Ever since she could remember, Ruby Rose had wanted to be a hero.

Nobody told her that to do so, she would travel to another world, obtain a gold coin that gave her a cool suit and superpowers, and travel through that other world's time to stop the Grimm from ravaging said world. From what she understood, they were running wild all across Earth: a world that wasn't ready for them. It wasn't handled to deter them like Remnant did so long ago, leaving it vulnerable. The planet could fall within days at most…

…and what kind of hero would Ruby be if she refused?

The sky looked the same. So did the land and the sea as the aircraft- a "timeship" as she had been told- flew towards the city, pillars of smoke rising from the streets while wails of sirens and distant screams rang out. Ruby's silver eyes stared out at the chaos at the city she had just saved not only… Well, it seemed like five minutes ago to her.

It still looked like the same city, albeit slightly larger and filled with additions that were never there the last time she saw it. The differences were easy to spot: differences that had nothing to do with toppled vehicles, panicking civilians, and roaming Grimm bellowing into the sky.

The man that stood beside her- the older Tommy Oliver standing proud in his Green Ranger uniform- was more proof. Thirty years in the blink of an eye… Ruby could only imagine what Remnant's scientists would think about time travel. Probably disbelief, mocking laughs, mountains of evidence that claimed it impossible-

"Marvin, come in. We're touching down now, give me a sitrep."

The girl's head turned to the ship's computers, where the pink-clad woman in a leather jacket patiently glanced at the morpher on her wrist. A holographic image beamed into existence on the device, but Ruby couldn't make out who it was thanks to her seeing the back of their head. "Professor Scotts! I'd say it's about time, but…"

"What's the situation down there? Does your team have them contained?"

"We're working on it! HYAH!" There was the sound of a pained growl followed by quick blasts. "But we could use a little help!"

"Stand by, HyperForce," Jen instructed. "Help's on the way."

Yang shakily exhaled. "Hoo boy… we're really going to fight alongside other Power Rangers? The guys would flip…"

Weiss stared out over the city. "We need to get down there. Do any of you know how to land this thing?"

"Got it covered," Jen replied, her hands easily interacting with the ship's controls. "I'm setting us down on a roof not far from my students' position." Blake turned a curious eye in her direction. "Hold on, students?"

"You're an instructor?" Nora asked in awe.

"Time Force Academy," she clarified, gazing at her partner before the girls could ask another question. "Wes, how many Grimm are in the city?"

The man glanced over another computer. "Scans are picking up several dozen, at least. They're moving towards populated areas…" His eyes lit up. "They're focusing on civilians, Jen…"

"Because they're afraid," Ren explained. "The Grimm are drawn to fear like moths to a flame. We need to take care of them quickly."

"Wait, hang on…" Wes butted in. "I'm getting… traces of Morphin Grid energy here and there. Not just from HyperForce." This prompted a smile on Tommy's already-confident expression. "Folks in the right place at the right time. Hopefully, Marv's team will get a little backup in the meantime."

Ruby's eyes glimmered with confusion. "Who else is down there?"

Instead of turning back to the computer, Wes proceeded to switch it off and ready his morpher. "How about we see them in person, kiddos? We won't be much help running recon for too long. You all ready?"

Jen flashed her morpher with a steadfast nod. Tommy just gave Wes a friendly pat on the shoulder. "Come on, you don't need to ask me." Both men turned their eyes to the teens, who responded with determined faces and morphers in hand, the gold Power Coins shining with pure energy.

"We're ready," Ruby confirmed.

"Alright…" Wes nodded. "Then let's get out there!"

Materializing out of the timeship and rushing to the roof's edge, Team RWBY, Nora, and Ren peered out over 21st-century Angel Grove: winged demons hovering across the cityscape while black beasts rampaged in the streets below. Their eyes frowned at the unfolding chaos until Ruby boldly spoke up to her friends.

"RWBY Rangers… IT'S MORPHIN' TIME!"

Each of their morphers pulsed with colorful energy, opening up and allowing the power to rush out with each respective call.

"JADE SERPENT!"

"THUNDER PEGASUS!"

"BURNING DRAGON!"

"OBSIDIAN PANTHER!"

"BLIZZARD OWL!"

"CARMINE WOLF!"

KA-FWASH! Streams of light poured out of the Power Coins and connected with their bodies… and in a bright flash of light, the teens were suited up and ready for action with the animal-esque visages on their helmets just as fierce as they were. Ruby was the first to take a running start and launched herself off the building, vanishing into a red blink in midair while her teammates wasted no time in following her.

Tommy's helmet materialized over his face before he leaped down to follow them, Jen and Wes right behind him as they touched two fingers to their wrists. "TIME FOR TIME FORCE!" A quick flash and they, too, powered up with Chrono Sabers drawn, both veteran Rangers soaring through the air as they descended to the streets…

…where sheer chaos awaited.

Screams and roars could be heard from everywhere as people scrambled for safety; terror and destruction all around as the Creatures of Grimm showed neither mercy nor remorse for their rampaging actions. A trumpeting Goliath lumbered through the road, its massive legs shoving cars aside while Griffons and Lancers swarmed the skies above. One Griffon swooped low and snatched a screaming civilian, carrying the helpless person away. Beowolves charged through the streets and dashed past marching Creeps, Ursas swatted away everything in their path while emitting guttural growls, and Sabyrs hunted down any trace of fear they could find.

But amidst the panic and terror, a single intersection was the site of some more resilient prey for the Grimm. A lone Sabyr darted down the road at high speed, weaving around toppled cars and several Grimm that crashed onto the street in a heap. Baring its fangs, the feline pounced at its first victim…

…and a pair of crimson gloves with razor-sharp claws pierced deep, the tips jutting out of the beast's black and dripping with black blood. The Sabyr groaned in pain, its fading red eyes glaring at its not-so-defenseless target: the protective, snarling face of a lion staring back.

"HRAH!" The Red Ranger pulled his arms apart, his claws effectively ripping the Sabyr in half. "Any other cats around? Got more ways to skin 'em right here!" Demonic growls alerted him to an incoming pair of Beowolves, the Red Ranger somersaulting away from their claws and slashing one across the face before bounding over a sweeping arm, his crimson boot smacking it in the muzzle. The first Beowolf swung its bony arm at him, but a single movement from the Ranger's weapon severed that limb at the elbow. The second advanced with murderous intent, forcing him to backflip away.

Once he landed on his feet, the Ranger threw his hands together and the claws folded back, both gloves coming together to form a lion-esque head. Bright energy began to charge up from the lion's mouth and the Beowolf lunged with an open maw…

KABLAM! A powerful shot obliterated the Grimm to dust before the Red Ranger turned the weapon on several other Grimm, aiming with his right arm as the blaster shot down aerial threats. Spotting something from the corner of his eye, he spun around and fired another blast that blew a Creep's face clean off. The monster collapsed and disintegrated near a massive Ursa, who wrestled against a Blue Ranger with a snake-like helmet wielding a long trident. That Ranger kicked it in the leg and slashed off its massive paw, ending the monster by jabbing his trident through its head. He yanked the weapon out with a grunt, unaware of a Boarbatusk charging right for him…

…until a bulky figure dressed in yellow with ram horns on his helmet jumped in front of his cobalt comrade, grabbing the Boarbatusk by the horns. "HRRRGH! Watch your back, Eddie!" The Blue Ranger casually leaned against his trident in response. "Isn't that what you're for, Jack?"

The Yellow Ranger heaved the Boarbatusk over his shoulder and slammed the Grimm onto the pavement, slamming an elbow down on its head. This only stunned the beast, much to the muscular man's disappointment. Grasping a huge hammer, the Ranger pulverized the Boarbatusk's head into a black paste before turning the weapon on several others, bashing and beating them aside. Seizing a leaping Beowolf with his free hand, he smashed it to the street and stomped hard on its head, bones snapping under his boot.

A Griffon swooped low to dive-bomb the Rangers, but a figure clad in green struck first, landing atop the Grimm and slicing off its wings with two jade swords. Leaping off the crashing monster, a small group of Grimm quickly surrounded the Green Ranger… but he was ready when they rushed him, switching his swords to deadly chain blades that he swung in a dangerous dance, cutting through the monsters like a trained acrobat. Once the last of them were disposed of, he gave the Red Ranger a thumbs-up before the gesture was returned with a thankful nod.

"Thanks for watching my back, Joe!"

"Hey, what're brothers for?"

Two more Rangers held their ground at the far edge of the intersection: a Black Ranger somersaulted away from Grimm while chopping and slicing at limbs with an axe she twirled with precision while a Pink Ranger fired a volley of energy arrows from her bow, one such shot striking an Ursa in one of its eyes. It shambled forward to bring down a paw, but the Pink Ranger ducked as her abyss-colored ally rolled over her back, shifting her axe into a shield that parried the large paw. A quick shield toss to the Ursa's face staggered the beast and the Black Ranger charged as it fell, switching back to her weapon's axe form to bring it down onto its head.

The Black Ranger turned. "How many more?"

"Too many more!" replied the Pink Ranger, shooting a Lancer out of the air only for three more to take its place. "Where are these things all coming from?!" She drew back her bow, ready to plant another arrow between the next bug's eyes… but three bright pink blasts caused the insectoid Grimm to explode in midair. On the streets below, another Pink Ranger holding a massive cannon in her grip stared the two Rangers down.

"Where they originate can wait… not when we can take them out faster than that."

The Pink Ranger's helmet vanished in a blink, revealing a young woman with brown eyes and bright hair with the tips dyed pink. "Professor Scotts! Where are the…" She saw them instantly: six colorful individuals modeled after different animals marched into view with weapons drawn while Wes and Tommy stood by Jen's side, Chrono Sabers and Dragon Dagger at the ready. Their helmets disappeared in the blink of an eye… and the bow-wielding Pink Ranger chuckled.

"Check it out, Vesper," she said, gesturing to Blake. "Looks like you lost your title." The white-haired woman beside her only rolled her eyes. "These are the ones, professor? The otherworlders?" Yang paused at the word with an uncomfortable expression. "Okay, I'm… not gonna get used to that any time soon." Nora immediately shoved past her, a big grin on her face. "Wooow, Kim 2.0 looks awesome! She's gonna be so jealous of your bow!"

The woman smirked. "If that's a compliment, I'll take it. Name's Chloe."

"And we are Team RWBY! Or… RWBY Rangers now!" Ruby exclaimed with a bright smile and a pumped fist… but she was met with a surprised stare from Vesper before it turned into disappointment. "Only one of you is red."

"Oh, uh, that's not why-"

"We'll get to know each other later," Wes interrupted. "Let's give Hyperforce a hand, Rangers!" His helmet flashed back into view and he charged into the fray with everybody else right behind him. Ruby only sighed before following her friends. "Wonder if it's too late to call us the Remnant Rangers…" she muttered.

Wes somersaulted through the air and hurled one of his Chrono Sabers like a javelin. "Marv, heads up!" he called out mere seconds before the weapon hit its mark. The blade sank into a Beowolf's skull, lifting a weight off the other Ranger who was holding it back.

"Nnf! Great timing, Wes!" The student rolled away and slashed at several more Grimm, providing the opening everyone needed to join the fray. Violet claws flashed from Blake's fingers and she lunged at a Sabyr, tackling it to the ground before cutting out its throat. Dark blood blended with her suit's black material while Marv shot her an appreciative nod, the girl whipping out her twin blades as hellish howls filled the air.

Everybody else met the Grimm with years of experience and well-trained maneuvers, taking the monsters by surprise. Yang charged at an Ursa and rammed it like a missile, knocking the large Grimm off its feet before she unleashed a flurry of flaming punches at its face. Weiss and Ren weaved through the crowd, severing limbs and decapitating as they went while inflicting poisonous and freezing stabs that did the work for them. A heavy swing from Jack bashed a Beowolf into the air and Nora shot up to meet it, smashing the Grimm back to the street with her own mallet before touching down in a dramatic pose.

Suddenly, she noticed the bulky Yellow Ranger's weapon and immediately stood up straight. "Hiii," she beamed with wiggling fingers. "You need a new best friend?" Jack paused momentarily, staring at Nora with a dumbstruck look under his helmet before sighing and charging back into battle. "I'll take that as a yes!" Nora cheered before sprinting after him. Tommy, Jen, and Wes slashed and cut at the Grimm, but Ruby was a slicing whirlwind as she dashed and sped through the horde as a crimson blur, her scythe cleaving them like a hot knife through butter just as she remembered. Dozens fell to her power in mere seconds…

…but she barely scratched the surface as more converged on her. Fortunately for the young Red Ranger, a pink energy arrow struck a Beowolf in the throat before its owner rushed to her side. "Wow, you're pretty good with that thing!" complimented Chloe. "With moves like those, you could show me a few tricks!"

"Uh, show you? But you have a-" Ruby was cut off by a familiar sight as Chloe's bow suddenly unfurled and transformed; something she expected from the weapon of a Huntsman, not a Power Ranger. Regardless, the silver-eyed girl stood frozen as the pink bow extended and aligned into a bright scythe that reflected the sunlight, leaving Ruby in awe.

"Wooow…" She was so close to gushing over it as she did with any fine and impressive armament when Chloe snapped back into action, slicing and cutting through the Grimm with rapid twirls, swift arcs, and planting the scythe into the ground to launch herself at the closest Grimm. Until now, Ruby had never known such a skilled scythe-wielder outside of herself and her uncle. Just how good did Jen train these-

RAARGH! A sudden roar jerked Ruby back to reality and her body moved on its own, Wolf's Claw spearing a pouncing Sabyr through the chest before smashing it against concrete in one fluid motion. Ruby silently chastised herself for getting distracted- something Weiss would definitely nag her for if she had seen- and turned her attention back to the fight. More Grimm down the street had gotten wind of them, already charging in their direction. Ruby smirked beneath her helmet and whipped out her blaster, firing crimson bolts at the beasts in hopes of staggering a few before the wave closed in…

A terrified boy with tears in his eyes clung tightly to his mother's leg, the older woman trying and failing to stay calm as the blaze from burning vehicles surrounded them in a cage of heat. Beyond the flames, nightmares lurked and demonic shrieks filled the smoky air. Their options were limited and the flames spread like a disease…

"Someone?! Anyone?! Help!"

"Mama… I'm scared!"

She had no words to reassure or comfort her child anymore: no words but what she believed would be her last. Her eyes leaked as she took one last look at her son, seconds away from saying those thoughts aloud…

FWOOSH! A stream of white from directly behind the woman drowned out the crackling flames, weakening the wall enough to dissipate the burning barrier. Through the smoke, a shadow marched from the cloud while blasting a fire extinguisher at the blaze to beat it back. The glow reflected off his red jacket and his determined expression before his eyes darted to the helpless people. "This way! Hurry!"

The woman gasped in relief and scooped her child into her arms, rushing past the stranger while shouting her utmost thanks. The man turned back to the massive fire threatening to consume the street… but something else quickly caught his attention as red orbs ominously stared at him from the blaze.

Demons and ghouls crawled through the flames with abyssal-black skin and gleaming bone, blood-red eyes burning hungrily as wolves, bears, and winged horrors crawled through the flames as if emerging from the gates of hell itself. The man's eyes went wide… and tossed the extinguisher to the ground, marching into the ring of fire. The beasts growled and snarled, angered by the man's resilience. Yet it was far too late when the fire's glow revealed something else: a device attached to the man's wrist beneath his sleeve. With a fierce glare, the man crossed his arms before drawing them close and pressing down on the device.

"LIGHTSPEED! RESCUE!"

The device flipped open, a brilliant light bursting forth… and once it faded, a red-clad figure with a proud shield on its helmet stood in the man's place. "RED RANGER, RESCUE READY!" he announced, bringing up his fists in a defensive pose. The monsters roared with great fury and charged at him, the crimson-clad figure falling into rapid motions as he beat back limbs and struck the beasts where he could. A high somersault over a claw led to a heel kick to an Ursa's jaw and a strong punch knocked a Beowolf off its feet. A shriek alerted him to a diving Griffon and his response was to whip out a baton, striking it across the monster's beak and sending it into the blaze. Without missing a beat, he switched the baton to a blaster and fired several red bolts at the pack, keeping them from drawing in close.

Only one of the beasts managed to stagger forward. A creep shrugged off the Ranger's shots and lunged at him with an open maw. The man leaped into the air, swapping out his blaster for a bladed lance with a red V-shaped handle. A loud cry left his mouth as he buried the lance right through the Creep's head, making it collapse face-first onto the street. The rest of the horde converged on the man as the big beast dissipated into ash, the Red Ranger snapping into another defensive stance before lunging at the monsters once again.

Elsewhere in the city, a crowd of screaming civilians rushed into a building while police cars were positioned into a barricade: a barricade that was failing miserably. An Ursa tossed away vehicles like logs and small arms fire from an officer only agitated a Beowolf. The officer and his partners cowered as the larger monster loomed over them with a guttural growl, its hind paws ready to crush them.

"Ugh! And I thought Dark Specter was ugly!"

The black beasts whirled around, their red eyes landing on a brown-skinned man in a navy blue shirt staring at them with a slight smirk and crossed arms, not in the least intimidated, unlike the people around him. A civilian peeking out of a door drew in a breath. "W-wait… I-I heard about you… you were one of the… who…" The man shot her a wink. "Yeah, now's not a good time for autographs. Duty calls and all that."

The man took a few steps towards the Grimm, who snarled and growled with predatory intent as he neared them… only to pause when he lifted his sleeve. A peculiar device of utilitarian design rested on his right wrist, a numerical keypad on full display. The man's eyes flashed with purpose and he called out to the creatures that crawled out of the shadows.

"Alright, boneheads… LET'S ROCKET!"

"Three-three-five," The numbers came easy for him until he hit the final button, his body vanishing in a bright flash… fading to reveal the man donned in a blue suit with five colored squares across his chest. As the monsters came into focus within his helmet, his heads-up display was lit up with a familiar message: MORPHING COMPLETE.

"BLUE SPACE RANGER! YAH!" He snapped into a combat stance, brandishing a small handheld axe with a single blade before charging at the Grimm. He met the beasts with hacking and slashing flurry, chopping at limbs and skulls to either trip the creatures or end them instantly. After embedding his axe in a Beowolf's lower jaw, he spun to strike it across an Ursa's face. The bear lunged with a deep growl, but the Blue Ranger jammed his axe against its jaws to keep them pried open. Yanking a blue blaster from his holster, he stuck the sidearm in its open maw and fired three times, destroying the beast from within.

He didn't waste time turning the weapon on the monster's comrades, chopping and swiping at any who got close while throwing in a few kicks. The Blue Ranger was swarmed by black on all sides, but he'd faced worse odds than this. As long as their attention was on him rather than the civilians, the better.

But several blocks away, a small group wasn't so lucky. The crowd scrambled down the street, unwilling to waste time retrieving dropped belongings or helping someone else with bloodthirsty monsters on their heels. One such individual- a woman with long, dark locks and wearing a mixture of black and yellow clothing- crouched low behind an abandoned car, her eyes scanning both the fleeing populace and the menacing creatures that hounded them. An opening presented itself and the woman bolted for it…

…but less than five seconds later, something slammed into her and her back hit the pavement. A sadistic wolf-like face glared at its prey, bony jaws already widening. The woman thrashed helplessly, her arms bound by white claws pinning them to the road. There was only one option left for her in what could be her final moments. Her breath surged erratically and the woman opened her mouth…

SKKRREEEEEE!

A destructive shriek of supersonic proportions burst from the woman's vocal cords, blasting right into the Beowolf's face and causing the creature to wail in immense agony. Its limbs clasped at its head and it retreated like a frightened puppy, hurrying down the road while shaking its head. The woman crawled back to her feet while catching her breath. The echoing aftermath of her screech was undoubtedly trailing across the city… which meant more of those things would be on top of her. She could ground or disorient some of the flying things, but the others?

They'd need a different form of repellent.

The woman rolled up her jacket sleeve just as the first beasts barreled around the corner like rabid animals, revealing a yellow device stylized after a pterodactyl's head. She pressed down on the instrument, causing the head's eyes to snap alight and the jaw to close…

"DINO THUNDER, POWER UP! HA!"

The sigil of a three-toed reptilian foot flashed across the woman's chest and she backflipped into the air just as a Beowolf crashed down onto the street, asphalt breaking under its claws. Light flashed across her glowing body, encasing her in a yellow suit. The second she landed on the road, a helmet materialized over her head and she struck a ready pose before the black beasts with two yellow daggers in hand.

"PTERA POWER!"

They rushed her all at once and she was more than ready for them, slashing and swiping with great speed. She was forced to block an Ursa's mighty paws, a quick screech enough to stagger it and leave it open for a whirling slash across its chest. Propelled skyward by a powerful leap, she kicked two Griffons out of the air before burying her daggers in two Beowolves' skulls.

Before long, the monsters were nothing more than dark dust, yet the haunting howls remained. The Yellow Ranger spied a flock of Griffons soaring above the streets, converging on a distant intersection in search of victims. The woman narrowed her eyes from beneath her helmet and broke into a run, holstering her weapons to tap her morpher.

KRABOOM! Thunder broke the sky and yellow lightning rained down behind her, the atmospheric bellow giving way to the roar of an engine as a yellow dinosaur-themed motorcycle was transported onto the roads of Angel Grove. Somersaulting into the seat and gunning the engine, the Yellow Ranger tore down the street at high speeds, shooting past any Grimm she encountered as nothing more than a yellow blur that barely caught their attention.

The Yellow Ranger veered around wrecked vehicles and sped beneath a trumpeting Goliath, blasting yellow lasers at any smaller Grimm in her path before the monsters even detected her approach. The motorcycle raced past a restaurant where several civilians were taking cover, the roaring engine enough to draw the attention of a small Beowolf pack and some Griffons that didn't hesitate to give chase at frightening speeds. The panicked people inside didn't dare to make a sound… but one blonde-haired woman in a pink shirt slipped into the back with a phone in hand.

"You're somewhere safe?" she whispered as she made her way out into an alleyway. "Okay, promise me you'll stay updated…" There was silence as she solemnly listened to the voice on the other end, a sigh leaving her lips. "Alright… I love you too, J.J. Talk soon." Tucking her phone away, the woman peeked out onto the Angel Grove streets where monsters ran rampant with no regard for anyone they came across. She didn't know how many lives- if any- were already lost, but she'd make sure no more joined them.

Rolling up her sleeves to reveal two concealed devices, the woman brought her arms up and shouted with all her might. "IT'S MORPHIN' TIME! ZEO RANGER ONE: PINK!"

A glowing pink circle flashed over her face before light surrounded her body… and when it faded, a pink-clad figure with a circular visor on her helmet remained in the woman's place. That helmet snapped back to the streets and she charged out into the open, spying a lumbering bear-like beast towering over a terrified civilian. The monster's growls drowned out a panicked scream as it raised its forelimbs… and the Pink Ranger clenched a fist.

"ZEO ONE PINK FIRE CLOUD!" A cloud of energy formed around her before concentrating into a sphere that she promptly launched at the bear. A blast of pink energy knocked the monster off its feet and it collapsed onto its back, the spikes snapping upon impact. The Pink Ranger hurried over to the shaken civilian, helping her to her feet. "Are you hurt?"

"N-n-no… I-I don't think so."

"Then get inside, fast!" The Pink Ranger ordered, marching closer to the Ursa as it struggled to get back to its feet. "I'll put this thing into a permanent hibernation!" The monster managed to roll onto its front, deeply growling as it spun towards the woman…

"PINK POWER DISC!"

SPANG! A circular disc-like shield pounded the Ursa in the face, knocking a few teeth loose. Snarling in anger, the bear-like beast rounded on the woman with frighteningly fast reflexes, but the Pink Ranger shot skyward before smashing it over the head with the disc. The force was enough to crack its bony face and the Ursa collapsed, slowly dissipating into ash. This was far from over, however, as the Pink Ranger hurried down the road with both shield and blaster in hand. She blasted pink bolts at Grimm too far to engage directly while bashing aside others who rushed at her with no thoughts of self-preservation. A quick toss of the disc downed some of the flying beasts before the circle quickly returned to her hand, her other arm firing wildly.

While the Pink Ranger continued to advance, another fleeing flock of townsfolk had an odd difference: one bald, dark-skinned individual wearing a green shirt was running toward danger instead of away. Darting between parked vehicles to ensure none of the scrambling citizens spotted his seemingly foolish approach, he scrambled atop an overturned truck to survey a chaos-filled street swarming with Beowolves, Sabyrs, and a few Creeps. An Alpha Beowolf howled into the smoke-filled sky as if claiming dominion over the city.

The man frowned at that thought just as one of the sabertooth-like monsters sniffed the air and spun in his direction with a growl. If these things had the deluded idea of taking over the planet, they'd be dead wrong. After all, he hadn't been just the defender of this planet… but many others. Once every demon in the vicinity spied the lone human who hadn't fled, they began to converge on him like hunters cornering a wounded animal.

The man held up a device with a gold dial and pressed two fingers against the front panel's button, releasing a call to action from his mouth. "GO GALACTIC!"

A green glow gleamed into the beasts' eyes, surrounding the man until it encased him in a green suit with a black zigzag pattern over a white torso. Lightning shot out from his gloved outstretched hands before he brought them down over his face, conjuring an emerald condor-styled helmet. A brilliant sword of ancient design flashed into his hand, its blade glimmering as the Grimm snarled maliciously.

"You guys are going down! HA!" The Green Ranger launched himself off the truck and sailed through the air, his sword slashing through two Griffons and a Lancer that flew at him. Touching down with an acrobatic pose, the Ranger launched into a series of swift kicks, quick dodges, and powerful slashes that drove the Grimm back. Some of them were getting a little too close for comfort.

Not a problem.

"QUASAR SABER, ENERGIZE!" An emerald-empowered spinning slash brought forth a tremendous gust of wind that blew even the biggest beasts off their feet. Now that he had some breathing room, the Green Ranger equipped his other arm with an energy crossbow that fired green blasts at the remaining Grimm, blasting them to ash before they could recover. Sprinting down the street towards the Alpha Beowolf, he bombarded it with several shots and somersaulted over a claw swipe, landing a fatal strike to its back. A flurry of slashes hit home, overloading the Grimm with energy until the Green Ranger kicked it away, allowing the monster to vanish in a powerful blast.

"Ha ha! Too easy! What's next?"

Another volley of screeches caught his attention. Most of the monsters were converging on an intersection not too far away from him. "Guess that answers that!" With his sword at the ready, the Ranger charged after them.

"Hrgh! These things are supposed to be your world's biggest evil?!" Jack growled, lifting a Boarbatusk above his head before smashing it face-first into solid concrete. "I'm gonna be honest here: I don't see it!"

"Well, duh!" Yang called, bombarding an Ursa with explosive blows. "This is just another day at the office for you guys! How many times have you dealt with monster attacks, anyway?!" A sharp uppercut blasted off the Ursa's head just as an amused chuckle made its way from Vesper's throat, the Black Ranger decapitating a Beowolf with a single swipe of her ax. "You do not want to know the answer to that question, kid."

A hideous green glow seeped through several Grimm, which collapsed to the street as they perished from the poison seeping through their veins. Ren never paid them any attention, turning back to the others. "More are still coming! How did the Grimm spread so fast?!"

"It must be because of the people!" Weiss theorized, lopping off an arm with her saber before firing a freezing beam at an incoming Creep. "They're terrified, and they don't know how to deal with Grimm because they've never seen them before!"

"But they do know about monsters!" Eddie countered, shoving his trident through a Beowolf's mouth. "They know about the emergency procedures and everything! But for some reason, they're not working! Professor, what is it you said about them again?!"

A powerful shot from Jen's cannon blasted a small swarm of Lancers from the sky. "The Grimm are attracted to negative emotions, including fear. Since the standard emergency plans in case of monster attacks aren't as effective against them, the people are getting scared… which draws in more of the beasts."

"And speaking of more…" Joe grunted, slashing a Creep across the face and taking out an eye. "This is starting to feel a little unfair! These things aren't exactly minion material! Any ideas to wrap this up? Anyone?"

"There are… way more in the city than last time," Blake morbidly muttered. Ruby remained resolute by her side, the Red Ranger holding Wolf's Claw steadily. "If being a Power Ranger is anything like being a Huntress, then I'm safe to assume that we don't run from a fight!" She braced herself for contact as another bunch of Beowolves rushed for her in a frenzy…

BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! A volley of crimson bolts struck the Grimm dead-on, vaporizing them on the spot. Puzzled, Ruby dropped her guard. "Huh?"

"No, rookie. We don't."

All eyes rounded on the foreign voice… where another Red Ranger stood with a lance-like weapon over his shoulder, his shield-adorned helmet fading away to reveal a man's confident smile. His eyes flickered to Wes, whose own helmet disappeared to meet the newcomer with a relieved expression.

"Thought you'd appreciate the backup."

"And appreciate it we do, old pal." Wes warmly replied. "Team RWBY… Carter Grayson, Lightspeed Rescue. Top firefighter in Mariner Bay, so he knows a thing or two about saving lives."

Ruby's silver eyes never left the older man. "Whoa… you really wanna help?"

He smiled and patted Ruby's shoulder. "You bet, kiddo. Plus, someone's gotta show you kids how we do things around here."

"Er…" Weiss cleared her throat. "Surely you don't mean to aid us all by yourself? I mean…" Right on cue, another wave of Grimm barreled towards the intersection, their screeches and howls carried by the wind as they charged. The Red Ranger was barely fazed at the approach, save for a look of disappointment.

"Huh… I thought you'd have bat monsters," he muttered before returning to Ruby. "As for your question… there can't be reinforcements if there's just one." Yang just stared at him in confusion. "Uh, what do you-"

VRRRRRRROOOOM! The blonde yelped as the sudden roar of an engine cut through the air, a sharp blur zooming right through the intersection and making her golden mane blow wildly in the following wind. Yang scrambled to get her hair straightened back out, throwing an upset glare in the blur's direction…

…only for it to drop when she got a proper look.

Beams brighter than sunlight blasted out of a yellow motorcycle, its driver maneuvering the vehicle with greater reflexes and speed than even Yang had ever been able to pull off on Bumblebee. The Yellow Ranger astride the bike drifted into a sharp circle, bombarding a Goliath with lasers from all sides until the groaning beast buckled. Gunning the throttle once the bike was positioned in front of the Grimm, the Yellow Ranger shot from the seat and allowed the motorcycle to smash the pachyderm right in the face, the blow enough to finish it off as she landed gracefully.

"Kira Ford!" Tommy pridefully called out, prompting the Yellow Ranger's helmet to disappear and reveal a smirking woman with long blonde hair. "Still handling the Raptor Cycle well after all this time?"

"You do know the saying about how someone never forgets riding a bike," she shot back. "Right, Doctor O?" Ren turned to the veteran Green Ranger, puzzled. "Doctor?"

"Like I said, a lot can happen in thirty years," Tommy clarified just before his eyes spotted movement out of the corner of his eye. "Speaking of which… Nora, duck!"

"Huh? AH!" The Pink Ranger darted low the instant something small and circular whizzed over her head. A spinning pink disc zipped through the air at high speed, rotating at intense velocities that allowed it to shear and slice through Grimm like a blade through grass. Five Beowolves were beheaded in three seconds and a Griffon's wing was shredded off before it returned to its owner: another Pink Ranger whose circle-laden helmet flashed away to reveal an older woman who greeted Tommy with a warm smile.

No words were exchanged between them… but Jen met her gaze. "Katherine."

"Tommy…" the woman whispered. "Are you feeling alright? After what Rita did to you and-" She was silenced when the man gently cupped her chin, his eyes shining with confidence. "I'm fine, Kat. Promise."

At that moment, one word may have been a million with similar oaths and vows. The older Pink Ranger said nothing in response, only answering with a quiet nod. Their posture and lack of words didn't go unnoticed… particularly by another pair of Green and Pink Rangers.

Nora blinked in confusion. "No… you're not… wait, are you? Like, together together?"

SKRRAAAW! Both adults shot high in the blink of an eye, bringing a leg down on the incoming Griffon's nape long before the Remnantians registered the attack. Both a shield and a dagger came down over its head, finishing off the flying threat. Beyond its dissipating corpse, several more Grimm were spilling into the intersection… and a volley of sapphire laser bolts disrupted a Sabyr's charge, leaving it vulnerable to an axe burying itself into its head. Another Griffon swerved around a building, a figure in green riding atop its back with a sword in hand. Once it was close enough to the ground, the Green Ranger cleanly sliced off its head and landed beside the Blue Ranger, both of them keeping the beasts at bay with a blue blaster and green crossbow.

Both of their helmets disappeared, two dark-skinned men greeting their compatriots with light grins. "We're not too late for the party, are we?" Wes shook his head, slashing off a Beowolf's arms with his Chrono Sabers before Joe used his chain blades to slam the beast down. "Actually, TJ… you and Damon are right on time!"

"You sure about that?" the Green Ranger asked, leaping over a swiping Ursa and slashing it across the face. "I mean, we hit a few snags along the way and you guys seem to be handling things just fine…"

A Beowolf grabbed Ruby the cape and flung her away, but the rookie Red Ranger blinked away in a crimson flash and reappeared behind the beast, kicking it directly into Weiss' waiting saber. A few more stabs and a finishing slash left the Blue Ranger in a graceful pose… until the street rumbled under her feet and she spun to the source.

"Uh… he has a point…"

Each of the Rangers turned to look down the road, a dark and looming figure lumbering towards them. From Ruby's perspective, it looked like a Goliath… but it was far too big, taking up the entire street in size alone. The monster was covered in shaggy black fur and two pairs of red eyes burned through its bony face, which ended in four hook-like tusks covered in crimson markings. Its glare landed on the Rangers before it emitted a terrible sound that was a mixture of a roar and a trumpet, loud enough to shake the air around them.

"Whoa…" Yang gulped. "He's pretty big."

"In our line of work?" Chloe countered. "Not even close."

Ruby ignored what her friends were saying, racking her brain for answers. Had she seen this particular Grimm before? Not in person, she'd remember that… nope, not in drawings or images…

Wait! She remembered hearing about certain Grimm that were relatives to others! The Goliaths were said to have larger cousins called Megoliaths, which roamed the frozen tundras of…

Hold on, what?!

Kira turned with a suggestive expression. "Hey, doc… you think that thing has any ears?"

"Maybe we could try insulting it and see what happens!" Marv suggested.

"I'm thinking of sending it a different kind of message," Tommy piped up. "Five simple words: get off of our planet!" Carter seemed to agree with him. "Rangers! Let's make sure he gets it!" Everybody drew their weapons and charged at the massive Grimm with a ready battle cry…

Well, almost everyone.

Ruby just stared at the Megoliath in stunned silence, her cape fluttering in the breeze while her friends and the other Rangers got to work. They somersaulted over sweeping tusks and a long trunk, steered clear of heavy footfalls and distracted it with small-arms fire while others jumped atop its huge form to get in close. Ruby still couldn't believe what she was seeing; this didn't-

"This doesn't make any sense…"

Yanked out of her thoughts, Ruby failed to realize one of her teammates was missing from the skirmish. Weiss also stared in disbelief, her blue eyes meeting Ruby's silvers. "We didn't see any Megoliaths back in Vytal!"

"Exactly!" Ruby added. "And they're only supposed to be in Solitas! So… what the heck is one doing here? Rita couldn't have done this, could she?"

"Whatever it was she did to bring the Grimm and us here… it couldn't have had that large a range." her friend countered, her helmet rematerializing over her face. "But that's a debate for another time! Let's get in there!" Ruby nodded before equipping her own helmet and dashing down the street with Weiss in tow, both Rangers rolling away from an airborne car that crashed against the pavement.

Marv was lodged atop the beast's back, sinking his claws in deep only for the monster's hide to be thicker than he thought. The Megoliath's sharp motions as it retaliated against its attackers weren't much help, forcing the Red Ranger to abandon his position. Landing on the street below, he switched his claws to their blaster mode, aiding Chloe in targeting the monster's thick legs while TJ and Carter covered the other side. Ren and Damon took his place, launching themselves off walls to bury their blades in the beast's black body.

Yang dashed up from the rear and pounded at the back legs while Jack smashed his hammer at the front legs. The Megoliath groaned in annoyance and swung its head at the bulky Yellow Ranger, who rolled away and shifted his hammer into a large cannon. A powerful blast to the face disoriented the beast for a brief second, allowing Blake and Vesper to move in with blades and axes drawn.

Both Black Rangers veered away from the piston-like forelegs that threatened to make them stains on the pavement, slashing and striking at the legs. Red and pink blasts from Wes and Jen helped to further disorient the monster while Tommy threw himself at the Megoliath's face. The Green Ranger used the tusks as makeshift platforms to reach the mask, where he plunged the Dragon Dagger into one of the monster's eyes. The resulting howl was loud enough to be heard for miles and the monster's massive trunk seized the veteran Ranger, hurling him across the street at high speed.

Ruby was there in a red flash, snatching Tommy out of the air and landing safely while Weiss sprinted forward, blasting freezing rays from her saber that struck the Megoliath's legs, slowing it down significantly. Tommy nodded thankfully at the young Red Ranger before both of them immediately got back into the fray.

"Kira!" he shouted. "Bring the noise!"

The Yellow Ranger in question had a determined expression as her helmet flashed away, giving the older man a thumbs-up as she sprinted towards the giant Grimm that had just swatted away Eddie and Joe. The woman took a deep breath just as the beast detected her presence…

SKRRREEEEEEE!

The Megoliath shook its head wildly in a trumpeting frenzy, too staggered by the auditory assault to notice Jack rushing in headfirst. The man slammed his horned helmet against the beast's foreleg before knocking its head back with an upward hammer swing… and Kat held her disc readily, pushing Nora upward when the younger Ranger hopped on top of it. A triumphant cackle escaped her throat as she bashed her own hammer over the Megoliath's head with a thunderous smash… which made only a small crack in the Grimm's mask.

"Whoa!" Eddie gasped. "That thing is tough! What's it gonna take to bring it down?!" Ruby held her scythe in a defensive position. "I don't know… but it might need all of us! If everybody hits it at the same time, it could be strong enough to-"

ROOOOAAAAAAAAARRRRR!

Angel Grove trembled at the tremendous demonic bellow that seeped into the very souls of those who heard. Every Grimm in the city paused at the unholy sound, ceasing their attacks and abandoning their prey. The Rangers were still and silent, the aftermath of the howl echoing in their ears. Not even a breath could be heard as they quietly examined each other and their surroundings…

…until a dark shadow blanketed the city in blackness.

Whatever was left of the day became night in seconds. Every Grimm in the city reared back and roared into the night, including the barely-scathed Megoliath that released a deep trumpeting sound. Everyone braced for an attack, uncertain as to what would happen now.

The last thing any of them expected was for the Megoliath to dissipate and evaporate into black particles that were carried on an unseen wind. The echoing howls and demonic shrieks of the Grimm faded into silence as entire columns of ash-like pillars arose from the streets, vanishing into the black cloud above. The cloud of pure malice and evil ominously loomed overhead, absorbing the Grimm essence like rainwater falling into a pond; albeit a perversion of such a scenario. In mere seconds, the creatures of darkness were no more, swallowed up by the sinister storm overhead.

The Rangers all remained on edge in case something emerged from the dark clouds… but the thick layer of darkness faded away, vanishing until a clear blue sky remained. No trace of the black blanket that had just covered the city remained, much to everyone's confusion.

"I'm no meteorologist…" TJ piped up. "But clouds don't go away that fast, do they?"

"And they definitely don't roar," added Kira, Damon nodding in agreement.

"Not normal clouds," Kat answered. "But whatever that was just now, it-"

"Grimm," Weiss worriedly finished for her. "A cloud of Grimm. How is that even possible?" Ruby shook her head without breaking her stare on where the cloud once hovered over the city. "I… I have no idea…"

The Rangers' helmets all disappeared, with Marv sighing in satisfaction as he turned to his team. "Well, look on the bright side: it took care of all the monsters for us."

"That cloud absorbed them," Vesper reported. "But why? Was it stealing their energy? Life force?"

"That's a negative," Jack countered. "According to the professor's intel, those things aren't even alive." Yang confusedly stared at the male Yellow Ranger's face, a hint of recognition in her lilac eyes. "Hey… is it me, or do you look a lot like that one bully?"

KRASHOOM! Light broke through the sky, bringing the discussions to a halt before the beams touched asphalt. Everyone whirled around just as the pillars flickered out… and Team RWBY was taken aback by who emerged: two familiar figures in blue and black with a lance and axe at the ready.

Their stances immediately fell, with Zack Taylor's helmeted head looking around the scene. "Huh? Why isn't… Billy, you're sure it was here?"

"It… it had to be. No dark matter spike that massive can just disappear like that! Was it a malfunction?"

"No," Tommy answered. "You just missed it."

The new arrivals turned around… and went still. Not because of their old friend, but because of the six individuals who now stood before them. Ruby and her friends were equally quiet, watching as Billy and Zack slowly reached up to remove their helmets. The faces that lay underneath were nothing like the faces they knew; older and more mature including Zack having a goatee and Billy's lack of glasses. The Black Ranger solemnly looked over each of the Remnantians before letting out a soft sigh.

"Jen really did it…"

Billy gently exhaled before locking his eyes on Ruby and Weiss. "You weren't kidding…"

Ruby blinked. "About what?"

There was a flicker in the man's eyes. "N-never mind… stupid time travel…"

"So," Zack turned to Tommy. "What was it that we missed? Billy picked up a huge concentration of Grimm energy in Angel Grove…"

"The biggest, darkest cloud we ever saw," Kat answered. "We believe it's a Grimm itself."

"It absorbed all of the Grimm in the city," Wes added. "And after that, it was gone." His concerned eyes focused on Ruby. "It's out of your league back home?"

"I don't think it even exists back home," Ren clarified. "What was that thing?"

"That's something we'll need to answer if we want to stop this," TJ explained. "And I doubt we've seen the last of it, either. What happens now?"

That was a question Ruby had a quick answer to. "We need to make sure everyone in the city's okay." Her response earned her an impressed look from Carter. "The kid's heart is in the right place. We should do a full sweep; check for casualties and clean up any damage."

"But," Billy pointed out. "We also need to keep tabs on that Grimm cloud. When it pops up again- and it will- there's a high possibility it'll get stronger from every Grimm it absorbs. Every Ranger out there should be notified."

"Um… Doctor O?" Several eyes turned to Kira, whose face was now alight with worry. "I-I need to go. Connor and Ethan just got word that a pack of those monsters is heading for Reefside."

The Green Ranger eased her with a smile. "Then don't keep them waiting."

"What about you? Aren't you coming?"

"Not this time, Kira. Besides, the three of you have been fine without me before. Is Trent going to be there?"

"Probably," the Yellow Ranger guessed. "Let all of us know what you find out." And with that, the woman vanished in a pillar of yellow light. Jen immediately stepped up, speaking in an authoritative tone. "HyperForce, can you and Damon assist with the cleanup efforts?"

"Yes, professor," replied Marv. "This mean you'll look into the cloud?"

Wes turned to Billy. "You said you detected dark matter in the city just before you arrived, right? Any chance it could happen again?"

"A massive concentration of it, yes," replied the now-older Blue Ranger. "Which means I can track that gathering of Grimm essence… and, theoretically, determine what it is."

"And all your tech is at that little institution slash Command Center 2.0 you founded," TJ spoke up. "Cranston Technologies, right?"

"Affirmative. I can take you all there and show you everything Zack and I have gathered on the invasion."

"Hold on, just you two?" a puzzled Nora asked. "What about everyone else?"

Zack rubbed the back of his head. "Y-yeah, the team's good. Jason and Kim are still a little off…" He trailed off as he looked over to Tommy, who gave his friend a reassuring look. "Hey… they'll be alright, Zack. Just take a look at me."

Yang raised a brow, skeptical. "Well, what about Tr-"

"Alright, Billy…" Jen said with crossed arms, much to the Yellow Ranger's surprise. "How about you show us those notes and bring our new recruits up to speed?"

Billy nodded before moving to address Team RWBY. "I apologize if all of this feels sudden for you. In your perspective… it hasn't even been a few hours since the Grimm Megazord, has it?"

Weiss lowered her head with a sigh. "I admit, this… this is still rather shocking. I mean, the existence of other worlds is one thing, and now time travel is also real…"

"But once we end this," Blake reminded everyone. "We can all go home. Zack, you and Billy lead the way." The older man gave her a quiet nod while the Blue Ranger started inputting commands into his wrist communicator. "Right. Just keep in mind… the old base isn't gonna be so 'old' anymore."

"And I highly advise you brace yourselves," Billy added. "Your bio-signatures should keep you from feeling disoriented or nauseous, but long-range teleportation is more complicated than one would assume."

"Uh…" Yang piped up. "So we should be in for quite a ride, huh?"

"It could be worse," Zack countered. "Trying to teleport someone not connected to the Grid is impossible, but Billy says there's a good chance their molecules would get scrambled if it was." This caused Blake to wince in discomfort. "Ugh. I did not need that image in my brain."

"Coordinates locked on, folks," Billy reported. "Standby for teleportation." After some final inputs, the selected Rangers were surrounded by their signature color… and in the blink of an eye, shot into the air as nothing but concentrated light. Once they were gone, Marv and Damon turned towards the battle-damaged city.

"Alright, HyperForce… let's see who needs help out there."