“Which assignment did Mrs. Applebee give you?” asked Roland, as he and his best friend Larry, walked home from school.
“She assigned me Mexico, so it shouldn’t be too hard finding information on that country,” Larry replied. “How about you?”
“Oh, I got Switzerland,” stated Roland.
“So are you coming to the game, tomorrow night?” asked Larry.
“Yeah, I’ll be there. I hear all of the big time recruiters are going to there, so you’d better have your game-face on,” advised Roland.
“Yeah, Duke, UCLA, North Carolina, Indiana, and I’ve got just the secret weapon to blow they’re socks off,” bragged Larry, as he patted his pants pocket.
“What secret weapon?” questioned Roland.
Larry looked around to make sure no one was looking at them, and than reached into his pocket and produced a vial, filled with a white powdery substance. “This secret weapon,”
“Man, what is that stuff?” asked Roland, in astonishment.
“It’s called Plebo, and man does it give you a “pick me up”, “ stated Larry, as he held the vial to his nose and sniffed. “You wanna take a sniff?”
“Man, don’t you watch the news? That stuff has been killing people!” exclaimed Roland.
“Sssssshhhh, not so loud,” said Larry, covering Roland’s mouth. “Those folks didn’t know how to handle this stuff, but I do.”
As Roland and Larry entered the neighborhood, in which they lived, they saw T.J. and Cassie heading in their direction.
“Don’t you tell those two about my secret, or else,” warned Larry, as he shoved the vial back into his pocket.
Roland and Larry had known T.J. and Cassie since the two Rangers had moved to Angel Grove, and now that it was public knowledge that they were Power Rangers, the last thing Larry wanted to happen was for the Rangers to find out he was on drugs.
“Hi, Roland, hi, Larry,” greeted Cassie, as she and T.J. stopped to chat with the two youths.
“Hi, T.J., hi, Cassie,” replied Roland, masking his disgust at Larry’s revelation, with a smile.
“So how are things at Angel Grove High? Cassie and I haven’t been out there since we graduated, last June,” stated T.J.
“Everything’s cool,” stated Larry, as he tried to end the conversation abruptly. He gave Roland a nudge, letting him know that he was ready to depart from their present company.
“Hold up, for a second, Larry, T.J. and I have something we need to ask you,” stated Cassie, as she noticed his eagerness to leave.
“What is it?” Larry asked, nervously.
“Cassie, myself, and some friends of ours were thinking about coming to the basketball game, tomorrow night, but we wanted to know how much it costs to get in?” asked T.J.
“Oh,” said a relieved Larry. “7 bucks a head.” And then he and Roland continued on their way.
“Maybe it was just me, but did Larry seem antsy to you, T.J.?” questioned Cassie.
“Maybe a little bit, but he and Roland are seniors, and you know how that is. Also he’s got all of these college recruiters in his face all the time,” suggested T.J.
********************
At the Surf Spot, Andros, Ashley, and Karone were snacking on some nachos.
“Man, I love Earth food,” proclaimed Karone, as she stuffed a nacho into her mouth.
“You mean Ecliptor never made nachos for you when you were a little girl?” joked Ashley.
“Had I known what nachos were, I certainly would have requested that he or the Quantrons prepare some for me,” replied Karone.
“How about Elgar,” suggested Andros.
“Elgar in a kitchen preparing nachos. Now that’s something I don’t want to think about,” laughed Karone.
“Think about what?” asked Cassie, as she and T.J. sat down.
“Oh the three of us were just musing over space aliens making nachos,” explained Andros.
Just then the teens noticed a young man giving Adelle a hard time at the counter.
“C’mon, Adelle, this is me, Monty. I’ll pay you back when I get my check, next week,” begged the man.
“No!” replied Adelle, flatly.
“C’mon, Adelle,” pleaded the man.
“I’ve loaned you money in the past, because you promised to pay me back, and you haven’t done it yet,” explained Adelle, calmly.
“Adelle, all I need is twenty bucks, just twenty bucks, that’s all,” replied Monty.
“No! And that’s final,” Adelle replied sternly.
“Adelle, I need some money!” said the man, as he grabbed Adelle’s arm.
“Hey, cool it, man, the lady has politely told you that she’s not going to loan you any money,” stated T.J., as he and Andros walked up to the counter.
“Okay, okay, I’m cool. I’ll go somewhere else and get some money,” said Monty, as he released his grip on Adelle’s arm, and exited the Surf Spot.
“Are you okay, Adelle?” asked a concerned Andros.
“Yes, honey, but I’m glad you two walked up here when you did, because I didn’t wanna have to whoop that man,” replied Adelle.
“What was his problem?” inquired a puzzled Andros. “I’ve never seen anyone behave like that before.”
“I think he’s on drugs, and if I’m right its a real shame, because he’s got a wife and two kids at home,” stated Adelle, shaking her head.
“Drugs?” Andros questioned, becoming more and more confused.
********************
After leaving the Surf Spot, the teens headed up to the Astro Megaship. Zhane had rented some videos, and the Rangers planned to kick back and relax for a few hours.
After watching Star Trek: First Contact, the Rangers decided to watch the six o’clock news, before starting the next movie. Alpha patched the Megaship into Angel Grove’s television frequency, and the Rangers watched and listened.
“Tonight, our city remains in the grip of a drug epidemic,” the newscaster reported. “The Angel Grove Police have informed me that a new drug, called Plebo, is responsible for this epidemic. They have learned that Plebo is being produced somewhere in the Caribbean, but no one knows how it is getting into town, or who the major dealer might be. Before we went on the air, the Chief of Police issued this statement,” the newscaster reported.
“Plebo is an extremely powerful and very addictive drug. We have learned that when inhaled it gives the addict a temporary boost of energy, and a high tolerance of pain, but once “the high” wears off, as with other drugs, the addict will feel very weak, and need more Plebo to sustain them. As most of the public knows this new drug is responsible for several deaths over the past two weeks. Please, please, if you’re on Plebo or you know someone who is on it, don’t sit in silence get help. This drug is a killer,” stated the policeman, grimly.
Andros had heard enough, and ordered Alpha to turn off the screen.
“I don’t get it. Why would a person take something like this, if they know its going to harm their body, or even worse?” questioned Andros.
“We never had anything like this on KO-35,” explained Zhane.
The Earth Rangers thought for a moment and then, Carlos began to speak.
“Some people have low self-esteem. When things in their lives don’t go the way that they desire, these people will turn to substances that they think will make things better.
“And there are those who take drugs, because they think the drugs will make them forget about their problems,” added T.J.
“But that guy at Adelle’s, he--he has a family. I mean surely he realizes that his addiction could destroy his home life,” stated Andros.
“Andros, that man is not thinking clearly. You see when people are on drugs it impairs their better judgment,” explained Ashley. “They do things that they wouldn’t ordinarily do.”
“When a person is on drugs, all they can think about is getting their next fix,” stated Carlos.
“Well I think we should do something about this epidemic,” stated Andros. “I mean, Angel Grove has become my home, and I just can’t sit back and watch it be destroyed by the affects of drugs.”
The other Rangers all agreed with Andros, and they decided that the first thing they needed to do was to find out who the major drug dealer was.
********************
As people filed into the Angel Grove High School gymnasium, Larry had arrived in the locker room before the rest of his team. He wanted to make sure that he inhaled his “little secret weapon” before anyone saw him.
“Aw, man, I’m all out,’ grumbled Larry, as he looked at the empty vial.
“Yo, L-Train,” whispered a voice, from the doorway.
Larry looked up to see Dice, the man who had been supplied him with Plebo. “How did you get back here?”
“Hey, I knew all those recruiters were going to be here. This is your big night, and I wanted to make sure you had an added boost,” replied Dice, with a smile.
“You brought some more Plebo?” asked Larry.
“Hey if you got the money, then I’ve got the Plebo,” smirked Dice.
Larry reached into his pocket, withdrew his wallet, and produced a twenty-dollar bill. “That should be enough,” he said, handing the dollar bill to Dice.
“Here ya go, L-Train,” Dice replied, handing the new vial over to Larry. “By the way, I’ve has got some big money invested in you tonight, so you better play like Jordan.” With that Dice walked away.
“Don’t worry, Dice, I’ve got all I need to play like Jordan, now,” thought Larry, as he held the vial up to his nose.
********************
In the stands, the six Rangers and Karone were snacking on some popcorn.
“Ya know this has got to be the first time I’ve ever been to a basketball game,” stated Zhane.
“Well you’re going to love it,” replied Cassie.
“Hi, Roland,” said T.J., as the youth took his seat on the row below them.
“Oh, hello, you guys,” replied Roland.
“Roland, I didn’t want to ask you yesterday, but is something troubling you?” questioned Cassie.
“No, everything’s fine,” Roland replied nervously. Roland hated to lie, but he and Larry had been friends since pre-school, and he valued Larry’s friendship more than anything else in the world.
“Who are all these guys in suits and ties?” inquired Karone, curiously.
“Oh, they’re college scouts,” replied Carlos. “They’ve come from all over the country to watch Larry play, and if he plays well tonight, they might give him a scholarship.”
Karone’s next question was going to be: What is a scholarship?, but she saw the players coming onto the court, and figured she’d ask that one later on.
*********************
Throughout the first half, Larry really played a solid game. His passing was smooth and on target, his shots were precise, and it seemed that he had the speed of a puma, as he ran up and down the court.
“Yeah, Larry! Come on, baby!” were just some of the screams that come from Larry’s girlfriend, Sheena.
“Your friend is a great athlete,” commented Zhane, as he addressed Roland.
“I just hope he can keep it up,” Roland replied.
“If he keeps playing like this, he’s gonna need another vial at halftime,” thought Dice, as he watched the game. “I’d better get to that locker room.”
“Hey I wonder where he’s going, in such a hurry?” commented T.J., as he noticed Dice, heading down the stands in a hurry.
“May be he’s a scout, and he’s seen enough,” suggested Cassie.
“I don’t think so. I’ve seen that guy somewhere else before,” T.J. replied. “I’m gonna run a check on him once we get back to the Megaship.”
********************
At half-time, the girls wanted some more popcorn, so Andros and T.J. headed for the concessions stand. Along the way, T.J. saw Dice coming from the locker room.
“I wonder what that guy is up?” thought T.J.
Andros noticed that something had caught T.J’s attention. “What’s wrong, Teej?”
“I saw that guy again, and he was coming from the locker room,” T.J. replied.
“Don’t worry, we’ll run a check on him when we get to the Megaship,” replied Andros, trying to put T.J’s mind at ease for the moment.
********************
In the second half, things pretty much remained the same. Larry continued his phenomenal playing.
“Man, that guy is on tonight,” commented Carlos.
“What took you guys so long to get back with the food?” whispered Ashley.
‘T.J. saw that guy, again, and get this, he was coming from the locker room,” replied Andros.
********************
The game was over now, and the Rangers had returned to the Megaship, and T.J. was currently running a check on the man he had seen at the game, wit the use of the ship’s onboard Criminal Database System.
“Hey, Teej, good news,” chirped Cassie, as she entered the ship’s research room. “There was a story on Larry’s performance tonight, and the sportscaster said that Duke, UCLA, and UNC are very interested in him.”
“That’s great,” T.J. replied with a smile. “Hold on! I’ve got something!”
The two Rangers watched as a full bio on Dice appeared on the computer screen.
“Real name, Jake Morris, Street name: Dice, Morris was convicted of being a drug dealer in 1993, but was release on parole in 1997,” T.J. read.
“Oh my God,” stated Cassie. “This might be our man.”
“Yeah, it definitely seem suspicious that he’d be roaming around in the locker room.” T.J. announced.
“Have you guys found anything?” inquired Andros, as he entered.
“See for yourself,” T.J. rose from his chair, so that Andros could read the computer screen.
Andros read the bio and then said, “I wonder what that guy was doing in the locker room?”
********************
The next morning, the Angel Grove Police had been called to a very tall building in downtown Angel Grove. A man was on a ledge, and appeared to be high on drugs.
“Sir, please don’t move. We’re sending someone up to help you!” yelled a policeman into his megaphone, from the street.
“I don’t need any help! I’m a Power Ranger!” the addict replied. “I can call my Galaxy Glider to fly me away from here.”
“Hang on, sir, I’m going to come onto the ledge and get you,’ said an officer, calmly, as he climbed out of a nearby window, and onto to the ledge.
As the officer reached for the man, the addict jumped.
“Oh my God!” people began to yell, as the man fell. All of the sudden a silver streak broke the man’s fall.
“How nice of you to drop in,” stated Zhane, as he carried the man on his Galaxy Glider. “Its a good thing I was in the neighborhood.”
The Silver Glider flew down to the ground, where the Silver Ranger landed the addict over to a medical team.
“I don’t think he’s injured physically, but his mind seems to be impaired by drug use,” Zhane stated.
“Don’t worry we’ll see that he gets the help that he needs,” promised one of the medics. “And thanks for saving him.”
Having accomplished his good deed, The Silver Ranger headed back up into the sky.
********************
In a parking lot outside of the Youth Center, Dice was sitting in his car watching kids enter and exit the building.
“Look at them. At least 30 % of those kids will become addicts, and I’m gonna be the one making money off of them,” smirked Dice.
“Think again, Morris,” proclaimed a stern voice, from the passenger side window.
Dice turned around to see the Blue Ranger standing outside of his car.
“Well, well, a Power Ranger,” sneered Dice. “What can I do for you, Blue Ranger?”
‘IYou and your poison can leave town,” replied Blue Ranger.
“Poison! What are you talking about?” Dice said, putting on his innocent look.
“Don’t you play innocent with me, Jake Morris. I’ve seen your criminal record, and I’m willing to bet that you’ve got something to do with all these drug addicts running around Angel Grove,” Blue Ranger said pointing his finger at Dice.
“Those are some serious charges you’re tossing my way, but without proof, Blue Boy, you can’t do a thing to me,” proclaimed Dice. “Do you wanna search my car?”
“No, that won’t be necessary,” replied T.J., knowing full well that Dice would never make this offer if he had some drugs with him. “You just better watch your step, because the other Rangers and I are going to be keeping a very close eye on you. Now have a nice day.”
Dice began to grin from ear to ear, after the Ranger had teleported away. “Sucker”
********************
That night, Dice paid a visit to his mysterious boss. Dice didn’t know the person’s identity, because the person had always worn a black robe, a matching hood, and a white skeleton mask on their face. When they had first met the person requested that Dice referred to them as just “boss.” Dice didn’t ask any question, because as long as he was making money, he was happy.
“How goes the sales?” the boss inquired.
“Business is booming, especially at Angel Grove High,” replied Dice. “But there is one little problem.”
“Problem? What type of problem?” questioned the boss.
“You see, this morning the Blue Ranger---,” explained Dice, before he was interrupted.
“The Blue Ranger! You mean the Power Rangers have discovered you?!” exclaimed the boss.
“Calm down, boss, he’s got nothing on me. Those Rangers should stick to fighting space aliens, because I’m just too slick for them,” bragged Dice.
“Do not underestimate the Rangers. They are indeed a threat to my plans,” warned the skeleton man.
“Plans! Boss, I thought we were just going to make a little money here, and then take our business on the road?” questioned Dice.
“Dice, do you not find it strange that I would allow you and my other dealers to keep the profits that you make off of those addicts?” inquired the boss. “Surely, you didn’t think that I would let you do this, if I didn’t get something out of it.”
“So just what do you get out of it?” Dice asked, nervously. Dice was really beginning to feel a little uneasy about where this conversation was going.
“I get a city of mindless slaves. People who will do anything for another sniff of my Plebo. You see, Plebo didn’t really come from the Caribbean. That is just a rumor that I allowed to spread. It actually came from somewhere else. Everytime an addict inhales it their mind becomes weaker and more submissive to my will,” explained the boss.
‘Wh--Wh--Where did it come from, and what is your will?” inquired Dice.
“Do not concern yourself with those two questions,” the boss ordered. “What you need to do is gather the other dealers and take care of the Rangers.”
“But they have superpowers, and we don’t,” pleaded Dice.
“Two of them are friends with one of your clients. Place young Larry in danger, and the Rangers will come to his rescue, and when they do we’ll crush them,” explained the boss.
********************
At Larry’s house, he and Roland were playing a video game when they heard the voices of T.J. and Cassie, as Larry’s mother greeted them.
“Don’t you tell those two anything!” snarled Larry, as he grabbed Roland by the collar of his shirt.
“Okay, okay,” replied Roland, as he broke free of Larry’s grip.
“Boys, T.J. and Cassie wanted to ask the two of you a few questions,” stated Larry’s mom, as she and the two Rangers entered the room.
Once Larry’s mom had exited the room T.J. began to speak. “Listen guys I’m going to cut right to the chase. Do either of you know a guy named Dice?”
Before Larry could lie, his phone rung.
“Okay, I’m on my way,” stated Larry, before hanging up the phone, and rushing out the room.
“Hey, wait, man! Don’t go!” yelled Roland, as he watched Larry run out the front door.
‘Don’t go where?” questioned Cassie, as she grabbed Roland.
Roland just couldn’t take it anymore. He felt like if he didn’t speak up right now, his best friend’s life was going to spiral out of control.
“Larry’s on Plebo!” screamed Roland, in anguish.
“Oh my God, my boy is on drugs!” exclaimed Larry’s mom, before bursting into tears
“Don’t worry mam, we’ll bring your son home,” promised T.J.
“Roland, do you have an idea of where Larry might be heading?” asked Cassie.
“No, but you’ve got to find him. I’ve just got a bad feeling,” pleaded Roland.
********************
In an alley, Zhane and Carlos were searching for Monty. He had tried to rob Adelle, as she headed to her car.
“Monty, you don’t need to hide from us,” pleaded Carlos.
‘”Yeah, we just want you to get some help,” added Zhane.
‘I don’t need your help!” screamed Monty, as he darted out from behind a dumpster, totting a gun.
Realizing that they weren’t wearing bulletproof vests under their civilian clothes, they quickly morphed, so that their suits would deflect any bullets.
‘Monty, you don’t want to do this,” pleaded Silver Ranger, as he calmly approached the addict.
“Y--Y--You stay back. I’m not afraid of killing a Ranger!” screamed Monty, as he held the gun on the Silver Ranger.
“Zhane, be careful,” cautioned Black Ranger.
“Come on, Monty, you’ve got a wife, and two kids, who need you. Don’t let Plebo destroy you,” pleaded Zhane.
Just as Monty was about to pull the trigger, he suddenly collapsed.
“Oh no,’ said Carlos, as he and Zhane knelt down over the man.
‘Is he--?” asked Carlos, hesitantly.
Zhane checked Monty’s pulse then replied, “No, he’s alive, but I suggest we get him to the hospital,”
As Zhane picked up the man, a vial fell out of his pocket. Carlos quickly scooped it up before it hit the ground.
“So this is what’s causing all of this craziness,” stated Black Ranger, as he examined the sealed vial.
‘Maybe DECA can do a scan on that stuff,” suggested Zhane.
“Yeah, then we’ll know what its made of,” added Carlos.
‘Tell Andros I’ll report in after I drop Monty off at the hospital and notify his wife of what has happened,” stated Zhane.
“You got it,” replied Carlos, before teleporting away with the vial.
********************
On the Megaship, Carlos, Andros, and Ashley ran scans of the vial of Plebo in hopes of learning more about it. T.J. and Cassie used DECA to search for Larry’s biorhythms.
“Have you two found him?” inquired Karone, as she stepped on to the bridge.
“Nothing yet,” replied T.J.
“We’ve just got to find him,” cried Cassie.
“Oh no,” said Andros, in a very grim voice.
“What have you discovered about the Plebo?” asked T.J. Before Andros could make his revelation, DECA announced that Larry had just been located.
“He’s at the pier,” announced Cassie, as she looked at the map of Angel Grove that appeared on the computer screen.
“Let’s go,” stated Zhane, as he stepped onto the bridge.
‘Wait, there something everyone needs to know,” stated Andros, with a very serious look on his face.
“Andros, what did you discover about the Plebo?” asked Karone.
“Okay, here goes,” Andros took a deep breathe and continued. “The compounds that make up Plebo are alien.”
“But the news reports stated that it was native to the Caribbean ,” stated Cassie.
“Well its not,” replied Andros.
“We ran the contents of the vial against every known compound on Earth, and came up with nothing.” explained Carlos.
“Then where did it come from, and how did it get to Angel Grove?” questioned Zhane.
“I don’t know, but I think there could be a very strong possibly that the person behind this drug operation is an alien,” announced Andros.
“If that’s the case we may be walking into a trap,” warned Ashley.
“Okay here’s the plan. Karone you stay here with Alpha---,” ordered Andros.
“But I want to come with you,” pleaded Karone.
“Sis, its too dangerous, besides if it is a trap I’m going to need you to bring the Astro Megaship in for backup,” explained Andros.
“Okay, I understand,” replied Karone, sadly..
“As for the rest of you, let’s go get those dealers!” said Red Ranger, enthusiastically.
“Don’t worry, Karone, you’ll get your chance to join us in action, soon,” promised Zhane, before exiting the bridge with the other Rangers.
Though Karone didn’t know what he meant by that, it always warmed her heart to know that Zhane was concerned about her feelings.
********************
The six Rangers arrived at the pier, morphed and ready for almost anything.
“I don’t like this,” commented Andros. “Things are just too quiet.”
“Yeah, I’m sure we’re walking into some sort of trap,” added Yellow Ranger.
“Somebody, please help me!” yelled the voice of Larry.
“It sounded like it came from that warehouse,” stated Black Ranger, as he pointed to a warehouse that was on a lower level of the pier.
“Okay let’s get down there, but everyone keep your eyes opened,” warned Red Ranger. The Rangers teleported down to the warehouse, and entered cautiously.
********************
Once inside they noticed Larry was just standing in the center of the room.
“Larry, what are you doing here at this time of the night?” questioned T.J.
“I’m earning my next fix,” replied Larry, as about twenty huge men crept up behind the Rangers.
“Get them!” yelled Dice, as he appeared behind the men.
The Rangers turned around just in time to meet their attackers head on.
“I had no idea we were going to get a workout tonight,” stated Blue Ranger, as he punched an attacker. Though the attackers were much bigger than the Rangers, they couldn’t match the Rangers’ martial arts skills.
“Larry! take your reward and go,” ordered Dice, as he tossed Larry a vial.
Larry caught the vial, and immediately unsealed it and took a sniff.
“Larry, you betrayed us for a vial of Plebo,” scorned Cassie. “I’m very disappointed in you.”
“Yeah, don’t you know that stuff could not only ruin your basketball career, but it could kill you,” pleaded T.J.
“Kill me this stuff has made me an even better ballplayer than I was before,” boasted Larry. “The way I figure it, Plebo will be my ticket to the NBA.”
“That’s enough, Larry! Take your Plebo and go!” ordered Dice. Larry sealed the vial, stuffed it into his pocket, and exited the warehouse through a side door.
“Dice, you’re a real scumbag!” scorned Yellow Ranger.
“That’s the last insult you’ll ever make, my dear,” smirked Dice, as he snapped his fingers. At that moment an army of Plebo addicts marched into the warehouse.
“We’re in big trouble,” commented Zhane.
“You see, Power Rangers, my boss knew that you’d easily defeat the other dealers, so he enlisted the aid of some of Angel Grove’s finest citizens,” grinned Dice. ‘Ya know its really amazing what people will do for one little vial of Plebo.”
“Andros, what are we going to do? We can’t attack them,” stated Pink Ranger.
“Well we’ve got to defend ourselves,” replied Andros, as he drew his Astro Blaster. The other Rangers followed his lead, and drew theirs also.
“Please, people, stay back, we don’t want to have to use these,” ordered Andros, as the addicts grew closer to the Rangers.
“Cassie, call your Satellite Stunner! I’ve got an idea,” commanded T.J. Just as the crowd was about to overtake the Rangers, Pink Ranger fired a blast from her combined Astro Blaster/Satellite Stunner weapon. The blast didn’t harm the crowd, but merely froze them in their tracks.
“They don’t call it the Satellite Stunner for nothing,” remarked Pink Ranger.
“Time for me to jet,” said Dice, as he dashed out of the warehouse.
“I’m going after that guy,” stated Andros, as he started after the dealer.
Dice ran as fast as his legs could carry him, with Andros hot on his heels. Finally, Dice fell on his face in exhaustion, and that’s when a red portal appeared in front of him.
“Boss, help me, please. The Red Ranger is hot on my heels,” cried Dice, as he looked up at his boss, who had emerged from the portal.
“You fool! You are a failure, and I have no time for failures,” scoffed the hooded man. “Now you will find out what happens to those who fail me.” With that statement Dice was engulfed by a ball of fire.
“Oh my God,” stated Red Ranger, as he witnessed what had just happened. “Who are you, and why did you set him on fire!”
The hooded man responded by blasting Red Ranger with an eye beam that knocked the Kerovan to the ground.
“Andros!” yelled Ashley, as she and the other Rangers arrived.
“I’m okay, just a little shaken up,” assured Andros, as he got to his feet.
“Foolish, Rangers, that was just a taste of my power,” boasted the hooded villain. “And soon you will bow to a power that is greater than my own.” With that the villain, disappeared back into the portal.
“Hey, you’re not getting away that easily, pal!’ yelled Carlos, as he ran at the portal, but it closed as he was about to jump at it.
“Andros, are you sure you’re okay?” asked Ashley.
“Yes, my fine, but that ‘s more than I can say for him.” Red Ranger looked down at the charred remains of Dice.
“I hear police sirens in the distance,” announced Zhane.
“Did you guys tie up that army of addicts?” asked Andros.
“We sure did. They’re all tied up and waiting to be taken to rehab,” replied Cassie.
“Well then I guess we should be getting back to the Megaship, because I’m sure Karone and Alpha are beginning to get worried about us,” stated Andros. Just as the Rangers were about to teleport away, they noticed another body lying further down the pier.
Upon further investigation they discovered that it was Larry.
“Is he alive?” asked Ashley nervously.
Andros checked for a pulse and then a heartbeat, and then replied, “Yes, but his heartbeat is very weak.”
“That last vial that Dice gave him must have contained a stronger form of Plebo,” suggested T.J.
“Well we’d better get him to the hospital,” stated Zhane, as he scooped up the youth, and then the Rangers teleported away.
********************
Two days had passed, and in that time period Larry had regained consciousness and had a new outlook on life.
“So when do you think the doctors are going to let you go home?” asked Roland, as he sat at his friend’s bedside.
‘Another day or two,” replied Larry. Just then a knock came on the door, and when Roland opened it, T.J. and Cassie entered.
“How are you feeling?” asked Cassie.
“A whole lot better, but I still have a long way to go,” replied Larry. “I really messed up bad.”
“Well, Larry, the important thing is that you’re alive and getting better,” encouraged T.J.
“That’s true. I’ll be beginning drug rehab in a couple of days,” stated Larry.
“Have you heard anything from the college scouts. When the cops searched Jake Morris’ apartment, they found all sorts of evidence of him selling you Plebo. And somehow the media got wind of this and---,” explained Roland.
“My dad talked to a scout from UCLA. The guy said that if I go through rehab, and can pass some periodic a drug tests, there might be hope of me playing ball at UCLA, next year,” stated Larry, with a smile.
“That’s really good to hear,” stated Cassie.
Just then Monty entered the room.
“Monty, what are you doing here?” asked T.J.
“I just wanted to stop by and see the kid,” replied Monty, shyly. “We’re both going through the same thing, but we’re going to get our lives together, right kid.”
“Right, Mister Monty,” replied Larry, as a smile crept onto his face.
“I only hope that everyone else who was addicted to Plebo will have the courage that the two of you have,” commented T.J.
**********************
“Well, its done,” stated Andros, as he entered the Recreation Room of the Megaship.
‘What’s done?” inquired Ashley, as she hopped off of the treadmill machine.
‘I contacted the Senturions, and gave them a full description of that hooded guy,” Red Ranger replied, as he picked a dumbbell.
‘Boy, did he give me the creeps,” commented Ashley.
“Well they told me that they didn’t know of anyone matching his description. They also told me that they’d spread the word about Plebo,” Red Ranger continued.
“Well at least that guy won’t menace any other planet with his poison,” stated Ashley.
“That’s true, but I still can’t help wondering who he is or what evil force he is acting on behalf of,” commented Andros.
‘Well if he comes back, we’ll be ready for him, right Andros?” stated Zhane, as he stood in the doorway.
“Right?” replied Andros, before beginning to do curls with the dumbbells.