Author Note: Okay, this is a whole new idea for me and I don't know if any of you have actually seen anything like it before! Basically how this will work is that I will post a part of this each week, ending with a list of options on what should happen next. So if you just email me at my new address: KingOfTheWorld@breathemail.net and let me know what you should think should happen. Well here's hoping the idea works, now down to the story.
Time Scale: I'm modifying the PR timeline slightly for this story. It takes place at the end of the Zeo series. The Machine Empire has been destroyed but Jason hasn't given Trey the Gold Ranger powers back yet. Also, the golden powers are not effecting Jason in a bad way as they did in the series!
Cube
By Matt
The six Rangers sat together in the Youth Center. Tommy and Jason had just finished a work out and come over to join the others. They were all on a real high after the final defeat of the Machine Empire.
"Man, I can't believe we've won at last!" Rocky said, eating as usual.
"Yeah, I mean it's not exactly how we planned to win, but it's still a victory!" Tommy grinned. They had all found it hard to believe that Rita and Zedd had actually destroyed Mondo, Machina and the rest of the senior machines. But when Alpha showed them a visual of their final destruction picked up by a passing satellite, they had no choice but to believe it.
"So what do we do now?" Jason asked.
"What do you mean?" Tanya asked.
"Well without a threat to the world's safety, we don't need Rangers any more!" Jason commented. None of them had actually thought of that yet. He was right though. They were out of a job.
"Maybe not!" Adam commented. They all looked round at the Green Ranger waiting for an explanation. "Well remember Zedd, Rita and Master Vile. They're all still out there somewhere, as well as the rest of the UAE. They may not be attacking Earth but there's always the threat of invasion!"
They all considered what he said. Both he and Jason had valid points. Right now, the Rangers weren't needed, but that didn't mean they wouldn't be some time in the future.
Just then, a young man, only a little older than they were approached them. "Excuse me, I couldn't help overhearing your conversation!" he said.
He smiled as they all looked at each other in dismay. He had heard them, so he knew they were the Rangers. 'Time to play dumb!' Tommy thought quickly.
"Erm, sorry, what exactly did you hear?" he asked.
"Look, I'm not stupid, but I'm not going to tell anyone, not just yet! The Green Ranger is right though. There's always a threat someone from the UAE could come along, infiltrate the Earth and just attack you." The young man said.
"How do you know all this?" Jason snapped.
"Oh I thought the Power Rangers of Earth were smarter than this! Can you really not work it out!" he replied.
"You're from the UAE!" Kat commented.
"Very good, Pink Ranger, and quicker than I thought." He smiled at them.
"Okay, who are you and what do you want?" Tommy demanded.
"My name is Enigma, and what I want. . . well, you'll see!" he answered. He turned and walked towards the door.
"We have to stop him." Jason said. They all got up to follow the stranger as he walked outside. They hoped that once they were outside and out of the sight of civilians they could morph and stop him before he even got started.
They saw him step through the door and ran after him. Looking round desperately, they searched the surrounding area for any sign of him, but he was gone.
"Damn, we should have had him!" Tommy cursed.
"Never mind that. We have to get to the Power Chamber. As Zordon didn't warn us of Enigma's arrival, I'd say it's a safe bet he doesn't know he's here." Jason commented.
They stood together and teleported away.
"Ay-yi-yi! Enigma is here on Earth! Are you sure Rangers." Alpha five called out in panic as he heard the news. He ran around from console to console, running scans and searches, trying to find the mysterious being.
"Yeah, I'd say we're pretty sure, Alpha! He came and introduced himself personally." Rocky commented.
"Rangers, this is not good." Zordon boomed from his ion tube.
"So who is this Enigma?" Tanya asked the Morphin' Master.
"I'm afraid he lives up to his name Rangers. Very little is known about him." Zordon commented.
"Why's that? Hasn't he been around long or something?" Adam asked, surprised by Zordon's answer. No matter what they had come across before, from the Orb of Doom and Damocles Sword down to Pudgey Pig and Robogoat, Zordon had the information they needed to face any threat.
"Quite the opposite, Adam. He has been around much longer than many of the other members of the UAE. Little is known of him merely for the reason that he keeps himself very private. Even the highest ranking members of the UAE know little to nothing about him." Zordon commented.
"Okay, so couldn't we just find out anything from the places he's attacked before!" Jason suggested.
"I'm afraid not. That is the thing that worries me most. We could not ask them, for they no longer exist. Every world Enigma has faced has fallen to his power." Zordon explained.
Just hearing those words were enough to send a shiver of fear down Kat's spine. She could see it had a visible effect on the others too.
"Okay, so how do we attack him? Do we even know where he is?" Tommy asked.
"He's standing right behind you!" a voice called from behind them. They turned to see their apparent new adversary. "So, Great Morphin' Master. We finally meet. I wondered how long it would be before out paths crossed." Enigma said, walking around casually, examining the Power Chamber.
Tommy didn't even hesitate. "IT'S MORPHIN' TIME!" he called out.
"ZEO RANGER I - PINK!" Kat said quickly.
"ZEO RANGER II - YELLOW!" Tanya called.
"ZEO RANGER III - BLUE!" Rocky commanded.
"ZEO RANGER IV - GREEN!" Adam ordered.
"ZEO RANGER V - RED!" Tommy shouted out.
"GOLD RANGER POWER!" Jason said, allowing the Golden powers to flow through him.
As the sequences finished, the five Zeo Rangers and Gold Ranger stood ready to face Enigma. "Now wasn't that impressive," Enigma said, sounding almost amused as he applauded slowly, "but there really is no need!"
"How did you get past the security?" Tommy demanded.
"Security? There was security? Oops, I must have missed it! Silly ol' me!" Enigma grinned. "Now do you want me to tell you why I'm here, or are we gonna stand here all day playing twenty questions?"
"Actually, I wouldn't mind playing twenty questions all day! I quite like the game!" Rocky joked.
"Real funny Blue Ranger, but I make the jokes round here!" Enigma snapped. "Now I'm here to offer you a choice!"
This caught their attention. "Go on!" Tommy urged him.
"Well you seem like a straight forward kind of guy, so I'll start with the straight forward option. We can go outside and fight this out. . . to the death!" Enigma said.
"And choice number two?" Gold Ranger asked.
"Choice two would be my favorite. I will leave this world and never return, if you can face my challenge." Enigma said.
"What kind of challenge?" Adam asked.
"It's kind of a game! I put you into the game, and if you win, I'll leave. Simple as that."
"Is there a choice number three?" Rocky said hopefully.
"Yes, I suppose there is!" Enigma said. "You can have the easier challenge, but. . ."
"But what?" Tanya snapped.
"But only one of you can face it! If you pick the easy challenge, you must pick just one Ranger to go!" Enigma smiled. "So it's up to you! What do you choose?"
The Rangers all looked round to each other, then up to Zordon. They all recognised the look he gave them. They knew they had to make this choice themselves!
Well there ya go! That's part one, and now the choice is YOURS!
Should the Rangers:
- Take on Enigma in a straight out fight
- Face Enigma's challenge as a team
- Send a single Ranger to face an easier challenge (if so, name the Ranger you choose!) Something else (if you can think of another option, feel free to suggest, but please, keep it sensible!)
That's your choices, so if you want to vote, email me at my new address KingOfTheWorld@breathemail.net
or contact me on AOL Instant Messenger with the name:
'TheReadersChoice'