Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers Megaforce. This story is fan-made based on the Power Ranger Series.

Author's Note: This is my official start to the Megaforce Series, but this is not where the series starts. If you want to read the series without getting lost, I suggest you read my stories in the order they appear:

No To Date Nights

The Party Night

Project Partners

To get an even better understanding (because they will crossover), read the Way of the Samurai Series, particularly "A New Life", where Troy makes a brief appearance.

Also, another note because there seemed to be some confusion from some people in my last series, this is going to be my adaptation of the Megaforce seasons. Therefore, I hold the right to change around some of the story ideas/plots/ and/or facts from the original. Some episode adaptations may hold strong similarities to the episodes themselves while others may differ slightly or considerably. The show itself is only a guide for my writing.

However, it would be important to watch the show to follow along with some of the more minor plots. My series focuses on the Rangers' lives both on, but mostly off the battlefield and so plots centering around the villains will not be shown in great detail.

That being said, I also don't take requests. I will not add any OCs that are not my own creation, nor will I write out a plot or story arc that isn't of my own making. However, I do listen to your comments when you leave reviews and take into account what you have to say about the way the story is progressing. Your comments and reviews can, and on many occasions do inspire me to write out certain ideas, focus on certain plots and aspects, and to develop an idea that I may have overlooked without your imput.

Now, enough of my blabbering. Onto the series! I hope you all enjoy.

The school dance was coming up. Every year, to celebrate the start of a new semester, a dance was organized and everyone was invited. Popularity, seniority, and connections didn't matter. It was a dance for all.

Most of the school attended. Some of the clubs would agree not to go and would spend the night together at someone's house. Some of the students weren't given permission from their parents to attend. Some decided they wouldn't be going.

Gia was one of them.

"Hey," Alex leaned up against the lockers and looked to Gia as she packed up her bag and was about to leave but he stopped her.

Naturally, Gia wanted nothing to do with him. She tried to push her way past, but he grabbed her arm.

"So, the dance is coming up and…"

"Why the hell would I want to go with you?" Gia growled and she tried to pull away. Alex wouldn't let go. Gia had learned he had no boundaries and was praying that Emma would come looking for her. They had no plans to meet up after school, but the pink Ranger always seemed to sense when she was needed and would turn up.

"Aren't we, you know, a thing?" Alex said. He spotted a group of kids walking by so he smirked and nodded to pretend he and Gia were hanging out casually. "I mean, we did…"

"Do you really think that means something?" Gia tried to pull away again. "You got me drunk or high or…"

"I never forced you to drink. Anyone could have put anything in your drink. It's your fault you took your eyes off your cup. Anyways, we should do the right thing. We…"

"The right thing?" Gia dropped her bag and shoved Alex into the lockers. The noise drew the attention of the lingering students who all turned to see what was happening. Gia pinned Alex to the lockers and growled, "I hate myself because of you."

"Gia!" Jake raced over, touched her shoulder and got her to let go of Alex. He picked up her bag and pulled her away, "I'll walk you home."

Gia snatched her bag from Jake and walked with him. She tried to glance over her shoulder to glare angrily at Alex, but Jake gave her arm a gentle tug, turning her attention to him.

"He's not worth it."

They walked the rest of the way in silence until they were just a couple of houses away from where Gia lived. She stopped in her tracks, forcing Jake to come to a stop as well. She looked to him.

"Thanks."

"Alex has always been a bit of a dick," Jake shrugged his shoulders, "I wouldn't take anything he says or does personally."

"You probably stopped me getting suspended, though," Gia sighed. She walked to the curb and sat down. "When do you think they're going to get it? I'm not interested in them, and the more they try…"

"So, it's not that you're not interested in the dance, then. You just don't want to give anyone the wrong idea."

"No, I don't want to go to the dance," Gia shook her head. "That party, that Friday night, was the first time I did anything school related since starting high school and look what happened. I even had a date that night, and that still didn't stop anyone."

"Emma kind of abandoned you, though…"

"She didn't abandon me," Gia sighed. "I let her go. I had to. Guys never see her because she's always around me. I don't want her to miss out on anything because… because I'm a coward."

"You're hardly what I would call a coward," Jake sat down beside Gia. "You're a Power Ranger. And did you not see yourself in that last battle? I swear, Gosei gave us that card because of you. When Troy got tired, you took charge. You did exactly what needed to be done and I don't think you hesitated once."

"That's confidence," Gia rolled her eyes, "Not fearlessness."

"Isn't that like… the same?"

"Almost, I guess. But I'm not confident or fearless."

"That last guy, he really messed you up, huh?" Jake asked. "You know, the guy before Mick and Alex. I'm not trying to pry, I just… I don't like seeing you so upset."

Gia nodded her head, "Yeah, I guess he really messed me up. I don't date, I don't go to dances, I haven't joined any clubs… high school's not fun."

"We can make it fun," Jake suggested. "We can go to the dance."

"Jake, you agreed we were just friends."

"And we are," Jake stood up and offered his hand to help Gia up, "We'll go as a team. All of us. It'll be fun."

Gia hesitated. She wasn't sure what to say. Jake looked to her in her eyes with a warm but slightly goofy smile.

"Just don't drink the punch, and I promise you'll be fine."

"I'll talk to Emma," she finally agreed, "If she's coming, and if you can convince Troy and Noah to come too, then… then I'll go. But if I'm left by myself for even a second, I'm leaving the dance."

"You won't be alone," Jake promised her. "Do you need me to walk you the rest of the way?"

He pointed down the path that led to her house. Gia shook her head. She picked up her bag and started to walk by herself.

"I'll be fine. Go to soccer practice or… whatever."

Jake nodded his head and turned to go the other way. After a couple of steps he heard his name being called and looked over his shoulder. Gia had reached her door and smiled at him, "Thanks."

-Megaforce-

Emma was in the woods on her own. After their training lesson with the recycled cups and jugs, Troy had left them hanging in the middle of the forest. The training exercise had been great, but Emma couldn't, in good conscience, leave all that waste just sitting in the forest. They needed to be recycled properly.

As she untied the bottles from the ropes, she heard footsteps approaching the clearing. She looked up and from the bushes emerged Jordan.

She knew him from school, but more than that, she knew him because he had created his fifteen minutes of fame by lying and claiming he was the red Ranger. The lie itself wasn't anything Emma concerned herself with. It had hurt when she overheard Jordan telling his admirers that the red Ranger did most of the work while others were only just okay. She didn't have much practice in martial arts and admittedly most of her skill and knowledge did come from the suit, but she liked to think she did better than okay. She liked to think she pulled her weight.

Gia assured her she did more than that, but when Jordan said the rest of the team was only okay, and his admirers agreed without question it left her with a few doubts.

Fortunately, Jordan had done his part. He had come clean, admitting to not being the red Ranger, and that the real Rangers were amazing, strong, and hard-working heroes. Still words couldn't be taken back.

"Hey," he looked to her and then looked around, "I didn't think anyone would be out here."

Emma knew she needed an excuse for being out in this part of the woods, cleaning up after the Rangers. Fortunately, she was okay at lying. She gestured to her bike and then to her camera.

"Yeah, I was just out looking for some good shots when I came across this mess," she dumped the jugs and bottles in her blue bin and sighed, "At least this kind of counts as recycling. I just wish whoever made this web could clean up after themselves."

"It was the Rangers," Jordan admitted. "I followed them out here. They were training."

"That's pretty cool. I still wish they would clean up after themselves."

"They probably had to go save the world," Jordan chuckled. He looked to Emma, "Hey, you're Gia's friend, aren't you?"

Emma groaned. She should have seen this coming.

"Yeah. Look, if you…"

"You know, I never really noticed this before, but you're… you're beautiful," Jordan averted his gaze and nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "Look, I wasn't planning on going, you know, after being humiliated by my own lie and all that, but the dance is coming up and…"

"You know there's no jumping from me to Gia, right?"

Jordan seemed a little confused, "I'm not interested in Gia. Too much competition. Besides, blondes aren't really my type."

"Really?"

"Can I pick you up at six? We could just go as friends or maybe…"

"It's a date," Emma nodded her head and smiled happily. She was rarely noticed and had been asked out on so few dates especially compared to Gia that she would take any chance she got. She had seen for herself that in spite of his lie, Jordan was actually a nice guy, and thought she could do a lot worse. And, it seemed this wasn't a plot to get to Gia. Jordan seemed to have a real interest in her.

"Alright, cool," Jordan smiled. He then reached up to one of the branches and started to help Emma untie the ropes that were holding up the bottles. Emma blushed.

"You don't have too…"

"I want to help. I mean, I believe the environment can take care of itself, but it doesn't hurt to help it out a bit."

Emma had to look away so Jordan couldn't see her blush. She was definitely going to tell Gia about this once she got home.