Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Robbie Chronicles: Origins

Episode 48: Plague of the Mantis

(We begin today at the Youth Center. Some of the rangers are seated at one of the tables in the dining area, although their focus is on Trini, who by the workout area in the middle of a Kung Fu lesson with an elderly Asian man.)

Teacher: Move like this, Trini.

(He goes through a set that Trini tries to replicate, but clearly struggles.)

Teacher: Try again.

Trini: Yes Master Li.

(He stands still and watches her try again and stumble.)

Master Li: You'll get better. But you must free your cluttered mind.

Trini: (Snickers.) Easier said than done.

(Trini chortles as if Master Li knows anything about her personal life. His expression doesn't move however.)



Master Li: Mantis Kung Fu is about having your mind at ease, like the mantis. But ready to strike when needed.

Trini: (Nods) Yes master.

Master Li: Rest a moment. Let me test your mind.

Trini: Okay...

Master Li: What is the most honorable tradition of Kung Fu?

Trini: In kung fu, we always honor the tradition of the fair fight. Always face your opponent with equal numbers and cease fighting when your opponent is neutralized.

Master Li: Good. So you know your martial arts. It is just the chaos in your head which holds you from your true potential.

(Master Li states what's obvious to Trini as if he does in fact know her personally. She does not reply, but Master Li reaches into his bag to pull out a small container with something living inside.)

Master Li: Observe this mantis. Delicate. Calm. But powerful, always ready to defend itself.

Trini: ...

Master Li: Now let's try again.

(Master Li places the mantis down and goes back into his routine. From the corner of the room, Bulk and Skull appear to be watching while scarfing down lunch.)

Bulk: Hmm. Check out the bug fu.

Skull: Ahahaha. "Bug fu." How lame.

Bulk: Yeah... Maybe not though. If we can find a bug to imitate then we can run our own class and scam even more suckers out of their money.

Skull: Great idea, Bulky. Let's go hunt for some bugs.

(Meanwhile, looking on from the moon...)

Rita: How cute. Trini wants to do Mantis Kung Fu. Finster, make me a monster. I'll show her how it's done. A mantis monster to take on Trini, then destroy her and her other power brats.

Finster: (Nods) Yes my queen.


Rita: Hurry up Finster, the rangers have been bugging us forever.

Baboo: I see what you did there.

(Back at the Youth Center, while Trini continues to train, Jason, Zack and Billy continue to eye her while sipping on shakes.)

Jason: Man, Trini's looking good.

Zack: You think? I don't know. She's like a six to me.

Jason: I meant her Kung Fu...

Zack: Oh...

(Despite impressing Jason however, Trini appears frazzled and unable to reach her own standards. She stops after messing up her set yet again.)

Trini: (Sighs) It's too difficult master.

Master Li: That means you have to work harder to perfect it.

Trini: I can't get my stupid mind to stop working.

Master Li: You're pressing. Like a Chinese finger trap, the more you fight it, the worse it gets. You must rest your mind and focus solely on Kung Fu.

Trini: (Sighs) ...

(She shakes her head, already sensing defeat. Suddenly stealing the boys attention away from Trini is Ernie, who appears to be running around the Youth Center frantically cleaning.)

Jason: Ernie, is everything alright.

Ernie: Nope.

Billy: Is there a reason for the excessive scouring?

Ernie: The health department is coming. They could be here any day now.

Zack: Is that really a bad thing Ernie?

Ernie: Yes?

Billy: (Shrugs) Seems like a wonderful opportunity to find out your problem areas and improve the overall experience of your consumers.

Ernie: Yeah. (Mutters) ...Shove it, nerd.

Billy: I beg your pardon?

Ernie: I'm jus—(Looks up) Wait, miss!!

(He charges toward a young, popular girl from Angel Grove High walking in with a Chihuahua.)

Ernie: I'm sorry ma'am. You can't bring your dog in here.

"Um. This is a service animal?!"

Ernie: He's not if he's in your purse. Sorry. You need to leave.

"Ugh."

(Ernie shakes his head and walks away as Trini approaches the boys, holding Master Li's container.)

Trini: Hey guys.

Jason: Hey Trini.

Zack: Ew, how can you stand to be near this thing?

Billy: A fine example of mantis religiosa.

Jason: Keep that away from Ernie. He's having a bit of a fit right now.

Trini: Thanks. I have to study it for my next Kung Fu assignment. Just what I need. More homework. (Sighs) More things on my to-do list.

Zack: You know you love life it that way.

Trini: (Raises eyebrow) Do I?

Zack: Oh please. You were born with a full calendar.

Trini: ...

(Just then, a voice calls out from behind her.)

"You're not the only Bug Fu expert in town anymore."

(Bulk and Skull walk in, already dressed in cockroach costumes they managed to find since finishing their lunch.)


Bulk: My partner and I are the newest and only masters of the mystical Cockroach Kung Fu.

(Trini crosses her arms and looks at them disapprovingly.)

Trini: That's not a real thing.

Bulk: It is now.

Jason: Where do you guys even come up with these stupid ideas?

Billy: What I'd give to be a fly on the wall while you two brainstorm.

"Fly on the wall?!"

(Ernie jumps back in out of nowhere.)

Ernie: Where?!

(A little later, after some time passes and the teens have moved on with their days, Zordon and Alpha find a disturbance while conducting their usual area patrol.)

Alpha: Zordon, come unidentified energy source has landed in the park. Right next to Trini who happens to be close by.

Zordon: Contact her immediately. I'll have her investigate.

(On command Alpha reaches out to Trini, who is training her Mantis Kung Fu underneath the shade of a weeping willow at the park. She continues to struggle however as the strain on her face suggests she is trying too hard to nail her set correctly instead of flowing naturally. Her frustrations build until her displaced rage causes her to yank off her head and slams it to the ground.)

Trini: (Huffing) ...stupid thing keeps bothering me.

(Just then, her communicator rings.)

Trini: (Exhales) Come in Zordon.

Zordon: Alpha has detected something suspicious in the woods.

Trini: Okay. I'll check it out.

(Suddenly having it dawn on her that she is all alone in the park, she treads cautiously through a heavily forested area. She hears footsteps and starts to follow the noise. At the center, she finds a massive humanoid praying mantis flashing in and out, as if amusing itself. Alerted, she reaches for her communicator once more.)

Trini: Zordon, it's one of Rita's monsters. Contact the others.

Zordon: I shall Trini. Be careful.

Trini: It's morphin time.


"Saber-toothed tiger."


(Trini leaps into action and backfliping in front of her enemy's view.)


Fighting Mantis: So, yellow ranger. You dare to challenge me to single combat? You have no chance against me, weakling.

(Before Trini can let out a response, the mantis extends its razor sharp claw and slices it across a nearby tree. The tree collapses over Trini, who is barely about to flip out of harm's way. The mantis lunges toward her, giving her no chance to breath and slices at her. She rolls underneath and is able to pull off a spinning heel kick to back it up. The Fighting Mantis appears to be too much however as it quickly recovers and slashes her across the chest, bringing her down. )

Trini: Ugh...

(Suddenly, Jason, Zack, Billy and Kimberly appear from the sky, fully morphed.)

Kimberly: Don't worry Trini.

Jason: We're here.

Fighting Mantis: What is this?

Jason: We're here to mangle you.

Billy: Strangle you.

Zack: And dangle you.

Kimberly "Dangle you?"

Zack: (Shrugs) I ran out of things to say...

Fighting Mantis: You called your friends? It's not a fair fight. You have no honor.

Trini: What... he's... right...

Jason: What?! What are you talking about?

(Mantis leaves following his admonishment, proving effective as Trini lowers her head in disgrace. Meanwhile, on the moon...)

Rita: The mantis has shamed Trini. Now, she'll have to fight alone next time and it will be the end for her.

Scorpina: It's a brilliant plan my queen.

Squatt: And Baboo called it dumb. Right Baboo?

Baboo: (Stammers) Buuuhh... I just uh...

Rita: Silence! And savor my genius.

(Back at the command center, the rangers get briefed on what just took place.)

Jason: Don't be so hard on yourself. We're going to get the mantis.

Trini: I know, but wouldn't it have been more honorable to face him alone?

Zack: No?

Billy: It's Rita's monster.

Kimberly: And an ugly bug at that.

Zordon: What information do you have on Rita's monster, Alpha?

Alpha: I'll punch it up on the viewing globe. He's an expert at Kung Fu. He's very dangerous. He challenged Trini because she's he expert.

Jason: If he takes her out, he'll have an easy time with us.

Zack: (Snickers) Right. Cause Trini's the linchpin.

Jason: Huh?

Zack: Uhm...

(Not focused on anything else but the image on the viewing globe, Trini makes a vow to herself.)

Trini: I'll put in some extra practice so the next time the Mantis shows up I'll be ready.

(The next day at the Youth Center, Trini, who has been there all morning is continues to work on her craft. This time visibly straining more than ever as she is backed by rage and a will to avenge herself. The boys are back again at the same table as last time. Slightly less concerned by the monster...)

Zack: Kim, definitely.

Billy: Really?

Zack: 100%. Two words: Yoga. Pants.

(Billy shakes his head.)

Zack: You?

Billy: (Shrugs) While I do find Kimberly physically attractive by conventional beauty standards, I am compelled toward Trini's inner beauty along with her intelligence.

Jason: Not to mention those killer legs.

Zack: Please. You boys have a lot to learn about women.

Jason: I never said I'd take either one for sure. They're both like sisters to me.

"...and one thing the Scotts love to do is hookup with their sisters."

(The boys look up to find Robbie, who appears out of nowhere with his backpack on.)

Jason: Hey!

Zack: Look who decided to show up.

Jason: Where have you been?

Robbie: Prison.

(A brief silence ensues as no one is sure whether or not he's serious. Eventually, Robbie continues...)

Robbie: I'm just waiting on Trini. She said she'd look over a paper I wrote.

Zack: Well wait in line. She's pretty busy.

(Robbie lets out an aggravated sigh as he sits down with the others.)

Robbie: What else is new I guess?

Zack: What about you?

Robbie: What about me?

Zack: Who would you rather date? Kim or Trini?

Robbie: Oh...

(Robbie leans back in his seat rather uncomfortably and takes a deep breath. Not being one who likes putting even the mildest bit of business out there for public scrutiny, he stumbles into an awkward silence. He then quickly deflects back to Zack.)

Robbie: Well how about this? Who would you rather date? Angela... or Jennie, the girl that used to work here.

Zack: Jennie... man. I totally forgot about her.

Jason: (Laughs) No you haven't! Quit lying, man.

Zack: That's a hard choice. Those are two top tiered girls. They're like the Bulls and the Lakers.

Jason: You mean cause you can't score on either?

Zack: Man, will you cut it out?!

(Zack throws his dirty napkin at Jason's face which turns into its own playful scuffle. Meanwhile, back on the moon...)

Goldar: My empress, the Mantis is in position. He is just waiting on the yellow ranger to launch his attack.


Rita: Excellent. Now to lure the yellow ranger.

Squatt: I know! I'll pretend to be a lost wounded pig she could rescue.

Baboo: I could lay in the park and pretend to garbage.

Squatt: Ooh! Good idea.

Goldar: Hmm. You wouldn't need to do much pretending.

Baboo: Hey. What's that supposed to mean!?

Rita: Quiet! I know exactly what to do...

(More than an hour passes back on earth. Very little changes back at the Youth Center. Trini continues to train in the workout area, almost oblivious to anything else going on. The other teens have all left but Robbie, who continues to wait on her. He's put on earphones on and is listening to a familiar track as he scribbles on a note pad.)

"She seems to think, she seems too weak. She takes a week to get over it..."

(He listens to a little known Nirvana B-side. The same one he shared with her weeks ago before his birthday. Robbie tears off the page he was working on and crumples it up. He takes quick glances toward Trini to see if she is finished.)

"She likes the sound, she likes the sand. She likes to stand, she can't afford to sit."

(Over his shoulder, a young man dressed in an apron appears to clean off his desk.)

Waiter: Can I get the check for you?

Robbie: Huh? Oh. Sure. Thanks.

Waiter: No problem.

Robbie: You're new here I'm guessing?

Waiter: Yeah, I'm Chaz.

(Robbie doesn't immediately respond as he seems to fade away again. Chaz notices Robbie staring blankly toward the workout area and continues.)

Chaz: You into martial arts?

Robbie: Huh? Oh... no. Not really.

Chaz: I see. You're into her.

Robbie: What? Me?

(He again doesn't answer right away. This time intentionally so.)

Chaz: I'm more into the short one in the pink tights.

Robbie: You don't think she's pretty?

Chaz: You do?

(He turns around to face her again.)

Robbie: I think she's gorgeous.

Chaz: Why don't you ask her out then?

Robbie: Nah. (Turns back) She wouldn't want anything to do with me. I'm like a make a wish kid to her. Nothing more. But she's miles better than the girl in pink. Inside and out.

(Robbie exhales, then turns back to his notepad as the waiter walks away. Trini continues to work out, trying to master her routine. Still oblivious, she doesn't see Ernie setting up right behind her, frantically mopping the mat for some reason. She bumps into him when a kick goes astray.)

Trini: Woah. Ernie.

Ernie: Oh, I'm sorry Trini. Didn't see you there. I've been stressing all day with this stupid health department looming.

(She sniffs curiously.)

Trini: A shower might help your chances of passing.

Ernie: Yeah. I've been all over the place today and training a new guy on top of it. Oh! By the way someone left a note for you.

Trini: Yeah?

(He reaches into his front pocket and hands her a small postcard sized note. Trini takes a brief look at the note, then grabs her stuff and leaves. Passing by Robbie along the way.)

Robbie: Huh...

(Taking a moment to process what had just happen, Robbie grows livid at being blown off by her yet again. Feeling stupid for waiting around, Robbie gets up goes for Ernie, hoping to get some answers before he acts out in a way he might later regret.)

Robbie: Hey Ernie, what just happened? I was supposed to meet with Trini and she bolts? What's her deal?

Ernie: I don't know. She got this note then just left.

(He hands Robbie Trini's note, then walks away. The note reads...)

"Trini,