MMPR Revisited

Terror Part 1

There had been an eerie period of calm following the last attack by Rita. The Rangers couldn't help but notice it, though this peaceful interlude did little to ease their minds. Billy, in particular, found it difficult to focus on anything other than worry. His recent injuries had made him hesitant to don the mantle of the Blue Ranger again. As the final school bell rang, relief washed over all the students in Ms. Appleby's class, and the collective sound of closing textbooks filled the air.

Ms. Appleby, however, had a request for Billy. She raised her hand, motioning for him to approach her. Billy placed his textbook in his bag, zipped it up, and walked over.

"Billy, I've noticed you haven't been requesting extra credit lately. Is everything alright?" She chuckled at her own question but wore an expression of genuine concern.

"Oh, I'm fine, Ms. Appleby. I've just had a lot on my plate," Billy replied with a vague smile.

"Well, I have a favor to ask, something that would count as extra credit and a personal favor from me," Ms. Appleby said, knowing that her requests were more like demands. She called forward Brent Redform, the captain of Angel Grove High's swim team, who stood beside them. "Billy, I'm sure you know Brent. He's been struggling in our course this semester, and I'd like you to tutor him, perhaps twice a week." Billy was taken aback.

"Uh, I mean—" Billy was stunned by the request, struggling to see how he could find the time to tutor someone.

"If his grade doesn't improve, he might lose his position. I'm sure you understand. Thank you, Billy," Ms. Appleby's statement left no room for negotiation.

"Thanks, man. I really appreciate it!" Brent patted Billy's shoulder, causing him to wince slightly; his shoulder had not fully healed from his last encounter with the Putties.

"No problem," Billy sighed. When he stepped outside, Kimberly greeted him with a hug. As she tugged on his shoulder, he winced again, and she immediately noticed.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Billy!" She stepped back, trying not to giggle. "So, are you excited for the Homecoming dance next week?"

Billy gave her a disdainful look. "When in my life have I ever been excited for a dance?"

"Oh, stop it. I'm sure you'll find somebody. Trini and I were planning to go together since we're both painfully single, but—" Before she could finish, Billy interrupted her.

"I thought you were seeing that guy Jake from your History class?"

"I was, but then Jason scared him off. He's been doing that a lot lately, being very protective. It's kind of nice. It's also very inconvenient. Anyway, I was going to go with Trini, but they won't admit same-sex couples without dates. I mean, really, who made that assumption, right?"

"That is ridiculous and unfair," Billy remarked.

"I meant it's ridiculous that they assumed Trini and I were lesbians. But yes, the discrimination is stupid." Kimberly laughed again and led Billy to the cafeteria, where Trini and Zack were sitting. "Hey, guys! So, Trini, I tried to buy our tickets, but no luck. We have to find dates. They won't let lesbian couples into the dance," Kim laughed at the absurdity.

"Well, that's messed up," Trini chuckled. "Oh well, I guess we'll have to find dates like everyone else."

"I would if Jason would stop scaring them off," Kimberly crossed her arms. "How about you, Zack? Do you have a date for the dance?"

"You know I do. I'm taking Felicia Carter. I don't know how I got that lucky, but sweet damn, I'm not complaining," Zack laughed and extended his hand for a high-five that no one reciprocated, leaving him to awkwardly retract it. "Jason would have met me halfway at least."

"Are you two talking now?" Kimberly inquired.

"We're working on it. Even best friends have disagreements. This one is kind of tough, though," Zack replied, and the conversation took on a more somber tone. Sensing this, Trini shifted the topic back to the dance.

"What about you, Billy? Do you have a date?"

"No. I mean, I don't know if I'll have the time, to be honest. Besides, I've never been to a dance before, and now I have to tutor Brent Redford," Billy's response prompted Kimberly to emit a high-pitched sound of disbelief.

"Are you serious?" She asked with unexpected enthusiasm.

Billy was taken aback by Kimberly's enthusiasm. "Yes?" he responded with alarm.

"This is perfect," Kimberly began, her fingers pressing together thoughtfully.

"You like Brent?" Trini asked, to which Kimberly waved a dismissive hand.

"No, no. His twin brother, Trent; now, he's a catch!" All of them rolled their eyes simultaneously. "So, Billy, while you're working with Brent, you should put in a good word for me with Trent."

"Yes, Kimberly. That'll be my main priority, right alongside teaching him how to fill a beaker," Billy replied with a hint of sarcasm. "But seriously, why can't you and Trini just go together? It's unfair, in my opinion. Love is an emotion that doesn't discriminate, so why should society dictate who we're allowed to love? And if sexual orientation is a choice, shouldn't we be free to choose who we want to be with and have that choice supported? Plus, there's all this scientific—"

Billy stopped talking when Zack raised his hand in the air. "Look, I'm all for your passion, but none of us disagree with you. We're on the same page. I love women, and I love women who love women. We're all good here. Who knew you were such an inspirational speaker?" Zack laughed.

"Yeah, anyway, where's Jason? Don't we always meet here?" Kim scanned the surroundings.

"Since he has a free period during the fourth hour, he's teaching an early karate class. I think he's teaching outside the Youth Center right now. We should head down there anyway; I'm craving a smoothie," Trini suggested.

"Useless! Useless! Useless!" If there could be sound in space, the Earth would have undoubtedly heard Rita's furious screams. Her entire palace quaked with her anger. "We've had numerous chances to defeat the Rangers, and every time, they've overcome us. This is unacceptable!" Rita slammed her staff onto the ground, sending a red beam blasting out, shattering a glass fixture on the wall. Baboo and Squat trembled behind a table, fear-stricken, while Goldar remained motionless.

"I'm sorry, my Queen," Goldar muttered, though his apology did little to alter her demeanor.

"Finster! Get up here now!" Rita's voice resonated throughout the palace, and in moments, Finster stood before her in the throne room.

"Yes, my Queen?" He bowed his head before meeting her gaze.

"Finster, no more of these feeble creatures. King Sphinx, Mighty Minotaur, Nasty Knight—useless! All of them! You've had three chances to create a creature powerful enough to conquer Earth. Have you lost your touch? Should I dispose of you?" Rita's question hung in the air, rhetorical and chilling, rendering her minions silent. "If only Scorpina were here, she would have the Rangers' blood for me!"

"Oh no, not her!" Baboo whined.

"Silence!" Rita commanded.

"My Queen, I apologize for the inadequacy of my previous creations. I can craft a new, much more formidable monster for you," Finster proposed, and a spark of hope returned to Rita's eyes.

"Good. But I'll choose the one. I need a monster that will be unstoppable, a monster that Zordon himself had to intervene to defeat before. Finster, recreate the Terror Toad," The room descended into complete silence, and Baboo and Squat cowered even lower.

"My Queen, with all due respect, he was uncontrollable. Even you couldn't reign him in last time," Finster expressed with concern.

"I don't care, Finster. Make him! And make him stronger! I want him to devour every human—man, woman, and child!" She laughed wickedly, a sinister grin curving on her face. Turning, she walked over to a dresser beside her throne. Pulling open a drawer, she retrieved a small bottle and closed it. "We'll also use this," she handed it to Finster. "Simply sending down another monster won't suffice. We've tried that, and it hasn't worked. The best way to destroy the Rangers is to turn them against each other. From my observations, the Blue and Pink Rangers appear to be the most resilient to their heroic duties. This will pit them against their team—too busy fighting each other to stop the Terror Toad!"

"My Queen, that plan is brilliant!" Goldar remarked.

"I volunteer to deliver it to the Rangers, my Queen!" Squat raised his hand, and Rita nodded in response. "I'll lead a battalion of Putties down there to distract them, and I'll discreetly add it to the Rangers' drinks. They'll never see it coming!"

"Good, don't mess it up!" Rita exclaimed. "Finster, get to work. All of you, don't disappoint me. I shudder to think of what I'll do to you if you fail."

"Right Punch!" Jason strolled through the rows of his students, observing their form and offering corrections when necessary. "Left Punch!" His students followed his instructions diligently. "Right Punch, Left Punch, Right Kick!" He watched carefully as they executed the sequence, thrilled to see them all perform it correctly. "Remember, it's all about form. Never compromise your form. It keeps you grounded and can turn the tides of any fight."

"Yes, Sensei!" They all shouted in unison.

"Again!" Jason continued his drills, and Trini and Kimberly cheered them on from a table a few yards away.

"Jason's doing an excellent job with this class!" Kimberly turned to face Trini, Billy, and Zack. She sat down at their table, her gaze fixed on the volleyball in Zack's hand. "So, are we going to play or what?"

"Yeah, whenever you're ready. The four of us make the right number of people to play against those guys," Zack said, pointing to the students already at the volleyball net.

"Actually, minus me," Billy began, "I have to tutor Brent Redford, and that starts in, like, the time it takes for him to walk over here." Billy pointed to Brent and his brother, Trent, engaged in conversation with a couple of girls outside the Youth Center entrance.

"I just realized their names rhyme. That's odd, dude. I'd be annoyed with my parents," Zack laughed, then took a sip of his smoothie.

"Remember, Billy. Trent and I at the Homecoming Dance," Kim said.

"Trent and me," Billy corrected. Kimberly tilted her head.

"Don't get greedy, Billy; you already have one of them." Trini burst into hysterical laughter.

"Not what I—okay," Billy replied flatly. "I'll be sure to talk to him."

"Meanwhile, Trent could fill in for Billy for the game," Zack waved his hand in the air, attempting to get Trent's attention.

"Best idea you've ever had, Zack!" Kimberly squealed. "He's on my team."

"What's up, guys?" Trent said as he and his brother approached them.

"Trent, we need one more person for our volleyball game. You in, dude?" Zack asked, simultaneously greeting them with his customary handshake/high-five combo.

"Yeah, I'm down. Let's do this," Trent smiled. Kimberly and Trini got up, and the four of them walked down to the volleyball net. Brent sat down across from Billy and set his bag on the table, unzipping it and taking out a textbook.

"Long time no see," Brent began.

"We actually just saw each other—oh, you're being sarcastic. Got it," Billy shook his head at his own idiocy, and Brent laughed. "Alright, what do you really need help with?"

"All of it," Brent admitted.

"Oh, good," Billy said enthusiastically. "Why don't we start with Newton's law of motion?"

"What is that?" Brent wore a troubled look.

"Well, I'm about to tell you," Billy replied.

"No, I mean, what is that!" Brent pointed behind him. Billy turned and found a horde of Putties charging toward the Youth Center.

"Oh no," Billy stood up immediately. "Brent, you need to get out of here."

"What about you?" Brent asked. Billy hadn't anticipated that question.

"I mean, we do. But I've got to get my friends. Go, get inside!" Billy instructed, then hurried toward the volleyball net. "Putties!" Billy yelled. Jason halted his class and turned to see the creatures approaching. Zack, Kimberly, and Trini immediately stopped playing and positioned themselves in front of their classmates.

"Class, get inside the Youth Center now!" Jason shouted. Some students began to panic, and Jason did his best to calm them. "It's okay, you're going to be alright. Just keep moving, guys! You're doing great!" Jason followed them to the Youth Center doors and held them open for his students. "Everyone, get in here, now!" he yelled to nearby students outside.

"Go to Jason, get inside!" Trini urged her classmates. As the Putties drew closer, she had no choice but to fight in front of them. She ducked to evade a Putty's punch and countered with jabs to its stomach, sending it stumbling back. Likewise, Zack delivered a powerful kick to a Putty's midsection after skillfully evading its attack.

One of their classmates, Valerie, fell while trying to escape, and a Putty was closing in on her. She screamed in terror but was saved by Kimberly, who swiftly kicked the creature aside, freeing Valerie. Kimberly helped her to her feet.

"Thank you, Kimberly. Are you okay?" Valerie mumbled.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Get inside, everything will be alright," Kimberly assured her. Valerie screamed as another Putty charged toward them. Kimberly spun into action, performing a back handspring to create distance between herself and the Putty. When she landed, she leaped up and executed a high kick to the Putty's face, sending it sprawling to the ground.

"Get inside, quick!" Billy instructed people he encountered. He tried to avoid combat if possible, as it was much harder for him in his normal form. However, when a Putty leaped at him, confrontation became inevitable. Billy ducked, causing the Putty to flip over him and land on the ground. He quickly stomped on its face, reducing the creature to dust. A woman who witnessed the event screamed, "Get inside, and hurry! More are coming!" Billy was taken off guard when a Putty tackled him to the ground. He struggled to get up, but his efforts were futile.

"Billy!" Jason yelled, immediately rushing to his friend's aid. It wasn't a clear path, as Putties charged toward him and other innocent civilians. Jason spun around and kicked a Putty away mid-run before delivering a high-jump kick to another Putty, sending it tumbling.

The Putty that had pinned Billy down got up and began targeting his injured shoulder from a previous encounter. Billy grunted in pain as he tried to break free, but his attempts were fruitless.

"Let him go!" Brent's sudden appearance surprised everyone as he kicked the Putty in the stomach, causing it to stagger back. Brent rushed forward and kicked the Putty again, this time sending it crashing to the ground. He turned to Billy and gently touched his shoulder. "You're hurt?" Billy nodded. "Are you okay?"

"Let me tell you, the second I get into that Youth Center, I'm enrolling in Jason's karate class," Billy muttered to himself angrily. "What are you still doing out here?"

"I was heading to the Youth Center, but then I ran back to get my bag. And there was this giant blue creature standing by our table," Billy turned to see the creature Brent was describing, but it vanished in an instant, along with all the Putties.

"Billy, are you okay, man?" Jason finally reached him. "Is your shoulder okay?"

"No, not really. I think I'll be fine, though," Billy said.

"I saw what you did. Thanks for helping Billy, Brent." Jason shook Brent's hand. "I think your brother is inside. He looks pretty shaken up. I think you should go check on him," Jason suggested. Brent's expression filled with slight panic, and he rushed toward the Youth Center. Both Jason and Billy joined the others at their table moments later. "That was strange."

"Yeah, talk about out of nowhere. And so quick. I don't feel like we won that fight. What was the point?" Trini shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't know, but I caught a glimpse of one of Rita's minions," Billy said.

"What do you mean?" Jason asked.

"There was this blue creature. I think Zordon said his name was Squat? I only saw him briefly near our—well, this—table, and then he disappeared, and so did the Putties."

"Oh yeah, I saw that Brent helped you out. That's nice. I'm so over his brother. I don't know where he was, but clearly chivalry is dead. Disney didn't prepare me for this," Kimberly lamented. All of them rolled their eyes at Kimberly's quip.

"I'm sick of needing help. I don't see you guys needing help when the Putties attack," Billy grumbled as he took a seat at the table, gingerly cradling his injured shoulder. Kimberly joined him, and they both took a sip of their smoothies, only to instantly regret it.

"Oh my god, what the hell...!" Kimberly gagged and tossed her drink aside, and Billy coughed, setting his drink down as well. "This tastes like death," Kimberly wheezed. After a couple of minutes, their coughing fits subsided, but both still wore nauseous expressions.

"I don't feel good at all," Billy finally admitted.

"I don't know what's wrong with me," Kimberly agreed.

"Guys, let's get you to the command center. If Rita's minion did something to you guys, we need to reverse it fast," Jason said, his expression filled with concern. "Let's find some cover so we can teleport out." With Zack's help, Jason brought Billy behind some tall shrubbery, and Trini assisted Kimberly. Once all together, Jason pressed the teleport buttons on both of their communicators, and then Zack, Trini, and himself followed.

Upon arriving at the command center, Alpha and Zordon were surprised to see them. Alpha immediately rushed over to Billy and Kimberly, who looked desperately ill.

"Ayiyiyiyiyi!" Alpha cried, "What happened to them?"

"We're not sure," Jason answered. He walked to the center of the command center and looked up at Zordon. "We were attacked just outside the youth center. It was strange and brief. Billy thought he saw Squat, one of Rita's minions, and I think he did something to their drinks. When both of them took a drink, they became like this." Zordon remained silent, closing his eyes for a moment.

"Ayiyiyi!" Alpha cried again, "My readings indicate a swell of darkness building within you two."

"So that shame I'm feeling wasn't just the smoothie? It is evil? Well, at least now I don't think I need to go on a crash diet," Kimberly remarked.

"Kim, this is serious," Trini retorted. Zordon opened his eyes.

"Yes, my censors do indicate that Squat was on Earth. From the sounds of the situation, it appears that the attack was a distraction so that Rita could poison you," Zordon explained. "You're lucky it didn't affect all of you. Fortunately, Alpha has a cure for this, but it will take some time," Zordon said.

"I don't have any more time to give. I need to get out of here now!" Kimberly said, her tone shifting from normal to angry.

"Wait, Kimberly, you have to stay put. We need to get this taken care of," Jason said, attempting to console her. She slapped his hand away.

"Oh, stop. Stop it, Jason. You're not my Dad. You're not my big brother. Stop trying to protect me. You're smothering me, and I'm over it," Kimberly's tone was low and filled with anger.

"Kimberly…" Trini responded in disbelief.

"It's the darkness talking. It's Rita's poison," Jason clarified, making another attempt to comfort her.

"I said back off!" She yelled and kicked Jason in the stomach. Shocked, Trini and Zack rushed over to help Jason regain his balance.

"How does it feel? Must suck getting kicked out. Maybe you know how I feel now," Billy's tone mirrored Kimberly's anger. "Interesting how you claim to care so much, yet you're never there when I need help. You're no leader, Jason."

"Billy, Kimberly, it's Rita's evil talking. You both need to stay so we can cure you before things get out of hand," Zordon urged.

"Oh my god, shut up! Let's get out of here," Kimberly said. In protest, Trini ran toward them, but Kimberly grabbed her by the arms and threw her back into Jason and Zack. Billy laughed as they tumbled, and both he and Kimberly teleported out.

"Ayiyiyiyiyi!" Alpha cried. "Zordon, if we don't get that cure to them, there's no telling how reckless they'll become!"

"I know, Alpha. Begin the cure immediately. The sooner, the better. Jason, Zack, Trini – you must find them and bring them back here. If Rita finds out her poison worked, she'll use the opportunity to attack while you're divided," Zordon said.

"Zordon, how are we supposed to get them back here? Kimberly got violent just a second ago. We can't fight them," Zack said.

"I know this situation must have been difficult for you, but they needed to be brought back there, by any means necessary," Zordon's instructions had been clear, and Jason, Zack, and Trini could only look at each other with dismayed expressions. They hadn't wanted to fight their friends, but they had started to realize they might not have had a choice.