Power Rangers Z30: The New Order

[ch0sen1]

It's been nearly a decade since the infamous Power Rangers have dropped from the face of the Earth. Conspiracy theorists, fans, now grown 90s kids, and even the government that once knew of the renowned heroes are left to speculation and confusion as to the whereabouts of the missing rangers. Among the covert world of the old rangers, someone...or something begins to target the old members as a few close deaths revolving around some members begin to surface. For five unassuming citizens of Earth however, they will be tossed into a fantastical world of new frontiers...but with the face of a much darker and more brooding world. Upon finding strange crystals, they are led together in fate as they must band together to stop a secret and impending darkness.

This is how it starts.

 

[ch0sen1]

"Yeaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!"

The wind brushes through my hair as I speed down highway 1 to get back to my beautiful and peaceful hometown. Angel Grove. Palm trees, fun memories at the Gym and Juice Bar, even more fun when a few of my friends and I used to sneak out to the desert valley bonfires and just dance and hang out. What I missed most though was my family and friends I really didn't get to see or talk to that much. I had a very small and selective circle but they were the best. I blast my radio music listening to "Rest For The Wicked" by Lykke Li with the top down on my pink Mustang GT as the warm and dry air runs over my skin. I smile with my dark shades on with the ever so bright sun radiating.

So far Cal was pretty cool, a ton of tours and orientations to familiarize myself with the campus. Tours from some pretty charming men I might add, but nevertheless, my main focus was on school and swimming. The fact that I was on the road home already sparked my inner adventure to thrive and take the world by storm. I knew I was going to hike when I got home, but first I had to visit my favorite places. The park, and of course Gym and Juice Bar. So many memories there, it practically was 90% of Angel Grove's commerce and activities. I studied martial arts there, took my swim lessons there where I fell in love with the water, and met most of friends. The scenery brought me joy and serenity when I started to see sands on the sides of the road and the row of palm trees started to sway overhead. I couldn't wait to get back to my hometown and just relax for a little while.

Angel Grove: 27 miles

I was almost there. This was about to be great. Maybe I would hit the pool and visit around town and see some of my old elders that pretty much helped raise me. And then I would go to the valley and pretend to be Lara Croft like I always used to do as a small teenager. My cell phone rings and I look down at it to see the caller ID. I roll my eyes and press ignore, tossing the phone back into the center console. It was a guy I used to date when I was home, Sean. He was one of those guys that seemed nice at first but as we got closer he became more and more like a tool....and the worst part was he didn't like my car.

Because he didn't like pink.

Radio: We got more music coming at cha soon stay tuned! So get this, freaky news. A small community around Venice spotted some strange lights in the sky last night, but actually insisted that they weren't UFO's or any type of flying aircraft, in fact they thought at first they were large balloons but upon further looking many of the people said that the lights were all on one body, like an actual body. They said it was there, and then it simply vanished. Call in tell us what do you think is it truth? Or just another story from whackos? More music in a moment!

I shook my head in laughter at the ridiculous story. People were crazy, making anything up to get some attention. What was next? The Power Rangers were a bunch of teenage hormonal kids?

 

[The Dapper Mog]

Yuna

I could feel warm air blowing against my skin, and faintly could make out lyrics to a familiar song. My hair was all over the place, and I could feel it whipping at my face. My eyes slowly fluttered open, and the first thing I saw was my friend Jo beside me, her dark sunglasses and that signature grin brought a slight smile to my face as I groaned and stretched.

I took in my surroundings, the smooth interior of Jo-Jo's fantastical car. The landscape going by quickly. And of course, my best friend. I glanced over at her, frowning slightly when her phone went off, stifling a laugh when she rolled her eyes. I began to speak, tucking a few stray locks of my hair behind my ear.

"Let me guess. Sean?"

I asked her softly, my voice raised just enough that she could hear me. I chuckled a bit beforr continuing.

"Sorry for passing out on you. I was up all night and I guess I needed to catch up on my beauty sleep. How close are we?"

I was glad to be coming home for a short while. I enjoyed school, sure, but, a break was always welcomed. Plus, I missed my parents a little, though, probably wouldn't admit it. Not to mention it would be an excuse to spend time with my friends without worrying about classes and everything.

My eyes caught on Jo for a moment before I glanced forward, pursing my lips for a moment as though I were lost in thought. My mind was wandering, and i couldn't quite place what I was trying to think about. I settled in what we werr going to do once we got into town. Should I go home first? Or spend some more time with Jo first?

​

 

[Hell Hound Woof]

Carter Anderson was riding a motorcycle, it wasnt his. At least he didnt remember buying it. The bike was a beauty, a really nice crotch rocket. He was smiling wildly under the bright purple helmet on his head, on top of it was mounted a Go-Pro. He ripped open the throttle and watched the path ahead of slowly close, ahead of him laid a concrete ramp, behind that he saw the other side of the small lake where a couple friends of his and some girls were sitting with cameras. He smiled as the bike hit the ramp and took an angle, once he felt the rubber leave the concrete ramp he tightened his grip on the handles and threw his head and chest back. The bike rotated in the air and he managed a flip before he felt the bike stop against the water. He released the handle bars and threw his arms back as he let the inertia remove him from the bike as it sank to the bottom and he fell backwards. The cold rush of water soaked through his clothes and he let himself sink for a moment before swimming to the surface and finding his way to the other side of the lake.

"Howooooo! Howhowhow!" One of the other idiots on with the camera shouted as he got in Carter's face as he got out of the water, "That right there is the Mutt!"

"Yeah!" Carter shouted throwing up a rock on hand sign, "That's how we do it!"

Carter pulled off the helmet and flipped it around and looked into the camera, he moved it closer quickly and opened his mouth. He tossed the helmet to one of the guys and sat in a lawn chair they had set up. As he looked across the river he saw the half built skatepark, it had been meant to be a new attraction for the kids. But it really just became a hangout for stoners and dropouts alike. He saw one of the girls walk over in a pair of jean shorts and a bikini top, she was fine. He watched as she came over and sat in his lap handing him a beer, he smiled as she leaned in close and planted a kiss on his cheek.

"That was amazing!" She said, her voice was a bit annoying but Carter could get past it, "Do you do this stuff all the time?"

"Only when my vastly busy schedule clears up," Carter said with a laugh, he took a sip of beer and continued, "So what brought you to this scene?"

"Well, of course my dad would disapprove. And I had to do this, just to piss him off."

Carter smirked and watched as the guys loaded up the helmet and the cameras into one of the cars. Carter had been a good guy lately, this little excursion wasnt going to ruin his streak. Was it? No. He had a steady job, with good pay. He looked at his watch, it was water logged, he looked at the girl and saw a protrusion in her pocket. He reached in it and pulled out her phone, he clicked the power button and when he saw the time he shot up. The girl almost fell over but luckily for her Carter wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her back up him and pressed his lips against hers. She held her arms up in protest for a second then dropped them and regained her footing. Carter smirked and jogged off in his wet leather jacket and jeans, his boots had water in them and he was dripping water as neared one of the cars.

"Hey man I gotta borrow your car, I'm late for work," Carter said to Scooter, one of the camera guys, "I can get it back to you undamaged I promise."

"Whatever you need Mutt man," Scooter said fishing the keys out of his pocket and tossing them to Carter. Carter pressed a button on the keys and heard the 2010 Dodge Ram unlock. He moved to the driver's side and opened the door. He climbed inside and inserted the keys into the ignition and twisted, hearing the truck start up he smirked and turned on the radio. He heard some classic punk rock play and slammed on the accelerator, the truck lurched forward and Carter drove along the rode into the main part of the city towards the auto-body shop. When he looked at the radio clock he got a little more excited and sped up, when he saw the auto-body shop sign he slowed down and pulled into the back lot for employees. He hopped out the car and locked it then shoved the keys into his pocket. He ran inside through the backdoor and got changed into his dirty gray jumpsuit. Everything in his clothes was soaked, he had to hang his wallet and such up in his locker to dry. He walked into the shop and grabbed a rag and slung it over his shoulder, he found a mechanics creeper and grabbed a flashlight off a nearby tool table. He laid on the mechanics creeper and slid under a newer model Ford vehicle, pretending to be busy.

 

[Prince]

Dimitri

[padding]

The warm, golden rays of the sun flooded the suite Dimitri slept in, pouring in through the dark blue curtains half-covering the sliding glass doors that opened up to a scenic balcony. Dimitri breathed in deeply as he started returning to the conscious world, mentally cursing the bright-ass light that effectively awoken him. His eyes lazily fluttered open, noticing the blond receptionist from the hospital beside him, but not quite capable of recalling how he scored her the night before. Dimitri let out a yawn as he sat up, scouring the room for what little he could have taken off. It was always easier to slide out silently. Slipping out of bed and recovering every article of clothing and personal belonging he had, it slowly occurred to Dimitri that most of his night was a blur. He pinched the bridge of his nose at the thought, attempting to recall just what drugs he might have taken, but to his admittedly limited memory, he only recalled ecstasy and a few drinks. He should have been able to recall most of his night, especially how he ended up with a receptionist from work. He made an active effort to avoid his coworkers to keep up the image he was trying to build with his family. Nailing one now seemed counterproductive.​

With the night still a haze and having collected his clothing, Dimitri darted out of the suite and out of the hotel. He traveled light, so he was sure he had everything he left or tore off at one point. Now came the next realization: Dimitri had no idea where he was. Not only was the night a blur to him, but he wasn't even sure of what city he ended up in. Not like this never happened before, but the night seemed so relatively mundane to Dimitri that his current situation befuddled him. Dimitri unlocked the door to his Rolls-Royce Phantom, sliding in the drivers seat and looking around in an attempt to recall if there was anything that could spark his memory. And, unfortunately for him, there was nothing. At the very least, he started his car and turned on his dash-centered GPS. He could, at the very least and with relative ease, figure out just where he was. After a few moments, the entire system booted up. Never a fan of the voice activation system, unless he was driving, Dimitri fiddled with the buttons below the screen, ultimately reading the display (which was in the place of the standard Rolls-Royce mechanical clock) to see he was in a city he hadn't even heard of: Angel Grove.

Dimitri sighed, still having no idea how he got here. If he had taken something or overindulged in his favorite sins, normally he made sure he was with at least two people he trusted. Whether he was having fun or not, he made sure there was always a contingency to keep him in line. If he got himself so fucked up he blacked out, it would have been outside his normal safety net, and that wasn't an idea Dimitri liked to lend credit to. After considerable thought, Dimitri popped open the black, leather cover of his center console and slid his hand in, looking for his pack of cigarettes. What he found was foreign. From his console, Dimitri pulled out a short, red crystal, only slightly thicker than one of the cigarettes he was looking for to begin with. After a moment of examination, some of the memories from his night began to hit him.

He was out clubbing after he town-hopped with a buddy.

He met the blond he slept with there, but avoided her at first.

He danced, drank and even popped some X, and this is where things were fuzzy.

As the neon lights of the dance floor lit up around him, he felt drawn to a corner.

As if in a daze, already feeling great, he followed this feeling, into another room.

There it was, this same red crystal. It was warm. It was his, he felt it.

No one else was around, no one would see him take it. So he did.

Dimitri took what was his, then snapped back into reality, still on the dance floor.

Now with the blond grinding on him, his new crystal in hand and his body demanding her.

He ditched the club and took her to Angel Grove, feeling the same as he did one the dance floor.

Every single thing that happened was a basic, primal instinct, and Dimitri felt it in his hand.​

"What the fuck," he said aloud. Although it all felt natural, that didn't make it less astonishing to Dimitri. As a matter of fact, there was something even more bewildering to him. Dimitri felt a similar urge while he held this crystal, but this time, he was sober for it. He turned off his GPS, as if listening intently to the crystal. After another moment of consideration, Dimitri thought, "Fuck it," and took off in the direction the crystal beckoned him to. What little did he know is that the crystal had him en route to a certain pink Mustang GT heading straight for Angel Grove.[/padding]

 

[ch0sen1]

I look over to see Yunnie aka Sleepyhead woke up from her mild comatose state. I smirk over at her as the mane full of hair in her face waves and tarnishes her vision. She slides up in her seat and caught my reaction to the phone call.

Yuna: "Let me guess. Sean?"
"Yeah...you know it was..."

She chuckles a bit and moves the hair behind her ears. Yuna was my best friend since her and her family immigrated here from South Korea. I remember when she first walked into class, all the students were whispering and talking about her. Any new student can expect that. She was so bashful and quiet, her face practically flushed right when she walked in the door. Kids made fun of her because of her accent, admittedly I couldn't understand her at first either but I thought she was so cool, just because she reminded me of the Asian art of martial arts. That idea stretched into a full blown interest in elementary school. I see now that maybe that was racist but kid logic over rules all. I still remember going over to her lunch table while she was alone and asking a necklace she had on just to break the ice, and from there blossomed a unique friendship. She was a really smart and humble girl, but her reserved nature wouldn't suggest so on the surface. Over time she started to open up to me more and more. We took martial arts class together, but we were in different groups. She was in Tai Chi, and me Krav Maga. And then came the playdates. She used to invite me to her mom's museum and look at all the categories, in exchange we got to tour my mom's hospital and even the police station where dad worked. Kids idea of a good time back then.

Yuna: "Sorry for passing out on you. I was up all night and I guess I needed to catch up on my beauty sleep. How close are we?"
"It's okay, trust me I'm in for a nap sometime today when we get home. After I get some food and cruise around a bit. Oh look! Yay!"

We pass a sign. THE sign.

Welcome to Angel Grove.

A huge grin covers my face as I nudge Yuna playfully. I make the right off the exit and turn into the depths of the beautiful and serene city.

"I'm hungry. I'm gonna get food want anything Yunnie?"

I pull into the local drive thru fast food establishment, raising my shades over my head and looking at the menu full of burgers, salads, chicken, and pretty much any typical American foods you can think of. Just thinking about it, and looking at the menu made my mouth water. I should've cooked but I knew I would be too excited or too drained to do so, so for now this will have to do.

"Sorry, they don't have any Galbijjim haha"

 

[Cerulean]

Marcus Jack
He had found himself in the back entrance. It was during one of his breaks, at Ginnie's, and curiosity got the better of him. The night was really slow so if he was a few minutes late it wouldn't be any real issue. The bar was small and anyone local had already been there or had to work in the morning. It was sitting just below the rusted bars and it was Dark Brown-ish. His favorite shade, to be exact and he figured it was either something no one wanted or a random spawned item. And since this wasn't a video game, he assumed it was the former.

After his shift, Marcus moved back to the alleyway. Hoping it was still there, a gander was given. Of course, if it wasn't there, it was never his to begin with. There it was. After taking a borrowed sledgehammer to the bars, the rust gave out and broke to pieces. He grabbed the chocolate bar and felt...something. Whatever it was, it made him hop in his car for a little drive.



For a guy with as much money stored away as he does, people often ask him why he chooses this life. It's because he learned at an early age that if you are at the top of the ladder and don't help other up that a lot more people will try and throw you off. So he drove off still wearing his uniform. Good thing he keeps his streets in the back. Well, a very small portion of them. So there wasn't going to be any real issue. It was also good that he didn't have work the next couple of days. Monkeying with his GPS and radio, the young man got his route all mapped out.

Angel Grove

Chocolate bar in hand, he put the pedal to the metal.

 

[The Dapper Mog]

Yuna

I grinned at my best friend, my fingers tracing the intricate design on my mother's necklace. Whenever I had time to think, I remembered her, and these long drives always gave me a lot of time to do just that. Looking at Jo always flooded back memories of our shared childhood. Two young girls who were far more interested in history and such than they probably should have been.

My gaze slipped passed the sign and I found myself back in that classroom all those years ago. My hair was in tails, (the style my mother loved giving me) and my old navy blue school uniform that I wore out of habit was attracting almost as much attention as my horrid accent was by itself. I felt comfortable in my uniform then, it made me feel more at home. Some sense of familiarity in a new place that seemed so alien.

I can remember the snickers, the hushed voices and the staring gazes. I felt as though they were not only judging me, but looking right through to my core. A couple of the students didn't look so harshly and I would later know one of them as my best friend in the states.

Then, one day Jo-Jo sat with me and we talked, she didn't seem to mind my difficulty with the language or my bashful attitude. She never outwardly mocked my uniform or my accent, we even shared a lot of interests. In time, my English got better, my shyness deteriorated, and I even managed to stop wearing my school uniform ( which took a long time, by the way).

We became the best of friends. We had so much fun together over the years. All the hardships we went through together. Jo helped me through my first breakup, my hardest times at school, and even the horrible depression after Eomma passed. I did my best to help her the same way, but, she was always far more my pillar than the other way around.

After a moment or two I snapped out of my near delirium and sighed heavily, shaking my head at her question.

"Nae Sin, no. I ate too much earlier. I will never understand how Americans can eat so much in one sitting."

I replied with a gentle laugh, smiling at her while returning her playful nudge. My eyes narrowed in false irritation at the mention of my favorite food, which made my stomach rebel it's current full condition and demand I eat some now.

"Amkae! Now I HAVE to make some tomorrow. How long has it been since you've had my Galbijjim? I tell you, fast food is nothing comared to home cooked Seoul food."

I know she didn't mind me cursing at her in my native tongue, especially since so many of my friends here called each other such things all the time. Talk about a confusing custom to get used to. Of course, she also knew I used Korean as much as possible, and tried to teach my friends but they never really seemed to grasp it. Then again, I'd often teased Jo-Jo that if she could learn Japanese, then she could learn Korean.

Then again, my record with English was pretty bad...

​

 

[Hell Hound Woof]

Colonel Jacob Sterling had been at home, it was one of his days off and he was using it to exercise and watch some modern TV. He was currently using a high pulley lifting machine, he had a cigar in his mouth and the remote was on the floor next to his foot. He was using his big toe to push the channel up button. While he was scrolling through the boring vegetable food on the television he spotted a lower class news report that detailed a collection of colored lights in the form of a body hovering over Venice, Italy. Then like that they were gone. The cigar dropped from his mouth and he let the weights fly up and make a resounding metallic clink. He rushed into his study and began rifling through his filing cabinets. After some time flipping through files he found what he wanted, a file labeled 'Power Rangers'. This file contained the small amount of knowledge he had of the rangers, but he remembered the times they had battled. Streaks of colored light shot across the sky to unknown locations. He grabbed his desk phone and began dialing the number for the building that housed his Task Force.

"Prepare me a dossier of everything on the Power Rangers, and get me a meeting with the mayor and the governor!" Col. Sterling said hurriedly into the phone, "I want you to get this done as soon as possible."

He hung up the phone and went to his room to get dressed, he put on his fatigues and sprayed some cologne in the air to mask the scent of his exercise routine. He grabbed the file off of his desk and walked out to his car, a black 2007 Cadillac Escalade EXT. He climbed inside and turned on the engine, he backed out of his humble home's driveway and sped off to the government protected building that houses his Task Force. Their weapons, vehicles, and personnel all rested there.