In the quiet corners of a world ruled by fear, two legends of the old era met in secret. Verdan (Original Green Ranger) sat in the deep shadows of an abandoned cathedral, his eyes weary from years of hiding. The heavy oak doors creaked open as Lyra (Original Pink Ranger) stepped inside, her face pale.
"I met him," Lyra (Original Pink Ranger) said, her voice trembling with a mix of awe and terror. "I met the legendary man everyone is talking about."
Verdan (Original Green Ranger) did not look up from his folded hands. "And? What happened?"
"He is so cool," Lyra (Original Pink Ranger) replied, leaning against a cold stone pillar to steady herself. "He is just like Ignis (Original Red Ranger). The way he moves, the heat that radiates from his armor—it is identical. But he totally ignored me. He did not even acknowledge my existence before he vanished into thin air."
Verdan (Original Green Ranger) let out a bitter, hollow laugh. "Why wouldn't he? After everything that has happened, you are not a god anymore, Lyra (Original Pink Ranger). You are just a regular girl living in a broken universe."
Lyra (Original Pink Ranger) narrowed her eyes, her hand going to a small pouch at her waist. "That is where you are wrong. I found this yellow germ in the ocean when I was drowning in the water. I might not be as strong as I was when I was a sovereign, but at least I am a ranger again. Even if my power is only average now, I still have my fighting skills. I still have the spirit of the Original Six Rangers."
Verdan (Original Green Ranger) finally looked at her. He reached into his cloak and pulled out a shimmering sapphire stone that pulsed with an unstable light.
"I also have a new germ," Verdan (Original Green Ranger) whispered. "A blue ranger germ. I stole it from my friend before he could be executed by the negative forces. We are no longer the masters of creation, but we are also no longer defenseless."
Suddenly, both of their germs began to pulse with a violent, rhythmic light. "Look how the germs are glowing," Lyra (Original Pink Ranger) whispered. "There are monsters in the area."
They both teleported to the source of the signal. When they arrived, they saw a blur of red light. Rex (Red Ranger) was standing in the center of three massive elite monsters. Before the monsters could even raise their weapons, Rex (Red Ranger) moved. In a fraction of a second, he cut all three into microscopic bits. They died instantly.
Verdan (Original Green Ranger) and Lyra (Original Pink Ranger) stepped forward to speak with him, but Rex (Red Ranger) simply vanished.
"Why is he also teleporting?" Lyra (Original Pink Ranger) asked, looking at the empty space where he stood.
Verdan (Original Green Ranger) felt a shiver run down his spine. "He did not tap his watch, Lyra. That was not a teleportation device. That was his pure, raw speed. He is moving so fast the universe cannot track his movement."
The Traitor's Doubt
In the Negative Zone, Astrax (Negative Blue Ranger) stood at the edge of the dark palace. He felt a disturbance in the flow of the White Stone energy. Someone was killing the scouts with terrifying ease.
Dagon (Negative Commander) walked up behind him, his heavy armor clanking on the obsidian floor. "The boy is still alive, Astrax (Negative Blue Ranger). And he is growing. My lord Malakor (Negative Warlord) is pleased, but I am not. He is becoming a problem."
Astrax (Negative Blue Ranger) tightened his grip on his dark sword. "He is trying to become Ignis (Original Red Ranger). But he is a fool. He thinks hate will give him enough power to bridge the gap between the worlds."
"And you?" Dagon (Negative Commander) asked, leaning in close. "Do you regret burning his woman?"
Astrax (Negative Blue Ranger) turned away. "Survival is the only thing that matters. If he comes for us, he will find only ice."
But for the first time since he knelt to the Malakor (Negative Warlord), the Astrax (Negative Blue Ranger) felt true fear. He remembered the look in the eyes of Rex (Red Ranger) before the fire took Solara (Original Yellow Ranger).
Malakor (Negative Warlord) watched them from his throne. "Go," the warlord commanded. "Dagon (Negative Commander) and Astrax (Negative Blue Ranger), find him. If he is truly strong, he will survive your hunt."
The 2 v 1: Retribution
Rex (Red Ranger) was standing in an open field when the sky turned black. Dagon (Negative Commander) and Astrax (Negative Blue Ranger) descended like falling stars.
"Your journey ends here, boy!" Dagon (Negative Commander) roared, charging with his massive mace.
Rex (Red Ranger) did not say a word. He did not even draw his sword. As Dagon (Negative Commander) swung, Rex (Red Ranger) moved at a speed that defied the laws of physics. To the observers, it looked like he was in ten places at once. He placed his hand on the chest of Dagon (Negative Commander).
"Burn," Rex (Red Ranger) whispered.
A pillar of white-hot flames erupted from his palm. The heat was so intense it bypassed the armor of the negative general. Dagon (Negative Commander) shrieked as he was incinerated from the inside out, turning to a pile of slag in seconds.
Astrax (Negative Blue Ranger) was stunned. He immediately activated his absolute zero aura and charged. "I will not fall like he did!"
The fight began in earnest. Astrax (Negative Blue Ranger) swung his dark blade, creating waves of ice that froze the very air. Rex (Red Ranger) moved through the ice storms as if they were nothing more than a summer breeze. Their blades collided thousands of times in a single minute. Astrax (Negative Blue Ranger) tried to teleport behind him to land a killing blow, but Rex (Red Ranger) was already there, waiting for him.
Rex (Red Ranger) was faster than the instant teleportation. He appeared behind Astrax (Negative Blue Ranger) and delivered a kick that shattered the blue armor. He followed with a series of slashes that tore the negative germ's power apart. Astrax (Negative Blue Ranger) fell to his knees, his dark shard cracked and bleeding light.
Rex (Red Ranger) stood over him, his sword pointed at the throat of the traitor. Astrax (Negative Blue Ranger) looked up, trembling. "Please… mercy… spare me!"
Rex (Red Ranger) looked at him with cold, dead eyes. He remembered the smile of Solara (Original Yellow Ranger) as she died. He knew she wouldn't want him to become a murderer of his own kind.
"Solara (Original Yellow Ranger) would not want this," Rex (Red Ranger) said, his voice a hollow rasp.
He lowered his sword. He did not kill him, but he did not help him either. He simply turned and walked away, leaving the Astrax (Negative Blue Ranger) broken in the dirt.