Power Rangers: Arc One: The Enemy Within

[B Samurai]

'For three or four months, murder had been on the mind of every citizen of Angel Grove, or at least that's what I'd been hearing. It all started out one cloudy Thursday morning when one body was found mauled to death. Actually, there wasn't that much of a body left. Splattered in between the alley of Ray's Diner and a Movie Gallery that was far past it's prime, was the blood of the victim. The blood however was sprayed in such an erratic pattern, that the police and coroners had no idea on what to think of it. So the police had dubbed the murder as an 'animal attack,' which was usually code for, 'We don't know, we don't like to know, and we'll just leave it at that.' However, I couldn't, and my investigation began....

Months had passed since the first murder, during that time, ten more 'animal attacks' were reported. Each one of these, 'animal attacks' were more gruesome than the first, and by the signs of it, they weren't letting up. So Xander had taken it upon himself to actually set himself upon the path that would eventually find the murderer. But just like the police, he was stumped, and there was nothing he could do to figure it out. Each crime scene had been scrubbed and cleaned up. Each victim's identity had been kept safe from the public. And whatever the police knew, if anything, was being kept to themselves. So essentially, Xander had nothing to work with. But luckily the young man was a pushy bastard, and he would get a break sooner or later, so he thought.

As he laid in bed, wondering on what the key to the case could be, he more or less got his big break. The police radio that he had picked up for his travels during his early Black Ranger days was sitting at the far end of the room, was an essential tool in helping to fight crime. As he stared at it, the radio blared, signaling that something was going down.

'We've got another animal attack in the parking lot behind the Food Lion on First Street. We have reports that the animal may or may not be there. All cars please report to the scene.'

"I got backup then," sighed Xander as he got up and put on his jacket. He liked to think of himself as a defender of the people, yet when it messed with his sometimes important sleep schedule, he disliked the self appointed job. Fishing around in his pocket, he found his power morpher, and looked at the mastodon coin held inside of it. "You've got me through some rough times kid, but if I ever come across this wild animal running around, I'm going to need you the most." He quickly pocketed the morpher, opened up his front door, and headed out to town.

(Yay! I started it! As for right now, you guys can be doing whatever. Daily routines would be cool, or you could be fighting crime. If you feel like following Xander, just don't rush ahead and say you spot the body or anything. Alright guys, let's get started! :thumbs: )

 

[minmaxticus]

Hayato pushed the mop bucket along, occasionally taking sidelong glances from under his maintenance man ball cap. The juice bar's back rooms were deserted, the people of Angel Grove not really in the mood for confetti laden soccer mom parties or hip-hopkido lessons these days. Water splattered on the smooth concrete as the bucket's wheels hit the seam between each pad, but Hayato kept pushing it down the hall. After a moment, an older man in a faded hawaiian shirt pushed open a door near the far end of the hall where Hayato was pushing the bucket.

The older man's hair was a dulled brown, with some streaks of grey. He looked haggard, his once beefy frame less immense then it once was. He coughed wetly, cleared his throat.

"Hey, could you hurry that up here?"

Hayato put his head down and pushed faster.

"Sorry Ernie," he said through a coarse accent. Ernie glanced at him as the younger man pushed through the doors and hustled to the spill, he wave off the apology.

"It's ok, it's ok...," he said, coughing again. "Money's just tight, and I don't want people thinking the Juice Bar's falling apart any more then it... " -cough cough- "Already is. Ugh. I need a cigarette break. Watch the counter, would you?"

Ernie pushed his way back into the back room and wheezed down the hallway until he reached the back door so he could light up in the back lot in peace. Hayato put his head down and scrubbed the sticky mess off the peeling, stained floor.

 

[Nassuman]

Malcolm walked the dreary streets of Angel Grove with swagger and confidence. He had nothing to worry about, even though the rest of the world did. He stopped at the newspaper stand and bought an issue of "The Angel Grove Gazette". The Newstand vendor had that same dead look in his eyes. Malcolm smiled at the old man in the booth, not really expecting a smile back.

"Good day isn't it?" said Malcolm.

"Good day to die if that's what you mean..." said the old man.

"No need to be grumpy! An attitude like that ruins good days like this! Keep your head up and smile!"

The old man looked at Malcolm like he was a mad-man. Close enough of a guess to be half-right. Malcolm walked away, beginning his strut-like walk once again. He came upon the Juice Bar and noticed that it was still open. He walked up to the front door and looked through it. It was mostly empty, save for a few tables and one employee cleaning.

It had been awhile since he had something fruity to drink, almost three whole hours! So he opened the door and walked in. He patted Hayato's shoulder as he passed him and sat at the bar. He drummed on the bar table a bit before noticing that noone was going to serve him. He turned to Hayato.

"Hey?! You still serve people right?"

 

[minmaxticus]

Hayato stopped scrubbing as the man put his hand on his shoulder, and then he slowly continued as the man took a seat. He looked at the man sideways, sizing him up as he finished cleaning the spill of the floor. The man said something to him.

Eh? H-hai.Erm... please excuse, my english, it is not so good. , he replied, standing hastily. He let the rag drop back into the bucket and hurried to the door. He turned, bowing meekly.

Just a moment, please. He said, and then he slipped into the back and hurried down the hall. He pushed his way out the back door just as Ernie was finishing his smoke.

Ernie, there is a customer.

Ernie looked up and nodded, wheezing as he stood. He squeezed around the dilapidated porch furniture and went back inside. Hayato followed him, his sense stretched out as he merely watched and went back to his work, a simple maintenance man in a greasy threadbare jumpsuit.

-cough cough- "Hi, sorry about that - we've been real slow today and thought I could sneak out back for a smoke break... heh heh... What can I getcha?," the older man asked, smiling pleasantly.

 

[Nassuman]

"Gimme today's special! And if you don't have a special then whip one up quick!" said Malcolm with a grin.

Malcolm then turned to Hayato and suddenly spoke Japanese. He said something along the lines of "How is your grandmother's bathroom? I hear it's great in the pool."

Malcolm then opened his newspaper, waiting for his drink to be ready. The headline read "Mysterious Animal Attacks Again". It went on to talk about the series of animal attacks that had been occurring lately. The only survivors talked gibberish afterwards.

Whatever happened to people killing eachother?

 

[minmaxticus]

Ernie's eye immediately brightened and he nodded.

"You got it," he said. As he turned to get the guy his drink. Hayato stiffened as the man babbled nonsense in Japanese. Finished with the spill, he stood up and replied.

Whoever taught you Japanese was clearly a poor teacher.

He turned to Ernie.

I've finished, may I go?, he asked. Ernie turned with a giant glass of smoothie and nodded.

"Yeah, sure. Thanks Hayato."

Hayato nodded and pushed the bucket back to the maintenance room, taking note of just what article Malcolm was reading. The push-door slipped shut behind him as Ernie set the drink down in front of Malcom.

"Here ya go. I had ta use some frozen stuff, but you know... it's just terrible keeping fresh fruit in here all the time. It's expensive as heck these days," Ernie said, leaning on the counter. "Let me know what you think."

 

[Nassuman]

Malcolm looked at Hayato.

"And whoever taught you how to brighten someone's day needs lessons themselves!" said Malcolm in his perpetual playful tone.

He drank from the smoothie, taking a long drawn out slurp from the straw. He closed his eyes and sat back, with a look of joy on his face.

He sighed with joy.

"Best smoothie I've had in ages! I might just become a regular here!"

He finished his drink, and picked up his newspaper from the counter. He got up and headed for the exit. He looked back at Ernie.

"By the way, your employee is something special, remember that..." said Malcolm in a mysterious tone.

He walked out of the Juice Bar and made his way to his apartment.

 

[minmaxticus]

Ernie watched Malcom leave with a mild look of surprise on his face, until a smile of his own spread across his face. Maybe things in Angel Grove were looking up, after all. He cleaned up the bar with a cheerful tune on his lips.

From the shadows, Hayato watched Malcom leave. He'd slipped out of his greasy overalls and hat, ditching them in the bag he left in the back of the juicebar. His eyes narrowed, and then he throttled up the motorcycle and left himself, clad in an emerald helmet and black racing leathers slashed with jade.