The Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers
"A Hot Time In The Old Town Tonight"
Part II
by: Quintin J. Scott
The heat index was up around one hundred and
twelve degrees as the Rangers made their way down the sidewalk to the Juice Bar.
Quickly ducking in to escape the heat, the Rangers were greeted with an all too
familiar sight at this time of the year: people everywhere.
Not just regulars, but everyone - people who wanted to escape the oppressive
heat outside. And Ernie's Place was one of the few places that still had working
air conditioning. Everyone else in the city had pushed theirs to the limit and
air conditioning repair was on the demand.
The Rangers made their way through the milling crowd until they got to the bar.
"Man, what a crowd!" Rocky commented.
"Indeed!" Billy added. "It seems that Ernie has more patrons than anticipated
for this season."
Kim turned to hear the sounds of struggling. She pursed her lips and nudged
Tommy in the side. "Poor Ernie."
Ernie, the barkeep of the Juice Bar, came from the back, balancing two large
trays of drinks on his hands. He was being very careful, but he wasn't doing a
good job. Sean got up and went over to help the rotund man with the trays.
"Oh, thanks, Sean!" Ernie said, exhausted. "It's been a really tough day."
"We can see that, Ernie," Sean replied, smiling. "How are you there, eh?"
"All right, I guess. Too many people. Too little help."
"I'd be glad to help out, if you need me."
"Me, too," Adam said.
"Me three," Rocky added.
"Cool!" Ernie exclaimed, beginning to look very grateful for their help. "Sean,
if you could run the mixer, Adam and Rocky could go get some more fruit and
supplies." He turned to the other Rangers. "You guys gonna help?"
"I can't. Our AC is busted at the house and I have to go pick Moms up to go get
a new one," Aisha explained, getting up from her stool and bending over the
counter slightly to kiss Sean.
"I can stay for awhile, Ernie," Tommy said, "but you know that new dojo that's
opened up in town? 'The White Dragon?'"
"I've heard of it, yeah," Ernie said, wiping a glass down.
"Well, the owner is wanting to meet with me to set up some classes recommends
some equipment shops. I don't think it will take long, but you never know."
"'The White Dragon?'" Sean thought out loud. "Where have I heard that before?
Who owns the place, Tommy?"
"She just told me her name was Keiko."
Sean looked at him swiftly, nearly losing control of the glass he was wiping.
"Keiko?! Keiko Le?! Of course, the White Dragon!"
"Know her, Sean?" Kimberly asked.
Sean put the glass down. "Yes." And said no more.
"And?" Rocky prompted.
"And what?"
"Where do you know her from?" Adam asked.
"My past," Sean said, setting a glass down and moving towards the Mixmaster 2000
machine. "Now, if you will excuse me, we have customers waiting. I'll see you
later, Aisha."
They all knew when Sean wasn't going to speak any more on a subject. The timbre
in his voice changed - flatter. Aisha waved goodbye to the rest, making her way
through the crowd to the door.
They set about their tasks. For the next three hours, Sean and Ernie ran the
machine while Adam and Kimberly served the drinks. Rocky and Billy were busy in
the back getting the ingredients and acting as bussers.
It hit him.
Sean looked about the room as the feeling soon got closer. He glanced towards
the door, but whoever had come through it was already mixed among the crowd.
It hit him again.
This time, he stopped what he was doing and concentrated, sending thin tendrils
of his chi, his life force, to find the other. But his concentration was broken
by a slight scream. From across the room, the barkeeps heard a loud ruckus
come from the weightlifting area where a group of Angel Grove's squad was
practicing. It was a common practice for the Angel Grove Tigers to come to
Ernie's to keep in shape - weightlifting, martial arts, and other exercise
tools. They were a normal raucous group of young men, but this time, they were a
bit too rowdy.
Kimberly was trying to get away from them, but wasn't having much luck. Big two
hundred pound plus individuals blocked her path. Every move she made, they would
move in the way, effectively cutting her escape.
"We only want to have a little fun, Kimberly," one thick kid with short cropped
blond hair and a square jaw sneered.
"I've told you, no, now let me go," a frustrated Kimberly demanded.
"It's only a little pool party," another one said, this one with wildly flowing
locks of brown and olive complexion. "It'll be a blast."
"For the last time, NO! N-O! NO!"
Before they even had time to respond, Adam, Rocky, and Sean were already at her
side.
"Let me get this straight," Sean began, taking on his sarcastic tone, "The lady
said no, yet, you continue to harass her. Unless my ears deceive me. Do my ears
deceive me, little lady?"
Kimberly, knowing what Sean was doing, shook her head and shot off a look that
would've surely have killed the players, if the saying were true.
"Am I going deaf, Rocko?" Sean asked the Red Ranger.
"I don't think so," Rocky said.
"Am I going deaf, Adam?"
"Well..."
"Shut up," he said to Adam and turned back to the boys. "Look, if you can't play
nice, you'll just have to leave. You can't be harassing my friends like this,
Liebowski."
"Sean, you know, I've really gotten tired of you and your mouth," Liebowski, the
blonde-haired one replied, mouth curling into a snarl. "All year, I've heard
about you and your little martial art. You've only done it once, and that wasn't
very impressive. Anybody could've come up with those moves and claim it's a new
martial art. You're just a stupid little Canadian with a little bit of fluff and
no stuff."
Now, Sean was by no means a small man. Being six feet six inches and close to
three hundred pounds made him a bit of an intimidator. But John Liebowski was
just as tall and just as heavy - and every bit as intimidating. He walked up to
Sean and stood eye to eye with him.
"So, what are you saying, John?" Sean asked, not backing down. "You wanna piece
of me? Is that what you're saying?"
"Yeah, that's what I'm saying."
Sean gazed into his eyes and looked towards his friends. Suddenly, before an
astonished group of people, Sean laughed in John Liebowski's face! "You've
got to be kidding me!" He burst out laughing again.
"I want you, Morissette! I WANT YOU!"
Sean held up his hands. "All right. When and where?"
"Here and now!"
"All right. Let's shake on it." Sean extended his left hand.
John grasped it strongly and squeezed. "You're dead, boy!"
"Well, you know what they say," the Gold Ranger said, smile broadening, "'Don't
milk the cow when you've got steaks in the fridge.'" And he began to squeeze.
And squeeze. John eyed him.
And squeeze. Sean eyed him.
And squeeze. Their hands began to vibrate. John's expression wavered.
Exerting more of his own chi to his hand and manipulating John's chi to wear
thin, Sean began to crush John's bones. An audible crack resounded and John
winced but did not cry out. Sean continued to exert more pressure.
"Never underestimate your opponent, John," Sean told him. "Never underestimate
me." Twisting John's arm around and over, Sean flipped John onto
the floor. The big teen crashed to the carpet, thudding hard against the
concrete beneath. John's friends stood dumbfounded for a moment before starting
towards Sean. Adam and Rocky blocked their path.
The Gold Ranger stood over the writhing form of John before stepping on his
hand. "Such is the fate of all who would bring harm to my friends."
"That's enough, Sean," Kimberly said.
"He must pay for his transgression, Kimberly."
"I think he's learned his lesson."
"I don't," and he ground his heel into the man's hand causing him to scream out
with much anguish and pain.
"Sean!" Kimberly exclaimed.
"What's wrong with you, man?!" Adam spoke up over John's yelling.
Rocky and Billy didn't say anything as they went to pull Sean off John's hand.
They managed to hold him in a grip to which Sean did not struggle to break free.
"What's wrong with you?" Rocky asked. "You could've damaged his hand, man."
Shaking his head as if awaking from some dream, Sean looked at the John as his
friends started to pick him up and carry him away. "What happened?"
"You happened," Ernie said, coming up to him. "And I want you out of here. That
was completely uncalled for, Sean! What happened to that sense of honor that you
prize so much, huh? Where was it then?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Adam spoke up, "Sean, you broke John's fingers then stepped on his hand to cause
more damage."
The Gold Ranger looked cautiously at the others before snorting, "Absurd. That
would be completely malicious and go against everything I stand for."
"But I just saw it happen, Sean," Billy said.
"You didn't sound like the Sean that we knew," the Pink Ranger stated.
Sean raised an eyebrow before realizing exactly what happened. He looked at the
other Rangers with this "look". They nodded simultaneously.
"Well, I'd better comply with Ernie's wishes. I shall vacate the premises." With
that, Sean exited the bar, still looking about for that presence he felt before.