Episode 16: Vrak Is Back, Part 1
Night
A shadow raised its hand to the created gold dust and flew over the city, the ocean, and the mountain, creating three giant structures while the shadow smiled, revealing his face slowly. Vrak chuckled, seeing his new creation.
"Now, thanks to my brother, I can finally put an end to those Rangers… all I need is a little bit of Andresian energy," said Vrak.
And he knew exactly where to find it.
-SMF-
Ernie's BrainFreeze
Orion was getting ready to go to sleep when a sound made him get up and look around. At first, he saw nothing when a pair of eyes behind him appeared. By the time he felt a hand on his shoulder, it was too late.
Orion's surprised expression made Vrak smile before he was pushed to the ground and knocked out by the monster, who grabbed him and teleported back to his underwater base.
-SMF-
Underwater Base
Vrak smiled, watching his device connected to Orion's chest, extracting the energy needed to follow his plan. He was impressed with Andresians, but they weren't as smart as he was.
"The Rangers didn't know this, Orion, but your people created the device that made them use their Super Megamode… I have been watching, waiting for my chance, seeing my brother fail, and now, his sacrifice serves me to get a better understanding of how these new powers work and how to block them until I can destroy the Rangers. And you… you are the key, little friend."
Vrak laughed, walking away while Orion remained unconscious, his energy being drained to stop the Rangers.
-SMF-
Next Morning
Jake, Gia, and Noah were walking to get the bus when they saw something strange not far from home. They looked at each other, confused, and quickly reacted, running away from people and contacting Emma and Troy.
For some reason, the only one they couldn't contact was Orion.
"I don't like this," said Noah.
"Let's go with the others and find out what is going on," said Gia.
"Billy, call Dad. I think we are going to need help to find Orion," said Jake.
Jake was lowering his morpher when a message from Billy made him raise the morpher again. What Billy said froze Jake completely, forcing Gia and Noah to stop and look at him, confused and worried.
"What is it?" asked Noah.
"The Rangers' keys… Billy says they transformed into stones. We can't use them," said Jake.
The Rangers looked at each other. Now they had a serious problem. For now, all they could do was reunite with Troy and Emma and decide what their next step should be to find out what was happening.
-SMF-
Beach
The Rangers arrived at the beach, almost reaching the Command Center, when they heard a laugh. They all turned to see Vrak standing in front of them. Their past enemy seemed ready to bring them down, transforming into his most powerful state while the Rangers looked at each other.
They couldn't use the keys, but they still had their Gosei Morphers.
"Rangers! Ready!" screamed Troy. "Go! Go! Megaforce!"
"Go! Go! Megaforce!" screamed the Rangers.
The Megaforce Rangers got ready for battle. Pink, Yellow, and Blue used their cards to create the Tri Attack and hit Vrak, but it did nothing to him. He only started laughing before he ran towards them, the symbol on his chest shining as he hit Yellow, Pink, and Blue, throwing them to the ground. Then he heard Red using his sword, but Vrak stopped it with his hand and sent Red flying with the other Rangers.
Finally, Black appeared, and Vrak grabbed him. But Black managed to free himself and kick Vrak. Unfortunately, Vrak raised his hand, hitting Black with a wave of energy, but Black blocked it using Bastro's energy combined with his Snake.
"We see each other again, Jake," said Vrak.
"Hopefully, this will be the last time," said the Black Ranger.
The Black Ranger was about to attack when Vrak jumped back and clapped, looking at the Rangers. He was having so much fun, and they didn't even know why.
"I believe we have to end this reunion for now. I must go back to my base," said Vrak, raising his hand. "By the way, if you're looking for your friend Orion, he is with me. He is the one I'm using to keep my towers active, and if you kill me… guess what? You will never know where he is."
Vrak disappeared before the Rangers could do anything to stop him, and the Rangers demorphed. Troy and Jake were frustrated and furious, while the others were worried. But it was Noah who spoke, taking a step forward.
"We have to go to the Command Center. There we have all we need to find a way to stop this and save Orion," said Noah.
Jake and Troy looked at Noah and then nodded. He was right. Letting their girlfriends hug them, the two couples and Noah walked towards the Command Center, hoping to find all the answers to this problem.
-SMF-
Command Center
Arriving at the Command Center, the Rangers saw that they weren't alone. The Dino Rangers, the Original Rangers and Zeo, the Turbo and Space teams were there. The others had been there, judging by the screens around the Rangers, and if Jake wasn't mistaken, this situation was more serious than they thought.
"Rangers…" said Tommy.
"Tommy… what's all this?" asked Troy.
"We had a meeting," said Jason. "Thanks to the Space and Lost Galaxy teams, we now know the devices you use to transform into your Super Megamode and use the keys were created in Andresia."
"When Andresia was attacked, the elders managed to send the devices and keys to Earth, somewhere they thought it was safe, but they got lost during transportation and somehow the devices ended in Corinth, all except the Silver one, that didn't teleport at all," said Kimberly.
"The elders, unable to send the Silver device, did their best to hide it and later, Orion found it," said Kat.
"So that's why I found our devices in Corinth," asked Jake.
"Yes, apparently some Andresians can travel through different universes. They must have opened a portal and thrown the devices, hoping to reach someone or destroy them," explained Wes.
The Rangers looked around. The keys were stone, and there was no way they could use them. They couldn't even access the Super Megamode armors, and that was a big problem against Vrak.
"So… what do we do now?" asked Emma.
"We have to find Orion and put an end to this. Unfortunately, Jake, we will have to count on your power as the extra push this time. We need you and Bastro at your best," said Jason.
Jake nodded, his hand already surrounded by white light until Gia grabbed it and looked at him. That's when they heard a sound and saw RoboKnight walking towards them. He was still a little bit dizzy but better than the last time they saw him.
Jake ran towards him, helping him to stabilize when RoboKnight raised his morpher and put it in Jake's hand.
"I'm still not good to fight myself, but this can be useful…" said RoboKnight. "There is a code, 331, that will allow you to use me as a battlizer… I know it's not much, but it's all I can do to help."
"RoboKnight…" started Jake.
"Vrak is powerful, and we need Orion. He is good for Earth…" said RoboKnight. "Use it when you see it is necessary, please…"
Jake got the morpher and nodded, helping RoboKnight to sit. Then, he took a few steps towards his friends, putting RoboKnight's morpher in his pocket, and looked at his father. Both men knew what to do, and they nodded as if they could talk to each other with their eyes.
Suddenly, the alarm went off, and the Rangers looked at Vrak. He was on the beach and so sure of his win that Jake felt his anger give him extra energy as his body was covered by a light white aura..
"Dad, you and the others try to find out where he has Orion. We will take care of him," said Jake.
"Well said, Jake… we won't give up," said Troy, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Rangers! Ready!"
"Go! Go! Megaforce!" screamed the Rangers.
The Rangers morphed and ran out of the Command Center, towards the beach, while the others tried to locate Orion. While the Rangers ran outside, they called for their Ultra Mode and jumped into battle, standing in front of Vrak.
"Here you are again, Rangers…"
"Vrak, this ends now!"
Vrak laughed and raised his hand. A new monster appeared beside him. Vrak ordered the monster to attack the Rangers while he played with something in his hand. Blue and Black both saw it and avoided the monster, running towards Vrak, but the monster stopped their staffs with one hand.
"Really? I'm not even interested in the Blue one… not yet."
With a wave of energy, he sent both Black and Blue to the ground, but they got up quickly. Black closed his fists, letting the white aura cover him, while Blue looked at his friend and ran towards Vrak. Blue saw Vrak holding his sword, blocking Black's attacks, but he was still holding something in his hand.
What was that?
After Black used his head to hit Vrak, Blue was finally able to see what Vrak was holding. It was two spheres, and it seemed the third one was shining in his chest. Blue got up quickly, trying to get a better look. One of the spheres was blue, the other white.
"Black! The spheres!" screamed Blue.
Vrak pushed Black back with his sword and hid the spheres, but Black was able to get a glimpse of them before Vrak teleported away from the Rangers and looked at the monster.
"Take care of them!"
Vrak disappeared from the beach while the monster roared. The Rangers, together again, used their Ultra Mode to attack the monster, avoiding his attack. Then they saw the monster grow to a Megazord size, and the Rangers looked at each other, knowing what to do.
The Rangers called their zords, jumping on them, ready for the fight until they realized something…
"Black! What are you doing!? We need to form the Megazord!" said Red.
"I need a minute…" said Black.
Black took a deep breath and closed his eyes, lowering his head.
Inside Jake's Mind
Jake opened his eyes, looking at the Snake looking at him and Bastro sitting in front of him.
"What is it?" asked Jake.
"Master… at this point, you know you can call more zords… not only the Dragonzord and the Tigrezord but also the remaining zords of the Original Rangers," said the Snake.
"I can give you enough stability to hold their energy, but be careful, Jake. This is a one-time use. The zords will always be there for you, but handling the spirits by yourself is still too much for you. You are not fully ready yet," said Bastro.
Jake looked down at his hands. This, like everything before, was risky, but they had to get rid of this monster and find Orion before Vrak destroyed this planet…
"I understand, Snake, Bastro… what do I do?" asked Jake.
"Call for them, Jacob, and they will come to you. They are your family," said Bastro.
Jake nodded and smiled at his spirits before closing his eyes.
-SMF-
Beach
When he opened his eyes, he saw his friends using their zords to fight, unable to form the Megazord without him. Black took a deep breath, preparing himself for the upcoming energy.
"I'm ready," said Black. "Tyrannosaurus Dinozord!"
-SMF-
Command Center
Jason's mouth fell open when he saw his old Dinozord coming to life from the ground. The Tyrannosaurus roared as if time had never passed and ran beside his son's Snake. Jason turned around, looking at the Rangers behind him.
"What..? How…?" asked Jason.
"It's your kid, Jase… he called my Dragonzord and Tigrezord twice, and now… now he is calling the others for help," said Tommy.
The veteran Rangers looked on as the Snake and the Tyrannosaurus moved together while the Black Ranger called for the other Dinozords. Their old friends coming to aid the youngest Rangers.
-SMF-
Beach
The Rangers looked impressed as they saw another zord running alongside the Snake. They could hear Black calling for them, and at the sound of their names, the zords appeared.
"Triceratops Dinozord!" called Black. "Mastodon Dinozord!"
They heard new roars and saw the Triceratops and the Mastodon Dinozords appearing, running right in front of the Tyrannosaurus and the Snake.
"How the hell is he doing that!?" asked Blue. "He is calling the zords of the Original Rangers!"
"Pterodactyl Dinozord!" called Black. "Dragonzord!"
"Now he called Pink and Green's Zords too?" asked Pink.
"Bastro must be giving him the energy to control them all…" said Yellow with a nervous tone in her voice.
Red was nervous too, but he kept his cool. Whatever Jake was doing, it was too late to stop it, and he had to trust him. Whatever it was, he had to have faith that Jake knew what he was doing. Meanwhile, now piloting his Snake, Black touched his heart when he called for the last Dinozord.
"Saber-Tooth Tiger Dinozord!" called Black.
Even with his broken voice, the call was clear. When the monster saw so many zords coming towards him, he tried to attack the Snake. Fortunately, at that time, the Saber-Tooth Tiger Dinozord appeared, jumping on the monster and using her paws to throw the monster on the ground before running beside her friends and her fallen master's son.
-SMF-
Command Center
The Rangers looked in awe as they saw their old zords running beside Jake's zord. With the Megaforce Rangers forming the Megazord now and the assistance of the Dinozords, they could finish this.
"Go get them, guys…" whispered Jason, worry and pride evident in his voice.
-SMF-
Beach
Inside the Megazord, the Rangers could see Black was holding a lot of tension, his whole body was tense from holding so many zords at the same time, but he still moved as if everything was fine. Red commanded the Megazord and quickly destroyed the monster, but just when they were about to claim victory, Black winced in pain.
"Jacob, you can form the sacred Zordon sword with the Dinozords. They hold the power to destroy the weakest of Vrak's towers, which will give us some time until we find Orion."
Black nodded and raised his hand. He took a deep breath before he spoke to the Dinozords.
"We need your help, Dinozords. Please, transform into the Sacred Zordon Sword and help us destroy this tower!" called Black.
As if it was the call of their master, the Dinozords united to create a powerful sword with their symbols on the handle. The Megazord grabbed the sword, and with great effort, Black looked at Red.
"Use it to destroy the tower," said Black, breathing hard. "Blue saw two crystals, and Bastro says this is the weakest one and that it will…"
The Rangers saw how Black had trouble breathing and almost got up, but he recovered and continued.
"…give us time to find Orion," finished Black.
"Of course… the other crystal could be in the tower!" said Blue. "If we destroy it, Vrak will lose power, and we will have time to look for Orion."
"Then let's do it," said Red. "Rangers! Attack!"
The Rangers moved the Megazord, raising the sword, and with one powerful attack, the sword sent a wave that completely decimated the tower, making it disappear and giving the Rangers a much-needed victory.
The sword disconnected from the Megazord and turned back into the Dinozords. They looked up towards the cockpit where the Rangers stood, looking at them.
"We should go… they have to go back to their resting state," said Black. "That was a one-use thing."
"How…?" asked Yellow.
"I'm not used to so many energies at the same time yet," said Black, looking at her. "I won't be able to keep them here, sorry."
"Let's see them," said Pink.
The Rangers nodded and went back to the controls to disassemble their zords and allow them to go back to rest. Once on the ground, the Rangers looked up and saw the Saber-Tooth Tiger walking towards Jake as the Ranger demorphed.
The Dinozord lowered her head and allowed Jake to pet her and hug her, while the Tyrannosaurus walked closer and lowered himself so Jake could pet him too. The scene was touching for the Rangers, who saw the love these Dinozords had for Jason and Trini's son.
But then, Jake nodded and looked at the Rangers, signaling them to come closer as the Dinozords allowed them to pet them. Troy hugged the Tyrannosaurus. Noah touched the Triceratops, amazed by its technology. Jake played with the Mastodon. Emma petted the Pterodactyl as the zord put her head on the ground, signaling she liked Emma's presence. Gia was allowed to jump on the Saber-Tooth Tiger's back, taking a small run with her.
It was short but it was so sweet the Rangers would never forget it. Once it was time, the Dinozords roared and went back to their homes while the Rangers said goodbye. Then, they looked at each other.
"Now we have to find Orion and put an end to Vrak, for good," said Troy.
The Rangers nodded and went back to the Command Center. They needed a plan, and time was running against them. But they were Rangers, and Rangers never give up.
Never.