"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, hot, hot, hot, hot, hot, hot!" Victor exclaimed as he ran around, his shoes on fire after one of Spinferno's attacks. The monster really did have nothing against the kid, and he hadn't any real intention of seriously hurting him, but while he was waiting for the Rangers to arrive, he figured he'd have a little fun with him.
He couldn't take it seriously when he saw some random kid standing before him in a home-made superhero kit, brandishing a fire extinguisher. He was laughing hard, almost uncontrollably as he watched Victor running around in circles. Victor's shoes finally went out, leaving him staring at the monster in fear.
"That's some dance kid!" Spinferno giggled. "Maybe we should see how high you can jump!"
"You're about to eat those words!" Victor gulped, trying to sound a lot more confident than he really was. He lifted up the fire extinguisher, pointing it at him. "EAT FOAM!"
He squeezed the handles, but he couldn't get the handles to compress. The extinguisher just sat uselessly in his hands. Panicking, Victor tried again and again.
"Monty, it's not working!" He rushed out, hitting the extinguisher off the ground as he tried to get it to work. The handles still wouldn't compress. "MONTY?"
"Victor!" Monty screamed. "Did you pull the pin?"
Victor just stared at the handles. The safety pin designed to stop accidental discharges was indeed still in the handles. He grabbed the pin and started to try and pull it, but the pin was stuck. He stared at it in horror, continuing to tug at it frantically, realising that in his efforts to squeeze the handles with the pin in place, he had inadvertently bent the pin, sealing it in place. Spinferno got to Victor, grabbing him and spinning him around.
"You're in the hot seat now!" He taunted Victor, firing off a blast straight into his backside. Victor screamed and leapt high into the air, before running off.
"Is that what constitutes good television now?" Brody asked as the Rangers arrived. "Tormenting kids?"
"No, that was just me keeping myself entertained until the real talent showed up!" Spinferno screeched, pointing to the Rangers. "You multi-coloured twerps are my ticket to a title shot!"
"Wait...you want to fight Galvanax, so you're doing what he wants you to do?" Preston asked. "Does that sound stupid to anyone else?"
"Scatter!" Brody called out as Spinferno started to skate around in a circle, generating a curtain of flame that expanded outwards towards the Rangers. As they all made their way clear, trying to get into position to attack, Brody took his Datacomm in his hand.
"The heat's too intense, we can't get close!" Brody stated. "Datacomm, how to we combat the flames?"
Up on the Warrior Dome, Wrench was by his workstation. He saw the enquiry come in, and immediately halted the data transfer. He started typing.
Back down on the ground, the Rangers were trying to find ways to get around Spinferno's flames. Calvin and Hayley were taking pot shots with their Ninja Blasters, but the heat ripples and the flames made him hard to see.
"Brody, what's the play?" Sarah called out.
"I'm just..."
"Cool down the flames." The Datacomm interrupted him. "A gentle breeze should cool them."
"Got it!" He stated. "Guys, keep his attention, I've got this! Ninja Element Star! Wind Attack!"
He activated his wind attack, and cast forward the gentle breeze the Datacomm had recommended. Unfortunately, it did not have the desired effect. He watched in horror as the flames started to spread and intensify, forcing his team mates to fall back.
"Brody, WHAT are you doing?" Sarah screamed at him, having to take cover behind a trash can.
"The Datacomm said that a wind attack would cool down the flames!" Brody told her.
"Well you're just fanning the flames!" Hayley yelled at him, shielding her eyes from the flames as she tried to pick out her target, firing wildly. "You're only making it worse!"
"Um..." Brody said as he tried to think of something.
"Well, it looks like the Red Ranger isn't the sharpest tool in the shed. Something of a wind-bag you could say!" Cosmo said, getting a huge laugh from the crowd. "Perhaps he could do with something more than hot air to back up his words!"
He was listening to his audience, but he couldn't say he was happy with what he was hearing. They were firmly behind Spinferno! Normally that would be a good thing, but after being mocked and disrespected on his own stage, Cosmo was not keen on the idea of advancing the rookie warrior. That Spinferno had already alluded to a potential title bout had angered him greatly. He had circumvented him, taking him out of the decision.
He looked around and saw the signs in the audience, and he was heartened to see that the Rangers were becoming the attraction he had hoped for. While he was only planning on leveraging them as an attraction like everything else, they were currently red hot, and while he wanted them to be destroyed on camera eventually, he wanted to be the one to decide when, and how it would be most profitable for him.
He saw a sign in the audience that angered him especially. Someone had one of Spinferno's posters, and had hastily drawn a title belt on it, and written "Spinferno For Champion" across it. He seethed as he turned back to the screen to keep track of the action.
Back at the amphitheatre, Brody ducked a fireball coming his way as he tried to think of his next move. He saw that Spinferno was generating the flames as he skated, and that he was moving around, preventing Calvin and Hayley from being able to get a bead on him. An idea came to him.
"Datacomm, I need to stop Spinferno from moving!" Brody rushed out in a panic. "How can I stop him?"
"Form a cage around him." The Datacomm recommended. "Roots growing beneath the ground will give ample materials."
"A cage, why didn't I think of that?" Brody commented. "Element Star, Forest Attack!"
He cast forward another beam, this time striking the ground. Roots started to erupt out of the ground, which Spinferno had to try hard to avoid. Eventually, as they formed up around him, he hunched over, powering up a huge heat, which pulsed out from him in a huge explosion. Instead of holding him, the cage exploded with it, sending burning shards of wood flying in all directions. All of the Rangers got hit by flying, burning debris and ended up on the ground.
"Well...that worked well." Hayley grumbled.
"Anyone get the number of that truck?" Preston asked.
"Ha, you're Earth's greatest hope?" Spinferno taunted them as he started to make his way towards them. "I thought you'd be a challenge! I was hoping you'd warm me up for a title shot! Now I see all you're good for is a speed bump..."
He stumbled and fell as something went under the wheels of his roller blades. He looked to what he had tripped over, seeing that Monty was cowering under a bench, keeping covered as the battle raged around him, but his feet were sticking out. He had tripped over Monty's feet. With a huge yell, he grabbed the bench, ripping it from the ground and tossed it away.
"You snivelling little...you DARE get in my way?" Spinferno screamed, before starting to form up a fireball. The terrified teenager just covered his face.
"MONTY!" Victor screamed, seeing his side-kick about to be flash-roasted. He grabbed his fire extinguisher in both hands. Being unable to get the safety pin out, he swung it with all the strength he could into a wall, striking off the valve. He turned the fire extinguisher on Spinferno, spraying him straight in the face.
Spinferno started spluttering and tried to clear his eyes, but by the time he had, he was greeted with the base of a fire extinguisher straight to the face. With huge yells, Victor swung the empty tube into Spinferno again and again.
After being distracted for a moment, he finally got his bearings enough to catch the fire extinguisher, ripping it from Victor's hands.
Spinferno ripped the shoulder pads from Victor, exposing his chest, before his hand burst into flame. He swung it into Victor's chest with incredible force, driving the air from him and searing his flesh sickeningly, sending him flying through the air. Monty tried to catch him in a vain gesture and they both ended up in a heap on the ground some way off.
"Oh man, if we've just been saved by Victor and Monty, I will NEVER live this down!" Sarah grumbled as she and her friends finally got back to their feet.
"Don't worry guys; I think I've finally got it!" Brody told them, powering up his blade. "Ninja Element Star, FLAME STRIKE!"
Up on the Warrior Dome, The screen erupted in an inferno, leaving it difficult to see much else. The crowd went absolutely wild as Spinferno came from the flame, now a good foot taller and looking far larger and more muscular than before. He hit the Blue Ranger with a clothesline, causing him to do a full flip before he hit the ground.
"WOW! Look at him go!" Cosmo declared, feigning enthusiasm as he saw his show being over-run by a competitor that thought he was bigger than the show. Spinferno rushed through the Rangers, smashing them all down one by one while Cosmo watched his latest promotional masterpiece literally going up in flames!
"Spinferno, Spinferno, Spinferno!" The crowd was chanting, starting to get to Cosmo. He looked to the screen, seeing the Rangers now diving for cover, trying to get some kind of respite from Spinferno's assault.
Back at the Amphitheatre, Sarah, Hayley and Brody all dove behind a wall, shielding themselves from another burst of flame.
"Man that guy's tough!" Sarah commented.
"I...I...I don't get it! He only seems to be getting stronger!" Brody stammered out. "I don't know what else to do!"
"Brody, think about it, we need to come up with a plan..."
"But...nothing's working!" Brody told her. "My last attack..."
"Brody, you're fighting a FIRE monster!" Hayley interrupted him. "What the hell made you think throwing fire at him was a great idea?"
"The Datacomm said to fight fire with fire..."
"You know what you get if you do that? A BIGGER FIRE!" Sarah snapped in response. "You just super-charged him! Do you see the size of him now?"
"But the Datacomm..."
"I'm sick of hearing of your stupid Datacomm!" Hayley said as she hazarded a glance out of cover, before being forced to pull back again. Sarah though had a thought.
"Brody, why did you launch that wind attack?" Sarah asked him.
"The Datacomm said a gentle breeze would cool the flames." He recalled.
"And why did you grow those roots?" Sarah asked him.
"The Datacomm said to make a cage out of roots..."
"Which are otherwise known as WOOD!" Hayley told him. "You just supplied him with fuel!"
"Brody, where does the Datacomm get its information?" Sarah asked him.
"It's linked to the Warrior Dome's database." He told them. "It has detailed files on all the monsters."
"The Warrior Dome's database?" Hayley asked, looking at him in disbelief. "Brody...who controls that database?"
"The Warrior Dome..." Brody tailed off as the realisation hit him like a slap across the face. "...engineers."
"Brody, the Datacomm's been telling you exactly the wrong move to make all the way through this fight, but you've been relying on it so long you've just been blindly following every word it said!" Sarah reprimanded him. "What if Cosmo figured out how you've been one step ahead of him until now?"
"You mean..." Brody just stared at the Datacomm; he had used it for pretty much everything for years. He had always gotten his information from it. He threw the Datacomm onto the ground and smashed it with the hilt of his ninja sword.
"Alright, we have to come up with a new play." Brody told them. "Let me think...holding him seems to be a good idea, but we need something he can't burn."
"CHAINS!" Sarah called out. "Steel has a melting point of thousands of degrees! Unless he's hotter than a blast furnace, we should be able to hold him for a little while at least!"
"Alright, do it!" Brody called out. Sarah and Hayley both broke cover and ran out as Calvin and Preston were busy avoiding his attacks.
"Ninja Element Star, Steel Attack!" They both called out, at which chains shot out of their Ninja Swords, holding Spinferno in place. He struggled against the chains, but they wouldn't budge. He concentrated on increasing his temperature, trying to melt them, but that would take him some time.
"Preston, Calvin, cool him off!" Brody told them. "Wind didn't work last time, let's try..."
"Way ahead of you!" Calvin stated as they both locked their Element Stars into place. "One cold shower coming up!"
They both poured on a huge torrent of water, creating a massive cloud of steam as it hit Spinferno. The monster could no longer see, and his efforts to free himself failed spectacularly. He saw a dark shape coming down towards him through the steam, and as it came closer, he saw a glowing blade coming down. It was the last thing he ever saw.
Brody landed on his knees as his Steel Slash came down, destroying Spinferno. He turned towards the nearest Buzz-cam and stared straight into it as the rest of the team formed up behind him.
"Show's over, Ninjas win!" Brody declared.
Up on the Warrior Dome, Cosmo couldn't help feeling a little relieved that Brody had actually destroyed Spinferno. He didn't want the rest of his warriors getting the idea that they could dictate where and when they fought or decide between themselves who deserved title shots. As his computer was wheeled out, he could already hear the divided crowd.
"Oh dear, it looks like Spinferno has burned out?" Cosmo stated. "Who'd have thought he'd be undone by a little shower? So, what do you all say, should we give him another chance?"
He heard the crowd reacting, and the split became even more pronounced. There were a lot of cheers, but a lot of the audience felt let down by his performance and were booing loudly. He looked to the console and grinned broadly as the result came in, and a huge red X appeared on the screen.
"Oh, too bad Spinferno. I guess every flame eventually gets snuffed out!" Cosmo stated. "Still, there's still some time left, and I know you haven't seen one of these in a while...let's see how the Rangers stand up to a SKULLGATOR!"
Down at the amphitheatre, the Rangers were just taking stock of the damage. The fight had been brutal, and thanks to a few mishaps, Spinferno had all but completely destroyed a major city landmark. Calvin and Preston came over as they saw Monty trying to help Victor up and gave him a hand.
"Hey...kid." Preston said, recognising the class president, but remembering that he had to keep his identity secret. "Are...are you too alright?"
"Victor, he's hurt!" Monty told them. Calvin looked to the hand-print seared into Victor's chest and winced.
"That doesn't look good." Calvin told him. "You should probably go somewhere you can get that looked at."
"The Power Rangers...I fought with...the Power Rangers." Victor said, looking a little delirious.
"Hey, you were pretty brave there." Preston complimented him. "But um...next time you see a monster? Do the smart thing and leave it to the professionals."
As Monty started to help Victor away, Sarah just shook her head.
"Professionals?" She asked. "You know that we've only been doing this a week right?"
"A week longer than them." Preston reminded her.
"Hey, say what you will, but Victor really stepped up there." Calvin said gesturing after them. "I mean...he's still a complete moron but you have to admit, that took guts!"
"Please don't remind me." Sarah groaned. "I'm trying to repress the fact he kind of saved our butts there."
Just then, they saw a beam hit the ground a little way off. They all watched as bones started to form up out of thin air, coming together into a massive monstrosity.
"OK, what...what's that?" Calvin asked.
"That's something bad, very bad!" Brody told them. "I was hoping Cosmo wouldn't send one of these for a while."
"What is it?" Hayley asked.
"It's called a Skullgator." Brody told them. "Cosmo has a load of them in the bowels of the ship. They're insanely powerful and..."
"And seriously scary!" Preston gulped. "So what does the Datacomm say about these things?"
"I don't know about the Datacomm, but I say it's time for the Zords." Brody answered, pulling out his Zord star.
"Best idea I've heard all day." Sarah said with a smile as they all followed suit.