Nighttime in Angel Grove was much like nighttime in any big city. Folks were either making a mess or cleaning it up. For one lone figure, standing atop a skyscraper as he gazed down over the city, it was always time for making a mess. A big catastrophic mess, especially. He was a ghoulishly pale young man, wearing a black trench coat, gray pants, black shoes, and a black Fedora hat. He had short dark brown hair…and glowing red eyes, as well as a mouthful of razor-sharp teeth, currently set in a grin.
He let out a sinister chuckle as he looked at the city. All those poor pitiful fools down there, running around like rats in a maze. None of them suspected that he had plans for them all, sinister plans. He, Miasma, the leader of the Omega Syndicate…and soon, master of the entire world.
Far from Angel Grove, another figure was hard at work. He was a tall man with neat black hair and green eyes, dressed in a scientist's lab coat and glasses. He was surrounded by lab equipment, all of it seemingly from a future time. His name was Ammoron, and like Miasma, he had plans for the city of Angel Grove. But where Miasma had evil designs, Ammoron intended to save the city and its people. For he and Miasma had battled each other for eons, like a never-ending chess game.
He turned to look at the display case next to him. Inside lay six golden coins, Power Coins to be specific. Much like the ones his old mentor had distributed long ago to a young team of heroes, only more advanced and powerful. He smiled, but it fell when he saw the empty seventh empty slot in the case. For once there had been a seventh Coin, but to his despair it had been stolen. Stolen right from under his nose by none other than his great enemy Miasma himself. Even more distressing was the fact that the stolen Power Coin was a fluke, far more powerful than the others, created seemingly by accident.
He had attempted to recreate the Coin in his lab, to reproduce that string of unlikely events. But all his attempts had failed, leaving him feeling discouraged and uncertain. Still, he had no time for self-pity or distracting thoughts. The world needed a new team of defenders, and not only was it up to him to choose those heroes, but to mentor them as well.
He shut the case for the coins and turned his attention to the massive computer screen behind him. "Time to recruit a team of teenagers with attitude," he said, the corners of his mouth tugging upward in a smile.
The next day, the Angel Grove Youth Center was bustling with activity. Students from high school were either enjoying the juice bar or utilizing the gym to work out. Some were even attending exercise classes. Among the vast body of young people was a group of six friends.
Sarah Scott and her sister, Mina, were attending a martial arts class together. Sarah's best friend, Seth Park, was seated nearby, reading a book while frequently looking up to watch the class. Lillith Hart, an aspiring gymnast, was working on a balance beam, while Jenny Oliver, a tall girl, was in the weightlifting section, doing some bench presses. The last member of the group, James Cranston, was at the juice bar, doing his science homework.
Sarah let out a contented sigh as the class ended, straightening out her short black ponytail. "Another glorious day! That was a good class, wasn't it, sis?" she asked as she turned to Mina.
"Yeah, it was good," said Mina in her quiet voice as she straightened out the top of her outfit. "Now I could do with a cold smoothie."
"I hear ya! Let's go grab one," said Sarah with a grin. She looked over at Jenny. "Hey Big Red, you want to join us for smoothies at the bar?"
Jenny set the weight back in its rack and sat up, her red hair flowing down her back. "Sounds good to me! Nothing like a cold fruit and yogurt blend to wrap up a workout," she said as she stood up, using a towel to dab away the sweat on her forehead and face.
"Hey, count me in," said Lillith, performing a dismount from the balance beam. "Hey Seth, are you coming?" she asked as she glanced over at him.
Seth closed his book and looked up. "Of course, I'd love to," he said as he stood up.
They headed to the juice bar, taking seats around James. "Hey Ernie, can we get our usuals, please?" Sarah asked.
Ernie, the owner/operator of the Youth Center, came out of the kitchen in the back. "Coming right up, Sarah," he said. Ernie had been running the place ever since the kid's parents were high school students, and he showed no signs of slowing down. He got to work making six fruit smoothies, whistling a tune.
"Hey James, you should take a study break," said Lillith. "You've been at it since we got here."
"I know, but I want to make sure I got everything right," said James. "My GPA isn't going to maintain itself, you know."
"Even the most dedicated need to know when to relax once in a while," said Sarah. "Got to give yourself a chance to refresh."
James was about to protest when he saw Mina nodding her head in agreement with her sister. "Well…yeah, I guess I could stand to take a little break," he said, closing his science book.
"That's the spirit," said Ernie as he brought over their smoothies. "Learn to stop and smell the roses once in a while."
"Or in this case, taste these epic creations of yours," said Lillith with an eager grin.
"So what should we do with the rest of the day?" asked Sarah, sipping her smoothie.
"Well, we could always hit up the mall," said Lillith.
"Sounds good to me," said Seth. "What about the rest of you?"
"That sounds great to me," said Jenny.
"What the heck, why not," said Sarah. "Angel Grove Mall it is!"
After their smoothies, the group of teens headed to the mall to do some window shopping.
"So, where do you want to go first?" Sarah asked her friends as she was looking around
"I don't know, there's so many options," said James. "Maybe we could-"He stopped and looked over at Mina. "Hey, are you okay, Mina?"
Mina was looking nervously towards a group of men wearing identical outfits- black and red suits and Fedoras complete with black leather gloves. Their faces were covered up to their eyes, which were hidden by the brims of their hats.
Sarah saw them and immediately started to get a bad feeling in her gut. "I don't know who those guys are, but I've got a bad feeling about this," she said.
"Perhaps we should leave it alone," said Seth. "No sense in getting involved in something we won't be able to handle."
"Think we should tell security?" asked Lillith, watching as the men were looking around at the passing shoppers.
They never got the chance to, however. Suddenly the group of men snapped their fingers and out of nowhere, submachine guns appeared in their hands! They opened fire, aiming towards the ceiling. Chaos erupted instantly, shoppers running for their lives while screaming. The six friends ducked into a nearby clothing shop and hid.
"What the hell was that?" Sarah practically yelled. "Why are they shooting the place up?!"
"I don't know, could they be some kind of street gang?" asked James, huddled under a clothing rack with Mina.
"I don't know, but they obviously mean business," said Seth. "We need to get out of here, somehow!"
Suddenly all their cellphones went off at the same time. They checked, each of them seeing the same message on their screens: HOLD ON TIGHT, I'M BRINGING YOU IN.
"What the hell-"Sarah started to say, but she never finished. She and the others suddenly turned into colored bodies of light and were whisked away like a flash. They all materialized in Ammoron's laboratory, landing in a giant heap.
"Whoever that is, get your hand off my chest!" Sarah demanded, her face red.
"Sorry, Sarah," groaned Seth. "But my arm is pinned. I can't move it."
"Sorry, that's me," said Lillith. "Jeez, what the heck was that?"
"Did we just get beamed up like on 'Star Trek?'" asked Jenny from the bottom of the pile.
"Mina? Hey Mina, James, are you guys okay?" asked Sarah, looking around.
James and Mina were there, alright. James had landed flat on his back…with Mina on top of him, her face barely an inch from his. The two were staring at each other wide-eyed, blushing furiously.
"Wow, you two are getting nice and cozy over there," said Lillith, laughing a little.
The teens scrambled up onto their feet quickly, Mina and James exchanging awkward glances as they got up. Now they could finally see their surroundings clearly.
"Whoa! When did we end up in the Batcave?" asked Lillith, staring at the massive computer terminal.
"I don't know where we are, but it's definitely something special!" James exclaimed, looking at all the equipment like a kid in a candy store.
"I'll say special, look at this," said Jenny, looking over a large piece of lab machinery. "Hey, where do you put the quarter?"
"Jenny, will you just stop messing around?" demanded Sarah, giving her friend a thump on the back of the head. "We need to figure out where we are, and how we got here!"
"I can answer both of those questions, Sarah" said a voice from the chair in front of the giant computer. It turned around, revealing its owner. "My name is Ammoron, and you're currently in my laboratory," he said, "and I brought you here via teleportation."
"If that's true, you just saved all of our necks," said Seth. "But why did you go out of the way to rescue us?"
"And who were those lunatics that turned the mall into a Miami-style New Year's Eve party?" asked Lillith.
"They were Soldatos, minions of the Omega Syndicate," said Ammoron, turning his chair around and tapping a key on the keyboard. The screen suddenly lit up with multiple videos of the strangely dressed men carrying out various criminal activities. In the center of the screen was an image: a five-pointed star with an Omega symbol in the center.
"The Omega Syndicate is the single largest underground criminal empire on Earth," said Ammoron as the teens came closer. "They're involved in everything you can think of, from street crime to global terrorism. And this…" The screen showed a full screen video of Miasma now, cackling like a madman. "Is the head of the Syndicate. Miasma, a powerful demon that I've battled with off and on throughout human history. With the vast resources and dark powers at his fingertips, he plans to lay claim to the entire world."
"A…demon? You're being serious, right?" asked Sarah. "So, what does that make you, an angel of some kind?"
"Nothing so lofty or divine, I'm afraid," said Ammoron. "I'm merely an immortal scientist from the 25th century who decided to step up and do what nobody else was willing to do."
"We see," said Seth. "But what does this have to do with us?"
"Tell me, Seth," said Ammoron, "how much do you and your friends know of the Power Rangers."
"Well, they were big heroes in Angel Grove back when our parents were our age," said Sarah. "Fought some crazy space witch and her minions."
"That's correct," said Ammoron. "I was a close friend of the being who mentored the Power Rangers, an interdimensional entity known as Zordon. You might say he was the inspiration for me to stand against Miasma and his schemes. Unfortunately, I'm a scientist, not a fighter. So, I must call upon a new team of Rangers to defend Angel Grove, and by extension the rest of the world."
"Wait a second," said Sarah. "You mean…you chose us?" She pointed to herself and the others.
"That's right," said Ammoron. "I've chosen you to follow in the footsteps of the previous generation, to carry on their legacy." He pressed a button on the keyboard and each teen suddenly found themselves holding a new cellphone.
"New phones?" asked Lillith. Suddenly her phone screen opened, revealing one of the Power Coins. "Whoa! What's this?"
"We all have them," said Seth, looking at his.
"Those are your Power Coins," said Ammoron. "Those phones will function as your Power Morphers, as well as fully operational cellphones. When you are in danger, or simply in need, simply activate the Morpher function and raise it to the sky, calling your Ranger designation, and you will transform."
"Wow! And are these…dinosaurs on the coins?" asked Mina curiously.
"Well, and prehistoric life as well," said Ammoron. "Sarah, you are fearless and possessed of great courage. You will command the power of the Tyrannosaurus."
"My favorite dinosaur, sweet!" said Sarah.
"Seth, you are clever and level-headed," said Ammoron. "You will command the mighty Mastodon."
"Understood," said Seth.
"Mina, you have a fierce desire to protect those you love," said Ammoron. "The Saber-tooth Tiger will be yours."
Mina nodded, looking at her Power Coin in awe.
"James, you are patient and possessed of great intelligence," said Ammoron. "You will command the Triceratops."
"A reliable guardian, I like it," James said.
"Lillith, graceful and agile, you shall command the Pterodactyl" said Ammoron.
"Nice, I get one that flies," said Lillith with a grin.
"And last but not least, you Jenny," said Ammoron. "You possess great strength and a noble heart. You shall command the power of the Dragonzord."
"I get a dragon? Far out!" exclaimed Jenny.
"In addition to your powers, you will command a fleet of powerful fighting machines called Zords, much like the previous team," said Ammoron. "I've taken the liberty of making them far more powerful than the previous versions. And much like them, they will have the power to combine into the mighty Megazord."
"So we get superpowers and giant robots? This gets better and better," said Sarah.
"Do…you really think we can do this?" asked Mina.
"I understand your hesitation," said Ammoron. "Your parents had their own doubts when they were chosen as well."
This got everyone's attention. "Did you say…our parents were the previous Power Rangers?" asked James, adjusting his glasses.
"Indeed they were," said Ammoron. "With the exception of Jenny. Her great-great-grandfather Tom was the one who originally donned the power of the Dragonzord. Her family has guarded that secret for years."
"So it's like a family legacy," said Seth. "We're carrying on the work they originally set out to do."
"Indeed you are," said Ammoron. "In return, I ask only a few things of you."
"What would that be?" asked Seth.
"First, never use your powers for selfish reasons," said Ammoron. "Second, never escalate a situation unless the enemy forces you. Third, guard your identity well, for only your parents can ever know that you are Rangers. Finally, and this is the most important rule of all…never lose a Ranger."
The six teens all looked at each other in silence for a time, then they all nodded. "Ammoron, you have a deal," said Sarah. "We'll do it."
"I'm glad you accepted," said Ammoron. "Because those Syndicate goons are still attacking the mall. Law enforcement is there, but they don't have a prayer against beings like that."
"Leave that to us," said Sarah. "Guys…it's morphin' time!"
Just as Ammoron had told them, they raised their Morphers to the sky, calling out the names of their dinosaurs. Next thing they knew, they were back in the mall, dressed in sleek jumpsuits and shiny helmets.
"Whoa, look at us!" said Lillith, looking herself over.
"I could totally get used to this!" said Jenny, posing in her suit.
"We can check ourselves out later," said Sarah. "We've got some trash to take out!"
It didn't take them long to find the Syndicate thugs. They were outside, putting a bunch of local police on the ropes. When the Soldatos saw the Rangers, they immediately turned their attention to them. Their guns suddenly changed into large blades, and they charged at them.
The Rangers charged back, taking on the armed assailants with a flurry of masterful martial arts moves. Even James, the least athletic member of the group, was suddenly leaping, dodging, punching and kicking with the best of them.
"This is amazing! It's like my body knows exactly what to do and how to do it!" said James, flipping over one opponent and kicking him in the back of the head.
"Yeah, and I feel stronger than before!" said Mina, standing at his back as she fought off one of the thugs. "We really are superheroes!"
"Hey uglies, come and get me!" laughed Lillith, doing a few gymnastic flips between two enemies, causing them to take each other out.
Seth dodged a few attacks from one enemy before catching the blade in one hand, using his other hand to shatter it to pieces. "Didn't your mother ever tell you not to play with sharp objects?" he asked before taking it out with a powerful kick.
Sarah did a tornado kick, taking down the last enemy. "Now let that be a message to your boss," she said. "If he wants to mess with Angel Grove, he's got to go through us!" She turned to the police. "Are you officers okay?"
"Yeah, we're banged up but we're okay," replied the policeman. "You're…you're the Power Rangers, aren't you?"
"That's right, the new Power Rangers," said Sarah. "From now on, if those punks show their ugly faces again, we'll be right there to stop them." She turned to her teammates. "Guys, let's head back!" They all teleported back to the lab.
"Not bad, all of you," said Ammoron. "For your first mission, that was very well done."
"Well it was just a bunch of wannabe mafiosos," said Sarah. "Something tells me from here on out it's going to get tougher. So, we'll just have to be ready."
"Yes, that's true," said Ammoron. "But I have every confidence in each of you. Remember, don't just rely on each other, but turn to your parents as well. Their experience can help you."
Sarah nodded and looked at the others. "Looks like we're officially a hero team," she said.
"This is the best day EVER!" shouted Jenny, jumping up in place.
Ammoron smiled as he watched them. The loss of the seventh Power Coin still weighed on him, as well as what Miasma might do with it, but that could wait. For now, he would enjoy this first victory for the new team.
Miasma sat in his hidden stronghold, watching a wall of screens. Displayed across them were the images of the battle against the Power Rangers. "Hmmm, so you've played your hand, Ammoron," he said, drumming his clawed fingers together. "Now we have a new team of Rangers to contend with. This should make the game interesting." He stood up and walked out of the monitor room, heading down the corridor. Soldatos and Capos, their officer units, walked around him as they went about their duties. He went to a sealed doorway and punched in a code on the keypad. He stepped through the open door and into a lab where a single glass tube stood in the center of the room. It contained a lone human occupant suspended in fluid, with short dark hair.
"So close to completion," said Miasma. "Then I will have the ultimate soldier at my disposal, my Giga Ranger. When you awaken, you will face Ammoron's precious Power Rangers…and KILL THEM!"
The occupant's eyes opened, gleaming maliciously as Miasma laughed out loud.