Slack-jawed, Billy looked around. Goo Fish Junior seemed to be trying to avoid any damage to the tanks, maybe because he felt some kinship with his fellow marine creatures. The rest of the center wasn’t as lucky—the giant was tearing apart entire walls and support beams!
Debris fell everywhere. Through the missing walls, he could see panicked staff and students trying to find the way out.
“Where do I start?” Billy asked.
“With the people,” team leader Jason said. “Your first priority is to get everyone to safety! Billy, you can do it!”
Hearing the confidence in Jason’s voice gave the Blue Ranger more of his own.
“Right!” Billy said.
Raising his crackling Power Lance to attract everyone’s attention, he began shouting. “Everyone, this way! Form an organized group and follow me!”
“You heard the man!” Ira said.
As the building continued to shake, a crowd gathered around the Blue Ranger. Among them, Billy spotted Dr. Anton Fent, the head of the research center. The day had been so busy, Billy hadn’t had the chance to speak to the famous scientist in person, or thank him, but he immediately recognized his face from the website and his textbooks on marine life.
“Doctor, what’s the safest place on the island?” the Blue Ranger asked.
Like many of the others, the famous scientist had a very hard time keeping his eyes off the huge goldfish destroying his facility. Understanding the danger, he forced himself to focus.
Shaken, he stuttered a bit as he answered. “There’s a s-storm bunker o-outside, built in c-case of tropical storms. It can withstand a h-h-hurricane!”
The Blue Ranger nodded. “Perfect!”
Every minute they stayed inside was another minute someone might be crushed by falling pieces of the building, but the main entrance was blocked by debris. Billy had to lead them through the shaking building until they reached a fire door.
Once they were all outside, no longer surrounded by dangerous, crumbling wreckage, they were able to pick up speed, crossing the plaza and heading toward the beach.
When the bunker door was visible, the Blue Ranger waved everyone toward it.
“Whatever you hear,” he told them, “stay put until I come back and tell you that it’s safe.”
Dr. Fent stood by the bunker door, counting people in an effort to make sure no one was left behind. The others all rushed in, except one.
A worried Bulk stopped. He swallowed nervously and said, “Power Ranger, I’ve got to help save Skull.”
Despite all Bulk had done, Billy found his concern for his friend touching.
“I understand,” the Blue Ranger replied. “I’ll take care of him, I promise. But you’ve got to get inside with the rest.”
Bulk did as he was asked.
When the door to the bunker closed, Billy turned back toward the main building. As he watched, the enormous Goo Fish Junior tore through the last few feet of wall and emerged into the open air.
Billy wanted to ask his teammates for more advice, but his wrist-communicator only gave off static. I’m not close enough to the Enhancified Goo Fish Junior anymore for my communication experiment to boost the signal, he realized.
But Billy also realized that he didn’t need Jason or the others to tell him what the next step was. It was time for the Blue Ranger to summon his Dinozord, one of the amazing battle vehicles given to the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers by Zordon. Each one was linked to the prehistoric beast symbolizing its power.
“Triceratops, Dinozord Power!” he commanded.
Chapter 19
“Destroy! Destroy!” the immense goldfish cried.
Meanwhile, Finster was so panicked, he didn’t think to use his teleporter. Instead he ran as fast as he could, trying to escape the thundering footsteps. Finster wasn’t sure if Goo Fish Junior wanted to step on him specifically, or if he just wanted to squash everything in general.
I might think that was a wonderful quality for a monster, Finster thought, if I weren’t in the way!
On the other hand, when Rita Repulsa started screaming through Finster’s communicator, the alien inventor knew exactly whom she was angry with.
“Finster!” she shrieked. “What’s going on? Are you actually being chased by your own monster? Why’d it swat my Putty Patrol? And what in blazes did you mean by running off like that without telling me in the first place?”
Her voice took on a very special tone when she was this angry with him. It was sort of a cross between nails on a blackboard and the squeal of a dentist’s drill. Worse, the distraction slowed down Finster at a time when slowing down was not a good idea. A big fish foot was about to come down right on top of him! Finster leaped as far as his squat legs could take him. The foot flattened a tall palm tree behind and to the left of him.
“Uh . . . which question shall I answer first, your frightfulness?” Finster asked.
“All of them!” Rita yelled.
At the same time, Goo Fish Junior cried out, “Destroy! Destroy!”
Finster was suddenly covered by a foot-shaped shadow.
Oh my! he thought. Maybe he is after me!
Desperate, he ran and, again, barely escaped in time.
Finster hoped Rita wouldn’t be upset by the short delay in his response. Then again, he knew she wasn’t going to be happy about what he had to tell her, no matter when he said it.
He swallowed and spoke. “I’m afraid, my queen, he’s gone rogue!”
“Rogue?!” Rita repeated. She was so full of rage, it felt as if her voice had somehow reached through the communicator and slapped Finster. “No one goes rogue without my permission!” she said. “I can’t have my commands disobeyed! It’s bad for morale! My morale!”
The evil minion tried to laugh at Rita’s joke, since he knew that pleased her, but he was too busy running. Up ahead, he saw a supply shed.
That looks sturdy, he thought. Maybe I can hide in there.
“Destroy! Destroy!” the monster howled.
His foot came down ahead of Finster, crushing the shed completely.
I guess not, Finster thought.
“Finster!” Rita screamed. “I’m going to make an example of you! Until you get that oversize carp under control somehow, I’m casting a spell to take away your teleporter privileges! You’re on your own!”
Finster gulped. She’d never done that before.
“On my own?” he said. “No teleporting?”
But she didn’t answer. The communicator had gone dead.
This is the worst of the worst! Finster thought. Rita might be making an example out of me, but Goo Fish Junior will make a pancake out of me!
As he scurried for his life, Finster had to admit that, for the first time, he deeply wished his invention hadn’t worked quite so well.
Chapter 20
Like all the Zords, the Blue Ranger’s Triceratops Dinozord would hear his call no matter where he was. Their connection was based on powerful alien technology, so the solar flares wouldn’t stop it, either. Among the high dunes of the far-off desert where it stayed, the powerful vehicle, a sort of living machine, instantly responded. Able to teleport to any part of the world, it rolled up on the shore of the tropical island moments later.
As Billy watched, its dual tank treads kicked up a great spray of sand. The cockpit from which he could pilot the battle machine sat right behind the heavily armored sensors that resembled the head of the three-horned dinosaur. Using his enhanced strength, the Blue Ranger made the high leap and settled in behind the controls.
He was ready for action!
The metallic blue of the Dinozord sparkled in the sun. Seeing it, the giant Goo Fish Junior, still holding Skull in one hand, swung toward it and narrowed his eyes.
Looks like I’ve got his attention, Billy thought. Maybe I can lead him to an uni
nhabited part of the island until the other Power Rangers get here.
Together, the five Zords had the ability to combine into the Dino Megazord. The Megazord would stand every bit as tall as the massive fish and had the power of an army. The Triceratops Dinozord was impressive, but barely came up to Goo Fish Junior’s torso.
Goo Fish Junior eyed the Dinozord for a bit, then turned and headed back toward the main building. The sleek, modern facility was now in shambles—mostly because of the Goo Fish Junior–size hole the monster had made on his way out. Huge chunks of concrete lay in heaps around it.
As the gigantic goldfish walked away, he kept his back to Billy.
What’s he up to? the Blue Ranger wondered.
It didn’t take long to find out. Once the monster was close enough, he used his tail to swat a large mass of concrete, half the size of the Dinozord, into the air.
Looking like a huge asteroid from outer space, it came flying at top speed right at Billy.
The Triceratops Dinozord might not be as big as the giant fish, but it had a few tricks of its own. Among them was its main weapon: the dual laser cannons.
Thinking fast, Billy aimed and fired. The two searing beams hit the concrete mass dead center. It exploded in midair, tumbling down on the island in small pieces.
“Got it!” the Blue Ranger cried.
But there was a problem. Even though the pieces were small, they were heavy. Some battered the outside of the bunker that sheltered the students and scientists, denting its walls.
Billy realized the danger at once. If Goo Fish Junior keeps that up, those falling rocks could demolish the bunker by accident! I’ve got to get between him and the bunker so he focuses his attacks on me.
He deftly maneuvered the cockpit controls. The heavy treads of the Dinozord turned, moving the Blue Ranger closer to the monster. Before Billy could get the battle machine in front of the bunker, though, the colossal goldfish turned around and stomped off. At first Billy thought he might be running away, but when Goo Fish Junior reached the main building he stopped.
Once he was there, he placed Skull on a section of the roof that was still intact.
“You’ll be safe there, my pet!” he said.
“Wait, what?” Skull shouted, looking around. “But I’m afraid of heights!”
“Do you want me to put you somewhere else?” the big fish asked.
The thought of being held again in that slimy, giant grip made Skull’s eyes go wide.
“No, no!” he said. “This is fine! It’s great, even! Just leave me here, please!”
Goo Fish Junior tilted as if nodding. Looking down, the big fish noticed the transparent wall he and Billy had seen when he first arrived on the island. The large dolphin was swimming on the other side. The monster looked as if he was thinking about something.
I guess it’s a good thing he wanted to keep Skull safe, Billy thought. But what’s he doing now?
Suddenly, Goo Fish Junior bent over. Using both hands, the giant tore out the transparent tank wall. Thousands and thousands of gallons of salt water rushed onto the plaza, along with the large dolphin! Carried by the water from the tank, the great animal rolled over and over across the plaza. Finally the large dolphin settled, surprised but unharmed, in one of the shallow open-air pools in front of the building.
Billy knew that, as a mammal, the large dolphin could breathe in the air. He also knew it needed water to support its weight and keep its body temperature cool. It could live for a few hours, but after that, it would need a lot more water to stay healthy.
“Sorry, Goo Fish Junior,” the Blue Ranger said to himself. “Skull is safe now, but there are other lives at stake. I can’t take it easy on you anymore.”
With a sigh, he aimed the dual laser cannons directly at the monster and fired. Billy was hoping to knock him out, or at least push him away from the tanks and pools. As it turned out, Goo Fish Junior was surprisingly fast for a giant goldfish.
Still holding the Plexiglas wall, Goo Fish Junior raised it up as a shield. The rays from the cannons glanced off the surface and shot harmlessly into the air.
The move looked really familiar to Billy.
Huh, he thought. That’s almost the same way Electricus used mirrors to deflect my blaster. Goo Fish Junior was in his bowl at the time, so he saw that fight. Did Finster’s Enhancifier also enhance his memory? It’s a shame that creepy alien doesn’t use his powers for good!
Considering his next move, Billy edged the Dinozord closer, but then things got even stranger. Seeing the dolphin lying in the pool, Goo Fish Junior headed for it. Billy worried he might try to hurt it, but he was too close to the dolphin to risk another shot—he might hit the dolphin by accident.
Surprisingly, the goldfish didn’t attack the dolphin. Instead, opening his incredibly enormous fish mouth, he leaned down to suck half the water out of the pool.
Not sure what to expect next, Billy carefully moved the Dinozord even closer, so he’d be ready to respond no matter what happened. But then Goo Fish Junior lifted up the dolphin in his arms and started carrying it to the shore. As he did, the monster let some of the salt water he’d sucked up stream out of his mouth, keeping the large mammal moist and comfortable.
Billy was fascinated.
I guess he does feel a connection to other creatures that live in the water, he thought. They’re probably not as confusing to him as people are. It must have been hard for him to hear different things from me and Finster so soon after being able to understand any words in the first place. I guess I can get why he decided not to trust either of us. Deep down, he’s still a simple fish, and ignoring what he didn’t understand was the easiest thing to do.
Billy followed inside his Dinozord but kept his distance. Goo Fish Junior, carrying the dolphin like a huge baby, reached the shore and kept going until he was knee-deep in the ocean. Considering his giant height, that was pretty deep.
And then he gently let the large dolphin go.
Once it swam off, though, anything gentle about the big goldfish disappeared. Suddenly, Goo Fish Junior was very angry again. He started stomping his huge feet and sending high waves crashing into the shore. Billy didn’t understand what had changed his mood so fast, until the monster started screaming.
“I want to go, too! I want to go, too!” Goo Fish Junior said. “But I can’t breathe in the salt water. I can only hold it in my mouth!”
Despite the damage he’d done, Billy felt a lot of sympathy for the fish. After all, it hadn’t chosen to become a monster. Hoping he might still be able to reach him, Billy spoke through the Dinozord’s speaker system.
“Goo Fish Junior, let me help you!” he said. “Maybe I can figure out how to shrink you back down and—”
The frustrated goldfish cut him off. “No! I don’t trust you!” he said. “You just shot at me!”
That made sense, too. Why should he trust the Blue Ranger?
Goo Fish Junior was smart, but he also got frustrated very easily. Like a child having a tantrum, he stomped harder and harder, making the waves rise and rise. Still upset, he started kicking, sending up tons of sand and rock from the ocean floor along with the water. The island’s small dock started to shake. Worse, Goo Fish Junior was stomping back toward the shore!
Hoping to stop him while he was still far away from the bunker, the Blue Ranger decided to use the Dinozord’s second weapon.
“Chain-link power cables!” Billy called as he activated them.
The Triceratops Dinozord’s two large side horns shot away from its forehead. They were attached to two massive, electrified cables that followed the horns as they flew through the air. Billy had used the power cables to shock and subdue many foes. Once they struck, they remained attached to the Dinozord, so he could use them to drag a monster down and even tie it up.
But when Goo Fish Junior saw them coming, he did som
ething unexpected. Instead of trying to get out of the way, he leaned forward and spat salt water he’d sucked up from the pool. The heavy rush of water pushed the power cables back the way they had come.
At first the Blue Ranger thought his attack had simply failed—but it was worse than that. The water, and the cables, kept coming—until they hit the Dinozord with incredible force. With a horribly bright flash, the electricity meant for the monster shot through Billy and the battle tank instead, frying the controls. At the same time, the blast of water lifted the Zord from the ground and sent it crashing sideways into a seawall that was meant to keep the buildings safe from high storm tides.
Paralyzed by the electric shock, Billy felt himself hurled from the cockpit. He landed on the beach, barely conscious. As the water receded, he glimpsed his upended Dinozord. Still smoking and crackling, it seemed useless.
And so was Billy. His eyelids fluttered. He was still awake, but the bright flash had hurt his eyes. He had to close them. The last thing he saw was the angry Goo Fish Junior towering behind the damaged Triceratops Dinozord. After that, the Blue Ranger only heard the giant’s heavy, pounding feet and the loud crashes and bangs as it created more destruction.
But then Billy felt hands on his shoulders.
Someone was trying to pull him out of danger!
Too weak to speak or open his eyes, he desperately hoped his fellow Power Rangers had arrived.
Jason? Trini? Is it you? he thought.
If not, Goo Fish Junior would continue his rampage unopposed.
Chapter 21
The sand against the Blue Ranger’s back didn’t feel too bad as he was dragged along the beach. Soon, though, whoever was pulling him took him across some much less comfortable concrete. Billy was already so hurt and groggy that he didn’t have the strength to say anything about it. When he was pulled up some very steep steps, and across what felt like a lot of extremely uncomfortable rocks, he still couldn’t speak.
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