Episode 4: Stranger Ranger
Space
Creepox had been waiting patiently for his chance to go against the Rangers. This was his opportunity to prove himself, and he was going to do everything in his power to come out victorious. But first, he had to convince his Admiral to let him fight.
"I have the best monster for the job, sir!" said Creepox.
"I don't know, Creepox, it may be too soon," said Admiral Malkor.
"This time is different. Let Dragonfly take down those Rangers, and we can invade this planet like you wish, sir," said Creepox, determined to get his chance.
There was a moment of silence before Admiral Malkor finally nodded, giving Creepox the permission he seemed to want so badly. Creepox clapped, walking towards the exit of the ship with Dragonfly, to be teleported to Earth and take care of those idiots dressed in spandex.
-Megaforce-
Earth, Ernie's Brainfreeze
Troy and Jake walked into Ernie's Brainfreeze and waved to Emma, who was there doing some recycling. They saw a guy surrounded by other people, looking like the center of attention. While he was enjoying the spotlight, Troy and Jake headed towards the bar, not paying attention to him.
"Hey… what are you doing here?" asked Emma when she stopped beside Jake and Troy.
"Troy is having some nightmares, so I took him out to do my training routine to clear his head," said Jake, while Troy sighed. "Seems our favorite new resident was having trouble keeping up."
"You are a soccer player," said Troy, laughing.
"Bah… you did pretty well for your first time," said Jake, thanking Ernie when he brought their drinks and one for Emma too. "Thanks, Ernie."
"It was 150 monsters against me!" said the boy, making the three Rangers and Ernie look towards him. "But I managed to beat them all using my sword!"
The people surrounding him seemed impressed and excited, and the boy was smiling proudly. The Rangers didn't want to know, but Ernie pointed at the boy while he got up and made the same pose Troy used as the Red Ranger.
It was far from the real thing, but it could pass as the Red Ranger pose.
"He keeps saying he is the Red Megaforce Ranger," said Ernie, behind them. "I don't know why… doesn't he know there is a reason why they keep their identity a secret?"
The comment, apparently innocent, snapped something inside Jake. He got up with an expression Troy and Emma had never seen on his face before. They shared a look while Jake walked towards the table where the boy was still doing poses.
The boy saw him and smiled, grabbing a pen.
"You want an autograph?" asked the boy.
"I don't give a damn about your fame, idiot!" growled Jake. "How dare you spit on the Rangers' name by trying to get your stupid five seconds of glory!? You are not the Red Ranger!"
There was a moment of shock where everything fell silent until the boy recovered and started to laugh in Jake's face, prompting others to do the same. The boy pointed at Jake's clothes.
"He is jealous of me being the Red Ranger, and by the looks of it, he may be a fan of the stupid Black Ranger," said the boy. "Get out of here, loser."
The people started to boo Jake too, but he didn't care. He had no right, and Jake was determined to make things right. When he felt Troy and Emma grabbing him, stopping him from making a mistake, Jake didn't move. Troy and Emma knew they weren't strong enough to keep Jake away.
He was stronger physically and could easily push them away, but he didn't, mostly because he was too angry and didn't want to hurt his friends by doing something reckless.
"Do you have any idea what you are doing, piece of trash!?" asked Jake. "By doing this, you are exposing yourself to the aliens trying to invade Earth! What are you going to do when they go after you!? Especially since you are nothing but a liar!"
"He is right," said Troy. "There is a reason why Rangers' identities are a secret."
"True, I doubt you are the Red Ranger, but in any case, what are you going to do when a monster attacks you or uses your family against you now that you revealed your identity?" said Emma. "I hope you can sleep at night, knowing how many people you put in danger to get this fame."
"I… I can defeat them," said the boy, now nervous.
The boy was starting to see his mistake, but it might have been too late. Jake was angry and now worried for the boy's safety. He untangled himself from Troy and Emma and walked to the boy, pointing his finger at the boy's chest just as Gia and Noah came into the Brainfreeze, surprised to see what was going on.
"You don't know how many Rangers died in the line of duty, do you?" asked Jake, seriously. "But you are here, disrespecting all of them because you want fame? Very well, man, get your fame, but don't go crying to them when a monster walks into your house."
Jake pushed the boy away, not hard enough to make him fall, and walked away, not paying attention to anything but the need to get out of there and relax. The other Rangers looked at each other, confused by the Black Ranger's reaction.
Troy followed him, not wanting to leave the Black Ranger alone, while Emma sighed. Gia and Noah looked at her, confused.
"What happened?" asked Noah.
"I'm not sure," said Emma, looking towards the exit. "But I think I know who can explain to us Jake's reaction to this situation."
Gia and Noah nodded, following Emma out to go to the Command Center. Hopefully, there someone could explain to them why Jake reacted this way to that stupid boy's comments.
-Megaforce-
Forest
Troy found Jake meditating in a quiet space in the forest. Jake was shirtless with his eyes closed, letting the wind hit his skin to calm his thoughts as he tried to relax and let the forest speak to him. Troy walked towards him carefully, not wanting to disturb his friend's meditation.
But it was too late; Jake already felt the Dragon's roar carefully tend to his furious Snake.
"I can feel you, Troy. Your fire is quite intense," said Jake, with his eyes closed.
"It is? I'm sorry, I didn't want to disturb you," said Troy.
"It's okay… Do you want to sit down?" asked Jake, opening his eyes.
He pointed to the spot beside him, and Troy walked towards it, sitting down and looking at Jake. Jake looked up at the sky with a sad smile as the wind gently hit them. For Troy, it almost seemed like Jake was looking for guidance. After a minute of thinking, Troy realized what might be troubling the Black Ranger.
"A Ranger died?" asked Troy.
Jake lowered his eyes until he saw Troy's face and then looked down at his hands. It was hard to explain this part of his life, but he felt he could trust Troy. Besides, it was part of the story they would learn sooner or later.
"Once you become a Ranger, all of them, new and old, become your family," said Jake. "I met people you would never dream of knowing, like Rangers from the future. They were the ones who told my dad about me becoming a Ranger."
"From the future?" asked Troy, shocked.
"Yes, there is a lot they can't tell us for our own good, but they were allowed to tell my dad and my family I was going to become a Ranger," said Jake, looking down. "That's how I got all this knowledge about Ranger history. When they told my dad and Uncle Tommy, they decided to train me. To be more effective, they called in other Rangers to help with my understanding of this world."
"I see… so you learned from other Rangers," said Troy, making sense of the past Jake was explaining.
"Yes, one of my teachers, well, my sensei, was Shane, the Red Ninja Storm Ranger. He was able to control the wind, and everything about him screamed hero," said Jake with a sad smile. "He was brave, a protector. He was calm in the middle of the storm."
Troy remained silent. He could see and hear how much Jake loved his sensei. It was evident in the break in his voice and the way his eyes shone with tears when he talked about him. Jake sighed, wiping his face. His dad and Tommy taught him everything a Ranger would want to know, along with the other Rangers, but the Ninja Storm Rangers taught him how to control his energy and fight with his heart.
"He sounds like a very special man," said Troy, putting a hand on Jake's shoulder.
"He was… he taught me how to control the wind," said Jake, smiling at the memory. "Tori is more technical, a water master; the Bradley brothers are all about physical fighting and fortifying the mind; Cam is about the history of the Ninjas; and Dustin is the fun and relaxed one… but from all of them, only Shane was able to help me channel my energy and remain calm when things got complicated."
"That's why you came here to meditate?" asked Troy.
"Yes… here, let me show you," said Jake, grabbing Troy's hands. "Put your hands like this."
Jake made a posture, and Troy followed, closing his eyes with Jake, feeling how everything disappeared around them except the wind, which flowed around their energies and allowed both Rangers to see the world in a different light.
The silence became part of their training as they focused on the energies, not seeing the spirit of a Red Ranger stand in front of them, nodding with conviction before sitting down in front of the new Rangers, watching them do what he did so many years ago.
-Megaforce-
Command Center
When Emma, Noah, and Gia arrived, they came face-to-face with three new faces they had never seen before talking to Kimberly. Kim, seeing them, smiled before pointing them to the strangers, who seemed extremely happy to see them.
"This is the new generation," said Kim. "Emma is the Pink Ranger, Gia is the Yellow Ranger, and Noah is the Blue Ranger."
"Oh, so finally we meet," said one of the women. "I'm Cassie, Pink Space Ranger."
"Yes, it's about time. I'm Ashley, Yellow Space Ranger," said the other woman.
"And I'm Carlos, Black Space Ranger. We were also the second Turbo Rangers, Pink, Yellow, and Green," said Carlos, smiling at the three Megaforce Rangers. "You have already met TJ, and soon you may be able to meet Andros, Karone, and Zhane."
"Talking about past Rangers… where is Justin now?" asked Kim.
"With Karone on KO-35," said Cassie.
"KO-35?" asked Noah.
"Andros, Karone, and Zhane's home planet," explained Ashley. "It's a planet out of this system. It's a long story, but they are all humans, I promise."
"So we have Rangers from other planets too," said Noah, amazed.
"Kid, you have so much to learn," said Carlos, chuckling at the boy's reaction.
Emma nodded and looked at Kim. The reason why they came here was still evident in their minds, and Kim could see it in Emma's worry and Gia's expression. Noah was still confused about KO-35, but something was bothering him too, and she wondered if it had to do with Jake or Troy since they were the two members of the team missing.
"Did something happen?" asked Kim.
"Maybe?" said Emma. "Jake overheard a guy taking his five seconds of fame telling everybody he was the Red Ranger and went furious, screaming at the boy… I never saw Jake so mad before."
"It was strange," said Noah. "He was out of his mind."
"I have never seen him like that either," said Gia, crossing her arms. "I wonder…"
"The reason?" asked Cassie.
There was a moment of silence between the older Rangers after Cassie's question, and the Megaforce Rangers looked at each other, confused. Ashley decided to take the lead in this situation and sat down, forcing everyone to follow her lead before she spoke.
"Being a Ranger comes with a lot of dangerous situations," said Ashley. "Sometimes we get hurt, and there have been cases of Rangers dying for the greater good."
"Rangers die?" asked Emma, grabbing Gia's hand.
"We had a few situations like that. Kendrix, the Lost Galaxy Pink Ranger, died saving Cassie and her planet from someone called Psycho Pink Ranger," said Ashley, taking Cassie's hand in hers. "But she was revived when the Lost Galaxy Rangers defeated their enemy with Karone taking the Pink mantle. Now, Kendrix is taking care of her kids, and Karone is still the Pink Ranger."
"Then there was Alex Drake, the first Time Force Red Ranger. He was believed dead for a long time, and it was the reason why the Time Force Rangers had to travel from the year 3000 to 2001, to find Alex's murderer a mutant named Ransik, in his place, they found Alex's ancestor, Wes Collins. Now he is the Time Force Red Ranger," said Carlos.
"At the same time, Wes was supposed to die fighting an army while his team went back to the future, but they changed that event by going back and fighting with Wes till the very end," said Kim. "They ended up winning the fight, and nobody died."
"Wes's father was supposed to die too, in an attack, but he survived thanks to Alex because it wasn't his real time," said Cassie. "And you know what happened to Jake's mother. Even if it wasn't due to Ranger duties, losing Trini affected us all."
"… and the last one to fall was Shane."
The Rangers, old and new, turned to the new voice. The woman, dressed in the clothes of the Ninja Academy from Blue Bay Harbor, walked towards them. The blue stripe on her clothes revealed her Ranger color as Kim got up and engulfed the new presence in a hug, followed by Carlos, Cassie, and Ashley.
"Tori, what a surprise," said Kim.
"I know I should have called, but it was a last-minute decision," said Tori. "It seems the wind is upset, and the Sensei wanted me to come and check on Jake."
Kim nodded and looked at the Megaforce Rangers, confused. She signaled Tori to look at them before introducing her.
"Rangers, this is Tori Hanson," said Kim. "She is the Blue Ninja Storm Ranger and controls the water."
"So these are the new Rangers?" asked Tori, smiling at the teenagers. "If I got the clues right, then Jake did become a Ranger, and you are his teammates? I think I remember you, Noah."
"Yeah, Ms. Hanson. We saw each other before," said Noah, smiling. "I'm the Blue Megaforce Ranger, Emma is the Pink Megaforce Ranger, and Gia is the Yellow Megaforce Ranger. Jake is Black, and Troy is our Red Ranger."
"I see… so the wind's distress may be caused by something Ranger-related," said Tori.
"Or with Jake upset," said Emma.
"He fought with a guy that wanted fame saying he was the Red Ranger," explained Gia.
"I understand," said Tori, looking down. "My Red Ranger, Shane, died a few years ago in the line of duty. It hit Jake pretty hard."
The Rangers looked down. Death was never a fact they considered when they wore the suits, but now they had evidence it happened all the time. While some of them came back or were never dead, Shane was gone. By Tori's expression and Jake's rage before, they knew the Red Ninja Storm Ranger was never coming back.
Noah looked down. He remembered the time when he saw his best friend crying like a baby, bawling about something Noah didn't understand at the time. Back then, he just stood beside Jake, offering moral support while his friend went through the pain.
The girls saw it too. They remembered a sadder, more serious Jake once, but they quickly forgot when he came back, wearing his silly smile and acting as if he was fine around them.
"Shane was a great man," said Tori. "He was defending Blue Harbor from a monster when a building came down, and he threw himself into the line of fire to save a group of people using his element, the wind."
There was a moment of silence while Tori looked away, controlling her emotions.
"He left his sword and his symbol to Jake, his best student," said Tori, with a sad smile. "He loved Jake and took it upon himself to teach the boy all he could need to control the wind and his emotions in a way he could use in the fight when the time came. Jake gave him the proudest moment when he graduated from the Academy with honors."
Tori smiled, showing the new Rangers a picture of Jake with the Ninja Storm Rangers and Jason. The Ninja Storm team was dressed in their teacher clothes, while Jason was dressed casually. Jake had a Ninja suit with a dark green stripe on the chest and Shane's wind symbol on his chest. Blue, Yellow, Crimson, and Navy Blue decorated his gloves and shoes, and light green adorned his wrist.
"Shane always had the feeling Jake was different. He had a way of uniting people that no one else had, and his way of learning when focused was something we admired as Ninjas," said Tori, looking at the picture. "He would be proud to see Jake turned into a full Ranger now."
"We all are," said Cassie, smiling at Tori. "We know Earth is in good hands with him and with them."
The Megaforce Rangers blushed at the reference about them when the alarm of the Command Center went off, warning them there was a monster in the city. When Tenshou ran to locate the attack, they heard Troy's voice through his panel.
"There is an attack in the city! Jake and I are almost there!" said Troy.
"We're on our way, Troy," said Gia, turning to her friends and nodding at them.
"I'm going too," said Tori, getting ready. "I can help evacuate the civilians."
"We can help too," said Ashley. "Kim, can you look after my princess?"
"Of course. Go and be careful," said Kim.
"Everyone ready?" asked Gia, receiving nods from all the Rangers. "Go! Go! Megaforce!"
"Ninja Storm! Ranger Form!" screamed Tori.
"Let's rock it!" screamed Ashley, Carlos, and Cassie.
-Megaforce-
Center of the City
When they got to the location, Red and Black were already transformed. It took some time for them to spot the monster and the boy they had seen at Ernie's before, along with his fans. The fans were screaming for the boy to transform, but of course, the boy couldn't do it because he wasn't the Red Ranger.
"Let them go!"
The boy and the monster turned to see Black and Red jump into action, pushing the monster away from the boy. Black turned to the boy and then to Red, who nodded, grabbing the boy's arm to get him away from danger along with the rest of the people.
"You need to leave! Now!" said Red.
The fans of the boy ran, scared, while Red brought the boy to a safe place. Black looked at the monster, ready to face him with his axe when the monster laughed.
"No one can defeat Dragonfly!" said the monster.
"We'll see about that," said Black.
Black ran towards the monster, raising his axe, but the monster blocked the weapon and used invisibility to hide from Black, thinking he could attack and defeat the Ranger like that. What the monster didn't know was that Black was ready for that situation. He stopped, closed his eyes, and let the wind act in his favor. The rest of the Megaforce Rangers, the Space Rangers, and Tori arrived at the scene.
Blue Megaforce was confused and tried to walk towards his best friend when Blue Ninja stopped him.
"What is he doing?" asked Yellow, looking at Blue Ninja.
"He is using what Shane taught him," said the Blue Ninja Storm Ranger. "He is using his element to fight the monster's invisibility."
The Rangers weren't sure what she was talking about, but in the battle, they could see Black focused, not moving while the wind spoke to him, the same way Shane did when he was here. Black took a deep breath and heard the monster running towards him with the wind. In the last second, Black moved his axe, hitting the monster, who appeared and hit the ground hard.
"How did you see me!?" asked the monster, getting up.
"You can't hide from the wind," said Black.
"Damn you, Ranger," said the monster, moving away from Black. "I will find a way to destroy you."
The monster disappeared while Black relaxed. For the first time, he looked towards where his friends were, making sure everyone was fine. He was surprised to see the Space Rangers and even one of his senseis there. He walked towards her, and at the same time, the Blue Ninja Storm did the same. They met halfway, hugging tightly.
"Hey! What a surprise!" said Black while he hugged the Space Rangers.
"The wind told us you were troubled, and my sensei sent me here to check on you," said the Blue Ninja Rangers. "But it seems you have calmed down now."
"We are proud of you, Black," said the Space Yellow Ranger. "You have grown so much."
"Thank you," said Black, looking away, embarrassed, as the Pink and Black Space Rangers nodded.
There was a moment of comfortable silence until the Blue Megaforce Ranger approached his friend, poking him on the chest and making him look at the Blue Ranger and then at his Yellow and Pink Rangers.
"What?" asked Black.
"You need to show us how you did that!"
"Do what? Use the wind?" asked Black again, dumbly.
"Yes! It was very impressive," said Pink, poking Black as Blue did. "Right, Yellow?"
"It was, and it could be useful," said Yellow, standing in front of Black. "You have to teach us how you did it."
For a moment, Black thought about it, and then he nodded. The Blue Ninja Storm Ranger also nodded. They decided to go back to the Command Center now that the city was safe so they could catch up and Black could teach his friends a very important lesson.
-Megaforce-
Forest
While Ashley, Carlos, and Cassie remained in the Command Center with Kim, Jake and Tori decided to take the Rangers to the forest, where they could train in peace. Tori smiled when she saw Jake coming towards her, dressed in his Ninja Academy clothes, the ones they made sure he had every year.
"Remind me again why your father was against you coming to study with us permanently?" asked Tori.
"Because he is overprotective and he thought I would end up being a Ninja Storm Ranger," said Jake. "It's funny how it worked out for him, right?"
Tori chuckled as they walked towards the other Rangers. The Megaforce Rangers saw Jake dressed like Tori but with a dark gray stripe on his chest, Shane's wind symbol, and the colors of the other Rangers all over his shoulders, wrists, and shoes.
"Sorry for the delay," said Jake.
"It's fine… what are we going to do?" asked Troy.
"To master the wind, you need to become one with it. Every element is special and unique, and it has different ways of trusting the person trying to become part of it," said Jake, looking at Troy. "You saw a little of it when you meditated with me."
"Yes, the wind helped me to relax, and there was a point where I could see our energies, but it seemed to be… I don't know, studying me?" asked Troy.
"Elements can determine if you are worthy of becoming their master or not," explained Tori. "For example, water is my element, and my devotion towards it rewarded me with the ability to do this."
Tori pointed at Jake's water bottle, and the water started to move, creating a small tornado inside the bottle. When Tori stopped pointing at the water bottle, the tornado disappeared, leaving the water as calm as it was before.
"That's… awesome," said Noah, taking off his glasses, impressed.
"He can do the same with wind," said Tori, pointing at Jake.
"I'm not that good; that was Sensei Shane's element, but he did teach me a few tricks," said Jake.
Jake focused, moving the wind so it could bring a couple of flowers for Gia and Emma. Both girls smiled, taking the flowers while Tori gently pushed her student.
"So that's what he taught you?" asked Tori.
"Maybe…" said Jake, chuckling. "Anyways, let's start. Please, sit down and close your eyes."
The Rangers did what Jake asked them to do, and with Tori's help, Jake put a cloth around their eyes to help them synchronize better with their surroundings and learn more about the wind. Then, Jake took a step back with Tori.
"Clear your mind and let the wind surround you, taking your worry and stress," whispered Jake, loud enough for the Megaforce Rangers. "When you think you are ready, come to find us."
Jake and Tori disappeared, walking away without making a sound and leaving the Rangers alone, each one of them experiencing the wind on a different level. They reunited, in their minds, in front of the Red Ninja Storm Ranger.
Troy looked over his shoulder. All the Rangers were there, and he thought that the Red Ninja had brought them here to teach them a lesson. The Red Ranger nodded and moved his fingers, creating words in the air using the wind.
"Rangers… I am pleased to meet you, even if for this short time," wrote the Red Ranger in the air. "My team has grown into teachers now, but we are relieved to see you as the Guardians of Earth. Maybe this time they can finally catch a break."
"You are Shane, right?" asked Troy. "Jake told us about you."
The Red Ninja Storm Ranger walked towards Troy, extending his hand. Troy did the same. Then, the Red Ninja Storm Ranger looked at the other Rangers. One by one, all the Rangers put their hands over Troy's, and the Red Ninja Storm Ranger nodded, using his free hand to write more messages using the wind.
"There will come a day when my student will surpass me, and on that day, he will need your support," wrote the Red Ranger. "That's why I'm asking you, Rangers, to remain true to yourselves. The wind will stand with you as long as your morals stay true."
The Red Ninja Storm Ranger took a step back, breaking the contact with the other Rangers. Then, he made a gesture to the wind and started to disappear from their minds.
"You are ready now. Find them and tell Tori she is doing amazing," wrote the Red Ninja Storm Ranger. "Be proud of who you are and what you are doing, and don't be scared. Everything happens for a reason."
The Megaforce Rangers felt the wind gently hit their skin, and they knew they were back in the real world. Slowly, they got up, Troy being the first one, following the wind as he looked at a red path in front of him. His predecessor was an incredible man, strong and wise.
Beside him, Gia got up next, following her yellow path. The Red Ninja Ranger's devotion to his duty and values awakened in her the need to honor that memory and protect those who couldn't protect themselves.
Noah was next. While he was scared about the dangers that came with wearing the Ranger suit, he was reminded of why they did this. Shane fell for the greater good, but he saved lives, and to him, it was worth it. Noah made a promise as he got up that he would honor those feelings and fight his fears to be worthy of being called a Ranger.
Emma was the last one to get up, her cheeks marked with tears. Shane gave up his life for something she swore to protect even before she became a Ranger. When she was a kid, Emma fought for nature and animals. Now, as a Ranger, she could do more, make a difference, like he did. She made the silent promise of doing her very best and not giving up.
Following their paths, the ones Shane created for them, the Megaforce Rangers finally reached Jake and Tori minutes later. Jake and Tori looked at each other, smiling, and stopped the Rangers, unfolding the cloth from their eyes as the session was finished and they passed the test.
"I'm guessing Shane managed to show you all the way?" said Tori. "That guy keeps teaching no matter what."
"Yes, he showed us the path and told us to let you know you are doing amazing," said Troy. "He gave us a great lesson."
"To stand by our values and not lose our way," said Emma, looking at her hands.
"To protect this planet with everything we have and to stand by our friends," said Noah, looking at Jake.
Gia looked at the ground, grabbing Jake's hand. Shane was right; they had to be true to themselves if they wanted to win this war. There was no time for running away or hiding, not anymore. That's why she decided to fight the urge to be cold to protect herself, and for the first time, she did something natural.
And it felt so right.
"You had a great sensei," said Gia, looking at Jake. "He will always be with you and now, with us."
"Yes, he will," said Jake, gently squeezing her hand.
They were in comfortable silence when they felt the wind pick up. After sharing a look, the Rangers ran to hide and transform. They returned from their hiding spot only to find there was someone else there, in the forest.
Black was surprised to see the boy he had fought before there, walking cautiously towards them.
"It's not nice to spy on others," said Blue, taking a step towards the boy before he was stopped by Black.
"I… I'm sorry," said the boy.
"What are you doing here?" asked Red.
"I… want to help you with the monster," said the boy.
The others didn't seem convinced, but for the Blue Ninja Storm Ranger and the Black Megaforce Ranger, something clicked. They looked at each other, feeling something different. Black walked towards the boy and put a hand on his shoulder while the others watched.
"You want to help the Power Rangers?" asked Black. "You know you can get killed because of that, right?"
"I…" said the boy, looking down. "I'm a nobody… I never knew where I belonged until I saw you fight. Look, I made a mistake, I know that, but I wanted to help. I got surprised and taken by the fame, and now I want to fix it, please."
"Being a Ranger or helping them is not easy," said Black. "There are sacrifices you must make to protect Earth."
"I understand, and I'm ready… please, I just want to protect this planet from that monster," said the boy.
Black looked at him. No one could see his expression, but there was something in that boy, and the wind seemed to feel the same as it moved lightly on Black's side. Black smiled, recognizing the feeling, and walked to the boy, putting his hands on the boy's shoulders.
"What's your name?" asked Black.
"Jordan…" said the boy.
"Well, Jordan, you should know that to help us, you don't need to become a Ranger. You need to be honest and help us by helping others. Show others you can work together as a team, and you will be doing more for us than you think."
"But… those monsters…" said Jordan, looking disappointed.
Forest
"Those monsters are our responsibility. We were chosen to defeat them, and you are a different story," said Black, looking towards the Blue Ninja. "It seems he has the qualities, but he has to learn a few lessons."
"I can see that," said the Blue Ninja, standing beside Black. "Are you willing to train, Jordan? We are not gentle, and we are not going to slow or stop if you get tired. But we always give you the chance to give up if you find out the training is not what you want."
"It won't be gentle training, but I swear it will pay off, Jordan," said Black.
"Training? You mean a Power Ranger wants to train me?" asked Jordan, surprised.
"Not one. We are six, and before we train you, you have to show us you have what it takes to be part of our team," said the Blue Ninja.
Jordan looked at the Blue Ninja and then at Black. Unable to control himself, he hugged them both, surprising the Rangers. Then, he took a step back when he felt he had gone a little too far and smiled at the Rangers.
"When do we start?" asked Jordan.
A beep on the Megaforce Rangers' morphers made Black and the others look at them. There was a warning that the monster was back in the city and attacking civilians again.
"She will decide when you can start preparing," said Black, pointing to the Blue Ninja Ranger. "But you have to promise us this, Jordan: whatever you do, if you feel you can't go through with the training, then leave it, okay? There are other ways to help us."
"Understood," said Jordan, extending his hand to the Black Ranger. "Thank you for not throwing me out. I was wrong; you are not an idiot. Thank you all, Rangers. You are heroes."
"It's our job, and we are doing it proudly," said Red.
Jordan nodded, and the Blue Ninja Ranger stood beside him and grabbed his arm. She nodded to the other Rangers and disappeared with a small water tornado with Jordan while the Megaforce Rangers got ready for round two with the monster.
Blue Megaforce walked to his best friend, patting his shoulder to get his attention.
"Did you just give a mentor talk to a potential Ranger?" asked Blue.
"Nah… the wind was telling me to give him a chance," said Black. "It said Jordan has the potential to awaken the Ninja power of fire."
"What!?" asked Pink, surprised.
"That's what the wind said," said Black. "Anyways, let's go. We have a monster to defeat."
Red nodded, and they got into position with Yellow moving between Red and Blue and Pink standing right behind Black. Then, they were transported to the location of the monster.
-Megaforce-
Near the Bridge
The Rangers appeared in the city and saw the monster trying to bring down the bridge. Not wasting time, Red called for his sword and ran to the monster, hitting him in the face, followed by the others.
Black was behind them and called for his axe when he was hit by something and was thrown deeper under the bridge. Black hit the ground hard while Creepox got up and quickly grabbed Black by the throat.
"Why do I feel this energy coming from you, Black Ranger?" asked Creepox.
"I'm special…" said Black, trying to break free. "Who are you?"
"I'm Creepox, second in command of Admiral Malkor, the leader who is going to invade your planet," said Creepox. "Now tell me why your energy is so different from the others?"
"Because I'm handsome, I guess," said Black.
Black moved his hand, hitting Creepox with his axe, but the monster grabbed the axe and kicked Black in the face. He looked at the axe and took it from Black's hands, hitting the Ranger with his weapon a few times and sending Black against a car.
The axe disappeared with Black not able to hold the power to use it anymore. Black was having a hard time breathing when Creepox walked towards him and grabbed him again, raising him off the car.
"You have survived the attacks… maybe I should take you," said Creepox, curious.
"You can try…" said Black, breathing heavily. "But I can assure you there are four other Rangers who will find you eventually, and at least one won't like your plan."
"Is that so?" asked Creepox, amused.
"You bet… it is…" said Black, feeling dizzy.
Black felt his vision become blurry while Creepox continued choking him. All Black could manage was to look to the side, where his friends were fighting. He knew they were ready and they would protect this planet.
Behind the mask, Jake smiled; they were ready with or without him.
Black closed his eyes, and his arms fell to his sides as the strength left his body.
-Megaforce-
Bridge
Blue called the Sea Brothers to finish the fight, attaching them to his laser and firing at the monster. Suddenly, they felt something and looked to the side, seeing a wave of wind hit the monsters and send them against a wall.
The wind was violent, and the Rangers realized that Jake was in danger when they looked around and didn't see Black.
Red was the first to react, running as if his life depended on it with his Dragon sword. The others followed, but Red was faster and was the first to see Black, unconscious while another monster was trying to choke him.
Red reacted without thinking and jumped, raising his sword. Still in Creepox's hands, Black felt something hit his helmet and barely opened his eyes to see something red with a sword raised, hitting Creepox and releasing him.
Black fell to the ground, but that feeling…
"Sensei?" whispered Black.
Yellow and Pink arrived at that moment and looked at Black to make sure he was okay. Blue got there too and took Black's pulse when the Ranger didn't move. Red pushed Creepox away, and the monster was forced to leave, outnumbered by the other Rangers.
Red ran towards his team and only took a breath of relief when Blue did, letting them know Black was alive.
Then he felt it. Red looked to the side to see the spirit of the Red Ninja Storm Ranger nodding at them and disappearing. The Red Megaforce Ranger nodded, thanking him for protecting his friend and promising to protect this planet from those monsters. He looked back at his team, with Pink and Yellow helping Black to get up while Blue made a report to the Command Center.
"Black, are you okay?" asked Red.
"Yeah… just a little dizzy," said Black, with Yellow and Pink supporting him. "Is that monster gone?"
"For now," said Red, looking over his shoulder. "But we still have to beat that other one."
"Let's do that…"
They found Dragonfly not far from them, trying to hide, but the Rangers were having none of it. Calling their weapons, they combined them, calling Blue's Sea Brothers to add them to the combination and firing at the monster, defeating him.
"Be ready! He may come back!" warned Red.
As Red said, the monster came back alive in his giant version, and the Rangers called for their Zords, ready to fight again. Or so they thought until they saw the monster running from them like a coward.
"You won't catch me, Rangers!" screamed Dragonfly.
"Are you kidding me!?" said Yellow, frustrated. "I guess we have to catch him, partner."
"Let's do it!" said Black.
Both Rangers pushed their controls, and the Megazord started to run after the monster. But the monster was too fast for them, and it seemed that neither the Snake nor the Tiger were able to catch up with the monster, at least until two new cards appeared in front of them and Gosei's voice was heard through the morpher.
"Rangers, these are the Land Brothers. Use them to get the speed you need to stop that monster," said Gosei.
"Sweet! Let's try it, Black!" said Yellow.
"Okay!"
Black and Yellow activated the cards, and from the ground, three new Zords came alive. Black and Yellow chuckled when they were able to control the new Zords and called for the Land Megazord, allowing the Megazord to go ten times faster.
The monster looked over his shoulder and tried to run faster, but this time, the Megazord was able to catch up with him.
"This is over!" screamed Black and Yellow.
Yellow moved her Zord for one last push while Black kicked the monster with the Beetle Zord, throwing him to the ground before he looked at Yellow. They both nodded, knowing what to do.
"Victory Charge!" screamed both Rangers.
The Megazord fired at the monster and destroyed him, giving them the victory they needed and finally putting an end to this crazy day. Black sighed, resting his head against his chair when the Megazord finally stopped.
They were happy it was finally over when they felt the wind pick up inside the cabin of the Megazord.
"Good job, Rangers… the future is safe with you."
The Rangers smiled with the words they could read in the wind, and Black nodded to himself. Yes, the future was safe.
-Megaforce-
Beach, a few hours later…
Jordan was nervous, waiting for Tori Hanson, the Blue Ninja Storm Ranger, to come back so they could leave to start his preparation. He saw the Megaforce Rangers coming toward him. Black raised his hand when he saw him, and Jordan, smiling, walked over to them until he stopped in front of the team.
"I heard you talked to your fans and told them the truth," said Black.
"Yes, I couldn't keep the credit for something I haven't done," said Jordan, looking down. "You are the real deal here, not a nobody like me."
"Don't say that. Today you made a big step towards change, and I'm sure it wasn't easy," said Pink, nodding towards the boy in appreciation for what he did.
"It wasn't, but it had to be done. You were right, Black, it felt small, but it's a start, and I will keep working on myself to become a better person," said Jordan.
The Rangers nodded, and Black took a step towards Jordan, grabbing his hand to put something there. When Jordan looked, he saw a small coin with a symbol on it and looked up at Black.
"This was my sensei's last present before he fell in battle, Jordan. He gave it to me so I could find my path when hard times overcame me, and I did, with them," said Black, looking over his shoulder to his team. "Believe in yourself and in the people who surround you, and you will see all the good this world has to offer."
Jordan looked at the coin and then back at Black, nodding slowly, finding a new respect for the Ranger. Tori finally came back, smiling as she looked at the coin and then at the Rangers and Jordan.
"I have everything ready," said Tori, looking at Black. "And you, mister, be careful out there, okay? I promise the team and I will be back for a visit, but if you need us, you know what to do."
"I know. Thank you for everything, Tori," said Black. "Say 'hi' to everyone for me, please."
"Will do," said Tori. "I love you, little brother, never forget that."
Black nodded while Tori hugged the other Rangers, promising to come back. Then, she walked to Jordan, saying goodbye one more time before they both disappeared in a water tornado, teleported to the Academy.
-Megaforce-
Command Center
The Rangers walked inside the Command Center and, once there, they demorphed. That's when Jake realized he was still in his Ninja Storm uniform and smiled, touching the symbol of his sensei.
Shane would always be part of him and now, he was part of his team too.
"We will be fine," whispered Jake to the symbol.
"We will," said Emma, beside him. "But… can you ask for these uniforms in our colors for us? I love the style."
"It's a good idea. They seem to be good for training," said Troy, looking over his shoulder.
"And the fabric is so clean; I bet they were made for long and exhausting battles. We need one," said Noah.
Jake groaned as the other Rangers walked out of the Command Center, talking about the clothes. He still had to change before meeting up with them again, but he stopped when he saw Gia still standing there and looking at him with a smile.
"You know… I'm discovering a new side of you," said Gia. "I think I like it."
With that, she left, leaving Jake behind with a stupid smile before he laughed and ran towards the lockers to change. His shout of happiness was loud enough for Gia to hear while she walked out of the Command Center, and she smiled brightly.
Who knew? Maybe this Ranger business could be the start of something new.