[Galvantula]

Chapter 1 Part 2: The best laid plans of mice and men

"The one thing that's been bugging me since the meeting is why he doesn't use our real names. He's known us for years, he should at least have the common courtesy to refer to us by name", snapped Alasdair the kelpie. "He has abused our people for years and we are forced to take part of it or die. If this plan is to work, you must not fail" he barked at Melia the frogwoman, Aiko the siren and Gregory the werewolf.

"You shouldn't be so hard on them" Blaise the vampire bat meekly told him."None of us like Overshadow at all and we all know the only way out was to work for him, even though it meant giving up on our dreams." He sighed sadly as he looked down in shame, the horrors they had helped to bring about on their world will hang over them for the rest of their lives.

"Still, we should reap the fruits of our labor and finish what we have started" Aiko calmly told them."The humans will not survive without aid. We mustn't fail them or both of our worlds are doomed"

"Can you image how ticked Overshadow would be if he knew we did our own research on Earth already?" Melia giggled."They are a good people, they just need a helpin' hand and a good ol' kick in the pants to set them straight!"

"Plus thanks to my design inputs we can also be heroes in style!" Gregory boomed in." Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the Nightmaranger!" He inputed a secret code with the touch screen and a Ranger suit popped out via holographic technology. All but Alasdair were impressed.

"Even if we do escape, what good will it do to protect these...inferior creatures?!?" he spat out in disgust."If they do not fear us or have us killed, we will be at their beck and call forever. I do not wish to be a slave to lesser beings than myself"

Blaise looked at Alasdair with a face than was a mix of sadness and anger."These people have it bad enough with having to deal with OverShadow and his Nightshade Empire looming around the bend." he calmly but nervously said."I think more than ever people need heroes to protect them and give hope in the darkest of times. It's been my dream since we were children. It's also the only one we have left." As he stated this tears ran down his face and mucus leaked out of his nose.

"Oh for pity's sake, Blaise, use a tissue!"Alasdair shouted out, earning him the glares of Aiko and Melia. Gregory wanted to strike him, but it would have done no good. The mission is all that mattered now. Their families have been dead for years and if they fail tonight, that will be their end as well.

After a tense but thankfully short walk they reached the docking bay were the Monsterrors, the giant vehicles that serve as the vanguard of the invasion, were being held. Just a few Zorigummies were guarding them and it was no problem dealing with them.

However Aiko's fondness for all things bright and shiny was another story.She never wanted to be a part of Overshadow's army, having grown up in luxury.She has heard stories of a good amount of wealth hidden somewhere in the castle and when she saw a old wooden door her lust for money got the best of her.

"Let's see what's behind this door shall we? It could be something worth its weight in gold. Gold itself perhaps!" she happily cried out, paying no heed to where poor Blaise was standing. They were both knocked down and took the others with them as a domino effect.

"You idiots are going to be the very death of me!" Alasdair roared as he threw them all off. In the commotion the Cloaking Cells fell to the floor.

"Uh, don't look now gang but I think we may took a little longer than we had hoped" Gregory said. The destruction of the robots had triggered the alarm and there was no time left to sort though who had this and that. A small army of Zorigummies was heading straight for them and if they wanted to get out alive, now was the time to field test the suits.

"I've always wanted to grind the Empire's gears and get away with it.... Now let's hop to it ,no pun intended" Melia quipped. Just after she said that she used her tongue to bring a small piece of the ceiling down on a few of the robots, flattening them."Now that they have been dealt a crushing blow, let's get this party started right! WAHOO!" She immediately scrolled down to the Transform command and selected the Suit Up feature.

"Eclipse Formation!" A Beam of light shines out of the screen of the Cloaking Cell of Melia and almost by instinct placed it on her abs, with the screen facing out. The light turned green and fanned out over Melia and just like that, Nightmare Green was on the scene. Her helmet had frog eyes that worked as floodlights, with white gloves and green boots that had tribal thorn designs at the ends of them.The top of the suit and skirt was green with tribal thorns at the bottom of the skirt and a tribal frog's head at the chest with black pants. She was quite pleased with the look as a mirror was nearby as she admired her suit."Check me out, I'm got a look with a LOT of hop to it!" she sang out. "Now you guys give it a whirl. C'mon now, don't be shy!"

"I guess we gotta do this then" Blaise said shyly. "Alright then, everyone ready?" The rest nodded in agreement except for Alasdair."You own us big for this" Alasdair growled at Aiko.

"Eclipse Formation!"

Soon all of them were in their suits. Blaise's suit has a red top with a bat themed helmet with floodlights in the eyes as well, black pants, and white gloves and red boots with tribal flames at the ends of them. A tribal bat adored his chest as well. "I guess I'm Nightmare Red, even though I was meant to be green" he quietly said.

"Now that's what I call a happy accident! I never wanted to be pink anyways. Too weak looking for my tastes." Nightmare Green told him with a strong pat on the back."Plus red's totally your color, Y'know?"

Gregory's Nightmare Blue suit has a blue top with a tribal wolf's head on the chest, white gloves and blue boots with tribal water patterns, black pants and a wolflike helmet with floodlights in the eyes too." Beware evildoers, 'cause the wolf's on the prowl!"He follows this with a loud howl, much to Alasdair's annoyance.

Speaking of our kelpie friend, his Nighmare Yellow suit has a yellow top with a tribal horse head on his chest, white gloves and yellow boots with tribal earth symbols at the ends of them, black pants and a horse's head shaped helmet with floodlights in the eyes."I was meant to be Red. Gregory, aren't you upset you're not yellow like you wanted?" Nightmare blue just shook his head."Nope, I am rockin' true blue, baby!" Gregory happily beamed. Alasdair just shrugged at this statement.

Finally Aiko's Nightmare Pink outfit has a pink top with a tribal hawk on the chest, white gloves and pink boots with tribal air patterns at the ends, black pants and a pink skirt with tribal air patterns at the bottom of it and a hawklike helmet with floodlights in the eyes too. "I was meant to be blue, but pink's good too. It's more fitting to my personality and it works with the hawk motive better" she stated.

On all five suits were white belts with laser guns called Lantern Blasters in holsters on the right hand side. In the middle is the Cloaking Cell with the screens reading, STANDBY on all of them.

"Deceptive Sentai, Nightmaranger!" Blaise, Aiko, Melia and Gregory boomed out. Alasdair just looked on with a look of disgust.

Next time: Our first battle and our heroes get their mechs! Plus we get to meet a member of the supporting cast! See you there!