.

Rita's spell had accidentally caught Team RWBY and whisked them away to Earth, where they were the ones who were rendered powerless due to Aura and Semblances being nonexistent in our world. Yet, Ruby Rose remained determined to wipe out the Grimm and keep them from plaguing another planet: a determination that impressed Zordon of Eltar himself, the sage transforming Ruby and her friends into honorary Power Rangers to aid them in their fight. The ensuing battle to save Angel Grove was fierce…

…yet it was this brave girl that brought victory.

Or… she thought she did.

…

"We're getting reports from all over the globe of what can only be described as an invasion…"

"...hordes of monsters that appear to have come out of nowhere…"

"...next thing I know, there's this giant black bird perched on the Eiffel Tower!"

"Sphinx-like creatures near the actual Sphinx in Egypt..."

"Rumors are circulating that the military will be overrun in a matter of hours…"

"Eyewitness reports say the monsters resemble creatures of folklore and extinct animals…"

"The NASADA program has yet to confirm if the monsters are extraterrestrial in origin as rumor suggests, but General Norquist remains steadfast..."

"The following footage may be disturbing for some viewers…"

"This just in: twenty dead and ten injured after anti-monster repellents supposedly failed to deter the creatures…"

"...some huge elephant thing on I-95!"

"I'm live in Tokyo Bay, where an enormous monster was just seen emerging from the waters!"

"This way, move! Go go go!"

"It's sheer chaos down there! We're getting as close as we can but- Nick, bank right! BANK-AAAAAH!"

"These do not seem to be coordinated attacks…"

"Evacuation procedures are in effect…"

"Close the bridges and lock down the airspace within the hour!"

"We need more backup! GAAAAH!"

"Th-they're everywhere!"

"The number of casualties and the unchecked destruction continues to rise…"

"With governments and militaries struggling against the mysterious monsters that invade our planet, options for combatting this threat appear limited. But this reporter would like to remind our viewers that we are no strangers to trying times. Only one force must come to our aid now more than ever to defend us against a threat beyond our abilities. Everyone is advised to seek shelter wherever possible, stay tuned to incoming updates… and above all else, have faith in the Power Rangers. This is Jane Fairview, signing off."

The image switched off while others continued to play out, tiny voices in many different languages narrating over scenes of chaos and carnage. A sigh rang out from the small crowd as the man turned to face them. "Tell us something we don't know, Tommy."

"They're Grimm."

There was a slight scoff. "I can think of a dozen words to describe them that are far worse than that."

"No… that's what they're called. And they come from another dimension; one far beyond the Morphin Grid."

There were murmurs from the crowd, mostly of shock, disbelief, and confusion.

"He's gotta be joking…"

"Tommy, do… Do you know these things?"

"Beyond the… but that doesn't make any-!"

"Please! Everyone, be quiet! I promise I can explain everything!" Tommy held out his hands and the crowd simmered down, faces mature and young alike staring back at him. "Okay, I'm pretty sure you all know Rita Repulsa. Heck, some of you are still recovering from what she did to us… myself included. But way back in the day, she was desperate to find something that would get rid of Zordon's old team for good. She found a spell that she used to banish me and the other Mighty Morphin Rangers to another world. Their world."

"So why are they here?" somebody asked.

"I'll try to make this brief," Tommy continued. "Unsurprisingly, my friends and I defeated her and made her take us back home. But Rita snagged a bunch of these creeps along with her… and they terrorized Angel Grove."

"In 1993?" said a skeptical voice. "I don't know, Tommy… every monster that attacked back then was said to be Rita's. And nothing like those monsters can be found anywhere in the Ranger Database!"

"That's right… because I had Billy remove it."

"What?" Another wave of disbelief washed over the crowd, yet they quickly grew silent as they waited for an explanation. "He had a theory that cross-dimensional interference would be costly, especially with a dimension that didn't rest within the Morphin Grid. So, Billy deleted that day's events before Gosei established the Ranger Database for his team… but the Grid remembers."

He turned back to the console and inputted a command, causing systems to hum and energy to flow. Within seconds, a window into the Morphin Grid filled the room like a screen from a projector… and within, the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers were shown battling black beasts with bony-white armor and glowing red eyes.

"Whoa…" somebody uttered. "Those things?! Out there now, but… back then? How…?"

"I can answer that," a pink-clad woman with a leather jacket stepped forward. "The spell that Rita found is still a mystery to us, in both its origin and its process. But we have reason to suspect her second usage of the spell- from the other world to Earth- wasn't performed correctly. As a result, some of these 'Grimm' creatures were flung not just through space, but through time, causing a temporal disruption that Time Force ordered us to investigate. Only a handful of the monsters arrived within the first hour-"

"A handful?!" somebody sputtered. "Have you not been keeping up with the news, Jen?! Because it doesn't look like a handful to me out there!"

The woman only nodded. "That's right… and it's only going to get worse."

A girl sighed amidst the crowd. "How much worse could it possibly get?!"

"The Grimm have grown in number since they arrived," Jen explained. "And they're going to keep growing, spreading all over the planet like a plague until absolutely nothing is left. That's why we need to stop them soon before they cause too much damage: to the planet and the timeline."

The earlier voice quieted down. "I had to ask, didn't I?"

"So how do we stop them?" a man piped up. "We don't know anything about these things."

"Maybe not…" Tommy echoed. "But I know some people who do." His fingers danced across the controls, advancing the footage until the Power Rangers- exhausted yet resilient- faced down another oncoming horde of monsters. "Aw man…" Tommy heard his own voice echo like a ripple, a ghost of the past returning to him. "These things are way tougher than I thought they were! What now, Jason?"

"I don't know… maybe we can lead them away?"

"And then what? Things aren't looking good for us either way! We-"

The sky cracked with energy… and down they came. Six pillars of light- each shining with color- touched the street and heroes emerged from them, donned in colorful costumes and bearing the visages of various creatures. One by one, they braced themselves for battle until their leader- a girl with shining silver eyes in a Red Ranger suit- teleported down with a fierce and proud gaze.

The crowd was stunned once again before someone spoke up. "Tommy… who are they?"

A warm smile crossed the man's face as he stared back at the first people beyond the Grid to be linked to it. "Friends."