Chapter 10
This is Halloween Part 1
"I don't know what I'm going to do with you, Zackary," the Mr. Kaplan said from the chair behind his desk, "you ditch school, disrupt classes and are failing said classes."
"Why should I bother; I'm not going anywhere?" Zack groaned, slouching in the leather chair seated in front of the desk.
"Zack," the principal sighed, "I want to help you, but you're putting me in a bind and it'll only result in you being expelled, and I don't want to do that."
"Uh-huh, right. Because you really cared before we got that new teacher who's gunning for your job," Zack mouthed-off.
"Don't bring Ms. Appleby into this, Zack," Mr. Kaplan groaned, "I want to give you a chance."
"To what?"
"To make up the classes you failed last year," Mr. Kaplan said, taking a slip of paper out of his shirt pocket, "you'll need to take exams and have your teachers sign this to guarantee you get passing credit."
Zack remained slightly as Mr. Kaplan figuratively reamed him.
"For classes you failed from last semester, I will give you the forms for completing them in summer school. If you don't take this offer, I will speak to your mother about either transferring you to the continuation school or expulsion."
"Fine," Zack said with a sigh, "I'll do it, just give me the damn paper."
"All right," the principal smiled, handing him the paper, "you may go now, but be warned: if you skip class, the deal is off."
Zack muttered something under his breath indiscernible to the principal as he walked off, not looking watching where he was going.
"Woah, dude," Jason said, his books scattered all over the floor, "what's with the-"
"Shut up."
"What's up your ass?" Jason said defensively.
"Nothing, I gotta get to class," Zack said before being ambushed by Kimberly and Billy.
"Hi, guys!" Kimberly said, way too perky for Zack's liking.
"Hi, guys," Billy echoed.
"Yo, Brainboy," Zach said, slapping Billy on the back.
"Ow," Billy groaned.
"I need your help," Zach said, smiling like a Cheshire cat.
"That hurt! Why'd you do that?" Billy whined.
"Kaplan said I need to get good grades or I get expelled," Zack continued, his arm draped around Billy's shoulders.
"God, that really hurt. You ape!"
"So, what I need from you is…to do my homework for me. Simple right?" Zack said grinning.
"Forget it," Billy said, slipping away from Zack.
"Come on, help a brother out," Zack pleaded.
"Look, I'm not gonna do your work for you since you won't learn a thing that way, but I will tutor you," Billy offered.
"Aww, c'mon man!" Zack begged.
"Listen," Billy scolded, "that's my only offer; take it or leave it."
"Hey, Jason, Kim, Zack…Billy," Trini said, acknowledging them with a look at each name she said, but grunting out Billy's name.
"Err…hi, Trini," Billy answered awkwardly.
""""""""""'
"What is your evil plan, Highness?" Goldar grunted.
"My plan, Goldar," Rita sneered, "is to use the energy collected to make five powerful monsters that will finally crush those pesky power pricks!"
"Why, yes my Queen," Finster said, shuffling into the room, "what monsters will you require?"
"Frankenstein, Bones, Skelerena, Doomstone, and Dracula; they will be the downfall of those teenaged twats!" Rita cackled evilly.
"Coming right up, Rita!" Finster said, hurrying off to his workshop to make Rita her monsters.
In no time, five monsters stampeded out to greet Rita and her minions. "Finster," Rita screeched, "well done. They look absolutely hideous!"
"Empress," Frankenstein Monster grunted, "what are our orders?"
"Oh, I'm so glad you asked, Frankie," Rita rasped, caressing his cheek, "destroy the Power Rangers! Divide and conquer!"
"Understood," Frankenstein grunted, "I'll turn Red black and blue."
"The Pink one," Dracula hissed, "shall be the instrument of their own destruction."
"I'll make that Black Ranger indistinguishable from an ink blot!" Skelerena jeered.
"I'll teach the nerd about what happens when a stone block meets a human skull," Doomstone snickered.
"I'll show the Yellow bitch what a real nightmare looks like!" Bones cackled.
"Quit babbling," Rita ground her teeth, "and get out there and make Ranger soup!"
""""""""""'
Jason brushed a few stray locks of hair out of his eyes as he sipped his strawberry smoothie. Jason surveyed his surroundings, a jukebox blasting music and teenagers placing orders. Turning back to his homework, he struggled to block the Juice Bar's usual noise out of his head.
"Hey, Jason," Rocky said, smiling as he sat down next to him.
"Hi, Rocky," Jason grinned.
"So…you doin' that 'take kid's trick-or-treat thing' tonight?" Rocky asked.
"Yeah, I need the community service hours," Jason laughed.
"Don't we all," Rocky smirked. "So, what're you gonna be?"
"I don't' really have a costume, been a bit too preoccupied with…stuff," Jason muttered.
"What?" Rocky said, admonished, "you don't have a costume?" Jason shook his head. "Come on," Rocky said, grabbing Jason's arm, "we're gonna get you one."
""""""""""'
The wind whipped at Kimberly's skin as she walked to the gymnasium. A fog surrounded her ankles, chilling her deeply. "Goddamn, it's cold," Kimberly muttered.
Her costume a bit uncomfortable, but workable in combat. Brushing the wig's blonde hair out of her eyes, she looked over her costume; tight-fitting leather jacket over a black tank top with tight fitting blue jeans and a stake tucked into her belt. The cold breeze forced her to wrap her arms around herself in an attempt to keep warm.
"Hello, there," a deep voice thick with a Romanian accent said from behind her, "why are you all alone on this brisk autumn night, iubirea mea?"
Turning around, Kimberly mentally prepared herself for a fight. "Who are you?" she said to the man who stood in front of her.
"I am your savior," the man said.
"That's funny," Kimberly mocked, "I didn't ask to be saved."
"No, you were begging," he said, staring deeply into her eyes.
"I don't…recall…" Kimberly paused, a strange feeling washing over her, "begging."
"Hmph," the man smirked, his mind struggling to take control of Kimberly, "you didn't have to say anything, I could feel your heart. You could say we're…connected."
"Connected? I've felt so disconnected lately, it's nice to feel…connected," Kimberly sighed, slipping away from control.
"I can feel many things, and as our connection grows, you shall feel them too," the man smirked. "Oh, do forgive me, I've been rude, I haven't introduced myself, I'm Count Dracula, a pleasure to meet you."
"The pleasure's all mine, Master," Kimberly replied hollowly.
"I'm sensing great power from you, young one," Dracula leered, "but I sense you don't properly know how to use."
"I have power?' Kimberly said, her voice completely devoid of all emotion.
"Yes, would you like to learn how to use it?" Dracula asked.
"Would you teach me?" Kimberly said, now completely lost in his trance.
"I will, but first you must do something for me," Dracula smirked.
"What is it you require, Master?"
"The destruction of the Power Rangers!"
""""""""""'
Trini looked onward, through the sheet covering her body, at the four children running around her feet. Although their heads barely reached her waist, the noise they were making was giving Trini, and anyone and everyone nearby, a raging headache. "I wonder where everyone else," Trini said to herself.
Kimberly pushed the gymnasium doors open with a crash, a cold gust of wind flooding in around her. She scoured the gym with her eyes, a green mist swirling in them, making her hyperaware. Locating Trini, she quickly made her way over.
"Hey, Trini," she said, showing no emotion.
"Hi, Kim, how a-"
"Where's Jason, Zack and Billy?"
"I'm doing fine, thank you," Trini said, a bit annoyed at her friend's apparent disinterest in her, "I don't know where they are, Kimberly. How are you-"
"Then you are of no use to me," Kimberly said, as another cold gust of wind circled her feet, not that she noticed.
"Hey! There's Jason now! Wait, who is he with?" Trini asked, signaling for Jason and his partner to join them.
"Hey, Trini. What's up, Kimberly? Great Buffy costume," Jason said, smiling.
"Not important, where are Billy and Zack?" Kimberly asked.
"I think Zack is taking a make-up test and I'm not sure where Billy is," Jason said, a bit perplexed over Kimberly's behavior, "Kim, are you feeling okay?
"I'm feeling fine. Never better," she said with a false smile planted firmly on her face.
"Okay, then," Jason said, still a bit unsure. "Oh! Trini, this is Rocky. Rocky, this is Trini."
"Nice to meet you," Rocky and Trini greeted each other.
"Way to coordinate costumes," Trini said, "Batman and Robin, huh? Classic."
"Thanks," Jason said, blushing, "it was really all Rocky's idea. He picked them out."
The gym doors opened and slammed shut, breaking the awkward silence that had befallen the trio. A strong gust of wind brushed their legs, making them shiver. "Oh, there's Billy," Trini said flatly.
"Oh, God," she groaned, "he's coming this way. Well, it was nice meeting you Rocky. I gotta get the hell out of here."
"Um…bye?" Rocky said, watching Trini trip over her ghost costume as she scrambled to the other side of the gym.
"I'll be right back," Jason whispered to Rocky, "keep Kim company, okay?"
Rocky nodded.
"Hey, Trini," Jason said as he ran over to her, "what's wrong?"
"Why show an interest now? Why act like you care? I mean, it's obvious that you don't care about anyone on the time except your girlfriend!" Trini sneered.
"Girlfriend?" Jason said, bewildered.
"Oh, for Christ sake, we all know you're fucking Kim!" Trini grunted.
"Uh…" Jason stumbled, looking over at Kimberly, "I'm just not interested in that."
"Interested in what?" Billy said, appearing from, what seemed like, nowhere.
"Ah, shit! Where the hell did you come from?" Jason said, startled.
"Well…" Billy smirked, "when a mommy and a daddy get together and they-"
"No!" Jason and Trini both shouted in unison.
"What I mean is," Jason sighed, "when did you get here?"
"Oh, just now. I finished my project," Billy said, "…you see, when the penis goes into the vagina-"
"What project?" Jason said, hurriedly.
"It's just for the science fair," Billy said proudly.
"Oh, how…nice?" Jason said, grasping for words.
"You think I'm a nerd," Billy frowned.
"Err…no, I just don't know anything about the science fair, sorry. But maybe you can tell me about it?" Jason said sincerely.
"Well, it's really-oh, hi, Trini," Billy said, finally noticing her.
"Nutsack," Trini said under her breath.
"What was that?" Billy asked.
"Nothing," Trini faked a smile.
Oh, this is awkward, Jason thought. "Listen guys, I gotta get back to Rocky and…uh…that does not sound good on my part. See ya!" Jason ran off.
"Okay," Billy said, slightly dazed. "Hey," he said, redirecting his attention to Trini, "I was thinking we can meet up at the Juice Bar and-"
"Do homework?" Trini spat at him.
"I was thinking we could maybe, possibly, uh, you know, kinda just spend time to hang out to be friends and together and uh…"
"Sorry," Trini interrupted, "I gotta takes these kids out trick-or-treating."
"Okay, last call. Everyone collect your kids," Mr. Kaplan shouted over the clatter in the room.
"Rocky," Jason called, after collecting his kids, "I'll see you back here at eight?"
"Absolutely," Rocky grinned.
""""""""""'
Kimberly stalked the streets, looking for her comrades, having dumped her children onto another volunteer. Her master's voice ringing in her head drove her to forget her responsibilities and sent her into a frenzy. Find them, find them, find them, find them.
Kimberly took a sharp right down an alley, the voice in her head getting louder in attempt to block out the other voices telling her to stop. A bright light shone at the end of the alley, with a rush of kids blocking it every few moments. So close, so close, so close.
"All right, kids," a familiar male voice said, "it's getting late. We'll go to a three more houses then we gotta return to the school, all right?"
Groans of disappointment grew louder as Kimberly closed in on them. Peering through the darkness, she recognized the man speaking. Rocky, her mind chanted.
Ducking behind a Dumpster she quickly extracted her Power Morpher from her pocket. "Pterodactyl" she cried, a wave of energy washing over her as she transformed into the Pink Ranger.
With a flash, Kimberly appeared before Rocky, delivering a harsh knee to the mid-section before throwing him down to the pavement. Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill.
"I thought you were one of the good guys!" Rocky spat at her, staggering to his feet.
"The line between good and evil is eerily blurred," Kimberly shot back, kicking Rocky in the ribs.
"Fuck!" Rocky shouted, falling to the ground, his vision blurring. Before passing out, he glanced at the children to see that they had run.
""""""""""'
Jason glanced irritably back at the clock then to the door. Muttering curse words under his breath, he turned around to see Trini coming toward him. "Where the hell is he?" he said silently.
"Hey, Jason," Trini smiled, "how was your night?"
"It'll be better as soon as I know Rocky's all right," he said distractedly.
"Okay," Trini said awkwardly, "anyway…oh, shit." Trini said, noticing Bill coming toward them, "here comes the fucktard."
"Trini!" Jason shouted, utterly shocked, "I'm surprised at you! I've never head you say anything worse than 'damn'!"
"Well, when someone-oh, hi, Billy, how are you?" Trini said, faking enthusiasm.
"Trini…you're scaring me. First you're all pissy, and now you're acting nice," Billy said timidly, "are you okay?"
"Fine, fine," Trini said bitterly, "how about you? You vagina in a knot?"
"Oh," Billy said uneasily, "I-"
"Help us, somebody!" a choir of children shouted as they ran into the gymnasium.
"Calm down," Mr. Kaplan said, grabbing one of the children by the shoulders, "what happened? Where's your supervisor?"
"We were attacked by pink!" the child cried.
"Hey, aren't those the kids Rocky was watching?" Trini asked, having over-heard the children.
"Yeah, they are," Jason said, worry-lines forming on his face. "Listen, I'll meet you guys later, I'm gonna go look for him."
"All right," Trini said, nervously, "be careful."
"I will," Jason grinned, "I'll meet you at the Juice Bar later, all right?"
""""""""""'
"Jason!" Kimberly shouted from the other end of the alleyway, "oh, my God, they were everywhere!"
"Who was? What happened?" Jason said, running towards her.
"Putties! They got Rocky!" Kimberly leaned against a building, holding her side with a grimace on her face, "I hope the kids got away."
"The kids are fine," Jason reassured her, "where did they take Rocky?"
"I'm not sure," Kimberly said, "there were a gaggle of monsters surrounding us, it was too hard to concentrate."
"All right, we'll hunt them down to-'gaggle of monsters'?" Jason said, not believing the words he heard.
"Jason!" Kimberly cried, "now is not the time to inspect my usage of words!" Kimberly limped over to Jason, "come on, we gotta go save Rocky."
"All right," Jason said, reaching for his Power Morpher. "Tyranno-"
"Not so fast!" Frankenstein said, kicking Jason's Power Morpher from his hands.
"Shit!" Jason shouted, grabbing his hand in pain, "Kimberly, behind you!"
"What?" Kimberly said, smiling absent mindedly, not noticing Dracula had appeared behind her.
"Very good, my sweet," Dracula said, stroking her face.
"Oh, thank you Master," Kimberly purred, leaning into his touch.
"Kimberly, what the hell are you doing?" Jason said, blocking a punch only to be kicked in the stomach.
"What's best for me, 'cause no one else will," Kimberly said, strolling casually over to Jason's Power Morpher.
"Kim!" Jason cried out, after being thrown into a wall.
"Quiet!" Kim said through her teeth, "you don't have the right to say my name." Kim picked up Jason's Power Morpher and walked over to Dracula. "Here, Master," she said, handing it to him.
"Kimberly!" Jason admonished, before being thrown into a nearby wall and slipping into the darkness.
""""""""""'
"Did I do good, Master?" Kimberly purred.
"You did very well, my sweet," Dracula said, his voice sultry and sweet, as he caressed Kimberly's body. "But your job is not yet done, dragul meu, you still need to collect the others."
"Yes, Master," Kimberly said softly, "then I shall be on my way."
""""""""""'
"He got Jason!" Kimberly cried after she found Trini in the Gymnasium.
"Who got Jason? What the hell are you talking about?" Trini said, bewildered.
"He got him, the monster!" Kimberly cried hysterically into Trini's shoulder.
"What monster?" Trini said, bewildered.
"It was big and slimy and-and-and…it got him!" Kimberly sobbed, "we have to go help him!"
"Of course," Trini said, a look of sheer horror on her face, "we'll get Billy and go look for him."
""""""""""'
"Pterodactyl!"
"Triceratops!"
"Saber-toothed Tiger!"
With a flash of light, the trio morphed into their Ranger forms.
"Okay, follow me!" Kimberly shouted.
"If you say so!" Billy said, trying to stay cheerful for Kimberly's sake.
Trini grunted in annoyance, trying to maintain her anger at Billy, but quickly losing the emotion quickly in cause of his enduring personality. Her only resolve, she decided, was to put up a front and act as if she were still angry.
The Pink Ranger led the way down a deserted alleyway into an equally deserted street. Stopping for a moment, she sniffed at the air. Carefully observing her surroundings, as not to alert the others of her odd behavior, she concluded that this was the perfect place to put her plan into action.
"This is it," Kimberly sobbed, "this is where they got him."
"Kimberly," Trini said softly, "there's nothing here."
With a glare Trini couldn't see through her helmet, Kimberly turned around fiercely. "Do you think I'm lying? I saw him! I saw the monster! And you-you-you!"
"Are about to be taught a lesson," a sinister voice said from the shadows.
"What the he-"
"Trini!" Billy screamed as he watched his friend take a devastating blow to the sternum.
Rolling to the left, Trini clutched at her side and groaned in pain for a moment. Clambering to her feet, she regained composure and drew her gun. Trying desperately to steady her hands and get a clear shot, her eyes wandered to Billy's fight raging on the other side of the street.
With a blur of blue, Billy was sent spiraling into Kimberly by a giant tombstone-shaped monster. Kimberly groaned in pain beneath him; mustering up all her energy to crawl away while Billy lay there injured. Having no time to react, the tombstone-shaped creature was hovering over him within an instant.
Trini returned her attention to the skeletal figure just in time to see two energy bolts coming her way. "Shit!" she cried, barely dodging one and failing to avoid the other.
"Trini!" Billy cried as he was launched into a car, "get Kim and run!"
Trini, however, didn't hear him, being too occupied with having the senses beaten out of her. Kimberly surveyed her work and smiled, everything is going perfectly. My master will be so pleased.
"I'm not having fun anymore," the skeletal creature taunted, "why don't we go for a little trip!" With a grunt of satisfaction, the monster sent itself and Trini spiraling into a cloud of purple smoke.
"Trini!" Billy cried, having escaped his attacker momentarily. "Kimberly, I don't see her! Ow!" He groaned as the tombstone-shaped menace hit him from behind. "We have no choice but to escape!" he shouted, grabbing Kimberly's hand, attempting to drag the statuesque Ranger away with him. "What are you doing?"
"Obeying my orders," Kimberly said as she kicked him in the abdomen with all her might, sending him sprawling to the ground.
"Kimberly, what the hell?" Billy coughed.
A/N: the chapter title is taken from "This is Halloween: from the musical-movie "The Nightmare Before Christmas".
A/N the second: I'm so sorry for the long hiatus. I was on vacation and quite unable to update from my location and my partner in crime was, as fate would have it, also on vacation.