Mental Games Part Four
The mutated Dejahnay let out a monstrous roar as she looked down at the Rangers.
"Ellie," DJ called. "You know what to do."
"No need to remind me" Ellie replied, sending the zords.
DJ let out a squeal of excitement as he gripped his double-edged sword. "Let's go, guys!"
"Right!" Both the Red and Yellow Rangers replied. The three had jumped high in the air and into their zords.
Within 10 seconds, the three-zord style Megazord was completed.
The three had their cockpits conjoined.
"Man, your fin is less of an inconvenience than how my wings were the other day," Max joked.
"Are you kidding me? This is uncomfortable as hell!" DJ complained, trying to adjust since his fin was pressed against the back of his seat.
"Enough chit-chat, boys!" Maya replied. "Here she comes!"
The gigantic, mutated Dejahnay laughed. "You think that overgrown tin can would be able to defeat me! You lam-os are even lamer than I thought!" She cackled before shooting a strange blue slime from her mouth. The slime covered the entire Megazord, and it was clear that it was toxic, as the Megazord's functions began to deteriorate.
Lights began to flicker from inside the cockpit. The Rangers were having difficulty getting their Megazord back running as it was going haywire thanks to the slime.
"Systems are failing!" Maya exclaimed with angst.
"We can't keep going like this! We need more firepower!" DJ stated, before speaking over his wrist. "Ellie, do you have anything for us?"
"Just for you...the Stingray Zord is on its way!" Ellie said with glee.
"Alright!" DJ cheered, before hopping out of the Megazord, standing on the top of its head. He looked around until he saw from a far distance behind the Megazord, a blue mechanical stingray coming at him. "Yeah, that's what I am talking about." The armored Blue Ranger banged on his steel vest in anticipation before hopping on the stingray as it passed by the Megazord.
Once DJ was in the cockpit, he began to drive the Zord toward the monster. "Stingray, engage!"
"What?" Dejahnay exclaimed before the robotic stingray pointed its long stinger at the monster. DJ yielded the zord to a halt just as it was merely a foot in front of Dejahnay, then it began to swing its stinger at the monster in multiple directions at an alarming rate.
"AH!" Dejahnay growled. With one slash upward from the stingray's tail, she was launched through an abandoned building.
"Mom, wherever you are, I hope you can see me now!" DJ said, looking upward, imagining his mother in robes as white as snow, looking down at him with a smile on her face. DJ then looked ahead as Dejahnay stumbled back onto her feet.
"Hey freak, your mother is waiting for you!" She boasted in her screeching voice, before letting out a loud frog croak that sent power soundwaves toward the stingray, but the powered-up Blue Ranger just drove the zord toward the monster.
"Stingray! Power up!" DJ called out. "Super mode, dynamic hydro charge!"
The monster screeched as the stingray drove through her midsection, bursting out the other side. Feeling her insides flare up, Dejahnay moaned as she turned and choked out her final words toward the Blue Ranger.
"Momma's boy!" She shouted, letting out one final froggy croak before erupting, with bits of her remains flew all over the scene.
Marco and Maxine carefully and timidly approached their master, who was sitting quietly on his throne, staring at the two with eagle eyes. Chasm was on his right, looking rather smug, while Sky was on the left, obviously looking quite concerned about what her brother had in store for the two.
Once the two were at a close enough distance from their boss, Maxine, being the red ninja and the leader, cleared her throat and spoke. "You can see that Dejahnay's plan didn't work out." Her voice was shaky and almost broken, as she was overcome with grief after losing a very close friend of hers.
"I see...and normally I would banish the two of you, but considering you are not ENTIRELY responsible for Dejahnay's failures...I will let you two off the hook." Po said with no emotion in his voice. Both Marco and Maxine looked over at one another before they both exhaled deeply in relief.
"However," Po spoke up, leaning forward. "I hope one of you two can come up with a plan to take those Rangers out because rest assured if those Rangers cannot crush you, then perhaps you shall be my dinner...I am starving, after all."
Maxine and Marco slowly nodded their heads before Po suddenly stood up. "Now GO!" He roared. The two teens stumbled a bit before turning and bolting off.
Chasm turned toward Po. "I don't know why you are so peeved. That's one less headache to worry about."
Po turned and smirked at his brother. "I am not mad, Chas'. These children are nothing more but pawns, and I am the master of this game."
Sky chuckled. "We just need them to burn enough energy."
"Exactly, and soon, those Rangers will live under MY control, and they will breathe by MY permission." He laughed. Both Sky and Chasm look over at one another with glee. Victory is near...they just need to be a bit patient.
The following day, DJ was eating breakfast at the kitchen table, still in awe at what happened the previous day. He had felt the effects of Dejahnay's mental attacks and was on the brink of insanity before the team finally destroyed her.
But he wanted answers to the new memories that he had unlocked. The image of his mother being a horrible person was starting to deteriorate. DJ always wondered why he would feel so much grief for a person he always thought was a horrible mother to him, but now realized she wasn't always like this. There was only one person who could answer the boy's question.
His dad.
He then realized he needed to do something else first. He pulled out his phone and hoped that the person he was about to call was awake. After a few rings, a voice was heard from the other end.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Ellie. I know it's early, but I just wanted to say thanks for telling me about you and your mother. I know that only mildly helped, but I did appreciate the fact that you had the guts to share that with me."
"Aw, thanks Deej, and I'm sorry about what you have been going through lately."
"Well, the best thing that came from that situation is that one of those psychotic Twisted Ninjas is history. Now there are two more to go."
Ellie laughed. "Yeah, and you were pretty cool in that upgraded mode."
"Are you flirting with me?" DJ teased with a smirk.
"Do not start with me!" Ellie said venomously.
"I'm just kidding, and thanks. I hope to see you later today for training."
"Looking forward to it. Have a good one, Deej."
"You too," DJ replied before hanging up. He then continued to eat his breakfast waiting for his dad to come down.
Speaking of which, the man had entered the kitchen in his bathrobe. He rubbed his eyes before he readied his coffee maker. He turned and noticed his son sitting at the table eating breakfast.
He smiled. "Morning son, you feeling better?"
DJ raised an eyebrow before turning his head. He swallowed cereal and milk that was in his mouth before speaking up. "What do you mean-"
"Bobby called me earlier. Max had confessed to him about what had happened at the Performance Center," his father replied. DJ tried to explain himself, but his father put his hand up to silence the boy. "I'm not mad. Bobby also mentioned why you snapped. He and his team successfully managed to convince that boy's parents to not press charges against you, but you are suspended from classes there for the time being."
DJ sighed and bowed his head. Well, it could have been worse. Better than being behind bars.
His father walked over and pulled a chair to sit down. "Son..."
"Dad, what was Mom like?" DJ asked, looking up at his dad with sad eyes. "What happened to her? Why did she change?"
His father bit his lip, realizing that he had stalled more than enough time. His son was nearing the age of 17. He needed to know the truth.
"DJ...your mother loved you. She always wanted a child, and was brought to tears when you were born."
"I do not recall her being loving, Dad," DJ said incredulously.
"I know, son, but let me explain," his dad continued. "Everything was going well. She was pregnant, we bought this house, you were born...we were living our American Dream. However, shortly after you turned three, your mother had to get surgery after she fell down the stairs and tore her ACL while she was at work. The surgery was a success, but the idiot doctors there prescribed her painkillers that were much stronger than they needed to be."
DJ's eyes furrowed as his frown grew. He knew where this was going. "I remember being in court while those doctors were on trial. You were suing them for what happened, right?
His father hesitated for a moment before answering. "Yes."
"She was hooked, wasn't she?" He asked.
His father nodded his head sadly. "Yes, and once I realized how much of an addict she was, it was too late. I threw the painkillers away, but that didn't stop her. She did everything to get a fix, and that included taking pills that weren't prescribed to her, and when she realized she couldn't obtain those anymore, she switched to alcohol."
Though DJ was shocked by what his dad just confessed, it all began to make sense.
"Are you okay son?" His father put a hand on his shoulder. "I am so sorry...I know I should have told you this, but you have shown a lot of disdain for your mother, and I did not fault you at all...however, I always figured you wouldn't care, considering what your mother turned into. But now that you are old enough, I figured now would be a good time to tell you the entire truth, since I knew you would still be upset but at least have a better understanding of what had-"
"I am not upset, Dad," DJ said, shaking his head. "I always knew by some degree...she cared about me." He gave his dad a sad smile. "I'm just glad I got the confirmation."
His father smiled. "So you never hated her?"
"I couldn't. I could never bring myself to spit on her grave and say that I despised her, no matter how much I kid myself into believing that I hated her."
"I am so glad to hear that!"
DJ felt his eyes fill up as he stood up and hugged his father. "Thanks, Dad."
His father returned the hug. "No problem, son."
DJ pulled away from the hug. "Is it okay if I excuse myself? There is somewhere I need to go."
"Sure, son," his father then gave him a stern look. "Don't go out there getting yourself in legal trouble."
"I won't." DJ laughed before making his way out of the house. Spring was getting warmer, and DJ felt the wind blow through him as he walked several blocks toward a specific destination: the cemetery.
He walked into the cemetery, looking around the dozens of tombstones that surrounded him. He stopped for a moment in front of a familiar tombstone that read the name: Diego Garcia.
DJ sighed. If only you could see your daughter now.
After giving the grave of his best friend's father a salute, he walked further into the cemetery until he found several white and blue flowers that surrounded a large tombstone that read: Sarah Meghan-Tee.
A wave of emotions began to flood DJ's brain as he had his hands in his pockets, staring at the stone that read his mother's name. He tried his best to stop the sob that threatened to escape as his mouth trembled. He cleared his throat before speaking up, kneeling to his knees.
"Mom...if you can hear me, I hope you know that I am doing quite well right now. I have everything that I could ever want. The only thing that I am missing is you."
DJ felt the tears that streamed down his face. "I just wanted to say that I don't hate you. I could never hate you."
He wiped his face as he sniffled. "I forgive you for everything, and I hope to see you again."
He crawled over to the tombstone, before hugging it. If only DJ could feel the spirit that hovered over him, hugging him that he was giving the rock.
"I love you, Mom." He said, quietly sobbing.
The spirit that was over him smiled, kissing him on the cheek. Though he couldn't feel it, DJ smiled as felt a warm feeling in his heart thanks to that invisible kiss, along with the message that came from the spirit. "I love you too, honeybun."
One ninja down, two more to go! I will see you guys next time!