The Venomous Eclipse

by Adrianne Ambrose

  PENGUIN YOUNG READERS LICENSES

  An Imprint of Penguin Random House LLC

  If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher, and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”

  Penguin supports copyright. Copyright fuels creativity, encourages diverse voices, promotes free speech, and creates a vibrant culture. Thank you for buying an authorized edition of this book and for complying with copyright laws by not reproducing, scanning, or distributing any part of it in any form without permission. You are supporting writers and allowing Penguin to continue to publish books for every reader.

  The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

  ™ and © 2017 SCG Power Rangers LLC. Power Rangers and all related logos, characters, names, and distinctive likenesses thereof are the exclusive property of SCG Power Rangers LLC. All Rights Reserved. Used Under Authorization. Published by Penguin Young Readers Licenses, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, 345 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.

  Cover illustration by Dan Panosian.

  Ebook ISBN 9781524785369

  Version_1

  Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  It was a beautiful day in Angel Grove with scarcely a cloud in the sky. Jason Scott and Zack Taylor were over at Billy Cranston’s house, hanging out in his garage. It wouldn’t have been so bad if they could have opened the garage door, but there was no way that was going to happen. Billy was working on so many cutting-edge inventions that leaving the door open would draw the attention of people walking past. Plus, a lot of the inventions would reveal the guys’ secret identities as members of the Power Rangers, so the door definitely had to stay shut.

  “Hey, Billy. How’s it going?” Zack asked. “Are you almost done? We’re burning daylight.” So much pent-up energy flowed through the Black Ranger’s body that he was bouncing on his toes, practically vibrating with the need to get out of the garage and into the sunshine.

  “Almost done,” Billy said, pulling a bandana out of a pocket of his blue overalls to polish his glasses. Even though he was a scientific genius, the Blue Ranger still favored blue overalls above any other article of clothing. “I need a few more minutes. Just want to make sure Jason’s wrist communicator is functioning properly.”

  “Yeah, you want my wrist communicator to work, don’t you?” Jason said with an amused grin, looking up from his workout. As the Red Ranger and the leader of the Power Rangers, he liked to keep busy, so he’d unearthed some dust-covered free weights in the corner of the garage and was currently exercising his biceps.

  The Power Rangers’ wrist communicators looked just like ordinary fitness watches to the outside world, but they were actually how the Rangers communicated with Zordon and Alpha 5 at the Command Center. They also kept the Rangers in touch with one another during an emergency. Plus, when necessary, their space-age wrist devices enabled the Power Rangers to teleport to the Command Center, or wherever else they needed to go. A malfunctioning communicator could mean the difference between victory and defeat.

  “Sure,” Zack said. “If it worked, that’d be helpful.” He then did a cool slide across the garage floor and finished the move by adding a roundhouse kick and a double-fist punch. Zack loved dancing almost as much as he loved being a Power Ranger. In fact, he frequently incorporated dance moves into his fighting style, even developing his own dance-based martial art called Hip Hop Kido. He’d also taught a couple classes in it at the Angel Grove Youth Center.

  “Zack, watch out for my orange banana,” Billy exclaimed, jumping to his feet and hurrying over to a workbench close to where the Black Ranger was dancing.

  “Your orange banana?!” both Jason and Zack exclaimed at the same time, exchanging amazed looks.

  “Let’s see it,” said Jason.

  “Let’s eat it,” added Zack.

  “It’s not really an orange banana,” the Blue Ranger explained a little apologetically. He didn’t enjoy disappointing his friends. “That’s just what I call my organic molecular rearranger laser.”

  “Your what-uh what-uh what-uh laser?” asked Zack.

  “It’s just a laser that rearranges the molecular structure of organic matter,” Billy told them. “At least, that’s what it’s supposed to do.” He then frowned, knitting his eyebrows together as he thought about the challenges he was facing with the invention.

  “Billy,” Jason said, “you realize we don’t have Trini here to translate your science speak. Can you explain it again, but this time in English?”

  “Okay, fine.” Billy was used to his friends not always following his train of thought when he was talking about science. “Let’s say you have an orange, but you don’t want an orange. You want a banana. I’m working on a laser that can change molecular structure. So basically a laser that can turn an orange into a banana.”

  “An orange banana,” both Jason and Zack said, nodding their heads and laughing. Leave it to the Blue Ranger to come up with an idea like that.

  “So, let’s see it work,” Zack said eagerly. He loved getting to use Billy’s inventions; especially if it was something that could help fight Rita and her flunkies. But inventions involving food were also interesting.

  “Well . . .” Billy looked a little glum. “That’s the problem,” he told them. “It’s doesn’t work. Not really.”

  “Come on,” Zack said, his hand poised to press a button on the device. “Just one little demo.”

  “Don’t touch,” Billy said. “Please,” he added. “It’s just . . . it’s in a fragile state because it’s not in its metal housing. Anyway, I’m out of fruit.”

  “Hold up,” Jason said, coming over to stand by his friends. “Billy’s the scientist and he says it’s not ready, so I think we have to respect that. And besides,” he added, “it’s his toy; he calls the shots.”

  “Otherwise he might take his laser and go home,” Zack said with a laugh. And then he turned to the Blue Ranger. “Sorry, Billy. It’s just you make a lot of cool stuff, and sometimes it’s really tempting to push a button or two.”

  “That’s all right,” Billy told him. “But it’s best to be familiar with a machine’s capabilities before you use it.”

  “That’s right,” Zack added. “What if your laser ended up turning an orange into a lima bean? That would be a complete waste of good fruit.”

  Billy went back to where he was fixing the wrist communicator. “Okay,” he said, handing the watch to the Red Ranger, “why don’t you give this a quick test and then we should be all set to go.”

  “Sounds good,” said Zack. “Kimberly and Trini are probably already at the beach.”

 
Jason strapped on the communicator and then pressed the transmit button. “Alpha 5. Come in, Alpha 5,” he said.

  “This is Alpha 5,” said the mechanical-sounding voice belonging to the robot, Alpha 5. He basically ran everything at the Command Center because Zordon, an alien and the Power Rangers’ mentor, still struggled to escape a time warp that held him trapped between two dimensions. “Hello, Red Ranger. It’s good to hear from you. How may I assist?”

  “Sorry to bother you, Alpha. I was just testing to see if my wrist communicator was working again,” Jason admitted.

  “You’re coming in loud and clear,” the robot told him. “Is there anything else you wish to communicate?”

  “Not really,” Jason said. “We’re about to hit the beach.”

  “Have a pleasant afternoon,” the robot told him.

  “Roger that.” The Red Ranger grinned at his friends before saying, “Surf’s up.”

  Meanwhile, in Rita Repulsa’s fortress on the moon, the sorceress was in her usual foul mood. “Where are those blasted Power Rangers?” she demanded, stomping around her observatory, her long brown-and-gold robes swishing behind her. She tucked a white lock of hair into her elaborate two-peaked headdress and peered through her telescope at the little corner of Earth known as Angel Grove. “I need to get rid of Zordon’s nasty little pets so that I can finally conquer Earth!”

  “Yes, oh mighty sorceress,” agreed Baboo. “That is an excellent plan.”

  “But how?” she demanded, taking a swat at the creature that looked like his father was a monkey and his mother was a bat. “I need a new plan. Those disgusting do-gooders keep defeating every monster I throw at them.”

  There was the sound of a bell chiming, and a few moments later a second minion, Squatt, came stumbling into the room. He was out of breath and obviously excited. “Your royal . . . most excellent . . . Rita,” he gasped. “I . . . we . . . she . . .” He was wheezing so heavily that he couldn’t get out any words.

  “What is it, you blithering buffoon? I don’t have all day,” Rita screeched.

  “She’s here,” Squatt managed to say after taking a deep breath. He was so excited that his blue skin was sweating. While dabbing at his enormous goblin chin with a cloth, he continued with, “Your guest, Scorpina, has finally arrived.”

  “Well, why didn’t you say something sooner?” Rita demanded. “Don’t just stand there sweating like a toad. Where is she? Lead her in!” she said, giving him a shove. “Get some refreshments.”

  Even though Squatt started rushing back toward the door, it was too late for him to properly escort Rita’s guest into the observatory. Scorpina had already shown herself the way.

  Scorpina appeared to be her usual, charming self. Her gold scorpion-shell armor was polished to a high shine and clung snugly to her body.

  “Darling Rita,” Scorpina said, tilting her head and smiling while she looked out of the corner of her eye. “Would you have me wait in the entrance hall all day?”

  “Scorpina, old friend!” Rita exclaimed.

  “Not too old I hope,” Scorpina said with a laugh, running a hand over her gold, shell-like helmet.

  “No, not old at all,” Baboo hurried to say.

  “Neither one of you looks a day over four hundred,” Squatt felt the need to add.

  “Shush,” Baboo hissed at his friend, giving him an elbow. “Leave the compliments to me.”

  “So, why have you summoned me?” Scorpina asked, strutting across the room to the telescope. “Still trying to get rid of those awful Power Rangers so you can conquer this puny blue planet? What’s it called again?” She took a moment to think it over. “Oh, yes . . . Earth.”

  “Can’t I just want to spend some time with my friend?” Rita asked with a hand to her heart, pretending to be hurt.

  “You could,” was the lady scorpion’s amused reply, “but I wouldn’t believe you.”

  “You hurt my feelings,” Rita insisted. “And here I had Baboo make you such a pretty present.”

  Upon hearing this, Scorpina lit up with excitement, a big smile spreading her ruby red lips. “A present? For me?”

  Spinning around to glare at Baboo, Rita said, “What are you waiting for? Go get it.”

  “Yes, your royal evilness,” Baboo said with a hasty bow, before scampering from the room.

  Rita rubbed her forehead, as if trying to fight off a headache. “It’s so hard to get good help these days.”

  “So tell me,” Scorpina said while they were waiting, “is Zordon really giving you that much trouble?”

  “Zordon,” the sorceress said with disgust. “I’d probably be rid of him already if it weren’t for those horrid, helmet-headed freaks. It’s the Power Rangers. They always ruin all my beautifully wicked plans.”

  Just then Baboo hurried back into the room holding a small, wrapped box in his hands. “I have it, Your Majesty,” he called.

  “Let me see it!” Squatt squealed, rushing toward his friend.

  “No,” said Baboo, holding the box in the air to keep it out of the shorter minion’s reach. “It’s for Scorpina.”

  “Oh, come on,” Squatt said, jumping up and down while trying to grab the box. “Just give me a little peek.”

  “Get out of the way, you nitwits,” Rita yelled, snatching the box from Baboo. “Stand back. You keep clowning around like that and you’re going to knock somebody over.” Then, sweeping across the room, she approached her friend with the small trinket box extended on the palm of her hand. “This is for you,” she said. “I had Baboo make it especially for you.”

  “What is it?” Scorpina asked, eagerly tearing off the colorful paper and flipping open the lid.

  Inside the box was a gold ring with a round, glowing yellow jewel on the top. “Rita, you didn’t!” Scorpina exclaimed.

  “I did,” was the sorceress’s reply, a wicked grin on her face. “It’s an Eclipse Ring. I had Baboo make it exactly like the ring you lost when we were conquering the Zelton Galaxy. Or was it the Xelton Galaxy?”

  “Zelton,” Scorpina said decisively.

  Rita waved a dismissive hand through the air. “Oh, who can remember?”

  Scorpina pulled the ring out of the box and slipped it on her finger. Extending her hand to admire the ring, she said, “It’s absolutely lovely. Does it work like my old one?”

  Baboo rushed forward to answer. “It should, your scorpion-ness. I made it to Rita’s exact specifications.”

  “Let’s give it a little test run,” Scorpina said, pointing her new ring in Squatt’s direction.

  “Eek!” shrieked the blue warthog-like creature, dashing across the room as fast as he could run before she could get him in her sights.

  “Maybe leave my minions alone,” Rita suggested to her guest. “At least until I can find some more suitable replacements.”

  “Okay, fine,” Scorpina said with a cruel laugh. She adjusted her aim, choosing to point the ring at Rita’s telescope. Then she lifted a well-concealed latch on the ring and twisted the yellow stone in the center. A bright beam of golden light shot out of the ring and surrounded the telescope. The instrument glowed for a moment and then vanished. When Scorpina closed the latch and lowered her arm, the formerly brilliant yellow stone was now black as faceted obsidian.

  “Where’d it go?” Squatt yelled, running over to where the telescope had stood just moments earlier. “What happened to the telescope?” He began swiping his hands through the air.

  “Don’t do that. You might knock it over, you nincompoop!” Rita bellowed.

  “But, Your Majesty, it’s gone,” the minion insisted.

  “It is and it isn’t,” she said with a shrug. “It’s gone, but not completely. It’s an Eclipse Ring.”

  “Oh, an Eclipse Ring,” Squatt said, nodding his head, although it was obvious he was still confused.

  B
aboo pulled his friend aside. “You know what happens with a solar eclipse, right?”

  “Yes,” said Squatt, but then he quickly followed that up with, “No.”

  “A solar eclipse is when the moon passes between Earth and the sun, making it look like the sun has disappeared. It hasn’t, really. People on Earth just can’t see the sun because the moon is in the way.”

  “Oh.” Squatt scratched his head. “So Rita’s telescope is still there, only we can’t see it because the moon is in the way?”

  “Not exactly.” Baboo shook his head. “With the Eclipse Ring, the telescope is still there, but just in an alternate dimension.”

  Squatt reached out and felt around in the air close to where the telescope had just been standing. “So it’s invisible?”

  “No,” Baboo went on. “It’s still there, just not in this dimension. It’s like it’s in the dimension next door.”

  “Wow.” Squatt’s eyes grew round as he tried to take it all in.

  “There’s something I forgot to tell you,” Baboo said, turning back to Rita and her guest. “I know you didn’t request it, Your Majesty, but I took the liberty of making one tiny modification of my own to the ring.”

  Rita’s eyes narrowed. “Took it upon yourself, did you?” she growled. “Well, this had better be good.”

  “I hope you’ll approve,” Baboo said, obviously feeling nervous about making changes to the ring without getting his leader’s approval. “I made it so that Scorpina doesn’t have to bring an object back before she can make another object disappear. Now it’s a rapid-fire Eclipse Ring rather than just a single shot. She should be able to easily blast all of the Power Rangers into an alternate dimension, even if she ends up doing it one Ranger at a time.”

  “Ha-ha-ha!” Rita released howls of laughter. “So all Scorpina has to do is keep blasting until the Power Rangers are all gone? I’ll be rid of those annoying teenagers forever? That’s brilliant!”

  “Thank you, your evilness,” Baboo said, sounding both flattered and relieved.

  Scorpina grinned, admiring the ring even more. “Now that’s what I call an upgrade.”