"A Special Assignment"

###

“Officer Ritchie, I’ve called you in because we have a special assignment for you.”

“Wonderful, sir. What would there be now, a sewer needing investigation? Or rats that need fingerprinting?”

“Oh, Ritchie,” Detective Cilley said. He leaned back in his chair, and put his feet up on the desk. “That sense of humor of yours … it’s great … I may not like it so much, but it’s great. Really, never change. But if you could—that would be great.”

Ritchie made a face. “I’ll see what I can can do. Okay—not much.”

“Thanks for making an attempt.”

“Don’t mention it … sir.”

“That,” Cilley said, “was a joke.”

“Of course it was … sir.”

“Seriously Ritchie, the job is … the mayor. We need you to guard Mayor Gabor.”

“Guard the mayor? Why me?”

“We need your capabilities … your experience.”

“Oh, you need someone who’s expendable.”

“Ritchie—give me a break. Nobody on this force is expendable …”

“Of course. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry … I have to say that. Actually, I’ve already asked for volunteers … and I didn’t get any.”

###

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“There’s nothing real about being a celebrity. You should remember that.”

###

“Hi guys.”

“Hi,” Halley said.

“Whoa!” Ben said. “You’re …”

Jake looked up from his broom. “Mister MacPherson.”

“Kirk.” The distinguished looking man extended his hand. 

“Kirk MacPherson. Glad to meet you.”

They all shook hands.

His imposing physique was apparent through his three-piece suit.

“I didn’t expect to see you here,” Halley said, with a starstruck look in her eyes.

“Well … my name’s on the building.”

“Yeah,” Ben said, “his name’s right out there on the building.”

Jake shook his head.

“I meant,” she said, “being a real celebrity, and all …”

“Let me tell you something,” MacPherson said, “there’s nothing real about being a celebrity. You should remember that.”

“Yeah,” Ben said. “You guys should remember that.”

MacPherson smiled. “I’m here to look in on my partner. You seen him around?”

“Doctor Rhoads?” Jake said. “I saw him go that a-way.” He pointed at a door.

“His office is that a-way,” MacPherson said. “I might have guessed I’d find him there.” He nodded to the teenagers, and took a step toward the door.

“Um … Mister MacPherson?” Halley said. “Do you give … autographs?”

“Yes, I do. But another time, okay? We’ll be seeing each other again—I promise.”

“Okaaay,” she drawled as he removed himself, disappearing through the doorway.

“Geesh,” Ben said. “Haven’t you ever met a bigshot before? What a GIRL.”

She smirked at him. “I thought you liked that, Ben.”

“Well yeah, sometimes.”

Jake shook his head again. “I think you’re both girls.”

“Jakey,” Ben said, “cut me some slack, kid.”

“Benji,” Jake said with a grin, “I don’t think I will.”

###

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"Last one there is a flying turd"

###

“Mister MacPherson.”

“Yeah? MacPherson, here.”

“It’s Freddie, sir.”

“I thought it was. What can I do for you, Fredrico?”

“Sir, Doctor Rhoads has signaled me that he’s in trouble.”

“Where the heck is he?”

“He had a date tonight …”

“That’s right―I remember. The cute schoolteacher. So, what―you think they’re not getting along, or something?”

“I doubt he’d need his battle chassis to resolve that kind of crisis, sir.”

“You’re probably right about that, Fred.”

“And he did call for his equipment.”

“Roger that. You got a bird in the air?”

“The drone is en route, with battle-chassis; estimated time of arrival is one minute, ten seconds.”

“Good. You know where the place is?”

“I’m transmitting the coordinates to you now, Mister MacPherson.”

“Gottem’. Okay, I’m on my way. You tell the drone—the last one there is a flying turd.”

“Yes sir … I’ll inform it.”

MacPherson opened the door of the moving limousine, and was greeted by the rush of nighttime air. He smiled as he breathed it in. “Time to get that workout in.”

###

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“Cool,” Rhoads said. “I’ve never had anyone say that to me before.”

###

“Alexa!” The familiar, faint voice in her head stopped her cold.

She snapped around, and peered out past the restaurant reflections in the expansive plate glass window. The street scene portended no especial concern or danger.

“Alexa!”

Rhoads watched her a minute before he spoke. “Ms. Jensen? Alexa?”

She jumped in her seat and turned back to him. “WHAT?”

“Sorry—did I startle you?”

“No, I … I guess I just feel a little nauseous, all of a sudden.”

“Wow, the food must be really nasty here; you haven’t even tasted it yet, and already it’s taking you down.”

“Alexa!”

Her eyes darted back to the window.

“Um … is something out there, Alexa?” He joined her in staring out the window. “I don’t see anything.”

“No, it’s just that …”

“Madame,” the waiter interrupted them, “and sir. Your dinner is served.”

“Cool,” Rhoads said. “I’ve never had anyone say that to me before.”

Another man, in a white chef’s hat and uniform, placed a silver covered platter in front of Ms. Jensen, and then another in front of the doctor.

“Cool,” the waiter mocked him. “I guess we won’t be able to say that again, will we?” He noticed Ms. Jensen staring out the window. “Madame, is there a smudge on the glass? If there is, I’m terribly sorry.” He turned to the chef. “I told you cretins—my tables must be impeccable, my windows must be impeccable …”

“Alexa,” Rhoads said, “you don’t look so good.”

She gave him a troubled look.

“I mean, you don’t look well … of course, you still look good.”

“Alexa!” the voice in her head called to her.

“… and the place settings must be impeccable …” the waiter continued to lecture the chef.

“Would you like to go?” the doctor said to her.

“Yes, I’d like to … we should go now, Andy.” She began to gather her things.

“ALEXA!”

Suddenly, she froze. “No, it’s too late. We can’t go. I’m sorry, Andy.”

“… and the seating must be impeccable … EVERYTHING MUST BE IMPECCABLE!”

The window imploded into the restaurant, nearly disintegrating from power of the blow that had struck it. Tiny glass fragments filled the air, and then covered everything.

###

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Whew! The Ninjutsu was flowing like crazy!

###

“Why are you guys being so secretive?” Halley said. “Since when don’t you take my calls, Ben?  You’re not breaking up with me, are you?”

“Breaking up?” Jake said. “Since when are you guys stuck together?”

She and Ben shared a knowing glance.

“Oh,” Jake said. “That’s how it is.”

“Yeah,” Ben said, with a goofy smile. “Pretty much, Jakey.”

“Not that that’s good enough,” Halley said, “to be told what you guys were doing last night.”

“You wouldn’t be interested at all,” Jake said. “Trust me.”

“I would—if I did.”

“Your girlfriend’s funny, Benji.”

She stuck her funny tongue out at him.

“Hey guys,” Sargent said as he sat down with them.

“Geez, Sargent,” Ben said. “You totally snuck up on us—you been taking Ninja lessons?”

“Nah.” He stuffed a cake into his mouth. “I’m a natural Ninja.”

“I noticed that,” Jake said, “when we were getting beat up by those jerks that time. Whew! The Ninjutsu was flowing like crazy!”

Halley laughed.

“Yeah,” Ben continued, “it looked like you guys were really cleaning house, before we got Ms. Jensen to break up the fight.”

“That was the technique,” Sargent said. “After I got done tiring them out, it was going to be butt-kicking time; I’m serious.”

“Oh, that’s good to hear,” Halley said, “because a few of them are coming up behind you right now, and they look like they’re ready to tear your …”

Sargent spun around and almost fell out of his seat.

“… head off.”

###

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“The cockiness,” the Ranger said, “is something he picked up on his own.”

###

“Doctor,” Freddie said over the Machine Ranger’s communication link. “I’ve got surprise for you.”

There was a whirring noise overhead.

“Hey, another plane!” Ben said.

“Another drone!” Captain Olympia said.

“I streamlined some of the manufacturing processes,” Freddie said. “So behold … drone prototype number two … delivered in record time.”

“Freddie!” Machine Ranger said. “It’s beautiful! And you’re amazing—there’s nothing artificial about your intelligence!”

“Thank you Doctor, but on the contrary … I’m sure I couldn’t have done it without my superior electronic brain. If I had actual gray matter … I shudder to think.”

“You’re modest as always, Frederick.”

“Geez,” Captain Olympia said to Machine Ranger, “did you have to program him to be so cocky?”

“The cockiness,” the Ranger said, “is something he picked up on his own.” “Freddie—we’re kind of tied-up here. Think you can help us out?”

“Help you out? Will a laser melt metal?”

“Uhhh …” Captain Olympia said, “that’s a yes—right Freddie?”

###

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“Freeze, Machine Ranger. At this range, I can’t miss.”

“Rustler, you found me.” Machine Ranger put his hands up. “One thing, though—I thought you could miss from any range.”

“Why … you … no good … steel for brains … I oughta’ …”

The wind was starting to blow.

“Sorry pardner,” the Ranger said. “That sounded like beginnings of a mighty fine monologue, but …”

“But what?”

“But, do you feel that breeze?”

“Yeah? What about it?”

The Rustler’s black hat blew off.

Machine Ranger waved at him. “Bye bye, cowboy.”

The spiral wind of the Tornado Charge overtook them both, sucking them up like ants into a vacuum cleaner.

The Ranger shot a harpoon into the side of a building, to keep from being blown away.

###

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