Power Rangers Jungle Fury: Rise of the Dragon

Chapter 2: The Lone Dragon

As the smoke cleared from Mantor's defeat, Damian stood atop his Drago Megazord, surveying the battlefield. With a press of his morpher, the towering machine let out a final roar before dissolving into golden energy and retreating into the sky. He landed smoothly on the ground just as the Rangers ran up to him, still in awe.

Casey, the Red Ranger, took a step forward. "Okay, that was insane. Who are you?"

Damian turned his head slightly, his golden visor reflecting the setting sun. "The name's Damian." His tone was calm but firm.

Lily, the Yellow Ranger, tilted her head. "Damian…?"

Theo, the Blue Ranger, crossed his arms. "And you're a Ranger? But we've never heard of you."

Damian finally demorphed, his golden armor fading into light as he returned to his civilian attire. His black and gold jacket ruffled slightly in the wind as his dreadlocks settled against his shoulders. He rolled his shoulders and gave them a slight smirk. "Not all of us train in temples."

The three Rangers exchanged glances, still full of questions.

Casey nodded slowly. "Alright… But where did you come from?"

"My master sent me." Damian slid his hands into his jacket pockets. "He gave me my morpher and told me to assist you in stopping Dai Shi."

Theo raised an eyebrow. "That's it? No other details?"

Damian smirked slightly. "That's all you need to know."

Lily frowned. "Okay, but you fight like you've been doing this forever. How long have you been training?"

Damian shrugged. "As long as I can remember."

Before the Rangers could press him further, a familiar buzzing sound filled the air as Flit, the insectoid commentator, hovered nearby, still reeling from what he had just witnessed. "Wow! Did you guys see that?! A brand-new Ranger with his own Megazord?! This is huge!"

Camile, standing a few feet away, narrowed her eyes at Damian. She had been watching him closely, analyzing his movements. Something about him felt… different. "This one is strong," she murmured to herself. Then, turning to Flit, she huffed, "We need to report back to Dai Shi."

Flit gulped. "Uh, yeah. Probably a good idea." With that, Camile turned on her heel and disappeared in a swirl of green energy, leaving the Rangers alone with their mysterious new ally.

Casey let out a deep breath and looked at Damian. "Well, I guess we should head back to Jungle Karma Pizza. We need to figure out where you fit into all this."

Damian nodded. "Lead the way."

Jungle Karma Pizza

The warm, inviting scent of fresh pizza filled the air as the group stepped into Jungle Karma Pizza. The restaurant was lively as usual, with RJ lazily tossing dough behind the counter while customers enjoyed their meals.

As the group entered, RJ glanced up, immediately noticing Damian. "Whoa, new face." He tossed the dough into the air and caught it effortlessly. "And judging by the vibes… I'm guessing not just another customer."

Damian gave a slight nod. "Name's Damian."

RJ wiped his hands on a towel and leaned on the counter. "Cool name. So, you're the guy who made that big flashy entrance earlier?"

Theo crossed his arms. "More like arrogant entrance."

Damian smirked. "I prefer confident."

Casey chuckled. "Either way, you saved our butts. So… thanks."

Lily nodded. "Yeah, seriously. You were amazing out there."

RJ stroked his chin. "Golden Ranger, huh? Haven't seen one of those before. What's your deal?"

Damian simply shrugged. "Like I said, my master sent me to help."

Theo sighed. "You're really not big on details, are you?"

Damian smirked. "Nope."

RJ chuckled. "Mysterious. I like it. Well, any friend of the team is welcome here. You got a place to stay?"

Damian shook his head. "Nope."

Lily's eyes widened. "Wait, so you just showed up in Ocean Bluff with nowhere to go?"

RJ grinned. "Guess that settles it. You're crashing here."

Damian raised an eyebrow. "You sure?"

RJ winked. "Trust me, we've got plenty of space. Plus, I have a feeling you're gonna fit right in."

Damian glanced at the others, then gave a small nod. "Alright. I'll stick around."

As the team settled in for the night, Casey, Theo, and Lily exchanged looks. Damian was an enigma—strong, confident, and undeniably skilled. But something about him told them there was more beneath the surface. And they intended to find out.

Meanwhile, in the shadows, Camile and Flit reported back to Dai Shi. Watching through narrowed eyes, Jared—now the vessel of Dai Shi—tapped his fingers against his throne. "Another Ranger…? This one is different."

Camile nodded. "Yes, Master. He is powerful."

Jared smirked. "Then we'll have to make sure he doesn't stay in our way for long."