Ranger Games: A Dino Thunder Wedding
Prologue: Evil's Back
By: Pink-Gree-White-4ever
Last Revised: October 9, 2004
Summary: Sequel to Ranger Games - A Dino Thunder Reunion. The Dino Thunder teens have had all summer to relax and get ready for the big wedding that's just weeks away, but you know how evil villains are. Can the Rangers get any rest? Can they beat these mysterious foes or will they have to call on some old friends for help, again? And what about the wedding?
Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers. I also don't own the handful of songs that are appearing in this. After each song is used, I'll list whom it's by at the end of the chapter.
"Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies." Aristotle
Three teenage boys plopped down on the red couch in Hayley's Cyberspace, too exhausted to move another inch. "Busy day, boys?" Hayley's lilting voice caught their attention as the beautiful proprietor walked over, three smoothies in tow for them.
"You can say that again!" Ethan muttered, then his eyes lit up when Hayley handed him his glass. Ethan smiled his thanks as Hayley handed Trent and Conner theirs too.
"I am never getting married," Conner groaned as he slurped down half his drink before relaxing back into cushions of the couch. "Dr. O must be nuts to be going through with this."
Hayley laughed. "Look, you guys are doing him a big favor helping him and Kim like this," Hayley pointed out. "You know the rest of the gang would be helping if they lived a little closer."
"That's something I don't get," Trent started, his eyes catching Hayley's. "Why aren't they having this in Angel Grove? Why here?"
Someone clearing his or her throat caught all four of the group's attention. Turning, Hayley found Kira behind them. "I believe I can answer that one," Kira strode forward. She looked just as tired as the others, but not so tired to be slumped on the couch. "I asked Kim that same question. She said it had something to do with that being their past and Reefside being the start of the here and now. They figure it's a good place to be the start of their future."
"They should just fly to Las Vegas and elope," Ethan muttered before he slugged down the rest of his smoothie and then moved to the computer console closest to him. Conner, Trent and Kira laughed while Hayley shook her head.
"And what, have Jason, Aisha and Trini wring their necks for not having the big splashy wedding that's supposed to be a gathering of all their friends for the first time in six months?" Conner fired back, watching Ethan wave him off.
"So when is Kim supposed to be coming back?" Trent's question was directed at Kira, who turned and smiled. She and Dr. O had driven Kim to the airport so she could go back to Florida and finish packing all of her things and ship them to Reefside.
"I think sometime next week," she started as she moved to push the boys over so she could sit between them where Ethan had been.
Conner groaned. "So Dr. O's gonna go all grumpy, tough teacher-mentor on us while she's gone, huh?"
Hayley simply shook her head and laughed at the teens' predicament as she walked back toward the counter. It was a pretty good assumption that while Kim was gone Tommy was going to be a bit difficult to deal with. It was only one of the reasons, Hayley knew, the kids liked Kimberly so much. They got to see a different side of the "Greatest Ranger Ever" when she was around.
A loud, familiar beeping noise filled the relatively silent room, causing Hayley to snap to attention, the four teens she'd just been talking to doing the same. Inclining her head to the back room, Hayley watched her four young friends dash off to see what was wrong. It was the first time in nearly six months that their communicators had gone off. Making sure the door was secure before he started talking, Conner then brought his wrist up and spoke. "Go ahead, Dr. O."
"Get to the lair, we've got a problem." All eyes went to Conner, who nodded and the four of them rushed outside to his and Trent's cars.
"Dr. O, what's wrong?" Kira nearly demanded as the four teens came flying in through the forest entrance to the lair.
"I've been getting some spiked readings from the forest on the other side of town," Tommy started. "I don't know if it's another Dino gem or if it's a Dino Zord egg."
"Could it be both?" Trent quietly asked as Tommy shrugged.
"I don't know. What I do know is that we need to go looking for it. Grab your gear while I call Hayley." Tommy's command wasn't questioned as the four younger Rangers turned for the back of the cave. Before Billy, Jason and Adam had left, the trio had helped Tommy and Hayley build a wall unit that looked suspiciously like lockers for the new team. Each door was in a specific color, with that color's Ranger name on a small placard, indicating which locker was which. Ethan had laughed about the color coordination and how the team should know their colors buy now when Tommy had presented the lockers to them, but all laughter stopped when Conner had air-headedly asked which was his.
Inside, Tommy and Hayley had placed portable scanners, backpacks, power packs, climbing gear, an extra communicator and weapons suited to each Ranger, not to mention specialized gear for each member of the team. Up until now, the team hadn't had to use them. Sighing, they placed their palms on the computer pads, which lit up and popped the locks on the units.
The first thing they each grabbed was their backpacks. The second thing that was pulled out of each locker was the hand-held, portable scanner/computers. The mini computers were networked in with Hayley's computer at the Cyberspace and with the main computer in the lair. The last thing to be loaded into their backpacks was their climbing gear, just in case the need arose for it.
"We're ready," Ethan called when Tommy returned from the computer, where an image of Hayley was still pulled up.
"Good luck guys," Hayley wished them, only to receive a glare from Kira. "And girl."
"Thank you," Kira smiled, then turned to help Conner straighten the straps on his backpack.
"Alright, we're going to have to morph for now, we need to use the Raptor Cycles and ATVS."
"DINO THUNDER POWER UP, HA!" four of them called as they went through the motions of their morph.
"WHITE RANGER, DINO POWER!" Trent called as his white uniform cascaded over him.
Once they were each morphed, the team hopped on their vehicles and headed out the back entrance.
"Kim! Phone call!" Shannon Harrison called out from the office she shared with Kim.
"Who is it?" Kimberly asked, breathlessly, as she moved into the office.
"Some woman named Hayley? She said it was important. If you need me, I'll be in the restroom," Shannon said, handing the phone to Kim before moving out of the office.
Kim gripped the phone tightly, slammed the door shut, and then spoke. "It's me, what's up?"
"We have a small situation I thought you should be made aware of," Hayley started.
Kim swallowed hard, hoping to push down the fear in her stomach. "What kind of situation?"
Hayley sighed. "Possible Dino Gem or Dino Zord Egg situation. We're not sure which. The team has gone out there, and I'm stuck at the Café. I just thought I'd let you know, just in case."
Breathing a small sigh of relief, Kim managed a smile. "Thanks for keeping me in the loop Hayley, I should be there later this week."
"Understood. Take care."
"You too."
When the dial tone started thrumming in her ear, Kim set the phone back on its cradle. She was worried now, really worried, and she knew she wouldn't be able to concentrate on anything until Tommy called to let her know he was ok. "Problems?" Shannon asked softly.
"Nothing that isn't being taken care of," Kim smiled. "Hayley just wanted to keep me in the loop."
Shannon nodded, her brow creasing in skepticism. "Is it just me, or have you lost your mind?"
Kim frowned. "What do you mean?"
"What I mean is, she's there with your fiancé and you're acting as if its no problem that an intelligence, self-employed, beautiful woman is keeping your man company."
Kim glared, catching onto Shannon's train of thought. "Number one, I trust Tommy. Number two - he and Hayley are only friends. Number three, Hayley is my friend, and I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that she has no feelings like that towards my fiancé in the manner to which you're speaking. Number four, I'd trust Hayley with my life, why wouldn't I trust her in the company of my fiancé?"
Shannon shrugged. "I was just pointing it out." The look Shannon got in response was one she'd only had a handful of times before. It meant she needed to mind her own business before Kimberly decided to put her in her place permanently.
"So we have a deal then?" someone spoke, the voice gruff and rusty sounding, like it hadn't been used in a while.
"Yesssssss, we have a deal," a second voice offered, this one slightly whispery but with more strength than the first. The voice almost sounded like a snake.
"Good. Then we will help you find these Dino Zord Eggs, then we'll help you get rid of those pathetic Rangers, and you will give the Black and Pink Rangers to me!"
"Anybody's scanner picking anything up?" Ethan asked as he and Trent search an area of the forest. Conner and Kira were approximately three miles from them, due west, and Tommy was three miles due north. The Blue and White Rangers were scouting the east side of the area. The group had left their bikes parked at the south edge of the forest.
"Not a thing," Conner commented over their communications link. "Dr. O, are you sure there was something out here?"
Ethan, Trent and Tommy snickered when they heard whatever Conner was about to say get cut off most effectively by Kira's elbow to his stomach. "Yes Conner, I'm positive there was something out here."
Ethan and Trent smirked at each other and continued their search. Seconds later, they heard the sound of thunder and felt the air get heavy around them. "No way," Ethan muttered as he and Trent took off their packs and tossed their scanners on them, before dropping into their battle positions, seconds before a group of gray looking beings dropped in on them.
"What the hell? Those aren't Tyrano-drones!" Trent hissed. "Dr. O, something's wrong with this picture."
"What do they look like?" Kira asked.
"Bodies are gray, eyes are red, and they got these big Z's on their chests," Ethan retorted.
"Oh Shit!" the group heard Tommy snarl, which surprised them all. "Those are called putties. Aim for the Z on their chest! I'll be there as soon as I can."
"Gotcha Doc!" Ethan called back just before the putties surged forward. Heeding their mentor's voice, the pair split up and began to aim their attacks toward the adornment on the chests of the putties.
Trent landed the first fatal blow, watching in gross fascination as the being exploded. "Ewwww, gross," the White Ranger muttered, watching as Ethan took entirely too much pleasure in fighting the putties surrounding him.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the forest, Kira and Conner were trying to pick their way through the trees towards their friends' location, when their scanners began to beep incessantly. "Hey! We're close!" Conner commented as Kira rolled her eyes and narrowed the scanner in on the object's location.
"It's about a meter or so that way," Kira pointed toward the north. The pair began to jog along as the scanner's beeping went from pulsing to a constant throb. "It says we're right over it!"
Conner looked down at their feet. All he saw was flat dirt, until his eyes hit the top of an object. Just between the two of them, a rock sat, buried beneath the surface all except the rounded top. Bending down, the boy in red began brushing at the rock, until a slightly familiar shell came into view. "Kira, help me dig it up," Conner commanded as the Yellow Ranger bent down with him, the two of them digging into the earth around the shell.
"Egg," Kira sighed in relief. It was nice not to have to worry about another Dino Gem, because that would mean finding another Ranger, and Kira thought wryly that six was more than enough.
"Yeah, but what is it this time?" Conner commented.
"Guess we'll find out when we get back to the lab. Come on, let's morph and then go help the others."
Nodding, Conner got into the ready position for their morph, Kira following. "DINO THUNDER, POWER UP! HA!"
Seconds later, red and yellow blurs were running through the dense vegetation.
Back on Ethan and Trent's side of the forest, the putties were starting to grow in numbers. As soon as one was destroyed, two or three more would pop up in its place.
"Not good!" Ethan huffed, ducking the flying fist of one of his attackers.
"BRACHIO STAFF, ENERGY ORG! ENGAGE!" At the sound of the familiar voice, both Ethan and Trent leapt out of the way, narrowly avoiding contact with the attack they both knew could have killed them unmorphed.
"Dr. O, your timing is impeccable, but your aim sucks!" Ethan chirped as he pushed himself to his feet.
"Sorry," the Black Ranger apologized, "The Pink Ranger was always the sharp shooter of the group back in the day," Tommy joked.
Ethan and Trent glared at Tommy before nodding to one another. "DINO THUNDER, POWER UP! HA!" Ethan called, moving his hands in the motion of his morphing sequence.
"WHITE RANGER, DINO POWER!" Tommy smiled as Trent was outfitted in his suit, and then joined him and Ethan back a few paces.
"Did we miss all the fun?" Conner questioned as the Red and Yellow Rangers bounded onto the scene.
"No, all you missed was Dr. O trying to fricassee Trent and me," Ethan muttered sarcastically.
"Aw, man, you mean you missed?" Conner joked, shaking his head at the Black Ranger. Both the White and Blue Rangers turned their visors at their Red leader, causing said leader to laugh. Conner knew they were glaring at him. Kira simply shook her head at her testosterone filled teammates.
"Boys, we do have a problem still," the Yellow Ranger pointed out. All four male Rangers looked to Kira and groaned.
"Kira's right, let's go," Tommy called as the five turned to take in the putties. There were several dozen of the gray entities that Tommy knew so well.
"Divide and conquer. Trent, Ethan, take the right. Kira and Conner, take the left. I'll go up the middle. Remember to hit the Z. But first, Kira, a path through, if you will."
Smiling brightly under her helmet, the Yellow Ranger stepped forward away from her teammates and released her Ptera Scream, which ripped a whole through the wall of putties. Nodding to the others as they stepped forward, Kira motioned for Conner to follow her while the others broke off into their own groups.
"Curse them!" the snake like voice hissed, watching the fight on the monitor before it. "FINISH THEM!"
Two shadowed forms bowed then disappeared in a flash of lightning.
"Were they this annoyingly strong when you first faced them?" Conner grilled Tommy as he was thrown on his back near the Black Ranger.
Tommy shook his head and blocked an incoming punch. "Annoying yes, strong not really. When we first faced them, they damn near took us out, but we got pretty good at beating them."
"Did they always multiply like this?" Kira asked in irritation before letting loose with another Ptera Scream.
"Nope. Not unless Zedd sent down more."
When a rumble of thunder split the air, the team tensed. Turning, the five Rangers got a good look at the new arrivals. "Holy sh..." Ethan started, only to be elbowed in the ribs by Trent, who shook his head at Ethan's cut-off comment.
"Rangers!" the leather clad, black haired, half cybernetic woman growled.
"Elsa!" Conner hissed, surprised to see Mesogog's former flunky, though he knew he shouldn't be. The wannabe biker chick had disappeared sometime during the confrontation with Anton at the Ranger Games Arena some months before. The other goon was unrecognizable to the teenagers, but the older member of the group recognized him without hesitation.
"Allow me to introduce my colleague," Elsa smirked. "Meet Goldar the Titan."
Four sets of eyes turned to look at the Black Ranger, who stood with his arms tensed at his sides, fists clenching. "Goldar."
"Do I know you, Black Ranger?" Goldar hissed. Elsa smirked. Goldar hadn't been enlightened on the identity of the Black Ranger.
"You should, you tried to kill me and my team enough times, Monkey-For-Brains!" Tommy tossed back, watching Goldar narrow his gaze.
"Tommy Oliver, what a pleasure," Goldar started, not surprised to see Zordon's chief warrior in yet another suit.
The Red, Yellow, Blue and White Rangers looked back and forth between the two goons and their Black Ranger. "Friend of yours, Dr. O?" Trent finally piped up.
"Lord Zedd and Rita Repulsa's head general, Goldar."
"Lovely," Kira muttered.
"We want that egg, Rangers!"
"Like we'd hand it over to you, freak!" Conner shot back angrily. Kira held the egg in her subspace pocket.
"Elsa, we are being called back!" Goldar suddenly hissed out as he got a mental summons from their base.
Nodding, Elsa held her sword in front of her. "Another time, Rangers." With that, she unleashed a bolt of power that knocked the Rangers back, allowing her and Goldar as well as the rest of the putties to disappear.
"That was unexpected," Ethan, commented as he and Trent moved to help Conner and Kira to their feet. Tommy stood apart from them, staring at the spot where Goldar had been.
"Dr. O?"
"Head back to base; we have what we came for," Tommy grumbled as the five trekked back to their vehicles and then headed back to the base.