Episode 8: Silver Lightning, Part 2
Command Center
After making sure Jake and Conner were resting and finally home, the Super Megaforce Rangers and the Dino Thunder Rangers revealed their identity to Orion, showing their faces when they morphed down. Orion smiled a little, still feeling bad for what happened to Jake and Conner, and looked down.
"I'm so sorry. I never wanted them to be like this," said Orion.
"It's not your fault," said Tommy, putting a hand on Orion's shoulder. "Jake and Conner are known for pushing their limits more than they should. They will be fine."
"And if they saved you, they had a good reason," said Kimberly.
Orion looked down, nodding, and looked over the crystal where the Ranger keys were on display. He could see his keys were there too, but there was one remaining on the spot, the Green Ranger.
"That's Jake's key. Should be yours, since I was an outsider too when I became a Ranger, but he is the Green Ranger," said Tommy, laughing to himself. "He was also the Black Ranger."
"Following your steps…" said Jason. Then, he looked at Orion. "Why are you here, Orion?"
Orion looked down, remembering the tragic events that forced him to escape from his planet and crash here, on Earth.
"I come from a planet named Andresia. Around two years ago, aliens invaded us and destroyed everything I loved… my people were captured, and I… I had no other choice than to escape," explained Orion. "I was working at the mines when I found this device and the key to the Silver Ranger."
"All your people were captured?" asked Kat.
"Yes, some of them died during the attack, but the few survivors were captured, and I was the only one able to escape," said Orion. "They saw me and went after me. That's why I crashed here. I didn't know this was the next planet on their list."
There was a long moment of silence as the Rangers reflected on what would happen to them if the aliens ever invaded this planet. But Orion was quick to look at them, understanding his story must have affected them.
"That doesn't mean it has to happen here, and I plan to help you defeat the aliens. Maybe… maybe then I can save my people," said Orion.
"We will help you…"
The Rangers turned to see both Jake and Conner walking into the main room, supported by Gia and Kira, respectively. Jake took a few steps towards the Silver Ranger and put a hand on his shoulder, smiling weakly.
"You are one of us now, and we will help you," said Jake.
Orion nodded, feeling the trust Jake and Conner both had in him. He smiled, something inside him telling him that crashing on this planet was the best choice he could have ever made. Beside him, Conner also smiled, his Dino Gem shining with a soft red glow.
Gosei, who had been watching the Rangers, finally came alive, making everyone turn to him.
"Orion will be a great addition to the Rangers, but first, I think you need to get used to our world," said Gosei.
"Uhm… how do I do that?" asked Orion.
"We will take care of that," said Kat, smiling. "Right, Kim?"
"Of course. Come here, Orion."
Before Orion could say anything, Kat and Kim took him away. Emma kissed Troy's cheek before following the two Pink Rangers, and the three of them disappeared with Orion. The boys chuckled, then Troy took a look at Jake and Conner and then at the other Rangers.
"We should go to Orion's crashed ship. Maybe there is something there to help us," said Troy.
"Good idea," said Jason. "Noah, you and I will go with Troy."
"Trent, you and I will patrol the city. Ethan, keep an eye out in case those aliens decide to attack again," said Tommy.
"We will take care of them," said Kira. "Come on, Conner. You and I have to talk."
"I'm too tired…" said Conner.
"I was worried sick. We are talking, now," said Kira.
Conner didn't have any choice but to follow his wife like a kicked puppy while Gia and Jake saw them disappear. Jake sighed, waiting more or less for the same treatment. That's why he was surprised when he only saw the worry in Gia's eyes.
To be honest, he preferred the angry eyes to this beautiful face full of worry.
"Gia…"
"Are you okay?"
Her question came out innocently, and that made Jake worry. But he managed to stand still and grab Gia's hands, looking deep into her eyes.
"Bastro showed me the images of Orion's planet. That's why I felt so weak… his people… it was horrible," said Jake.
"That's why you are so adamant about helping him?" asked Gia.
"I know if I were in his position, I would do anything to save you and the others, Gia. Anything."
Gia looked down, and Jake knew what she was thinking. Gia didn't trust people easily, and Orion was new and came into her life just when Jake disappeared. It was normal not to trust him, which is why Jake was reassuring her everything was fine.
"I trust you, Jake, but please, stop putting yourself in these situations. I would like to have a boyfriend by the end of the year," said Gia.
Jake smiled and hugged Gia. This time he needed to reassure her as much as he could because even if the two of them couldn't make promises about not getting hurt, they at least be reassured they would do anything for each other.
"I promise you, you will have a boyfriend for a very long time," promised Jake. "But now I need a nap, and I always sleep better with you by my side."
Gia rolled her eyes, smiled, and nodded, helping Jake back to bed. Then, she lay beside him and put her head on his chest while he circled her waist with his arm. A few seconds later, both Rangers were asleep, finally safe and comfortable in each other's hands.
-SMF-
On the other side of the room
Kira was pacing while Conner lay on the bed, looking at her. Conner knew she wouldn't be happy about this, but Kira was borderline panicked about the situation. It was strange; the last time one of them disappeared was when Kira went to help the Overdrive Rangers.
Suddenly, Conner felt bad because he remembered the fear he felt when she disappeared.
"You don't know what I went through, McKnight. How can you not think about contacting me?" asked Kira, turning to look at him for the first time.
"I'm sorry, Kira. Orion was out of his element, and Jake was unconscious. My priority was to get them safe, and then… Jake looked so pale that I had to use the Dino Gem to give him some of my energy. And then the X-borgs attacked, and I couldn't leave Jake alone…" said Conner, looking down. "I'm sorry. I promised myself that I would never let you feel the way I did when you disappeared, and I failed."
Kira looked at her husband for several seconds and sighed, letting her arms fall to her side. She knew he was scared when she was called to help the Overdrive Rangers, and after what she went through, she felt terrible for making Conner go through it too.
Kira walked towards her husband and sat down on the bed, touching his face to make him look at her. Once he did, she kissed him with all the passion they always felt for each other. Conner wasn't even surprised. All he needed was her strength to know he was fine, and now she was more receptive to him, he wasn't going to miss the chance.
"Next time, we are doing this together, okay?" whispered Kira when she broke the kiss.
"I don't know… I liked this kiss," said Conner, showing her his trademark smirk.
Kira smiled, punching him lightly on the chest, and then relaxed. When Conner sat on the bed, she sat between his legs and rested her head on his chest, grabbing his arms to put them over her stomach. They rested, awake but in silence, letting the warmth of each other's bodies finally calm their anxiety down.
-SMF-
Alien Ship
With the latest failure, Prince Vekar is in his room, destroying everything he has. He only opens the door to throw the plate of food at the first X-Borg he sees and then closes it again. From the Command Room, Damaras and Levira sigh, wondering how they can help their Prince.
They were deep in thought when they heard the door opening and one of the monsters walked in. Confused, Damaras took a step towards him.
"Osogain! What are you doing here?" demanded Damaras.
"I came to aid our Prince and bring down the Rangers," said the monster.
"You can bring down the Rangers?" asked Levira, standing behind Damaras.
"I can. I need X-Borgs to attack the city, and when they come to save the day, I will destroy them and capture the Silver Ranger," said Osogain.
Damaras and Levira looked at each other for a few moments, wondering if that was a good idea. But in the end, since the monster was proposing to go, they thought it could be the chance, and if he failed, all they had to do was not to tell Prince Vekar.
"If you wish to go, Osogain, then go," said Levira.
"Take as many X-Borgs as you want," said Damaras.
Osogain nodded and walked away from them, calling for the X-Borgs before he went to face the Rangers. Damaras and Levira looked at the screen, not sure if this plan was going to work or not.
-SMF-
Command Center (Hours Later)
Everything was at peace until they heard the alarm. Jake and Gia woke up, getting up quickly and finding Kira and Conner already in the Command Room. Tensou was analyzing the situation with Ethan while Troy and Noah were on one screen and Emma, Kat, Kim, and Orion were on the other.
"What is going on?" asked Emma.
"A monster is attacking the city. He is near the park," said Ethan. "Troy and Noah, reunite with Emma and Orion and go."
Then Ethan turned around and looked at Jake and Gia. He knew Gia was ready to go, but Jake still seemed pale. Still, the Green Ranger nodded, and Ethan knew, thanks to Conner, that there would be nothing to stop Jake.
"Be careful, Jake," said Ethan.
"I will," said Jake, looking at Gia. "Ready?"
"Ready," said Gia.
Gia took a step forward, grabbing her morpher while Jake followed her lead, loving the way she looked when she was in charge.
"Super Megamode!" screamed Gia.
"Super Megamode!" screamed Jake.
Both Yellow and Green Super Megaforce Rangers teleported towards the battlefield while Conner, Kira, and Ethan watched, hoping this monster would be defeated soon.
-SMF-
Park (Battlefield)
When the Rangers arrived at the park, they saw a monster walking towards them, followed by a good number of X-Borgs and other soldiers, ready to take on the Rangers. But now, the Rangers had one more, and they were ready to fight.
"I told Tommy and Trent to make sure civilians are safe. This is our battle," said Red Super Megaforce.
"Then, let's do this," said the Silver Ranger.
The Rangers nodded and ran, facing the X-Borgs and soldiers. It was easy to defeat them using their weapons, but when the monster jumped into battle, it became more complicated. He pushed the Rangers away, leaving the Silver Ranger alone. But the Silver Ranger blocked his attack and avoided him, rolling on the ground.
The monster was fast, and the Silver Ranger wasn't sure he could face it when the monster grabbed his arm and kicked him, making him fall to the ground.
Maybe that was it. It was his end.
The Silver Ranger prepared himself to die when the monster brought his arm down. But he was stopped, and when the Silver Ranger looked up, he saw the Green Ranger blocking the monster's arm with his sword. Green was making a true effort but was quickly helped by the other Rangers. Yellow and Pink hit the monster with their swords while Blue and Red used their lasers to push the monster away.
Yellow helped Green while Pink helped Silver to get up.
"I…"
"Remember the power you have now," said Green. "The sixth Ranger power, my uncle was the first, my dad, several friends, and family hold the power you have now. You can do this… believe in yourself."
The Silver Ranger looked at Green for a long time before he nodded, convinced. His people needed him in Andresia, and the Rangers here needed him too, now. They could defeat these aliens together and put an end to their terror.
He needed to believe they could do it.
The Silver Ranger's morpher started to shine, and he looked at it. He saw several sixth Rangers but believed he had the best for this mission when he grabbed the key of the Gold Samurai Ranger. He nodded to Green and then looked at the monster.
"Go! Go! Samurai!"
The Silver Ranger morphed into the Gold Samurai Ranger and ran to the monster, avoiding his attack and using Gold Samurai's attack to finish him off before he had to power down, exhausted from using a new power.
The Super Megaforce Rangers ran towards him and hugged him, congratulating him on his victory when they felt the shadow grow bigger and saw the monster getting big.
"Did I fail!?" asked the Silver Ranger.
"No, they always do this," said Blue Super Megaforce. "You don't have a zord, right?"
The Silver Ranger was about to shake his head when he felt something in his hand and saw a silver key. He looked at it, confused, while Green closed his eyes as he received a message clear in his mind.
"Papa, we sent the Silver Ranger a present you created for him here, at the academy with Cruger and Dr. Kat Manx. His name is Q-Rex Drill," said Bridge in his mind. "Hopefully, it will help make things easier even when you think it won't be enough to change the future. Love from me, Sky, and Syd."
Green Super Megaforce looked up at the Silver Ranger and walked towards him, now understanding, and inside, he felt so proud he thought his chest was going to explode.
"Use the key. I got a message telling me this is your present," said Green Super Megaforce.
"A message?" asked Yellow Super Megaforce.
The Silver Ranger looked at the Green Ranger and then nodded. He trusted Jake with his life, and if this was a present, he was going to use it. The Silver Ranger put the key on his device, and after a few seconds, the Rangers saw a giant T-Rex appearing in front of them.
"His name is Q-Rex Drill," said Green Super Megaforce. "The Megazord of the Megaforce Silver Ranger."
The Silver Ranger looked at the Megazord and raised his fists before looking at the Rangers, especially the Green Ranger.
"Would you let me take this monster alone?" said the Silver Ranger. "Please, for my people and to show the aliens I'm not weak anymore."
Green Super Megaforce looked at their leader, and after thinking about it, Red Super Megaforce finally nodded, allowing the Silver Ranger to run and jump into his Megazord. As soon as he got inside, the Silver Ranger was surprised to see the Megazord with the latest technology. He touched the control and felt as if the Megazord was made for him.
It was almost as if it was created for him.
"You can do it, Silver!" screamed Green.
The Silver Ranger grabbed the controls and used the drill on the Megazord hand to hit the monster a couple of times. Then, he looked down and saw that the controls were almost the same as the machines in Andresia.
How was that possible? Silver didn't know, but when he pressed 'transformation,' he saw the Q-Rex transform into a Megazord fighter with the drill in one hand and a hand in the other.
The Silver Ranger made a victory gesture and waited for the monster's attack. Then, he moved the Silver key on his device, now attached to the Megazord, and saw the drill coming to life with a gold laser that hit the monster on the chest.
The Silver Ranger pressed the control of the other hand, punching the monster, and then took a step back, pressing the final control. The hand of his Megazord got covered by the face of the Q-Rex, and the mouth opened, throwing a laser beam that hit the monster, defeating Osogain while the Megazord turned its back on the monster, looking at the Rangers.
-SMF-
Command Center (Night)
After saying goodbye to the Dino Thunder Rangers and assuring Jason and Kat they would be home soon, the Rangers finally relaxed. While Noah made notes about their new teammate with Tensou and Emma and Gia talked about the events of the day, Troy was looking at the keys, wondering what else was waiting for them in the future.
Outside the Command Center, Jake took a deep breath, getting some fresh air when he felt a presence beside him and looked up, seeing Orion standing there. Jake gestured for him to sit down, and Orion did just that, both of them looking at the waves crashing on the shore.
"Today has been a great experience… I think we can defeat them," said Orion. "I wanted to thank you again, for not doubting me."
"I have no reason to doubt you, Orion. Bastro and my Snake would have warned me if you were trying to attack us. That is the good thing about having two spirits," said Jake, smiling. "Besides, you don't look like an alien, even if you are one."
Orion chuckled, looking down. He looked at his device and then back at Jake.
"I have been looking at the database Noah has. It's incredible," said Orion.
"He is… all of them are. That's why I'm so convinced we will defeat the aliens," said Jake.
"I'm starting to believe too, but I have a question…" said Orion.
Jake looked at him, waiting for the question Orion wasn't sure how to ask, but he got all the courage he could and simply asked the question on his mind.
"I had a vision with the sixth Rangers allowing me to use their powers, and I have their keys, but looking at the database, it seems I'm missing two."
"Two?" asked Jake.
"Yes, the Green Ranger and the Gold Zeo Ranger… I believe one is your uncle and the other your dad," said Orion, confused. "Your uncle told me the Green Ranger went to you, even if it was supposed to go to me and he was in my vision for a brief moment."
"Yes, but… oh…" said Jake.
Jake opened his device and there they were, the Green Ranger and the Gold Zeo Ranger. He smiled, looking at the keys, and then looked at Orion.
"I guess it's because the Green Ranger is also my color, and the Gold Zeo… well, my dad was the Gold Zeo Ranger," said Jake. "Luckily for us, we can share keys. Once we became all Yellow Rangers, to honor my mom, I got the chance to be the Yellow Ranger."
"What!? Your mom was a Ranger too!?" said Orion.
Jake laughed at the fascination on Orion's face, and he started to explain the story of his life. How he got lucky to be born into this family and carry this legacy that now gives him the chance to finally defend this planet.