Episode sixteen-"O, What a Tangled Worldwide Web We Weave!"

Up above the Earth, MAYHEM once again ponders a plot to terrorize the Earth, but what means this time do they plan to execute said plot to succeed?

"Mercy...Lord Blackorg for once, decided to 'grant' me mercy.." said Anark Key, talking to Ug and Byte. "This plan has to come through.." He watches on the monitor a late night informercial with a salesperson hawking classic CD's and cassettes. "Everyone's doing it, why couldn't I?" Ug and Byte look at each other puzzingly, trying to figure out what Key was talking about.

"I think our favorite punker's decided to go Hollywood like those Scanrangers.." said Byte.

A Central New Jersey University student is surfing the Internet, searching for his favorite web site. "I've heard so much about that new supermodel page that Joe told me about, I've gotta check it out!"

"Oh, wow!" the male student sighed in awe as he checks out the newest Vendela snapshot. He then loads in his disc in order to download the picture, then takes it out, and then is given a brief electric shock. He gets up, and looks at the screen. The student screams for some unknown reason.

Another student, female, also is surfing the net on the other side of the campus. She finds her favorite page, on the recent super hot artist Ricky Martin. "Oh my gosh! I'm in ! I'm in!" she giggled with glee. "Where's his pictures? Where's his pictures?" She gets them, and like the others, download them on the discs. The woman also gets a shock, and looks at the screen as well. She too, lets out a blood-curdling scream.

And back with our favorite campus heroes, Kunio himself surfs the Internet after his English class, checking out one of his favorite pages. "Alright!" he said. "Now I can check out the new photo that "Mr.Rick Hikaru" sent me in my e-mail." Mikey was unaware of the happening danger that was about to occur. He was about to download the photo. Before he clicked, he heard a knock on the door, and answered it.

"Hey, Kevin! How's it going? I thought you said that you'll be here in another hour.."

"Sorry, Mikey.." said Kevin. "..but my roommate left the dorm room a mess last night, and I couldn't bear to look at the place after his friends totalled it.."

"I guess then, the download can wait..Let me turn off the computer.." Kunio and Kevin head over to the study area.

Back in downtown Leewood Park, Anark Key readies his plan. "It's very simple, Vixen.. I buy advertising time on their cable access channel, and during the commercial break, I come on and hawk MAYHEM's product..Plus, when they surf the Internet with my web site, the users shall be contaminated with our virus with a click of the mouse, once they access the page to buy my product!" Key explains this to the warrior woman and his newest cybercreature, KuroSpider.

"Remember, KuroSpider..When the commercial ends, be ready to take any and all phone calls and web hits once you see the orders are taken!" The cybercreature nods.

Thus, Key begins his broadcast. "Hello, I'm Eric Mehyam..President of Meyham Software, Inc.!Campus people! Have you been having problems accessing the Net lately? Are you tired of booting and rebooting your system again because of slow graphics? Well, for a limited time only, I have the student's answer to the Norton Anti-Virus system! Much cheaper than Norton, this software will wipe clean all those nasty viruses!" The CJU students and staff watch on TV. "I'll even give you free Internet access! All it requires is for you to download the anti virus.." Key continues. "Once you're done, then you can use my free Internet. It's important that you follow these simple instructions..Any questions, you can call the help desk at 1-800 555-ANTI.." Alex and Rosewood also watch the commercial in her faculty office. "Or you can go online at www.meyham.com..for more details.."

"Where did this come from?" said Alex.

"Probably another one of those boring to death infomercials..." replied Rosewood. "Life was much simpler when K-tel used to sell products like that.. I'm gonna check up on that dude..For some reason, he doesn't look too cool.."

Kunio and his friend came back to his dorm. He turns the computer back on. "Whoops..forgot my hospitality..Can you do me a favor, Kevin? I had my picture ready to be downloaded..Click o the page for me..I'll get some soda for us!"

As Kunio went to get the soda from the refrigerator, until Kevin screamed for no reason. Kunio ran back to his room, and it looked like he was in a catatonic state. "Kevin! Kevin! What's wrong, man?"

Kevin turned his face at Kunio, his face slightly changing pale. "What's wrong, Kev? Just a moment, let me get the RA..we'll find out what's the matter..." Kunio runs to the Resident aide, and explained what happened. They both come back to the room, and finds Kevin gone.

"You sure that your friend was here?" said the RA. "He wasn't drinking or anything?"

"Kevin wouldn't do anything like that.." replied Kunio. "Why would-" He notices the window was open, and saw Kevin run across the campus. "Geez, Kev, what the heck happened to you?"

At the same time, other students at the computer lab who had listened to the commercial, also went online at Eric's/Key's website, with the same result. The websurfers all screamed from shock for a few seconds, and with pale skins, all ran out of the lab.

Back at Alex's faculty office, Rosewood types in the Mehyam web site, unaware of Anark Key's evil plot. Rosewood sees the page, and gets shocked, screaming at the same time, and falls face front on the keyboard.

"ROSEWOOD! ROSEWOOD!" shouted Alex. "What's wrong?" The professor tries to revive the police captain. He arises, but he, like the other victims, had a pale look on his face, but looked mutated. Alex steps back in shock.

Act two

The possessed Rosewood shoves Alex aside and runs away. "Rosewood! Wait!" shouted Alex. He loses Alex around the corner. "He disappeared!"

Later, the rest of the rangers meet with Alex. "The same thing had happened to a couple of my friends after I came out of Physical Therapy class.." said Vin.

"You know.." said Kunio. "My friend Kevin was just only checking out this new web site..He told me after he saw the commercial he was trying to upgrade his system..I think that he started acting funny after he got in.."

"So did Rosewood..He was curious about the web site himself and wanted to see it..The question remains..where did he and the other students go?" said Alex.

"I have no idea, Profess, but..Wait a second!" said Nick, looking at the web site name Rosewood wrote. "Guys! I should've caught on this all along!"

"What's up, Nick?" asked Vin.

"Look at the address very carefully..www.mehyam.com."

"Whoa!" said B.C. "We've all missed it! Meyham happens to be MAYHEM spelled backwards! No wonder your friend Kevin and Rosewood was acting so strange, Kunio!"

"A computer virus..hypnosis used to contanimte the campus?" said Toni.

"Then the entire city, the country, and the world.." said B.C.

"No doubt..We now know that Blackorg has a hand in this..Now we've got to stop their scheme..."

The answer to that, was in a classroom not far away from the theater. Key and the cybercreature was about to release the other victims. "Now, the last part of my plan shall come into play..I shall make another campus commercial, but this time, via satelitte on the college information screens, thus completing my revenge!"

Alex calls up Sarita back at base. "Yes, ma'am?" Sarita replies.

"Listen, Sarita..I need a favor from you..I must find out when will the next time the Mehyam commercial will appear on campus..We've tumbled on Anark key's plan, and we've got to stop the commercial from playing, or it'll be a major crisis on campus!"

The Indian born tech immediately gets the information from the TV campus station. "At exactly 3:36 pm..Three minutes from now!"

"No time to lose, gang!" said Alex. "Stop that broadcast immediately!"

"Right!" said the five.

The Scanrangers teleport to the station, but was suddenly stopped by an electrical force field. "What's going on?" said Red. Anark Key enters the room. "You're too late, Scanrangers! I anticipated that you were to find out about my little web site/anti-virus commercial! Thus, I set this little box trap to keep you all from interfering with our plans! Even as I speak, my virus carriers are in full force contaminating any and all on your precious school! KuroSpider! Proceed with the broadcast!"

The cybercreature proceeds to turn on the taped commercial, and it injects the electronic virus all over CJU. At the same time, while Alex waits, she notices the students attacking each other and proceed to corrupt other bystanders with Key's virus. Alex plots to make a quick getaway, but was stopped by a group of students, including Kunio's friend Kevin,and Rosewood; both contanimated and was about to do the same to the professor!

"Rosewood! What's the matter? Snap out of it!" Alex tried to slam the door behind Rosewood and the students, but the virus eats away the wooden door with a touch.

"Good Lord.." she said to herself. "Wherever you are, Scanrangers..Hurry!"

Back at the studio, the Scanrangers tried to find a way out of Key's trap, but they saw the squared force field slowly getting smaller! "It's getting a little cramped in here, guys!" said Pink. "Any suggestions for escape?"

"Let me try.." said Red. Using his FilmBlade, he attempted to slash the field, but it melts the sword. "Good thing it wasn't my Swashbuckler..But now the field's getting smaller!"

"Exactly!" said Key. "While my revenge is being completed, your friends shall lay dying at my hands! And while the five of you shall soon be toast, no one's around this time to save you now! Heh Heh Heh!"

As soon as Key finished his boast, a laser blast hit the force field, and then ricocheted towards the power source on the ceiling. The energy pack explodes, the force field disperses, and Key tumbles over.

"Who dares?" shouted Key.

"I dare!" The response came from SilverScanner, coming to the rescue. "Rule No.1 in the villain's playbook.."Never quote the saying, 'No one can save you now' after revealing your diabolical plan!"

"Thanks a lot, Silverscanner!" said Blue.

"Curse you, SilverScanner!" shouted Key. "KuroSpider! Destroy the Scanrangers!

The monster attacks and runs through most of the rangers, including Red, Pink, and Yellow. It then snags Blue and swings him over to the classroom desk, breaking it.

SilverScanner lands a kick at Key, knocking him out of the open window. Green follows by doing a drop kick at KuroSpider, kicking it outside through the wall. The others recover, and with their FilmBlades, slashes the cybercreature. Yellow went first, then Red, and Pink follow thereafter. KuroSpider got back on its feet(its 8 legs) quickly. Red began to summon his Film Energy. He prepares his Swashbuckler to prepare his final move.

"ABARENBO-" Suddenly, RedScanner's power reached its limit, then his sword and energy disappears. He falls six feet in front of the monster. "What the-?" said a puzzled Vin. KuroSpider uses that to its advantage and sprays Red with its web, entangling him.

"Red!" cried Yellow. "I'll get him, don't worry!" Kunio charges up himself and blasts off to finish KuroSpider. "WARP SPEED SMA-" Yellow falls with his Film Energy gone as well. KuroSpider spins its web, and now the Anime-based Scanranger was also captured! Green shouts, "I'm not that easy to take out, Spidey! HOLO-" Nick's energy was gone, and he was snagged in the web. There was Pink, who tried to kick Kuro Spider from behind, but her energy was depleted. She falls down, and is entangled, leaving only Blue and SilverScanner.

"Who's next to be trapped in MAYHEM's web, huh?" said Key. "Should it be you, SilverScanner, since you interfered with our plans once too often? Or you, BlueScanner? You want me so badly, gotta wait your turn! Heh heh heh heh!"

"That remains to be seen!" said Silver. He and Blue attack, with Blue evading KuroSpider's web, and with him flipping over, he kicks the cybercreature, and Silver follows, shooting Key's energy chains. "MagnumSilver!" he shouted.

The monster spits its web again, snagging on the end of Blue's Speed-Bo Staff. "Look out, you fool!" shouted Key. Blue rips the web out of its mouth, and tosses it, which lands on Key. The web was still fresh, and it immediately binds the MAYHEM captain.

"KuroSpider!You idiot! Get me out of this!!"

"You're a tad too slow, Ta-rann-tula!" said Blue. Calling up his Comedy Film Energy, he uses a comedy prop, becoming one with the classic Warner Bros. Cartoons. Up above KuroSpider's head, was an anvil! "Hey, Spidey! What's the magic word?" he said.

The monster hesitated and then grunted. "Is that your final answer? Oh, I'm sorry..The answer was incorrect..You have to pay the penalty! The answer for today is..'May I have an anvil on my head??'" Blue drops the anvil, pounding it on the head. He follows with a few more, clobbering the cybercreature. The anvils smash him in the melody of 'The Anvil Chorus'. KuroSpider was groggy, barely able to stand.

"He's yours, Silver..Take him!" said Blue.

Silver had already freed the other Scanrangers from the monster's web. The sixth ranger then made his move. With his Tokusatsu Film Energy called up, he becomes one with the mighty Kamen Riders once again! Leaping into the air, he throws a "SILVER PUNCH!", smashing KuroSpider's face. He follows up with the final blow. "SILVER KICK!!!!" On impact, KuroSpider flies to the ground, gets up, and falls down exploding.

"AAAGGH! BYTE! GET DOWN HERE!" cried Key.

Byte obeys, and gets to the cybercreature's remains. "Oooh, you dirty Scanranger rats! You killed my brother!" he said. The robot spider fills KuroSpider with energy, and enlarges it!

"Get me out of here, you stupid spider!" shouted Key, still entangled in the monster's web. "Oh, what a tangled web we weave, eh, Anark Key?" said Byte.

Byte then cuts Key loose. "KuroSpider! Finish them off!" said Key as he and the robo-spider teleport. The giant cybercreature was prepared to squash the rangers.

Red then shouts, "THUNDER DOLBY!"

Thunder Dolby THX makes its appearance, flying to attack the monster. The mighty robot began to throw a kick at KuroSpider, but it catches Dolby in mid air, tackling it on the ground. KuroSpider knocks the Scanranger robot down again and spits its web in the robot's face. "What happened? Can't see a thing!" said Green. We need to get this silly string off of us!" The cybercreature then tangles up Dolby, and encasing it in the monster's web. As KuroSpider steps up to finish the job, it was stopped by an laser blast, courtesy of WideScreener!

"Don't worry, gang! I'll get you out! PRESENTATION! WIDESCREENER!" Silver transforms the ship into robot mode, and rips off the web off Dolby.

"Thanks, Silver!" said Red.

"Don't mention it..Want to squash a spider?"

"You bet!" said Blue. "Let's do this!"

WideScreener blasts off to distract KuroSpider, and as the monster looks, Dolby attacks! "DOLBY BEAM!" Red shouted. The creature was knocked down on its backside.

Silver continues the assault. "SCREENER STARS!" The exploding shurikens make their mark on the cybercreature. Dolby continuesto blast the monster,then WideScreener does the same, this time using his.."SCREENER MAGNUM!"

The Scanrangers began to end the battle. "Now! GREAT EDITOR-"

"Wait, Red!" said Silver. "I'll take care of him this time! You've helped me before! Let me return the favor!"

"Go for it!"

WideScreener prepares its final attack. KuroSpider, obviously angered, ran towards the robot. Silver programs WideScreener to cross its arms to form...

"SCREENER CROSS NOVA!" The powerful spacium-like beam blasts KuroSpider through the chest. It falls on its back, exploding on impact! Another hard won victory for the Scanranger crew.

Meanwhile, back on campus, with the destruction of KuroSpider, the electronic virus that had plagued the school was no more. The diseased civilians on campus were cured, clean as driven snow. Back in Alex's office, the virus disappeared just in time before the contaminated Rosewood and Kunio's friend Kevin was to touch her.

"W-What happened to me?!" said the puzzled police captain.

"Yeah, man, what's going on?" replied Kevin. "The last thing I remembered was that I was surfing the net with Mikey, and now I'm here.."

"Well, whatever it was, it's over.." Alex whispers to Rosewood. "Your suspicions were right on the money..Unfortunately, you too got caught in Anark Key's trap.." The five rangers rush back to her office.

"Is everyone all right? You okay, Kevin?" asked Kunio. Kevin nods.

"Yes, Kunio..." replied Alex. "With all of you here in one piece, that would mean you've defeated Anark Key..."

"And the cybercreature with it, also.." Kunio whispers to Alex, lest anyone else in the room finds out about their true identities.

As the students and some of the rangers departed, Vin looked very perplexed. "You all right, Vin?" asked Toni.

"I..I'm fine.." Vin reflects back on how he was easily beaten by the cybercreature when his Film Energy depleted so quickly. He then forgets about it and shrugs it off. "It's nothing..." With the exception of BlueScanner and SilverScanner, all of the rangers energies dissipated. How was that possible? For now, that would be a question for another time...

To be continued...

In our next Scanranger adventure, Valentine's Day is afoot, and a certain quartet of males play suitor to a certain lone female of the team. Meanwhile, another classmate has an obsession with Toni as well..How is MAYHEM involved in this romantic interlude?

Next time on Movie Task Force Scanranger-Episode 17

"There's Something About Toni"

Roll That Film!