Episode 3 – Retribution Comes; Arise, LupinKaiser!
It has been some time since ACME and their Patranger squad took out the Gangster Slugster and recovered the collection piece. Though they succeed, it has only put VILE under a heightened state of alert. But as for the other ranger team, the Lupinrangers, they still reel from their previous encounter. Enigma was still driving the X-Train as his wife Patty Larceny was tending to the others. But by that point, the three are already awake. Looks from them symbolize many feelings they have: failure, defeat, humiliation and most of all, outmatched. How can a team of thieves be beaten by a team of operatives? Patty lets off a sigh. She can relate. Big time.
“How long have we been on here?” Carmen asks.
“About an hour, maybe more,” Patty replies.
“An hour?!” Zack wonders, “Man... still can't believe we got wrecked by these brats.”
“It wasn't just you Zack. It was all of us!” Ivy shouts, still feeling the bitter sting of defeat.
“I know you guys are as chipper than ever,” Patty interrupts.
“What about you?” Ivy asks.
“Don't worry about me. Besides, our priority now is to find a base of operations,” She replies.
“We don't need one. Right now, we need to find out where the Patrangers are so we can,” Before Carmen can continue, she feels a bit of pain causing her to wince.
“They can wait Carmen. Right now, a base is what we need and that takes priority. We need it so that you guys can rest and recover,” Patty replies, assuring Carmen over this.
“Guys,” interrupts Player, “I think I found a place. It's somewhere in California and it used to belong to a clothing company that went out of business a few years ago.”
“Were you able to get it?” Patty asks.
“I did. Lupin finalized everything so the property is ours,” Player replies.
“Good,” She follows, “Now to make a few phone calls.”
“I'm sorry. What?” Carmen wonders.
“Don't worry. I got a few friends who are more than willing to help out. You always want to know about the VILE Dropouts right?” She tells her.
Carmen doesn't respond. Neither do the others. But then Player has something to tell them, “Guys. Head to the front. You need to see this.”
Patty along with the others approach the front of the train where Lupin aka Enigma is there, still sitting down on the X Train.
“Okay Player, what's going on?” Carmen asks.
“Social media has been buzzing like mad right now and I don't think you guys are going to be happy,” Player replies to them.
“Tell us. How worse can this possibly get?” She wonders.
“You sure about this?” Player presses a button or two and it causes something to appear on the scene.
What they see has them all in complete shock. They see a photo of the PatKaiser Megazord, standing tall over the city of New York. More photos start coming in. They show the Megazord taking on a Gangler and it was the same size to boot. Another photo also shows the Megazord taking it down.
“Player, we've seen enough,” Carmen says, before turning her attention to Lupin, “What was that just now?”
Enigma sums up his response in just one sentence, “GoodStriker... has he decided to help them out now?”
“Wait a sec, what do you mean by that?” Ivy wonders.
“GoodStriker is basically a wild card, only works for whoever it feels like. Today, it decided to side with the Pat Brats but to think that they would actually use him to do this? That's messed up!”
“I mean, I didn't think these guys would do it. I know in Power Rangers that when a threat decides to grow big, it brings out the big guns. Isn't that what happens?” Zack asks.
“Yes, that's exactly how it happened. GoodStriker became the basis for the Pat Brats! What was the name of it?” Enigma follows.
“According to a social media feed, it's called the PatKaiser Megazord. And get this, Twitter is blowing like mad over a hashtag that has got everyone buzzing. Something like “#PowerRangersAreReal”,” Player tells them.
“Looks like what happened today got the whole world buzzing like mad. Knowing them, they're soaking in the fame like no one's business. This just made our work even harder,” Carmen tells them.
“Guys, I think it's better you get your base in working order. We can worry about the other Rangers later. Right now, your priority is to rest up and recuperate,” Player follows.
“I know,” She tells him, “And you Lupin owe us an explanation... or should I say, a lot of explanations.”
“You want to know everything?” Enigma tells her, “You'll get your wish. Next stop: San Diego!”
With the X Train at full throttle, the Lupinrangers head for the next destination. One that will hopefully get them the rest they need. However considering that Patty started making phone calls, it's to ensure that they are up to speed on what's happened. For the Lupins, they need to get back on the battlefield. They aren't going to let a rag-tag team of gumshoes stop them. No way. No how. Time to fight back Lupins! It's payback time!
Meanwhile at VILE Island...
The sight of seeing PatKaiser taking down the Gangler is one that sends disgust down the spines of VILE's faculty. One team of Rangers is bad but two's even worse, especially when the other team has something that can take the fight to these giants.
“How is this possible?” says Coach Brunt, “How is it that these Rangers have caught up to us? It's absurd!”
“More like unnecessary. Our Gangler failed not once, but twice and that is twice too many times,” Countess Cleo replies.
“He has been removed from our program. We'll have to find a new candidate,” follows Dr. Bellum.
“The failure is on you Bellum,” Maelstrom interrupts, “Considering that you were the one who had brought the Gangler and had made him gigantic with that Lupin Piece.”
“I am aware... yet I am fascinated by it's powers,” Bellum follows, “Either way. We must press onward if we are to have any chance against the Power Rangers.”
“Speaking of them brats,” interrupts Coach Brunt, “The Lupinrangers are nowhere to be found. My guess they are still licking their wounds.”
“I would prefer that we don't show any carelessness here, Coach Brunt,” Shadowsan appeals, “They are still just as dangerous even when cornered.”
“I agree. Dr. Bellum, where is our next candidate?” asks Maelstrom.
“He is currently on assignment. He has stated that he will arrive shortly,” replies Bellum.
“Good. Speaking of which, inform Tigress that our candidate will be joining her,” Maelstrom ensures.
“She is currently at my facility at Indonesia. Apparently it seems that my plan will soon be in place. This time, Carmen Sandiego and her compatriots will not interfere,” follows Bellum.
“You forget that foes who are cornered are more dangerous. We should double our efforts,” Shadowsan tells her.
“I am aware. I will not fail,” Bellum counters.
“Well then. Meeting adjourned. Let us see to it that we succeed in our operations this time,” Maelstrom says, ending the meeting.
Dr. Bellum is the first to depart but knowing her recent failure, she vows not to make the same mistake again. There's also the fact that she has to provide info on the VILE Dropouts. Heading to her personal quarters, she senses something amiss. Turning around, she notices nothing. But she knows that something's up. Regardless she gets near a monitor and turns it on. Tigress shows herself.
“Tigress, has our candidate arrived?” She asks.
“He has. He's awaiting instructions,” Tigress replies.
“Very good,” Bellum follows, smiling that things will proceed as scheduled.
San Diego, California – One hour later...
San Diego, California. The second most populated city in California & 8th largest city in the United States. It's known as the birthplace of California and they couldn't be more right. Far from the city was a warehouse. Built brick by brick, covering two floors and not much else. It used to be a factory made for designing clothes. The property was since abandoned ever since the company that had it went out of business... that is, until Enigma and Player were able to buy the property. With the property sold, Enigma had his personal squad were already at work. Once the five Lupins arrive, they notice some people moving in and out of the place. Carmen, Zack and Ivy are curious by it but the other two aren't since they know who they are.
“Uh Lupin?” asks Carmen, “What's going on? I thought the property was empty.”
“It is. We're just setting things up to make it our makeshift base of operations,” He replies.
“Makeshift base?” Zack asks, “Does it mean that we can get a kitchen? Oh, I feel so hungry that I can eat a horse.”
Ivy suddenly grabs Zack by the ear and replies, “Now isn't the time for it! Let's go!”
The five of them went inside. What they find is people working around the clock getting the base operational. Carmen looks around, noticing many individuals there. Some are people that she has never seen before. Enigma smiles seeing the people at work. Two individual delinquents come in, finishing up their work on some kind of central console.
“Boys, is it online yet?” Lupin asks.
“Almost done,” says one of them.
The other follows, “System online in 1 minute.”
Lupin nods. Truth be told, he wishes that he would get it operational sooner rather than later. The others notice the place getting set up nicely, ranging from a huge TV screen to even of all things, a kitchen. Seeing the Kitchen ready is enough for Zack to go nuts over the amount of food they can store. It's enough to get the others peeved.
“Console online,” they hear.
“Good work boys,” Enigma replies, “Help the others get the base operational. We should have had it up sooner.”
“Yeah sure,” says the fellow who appears in front of the five.
“That's one of the guys?” Carmen asks.
“Is this the new Carmen?” He wonders, “She looks young.”
“Darian, Trent! Finish up. We all got our asses kicked by the Pat Brats,” Patty yells in utter anger.
“Sorry then,” says Trent. He look towards his twin before turning to all of them.
“You know we don't like it when others call us by our names. We're Double Trouble,” follows Darian.
“Wait, so you two were actually,” Carmen wonders before the two would interrupt.
“Yes, we were,” They tell her.
“You want an introduction to the Dropouts?” Enigma asks, “You got it. These two are Double Trouble, real names Darian and Trent. Twin juvenile delinquents that prefer to party rather than do their jobs. They are also my eyes and ears so if I get any word in regards to VILE operations, they will be the first to know.”
Double Trouble nods as they walk off in their usual manner. Their outfits reflect themselves as colors of black and white are seen. Darian has white shades, wears a black jacket with a white long-sleeved shirt and black pants, with white hair and brown skin. Trent is the opposite with his outfit the opposite of Darian's: black shades, a white jacket with a black long-sleeved shirt and white pants. He's got white skin and black hair. Their sneakers are also inverted with black and white colors.
“Guess you weren't kidding with that huh?” Carmen tells him.
“Nope,” Enigma replies, “Anyone else you want to ask about?”
“She can always ask about me,” says someone who is across the room, finishing up getting the giant TV latched onto the wall.
They all look to see and yes, she does share similarities to Coach Blunt. The only difference is that Coach Brunt is a smart mouth, this woman is all strength and a lack of brains. Well, used to anyway.
“And you are?” Carmen asks.
“I'm Eartha Brute, one of the VILE Dropouts. And unlike that bull Coach Brunt, I put up more of a fight,” She says.
“Eartha Brute? I don't think I remember you but I do remember Coach Brunt saying not to mention you around her,” Carmen follows.
“Let's just say that I'm the only one that has ever pissed that bull off. Guess she never learned to protect the face,” Eartha tells.
“Wow, who'd have thought this Lupin guy would have all these people helping out,” Zack says.
“He did say they are in some kind of group. The dropouts? Did VILE really hire these people,” Ivy wonders.
“It was a different time compared to now. They were the best times though,” Enigma explains, “But those times are long gone.”
“Yep. Ever since she just up and vanished... how can any of us forget? We had to go on the run because ACME was closing in on us. On her,” Darian (of Double Trouble) says.
“Her?” Carmen wonders.
“Yep. A woman with the same name as you, Carmen Sandiego. She just up and like, vanished man,” Trent (of Double Trouble) answers.
“That was almost like 20 years ago. I rather not want to think about that. Anyway, is everything operational?” Enigma asks.
“Yep. We are online and ready. Time to see what VILE has up their sleeves,” responds Darian.
The system boots up but instead of the usual thing, we end up seeing a strange thing. It looks like some kind of freaky purple alien, like a one-eye, one horn flying purple people eater. It got all of them spooked. Enigma however is a bit peeved by this.
“Is this your way of a prank boys?” Enigma tells them.
Darian answers, “No. It's no prank. Honest.”
Trent follows, “We thought maybe it would help with the new base man. Relax.”
“Relax... relax?! You turned Kneemoi into an AI for this thing. Who... who the hell thought this was a good idea?!” Enigma yells out in rage.
“Take a guess who?” Eartha interrupts, “That cuckoo of a scientst, Belljar did.”
He shakes his head and says, “Figures. Belljar always likes to do crazy crap like this.”
“So you guys are like a dysfunctional family or something?” Zack wonders.
Everyone looks at Zack and the only response came from Enigma, “Pretty much. We are like a family at times.”
Ivy simply scoffs and replies, “Most of the time.”
“What does that mean?” Zack wonders.
But before Ivy can say anything, the game hears the door bell ring. Enigma goes to check who it is and the instant he sees, has a smile on his face.
“Ah delivery,” He says, opening the door.
To his surprise, he sees three individuals, some of which seem strangely familiar.
“Is this the place?” This fellow says.
“Must be,” responds another.
The third then follows, “Who'd have thought that we'd have to make a delivery to a place like this? Shouldn't we charge extra?”
Carmen and the others notice the three arriving. The only thing that she has right now is concern so she confronts Enigma.
“Lupin, who are these guys? Why are they even here?” She asks.
Enigma replies, “I ordered delivery. Because the kitchen isn't going to be ready for a while.”
“You didn't tell us that we'd get this? What's going on here Enigma?” Carmen asks once again.
“I would concern yourself over why we are here. I mean, your friend did ask for delivery didn't he?” He tells her.
Feeling a bit threatened by his remark, Carmen takes out her VS Changer and aims it at the guy.
“You have about 15 seconds before I make sure you end up on the floor face first,” Carmen threatens, “Who are you?”
Upon seeing Carmen with the VS Changer, he lets out a smile. This catches her off guard. He reacts by giving her a gentle push, causing her to let go. He then grabs it and aims it at her. The rest of them respond by aiming their weapons at them. This gets his attention but turns out, he's not alone as the other two people who were with him stand beside.
“The odds are 5-to-3. You want to test us because you ain't going to get the tip if you do,” Enigma tells them.
He doesn't respond or do anything. Before long, he lowers his aim and then hands the VS Changer back to Carmen. She takes it, without hesitation. Then she aims it at the guy.
“Carmen, no need,” says Enigma.
“Shut up,” She quickly responds, “Who are you? And how do you know I have this?!”
“Guess you just want to go straight to the point huh? I like that,” He follows.
“Fine. You do at least deserve the right to know,” He continues, “I am Kairi Yano... LupinRed!”
This catches Carmen and the team by surprise. Hearing the term LupinRed is enough to shock her. This guy? A Lupinranger? It has to be a joke, she thought.
“It seems that this surprises you. Understandable,” says Kairi, “It has been two years since I chose to move on from being a Lupinranger. To think that it would end up in the hands of people like you.”
“What's your point? And who are the others that you have there?” Carmen asks him.
Fortunately they don't take long to introduce themselves. “Touma Yoimachi. LupinBlue.”
And the other, “You can call me Umika Hayami. I was once known as LupinYellow.”
Zack and Ivy are shocked by their introductions. Kairi. Touma. Umika. The three previous Lupinrangers standing in front of them. Looks like the delivery that came in couldn't be a coincidence.
“Wait a second,” Zack says, “So you guys were Power Rangers before us?”
“Power Rangers? That's a pretty obvious way of putting it but yeah,” Kairi replies, “We started this gig back in 2018. We all had our reasons for doing this but it was more personal than anything else.”
“This doesn't excuse the reason for you being here, aside from some delivery service,” Carmen interrupts.
“I wouldn't call it delivery service if it means that we would be seeing our successors,” Umika answers.
“Successors?” says Ivy.
“Huh? What gives?” Zack follows.
“Yeah. Turns out we were here to see how you guys are faring. I didn't think it would be this bad,” Kairi tells them and that gets the three ticked.
“Hey! You take that back! Sure we tried our best but those Patrangers really beat us down hard. Carmen had it worse!” Zack replies.
“What? Patrangers?” Touma wonders.
“So it looks like Mr. Officer must have found some successors huh? How quaint,” Kairi replies.
“Besides that, we need time to recover and we're not ready to go at it again,” Ivy tells the three.
“I know. You got beat by them. We're only here to do delivery and it's been paid for already. Besides, we only want to see if you guys are worthy to carry on the mantle,” says Kairi, “I know all of you from Kogure. You five are a team that's been fighting against some evil organization for quite a while.”
“Is there anything that you do know about us?” Carmen wonders.
“Yes. Your team has an anomaly. Someone who has a Lupin piece that isn't part of the Collection,” Kairi replies, to which the others suspect that it's none other than Patty Larceny aka LupinPink.
“Yeah. So?” Patty interrupts, “The Patrangers also have someone like that too. What of it?”
“Simply put, someone in this world has been tampering with the Lupin Collection. Creating modified Lupin Pieces and tampering with the very nature of their power. There has been two sightings of these tamperings. We know one thing that the Patrangers have a member that is using such power. The other is of this team, staring right at us,” says Kairi, noticing Patty nearby.
The others see that she's ready to lash out. Not a good sign to say the least.
“Want my Lupin piece? Come get it,” She tells the three, ready to go at it. She takes something from her purse and is ready to attack.
Before a fight happens, Kneemoi (the AI) shows up, interrupting the fight between the two different groups. It's constant jumping and loud yelling catches them by surprise.
“Guys! Guys! Listen up! V.I.L.E is on the move!” shouts Kneemoi.
“Dammit Kneemoi!” Patty shouts, lashing out at it, even though it's only an artifical program.
“Jeez. No need to sound so jumpy,” Kneemoi replies.
“No offense Kneemoi but now isn't the time for it,” Enigma tells it, but then changes the topic, “Wait a sec. V.I.L.E's on the move? What's up?”
“We just intercepted some communications and it looks like something big's happening at Indonesia. I don't know what but I think you guys need to find out,” Kneemoi tells them.
“Indonesia huh? Player did you get all that?” Carmen says, asking.
“Loud and clear Red. Looks like Kneemoi's right. V.I.L.E has something big up their sleeves down there,” Player replies.
“Is there a way we can get a flight down there?” Carmen asks.
“Already done. Flight leaves in about an hour so I suggest you get going,” Player tells them.
Taking her VS Changer and Dial Fighter, she says, “Okay guys. We got our new mission so let's get moving.”
But as she heads to the door, she starts to feel pain. Before long, she's on her knees, reeling from her previous battle.
“Carm!” shouts Zack, coming to her aid. The others soon follow.
“I don't think you should be going at your current condition. Are you willing to throw your own life like that or something so small?” Kairi asks her.
“You know nothing about us! We can handle anything that stands in our way!” Ivy shouts.
“Even so, this is not a laughing matter. Are you still going to do this?” Umika tells them.
“Does it look like we're giving in? No way! We're in this together!” Zack replies.
“I commend their efforts. In spite of disappointing odds, they are diligent,” says Touma, “But I feel that you seem to act like an idiot at times.”
“You take it back man!” Zack shouts, feeling offended by his remark.
“Guys, drop it. Right now we need to get on that flight. We can figure out the rest from here,” Patty tells them.
“Does it mean we can get some food on our flight?” Zack asks.
“Do you want that guy to call you an idiot again?” Patty interrupts, “Do us a favor and shut up!”
Zack says nothing in response. Enigma says, “Then it's official. Player, get our flight ready. We're going through with this.”
“Gotcha,” tells Player, “By the way, the ride is an 18-hour flight. I suggest you use that time to rest and eat up. You'll need it if you are going to go at this at full strength.”
“Whatever it takes then,” Enigma tells him.
Before the five Lupinrangers depart, Kairi tells them one more thing, “You better not disappoint us. You carry with it not only our strengths but our dreams.”
They look at him as he continues, “Show us you have what it takes and maybe we'll ensure that our powers are in good hands.”
The five don't say a word. Without a second thought, they depart. Kairi, Touma and Umika look at each other, seeing that they're going to pull it off. But then Eartha Brute comes out of nowhere, spooking them.
“How long are you guys gonna be here? We need to get things fixed up so if you are finished here, please leave,” She tells them.
The three look at one another once more, knowing that they're done being here. As for the five Lupinrangers, they head for the airport and take a nearby plane to their destination. Their ride knowingly is a long one so they used whatever time they have to plan, along with getting back to full strength.
“Okay so we know that VILE has a base in Indonesia. The question is, what for?” Enigma asks.
“Indonesia is an archipelago of many islands, estimating at 17,000. Not to mention they are the 4th largest population in the world after China, India and the Untied States,” Carmen explains.
“That's a lot of people and a lot of mouths to feed you know?” Zack follows.
“They produce 70 million tons of rice per year. I guess that with all of those mouths to feed, you need at least something to keep them satisfied. It's also their staple food to boot,” Player tells them.
“Not only that but their capital city Jakarta is also known as the Big Durian, named after the fruit Durian, just like with New York and the Big Apple,” Carmen continues.
“Aren't Durian sweet fruit?” Enigma asks.
“Yep. They may be sweet on the inside but the outside smells awful... like unwashed gym socks or something,” Player answers.
“Damn. Fruit that's sweet but smells like rancid horse shit. That's something” Enigma follows.
“At least we know what to expect but the question is what is VILE planning to do down there?” Patty wonders.
“We'll find out when we get there. For now, you guys need to rest up. You'll need it if you want to have a chance against them. Didn't you remember what those three said to yo guys?” Player tells them.
“Don't remind me,” interrupts Carmen, “We got to prove we are worthy but aren't we worthy enough as it is? We've been doing this for a year, tops.”
“True Carm,” Ivy replies, “I mean, we've been doing this ever since we found those things last year. Now not only do we have to deal with VILE and their escapades but also trying to find these trinkets, the Lupin Collection.”
“I will say that after a year, you guys are getting the hang of it. Although now that we have to deal with a rival Ranger team, one that whooped our asses,” Enigma says.
“It makes no difference. We'll take them down if we have to. For now, we should take this opportunity for some R&R. We honestly need it,” He follows.
“Good cause I'm starving and I need to eat,” Zack replies, but not before Enigma shows up to stop him.
“Just make sure you don't hog all the food. I had to buy enough for all of us so that way we can be back on your feet,” Enigma tells him and it's enough to get Zack a little nervous.
“You heard him Zack? Don't get all gluttonous. You are after all a Power Ranger,” Patty replies.
“Fine,” He replies, disappointingly.
“So Player, what are we dealing with?” Carmen asks.
“All we know from Kneemoi is that VILE has a facility somewhere in Java. Whatever it is, you guys have to shut it down,” Player tells them.
“Will this mean we may have to cross paths with any Ganglers?” Ivy wonders.
“Knowing VILE, they will likely have one at their disposal. Besides, they are also trying to get their hands on the Lupin Collection pieces,” Player follows.
“Works for us. We have the stuff needed to open those safes. It'll be simple right?” says Zack as he gorges down on some grub.
“Nothing is ever that simple bro. Remember the last time we fought something like that? We got lucky,” Ivy tells him.
“Only because those two were here to help us. If it wasn't for them, we would have gotten into serious trouble,” Carmen follows, “Honestly, I'm thankful for these two... even if they are a bit strange at times.”
Enigma and Patty don't say a word. But they do let off smiles, seeing that since then, they've become part of this squad. The long flight to Indonesia was filled with laughs, food and preparation. Not to mention a time for rest and recovery since honestly, they didn't get one ever since they got their butts kicked by the Patranger aka us.
18 hours later – Java, Indonesia
Java. One of Indonesia's many islands, bordered by the Indian Ocean up north and the Java Sea down south. Having a population of over 145 million, this island represents 56.7% of its population. Plus it's considered to be one of the world's most populous islands. Not only that but rice is considered to be it's staple food. For a population as huge as Indonesia's, truly there are a lot of mouths to feed. But today, the Lupinrangers have a mission in this place and it's to stop whatever VILE has planned. Player was able to pinpoint the location of the base. They rented an off-road vehicle hoping to make it there but the jungles don't make the trek any better.
“Man it's hot,” Zack complains.
“You can thank the jungles for that. Temperatures can reach up to about 80 to 90 degrees,” Player replies, “It's also warmer during certain months. You should be thankful you guys are only going to be there for a while.”
“Yeah well how come Enigma isn't worried about it,” He asks.
“Simple,” Enigma explains, “I have an outfit suitable for this sort of weather. Plus it's lighter material. Sure it costs a bit more but worth it in the long run.”
“I got something like that too. We should be reaching the facility shortly. Be ready for anything,” Carmen tells them.
The others nod in approval. After a few minutes, they arrive at the VILE facility. But knowing that they may encounter trouble, as always, they got to be ready for whatever the situation. Ivy launches a red probe as a means to not only find out more about the facility but find a way to get inside.
“So what's in there?” Ivy asks.
“The place seems empty. I don't like it,” Player wonders, as he sees the footage from the probe.
“Neither do we but remember, we got to be ready for anything,” Enigma tells them.
“Okay. I was able to disable their security system. I'm opening the door,” Player replies as the probe does its work.
With the base's doors open up, the five go inside. Ivy takes the probe after it's work is done. After a minute or two exploring this quiet building, they reach a nearby laboratory. Like the other rooms, it was empty but it seemed that someone was here recently.
“Find anything?” Carmen asks.
“Negative,” Enigma replies, “But I know someone was here. I can tell.”
Upon noticing a nearby petri dish, Carmen takes a look. She takes a whiff before putting it down and it's then she knows what VILE's real plan is.
“That thing isn't rice,” says Enigma.
“I know. Player are you seeing this?” Carmen replies, asking.
“I am. Those things are spores and whatever they are, they are for something really dangerous,” Player tells them.
“I can tell they were here recently. They just left this place not too long ago. Any idea what those spores are?” Patty asks.
“From what I can tell, these things are super spores. Think of them like termites or in this case, they are attracted to grain. Basically with these things, they can wipe our whole crops in hours,” Player tells them.
“And since Indonesia produces 70 millions tons of rice every year, that means this whole island is one big target,” Enigma follows.
“If the crops are wiped out, it's whole population can go hungry in hours. V.I.L.E is really heading into heartless territory,” says Carmen.
“Guess we know what we got to do right Carm? We need to find those spores and take them out right? But where do we start?” Zack asks.
Carmen then heads out of the lab, noticing a pair of tire tracks outside.
“Don't worry. I know where they're going,” She tells them.
“Then let me get a head start,” Enigma replies, taking something out of his project and pressing a button.
He then throws it, turning that simple small object into a motorcycle. Zack and Ivy are shocked by that. Patty runs off to meet with her partner. As the two get on the cycle, they assure Carmen that they'll find what they're seeking.
“Let us go on ahead. Besides, someone needs to make sure you guys are prepped,” says Enigma as he drives off with her wife in tow.
“I have to ask, where does he get all these cool toys?” Zack asks.
“Maybe because these guys have a lot more skill on their belts, compared to us. Come on,” Carmen orders. The three take a nearby car and drive off, Zack driving of course.
“Something bugs me Carm,” wonders Ivy, “What's VILE's plan? Why would they go through the trouble of causing a food shortage?”
“Is it obvious,” Carmen answers, “To force a population like Indonesia's to buy VILE's brand of rice and at inflated prices too. Trust me, I tried that and “vile” doesn't describe how bad they are.”
“So why don't we do something about it? I mean, we're thieves and we have the power to do it too,” Zack responds, realizing the proper option.
“You may be dimwitted at times Zack but you're right,” She answers, “VILE won't be making a quick buck on my watch.”
Taking out her communicator, she contacts Enigma, “Hey Lupin. You found them?”
He replies, “Yep. They're four minutes away from you guys. We'll keep them busy until you catch up.”
“No need,” Carmen tells them, “I'll take a shortcut.”
Carmen gets up from the car and jumps, activating her hang-glider. She reaches the truck below, where Tigress is waiting.
“Something tells me that was no komodo dragon huh?” She says.
“Tigress,” Carmen replies, “Haven't seen you in a while huh?”
“Morocco,” Tigress tells her, “The pit. You broke my glasses.”
“Remember what Brunt always tell us back in VILE Academy? Got to protect the face!”
“You should protect yours once I shred it!” Tigress shouts, but not before she notices something snag her leg and then ends up eating the truck's pavement.
Suddenly someone jumps over her and appears beside Carmen. It's Patty Larceny, ready to deliver a smackdown to Tigress.
“You! Didn't think you'd show your face again Larceny!” Tigress shouts, already mad.
“I'm sorry. Were you expecting a 1-on-1 fight? Too bad. It's now a handicap match. Hope you like getting dominated!” She replies, catching Carmen a little off guard.
“I'll take you both down. You'll pay for what you did to me in Paris!” Tigress yells, already in a blood-fueled rage.
“You are going to tell me what you did when we're done here,” Carmen tells her. Patty says nothing as she gears to engage Tigress.
While the two fight Tigress, Zack and Ivy catch up to the van. Enigma, slows down to reach the two.
“Listen. The two are distracting Tigress. Ivy, open the back and see if the spores are inside,” Enigma tells her.
“Got it. Zack, keep driving and don't be distracted by the cat fight on top,” Ivy tells him.
“Yeah, sure,” Zack answers, paying attention on the road.
Ivy jumps onto the truck's back and works on picking the locket. As it happens, Carmen and Patty continue their fight against Tigress. Being a 2-on-1, it only makes things harder, made no better by her fueled rage.
“Tell me Tigress, what's in the truck?” Carmen asks her.
“Why should I tell you?” She responds, furiously.
“Because maybe we can find a way to stop you, that's why,” Patty intrudes, appearing behind Tigress.
“Keep your nose out of our conversation bitch,” Tigress spats.
Seeing this as an insult, Patty counters, “I'm sorry. What was that? Are you asking to be dominated again? Cause I can oblige!”
“No. Not again! I'll make sure YOU be the one who's dominated!” Tigress yells, going after her again.
During the scuffle between the two, Tigress' claws breaks open a durian. Said fruit ends up splatting onto Zack's windshield.
“Huh? Ha ha, aw yeah! This is some goodness here,” Zack says, taking a taste of the opened Durian but not before sniffing and realizing that it truly smells bad, “That's good.”
Meanwhile, Ivy is able to open the lock. The door swings open but due to the truck being on the move, she's hanging on for dear life. She gets a look inside. She notices several skyrockets but also spots someone inside, a man. His eyes glow and he's ready to strike. Ivy watches as she's about to see it attack.
“Zack!” She yells as she sees him attack.
But all of a sudden help comes in the form of Enigma, “Hang on Ivy!”
He jumps off his bike for a split second, firing a shot from his X Changer hoping to get whoever's inside off her back. He lands on his bike and watches Ivy let go of the truck's back door.
Zack pushes on the accelerator enough for Ivy to land on the car. However, she catches a whiff of something nearby and it gets her grossed out.
“Ugh! Who crawled in here and died? What is that retched smell?” Ivy asks. Zack doesn't say a word.
Patty distracts Tigress enough so that Carmen can find out what's inside the truck. It's just as Ivy saw earlier, skyrockets along with a guest that would rather not be disturbed. As Tigress turns to attack Carmen, Patty uses her whip to stop her. She then jumps over her as the two jump off the van, landing onto Zack and Ivy's car. Tigress gets up, seeing the two escape, harboring nothing but pure anger.
Zack stops the car and the five try to figure out a plan, knowing what they'll possibly do.
“Saw what was inside?” Enigma asks her.
“I did. There are skyrockets inside though I saw someone inside,” Carmen answers.
“My guess it has to be another operative that's part of the Gangler project,” Player theorizes, “Besides that, if Bellum's bioweapon needs a launch mechanism, it can explain why they need the fireworks.”
“Bellum's spores must be packed in the skyrocket pods. Player, where would someone go to see fireworks?”
“If you're talking about Indonesia, there isn't that many,” He answers, “It's not New Year's Eve.”
“Indonesians don't celebrate the 4th of July,” Patty follows.
“However there is a Puppet Festival going on tonight. It's not too far either, just outside of Jakarta,” Player tells them.
“And it's bordering around a swath of interconnected rice paddles. The perfect opportunity for them to launch the spores,” He follows.
“Thing is, VILE ain't playing around,” Enigma replies, “Normally they would have to do it discreetly but not in this case.”
“Yep, the Ganglers. And if they decide to play that move, then we need to be ready to play ours,” Carmen follows, bringing out her VS Changer.
“Aw yeah,” Zack replies, excitedly, “We're getting ready to be Power Rangers today.”
“We haven't done this gig since we got beat by the Patrangers. If we're going to do it, we need to do this quick,” Ivy says.
“True but we need to be ready for anything,” Carmen responds, “Let's do this.”
The rangers head for the Puppet Festival, not far from where they were. A shadow puppet play is going on as kids laugh a bit, enjoying the show. Carmen and the gang are split up, covering much of the festival grounds.
“The fireworks will likely launch after the puppet show. They'll also be behind the main stage to boot,” Player tells them.
“I'll check it out. Zack, Ivy, keep a lookout for enraged kitty cats,” Carmen orders.
“We're your eyes in the sky, Carm,” replies Zack.
But Ivy says, “Unless someone spikes a major face-plant.” The two struggle walking on their stilts.
As for Tigress, she's gearing up her plan, “Dr. Bellum, we're ready. Bioweapons locked, loaded and ready for launch.”
“Well done,” Bellum replies, “You know the rules Tigress. Nothing must seem out of place. The fireworks must launch as planned, once the show is over, and not a moment sooner.”
“There's also the fact that we have to deal with those brats. Those damn Lupinrangers!” Tigress rasps, angrily.
“That is what our candidate is for. Is he ready?” Bellum asks.
“Yes, he is,” She answers.
“Send him out. He will deal with them,” Bellum tells her.
“Right,” Tigress cuts communication but as she's getting things ready, she gets attacked out of nowhere.
“Huh? Who was that?” She wonders.
“That would be me sweetheart,” Tigress turns around to see Patty, ready to go on the offensive.
Tigress doesn't waste any time and goes on the attack. Patty is quick enough to dodge her attacks, made no better due to Tigress' continuous emotional outbursts.
“You know you're cute when you're mad. It makes my work so much easier. You ready to get dominated again?” Patty asks.
Feeling like she's ready to explode, Tigress shouts, “I am NOT going to be done in by you! Not now! Not ever again!”
Patty dodges Tigress' attack only for her to experience the interception of Carmen's kick attack. It has her on the ground but that's already not enough for her isn't it?
“You!” Tigress says.
“Guess the handicap match wasn't enough for you was it?” Carmen replies.
“Looks like today's your lucky day you brats!” Tigress follows.
“What do you mean?” She wonders.
“She's referring to me,” says the sound of an unexpected arrival, a young man, carrying some kind of trinket in his hands.
“Huh?” Carmen says, turning around, “Who are you?”
“I guess Tigress never provided me an introduction. Ironic, she always had to be that bitchy at times,” He replies, offending Tigress.
Feeling insulted, Tigress shouts, “You better know your place! You're here to deal with these brats, not insult me!”
“Whatever. It's not like I take orders from you,” He scoffs, turning his attention back to the two ladies who soon reunite with the others. He then sees Tigress head off to get the fireworks ready.
“Nice. So the gang's all here,” He says.
“This it?” Zack asks.
“That's the guy Ivy and I saw earlier,” Carmen answers.
“Now that I have your attention, it's time I introduce myself. You can call me Snapjaw,” He tells them, “And believe you me, when I'm done. You all will look lovely in my collection.”
Snapjaw then grabs the item in his hand and squeezes it, channeling it's power. It's energy courses into his body, turning what is once a teenager into a monstrosity. He soon turns into a red shark-like monster. He's colored red with several white lines and many shark fins all over his body. He also carries with him some kind of green spear with a blade tip that looks like a sawfish's nose and jaw.
“Like how I look?” Snapjaw says, twirling his spear into a battle position, “Trust me. You are going to enjoy this!”
“Our objective is simple: take out Snapjaw and stop Tigress. We'll need to split up,” Carmen suggests, “Patty, Lupin. Take care of Tigress. Don't let her launch the spores!”
“What about you guys?” Patty asks.
“We'll handle this freak. Besides, we've been waiting to get our hands dirty,” She tells them.
“At least let us do the obligatory group morph sequence,” Enigma suggests.
Carmen hesitates and says, “If you insist then.”
The four of them take out their VS Changers along with their Dial Fighters. Enigma takes his X Changer out, ready to go all in.
“Ready?” She says. The others respond with a nod.
And with that, the five yell out, “Kaitou Change!”
The four insert their Dial Fighters into their Changers, setting their combinations first. Enigma turns his X-Changer counter-clockwise first to the gold side and then back to silver, moving in a pattern that has it aim upwards.
“Red! 0-1-0!”
“Blue! 2-6-0!”
“Yellow! 1-1-6!”
“Pink! 9-1-3!”
“X-Nize!”
Once the combinations were set, the four pull the levers as the term “Masqueraise!” is heard. They then use their other hands to turn their Changers sideways causing the Dial Fighters to appear upwards. All five then aim their respective changers and fire.
“Kaitou Change!” “Kaitou X-Change!”
Five colored circulated hats with Vs inside appear in front of them and then they head towards them, turning the five thieves into the Lupinrangers. Their transformation complete, catching Snapjaw completely off-guard.
“What the? Nobody ever told me they would do this!” He shouts.
The roll call soon follows. First comes Carmen as she snaps her fingers, “LupinRed!”
Zack is next, “LupinBlue!”
Then Ivy, “LupinYellow!”
Patty folows, “LupinPink!”
And finally Enigma as he doesn't need to snap, just let out a clank, “Lupin X!”
“Kaitou Sentai...” All five would go form a group pose and they then shout, “Lupinranger!” The Lupinranger logo appears behind them, symbolizing their arrival.
With that done, the Rangers were ready to go all out but not before Carmen aka LupinRed issues a warning, “Here's a warning Snapjaw. We're here to take your treaasure and shut down VILE's fireworks show.”
“Ha!” Snapjaw retorts, twirling his spear once again, “I like to see you try.”
“We need to do this fast so let's make this count,” Carmen tells them. The others nod in agreement.
Carmen, Zack and Ivy rush in to engage Snapjaw as Patty and Enigma go after Tigress. Tigress already has things set up so now they really are on borrowed time.
“We're not letting you launch the fireworks Tigress! Submit!” LupinPink shouts.
“Never! You think you brats had this thing done huh?” Tigress rasps, “Guess what! You're too late!”
Tigress lit a match and then drops it on the ground where it hits some black line. Sparks start emerging as the light heads to a nearby box of fireworks. Luckily, Enigma is quick on his feet. He rushes in, jumps over Tigress and uses his X Changer to fire a few blasts on the box containing the violet skyrockets. She only watches in horror as the skyrockets go kablooey, literally. But something's amiss.
“No! The fireworks!” Tigress yells, seeing her plan go up in smoke... literally.
“Nice shot!” Patty cheers, before turning her attention towards Tigress, “So much for your fireworks show. Now are you in the mood to get beat again because this time it'll be a double helping.”
“You... you... YOU!!!” Tigress seethes, knowing that her plan has gone up in smoke.
“You what? Are you asking for a piece of me? Come on! You know you want to,” Patty replies, delivering a needed insult that gets this cat fired up.
Already taking the bait, Tigress wastes no time going after Patty Larceny. She's tired of the insults, tired of the fact that she's been made a fool of and tired over the feeling that Patty had somehow done something to her that made her feel this vile. While the cat fight happens, Enigma checks out the fireworks he blasted. They were the same as what they saw earlier but he couldn't find anything resembling the spores they saw.
“Player,” says Enigma, “I need you to take a look at this. These skyrockets. They don't have any of Bellum's spores.”
“I'm looking. Something isn't right,” He replies.
“I know. I mean, I thought we got this gig in the bag but then the Gangler showed up,” Enigma tells him.
“You think VILE might have known we would go after them?” Player asks.
“Possibly,” Enigma replies, “If they didn't put any of the spores on the skyrockets then where?”
That's when it hits both Player and Enigma, “No. They can't have...”
“They did,” Enigma figures.
“Lupin, go help the others. I'll see if I can analyze this and the Gangler,” Player requests.
“Sure. Also, I want you to run a simulation based on what we know. Let's just say that the results we might find are not good,” Enigma follows.
“On it,” says Player.
As this happens, Enigma rushes in to assist the other Lupinrangers. Surprisingly, Carmen and the others did pretty well for themselves. Snapjaw struggles against the three Rangers. There are indeed strength in numbers but strength wouldn't account for the Lupin Collection's power. His safe starts to glow as a result of using it's power. It then channels the energy into its staff, firing a beam of light that the Rangers dodge. It hits a box full of skyrockets, turning it into several shark dolls.
“Tell me I didn't just see that,” says Zack, “He turned those fireworks into toy dolls!”
“Dammit! I wanted to get one of you brats!” replies Snapjaw.
“Whatever you do, don't get hit by it! We need to get that treasure!” says Carmen.
“I'll do it,” replies Ivy, rushing in towards the Gangler.
“Ivy no!” shouts Zack.
Ivy rushes in while Snapjaw fires a few more shots from his staff. She quickly dodges them with ease. Eventually she gets close and removes her Dial Fighter from her VS Changer. Placing it on the monster's chest, it does its magic deciphering the lock.
“1-3-9!”
“Damn you!” shouts Snapjaw, as his safe opens up. Ivy quickly takes the treasure and pushes it aside.
“Did you get it?” Carmen asks.
“I did. Lupin Collection piece obtained,” Ivy replies, showing the treasure to her. It's nothing but a gymnastics ribbon, held by a handle.
“Dammit! Give that back!” Snapjaw rants, going in to fight the Rangers again. But then suddenly he gets struck from behind by two sword strikes.
It damages him but then he sees Enigma aka Lupin X jump over him and unleash his signature move, the One Shot X-Strike aka Itadaki X-Strike! Turning the handle sideways and then down once more, he gears up.
“X-Time! Countdown.”
“Superior X!” Enigma shouts.
As it counts down to 0, Enigma unleashes two slashes forming an X. Once it hit 0, he thrusts through the X, firing it straight at Snapjaw.
“Itadaki X-Strike!”
Due to getting hit by the attack along with the lack of treasure protecting him, he collapses on the ground. An explosion happens not long after.
“So what just happened?” Zack wonders. They then turn to see Enigma, completely still. In his mind, he wonders if it's enough to stop the spores.
“Hey, you okay in there?” He asks.
“Huh?” Enigma replies, snapping out of his trance, “Yeah, I'm fine. You did get the treasure right?”
“Uh huh, we did,” Ivy answers, showing him, “But what just happened?”
“More like what's going on,” Carmen interrupts, “Did you guys stop Tigress from launching the superspores?”
He struggles to say something but knowing that Carmen would chew him out, he provides her an answer, “We did... but when I checked the fireworks, the spores weren't in there.”
“What?” Carmen wonders, in shock.
“It's as if...” replies Zack.
But the Ivy interrupts by saying, “VILE knew we would go after them.”
“So if the spores aren't on the skyrockets, then where are they?” That's when it hits Carmen, “You don't think they...”
“They did,” Enigma follows, “I didn't think VILE would resort to something like this!”
“It seems that Tigress couldn't handle one Ranger, let alone five,” interrupts someone that catches the Lupinrangers off guard.
They all turn around to see Dr. Salra Bellum, upset that her plans are going up in smoke, literally. Seeing all five Lupinrangers is enough to make her blood churn in disgust.
Turning her attention to Tigress, she tells her, “You and I are going to have a chat when we are done here.”
“Saira Bellum. I take it you're here to stop us right?” Carmen asks her.
“You and your band of misfits are a nuisance,” Bellum responds, “Fortunately I always have a means to complete my objectives.”
She takes out the Gros calibre, a device used to enlarge Ganglers and turn them into giant kaijus. It fires, causing a beam that strikes Snapjaw. The Lupins can only watch as Snapjaw goes from being a regular sized Gangler to a gigantic level kaiju.
Zack's reaction to seeing this is one that catches the whole team by surprise, “Oh holy shit!”
“Zack!” Ivy shouts in response, “Language!”
“Hope you enjoy my little gift as now your chances of stopping us are slim to none. Tigress, we depart!” Bellum orders. Tigress appears behind her as the professor activates a device that teleports the two away.
“So we now have a new problem on our hands don't we?” Carmen tells the team.
“Yep. We're running out of time too,” Enigma replies.
“What do you mean?” She asks.
“Player, tell them,” He follows.
“Guys, Lupin asked me to do something and let's just say the results I have... is not good,” Player tells them.
“Wait. What do you mean Player? Are you saying that VILE injected the superspores into the Gangler? What for?” Carmen wonders.
“Well I ran a bit of a simulation and let's just say that if that thing explodes as it is now, the spores will do more than just damage the rice fields around the island. It'll screw up the island's entire ecosystem,” He explains.
Everyone is taken aback by this. To think that VILE would resort to doing crap like this is just messed up. Now that Snapjaw has grown into a gigantic monster, their chances of saving the island dropped significantly.
“Okay. We can handle small time stuff fine but not this... we were NEVER ready for this. There's no way we can stop this thing!” says Ivy.
“Ivy, don't the Power Rangers bring the big guns for something like this?” Zack asks her.
“Zack, I swear it. I'm in no mood right now for this! If this is another one of your jokes, I'm going to make you eat the pavement!” She threatens.
“I'm serious! Don't the Power Rangers bring out their zords to take down stuff like this? I mean, we ARE Power Rangers right?! Don't we have something that can help stop it!?” Zack counters.
While the three try to figure out a plan, the other two Lupinrangers know that it's inevitable. One way or the other, they have to be the one to do this. They start at each other and then stare back at the other Rangers. With the two giving a nod, they knew it was time.
“There actually is a way,” says Enigma.
“Really?” Carmen asks, “Tell us how because we are running out of time!”
“I know that we have something that can do it. You got to tell us Lupin!” Zack follows, interrupting her.
“First off Zack, relax. Second off, there is a way you guys can stop it but there's a catch,” Enigma answers, “You three are the ones that got to do this.”
“Huh?” Carmen wonders.
“What?” Ivy says next.
“Why us?” Zack asks.
“As if it's any obvious. You three are the ones that got to do it,” Patty explains, “You want to actually take this seriously? Well guess what. This is it. Are you three ready for this?”
It takes Carmen and the others only three seconds for them to make their decision, “Whatever it takes. Tell us what to do.”
“Okay then,” Lupin follows, “Notice the Dial Fighters on your VS Changers? Well they have an additional function. They double as your Zords.”
“Wait a minute, what?” Carmen wonders, “Are you telling us that these jets can turn gigantic like that Gangler?”
“Yes,” He answers, “Want to know how? It takes 3 simple steps.”
“I'm listening,” says Carmen, “What should we do?”
“All it takes is 3 steps. Now listen carefully. Step 1: Grab the side handle on the VS Changer and push it. Step 2: Turn the VS Changer with the Dial Fighter to the left and then turn back. Step 3: Aim and shoot. That's it. Are you sure you three are ready to do this?” Lupin asks them once more.
“Whatever it takes. Zack. Ivy. You two ready?” She asks them.
“I'm more than ready, trust me,” Zack replies.
“You do know if we fail this, Indonesia is doomed,” Ivy tells him.
“I know that!” He shouts.
“Are you two finished? It's time we be heroes,” Carmen tells them.
The three step forward and followed the instructions Enigma provided them. Following the steps, their VS Changers start to act up. They gear up to activate some sort of sequence. Aiming them, they see three runway lines and a sound that is none too familiar.
“Get Set! Ready? Tobe, Tobe, Tobe!” they shout.
They pull their respective triggers and the Red, Blue and Yellow Dial Fighters are on the move. Suddenly the Dial Fighters start to grow in size going from small trinkets to large flying vehicles.
“Go! R-R-R-Red!”
“B-B-B-Blue!”
“Y-Y-Y-Yellow!”
The three Lupinrangers jump into their respective zords, allowing them inside. Each of them have different reactions seeing it all unfold. For Carmen, it's curiosity. For Ivy, optimism. As for Zack, pure excitement, finally being able to fulfill something he always wanted to do.
“Oh man! This is the coolest thing ever!” Zack shouts.
“Hey Zack! We should focus on our job! We need to take down that giant Gangler and fast!” Ivy tells him.
“I know. Besides I'm ready for this. Are you?” Zack assures her.
“Of course I'm ready. I'm more worried about Carmen. How is she reacting to all of this?” Ivy wonders.
“Don't worry about me guys,” Carmen tells them, “Let's take that Gangler down!”
“Right!” Zack and Ivy say in agreement.
Carmen inserts her VS Changer into the right side of her cockpit. Having similarities to an airplane, she wastes no time going in and on the offensive against the giant Snapjaw. Snapjaw sees three objects approaching at high speed: a military based aircraft, an air racer and a futurized copter.
“Guys, I have the perfect plan for this,” says Player.
“What do you have in mind?” Carmen replies.
“Try to lure the giant freak away from the islands. If you all can take him out, the explosion won't affect the island,” Player suggests.
“I can dig it! What do you say Ivy?” Zack asks.
“I'm game! Let's do it!” Ivy agrees.
“Okay you two. Let's rock!” Carmen tells them.
The three flying vehicles go in and attack Snapjaw. The good thing is that they aren't big targets and it's also enough to get the Gangler's attention. Snapjaw notices their attacks and wonders if it's a joke.
“What is this? You think you pests can stop me with your little toys? As if!” Snapjaw shouts, firing blasts from his staff. Thankfully the three Dial Fighters are quick enough to avoid the attacks.
“There's got to be something that we can use to fight back against but what?” Carmen wonders. She then notices a holographic screen saying “Ready”. “What is that?”
Not thinking it through, Carmen flicks it with her hand, causing it to change from “Ready” to “Attack”. This causes her Red Dial Fighter Zord to go into Attack Mode. Part of the Zord opens up revealing it's mid-section.
“Time to reach the danger zone!” Carmen says as her zord fires energy webs from said midsection. They damage Snapjaw but at the same time, it gets the attention of the others.
“Whoa, you seeing this?” Zack asks Ivy but then he also sees the “Ready” screen and decides to do the same thing she did, “You want me to flick it right? Be my guest!”
Zack flicks his screen and his zord's attack mode is ready. It causes the back part to come down, showing it's Gatling gun. Getting a lock on the Gangler, it opens fire blasting it with a volley of gatling fire. This is enough to get Snapjaw peeved.
“Huh?” It says and then it decides to go after Zack. Luckily for him, Ivy approaches with her time to attack.
“No one goes after my little bro,” Ivy says, flicking her Ready screen and then goes into her attack mode.
Like Zack, Ivy's zord causes the back end to drop, deploying some kind of buzzsaw. She then rushes in, striking Snapjaw with said buzzsaw and she does it more than once. In fact, she does it three times. It's enough to get him riled. He responds by unleashing a few blasts from his staff. Ivy provides a response of her own, by using the buzzsaw to damage him even more. Now the bigger issue is to drive the monster away from the islands.
“Guys, I appreciate that you are getting the hang of your zords but we still got to deal with the thing having the super spores inside,” Enigma tells them.
“I know. Is there anything that you haven't told us?” Carmen asks.
“Afraid not. You guys need to get it as far from the island as possible and fast,” Enigma tells them.
“Easier said than done you know,” Ivy responds.
But just as Carmen is about to say something, she notices something approaching from a distance. Surprisingly it's heading straight for her.
“Huh? What is that?” She says as the thing approaches closer. As it does, it begins to cheer out for whatever reason. Eventually Carmen sees it and it turns out to be... GoodStriker!
“I take it you are in need of assistance aren't you?” It asks her.
“Yeah. Who are you?” Carmen asks him.
“You may call me GoodStriker. I'm a sentient piece of the Lupin Collection brought to life by the legendary Arsene Lupin,” He answers, “Today is truly your lucky day.”
“Okay. Why's that?” Carmen wonders.
“Simple. Today, I wish to side with you Lupinrangers. Believe me, you will need to,” replies GoodStriker.
“So if you feel like helping us, what do I do then? We're trying to stop that thing from destroying Indonesia's ecosystem. We may be thieves but at least we wish to fight for the good of the world,” She says.
“That convinces me enough. I admire your selflessness. At least you are better than the other Rangers. Take out your VS Changer and insert me into it,” It responds.
Carmen doesn't say a word. She grabs GoodStriker and inserts it into the VS Changer's top side. She then aims it, causing part of the zord's cockpit to open up.
“Now, fire! And watch me work,” It tells Carmen. She fires without hesitation.
“Get Set! Ready! Go! G-G-G-Good!” The VS Changer shouts as GoodStriker enlarges in size becoming much bigger than normal. Only one difference: it's flying and on the move.
“Time to take things up a notch! Kaitou Gat-time! Time to steal victory!” It shouts.
Suddenly something happens with the three Dial Fighter zords. Carmen, Zack and Ivy notice that their zords are activating some sort of sequence. A large “PULL” sign is spotted. One guess can pretty much sum up what they have to do now.
“Huh? Pull?” Carmen wonders.
“Hey Carm, what is this?” Ivy asks.
“I don't know. Do any of you guys have any ideas?” She follows.
“Hmmm, pull huh? Wait,” That's when Zack has an idea, “Carm, I think I know what it means.”
Zack grabs both ends of the cockpit he's on and pulls, causing it to transform. He is spooked by this but is a bit pleased by the result.
“So that's what it means huh? Guys, pull on your cockpits. I think you'll like what's about to come next,” Zack tells them.
Carmen and Ivy do just that, grabbing both ends and then pulling back. With all three cockpits set, GoodStriker immediately gets to work. It turns it's rotary lock on it's back, causing it to set up its transformation sequence. It pulls a 180 degree counter-clockwise turn as the Red, Blue and Yellow and Dial Fighter Zords fly through. Each of the three zords' rotary dials turn, transforming into their attack modes. Then each of the zords connected with Good Striker. First yellow, then blue and finally red. While all this goes on, Carmen along with Zack and Ivy's cockpits begin moving. They're a bit startled but eventually all three meet in a bridge. They then look to see the Red Dial Fighter Zord's turning via the dial revealing it's face. With the transformation complete, it lands on the ground below, already in attack position.
“What just happened?” Zack asks.
“I don't know but this is going to be interesting,” Carmen replies.
Suddenly GoodStriker shows up with a cheer, catching the three by surprise.
“I have arrived! Surprised? You should be because this is the result of our teamwork,” He tells them.
“Teamwork? I don't think you seem to get the idea of the concept,” Carmen explains.
“Really? Then why don't you show me... if you can,” GoodStriker tells them.
“Fine by us, let's do it,” Carmen replies.
“Music to my ears. Now then, behold the fruits of our teamwork! Complete! LupinKaiser!” It shouts, signaling it's arrival.
“LupinKaiser? That's a pretty cool name. I'll admit,” says Zack.
“Ah, one of culture I see. I do look forward to how you three handle me,” GoodStriker replies.
“Now that we got introductions out of the way, let's do this!” Carmen says. The others nod in agreement.
LupinKaiser rushes in to attack Snapjaw. The monster wastes no time. It goes in to attack as well. But as it does, the megazord dodges the attack and responds by using the Yellow Arm's buzzsaw. Probably it's due to Ivy since the weapon respond to the pilot's behavior and actions.
“Oh cute. You brats think you're tough? Try this!” Snapjaw shouts, firing lasers from it's head.
“Not on your life!” Carmen responds. LupinKaiser dodges the blasts but it gives Zack an idea.
“Hey freak! Eat this!” Zack shouts and his zord arm fires several gatling shots. They hit their mark, damaging Snapjaw.
“Don't forget that we need to push this thing away from the island,” Carmen orders.
“Carmen, I don't think we should worry about that,” Ivy tells her. Snapjaw is rushing in, with weapon in hand ready to go on the offensive to bash LupinKaiser.
“Hang on guys,” Carmen says, while LupinKaiser goes full reverse. This has Snapjaw continuously moving, hoping to sink it's fangs on the giant robot.
Once the thing reaches a good amount, LupinKaiser then moves forward, rushing in and firing blasts from it's blue arm gatling gun. Snapjaw kept going despite getting blasted repeatedly.
Snapjaw goes in to attack but as it does so, LupinKaiser jumps and strikes it from behind with its buzzsaw arm. This strikes Snapjaw but it only gets it irate.
“I think that's far enough. So how do we finish it?” Carmen wonders.
“That is even simpler enough. Take your VS Changers out and then take aim. I will handle the rest,” GoodStriker tells them.
“You really know your stuff don't ya?” Ivy follows.
GoodStriker then says, “Of course. Why do you think I decide to side with you? Anything's better than those other Rangers.”
“Other Rangers?” Zack responds, “You don't mean those Patrangers do you?”
“Yes. Them. Anyway, time to finish the job!” He shouts.
The three Lupins take their VS Changers out and aim at their target, the irate Snapjaw. LupinKaiser then propels up into the air as a large VS Changer appears in front of it.
With all this, GoodStriker shouts, “GoodStriker: Rapid Fire Down-You-Go Shot!”
“Shoot him down!” Carmen shouts as the three Rangers keep firing from their VS Changers.
In turn, the giant VS Changer that was formed starts firing repeatedly. It hits Snapjaw so much that the damage it's taking is a bit excessive.
“Dammit all! Looks like I'm the one that's shark bait!” Snapjaw says as he collapses from all the excess damage and explodes.
LupinKaiser stands victorious against it and the best part is that the spores it was injected with was destroyed along with the monster. Basically it's a victory, althroughout.
“Forevermore, adieu!” GoodStriker says while the three Lupinrangers look on.
“At least the island of Indonesia is safe,” Carmen responds.
GoodStriker turns toward the three and says, “For our first time working together, you three did well. Impressive.”
“Okay. I want to ask you something. You say you would help us right?” Zack asks, “So why are you just... so strange?”
“Strange is an understatement. I was created as a result of a wish made by a legendary individual, Arsene Lupin. The very one who sought and discovered trinkets that carry great power. Those are the Lupin Collection,” He explains.
“We know all about them. What we want to know is why would you help us?” Carmen asks him.
“I have no reason why. I help when I feel like it. Besides, at least you aren't like those Patrangers. Something about them feels off, as if their destiny is unknown even to me,” He answers.
“So what? Are you saying you only want to help because you feel like it? That's... not assuring at all,” Ivy tells him.
“That is how I am. You should be thankful I choose to side with you. If I wanted, I wouldn't help you at all. At least seeing your reasons to fight is more than enough. With that, my time with you comes to an end. Farewell!” It says and then suddenly, like the previous time, disengages with the Dial Fighter zords.
Thankfully the three were able to escape in the nick of time unlike the Patrangers who were ejected out by force. Patty and Enigma reunite with the other Rangers, impressed that they were able to get the job done.
“Words can't describe how impressed we are. You actually took down the Gangler and destroyed the super spores,” Enigma says.
“At least with that, we don't have to worry about VILE screwing up the island. Are any chances happening Player?” asks Carmen.
“Nope,” He answers, “Indonesia has experienced no problems whatsoever. I saw the whole fight. You guys were awesome.”
“You know, I think this whole thing about being Lupinrangers is actually awesome,” says Zack.
“That's only because we didn't have a choice. VILE was ready to spread those spores all over the island. If that isn't petty, I don't know what is honestly,” Ivy interrupts.
“Well what matters is that we stopped them. At least the people of Indonesia don't have to worry about having to deal with something like that,” Carmen assures them.
“At least now we can enjoy the rest of the day. I honestly just want to eat,” Enigma tells them.
“Here here,” Zack agrees, “Man how I wouldn't give to enjoy some rice!”
Carmen wants to say something but Ivy tells her, “Leave them. Besides, we at least deserve this right?”
“Good point,” says Carmen, but not before she turns her attention towards Patty, “By the way, I want to know one thing.”
“Yeah?” She answers, “What is it?”
Carmen then asks, “What did you do to Tigress that got her so pissy?”
The only reaction that she has towards the question is one of utter silence and bemusement. Guess Carmen won't get the answer she wants. Luckily for her, she's going to be getting the answer.
“Remember last year when we first did this Lupinranger gig?” Patty asks her.
“Yeah. What about it?” Carmen asks, wondering.
Patty says nothing. She only gives her a devious smile. Carmen and Ivy's expressions change into moods of dread. Finding out that their own compatriot would do something as sinister as this is just.... messy.
“Let's leave it at that. I just want to eat,” says Patty as she joins the other Lupinrangers for a well deserved break.
Carmen looks at Patty before turning her attention back to Ivy. All she can say from it all is this, “I rather not want to question what it was.”
“Yeah... good idea,” Ivy replies. The two then join the others as they look forward to a well deserved break.
Carmen and her compatriots may have succeeded in stopping VILE from screwing around with Indonesia's rice farms but their work as Lupinrangers is only going to get rough. What they don't know is that two agents in black have been watching, observing, waiting. One gets in touch with whoever's in charge.
“Yeah. We see them. They just finished taking down that monster showing up,” says one of the agents.
It waits a while before speaking once again, “No. That thing flew off after the battle is over. It is as they said, a wild card. Shall I relay the info to them.”
Like the previous instance, the agent waits, receiving info from whoever is contacting them, “Are you sure you're letting her handle things?”
“Fine. As you wish. I will send the information to her momentarily. I will continue monitoring,” He tells.
The communication ends. The agents watch the five Lupinrangers enjoy well needed food. But you have to wonder though. What about the Patrangers? What will they do when they find out. Well, that's a story for another time.
To be continued...
On the next Equestria Girls: Lupinranger vs. Patranger. News of the Lupinrangers' exploits reach the agents and they are none too pleased. However, ACME soon receives new intel from the GSPO. New vehicles! These trinkets soon become the basis of a battlefield between both sides. And in the middle, VILE strikes with their newest weapon. Who will come out on top of this fight?! Find out on the next episode, Chasing Shadows; Hunt for the Lupin Collection!
Two teams, two objectives! Which side will you choose?!