Episode 2: He Blasted Me With Science
School
As much as Jake loved being a Ranger, he didn't neglect his duties as a student. It wasn't that he didn't forget—he just knew he had a long list of family members who would kick his butt if he failed his classes. That made Noah laugh when Jake told him that morning while they were walking to their lockers.
"So… Professor Park never gives you a tip?" Noah asked.
"I wish, but we agreed he would treat me like any other student," Jake groaned. "Now he just laughs when he sees me struggling with his projects."
"Come on, you're not that bad. I think you could be top of the class with me and Gia if you took five minutes away from staring at Gia or playing soccer," Noah teased.
"Well, you know how I feel about her and soccer… Noah is soccer," Jake said.
Noah rolled his eyes, closing his locker. Both boys turned to head to their next class when they saw Troy. The Red Ranger looked troubled. Jake patted Noah on the back, signaling him to go to class while he walked over to Troy.
"Hey, are you okay?" Jake asked. "You look like you need a nap."
"Uh? Oh, yeah, I'm fine," Troy said, looking down.
Jake knew it was a lie; it was written all over Troy's face. He stayed by the Red Ranger's side while Troy tried to clear his head. His dreams had kept him awake all night, and he was struggling to stay awake today.
Jake saw that and decided he'd had enough.
"Okay, you're coming with me to see someone who can help you," Jake said.
"But Jake, we have class…" Troy started.
"Not you. Don't worry. We're going to see Professor Park. He has… experience," Jake said.
"You mean…?" Troy began.
"Yes. Come on. I'll go with you, and then I'll go to class while you two chat in private," Jake said with a smile.
Troy nodded, thankful. The two boys walked to Professor Park's office. When they arrived, Jake knocked on the door and walked in, seeing Adam Park reading the newspaper. Adam looked up and smiled when he saw Jake and Troy.
"Jake… and this is Burrows?" Adam asked. "Come in, please."
"Sorry for coming without warning, Uncle Adam, but Troy is having issues," Jake said. "I thought you could help him since we share some extracurricular experiences."
"Of course," Adam said. "Please, sit down, Troy. And you, Jake, go back to class. I'll make sure Troy is fine."
"That's what I thought. Thanks, Uncle Adam," Jake said. He turned to Troy. "Don't worry. Adam has a lot of experience with struggles. You can tell him anything, and he won't judge. But if you need extra help, just send me a text, and I'll find a way to come back."
"You better get to class before I call Kim and Kat," Adam said, smiling with the phone in his hand.
"Please don't," Jake begged.
Before Troy had a chance to say goodbye or thank you, Jake was gone, leaving him with Adam, who invited him to sit down while he did the same.
"So, Troy, right? I hear you just moved here?" Adam asked.
"Yes, I came here a week before I became a Ranger," Troy said, looking down. "The truth is I've been having weird dreams about a war with Rangers and monsters and having trouble sleeping."
"I see… well, you know this by now, but I was the second Black Ranger and the Green Zeo and Turbo Ranger a long time ago," Adam said. "I remember having trouble sleeping after a complicated mission. It's hard to face danger every day."
"But I had those dreams before I became the Red Ranger," Troy said.
"Maybe it's some sort of premonition," Adam said, intrigued. "There's something about you Reds. You seem to see danger before it happens. That's what makes you such incredible leaders in times of need."
"Reds?"
"Yes, but regardless of what kind of power brings you those dreams, you have to remember you'll always have your team behind you," Adam said, placing a hand on Troy's shoulder. "And you have an even bigger family of Rangers behind you all."
"Jake always said that, but only now I'm starting to see the truth in his words," Troy said. "Thank you, Adam. You're right. I should focus more on reality."
"No problem. Experience comes in handy in times like these," Adam said, standing up. "I was about to get something to eat. Care to join me? If we run into anyone, I'll just tell them you're helping me with a project."
"Oh… of course. Thank you," Troy said.
Adam nodded, and the two walked to the cafeteria, leaving Troy's nightmares forgotten in the office for now.
-Megaforce-
Class/Rooftop
After class and knowing Troy was fine, Jake decided not to look for him and instead went to find Noah. Not finding him, Jake figured Noah was probably in the lab, doing research. He grabbed his bag and left class to go to the lab. But someone grabbed his arm, and Jake found himself being pulled toward the rooftop. He barely had time to see more than black boots and blonde hair before they arrived at the rooftop, where Gia Moran stood with her arms crossed.
Well, now he was curious and internally celebrating the chance to spend a few minutes alone with her.
"Gia, what can I do for you?" Jake asked, smiling.
"I wanted to ask you something," Gia said. "But I couldn't do it in the middle of class or at Ernie's. School is full of rumors, and I don't need them or Emma right now."
Jake nodded slowly. This seemed serious. He understood Gia's point; if someone saw them here, they might think they were something they weren't, not for lack of trying on his part. He didn't want her to feel uncomfortable around him.
"Okay…" Jake said, playing with his soccer ball to calm his nerves. "What do you want to know?"
"When you gave us these powers, you gave Troy the Red and me the Yellow," Gia said. "I've been thinking about it, but I can't understand why you gave powers so close and important to you, your parents' legacies, to people you barely know."
Oh… Jake realized Gia was bothered because she didn't understand why he was so cool with them having his parents' powers. As much as she thought about it, she couldn't find an answer, and Gia Moran hated not finding answers.
Jake got serious, looking at his soccer ball.
"Jake?"
"My father… he never wanted me to become the Red Ranger," Jake admitted. "He was terrified that was my destiny because of my lineage. As the first Red Ranger, he knew the choices a Red Ranger has to make can destroy his sanity."
"But your family…"
"Gia, he knew I wasn't a leader. A leader has to be able to give up everything, even family and friends, for the sake of the mission," Jake said seriously. "I would never do that, not even if Earth were facing its last moments."
There was a moment of silence between them. Jake took the opportunity to step toward Gia, leaving his soccer ball on the ground to look at her sincerely.
"I'm not a leader, Gia, and you can't tell me you see me as one," Jake said.
She looked away, and he smiled. Of course, she couldn't see him that way because his attitude didn't match a Red Ranger. He was fine with that. He was happy with his color and his life. He touched Gia's face to make her look at him and showed her his best smile.
"Don't feel bad. I'm fine with the choice Gosei and I made," Jake said. "Besides, Black is cooler; we get a free pass because we're super fun."
Gia smiled and playfully pushed Jake's hand away. He was glad he managed to lighten the mood, but there was still part of the story he wanted to tell her. After all, she held the power now, and he knew his mother would be happy with his choice.
He could feel it.
"Everything I said about your powers is true, Gia," Jake said. "My mother was the original Yellow Ranger, as you know, and she fought alongside my dad, Uncle Tommy, Uncle Zack, Uncle Billy, and Aunt Kimberly. They always told me she was amazing."
"She…" Gia started, unable to finish.
"She died in a car accident when I was young, but I remember small moments with her, playing with me, singing to me," Jake said, smiling gently at the memory. "I'll miss her forever, but her powers… she's with you now. To be honest, my dad was quite proud of my choice for Yellow Ranger. He saw some qualities of my mom in you."
"Really?"
Gia was impressed. Not only did Jake open up about his mother, but he also told her his dad was proud of his choice of Yellow Ranger. It was a big responsibility to carry Trini's color, but it overwhelmed her with emotion that both her husband and son saw her as worthy of it.
"Besides, I know you more than you think, Gia Moran. You have a soft side, like my mom, which is reflected in your eyes," Jake said, looking directly into her eyes. "Mom was scary too, from what I was told, especially if someone went after her friends. She was very protective of Aunt Kim and Uncle Billy, just like you are with Emma. I guess that may be part of the Yellow DNA, even if you don't know where the power will go next."
"What about you? I mean... with your family... you knew about becoming a Ranger, right?" Gia asked.
Gia was curious, of course, but part of her wanted to end this emotional conversation or change the subject. Jake was getting too close to her, and her walls were coming down too quickly. She needed to put them back up.
"The truth is that..."
Before he could say anything else, they heard a sound and a few moments later saw a ship flying through the sky. From the ship, Loogies fell to the ground, surrounding humans and kidnapping them. Jake grabbed his soccer ball and bag, leaving them hidden, and got his morpher.
Before he could leave, Gia stopped him.
"We have to call the others," Gia said, grabbing his arm.
"We can do that later. Right now, we have to save these people," Jake replied.
Gia wanted to stop him, but Jake ran off. She had no choice but to follow him towards the battlefield, watching him morph. She did the same, and before they knew what was happening, they were surrounded by Loogies, in the middle of another battlefield.
-Megaforce-
School
Noah sighed, looking for his teacher. He had an assignment to turn in, but the teacher was nowhere to be found. He was too distracted to notice someone coming his way and stumbled into them, falling to the ground.
"Oh, Noah! I'm so sorry!"
Noah blinked a couple of times and looked up to find none other than Jake's stepmother, Katherine Hillard, looking worried. She quickly helped him up and made sure he wasn't hurt while Noah looked at her, dazed.
"Ma'am, it's okay... I'm fine," Noah said.
"Are you sure? Because Noah Craver and distracted don't usually go together. That's my son's department," Kat said, smiling gently.
"I'm sure. I was looking for Mr. Buckley to give him the assignment, but he's nowhere to be found," Noah said, frustrated.
"Oh, well, I was looking for Adam, and I was told he was in the cafeteria. And Jake isn't here either," Kat said, looking around.
"He's probably somewhere near Gia Moran," Noah said, amused.
"My boy hasn't given up, I see," Kat chuckled. "He has his dad's persistence."
Noah looked at her. She didn't seem like Ranger material—too good and nurturing. But then, Emma was like that too, and she was Pink. Jake always said Pinks were the hearts of the team. Besides, Kat was Jason's girlfriend and had known Jake all his life.
And she always wore something pink.
"Noah... are you sure you're okay?" Kat asked.
"Yes, forget about the assignment. It's done anyway. I'll turn it in tomorrow," Noah said. "Do you have a minute? There's something I want to talk to you about, if you have time, of course."
"For you? I have all the time in the world," Kat said.
Noah smiled, and he and Kat walked out of the school. Maybe he could get some answers to his questions about the past Rangers and discuss a few theories with her—the woman who had raised Jake for a long time.
-Megaforce-
Beach
At the beach, Black and Yellow fought the Loogies back and forth with no progress. Whatever the Loogies wanted with those humans, they weren't letting go easily. Both Rangers were starting to get exhausted.
Thanks to his extended training, Black was holding up better, but even he was tired, and Yellow had to be in agony. Black cursed himself. The last thing he wanted was to put her—or any of them—in danger, and that's exactly what he did because he didn't have a better plan. He just saw people in danger and ran to save them.
"We need reinforcements!" Black shouted.
"I was doing that before you came running by yourself!" Yellow screamed back.
Black deserved that. He made a bad call, and they were paying the price. Determined not to let anything hurt her or the humans, he used his ax to hit a Loogie and looked at Yellow, who was using her morpher to call their friends. He saw a monster aiming at Yellow while she was distracted.
Without thinking about the consequences, he ran towards the monster and jumped in front of Yellow, using his ax as a shield. The weapon absorbed some of the damage when the monster fired, and the suit took another part, but some of it hit Black, and he screamed in pain.
It burned, and Black was forced to fall to his knees, using the ax for support.
"Black!"
Yellow was beside him in a second, protecting him from the Loogies and using her claw to push them away. Red and Pink lasers hit the Loogies and monster, and the Red and Pink Rangers appeared beside their friends. Black took a deep breath and, with Yellow's help, stood up again, feeling dizzy but relieved he hadn't demorphed.
"I'm fine," Black said, looking at Yellow. "The suit and the ax took most of it."
"Are you stupid!? You could have been killed!" Yellow screamed.
"We're a team," Black said, looking towards Pink and Red. "Thank you."
Pink and Red nodded, but quickly, the four of them found themselves surrounded. They attacked the Loogies and tried to hit the monster, but found the monster was protected and their lasers did nothing.
Tired of the game, the monster attacked the Rangers, sending them to the ground with one blast. He walked towards the fallen Rangers and saw Black as the weakest due to his previous injury. The monster grabbed him by the throat, lifting him.
"You will be the one to make an example of," the monster said.
"I don't think so... Snake Ax!"
Black summoned his weapon, knowing it would hit the monster and they would both fall into the water. At least he would be saving his friends, and that's all that mattered.
"Black!" Pink screamed.
Yellow didn't hesitate and was ready to jump when she saw Black and the monster fall into the water, but Red stopped her. He was trying to think of a way to save his friend. Red couldn't fail Black, not after what he did for him.
Red looked around for a way to help when he saw Blue approaching with a blonde woman in pink.
"Guys, is everybody okay?" Blue asked as they reunited with the team.
"No! Black is underwater with the monster!" Yellow said. "We have to bring him to the surface."
"My son? The Black Ranger?" Kat asked.
The other Rangers looked at her, confused. Blue stood beside her and put a hand on her shoulder to calm her down.
"This is Katherine Hillard, Jake's stepmother and Jason's girlfriend. She is also a Power Ranger, the second Pink, and the Zeo and Turbo Pink Ranger," Blue explained.
"I get now why Jason wanted me here as soon as possible and why suddenly I have this back," Kat said, looking between her old morpher and at the water. "Maybe I still have it in me."
"What are you talking about?" the Pink Megaforce Ranger asked.
Kat looked at Blue and took a step away. She closed her eyes, images of Jake as a little boy giving her the strength to do this one more time for the boy she considered her son.
"It's morphing time!" Katherine screamed. "Zeo Ranger I, Pink!"
The Megaforce Rangers' jaws dropped when they saw Kat transform into the Pink Zeo Ranger. She looked powerful, and they knew there was nothing more intimidating than a Ranger protecting someone they loved.
"Blue! Give me a hand!" the Pink Zeo Ranger shouted.
"Of... course!" Blue responded.
Both Rangers jumped into the water and located Black and the monster fighting. Black seemed to be losing but was still holding onto the monster, trying to keep him away from humans and the other Rangers. The Pink Zeo Ranger signaled Blue to distract the monster while she grabbed Black.
Black looked at her, surprised to see his stepmother, but she ignored him, pulling him to the surface as Blue used his weapon to hit the monster, throwing him out of the water. They surfaced and reunited with their friends, the Pink Zeo Ranger, and Black.
"Mother?" Black asked.
"I swear, between you and your father, you're making my hair go white early," the Pink Zeo Ranger whispered. "Didn't he teach you to be careful in these situations?"
"I had to stop him," Black said.
"Next time, don't get almost killed," the Pink Zeo Ranger said, putting a hand on her son's shoulder. "Wait until I tell the others; then you'll be careful."
Black groaned but stood with the Pink Zeo Ranger's help. She stepped aside so the Megaforce Rangers could combine their weapons and fire at the monster, destroying it.
It seemed like the end, but then they saw something like bats flying around the monster, and suddenly, it got bigger.
The Pink Zeo Ranger rolled her eyes behind the helmet. Of course, they still did this.
"Rangers, you need your zords," Gosei said through their morphers.
"Our what?" the Pink Megaforce Ranger asked.
"Zords. They assist you when the monsters get that big," the Pink Zeo Ranger explained. "Bring that monster down with them, Rangers."
Red nodded, sharing a look with his team. They used their cards to call the zords. The robotic animals roared, flying or moving toward them. The Rangers looked, impressed, before jumping inside, finding the controls in front of them.
"Attach the morphers to the zords to control them," Gosei instructed.
"Alright! Let's do it!" Red said.
One by one, the Rangers connected their morphers to the zords and took control. Red grabbed his controls, flying through the sky with his Dragon and attacking the small UFOs, Pink flying beside him with her Phoenix.
On the ground, Black and Yellow were having fun, grabbing UFOs and throwing them at each other to destroy. Blue was underwater, taking care of the hidden UFOs with his Shark.
"This is awesome!" Black exclaimed.
"These zords are out of this world!" Blue said. "I never thought I'd be piloting a Shark!"
"Rangers! These zords can form the Grand Megazord Gosei! Combine your zords into a powerful warrior to defeat the monster!" Gosei said. "Use the cards to command the zords to unite!"
"Okay, Rangers! You heard Gosei!" Red said.
The Rangers nodded, using their cards to command the zords to unite into the Megazord. On the ground, Kat returned to her civilian form, helping humans get free while she waited for one of her friends to come assist. It didn't take long for Kat to see him, and she smiled as he looked up in surprise.
"Is that what it is?"
"A Megazord, Billy. It's called a Megazord," Kat laughed as the original Blue Ranger looked up. "Jake is there with the new Rangers."
"Jake!? Oh... wait a minute, I knew about this," Billy said, getting worried. "Tell me he's not Red."
"No, he's Black," Kat said. "Zack is going to be over the moon."
"Zack is winning between Adam, Tommy, and now Jake," Billy said. "Do you think they can do it?"
Kat looked up. She wondered the same but something inside her told her to trust them. They could do it, and they wouldn't be alone. She and the others would assist them in everything they needed to win this war.
Besides, it had been too long since she had family time, and she was interested in a certain rumor about her son and a certain Yellow Ranger.
"So... who is Blue? Is he cool?" Billy asked.
"Oh, Billy, you're going to love this," said Kat, patting his back. "Noah Craver is the Blue Ranger."
Kat laughed as she saw Billy jump in happiness. They looked up as the Megazord was formed, ready to fight. The fate of the world now lay in their hands, and as veterans, all Kat and Billy could do was stand by their side and offer their support.
"Megaforce!" they cheered.
With the Megazord finally assembled, the Rangers faced the monster, blocking its attacks and striking back with the sword. However, controlling the Megazord proved difficult. The team struggled to synchronize, unable to move the Zord as one cohesive unit.
"We may need some experienced assistance, Black," said Red.
Black looked at his controls. Among them all, he was the only one with some knowledge of the situation. It felt strange being the smart one for once, but he knew what needed to be done and trusted the others to follow his lead.
"We need to connect with our Zord on a spiritual level so we can become one with it and each other," Black explained.
"And how do we do that?" asked Blue.
"Close your eyes," said Black.
"What!?"
"Black, we don't have time for a test run," said Pink.
"It's not a test run. My Uncle Billy studied Zords for years. He knows that the only way to control them is to connect with them. To do that, we need to call out to them in our minds and let them into our souls. In other words, bond with your Zord, and it will give you all its power."
No one said anything. Determined to prove his point, Black closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he found himself demorphed in a dark place, illuminated only by the light from his body. Jake looked ahead, curious as a snake appeared, staring at him, annoyed.
"You are my Zord?" Jake asked.
"Apparently... your spirit is strong, Master, but our destiny won't be easy," said the snake. "Lose your nerves and your doubts and let me be one with you until the fires of hell burn our souls."
Jake hoped that wasn't literal. He still wanted to explore this world, get to know Gia better, and see Noah win a Nobel Prize.
"Are you afraid of dying, boy?" asked the snake. "What if I told you it's the only choice you have? What if I tell you the future holds more than one mystery?"
"What do you mean?" asked Jake, confused.
"That's not for you to know now, Jacob," the snake replied. "If you decide to become one with me, your path will be set. Or you can go back home and hide under the bed if you want..."
Jake looked at his hands, then back at the snake. The words would haunt him later when he had time to think about them, but for now, he wanted the power to save his friends from these monsters. Deep down, Jake knew that would always be his choice.
They would always come first.
"Take what you need from me, snake," said Jake. "Give me the power to protect the ones I love."
"Very well, Jacob," said the snake. "Your trust will not be forgotten."
Jake nodded as the snake lunged at his throat, biting him. A black aura surrounded them both, filling Jake with a wisdom he never thought he would have.
-Megaforce-
"Black! Wake up!"
Yellow was desperately trying to wake him up, but it seemed impossible. The Zord couldn't move one leg, forcing the others to work twice as hard to maintain some balance as the monster relentlessly attacked them.
The monster struck the Zord in the torso and raised its hands to deliver another blow when suddenly, a powerful kick pushed the monster away. The Rangers saw Black, now fully in control of his Zord, as the snake leg of the Zord lowered, providing a glimmer of hope.
"Do what I said! Trust your Zords and they will let you control them!" screamed Black.
Black moved his hands, guiding his Zord to kick the monster away again. The others watched for a moment before deciding to follow his lead.
If it worked for him, it might work for them too.
-Megaforce-
Emma opened her eyes and found herself face-to-face with a Phoenix, elegant and strong, waiting for her. As soon as Emma took a step toward the majestic bird, the Phoenix's eyes opened and looked deep into her soul.
"You are holding back your power, Emma," said the Phoenix.
"No… I..."
"Can't? You always say that, but is it the truth?" the Phoenix challenged. "Being scared is normal, Emma. No one is fully prepared for these situations."
"But I can't! I'm a Ranger now!" Emma protested.
The Phoenix flew towards her and landed gracefully in front of her, its eyes gentle.
"A Ranger is mortal, Emma. Someday, you will learn that, and it's okay to be scared of feeling that loss," said the Phoenix. "This is why I offer you my power, so the fear you're feeling can someday turn into hope for others."
"I don't understand..." said Emma.
"As a Phoenix, I die and come back every day," said the Phoenix. "I live between life and death, and with you, I can connect to humanity, a part of this universe I've never fully understood. That's why I ask you, Pink Ranger, please, unite with me."
Emma walked towards the Phoenix and placed her hand on its head, feeling the power flow through her. They could learn from each other and together, they would achieve their final form.
"Let's do this, Phoenix... together," said Emma as the pink light engulfed her.
-Megaforce-
Noah plunged into the water and before he could feel like he was drowning, he noticed something watching him. Noah felt a surge of fear but didn't move as the shark swam closer.
"You are letting our prey win," said the Shark. "Why?"
"I can't control you..."
"Excuses!" the Shark roared. "Are you going to wait until it's too late? Are you letting this happen because you're too scared to show your true self? Where is your desire to be free?"
Noah looked at the distressed shark, wondering if his lack of control was the source of its frustration. But all thoughts vanished when the shark moved towards him and placed its head on Noah's hand, looking at him with determination.
"Do you see, master? You are stronger than you think," said the Shark. "Believe it and believe in me."
Noah remembered Jake's words about being more than just a brain. His shark was offering him the chance to become what Jake always believed he could be, and Noah was determined not to let them down.
"I believe in you, Shark," said Noah, closing his eyes. "I believe in myself."
A warm blue light enveloped him as Noah finally embraced his truth.
-Megaforce-
Gia barely had time to dodge the attack from the furious tiger she was supposed to control. It was complicated to control such a creature when it seemed determined to end her life.
"Coward!" screamed the Tiger.
"What the hell do you mean!?" asked Gia, frustrated.
"You hide behind a wall, not letting others reach you," said the Tiger. "Time is running out and you are losing the chance to grow because you do nothing but push people away."
"You know nothing about me!" accused Gia.
"I am part of you!" roared the Tiger. "We are cautious, but this is stupid. You only show care for Phoenix. What about Shark and Dragon? What about Snake? Do they mean something to you!?"
Gia made a mental note, remembering the other Zords. They must be the tiger's friends, just as she was friends with the other Rangers. She crossed her arms, frustrated with the whole situation.
Of course, she cared. She wouldn't be here if she didn't care about them.
"Then why are you hiding?" growled the Tiger.
"You can read my mind?" asked Gia, surprised.
"I am part of you, Gia," said the Tiger, moving towards her. "Answer!"
"I'm scared!" said Gia, finally. "Boys and girls always look at me with envy or like a piece of meat, and I'm not like that! I'm more than that!"
The Tiger finally relaxed, sitting in front of Gia. When the Tiger looked at the ground, images of a young Troy training with his father and a young Noah studying appeared before them. They had grown up to be different. They had grown up to be good men.
"They are your friends, Gia. Loyalty is the most important thing for them," said the Tiger. "They work in your favor, not against you."
There was one more image, this time of a young Jake, surrounded by other women, all of them past Rangers who taught him the values of life and love. They showed him how to treat people and how to overcome obstacles.
"He lost his mother, but her legacy lives through him and you," said the Tiger. "The other Rangers made sure of that, teaching him important life lessons that he will carry in his heart forever. What he feels for you is real, but you can't see it yet, and that's fine. He is fine with it. Stop hiding, Gia. You are not cold. Allow them to see the real you, and I promise they will catch you when you fall."
Gia looked at the Tiger, unshed tears in her eyes as she touched her animal's fur. The Tiger purred, happy, and Gia smiled, scratching the back of the Tiger's ears when she saw an image, not far away from them. It was a distant memory she had forgotten from happier times.
There was Emma as a kid and Gia too, looking at butterflies. Not far from them, a kid who had just come for the summer was playing with the other two kids. It was the younger versions of Troy, Jake, and Noah. Suddenly, a soccer ball fell close to them, and Jake came running, grabbing the ball and looking at them with the biggest silly smile she had ever seen.
Young Gia smiled back, unable to feel cold towards the boy.
"You have a pretty smile," said Jake. "Wanna play with us?"
"Me?" asked Gia, surprised.
"All of us!" said Emma. "But don't think it will be easy to win because we are girls!"
"Of course not. Believe me, I know how strong a girl can be," said Jake, sincerely.
Emma laughed and ran towards the boy while Jake waited for her. Gia smiled and nodded, and the two of them ran towards the rest of the group to spend the rest of the day playing. The Tiger looked up at Gia and saw she was crying. This time, the walls came down, and the Tiger smiled.
"You see it now?" asked the Tiger.
"Yes, I'm sorry," said Gia. "I promise I won't let you down again."
The Tiger nodded, and slowly, it disappeared while Gia hugged it, engulfing her in yellow light.
-Megaforce-
Troy looked at his Dragon while the animal studied him. He didn't know what to think of the creature, and the creature seemed to be in the same predicament, but it was waiting, patiently, for Troy to make a move.
"Challenges await you, Red Ranger. The dreams you have are the future, but like everything, this can change," said the Dragon, surprising Troy.
"You mean my dreams about a war?" asked Troy. "What do you know about that?"
"I know you will lose a very important part of your soul, Ranger. There will be allies and enemies, but only one will fall at the end of this war," said the Dragon, looking sadly at the Ranger. "You must have the will to lead your team even in those moments when everything seems lost so you can reach the ultimate victory."
"What? Who is going to fall?" asked Troy, now worried.
The Dragon said nothing, but in its eyes, Troy could feel the sadness and the frustration. The Dragon closed its eyes, and for a moment, there was nothing else to be said. Then the Dragon opened its eyes again.
"The color of Legends," said the Dragon.
-Megaforce-
Megazord
Black could see his teammates finally moving, and he smiled. He could feel the Zords at peace, which meant they must have gained control as Black knew they would. He moved quickly when the monster tried to hit them and used Blue's Zord to block the punch while he retaliated with Pink's Zord.
It was strange to control the other Zords, but Black imagined his snake had something to do with it. In any case, he was happy the other Zords trusted him enough to let him control them until their owners regained their senses.
"About time you all woke up; it's getting a little complicated to run all these Zords by myself," said Black. "Is everyone okay?"
"Yes... thank you, Black," said Red, grabbing his control. "Now is the time for payback."
This time, when they used the Zord, they did it in sync. The Rangers didn't have to talk to each other as everyone seemed to know what to do and when to do it. Then they heard Gosei's voice through the morphers.
"Use your cards to attack with the heads of the Zord, Rangers. It will create the ultimate attack."
"Got it, Gosei!" said Red. "Let's do it, Rangers!"
The Rangers used their cards and once they connected them to the Zord, they combined the heads of the Zords into a powerful weapon and attacked the monster with three powerful hits that sent the monster to the ground, effectively destroying it for the second time and saving Earth from its terror.
-Megaforce-
In Space
Admiral Malkor slammed his fist on the nearest console while Vrak and Creepox stood by in silence. The Admiral was furious, and for good reason. All his plans had changed the moment those Rangers appeared on the scene. Now, he had to halt the conquest of Earth to destroy them.
"We have to eliminate them," said Vrak.
"We will," replied the Admiral. "I will do it myself, if necessary."
Vrak nodded and left the room, followed by Creepox. Admiral Malkor watched the Rangers celebrating their recent victory, but what they didn't know was that this was far from over. In the end, he would emerge victorious.
"You just wait, Rangers..."
-Megaforce-
When the Rangers returned to the Command Center, Jake finally had the chance to properly hug his stepmother and Uncle Billy after introducing them to the team. They reunited with his Uncle Tommy and Aunt Kimberly, while his dad hugged his mom from behind and smiled at the young generation of Rangers.
"Thanks for the save in the water, mom," said Jake.
"You have to promise to be more careful, Jacob. Being a Ranger is dangerous, and I have enough to worry about with your father running off to Red Ranger reunions from time to time," said Kat. Then she looked at Jason. "And speaking of that, you have some explaining to do."
"Me!? He's the Ranger," said Jason, pointing at Jake.
"Yes, but you took two days before calling me," said Kat, crossing her arms.
"Someone's sleeping in the dog house tonight," said Tommy.
Kim hit him in the ribs, making Tommy wince in pain. Meanwhile, Billy walked towards Noah and hugged the new Blue Ranger with a big smile.
"I'm so happy to know you are the new Blue Ranger, Noah," said Billy.
"It's an honor, Mr. Cranston," said Noah, blushing. "I hope I can be worthy of the importance of this suit, and I promise I will do my best not to let your legacy down."
"I know you won't," said Billy, with his arm around Noah's shoulders. "But rest assured, I will be around to assist you with anything you may need."
Noah smiled and continued talking while, not far from them, Gia walked towards Jake and put a hand on his arm, getting his attention. He smiled at her and stopped petting Tenshou to give her his attention, like he had been doing since he met her.
"Hey, you were pretty brave today," said Jake. "Thanks for putting up with me, and I'm sorry I put you in danger."
"It's okay, but next time, think about the plan before running into danger," said Gia. "Humans can't be saved if you fall before saving them."
"You're right," said Jake, his smile fading slightly.
Gia nodded, remembering her time with her Tiger. She knew she could trust Jake. He was sweet and always made sure she was safe and comfortable. He also did this for Emma, Troy, and Noah, which made her care for him in a way she didn't fully understand yet.
But for now, if he could put up with her, maybe she would find the answer she was looking for in time.
Gia smiled. Opening up to someone was hard, but she had to try. She chuckled, demorphing while she looked at Jake. The room fell silent, watching the interaction, but the Yellow and Black Rangers ignored them, focused only on each other.
"But… if you want to apologize properly, you can do it with ice cream," said Gia, looking away. "If you can catch me before I get to Ernie's."
Gia laughed and ran away, leaving Jake there, completely shocked for a few seconds before his mind started working again and he followed Gia, intent on spending more time with her. Everyone watched them leave, surprised.
Emma's eyes shone with hope as she looked at Troy.
"Troy, that wasn't a dream, right?" asked Emma.
"No… I saw it too," said Troy, confused.
"He did it," said Noah, shocked. "He did it."
Not far from them, the veteran Rangers watched the scene, slightly surprised but already recognizing the pattern.
"Young love…" said Jason.
"It seems we will have to talk to her soon," said Kim, looking at Kat.
"Well… for now, we can talk to her friend," said Kat, looking at Emma. "She is the Pink Ranger, right?"
Kim nodded, and both women walked towards Emma while Billy gave Tommy $20 and Jason looked at them, confused. The Black Dino Ranger smiled at him.
"I told him over the phone Jake was going to fall in love with Gia. It was so evident," said Tommy.
"Oh, but of course he knew. He's not only the one with the Epic Love Story, but he also predicted most of the romances in this Ranger business," said Billy, looking at Tommy.
Tommy rolled his eyes but smiled as he saw the teams talking to each other after this victory. It felt like home, and once again he was reminded why he loved this world more than anything.