A Doctor in the House

A Doctor in the House is the ninth episode of Power Rangers: Lost Ninjas.

Synopsis
Jess, Wyatt and Rat finally reach their safe house, but it turns out to be less safe than expected.

Last time we saw the Earthlight Rangers...
Survivors Rat, Jess, Wyatt and Malaya had been picked up by a passing cruise ship, and decided to go to Palencia on the mainland, to find the Sensei's relatives living there. Xumara sent down a monster, ScanJammer, which Wyatt and Jess destroyed (Rat ran away).

February 6th, Palencia, Belize, 1:15 pm
Xumara giggled and reached up to rap the fancy, bird-shaped knocker. She stood on the front steps of one of the city's historic district houses, in the better part of town, where the houses all looked as colorful and froofy as overly ambitious wedding cakes. After a moment, the door opened, and a butler looked down his hooked nose at her.

"Hello," Xumara said, smiling widely up at him. "You're going to let me in, now."

The man quirked an eyebrow, and began to shut the door. Raising an arm, Xumara shot fabric tendrils from her sleeve, snaring him around the throat. As he gagged and struggled in his bonds, Xumara stepped aside, and snapped her fingers.

"Doctor Mesmer," she said, and a monster materialized in the street. It looked like an unnaturally gangly, tall man, in a Victorian suit and top hat covered in psychedelic designs. Straightening, he drew out a pocket watch. Xumara looked away as he stepped forward, swinging it back and forth. The unlucky butler couldn't take his eyes off the monster.

"When I count to five," Doctor Mesmer said, in a slimy, unnaturally deep voice, "You will fall into a deep sleep, and do whatever I tell you. One, two…"

3:30 pm
"I can't believe you just ran like that," Jess was saying to Rat. Wyatt knocked on the door again and stepped back, waiting. The four survivors of the Earthlight attack stood on the front step of a large, brightly-colored house. This was the better, historic section of town, so the cobblestone streets were wide and mostly clean.

"Look, would you just shut up? You and Wyatt took care of the monster, didn't you?" Rat retorted.

"No thanks to you."

"I was going to evacuate the rest of the ship if it got away from you."

Jess snorted. "Right."

She shifted Malaya from one hip to the other with a groan. "You're big enough to stand, Malaya."

As she started putting the toddler down, Malaya squealed and clung to her arms. Shaking her head, Jess picked her up again. Malaya wrapped one plump arm around Jess's neck and began sucking on her other hand.

The door finally opened, and a middle-aged man in a suit looked out at the group. His expression was carefully blank as he took in the teenagers and toddler. Jess stepped to the front.

"Good morning, we're Jess Walsh, Wyatt O'Hare and Mason Green, we're expected."

"You are. Come in, please." His English was impeccable.

He held the door open, and the group filed in. The hallway was long and wide, with a thick, ornate carpet that muffled their footsteps. Reaching a huge, wood-paneled room lit with cathedral windows, the butler gestured to a set of overstuffed chairs. The teens sat. As the butler left, Wyatt whistled.

"This place is huge." His voice echoed around the room. "Who lives here?"

"Sensei Kai's cousin, Joselito Kai, and his family. They sent us a message that the Zords were finished; they should be able to tell us where they are."

"We have Zords? Cool," Wyatt said.

"Zords? Are you sure we need to go that far? I mean, the bad guys—whoever they are—sent one monster, and we got rid of it," Rat said.

"Do you want to count on them not coming after us a third time?" Jess asked.

Rat shrank in his seat. "No."

Jess gave Malaya, struggling in her lap, an annoyed glance. "So now you want to get down, huh?" Malaya just whimpered.

A set of double doors on the far side of the room opened, and the three students looked up to see a middle-aged Filipino man enter. He wore a business suit, and his short black hair was greying at the temples. Crossing the room, he sat down with the group.

"Jess, it's been a long time," he said. "A pity we had to meet under these circumstances."

"Agreed," Jess replied, trying to hold onto the wriggly Malaya. "Do you know who's behind these attacks, or why?"

"Yes, but no need to worry about that right away. I'm sure you're all tired after everything you've been through." His voice was soothing.

At that point, Wyatt spoke up. "Um, sorry to interrupt, but where's the bathroom?"

Mr. Kai blinked, nonplussed. Then he gestured to the doors they'd come in through.

"First door on the left in that hall."

"Thanks!" Wyatt left.

The awkward silence lasted until the door swung shut after him. Sitting up, Jess released Malaya, who plopped on the floor and started scooting around on her backside. The Pink Ranger folded her arms.

"Thanks for your concern, but considering everything that's happened, I think we need to be ready in case we get another attack."

"I wasn't at Earthlight Island, but from the news and various reports, you've all been through more than enough for children your age." Jess bristled a little at being called a child. Pulling herself upright, Malaya climbed onto the sofa and flopped back, blinking sleepily at the man. "But if it makes you feel better, we've been monitoring the local airspace, and whatever-it-was that attacked Earthlight is long gone. You're safe here. You don't need to worry about any more monsters." He'd pulled a watch out of his pocket, and now turned it over and over in his hand.

Jess, still frowning, glanced down at Malaya, and then Rat. He had slouched back in his armchair and was staring at the host. Raising the watch, Mr. Kai began swinging it back and forth. It cut a silvery arc through the air, humming so faintly it was more felt than heard.

"However," he said, his voice not losing any of its molasses smoothness, "on the subject of security, do you know where the Zords are?"

"…Zords?" Jess cocked her head to one side, blinking owlishly.

"Your Zords. The Komodo Dragon, the Firefly, and the Mongoose—well, the Albatross too, though we don't have a pilot for it." Mr. Kai chuckled. His brownish skin seemed paler than before, almost chalky.

"Dunno. Never saw them."

"Tell us what you know," coaxed Mr. Kai. "Any clues, something the Sensei mentioned to you."

The door slammed open, making Jess and Rat jump and look around wildly. Wyatt came back inside and dropped onto the couch with Jess, jostling her. She scrambled back, visibly confused. Mr. Kai's expression darkened.

"What did I miss?" Wyatt asked. "Why are you swinging your watch around like that? My Grandfather used to have a watch like that, but when my Dad was little, he swung it around and the chain broke, and the watch went flying out a window. We never did find it."

"What?" Mr. Kai was so nonplussed he stopped.

"The only time I've seen someone swing a watch around was in a big musical number in some movie—or that time my cousin tried to learn hypnotism. Oh, is that what you're doing? Hypnotism? Cool. Is it working?"

"Hypno…wait," Jess said, as realization dawned on her face.

Rat sprang to his feet, eyes wide with alarm. Jess followed a second later, dropping into a fighting stance. Mr. Kai didn't move, only glowered at them.

"Who are you really?" Rat demanded.

"What have you done with the Kais?" Jess added.

"Hold still and you'll see." The imposter raised the pocket watch and hit the catch.

"Earthlight Storm, Ranger Form!" All three Rangers shouted at once, transforming as a kaleidoscope of light exploded from the watch. Their visors shielded their eyes from the blast.

"You want to see our weapons? You've got it. Dragon Arrow!"

A pink-and-copper bow shaped like a dragon, head forming one horn and curling tail the other, materialized in her hands. Drawing a matching arrow from the air, Jess took aim at the imposter.

"Glow Jutte!" Two copper-hilted daggers, each with one hooked guard like a broken sai, appeared. Green laser blades burst to life as Rat activated them, and he crossed them over his head.

"Magma Knuckles!" Two sets of copper-and-red brass knuckles formed on Wyatt's fingers.

"Very pretty," the imposter said, rising from his chair.

He stood up and up and up until he was seven feet high, with a long face and nose and swirling eyes. He'd turned back into Dr. Mesmer. His watch had grown, and now he wrapped the chain around one hand and began swinging it around like a meteor hammer.

"Uh-oh," Rat said, looking less confident at the sight of the monster's own weapon.

"But you're just children playing with weapons. In the end, you're only going to hurt yourselves," Dr. Mesmer continued.

"I bet that's what the other guy was thinking, too," Jess retorted, and fired.

Whirling the watch-meteor hammer, Dr. Mesmer shattered the arrow, and the next three Jess shot at him. Kicking off the sofa, Wyatt slammed into Dr. Mesmer fists-first. The monster staggered back. Recovering, he wrapped the chain around Wyatt's throat, dragging him off-balance as he somersaulted away.

"Rat, give him a hand!" Jess yelled, moving away and trying to get a better shot.

"Me?"

"Fine, get Malaya out of here!"

"Okay."

Flipping his Glow Jutte back into nothingness, Rat sprang to the couch, snatched up the half-awake Malaya, and ran out of the room. Wyatt managed to twist away, and Jess fired an arrow, hitting Dr. Mesmer in the shoulder. The monster staggered with a grunt of pain. Flipping free, Wyatt slammed his fist into the monster's long nose with a crunch.

Dr. Mesmer staggered back, just in time to take an arrow to the thigh. He staggered and slumped to one knee, and Wyatt got ready for another charge. Wheezing, Dr. Mesmer raised his watch and snapped it open. Jess saw it coming and shielded her eyes, but Wyatt took the full blinding blast. It threw him into the sofa, tipping it backwards.

Springing faster than looked possible for an old, gangly thing like Dr. Mesmer, the monster leaped onto Wyatt and planted one foot on his throat. The Scarlet Ranger choked, clawing at Dr. Mesmer. Whirling the watch-meteor hammer, Dr. Mesmer brought it down. Wyatt moved aside just in time: the floorboards splintered where the watch hit. Without looking, Dr. Mesmer deflected one of Jess's arrows back at her. She ducked.

"Okay, enough projectile weapons. Earthlight Katana!" Swinging the sword over her head, Jess kicked off a sofa and leaped. Dr. Mesmer jumped aside at the last second. The katana sank into the floor next to Wyatt's face. With a thud, her feet landed on either side of his body.

Before Jess could recover, the chain wrapped around her arms, and Dr. Mesmer jerked her towards himself. She staggered and pulled back, but the monster was stronger. He chuckled as he reeled her in. Black blood ran out of his broken nose, dripping down his pointed chin and staining his teeth.

"You're feeling sleepy," he cackled. "Very sleepy."

"Fat chance!"

Jess ran towards him. Without the resistance, the monster fell off-balance. The Pink Ranger threw him flat, backed up and axe-kicked him in the chest as he tried to rise. Flipping himself upright, Wyatt yanked out Jess's katana and summoned his own. Whirling them both, he ran to help.

At the last second, Dr. Mesmer yanked the chain. It had tangled around Jess's foot, and threw her flat on her back. Wyatt leaped over her, katanas extended. Dr Mesmer wasn't able to duck this time. Both curved blades sank into his bony chest. The momentum drove them in to the hilt, pinning him to the floor. The monster went limp.

Wyatt straightened, and yanked the swords out one at a time. Black blood formed lacy patterns on the blades. Getting up, Jess took hers, and wiped it on Dr. Mesmer's coat. Both teens sent their weapons back to where they'd come from, and demorphed.

"So, whoever they are, they know we're here," Jess said.

"I guess. We still won, though," Wyatt replied, dusting himself off. He glanced around the room. Disemboweled furniture lay scattered around, stuffing spilling out of the rips. A painting had been blasted into ash, and smoke trailed from black splotches in the carpet. "Are we going to have to pay for fixing this?"

Jess shook her head, shrugging.

"Guys!" Rat's voice rang out. As they turned, he looked in through the double doors. He'd demorphed as well. "I've found everyone else!"

Allies

 * Malaya Kai

Villains

 * Xumara
 * Doctor Mesmer