The French Connection

Synopsis: This story directly follows "Take Your Chances". A jilted fan becomes mad after not receiving autographs from the Power Rangers and their mechanical companions after their recent Wheel of Fortune wins. Hawkmoth seizes the opportunity to capture and akumatize this fan so he can defeat these new enemies. Will the combined might of the Rangers, the Lyoko Warriors, the Tapwater Titans and others be enough to defeat this new menace? Meanwhile, Michael and Minerva Mouse, known across the multiverse as Mickey and Minnie Mouse, also fall under Hawkmoth's power when many of their Guests start to ignore them. A couple of Star Darlings are also introduced to a mix when a shy girl named Katie longs to attend a party to finally garner the courage to talk to her crush, Hugo.

Chapter 1—The City of Lights

            With the windfall they received, the Rangers were more excited than ever to return to Paris.   It had been a long time since they had savored the fabled City of Love.   The girls were simply gushing about it and the guys, whether or not they wanted to admit it, were jazzed over actually enjoying a vacation for once, or so they thought. 

            Being that Tommy, Jason and the lot of the Rangers were philanthropists, they decided to head out to one of the art galleries to sign autographs to help some of the local charities.

            ‘Doing this always makes me feel so marvelous.’, Kat admitted.   Kim grinned from ear to ear.  Even with deathly ill kids, it was proven that their idol’s involvement, 9 times out of 10, would help them go into remission.   There were so many accounts involving miraculous healing that they couldn’t help but attribute it to simple acts of kindness.   Jason and the others were well aware how even a simple smile could change the world.  

            Melvin Oswald waited in line for what seemed to be an eternity.   He had been a massive fan of the Power Rangers since he was a boy and couldn’t wait to receive the whole crew’s autographs for himself.  It would make a splendid addition to his collection.   Unfortunately, he waited for hours and Zack had to inform him they were returning to their hotel, not to repeat their charity event.

            ‘Oh.  I see.  That’s how you want to play it.   I get it.  You care about all these sick, diseased and abused kids but won’t even let your biggest fan get autographs.   You all make me want to vomit !  Do you know how long I have waited to get your autographs ?  HOURS !’, Melvin screamed at the top of his voice.  His dark eyes began to cloud with tears.   The Rangers tried to assuage him and make amends but nothing they did appeased Melvin.   Walking away in a huff, an akuma fluttered by and landed on his shoulder.   An ominous voice rang in his ears.  At first, the teenager thought he was hallucinating, but a man named Hawkmoth was speaking to him.

            ‘Melvin, you are no longer the young man you once were.  You’re now Obsessivo.  Follow the Rangers and your friends, test your new might.   See the chaos come to life.  They will pay for their disregard.   You’ll get your autographs soon enough.’, Hawkmoth said, in his secret tower, scrying from his magic mirror.   This villain would be the most powerful he had ever created by far.   Hawkmoth didn’t want to celebrate victory just yet but he had a sense that this young man’s rage would be more than enough kindling to ignite a tinderbox of terror.  

Chapter 2—Horror Movie come to Life 

            The next day, the whole gang thought it would be educational to see the Louvre, Le Arch de Triumph and all of the famous sites Paris was known for.    While the group was mesmerized over each element they saw, they didn’t know they were being followed by Obsessivo.  

           

            The friends thought it would be entertaining to head to Disneyland, not knowing Obsessivo had trialed them there.  One by one, he used his newfound talent to akumatize all the characters there.   Michael, or Mickey Mouse, had become the first.  His transformation was positively terrifying.   A dark pod surrounded him, much like a cocoon and he emerged in his altered, evil form.   One had to admit, though, the super suit very flattering for his autumn coloration, but his transformed face was so terrible that many of the Playhouse gang recoiled in horror. Minnie was the second. A poisonous fuchsia flower engulfed her and she emerged as Poison Enchantramouse.

        She looked like an amalgam of Poison Ivy and Sedusa. In this newly sinister form, she was even more lusty and flirtatious than usual, even one might so as far to say she was a bit slutty. Morbid Mouse didn’t mind.  It was all part of the plan.   Just like the music video of Thriller, they all came, one by one; Donald, Goofy, Pluto, Tinkerbell, Pooh Bear, even the original old-school mascots, Oswald and Ortensia. (Oswald was Michael's older brother by a year.) However, Oswald and Ortensia were not completely akumatized, and they were trying to break free.

            Luckily, the teens from Kadic had gone on a field trip this day.   It was fall and they were relishing their autumn break.   They as well as the Tapwater Titans had come to take in the sights, sounds and smells of gay Paris.   They didn’t even hesitate to morph into their heroic avatars.  

            ‘Guess that’s our cue !  It’s morphin’ time !’, Jason called, making his transformation rapidly.    They were joined by the likes of Chat Noir, Ladybug, Queen Bee, Trix and Kappa.  Aisha was geeking out over seeing them in person.

            ‘I thought you were fictional !’, she squealed, fighting alongside her favorite character, Trix.   She knew their true identities but knew that spoilers were best kept to herself.   This itself had been such an honor, it was difficult keeping her excitement to a minimum.

    'No time to chat, guys !', Oswald the Lucky Rabbit interjected. 'My brother has been corrupted !'

'Yes !', Ortensia screamed. 'We need your help !'

Chapter 4—Clash of the Titans

One by one, fists, weapons and high kicks were flying faster than debris in a tornado. It was incredibly chaotic and frighteningly beautiful. Everyone fought in tandem, each warrior giving the battle their utmost.

Jeramie’s latest upgrades in arms were highly useful and the armor was nothing short of stellar.

‘They can’t akumatize us ! This quantum armor really handles outside pressure well !’, Jim complimented. Even though Jeramie still blushed at comments, the bespectacled genius was too busy executing a sensational whirlwind kick with his darling Aelita. The feet hit Goofy and Donald so hard that they were knocked out for a bit. Both felt a little guilty since those two interactive characters were beloved, and their favorite ones of the Disney bunch. No one could afford allowing anyone to get touched by them, though, or they’d become part of Obsessivo’s growing armada.

Obsessivo howled in defeat. There were far too many heroes and heroines in this fight.

‘You might have won the battle, but not the war. Mark my words, you brutes, the next time, you aren’t going to be so lucky.’, he vowed. With a smoke bomb, a la Batman or Darkwing Duck, the manic comic monger vanished into purple, blue and silver fumes. Theatrical, yes, but the crew knew it wasn’t the last the were going to face Obsessivo.

Chapter 5—More Charity Work

Conky made certain to create more glossy photos for autograph sessions wherever they went. He had a new feature that made him develop photos from a slot in his upper chest so rapid, blink and you’d miss the professional photos that emerged.

‘These should come in handy.’, he said to Pee Wee, who kept them all in a portfolio for safe keeping.

‘We might have a run in with a fan along the way to the hospital. Man, I never thought charity work would be exhausting, but it certainly is worth it.’, he said. Magic and Starry Screen agreed. It was just too fun playing with all the children, helping them heal from their ailments.

Oddly, the Rangers had heard there was going to be a block party that night.

‘Come on ! We need a bit of a break. It’ll be refreshing.’, Kat suggested.

‘I fully agree we need a smidge of fun. Besides, it’ll be enjoyable to move ourselves around without punching or kicking someone in the face.’, Kim concurred. Aisha couldn’t help but laugh.

‘The only thing I’m busting tonight are moves !’, Zack added, cheesily. The whole lot of them cracked up at Zack’s pun. It would be great just to have some time to chill out, but they realized they would have to have their eyes open for Obsessivo. There was no telling when or where he and his toadies would attack again.

Chapter 6—Just One Wish, What Can it Hurt ?

Katie was well liked by her peers but terribly shy when it came to her schoolgirl crush on Hugo. Hugo wasn’t a jock or preppy but a very sensitive, artistic soul who adored composing all sorts of works of art, whether they were painted, sculpted, drawn, sewn or played on his piccolo. He had heard, just like everyone else in the school that Nico the DJ was going to be throwing a block party. Everyone and their brother would be in attendance. Katie longed to go but she was so demure that it was challenging to will herself to go. She had so many reasons, especially where Hugo was concerned. Taking a deep breath, she looked out of her window before turning in for the night.

‘I wish...’, she began.

‘I wish I could attend Nico’s block party and confess my feelings to Hugo.’, she said. A surge of confidence jolted through her. Somehow, she felt like everything was going to be fine and the unexpected was about to occur. She squealed softly and hugged her Hello Kitty plush close before going to bed. Tomorrow was going to be extraordinary.

Meanwhile on Starland…

Lady Stella proudly paired Leona and Sage together. Coincidentally enough, these two had both failed a mission on Wishworld again but they knew that together, there was no possible way they would make the same errors. Even though they were different, they worked exceptionally well as a unit.

‘I can’t wait ! This is gonna rock !’, Leona exclaimed as she mounted her shooting star. She was still in her glamorous form, but once she and Sage landed on earth they would remove their glamours and become more mundane to blend in with the Wishworlders. Sage was a little anxious, but Leona reached over to grasp her hand while the dainty purple-bedecked lady hoisted atop her own shooting star.

‘Hey, girl. No worries. It’ll be star-tastic. You’ll see. We’ll get this wish fulfilled together.’, she said. Sage’s concerned look turned into one of optimism and she was fully illuminating the night sky with her best friend and band member. With a loud whoop, the two were launched from the docking station on the edge of Starland into free-form space. Since shooting stars were rapid, they would be landing on Earth’s surface in no time flat.

Chapter 7—Enter Obsessivo

It was the night of the block party and it seemed everyone who had come on vacation had their plans inter-lap with that of this festive occasion. It was getting close to fall break, so the shindig just happened to coincide with the autumnal event.

The decorations were splendid. Everything was colorful and bright. It wasn’t Halloween, but everyone was dressed as their favorite character, whether it was someone obscure, someone from the movies, cartoon and anime characters or even Chat Noir and Ladybug lookalikes. The Rangers were dressed as characters from the 80s and 90s.

‘Aggh ! Nostalgia !’, Adam said, veiling his eyes in a very dramatic way. DJ Nico began to drop a beat and everyone began to dance.

Katie saw Hugo off in a distance but just couldn’t seem to bolster herself to talk to him. There were two new students that had come to chat with her and they introduced themselves as Sandra and Leondra. In a matter of minutes, they were able to get Katie more confident than she had already been. She could swear that the new girls were glowing but it was probably because of all the ambient light on the patio surrounding them.

Katie began to talk to Hugo and confess her feelings. Before long the girls realized that the wish was granted and their pendants had collected positive wish energy. They could begin returning home to Starland.

‘Well, that was a cosmic walk in the park !’, Leona said, giving her friend a high five. They would relay Lady Stella to transport them away via starbeam. Of course, the duet would have to go to a location where they would be less conspicuous. Before they could leave, though, the party’s mood went suddenly south.

Coming in from the side door with more akumatized goons was Obsessivo.

‘I’m baaaaaack !’, he bellowed. His new outfit was quite attractive. It was a sequinned uniform, much akin to the one Neal Diamond or Elvis Presley would’ve worn. Most likely he was impersonating Diamond. Some of the girls were already drooling over him, not knowing he was there to crash the party, not to join the festivities.

‘Who is this guy ?’, Leona asked.

‘I don’t know, Leona but he has a terrible negative vibe about him. I don’t like it, not one bit.’, Sage observed as she shivered from the chill in the air.

Chapter 8—A New Wish is Made

Katie hadn’t known that her previous wish had already been granted, so she began making a second one. It was more elaborate and she had no idea what would happen but suddenly Leona and Sage had weapons of their own. Sage’s pendant could transform into a wand that gave her Dreamlight ability.

‘I wonder if this works with the other Darlings...’,she mused. Her Dreamlight could undo what had previously been done to the interactive characters at Disneyland. Leona’s Dreamlight was based upon her singing ability. The songs she sang put them in a trance and left them vulnerable to being healed by Sage. One by one, each character returned to their normal selves. Ladybug and Chat Noir de-akumatized Obsessivo and fled the scene right before they were thanked. All the others had disappeared as if they had never been there.

Nico scratched his head.

‘Did I just dream this whole thing up ? What just happened ?’, he said, completely confused.

‘Yeah, could someone fill us in ? I’m lost.’, another student said. The Lyokians had made their exit as mysteriously as they had come. The Titans, too, were nowhere to be seen. Even the Darlings had made their exit, having erased the memory of what had just occurred. Their energy would be used to light Starland for another 10 cycles, at least. Katie’s dream had been exceptionally powerful and the fact that she had fulfilled it mostly by herself made it even more potent. Lady Stella was going to give the girls plenty of praise once they returned.

Melvin got back up on his feet and was surprised to see the Rangers again. He felt a familiar ire rising in his veins but ignored it.

‘We’re sorry we didn’t give you an autographed photo like before.’, Tommy said, ruefully. Melvin’s face became bright and he was verklempt. With tears in his eyes, he hugged everyone that he could.

‘I don’t know what happened, but I am so appreciative. I’ll never forget this day.’, he said, gratefully.

‘Think nothing of it.’, Adam added with a bright grin. With the evening now long spent, everyone was becoming tired. Many of the party goers were heading home. As for Katie, she had enjoyed a slow dance and a romantic kiss in the moonlight. That night, the two newly christened lovebirds walked hand in hand, eager to see where their relationship would lead them.

Epilogue

Back again at Disneyland, all the Rangers had forgotten about the events of the party and some of the scenarios that unfolded in Disneyland itself. They were simply happy all was well and Halloween could be enjoyed without a hitch. Funnily enough, though, they had a feeling that they would come across Chat Noir and friends again, but they weren’t sure when that would be. The only thing that mattered was collecting candy and gouging themselves on it. All Saints and All Souls Day were arriving as well, so their bellies would be more than full enough on confectionaries. Besides, it was good to have done so much to heal so many precious little souls. With that in mind, the Rangers had a hunch to continue their tour in Europe to buoy more effervescent lights in the world.