(It's a dark, chilly Friday the 13th in Angel Grove. The teens are as usual, at the Youth Center. Though it's far too chilly to be out front on the patio, they huddle up indoors to shoot the breeze by the barstools.)
Aisha: ...so you see Rocky, that's why the "Breast Cancer Walk" isn't an appropriate place to pick up women.
Rocky: I guess...
Kimberly: Hey you guys look. It's about Catcher Face!
(Kim points to the television screen over the counter.)
"We have some breaking news coming out of Angel Grove Park. It appears as if the man hunt is over. The so-called 'Catcher Face,' a man dressed in a catcher's mask and armed with a bat who has viciously assaulting groups of teens the past several weeks has been caught."
Kimberly: Oh thank goodness. They got him!
Adam: I know. I was starting to be afraid to leave home.
Tommy: Yeah. I wonder what this creep looks like behind the mask
Robbie: (Thinking to himself) Please don't be Spanish. Please don't be Spanish. Please don't be Spanish...
"Police apprehended the suspect, Jermaine Watt, at the scene."
Robbie: (Thinking to himself) Phew.
Aisha: (Thinking to herself) Crap.
Kimberly: Oh my god. What a dirt bag!
Rocky: Yeah, I hope they give that guy the chair.
Tommy: I agree.
Aisha: Y-yeah. W-what he did was wrong!
Kimberly: I know!
"Authorities are still concerned however that Watt is a merely copycat of the real "Catcher Face" as previous eyewitnesses describe the suspect as much larger and taller than Watt who is 5'11. Police will continue to be on the lookout. If you have any information, you can give report that to our Crime Watch hotline at..."
Kimberly: Oh man. He better not still be out there. The last thing we need are more of those weirdo's out in the streets. This is like my worst nightmare come to life.
Aisha: I know. I nearly flipped passing by a Little League game the other day.
Robbie: Were they selling cotton candy?
Aisha: No. But I saw your dad selling oranges.
Robbie: I assume you didn't buy any.
Rocky: You guys are hilarious. You're actually afraid of that guy? Hello, we fight giant monsters every week. Does that not register with any of you?
Billy: (Backs away nervously) Is that tuna fish you're having...?
Rocky: You guys are superheroes. We can stop being afraid of silly, meaningless stuff.
Kimberly: That's a good point, Rocky. There's some pretty girls coming your way behind you.
Rocky: Very funny.
"Hey skanks!"
(Right behind Rocky comes Hannah M. Tanah and a large gathering of preppy teen girls; all either chewing gum or playing with their hair.)
Adam: Hannah? You talking to us?
Kimberly: Yeah. What are you guys doing here?
Robbie: We don't sell birth control here.
Hannah: Hardy har, real original. Does somebody write your material for you?
Robbie: Why don't you just leave us alone?
Hannah: Oh. Like your girlfriend did?
Aisha: Oh snap!
Robbie: ...
Hannah: We're here cause we're out recruiting and doing outreach for our brand new High School Sorority, the "Hottest Girls of Angel Grove!"
Kimberly: The "Hottest Girls of Angel Grove?"
Billy: That doesn't sound very Greek to me.
Hannah: That's cause I'm Polish. Duh.
(Kim leans over and whispers in Tommy's ear.)
Kimberly: This is so stupid.
Hannah: Like the name says, it's a group of all of Angel Grove's prettiest girls. And Kim, we'd like you to be a member.
Kimberly: Me? (Awkward laugh) Oh wow. I don't know what to say.
Hannah: (Hands over a flyer) Just say yes. We meet every Thursday with rotating slumber parties once a month. What do you say?
Kimberly: Well... I don't know. I guess I can give it a sh--
(Tommy interrupts.)
Tommy: Kim's busy on Thursdays.
Hannah: Oh. (Shrugs) Suit yourself then.
(Hannah turns to Aisha.)
Hannah: Hi Aisha!
Aisha: Hi!
Hannah: See you in Lab.
(Hannah leaves.)
Aisha: Oh...
Kimberly: What was that for?
Tommy: You just said it was stupid.
Kimberly: Yeah, but that's before I knew they wanted me.
Tommy: Do you really want to associate with those people?
Rocky: (Hiding under his tray) Are they gone yet?
(Meanwhile on the moon, Rita looks on through her telescope with a grin on her face.)
Rita: Aww, poor little Rocky gets nervous around pretty girls.
Lord Zedd: It's a good thing you're taken then. That boy would wet himself if you were available.
Rita: Hahaha! You charmer you. There has got to be a good way to use this to our advantage.
Goldar: Women have been taking advantage of men for centuries. This is nothing new.
Finster: (To Rito) Don't listen to him. He's just bitter since his wife left him.
Goldar: She didn't leave me you idiot, she's dead.
Rito: Suure.
Goldar: I saw it happen!
Lord Zedd: Perhaps we could use a pretty girl as a diversion to distract red ranger. Then we'll use the Catcher Face monster we've released in Angel Grove to destroy the rest!
Rita: Ah, wonderful. I knew I married you for a reason!
(Back at the Juice Bar the teens continue their discussion after Hannah left.)
Tommy: Do you mind telling us what the heck just happened back there?
Aisha: Yeah what happened to not being afraid of silly, meaningless stuff?
Rocky: I... was playing hard to get?
(No one buys it.)
Rocky: I-I don't know. I can't help it. When I'm around pretty girls... I just... I just freeze.
Aisha: You never froze around me.
Rocky: Yeah... It also doesn't help that Hannah is like my dream girl.
Aisha: (Rolls eyes) ...
Rocky: But when I'm around here I just don't know what to say. She must think I'm a total idiot.
Robbie: Well if it's any consolation, we all do.
Kimberly: If you're dead set on a girl like Hannah, you'll never get her by hiding every time you see her.
Aisha: Yeah Rocky. Girls like her dig confidence. They want a man that's bold and decisive.
Billy: Take Robbie for example. You would think she wouldn't be caught dead with a scruffy degenerate like him. But somehow he hooked up with her.
Rocky: What?!
Billy: You weren't around for that, huh?
Rocky: No! (Turns to Robbie) You hooked up with my Hannah?
Robbie: (Shrugs) A little.
Rocky: I don't believe it... she's tainted.
Robbie: (Snickers) She was tainted long before me.
Rocky: Well, what did you do? Any moves? Any tricks you could show me?
Robbie: Hm. Well I mean Hannah's not that hard to read. You can tell she likes you just by her body language. Next time you're with her, pay close attention to her legs.
Rocky: (Leans in) Yeah?
Robbie: If they're behind her head, she likes you.
Rocky: Oh...
Kimberly: Jason said the same thing when he hooked up with her.
Rocky: Wh- Jason hooked up with her too?!?
Tommy: Yeah, right before leaving for Switzerland.
Rocky: Didn't he teleport straight from the command center to the airport?
Robbie: Hannah doesn't play.
Rocky: Ugh.
Aisha: You see but Jason's bold, decisive. He's a leader. That's why he was red range--
Rocky: ...
Aisha: Oh. Uhm. So... (Turns away) What are you guys doing this weekend?
Kimberly: Oh my god. Glad you asked. Tommy and I are going to spend the weekend camping at Craven Woods.
Aisha: Oh wow.
Billy: That sounds like a lot of fun.
Kimberly: Thanks. I hope so.
Adam: I've always wanted to go camping. Aren't you scared? What with Catcher Face running around.
Kimberly: A little bit. I won't lie. But like Rocky said; we're superheroes. Besides, I've got my "white knight" here to protect me.
Tommy: That's right. It's gonna be our first time spending the night together, alone.
(He puts arm around Kim with an enthusiastic, almost suggestive grin.)
Kimberly: Yeah, you guys wanna come with?
Adam: Yeah!
Aisha: Are you kidding? I'd love to go.
Billy: That sounds phenomenal.
(Tommy's grin quickly fades.)
Kimberly: Great! We'll share ghost stories and make s'mores...
Tommy: You know I'm actually not feeling to great right now...
Aisha: We can't wait to go. Adam, Billy and I just need to stop at the pet store really fast. My dad is thinking about letting me have a pet cat.
Kimberly: Oh that's awesome.
Aisha: I know. I do need to pay for the food and everything, which I'm a little worried about.
(Glad that the topic isn't on him anymore, Rocky rejoins the conversation.)
Rocky: Do you want me to pick up some lasagna on the way home?
Aisha: Lasagna? Where did you hear that cats like lasagna?
Rocky: ...a newspaper.
Kimberly: Wait, so you aren't camping with us?
Rocky: I can't. I have a karate class to teach in an hour.
Kimberly: Oh my god, do you guys remember Jason's karate classes? They were always packed!
Rocky: ...
Kimberly: Oh... Sorry. What about you Robbie?
Robbie: Can't. I've got a date.
Aisha: Oh wow.
Kimberly: That's great Robbie, I'm so happy for you.
Tommy: Yeah. Who's the lucky guy?
Rocky: Your father. Quit asking me that.
Adam: Is she from our school? What's her name?
Robbie: ...Pamela.
Rocky: You mean like Baywatch?
Robbie: Sure.
Rocky: You're dating the girl from Baywatch and you hooked up with Hannah? Man, you sure are lucky.
Robbie: Yep. And maybe someday I'll teach you my ways.
(Back on the moon...)
Rita: Once we find a pretty girl to seduce the red ranger, she can make sure she snatches his power morpher while he's swooning for her.
Goldar: Yes! Give that power coin to somebody who deserves to be red ranger. Me!
Rito: Who are you kidding?
Goldar: What?!
Squatt: If anyone here deserves to be red ranger, it's me.
Baboo: Oh yeah, what's your power weapon again? Bed wetting?
Lord Zedd: Silence. (Turns back to Rita) Brilliant plan my dear. All we need now is a girl we know he'll fall in love with.
(Lord Zedd walks to the balcony and begins scanning through the immediate area for possible candidates. He eventually finds someone he likes.)
Lord Zedd: Ah, perfect.
(He picks up is staff and thrusts it forward. A dark beam shoots out toward earth with the intent of putting his target under his control. About an hour later back at Juice Bar, a sullen looking Rocky hovers over a plate of nachos left for the karate students. Karate students that didn't show up.)
Rocky: (Sighs) ...
(Bulk and Skull enter, in full junior police uniform.)
Bulk: Well, look at you.
Rocky: Huh?
Bulk: I didn't know they hired a girl for the new Karate Kid movie.
Skull: A girl, HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
Rocky: Very funny.
Bulk: What are you doing here? I just saw the other dweebs say they were going camping.
Rocky: I'm teaching a martial arts class.
(Confused, Bulk looks around.)
Bulk: Teaching who?
Rocky: Well... no one came.
Bulk: Well I'm not surprised. Karate is so 1993. It's old news man.
Skull: Yeah!
Bulk: Kids have moved on to the new fad. And the chicks don't care about karate jocks anymore.
Rocky: They don't?
Bulk: No! They dig men in uniforms! Soldiers, firemen, police officers!
Skull: Take it from us.
Rocky: You guys pick up lots of chicks on the job?
Bulk: Well, no. Not us. But we've seen it.
Skull: Yeah!
Bulk: Anyway, we're on patrol tonight. We have a ruthless killer to watch. You see we won't go obsolete.
Skull: Yeah! I-I mean you can stand to lose a few pounds. No offense.
(Bulk stares back at skull, looking angered.)
Bulk: Look just go order our food you nitwit. I've got to make a call to Lt. Stone.
Skull: You got it!
(The duo leaves Rocky to return to his nachos. He didn't think he could be feeling any worse, but they seemed to push him to a new low. Even Bulk and Skull seem to be at least happy with their lives. Rocky however, feels burdened by his seemingly perfect predecessor. He looks out into the empty space where his class would have taken place and only feels sorrier for himself. He wonders if his uphill climb for validation is all in vain.)
Rocky: (Sighs) What's the use?
(After a few more seconds he decides to get his stuff together and head home when someone taps him on the shoulder.)
Hannah: Um... excuse me?
Rocky: Sorry that was me... (Turns around) oh, hi!
Hannah: Hi. I was wondering if you could help me with something?
Rocky: Oh... yeah sure! Whatever you need.
Hannah: You wouldn't happen to know anything about cars would you? I mean you seem kinda Mexican so I assume you work with your hands.
Rocky: Well, I don't necessarily, but my uncle works at an auto shop. He taught me a few things.
Hannah: Oh thank goodness. My car like, broke down for some reason, I don't know. I mean I just got my permit last week. I barely know how to turn the radio on.
Rocky: You really should be driving with an adu--
(Rocky stops himself from saying something stupid and ruining his chances.)
Hannah: My parents are like, trying to teach me responsibility and everything. They even have me signing up for my own health insurance now. (Laughs) I'm just now figuring out what an HMO even is.
(Rocky feigns laughter too.)
Hannah: Who's yours?
Rocky: Oh no, I'm straight.
(Hannah stares back at him blankly, then bursts into laughter.)
Hannah: (laughs) You are so funny!
Rocky: I am?
Hannah: Yeah.
(Rocky turns away to hide his blushing face. Hannah rolls her eyes at him while he isn't looking.)
Hannah: So anyway, you should fix my car.
Rocky: Yeah, I can give it a look. Sure.
Hannah: I'm Hannah by the way.
Rocky: Hannah. It-it's Rocky. We actually go to class together.
Hannah: Do we? At Angel Grove High?
Rocky: Yeah, I actually sit behind you in some of them. I gave you notes in history today. I made that joke about the Punic Wars that got me sent to the principal.
Hannah: Doesn't ring a bell. Well come on, let's go!
(Hannah leads Rocky out of the Juice Bar and into the chilly, dark night. This setting is where a giddy Kimberly and seemingly dissatisfied Tommy are as well as they set up their camp site close by.)
Kimberly: I'm so excited for this camping trip.
Tommy: Yeah.
Kimberly: We're gonna have so much fun!
Tommy: Mhm.
Kimberly: And I have so many scary ghost stories to tell.
Tommy: I bet.
Kimberly: I think we've set everything out. I tired putting out those balloons you packed, but they tasted funny and were kinda small.
Tommy: What balloons?
(Suddenly, there's some rustling in the bushes.)
Kimberly: (gasps) What was that?
"Ooooh."
(Kimberly backs up, fearing the worst.)
Kimberly: Tommy, what was that?
Tommy: I don't know. You may want to stay close.
"Oooooooooh."
Kimberly: I'm scared. What if it's Catcher Face?!
Tommy: Whoever's back there, you better show yourself now.
"Ooooooooooohhhhhh!!!"
(The bush starts shaking violently as the moans get louder and more aggressive. Someone bursts out...)
Adam: Hahaha!
Tommy: (sighs) ...
(Adam goes into a fit of laughter as he's joined by Aisha and Billy. Tommy turns around and resumes his work.)
Kimberly: Oh my god. I hate you guys.
Billy: Sorry. It was all Adam's idea.
Adam: Oh come on. That wasn't funny? You should have seen Kim's face.
Kimberly: You nearly gave me a heart attack.
Tommy: You guys didn't get a cat I'm guessing?
Aisha: Nah, we're gonna keep looking before I take one home. What's there to eat?
Tommy: Well we were gonna cook the cat. But I guess you three will just starve. We're covered though.
Aisha: Very funny.
Kimberly: We have s'mores and hotdogs for tonight. We're supposed to go fishing tomorrow.
Billy: Did you say... fishing?
Tommy: Help us get the campfire started you guys. We don't have all night.
Kimberly: ...
(Slightly thrown off by a temperamental Tommy, the others begin gathering firewood. Elsewhere, Rocky and Hannah head down a dark, empty road about half north of the Juice Bar.)
Hannah: I guess you could say I'm looking for somebody sweet who's gonna treat me well, has a future and is good with family. Like my last boyfriend was all about his family. I would never even see him on weekends cause he was always with his wife.
Rocky: That's very interesting.
(While Hannah goes on about her backstory, a nervous and gassy Rocky tries to contain his heart from pounding through his shirt. In his mind, a mélange of emotion, anticipation, anxiety the ever present feeling inadequacy. If she's into jocks like Jason, what's the use him trying?)
Hannah: Oh and he's got to have money too.
(Still, before he steeps himself in a hole of displaced anger, he knows he needs to live in the moment. He's with her, right now. Alone. Even if he doesn't go anywhere with Hannah today, just the fact that she's acknowledging him and is now on her radar can give him something huge to hang his hat on and build on. He just needs to play it cool and not say anything stupid.)
Hannah: But yeah. (Laughs) I feel like I've just been talking about myself. Why don't you tell me about yourself?
(Moments later...)
Rocky: (Thinking to himself) STUPID. STUPID. STUPID. STUPID. STUPID!
(Rocky smacks himself over the head repeatedly as he trails Hannah, who's now pacing hurriedly to her car with her arms crossed.)
Hannah: Here it is. I'll be inside. With the doors locked.
(Hannah goes inside of a hot pink Corvette on the side of the road and pops the hood for Rocky to see. Rocky opens it up and stares at it blankly. It's is then that Rocky realizes that his uncle was a construction worker, not a mechanic.)
Rocky: (Sighs) As if this day could get any worse.
(Wanting to crawl into a hole and disappear her just hopes for the best. Inside Hannah locks both doors and huddles to herself.)
"Hannah..."
(Rita's voice is heard over Hannah's shoulder.)
"Hannah!!"
Rocky: Did you say something?
Hannah: (gasps) ...!!!
(In a quick panic, Hannah honks the horn which blows right in Rocky's face; deafening him.)
Rocky: AHHH!!
Hannah: What?!
Rita: Hannah. Now's your time to make a move. Obtain the red power coin and return to the moon before he's alerted to the others.
Hannah: And how do you expect me to do that?
Rita: I don't know. Seduce him. Seduce the pants off him. ...that's where they keep their morphers right?
Hannah: Ew?
Rita: What?
Hannah: He's a total creep. Did you hear the things he said to me?
Rita: I didn't ask if you were interested, I gave you an order.
Hannah: But...
Rita: Just get it done!
(Rita vanishes, leaving Hannah feeling both anxious and a little queasy.)
Hannah: (Deep breath) Okay Hannah... you can do this. You'll get over this in a week. Just suck it up...
Rocky: AHHHHHHH!!!
Hannah: Oh my god, Rocky!
(Hannah runs out of her car to feign concern over a deafened Rocky. Meanwhile, Kimberly and the rest of the camping teens huddle around a campfire to tell ghost stories.)
Kimberly: And so the associate went to the home. A man answered the door. Shaken, he took the lost purse and said "I'm sorry miss, you must be mistaken. My daughter died three years ago. Holding this. Exact. Purse."
Tommy: ...
Adam: And?
Kimberly: And? That's it.
Aisha: Lame.
Kimberly: That wasn't scary?
Billy: I've taken tests scarier than your story.
Kimberly: But she's shopping. And she's dead!! She's still shopping!!
Aisha: You're afterlife mallrat fantasies don't make for scary stories hon. Try again.
Kimberly: Okay, how about this one. There once was a girl named Megan...
Adam: Who maxed out her credit card?
Kimberly: Forget it.
(Behind Kimberly, another rustling noise can be heard behind the bushes.)
Aisha: Whoa. What was that?
(It startles some of the rangers, but Kim doesn't give it any mind.)
Adam: Is it an animal or something?
Kimberly: Don't worry, it's probably just Adam messing around again.
Adam: I'm Adam.
Kimberly: Oh...
(They start taking notice as the rustling becomes more and more aggressive and more spread out. If it's an animal, there's definitely more than one. The rangers get up from their seat and brace themselves for something. Anything. They can't however brace themselves for this...)
Aisha: Ahhh!
Tommy: Tengas!
Kimberly: Way to spoil all the fun.
Tommy: Ninja ranger power, now!
(Tommy quickly leads the team in their ninja ranger morph. Within seconds the whole team is in their suits and ready for combat.)
Adam: There's too many of them.
Billy: And this areas too small. Hardy optimal.
Tommy: Split up.
"Right."
(They separate into the dark woods, pushing through a barricade of Tenga warriors in different directions. The enemies quickly make chase. Adam takes advantage of his vanishing powers, skipping right to left while leading his enemies into trees. Billy comes across a damp swamp and comes to a full stop. His feet are instantly soaked in the cold wet mud. Tengas appear and surround him. Short of jumping in the lake with the fishes, he has no other option but to fight back.)
Billy: I'll take my chances with you guys.
(Billy leaps over an enemy. He lands on a knee and leg sweeps the Tenga to the ground. He gets up and roundhouse kicks an enemy behind him. He turns forward and hits a third enemy with a few chops. Feeling he's in the clear, Billy starts to drop his guard. However a fourth enemy drop kicks him from behind.)
Billy: AHHHHHH!!!!!
(Petrified, Billy helplessly falls into the swampy water. He gets up however and realizes that he's okay.)
Billy: Huh... that wasn't so bad. Maybe I don't have anything to be afraid of aftera—AHHHHH!!!
(A gigantic figure bursts from the water behind him and tries to drag him down with him. Meanwhile, Aisha remains close by the campsite. She throws wild fists at anything going near her. The more she stands in the same place however the more she appears to struggle.)
Aisha: Get... off me!!
(Realizing she needs to get out of there though, her struggles worsen. They forcefully pull her back and try to rip away at her Ninja suit. Her screams are met with only hollow echoes. Knowing that no one is around Aisha tries to summon all her strength to get out of her predicament.)
Aisha: Take... that!
(Aisha forces her arms together, yanking two Tenga warriors to butt heads. She kicks a few shins and stomps on some feet until she has a narrow opening. She finds a branch nearby, tears it down and starts waving it at her enemies. Spotting the campfire out the corner of her eye, she leaps over and sets it ablaze.)
Aisha: Need a light?
(She waves the torch in front of her. None of the Tengas want anything to do with that as they begin to flee.)
Aisha: Guess not.
(Meanwhile Tommy is much more in control. He flips through the woods as the enemies try to keep up. He stops, lands a blow to his right, flips over the enemy to his left, then vanishes when an enemy tries to lunge forward at him. Only his white ninja suit remained.)
Tommy: Over here, bird brain!
(Tommy leaps back forward toward the pack at Kim is nearby dancing around her own pack of enemies until she reaches a seemingly abandoned shed nearby.)
Kimberly: Huh? Oh. That isn't creepy.
(Two more enemies approach Kim as she stares at the shed. However she kneels down and sweeps them both off her feet with her legs. Tommy, Adam and Aisha appear.)
Tommy: What is this place?
Kimberly: I don't know. Looks like an old shed.
Adam: You think somebody's living here?
"GUUUUYYYS!!! LOOK OUT!!!!"
Tommy: Huh?
(A soaking wet Billy runs for his life to meet with the others. He looks like he's just seen a ghost.)
Aisha: Billy! What's wrong?!
Billy: T-there's something in the water. It just attacked me!
Kimberly: Billy we really don't have time for this fish fear of yours...
Billy: It's not a fish...
(Slow footsteps are heard where Billy was. They quake the earth beneath the rangers feet and get louder and louder. The large figure appears through the tree and the dark night. What looks like a massive human, in both size and physique, he wears torn, raggedy clothing on, he grips a baseball bat. He says nothing, but adjusts a catcher mask on his face that barely hides a badly disfigured face.)
Kimberly: I think I figured out who lives here.
Aisha: Is this... is this...?
Billy: Catcher Face.
(Catcher Face lets out a mighty howl as he lifts his bat into the air. Tommy wastes no time acting.)
Tommy: It's morphin time!
"White ranger power!"
YOU ARE READING
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Robbie Chronicles - Volume 3
FanfictionWith his closest allies gone post power transfer, Robbie adjusts to not only his new role on the team, but to the realization that he must now stand on his own.
