Mental Games Part Two

"Dejahnay!" Maxine called out from behind the blue ninja. The three ninjas were suited up, but Dejahnay was too busy pacing around Po's lair, giggling to herself.

"Okay, what did you do?" Maxine smirked, putting her hands on her hips.

Dejahnay stopped and looked up at her friend. "The crystal did its work, now it is up to me to amplify the blue boy's haunting nightmares."

Maxine gasped in glee as she held both Dejahnay's hands. "I am so happy!" The two girls squealed, causing Marco to roll his eyes and groan.

"Can't you guys grow up?!" He asked incredulously, venom seething in his voice.

Dejahnay just grinned. "Why should we? Once Po takes over the world, we can act as we please, but I can live out the rest of my days with the knowledge that I was the first person to DOOM A POWER RANGER!"

"Now, now, let's not get our egos to go overboard," Maxine stated, putting a hand on Dejahnay's shoulder to calm her down. She glanced over at Marco and beckoned him to come closer. Marco did so and Maxine had one arm around both of her teammates as she spoke. "We are set on taking down those three and helping Po out, but what Po needs to see is some action, so I recommend that we have some fun as we crush those rangers to bits."

"Leave it to me," Dejahnay declared. "Soon, the rangers would be history!" She cackled, bolting off into the human world.

"Absolute child," Marco muttered.

Maxine shook her head. "We'll just leave it all to her for today. I wonder how I can get to the red ranger."

Marco crossed his arms and he thought. "Well, he does have a positive outlook on life, unlike DJ. He values his hobbies, his friends, his family."

"Family?" Maxine repeated. "I hardly remember having a family, but I do remember being happy when my parents were around, and 16 years is a long time to spend with your parents." She thought for a moment and grinned. "If I were to crush his family, I would crush him..."

"I do not care what you guys do, as long as you take care of those wretched rangers!" Po exclaimed with a grunt with his sister following him from behind. He bulldozed through the two, pushing them to the side. He collapsed on his throne. "Now, don't you have any plans for today? Be gone!" He barked.

Maxine quickly got up to her feet and skedaddled. Marco grunted as he slowly stood up and walked away, giving Po a look of annoyance that the master didn't seem to notice.

"You know...you should go easy on them," Sky suggested.

Po shook his head. "Sky, I value functionality over style. Progress over morals. All I need is for them to burn off enough energy for my plan to work."

"But brother, if even one of the ninjas gets destroyed-"

"No one EVER said destroying the rangers would be simple," Po claimed, putting on a wicked grin.

Later that night, DJ was assigned to compete in an MMA at the Performance Center. After a long day full of haunting flashbacks, he had no interest in fighting anyone, but his teacher told him that he had no other choice. He missed too many practice sessions (secretly because of his ranger duties) and if DJ were to bail out again, he would be suspended indefinitely.

He made his way over to the Performance Center with his gear. Once he entered the building, all of the other students were already combatting with one another. His MMA teacher, Cole, noticed the boy and called out to him.

"DJ, get in the locker room and suit up. You got a match against Henry."

Henry? Great...of all people. With everything that had been going on, the last thing DJ wanted was yet another altercation with the school bully Henry Scout.

DJ looked over and spotted Henry. The blond kid stood in the middle of the mat at the center of the room wearing his white garment, staring at DJ with daggers. DJ rolled his eyes before walking into the locker room to change.

As he entered the room, suddenly, he started seeing flashes. It was as if an invisible camera was flashing its light over and over, blinding the blue ranger. DJ stumbled backward as the flashes continued impairing his vision. Once it was over, an image then formed, impairing his vision. DJ noticed the image looked familiar, it resembled that of a woman holding a blue bundle, most likely a baby. He tried to focus on the woman's face, but it was a bit blurred, by with every blink, the woman's face became more advanced and high-definition, until finally DJ managed to put together who this woman was.

His eyes widened in horror and shock. Mom?! Why was he seeing this? His mother holding him as a baby...and she looked HAPPY?! Was this a fantasy, or a memory that was long since forgotten? DJ was only a baby, but this could only be a fake...right?

After blinking once more, the flashing suddenly stopped and the image was gone. DJ took a deep breath. He couldn't lose himself. He just needed answers. He hardly ever talked to his father regarding his mother, but DJ wondered if there was more information than what his father already revealed. Maybe he needed to open up to his dad.

He just shook his head and got ready, after putting on his tank top and shorts, he stuffed his bag with his regular clothes in a locker before walking out of the locker room to his match.

Maya's hands started to become sweaty from the nervousness and fear that radiated through her entire body. She tried not to lose grip of the steering wheel as she drove as fast as she LEGALLY could with Max sitting in the passenger seat.

"Maya, what exactly did Sensei tell you?" Max asked, obviously concerned about Maya's frantic state.

Maya groaned as she spoke with haste in her voice. "Dejahnay used a payphone to call DJ while he was driving around in his Dad's car. Ellie detected reminisce of the Crystal of Nightmares through DJ's call."

"Crystal of Nightmares? Didn't that one monster Psychorica use that against DJ?"

"This is different Max, Dejahnay has looked deeper into DJ's past, and has used her powers to enhance the effects. If we do not do something, DJ will be driven to madness!"

Max's eyes widened in horror. "I have seen the worst of DJ when we were younger. If I witness something even worse then...oh my god, someone is going to get HURT!"

"Or worse."

"Worse?"

Maya looked over at Max and gave him a grave look. "He may even hurt himself."

Max could barely breathe following that assessment. DJ... He thought. DJ, please...

All of the other students sat at the bleachers watching the match that was going to unfold.

Cole stood between the fighters. "Okay, I want a good and clean match. You know the rules."

Henry gave DJ a wicked grin. DJ just growled as the match had begun.

"Fight!" Cole signaled, stepping away from the two.

Henry had his fists up, ready to swing. "Come on, big man! You think you're tough!"

DJ rolled his eyes, but then felt a huge foot to chest, but being the size he was, but merely stumbled backward. He looked up at Henry with seething rage.

"Come on, you pathetic prune!" The bully continued chastising DJ. "I expected more from the son of a veteran. I'm wondering if your father was even honorably discharged at all."

DJ felt his rage intensified, but he still kept a hold of himself. I beat him before, I can do it again. He laid a blow to Henry's shoulder, but the boy simply shook it off and laughed.

"Is that all you got?" He gloated. DJ growled before lifting his leg and laying an enzuigiri on the back of Henry's head. Henry barely knew what hit him as he stumbled to the ground. He was down, but he wasn't out.

He looked up at his ticked-off opponent and grinned. "Why are you always so angry? Is it because you're the only kid in town with a MOM?!"

DJ's eyes widened. He is really stooping that low, is he?

Henry got back up to his feet, "Everyone knows about Sara Tee!"

"Okay, Henry, that's enough!" Cole reprimanded.

DJ felt the voices coming back, his rage was let loose as he lunged at the bully, tackling him to the ground. Henry tried to put up a fight, but DJ had now acquired an insane amount of strength that had been amplified by the unfathomable rage he was experiencing. He struck Henry's head over and over. All the other students watched him in horror as Henry's face was busted open, but DJ didn't stop. He kept WAILING on the boy. By the time Cole intervened and pulled DJ away, Henry's face was a bloody mess.

DJ let out an inhumane roar, breaking free from his teacher's grasp. He turned and grabbed the man by his collar and threw him to the side. Cole was stunned by DJ's explosive rage. The boy was breathing in and out as he stared at his teacher, who simply scooted away in fear of the fuming kid

"DJ!" A voice screeched. DJ looked over and saw his friends watching with terrified looks on their faces.

DJ just narrowed his eyes at them before bolting back into the locker room to grab his things. Once he had his bag, he made his way toward the exit. Max and Maya were trailing behind him.

"What the hell was that?" Maya shouted as they made it outside. It was pitch black, but the lights that were still emanating from the side of the building made the pathway through the parking lot clear for DJ to continue walking. He was huffing and puffing but tried to refrain himself from going into another rampage.

Maya grabbed DJ by his tank top and yanked him to a halt. "Answer me!" She ordered, anger masking her face. Max rushed over to pull Maya aside. He glanced over at DJ, whose head was still turned toward the direction he was heading toward.

"DJ?" Max spoke cautiously. "Listen, we're not angry," he then thought for a second and spoke. "Well, at least I am not angry, but tell us what is wrong?"

DJ was still silent. He was visibly shaking, keeping himself from detonating like a bomb.

Max softly put his arm around DJ's shoulders. "DJ-"

"Dejahnay." DJ finally spoke, catching his friends off-guard.

Max and Maya both looked at each other, anxiety looming over their heads. Ellie was right. Dejahnay was behind this.

Suddenly, a voice was heard and the rangers noticed a shadowing figure approaching them from the other side of the parking lot. "Did someone say my name?" A feminine voice asked. An LED street light hanging near Maya's car cast over the figure. The rangers all gasped as the light revealed the being to be the aforementioned ninja herself: Dejahnay.

Both Max and Maya put up their fighting stances, but DJ just stood there shocked, staring wide-eyed at the girl.

"What are you doing here?" Max demanded, staring at the girl with daggers.

Dejahnay giggled. "I just wanted to have some fun." She then snapped her finger and ignited a smoke bomb in front of her. Once the smoke blew away, she was seen wearing her ninja suit.

"Ready?" Max asked.

Maya nodded. "Ready. DJ?"

DJ blinked, snapping out of his gaze. "Um, um...yeah." The three rangers pressed the gem on their bracelets.

"Call into combat!"

To be continued...