Author’s Notes: This is my second story in the Power Rangers Beyond series. It comes after “The Power Is Reborn: Part 2.” Read the Prelude, it provides a short profile on all of the main characters in this series. I got this idea from the Batman Beyond TV series. This series will be set on the idea that the Rangers were already morphed when came to fight off Astronema’s forces in Countdown to Destruction, therefore, their true identities still remain a secret. And now on with the story!

“I came as soon as I got your message,” stated Mason Hodges, as he entered the lab.

“Mr. Hodges, we arrived at the field while the police were rounding up the Scorpions. The cops thought we were paramedics, so they let us search the remains of the shuttle, and that’s when we found Mr. Simon,” explained one of the scientists.

“You didn’t leave any evidence of Ray-Tech’s involvement? Did you?” questioned Hodges.

“No, sir, the explosion pretty much took care of any evidence of Ray-Tech’s involvement,” assured the scientist.

“Where is Mr. Simon?” asked Mason Hodges, as he looked around.

“When we found him, his body had absorbed a lot of radiation from the explosion. We had to toss a Grounding sheeting over him, just so we could move him,” explained the scientist.

Mason Hodges followed the scientist to a giant tube-like structure, which held Derek Simon’s body. Simon’s whole body had been burned to a crisp, and his face was now deformed.

“Good heavens, he looks like some sort of freak!” exclaimed Hodges, as he turned away. “I can’t believe he is still alive after that explosion.”

“It is indeed a miracle,” added the scientist. “If you want, we could put him out of his misery, though.”

“No, I want you to use the Plasto-Skin to make a mask that looks just like his face,” ordered Hodges.

“Even if we can restore his face, the rest of his body is still fried,” commented the scientist.

“I may be able to help you there,” said a voice from behind the two men. The two men turned around to see a man dressed in a green sweatsuit standing before them.

“Who are you, and how did you get in here?” asked Hodges.

“You may called me, Blane, and I’m a Space Merchant,” explained the man.

“Well, Space Merchant, how did you get in here?” asked Hodges.

“Well I have a knack for getting into places,” replied Blane.

“Zara, sent you didn’t she?” questioned Hodges.

“So many questions! Listen, the important thing is that I know how you can restore your friend’s body, and get revenge on the Power Rangers at the same time,” explained Blane.

“How?” asked Hodges.

“Fifteen years ago, Astronema, the Princess of Evil created a group of warriors called---,” said Blane, before he was interrupted.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know, the Psycho Rangers. But the Power Rangers destroyed them,” stated Hodges. “It was all over television and the newspapers.”

“That’s not entirely true. You see the Psychos were turned into datacards, and hidden somewhere on the Dark Fortress,” stated Blane.

How do you know this?” asked the scientist.

“I possess the ability to transform myself into a rat,” revealed Blane.

“So that’s how he got in here,” thought Hodges.

Blane then explained that if Hodges could help him find out where the Rangers hid the Dark Fortress, he could locate the datacards. He then explained that the information on the datacards could be used to create a new Ranger.

********************

It was Saturday morning and Tim, Chris, Nick, and Joseph were jogging in Angel Grove Park.

“Chris, would you please remind me why we’re out here at 5:30 in the morning?” asked Nick.

“Even with superpowers, we still have to keep in shape,” explained Chris. “I only wish the girls could have come with us.”

“Stephanie went to visit her grandmother in Beverly Hills, and, well I guess Michelle is just too much of a sleepy head to be up at this time of the morning,” stated Tim.

Just then the four boys saw about five Tenga Gang members attempting to mug an old man who was sitting on a park bench.

“Come, guys, let’s get those creeps,” stated Chris, as he and the other three boys ran towards the gang members.

“Hey why don’t you losers pick on someone your own size!” yelled Tim, as the boys got into fighting stances.

“Its those guys from the Silver Pulse,” stated one of the Tengas.

“You four should have minded your own business,” added another Tenga.

The Tengas ran at the four boys, and Joseph met one of them with an uppercut. With the odds evened up, Tim, Chris, Joseph, and Nick made quick work of the gang members.

“You guys haven’t seen the last of us!” yelled one of the Tengas, as the thugs ran away.

Tim picked the old man’s wallet up off the ground and handed it to him. “Here ya go, sir.”

“Thank you, young man,” the old man replied. “Its a good thing you guys were around.”

********************

Meanwhile, Blane, Mason Hodges, and some scientists had located an energy source that they suspected was the Dark Fortress, and were now crusading across the Pacific Ocean on a boat.

“How much farther?” asked Hodges.

“Its right below us,” explained Blane, as he pointed to the radar.

“Deploy the Aqua-Explorers,” commanded Hodges. “They’ll show us exactly what’s down there.”

The two small probes dropped down from the bottom of the boar, and began to snap pictures.

********************

Karone had just finished drinking a cup of hot chocolate, and was just about to call Ashley on the phone, when a light began to flash on her wrist communicator.

“Some one’s found the Fortress of Power. I’d better contact the Rangers,” thought Karone. Karone pressed a blue button on her communicator.

“We read you,” replied Chris’ voice.

“Christopher, the Fortress of Power has been discovered, and I need for you and the others to meet me there,” ordered Karone.

“Stephanie is out of town, but we’ll contact Michelle, and we’ll meet you there,” stated Chris.

“Okay,” replied Karone, before ending the conversation. Karone walked over to her closet, opened it up, and pulled out a giant box. She then laid it on the couch, and opened it up to reveal the Astronema battle armor. Karone then snapped her fingers and instantly her hair turned from blonde to purple.

********************

“Switch to submarine mode,” ordered Hodges, as he looked at the Fortress on a monitor. Within moments, the boats was descending down into the ocean.

Just then, red, blue, pink, gold, and white streaks descended from the sky, and sank into the ocean.

“What were those things?” asked a scientist, as he saw the colored streaks fly by.

“Judging from the colors, I’d say that its the Power Rangers,” suggested Blane.

“I’ve got a surprise for them,” stated Hodges, as he pressed a button on his watch.

“What did you do?” inquired Blane.

“The BAT2000 was only the beginning of my mechanical animal army,” Mason explained.

********************

Aboard the Fortress of Power, the five Rangers searched for Karone.

“Karone, where you!” yelled Chris, as the Rangers walked through the corridors of the fortress.

“Even though its one of our weapons, this place is still really creepy,” stated Michelle.

“We’ll check the bridge,” stated Chris.

As the Ranger stepped onto the bridge they were surprised to see Astronema.

“I am Astronema, Princess of Darkness,” smirked the woman.

“Hold it right there, Astronema. We wanna know what you’ve done to Karone!” yelled Nick, as he got into a fighting stance.

“Nick, you knucklehead, she is Karone,” scorned Chris. At that Karone burst into laughter.

“I can’t believe you fell for that one, Nick,” stated Karone.

“That was a good one,” replied Nick.

“Why are you wearing your Astronema gear?” asked Michelle.

“I figured it would make a good secret identity just in case I had to go into battle, besides Astronema was one bad chick, and I was hoping I could scare who ever is on their way here, away,” explained Karone. Just then the intruder alert sounded.

“They’re in the hanger,” stated Nick, as he looked at the monitor.

“That’s not the only problem we’ve got. A giant hyena is terrorizing the Pacific Beach,” stated Tim, as he looked at another monitor.

“Nick, Tim, take your zords and see if you can stop that thing?” ordered Chris. “Michelle, Joseph, come with me.”

“You got it” replied Tim and Nick, in unison.

*******************

“This must have been Astronema’s room,” stated Hodges, as he, Blane, and three scientists entered a room which was decorated in purple colors, and had a giant mirror hanging over a dresser.

“And this must have been where she rested her head at night,” added a scientist, before being knocked down from behind.

“And now you can rest yours,” commented Karone, as she looked down at Blane. Red, Pink, and Blue Rangers entered the room behind her.

“Ah, the Power Rangers. So we meet again,” said Hodges.

“You don’t have any business here, Hodges, so what do you want?” asked Chris.

“Mason, I’ve got them! Let’s go!” yelled Blane, as he found the data cards in a cabinet.

“Put those down, you don’t know the evil you have in your hands!” yelled Karone.

“On the contrary, my dear, we do know what we have,” replied Blane, before he, Hodges, and the scientists teleported away.

“Karone, what was on those data cards?” asked Chris.

‘The Psycho Rangers,” replied Karone, sadly. “You guys better go help Nick and Tim. There’s nothing else you can do here.”

“What about you how will you get home?” asked Michelle.

“The same way I got here. I’ll have a mini shuttle in the hanger,” Karone replied. “I have to let Andros know what has happened.”

“Okay, you two let’s go help our friends,” stated Chris.

********************

On the beach, frightened tourists ran for their lives from the hyena monster.

“Hang folks, the Power Rangers are on the job,” stated the White Ranger, as he piloted his Phoenix zord.

The hyena kept leaping into the air, trying to bring the flying zord down.

“Man, this thing is persistent. Nicolas, can you give me a hand,” Tim said.

“The Dragonzord is on its way,” assured the Gold Ranger, as he swooped down from the sky in his golden zord.

“He wait for us,” said Chris, as he, Joseph, and Michelle landed on the beach.

“Red Lion!” yelled Red Ranger.

“Blue Panther!” yelled Blue Ranger.

“Pink Wildcat!” yelled Pink Ranger.

“Hey, I’m coming!” yelled the Yellow Ranger, as she arrived in her Yellow Cheetah.

“Steph, how did you know where we were?” asked Nick, over the zord’s communication system.

“Karone, contacted me and told me what was going down, and so I told my grandmother that I had a quick arena to run,” replied Yellow Ranger.

“Okay, team, you heard Stephanie, let’s make quick work of this thing,” stated Chris.

Just then the whole ground began to shake, and a black mist came up from the sand.

“Hey what’s going on,” said Joseph.

The Rangers watched in shock as the mist faded away to reveal, a new Ranger dressed in a solid black armor, with a blood red chest plate on his upper body.

“Power Rangers, if you’ve got the guts, come and fight me in hand to hand combat.

“Okay, let’s go see what this guy’s problem is,” Red Ranger said, as he and the other Rangers jumped out of their zords.

No sooner had the Rangers landed on the ground, than the new Ranger began to pound on them. The Gold Ranger was his first target, and Nick found himself laying flat on his face in the sand.

“C’mon Pinkie, its your turn,” taunted the evil Ranger, as he punched Stephanie in the stomach. The Pink Ranger immediately grabbed her stomach, and then the evil Ranger struck her face mask with his fist.

“Steph, I’ll get him!” yelled Michelle, as she leaped into the air. The evil Ranger met Yellow Ranger with an uppercut, which left her flat on her back.

“Who’s next!” snarled the evil Ranger.

The Blue Ranger attacked next with some furious punches and kicks, but the evil Ranger shook off all of the blows, and summoned a blade from his gloves. After taking a few blows from the Ranger’s blade, Joseph sank to the ground in pain.

“Try me on for size,” said Chris, as he pulled out the Spiral Saber.

“Ah, the Red Ranger,” sneered the evil Ranger. With one slash from his blade, the Spiral Saber shattered into pieces. The Ranger then took advantage of Chris’ shock, and nailed the Ranger leader with a powerful superkick to the chest.

“Chris, are you all right?” asked Tim, as he knelt beside his best friend.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Go get him, Tim,” replied Chris, as he tried to catch his breath.

White Ranger rose to his feet and drew the Saba Sword.

“White Ranger, I hate you worst of all. I will relish in your defeat,” snarled the evil Ranger.

“Shut up and fight,” snarled Tim. The two Rangers began to lock horns. The White Ranger struck the villainous Ranger in the chest with his sword. The White Ranger then tackled the evil Ranger to the ground. Tim then reached for the Ranger’s helmet, and as soon as he touched it, the White Ranger received an electrical shock that knocked him off of the villain.

“Stupid, Power Rangers, together none were able to defeat me, and now prepare to suffer the full wrath of the Shadow Ranger,” proclaimed the Ranger, as he motioned towards the giant hyena. The robotic animal then began to charge at the six Rangers, as they laid on the ground.

“Looks like this is the end,” said Chris, as he tried, to no avail, to get to his feet. Just as the hyena was about to trample over the Rangers, The Astro Megaship arrived blasting at the hyena.

The hyena fired missiles from its mouth at the Megaship.

“Ashley, teleport the Rangers aboard,” stated Andros. “We’ve got to get them to safety.”

Ashley pressed a few buttons on the control panel, and the Rangers found themselves aboard the Megaship.

“Where to Andros?” asked Karone, as she took the controls.

“Set a course for Eltar,” ordered Andros.

“Go ahead, run away, you cowards! I won’t rest until the legacy of the Power Rangers has been erased completely,” snarled the evil Shadow Ranger, as he watched the Megaship ascend into the sky. The evil Ranger and the hyena then disappeared in black mist.

********************

“I brought you guys some soup from the Synthetron,” stated Ashley, as she entered the ship’s infirmary, followed by Andros and Karone.

“Thanks,” stated Chris, as he took a bowl off of the tray.

“I can’t believe how easily that guy was able to beat on us,” stated Michelle.

“Fortunately, your morphing powers will provide you with rapid healing, but there’s still the question of who that guy is,” stated Andros.

“He could have killed us, if he had really wanted to,” stated Tim, nervously.

“Stephanie, are you feeling well enough to be teleported back to your grandmother’s house?” asked Karone.

“I think so,” replied Stephanie, as she sat up on the bed. “Besides I don’t want my grandmother to become suspicious of my whereabouts,” Stephanie stated.

Stephanie hopped off of the bed and followed Karone out of the room.

“We’ll let you know what we find out, when we get back,” stated Tim, as he watched his girlfriend exit the room.

“So who are we going to talk to on Eltar?” asked Nick.

“A lady named Dimitria. She was a mentor to the Turbo Rangers, years ago, and I’m hoping that she might be able to help us figure who the Shadow Ranger is,” stated Andros.

********************

At his house, Mason Hodges, Blane, a scientist, and the Shadow Ranger celebrated.

“Great job, Derek, great job, indeed,” praised Hodges. The Shadow Ranger removed his helmet to reveal himself, as Derek Simon.

“I can never be Derek Simon again. I won’t rest until the White Ranger is burned as badly as my body is,” vowed Derek Simon.

“Don’t worry, Derek, the Plasto-Skin will be used to repair your face, and Mr. Blane has located someone who can undo the damage done to your body,” explained the scientist.

“Dr. Meeks is correct, we will head to the planet Onyx. There one of my acquaintances will repair your body,” stated Blane.

‘Mason, I promise you that I won’t rest until the Power Rangers are completely annihilated,” vowed Simon.

“Yes, and when the Rangers are destroyed, I’ll be able to freely carry out my business transactions,” stated Hodges.