Mental Games Part Three
Ellie walked into Karate Operations and marched over to her station, ignoring her father, who was meditating near his daughter's computer. Ellie sat down before her monitor and rolled her eyes at her father.
"Dad, you know it is not wise to meditate when the Rangers are battling a villain."
Her father's eyes shot open and he glanced at his daughter in disbelief. "How could that be? The HDR never went off."
"I got a call from Max. They are battling the Blue Ninja, Dejahnay. I have no idea how the alarm went off the first time the three encountered the ninjas, but for some reason, I only got the memo when Max called me about some kind of disturbance before he and Maya went to go get DJ."
Uni immediately got to his feet. "Is the boy okay?"
Ellie shut her eyes and sighed. "No, he's far from it. He almost beat a boy to death before storming off. He's losing it!"
Uni just stood there with a horrified look on his face. "If he falls over the edge-"
"He won't!" Ellie replied with a determined look on her face. "I know just how to appeal to him."
"How, darling?"
Ellie just looked into her computer and nodded her head. "You'll see..." She declared. She wasn't just an expert in engineering but also had a relevant expertise in the field of psychology, and the one thing Ellie knew, is that there is nothing more effective in consoling a person than to share similar experiences with them...to relate to them.
"AH!" Max and Maya screeched as the Blue Ninja slashed both rangers in the chest with her daggers. They were sent flying, landing right in front of the Blue Ranger. DJ clenched his blade as he looked up at what was perhaps his worst enemy.
Dejahnay sneered. "How pathetic. 5 Rangers. Two are absent, two of you guys are pathetic, and the only one who is considered to be the strongest is an absolute coward." She crossed her arms and turned her head to the side. "You must get that from your father."
DJ felt his rage boiling over. He sprinted over toward Dejahnay, powering up his blade. "Hydro-slash!" He swung his blade downward, but Dejahnay was quickly, shifting to the side, barely missing DJ's attacks. DJ looked up at her before the girl grabbed him by the helmet, pulling him toward her so that she could whisper in his ear.
"Does it anger you? All alone, in this boring old town, with no one to turn to except for your loser friends, and your workaholic father...I can see how the lack of maternal nurturing can do to a child."
DJ let out a roar before pulling out his ax and swinging it at the ninja. Dejahnay wished she had seen that attack coming before she let out a squeal as she was sent flying across the parking lot, landing in an empty spot, next to a white sedan.
DJ was huffing and puffing as he growled. He felt hot tears stream down his face from underneath his helmet. He then heard someone's voice through the communicator on his wrist.
"DJ! DJ, can you hear me?" Ellie called out.
"Ellie, right now it is not the time!" DJ said.
"No, you have to hear me!"
"What do you need to say?" DJ exclaimed, sniffling. "My life is a wreck. An absolute wreck."
"No, it's not!" Ellie responded. "I know what is on your mind, and I know you are hurting!"
"Ellie, no disrespect, but shut up! You do not know how I feel!"
"Yes, I do!"
"How?!"
"Because my mom is gone, too."
DJ didn't know what to say at that moment. He just raised his wrist and muttered. "She is?"
"Yes," Ellie replied sadly. "I have not seen her since I was 6 years of age. She was a loving person, but-"
"But what? She was a great person, so how does your story compare to mine?"
"Because sometimes I blame myself for her disappearing! She went on this trip just to provide for me and my father, then she was just gone. I know how much it hurts, that the pain of losing your mother doesn't go away, but this isn't the road your mother would wish for you to have, regardless of whether or not she cared about you. I'm sure she wouldn't wish the hell you are going through on her worst enemy. You have a life, and you have a whole community that cares about you. Your dad cares about you, so does Max, Maya, the twins, all of their parents, my dad...heck, even I consider you as a good friend."
DJ felt his cheeks grow warm from Ellie's statement, but then she continued.
"What happened to your mother just happened? There can't be 'what ifs', or 'I wish this didn't happen', because what happened is done. You just need to focus on what you have and hope to God you don't lose it because rest assured, DJ, there are a lot of people who couldn't imagine what their lives would be like if you were not here."
DJ felt the dark clouds that hovered over his mind disappear. He took a deep breath as he spoke softly. "Thank you for sharing, Ellie."
It was then that the Blue Ranger got up to her feet and looked over at a sedan that was parked near her. She rushed over and punched through the passenger side window.
"Your ride's here!" She cackled, pushing the car with so much strength that it was hurling toward DJ.
Max stumbled to his feet as he witnessed the vehicle roll toward his friend at an alarming speed. "DJ!" He screeched.
DJ raised his ax, and much to the shock of his friends and Dejahnay, he sliced the car in half. The two halves both flew past him before erupting behind him.
"What the hell?!" Dejahnay exclaimed in shock and disbelief.
This was exactly what would go wrong with Dejahnay's plan. At that point, she knew she had pushed DJ past his limit, but now she was wondering if it had been a good idea to face the rangers when the blue boy was on a rampage, and Dejahnay was within the raging boy's grasp.
Maya got up to her feet, nudging Max's shoulder. "He may need a boost if you know what I mean!"
"Right!" Max replied, pulling out the box. "DJ!" His best friend turned his head toward him. "Catch!"
DJ focused his attention back onto the distraught Blue Ninja, raising his left hand over his right shoulder, catching the box. "Black belt mode!" He cried out. Blue and gold winds suddenly began to form, spinning around the boy like a tornado.
Dejahnay stumbled backward, feeling the ground tremor. Then a flash emanated from DJ, blinding her along with the Red and Yellow Rangers.
Thus, the transformation was complete. Max and Maya both looked up and were stunned at DJ's new look. His shark jaw-shaped visor was colored in a transparent blue color, along with it being doubled in size. Instead of mechanized wings like Max's mode had, DJ was equipped with a long, blue shark fin that was attached to his back. He had his steel gloves, blue vest, and blue glittered boots. To top it all off, his gold belt was now a distinct black color.
"Oh my god!" Maya managed to squeal in amazement and joy.
"Destroy her, Deej!" Max egged on.
The Blue Ninja merely growled as she pulled out her two daggers. "I do not care how fancy your outfit is! I would be happy to send you to the other side! Say hello to your mother once you are there!"
She charged at him, but was immediately caught off-guard as DJ blocked her attack with his double-edged sword, not even flinching. Dejahnay grunted and shook her head in disbelief. It was unbelievable how much strength DJ had acquired, but she knew she needed to use her mental games to complete her mission.
She held her dagger against the boy's blade, leaned forward, and whispered. "Your mother is happy, she is free! She doesn't have you in her life, because now she is not alive...she is free!" She giggled evilly.
DJ took a deep breath, closing his eyes underneath his helmet, trying to remember his mother. Trying to find any way to contradict Dejahnay's claims, but it was difficult since she had been dead for 10 years now-
Then it hit DJ like a bullet. He does remember his mother. Memories that he tried to block because it was too painful to remember who his mother was and come to terms with the fact that she was gone forever...those memories were coming back.
DJ was three years of age, wearing his blue overalls as he ran around his back, laughing happily, flapping his arms like he was a bird.
Just then, a beautiful woman, still wearing her bathrobe from earlier that morning, entered the backyard through the glass door. She was having difficulty walking, as her left leg was in a cast following a much-needed surgery. "DJ, lunch is ready!"
"Yay!" DJ cheered as he ran into his mother's arms. His mother laughed as she walked back into the house.
"You are so hyper! You must get it from your daddy, do you?" She teased, smothering her son's face.
Just then, DJ's father entered. "Honey, the doctor sent the painkillers over."
"Oh, thank goodness...my leg has been killing me since that surgery." She set DJ down at the kitchen table, giving the boy a loud kiss on the forehead.
"What's for lunch?" Her husband asked with a grin.
"I made turkey legs," she answered.
"We had that yesterday," her husband complained.
"Yeah, but DJ loved it, so I thought I'd make it again" She looked down at her boy and pinched his cheek. "Don't you, my honeybun."
DJ didn't realize the smile that formed on his face until Dejahnay snapped him out of his trance. His mind reverted to his situation, he then growled at the Blue Ninja, using his free hand to grab her by the throat. The Blue Ninja began to choke just as DJ pulled her closer so he could whisper into her ear.
"My mother was Sarah Tee, and I could not have asked for a different mother. I have a family, and I have some of the best friends any person would KILL to have. You have NONE of those things because you have no soul and no purpose. Now, if you just so happen to see my mother, please let her know that I miss her, I forgive her, and I love her. Would you do that for me, please?"
Dejahnay was stunned, blinking her eyes as fear engulfed her heart. The armored Blue Ranger then laughed before using his powered-up shark strength to chuck the ninja high in the air.
Dejahnay shrieked as she flew upward in the air. DJ looked up and powered up his blade. "SUPER HYDRO-SLASH!" He swung his blade, releasing a tsunami of blue aquatic energy in the air, hurling toward Dejahnay as she began to plummet to the ground.
"NO! NO! NO!" She screamed as the tsunami struck her. She felt her entire suit get burned off by the power of the attack. Her civilian clothes were not tattered as she hit the ground, not moving in inch, smoke extracting from her body.
Marco let out an angry roar as he approached Maxine. "You told me she had a plan!"
"Relax...I knew it would fail, but you do realize what was built in our powers, correct?"
Marco smirked as he nodded. "Yes...a second life."
"Indeed, one that is sort of oversized, if you know what I mean." Maxine grinned.
Max and Maya rushed over to the armored Blue Ranger. "That was so cool!" Maya boasted.
The Red Ranger focused his attention on Dejahnay's seemingly lifeless body. "Is she dead? I mean, she is human after all."
DJ shrugged his shoulders. "Perhaps...I do not know if-"
Suddenly, all the rangers were alarmed as Dejahnay's head began to twitch. Her stained brown dreadlocks began to enlarge. The Rangers were horrified as Dejahnay stumbled back up to her feet, barely maintaining her balance. Her mouth began to extract and strange blue substance before her body began to enlarge, mutating into a blue frog-like monster. Her back from blue and began to enlarge, slime oozing from it. Her eyes became a mad green color, her face blue, and her teeth sharp, green, and crooked. Dejahnnay's monstrous form was now complete with huge, mutated arms and large, webbed feet.
"RANGERS, YOU WILL NEVER DEFEAT ME!" Dejahnay roared as she finished growing.
"Dad, the stingray zord is now complete. Shall I give DJ my early birthday present?"
Uni looked down at his daughter and smirked. "Do you have to ask?"
Okay, the chapter will continue soon. Trust me.