Dawn

[Jason Lee Scott]

Jason’s body collapsed to some sort of hard stone surface. His senses were completely disoriented. The last thing he remembered, he was fighting an ancient space emperor with his four closest friends in the ruins of his hometown. Something had gone horribly wrong, and now he was here. The problem was, he didn’t know where, or even when “here” really was.

Groaning in agony, Jason placed his hands to the rock floor he laid upon, and he slowly lifted himself to his feet. A cursory scan of the area told him he was in some sort of ancient ruin, with eroded stone covered in fresh vines. The entire area seemed like it was out of some sort of old adventure movie or video game, but he found himself unsettled by the simple fact that he didn’t know the way out. Most troubling of all was that he was no longer transformed into the Red Ranger, and a quick pat-down on himself failed to turn up his trusted morpher.

The Ranger turned around, seeing that he was standing near a burst open pod of some sort. The capsule was very much a part of the wall, but it was evident something had torn from it. To him it seemed obvious that he was the being in question, but that didn’t answer his most pressing of questions. Zack, Billy, Trini, and Kimberly had been standing alongside him in a heated battle in what was left of their home. They’d finally made it to the showdown they were seeking with Zedd and were even starting to win, only for it to all be gone in a flash of light. Now he knew where none of them were, including the warlord. Jason spat on the ground as he surveyed the area. Great.

“Well, this is Zedd’s doing,” Jason assumed out loud as he looked around the dilapidated chamber. What else could have happened?

There was so much to process that he decided he had better start with the easy part: getting out of here. At least, it sounded easy. There was no kind of exit anywhere to be seen, just rough walls in the square room he was trapped in. He sighed as he quickly moved to the nearest wall to look for any sort of structural weakness. He wasn’t sure what he would do if he found it, seeing as he had no idea how to transform back into the Red Ranger without his power morpher. Without it he was just a normal, run of the mill human. Small steps, he had to remind himself.

He finally received a glimmer of victory when he found a small gap in the wall, with light and heat coming through. His heart pounded, but he wasn’t sure if it was from excitement or if his adrenaline was still pumping from the battle that felt like it was only minute ago. He found another gap, and realized he was on a sealed doorway. With no other options, Jason shoved the stone wall as hard he could. Dust fell from above him, and the rock wall slowly moved backwards. He kept the pressure up, and it finally collapsed backwards with an echoing thud to reveal a new room at the end of a doorway.

Instantly he knew where the heat was coming from. In the center of the room was a massive chasm filled with flames. The only way across appeared to be a narrow stone pathway, barely wider than his foot. Another exasperated sigh escaped him. He couldn’t help but think about how he didn’t have time for this. Yet, it was his only options, so he pressed on.

He was never the acrobat Kimberly was, so he had to take small, careful steps. Keeping one foot in front of the other, he watched each deliberate step as he wobbled uneasily, holding his hands out for balance. It didn’t help that he could feel the heat of the flames he was staring down at as he crossed. Steady, careful steps were all he focused on. At the same time he reminded himself his friends and enemies were somewhere out there. Falling and dying simply wasn’t an option.

He made it across and jogged away from the pit with a relieved gasp. Turning to look back at the pit he’d navigated across, he felt pretty good. Smalls steps and little victories were all he could focus on while he tried to understand what was happening.

Full of confidence, he turned back to the newest door only to receive a swift punch to the face, sending him to the floor.

 

[Jason Lee Scott]

No sooner than he’d hit the cold stone floor Jason was ripped right back to his feet. He was abruptly slammed into the wall by two burly, rough looking men. He was so dazed by the sudden encounter he didn’t immediately resist, instead just trying to get his bearings after the impact. An outstretched right hand, as if signaling to them to wait, was the only real reaction he could give right away.

“Who the hell are you?” one of the thugs demanded, getting into his face.

“We saw a red light coming this way!” the other barked. “Was that you?”

Jason failed to reply immediately, which resulted in a punch to his stomach that forced him to crouch over. They were quick to straighten him back up, and slam him right back into the wall behind him.

“Answer him!” the first shouted at the Ranger. “Tell us wh-”

It seemed like a flash to the two unsuspecting men. Jason moved with incredible speed as he snatched the wrist of the man holding him, snapping it with both hands. As the man began to cry out from the attack, Jason had already thrown an elbow into the other’s face which sent him reeling away. The first thug was still holding his wounded wrist when Jason kicked the back of his right knee, sending him to the ground with another scream of pain. That opponent temporarily handled, Jason turned back to the other, seeing he was drawing a pistol.

The powerless Ranger snatched the barrel of the gun and quickly pointed it upwards, then brought his other hand up to twist the weapon from the man’s grasp. The thug looked utterly stunned, but Jason simply kicked him in the stomach. The man collapsed to the ground, but Jason was already turning his attention to see a third man rush into the room at the sound of the commotion, with a rifle drawn.

“Hey!” the newcomer screamed, brandishing his firearm at Jason. The Ranger returned the gesture with his newly acquired weapon as he stepped away from the downed man.

“Where am I!?” Jason demanded of the newest arrival, noting that he appeared more clean cut than the other two.

“Shoot him, boss!” the downed thug with the broken wrist shouted. “He’s the red light!”

Jason glanced to the wounded mooks to make sure they were a safe distance from him.

“Where are you?” the boss repeated the question in confusion, before it suddenly clicked with him. “Oh… you’re one of the newcomers. Never thought I’d meet a fresh arrival.”

“Come again?” Jason asked, keeping a stern tone and never lowering his freshly acquired weapon.

“You’re in the Crossroads, a realm of its own,” the boss remarked with a scoff.

“Then where’s Zedd and the others?” Jason retorted, not fully understanding those words.

“I don’t know who you’re talking about, but they’re obviously not here,” the boss scoffed. “If they ain’t here, they don’t matter anymore. You’ve entered a whole new arena.”

Jason’s heart raced. He didn’t immediately trust the stranger’s words, but obviously there was some truth to them. Mainly, he was clearly not with his friends or his enemies. Had they all been transported, and Zedd now had free reign of their home? Or was he the only one in this new world, and the others at Zedd’s mercy without him? Neither prospect was appealing, but the bottom line was the same: he needed to get out of here.

“You’re on Kraw, the worst place for a fresh arrival,” the boss continued as he observed Jason’s shocked reaction.

“Why?” Jason asked quickly. He needed to know everything he could, as fast as he could.

“Because the only thing it’s really famous for is how many ways it can kill you, and how fast it’ll do it,” his opponent finally lowered his firearm, and Jason returned the same gesture. Neither let go of the weapons, though. “You’re lucky, though. You have an advantage the rest of the newcomers don’t.”

“…And what’s that?” Jason skeptically asked.

The man grinned. “Us. We’ll take care of you.”

Jason liked to believe in the natural goodness within people. It had been one of his pillars as the leader of a team of superheroes dedicated to protecting the Earth from an alien invasion. But the aftermath of the war with Rita had jaded him quite a bit. Venturing into the “real” world and seeing the highs and lows of humanity had affected him, not to mention having his identity revealed to the world at large and combating his own people as much as Lord Zedd. Ten years ago, this would have been a no brainer. Today, he was more reluctant.

The Ranger furrowed his brow. “In exchange for…?”

“Just a bit of teamwork,” the man gave a smile. “My name is Jericho, and these two are Pell and Clay.”

“Jason,” the Ranger said as he looked mildly sympathetic to the two men trying to get to their feet. He noted that Clay was the one who had suffered the worst of the injuries. As they recovered, Jason jumped at the sound of chanting deep in the temple. “What’s going on?”

“You popped up in a temple that’s pretty important to some of these locals,” Jericho explained. “Don’t worry, I can talk with them and explain everything. Let’s go.”

Jason watched as Jericho departed, and Pell helped Clay limp on. He didn’t trust them, but what option did he have? The powerless Ranger reluctantly followed the trio.

 

[Jason Lee Scott]

“So, how did you guys end up in this temple?” Jason asked the group as they walked. He was continuously eager to learn exactly what he’d gotten himself into.

“We’re with an off world trading group that sees the potential value in Kraw,” Jericho explained.

Jason looked aside as he pondered that statement. There were a lot of ways that could be understood.

“We’ve tried to befriend locals and learn the secrets hidden on this planet,” Jericho continued, handing his rifle to Clay as he walked. “We’ve been at odds with the local encampment of New Abraxas in the process.”

“Who are they?” Jason continued to question where he could.

“A bunch of cowards that think they can tame and understand this jungle world,” Jericho chuckled as they approached a door that led to a wide open chamber.

“…And what are you trying to do?” the Ranger continued to pry.

The question went unanswered as they stepped through the doorway. Before them was a large ceremonial room, filled with primitive natives. They were adorned in clothing they had clearly crafted from the jungle itself. Jason was stunned, but Jericho walked before them all with little concern. He did note that Clay and Pell were shifting nervously, even though the wounded Clay was trying to stand on his own now. The natives, meanwhile, stared ominously at the new arrivals.

“My friends!” Jericho called to the crowd, holding his hands up. “Rejoice! For I have found the spirit of this temple! With the sacrifice of his mortal body, you can free his power!”

Jason frowned in confusion at that remark. Where they talking about him? His question was quickly answered when Jericho spun and pointed his pistol at their new "friend." The Ranger didn’t so much as flinch, but instead glared hard at Jericho, while Pell also aimed his pistol at him.

“That didn’t take long,” Jason scowled, feeling somewhat vindicated in his reluctance to trust.

“One thing you should know about Kraw, my friend, is that it will eat you alive,” Jericho remarked with a grin. “Better you than me.”

Jason glared hard as the chieftain approached, looking him in the eyes. Jason, meanwhile, could only size up his surroundings. He had two pistols pointed at him, an assault rifle ready to do the same nearby, and countless natives with arrows and spears ready to strike. The alliance seemed tense, but the common ground was wanting him dead. Not the best situation he’d ever been it. Yet somehow, also not the worst.

The chieftain circled him, studying him intently while the two guns remained leveled at him. Jason realized Pell was shaking badly, his nerves clearly getting to him. Another glance told him that Clay was much the same. That fear could lead to a delay to act, or make them too quick.

“He has been entombed in this temple for eons,” Jericho lied as the chieftain studied Jason. “Sacrifice this form, and your god will return. Remember, I promised you I would help you. All I need is an army to storm New Abraxas. Your gods’ will.”

The chieftain stopped behind Jason, still silently studying him. The Ranger didn’t like it, but the window to act was rapidly closing. His eyes darted to the side as he took a final assessment of the situation, and realized he would have to roll the dice. Jason moved towards Jericho as fast as he could, grabbing the hand that held the pistol and pointing it uselessly at the floor. Jericho struggled to resist, but was no match for Jason. The Ranger’s only concern was disabling him as quickly as possible.

A shot rang out. Jason stopped, convinced it hadn’t worked and he was already dead. Instead, he and Jericho looked over to see that Pell had fired at Jason too late, and instead struck the leader of the army before them in the chest. All four of them were wide eyed as the chieftain dropped to the ground dead. The natives immediately started screaming.

“You idiot!” Jericho screamed in a panic. Before he could say anything else, Jason shoved Jericho to the ground, and bolted down the nearest hallway he could find. From the ground, Jericho continued to scream in desperation. “Kill him!!!”

Clay held the rifle up and fired down the hallway at the fleeing Ranger, who ducked as the shots exploded into the wall near him as he ran. They didn’t last long, as Clay was struck in the chest by a spear, and collapsed to the ground. Jericho and Pell fled into the room they had come from to avoid the sudden flurry of weapons thrown their way.

“What do we do, boss!?” Pell screamed as they reached cover.

“Hold them off!” Jericho ordered, holding his pistol and looking to an alternate exit. “I’ll find that stranger, and kill him. It’s the only way to get their favor back!”

“We should get the hell out of here!” Pell argued, not seeing any benefit in appeasing these bloodthirsty savages.

“Do as you’re told!” Jericho barked, and ran towards a side exit.

He would have that man’s head. Nothing would set back his progress.

 

[Jason Lee Scott]

Screaming and chanting echoed through the stone halls as Jericho sprinted as fast as he possibly could. Time way running short. He couldn’t believe that fool had panicked and shot the tribe’s leader, of all people. Months of hard work getting these indigenous savages to trust them was gone in the blink of an eye. His masters off world would not be happy to find out that all of his work in preparing to assault New Abraxas had been erased in the blink of an eye. All Jericho could think to do was execute Pell in front of them, and turn over this Jason character. His arrival in a strange streak of red light had been unexpected, but Jericho wasn’t exactly sure if it was a blessing or a curse, now. What should have been an easy way to appease these superstitious fools had turned on its head quickly.

He was so distracted in his thoughts the gangster was caught completely off guard when Jason leaped from a doorway, striking him with a powerful jump kick. Jericho’s pistol left his hands, bouncing across the floor while he collapsed to the ground. He rolled to his feet as fast as he could, drawing a switchblade from his jacket pocket as he did. Jason was already moving in, pausing at the sight of the bladed weapon. Jericho seized that opportunity and swing at the powerless Ranger’s gut, but Jason leaped backwards to dodge the strike. Jericho swung a second time, but Jason caught his wrist with one hand.

“Boss! Boss!!” Pell screamed as he ran down the hallway towards them.

Jason and Jericho both looked at the direction of his voice, only to see a spear burst through the mercenary’s chest. As Pell collapsed to the ground and a horde of natives charged at them, the two men mutually and silently decided to pause their conflict. Jason still jerked Jericho’s hand and flung the knife from it, as a precaution to prevent himself from being literally stabbed in the back. As Jason retreated, Jericho was forced to follow without his weapons, something he cursed knowing already that Jason was more than a match for him in a straight fight.

“Where’s the way out!?” Jason shouted as they retreated.

“Keep following this hallway!” Jericho ordered, though it wasn’t like there was much other choice. Still, Jason didn’t see the small smile on Jericho’s face as they ran.

They ran as fast as they could, just the roar behind them continued to sound closer and closer. Ahead was a bend in the path, preventing them from seeing what was around the corner. Jason stayed focused, and Jericho kept right behind him. As they rounded the corner, they were suddenly on a small ledge in a massive underground cavern, devoid of the intricate temple masonry from before. There was nothing by them but a long drop into an underground river below. Jason stopped himself quickly, but the momentum still nearly carried him over the ledge. He looked down at the rushing rapids below, mouthing a few choice words. It was a long drop to a dangerous place, but he didn’t think he and Jericho could hold this platform against the angry natives.

Before he could think much more, a vine was slung around his neck and Jericho pulled him back with the makeshift garrote. Jericho turned to the approaching natives as they rounded the corner, strangling Jason and allowing him just a little bit of air to speak, but his victim was far more concerned at pulling at the vine than fighting directly.

“You son of a bitch!” Jason cursed through his limited breaths.

“I warned you about this place,” Jericho chuckled, holding his hand out at the savages. “Stop! Or I’ll kill him!”

“I figured you would have some sense,” Jason gasped.

“Trust me, the people above me are much more dangerous than you or these animals,” Jericho whispered.

“I don’t see them here,” Jason remarked, before his airway was restricted more, and he had to focus his limited oxygen on staying awake.

“If I kill the temple’s spirit without the proper sacrifice, he’ll be gone forever!” Jericho shouted at the furious mob. “Let me walk away, and you can have him for whatever you need!”

There was a slight muttering among the crowd as they discussed their options. Jericho didn't like this, but he didn't know any other option except to get out of this with his life. He would figure out how to deal with his creditors later. Finally, one of them, presumably the recently promoted former second in command, stepped forward. He lowered his spear as he looked to have a discussion with the man who held what he desired. Jason had other plans.

Jason lifted both feet off the ground with all the energy he had left, landing a square kick into the man’s chest. The momentum was more than enough to shove both Jericho and himself over the ledge, and towards the dangerous river below.

 

[Jason Lee Scott]

Jericho burst from the water, gasping for air and clutching at the shoreline. Blood poured down his face, but he couldn’t even immediately address the issue of what his injuries might be. Instead, he just took several deep breaths to collect his thoughts and get his bearings. That fool had thrown them off the cliff into the river. They had to have plummeted at least sixty feet. It was a miracle he was alive. That pain in the ass had been far from the salvation he was looking for.

As the adrenaline wore off, Jericho touched his face to feel the gash on his forehead. He clearly hadn’t escaped the rapids unscathed. Holding onto the rocky shoreline alone was difficult, as the rushing river still threatened to pull him away if he let go for even a second. He looked up to survey where exactly he’d ended up, only to be on the receiving end of a fist to the face.

Jason stepped back after delivering the blow, shaking his now aching hand from the impact of it. As the gangster groaned in pain, Jason paced for a second to collect himself. He’d gotten lucky during the fall, and made it to shore with nothing more than a few cuts and scrapes. He’d lost the compulsive traitor upon impact with the water, and assumed him gone. Now, at least, he could get some answers, however trustworthy they would be.

Jericho continued to groan in pain as he reeled from everything that had happened in the past few minutes, so Jason grabbed him and pulled him from the water. Everything remained blurred, but the impact of being thrown on his back against a boulder shook him from his daze. As he lay prone, Jericho looked up at the man towering over him, who had undone everything he’d worked towards in the blink of an eye.

“Where am I?” Jason demanded, towering over the downed man.

“You son of a…” Jericho groaned as he started to stand up. A boot to his chest shoved him right back down, and got across the message that maybe he should stay that way.

“Answer me!” Jason shouted, his voice echoing through the cavern.

“I told you! You’re on the planet Kraw, in the Crossroads,” Jericho snapped as he propped himself up on one elbow, and glared daggers at Jason. Yet, with the look on his opponent’s face he realized that answer wasn’t enough, so he decided to go ahead and elaborate before more percussive persuasion arrived. “It’s a jungle world. Monsters, savage natives, the works.”

“I noticed,” Jason spat out, glancing upwards for just a second. The platform they’d fallen from was out of sight. They’d made it down the river a good ways, which was nice to know that whoever had been chasing them would have a long way to go if they wanted to track them down.

“It’s the most dangerous planet in the Crossroads, but these monsters, these hidden secrets…” Jericho drifted off as he looked for the right words. “There’s a force sweeping across the Crossroads, threatening to end everything. If there’s a hidden power to stop it, it’s on this world. New Abraxas won’t take control of it, though. They want to study the world instead of conquering it, when lives are on the line!”

Jason kept a hard glare on the downed man. He wasn’t super interested in self righteous ramblings from a man that had tried to kill him twice in the past half hour, but he would let the man keep explaining this new world uninterrupted.

“I worked for months to convince these savages I was here to help them. Then my men report five beams of light touching down on Kraw, and you’re at the center of the red one,” Jericho spat out. “Everything I worked for, down the drain, and we’re no closer to unlocking this world’s secrets.”

“Five?” Jason asked immediately, zeroing in on that information. If he was one, the other four had to be the Rangers. “Where did they land?”

“How should I know?” Jericho remarked condescendingly. “I was dealing with you.”

“That’s right,” Jason sarcastically agreed, noting that this guy genuinely believed he was in the right in their whole encounter. That, or he was just so self centered he didn’t care. It didn’t really matter, now that he’d lost the upper hand. “You’re going to show me how to get to New Abraxas, and we’ll figure it out from there.”

“I’d rather die,” Jericho countered with contempt.

“That’s your other option,” Jason responded, looking at the deep gash still pouring blood from Jericho’s forehead.

The fallen gangster pondered those words for a moment, looking around the area. There was no advantage to seize here, no easy way out. He was at the mercy of a man he’d tried to kill, who wanted to take him to a city he’d tried to burn.

“I’ll take my chances,” Jericho said.

Jericho rolled to the side, dropping back into the rushing river. Jason could only step forward and watch in disbelief as he was carried away by the current. There was no retrieving him from the deadly rapids. Yet, Jason already knew he hadn’t seen the last of the man. Something about him said that he wasn’t one to roll over and die easily.

He stared at the river for a moment, taking everything in. He was lost and finally alone, but at least he had some direction. New Abraxas was a settlement he could look for, and if he was right, the Rangers were sealed away like he had been. Hopefully they weren’t in as dire straights as he had been.

With little other option, Jason embarked down the trail alongside the river, looking for an exit to the cavern.

 

[Jason Lee Scott]

Jason continued his trek through the underground cavern, fighting the approaching exhaustion. The adrenaline that fueled his body during his exciting arrival had worn off, and now he was feeling the crash. He’d stopped to rest every so often, counting his blessings that he was beside a water source to help him keep hydrated. It didn’t matter too much that he’d had to drop violently to it originally.

The cavern was illuminated only by light that crept through the cracks, supposedly from the settlement of the natives above. Jason hesitated to call it civilized settlement after his previous adventure, but at least he wasn’t stomping through pitch black darkness. His incredibly short time on Kraw had taught him to appreciate the little victories, as chances were that was all someone would get.

As he walked, he could only think of his friends. Zack, Billy, Trini, and Kimberly had been with him his entire life. He had unique experiences with all of them, and couldn’t have waged war without them. Zack had been like a brother, with his close friendship supporting him through the chaos of regular life and war with extraterrestrials. Billy had been a student in the art of combat, yet had taught Jason so much about technology. They had strengthened one another. Trini had been Jason’s one match in martial arts. The two were dedicated fighters who had persisted on bettering themselves and those around them. Lastly, Kimberly was his oldest and closest friend. While he had been the strong leader of the team she always supplemented it as the gentle heart. Together the five of them believed themselves unstoppable and thus far had proven it.

When Zordon had summoned them to become the Power Rangers over a decade ago, Jason had been the one to convince the team to step up to the challenge. Yet, he had always silently wondered if he would have done it if none of them had stepped up beside him. It wasn’t such a strange question, now that he was alone on a distant world. The only catch was that there was no walking away for him, anymore. Regardless, all that really mattered was finding his friends. After that they would deal with Zedd and whatever the Crossroads had for them, and just maybe escape and go home.

The exit to the cavern was finally ahead. Jason set aside his thoughts and worries as he stepped out of the darkness and into the sunrise. He had to smile as he looked at his first dawn on a new world. No matter the challenges and trials ahead, the excitement of the unknown was enough for him at the moment. He would happily rise to the next challenge.