The engine of Tommy's jeep rumbled as he sped down the cracked highway. The expression on his face was one of deep concern and rising tension. Today was supposed to be different—he was supposed to get answers to the worries haunting him and also help the Rangers upgrade their gear with the Dinosaur Eggs.
Unfortunately, fate had other plans.
"I hope the kids can hold them back till I get there," he muttered to himself.
He swerved the jeep at high speed, narrowly avoiding the wreckage left behind by the monsters that had ravaged the area. But then—
BOOM!
The road ahead exploded in a violent burst. Fire, debris, and shrapnel erupted into the air like a volcano on the verge of eruption. Tommy forced the jeep into a grinding halt just before reaching the destroyed stretch of road.
"What was that?!" Tommy gritted his teeth, confusion and fury swirling in his mind as the tires screeched to a stop.
He jumped out of the jeep, his senses sharp, scanning the wreckage and smoke for any sign of the source. And that's when he heard it—
"Well, well, well… if it isn't the legendary Power Ranger—Tommy Oliver," a sultry and mocking voice echoed behind him.
He turned.
Two of Mesogog's most trusted lieutenants emerged through the smoke like demons summoned from hell itself. Elsa walked confidently, her black skin-tight dress emphasizing every seductive motion, her fair skin and black-painted lips glowing like death's lipstick. Zeltrax marched beside her with calm but purposeful menace. His pitch-black armor reflected the sun with eerie brilliance. His sword and shield—lethal, ancient, and waiting for war.
Tommy's gaze sharpened, the irritation of the day finally boiling over. "It's you guys!"
Zeltrax's thick, guttural voice responded, laced with rage. "We have come by the orders of our master to destroy you."
Tommy scoffed, as if they were bad actors in a low-budget film. "I think your master just sent you both on a suicide mission. Now get out of my way like the good little monsters you are, and maybe we can call it a day."
Elsa chuckled, tilting her head with her eyes glinting mischief. "Oh, Tommy… who's going to make us?"
"I will," he said boldly, pulling out his Master Morpher.
Zeltrax and Elsa immediately took combat stances.
Elsa giggled. "Aren't you a little too old for this, Tommy?"
Tommy raised the Morpher, his expression unshaken. "I may be old—but I still got it."
He pressed the Morpher.
"It's Morphin Time! Zeo Ranger V—Red!"
In a flash of red light, the transformation activated. Time itself seemed to slow for a heartbeat as the legendary power engulfed him.
Now clad in the mighty Zeo Red Ranger suit, Tommy's visor reflected the incoming threats. Zeltrax snarled and charged, Elsa following close behind.
Tommy met them head-on, his combat scream echoing beneath his helmet.
"HAIYAA!"
Zeltrax swung his blade with deadly force. Elsa's claws slashed the air with lethal precision. Tommy blocked each strike, retaliating with perfectly timed counters and powerful leg strikes. Every impact rocked the nearby environment. Cars were overturned, walls shattered, glass exploded—chaos painted in the colors of war.
Tommy ducked a strike, landed a solid kick to Elsa's side, then flipped over Zeltrax's shield slash. Fluid, clean, battle-forged.
"Give up, Tommy. Your Rangers are doomed," Zeltrax growled.
Tommy took a lower, tighter stance. His voice turned cold.
"Not a chance."
Zeltrax's rage bubbled over. "You dare defy my master? Then—DIE!!"
--- ✦ ---
(SHIELD Headquarters, Manhattan, Lower Levels – Command Center)
The walls of the command chamber trembled as the rumble of the distant explosion reached them. Screens flickered. Alerts blared. And Nick Fury—Director of SHIELD—strode into the room with the presence of a man already halfway to solving the problem before anyone could explain it.
"Talk to me," Fury barked.
Agent Hill pulled up the city map, zooming into the red blinking beacon flashing near Midtown. "Sir, there's been a coordinated attack in central Manhattan. Three Class-7 hostiles. One of them is armored. One's using claws. One unknown energy source just lit up like a damn Christmas tree on our grid."
"Energy source?"
She nodded. "Yeah. Morphin signature. Similar to what we picked up during that Angel Grove incident last year—but this one's stronger."
Fury didn't even blink. "Tommy Oliver."
Agent Coulson stepped into the room. "Confirmed. Satellite just picked up his Morph signature. He's battling two assailants in the middle of 45th Street. Damage escalating. We also confirmed that another large-scale attack is happening not far from Tommy. Possibly the Dino-Rangers, but something seems to be disrupting any attempt to track it down."
Fury rubbed his jaw. "So Mesogog's goons are picking fights in public now. I hate it when they get cocky."
"Sir," Hill said, "local law enforcement is overwhelmed. Should we intervene?"
Fury's eye hardened. "Deploy a response team. Call in Romanoff and Barton. Get them in fast. If this spills over, we'll need firepower."
"What about Stark?" Coulson asked carefully.
Fury sighed, then nodded. "Call him. He'll complain, whine about protocols, and still show up in a flashy suit. Tell him it's a chance to test one of his toys. He'll love that."
"Understood."
--- ✦ ---
(Downtown Manhattan – Aboard a SHIELD Tactical Van)
Black Widow, dressed in tactical black and buckling her weapons, looked over to Clint Barton—Hawkeye—who was checking his arrows silently.
"Another day, another monster?" she quipped.
Clint shrugged. "At least it's not aliens this time."
(A/N: This is a hint for another ranger team. Can anyone guess?)
"Yet," she added dryly.
Their van skidded to a halt several blocks from the chaos. Flames were rising above the skyline. Smoke drifted between buildings like a ghostly tide. Civilians were already being evacuated by SHIELD agents as fire trucks and ambulances tried their best to keep up.
Black Widow exited first, eyeing the distance.
"We're going in silent," she said. "Engage if they target civilians. Leave the red one to himself."
"Copy that."
They sprinted into the battlefield like phantoms.
--- ✦ ---
(Stark Tower – Personal Lab)
Tony Stark glanced at the monitor, which had been flashing for several seconds.
JARVIS spoke calmly. "Sir, a Morphin-based energy signature has triggered one of your early warning systems. SHIELD has requested your assistance."
Tony raised a brow. "Didn't think we were on a first-name basis again."
"Agent Hill says it's in Manhattan. One of Mesogog's monsters."
"Well, isn't that supposed to be the Rangers' problem?" Tony replied with a tinge of annoyance
Jarvis calmly asked. "Sir, is this because your request to buy a Morpher was rejected?"
Tony's face soured as if remembering an unpleasant memory. After some time he sighed
Tony leaned back, then looked over at the silver-red suit displayed in the lab - Mark IV.
"Well… I did say I wanted to test the new reactor core."
"Very good, sir."
Minutes later, the window opened wide, and with a blast of energy, Iron Man rocketed out into the skies, heading straight for the battle.
--- ✦ ---
(Battlefield – Midtown, 45th Street)
Tommy was holding his own.
Barely.
Zeltrax was a tank—unrelenting, brute-force, nearly indestructible. Elsa, on the other hand, was chaos—fast, precise, and unpredictable.
"You're slowing down, Ranger!" Elsa taunted as her claws swiped inches from his visor.
Tommy ducked, rolled, then countered with a double spin-kick that sent her crashing into a nearby car.
"I'm just getting warmed up!" he barked.
Suddenly—twang!
An arrow slammed into Zeltrax's armor, briefly distracting him.
Tommy turned, confused—until he saw a figure perched on a building ledge, bow in hand.
"Who the hell—"
Another arrow fired, this one releasing a shockwave that sent Elsa reeling.
Black Widow dashed in next, sliding under Zeltrax's slash and firing twin electric pulses into his side.
Tommy grunted in recognition. "SHIELD?"
"Yup," Natasha called. "You looked like you needed backup."
Zeltrax growled, rising slowly. "Fools! You dare interfere?!"
A booming voice echoed from above.
"Yeah, well, I hate missing a good fight."
A crimson blur landed with a metallic crash.
Iron Man stood tall, arc reactor pulsing.
"Let's dance."
--- ✦ ---
To Be Continued…
So, guys, I am back. I am feeling better now. So, what do you guys think of this chapter? I would not be giving previews for the next chapters till these Mega Trouble chapters are done.
Guys, we need more views, reviews, collections, and Power stones. It would help boost my work as a new Author. Thank you all for your support.