And here comes…

Episode 3: The Monster Mash

Ian, Lizzy, Sean, Tristan and Ruth were huddled in a corner of Lizzy's uncle Charlie's Café, carefully nursing milkshakes.

"I didn't realize that 'Charlie's Café' was run by your uncle." said Ian, who had been there before, but hadn't connected the cheerful and chubby café owner with his bouncy blonde classmate.

The five teens were slowly getting to know each other, since while they shared many of the same classes, besides Sean and Tristan they had rarely spoken to each other.

Elizabeth Duncan had decided to begin, being one of the more outspoken people on the team.

"Yep. So, I work for uncle Charlie whenever he needs me, but the hours are really flexible and I get heaps of breaks and stuff, which is good now, because it means I can run off…" she trailed off with a shrug, and the team all grinned. It still hadn't quite sunk in yet that they were superheroes.

"I liked Power Rangers when I was little, and I just kept watching it. Even though some of the newer ideas are strange, I think they grow on you. I also like gymnastics, maybe it's a pink thing." added Lizzy.

"So who's next?" she asked happily, smiling around the circle.

"I'll go." said Ian. "I'm Ian O'Neil, I was about seven when I got into Power Rangers stuff, and ever since then I wanted to do martial arts. When I was ten, my parents let me start Karate, and I've kept going. I also picked up a few other forms. When my little brother Drew got into Power Rangers, he made me watch it with him and I started practicing some of the more creative moves they use in the show. I've just about made my own style." he gave a lopsided half-smile. "That's about it."

"Me next!" chirped Sean. "I'm Sean Hogan, Tristan's been my best friend since kindergarten, and we used to watch Power Rangers together all the time. Tristan's a typical Blue really, into science and fixing stuff. I'm more of a joker. When we were fourteen, our parents decided that it really wasn't healthy to watch a kids show so much, and stopped us. When we were fifteen, we found a website that had most of the shows online, so we'd organize a time and watch it with msn running off to one side. Man that was fun." he laughed, remembering. Tristan poked him.

"Yes, except what am I supposed to tell?"

"Your sister." smiled Sean. Tristan rolled his eyes with a grin, and began the tale.

"I'm Tristan Banner. Sean told most of my account but this story is amusing, while largely irrelevant. When we were sixteen, my younger sister Gracie decided she was going to spy on us, and discovered we were still watching Power Rangers. She also found us practicing a few martial arts moves from the show. Nothing professional, we were just playing about, but she determined she was going to blackmail us. We had to teach her how to fight like a Power Ranger, or she'd tell our parents we still watched the show. So we did. Some time later there was a dress up day for school. She dressed as the Pink Time Force Ranger and kicked the rear of every bully in the entire school. It was so hilarious, watching this little Pink Ranger beat up these sixth grade bullies dressed as monsters! Moreover, she hadn't told anyone who she was. She'd find somewhere secluded to change at break times, and pretended she'd forgotten to bring a costume the remainder of the time." Tristan decided to end it there, mainly because he was laughing too hard to continue. Sean was doubled over gasping for breath, and the others were drawing stares with their laughter and giggles.

When they'd finally calmed down, they turned to Ruth. She gave a shy smile and began quietly.

"I'm Ruth Brooks. I started late on the whole Power Ranger craze, because my parents thought it was a bit violent. I started watching it when I was twelve, and saw two seasons before giving it up. Then early last year I discovered a website that had a lot of them up for viewing, and I was enthralled again, realized how much I'd missed out on. I haven't looked back since." she looked around the group carefully. "I like to draw, and make things, and I'm a bit science-ish myself."

"Wahoo! A Billy-speak interpreter!" cheered Lizzy, pumping a fist in the air and drawing stares from the other customers.

"I'm not that bad." frowned Tristan.

"Just in case, dude. Sometimes you're awful." said Sean, clapping a hand on his friend's shoulder.

The five teens finished their milkshakes and stacked the glasses.

"So, now what?" asked Sean.

"We probably should practice." said Ian. "Get used to fighting as a team, learn each-other's styles, that kind of thing."

"At least it's the holidays." added Ruth. "We'll have time."

"How about the park?" asked Tristan. The others nodded agreement and they headed out.

----

When they arrived at the park, they were met with a very strange scene. It seemed that everyone who was under the age of twenty five (and even a few who were over it) had come to the park… and they were all trying to do martial arts, most of them failing miserably.

The newest Ranger team shared a bemused look.

"At least we'll fit in." snorted Ian, leading the team to a relatively quiet spot by an ornamental pond.

"What do they think they're doing?" asked Tristan, staring around the park with a look of confusion. Ruth tapped his arm.

"Where did the first few Rangers teams hang out when they weren't at 'their' shop or café?" she asked him. Tristan's eyes widened.

"But, they… we…" he gave up, instead turning to Sean. "Come on, I think I need to hit something."

Ruth and Lizzy paired up, while Ian started one of his more complex katas on his own. He wondered if he ought to call one of the other Rangers to help him practice… they'd probably go unnoticed too.

----

As it happened, Adam was walking past the park. (No pun intended)

He'd got a haircut, and was hoping he'd go unrecognized by most people. As he neared the park, there were a lot of shouts, and he walked a little faster, wondering what was going on. When he turned into the road the park was on, he stopped for a moment and stared, as many other pedestrians were doing. It seemed the entire youth of Tydale had decided to pretend they were Rangers and practice in the park. Smiling to himself, Adam cautiously skirted the mob until he spotted five familiar faces.

"Hiding in plain sight?" he called to the red dressed teen as he got closer. Ian spun around, dropping into a combat stance, but relaxed when he saw Adam.

"I guess we are." sighed Ian, straightening. "Please don't do that, not here."

Surveying the chaos, Adam grinned. "At least no-one will notice you."

"That was the idea." smirked Ian. "I have no clue what they think they're doing."

The other Rangers had noticed the visitor and had begun to exchange greetings when the shouting in the park took on a slightly hysterical note.

Sean looked to Ian briefly and the two of them took off, the rest of the team and Adam not far behind.

When they reached the scene, it was all it took for them to keep in their laughter. Ziva had apparently teleported in some LarrBots and a monster, obviously thinking the Rangers were somewhere amongst the people pretending.

The monster was fairly stupid looking, something like a cross between a shrimp and a dog. It was growling in a very canine manner, waving its four antennae-like arms about. The LarrBots were advancing on the civilians.

Adam suddenly had an idea, and nudged Ian.

"Back me up guys." he whispered, then ran forwards.

"HEY!" he roared over the chaos. People turned to stare at him. "COME ON! WE'VE BEEN PRACTICING ALL MORNING! WE CAN TAKE THEM!" he yelled above the growling monster. Some of the older kids began to crack their knuckles, and many narrowed their eyes. Adam grinned.

"ATTACK!" bellowed Ian, diving past Adam at the LarrBots, his team only a split second behind him. Adam joined in, and a few seconds later, most of the people in the park added themselves to the fight. It took only a few moments to defeat the LarrBots, and the mob now circled the monster menacingly.

"ANYONE GOT A POCKETKNIFE?" called Lizzy, her smirk looking decidedly sinister. "IF YOU DO, WE'LL HOLD 'EM DOWN, YOU STAB IT!"

"READY?" yelled Ruth. "STACKS ON!" the crowd swarmed the monster, pinning it to the ground as others began to stab and hack at it with whatever they could find, a few even bashing it with tree branches. The monster gave a series of gurgling shrieks as it was dismembered, and though it tried valiantly to fight them off, there was just no room for it to move.

The horde of people didn't let up until the monster was in small pieces, and the pieces were flung across the park, many filling garbage cans. The Rangers had ducked out halfway through and watched in amusement and horror as the bloodthirsty townsfolk diced the creature.

"Y'know, I almost feel sorry for it." sighed Ruth as the frenzy began to wind down.

"Aren't those things supposed to be harder to beat?" asked Sean in shock.

"I think they get harder as the villain gets more desperate. Plus, I don't recall a whole town ever jumping on one…" said Lizzy, still staring around the park in disbelief.

"Amusing as this is, we need to find a means to discontinue their behavior. If they disrupt every fight, someone will eventually be impaired." said Tristan, eyes still glued to the carnage.

Ian was staring open-mouthed, but Adam was laughing as hard as he could.

"Oh, wait until I tell the guys!" he gasped between bouts of hysterics. "That was amazing!"

"We'd better be off before someone thinks to look for the people who started this." muttered Ian. The Rangers made their way around the corner and into an alleyway, then teleported away.

----

The Rangers did what all Rangers seem to do when they face a large problem, they holed up in their base, in this case the Command Center.

The five teens had slowly gained composure, and thankfully they didn't have to explain themselves to Zordon and Alpha.

Alpha was giggling to himself in a very creepy manner, replaying the whole bizarre fight over and over on one of the smaller monitor screens, while Zordon looked stuck between laughing fits and stern anger.

Adam was still having trouble controlling outbreaks of laughter, but nevertheless, the first thing he had done was to call Tommy and Jason.

"They did WHAT?!" yelled the two of them through the video link when Adam had finished his barely understandable recount. "Stand by, we're coming through!"

Everyone jumped out of the way as two teleport beams materialized in the center. One was red, but the other made everyone fall about laughing again. It was green, white, red and black, all mixed together like a giant jar of sprinkles.

Tommy and Jason stared at them.

Ian was nearly bent double, as was Adam, pointing weakly at Tommy. Sean and Tristan were leaning on each other to stay upright, while Lizzy had given up and sat down. Ruth was swaying slightly, and even Alpha's sinister giggles became louder. Zordon looked like he was about to burst a vein.

"What?!" Tommy stared at them, totally confused. Jason was smiling in a 'something-must-be-funny-but-I've-no-idea-what' kind of way. This started everyone trying to explain, and failing miserably due to their hysterics. Tommy and Jason only caught snatches of explanation.

"Tommy…"

"Teleport…"

"Christmas tree…" and finally one which put it all in perspective,

"Captain Technicolor."

Zordon seemed to have composed himself enough to explain a little better.

"Your teleportation beam was quite colorful, Tommy."

Jason roared with laughter, and Tommy scowled.

Eventually when everyone had clamed down again, they settled in to discuss the latest Ranger problem. This of course, meant that Alpha showed them the footage of 'the massacre', as the five teens had dubbed the incident. It took a further five minutes for Tommy, Jason, Adam and Alpha to stop laughing again.

"Yes, funny as this is, it IS a problem guys." cut in Ian finally.

"Sorry, I haven't laughed so hard for ages!" gasped Tommy.

"You have no idea how many times we wished that would happen. It would have made everything so much easier if they didn't all scream and run." Jason added, wiping his eyes.

"Yes, as supportive as it was in such a predicament, we are obliged to convince them to cease, or there will be major injuries. It's only a question of time." said Tristan earnestly, so focused and worried that he forgot to speak normally. Everyone blinked for a moment except Ruth, who jumped in hurriedly.

"They helped, but they have to stop or they'll get hurt."

"Must be a 'first Blue and Yellow' thing." Jason whispered to Tommy, but everyone caught the comment. Tristan blushed, and Ruth ducked her head.

"First?! We're not…" Sean was cut off by Adam.

"You are in this universe."

"But what can we do?" asked Lizzy, trying to drag everyone back on topic.

"You must tell someone of importance to stop them. Or tell them yourselves. Tristan is right, there will be casualties if they continue." said Zordon sternly.

"Maybe if we talk to some reporters…" suggested Ian with a grimace which was echoed by the others.

"Or you could try and talk to them… hold a conference or something." shrugged Adam.

"If all else fails, I could have a chat to the president." snorted Lizzy. "He seems to have taken a shine to me." This sent everyone into gales of laughter again.

"How about we try those then… not necessarily in that order though." said Sean, nodding decisively.

----

That was how it came about that the five uniformed heroes walked purposefully down the main street at a brisk pace, collecting a large crowd as they went. When they reached the park, they turned to survey their chattering followers, Ian noting smugly that there were indeed a lot of reporters and even a few TV cameras.

"We have an announcement." he said in a very loud, clear voice. "A very serious one."

The other Rangers all nodded decisively from just behind him.

"It has come to our attention that citizens have joined our fight." Ian tried desperately to make himself sound serious and imposing, all the while wanting to laugh at the dumbstruck faces before him. Thankfully, the other Rangers seemed to sense this, and Sean jumped in with the next part.

"While it's great that you aren't all running around like headless chickens, it isn't exactly safe." he said, waving an arm for emphasis.

"By all means, fight the robots if you must, but PLEASE do not jump into the fight if there is a monster!" continued Lizzy, a pleading tone in her voice.

"If you persist in engaging enemy forces there will indubitably be casualties," nodded Tristan solemnly. The crowd's attentive stares took on a decidedly blank and glassy look, and Ruth jumped in immediately.

"If you keep trying to fight the monsters, you will be hurt eventually." she translated. By this time Ian was composed enough to conclude.

"If you could please spread the word, we'd greatly appreciate it. We really don't want anyone getting injured." with a final nod, the team took a step back and teleported out before anyone could start thinking again… specifically the reporters.

----

It was not too long before the Rangers had a chance to see if their impromptu conference had worked. Later that afternoon, Ziva decided it was too quiet and sent down another monster.

Alpha was the first to notice.

"Ai-yi-yi-yi-yi… there's a catfish monster attacking the park!"

It was indeed a catfish but not in the normal sense. The creature had furry arms and legs and a feline tail, but the rest of it was covered in silvery fish scales.

"Whoa, now that's ugly!" exclaimed Sean.

"It probably smells, too, but we have to go." said Lizzy miserably.

"Yep, come on guys, it's morphin' time." grinned Ian.

With simultaneous shouts of "Power Rangers, GO!" the five of them teleported out.

----

When they got to the park, Tristan groaned. "Not again!" About fifty people had ganged up on the twenty Larrbots that had accompanied the monster, and were tearing them to shreds.

"Well, we did tell them they could have at the robots…" said Ian carefully. "Let's just hope they leave the monster to us."

"You mean me?" Cat-fish jumped at the Rangers, knocking Ruth and Sean aside.

"That'd be right." Lizzy rolled her eyes, pulling Ruth to her feet while Tristan pulled Sean up.

"Okay guys, how about some blaster power?" called Ian, drawing his blaster on the monster. The others followed suit.

"FIRE!" snapped Ruth, annoyed at being ambushed. Five colored beams blew the monster backwards into a tree.

"Ooh my head…" the Cat-fish swayed a little.

"Hiya!" yelled Sean, jumping forward and landing a stunning punch. "You're so going down!"

"Oh yeah, hee-yah!" Ruth ran in with a high kick, then she and Sean grabbed Cat-fish's arms.

"My turn!" called Lizzy. "Aiya!" She flipped forwards and landed a double strike, closely followed by Tristan, who clocked it in the side of the head with a loud cry of "Yah!"

"HYA!" roared Ian as he delivered a smashing tornado kick. "Goodbye…"

The monster gurgled a little and fell over backwards, exploding in a shower of sparks and flame.

"Woohoo!" cheered Lizzy, jumping up and down. The others stared at her. "What?"

"Never mind." Tristan shook his head.

Ian turned to look at the crowd. The Larrbots lay in pieces, and the mob had drawn back to the edge of the park. Ian grinned.

"Thanks everyone!" he yelled at them. "Just remember to be careful!"

A thunderous cheer answered him, Sean and Tristan shared a high five while Lizzy hugged a surprised Ruth.

Ian just smiled.

----

Coming up in Episode Four: The Excuses of SPD…

Tommy Oliver might have calmed down, but he still isn't happy. The SPD team better think of some really good explanations… and fast…

"Well, technically it wasn't even us, I mean, Commander Cruger was the one who…" Bridge trailed off as Sky elbowed him in the ribs and looked pointedly in Tommy's direction. From the look on the veteran's face, it was quite easy to believe he'd been evil… and not quite so easy to believe that he wasn't anymore…

Next time, on Power Rangers Real Earth.