Power Rangers vs Mortal Kombat

Scene 2: A Warrior's Choice

       Some years had passed since his latest escapades, and Jason Lee Scott liked to think that he had made a difference since then.  He owned his own dojo, which was constantly packed with students eager to learn martial arts. Some of them had great potential, Jason had to admit. He tried to suppress his powers when he fought, but an internal conflict manifested.

        After all, weren't the powers part of him? Wasn't it his right by now? Self awareness alluded to the fact that he was starting to get older, perhaps that's what really plagued him. He loved his wife and children, as well as his career. A career that most people weren't fortunate enough to afford. But ever since he stopped being a ranger, there seemed to be challenge missing from his life.

      A cosmic force gave him capabilities of his wildest dreams, how could he settle in the mundane when he knew his potential? It was comparable to someone with a doctorate doing janitor duty.

         Once a Ranger, Always a Ranger. That was the phrase Zordon used. But it was also a curse. He couldn't believe when the power coins had been restored, and with a bonus: He and his friends had full access to the Morphing Grid to tap into any form they ever bonded with.

           "Jason?... Jason?" He snapped out of his spell. He was in his home, sitting cross legged on his meditation mat. His son was trying to shake him, his small soft hands barely noticeable on his back.

      "Oh, sorry. What's up?" He asked, messing the child's hair up with his hand. "You were doing that thing again where you space out in the middle of teaching me." The boy said. "Well you know," Jason began, "Meditation is just as important as all the fancy stuff."

          The two of them sat in silence until a loud crackling boom was heard from outside, startling them both. Jason rose, telling his son to stay inside as he went to look. Was there a thunderstorm? The day had been clear and sunny.

         But the sky was dark and red, the phenomenon emitting from the mountains on the horizon of the small town. It reached out as if to smother the blue sky, spreading as a pool of freshly spilled blood.

           People were on the city streets looking for the cause of the commotion when the ground began to shake. An earthquake now? People stumbled and dropped their belongings, sending an orange rolling against his foot. Jason didn't budge or lose balance. He was transfixed on northern lights style colors circling around the mountain top.

       Every instinct told him that was where he needed to go. Wasn't this the type of adventure he had been looking for? What if it was just an ordinary earthquake? A man was walking down the road who seemed different from the others. He maintained balance and didn't look troubled by the commotion. His face was hidden underneath his large round hat.

       The man was coming towards him with intent. Jason braced himself casually. The man lifted his hat and his eyes were a fierce blue. "Come to the top of the mountain, if you seek the challenge you have been craving. But do not use anything but your own abilities, for you must prove your constitution." He said.

           Jason gasped. "Wait!" He yelled. But an old lady fell against him and he helped her up. When he looked again, the man was gone. After a few minutes the shaking finally stopped. Anyone remaining on the street huddled back into their homes with large cracks in the concrete around them, as well as crumbled building walls.

            Jason's home was fine since it was low to the ground, though his car alarm was going off like many others. After a kiss with his wife and a talk with his son, he headed for the mountain.

         The weather dramatically changed the closer he got to the mountain. It was still daytime but the area was darker than night. In the old days, he would have called his friends and alerted them first before doing anything. Things were different now. For one thing, Zordon was deceased. Secondly, he wasn't sure that his friends would answer the call. It had been so long and they had been spread so far, some by choice and others by necessity.