by Neo Edmund
“Give it to him good,” Kimberly signed to Sarah.
Sarah picked up a tomato and flung it at Skull, missing him by a long shot.
She gritted her teeth and flung another tomato, then another, and another, missing every time. Skull taunted her with goofy faces and obnoxious laughs. After going through half the bucket without success, Sarah slumped in defeat.
“Don’t worry. They’re not worth getting upset over,” Kimberly signed.
“I’m not ready to give up,” Jack said. He rolled up his sleeves and took a stance like a baseball pitcher, then flung the tomato like a pro, hitting Skull right in the face. “Did I mention I went all-state in college?” he asked with a grin.
Kimberly and Sarah cheered.
“No fair. You didn’t say I’d really get hit,” Skull whined to Bulk.
“Should have thought of that before you took the job,” Bulk said, and laughed.
“Your job isn’t done yet. I plan to get my twenty bucks’ worth,” Jack said. He then grabbed another tomato. For the next few minutes, Kimberly and Sarah cheered Jack on as he flung one tomato after the next, nailing Skull again and again.
Skull ducked, ran for cover, and cowered in the corner. When Bulk began mocking Skull, Jack flung tomatoes at him, too. By the time Jack was done, a crowd had gathered, and all were laughing and pointing at Bulk and Skull.
“I don’t see anything funny about this,” Bulk whined.
“Yeah, we’re just a couple of guys trying to make a buck,” Skull sobbed.
“I hope you learned your lesson,” Kimberly said. “It doesn’t feel too good to be laughed at.”
“This is all your fault,” Bulk barked at Skull.
“My fault? You said this job would be easy,” Skull barked back.
They wrestled around like a pair of rowdy kids.
“Way to go, Dad,” Sarah signed to Jack, and gave him a big hug.
“Yeah, Mr. Robins. You really do have some tricks left in you.” Kimberly gave Jack a pat on the shoulder.
“Thanks,” Jack said. Then he gripped his shoulder. “Though I might have overdone it just a bit.”
“Sure you can still do the contest?” Kimberly asked.
“No problem. I just need to sit down for a bit,” Jack said. He stumbled over to a bench and hunched in pain.
“I’d better go with him,” Sarah signed, and then followed her father.
Kimberly’s communicator chimed. She sighed, fearing this would be more bad news. “What’s up, Alpha?” she asked.
“Aye-yi-yi,” Alpha 5 cried. “Somebody had to drop out of the gymnastics contest, so you’re up next.”
“Aye-yi-yi is right,” Kimberly grumbled. “The contest here starts in twenty minutes.”
“It looks like you’re going to have to make a choice between one or the other,” Alpha 5 said gravely.
Kimberly saw Sarah rubbing Jack’s shoulder. Judging by the strained look on his face, she doubted he would be able to run the course that day, or perhaps any other. It was now certain that it was up to her to save the Center.
“Alpha, I’m still going to do both,” she decided.
“Final call for Kimberly Ann Hart. Please report to the contest floor in one minute, or you will be disqualified,” an announcer said over the intercom of the Angel Grove Youth Center.
Kimberly hurried out of the dressing room, after having made a quick change into her leotard. Careful to assure herself that nobody was watching, she pulled out her Morpher and removed the Power Coin. She then safely tucked the coin inside her leotard, and hid the Morpher at the bottom of her backpack.
On the intercom, the announcer said, “Sorry, folks, it appears Kimberly Hart will not be competing today.”
“Wait, I’m here,” Kimberly called out, rushing toward the check-in table.
The manager at the table gave Kimberly a disapproving glare. “I was a half second from crossing your name off the list. If this happens again, you won’t be so lucky,” she said.
Kimberly nodded and thanked the manager.
While walking over to the balance beam, Kimberly did a few quick stretches. She usually would have done her full warm-up routine, but she didn’t want to upset the judges any further. She then stuffed her backpack under a nearby bench and took her starting position.
Kimberly took a deep breath and sprinted toward a springboard. In a single bound, she somersaulted high into the air. When she landed on the balance beam, a glimmering gold light caught her eye. It was Goldar, standing on the opposite end of the beam.
“We meet again, Pink Ranger,” Goldar said.
Kimberly was so startled that she almost fell from the beam. She knew this would cost her a minor point deduction, but not nearly as much as it would have cost her if she had fallen. Of course, that was the least of her problems at the moment.
“Hope you’re ready to play some more,” Goldar said. He started to wildly swing his sword. Kimberly perfectly executed a series of dazzling backflips, half-twists, and split leaps to dodge the strikes and stay on the beam.
The audience cheered with great excitement. Based on their reaction, Kimberly was certain that they couldn’t see Goldar. She decided it was time to turn the situation to her advantage.
“Now it’s my turn to play,” she said.
She unleashed a melee of high kicks, bashing Goldar in the stomach, chest, and face. Then she did a triple spinning jump kick, landing three strikes to his jaw. Goldar grunted and dizzily stumbled backward.
The crowd again cheered excitedly. Kimberly knew she was showing them something they had never seen before. She also knew it was time to perform her dismount and finish the routine.
“I’m going to make you suffer for that,” Goldar wailed.
“Not before I make you suffer,” Kimberly said with gritted teeth. She leaped high and gave Goldar a double front kick, then twisted into a backflip. Goldar soared away and crashed face-first into the ground.
When Kimberly landed on the beam, she performed two back handsprings and then dismounted with a double backflip twist. The crowd cheered wildly when she stuck a perfect landing.
As Kimberly wheezed to catch her breath, she looked around to make sure Goldar was gone. Then the familiar chime of her communicator watch sounded from inside her backpack.
As much as Kimberly wanted to wait around to find out her score, she didn’t have a moment to spare. She scooped up her backpack and raced over to the dressing room. Once inside, she took the communicator from her backpack and strapped it to her wrist.
“What’s up, Alpha?” she asked.
“Aye-yi-yi. I don’t mean to rush you, but they just announced you’re up next at the Toughest Warrior contest,” Alpha 5 said frantically.
“Not already,” Kimberly said with a sigh. She made a quick change back into her tracksuit, and slipped her Power Coin into her pocket.
“I’m sorry, Kimberly. Nobody will blame you if you back out now,” Alpha 5 replied.
“I can’t do that. The kids at the Center are counting on me,” Kimberly said. She peeked out into the dressing room to make sure nobody was around. She then tapped her communicator and was gone in a flash.
Back at Angel Grove Park, Kimberly raced through the crowded carnival to get to the Toughest Warrior obstacle course. By the time she made it to the check-in desk, she was wheezing to catch her breath.
Sarah raced over to greet Kimberly. “I’m so happy you’re still here. We thought maybe you had changed your mind,” she signed.
“I would never back out on a promise,” Kimberly replied. She looked around for Jack. “What happened to your dad?”
Sarah grimaced and pointed toward the obstacle course. Kimberly’s heart sank when she saw Jack was at the midpoint of the course, hunched over in exhaustion, and limping on a twisted ankle. He tried to leap to a rotating pl
atform, but missed and plummeted into a pool far below.
Sarah sulked in disappointment. “I tried to talk him out of it, but we thought you had left, so he felt like he didn’t have a choice,” she signed.
Kimberly sighed, feeling awfully guilty.
The show manager approached Kimberly. “Listen up, Hart, I’m only saying this once. You will be disqualified if you so much as take one step onto the course before the starting buzzer sounds. And if you want to advance to the next round, you must complete every challenge and hit the big red button in under ten minutes. Do you understand these rules?” he asked.
Kimberly nodded an affirmative. She then handed her backpack to Sarah. “Please keep this safe. Keep it close to you,” she signed.
“I promise,” Sarah signed back.
• • •
In the Moon Palace, Rita Repulsa was spying on Kimberly through her telescope. Her eyes widened with wicked delight when she saw Kimberly had given her backpack to Sarah. “Oh, this is just too perfect,” Rita said. “That foolish Pink Ranger has left her backpack in the hands of her mousy little friend.”
Rita turned to Goldar, who was standing by her side. “Get down there and grab the girl and the backpack while the Pink Ranger is distracted with that ridiculous obstacle course.”
“How would getting the Pink Ranger’s backpack help us, my queen?” Goldar asked, scratching his head in confusion.
Rita bashed Goldar with her staff. “The Pink Ranger’s Morpher is inside the backpack. No Morpher means no morphing.”
Goldar raised a fist, now understanding her meaning. “Yes. Without her Morpher, the Pink Ranger couldn’t hope to stop us.”
“And with you holding her little friend hostage, she’ll have no choice but to do whatever you say,” Rita said.
“And what will I say she has to do, my queen?” Goldar asked curiously.
Rita groaned in irritation. “Take you to the Command Center. With her help, you’ll be able to get inside without being detected. Zordon wouldn’t see you coming until it’s too late.” Rita again struck Goldar with her staff. “Now get out of my sight and don’t you dare fail me again.”
• • •
Kimberly anxiously stood waiting on the starting platform of the obstacle course. Her nerves were so rattled, she didn’t hear the starting buzzer sound. If not for the crowd screaming for her to go, she might have stood there all day.
The first obstacle was an ascending balance beam spanning a water pit. Kimberly hurried across with effortless ease. She then leaped across three rotating platforms, while narrowly evading swinging ropes that had large rubber balls hooked to the ends.
Next, she climbed a rope while water jets blasted down on her from above. At the top, she swung on a trapeze to cross a wide chasm. After that, she leapfrogged across six floating platforms. Then she raced across the collapsing bridge, narrowly making it to the other side.
When she reached the midpoint of the course where Jack had fallen, she glanced up at the clock. She was thrilled to see that only four minutes had passed. It seemed that six minutes would be more than enough time to reach the end.
Just as she was about to leap to a spinning platform, a blazing flash of light forced her to stop and shield her eyes. When her vision came back into focus, she was startled to see a Putty Patroller standing on the spinning platform. Then she looked up and saw there were more of the dim-witted brutes swarming all throughout the remainder of the course.
With a frustrated sigh, Kimberly grumbled, “Well, isn’t this just spiffy!”
Kimberly gave a hard glare to the Putty Patroller on the spinning platform. “I don’t know why you witless jerks would attack me here, but I’m not about to let you mess up my chance to save the Center,” she said.
She made a leaping dive roll and landed on the spinning platform, then popped up behind the Putty. With a quick side kick, she sent the brute splashing down into the water pit below.
• • •
In the spectator area, Sarah and Jack sat among a cheering crowd. Sarah was still holding Kimberly’s backpack. The sudden appearance of the Putty Patrollers had everyone bewildered with excitement.
“Is this part of the contest?” Sarah signed to Jack.
“If it is, I’m sure glad I tanked before those things showed up,” Jack replied.
• • •
Kimberly leaped across a series of five rising and falling platforms. On each platform, she dodged, jumped over, and shoved a Putty Patroller out of her way.
When she reached a swaying rope bridge, she saw three more of the brutes were blocking her way. As she started to cross, the first Putty locked its burly arms around her. She thrashed around to break free and sent the Putty tumbling.
The crowd cheered excitedly.
The second Putty tried to knock Kimberly off the bridge, but she ducked down.
The third Putty flailed its arms wildly, trying to bash Kimberly. She skillfully placed her toe in its path, causing the Putty to trip and stumble out of sight.
• • •
In the spectator area, Jack and the rest of the crowd stood up and cheered. Sarah could tell by the distressed expression on Kimberly’s face that something about this just wasn’t right. Sarah suddenly noticed a trail of large footsteps were appearing in the nearby grass, as if an invisible man was walking through the crowd, and he seemed to be heading her way.
Sarah tapped her father on the shoulder. “Dad, I think we should get out of here. Something weird is happening,” she signed.
“Sure, honey, just as soon as Kimberly is done,” he replied, and turned his attention back to the obstacle course.
• • •
Kimberly was clawing her way up a rock-climbing wall. She looked down and saw two Putty Patrollers climbing up after her. The first Putty reached up and tried to grab her leg, but Kimberly kicked it hard enough to send it tumbling down.
The second Putty got a grip on Kimberly’s ankle. She had to hold on with all her might as the Putty pulled and pulled. With a strained grunt, Kimberly pulled her leg upward, and then thrust it downward. The Putty lost its grip and plummeted away.
Right as Kimberly clawed her way to the top of the rock wall, a buzzer sounded, indicating she had two minutes remaining to complete the course. She worried that her chance of qualifying for the next round was slipping away.
“If I’m going to finish in time, I need to shift into overdrive,” Kimberly said through gritted teeth.
She broke into a sprint. She executed a spinning jump kick, sending a Putty soaring away, then double-punched another, knocking it out of its senses. With most of the Putty Patrollers now defeated, she was clear to deal with the toughest part of the course.
In the spectator area, Sarah fearfully watched the footsteps of the invisible stalker that were still heading her way. “Dad, please, we have to go,” she signed to Jack.
“We will. Just as soon as Kimberly is finished,” Jack signed in reply.
Sarah’s heart raced with fright when she saw the footsteps of the invisible stalker had stopped directly next to her. With a trembling hand, she reached out, hoping against hope that nothing was actually there. She cried out a frightened squeal when her hand touched something cold and metallic.
“I see you, but you can’t see me,” Goldar said—not that Sarah could hear him.
Goldar reached out and grabbed Sarah’s arm. The feeling of his cold metal glove made her screech even louder. She frantically yanked away from his grip and dashed away, still holding tight to Kimberly’s backpack.
“Hey, get back here,” Goldar said as he furiously stomped off after Sarah.
“Sarah, what’s wrong?” Jack called out, and followed after her.
• • •
A one-minute warning buzzer sounded.
Kimberly was struggling to climb a rope ladder
that led to the final platform. Water jets blasted her from every direction, making it all the more challenging. As if that wasn’t bad enough, two Putty Patrollers were climbing up after her.
With every rung upward, Kimberly could feel her muscles getting weaker. Her fingers ached with fatigue. Outright exhaustion was setting in. She looked down and saw the Putty Patrollers were closing in.
For a brief instant, Kimberly thought about just giving up, but then she realized that doing so would be the same as letting Goldar win, and the Center would suffer for it.
Kimberly dug down deep and found one last spurt of strength. It was just enough to pull herself up over the ledge and roll onto the platform. She had to gasp for every breath as she stumbled to her feet.
The final obstacle was a trapeze spanning a twenty-foot gap. A dozen heavy sandbags were swinging back and forth. Her timing needed to be perfect or she would be knocked off and lose the contest.
She then noticed the Putty Patrollers were climbing up onto the platform. With only thirty seconds remaining on the clock, there was no time to fight them off.
Kimberly had to go now.
• • •
Down on the ground, Sarah raced through the crowd. She looked back over her shoulder but she was unable to see that Goldar was chasing her and gaining on her quickly. It didn’t take long for him to close the distance and grab her from behind.
“Got you now,” Goldar said. He flung Sarah over his shoulder. Before she even knew what was happening, Goldar teleported them away.
Seconds later, Jack frantically raced by, clueless about what had just happened to Sarah.
• • •
Kimberly held tight to the trapeze. She watched the swaying sandbags, waiting for the perfect moment to go. Then the ten-second warning buzzer sounded. The Putty Patrollers rolled up onto the platform. Just as they tried to grab Kimberly, she swung out on the trapeze.
Soaring across the chasm, Kimberly passed between the swinging sandbags, missing each one by inches. When she reached the other side, she let go of the trapeze and flew forward. With only one second left, she reached out and smacked her palm on the big red button. The victory horn sounded. The crowd cheered excitedly.