Five Stars of Heaven: Chapter Fourteen

Less-than Serious

From the journal of Tommy Oliver

Reefside, VA 2013

A particular battle came to mind when Conner, Ethan, and Kira asked me about the weirdest fight I was in during my days as a Ranger. I hadn't thought about the incident in quite some time. Parts of it were actually fun...and crazy. Crazy most of all.

It was about eleven years ago back in Angel Grove, when I was still getting used to being a leader. We fought against the Gorma at the time, and each villain was blood thirsty and evil to the bone.

Each villain except for a certain three. Rocky could never remember their names, but he repeatedly called them the Three-Stupid Gorma.

We first met the trio when they tried to defeat us by using soccer. Needless to say, Conner got a kick out of this part of the story. They set up a soccer game with electric fields, so every time they scored, the goals sent a bolt of electricity that exploded against our armor.

It wasn't long before we met the dumb trio again, and learned just how far their insane obsession with sports went.

Angel Grove, the present

Rocky jogged near the railroad tracks, where a row of boxcars sat empty. He wiped sweat from his brow and kept moving, despite the nagging feeling in the back of his mind. Something was not right. He could feel it in the air.

As if on cue, a civilian stumbled out from between the boxcars and ran for his life, screaming at the top of his lungs.

Rocky dashed forward to investigate. He hopped between two boxcars and landed to face three Gorma he thought were dead: Hakaishi Shacho, Denwa Sensei, and Kamikaze Taisho- the San Baka Gorma

Kamikaze was the leader, dressed in armor with a motorcycle motif. He wore a white bandana on his head. Hakaishi Shacho resembled just that, a broken tombstone with a single eye. Denwa Sensei was the baby girl of the group, dressed in armor with a telephone motif.

"You three," Rocky said, not bothering to snap into a fighting stance. "You're still alive?"

The Three Gorma Stooges were leaning against another boxcar, their shoulders slumped down low. Denwa started crying, sobbing into her hands.

Rocky raised an eyebrow.

"Do not stare, Ranger," Kamikaze said. "You don't understand. Go."

"What are you three up to?" Rocky asked.

"Go," Kamikaze said as Denwa sobbed louder, a high-pitched noise that annoyed Rocky enough to make him shudder.

Tombstone looked to his leader. "We should tell him."

"Are you crazy?" Kamikaze snapped. "He's a Ranger. No honor."

Rocky knitted his brow. "Excuse me...you kidnapped my friend's sister and threatened to kill her if we didn't win a soccer game."

Denwa wailed louder.

"Seriously," Rocky said. "What's her problem."

"Tell him," Tombstone said.

Kamikaze narrowed his eye. "We are sick of fighting. If we beat you at our next game, we are released. If we lose...we die."

Denwa wailed louder. And louder.

"What are you saying?" Rocky asked.

"Help us," Tombstone said.

From the journal of Tommy Oliver

Reefside, VA 2013

They talked Rocky into it somehow. He was to throw the baseball game, giving the Gorma a win, and releasing the trio from their master's control.

Conner couldn't believe any ranger would trust a villain, but I know better. Conner would have probably done the same thing.

We went to a baseball diamond later that day and met the Gorma Stooges along with their team of Kyonshi. They each gave us hats rigged with bombs. Kamikaze had assured Rocky the bombs would be fake.

Angel Grove, the present

The rangers tossed their caps into the air and armed their morphers. "Chakra ignite, Aura Power!" they shouted as they connected their morphers. Energy shimmered around them as they morphed into their armor.

They placed on their hats and snapped into a fighting stance as a group. "Heaven Star Task Force...Angel Grove Rangers!" They couldn't help but smile beneath their helmets.

The Gorma were up to bat.

Tenma Ranger was pitching, Lion Ranger was catching.

Tombstone stepped up to bat as his sister cheered him on from the dugout.

The Blue Ranger hurled a fast ball. Tombstone swung the bat, knocking the ball away towards right field.

Dragon Ranger pounced forward and used his staff like a pole-vault to reach up and catch the ball. "Kimberly!" He tossed the ball to Phoenix Ranger at first base.

The Pink Ranger caught the ball as Tombstone charged towards her. The Gorma opened a crack on the top of his tombstone. A blast of flame fired from the crack and exploded against Phoenix Ranger with a burst of spark, knocking her backward.

Tombstone was safe on first.

From the journal of Tommy Oliver

Reefside, VA 2013

A few innings later, the Gorma had four runs, and we were...lacking to say the last. None of us had made it past second base.

So we decided to get a little creative.

Adam used his illusion powers to confuse Denwa and make it to home base. Kimberly used her wind power to make the ball curve in her favor. The White Ranger even arrived, before we knew his true identity. He didn't use his powers, but managed to tie the game.

Bottom of the ninth.

Two outs.

Rocky was up to bat.

Kamikaze let loose with a fast ball that Rocky let speed past him. Strike one. We had no idea at the time that Rocky was actually trying to throw the game. The Gorma fired a curve ball for his next pitch. Rocky swung a foul that landed in the dugout and hit me in the helmet, knocking off my hat.

The bomb on the hat exploded. It was not a fake as they had tricked Rocky into believing.

Angel Grove, the present

Tenma Ranger narrowed his eyes beneath his helmet. Kamikaze laughed at the Blue Ranger, mocking the teen for falling for an obvious trick.

"I can't believe I trusted you..." Tenma Ranger said as he tightened his grip on his bat and stepped up to the plate.

Kamikaze laughed. "I can."

"I am so over it," Tenma Ranger said. "Pitch..."

Kamikaze wound back and launched the ball with a streak of motion. Tenma Ranger transferred his gravity power into the bat and swung with a streak of blue. The bat nailed the ball out of the field and shattered into splitters on impact.

It was a home run. The Rangers had won, and the three Gorma's helmets exploded accordingly.

From the journal of Tommy Oliver

Reefside, VA 2013

I could have explained more. We would run into the stupid trio again. They would actually, no matter how unlikely, become an important part of Rocky's experience as a Ranger.

But that's a story for another time.

To be continued...Chapter 15