Episode 23: Part 1
The Cambion counselor Shemhazai watched from a distant balcony as a platoon of Magog foot soldiers drilled in one of the large atriums of the Dark Spire. Those fools, she thought to herself. General Abaddon was so wasteful and needlessly throwing away troops in the flawed belief that if the Cambion could simply overwhelm their enemies with numbers and force, then that would be enough to secure victory. What good was an army's fighting strength without good scouting and intelligence to back it up?
While Lord Gideon understood this fact, there were still many others in the Legion who could not appreciate the need to take the time to understand the enemy. By finding an enemy's vulnerable points, the Legion could weaken and confuse them before launching an assault to achieve total victory. It was time to see to that.
"You summoned me mistress?" purred a female voice from the shadows as a lithe feminine form partially materialized from the darkness.
Shemhazai tilted her head slightly, showing no signs of surprise toward the succubus, "Yes Lilith. I want you to go infiltrate the Rangers' ranks and learn more about them… most importantly, where their base of operations is. Do whatever you have to do to gain their trust."
"Yes mistress. I understand completely," the demon succubus Lilith answered dissolving seamlessly back into the cover of the shadows.
Shemhazai smirked slightly and crossed her arms while continuing to watch the Cambion foot soldiers' training. With any luck, she would be saving those minions from fighting and dying in another pointless battle against the Rangers.
"I don't know about you guys, but it's good to be back," Joe said as he walked with Danny and Claire across the quad. It was a late August afternoon for move-in day back at the college and the campus was already abuzz with the chaos of returning students and lost looking freshmen. Deciding to take a break from it all, the now sophomore Rangers took a short walk and headed back towards their dormitory.
"Oh sure," Danny sighed in mild sarcasm, "Back for another stressful year full of homework, exams, and monster attacks. There's no place like home."
"I'm just glad I'm done moving my stuff back into my dorm room for the year," Claire chimed in, "Having to pack and unpack is always kind of a pain."
"Tell me about it," Danny muttered, "I actually volunteered to help Izzy move her things in when she arrived earlier today. I had no idea she had so much stuff! It was exhausting!"
"Even for a big strong Power Ranger like you?" Joe teased throwing a playful arm around Danny's shoulders.
Claire giggled and reached up to gently poke the Blue Ranger's cheek too, "Aww, that's so sweet of you."
Danny simply gave a huff and pushed his two friends off before Claire stopped and pointed, "Uh oh… looks like trouble."
In the near distance, the three spotted the Pink Ranger and her sorority sister Jen Kaufmann approach from across the way.
"Hey everyone! Glad to see you made it back already!" Izzy grinned running over to greet Claire with a hug. Behind the Pink Ranger, Jen cleared her throat and gave a hesitant smile, "Uh, hi guys."
Danny answered with a pleasant greeting and watched in amusement as Joe and Jen exchanged an awkward pause. Finally, Joe cleared his throat and simply nodded, "Jen… nice to see you again."
"Yeah… same," she said looking away toward Izzy.
The Pink Ranger seemed oblivious and gave an excited smile, "So you guys know how classes start again next week, right? I was just talking with Jen and we were planning to go to the school's season opening football game this weekend. There's gonna be a big tailgating party before the game and Jen's boyfriend had an extra ticket. Anyone interested in going as my plus-one?"
Claire shook her head quickly, "Nah. I'm not a big fan of football."
At the mention of Jen's boyfriend again, Joe tightened his features, "Sorry, I think I'll pass on this one too. Why not ask Danny?"
Izzy glanced self-consciously toward Jen before giving a reluctant look to the Blue Ranger, "Um, I thought you didn't really follow football games."
"I don't," he admitted, "But if this is something you like, then I'm willing to give it a try. Besides, I hear the Hyperion Halos are supposed to be good this year."
"Well… tell you what," Izzy replied, "Let me run this offer by Nick and a few other people first. I'll get back to you, ok?"
For the first time, the Blue Ranger looked a bit crestfallen and gave a deflated shrug, "Yeah... sure."
Another conflicted look crossed Izzy's face before she waved again and walked off with Jen down the road.
"Oh man… you ok Danny?" Claire asked as she put a sympathetic hand on his arm.
The Blue Ranger stood with a long face, "Not really, but thanks anyway guys. I appreciate you two trying to help back there, but I just started to realize something."
"Oh? What's that?" Joe asked curiously.
The Blue Ranger shrugged, "Well... just how pointless this has all become. Listen, I know I joke around a lot, but if Izzy doesn't want to give me a fair chance at a date or appreciate the extra efforts I take for her, then I might as well stop wasting my time and find someone who does."
Joe and Claire exchanged another sympathetic look before the White Ranger asked, "Is there anything we can do to help?"
Danny stopped a moment and shook his head before walking off, "No. I think I just want to be alone for a while."
After watching Danny trudge away, Joe pulled out his cell phone and began dialing a number. Claire put her hands on her hips and raised a curious eyebrow, "I assume you have a plan?"
The Red Ranger held the phone to his ear and gave her a conspiratorial wink, "Of course. You and I are making different plans on the day of the game and I'm inviting Nick to join us too."
The next afternoon, Danny sat alone on a bench by one of the small campus fountains. He brought along a copy of the school newspaper to try and distract him, but it was no use. He was still a little upset about getting rejected by Izzy yesterday and tossed the paper aside dejectedly. As he stared off into space watching the dancing waters of the fountain, he was surprised when he felt a gentle tap on the shoulder. Glancing over, he saw a very attractive young woman standing at the edge of the bench giving him a shy smile.
The female student was dressed in preppy clothes that accented her slim hourglass figure. The Blue Ranger was stunned for a moment admiring her long brunette hair, her innocent looking face and her striking blue eyes. Around her neck hung a pendant with a deep violet colored stone.
"Umm, excuse me," the girl said in slight embarrassment, "I'm kinda new here and I missed orientation. I was hoping I could get some directions? I hope you don't mind helping a poor lost freshman find her way around, do you?"
"No… not at all," Danny stammered in surprise as he quickly rose to his feet and took her hand, "I'm Danny. Danny Winthrope."
"Lily Diavalo," the girl replied with a sweet smile, "Are you really sure I'm not bothering you? You looked kind of upset when I walked up."
Danny stopped and thought for a moment before shaking head and giving a kind smile to her, "No. It was nothing. I'd be happy to show you around campus."
To his surprise, Lily reached out and gently took his arm with a giggle, "That's great! I was hoping you'd say yes because I thought you were kinda cute too."
Danny stared in shock as she tugged his arm with a warm inviting smile, "Well? Lead the way!"
A few days later, the Rangers minus Danny all gathered at their hangout spot at the Mugshot café after lunch. While the place was already busy, it hadn't gotten too loud or crowded just yet. While the Rangers waited, they sat together talking, laughing, and catching up on other events from the rest of their short summer break.
Nearby, Izzy touched the extra game ticket in her pocket deciding to ask Danny to come after all. He really had been good her and she had felt a little bad about being so dismissive of him in front of Jen anyway.
As Nick began to tell a funny story about having to chase down a large hog that had gotten loose on his farm, Danny entered the café with a beautiful girl by his side.
"Hey everyone!" the Blue Ranger grinned cheerfully as he strode over to where his friends sat. "Sorry I'm late. I got a little tied up at the Union food court just now."
"So it seems," Izzy replied raising a suspicious eyebrow, "Who's your friend?"
The Blue Ranger gestured to the girl on his arm with a sheepish grin, "Everyone, I'd like you to meet Lily Diavalo. She's a new freshman here and I've been showing her around."
"We just met earlier this week, but Danny's been so sweet to me," Lily added hugging his arm affectionately, "We've been hanging out these last few days but I'm glad I finally got a chance to meet all of you! Danny's already told me a lot about you five."
The other Rangers continued to stare in silent shock.
"Damn, I come a few days late and Danny's already got a girlfriend?" Nick exclaimed.
"This is rather… unexpected," Kara agreed raising her eyebrows.
"I know. I'm a little surprised myself," Danny grinned, "But if Lily and I decide to spend more time together, I wanted to introduce her to you guys first… you know, to get your seal of approval?"
"So far... I approve," Joe chuckled toward Nick before Claire gave the Red Ranger a sharp elbow in the ribs from her spot on the couch beside him.
"That reminds me Lily," Danny added with a laugh, "If you've got some other single friends, maybe you could hook one of them up with my buddy Joe here. He's pretty unlucky when it comes to dating too."
The Red Ranger scowled at him before giving Lily a polite smile and shaking her hand, "Don't mind him. It's nice to meet you."
After introducing everyone, Lily began chatting with the female Rangers while Joe and Nick pulled Danny aside.
"Ok preppy, what's going on here?" Nick whispered, "Are you pulling a prank on the girls or something?"
"No!" Danny frowned, "Why is it so hard to believe that maybe there's a cute girl out there who actually likes me and appreciates me for who I am?"
Joe waved Nick off, "Listen Dan, if that's really the case, then great. I'm happy for you. It's just that… well, it's all a little sudden. You had always been trying so hard to get Izzy to like you, and we didn't think that you'd rebound so quick."
Danny shrugged and clapped the Red Ranger's shoulder with a smile, "I appreciate the concern guys, but don't worry. I'm fine. I know what I'm doing, and I'm happy. Like I said before, why waste my time and energy on a girl who obviously doesn't care about me back, right?"
Unable to argue the point, the Red and Green Rangers exchanged a shrug as Danny and Lily left the café arm in arm to go for an afternoon walk. Turning back toward the girls, Nick asked hesitantly, "So girls… uh, what did you think of Lily?"
The Pink Ranger crossed her arms and stuck her nose up in the air, "She's smart, sweet, and attractive. I hate her already."
"I'm not sure about you guys, but she seemed way too interested and affectionate with Danny, don't you think?" Claire added putting a comforting arm over Izzy in sister-like solidarity.
"Let me guess, that old female intuition is going off again?" Nick derisively scoffed.
Claire frowned and stuck her tongue out at him, "Whatever it is, Lily must have some angle... right Kara?"
The Gold Ranger cringed in her seat nearby, "I am not good with relationship topics… especially ones of a romantic nature. It's probably best that you don't ask me."
"Well, there's only one way to be sure there's no trick," Izzy said making a fist, "We keep a close eye on Lily. She said she was going out to dinner with Danny tomorrow night so we can start there."
"Oh geez Iz! Now you're just talking crazy," Joe groaned, "Wouldn't it be easier to just admit you're a little jealous, or something?"
"Except I'm not," the Pink Ranger answered flatly as she rose from her seat and gave him a gentle poke on the nose, "I'm only being a concerned friend here. Believe me, you boys just wouldn't be able to understand."
Joe and Nick watched in confusion as the three girls got up and marched out of the café too. Turning to his best friend, the Green Ranger shook his head and sighed, "Well man, if it makes you feel any better, I sure as hell don't understand either."
The next night, Izzy made her way inside Le Poulet, a small French bistro at the edge of campus town. Because of the more upscale atmosphere and intimate seating, it was a popular date spot for students at the university. As she smoothed out her casual pink blouse, Izzy took a seat nearby the booth where Danny and Lily were busy having a romantic dinner date, laughing and holding hands while they did.
"Is this all really necessary?" Kara asked in mild annoyance as she sat across from Izzy at the table. The Gold Ranger continued to examine the all-French menu upside down with a confused frown. "What if people get the wrong idea about us... that our dinner here is romantic?"
Izzy waved it off and continued to spy on the date while hiding behind her own menu, "Well Kara, both Joe and Nick refused to come with me so you and I will just make it look like a girls night out. Besides, this is Danny we're talking about. We want to make sure everything is ok."
The Gold Ranger rolled her eyes and pointed, "From where I'm sitting, he seems to be doing just fine."
Izzy glanced over in surprise to see Lily lean over and give the Blue Ranger a kiss. As she did, Izzy noticed the purple stone pendant that Lily wore begin to glow for a moment, fading away when they broke the brief kiss.
"Whoa... did you see that just now?" Izzy asked Kara, "You don't think there's something weird going on here, do you?"
Kara sighed and lowered her menu, not having paid attention, "The only weird thing is why all the items on this menu are in a completely different language. Maybe if Professor Bishop were here, he could translate these menus for us too."
The Pink Ranger gave an exasperated sigh then jumped a foot when she felt a finger tap her shoulder. To her horror, he looked up to see Danny standing at the table crossing his arms with a small frown. He was looking a little flushed already, but whether it was because he was angry, it was hard to tell.
"Uh... girls? I know Lily told you we'd be here, but I didn't expect I'd actually see any of you here tonight."
"We were not spying on your date," a straight faced Kara abruptly said from across the table, "This... is a girls night out."
The Pink Ranger's stomach dropped and she slapped her forehead at that statement.
Danny gave the Gold Ranger an incredulous look before turning to Izzy in irritation, "Ok, I'm actually going to give Kara a free pass on this one. Izzy, why were you spying on me tonight?"
Izzy's pulse quickened as she stammered and feebly tried to come up with a response, "Um... well, there's a perfectly good explanation for that..."
Just then, the Pink and Blue Rangers' phones buzzed and they looked down to see there was a demon attack breaking out on the other end of campus town. Shaking his head, Danny gave an annoyed look toward Izzy, "You know what? Forget it. The monsters are attacking and I don't have time for this."
Lily was immediately at Danny's side, "Is everything ok?"
Danny shook his head, "Err, no. Lily, there's another monster attack going on. I think you should stay here where it's safe. I've got to run out really quick and make sure a few of my other friends are safe too. I promise I'll be right back."
"Are you sure?" Lily pleaded, "Um... are there any safe places you generally like to go to during these attacks? Could you tell me so I can meet you there later?"
The Blue Ranger shook his head, "No. I'm sorry. Just stay here. I promise I'll come back for you."
Turning to the others, Danny gestured for the door, "Let's go you two."
As they hurried out the door behind the Blue Ranger, Izzy turned to Kara and grumbled quietly, "Kara, just for the record... you are the worst date ever."
A/N:
Shout out goes to Kuro no Okami for suggesting the monster of this particular episode. Another special mention goes to Stormasius for the same suggestion, as well as the idea for the episode's general plot. Thanks again guys! Finally, some credit also goes to Joss Whedon's Firefly for a few little funny bits later on in Part 2.