44A/N: Thanks for the reviews! And err. . . about the Storm Blaster, I forgot that it stayed with Justin (Sorry! Can you imagine how stupid I am?) so since Justin's on vacation, let's assume that it stayed in Angel Grove (Does Justin still lives there?). But don't worry, it'll make appearance sometime soon.
Forgot to tell you guys, this story may seem more focused on Justin but I couldn't help it! He's my favorite among other Wild Force Rangers.
And I've made some changes, when there's *** means changes of POVs. In case you're confused.
P.S. I told you there will be crossover right? Well, I have surprises (Sort of) in store for you. Hehehe. . .
(Well, here's a hint: you'll like it if you're a Cassie/Phantom or Ashley/Andros fan. . .)
* * *
Power Rangers Wild Force-AU
Guardians of the Earth II
"They're back." Cole said grimly.
He turned to Justin and took something from his pocket. Justin noticed it was another cell phone, similar to the one Cole used. He gave the cell phone to him.
"This is your growl phone." He said.
Justin took it in his hands, his heart racing. This must be their communicator, he thought. Though it was definitely not as good as his old one, (Which is disguised as a watch, but couldn't tell time, unfortunately) it was good enough that they trusted him with it, accepted him as a teammate so quickly.
"Press this button," Cole instructed, pointing at a button on his own growl phone, "and said 'Wild Access!', like this." He turned back to the others and asked, "Ready guys? WILD ACCESS!" they cried in unison as they pressed the button.
In a spilt second, all of them were fully morphed.
So this is their morpher, Justin thought. He never seen any other morpher like it. He was somewhat surprised that they gave him his morpher so fast, and they know nothing about him.
"WILD ACCESS!" he cried and pressed the button before any of them can say another word. He felt great energy and power flowed through him and then. . . he was fully morphed.
"Man! This is great!" he cried in happiness as he looked down at his ranger suit. After all, it has been a while since he last morphed and though it was a little different from his Turbo Power, it still felt great.
It was a great sensation of power, a wonderful feeling of purpose and most of all, it proved that he wouldn't be fighting alone. Rangers always fight as a team, watching each other's back, no matter what. Even if Taylor don't like him, he's sure she'll help him whenever he's in trouble.
"This isn't a game you know?" Taylor said reprovingly. Justin could even hear the frown in her voice.
"Let's go." Cole said simply, before Justin could think of a reply that won't annoy her even more.
* * *
"Let's go." Cole said.
Taylor nodded, though not entire willingly, but she knew she has to put her duties first. She was really annoyed of Justin's 'childish' attitude.
That kid, she thought, bet he won't think it's a game after this.
She followed Cole through the park and arrived at the same place of the fight yesterday. The same orgs were destroying everything in sight, as usual. She has to stop them, and fast.
"Hold it right there!" Cole shouted. She rolled her eyes beneath her helmet, knowing the others won't see her. As if they'll listen!
"Yeah, or else we'll make you pay!" Justin added. Great! She thought, just what I need, an arrogant and naïve kid on the team. As if dealing with Cole and Danny weren't enough.
"Oh I'm scared!" one of the orgs said sarcastically and fired his weapon at them, causing a small explosion.
Taylor was flung to the ground a good few meters form where she was moments ago. She wasn't hurt, thanks to her suit. As she struggled to stand up, she saw Cole and Alyssa were already charging at one of the orgs.
"Need a hand?" she turned and saw Justin at her side, holding up a hand for her.
"Who needs your help!" she said stubbornly and charged forward.
Who does he think he is? She thought as she delivered punches and kicks at the org, but her attacks were either blocked or has no effect on it.
Taylor was suddenly hit by a blow she never saw coming, sending sparks everywhere. She fell to the ground painfully and saw the org raised it weapon, prepared to finish her off. She covered her head with her hands to prepare for the worse, and feeling scared for the first time.
But the blow never came.
"Are you OK Taylor?" she lowered her hands and saw Justin was holding back the org by himself while the others were fighting the other one, a more powerful org.
"Of course I'm fine." She stood up, a little too quickly, causing her to wobble a little before she attacked the org.
Why does the kid care about me? I was so rude to him just now. . . she thought confusedly.
Suddenly, she saw another punch coming, but she was a second too late. Yet again, Justin blocked that punch with surprisingly fast reflexes.
"Be careful!" he said as he quickly kicked the org in the chest. Taylor felt anger burned inside her.
"You have no right to tell me what to do! Golden Eagle Sword!" she summoned her weapon and slashed the org, sending sparks everywhere.
"Cool." She heard Justin said as he summoned his own weapon, the Blue Shark Fighting Fins. She didn't know how he know that but kept quiet. Maybe it's because of the Power, she thought. She remembered the first time she summoned her weapon, no one had tell her what to do, it just. . . came to her.
Now with their weapons at hand, they're definitely getting the upper hand. It still didn't help much, though. They merely changed from full defense into offence, which has only little effect.
"Guys! We need to combine our weapons!" Cole shouted from somewhere behind her. She sent a powerful blow at the org, causing to fell to the ground, which gave them time. She turned and saw the org the others were fighting was on the ground, too, recovering from a nasty hit.
She nodded at Cole and ran to them, with Justin at her heels. They combined their weapons, Cole's Red Lion Fangs, Alyssa's White Tiger Baton, Danny's Black Bison Axe, Justin's Blue Shark Fighting Fins and her own Golden Eagle Sword and formed the Jungle Sword, which Taylor'd never seen before. It was awesome.
"Jungle Sword! Savage Slash!" Cole cried and slashed the org. It exploded into pieces, and when the smoke cleared, there's only a pool of green slime left.
"NO! BROTHER!" the other org cried as it saw the pool of slime. "You'll pay for killing my brother!" it shouted angrily.
Brother? Taylor thought confusedly, do orgs have brothers?
"YAA!" the org cried as it charged forward, anger burned in its eyes like wild fire.
"Guys, we have to do it one more time! Jungle Sword! Savage Slash!" Cole cried again and slashed the org across the chest.
"NO!" it shouted just before it fell to the ground and exploded into pieces, leaving the same pool of green slime on the ground.
"YUHUU!" she heard Justin cried happily. It took all her patience not to slap him across the face.
After fighting orgs for a year, it was the first time she felt pity for the org.
It's only trying to revenge for his brother. . . she trailed off.
Looking at the pools of green slime, the only remains on the orgs just now, she doesn't know what to do, or what to feel, for the first time.
Being the only child in the family, she learned how to protect herself since she was little and never let her guard down. Sometimes, when she was little, she was jealous at people who has big brothers to look out for them, and she wonders what it felt like to be protected, to be loved.
"Taylor?" she turned at Alyssa's concerned voice and saw the others have already demorphed, looking at her in concern. "Are you OK?"
"Power Down." She said and felt her protective suit disappeared, leaving her with her normal clothes.
"I'm fine." She replied and caught a glimpse of Justin looking at her with a strange look.
"You sure you're OK?" Cole asked concernedly but unfortunately, it annoyed her.
"I told you I'm fine!" she snapped and walked away.
Get a grip of yourself, she thought, you're pathetic.
* * *
"Where are we going?" Justin asked, trying to keep up with Taylor's fast pace.
"Just follow me and keep your mouth shut." Taylor said coldly. Justin lowered his head disappointedly.
He knew he shouldn't try to talk to her in this condition cause he's sure she'll be annoyed. Yet, he felt she needed comfort right now cause he could tell she's upset or confused about something. And he's quite sure he knows what the 'something' is.
When she remained deep in thought while others demorphed, he could tell something was wrong by the way she was looking at the pools of green slime. Even she has her helmet on just now.
It was a feeling Justin knew so well.
He remembered when he first defeated a monster sent by Divatox, it was pure joy. It was like. . . a sense of accomplishment.
But then, after he thought about it, he felt. . . wrong.
After all, he killed someone. Destroyed someone. A living being, if not animal. Even after all it had done, it's still a living being. Why can't they just imprison it or something? Like what they did to humans?
It deserved another chance at life. It's only following orders. If humans can be given another chance, why can't they? If people believe in the heart of human, that they can change, why not them?
He was so confused and lost back then. Torn between his responsibilities and his conscience.
It was until he talked to Tommy that he understood about why they must be destroyed.
Suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up and saw Alyssa smiled at him.
"Don't worry Justin. She's like that all the time." She said warmly.
"Yeah, you just have to get use to it." Cole added encouragingly.
"Thanks guys." He replied with a genuine smile. He felt like he was on the old team again.
"C'mon, let's get back to the Animarium!" Danny said excitedly and practically dragging him.
"What is the Animarium?" He asked curiously. Why is he so excited about it?
"You'll see." Alyssa replied with a wink.
It's great to be back on the job again, he thought with a smile.
* * *
When Alyssa first arrived on the Animarium, she was totally awed by its beauty. The jungle, their rooms. . . it surprised her that it felt so homey even without anything from the 21st century.
The others, Cole and Danny, too, told her that they're impressed and awed. After all, who won't? she thought.
And that's why she was surprised. . .no, confused when Justin looked around the place in an unreadable expression. It didn't look like the expression of impress to her.
"What? You don't like it?" she asked. The others were looking at him, waiting for an answer.
"No! I mean. . . of course I like it!" he stammered. Well, he didn't look like it though. He seemed to be. . . hiding something.
Just then, Princess Shayla appeared from a ball of light, as usual.
"Wow." Alyssa turned as she heard Justin exclaimed. His tone surprised him even more.
When she first saw Princess Shayla appeared like that, she was totally freaked out. But Justin. . . he didn't seem to be freaked out or even shock, just somehow. . . impressed. Like he didn't expect this. . . no, like he knew this kind of thing, just didn't expect it to happen here.
"Hi! Welcome to the Animarium. I'm Princess Shayla." Princess Shayla said in her usual cheerful voice. "You must be Justin."
"Nice to meet you. . . Princess Shayla." Justin replied politely.
"I saw your fight just now. You're a great fighter." Princess Shayla said.
Now that she mention it, Alyssa did find it weird. She saw how he fought just now and she was impressed. For a new ranger, especially someone who knows nothing about what they're fighting, he fought really well, like he's experienced. And he has some impressive moves.
Maybe he learned martial arts before, she thought.
"Yeah, now that you mention it. . . Justin did fight very well. . ." Cole said.
"Yeah, and you have quite some moves, Justin." Danny added, "Maybe you can teach me a few someday!" he said excitedly.
"You've learned martial arts before?" Taylor asked suspiciously. "What for?"
"Err. . . my friends own a martial art school and they taught me some when they're free." Justin replied, somewhat hesitantly.
"Really? Great! Then you can practice with me sometimes." Alyssa said excitedly. She learned martial arts since she was little and become an expert on it, but no one in the Animarium ever dared to challenge her. Now with this new member on the team, she finally has someone strong enough to practice with.
"Sure." He answered, his expression puzzled.
"I'll go get some rest, you guys tell this kid what he need to know." Taylor said and walked to her room.
Boy, it must be hard on her, Alyssa thought.
Taylor had been a very good leader before Cole took charge and she took care of everything. She has been the first ranger on the team and expect highly from each of them. When Cole became the leader, she was furious. Alyssa doesn't understand why, but those two never get along.
Though Cole tried to be more friendly at first, but when it reached a certain stage, he learned what was good for him and stayed away as much as possible.
She knew Taylor wasn't bad, she's just too stubborn. But she sure hope Taylor will accept Cole, and hopefully Justin, sometime soon. Cole was a great leader too.
And he's so cute with the puppy eyes of his. Alyssa smiled at that thought.
"Alyssa," she turned at Cole's voice and saw the other have already seated at the table. "Will you get us some drinks or snacks? You know how long the story is."
"Sure." She replied and walked to the kitchen.
Boy, he's so cute! She thought as she grabbed some snacks she brought form 'down there'. She had a crush on him when she first saw him and she was totally disappointed when she learned that she doesn't have any class with him. When he was chosen as a ranger, she was so happy that she couldn't sleep for nights!
As she knew more about him, she liked him even more. It was so tough on him, growing up all alone in the orphanage, with only animals to talk to. . . and that was one thing Alyssa doesn't understand. How can he talk to animals?
When she asked him that, he tried desperately to explain to her but she still doesn't understand. But the look on his face. . . he looked even cuter when he did that!
Alyssa smiled at that thought.
"What's so funny?" Alyssa almost jumped when she heard Taylor's voice. She didn't even hear her came in!
"Huh?" she asked innocently.
"You were smiling at yourself." Taylor said as she grabbed a cup of tea from the tray that Alyssa's holding.
"Oh," Alyssa blushed, "It's nothing, really." Taylor raised an eyebrow.
"C'mon, let's get back to the others. They're probably wondering if I dropped back down or something." Alyssa said and hurried out.
* * *
"Wow." It was all Justin managed to say after he heard the story of Animarium, wild zords, orgs and others.
It's even more complicated than Zordon's and Dimitria's story of Eltare. He realized it was a totally different kind of Power as he looked at the animal crystal Princess Shayla gave him just now.
He was surprised at the fact that the wild zords are not just robots, but has a mind of their own. And they seem. . . so real. despite the fact that they're made of metals. Of course.
The Eagle Zord gave him quite a scare just now when suddenly flew above him. Guess I'm allergic to yellow, he thought bitterly yet funnily at the same time.
"And Justin," he looked up and saw hid something behind his back. 'We have something for you." He said as he took a blue jacket, similar to theirs and gave it to him. Justin noticed there're the words 'Surging Shark' on it.
"Welcome on our team. You're now officially, a Guardian of the Earth."
* end of chapter *
A/N: what do you think? Review!
Ps: I don't know how they got their crystals and since it's AU, just don't mind so much.