Welcome to the Family

Synopsis: A sequel to ‘Getting Connected’.   Pepper and ASIMO have adjusted to their jobs and are expecting their bundles of joy, Isaac and Cayenne.   Fortunately, there is a new robot hospital, and it couldn’t have come at a better time.   Pepper is expecting to deliver her twins any day now.    Dream Dolly returns from the grave thanks to a dark crystal Zoisite activates.   Unfortunately, she wants revenge for what the Sailor Scouts and Power Rangers put her through.  

Dedicated to Barbara Goodson and Wendy Lyon as well as all the voice actors and actresses in the English version of Sailor Moon.    You made my Saturdays worthwhile.  Bless you all.   

Chapter 1--A Sudden Change of Plans

ASIMO and Pepper were going to have dinner at a fancy restaurant to cap off the perfect weekend.  Their jobs were going spectacularly and they had been earning more than enough to keep up maintenance for themselves and for HQ, which had grown exponentially in size.   Suddenly, Pepper felt a twang of discomfort.    

‘Oh, heavens.  I seem to have sprung a leak.’, she thought, lubricant running down her leg.   One of the women at her workplace phoned ASIMO and he needed no explanation.    He took her to the newest robot hospital Angel Grove had in the area.   In fact, it was only a few weeks ago that Intellicore had opened its doors to servicing robots of all kinds.     

The robot nurses and doctors immediately began helping Pepper through labor pains.   Unlike a human, there wasn’t a lot of discomfort involved and she delivered her little ones without much sweat or tears.   Isaac had been the first to emerge into his daddy’s arms, squeaking and wanting attention.   

ASIMO cradled the little boy bot, assuaging any fear he had experience.   Then came Cayenne.   She wasn’t noisy at all.  In fact, it seemed she was still asleep until one of the nurses patted her to rid her lungs of oil.   Cayenne was a little miffed but became placid as soon as she was in her mom’s arms.   Unlike typical human babies, AI fed on information when they were hungry.   They were pretty standard sentient creatures.   In time, they would want to try actual food once they were upgraded to enjoy it but for now, the milk of pure information kept them satiated and quiet.   

Chapter 2--Meeting the Newborns

'Shall we return home, dear ?', ASIMO asked his wife. 'The Rangers, Zordon and the other bots are going to be in for quite the surprise.', he added.   Isaac and Cayenne were put in their recuperation cribs to sleep.    

Alpha and Delta first got a chance to meet the bundles of joy.  

‘They’re beautiful, just like their parents.’, Delta said, sweetly.   She started to give a knowing look to Alpha who couldn’t help but squeeze Delta’s hand knowingly in response.   Perhaps one day they would have little bots of their own, but for now, they were too busy defending the Earth from interstellar villains.  

Fairly soon, the Rangers arrived from school.    The infants had just awoke and needed to be fed.   Pepper hooked up their ports and they were almost instantaneously happy and sated.  

‘Awwww, just look at them !  So precious !   Can I hold them ?’, Kim said.   Aisha gushed over the twins.   The babies were drinking in the attention and were wide-eyed about everything that they saw.   They quickly became the favorite subjects of the bot’s attention.   

Meanwhile…

‘My lady, I pray this pleases you.’, Zoisite began.   Beryl, unamused, rolled her eyes.    

‘What half-baked plan do you have this time, Zoisite ?’, she muttered.   

‘I am resurrecting Dream Dolly, with your permission, of course.’, Zoisite stated, bowing in deference.    

‘Fine.  I don’t care.  Do whatever you want.’, Beryl answered, her expression totally flat and her tone unaffected.    Zoisite expression changed at that moment into one of pure evil.   Raising the dark crystal to the sky, she began chanting and in a flash, Dolly was reborn.  

‘Now, go.  You know what you must do, Dream Dolly !’, she commanded.  Bowing, she phased out of the Negaverse and reappeared in Angel Grove.

‘Now to enact my revenge.’, she growled.  

Chapter 3--Deja Vu

Dream Dolly had taken the guise of a simple fairy tale story teller in the park.  Naturally children were drawn to her just as they would be to sugary treats.   She was irresistible.   She garnered their trust and then lured them into slumber, draining their energy from them.

‘That’s right little ones.   Sleep while I snack on your delicious essence.’, she said, draining them all of their vitality.    Before they were completely sapped, in came the Sailor Scouts, but instead of fighting, she retreated.   

‘Where did she go ?  I didn’t see where she went !’, Raye said, desperately wanting to fire blast Dolly before she attacked them.  

‘I don’t know.  Seems the new, improved Dolly has a thermal ocular camouflage.’, Amy stated, catching only a small trail of footprints but not having the ability to trace them.    

‘Come on, guys.  She’ll show up sooner or later.’, Lita chimed in.   

‘Yeah.   It’s no big deal.   I’ll treat you all to some fast food.  We all need a break.’, Mina offered.   

‘Wendy’s sounds tremendous.  I could go for a Baconator about now.’, Usagi confessed, nearly drooling.    Once the Scouts had disappeared, Dolly thought of a new scheme to draw in the Rangers.  

‘Perhaps that wasn’t enough to lure those wretched Rangers.   Their energy is going to be mine yet !’, she mused as she reformulated her plan.   

Back in the Power Chamber...

The alarms began to ring as the Rangers and the bots looked up.

'Awww man! What now?!', Tommy said in an irritated tone.

‘It looks like Dream Dolly is up to her old tricks.   She acts like she’s helping weak and vulnerable people but she’s really feeding off their energy.   It’s making them attack each other verbally and even sometimes physically.’, Alpha 5 said.   Zordon knew that they were already prepared for the battle to come, even though it would be challenging.  

‘You don’t know what sort of attacks she could have in store.   Even though Delta, Alpha and I have updated your comms with her latest abilities many are still blocked from our backdoor access.’, Zordon confessed a bit sadly.  

‘It doesn’t matter.  We’re ready.   We’ve got plenty of allies on our side.  If it’s a fight Dolly wants, it’s a fight she’ll have.’, Jason stated, cracking his knuckles and neck.   

‘We’re going with you.’, Pepper chimed in.  

‘Don’t you think you should be here with your infants ?’, Zack questioned.

‘We have a sitter.  Don’t worry so much !’, ASIMO reassured him.  

Chapter 4--Refueled and Battle Ready

The new improved Dream Dolly was something out of a Freddy Krueger meets Stephen King hellscape.  She was more gnarled than ever, baring her fangs in rage.  

‘Rangers !   At last we meet again.  Hopefully it will be the last time !  I will kill every last one of you !’, she roared, coming at them all with a deadly swipe.   They didn’t even expect her to hit them so quickly.   They were knocked down but began to get back up.  

‘How dare you hurt my friends !’, Somnibot yelled, transforming into her ultimate form.    Pepper and ASIMO were prepared to use their revamped selves to wallop their foe.

‘You think a little magic show intimidates me ?’, Dolly questioned, with a self-assured smirk.   She came back with a show of herself, only to knock Somnibot into the dirt.

‘We’re getting our butts handed to us !’, Tommy complained.  

‘What do you suggest then ?   We’re giving it everything we’ve got !’, Rocky responded, getting a little angry.   

‘Looks like you guys need our help again.’, Rey said, helping Rocky to his feet.   All of the Scouts were there, even the Sailor Stars.    

‘I see you brought friends.’, Dolly sneered.    

‘With your new abilities, I couldn’t afford not to.’, Usagi retorted, sharply.  

‘I don’t have time for this !’, Dolly screamed, becoming livid.    She struck at them all, giving them the full force of her new and improved features.    She could knock them all down without even breaking a sweat.   She didn’t even allow them to get up from being pummelled to the ground.   

‘This isn’t the way, Dolly.   Part of you really loved reading to the children in the park…’, Usagi began.  

‘No !   I didn’t !   I loathe children !’, Dream Dolly deliberately lied as she stopped mid strike against Kim and Aisha.    

‘Deep inside you are actually very kind, gentle, warm and friendly.   Your biggest gift to the world is opening the world of imagination up to them and unleashing its unlimited possibilities.’, Usagi stated.   For once, Dolly was at full attention and unable to move a muscle.  She was completely hypnotized by what Usagi was telling her.   

Chapter 5--Repaired, Healed and Back to Her True Self

Dolly tried to stop her ears and even began going into a full-fledged tantrum.   

‘See, even you can’t deny your true feelings.’, Hotaru revealed.  

‘No !  I only find purpose in serving Queen Beryl !   That’s the only pleasure I have ever known.’, she deliberately fibbed.   

‘If that’s so true then why are you crying ?   Why is your old self shedding away, flaking off like an old skin ?’, Pluto inquired.   It was then that Morpheus, Pasitea, Somnibot and Usagi all joined together for a collaborative attack.  They fired all their energies at Dolly.  She began to experience strange flashes of memory.   Dolly recalled a time before she was transmogrified by the wiles of Queen Beryl and her cronies.    She used to be genial, just like Usagi had said.   She could see herself tending to small children who had been sick and were recovering.    She was much like a big sister to these little ones, especially to the ones that had unfortunately come from broken homes.    To the ones that were latchkey kids, she helped find nurturing atmospheres.   

‘No !   Enough !   Stop !   I can’t take it anymore !’, she pleaded with them as she fell down to her knees and reverted to her original self.    The Rangers, who had been beaten quite thoroughly, could finally catch their breath.    There was no way Dolly could be turned evil again.  The curse had been reversed.

‘Thank you Sailor Scouts.  Thank you Somnibot.  You helped me find my true self.’, Dolly said, back to her original form.    She then vanished in a pinpoint of light.    The Rangers thanked their friends and saw them disappear from view.  

‘Hopefully no one else saw that battle.  They might’ve thought San Fran Comic Con was goin’ on.’, Adam laughed.   

Chapter 6--Back to ‘Normal’

Cayenne and Isaac’s babysitter, a fellow robotics engineer named Maori Mazda had no trouble with keeping the bots happy, entertained and fed.   The two angels were fast asleep and dreaming wonderful dreams.  

‘Thank you Dr. Mazda.   We couldn’t have done this without you.’, Pepper said, paying the doctor for her help.   

‘Ah, no.  I don’t require payment.   We’re monitoring them and watching them grow is payment enough.  Through interactions we’re learning more about them and you in return.’, Maori responded with a massive grin.    ASIMO patted her back.  It was good to have friends like Maori around.

‘Man, I’m dying for something different tonight.   I think we should all get something refreshing.’, Zack suggested as he lead his friends to the nearest Jamba Juice.   It would sure quench their thirst as well as replenish them from the battle they had all endured.   

Back in the Negaverse…

‘I don’t even know why I bother allowing you any say in what monsters we use to torment those wretched Sailor Scouts.   To make things worse, we’re vastly outnumbered by those terrible Rangers !   Compared to them, we’re a mere fascicle !’, Beryl spat venomously.   

‘But I…’, Zoisite countered.

‘The only butt I see is yours getting spanked by incompetence, failure and an overall lack of any promise whatsoever.   Guards, away with her, to the dungeon !’, Beryl bellowed.    Zoisite did not wish to have her precious heinie tanned by the likes of Beryl’s goons so she pled with her once more.

‘I will make it worth your while.   Just please, give me another chance.’, she said, holding her clasped hands high in a plaintive manner.   

‘Whatever.  If anything, it will prove amusing.   Besides, you are my most integral asset, but you are expendable.  Don’t forget that.’, she reminded with a sadistic sneer.    

Epilogue

After having some much needed relaxation at the local spa, the gang was met by Bulk and Skull.   

‘Hey, how are you doing ?   You look totally blissed out.’, Skull remarked.  

‘Oh, definitely.   That spa day was just what the doctor ordered.’, Kim replied with a smile.   Even though Skull didn’t want to admit it, he blushed just being close to Kim again but it was downplayed by his outward display of charisma and machismo.   

‘How are the new parents doing ?’, Bulk questioned, curious about the baby bots.  

‘You know you’re more than welcome to come and visit them.   You can even babysit if you’d like.’, Pepper offered.  

‘Ooh, I’ve never babysat a baby bot before.’, Bulk said, excitedly.   ‘I’ll pay you handsomely.’, ASIMO replied sweetening the deal.   The two could always use some extra scratch for the next popular Switch video game coming out, they mused.   They ambled off victoriously, giving each other some ridiculous kind of secret celebratory handshake.   

‘Those guys are such goofballs.’, Tommy laughed.  

‘Yep, but that’s why we love them.’, Rocky agreed.   

Feeling replenished, they all went their different ways and the bots headed back to Headquarters.   Pepper and ASIMO were eager to see their little ones, even if they were entrenched in their reveries.    It was a red-letter day all around, anyways.    At least for now, evil had been thwarted another day.  

The End