Episode 16: Part 1
"Now that was some good pasta," Joe Hale sighed contently as he leaned back in his seat and pushed aside his finished dinner plate. It was Friday evening and the dormitory cafeteria was beginning to clear out as a few other students remained finishing their late meals. Kara, who had been visiting for dinner, sat across from him at the table and gave a passing glance while intently digging into a large bowl of orange Jello.
"You're really going to town there Kara," Joe smiled in amusement. "You like the Jello?"
The Gold Ranger finished her bowl and gave him a serious nod, "Yes. The taste of this dessert is most pleasing. Are you going to eat yours?"
"Be my guest," the Red Ranger laughed gently as he passed Kara his own bowl of Jello. "You know, it's going to be kinda quiet here this weekend."
"Indeed," Kara said in between bites, "I understand that Claire went to visit Nick's farm so she could take some plant samples for a science project. But why did Daniel go with them too?"
Joe smiled to himself recalling the memory, "Well, several months ago, he kinda ruined one of Claire's other projects so I guess you can say he's paying her back for that and helping her now."
The Gold Ranger finished her food and rose from the table, "I see. Then I should be returning home too. Professor Bishop said we would be partaking in a sport called miniature-golfing tonight."
"All right then. Have fun!" Joe called giving a friendly wave to the departing Gold Ranger. No sooner had Kara left, Izzy entered the cafeteria along with a younger looking girl and they headed for the table. Like Izzy, the girl was very attractive, dressed in stylish pink colored clothes and had many similar features, particularly the tan skin and long brown hair. Most likely they were related.
"Hey Joe! Say hello to my younger cousin Carmen!" Izzy beamed, "She's a sophomore in high school and she's visiting me for the weekend."
The Red Ranger smiled and shook Carmen's hand politely as Izzy introduced them and they sat down at the table.
"So Carmen, are you already checking out the campus?" he asked, "Maybe thinking about coming here for school in a couple years?"
"No," Carmen said sheepishly, "Actually, Izzy's always kinda been like a big sister to me so I just came to visit and stay a few nights with her."
"Carmen just had a bad breakup with her boyfriend," the Pink Ranger explained, "So she needed some cheering up and came here to hang out. Oh, and if you're free this weekend, you should join us too! We'll have fun."
"Hmm, spend the weekend with two lovely ladies?" Joe grinned playfully, "Sure. Why not? Everyone else is gone."
"Great!" Izzy exclaimed, "How about we start by going bowling at the Union. 9 PM?"
Later that evening, the three began making their way home to the dorms after a fun night of bowling, ice cream, and telling funny stories at the Union. The face on the illuminated school clock tower ticked close to midnight as the three strolled down a wide walkway lit by lamp posts. Despite the warm spring air, the campus seemed strangely deserted that night making the walking paths seem a little more eerie in the darkness.
Untroubled by it, the three continued on their way until a figure calmly stepped out of the shadows ahead of them and stood in the middle of the walking path. Joe and Izzy stopped abruptly and tensed up as the figure approached, preparing to either take a fighting stance or pull out their Keyrunes.
To both their surprise, Carmen gave a gasp and called out, "Ms. S? What are you doing here?"
As the figure approached into the light, the two Rangers saw that Ms. S. was a youngish woman in her 30's who was slim and attractive, with fair skin, dark features, and green eyes. She wore a skirt and expensive looking dark business clothes.
"You know this woman?" Izzy asked her cousin suspiciously.
"Of course she does," Ms. S said with a pleasant smile as she neared, "Carmen and I had a bit of a business arrangement and I'm here to collect."
"Collect?" Joe said in surprise, "Like money? Right now?"
The woman gave him a patronizing smile, "Oh no. Something a little more... abstract."
"Excuse me, but just who exactly are you?" Izzy frowned.
The business lady gave a laugh and extended a hand, "Where are my manners? My name is Ms. Sinestra. I guess you could say I'm a solicitor of the Cambion Legions. Carmen and I had made a little deal and I kept my end of the bargain. Now I'm here to collect her soul."
"What?" Joe and Izzy both cried loudly in unison, but they were cut off as Carmen stepped forward.
"That wasn't a deal! It's barely been a month and my boyfriend already broke up with me!"
Izzy spun around furiously on her cousin, "Ay chica! Are you loca? What the hell kind of deal did you make with strangers like her?"
Sinestra gave a catlike smile and waved it off, "Let me explain. You cousin had been pining for some boy and I offered to help. I said I would help her win over her boy and I'd come back for some form of repayment later."
"I thought she was some crazy substitute teacher who was joking around, so I figured, why not? What was the worst that could happen at school?" Carmen pleaded to her angry cousin.
"I see. You kept your words vague and tricked Carmen into an open ended contract," Joe said crossing his arms to the demoness, "I'm guessing you didn't specify the terms of repayment, or make any assurances that she would be able to keep said boyfriend either, right?"
"Clever boy," Sinestra grinned to the Red Ranger, "but the fact remains... she still agreed to our deal and I'm here to enslave her to Cambion service."
"We'll just see about that," Izzy growled reaching for her Keyrune.
"Not so fast," Sinestra warned her, "Using force will do you no good. The magic of this kind of contract is bound to Empyrian law itself."
Carmen gave Izzy a questioning look, "Izzy? What is she talking about?"
The Pink Ranger ignored her, "Then we'll challenge your deal on legal grounds... that there was a breach of contract on your end."
Sinestra gave a delighted laugh, "How amusing! But if you actually want a legal battle, there will be costs to have it heard... metaphysical costs."
The Pink Ranger curled her lip defiantly and reached out a hand, "Fine. How about this? Let Carmen go. I'll take her place and assume her debts if we lose."
Sinestra stopped and smiled at the thought of actually taking the Pink Ranger prisoner and presenting her to Lord Gideon.
"Agreed," she smiled, quickly taking Izzy's hand. At that moment, the air rippled and the two Rangers could sense some sort of tingling magic vibrating about them.
"What the hell Izzy?" Joe cried in alarm, "Have you lost your mind?"
Izzy shook her head, "She's my cousin Joe. It doesn't matter the cost. I have to protect her."
"And how will you protect yourself?" the demoness smiled, "You still need an advocate."
That's when Izzy grabbed Joe's arm and pulled him beside her, "He's standing right here. Meet Mr. Joseph Hale."
Sinestra roared again in laughter as the Red Ranger hissed, "What are you doing Iz? I wish you would just stop and think for a minute before acting all the time!"
The Pink Ranger looked her friend hopefully, "You said you're studying to become a lawyer, right? Isn't this the perfect time to put that studying to use?"
"We're freshmen Iz! I'm not even close to applying to law school yet," Joe sighed. Turning to Sinestra, he pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation, "But it's not like we have much of a choice here anyway."
The demon smiled again and waved an arm causing their surroundings to ripple and distort. In mere moments, Izzy and Joe found themselves in a pristine looking courtroom. Standing across the aisle was Sinestra, only her human guise had given way to more demonic features. Despite the sharper feral features, the sallow skin, and the small horns on her head, she still maintained her otherwise attractive appearance.
"Here we are then... a metaphysical court of law."
"Where is Carmen?" Izzy demanded but the demon waved a hand.
"Sleeping safely now in your dormitory room Pink Ranger. That was part of our terms."
Turning to Joe, Sinestra grinned, "As for you... if we are going to do battle against each other here, then you've got to be dressed for the part too."
As she waved her hand, the Red Ranger suddenly found himself wearing a sharp navy blue suit with a white collared shirt and a red necktie.
"Well, I'll give the demon a little credit," Joe quietly muttered to Izzy, "These are some nice looking threads."
"Shall I summon a judge and begin the bench trial now?' Sinestra asked expectantly.
Joe quickly shook his head, "No, I object! How can I be sure that your judge will be a fair and impartial one... especially if you're the one summoning him?
Sinestra crossed her arms in annoyance, "Well, what do you propose then?"
The Red Ranger thought for a long moment before saying carefully, "We may be dealing with Empyrian law... but Isabel Herrera is still an American citizen. Technically, we were on American soil, so I demand she be given a trial by jury. That is her right."
"Yeah! What he said!" Izzy added quickly.
Sinestra grinned in amusement, "Very well. I shall choose the judge and you may choose the jury."
The two Rangers watched as their opponent called another demon to the Judge's bench. He was an elder looking monster wearing a blood red robe, tall and gaunt with blackened skin and a stern face. "I present Master Geriyon, a servant to Lady Shemhazai."
As the demon judge cast his baleful red eyes on the two Rangers, Joe and Izzy swallowed hard as they looked to one another. Clearing his throat and swallowing his fear, the Red Ranger slowly stepped forward to speak, "If this case is based in Empyrian law, then it's only right that those who are familiar with it should be the jurors. There are no more living Empyrians... so this whole case has to be dismissed since there are no eligible jurors!"
Joe crossed his arms and gave a proud smile until Sinestra snapped a finger and 12 Cambion demons with humanoid features appeared in the jury box, "Not true Mr. Hale."
Joe felt his stomach drop as Sinestra fixed him with a triumphant smile, "You forget that the Cambion demons were once Empyrians before they fell... and they still technically are. You asked for twelve of them, and I have given them to you."
"Oh crap!" Joe gasped in horror as he realized he'd been outmaneuvered badly that time. From where he stood, the demon jurors glared back at him menacingly.
Izzy reached over and clutched her friend's sleeve as the judge pounded his gavel, "The time is now midnight. This case will be heard and decided by daybreak. Ms. Sinestra, you are being charged with enforcing a fraudulent contract. How do you plead?"
From across the aisle, Sinestra gave the judge a sweet smile, "Not Guilty, of course."
Turning to the Rangers, she then flashed a hungry feral grin, "So... shall we begin with the oral arguments?"
"Plaintiff, your first argument?" Judge Geriyon sighed with a bored voice.
The Red Ranger stepped forward nervously, trying to keep his racing mind focused and his voice level. He hadn't been given any time to prepare, much less read any kind of rule when it came to the laws of the angels and demons. Nor was he in any position to motion that this was in fact an unfair trial. Still, he had to think fast and try something.
"Members of the uh... jury, my first exhibit is the contract itself... or lack of it. Now, most official contracts are in written form, signed by one or more of the parties in ink... or blood... or whatever gross bodily fluids you demons work with."
"As far as we know, this contract was an oral one with only a handshake. American law says that handshake deals can be binding when there are witnesses. For Carmen Herrera, there were no witnesses, or any forms of physical evidence... no letters, receipts, or anything suggesting that a deal was even struck! Because this deal was made on American soil and Carmen Herrera is still subject to the laws of that land, then I say that the contract is null and void!"
Izzy gave an approving smile and patted his shoulder as Joe sat back down while the Judge made a dismissive roll of the eyes.
Across the way, Sinestra slowly rose with a calm smile to offer a rebuttal. "My esteemed human opponent is correct that there was no physical contract, or witnesses. He also makes a strong point about the nature of oral contracts, except he fails to realize one important thing. His argument is based in the laws of his land and not the laws that we former Empyrians are still subject to."
"Objection!" Izzy called out standing up, "You're uh... patronizing my attorney?"
Everyone stopped and glared at her in silence as she muttered, "What? I can't do that?"
Joe shook his head impatiently and pulled the Pink Ranger back into her seat, "No. Not helping Iz. This doesn't work like in the movies."
Clearing her throat, Sinestra continued, "The contract was made on American soil, but the actual terms of the deal uses the binding forces of Empyrian magic... one that was assumed by the cousin Isabel and witnessed prior to this trial. Am I correct Mr. Hale?"
Joe growled quietly, realizing the demon had beaten his argument and turned it back around on him again. With an indifferent judge and a hostile jury, he and Izzy were going to be in for a very long night.
As the night wore on, the Rangers found themselves constantly outmaneuvered and on the losing end of each argument. Had they been morphed and fighting with weapons, it would have been a one sided battle. For every figurative blow that they landed, they took three in return. In desperation, Joe finally called for a short recess so that they could calm down and regroup their thoughts.
Stepping outside the extra-dimensional courtroom, Izzy walked down a short hallway to find a row of wooden benches with a view looking outside. Outside the windows looked to be a big city skyline lit up at night, as if they were really at some fancy downtown highrise courthouse at night. Despite the dire situation, the scene was strangely calming and beautiful.
As she sat in the dim light, the Pink Ranger closed her eyes and tried to swallow the fear that was rising from her stomach. Her own family member had been threatened by that demon and she was protecting her, but maybe Joe had been partially right too. Maybe she had been a little too reckless and impulsive in defending Carmen. She had pulled her friend into a losing battle and now her own freedom was on the line with the hope of winning looking much dimmer than she originally thought.
All she could do now was reach into her pocket and pull out a miniature rosary that she always kept with her and begin saying a prayer quietly. As she did, she was surprised to hear Joe's quiet voice coming from behind saying the same prayer along with her. She glanced up as the Red Ranger took a seat on the bench beside her, "Wait. You know these prayers too?"
She stopped a moment and recalled his own heritage, "Of course, you probably do."
Joe shrugged trying to put on a positive face, "Don't sweat it. I'm sure even angelic Power Rangers need a little divine aid every once in a while."
"We're really screwed, aren't we?" the Pink Ranger sighed.
Joe grimaced and remained silent for a long moment, "I know it looks bad, but it's not over yet."
Izzy swallowed hard, "I'm sorry for dragging you into this Joe. This was all my fault. I shouldn't have rushed into this whole counter offer either. Now you're getting killed out there and..."
"Stop it," Joe said firmly, "Don't apologize Iz. You're a Power Ranger and you did what you had to do to protect your cousin. What's done is done. I'm your friend and I'm here to help you. I'm not going to give up on you, so you're not going to give up either, ok?"
The Pink Ranger sniffled and wiped a stray tear from her eye as Joe looked directly at her, "Listen Iz, you trusted me enough to represent you and put your life in my hands. I promise I'm not going to let anything bad happen to you or your cousin. We're going to win this."
Izzy gave a small nod and smiled back weakly as she leaned her head on his shoulder, "Thanks Joe... and I know you're going to make a great lawyer one day. I know you're lying to me right now... but I still believe you."
The Red Ranger gave a gentle smile and put a comforting arm around her before picking up the small rosary Izzy was holding. "We've still got a little bit of time. Let's say a few quick prayers for luck together, ok? We're going to need it."
A/N:
I figured I'd try something a little different and have a classic "deal with the devil" type plot. While our heroes have to use their smarts more on this one, don't worry, there's still some action in Part 2. Inspiration and some plot ideas have been adapted from "The Devil and Daniel Webster" so credit goes to Steven Benet's 1937 short story.