Episode four-"The Confrontation! Future Master of the World"
As Blackorg, still steamed from his henchmen's latest defeat at the hands of the Movie Task Force, he pondered on taking matters into his own hands.
"The humans..have a very trite saying that I can apply to..They say,' If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself..'" It is time that I deal with these children personally. to see them eliminated from the face of this earth.." he continued.
"Yeah.." said General Ug. "We want to kill them, too."
"SILENCE, FOOL! That's exactly what I said!" shouted the overlord. "Consider yourself fortunate, because I'm involving you in my attack plan! Key, I need you also to go undercover to steal this piece of metal.." Blackorg showed Anark Key the description of the metal. On MAYHEM's sensors, Key detected it in an engineering class down at Central NJ University.
"While I confront these Scanrangers, seek out the metal and bring it back to me.." said Blackorg.
"As you say, my lord.." said Key.
"I intend to be the first to eliminate these so-called protectors of the earth..not to fail like those other predecessors who tried to do the same to another five member group.." "You mean that group called the Powe-" said Key.
"QUIET! NEVER EVER MENTION THAT GROUP'S NAME! IT INSULTS MY INTELLIGENCE!" cried Blackorg. "I remember how we eliminated that so-called Alliance of Evil.. how Vixen had easily slain the space pirate Divatox.. how Ug and yourself clipped Goldar's wings and sent his queen and her cohorts.. I believe that the witch's name was Rita something..sealed them into a bottle and sent into another dimension... and how I zapped that Zedd character into dust..Some so-called Alliance of Evil indeed..Let the entire planet know that MAYHEM is evil!"
Meanwhile, back on the CNJU campus, the five heroic students were in their favorite class (Film Appreciation 222) while listening to Professor Alex's lecture.
"Italian Neorealism..This was one of the well known film genres that took place after the second World War.."
Alex lectured as she wrote the movie period on the chalkboard. "As you have already seen one of these movies on assignment: 'Open City', 'The Bicycle Thief', and 'Shoeshine', you may have noticed that the endings were mostly left open.. In short, no happy ending, walking into the sunset..You may say that it was similar to the earlier Russian films, like Battleship Potemkin, which had a very propagandist nature.."
One of the other students asked Alex, "If the movie's intentions was to make the audience depressed, why did the ending leave us hanging?"
"Remember," the professor continued. "It was up to you to figure out if the story continued after the last reel.. For all we know, the father and his son may have found the bike, or they had caught the thief and sent him to the proper authorities. That was all up to you if you wanted to give a little hope for a better world."
Toni looked at the classmate and said to herself, "Yadda yadda yadda.."
After class, Professor Alex and the Scanrangers walked along the campus discussing the lecture.
"You know, when I was 13, I never realized that sometimes the good guys always loses or things don't go out the way they planned.." said Vin.
"That was the whole point." said the professor. "Some film directors intended to make movies to help other people think. Some moviegoers want to escape reality, while others want to see some gritty realism solely to shock people.."
At that moment, an explosion struck one of the main campus dorms. From a distance, the six were able to see that another MAYHEM attack was about to take place. They ran to the scene, while the other campus students and staff ran the opposite way for cover. What the movie task force witnessed was a giant cyber-creature destroying everything in sight.
"I wasn't anticipating them attacking so soon.." said B.C. "I think we need to get to the bottom of this.."
"Neither was I.." said Alex. "Transform into Scanranger while I try to get the others to safety.."
"Right!" the five said. They transform into their battle gear, and using their Bijou Bikes, they raced to the burning dorm.
"First things first," said RedScanner. "Get the monster's attention.. Let it know that the Scanrangers are here! ScanLasers!"
They fired all they have on their ScanLasers, but the blasts went right through the monster. The cyber-creature suddenly disappeared as does the flames on the dorm. The apartment complex did not show any evidence of fire or any attack.
"Another illusion? Looks like Vixen still has an attitude about my missing audience.." said GreenScanner.
"She does indeed, but now it's time to face reality!" Blackorg walked up to confront the Scanranger crew. Permit me to introduce myself.. I am the one who can change your reality, your order into mayhem..I am to be your Lord now and forever! I am Blackorg!"
"Blackorg, at last." said Red.
"I am impressed by the skill and the cunning you earthlings have done in defending your precious planet..You need someone to guide you in using that incredible power for conquering the universe..Why not serve me and join me in this soon to be glorious conquest?" said the overlord.
"Serve you?" said Blue. "We won't even serve you breakfast!"
"Very well, then..I want two things..I want this mud ball for myself, and since you chose to oppose me, you must die!"
"Sorry to disappoint you, tin man..but unless we have a say you can't have either!" said Red. "Let's go, Scanrangers!" Red began the attack as he leapt at Blackorg. Blackorg defended himself with his Metalstaff, blocking RedScanner's FilmBlade attacks. As Red held him by the neck, Blackorg released a jolt of electricity, about 20,000 volts, temporarily stunning RedScanner into unconsciousness. He then chopped Red's FilmBlade in half as if it was a toothpick.
YellowScanner went after him next, hoping to take Blackorg by surprise. "WARP SPEED SMASH!" YellowScanner shouted. But at the last possible second, Blackorg teleported Kunio into a temporal portal, making Yellow materialize in front of a brick wall. Unable to stop in time, he hits the side of the dorm building and was down for the count.
"I am not impressed.." laughed Blackorg. "This is the best your precious Earth has to offer? I've expected more out of you Scanrangers!"
"Expect this!" Pink and GreenScanner land a double kick in Blackorg's face. Blackorg quickly recovered.
"Not bad, earthlings..I almost felt that!" he said.
"You won't feel anything after we take you out, villain!" said Green. "It's Movie Time!" Green tapped into his movie logo as he summoned his special effects Film Energy. He created a bunch of snare traps in order to bind Blackorg. The MAYHEM commander broke out of it easily.
Meanwhile, Anark Key and Ug materialized in one of the technology labs on campus as the battle rages on. The two were to distract the movie task force as they fought Blackorg. They searched for the precious metal their master ordered them to retrieve.
"My scanners detect the thing we're looking for.." said Ug. "But which one is it?"
What Key and Ug witnessed was an exhibit on mini-robotics. The one that actually stood out resembled a robot spider, which similarly represented MAYHEM's symbol. "That's the one, Ug!" said Key.
"I don't understand, Key.. Why did our lord send us to get this robot-bug?"
"I don't know either, Ug, but at this time, we really need a competitive edge to eliminate the Scanrangers..I'm pretty sure that he's handling it very well.."
And sure enough, Key was right. Blackorg had his way with the movie task force as he used Blue's Speed-Bo staff against him, throwing him back. The other rangers recovered in the meantime. Using his Swashbuckler, Red was able to detect a chink in Blackorg's armor. He plunged his sword into the open area, as Blackorg screamed out in pain.
"This is nothing!" he said. "But can you top this?" The MAYHEM leader transformed right before their eyes. "You see, fools, you are not the only ones with incredible energy.." Blackorg became a fanged, squid-octopus like creature. "Your powers are nothing!"
"He-He changed into some mix of that creature from 'The Relic..' only it has tentacles.." said B.C.
The overlord struck the Rangers swiftly, tossing Blue and Green into each other, and another tentacle tossed Pink and Yellow also. Red decided that the Cinemasher could stop his attack.
"Nothing's fazing this guy!" said Red. "All right, then, team! Weapons together!"
"I am really scared.," joked Blackorg sarcastically. "It's Cinemasher time!" The Scanrangers used its combined weapon attack in order to stop Blackorg. As they launched it towards him, Blackorg froze it in its tracks before it touched him. He then telekinetically turned it around towards the rangers, hitting all five. The impact of the Cinemasher transformed all of the Scanrangers back to their civilian forms.
Before the overlord could finish them, Key interrupts him.
"We've got what you wanted, my Lord. Mission accomplished!"
"Excellent, Key.. Ug..I may reward you for this!" Blackorg out!"
"HA HA HA HA! I could finish you all with just a fraction of my Oblivion beam, but I have other matters to tend to, so I leave you to your fate.." Blackorg spoke to the semi-conscious rangers. "For now, I will permit you to dwell on your embarrassing defeat at my hands, for I have much on my agenda before I deliver an unimaginable fate worse than death. Farewell for now, Scanrangers..We shall not meet again!"
As the Scanrangers lay in defeat, someone else had witnessed the struggle. The stranger thought to himself, "Excellent! I shall personally see to it that Scanranger's reputation is destroyed!"
A few hours later, Vin, B.C, Toni, Nick, and Kunio woke up in a place with lots of beds in it. They were all in the infirmary ward at Cape Paramount. "Aieeeee...Did you get the license of that Stealth Fighter that hit us?" B.C. said.
Meanwhile, Nick screamed as if he saw a ghost. "NO! STOP IT! GET AWAY! GET AWAY!"
Vin himself felt very discouraged. "I can't believe that.. He went through us as if we were nothing.." A subliminal message told Vin,
"That's right! You are nothing!" A throaty laugh echoed through the Scanranger leader's head.
Act two
"I don't understand it, my lord.." said Vixen. "Why didn't you destroy them?"
"You see, my lovely Vixen.. The Scanrangers are much more honorable humans that are willing to die to defend their planet, not like the lesser humans who run away for their little lives...Piece by piece, I plan to throw a little bit of despair into their lives.. Once it spreads, it influences the next person close to them, and the next, and the next... I don't want to destroy Scanranger..yet..I want them to suffer!"
"Can I at least have a taste of one of the males, while they're still alive?" Vixen said.
"I told you," said Blackorg. This is not the time to mix business with your pleasure! Ug!"
"Yes my lord.."
"To make sure that you finish the job you started, take this with you.. If any human dares to get in your way, finish them! It will enhance your war-like powers." said the overlord. Blackorg gave Ug a can of what looked like a can of spinach. This can was similar to Popeye's source of strength, but it was tailored for General Ug.
"With Scanranger out of the way, the town should be easy pickings.." Ug thought. "The moment has arrived, my troops! Today is a glorious day for MAYHEM! Today is the day we lay claim to the first country of this planet! For the great Blackorg!"
"And you, KuroKhan, shall lead the way!" KuroKhan was an exact android version of Genghis, Kublai, and Shiwan Khan blended together. With his armored horsemen, the Riders of the Storm, they are poised to begin the first attack at once.
Back at CJU, the team was still trying to shake off the psychological effects of Blackorg. Professor Alex met with the rest of the crew in the gym. She thought to herself that if the team doesn't break out of the shell, the whole Earth would be at MAYHEM's mercy.
"So, Vin, are you embarrassed about what Blackorg did to you today?" she said.
"I've got n-nothing to say.." stammered Vin.
"Come on, Professor! Leave him alone.." said Toni. "He's been through a lot recently..We all have.."
"If that's the case, girlfriend, how come you're still up on your feet?" Alex said. "Like the rest of these kids..These boys probably want their mommy right now! You're the macho man, the 'player' of this group, Mr. Harlock.. You can't even play dead.."
Alex gave Vin a hard slap in the face. The other Scanrangers were shocked at this. Vin gets livid and charged at Alex. As he lunges towards her, she applied a judo throw over her head, as Vin landed on his back.
"Some 'player'..indeed! You're always trying to rush things instead of thinking ahead.." she continued.
"I don't aim to try!" said Vin. Alex threw a staff to him as she sparred with Red. The professor seemed to have the upper hand, but Vin knocked her over. However, she got back on her feet, and threw him on the mat again.
"This is pathetic, Vin.. The way you're fighting, even Barney the dinosaur could beat you to a pulp!" Alex continues to taunt Vin. "Got to keep him riled up, get the rest of the team involved.." she thought.
Vin missed again, as Nick got into the game and attempted to give Alex a half nelson in order to pin Alex down.. It doesn't work, and she broke free. Toni, upset about all this, back flipped towards Alex, but Alex got out of the way at the very last second, resulting in Toni crashing into Vin.
"Come on Mike! Stop her!" cried B.C.
"Uh-oh, for once, B.C. is serious. He means business. But so do I!" thought Alex. Kunai tripped up Alex as B.C. took her down, with Vin's staff in hand. The other rangers move in, until...
"Time out, people! Peace! I surrender!" Alex said.
"Forget it, Professor! You're not getting away Scot free!" said Nick.
"Hey, MAYHEM is still at large, so if want to get a rematch with your teacher, it'll have to wait.."
"What's the purpose of all this? Why did you start this crazy donnybrook?" said Toni. "You've got me all worked up in this fight!"
"I had to test all of you.. I was aware of the subliminal messages that Blackorg planted in your minds after the battle.. By you working off that negativity, you in the process were all able to build up your fighting abilities... It was your self-confidence that was responsible for shaking off his influence.." said Alex.
"And since the whole team was able to overcome, you're ready to take out anything that resembles a MAYHEM android."
"I really have nothing else to say, Professor.." paused Vin, and then smiled. "Except.. Thank you.. a whole lot.."
"You're all welcome..a whole lot.. You all know that I'm concerned about all of you, otherwise, Scanranger wouldn't be in existence today..I love you guys.. But, for right now, chat time is over!"
As if on cue, MAYHEM began the attack on the city. "MAYHEM didn't waste any time set on conquering the Earth. Guys, (and one gal)..You know what to do! Well, Scanrangers, Ready to ride?" said Alex.
"Let's do it!" they all shouted with great determination. With a renewed confidence, and of course with Professor Alex's help, the eiga sentai raced out to confront General Ug, KuroKhan, and his armored horsemen.
To be continued...
In our next Scanranger adventure, sparks fly as an off-campus activist stirs up the entire campus, turning the college against Scanranger. Of course, we all know that MAYHEM is behind all this.. but what is the secret weapon that they will use to finish our heroes?
Next time on Movie Task Force Scanranger-Episode 5 "With Maliss Towards All"
Roll That Film!