CHAPTER 7: "The Emo Encounter"



Hanom: "MODM...sleeping on the job?"

MODM: "Just trying to avoid Percolating away too soon."

John: "This place is balls!"

Ross: "Easy, man! We don't, like, wanna offend the locals or nothing, or..."

Hanom: "Whatever. Vanessa...you see if you can get an interview with Trini."

Vanessa: "The tall one?"

Hanom: "Of course! MODM's got the other one in position. Along with Vicken."

John: "Where's Luke?"

MODM: "No worries! I've got Fai...er...keeping him occupied, unless he should do something really stupid - like pick a fight with Gwirmalesh at this moment."

John: "Right. He hates most space aliens passionately. Lot of good they do, eh?"

Ross: "And we've got Stef in case that's not enough."

Hanom: "I'll try to reason with the officers, or see if I can bail Zack and Trini out. Otherwise...we get creative."

John: "Let's blow this tosh!"

Hanom: "And Kim?"



Kim was around, but she'd found an item amidst Vinny's stuff that amused her. Was it even better than Krispy Kreme? When no one was looking, she thought she'd try some.

Kim: "Wassup, chief?"

Hanom (slightly irritated): "We're on a mission to help your friends rescue their alt-world counterparts, so I can get my Knight and security guard back from their world and make sure Slaisionnach can't threaten yours! So I'd prefer you not act like this were a school field trip!"

MODM: "Oh, don't be so hard on her, Freddy! She bumped into me when we first met, and I had this really weird feeling! Since then...her thoughts have been slightly less coherent. I'm sure it'll wear off - in a month! Back on topic: to be fair, if you're gonna steal, why not inside a police station?"

Kim: "Borrow. And I'm pretty sure Vinny will get his coffee mug back just fine. Tasty stuff though. Say...where is this 'Biggby' place located anyway?"

Hanom: "Back when Gwirmalesh turned Vinny into a stuffed toy..."

Kim (trying not to laugh): "Sorry...I'm an ass. Continue..."

Hanom: "Yeah. Gwrimalesh's spells make no sense to me either. Anwyay, Vinny needed to get to the Pool of Healing on Cortascius. The hidden portal was on a purple pipe inside the Granger Building of the Ferris State campus in Big Rapids, Michigan.

There was a Biggby store in town that Vinny hid inside of, until he could get the chance to have Cassie throw him at the pipe and send him through. He grew to like that Biggby store. So he bought some mugs to remind him of it."

Kim: "iMuy interesante!. At least it's better than Starbucks."

Ross: "I do bloody think Crosstown is best, o-right-up-there!."

Hanom: "Focus, guys! We can debate donut shops later. We're on a mission. And MODM?"

MODM: "Yes?"

Hanom: "Try to fix Kim when you can, so she is a little less id-dominant! I don't think the other Zordon will appreciate you giving him a cuckoo bird in the place of his Pink Ranger."

MODM: "It'll get worse before it gets better, but I'll try."

Hanom: "Please do. I want to sleep at night."



Officer Greg Marino walked out to see who all these sudden visitors were.

Marino: "Hanom!"

Hanom: "Good evening, Marino."

Marino: "So...who invited Gene Wilder here?"

Hanom: "That's...not funny."

Marino: "At least he ain't the Johnny Depp version! Then, I wouldn't want him around all these children for sure!"

Hanom: "Actually, I believe that's partially why I'm here. These are Percolations you see before you. That Gwirdon Gang has been stealing my toys again, and this one's a real doozy! Alternate universe access and other weird stuff that was never supposed to happen outside my lab. I believe two members of my security team went missing. And two other Percolations are now in your jail."

Marino (in denial): "I'm not sure what you're talking about!"

Hanom: "I believe their faces were flashed on the news as your latest catches. They were not intentionally trespassing on my grounds. They were sent there against their will. A third one is in the hospital. I've got my remaining R&D elite security playing bodyguard. The creature known as Slaisionnach nearly killed him. And now, he's after these visitors' worlds. I would like to pay Zack and Trini's bail."

Marino: "Fat chance, Hanom! There is no bail! And you can't bribe one into existence either. Not even you!"

Hanom: "I want all charges dropped."

Marino: "Hire them a good lawyer. Their IDs are obviously fake! They're lucky we didn't paper shred them! There is no Angel Grove, and uh...say there, Pinkie Pie...where'd the pedo and the Brit-Goths go?"

Kim: "Oh, screw you! With a tomato!!!"

Hanom (sighing): "Kim! Stay focused! Sorry. Nobody calls her a pony!"

Marino: "I'm losing patience with your cuckoo bird friends, Hanom. Sailor Nothing here in particular!"

Kim had to try very hard to hold back the urge to punch Greg right then and there. After all...what sort of Ranger was she, if she went around randomly punching cops? But then she started thinking of daffodils, and wondered if Marino didn't deserve to be one. Oh, drat! That got her thinking of The Lion King! But why was it a circle of life? Why not a squircle? After all: squircles are way cooler. And make better plates.

Vanessa: "Would it be possible to at least interview them?"

Marino: "Tomorrow, during visiting hours, I'll let Hanom talk to the Fresh Prince and you can talk with the other one about the price of tea in China."

Hanom:"Trini's family is from Vietnam."

Marino: "Whatever!"



Kim couldn't take any more of it. She whipped out her own ID.

Kim: "Study this, if you are, in fact, smarter than a 5th grader! You see? There are many Angel Groves! Mine got blown to smitties. The Love-the-'90s Crew we're trying to save still has theirs. But...not if we don't unite and stop Slaisionnach!"

After a brief pause to look at her ID, Marino let out a sinister grin.

Marino: "You're a miracle worker, Hanom! You make it easier every single day for us to get garbage like this off the streets! Now if only we could capture that 'Golden Lion' Knight who's mostly green, and get something out of him! That'd be something!"

Hanom: "You're not at all concerned about that cult in mosquito masks?"

Marino: "Nope. The Knight will get them. And then, we'll get him. The problems will just about take care of themselves!"

Marino noticed that Kim was giving him a very contemptuous look.

Marino: "Got something else to say to me, She-Kirby?"

Kim: "Actually, I was just trying to solve the riddle of whether your mouth needs a mint...or toilet paper!"

For Marino, this was the last straw.

Marino: "All right, turn around! You'll cool your jets for the next 24 hours with me, talking to an officer like that!"

Kim (imitating Sheryl Crow): ♫"If it / makes you / happy..."♫

Marino: "And I'll report your fake behind to ICE along with the other Pap-Smea..."

Hanom: "Percolations!"

Marino: "Yeah, those!"

Kim (being dragged away): "I'm an awesome possum!!!"

Marino: "I hope Vanna eats you for lunch!"

Vanessa: "Well! I hope the others are having better luck than we are. And what's gotten into her?"

Hanom: "I'm sure they are. And if you ask me...MODM."

Vanessa: "That guy is a bad influence!"

Hanom: "I would not have reached out to him if we didn't need him. Trust me."



Trini thought she heard rumbling of some type inside her cell, and quickly opened her eyes to find out what was behind all the commotion.

Trini'93: "Wh...who are you?"

Trini'17: "Shh!!! I'm you. Well...from a different dimension. It's...complicated."

Trini'93: "How'd you get past security?"

Vicken: "We...had a little help."

Trini'93: "Zordon?"

Trini'17: "Both of them. And some guy named 'MODM' - er...that's also complicated."

Vicken: "And Captain Emohead."

Trini'93: "Who's the other girl?"

Trini'17: "Don't worry about her. She's...British division."

Vicken: "Oh screw you, tosser! I'm Vicken, by the way."

Captain Emohead: "Wow, Emo 5! These girls suck at giving introductions!"

Emo 5: "You're telling me!"



Trini'93: "I appreciate the fact that you are willing to go through so much effort to visit me. But I still have no idea what's going on."

Vicken: "For starters, a wise floating emo head once told me: 'Cheer the Ford-truck up'! My sad look...is just no look for you."

Trini'17: "I don't think she knows about emo culture, Vicken. Did that even exist in 1993?"

Trini'93: "Vaguely."

Trini'17: "Well, I'll be!"

Vicken: "Pays you to search Wikipedia first...both of you."

Trini'93: "What?"

Vicken: "The Encarta of our time. Except, with high-speed cable web, there's no need for CD-ROM anymore."

Trini'93: "Fascinating! I only wish I could tell Billy!"

Trini'17: "Yeah, about that. See, here's the gist of what's going on: There was this thing called the Abdygalis. When it was shattered, it formed several other barely-explicable phenomena. Those things tore the universe apart into several smaller universes, some of which are aware of each other and some not. So there's probably hundreds of alternate timelines.

I'm from a timeline where Angel Grove is a small fishing town, and this thing called a 'Zeo Crystal' is buried beneath what used to be a Krispy Kreme. My Rita is a former Green Ranger gone rogue, who wanted to capture it to appease the United Alliance of Evil in 2017 - and for her own use. Long story. And my Zordon is stuck inside a wall."

Trini'93: "In mine, he's in a plasma tube. My world's Rita is a brown-dressed witch on the moon, and it's 1993. By the way...who won the election in November of 2016?"

Trini'17: "Trump. But I don't know if he has a plan yet on how to deal with the United Alliance of Evil. Rita pretty much took everyone by surprise. And how'd you know about the 2016 elections, if it's not yet November of 2016 in this timeline?"

Trini'93: "Vanna."

Trini'17: "Who?"

Trini'93: "Loud mouth who likes to seduce men's fathers...and college roommates. For...some reason. I'd...rather not talk about her."

Trini'17 (winking): "Nuff said, other me!"

Vicken: "And I'm from an England in 2005 where some pretty weird tosh happens all the time. Captain Emohead is in a tube too."

Trini'93: "And...where is this place?"

Trini'17: "From what the others told me..."

Vicken: "Land of the Knobs, really! I just knew it would be, too!"

Trini'17: "My Billy agreed to stay behind. In case...well, stuff happened. He seems to be able to morph now without help from the rest of us. Making him critical there if we screw up! My Kim came along, but she's an idiot and just got herself arrested. So pretty soon, she can keep you company in here.

This is the EccentriaVerse, by the way. Here, the Abdygalis fracture became the EccentriaCore, bound to the whole of this universe; but strongest in the core of the planet Cortascius. A framework built by the Weavers into the EccentriaCore, called the Tapestry, functions an awful lot like the Morphing Grid. A magic armor storage warehouse, or some such thing."

Trini'93: "I still don't understand."

Trini'17 realized she'd have to get really good at summary, and quickly. It was only a matter of time before someone checked on Trini'93's cell and found unauthorized visitors!



Trini'17: "Right. Anyway, so a bunch of humanity somehow wound up on Cortascius. Two kingdoms formed. And a war got started because of some...thing called a...Marzwhatti ? I don't know. But the main Cortascian Kingdom was being threatened by this giant evil mosquito overlord named Gwirmalesh. Who now is hiding his evil forces beneath the mountains in Bozeman, Montana. You are in the Gallatin County Detention Center. Most likely because they thought you were stealing from Dr. Hanom - like Gwirmalesh and his monsters do."

Trini'93: "Okay...this is starting to make sense."

Vicken: "Just wait, it gets weirder."

Trini'17: "The Knights of Cortascius were formed to save the universe from Gwirmalesh. But apparently, they're all dead now except for Volkonir. He and his lady pal Kayla Tarington are now being kept at the Command Center in your world. A monster also wound up there, named Slaisionnach. Gaelic for 'Throat Slasher', or something. Anyway, he's like a Russian Raiden from Mortal Kombat, but with venom as well as lightning, or so I've heard.

Your Jason tried to fight Slaisionnach, and wound up in the hospital in this world. Now, Slaisionnach is in yours. And according to MODM, he's now working for Rita."

Trini'93: "Well, that almost makes sense. It's his only way home."

Trini'17: "Not entirely true. The only way to send everyone home, after Slaisionnach destabilized the Percolation Wave...is to kill Slaisionnach."

Vicken: "And the good news is...once you Percolate home...so will most of your stuff. No one will ever know you were arrested. At least...not in your Angel Grove."

Trini'17: "It gets worse. The Tapestry and Grid are not 100% compatible. The longer you stay feeding off the Tapestry, the weaker you get. The longer Volkonir taps into the Grid, the weaker he gets. Until his strength will be the same as one of your Rangers. And your Rangers may as well not have any strength here at all. I can only hope your Grid and mine are more compatible."

Trini'93: "I appreciate you all trying so hard to cheer me up. Not sure that last bit helps."

Vicken: "Just stay strong. Hanom is trying to get you a lawyer. But if you Percolate home before your court date, you won't even need one."

Trini'17: "Normal Percolation Temps are in worlds on a time limit. When the limit expires, you go home. Could be you're in prison for two years or more. But like Vicken said...Hanom's working to get you a lawyer. As common as Percolations are becoming between this world and the Dromedeverse, you'd think those worlds would start granting Percolations more legal recognition. Instead, they seem to lock us up as first instinct."

Trini'93: "How can you be so comfortable with being tossed in with a bunch of criminals like this?"

After having to think about it a second, Trini'17 came up with an answer.

Trini'17: "Well, to be fair, there's this mean lady named Melanie gunning for us back in my world, after our Megazord and Goldar blew my hometown to Hell. It actually wouldn't surprise me one bit if I end up in prison fairly soon! But to be frank, the world changed after 9/11."

Trini'93: "Changed how?"



Trini'17: "Have you ever seen Terminator?"

Trini'93: "Uh...I snuck over to a friend's house to watch it one time. Why?"

Trini'17: "We're halfway there. Something tells me Vinny's world here is on a similar dark trajectory."

Vicken: "Fewer killer robots though. More like...The Giver. But not quite."

Trini'93: "And I just barely understood that reference!"

Trini'17: "Long story short: 2001. Planes hit towers. Republicans and Democrats become too much alike. The whole world goes Blade Runner dark and jumpy. The WiP genre makes a comeback. Rita destroys a Krispy Kreme with Goldar's help. I'm now on a government watchlist for all the property damage the Megazord inflicted stopping her. And my mom thinks I'm on drugs."

Vicken: "I thought she hated you for being an uphill gardener?"

Trini'17 (rolling eyes): "I'm only curious about that, Vicken! Good gravy!"

Trini'93: "So, how soon before MODM calls you to my world to fix everything?"

Trini'17: "As soon as we hear word that Slaisionnach is up to something."

Vicken: "Tomorrow, Hanom's associate Vanessa Kwan will be meeting with you...in a more legal fashion. She'll be there to ensure you don't get a super duper amount of time."

Trini'93 (tear-eyed): "Thank you!"

Trini'17: "Us Kwans have to stick together. And even when we can't...Hanom isn't gonna leave you high and dry. He can't. He'll never get Vinny and Kayla back without you. And he kinda needs them. Top employees, even if he can't acknowledge them as such."

Vicken: "Kwans only? Am I chopped liver?"

Trini'17: "What was your last name again?"



As MODM was gathering forces to kill Slaisionnach, Rita and Finster decided to have some fun modifying a little of their own arsenal using Slaisionnach's upgraded DNA.

Slaisionnach: "I feel whole lot different."

Rita: "Yes! The upgrades worked beautifully!"

Finster: "And with his new extendo-fangs, he can cripple the Rangers in one bite! Shall I say...cut through their suits like butter? Only the Green Ranger will pose a challenge for him."

Slaisionnach: "Forget silly Rangers! I want to kill Cortascian Knight. Rangers be ragdolls anyway!"

Finster: "And you will! See, Volkonir is also getting weaker the longer he is in this world and not his own. Soon, his Knight armor will afford him only slightly better protection than what the Rangers have. And even better...Volkonir doesn't have a Zord of his own to pilot!"

Rita: "Excellent! Let's send down the Slaison-Putties to scare everyone at the park!"

Slaisionnach: "I have better idea. Send them to collect heads in park! Will make Pajama Men sick to stomach! I kill head of military in region, then attack city at night. Even Rangers must sleep. I then draw out Knight, and make Gwirmalesh proud!"

Rita: "Oooohh...so devious! Let's not waste any more time! Slaisionnutties, attack!!!"

The new Slaisionnutties wasted little time in the park stabbing park-goers with their claws, filling victims with venom and spreading out into the streets soon thereafter. Police arrived on the scene, this time just barely striking up the nerve to attack with deadly force. Alas, the Slaisionnutties and their claws proved even more deadly than bullets from a pistol. Heads began to roll quite literally for a handful of tragic officers, as the Slaisionnutties kept right on coming.

Pandemonium soon hit the streets.



As news broke out about Slaisionnach, Clownscavator, and the Slaisionnutties destroying parts of Angel Grove, MODM decided to have one final word before giving in to his Percolation bond impulses and traveling to the Rangers' world. He needed to ensure Zack knew what was going on - and get tips from him.

MODM: "Hey there, Schmazzy!"

Zack: "What?"

MODM: "Relax. Your girlfriend is fine. I've got friends tending to her. And I'm gonna clear this up and get you out of here too. But I need something from you before I go."

Zack: "That thing that attacked us on HanomCorp grounds...what was that?"

MODM: "Slaisionnach. The cousin to Seirsionnach...one of Gwirmalesh's nastiest monsters."

Zack: "Right. And how am I getting out of here? How can I get Trini out of here?"

MODM: "Just call me MODM! I've got a connection to the Percolation Wave. So do you now. Yours has been damaged, but I can repair it. But I need to kill Slaisionnach to do it. It'll send you, your girlfriend, and your pal in the hospital back to your own dimension. Slaisionnach got lost in your world, and now works for Rita. Anything you can tell me?"

Zack: "Well, if Rita is tampering with him, she usually leaves her monsters with an unusual weakness. Usually. You have to find that weakness somehow, and exploit it."

MODM: "Righty-O, chap! And here's a little token of my appreciation until the Percolation Wave sends you home."

Zack looked at the bottle being handed to him by MODM with slight confusion at first.

Zack: "Liquid handsoap?"

MODM: "In case it takes a while for you to get home...you'll understand soon enough. And since you don't have access to commissary, due to your money not having tangible reality here, you'll want whatever you can get."

Zack: "Gee, thanks...I...think."

Zordon'93: "MODM, we're running out of time!"

Zordon'17: "We need to get these Rangers in high gear!"

Captain Emohead: "What they said! Slaisionnach is about to host a carnival...of death! Take him down!!!"

The words that all monsters under Rita's program have strange weaknesses suddenly gave MODM an idea, as he vanished into the evidence room to gather a few things from the files of the recently-arrested Rangers. The crew couldn't wait much longer.