(We begin today where we have never begun before - the middle of the Pacific Ocean. This is where Robbie, aboard a massive, yet strangely familiar ship finds himself hiding upfront with a strangely familiar friend.)
Trini: It's beautiful...
(The two stare out into a breathtaking view of the open sea in the sunset. Robbie tries to turn to her and stare deep into her eyes, yet Trini's face is obscured by her long, black hair while mesmerized by the view.)
Robbie: Yeah...
(She shivers a bit.)
Trini: I'm cold.
(Without hesitation, Robbie takes off his blazer and wraps it around her.)
Trini: Robbie?
Robbie: Yeah?
Trini: Why did you cheat?
Robbie: (chuckles) That's not the question I was expecting.
Trini: I'm serious. I thought we were going so well. It really messed up a lot of things.
Robbie: Yeah it did.
Trini: So?
Robbie: I... I don't know. Do you really want to have this discussion?
Trini: Yeah.
Robbie: There isn't a logical reason. I was afraid I had lost you. Which, is completely ironic.
Trini: Yeah.
Robbie: I was crushed because I felt like you stopped caring about our relationship. I went into self-preservation mode and wanted to protect myself emotionally. It was totally foolish.
(He waits for a reply, or a rebuttal that doesn't come. So he continues.)
Robbie: After you dumped me, I went through a vicious cycle of self-hatred. I couldn't live with myself anymore. I couldn't look myself in the mirror. I despised myself for what I'd done to you. And to myself.
Trini: I'm sorry.
Robbie: I'm sorry.
(Then comes something he doesn't expect.)
Trini: I forgive you.
Robbie: Really?
Trini: Yeah.
Robbie: That's good. So uh... do you... do you still have feelings for me?
Trini: I do.
Robbie: Yeah?
Trini: Anger, disappointment, hatred...
Robbie: (laughs) Well, so much for you forgiving me.
(Trini turns to him and warmly smiles. She reaches out for his hands and holds it.)
Trini: I miss you.
Robbie: I miss you too.
(The two just let the moment sink in for a bit. Until Robbie speaks up again.)
Robbie: Trini.
Trini: Yeah Robbie?
Robbie: Can we just, get back together again? I would really like to pick up where we left off and be your boyfriend again. I promise you, I will never make that same mistake again. I don't want to go through this anymore. I just want to be with you again.
(Then, in a moment replayed over and over in his head, Robbie hears something that surprises him.)
Trini: Yeah. I'd like that.
Robbie: Yeah?
Trini: Yeah.
(While her face still obscured, a smile becomes apparent on her face. She looks up into the sky, where he imagines her eyes sparkle in the sunset. She then turns to him...)
"BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM"
(A loud, sudden crash disrupts the moment and rocks the two violently. Trini loses grip of the front railing and slips over the edge.)
Robbie: NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
(Robbie awakens in bed. It is 5:45 AM. The clock radio is on unusually loud this morning and likely startled him.)
"Don't they know, it's the end of the world? It ended when you said goodbye."
(Angered, he throws his pillow at the clock radio atop his drawer and lays back down. There is a reason he is up this early. Zordon suspects an imminent large scale attack by Rita, Zedd and Rita's father, Master Vile. Speaking of which, they have large plans as well. Mainly as a result of what happened last night.)
-Last Night. The Moon-
Lord Zedd: No... I don't believe this. No... this... this doesn't make sense, Wait, it does...
(He turns and points a finger at Rita.)
Lord Zedd: You've been messing around behind my back!
(Nearby, Rito leans in to whisper in Goldar's ear.)
Rito: Zedd never struck me as the type to be into that.
Lord Zedd: How could you?! I trusted you!
Goldar: What do you expect from a witch, master?
Rita: I haven't been lying to you. I swear I don't know how this happened.
Lord Zedd: How do I know you're not lying right now?
Goldar: She probably is. It's in her Dina.
Rita: My what?!
Goldar: Your Dina. Your genetics!
Rita: You mean my DNA? Just like being illiterate is in your DNA?
(Master Vile walks in.)
Master Vile: What is going on in here?
Lord Zedd: Your daughter is a jezebel!
Master Vile: Excuse me? My daughter is no jezebel, she is a Repulsa. Jezebel is her mother's maiden name.
Rita: Zeddy, please. You have to believe me I have no idea how I got pregnant.
Master Vile: What? You're pregnant! Praise the gods below! Oh... but he's the father I assume?
Lord Zedd: Oh don't worry. I'm not.
Master Vile: It's a miracle!
Rita: Yes you are, Zedd. You've got to be. I know, we'll get a DNA test! And an ultrasound. That'll prove you're the father.
(Hesitant, Zedd pauses momentarily.)
Lord Zedd: Alright. We'll go tomorrow. But if that child doesn't have a drop of my blood, you, your father and your band of nitwits are out of my castle and out of my life once and for all!
(Back on earth, not long after Robbie awakens he drags himself to the Juice Bar as it's just opening up. A cup of coffee in a "to go" cup in his hand, he's joined by Billy, Aisha and Adam by the barstools. Each of them looking equally zombiefied.)
Robbie: Okay guys, since Tommy and Kim are both grounded, we're stretched thin. Billy and Adam, you two are gonna focus on upgrading our powers and reinforcing security measures in the command center to avoid breaches.
Adam: Right.
Robbie: Aisha, you're gonna drop off the tape we recorded last night warning of an attack at the Channel 6 News.
Aisha: Got it.
Robbie: Do you have the tape?
Aisha: We used Rocky's camcorder. He said he's gonna bring it to me after he films his own.
Robbie: Films his own?
Aisha: He said he's gonna film his own warning and send it to his "local congressman."
Robbie: Whatever I don't care. He better not switch the tapes.
Aisha: I told him not to, but he just repeated what I said in a stupid voice.
Robbie: So his normal voice?
Aisha: Basically. Are you gonna speak to Sammy's dad?
Robbie: Yeah. He's got pull with the police department. Hopefully we can beef up security around the city.
Billy: Has anyone even seen Sammy lately?
Adam: Yeah I haven't seen her around class in a while.
Robbie: Hmm.
(Almost on cue her closest friends, Bulk and Skull, walk by in full police uniform.)
Robbie: Hey. Hey you two. You guys seen Sammy lately?
Bulk: (Smirks) What's it to you?
Skull: Yeah, what's it to you? She owe you money or something?
Robbie: We really don't have time for shtick right now. I need to speak with her. It's very important.
Skull: Well, well. Who died and made you president dweeb?
Bulk: I wonder who his running mate was, Mary Jane?
(The two smirk at one another.)
Robbie: Who would yours be? Little Debbie?
Bulk: Hey. For your information, since becoming a cop, I've kept in great shape.
Robbie: Yeah? Which shape is that? A circle?
Bulk: I...
(Bulk aggressively points at Robbie, but has nothing to say.)
Skull: (To Ernie) Can we get two cups of coffee to go and a box of donuts?
Bulk: Not now, nitwit!
Robbie: It's actually very important that I speak to her. Like fate of Angel Grove important.
Bulk: (Snickers) What?!
(Bulk waves him off dismissively.)
Bulk: You don't know what important is, son. We know what's important. The fate of Angel Grove rests in our hands each and every day.
Aisha: God help us.
Bulk: What we do matters. We're not gonna become burnt out losers who serve pastries the rest of our life.
(Out of nowhere, a box is thrown directly in front of him.)
Ernie: Here's your donuts.
Bulk: Th-thank you Ernie...
Ernie: ...
Robbie: So you don't know anything?
Bulk: No, we haven't seen her. We've been busy. Busy saving lives. Like we're about to do now. Let's go.
(Bulk takes the donuts.)
Bulk: Let's go Skull. Make sure you tip the man.
Skull: Why should I tip him?
Bulk: Just do it.
(As the day goes on, the rangers spread out and get to work getting the word about the imminent attack. Two of them however, can do no such thing. Both Tommy and Kimberly have been grounded by their respective parents for refusing to break off a wedding they disapprove of. Left with little else to do, they find themselves sneaking a quickie phone call.)
Tommy: I miss you Kim.
Kimberly: I miss you too, Tommy.
Tommy: You really didn't need to get yourself grounded for me.
Kimberly: I already told you, I didn't just do it for you. I want to get married to you. As far as I know, being put on "time out" is only gonna make me miss you more.
Tommy: Yeah?
Kimberly: Yeah.
Tommy: That's good.
Kimberly: What do you miss the most?
Tommy: Oh the food. Definitely.
Kimberly: Oh...
Tommy: Yeah. There's really nothing to eat here. I really miss going to the Juice Bar.
(It takes a few seconds of silence for it to register in his head.)
Tommy: ...with my baby.
Kimberly: Aww.
Tommy: Yeah.
Kimberly: I can't wait till we're on our own and married. I can't live like this with my mother anymore.
Tommy: Yeah me too.
Kimberly: I mean doesn't she know we're in love?
Tommy: I don't know.
Kimberly: And what better way to show that love than to sign a legally binding contract that lasts the rest of our lives?
Tommy: I haven't found a better way.
Kimberly: (Sigh) I can't wait till we're together. And I can cook for you all your favorite meals...
Tommy: Yeah... I can't wait either.
Kimberly: You can be my big strong man and do all my heavy lifting for me.
Tommy: Sounds good...
Kimberly: We can snuggle on the couch and watch movies all we want.
Tommy: And our love life?
(She pauses.)
Kimberly: Infrequent.
Tommy: Oh.
(He pauses.)
Tommy: Is that one word or two?
(A noise is heard outside of Tommy's door.)
Tommy: Oh, Kim... my dad is coming. I gotta go. I love you.
(He hangs up the phone and scrambles to put it away and picks up a nearby fitness magazine as his father walks in.)
Mr. Oliver: (Eyebrow raised) "I love you?" Who were you talking to?
Tommy: Uh... no one dad. Just... talking to myself.
(His father eyes the ripped, oily men on the front cover of his magazine with a disconcertion. He eventually continues.)
Mr. Oliver: Okay. Your mother and I are going out. Dinner and a show. We're celebrating 20 years together.
Tommy: Oh, that's today? Happy anniversary.
Mr. Oliver: Thank you. I want you to experience this one day son. But I want you to do it when you're actually mature enough to handle it.
Tommy: Yeah dad.
Mr. Oliver: I mean being with one person for 20 years is quite the commitment. I don't know how your mother does it.
Tommy: Okay.
Mr. Oliver: I don't want something to happen where you wind up hating someone for the rest of your life for some mistake you made. Or worse. Someone hating you. You never know what others are capable of.
(While Mr. Oliver speaks to his son, we pan away to the Angel Grove docks near the Industrial District. Nothing seems out of the ordinary as people go about their business. Then out of nowhere, something appears. People go into shock and run for their lives as a large tentacle jumps out of the water and grabs onto the railing. Could this be the work of Rita or Zedd? Not likely.)
Baboo: Bye by Rita! Bye Zedd.
(Packed for a long evening, Rita and Zedd head out for their paternity test.)
Squatt: Enjoy your trip.
Lord Zedd: Yes. And when I get back, you better all be packed and ready to leave.
Goldar: Don't worry master. I will make sure they are all ready to leave.
Lord Zedd: You too, monkey breath!
Goldar: Uh...
(The door slams behind them as they leave. No indication of any plans to attack Angel Grove. A couple of hours go by on earth, and Tommy is still in his room. Some space is cleared out in the center as he practices karate. A baseball game on the radio in the background.)
"The Master Batters are up in the 8th, and they have been red hot Jim"
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.
