Dino Thunder: Return of the Eclipse- Chapter 8: Oceans Alert
Disclaimer: Saban owns all Power Ranger lines.
Copyright: All unrecognizable parts and characters are under December's Phoenix's copyright.
Summary: A celebrity gets kidnapped…how fun.
Crystal felt at peace, jogging down the way to Hayley's with Lucy next to her. The two slowly began to return to a training regiment similar to when they were Ninja Rangers, which meant the daily runs they challenged each other to run last year. She slowed to a stop near a bench, momentarily leaning on her knees and breathing heavily. It took time to fall back into it since they were used to teaching fighting for the last few months and not training. "I'm a little out of shape."
"Whatever you wanna tell yourself." Lucy laughed, readjusting the pair of black leggings she wore. She glanced around, seeing Hayley's a few feet away. She jerked her thumb to it. "We can go get something to drink before heading back home?"
Crystal rose to full height. "Sure." She nodded, motioning for Lucy to head over there. She trailed her sister into the cafe, seeing not many people. However, she did spot Ethan hunched over the bar, his face pressed close to his laptop screen. Kira was absently watching the TV, and Conner sat on the other side of Ethan, his eyes flicking to the incoming ninjas. "Howdy." Lucy leaned on the counter between Ethan and Conner.
Conner nodded to her, opening his mouth to say something when Ethan cut him off. "Check it out." The Blue Ranger practically squealed, typing quickly into the computer. "It says here that brain waves are just electrical impulses converted into a binary language which could be downloaded."
Trent stopped by empty-handed after unloading drinks to people. "I read about that. It means your eyes could become the video cameras of the future." He added, stopping next to Lucy and closer to Kira.
"Geek TV," Conner stated. "I wonder if it will become part of basic cable." He dodged Lucy's attempt at reaching over and smacking his head. "Not this time, Brewer. And you can't be defending the geeks about this."
"I'm not saying that," Lucy told him, folding her arms over her stomach. "I'm saying you could be nicer about it. Not everyone is only interested in sports." Her eyes flick to the set of red doors, finding them propped open by two people. A second later, in stepped a very overdressed woman. She had a long, red flowing dress and a pair of sparkly heels. Her black hair, blown out and poofy, fluttered in an invisible wind. Tilting her head, Lucy quirked an eyebrow. "Hey, isn't that the girl from that show?" She asked, motioning to her. "The beach one?"
Crystal leaned forward. "You know who that is?" She whispered very quietly.
Lucy looked like she had no idea who Nikki Valentina was and was a little afraid to ask. "I dunno. She looks super familiar."
Everyone quickly spun around, finding the same woman standing there. "Nikki Valentina from Ocean Alert. Only the most popular television show of all time," Ethan muttered. "I'm going to need a brown paper bag. I'm hyperventilating."
Lucy turned back to watch the weirdest montage ever. Nikki continuously flipped and waved her hair, which blew—thanks to an imaginary breeze in the cafe. Finally, everyone stopped to look at her, watching her flip her hair in suave. Glancing around, Lucy found Kira and the boys just staring at her. "Give me a freakin' break." She muttered.
"Welcome to Hayley's Cyberspace. What can I get you?" Hayley asked, the brightest smile plastered on her face. She wrung her hands in front of the star.
"I'm just dying for a wheatgrass shake with twisted lemon," Nikki answered sensually and lulled.
The Brewers didn't have to see Hayley's face to know the smile had fallen. Hayley grumbled a few days earlier about being out of wheatgrass and unable to get more until the following week—still a week away. "I'm sorry. We just ran out of wheatgrass. How about a banana berry smoothie?"
"Did I ask for a smoothie?" Nikki snapped back; her voice was not as sensual. It sounded more like a demanding bark. "I'm fairly certain I asked for a wheatgrass shake,"
"And as I said, we're…." Hayley fought back.
Nikki cut her off. "I'll give you one hundred dollars for it."
Hayley seemed to falter a little more. "I'm sorry; you can't buy what I don't have."
Nikki got closer to Hayley. Then, a thud of furniture scrapped on the ground. Hayley turned her head for a second to see the sisters standing, Lucy in front of her sister, eyes trained on the star. The cafe owner knew that the two would do anything to protect those around them, and if that meant dealing with a spoiled superstar, then so be it.
"I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm Nikki Valentina. There's nothing I can't buy." The star glanced around. Her eyes landed on the two sisters, who both had quirked eyebrows and scowls. "Never mind, I'm over this place." She turned around, fully intending on sashaying out of place, but something stopped her…someone stopped her.
Cassidy slid in front of her, microphone in hand and a bright smile. "Miss Valentina. Cassidy Cornell, Reefside reporter. I'm a huge fan."
"Of course you are." Nikki sounded like she didn't even want to talk to her.
"Someday, I'm going to be a big star too, except I'm going to be a news anchor, but maybe we could work together." Cassidy droned on. She suddenly perked up. "I know I could be in Ocean Alert."
Nikki humorlessly chuckled. "Honey, you better get yourself a new dream because being me is mine, and I'm not sharing. Let's go." She shoved her way around Cassidy, stomping out of the cafe.
Lucy turned to her friends, finding Conner and Ethan staring after Nikki like love-sick puppies. Ethan spoke first. "I have to meet her. My life will never be complete."
Conner slapped his shoulder, the same look plastered on his face. "I'll introduce you at our wedding."
Kira and Lucy shared a look. "Oh, brother," Kira muttered, then laughed when Lucy rounded the two, snapping her fingers in front of the two. The two snapped out of it, glaring at the ninja who moved away from them.
Trent stopped right by Kira. "My shift is officially over." He smiled, wiping his hands.
"Where are you two headed?" Ethan asked, watching Kira jump down from her stool.
"Trent's gonna show me some sketches he's done for the cover of my demo," Kira explained, walking off with Trent.
Seconds later, Kira moved to Lucy and Crystal. "I'm sorry. Did I blackout?" Crystal blinked, chuckling.
"No, his dad needed him."
"Oh, I'm sorry." Lucy placed her hand on Kira's.
Kira glanced at the two boys at the bar; Ethan was still on his laptop, and Conner was zoned out. "So, Lucy, Crystal, have you seen Ocean Alert?"
Crystal's head shook. "I don't know how to tell you this, but we grew up without TV." She felt the boys' eyes on her now.
Lucy nodded. "We've heard of it, but have just stayed away. Plus, I don't think I like that woman."
"How can you not like her?" Ethan asked, slamming the lid of his laptop down. "She's Nikki Valentine."
"She seems like a snob, guys," Lucy answered, turning around in her chair. "Demanding something Hayley doesn't have and thinking that money will solve everything. Grow a freakin' brain and realize that her attitude is her or nothing."
"That's not true." Conner scoffed. "She saves people; it's the whole premise of Ocean Alert."
"You think it's her or someone in a wig pretending to be her, so she doesn't have to lift a little fingernail?" Crystal fired back, arms over her stomach. "You know, I do remember her. The boys tried to show it to us once, and I think I turned the TV off and walked out Storm Chargers after that."
"Oh, now I remember that day." Lucy sighed. "You left Tori and me to defend why it insulted women everywhere." She stood up, moving to stand between the two boys. "You wanna prove me wrong about Nikki Valentina?" Both boys nodded. "Go talk to her. Woo her. Do something to make me understand why you think she's so great."
"You're on, Brewer." Conner held his hand out. "Twenty bucks says you're wrong about her."
Lucy met him in the middle, shaking it. "I'll agree to that. Only if you give me twenty when I'm right."
Crystal laughed. "Reminds me of Hunter and me." She whispered to Kira, making the two break out into laughter again.
Thirty minutes later, the Rangers were still at the cafe, enjoying the rest of the day, when Lucy's morpher beeped. "Go for silver."
"Guys, we have some tyrannodrones downtown and a little problem at the beach." Dr. Oliver reported.
Crystal glanced at the Rangers. "You three head to the tyrannodrones. Dr. O, we'll meet you at the beach."
"You got it."
"Hey, freak show!" Lucy yelled, running up the stairs to the second-floor balcony the second she heard screaming. Dr. Oliver and Crystal were right behind her. The silver ninja catapulted herself at the monster, kicking him in the stomach and effectively shoving him back from the diva she was now staring at. "Oh, man." She grumbled.
"I hate shark monsters." Dr. Oliver muttered. "You all right?"
Nikki currently analyzed her manicure and didn't even look up from her hands. "Right. Where will I find someone to fix my nails without an appointment?" She scoffed and stomped away from the three Rangers.
"A simple thank you suffice," Crystal called after her. She turned to Dr. Oliver and Lucy. "Man, she's mean."
"Hey, be nice." Lucy scolded. "Conner and Ethan are still pulling for her." She laughed, earning an eye-roll from Dr. Oliver. "Sorry."
The shark monster stood from the ground, snarling loudly. The Rangers faced him. Dr. Oliver charged him first, throwing punches before kicking him back. Lucy blocked a blow, catching one arm. Crystal saw the other in seconds, allowing Dr. Oliver to kick him back again. Still holding on to the sisters, the monster brought his arms forward, sending the two crashing into each other and back to Dr. Oliver. He lifted his arms, firing blue lightening at the three. They flipped over the edge of the balcony to avoid the blast.
Dino Thunder, Power Up!
Eclipse Ranger, Dino Power!
The three landed on the ground in various stances, breathing deeply. They glanced at one another. "That was close." Dr. Oliver spoke, rising to his feet with the Gold and Silver Rangers around him. They turned to see the Rangers rounding a tent.
"Dr. O, Lucy, Crystal," Conner called out.
"You guys okay?" Kira asked, earning helmet nods.
Lucy placed her hands on her hips. "A shark, car, and flower walk into a blender; what do you get?" All the Rangers turned to her. She wildly motioned to the house. "A…whatever that monster is. It looks like a car ran over a shark flower."
"That is not a thing." Crystal returned, turning to her sister. She glanced at the team. "But I will admit that it isn't pleasant looking."
At that moment, Nikki Valentina walked out of the house, still in her bathing suit and towel around her hips, still hyper-focused on her nails, trying to see if she could get the broken one fixed before shooting again. Conner pointed to her. "Hey, it's Nikki." He smiled under the helmet. "Check it out, baby. It's all about the red." Then, he started to walk to her suavely.
Ethan shoved his way in front of him. "Unless you prefer a kinder, gentler Power Ranger."
"I'm going to throw up in my helmet," Lucy muttered. "This cannot be a repeat of the love fiasco of last year."
Crystal chuckled. "If you did, you'd be the barf Ranger." She laughed harder.
Lucy shoved her shoulder. "That is disgusting."
"I know that was, but I'm not sorry."
"I'm not finished with you yet." The monster snarled from the railing of the balcony. He pulled a long-stemmed white flower from behind him.
"Watch out!" The Guardians yelled.
Conner and Ethan scrambled to a fighting stance, only to get knocked down by blasts from the flower. The two sprawled out on the ground. "Oh, man." Dr. Oliver slapped his helmet.
The monster jumped from the balcony, landing behind Nikki, grabbing her arm. "You're coming with me, human." He and Nikki disappeared in a flurry of green lightning.
The Rangers regrouped together, Conner and Ethan breathing heavily. "Okay, from now, check your hormones at the door before you morph," Kira suggested.
Crystal pointed to her. "You could not be more right about that one."
"Let's get back to the lab." Dr. Oliver announced.
"Okay." The Rangers took off. They missed the green glow from the rocks below, a dino egg nestled in the sand.
"This is not good." Ethan compiled from where he and Conner stood, looking at themselves in the mirror. He and the Red Ranger had acne dotting their face and pimples larger than life seemed to spout an inch of their skin.
"You guys were lucky you were morphed. It could have been a lot worse." Dr. Oliver told them, walking by them to grab something from the back of the lab.
"I can't believe this." Conner sighed. "How am I supposed to save Nikki now? Look at my face!" He motioned to himself before returning to looking at the pimples.
"Mine should be delivered in 30 minutes or less." Ethan moaned.
Sitting at the computers with Hayley, Crystal, and Lucy, Kira turned around with the Silver Guardian to look at the two male Rangers. "You know, most of us could look past the rash and see the person on the inside." The Yellow Ranger pointed out from the chair. Lucy laughed as she leaned on the table next to her.
Conner pulled away from the small mirror to glare at the two. "Okay, Nikki Valentine is not like most of us."
"Two arms. Two legs." Crystal listed off, counting them on her fingers. "All seems the same to me."
"What arms and legs, not to mention the rest of her." Ethan sighed.
Dr. Oliver returned to the computers. "Seems like Mesogog shares your infatuation."
Hayley turned to face Dr. Oliver. "He's thrown up a firewall around the invisa-portals; not even the raptor cycles could get in."
"Probably didn't want us around his kooky lab anymore," Lucy murmured.
The computer beeped. Hayley and Dr. Oliver tried to devise a way to get into Mesogog's lab. Hayley turned around in her chair, sighing. "I don't know how, but she's made it out. She's on the beach."
"Yeah, go, Nikki. See, she is smart." Ethan cheered.
"Yeah, as a bag of hammers," Kira muttered to the girls around her. All three laughed.
Seconds after Nikki made it onto the beach, so did the monster. "Should have seen that coming." Dr. Oliver announced. He shoved himself out of the chair, standing in a clearing in the lab. "Hayley, keep tracking that egg."
"I will. Good luck." Hayley turned around to continue her work.
"Come on, pizza faces; we have monsters to fight." Lucy grinned, shoving the two away from the mirror.
Conner turned to her. "I'm going to kick you soon."
"I would love to see you try."
"Ready?" Conner asked.
"Ready."
Dino Thunder, Power Up!
Eclipse Ranger, Dino Power!
The Rangers arrived just as the monster started to wreak havoc on the people around him. Crystal shouldered her rapier, standing before the rest of her team with her sister, even with her. Conner stood between them, his helmet trained on Nikki, still in the monster's grasp. "You're safe now." He told her.
At that instant, Zeltrax appeared, rising from his crouch after he landed on the beach. He pointed his sword at the Rangers. "Not for long."
Zeltrax charged, aiming right for Dr. Oliver and bypassing the Rangers to get to him. Lucy dodged a swing, turning around to come face to face with Nikki Valentina. "Oh, come on." She muttered under her breath.
"This is so not in my contract." Nikki shoved past her, causing Lucy to stumble. She took off running away from the battle.
Lucy turned around to find Conner and Kira on the ground while Ethan and Crystal held the monster off. "Sorry!" She yelled, pulling her sword from her hip and streaking past the beast, effectively slicing him in the stomach. But, of course, that sent him back for a second. But it wasn't enough.
"Time for some flower power." The shark pulled his white flower from his back, firing off blasts at the running Nikki and the Rangers. The primary Rangers weren't lucky, the ground before them getting blasted and forcing them to fall. The Guardians avoided it, taking opposite sides and striking across his torso and legs.
While the Guardians took on the monster, the Rangers climbed to their feet, surrounding it to help their teammates. Kira avoided a blast, diving for the sand. Conner came around and tried to punch him but got sent flying back. Kira landed on her back, and Ethan flew across the beach. The Guardians tried again to attack, but the monster stopped them. He sent Lucy crashing into Conner while Crystal took out Ethan and Kira. "Sorry," Lucy gasped, rising to her knees and grabbing her stomach. "Man, that hurt."
"It's fine. I love being a cushion." Conner snipped back, holding his side.
"Don't get mean with me, pizza boy!" Lucy bit. "We have to go catch the shark." She climbed to her feet, joining Crystal and the others. They chased after the monster.
The monster turned around when he realized there wasn't any more beach and dock to stand on. The sisters stopped before the Rangers, swords on their shoulders. "Time for you to learn a lesson, shark face," Crystal told him, her helmet tipping down.
Ethan nodded. "Don't blast people with a ray that turns their face into a pepperoni pizza." He retorted, earning helmet turns from the sisters.
Kira leaned back behind Conner. "Good one, Ethan."
"Really?"
"No." The three girls answered, dodging the blast aimed at them.
"In what world was that good?" Crystal asked, her sword disappearing. She pushed off the ground, running at the monster and aiming for a high kick. The monster dodged that but did not avoid the sweeping kick Lucy administered seconds later.
"Let's give him a blast," Conner stated, pulling his blaster from his belt, vaguely aware of the Guardians moving away. The three primaries blasted the monster back.
"Honestly, just put them together and put me out of my misery of listening to this freak." Crystal pointed to the monster.
Lucy laughed. "That means the blaster, folks!" She watched the primary Rangers form the Z-Rex blaster in seconds, firing it and destroying the monster they faced. "Thank gods. That was an ugly monster."
"Better or worse than the bird from last year?" Crystal asked, leaning on her sister.
"Better," Lucy answered, then paused. "Worse." She scratched her helmet. "Both?"
"I think you broke her, Crystal." Conner laughed, holding his staff in his hand. "She's so unsure of herself."
Lucy turned around, intending to yell at Conner, when a shadow fell upon her. She dropped her helmeted head in her hands. "He's huge, isn't he?" When she didn't get a response, she turned around, glaring up at the large version of the hybrid creature. "My god, he's uglier." She told her sister, sparkling helmet turned to the golden one.
"Now, I'm the big fish." He laughed.
Dr. Oliver nodded, lifting his morpher. "Brachio! Zord time!"
In a flash, the Megazord stood against the monster barreling towards them. "I'm the catch of the day!" The two began to throw punches, blocking each other and causing sparks to rain on the streets below. Finally, the Megazord received the upper hand and punched the monster back a few feet, but he landed on his feet. "You asked for this. Fish!" He barfed out a spray of fish, surprising the Megazord and causing the Rangers to be ejected.
"What happened?" Ethan asked, crashing onto the ground.
"Guys!" The sisters called, running with Dr. Oliver to help the Rangers up. Lucy hauled Kira up while Crystal yanked Ethan onto his feet.
Dr. Oliver helped Conner up. "You okay?"
"Something's fishy," Conner noted.
"Look at that swell." The monster commented, turning a rainbow of colors. "Surf's up." He disappeared from the Rangers, reappearing in the bay where a giant wave formed. "I call upon the power of the ancient tsunami!" He laughed.
"It's a tidal wave!" Kira pointed out.
"Yeah, one that will wipe Reefside off the map." Lucy sighed.
Tires screeching made all the Rangers turn. Hayley, driving Dr. Oliver's jeep, spun to a stop. She turned to them. "Guys, I found the egg!" He reached for the egg in the passenger seat. "Catch."
Ethan scrambled forward, catching the egg. "Got it." He turned to Dr. Oliver and the Guardians. "Here." He tried to hand it to one of them. He paused when his morpher vibrated. Lifting it to see, a flash of light appeared, and a magenta-colored stegosaurus head replaced Ethan's usually Triceratops. "Whoa!" The morpher chirped. The Rangers moved to see better. "I think it's hatching!"
The egg in Ethan's hand vibrated, cracking apart to reveal a baby purple stegosaurus. He chirped in response to the Rangers, then jumped onto the ground and grew until he towered over all the buildings near the Rangers. Lucy tilted her head to look at the dinosaur in front of them. "That is one large dino, baby. What are they feeding him?"
"It's a stegosaurus." Dr. Oliver collected the egg pieces, shaking his head at Lucy's comment. "Incredible."
"Wave first, dino second," Crystal motioned to the monster, still calling on the wave.
"Right, we got a new friend. Use your telepath to take the stegosaur and combine with you."
"All right!" Kira charged after Conner and Ethan, who were already moving. The three grounded Rangers watched the stegozord's back open up, allowing the newly formed Megazord to land on his back. The stegozord roared. He stomped through the city towards the wave. "Now it's our turn!" Kira called.
"Let's turn this fool into a plate of sushi!" Conner added.
"Talk about a fish out of water." Ethan nodded.
The stegozord toddled to the water, jumping right in and allowing the Rangers to ride it like a surfboard toward the monster. The monster gasped in shock. "Where did you get that?" He demanded. He watched the Megazord shred the wave.
Lucy laughed while watching the Megazord destroy the monster with the dino drill while riding the enormous wave she's seen. Then, the swell disappeared in a flash, and the city was safe. The sisters turned to each other, tapping their forearms. "That's how you shred a big one!" Lucy laughed, earning a shove from Crystal.
A couple of days after the whole Rangers saved Nikki Valentina, the boys were still set on proving Lucy wrong. The four teens made it on set, with Conner and Ethan intending to talk to Nikki. Finding her tent, the two made their way to her. "There she is." Ethan clapped his hands and rubbed them together.
"Let me do the talking." Conner tried, tapping Ethan on the chest to stop him from walking any closer.
Both were about to open their mouths when Nikki beat them to the punch. "If I have to talk to any more annoying, lovestruck fans, I'm going to barf in my coffee cup." She rose from her chair, missing the two Rangers, and walked off to set.
The two began to back away when Kira and Lucy stepped in. "So, you guys put the moves on Nikki?" Kira asked, pushing them away from the actress. Both girls already knew the answer; they had heard the whole thing happen.
"No, turns out…." Ethan started.
"She is whack," Conner stated, motioning to the chair she had once occupied.
"Well, guys. I'd say you learned a valuable lesson." Kira smiled. The two continued to push the boys back.
"What? Sticking to cheerleaders?" Conner laughed.
Lucy lifted an eyebrow which Ethan caught quickly. "He's kidding. We know." He turned and sat down at the patio table the two girls shoved him and Conner to. "Can't judge a book by its cover, even a fine one like Nikki's."
"Well, Conner seems to owe me twenty bucks." Lucy leaned on Kira, laughing at the face Conner shot her. "Or did you forget that part of the bet we made?"
"I hoped you would forget." Conner pointed at her, then pulled a twenty out of his pocket, handing it to the ninja.
Lucy snorted. "I never forget a bet when I'm right." She leaned over to Kira. "Best bet I ever made."
Ah, I love these kinds of episodes. I hope yall enjoyed!
Next Episode: White Thunder: Part 1