Ruby was starting to miss Aura, a feeling she knew couldn't be unique. If people on Earth had to endure the agonizing wait for an injury to heal, she could understand if they despised it. Thankfully, her team's morph energies had shielded them from the full force of that Red Ranger's blows, leaving herself and her friends mostly unscathed.

Mostly. Those tiny burns and bruises still hurt a little, yet not enough to send them out of action. This was why Carter suggested transferring Ruby and her teammates to somewhere they could be examined appropriately and where they could more properly investigate this new Red Ranger. Their determination to continue despite the pain was truly motivating.

Ruby was experiencing many "firsts" throughout her stay on Earth… and now had an underwater base to add to that list. The Lightspeed Aquabase, hidden beneath the ocean's depths and rebuilt after an invasion had left it destroyed, was a crucial part of their strategy in combating the Grimm threat due to its isolated location beneath the waves. She felt no worries about the base coming under assault, for none of the Grimm she had encountered in her years of Huntress training could swim, even to depths such as this.

Although she had heard whispers of aquatic Grimm from her fellow students, she didn't want to dwell on that topic. So, when she heard the doors to her team's temporary chamber swoosh open, she turned away from the expansive blue depths beyond the large window to see a blonde woman and a short-haired man dressed in pink and silver jackets. The former held a clipboard in one arm and adjusted a pink stethoscope around her neck before greeting the teens with a smile.

"Hello, Ruby Rose and company," she kindly spoke. "My name is Dana Mitchell. I'm the Lightspeed Pink Ranger and this base's medical expert." She gestured to the man beside her, who greeted the youths with a raised hand. "This is my brother Ryan, the Titanium Ranger. Carter asked us to check in and see how you were holding up."

Yang leaned against the wall with a quiet breath. "All things considered, doc… that could've been so much worse. Our suit powers were the only thing that kept… well, whoever that was from roasting us to a crisp." She hung her head back and closed her eyes, releasing an anxious exhale from her nostrils that didn't elude Ruby.

The team's curiosity about the new Red Ranger was palpable. "Who was that guy, anyway? You guys never told us about a Ranger like that," Jaune asked, voicing the question on everyone's mind and drawing the audience into the mystery.

"Well, that's because we don't have a Ranger like that in our ranks," Ryan corrected him while Dana examined the teens individually for any lasting damage. "Not every Ranger fights for the Earth… as you now know personally."

A hum from Ren drew all eyes to him. "And not just recently… back when we met Jason's team, didn't he say Tommy was initially their enemy?"

"Oh, yeah! Rita messed with his mind or something like that!" Nora chirped. "But then everyone snapped him out of it and he became a good guy!"

"That's right," Ryan confirmed. "Even the best Rangers don't start so well. Not Tommy…" He glanced down at the floor with a sigh. "And not even me."

"You?" Blake piped up. "You were evil, too? What happened?"

The young man needed a moment to compose himself. "Unlike Tommy, I wasn't brainwashed. When Dana and I were kids, we got into a car crash with our father, the base's captain. He saved my sister, but I was holding on for dear life."

Ruby caught a hint of sadness in Dana's eyes. "But you were saved, weren't you? I mean, you're still here."

"He was," Dana quietly admitted. "But not by a fireman or a police officer or anybody like that. The three of us were already in a dangerous situation, but things worsened."

"Our father was confronted by a demon named Diabolico, who made him a deal," Ryan continued. "He'd save me… but in return, he would raise me as his own. And my family wouldn't see me again until my twentieth birthday."

Jaune moved away from the wall, disbelief written all over him. "No. No, don't tell me-"

"My dad was desperate," Ryan sorrowfully finished. "So, he took the deal… and Diabolico took me. As I grew up under his care, he twisted my mind with poisons and lies, claiming my father had rejected me and favored Dana more."

"While I never knew I had a brother," Dana added as she checked Yang's vitals. "Until he tried to kill me and my team."

"I did some real nasty stuff for Diabolico," Ryan muttered. "But the good news is I realized I was being lied to and remembered the truth. He didn't make it easy for me to turn against him… but I did. And now, here I am."

"Most of our friends were initially foes, either through evil spells or manipulation," Dana explained. "Other evil Rangers include power-seeking traitors or duplicates made by evil forces who wished to have the power of the Grid for themselves. Some were easily dispatched, while others were more… psychotic. These were the ones who truly believed in their twisted cause, making them the most dangerous adversaries we've faced."

"So, this new Ranger," Pyrrha asked curiously. "Do you suspect them to be the same? Someone enchanted or manipulated into believing Rangers are the enemy?" Dana crossed a few items off on her clipboard while giving her response. "It's possible. Many of us are already asking who could be under the helmet and why they're focusing on us when they should instead focus on the greater Grimm threat."

"My guess is that it's some kind of vendetta against the Power Rangers," Ryan theorized. "Perhaps this Red Ranger feels as though they've been wronged in the past and seeks vengeance. They'll stop at nothing to achieve it, even if it means letting the Earth be destroyed."

"Or they could be seeking a challenge," Dana suggested. "A challenge that not even hordes of Grimm can satisfy. They could unintentionally aid us, but destroying the Grimm won't be enough for that Ranger."

"But regardless of their motives, this Red Ranger is proving to be a problem," Ryan explained. "They were strong enough to defeat all of you easily, but not more experienced Rangers… yet."

"So what do we do about that guy?" Yang asked. "We can't deal with them and the Grimm at the same time!"

"Which is why you're not going to," Dana said when she finished her examinations. "You're all still in good condition, so we need you to get back out there and delay the Grimm. In the meantime, Billy and Alpha are working with other Rangers to determine a solution to the Grimm dragon."

"Tommy is going to look into this new Red Ranger," Ryan added. "We'll let you know if we find anything useful about either of them."

Ruby had to do a double-take, her mind reeling. Sure, she and her friends just had their butts handed to them thanks to this new guy, but… they were supposed to just let it go? And go back to fighting Grimm like nothing had happened? Usually, Ruby would be all too willing to return to what she did best, but the mystery about this new Red Ranger had hooked deep into her brain like a claw into flesh. There were questions about that person begging to be answered, and some of Ruby wanted to help the Rangers find answers.

They were right, though. Ruby hated to admit this, but this Red Ranger would have to wait. And the Grimm dragon. Both of the most dangerous and destructive threats to the world while she and her friends were stuck dealing with the more minor threats that would only be destroyed for the good if the dragon was dealt with. The Grimm would keep on coming without end until-

She closed her silver eyes and sighed, relaxing her fists, which she had never realized were shaking until now. She opened them back up to see Dana's worried gaze. "Ruby? Is everything alright?"

"Huh? Oh, no, I'm fine," she hurriedly muttered, putting on her best smile. The worry on the Pink Ranger's face and the concern in her voice… this was a person—among many people—who wanted the best for her. Ruby could understand that, but it wasn't enough to quell the questions. For a moment, the brunette wondered if this was how Jason felt when he awoke on Remnant, surrounded by unfamiliarity and with no means to ease the raging confusion over where he was or why everything was different than what he was comfortable with.

It was her sister's voice that brought her back. "Anything but sitting around is fine by me. What's the deets?"

"Well, for once…" Ryan answered. "We've got some good news."

Weiss scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Good news? About the Grimm? This really is a different world."

"Okay, well, it's not exactly good news," the older man corrected himself. "It's just that we've been receiving reports from multiple media outlets. They say the Grimm are moving out of major metropolitan areas."

Ren looked suspiciously at Ryan. "The Grimm… are leaving? That doesn't sound like them at all." Jaune crossed his arms in agreement. "Yeah, there has to be a catch. Are the people so deep in hiding that they just gave up?" A shrug from Ryan was all the blonde got. "Hard to say. The people at the base, the other Rangers… they're just as confused. Not every city is being cleared out just yet, but that's not the only concern: it's also where the Grimm are going."

Blake cocked her head. "Well… where are they going?"

"We haven't been able to pinpoint a proper destination, but Billy believes they must have one," Dana explained. "He has this theory that the Grimm dragon could be some alpha for the Grimm. So if it can order the Grimm around and launch an attack anywhere it chooses…"

"Then it's far from an ordinary Grimm," Pyrrha concluded. "All we've been taught about them is going out the window when we're up against that dragon. I can't believe I'm saying this… but if we're going to defeat it, we must forget everything Beacon taught us."

She had a point. Ruby still remembered how it overpowered an entire Ranger team with barely any effort after it got all juiced up on Morphin Grid energy. It was faster and stronger…, but Ruby had to assume it was also smarter than any other Grimm. And if it was commanding the hordes of darkness, the Power Rangers wouldn't be combatting a spreading infestation; they'd be fighting a war—a war against an enemy that had stolen the same power they wielded.

Deep in Ruby's gut, she knew that the next time she faced off against the soulless beasts… they wouldn't be the Grimm she knew anymore. All bets were off, and no further battle would be a guaranteed win.

She couldn't tell if her friends had similar thoughts, but if they did, they refused to be deterred by such doubts as Yang pounded a palm. "Alright, we've been benched long enough. Where's the next dance floor?"

"Mitchells!"

Everyone turned to the door, where a man in red and a woman in yellow stood at attention. Ruby and Yang's eyes lingered on the woman, who silently greeted them warmly. Dana focused on the man while her brother stood by her side. "What's the word, Carter?"

"Chicago," Her leader responded. "Injured civilians are holed up in the Robey, but the Grimm caught a whiff of their suffering and are homing in like starving dogs to a steak. Captain needs Lightspeed on the scene until the hotel's fully evacuated."

"Roger that!" The siblings were already on the move as Carter ushered them out. "Landsdown, give them the sitrep." The blonde nodded, which was the confirmation he needed to take off down the hall. Once the three Lightspeed Rangers were off, Summer strode into the room. "I hope you're all good to go. This fight's far from finished, and we need you back in the field."

She turned to Nora and Ren first. "You two, one of our Megazords just took out a giant dolphin-kaiju thing down in Tokyo, but there are still some lesser Grimm that need to be either fried to a crisp or choking on poison."

"Say no more!" grinned a saluting Nora.

"Weiss," Summer continued. The Grimm dragon made a brief appearance in Berlin and upchucked a bunch of nasty things to destabilize the crisis further there. A squad's already en route to clean up its mess, but they could use some extra help if things are too… heated."

Weiss rolled her eyes and groaned. "Please don't. I'm already suffering enough from that one." She jabbed a finger at a grinning Yang, who gave Summer a thumbs-up while the woman couldn't resist a smirk.

"My apologies. Blake?" Amber eyes turned her way. "You're needed in Panorama City. It's just come under attack and two Rangers are already on the scene. They'll need your help to keep it from getting worse."

She nodded. "Understood."

"Pyrrha, there's been some reports of a gigantic black bird dominating the skies over Greece. It needs to have its wings plucked ASAP."

"It will be done."

The older woman's eyes fell on Ruby next. "Ruby, you and Jaune are going to Brazil. A swarm of Grimm just finished terrorizing a local beach and is moving inland. You and your support have one goal: turn them back or turn them to dust… and I don't mean the thing your people apparently use for fuel."

Ruby pumped a fist and Jaune stood straight. "We won't let you down!"

"I don't doubt that a bit," Summer smirked before she turned to the last one she needed to address. "Yang? For your next objective… I'm gonna need you to come with me." Curiosity covered the blonde's face. "Um… okay?"

"Don't worry, it's a surprise: one I think will be right up your alley."

Yang followed Summer out into the hallway while the rest of her friends prepped for deployment, her eyes alternating between them and the woman before her. "Okay, so… where am I going?"

"You remember what Ryan said about the Grimm leaving cities?" Summer waited for Yang to nod before she said anything more. "Our computer systems have detected many groups converging into a single unit. We're talking about a huge horde here, and its current trajectory is leading to a secluded location deep in a mountain range: the Wind Ninja Academy."

Yang almost froze in place before hurrying to keep up with Summer. "Whoa, whoa, hold on… you've got ninjas here?! That's… that's awesome!"

"I know. We've even got some among our ranks," a smiling Summer told her. "From what we've learned of you through the Grid, you're one of the heavy hitters: You always give as much as you get. And that tells me… you're the perfect trump card for the Rangers stationed at the academy, especially against a force of this size."

"Wow…" Yang chuckled. "Should I be flattered or… wait, was that the surprise? A compliment? Boo."

"Oh, no, that's not it at all," It was Summer's turn to chuckle at the younger blonde's frown as the two entered a massive room that resembled a hangar bay. Upon entry, Yang noticed some technicians surrounding a tarp-covered object in one of the empty docking bays, some of whom greeted Summer with a raised hand that she promptly returned. "You being the brawns of your team wasn't the only thing we picked up from the Grid."

"It wasn't?"

"No," Summer said. "It seems you're also somewhat of a… motorist."

Yang blinked. "Huh? Well, yeah, Bumblebee's my pride and joy, but-" Summer only touched the tarp with a warm look. "So… consider this a gift from Doctor K and the rest of the Ranger Operators." The older woman flung the tarp off with a sharp motion…

All the air in Yang's lungs emptied in a massive gasp, and her sparkling purple eyes went wider than dinner plates. "Oh. My. Gods." What she saw before her was perhaps one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen: a sleek and aerodynamic yellow motorcycle with a dragon decal near the front, the beast blasting out flames that trailed down both sides of the vehicle.

"This… this is…"

"A thing of beauty, that's what," Summer finished for her as Yang slowly ran her fingers over the glimmering paint job. "Fueled by energies siphoned straight from the Morphin Grid, this baby can go from zero to eighty in under five seconds and has a hypercharged engine built for nothing but raw speed. As a bike enthusiast myself, I'm slightly jealous the doc didn't whip up something like this for me."

Yang knew the pounding in her heart would pale compared to the adrenaline she would feel astride this metal beast. "S-Summer, I… I don't… I have no words to describe this." The older woman patted her on the shoulder. "Then you'll also have no words for the weapon systems we've installed."

"Weapons?!" Yang rapidly blurted in a solid imitation of her younger sister. She opened her mouth, but a finger quickly pressed against it. "Ah, ah, ah! I'm not gonna ruin it for you here. Some of the Grimm in that horde have done us a big favor and volunteered to be your test subjects."

"Yes, yes, YES!" Yang cheered gleefully, rushing to examine the vehicle's control and dashboard. She darted back to Summer just as fast, squeezing the veteran Yellow Ranger in a tight hug that surprised the woman. "Thank you so much! It's no Bumblebee, but she'll do! She'll do amazing!"

"Heh… uh, y-you're welcome, kiddo," Summer chuckled, ruffling the girl's blonde locks. "You can call it- uh, her in whenever you like, so there's no need to remember where you parked or anything. Oh, and one more thing?" Yang pulled away to wipe at a moist eye. "I told Doctor K that you should be honored to give it a name."

"Me? Name her? Um, OBVIOUSLY!" Yang spun back to the bike and anxiously tapped her foot, her eyes darting across the body and picking up as many details as possible. "Oooh, boy… she's brighter than the sun, and… and I can almost feel the heat of that engine from here…" She trailed off for a moment until a delighted gasp left her being.

"Ooh! Sunburn! Wh-what do you think of Sunburn?!"

"Ha ha!" Summer exclaimed, clapping her hands. "It's perfect, Yang! Now, what do you say you go kick their tails in?"

"I will never say no to that," Yang laughed, already turning to leave… before she momentarily paused and turned back to the woman. "Oh, and one more thing. The Grid should've shown you that I do not like people touching my hair."

Summer tensed up. "Oh. Uh, s-sorry, I was just-"

"Nah," Yang chuckled. "You're good. It'll be my thanks for the hot ride, which I can't wait to try out! See ya!" The Yellow Ranger hurried out of the hangar, leaving Summer alone for a quiet moment before the woman let out a small sigh.

"Nice kid, other Summer… nice kid."

A group of Veteran Rangers had gathered in the Aquabase's main control room, and several monitors displayed various Rangers in the field holding back the Grimm threat. Idle chatter passed between the men and women, and most of what they quietly discussed was the same.

"An evil Ranger? Now, of all times?"

"-bested all eight of them, but only because they're not-"

"Is it true they have a Power Coin?"

"Never heard of one like-"

"Attention, everyone!" Billy Cranston announced, turning everyone's attention to a central monitor where Lightspeed Rescue scientists paused their duties. The original Blue Ranger stood alongside Zack, Tommy, Wes, Jen, and a woman in a scientist's uniform and glasses. "Now, it's come to our attention that there's been a recent development amidst the ongoing situation: one that doesn't involve the Grimm. For those who don't know her, this is Miss Angela Rawlings, one of Lightspeed's top scientists."

The woman stepped forward. "Not too long ago, a Grimm wave ransacked London, where only one Red Ranger was located. While this Ranger succeeded in destroying the threat single-handedly, they also left that part of the city nothing but burning rubble and attacked other Rangers sent to assist them. This Red Ranger was ruthless in their attack, bringing all eight of our latest additions to their knees."

"Their identity remains unknown," Zack spoke up. "And they're considered to be extremely dangerous. We've managed to keep tabs on their location in case they show up again.

Trent crossed his arms in the middle of the crowd. "Where are they now?"

Angela nodded to a scientist, who inputted some commands on his console. The largest screen lit up with a live video of San Francisco, explosions rippling and detonating throughout the city. A pack of Beowolves converged on a target like the wild and rabid dogs they resembled…

BRAKOOM! A tremendous pillar of fire sent them all aflame and flying, revealing the phoenix-themed Red Ranger surrounded by a horde of purple-eyed Grimm. Blazing punches incinerated Beowolves to nothingness, a sharp uppercut blew off a Creep's head, and blazing dashes from one target to another left burning trails that set the closest Grimm alight. The Ranger shot through the air, driving a heated leg into an Ursa's torso and overloading it, causing it to erupt and take out several nearby Grimm. The force from the explosion careened the Red Ranger towards an Ursa Major and they promptly spun with outstretched arms and clenched fists, the Ranger's entire body alight with flame…

The Red Ranger bore a gaping hole directly through the Ursa Major's chest, leaving it to wither away as they collided with an Alpha Beowolf and dragged it through the street. A sharp stomp to its head was all they needed to finish it, yet the Grimm continued to close in on the Ranger. The Ranger summoned their blades and started hacking away at the horde, severing heads and limbs while inflicting burning marks that consumed the Grimm in scorching flames.

"Whoa…" murmured Madison, her nervous sister watching beside her. "Whoever this guy is, they're good. Any other Ranger would've been easily overwhelmed."

"And they've already taken out more Grimm than any of us!" Sky exclaimed, gesturing to the other monitors playing alongside the Red Ranger's rampage. Nora and Ren showed no mercy to supercharged Grimm in the streets of Tokyo, the Pink and Green Rangers evading every attack and retaliating with equal force. Ren landed a spinning kick to a Creep's jaw and transitioned into a cloak, slicing off a Beowolf's arms all while the confused Creep jerked its head around. A pair of pink electric whips extended from Nora's hands, the energetic attacker lashing and striking at any Grimm she saw - including the Creep's eye - with deadly finesse and sharp acrobatics. Pyrrha clashed with a Nevermore in the skies over Greece, the Gold Ranger driving her spear into its eye as her legs kept its beak pried open.

Weiss created an enormous ice boulder and sent it rolling down a street, where it squashed and crushed any Grimm caught in its path. Blake's Panther Animal Spirit closed its jaws over a Creep's nape while a sliding Blake sliced at its underbelly, the Black Ranger leaving a shadow to be smashed under an Ursa's paw while she reappeared above it and drove both blades into its neck. Other monitors showed Yang going through a jungle while Ruby watched over a city engulfed in chaos with Jaune by her side.

But everyone was focused on the central monitor's Morphin Grid-provided live feed. The Red Ranger was a blazing storm as their blades cut down Grimm by the dozen. They swiftly eliminated ten Grimm while the other monitors showed other Rangers struggling to take down only a few. A few that everyone silently reminded themselves had grown stronger by absorbing the Morphin Grid's energies. And yet here this Red Ranger was, decimating their ranks like these enhanced monsters were nothing before them.

"Forget who they are," Jen demanded, jabbing an accusatory finger at the Red Ranger. "I want to know two things: where they got their power and what they want."

"I can answer that, Miss Scotts. What this Ranger wants…" A gruff voice attracted everyone to the control room's main doors, where two figures far from human strode into the room professionally. One was a woman with cat ears protruding from her hair, and the other resembled a blue anthropomorphic dog in a futuristic police uniform.

"...is a challenge."

Jen glanced between the two of them. "Commander Cruger. Doctor Manx."

"A challenge?" Sky repeated. "What makes you say that, commander?"

"I want all of you to watch," he answered, looking at the monitor. "Observe how the Ranger fights. Brutally, yes. Relentlessly, yes. But there's something else to their strikes."

Casey leaned forward, his eyes locked on the Red Ranger as they impaled two Beowolves with each blade and yanked them out without further thought. The man lifted his brow as they stormed off, never looking back at the disintegrating corpses. "They're searching. Searching for something worth their time. Something stronger."

"Well, that shouldn't be too hard," Justin shrugged, gesturing to an Ursa about to smash its glowing paws into the street. "They're about to get it." The ensuing shockwave knocked the Red Ranger off their feet and they quickly somersaulted away from a raging stomp. A violet beam suddenly struck them from the side and they flinched from the impact, blocking the beam with their palm before another ray connected from the other side. They intercepted the beam with their other palm, struggling against the two Beowolves who blasted beams of pure power from their maws. They crept toward the struggling Red Ranger, who was now utterly helpless against the encircling horde.

They fought hard against the rays, trying to keep either one from gaining ground. Tommy noted how their muscles were tensed and their chest was heaving, their head jerking around at every Grimm they could see. The body language was enough to tell him something else.

"They're desperate," he told Cruger. "They don't want a strong enemy because they're looking for a challenge. They want a strong enemy they can beat, no matter what it takes."

"Which means they will deny defeat," Kat finished. "Even the mere possibility of it." The Red Ranger pushed hard against the beams, pressing all their might to drive them back… when a colossal talon scooped them from the street swiftly, allowing the beams to strike the Beowolves and zap them on the spot. The Ranger writhed and struggled in the giant Nevermore's grasp… before the abyss-born avian swiftly tossed them up and closed its beak around them.

All eyes were glued to the screen as the Nevermore soared over San Francisco, its purple eyes peeled for any more tiny humans to snatch and swallow. Before it could find another target, a squawk of pain and discomfort left its beak and its steady flight turned erratic as a heated glow boiled within the bird's belly. Its wings flapped wildly and its cries turned to painful chokes and gurgles, the heat spreading and overpowering the Grimm until it exploded from the inside out, revealing the blazing Red Ranger hovering in midair, courtesy of flames blasting from their feet.

A large batch of Grimm scrambled in their direction like a black tidal wave, drawing the Ranger's attention. They rocketed down towards the street at high speeds, fists outstretched and makeshift jets roaring at full throttle. When they impacted the ground, everything went up in a colossal shockwave that blew cars off the road, shattered windows, blasted away everything not nailed down, and incinerated every Grimm to ash and dust. Several seconds passed as the explosion faded to smoke… and the panting Red Ranger stood alone in a tremendous crater, stumbling before breathlessly collapsing to their knees.

Syd furrowed her brow. "Wait, something's not right…"

"They blew up an entire city block, of course something's not right!" Justin exclaimed.

"No, she's right," Kira muttered, her eyes trained on the slowly standing Red Ranger. "All that energy, it should have… why haven't they de-morphed? A Ranger's power—extraordinary as it is—is finite. We can only take so much punishment or expend so much energy before we power down."

"There's only one way to answer that," Billy explained. "To do that, we need to investigate what gives this Ranger their power, which leads me to Jen's second query and-"

FWOOOSH! The Red Ranger was gone in a scorching beam crackling with fire instead of electricity. Only untold destruction and busted buildings remained in their wake, with no sign of any Grimm. The veteran Blue Ranger sighed and rolled his eyes. "Doctor Rawlings, if you would…"

"Rewinding now, William."

The beam reappeared and vanished again, revealing the Red Ranger with a fist raised to the sky. Angela paused the footage and zoomed in on the figure, prompting Billy to turn to his audience. "As I was saying, our next course of action is to determine how this Ranger's power source differs from the rest. And that means that we'll need to investigate this." He pointed at the Red Ranger's waist, where a golden coin depicting a phoenix rested. "You all know about the Power Coins. You know how they work. But something is different about this one. Its power didn't deplete after a massive attack like that."

"And it's not just that," Sky said. "This Ranger is dangerous and reckless. Not only are they unintentionally destroying areas they should be protecting and not giving further thought to damage, but they've attacked other Rangers."

"And, if Commander Cruger is right, sought out personal gain and escalated conflicts," added Trent. "Which is against the Ranger rules. If that happened, the coin should have stopped them, right?"

"Yes," Jen confirmed. "If a Ranger with a Power Coin goes against our sworn duty to protect the universe and breaks any of the rules, then the Power Coin deems them unworthy and forcibly de-morphs them."

Wes brushed his chin in thought. "So why didn't that happen here? How has this Ranger gone down their self-centered path so long without the coin intervening?"

"My guess?" Tommy told everyone. "That coin is probably enchanted or under an evil influence, just like the Dragon Power Coin once was for me. But we have no way of knowing for sure."

"There's only one way we can know," Zack added. "One way of getting to the bottom of this. And that's contacting the one guy who's been making them."

"Ninjor," muttered Vida. "That tracks. He's the only person who can know all about this Phoenix Coin. All we need to do is get him to talk."

"But we can't accuse him of this," Billy reminded her. "Me and the other Mighty Morphin Rangers… we trust Ninjor deeply. I know he has to have a proper explanation for creating this coin."

"Maybe he was tricked?" Justin asked. "Poor guy probably didn't know what he was getting into."

"Or forced," Trent guessed. "This Ranger could've demanded he make them a coin or suffer greatly."

"Speculation won't get us anywhere," Jen shut them down. "We'll find a way to contact Ninjor. The rest of you, get back out there and hold off the Grimm."

"And if any of you see the dragon or that Red Ranger," Tommy warned them. "Only engage them as a last resort. They're a priority, but not our immediate priority."

"Well, look at the bright side," Sky commented. "Given enough time, this Red Ranger could wipe out all the Grimm by themselves and save us the trouble,"

"Time is not a luxury we have, Officer Tate," Jen firmly reminded him. "And the enemy of our enemy is not our friend."

The Blue Ranger raised his hands in defeat. "Worth a try…"

"Before we head off," Syd announced. "I just have one final question. And it's not one we all have."

Cruger hummed curiously. "Go ahead, Sydney."

Syd pointed her thumb at the monitor that displayed Blake locked in combat with a pack of Sabyrs. "Can I be here when she meets Kat? I can already tell it'll be priceless." This request earned some amused snickers and disappointed sighs from the other Rangers, Cruger belonging to the latter group as he hung his head. The feline-eared woman gave an awkward grin and averted her gaze from the monitors before looking back to the Pink Ranger.

"I… think we can agree on that."

"YIIII-AAAAAAH!"

Ruby's scythe cleaved off Ursa's forelimb, and an upward thrust impaled it through the chin. The Red Ranger leaped over and broke the beast's neck as it fell onto its back. No sooner did she land than a violet beam shot in her direction, and she rolled underneath, firing her blaster at the purple-eyed Beowolf, who absorbed the lasers with its bony arm. The monster opened its maw, purple light building up inside…

"HRAH!" A boot smashed into the Grimm's face, knocking it to the street before rapid punches bombarded the beast's head. The violet figure shot skyward and charged up a fist with energy, returning with a smashing punch that obliterated the Grimm's upper half. RJ rose to his feet while shaking black gunk off his hand, unaware of three more Beowolves coming his way…

…until swift laser bolts hit them in the chests and they staggered. The shots were strong enough to have destroyed lesser Grimm, but these enhanced creatures shrugged off the blasts as though they were sunburns and whirled at the shooter. Merrick stood atop an abandoned car as he switched his weapon from sniper mode to saber mode. He somersaulted off the vehicle and landed on Ruby's right side while RJ stood on her left.

"PACK ATTACK!" Ruby cried, the three wolf-themed Rangers launching themselves at the Beowolf trio backed up by more Grimm. Merrick's saber slipped through a gap between a Beowolf's ribs while Ruby brought her scythe to her target's skull, only to meet a clawed hand. The Beowolf threw the Red Ranger over itself and slammed her into the street, but Ruby blinked away in a crimson pulse before its foot could stomp her deep into the pavement. RJ somersaulted over a swiping charge and kicked his Beowolf in the back before backflipping away from several more savage swipes. He threw another spinning kick at the Beowolf's face…

…but a bony hand shot out and grabbed his leg.

"Oh, n-"

The roaring Grimm smashed and slammed the Purple Ranger into the asphalt five times before hoisting him above its head, pulling the man's shoulders and legs in opposite directions while he struggled in its grip. The groaning RJ was unable to do anything besides writhe as the Grimm slowly worked on pulling him apart… until a sharp scarlet slash severed the monster's arms at the elbows and the Purple Ranger fell to the street amidst bleeding and decaying limbs.

A curved blade slashed upward, partially bisecting the black beast while Ruby grunted from the effort. "Nnf! Slicing them to pieces isn't supposed to be this hard!"

"So is beating them to a pulp, apparently!" RJ agreed, somersaulting away from another Beowolf while Merrick plunged his saber through its nape. The weapon only managed to get halfway through, and the snarling monster grabbed its stowaway and threw him to the road. The man growled like the beast he resembled and pounced back to his feet, deflecting a swipe with his blade. Ruby slashed another Grimm across the face while a Beowolf lunged at RJ…

"LUNAR CYCLONE!" he howled, spiraling himself into the air with a pillar of light that blasted the beast back… but the Beowolf hit the ground on all fours, firing a laser beam that RJ barely avoided before countering with a wrist laser. "What?! Not even that did it?!"

"If it makes you feel any better…" Jaune grunted from nearby, holding back a snapping Sabyr with his shield while his sword barely scratched the beast. "We're not doing so well, either!" The Sabyr drove the Silver Ranger to the ground and he planted his feet on the monster's underbelly, shoving it off…

…and it landed directly on top of a gleaming trident, its prongs piercing out of its torso as the Sabyr let out a dying screech. The trident's wielder yanked the weapon out, revealing another Silver Ranger who beat back his attackers in a spinning flurry. "Argh, you said it! Now, I don't want to be that guy, but-"

"Orion…" RJ growled, a violet-charged fist cracking across a Creep's jaw. "Do not ask if things can get any-!"

GRRROOOOAAAAARRRHH!

"...worse."

"For the record, I'm putting that on you," Merrick finished for him. Rangers and Grimm paused and turned to the already-darkening sky, Ruby's heart sinking at the sight. The shape of a monstrous purple-eyed black dragon came from the blackness, its claws sinking into a rooftop while it bellowed dominantly across the Brazil skyline. Its call was enough to invigorate the Grimm even more and the devils pressed their attack against the Rangers, who struggled to hold off their frenzied foes.

Orion, RJ, and Merrick slashed, stabbed, and beat into the horde with every ounce of their power, violet explosions and silver beams of light ringing out against the darkness. Ruby pushed herself to move faster than ever before; her scythe was a crimson whirlwind that left gashes and severed limbs where it usually left cleaved body parts and diced demons. A wide horizontal sweep sent out a crimson wave that knocked several Grimm back, but more immediately rushed to the forefront and forced Ruby back.

"HRRGH!" RJ held back a Beowolf's jaws before kneeing the monster in the chin. "Back off, beasties!" He spun from a claw swipe and smashed an elbow into a Sabyr's eye, a sharp kick knocking it into the crowd. Another Beowolf lunged at Ruby, its jaws dangerously close to her face as her scythe kept it at bay. The Red Ranger's mind scrambled for a possible next move: something - anything - that could give them the upper hand. Ruby held fast against her opponent, feeling her power surge throughout her entire being…

…until she finally released it.

"AAAWWWOOOOOOOOO!" A scarlet shockwave erupted from Ruby's body, blasting away the nearest Grimm while the crimson energy enveloped her allies. Her howl echoed throughout the city block, the red energy seeping into her friends until they all surged with strength. RJ clenched his glowing purple fists while Merrick's saber gleamed with light, both standing by Ruby's side.

"Okay, pack leader…" RJ told her. "Time for these wolves to hunt."

Ruby grinned under her helmet, pleased at both the turn of events and this new ability. "Gladly." She, RJ, and Merrick lunged at the horde, the Rangers now the ones reinvigorated. The three wolf-themed Rangers tore into the Grimm, black blood flying with successful savage strikes that made them on par with the Grimm's stolen strength. As for Jaune and Orion, Ruby's power boost gave them what they needed to get some breathing room.

"STALLION SHIELD CANNON BLAST!"

"SUPER SPEAR BLASTER!"

KRACHOOM! KRACHOOM! KRACHOOM! Silver bombardments and sleek blaster shots cut through the Grimm surrounding them, their amplified energies searing the monsters like hot knives through butter. A point-blank blast from Jaune's shield cannon blew an Ursa clean in half, finally allowing the Silver Rangers to push forward. He blocked an Ursa's paw and sliced off the limb with a glowing strike…

…and the street shook beneath him. Jaune whirled around with Orion in tow, both Silver Rangers staring down the violet orbs of the growling Grimm dragon. It glared at them - Jaune felt it was staring at him more than Orion - with menacing intent and bared its fangs, nothing but hatred and rage in its eyes. This hatred was shared by the surrounding Grimm, their sights set on the steel-colored knight. Usually, Jaune would have been intimidated by such numbers set against him, but with these powers… this confidence… he was more than ready for them.

"Bring it on, you monsters!" He roared, banging his sword against his shield. "I can take you all on if I have to!" Jaune charged for the Grimm, rammed his shield against a Beowolf, cut down a Sabyr mid-pounce, and took off Ursa's leg. He spun to the next closest Grimm… but saw only a massive tail swinging towards him.

The blow knocked the wind out of him and his back made contact with a wall, stealing whatever he had left. Jaune's energy dissipated, leaving a blonde boy to slump to the ground in a stunned haze. Orion moved to bar the dragon's path, jabbing with his trident and striking it across the face. The dragon angled its head to lock the trident with its horn, toss the weapon away, and close its jaws around Orion before shaking him hard and throwing him down the street.

Orion crashed through a windshield in a shower of glass, catching Ruby's attention. The Red Ranger spun around, her heart skipping a beat when she saw Jaune's battered body cornered by the dragon and a swarm of Grimm. The beast stalked towards the boy, its eyes focused on its injured prey.

"JAUNE!" Ruby dashed through the horde, slicing and cutting as she went while teleporting away from arms that tried grabbing at her. Her scythe lit up with red energy and she tucked into a spin after leaping off a car, cleanly bisecting a jumping Beowolf before landing in front of her friend and jabbing the weapon at the dragon. "Stay back, creep, or this is going right in your eye!"

The dragon snarled and stomped closer, spreading its wings intimidatingly. The only thing that kept Ruby from feeling fear was her friend's safety. She could hear Jaune moaning and struggling to stand behind her, helpless before the darkness closing in on them. Ruby growled in determination and deactivated her helmet, hoping to show these monsters that nothing would deter her if an ally's life was on the line.

"I SAID STAY BACK!" She roared with all her might while her eyes burned. The Grimm only snarled and growled menacingly, awaiting their leader's command… but that said leader had done something Ruby hadn't expected from a Grimm.

The dragon had frozen in place, its purple orbs wide and locked on Ruby's bare face. Its jaws were agape and it remained as still as a statue, not even a rumble from its throat as it stared at the helmetless Red Ranger. Ruby wasn't sure if she had gotten to the beast, but she was also curious. Why was it just standing there? Why wasn't it attacking or ordering the other Grimm to attack?

And was it just her… or was it never breaking eye contact the whole time?

RRRAAAAAAARRRGGHHH! The dragon erupted with a deep and desperate roar that nearly shattered Ruby's ears, spurring all the nearby Grimm into action. Fear finally pulsed through Ruby when she saw the horde descending on her quickly and quickly. The girl blinked away from five Beowolves attempting to tackle her, reappearing a short distance away. Ruby immediately realized she had left Jaune unprotected and at risk of attack…

…but when she turned to look, the Grimm had turned away from him and charged directly towards her. The Grimm dragon had taken to the skies again, shrieking and roaring in a frantic desperation. If Ruby didn't know any better, she'd believe the Grimm had suddenly become afraid - which was a bunch of nonsense because Grimm, of all things, don't get scared - until reality snapped Ruby out of her thoughts.

Beowolves thundered down the road, Ursas trampled everything in their path, Sabyrs sprinted at terrifying speeds, and even distant Griffons summoned from the dragon's call swooped from the skies. Other Grimm engaging her fellow Rangers disengaged and abandoned their targets until every single one had their corrupted violet eyes trained on Ruby Rose.

The Red Ranger engaged the Grimm in a slashing and spinning flurry, teleporting frequently to gain distance and avoid being overwhelmed. She slid under black bodies and cleaved them as she did so, jumped over feral forms while keeping them at bay with her blaster, and flipped away when too many converged at her at once. But no matter where she went or what she did, the Grimm horde was too numerous and too relentless as they continued to chase her down.

"Wh-what?" Jaune whispered as Orion helped the boy steady himself. "Why… why are they all going after Ruby?"

"No idea… did she say something to make them angrier?"

"Well, come on!" RJ cried out, sprinting for the Grimm with Merrick in tow. "Little Red needs some backup!" The four Rangers hurried after Ruby - a cry of "SILVER STALLION!" and a flash of blinding light allowing Jaune to get back into action - and wracked their brains to find a suitable way through or around the horde to reach the Red Ranger while she was in the fight of her life.

They came from everywhere at once like an angry mob ganging up on a lone Faunus. Ruby didn't have the luxury of thinking as she hacked and slashed frantically at the horde that stopped at nothing to get to the girl, some of her attacks leaving no more than a scar or a gash that the enhanced Grimm shrugged off. Her heartbeat and breathing had quickened while her brain had difficulty keeping track of this many Grimm. And the fact that her mind was screaming, "Why me?" was not helping the rookie Red Ranger. Out of everyone here, all of the Grimm wanted her? Why? What did she ever-

Ruby yelped in terror as a massive pile of blackness completely bodied her, driving her to the ground as claws and monstrous limbs kept her pinned. Hot breaths wafted over her head, and she could feel sharp teeth dangerously poking at her body. The rising panic within her skyrocketed when she was spun around, staring face-to-face into a void of bone, purple eyes, and fangs straight out of her world's worst nightmares. Ordinarily, she would've been helpless against this evil… if not for that little trick she had discovered only a few minutes ago.

"AAAWWWOOOOO!" Another echoing howl erupted from her mouth and a crimson shockwave blasted the Grimm off her, allowing Ruby to scramble to her feet and tighten her grip on Wolf's Claw. She was seconds away from lunging at the closest target when something huge and fast streaked towards her… and when Ruby caught its movement, a massive claw snatched her from the ground and carried her miles into the air while she screamed in alarm.

The dark dragon's glowing violet orbs glared into Ruby's soul, this time full of anger similar and different to those found in the Grimm Ruby knew. Her helmet flashed away again as she looked back with the color drained from her face, her chest heaving and her breath nearly exhausted. Whatever had caught this thing's attention earlier hadn't only surprised it but enraged it. And Ruby was left squirming and struggling in its grip while the beast opened its maw, a violet light glowing in its throat…

SHRRZZAAAK! A pair of lightning beams seared into the dragon's side, forcing it to release Ruby with a pained shriek. The Red Ranger vanished in a scarlet flash and reappeared on the street, looking back at the sky as the Grimm and her fellow Rangers turned their heads upward. The agitated Grimm dragon snarled and roared as it whirled in all directions in search of its attacker until it heard a high-pitched jet engine echoing from the clouds. The sound was enough to drown out its challenging roar as the fast-moving object broke through the layer of clouds…

…revealing a pink flying machine resembling a sleek pterodactyl.

SHRRAAK! SHRRAAK! More lightning bolts sizzled and scalded the Grimm dragon, botching its approach and allowing the Zord to zoom right by at supersonic speeds, the blowback enough to knock the huge monster out of the sky. It crashed to the street below like a fling meteor, the Zord's electric streams incinerating several Grimm to ash. Others returned fire with mouth lasers and energy arcs from claw swipes, the pink Zord rolling and weaving away from them all before rotating upside down and sending a pink figure plummeting to the road. Multiple Griffons zeroed in on the free-falling figure, who whipped out a bow in midair and downed them all with lightning-fast shots. Pink energy arrows hit their mark and skewered the flying Grimm - one of them taking out an eye - before they all dissipated into dust…

…and the Pink Ranger landed in a graceful pose while the Grimm dragon clambered to its feet, shaking rubble from its head. A sharp roar sent the Grimm into an aggressive frenzy, the monsters charging at the sprinting Ranger while she hurried to meet them. She alternated between striking at the beasts with her bow, ramming her elbows into bony masks, planting hard boots into midsections, and firing point-blank arrows through skulls.

She was just as good at avoiding attacks as well, flipping over swipes and sliding under beams until she somersaulted over a shockwave-inducing slam from an Ursa. An arrow through the skull took it out and she leaped off, downing a Beowolf with a kick before crushing its throat with her boot. Ruby took a few steps forward, her jaw hanging open and her silver eyes twinkling as the Pink Ranger turned in her direction…

…and gestured behind her.

Ruby spun around with a gasp, spotting an Ursa rearing back on its hind legs and ready to smash her into the ground with its paw. Ruby summoned her scythe back into her hands just as the huge Grimm brought its forelimb down, only for its roar to be cut off with a sharp grunt. Ruby paused and slightly lowered her weapon, wondering what had made it hesitate.

A sharp blade suddenly protruded from its gut, startling Ruby. Before she could fully comprehend it, someone jerked the weapon out and slashed wildly at the Ursa, crimson marks cutting through the beast's being. The Ursa moaned during its disintegration, dark particles carried away by the wind. The figure behind it sent Ruby into another state of surprise: a Red Ranger wielding a gleaming sword and a dinosaur-themed helmet.

He looked exactly how Ruby remembered, but deep down…

"J… Jason?"

The helmet was gone in the blink of an eye, allowing Ruby to stare into the smiling face of an older man covered in dark facial hair. His eyes remained the only thing that stayed the same, glimmering with reminiscence and comfort. The Pink Ranger walked over to his side and removed her helmet, revealing an older woman with long, wavy hair, earrings, and an expression filled with experience.

"Jason?" Ruby breathed, her eyes darting between them both. "Kim?"

The woman practically beamed. "Ruby Rose… it's amazing to finally meet you again."

The man sighed, his warm smile never fading as he gently approached Ruby and touched her shoulder. "We would've done so much sooner… but obviously, we've been as busy as everyone else."

"That…" Kimberly grunted as she stretched out her shoulders. "And that thing a while back that really did a number on us. Long story." Ruby was in no mood to hear more, which she emphasized by rushing up to Jason and wrapping her arms around the man who had never stopped being her friend. She felt a light chuckle from Jason as he returned the gesture, along with the other Rangers' eyes on her. Ruby knew that Jaune was just as stunned as she was, and her theory was proven when she heard him speak up.

"K-Kim? Jason? Is that… it's… it's really you, right?"

"Whoa…" The Red Ranger laughed while Ruby pulled away. "We could say the same thing about you!" Kimberly smirked and gave Jason a knowing look. "You know, I thought something was fishy about you and Pyrrha showing up after we-"

RROOAAAAAARRR!

The woman raised a brow while the bellow jolted Ruby and Jaune. "Right. That thing."

The Grimm were again thundering towards the group, the growling dragon looming dominantly in the background. RJ, Merrick, and Orion gathered themselves, prompting Ruby and Jaune to snap back into combat positions and don their helmets. The two adults shared a glance and a confident smile.

"Back to action, Kim?"

"Always."

The Red and Pink Mighty Morphin Rangers instantly had their helmets back on and their weapons in hand, bracing themselves for the oncoming assault. Ruby bravely led the charge against the Grimm, beginning another dance of death as she cut through the empowered monsters. RJ and Merrick backed her up, making sure none of the monsters snuck up on her if they had still decided to target her rather than anyone else specifically. Jaune and Orion held their own against the monsters, their sword and trident making quick work of the beasts. The stolen powers of the Grid had made them stronger and deadlier, but the Silver Rangers were confident that the Grimm didn't know how to use them properly. Like everything else about the beasts, the power was volatile and unpredictable, but it was better than the Grimm mastering their new energies and harnessing them to their full potential.

This was a far cry from Jason and Kim, the two veterans eliminating every monster they encountered while the beasts' amped-up states did nothing to faze or concern them. No longer were these the crimson-eyed creatures they had grown familiar with in the past, but the two Rangers had also grown and adapted. Jason's Power Sword sliced off hands, legs, and heads while Kimberly's Power Bow delivered death from afar. Most of the Grimm were dealt with in mere moments…

…but the process was slow. Too slow for the Rangers' liking. They could plow through battalions of lesser monsters, but these enhanced Grimm reduced those times. It took thirty seconds to defeat a single Grimm when they could have defeated one in under ten seconds. RJ hammered a fist repeatedly on a Sabyr, and a Beowolf deflected a swing from the Power Sword until a sharp swing from Jaune left it open for Jason to plunge his blade through its skull.

"Sheesh, it's like hacking through weeds!" Orion groaned, stabbing a Creep in the eyes before kicking away a lunging Sabyr. Merrick rolled away from an Ursa's paws before shooting at its face. "He's right! We need more firepower!"

"You want firepower?" Jason called out, reaching his hand to the sky. "You got it! TYRANNOSAURUS DINOZORD POWER!" The space beside him suddenly broke up in a window of red light, allowing the massive war machine to step out in powerful strides, growling as it crushed several Grimm underfoot. Its eyes gave off a bright glow, unleashing a pair of burning laser beams into the horde, cutting down dozens of Grimm in a single sweep. A colossal roar erupted from its mouth, knocking incoming Griffons out of the air. Even the Grimm dragon struggled against the sonic-based attack before retaliating with purple fireballs, the orbs smacking and colliding with the growling Zord. The remaining Grimm rushed for the Rangers again, prompting them to lay down covering fire while Kimberly raised her palm.

"PTERODACTYL DINOZORD POWER!"

An overhead screech told the Rangers of the airborne Zord coming in hot, coming to a full stop while spraying electric streams into the horde below. A single bolt chained between dozens of Grimm, wiping them off the streets until smoke and ash remained. The Grimm dragon briefly paused as it watched its fellow monsters fade into nothing, a deep growl rumbling from its throat while it glared at the Rangers and the two Zords now focused on its being.

It took Ruby a moment to realize that the dragon was once again staring at her, its void-like violet eyes piercing her body while it bared its huge teeth at the girl. The anger was still there and its stance was tense and defensive, as though it would take a step back if Ruby advanced on the monster. She expected the creature to attack at any moment like the mindless thing every Grimm was supposed to be…

Instead, the dragon locked eyes with Ruby and snarled threateningly before it launched into the air and flew away from the city. The girl watched it depart as she was left to contemplate its behavior: a behavior towards her. It didn't react to the other Rangers the way it did her. There was something here that Ruby was missing… something not even she could place. She needed to set those thoughts aside and dwell on them later as she and Jaune returned to their first otherworldly friends.

They weren't the only ones in awe of the two adults: RJ and Merrick proudly smiled at the veterans while Orion gulped and collected himself. "I-it's you! You two! I… I'm sorry, I heard what happened with… h-have we thanked the Aquitians yet?"

"There's no need to dwell on that further," Kimberly promised. "All that matters now is getting rid of that thing. A task that I know Ruby and her team are up for."

"And speaking of…" continued Jason, his attention on the silver-eyed girl. "How is everyone? Looking forward to catching up after all this time."

"They've gotten used to being Rangers now," Ruby told him. "These empowered Grimm might be a problem, but I know they'll get through it. And so much has changed since we last saw you guys! Weiss is a White Ranger now-"

Kim chuckled. "Because of course…"

"Ooh! And Pyrrha's back, too! She and Jaune ended up somewhere different from the rest of us, so they took a while to meet back up with us. They said somebody named Ninja or something gave them powers!"

"Ninjor?" Kimberly corrected her. "Ah, I remember him. Not an easy person to impress…"

"Yeah, but they did it!" Ruby exclaimed. "I never thought how sweet Jaune and Pyrrha could look in silver and gold!"

"Pyrrha's gold, huh?" Jason commented with crossed arms and a distant look in his eyes. "A fine choice…"

"So where do you think that nasty thing's flown off to now?" RJ piped up. "It might be leagues stronger than any other Grimm, but we can't let it run around forever. It'll just make a mess of things!"

"Not to mention how much Morphin Grid energy it'll continue to absorb," Merrick agreed. "The longer it stays active, the more it'll take for itself."

"Hey, at least it's no Chimera Zord," Jason said reassuringly. "It was way freakier than this guy. But you're all right; we gotta head back and see if Billy and Alpha have discovered something interesting about this dragon."

"And if we can't directly attack it yet," Kimberly promised. "We can keep it and whatever Grimm it coughs up from doing any more damage. Here's hoping everyone else is as lucky as we were."

Everyone teleported off the streets, with Ruby silently praying that the Pink Ranger's words held truth to them. Between this dragon and that Red Ranger turned bad, her team had their work cut out for them. Moments before she vanished in a pillar of crimson light, her mind was filled with a different thought: whether answers to either could be found.

If no Ranger from Earth could find one, then perhaps a Remnantian was needed.

Yang felt like she was again wandering through the Emerald Forest on initiation day. Every tree that touched the sky looked the same, and there was so much foliage that Yang wasn't sure she was even going in the right direction. And if not for the dirt path in front of her, she may as well have been.

But she had to be in the right place. The coordinates brought her here, and the teleportation procedure was barely wrong. Yang just had to keep moving, hoping she'd eventually find a sign of this academy. Maybe a sign or a gate that marked the main entrance or something like that. She'd been walking for ten minutes now, and the blonde was getting a bit frustrated. How far was this academy, any-

"Hm?" Yang paused and looked over her shoulder, seeing nothing but huge trees and thick branches. But something just now didn't feel right, like a shadow had vanished from the corner of her eye. There didn't seem to be anything unusual, so Yang just shrugged and kept moving…

…unaware of a swift-moving figure bounding across a branch.

Yang walked for at least another minute, still finding no sign of this academy she was supposed to track down. Soon, the forest gave way to a relaxing sight of a waterfall pouring into a small lake. The blonde released a breath, thoughts of a short break before venturing on filling her mind. She started walking towards the pond…

Whoosh! Something dark whizzed past her face, cutting Yang off. She gasped in alarm seconds before more black blurs rushed around her at high speeds too fast for Yang to track. Her sunny hair whipped around wildly and she threw up her fists in surprise, her lilac eyes darting all over.

"Huh?! What the-?! Who-"

Could the Grimm move at super speed now? Yang whipped out her morpher and held it ready. "It's morph-HEY!" Something snatched it out of her hand in a split second, and she spun on her heel… to see a bunch of people dressed in black drop from the sky in the time it would take her to blink. They all wore hoods and facemasks while red, blue, and yellow highlights stood out on their suits. They all rose and adapted several fighting stances; their fingers pointed together.

A unified grunt made Yang spin around again, where she saw several more people in front of the lake. And there were more everywhere she looked; about twenty-five people had Yang surrounded without her knowledge. It was there that Yang remembered Summer's words from earlier, making her realize just what kind of people she was looking at.

Ninjas. Actual freaking ninjas, all ready to pounce at the drop of a needle. Yang glanced around at each of them, her fists curled and her arms tensed. She allowed herself to crack a light smile: not only was this a nice change of pace, but it would feel good to fight how she was used to - well, as well as she could without Ember Celica, but she could manage - and she felt excited to be beating up actual people instead of Grimm, empowered, or otherwise. Her grin grew wider as she stared down the group.

"Alright, let's do this! Come at me!"

The first thing Yang learned about ninjas came less than a second after she said that. They moved fast, charging at Yang like she had managed to upset every single patron at a bar. Despite her surprise, Yang snapped out of it and defended herself against swift blows. She blocked and deflected punches, lifted her legs to avoid sweeping kicks, and countered in any way she could, such as grabbing an airborne ninja and dumping him facefirst into the ground.

Yang kicked at one ninja's legs to knock him off-balance, flooring him with a punch before a fast high kick forced her to back away. She cartwheeled to the side and dodged an arm swipe before grabbing the ninja's limb, whirling her around to smack her into two others and send the ninja sprawling. Yang tried to utilize another pair's momentum against her, but they were faster and knocked her down with a double kick from behind.

Yang's palms touched the ground first and she pushed herself into the air, downing two ninjas with a split kick before stomping on a downed ninja's chest to keep him pinned. She backflipped away from another pair and spun into a twirling kick that downed three ninjas at once, their pained groans ringing out when they hit the dirt. She caught an outstretched arm and spun, ramming her elbow into the ninja's side before kicking her hard in the ribs, earning a grunt of pain as that ninja fell.

Yang was a blur of motion as ninja after ninja fell to her fists and feet. Yang was momentarily confused about how none of their Auras were flaring from taking so many hits… until she internally cursed herself for getting so wrapped up in the fight and forgetting that Aura didn't exist on Earth, meaning these people had nothing to protect them. But the good news was that she was on their level: her Aura was also regrettably gone, decreasing her overall combat skills to how an expert fighter on Earth would perform.

And with that, she twirled over the last ninja standing and threw a high kick to his head, only for him to spin and thrust a palm into her chest. He was on her as she stumbled, but she grabbed his arm and threw another kick that he blocked with his leg. Yang quickly socked him across the face and threw him over her shoulder, but he rolled back to his feet and struck a ready stance. He sprinted for Yang and jumped into a spinning kick, a move Yang was prepared for as she caught the leg and smashed him in the ribs with a right hook. The moment he doubled over, Yang grabbed his head and slammed her knee into his face, finally knocking him down.

Yang was panting heavily, sweat staining her brow while relief and excitement washed over her. She hadn't had a fight that fun for a while now, and seeing the groaning, moaning ninjas at her feet filled her with satisfaction. Now, all Yang had to do was come up with a good one-liner, take her morpher back, and be on her way.

But the last ninja she had just served a good butt-whooping slowly got back to his feet, wincing as he did so. Yang only smirked and put her dukes back up, ready to give this guy another beatdown. The black-suited figure stood silent before her for a few moments…

…before putting his hands together and bowing in respect.

"Well done, Yellow Ranger. A fine display."

Yang's guard dropped, and she had to keep her jaw from doing the same. "Uh… thanks?" The other ninjas were also starting to pick themselves up, some helping others to their feet while a few rolled their aching shoulders and rubbed areas Yang believed to be bruised. Any ninja who noticed Yang's gaze on them also bowed as though Yang hadn't beaten the absolute crap out of them mere moments ago.

"Okay, what is this?" she asked. "What's going on here?"

"We are students of the fabled Wind Ninja Academy," spoke the first ninja. "One of many hidden institutions who secretly safeguard the world from threats beyond understanding… like the demons which plague us now."

Yang's brow furrowed. "The Grimm."

"We had received word of your arrival," a female ninja added. "But none can simply enter the Academy grounds."

"Thus," said a third. "A test was needed: a demonstration that would prove your worth without the reliance on your Power Coin. As an otherworlder, your adaptability to unfamiliar logic was crucial."

"It is a test that you have passed," finished the first ninja, who presented Yang's morpher in his palm. "You have earned our respect and proven your worth, Yellow Ranger. You possess a strong spirit and a ferociousness on par with the great dragon from which you draw your power. Because of this, we will grant you entrance to our sacred training grounds."

"And… where is this academy, exactly?" Yang spoke up as she took the morpher back into her hand. None of them gave her a proper answer until she spotted one of the female ninjas standing near the lake.

"Come," she said before she turned away, waded into the lake… and vanished into a swirling bright light within the waterfall. An appalled Yang stood silently as other ninjas proceeded, some walking on the water's surface. Before long, she hurried into the lake and entered the portal, murmuring just how weird Earth was proving to be from Remnant.

The light led Yang to the edge of a forest, where a large monastery stood over the trees. Another smile crossed Yang's face as she followed the ninjas to its grounds, decorated in red, blue, and yellow banners. The blonde was amazed at how peaceful and tranquil the place looked, but the reason she was here meant it wouldn't be so for long.

"We are aware of why you have come," one of the ninjas spoke as if sensing what was on Yang's mind. "The demons draw close to discovering these sacred grounds, and you and your fellow otherworlders have the best experience with them. You wish to aid us in our defense."

"That's right," Yang corrected him. "I, uh, was told you have Rangers here."

"Indeed," said another. "Three who were once among our ranks now cherished and respected senseis of their respective elements. We will deliver you to them, where they gather with other Power Rangers who have pledged themselves to the ancient ways." The ninjas led her to one of the monastery's courtyards, Yang following close behind them. As she approached, she heard the unmistakable sound of metal clashing against metal. The ninjas parted and allowed her into the forefront, giving her a clear view of the ongoing spar while the students spread out.

Two young men clad in unique black training uniforms with red highlights were locked in a fierce duel. One of them - a blond man with red highlights on his garb - was going on the offensive and striking at his opponent with a golden-guard saber. His opponent looked slightly younger with short hair, a lowered hood, and a red star on his suit's chest, ducking and vaulting over swipes before blocking the older man's next strike with a slim yellow-bladed katana. A dark-skinned man spectated the spar, his hands behind his back and clad in his own ninja uniform.

He nodded when the younger man leaped over the blonde and nailed him in the back with a kick, only for the blonde to duck into a roll and deflect another strike. "Good. Mind your form, Shiba. Romero, straighten it out and keep him guessing."

The two young men kept going at it, their grunts and yells accompanying their ringing blades. While they rolled away from kicks, jumped over swipes, and defended from every angle they could, Yang turned her eyes away from the duelists to examine the other spectators not too far away. A woman with blue highlights on her ninja suit stood near the spectating man, with two more boys in blue by her side, watching the spar with intrigued expressions.

On the spectator's other side, another older man was dressed in yellow colors while a blonde young man and a blonde woman chatted amongst themselves. Two pink-colored women wore smiles on their faces while two young men in green - one in glasses sitting with crossed legs - stood off to the side. Yang also spied two young men in gold colorations, one of whom was wearing a cowboy hat and strumming idly at a guitar while the other had short hair and wielded a fish-themed tanto blade. The blonde raised her brow in interest when she noticed the final additions: a dark-skinned young woman with white colorations on her suit and a panting husky sitting near a stool holding two towels.

"HI-YAH! HA! YI-AH!" The men in red traded strikes and matched each other step-for-step until a student approached the man overseeing the duel. He greeted him with a bow, catching the instructor's attention before he nodded in reply and turned to the combatants.

"Enough."

The young men immediately ceased, wiping the sweat from their brows and gathering their breath while shaking their hands and complimenting each other's skills. The oldest placed his blade over his shoulder while the younger one knelt down to the approaching husky, who obediently held a towel in his mouth. "Good boy, Kody," he thanked, giving the dog an affectionate chin scratch before taking the towel and wiping himself off.

"Sensei Clarke," announced the student. "The dragon has proven her worth."

"Ah, yes," the man hummed as he approached the other students and focused on Yang. "Yang Xiao Long, if I'm not mistaken. We've been expecting you." The older man in yellow crossed his arms and smiled in satisfaction. "I hear this one's quite the fighter. I like her already."

"Expectations can only go so far," the woman in blue added. "I'll believe her skill when I see it."

"My name is Shane Clarke," the man in red spoke with a polite bow. "Master of air and the Red Wind Ranger. With me are my fellow Rangers and instructors of this institution. Tori Hanson - master of water - and Dustin Brooks, master of earth."

The woman smiled at Yang while the man raised a welcoming hand. The man in green adjusted his glasses as he joined them and greeted Yang with another respectful bow. "And this is Cameron Watanabe, the son of our great sensei and a practitioner of the samurai arts."

"It is an honor to make your acquaintance, Miss Xiao Long."

"As it is mine," Yang turned to see the blonde man in red approach with a confident smirk, some of the others behind him. "I've been looking forward to seeing one of the otherworlders in action. Hope you don't disappoint, Yang."

Yang grasped his outstretched hand with a grin. "Oh, I'll be far from disappointing out there, mister… uh…"

"Jayden Shiba," he finished. "Nineteenth head of the Shiba Clan. Like Cameron, my Ranger team lives the life of a samurai." Each of his friends stepped forward, the dark-skinned man in blue meeting Yang's gaze. "Name's Kevin. Nice to meet a fellow dragon."

"What's up, blondie?" the green one piped up. "You can call me Mike."

The pink one grinned and waved enthusiastically. "Hi! I'm Mia!"

The woman in yellow shook Yang's hand. "Emily. You're gonna be quite the partner."

"Que pasa, chica?" the young man in gold proudly announced. "Antonia Garcia at your service!" Yang had no idea what language that was supposed to be, but she assumed the phrase was a simple greeting and smiled in turn…

"Boo!"

Yang yelped - in a higher tone than she would have preferred - and swung around with a right hook swiftly caught by the other red guy she had seen sparring. He laughed triumphantly and patted her shoulder in congratulations while she stood dumbfounded. "Sweet reflexes!"

The blonde groaned and shot him a glare. "Dude! Don't do that! I hate getting surprised!"

"Sorry about that," he chuckled. "It's kinda our deal, the whole ninja gig."

Yang blinked. "You're ninjas, too?"

"Yep," the boy answered. "Brody Romero, Ninja Steel Red and son of the world's best ninja. And this is my Ranger team. First, we've got Preston, a real magic whiz." The boy in blue smirked and raised a hand. "I put on a good show on the field and off it!"

"This here's Calvin," Brody continued, gesturing to the blonde boy. "Our resident gearhead. He used to prefer being under the hood instead of at the wheel, though."

"That so?" Yang coyly glanced at him. "I'm a bit of a tinkerer on anything with wheels, myself. And Summer Landsdown just gave me a sweet new ride that should be right in your lane!"

"Really? Awesome!" The boy laughed. "Then I gotta bring out mine sometime!"

"And if there's anything else you need someone to look at," Brody said, prompting the girl in pink to step forward and adjust her long hair. "Look no further than Sarah. She's made a bunch of cool stuff for us!"

"I hear there's a part of your world that's big on tech," she said gleefully. "I'd like to know more when we're done if you don't mind."

"Well, I can only give you the basics," Yang told her. "You'll have to ask Weiss for more deets, though. She's our White Ranger."

"Speaking of white," Brody piped up, bringing forth the dark-skinned girl with white highlights in her black ninja suit. "Meet Hayley, lover of the outdoors-"

"And lover of yours truly!" Calvin interjected, earning him some looks from the others while the girl playfully smacked him in the arm. Brody just rolled his eyes and shook his head. "...and lover of all things furry."

Arf! Arf! Right on cue, the husky rushed past the group and approached Yang, curiously sniffing the blonde before she chuckled and scratched him behind the ears. "Aww, look at you, you handsome boy! You're like a bigger Zwei! The two of you would be amazing friends if he were here…" Yang chuckled at the end of her sentence while the dog happily panted.

"His name's Kody," Hayley told Yang as she gently petted the dog's head. "And just like me, he's been enjoying it out here. Some of the students love him." Yang gave her a grin. "Oh, I can imagine…"

"And finally," Brody concluded, wrapping an arm around the taller guy with the cowboy hat. "This is my older brother, Aiden."

"But FYI," he said while tipping his hat at her. "I like to go by Levi."

Yang raised a brow. "Why's that?"

The brothers shared a glance before answering simultaneously. "It's a long story." They both smiled and chuckled as if reacting to an inside joke that only they knew. Yang decided she could let it pass, considering how often she partook in the sibling dynamic herself. "Well… meeting all of you has been nice, but I'm not here to hang out."

"Indeed," answered Tori. "We've received word that the Grimm are set to arrive here within the hour—an army's worth of them. Fortunately, we should have enough time to-" The woman paused and turned her head skyward, making all curious eyes do the same. Yang saw nothing unusual at first, just a falcon flying out from the trees and coming right for them. The blonde stepped back as the huge bird swooped towards the group…

…and her eyes almost bulged out of her skull when the bird unexpectedly shifted into a scruffy-haired man and touched down, quickly dusting himself off while a baffled Yang looked on. "Wh-wha…"

"Mick!" Brody called out. "What's going on?"

"The monsters," he hurriedly stammered. "I counted two, maybe three dozen a mile out to the north. They're already on their way."

"Time's up," Mike spoke up. "They'll hit the main gates."

"No, they won't," Jayden promised him. "Come on!" His team broke into a run while Shane turned to the ninja students. "Is Sensei Kanoi still inside the academy?"

"Yes, sensei!" he responded. "Mentor Ji and Redbot should still be with him and the other masters!"

"All of you get them to the lower levels!" he commanded before pointing to one of the ninjas in red. "And you, sound the gong!"

"Yes, sensei!" she obediently responded, all the ninjas hurrying off. The Rangers were already running, forcing Yang to hurry after them until she sprinted alongside Mike. The older man turned to Cameron, and Yang overheard his words.

"Are the thunder brothers gonna make it?"

"Not likely. The last we heard from the Bradleys, an infestation hit Panorama City. And according to the Ninja Ops computers, they won't be alone in dealing with it."

"Well, if they can handle that problem," Calvin added. "Then we can take care of this one!"

"Uh, Brody?!" Yang called out while she pointed at the scruffy-haired guy. "Who's that?"

"Oh, him? His name's Mick, a good friend of mine! Pretty handy when he needs to be, too!"

"By turning into a bird?!"

"And turning into pretty much anything," Hayley reaffirmed. "My first meeting with him didn't really go so well." Yang was about to speak up again when the ninja Shane had just spoken to shot high into the sky, her legs still running on solid air and baffling Yang again. Within seconds, she scaled the academy's wall and hurried over to a huge gong, grabbing a long bar and swinging it against the gong with all the force she could muster. The ensuing rings echoed throughout the academy, spurring all the students into action.

Yang and the Rangers rounded a corner that led to a massive pair of open gates, several students scrambling behind them. The gates stood before a lush and vast valley that stretched to the horizon—a horizon where Yang could faintly hear demonic howls and devilish snarls. Everyone gathered into a defensive line, and Yang took the time to catch her breath… until she noticed one of the growls was closer than all the rest.

Grrrr… ARF ARF ARF! Kody had bared his teeth and was barking madly at the distant growing darkness, his fur standing on end. Yang caught Hayley's nervous gaze on the husky, her eyes full of nervousness and fear. "Kody… this is no place for a dog!"

"I got him. Good luck, you guys!" Mick reassured her, the man crouching down and morphing his form to a dark German Shepherd that quickly got the husky's attention. With a few sharp barks, the other dog turned and sprinted towards the academy's gates. Although the husky whined and gave its owner a silent promise to be careful - Yang knew eyes that could say as such all too well - he turned and ran off on all fours, following Mick past the gates. A pair of ninja students nodded to their three masters before pushing hard against the gates, sealing them shut with a loud bang.

Yang knew she wouldn't get used to that little trick soon, but now she and the others needed to do some "morphing" of their own. She could already see Weiss rolling her eyes and Blake sighing as if she had said such a thing aloud, the thoughts bringing another smile as Yang made her way to the forefront and cracked her shoulders. The smile remained even at the sight of a thundering horde of Grimm coming her way, from sprinting Beowolves and trudging Ursai to flying Manticores and swooping Griffons. One form stood out from the rest, drawing everyone's eyes to a colossal being of boulders with a central body and four levitating limbs, a single purple eye glowing within a mask-like bone plate.

A Geist, if Yang recalled correctly from Port's boring lectures. Despite its intimidating stature and sluggish movements, Yang's smile widened, and her lilac eyes gleamed.

"IT'S MORPHIN' TIME! BURNING DRAGON!"

KRA-FWOOSH! Her yellow armor wrapped around her body in no time and she brought up her fists, feeling the fire within waiting to be unleashed. Shane, Tori, Dustin, and Cameron stepped forward, with the latter removing a green amulet from around his neck that materialized into a green ball. The other three readied three wrist devices, each containing a colored disc.

"NINJA STORM! RANGER FORM!"

"SAMURAI STORM! RANGER FORM!"

"HA!"

Shane, Tori, and Dustin spun the discs, which swallowed them in tornado-like colored winds. An emerald light flashed from the amulet, coating Cameron in its glow. The winds and the light blinked away, revealing all four in colored Ranger uniforms.

"POWER OF AIR!"

"POWER OF WATER!"

"POWER OF EARTH!"

"POWER OF THE SAMURAI!"

Brody and his team marched forward next, each summoning four-pointed devices (in Levi's case, a golden six-pointed device) into their hands before whipping out tiny disc-like objects. "POWER STARS, LOCK IN!" They inserted the disks and held the devices outward…

"NINJA SPIN!"

After spinning the disks, the six ninjas threw their morphers outward as they energized. The morphers flew back to their sides and rapidly circled them, donning them in colored ninja suits. Once they reached above the Rangers' heads, the morphers flew directly on top of them to form their helmets before each of them readied their blades.

"NINJA RANGERS FEAR NO DANGER!"

Finally, Yang looked over her other shoulder to see Jayden and his team walk up to join them, their eyes never leaving the ever-approaching Grimm horde. "Samuraizers!" On Jayden's call, they all whipped out cellphone-shaped devices, each emitting a specific color and symbol. The group of six held them at the ready…

"GO GO SAMURAI!"

Each young warrior flicked their device in the air before them, writing their symbols with practiced ease. Once the symbols were complete, the group swiped across them, causing the symbols to spin and merge with their bodies in a bright and rising light. The light faded in no time, revealing them decked up in their Ranger uniforms while they retrieved discs from their belts, placed them in their swords, and held the weapons in combat stances. Antonio whipped out his tanto, the blade and sheath gleaming in the sunlight.

"RANGERS TOGETHER, SAMURAI FOREVER!"

The howls, roars, and screeches reached a crescendo, the Grimm picking up speed as the horde barreled across the valley. Yang and each of the other Rangers struck a ready pose before they broke into their own charge, a roaring Yang at the forefront. Right as they took off, a multicolored explosion of light, fire, and smoke erupted from behind the group… and Yang didn't even look back as she sprinted for the horde like a woman possessed.

She and the three teams sprinted into the valley, meeting the horde head-on while she leaped at a lunging Beowolf. The Yellow Ranger's fist lit up with flame, a fire that matched her ferocity as she stared into the monster's violet eyes and glowing maw.

Blake missed it when fighting Grimm was supposed to be easy. She should be cutting up a Griffon like it was nothing, but now she was left holding on for dear life as the frantic Grid-empowered beast thrashed around in midair, harshly reminding Blake of how she hated rapid movements.

The good news was that she didn't have to endure it for long. The bad news was that it ended when the flying freak tossed her through a hotel window, smashing the glass and destroying a table while the sheer impact knocked the Black Ranger out of her morph. Blake moaned from where she lay, the panicked cries of civilians barely getting through her ringing ears. She fought to keep her eyes open as the Griffon touched down on the newly-formed hole in the window…

…and stopped?

Blake paused in her efforts to stand, her amber eyes locked on the Grimm that had gone from a screeching fit to a curious avian that sniffed the air and glanced around the lobby. People were scrambling and running for safety, making them easy targets for the Grimm that had a clear shot at them. But strangely, the Griffon wasn't going for any of them and only continued sniffing the air. Blake had no idea what was happening, but she decided she wouldn't wait around and looked around for her morpher.

A loud crash suddenly flooded her ears, making the girl whirl around to the now-busted doors and the Beowolf that had just barged in. A man running near the doors cried out and fell to the floor; his attempts to crawl away were dashed when the bipedal Grimm snatched him up in a claw. Blake's heart hammered in her chest, and she looked around the lobby wildly for any sign of her morpher. Every second she spent without it was another second this person was close to death…

That was when she noticed the monster's growls had ceased and turned back to the Beowolf and its trembling, hyperventilating victim. The Grimm hadn't bitten off the man's head yet and was instead sniffing him all over, the man remaining still and trying his hardest not to make any sound despite his low whimpering and quivering body. The Beowolf kept sniffing him for a few moments…

…before snorting in disappointment and throwing the man against the wall, where he slumped to the floor and hurried off in a hobbling panic.

Blake blinked in bewilderment at what she had just seen. Did that Grimm… spare his life? They weren't supposed to do that! It went against everything that she knew about-

The Beowolf froze, its eyes locked on something that Blake had yet to identify. The dark-haired girl followed its gaze, and her amber eyes widened when she saw what had caught its attention: her morpher, which was resting near scattered suitcases. The huffing Beowolf stomped over to the device, its claws poised to strike and its jaw hanging open. It was enough to snap Blake out of her stupor and she dashed forward, her shoes pounding against the floor. The Beowolf's ear flicked and the beast immediately sprinted on all fours, hurrying for the morpher and lunging at the device, all while Blake could do nothing but watch with rising panic…

…until somebody snatched the morpher up and the Beowolf crashed hard into the wall, unable to stop in time. Blake whirled around, as did the Beowolf after sniffing the air again, and both amber and violet eyes rested on a man with short hair and a crimson shirt. His eyes briefly met Blake's until the Griffon swooped into the hotel, landing right behind him.

The man said nothing. His face tightened in what Blake thought was suspicion. He slowly moved the morpher around, the Griffon's eyes locked tight on it. A small hiss from the monster's beak made the man's eyes widen, and he jerked back, the Griffon's beak snapping on empty air. The stranger drew his arm back and threw it across the lobby…

…where it landed in another man's hand. This one had short, dark hair and was dressed in a navy jacket, whose eyes turned to the Beowolf as both it and the Griffon moved past Blake, snarling and growling at the newcomer holding her morpher. He slowly held his arms up, confusion written all over his face.

"Okay… I don't know why you're so interested in this all of a sudden," he began, his eyes meeting Blake's golden orbs. "But if you want it, you'll have to take it from her!" He tossed the morpher towards Blake, who eagerly caught it with an outstretched hand. Both Grimm snapped their heads towards her, growling and hissing ominously at her.

Blake only glared back at them. "OBSIDIAN PANTHER!" A flash of purple light later, she was Rangered up and drew her twin blades, making both Grimm roar in unison. She easily leaped away from their lunge, causing the Beowolf and the Griffion to collide. The two Grimm shook their heads, focusing on the Black Ranger…

"Hey, wait just a minute!" shouted the man in the crimson shirt as he and the other man marched up. "We're not done with you two yet!' Neither of the Grimm responded; instead, they focused on Blake as the girl defensively held her blades. His partner shot him a knowing look. "They're treating us like bugs."

"Well, let's see how they like these bugs!" he answered, both men rolling up their sleeves to reveal a pair of beetle-shaped devices. Blake briefly lowered her guard at the sight of them. Were these guys…

"THUNDER STORM! RANGER FORM! HA!"

The two men pressed the devices' underside, opening the beetles' wings and exposing two discs. Lightning crackled from the discs, thunder roared throughout the lobby, and electric light swallowed their bodies. With a final crackle, the light was gone, and two Power Rangers stood before Blake.

"POWER OF THUNDER!"

The Beowolf and the Griffon whirled away from Blake, roaring and charging at the duo as if the Black Ranger was no longer standing there. She stood alone for a few seconds, watching the two Rangers leap into action. The previous minute's events replayed in her head, from the Griffon going still after she was unmorphed, the Beowolf tossing the civilian aside instead of brutally murdering him, and how they focused on her Power Coin instead of her.

Blake suppressed those thoughts and her questions about them, hurrying to join the two Rangers against the Grimm pair…

…but unbeknownst to Blake, she wasn't the only witness.

"Did… did you all see that?" asked a startled dark-skinned woman from behind a staircase. A bearded man with wide eyes nodded. "Yeah… not sure if I believe it, though. Aren't these things supposed to kill everyone they come across?"

"They are," finished an older man in a red shirt. "And that's a problem. A big problem if it means what I think it means."

"So what do we do?"

The only answer came from the hotel wall suddenly bursting open, startling the three adults. Sunlight poured into the lobby as bits of plaster and concrete fell to the floor, two pairs of glowing violet eyes breaking through the dust. Two massive bodies mimicking a bear and an ape slowly shuffled into the hotel, the former rearing on its hind legs while the other pounded its chest with both fists.

RRRAAAAAARRRHHH!

"Well…" breathed the woman. "SPA wasn't kidding about the high-level emergency back home for a reason."

"How do you wanna play this, boss?" the bearded man asked, his fists already curled. The man in red stared down the black beasts before giving his answer. "Standard rules, Rangers. We'll work our way up if these things are as tough as Tommy says! NINJA RANGER POWER, NOW!"

The three adults waved their arms in a circle, leaving a colored energy trail before bringing their hands together. Lightning crackled between their fingers and expanded across their bodies, donning the trio in red, black, and yellow shinobi garb. The Ursa and the Beringel bellowed loudly at the trio, who responded with a loud battle cry as they flung themselves at the two Grimm.

"AH-YAAAAH!"