Disclaimer : No, I don't have the rights to Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Power Rangers Zeo, Jamie Zedden, Leslie Zedden, Larry Zedden, Justice League of America, the Avengers, John Steed, & Emma Peel, or the Charmed Ones. MMPR, PRZ, belong to Saban, Inc., JLA belongs to DC comics, Jamie Zedden, Leslie and Larry Zedden,Charmed belongs to Spelling/WB, and the majority of this storyline belong to Ellen Brand (Thanks go to Ellen for allowing me to use her characters and the storylines from 'Things Left Undone' and 'Two of Hearts' in this tale.) and the Avengers, Steed and Mrs. Peel belong to Luminere. Part 2 (Conclusion) coming up...
Avengers Zeo, Part Two : Red, Gold, and Purple
by : C.A. Turner
"What the hell is wrong now?" Zedd snarled.
Rita gasped, "The Machine Empire is coming!"
Signals blared like mad in the Command Center, and soon all attention was on what Zordon had to say. "Rangers, we must prepare for the coming of the evil Machine Empire."
Hal Jordan asked, "Machine Empire?"
"Yes, Green Lantern. They were created by an evil scientist/dictator to help him rule his domain, but they soon took over, and had him destroyed."
"Soon, they were ruling this domain, and soon intended to slowly take control of the entire universe."
"Zordon, wait! How come we haven't heard of this 'Machine Empire?'" Robin asked with a lot of disbelief.
"Batman advised his young partner, "The universe has countless galaxies and zones, so there's no logical way of covering them all. Besides, Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd were running around for five years before we heard of them, and they were causing all sorts of havoc for the Power Rangers."
Zordon continued, "When he created them, he made them out of cold steel and iron, rendering Rangers helpless against them, so wizards in the M-51 Galaxy, along with scientists created the Zeo crystal, which behaved like science, allowing the wielders of its power to fight the machines, even though it was powered by magic."
"Magic?" Tommy Oliver asked.
"Yes. You see, the Morphin Grid is the source of power humans call magic, and it underlies all of the universe. It can be tapped by those magicians with the talent to do that, and is part of every known race in creation. The Power is a part of all things, except one, cold iron, which disrupts and repels the Power, which is why, in Earth legends, cold iron is a barrier to magic. And all places feel the pull of the Power. Iron is one of those extremely rare materials in the universe, and in a very, very few places, it is found in large quantities, and usually those planets are almost totally divorced from the Power, although not completely, proof of which being the Olympian Gods who created the Amazons."
Wonder Woman rose an eyebrow upon hearing this news.
Zordon resumed, "The Morphin power is magic, where the Zeo Crystal is not. It is rooted in the intersection between magic and technology, containing some magic, but it follows the rules of science."
Batman looked at Zordon. "You have to admit, this does seem a little far-fetched, but, from what I've seen with the JLA, it does seem possible."
Jason asked, "When do you think that the Machine Empire will arrive in this system?"
"Hard to say. On the plus side, we are receiving some help from the Gold Ranger. He is coming to help stop the Machine Empire, but we still need to find the red and purple shards. With the Machine Empire arriving, we need to activate the Zeo Ranger team as soon as possible," Zordon stated very plainly.
"Just who is this 'Machine Empire' composed of, anyway?" Emma Peel asked.
Zordon directed everyone's attention toward the viewing globe. "This is King Mondo, he is the main force behind the power of the empire. With him his wife, Queen Machina, almost as evil as her husband, and their youngest son, Prince Sprocket, who is very eager to step into his father's shoes."
Zack Taylor asked, "Youngest son?"
"Mondo has an older son, Prince Gasket, who married an archrival's daughter, Archerina, and has been estranged from the family ever since. And these are Klank and Orbus, footmen to the throne. This composes the entire Machine Empire. We must all be prepared for their arrival, so we can stop them, once and for all, permanently."
Kimberly Hart spoke, "Until then, we just have to keep an eye out, huh?"
"Exactly. Be careful, Rangers, and keep looking for the red shard," Zordon told everyone.
Phoebe Halliwell was looking through the Book Of Shadows, trying to find a way to boost her powers, when she got a glimpse into the JLA’s satellite. “PRUE, PIPER! Get up here, NOW!â€
Once again, Isis and the Pink ranger were there, this time, joined by Wonder Woman. “Who does your cleaning? This looks a lot better than the last time.†Kimberly asked.
An hour later, Jason was running, making his rounds through the park. Usually this helped him think a lot better, and the past six months had given him a lot to think about. First, helping the Justice League of America on a case, then becoming one of their newest members, afterwards having to do Aquaman away, something he had nightmares about still, and just recently, an act that seemed to redeem that act, helping Hal Jordan forgive himself enough to return to action as Green Lantern. Now, the Machine Empire was coming, and he and the other Morphin Power Rangers, along with their JLA teammates, had to be prepared, along with legendary superspies, John Steed and Emma Peel, who timetraveled from 1966 simply for a new experience.
His mind now completely swamped, he sat down under a tree to enjoy the beauty of the day, and to take his mind off things.
"Is this a private party, or can anyone join?" an unfamiliar, sweet voice asked. Jason opened his eyes to see a girl he had never met before standing in front of him, standing.
"Pull up a root, and sit down," he replied, gesturing off to his left. "I don't remember seeing you around here before."
"No, I just moved here Friday. I start school here next Monday."
Jason couldn't help looking at her. she was striking, but not conventionally pretty. Her features, certainly pleasant, but were far too strong. Her hair was a brilliant red, the color of autumn leaves, and her eyes were a smoky hazel. Her height stunned him most of all, for when she sat down next to him, he saw that she was almost an inch shorter than Kimberly, standing only about 5'1". "I'm Jason. Jason Scott. What's your name?"
"Jamie Zedden. I've heard of you, nice to meet you. I hear you teach martial arts. What style are you?"
"I've got a fourth degree black belt in American style Karate," Jason told her. He hadn't pictured his morning discussing martial arts with a beautiful redhead, but he wasn't complaining.
"American Style, huh? That's pretty interesting. I just earned my fourth in Shotokan."
Now Jason was impressed. "Shotokan? That's a tough style."
"Yeah, but I love it. Besides, where I come from, you have to be tough."
"So, where are you from?"
"Just moved up here from one of Los Angeles' 'finer neighborhoods," she frowned.
Jason and Jamie spent a long time discussing everything they could think of. Jason was completely enthralled. Jamie was the most interesting person he had met in al long time, and he really enjoyed being with her. He hadn't felt his way since his first date with Samantha. After that quick reflection, he steeled himself to ask the question that had been tumbling around in his mind. "Jamie, I was wondering if you'd like to go see that new action movie at the Angel Grove multiplex tomorrow night?"
She smiled at him. "Are you asking me on a date? Seriously, though, is that the one with those teenagers with superpowers who save the world? What's it called, 'Lightstar Heroes' or something?"
"No way!" Jason gasped. "Those things are so cheesy! I meant the new Segal movie."
"Sure, I'd love to IF you promise to take me to the Lightstar thing sometime. I like cheesy. Besides, I'm a sucker for a man in Spandex."
Jason thought to himself, -Oh Jamie, if you'd seen what I sometimes wear,- but he let it go. "Great. Meet you there at eight?"
"Sure." They talked about other things for a while, but all too soon, reality intruded, and they both had to go home. Walking back to his house, Jason felt really great, like things are once again goin to be great. Then, he thought, How's Samantha going to feel about this? Even though the two had since broken up, he still had to winder how she felt about his finding someone soon after their separation.
Kat Hillard, Tanya Sloan, Rocky DeSantos, Adam Park, and David Trueheart were also enjoying their day. The Zeo Rangers to be were having a mini picnic, and talking about their new situation.
Adam spoke up, "The Rangers sometimes work with the JLA. In fact, they're the newest members of the team. Do you think we'll work with them as well?"
"Maybe. Remember, we're the second power team, but first, we've got to... HEADS UP, GUYS! PUTTIES!" Tanya screamed.
A group of putties had arrived there with a sensor, looking for one of the remaining shards. "We've got work to do, guys! Let's go!" Rocky yelled.
In seconds, they were in a major fight, slamming putties left and right, until the putties were completely trashed, and they had gotten hold of their sensor to find the shard. Kat shouted, "Guys, that device is pointing us southward in that direction! Do you think...?"
Within minutes, David had a shovel teleported there, and were digging in that spot the sensor indicated, and soon, had found a red crystalline shard with a star at the top.
"THAT'S IT! Let's get it to the command center!" David yelled.
In seconds, they were gone.
“When do we start?†an interested Prue Halliwell asked.
“We’ll let you know if things are getting too hairy, but, for now, you’re our secret ace in the hole. Thanks again.†Wonder Woman told the three, then the heroines vanished.
“Cool.†Phoebe smiled.
Piper, however, had a different viewpoint… “Would it be too much for our new friends to use the front door?â€
In Paris, France, a frustrated Eugene Skullovitch walked into the office where he and his school pal, Bulk, worked, and slammed his hands on the desk. "I'VE HAD IT! Let's face facts, Bulk, we've got nothing here, and we are going nowhere fast with this secret agent business. I'm through, and I'm going back."
Bulk's jaw dropped. "What? You can't, I mean, we haven't fulfilled our contract with Inspector Klouseau yet!"
"So what? He can keep the money he was going to pay us! This is the stupidest thing I've ever done, and I don't want to do this anymore!"
"Skull, if we leave, we're finished here."
"GOOD! I'm miserable, damn it! You're the one who wanted to be a spy, so what are we doing? Training, I can understand, but all we're doing is paperwork on top of paperwork! I was happier as a detective, even if I did stink at it."
"I've finally learned that it takes time to learn to do anything. I mean, all of our lives, we got into trouble and made fools of ourselves by trying to do things the easy way. Now, I've finally got something that I want to work for, and I'm not going to give it up."
Skull sighed, "You don't have to. I'm going home, whether you come with me or not and this is the last time I ever do something that I don't want to do. I'm not going to throw my happiness away anymore because we're on different tracks."
Bulk swallowed and stood up, shaking his hand. "I'm going to miss you, buddy, but I'd rather you were happy. Promise you'll write?"
"You bet. We'll always be friends, Bulky, no matter what."
Tommy, Billy, and Flash were on hand when the Zeo team teleported in with the red Zeo crystalline shard. "It's here! Now what?" Rocky asked.
Zordon spoke up, "Rangers, the Gold Ranger's Zord, Pyramidas, has entered our atmosphere, and Rita or the Machine Empire will be after him."
Billy spoke, "Don't worry, Zordon, we're on it."
Mrs. Peel also told him, "I'm coming along, too. I'd like to help."
"Ok, but be careful. 1. Putties and Tengas are not what you're used to, and 2. Zack and Kimberly would kill us if anything happened to you or Steed," Tommy told her. "It's Morphin Time!"
"Triceratops!"
"Tigerzord!"
The four were soon on Angel Grove beach, and almost as soon as they got there, the Putties and Tengas started to attack. The Flash slammed Tengas into each other at a very high speed, leaving nothing but feathers for the most part. Tommy and Mrs. Peel were a very effective team; she set them up with several well placed punches and kicks, while he knocked them down and out for the count. Billy kicked and slammed putties all over the place, but they just seemed to keep coming, when a new arrival showed up, trashing the Tengas and Putties with ease. Dressed in an outfit almost like the Black Ranger's, with a golden shield, and a totally different helmet with an eyepiece shaped like a tri-fold bar.
"Power Rangers of Earth, I am happy to be of service. I am Trey, of Triforia, the Gold Ranger."
The heroes soon introduced themselves. "Hi, I'm Tommy, the White Ranger."
"Billy, Blue Ranger."
"Flash."
"Emma Peel."
"We had best retreat to your Command Center. My Zord, Pyramidas, is right over there, cloaked. Would that be all right?"
"Zordon would be happy, and so would we. Let's go," Billy smiled.
Soon, all five were inside Pyramidas, which soon teleported towards the Command Center.
On a plane high over the Atlantic, Skull was relaxing in a seat, eating his peanuts, and flirting with the stewardesses. Amazingly enough, some of them were flirting back. He remembered a time when they would have shot him down in a heartbeat. He really had grown up.
Part of it, of course, was his appearance. In his khakis, yellow-button down shirt, and suspenders, he didn't look like the punk he had been for so many years. He was also far more relaxed than he had ever been in his police uniform or the suit he mentally referred to as "Spywear." Life as a detective completely agreed with him.
Sighing, he closed his eyes, and tried to get some sleep. He wasn't sure of what was going to happen when he got home, but he wanted to be ready for anything.
Temperatures were in the mid 60's in downtown Angel Grove, and the streets were jam-packed with people hurrying somewhere. The festive atmosphere of that long weekend was infectious, and Jason felt better than he had ever been since the whole Aquaman fiasco. Part of it, he was positive, had to be attributed to falling in love again.
There was something so right about the two of them when they were together, and he was always happiest by her side, and she seemed to feel the same way.
They had both enjoyed the Segal movie, and true to his word, Jason took her to the "Lightstar Heroes" a few nights later. To his amazement, he actually like the campy film, laughing at Jamie's jokes, and cracking a few of his own. He had teased her about drooling over the Red Lightstar Hero, but had to shut up after she caught him ogling over the Pink one. He wondered briefly if morphing really did that to a woman's physique. He hadn't noticed, but at the time, he had been busy with other things; these days, those things included trying tot think pure thoughts when standing around Wonder Woman.
Now Jamie had dragged him antique shopping, something he hadn't even done for Samantha. Jamie was looking for antique weapons, however, which was something Jason had always been interested in. Besides, her excitement made everything worthwhile.
Finally, they came to Old as the Hills, the last store on the list. Inside, the owner, Ignatz Hill, showed the two an excellently elaborate collection of antique swords, daggers, crossbows, knives, and other weapons.
A flash of light on steel caught her eye, and soon she was at a case where a beautiful, strangely-crafted sword was lying on purple velvet. "Could I take a look at this one?" she asked.
"A good choice. No one knows where this sword came from, I'm afraid," Mr. Hill commented in his Maine drawl. "I inherited this from my grandfather, but where he got it from, I never found out. He never wanted to discuss it at all. I've had it examined by every expert in the area, but none of them could tell me where this sword is from." He then lifted it from its case, and handed it to her.
When she had it in her hands, it felt oddly like it was meant for her, somehow; a slight, harmless shock happened, then nothing. Testing the heft in one hand, she lifted her eyebrows at its light weight, asking, "Steel?"
Mr. Hill shook his head. "Nope. They don't know what it is. It seems to be plumb old. How old, no one can say."
She examined it closely, saying, "You're right, it's very odd. Look, the blade is shaped like an English broadsword, but there's no blooding channel, and it has these funny runes etched on the blade. I'd almost say they were Norse, but the Norse never made swords like this. The pommel stone's like nothing I've ever seen. It could be milk quartz, or moon stone, but it's huge, almost the size of a quarter." A decision was made. That sword had to be hers. "How much?"
Looking at her for a long moment, Mr. Hill spoke, "A sword like that usually costs upward towards one thousand dollars, but, it's almost worthless to a collector, with no past or identifying marks, so, I figure it's time to unload the thing. 22.00, and it's yours."
Jamie was in complete disbelief. "22.00, are you sure, sir?"
"Course, I'm sure. 22, take it or leave it."
"I'll take it!" Jamie handed the man a 20 dollar bill and two singles, and he put them into the cash register. "Oops, almost forget," Hill cackled. Reaching behind the counter, he pulled out a scabbard made of something dark. "This was always with the sword. Part of the purchase price. You'll want to keep it sheathed in town, of course. And before you ask, no, it ain't leather. Nobody knows what it is, either."
Wholeheartedly, Jamie told him, "Thank you very much, sir," Slipping the sword back into its scabbard and heading out the door. Jason started to follow, when Hill suddenly put a hand on his shoulder.
"Young man, is she your girlfriend?" the old man asked, seriously.
"I like to think so, sir," Jason told him, wondering what was going on.
"You keep an eye on her. There's something funny about that bladed, like it was meant for her. I don't reckon there's anything dangerous about it, otherwise I wouldn't have sold it to her if I thought there was, but..." he trailed off, but Jason understood.
"Don't worry, sir. I'll keep my eyes open." He then followed Jamie into the sunshine.
Isis was talking to Zordon about Zedd's recent change of attitude toward his career of evil. "We were talking about this while we were in 1976 London, and it's like he really doesn't have it in him to be that evil anymore."
"Hmmm. If what you're saying is true, then it proves an ancient legend is based in fact. That Zedd was brainwashed into the service of evil, and maybe... What is it?" Zordon asked the Human goddess.
"Jason. His new girlfriend, Jamie. Goldar! Excuse me, Zordon, I've got work to do!" Isis shouted, and soon flew in the direction of the park.
In the park, Jamie stopped to unsheathe her sword and try a few practice moves. Jason leaned against a tree watching her, smiling. Jason's thoughts were cut off by a flash of gold fire. Goldar, grinning evilly, materialized in front of them.
"Don't worry, all I want is the sword. Hand it over, and I am out of..." That as far as he got, for he was hit by a bolt of lightning. Isis stood between him and the teens.
"Beat it, you Wizard of Oz reject!"
"Who invited you, witch?"
Jamie interrupted, "You want my sword, that I just paid 22 for? Dream on, you overgrown chimp."
Goldar snarled, "Give it to me, human. you have no use for it, and no clue about its true power and worth, so it's useless to you."
"You want it, monkeyboy? Come and get it!"
Jason cried, "Are you crazy? He cheats!"
"I'll make sure he doesn't!" Isis bellowed, and cast another lightning bolt on Goldar, sapping his strength.
"Witch, what have you done to me?"
"Evening the playing field. Try anything underhanded, you're lion chow!"
Jamie smiled. "Still want the sword?"
Goldar growled, "Yes," and the battle was on. Goldar started with a ringing downslice, but Jamie blocked him with ease. It was soon obvious that both were masters of the sword. Cuts, parries, thrusts, and slices formed a glittering web of razored steel. Normally, Goldar would be far stronger than Jamie, but the spell cast by Isis took away that advantage. Jamie also had grace and speed on her side. Goldar's cunning made up for his lost strength, so they were evenly matched.
Goldar then lost his patience and fired a large, golden energy beam at her, but to everyone's amazement, she absorbed the blast, as a purple aura formed around her. Smiling at the winged ape, she fired a large purple bolt of energy at him, directly in his chest, knocking him back at least two yards.
Isis shouted to Goldar, "You lose, winged wussy! Beat it!"
Without one word, he vanished in purple flame.
"well, that was fun. What was that all... ISIS!" Jamie was amazed. It really was one of the Justice Leaguers who helped her with Goldar.
Jason enfolded Jamie in his arms. "I think that sword gave you special powers, but you must have a death wish or something, he could have killed you!"
She shrugged. "I somehow knew I could take him. Weird as it sounds, the sword told me I could do it."
"Jason, we're going to have to tell Zordon about this, and we're also going to have to tell her about..." Isis started.
"I know. Jamie, there's someone I think we all should talk to about this," Jason told Jamie.
"Where are we going? Who?"
Isis told her, "You have to see it to believe it."
In minutes, all three were at the Command Center. "Jason, is something the matter?" Zordon asked as they materialized.
"Big time," Jason replied. While he went over these recent events, Jamie was staring around the Command Center with amazement. After hearing all this, Zordon had Alpha 5 run a scan on the sword.
"I want that back in one piece! So, where are we, and who are they?" Jamie asked.
"Jamie Zedden, meet Zordon of Eltare, interdimensional being and mentor to the Power Rangers," Jason told her.
"Power Rangers? You're a..."
"The Red one."
"Wow. I heard about you and that Aqua-creep. I know you were upset about it for a while. I won't push you, but if you need to talk about it, I'm willing to listen."
"Thanks, Jamie, I'd like that. Maybe later."
"Jamie Zedden?" Isis asked.
Zordon continued, "Age 17, daughter of Lawrence Zedden."
"Yes, but my dad's dead, though. Do you two know me?"
"It's more fitting to say we know of you," Isis spoke.
"We both now have our suspicisions as to what happened in the park, although we will have to wait until Alpha finished his analysis of the sword to be sure, and the others arrive," Zordon told him.
"You mean, you found the red shard?" Jason asked.
"The Zeo Rangers found it. And now it seems that..." Isis started.
Alpha interrupted, "Ay yi yi! Analysis complete! The sword is of Zarakin manufacture, one of the six elemental blades manufactured by the Wizard Ralthor over three hundred millennia ago! It is the long-lost Sword of Lightning!"
"Zordon, it really is true!" Isis replied heavily.
Jason was baffled. "What's true?"
Jamie asked, "Zarakin? Sword of Lightning? What's going on here?"
Before explanations could be made, a rainbow of light appeared in the Center, which materialized into the other Morphin Rangers, and the soon-to-be Zeo Rangers, along with the Flash and Black Canary.
"I am glad you are all here. Before we begin, I was about to tell Jason and Jamie about the history of this sword, and I feel you all should know as well. You see, the Zarakin are a people who live many light-years from here, on a planet known as Danata. Long ago, they settled there to escape the constant invasions their people were subject to."
"Oh, kind of like Belgium," Trini interjected.
Isis continued, "In a way. You see, the Zarakin were determined not to be driven off their planet again, so a great wizard named Ralthor created six magical swords to be given to worthy wielders, known as the Elemental Blades. They were the Sword of Fire, the Sword of Water, the Sword of Wind, the Sword of Earth, the Sword of Heart, and the Sword of Lightning. From what I've read, the Zarakin House of Swords was an organization of bodyguards to the king that grew up around these swords. Along with being able to control the element for which they were named, each blade had another hidden power, known only to the wielder."
Zordon took over at this point. "The Sword of Lightning, however, had a power that could not be hidden. It transformed its wielder into a formidable warrior, the Purple Zeo Ranger."
"Purple!" Jason exclaimed. "Then that's..."
"The Purple Zeo Shard. It was forged into the handle of the sword, apparently."
Jamie asked shyly, "Do you want it back?"
Isis assured her, "Jamie, the sword has bonded to you. The power is yours, no matter what you do."
Zordon continued, "We would like you to be a full-fledged Zeo Ranger, tied into the grid. That way, we could come to your aid, if necessary, but you are under no obligation."
"I'll do it. How?"
"Take the sword in both hands, and concentrate on the crystal."
Jamie did just that, and saw the crystal separate from the handle and float over to the other Zeo crystals. At its apex, a hexagon.
It soon joined the other crystals, and Zordon announced, "The time has come. Zeo Rangers, accept your powers."
The Gold Ranger stood by and watched as the new team assembled, one by one. Zordon spoke, "Rangers, through courage and sacrifice, the Zeo Crystal is here. To the ones chosen, it will give powers beyond imagination.
"Katherine, from this day forth, you will be known as Zeo Ranger 1, Pink!"
As he said this, a pink flash covered Kat, and when it faded, she was in a pink spandex uniform, and a helmet with an oval eyepiece.
"Tanya, you shall become Zeo Ranger 2, Yellow!
"Rocky, you are Zeo Ranger 3, Blue!
"Adam, the power for Zeo Ranger 4, Black, belongs to you!
"David, you shall assume the identity of Zeo Ranger 5, Red!
"And finally, Jamie, to you goes the power of Zeo Ranger 6, Purple!"
Soon, the team was ready for action. "Zeo Rangers, the crystal now resides within you. How do you feel?"
Adam spoke for all six. "I feel powered up and fully charged!"
Zordon continued, "Your Zeonizers will give you access to your new powers. Soon you will receive your Zeo zords."
"Zordon, I need to know, how does my father fit into all of this?" Jamie asked.
"Jamie, your father is a Zarakin prince," Zordon told her.
"WHAT!" everyone else yelled.
Zordon continued, "The Zarakin, like most races in the universe, are neither all evil or all good. They, too, have the potential to create great heroes or the most fiendish villains, one of whom is Lord Zedd."
"ZEDD? I thought the Zarakin people were like humans physiologically!" Isis cried.
"They are. The form that you know as Zedd is not his true one. As a Zarakin, he appears to be a completely normal looking human. Zedd was born to the King and Queen of Danata many eons ago, even before my birth. He was the pride and joy of the royal court, a baby of uncommon handsomeness and intelligence. He had a slight temper, but that trait has bred true throughout seven hundred generations of rules and extends to most of the planet as well, so there was little chance that he would escape that.
"He grew to become one of the finest warriors Danata had ever seen, graduating first in his class from the House of Swords, and given the Sword of Fire. As he grew, it was thought that he would become one of the finest kinds that the Zarakin Sector had ever known.
"Then, something happened, and to this day, no one knows what. Up until recently, it was believed that he was seduced by a dark power, but his recent actions suggest that he was taken against his will, much like Rita did with Tommy. In any case, he became an evil sorcerer of great power, drawing on the darkest sectors of the Morphin Grid."
"Zordon, I thought the Rangers used the Grid?" Black Canary asked. At that moment, Emma Peel returned to the Command Center.
"What's going on here?"
"Emma Peel, meet the Zeo Rangers!" Zordon spoke.
"A pleasure."
Zordon resumed his tale. "The Morphin Grid is a vast source of power humans call magic, which permeates the universe, and is tuned to the polar extremes of being. Some, like the Rangers powers, answer to the light pole, while Zedd, Rita, and most evil sorcerers answer to the dark side. Rita, in truth, is a witch, drawing her power from objects which magic has been infused, and has no other form. Zedd, however, is currently in his alternate persona, monstrous enough to draw power from the Grid's dark pole. On the light side, Isis is a goddess, using a natural connection to the Earth and the Grid to achieve her skills. At her level, most things she does takes a mere thought. I am a wizard, also drawing my power from a natural connection with the Morphin Grid. Unlike Isis, I use mental disciplines to summon the power. There are many other classifications, but it would take too long to go into them now, and I have already strayed too far from my story. One millennia ago, Zedd returned to Danata to cause a massive war with a nearby planet when Zarador, and the Council of Elders, trapped him, stripped him of his alternate form, and sent him to Earth, where he would fit in, but not rise to power. This was twenty years ago."
"Twenty... oh, boy!" Flash whispered.
"On Earth, he took the name Lawrence Zedden. He then created a past for himself, and soon fell in love with Leslie Corren. They soon married, and had one child, a daughter named Jamie."
"Actually, they named her Jamaica Theresa, which she has been trying to live down ever since, and being grateful they didn't give me Sommers for a middle name, as they had planned," Jamie smiled sickly.
"Jamie Sommers Zedden?" Kimberly smiled.
"Hey, my mom was a huge 'Bionic Woman' fan! Give her a break."
Zordon resumed the tale. "Jamie, I am unclear on the details on Lord Zedd's return to power, but I believe the minions sent to retrieve him planted that false body so that no one would wonder where he had gone. It would be a piece of cake for them to generate a duplicate of your father's body and dump it in the river."
Jason walked over to her and gave her a hug. "Look, I don't care if you are Zedd's daughter. I like you anyway."
"So do we," Zack added.
"Thanks. That's good to know," Jamie smiled.
"Jamie, there's something else that you should be aware of. According to Zarakin law, your parents are still married. There was no divorce, and no real death, so the marriage was not dissolved. This means that Rita and Zedd are not really married, which may be a bad omen for you. Rita does not like to be replaced, and lately, Zedd seems to want that life to be over, so that in a way, makes it even worse."
Jamie shivered at the thought of Tengas or Putties attacking her mother.
"I'm going to have to tell her about this, Zordon. She has to know."
Isis put a hand on her shoulder. "I agree. We'll both teleport to your house, and explain things to her."
Zordon spoke up, "One other thing. The Elemental Blades can be stored in a pocket in hyperspace. Simply concentrate on putting it in a pocket." Jamie did this, and the sword disappeared. "To retrieve it, simple imagine it in your hand." She concentrated, and the blade returned.
"Cool. And this pocket will go wherever I do?"
"Yes."
"Great! Any other interesting talents I have?"
"Lord Zedd could tell you more about them."
Jason held her hand tight. "Hurry back."
"You got it." In flashes of purple and gold light, the two teleported out.
Jamie teleported into the hall of her house, Isis alongside her. "Mom?" she called.
"In the kitchen, honey. Did you have a nice day? Buy anything deadly?"
Isis asked, "Buy anything deadly?"
"Long story," Jamie told her. "Mom, I've got a special guest with me. She's truly one of a kind." Jamie grinned and entered the kitchen with her guest.
Leslie Zedden looked at Isis. "Since my daughter couldn't make up a wild joke like this, I guess you really are Isis. How did you two run into each other?"
Isis studied both women. It was easy to see where Jamie got her looks. Leslie had the same red hair and short, slim build as her daughter, with similar facial features. Only their eyes were different, Jamie's a smoky hazel, Leslie's a cool emerald green. Jamie also inherited toughness of spirit from her mom. She never had anything that she couldn't tell her, but this, well...
"Mom, the day you found out that Dad was dead. You never really talked about it. You just said that the police called and told you his body was found in the river. What happened that day?"
Isis added, "It really is important. Please excuse my manners, it's nice to meet you."
Leslie sighed. She really didn't want to remember the events of that afternoon, but Jamie was certainly old enough to know the truth, and she wouldn't ask if it weren't important, although how it could involve Isis, she had no idea.
"I was doing something in the kitchen, and you were watching 'Sesame Street' in the living room. There was a knock at the door, and two strange men were outside, looking like they didn't belong there or anywhere. They said they were friends of your father, but something told me otherwise, so I said no, but they insisted, so I kneed one of them and whacked the other with a skillet, then slammed the door in their faces, heading back into the kitchen. Then, the door blew in."
Jamie and Isis looked at each other in shock.
"Larry was afraid something like this would happen, although he never told me why. They were chasing us soon afterwards, but luckily, Firestorm showed up, and put a stop to both of them. He saw that we were okay, and went back to check on them, but they had got away. We went to Grandma's almost soon after. Later, I found out our house was set on fire, and virtually nothing survived. For awhile, the police thought we had died in the fire, but they found out we were alive, so they called me and told me about Larry. It was almost more than I could take. If it weren't for you, I would have given up. To this day, I still don't know who those men were or what they wanted. Why are you asking me this now?"
Jamie took her mother's hands into her own and sighed. "Mom, I have something to tell you, and you may not believe any of it."
On the moon's surface was a Winnebago, cloaked from the Watchtower's motion sensors, and inside, Lord Zedd was listening to Goldar's explanation with mounting anger, when something Goldar said caught his train of thought. "A girl, you say? Red hair, about seventeen?" Zedd asked, leaning forward.
"Yes, my lord."
"And she was able to call upon the sword's powers?"
"Yes, Lord Zedd."
"Hmm," Zedd mused. Common sense told him it was impossible, but in any case, his heart began to pound. "She must be a half-breed Zarakin. Let me see this girl!"
Zedd's eyebeams shot down towards Earth, allowing him to see whatever he wanted. As he did so, a duplicate of the image formed in front of his henchman. "Goldar, is this the girl?"
"Yes, my lord."
The image was of Jamie talking with her mother in the kitchen, Isis listening with patience. Zedd's breath caught in what passed for his throat. He didn't recognize the girl; far too many years had passed. The woman, however, was as familiar as his own name. He dreamed about her every night.
"Leslie," he whispered.
"Leslie?" Rita asked.
Zedd whirled on her. "That's my wife! She's alive!"
Rita paled. "What-what does that mean for us?" she managed.
"I don't know. I'll have to think about this." Confused, he left the Winnebago for a long walk.
Emma Peel and Wonder Woman were talking about the Amazons, Themyscria, (Wonder Woman's birthplace), and women crimefighters in general when Trini walked into the Command Center, wanting to ask both of them some questions about how to deal with male chauvinism in their fields of work, Mrs. Peel being from the 1960's, lending some historical perspective. Tanya was with her.
"You are a married woman, and yet you do dangerous work for England. How does your husband deal with this?" Tanya asked.
"My husband's gone missing."
"Missing?"
"Yes. He was in the Amazon, doing research on something when the group he was with lost track of him. I haven't seen him since. Almost two months later, I found myself working with Seed, involved in these wild adventures, and now we had just finished a case involving killer cats, believe it or not, when we got into this affair," Mrs. Peel told them.
Tanya looked skeptical. "Killer cats? Oh, like runaway tigers and lions?"
"No. Regular housecats. Long story."
Trini asked, "Recently, I found out that I'm a descendant of Xena, Warrior Princess. I'm wondering how my life is going to change because of that."
Wonder Woman answered that one. "Trini, no matter what happens to you in the near or distant future, the fact remains that you, even without the power or the new heritage, will always be a very special person. Nothing will ever change that."
"Thanks. How about a pizza? My treat."
"MY treat, Trini. Come on, your friends are probably waiting for both of you, and I really am hungry. Mrs. Peel?"
"Why not?"
It had taken a fair amount of arguing, one exploded toaster, a blown microwave, and a morph, but Jamie had finally convinced her mother of the truth of her story. Now, Leslie was trying to deal with the realization that her daughter was a superhero, her husband, presumed dead, was a space alien who may be on the side of evil against his will, and his current wife was probably hiring an avian hit squad to attack them even now. She was taking all of this rather well. "So, what are the fragile areas on a Tenga?" Leslie asked calmly.
Isis smiled at Jamie. "Mrs. Zedden, I am happy to say it looks like nothing surprises you or your daughter for long. As for the Tengas, eyes, beak, throat, and the... usual," miming a knee to a sensitive area.
"So, these are male birds?"
Before either Jamie or Isis could answer, the room was filled with a hail of black feathers.
"Looks like we're gonna find out. Jamie, get your mother out of here!" Isis yelled.
"Mom, go in the other room!" Jamie shouted and joined Isis as both dropped into fighting positions as Goldar and the Tengas materialized. Both sides prepared for a major fight.
"NOT IN THE HOUSE!" Leslie bellowed, startling all combatants into silence. "We can just take this outside! You have no idea how long it took me to clean this floor this morning!" she told them all.
Goldar and the Tengas looked at each other sheepishly, then walked out the back door. Jamie, Isis, and Leslie looked at each other for a moment, then Isis teleported all three of them to the Command Center. They materialized in the middle of the room.
"Looks like I'll have to get used to that. So, this is that Command Center you were telling me about?" Leslie sighed, taking in her surroundings.
Zordon boomed, "It is indeed. Welcome, Mrs. Zedden. I am Zordon, mentor to the Power Rangers. May I congratulate you on a rather ingenious way of escaping the Tengas? However did you think of that?"
Leslie shrugged. "Even things like that had to have mothers. Some behaviors are just universal."
"I assume Goldar and the Tengas have returned to Rita to tell her about their failure to get chewed out," Isis spoke up then.
"Exactly. I doubt that they will show up again for a while, but, in case they do, Mrs. Zedden, I would like you to have this communicator. Jamie, I have made some for you and the other Zeo Rangers as well," Zordon told them. Leslie received a purple and white wristband, while Jamie's was simply purple. "Should you be attacked, simply touch the large button, and you will be teleported here instantly."
"Thank you," Leslie replied, buckling the band onto her wrist. "I had better had on back home. I had a cake in the oven that will probably need my attention soon." And with that, she teleported out.
"I'd better head to the youth center myself. I told Jason I'd meet him there. I'll see you later." She also teleported out in a purple rush.
Zordon smiled to himself. There were now two Ranger teams, Morphin and Zeo. There is also a connection with the Justice League of America. Things couldn't be any better than now. However, such thoughts ended when the alarms blared, signaling a new threat.
Isis seemed to know what was the cause. "Machine Empire?"
"Yes. On the moon, and already planning to destroy everything, starting with Zedd and Rita."
Finster was looking for Zedd and found him two hours later, dangerously close to the JLA Watchtower. "My lord, I have some rather disturbing news."
Zedd growled, "What is it, Finster? I would prefer to be alone right now."
"I overheard Rita talking to herself in the trailer, and I made an interesting discovery. The fire that consumed your home, and that you thought killed your family was set by Dendrian mercenaries, the same ones who brought you back to your forces."
Zedd's head swiveled slowly towards the little crafter. "What? Why?"
"To destroy your ties on Earth, so that you would have no choice but to leave your life as Lawrence Zedden and return to being Lord Zedd. Apparently, there was also a contract out on your wife and daughter, but the mercenaries underestimated her, and she escaped."
Pride was evident in Zedd's voice as he spoke again. "Leslie always could take care of herself. It was one of the reasons I fell in love with her."
Finster chose his next words carefully. "I also know who placed the contract on your wife and daughter."
In a tone that would make even Batman flinch, Zedd demanded, "Who?"
"Rita. It seems even at that time, she had hopes of gaining control of the empire through you. She used a communications spell to hire the mercenaries that Goldar recommended, although he didn't know why she wanted them. That way, they would return you to your empire where she could someday get close to you."
Without a word, Zedd turned and strode back to the trailer. Finster followed in his wake, smiling to himself. Fur was going to fly tonight.
At that moment, unknown to everyone, except Zordon, the Machine Empire had landed, installed a cloaked castle on the moon, and were soon making plans to enslave the Earth, first, they planned to destroy Rita and Zedd. "Yes, the time has come at last! Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd will be the first to perish," King Mondo smirked.
Queen Machina smiled. "Darling, that would be lovely. Then the world will be ours to demolish. But what about this 'Justice League of America' and 'Power Rangers' that we have heard rumors of?"
"That's all they are, my dear, rumors. We should have no real opposition to our takeover of this planet, and then, the world. But, just in case, I have a little present for their mightiest member, Superman. A bit of his home planet, so to speak."
"Kryptonite. How wickedly delicious!"
"Rita!" Zedd bellowed, standing outside the trailer. "Get out here, witch!"
Rita knew better than to disobey Zedd when he spoke in that tone of voice, and hurried out the door.
"Yes?" she asked, fear showing very obviously on her face.
"I know about what you did, bitch. Both this morning and nineteen years ago. I ought to kill you right here and now, but, for some reason, I'm feeling merciful. You can have the Putties, the Tengas, your idiot brother, and even that rotten trailer. Goldar, Finster, Scorpina, you are all with me. I'm heading back to Serpentera and maybe, if I'm still in a merciful mood, I'll free you from the spells Rita put on you, and you will return to your individual lives. Rita, if I ever seen your ugly face again, or catch you even thinking about attacking my wife and child, there won't be enough left of you to put in a dumpster. Goldar, Scorpina, Finster, come!" And with that, Zedd turned and stomped away, with the three he summoned following him.
Before he could say anything else, a series of explosions rocked the surface, followed by several of Mondo's scouting rockets.
A bored Hawkwoman was on monitor duty in the Watchtower when the moon shook.
"Well, it looks like there might be some action after all. Activate viewer, and set for moonscan!"
What she saw looked like a replay of the Vietnam war and Star Wars combined.
"Zedd vs. Rita vs. who I think may be that Machine Empire Zordon warned us all about. Time to call in the troops!"
Zordon spoke, "Yes, Hawkwoman. I'll summon the Rangers, both teams. Contact the JLA, too!"
Soon, at the Watchtower, the Rangers and the Leaguers were watching the battle scene unfold. "Man, it is really going hot and heavy out there!" Samantha stated.
"We had best split up into three teams and attack on all three fronts," Flash shouted.
"Let's do it!" Jason yelled. "IT'S MORPHIN TIME!"
"MASTODON!"
"PTERODACTYL!"
"TRICERATOPS!"
"SABERTOOTH TIGER!"
"TIGERZORD!"
"STEGOSAURUS!"
"TYRANNOSAURUS!"
"ZEO RANGER I, PINK!"
"ZEO RANGER II, YELLOW!"
"ZEO RANGER III, BLUE!"
"ZEO RANGER IV, BLACK!"
"ZEO RANGER V, RED!"
"ZEO RANGER VI, PURPLE!"
"GOLD RANGER POWER!"
Mondo held the chunk of kryptonite, smiling all the while. "If there is a Superman, he won't dare attack while we hold this! It is the only substance that can actually kill the man of steel!"
Though totally robotic, the news of the kryptonite was a turn-on to the evil Machina. "Oooh, I love it when you're ruthless like this! They won't know what hit them!"
Klank and Orbus scurried in to the throne room, terrified. "It's not a rumor! He's coming! He and three of his friends have already destroyed our finest cog fleet!"
"Well, let him come! I am completely prepared for our unwanted guest!"
The sound of crumbling masonry signaled the arrival of Superman and the Flash.
"Machina, I do believe we have a surprise for our guests! And here it is!" Mondo snarled, and threw the kryptonite.
What happened next, however, no one expected.
"Mondo, for a superior machine, you have a real lame brain. What the hell is this supposed to do to me? This doesn't hurt me anymore. You're through!" Superman bellowed, and trash the Cogs, Klank, Orbus, Gasket, Archerina, and short-circuited Machina. "Anything else?"
In a complete rage, Mondo charged Superman, and was completely dismantled.
Flash smiled. "You don't need me at all! You were great!"
Superman smiled, then changed into the Martian Manhunter.
Flash grinned. "J'onn, they never had a chance."
J'onn J'onzz returned the smile. "How is the real Superman doing?"
Speaking of Superman, he, John Steed, and Emma Peel were trashing Tengas and Putties with ease, protecting the people of Angel Grove. Emma completely smashed and trashed Putties with complete ease and style. Steed was also finishing off his group with little or no effort, using his bowler and brolly, he had them dispatched in no time. Superman just smashed Tengas one right after the other. In no time, the three had finished their opponents off, and Zordon contacted them with news the other had to know about Zedd. "Zordon, Mrs. Peel and I are on our way back there, while Superman joins the others on the moon," Steed told him.
Putties, badly-created monster, Squatt, Rito, Baboo, and cogs were what the Morphin Rangers, Wonder Woman, Batman, Green Lantern (Hal Jordan), and Hawkman ran into. Not even an annoyance. Rita tried to create monster with her magic, but without Finster, or the book of spells, she wasn't even worth the effort.
Kimberly said it for everyone. "This is what we were worried about for three years? Let's put her out of her misery, and out of our hair!" And they did.
"Shall we join the others with a real threat? Lord Zedd?" Hawkman asked everyone.
Goldar and Scorpina were promptly trashed by Adam and Kat, and as for the so-called 'improved' King Sphinx, well, Tanya, Rocky, David, and Jamie completely messed him up. Tery, Green Lantern (Kyle Rayner), Hawkwoman, and Isis trashed Serpenterra, and soon, only Zedd was left. Jamie raced up to him, and as he was attacking the others, shouted, "Dad, don't!"
Zedd froze. "Jamie?"
At that moment, the other Justice Leaguers, including the Morphin Rangers, arrived at the scene with Superman, with news from Zordon. "THE STAFF! Zedd's staff! That's the focal point of Zedd's spell! Destroy the staff, the spell is broken for good!"
"Hurry!" Superman told everyone.
Tommy promptly used himself to distract Zedd from what the other Rangers were doing. Using his sabre, he fought Zedd, blocking every move Zedd made with his staff. While he was doing this, Jason, Kimberly, Zack, Trini, Samantha, and Billy combined their weapons into the Ultra Blaster.
Kat, Tanya, Rocky, Adam, David, and Jamie formed the Zeo Ultra Blaster with their weapons.
At a signal from Superman, they stood ready.
"NOW!"
The Morphin Rangers fired the ultra blaster.
The Zeo Rangers fired the ultra blaster.
Both Green Lanterns fired a blast from their power rings.
Isis fired a lightning blast.
The Gold Ranger cut loose a blast from his power staff.
The influx of power was too much for the staff, which reverted into a snake, then vanished in a bright flash.
Forced to his knees by the loss of power, Zedd flickered, assuming his natural form as he did, a cloud of black mist rising up from him, blown away by the wind.
Zedd choked, "Oh God, what have I done?"
At a signal from Jason, both teams demorphed. Tommy walked over to the kneeling man and put his hand on his shoulder. "What you did, you had no control over. It's in the past. You can't change it; you have to live with it. What's important is what you do now," Tommy told him, remember when he and Jason had played out this little scene years ago.
"Red Ranger, Power Rangers, for what I have done, can you forgive me?"
"The League may have a bit of trouble, but we understand. We have no grudge against you."
Accepting Tommy's hand, Zedd rose slowly to his feet. "Jamie," he started, crossing to his daughter. "I-know that I haven't been a very good father to you. I missed to much of your childhood, and I'm sorrier than you will ever know. I realize that we cannot go back to what has been, but could we- maybe- start again? Could we try to be a family again, of some sort?"
Jamie threw her arms around him, bursting into tears as she did so. "I'd like that, just so long as you leave my boyfriend alone."
"I won't be any more protective than any other father, all right?"
"Deal," she sniffed, tears flowing freely.
"Would your mother- still be interested in seeing me?"
"She still wears your wedding ring. Otherwise, you'll have to ask her yourself."
Still keeping one arm around his daughter, Zedd turned to all the assembled heroes. "Thank you all for helping me."
Kimberly, Zack, Trini, Hal, Wonder Woman, and Kat smiled. Kat spoke, "Don't mention it. It's our job to help people."
Tanya, Batman, Robin, Flash, Hawkman, Rocky, and David grinned as Adam suggested, "I saw we all go back to the Watchtower. We can talk about this better there."
"Right," Hawkman nodded. In a rainbow of colored light, Zedd, the Rangers, and the Justice Leaguers teleported out.
With both Steed and Mrs. Peel there, Zordon soon spoke, "I am very proud of all of you. You have all come through this battle with flying colors. Zedd, it is good to have you on the side of the light again."
"What about Goldar and Scorpina?" Hawkman asked.
Wonder Woman spoke up, "Well, with the spell on Zedd wiped out, in turn, they are pretty much two free people themselves, their spell simultaneously ended. I guess they are going to return to their own lives at this point. But, what about Finster? I mean, what's he going to do now?"
Zedd spoke up then. "Finster's going to help Zordon for a while until he's able to return to his own planet. And, as for me, it's good to be back. Look, everyone, I'm not really Zedd anymore. I've really changed too much to go back to all that insanity. I'm just plain old Lawrence Zedden now."
Zordon spoke, "Mr. Zedden..."
"Just Larry."
"Larry, you know, of course, that by giving up your powers, you will now age at an accelerated rate to make up for the time you kept the aging at bay."
"I know, Zordon. Of course, accelerated for you and me is completely normal for Earth humans. I won't live much longer than Leslie, and that's the way I like it. Now, my powers are gone, but I'm still a Zarakin, and I still have the Sword of Fire. If you ever need it or me, I'm more than willing to help you."
John Steed and Emma Peel spoke up then. "This has been a true wild time, but we've got to get back to our own time period. Do you think..."
Hal Jordan smiled. "You got it! It's been a real gas, as Jason would say."
Zack quickly said, "Man, it's been an honor to work with you."
"Kimberly added, "I am going to remember this case for a long, long time. I really enjoyed having the both of you here."
Mrs. Peel smiled back. "Zack, Kimberly, both Steed and myself have learned that, no matter who you worship, it is always best to be yourself. Don't try to model yourselves on us, just be who you truly are, and you will find that to be the best advice anyone can give you."
Steed then told them, "Besides, from what I've seen, you don't need to pattern your lives on anyone else's. You are doing just fine."
"Good luck, all of you," Mrs. Peel smiled.
"Thanks. Good luck to you, too," all the Zeo Rangers and the other Morphin Ranger said, and the Justice Leaguers agreed.
Zack and Kimberly walked over to the two superagents, and said, "Always keep your bowler and your leather boots on in times of stress, and an eye out for dangerous masterminds."
Steed and Emma smiled back. "Thanks." Then, they both stepped back through the swirling green portal, and when it faded, they were gone.
Larry was stunned. "Where those really...?"
Billy spoke, "Yup. By the way, this is for you." He pulled out a purple and white communicator, which he accepted readily.
"Who's up for a party at the youth center?" Jason asked.
"Yeah!" all the Rangers shouted.
"You guys have fun, we've got to get back to our own cities as well," Hawkman told them. "See you at the next meeting, gang!" And with that, they quickly teleported out.
"You kids go on, I've got some catching up to do," Larry smiled, and teleported out. Nobody doubted as to where he was heading. Exchanging amused smiles, they all teleported out.
Jason and Jamie danced every dance together, as did Tommy and Kimberly. Zack was promptly claimed by Angela, Trini and Billy were with each other all of the party, Kat and David were together, Tanya and Adam were seemingly joined at the hip, Trey was with Tommy's sister Chelsea, Rocky and a new girl, Katarina, sat at a table, talking. Only Samantha was alone, but not for long. Skull walked in to the youth center, and immediately had her attention. "Hey Skull, how're you doing?"
"Hi. You look great."
"Yeah, so do you. You with anyone?"
"Nope."
"Hey, wanna dance?"
Skull smiled. "I'd love that."
As the two went on to the dance floor, Samantha thought to herself, "Me? Falling for Skull? Who'd believe it. Well, after these last six months, I now know strangers thing can, have, and will happen." As the two danced together, she began thinking these next few months are going to bring even more wild changes, and she was gonna be ready.
The End