[FangRX]

Two hundred miles off of the coast of Reefside, California, an inflatable boat with an outboard motor seared across the ocean, tearing the clear blue water in half as they sailed along, the boat’s two passengers engaged in conversation.

“Why are you making me be in on this? Uncle is going to be so pissed off after we find him. IF we find him,” one woman said to her companion. “Besides, you know how a wetsuit hood janks up my hair.”

“Oh, quit whining, Marah,” the other woman said, groaning and rolling her eyes. “You honestly whine too damn much.”

“Well, you know I hate things covering my head,” Marah growled. “Damn it, Kapri!”

“Marah, you never complained about having things covering your head when you were sleeping with Dustin,” Kapri said, her sister shutting up at that comment. “That’s what I thought.”

Soon the two arrived at their destination, a black mass under the crystal blue water. “Do you even think he’s down there?” Marah asked, her tone quizzical as she looked at her sister. “I mean…we haven’t even seen Uncle since the Dino Thunder team and Dustin and the guys teamed up.” She pulled a locket from her bag on the floor of the boat, opening it up to reveal her and Dustin after they got married a few years before, clutching it to her chest. “Kapri…I don’t know…”

“Marah, it’ll be fine,” the pink haired girl said. “Trust me.”

“I will…but this is the last time, sister.”

Diving down into the water, the sisters started looking around with floodlights to find what they were looking for. Marah pointed, tapping her sister’s shoulder. She dove deeper down, finding the metallic door to the old island lair of Mesogog’s, using a piece of rebar to pry it open with Kapri’s help.

Finally, the two women made inside of the island fortress, their boots clacking against a solid metal floor, the oceans crushing depths no longer pressing on them. Marah started looking around for a light when Kapri took her oxygen mask off. “Mar, we can breath normal. Surprisingly, there isn’t any water in here,” she said, looking around.

Marah nodded, taking her mask off and lowering the mesh hood before sighing. “It’s definitely in need of Stanley Steamers, that’s for sure,” she said, making a face. “Not even the ship was this disgusting.”

“Shut up. Look for Uncle,” Kapri snapped, moving some rubble. “Uncle, where are you?”

After a while of searching, Kapri wasn’t sure how much time had passed, she groaned as she moved a last piece of metal, laughing. “I found him!” she said, lifting up a glass jar that had been cracked, several kinds of fluids pouring from the container. “Let’s go back to the surface and find a way to fix him.”

“You found him, Kapri. Isn’t that enough?” Marah asked, looking at her sister. “Please…you know how he treated us.”

“I don’t care. He treated us better then how our father would have,” Kapri growled, stuffing the container holding her uncle into her water proof bag. “You just want Uncle to stay down here, don’t’ you!?”

“YES!” Marah snapped, yelling out as a blast of silver lightning hit her from Kapri’s hand. “What are you doing?”

“What I should have done years ago, sister,” Kapri sighed. “I should have known you’d grow soft. I’m sorry.” With a mighty yell, she started causing rubble to fall on her sister, Marah scrambling backwards. “Goodbye, sister.”

“Kapri!” Marah screamed, her screams ceasing when a large piece of metal landed on her chest, crushing her instantly and killing her.

Vanishing from the underwater laboratory, Kapri reappeared on the beach, Serpen walking towards her. “Lady Serpen,” she said, bowing as her wetsuit shifted into her original outfit when she terrorized the Rangers.

“You have him, yes?” Serpen asked.

Nodding, Kapri pulled Lothor’s glass case from her bag, handing her uncle over. “He was easy to find,” she said. “The scent of evil energy drew me to him. But how do I know that you will not double cross me?”

“You don‘t. Since you found Lothor for me so easily, you won’t mind this,” Serpen growled, trusting her hand out and catching Kapri off guard, her arm wrist deep in the woman’s chest. She pulled out Kapri’s heart, squashing it with a burst of blood. “Thank you for your service, but we no longer need you.”

Kapri’s lifeless body thumped against the sand overlooking Reefside Bay, Serpen smirking to herself. “Now…the real fun begins,” Serpen growled, vanishing from the beach in a blast of black fire that left the area where she was standing into glass.
_____________________________________

Meanwhile, back on the Galleon, all five Rangers, including the two newest additions in Demi and April, were making themselves comfortable again with a slight lull in attacks. Thomas, however, was engrossed in looking over possible human candidates for a Silver Ranger.

“…And that’s how you travel faster then light,” Richmond’s voice carried, April standing beside him as the two walked out of the lab, Richmond in a white lab coat with goggles around his neck.

“Really? That’s how easy it is?” April asked, clearly impressed. She looked over at Thomas who seemed lost in thought, tapping him on the shoulder. “Boss man? You ok?”

“Huh?” Thomas asked, looking up from his console screen and sighing. “Yeah, I’m just trying to find a Silver Ranger. It’s…becoming a difficult task.”

“Have you eaten?” Richmond asked. “Or slept?”

“No. Not since the funeral,” Thomas admitted. “I can’t. Every time I close my eyes to sleep, all I see is Andrea being tortured by Skelecron or being hurt by Serpen. And I Have to keep telling myself that Artemis died as a baby, and that she was never real…”

“Yeah, that’s going to take some time,” Alec said, looking at the wall where a picture of Andrea had been hung, Geeps sitting beside it most of the time. “But we have to keep fighting. Even if it is just to make sure the world Andrea loved keeps spinning. Because…”

“You too, huh?” Richmond said, taking April’s hand.

“Though it could be the company,” Alec said, Demi giggling as she sat down in his lap with a jar of cherries. “Are you going to eat that whole jar?”

“Maybe,” Demi smirked, popping a cherry in her mouth before putting one in Alec‘s mouth, kissing his cheek. “I might share.”

“Not like we don’t share enough,” Alec smirked. He heard Thomas snicker, the Red Ranger shaking his head. “What?”

“You,” the Red Ranger said, sticking his tongue out. “Look…we know who we’re dealing with now, we know what we’re dealing with. How do we stop her?”

The room fell silent, the only sound being April rusting through Ranger Keys. “What’s the strongest team of Rangers?” she asked.

“They were all strong in their own ways. If you’re looking for a team that was strong in Martial Arts, then Jungle Fury. Good with swords, Lost Galaxy. Quick responding times, Lightspeed Rescue and SPD,” Demi said. “Everyone had their own strength, so there wasn’t a “Strongest” overall, April.”

The Pink Ranger nodded, thinking a bit. “How does any of this stuff work?” she asked. “The Keys, I mean. Because honestly, I’d have figured that any Ranger that had a skirt would have stayed skirted.”

“Not true,” Alec said, patting Demi’s leg softly and wiggling out from underneath her. “Let me see the Mystic Force Blue, Samurai Green, and your Pink Ranger Key.” He took the three Keys as April handed them over, laying them on the table. “If you’ll look, the Blue and Pink Keys have lines where there should be a skirt, but there isn’t one on the Green Ranger. Watch. Unleashed Engage!” Twisting the Mystic Force Key, Alec soon became clad in the outfit of that specific Ranger. “We don’t know how it works, but I guess the Morphing Grid senses what gender you are and adjusts the suit to fit.”

“Cool,” April said, taking the Green Ranger Key before twisting it, becoming clad in the Green Samurai Ranger’s outfit, the Spin Sword on her hip hovering over a skirt. “Ok…that’s cool. And it does it with any Key?”

“Yeah, pretty much,” Thomas said. “We’ve never figured out the mechanics behind it, and since Geeps is the only one that has any idea and he isn’t spilling, we’ve been having to figure things out for ourselves.”

“Hey, I was told not to tell anyone anything until the time was ri--” Geeps started.

“Geeps?” Demi asked, rubbing the mechanical bird’s wing with a concerned look on her face. “Geeps!”

“--oh, bollocks!” Geeps sighed. “He’s been found.”

“Who?” Richmond asked.
______________________________

“Lothor,” Serpen grinned, holding up the glass jar before taking the glass off of it, leaving a perfectly preserved action figure model of Lothor before setting it on the desk. “Leave. Now.” When the Timbaks left, all that was left in the room other then Serpen was her loyal right hand man, Furyblaze and Dimas. “Serpent Sting! Regen!” As a snake-tipped hair tendril lashed out and bit down on Lothor, a silver venom ran from the fangs into the man’s shoulder, infusing him with energy that was determined to destroy whatever block had been put on him years before.

After minutes of waiting, the figure on the stand fell backwards, growing into a fully grown form again, only as he did he mutated. Instead of the usual black and red tinted attire, Lothor’s body seemed to mutate, taking on the form of his Zord from his final battles with the Ninja Storm Rangers. Stretching his limbs and cracking bones, Lothor growled as he took in his new surroundings.

“Fancy,” he huffed. He looked around, his eyes landing on Serpen who had a sick grin on her face. “And who the hell are you? Medusa?”

“I am Serpen, the leader of the Battlesnare Empire. And you will show respect, Lothor,” she growled. “Otherwise you’ll be returned to your miniature state from before.”

“Yeah, sure,” Lothor said. “So, what do you want with me? I mean, you’re the leader of an Empire, don’t think you’d need a space ninja’s help.”

“Actually, I do, Lothor,” Serpen said, sighing a bit. “My SatLasers haven’t been fully operational since my assault on Eltar four years ago when Megas and his team of Mages stopped us dead in our tracks. I seem to recall you having a device that allowed to enlarge your army when the Rangers would defeat them, yes?”

“The Tenjen Scroll, yes,” Lothor said, nodding. “I have the remote for it here somewhere, and I supposed I could use it for your Empire.” He looked at the gathered forces, a smirk on his face. “Vexacon, Shinmazu. I require them both for this instead of your forces, Lady Serpen.”

“Good. I’ll send for them from the Aquitian and Triforian Sectors. Expect their arrival tonight,” Serpen said, nodding to a Timbak who was awaiting his orders at the communications station on the back of the bridge.

As the transmission was relayed throughout a subspace signal, Lothor looked down at the glowing orb of Earth, his sights locked in on his target. “Soon…I will finish that which I started over a decade ago,” he growled.
_________________________________

“He who?” Demi asked.

“Lothor,” Thomas said, looking up. “He’s one of the only villains in Power Rangers history to actually succeed in winning against his opponents, the Ninja Storm Rangers.”

“These guys?” April asked, holding up the Red Ninja Storm Key.

“Yes,” Thomas said. “If Lothor’s back…then we’re going to need the Ninja Storm Keys.”

Geeps sighed a bit, fluttering back to his perch in the wall. “I wish that Lothor had stayed dead. After your first run out with the Megazord on the moon, you bloody idiot Red Ranger, I haven’t been able to reconfigure the Combinlocks at all to make the Megazord stay together. It’s a Lego brick of a Megazord that’s going to shatter if hit once!”

“Oh, so it’s my fault?!” Thomas yelled. “You told me to use the fucking thing!”

“No, I bloody well did not!” Geeps squawked, slapping Thomas hard in the head and knocking the Red Ranger onto his back. “I told you do not activate it, you bleeding fool! Because of you, I haven’t slept in weeks trying to fix your bloody fuck up!”

“Stop it,” Demi whispered, her eyes cast to the hardwood floor. “Stop it!” All other activity ceased, all heads turning to the Yellow Ranger. “Just stop fighting! It’s what Artemis wants! Don’t you fucking get it?!” She turned and ran out, dropping out of the ship and running into downtown, heading straight for a familiar place.

“What was that all about?” Richmond asked.

“No idea,” Alec sighed. “I’ll go find her.” He headed out after Demi, following her signal on his Caller.
___________________

After Demi stopped running, she slumped against the wall of a daycare center, getting her breath before she opened the door, the sounds of kids playing and laughing, some of them coloring or playing with clay filling her eyes and ears with happiness she wished she’d have. Her face broken out into a smile when she heard a lovely voice in the crowd.

“Mama!” a young girl giggled, running over and hugging Demi’s legs. Demi, picking up her daughter, tapped her nose.

“Hi, Selly. You have fun today?” Demi asked, signing her out of the Center before going back outside, kissing her daughter on the cheek.

“Yes! We made clay bunnies. Mine looks deformed,” Selena giggled, snuggling into her mother’s arms. “I gonna paint him red, Mama.”

“Like your favorite character on the TV,” Demi said, smiling as she hefted Selena up in her arms a bit. She stopped when she saw a familiar shadow, and she frowned. “I didn’t want to be followed, Alec.”

“I just wanted to know what was wrong, sweetheart,” the Blue Ranger sighed. “I mean…you ran out in such a hurry, and I’ve never seen you yell like that.”

“I’m sorry,” Demi whispered. “I just couldn’t handle Geeps yelling at Thomas like that.” She felt Selena curl up in her arms, looking up at the Blue Ranger. “Stupid me. Alec, this is my daughter, Selena Katasha Howell.”

Alec smiled softly at Selena, holding his hand out. “It’s nice to meet you,” he said, watching her look at his hand before putting hers in his.

“It’s nice to meet you, as well,” Selena said, smiling. “Mama, he’s cute.”

“I know,” Demi giggled. “He’s the man I’ve been helping with his friends. He’s my best friend next to April.”

Selena giggled, smiling. “Well, can he stay forever?”

Alec raised his eyebrow, looking at Demi. “I don’t know, honey. Only if he wants to,” Demi said, giving her daughter a squeeze. “But for now, I need you to do me a favor.”

“What’s that, Mama?”

“I need you to stay with Uncle Danny and Aunt Dinah, ok? Because Mama’s fighting along with Alec and his friends to save Earth, and I need you to stay out of the way of fire.”

Selena frowned softly, but she knew her mother just wanted her safe. “Yes, Mama. I’ll stay and be a good girl. But you gots to promise me you’ll come back and we’ll all go out for an ice cream!”

“I promise, honey,” Demi said, kissing her daughter’s cheek. “Let’s go get one right now. Maybe we can go see a movie, too.”

“Yay!” Selena giggled, hugging her mothers neck.

As the three walked along, Alec couldn’t help but be reminded of his own wife and daughter from Ryzan. Demi had to have noticed, since she dropped back and took his hand. “You ok?” she asked, looking up at him.

“Yes, dear,” Alec said. “Just watching you and Selena reminds me of Cam’ron and De’lia. That’s all.” He smiled softly, giving her hand a squeeze before he had a bad feeling. “We need to go. Something’s wrong.”

“Sorry, sweetheart. The Ice cream’s going to have to wait,” Demi said, frowning softly.

“It’s ok, Mama. You go be a hero!” Selena grinned, kissing her mother’s nose. “Besides, Uncle Darrell’s café’s right there. I’ll go hide there.” She jumped down and ran, ducking into the café before getting up in a booth and looking out of the window. “Go, Mama.”
____________________________________

Lothor, having gotten tired of waiting, grabbed several Timbaks and Golbaks, shoving past Furyblaze who tried to waylay him. “Get out of my way,” Lothor growled. “I’ve got some revenge to take care of. Let’s go, boys.” In a burst of silver smoke, Lothor vanished from the Blizkon and reappeared in the middle of the City, alerting the Rangers to the danger.

“Great,” Thomas growled, getting up and steering the Galleon around before he alerted Demi and Alec, unaware the Blue and Yellow Rangers were already on the way towards the disturbance. “Rich, April, get ready. It’s about to get heavy.”

“Good. I’ve been waiting for something to slug,” Richmond said, cracking his neck. “You ready, April?”

“Hell yes,” April smirked, shrugging a thin jacket on and sticking her Caller in her back pocket.

“Let’s go,” Thomas said, jumping down out of the belly of the ship before landing on the ground, Richmond and April on his right as Alec and Demi appeared on the left. “About time.”

“Don’t start,” Demi sighed, looking around. “Where is it?”

Stepping out of the air, dark clouds raged around the city, a clap of thunder following a bolt of lightning that hit several yards behind the newest arrival. Thomas and the other Rangers stiffened as Lothor walked out, mutated and looking ready to murder.

“Lothor,” Thomas growled. “How you did survive Mesogog’s lab imploding?”

“Even I don’t know. But I do know I have my idiot nieces to thank for my coming back. And Serpen for using her own venom to revive me. Though I could have done it myself with all of the chemicals and whatnot I’d been doused with. But let’s not talk. Boys! Let’s make this a fun as hell party!” Lothor laughed, a silver crossbow appearing in his hand as he pointed it at the Rangers. “Why don’t you all just die and we’ll have fun with Earth?”

“Don’t think so,” Thomas smirked. “Let’s do it!”

“Unleashed Engage!” the five Rangers yelled, turning their Keys into the Callers and twisting them, their suits materializing around them before Thomas and Alec rushed forward, the girls and Richmond giving cover fire which started tearing down the Timbaks.

Thomas and Alec locked Lothor in combat, neither Ranger trying to give any quarter to their Ninja-based enemy. “Alright, this ain’t working!” the Blue Ranger called out.

“Got any ideas?” Thomas asked, kicking Lothor below the belt before jumping up and wrapping his legs around Lothor’s head, driving him into the ground with a well-placed flip.

“One or two,” Alec laughed, throwing his sword back towards Demi. “Duck!” When she did, the sword plunged into one of the Timbaks’ heads, dropping him like a stone.

“Don’t ever do that again!” Demi screeched, holding her head as she stood up. “Jesus!” She kicked a Golbak hard where it’s nuts would be, causing it to fall before blowing it’s head off. “Oh, I’m going to kill you for that!”

“Yeah, doubt it, babe,” Alec laughed, Lothor getting up and launching a wave of energy that knocked the Rangers backwards into a pile, Richmond making the base while Demi and April landed on him, each girl on various parts of his anatomy, Thomas and Alec landing next, the girls groaning in pain.

“Thomas, get your head out of that!” April coughed, shoving the Red Ranger out from between her legs. She got up and helped Demi up, the Yellow Ranger straddling Richmond’s head before Alec could complain. “I’ve got a thought.”

“Same one I’ve got?” Richmond asked, rubbing his stomach. “Changing our styles?”

“Damn right,” Demi growled, holding her arm. “And I think it’s a ninja type of day.”

“Which Ninjas?” Thomas asked, holding up two Red Ranger Keys. “Ninja Storm or the Alien Rangers?”

“RPM!” Demi snapped. “What do you think!?”

“Now, now, don’t quarrel on my account,” Lothor laughed, watching the Rangers bicker. “Either way, whatever you choose is just going to get you all hurt.”

“Unleashed Engage!” the Rangers yelled, having decided on a team.

NINJA STORM RANGER FORM

THUNDER STORM RANGER FORM

After a flash of multicolored light, the five stood clad as the Ninja Storm Rangers, Yellow baring a skirt as did Navy, the Keys changing the suits to accommodate the genders of the Rangers.

“That’s impossible,” Lothor growled, clearly uneasy to be facing down his oldest opponents once again. “They’re dead. Serpen’s army made sure of it.”

“Of course they are,” Richmond growled in return, the Crimson Blaster in his hand while April held the Navy Horn ready. “But, we’re pirates, dude. Get used to it.”

“Ninja Shadow Battle!” Thomas called out, a massive screen covering the area and shrouding the Rangers in darkness, each of them jumping around and slashing at Lothor, hitting him with the Ninja Swords and Ninja Staffs, each one of the Rangers unleashing a special attack as well before the screens vanished in a puff of smoke.

“No! I won’t be defeated here!” Lothor snapped, taking his crossbow in hand again before firing a thousand arrows, some of them striking the Rangers before making them roll to a stop, Thomas’ suit smoking as he stood up. “Won’t you just die?!”

“Not a chance,” the Red Ranger growled, his glove squeaking against the metal handle of his Hawk Blaster. “Let’s put these together. Thunderstorm Cannon!”

As the five weapons assembled, Thomas stood behind the cannon, his finger on the trigger, Alec on his left with Demi on Thomas’ right. At the front, Richmond was in front of Demi, April in front of Alec, all of them holding up the Cannon. “Thunderstorm Blast!” they shouted in unison, Thomas pulling the trigger as a combined blast of energy--tinted the five Colors of the Rangers--blasted out, colliding with Lothor before he stumbled backwards, parts of him on fire.

“It won’t end like this!” Lothor yelled. “NOT AGAIN!” Pulling a device from his pocket, he flipped open the remote-like controller. He hit several buttons, smirking. “Scroll of Empowerment! Descend!”

The sky darkened again, a weathered scroll appearing in the sky before it opened up, the Japanese script on it glowing before it hit Lothor, forcing his body to grow to gigantic proportions. Laughing, the newly giant villain started smashing buildings, hearing screams be silenced before he kicked down a school, burning the children inside.

“Now try and stop me, Rangers!” Lothor laughed, stomping towards the five Rangers who were steadily retreating.

“Geeps…let’s hope you’ve got the Combinlocks calibrated again,” Thomas mumbled, taking his Caller in hand to summon the Rangers last hope…