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Centiback’s Big Comeback
(A Power Ranger Fanfic)

By: Nibblah Frog & TK Tigerkat

Chapter 3 - The Rookie

Hours had passed since Rocky had left from the group. While Tommy and Kimberly didn’t really believe he could get to the school in time, they knew it wouldn’t have taken him so long to return. The entire group knew that something was up. Billy had tried contacting the red ranger though the wrist watch communicator, but could get nothing but static. His cell phone and home phone numbers were used as well, but each was a dead end. Aisha even contacted the school to see if Rocky had come by, but none of the remaining staff had seen him. While their concern was at an all time high, summons from Zordon sent it though the roof. In an instant, the rangers teleported to the Command Center and stood before the ancient ethereal wizard.

“Zordon, we can’t find Rocky anywhere.” Tommy announced as he stepped out of the group. “His phone, his communicator, nothing works.”

“I am aware of this Tommy.” Zordon responded, nodding simultaneously. “I do not wish to say this, but the connection between the Ape power coin and the morphing grid vanished some hours ago. Since then, we have tried to get in contact with Rocky and determine his location. However, all of our attempts have failed.”

“His connection disappeared?” Billy questioned. “You mean his coin was destroyed or taken to another dimension?”

“No.” Zordon answered. “If it were destroyed, a spike of energy would have been detected. If it had been taken to another time or dimension, we would have been able to detect faint signals though the morphing grid. The connection simply disappeared. While I can’t say for sure, I believe that his coin may have been linked to a new source of power. If so, this would have grave adverse affects on Rocky as Ninjor made these coins to connect with the life force of its owner.”

“There’s more bad news.” Alpha 5 reported. “We have detected massive energy from a monster. It’s stronger than we have seen before. Ay yi yi! We can’t even figure out what monster it is or where it’s located. The energy is shielding it from the viewing globe.”

“So this monster may have done something to Rocky?” Adam figured. “We have to find him!”

“But that may be what the monster wants.” Billy said, looking to the black ranger.

“But we don’t have a choice.” Aisha added. “If we can’t find him any other way, we have to look around. It would be better than waiting around and doing nothing while something terrible might be happening to Rocky.”

“I agree with you Aisha.” Zordon spoke. “You would have to divide into teams to cover more ground. When one of you find any monster activity or find Rocky, immediately contact the others. I advise you to summon Ninjor as well, as his strength will be needed for this mission.”

“You’re right Zordon.” Tommy said with a nod, raising a fist into the air. “Ninjor, we summon you from on high!”

In a bright flash of blue energy, the ninja master appeared before the rangers.

“What can I assist you with rangers?” The blue warrior asked with an excited voice.

“Rocky’s gone missing and there’s a strong monster loose.” Kimberly informed. “We’re sorry to bother you, but we need help finding him. He could be really hurt.”

The ninja smiled beneath his helmet at the pink ranger.

“Don’t you worry! With me around we’ll find Rocky and defeat that monster before bath time!”

“Kim, you, Aisha, and Ninjor go search the town and the park.” Tommy ordered. “Billy, you and Adam go the school. That’s where Rocky said he’d be. I’ll head out into the mountain and see what I can find. If you see anything, call right away.”

The rangers nodded to their leader, agreeing completely.

“Good luck rangers.” Zordon spoke up. “May the power protect both you and Rocky.”

“Thanks Zordon.” Tommy said before the three groups activated their watches and teleported away while Ninjor vanished in a puff of smoke.

In a flash of white light, Tommy appeared in the mountains far from Angel Grove. When he reformed, he was already inside his Ranger uniform, ready to defend at the first sign of attack. He stood on the top of a small hill, looking out in the distance for any sign of trouble. From past experience, he knew that monsters usually came here in order to remain unseen. He hoped it would be the same this time. Seeing nothing suspicious, Tommy proceeded down from the hill and trekked his way down the mountains until he reached a small plateau.

Just as Tommy started across the plateau, he saw something hurtling towards him out of the corner of his eye. The ranger spun around and saw the object was a familiar oversized football with a grinning sharks face only a foot away. Tommy crossed his arms in front of himself instinctively and knew full well what would happen when he was struck. The football struck his arms and exploded, sending the white ranger flying through the air and crashing hard on the ground. With pain coursing through his arms, Tommy picked himself up and looked at the area. His uniform had protected his skin from being burned, but his communicator was reduced to nothing more than melted plastic and sparking wires.

“And it’s good!! The rookie just advanced his team to the fifty yard line!”

Tommy wheeled about and let out a soft “no way” when he saw the Centiback monster, only this time there were two of them with one at least a foot taller than the other. The larger Centiback put a claw on top of the little one’s helmet and rubbed the space between his antennas.

“Good shot kid! Now let’s advance on ‘em!”

“Right coach!” The smaller Centiback replied, his antenna wiggling at the affectionate gesture.

The sight baffled Tommy. The voice of the smaller Centiback was deeper, but he instantly recognized it. When the monsters moved forward, his eyes landed right on the “DeSantos” located on his left pec, confirming his fear.

“Rocky!” The ranger shouted out. “Rocky, what happened to you!?”

The Rocky-Centiback gave a sharp toothed grin at the response, not bothered at all from his former friend’s reaction.

“Isn’t it great?” He said with glee. “Coach said I had talent and trained me. I was worried, but he’s really a great guy!”

“Rocky, we need to get you back to the Command Center! We need to reverse this!” Tommy urged, stunned by how happy Rocky was in this situation. Rocky-Centiback only laughed at Tommy’s offer.

“Reverse it!? Your helmet’s on too tight. You don’t know how it feels to be bulked up like this. I can feel power rushing through every muscle. Wearing this uniform is like getting a deep massage, keeping me nice and warm while protecting me from harm. I feel like I can do anything, beat anything! I’m not giving this up!”

“That’s the spirit!” Centiback cheered, giving Rocky-Centiback a hard slap on the back. Tommy had to take a step back. He couldn’t believe what was happening. Rocky was completely gone, fully absorbed in the pleasures of the pads. Centiback looked over to Tommy and grinned.

“Time to score a touchdown kid! Let’s show this 90 pound weakling how real centipedes play!”

“Right coach! Down, set, hike!”

Rocky-Centiback charged at the white ranger, moving incredibly quick despite his abundant mass. Tommy was still stunned by the situation and couldn’t react fast enough. The insect slammed into Tommy with the force of a charging bull, ramming him with his spiked shoulder pads and sending the white ranger flying in a shower of sparks. Tommy slammed into the ground with a loud thud. The impact knocked the wind out of him and he laid there dazed, but the ranger soon recovered and stood up again.

“Rocky, I’ll get you out of this.” He said with teeth grit. “I’m sorry! I’ll knock you out and take you back by force if I have to!”

“I’m marching into your red zone ranger!” Rocky-Centiback replied as he advanced, his words showing how distant he was. “It’s only the second down! You’d need on hell of a defense to beat me.”

Centiback crossed his arms as he watched his pupil take on the white ranger. A surge of fatherly pride shot through him as he saw how strong his new player was. At the same time, he knew how tough the white ranger was from rumors. Centiback’s eyes fell on the red whistle dangling around his thick neck. He could feel an urge to blow it, to mix his energy with Tommy’s and start his transformation. But he blew off the thought because he wanted to see his “son” in action.

“Don’t get cocky!” Centiback advised. “It’s only the first quarter!”

“Got it coach!”

Rocky-Centiback crouched into a set position, eyes firmly locked on Tommy.

“Down, set, hike!”

Rocky charged again, going full speed at the ranger. But while he was quick, the white ranger was quicker. As soon as he got close enough, Tommy side stepped the monster, narrowly avoiding his thick shoulder while simultaneously drawing Saba from his belt. With an almost overwhelming wave of guilt, Tommy slashed Saba along the bug’s back horizontally, sparks showering from the strike. Rocky-Centiback let out a painful shout and stumbled forward, his cleats keeping him from falling over. Centiback’s antenna twitched at the sight and a low growl came from his throat after seeing his protégé getting hurt. The urge to jump in magnified, but he kept himself still.

“That’s illegal use of weapons ranger!” The monster shouted. Tommy ignored the coach’s words. His focus was entirely on his former friend. Rocky-Centiback dusted himself off and faced Tommy again.

“Third down, but I can still score!” He shouted as he pulled a spiked football from his back. Rocky-Centiback hurled the ball full force at the white ranger, but the warrior was prepared. Tommy raised Saba up and a red laser beam fired from his eyes, striking the football in midflight and detonating it far from him.

“Rocky, snap out of it!” Tommy shouted. “We’re friends! Don’t do this!”

“I won’t let coach down!”

In a fit of rage, Rocky-Centiback pulled another football out and hurled it at Tommy. As soon as the all left his claws, he reached back and drew another and another. Three footballs flew at Tommy, but he retains his composure and fired a beam at each football, destroying them in flight and leaving nothing but a cloud of smoke in the air. Suddenly, Tommy burst through the smoke and delivered a strong slash to the bug’s midsection. The impact sent Rocky-Centiback flying back, landing with a loud thud on the ground. The football monster cursed as he lay on the ground. He had only recently joined Team Centiback and he was not as tough as his father yet. Even with his pads protecting him, the flesh underneath was still soft and weak despite being as bulked up as he was.

The white ranger moved towards the fallen monster, trying to think of a way take him back to the command center despite having lost his watch. These thoughts distracted him from the large football rocketing towards him. The ball struck him square on the back and exploded, sending him flying far from the bug. As Tommy laid on the ground, he saw Centiback charge up to Rocky-Centiback, trying to help him up.

“Come on kid! We’re close to a touch down!”

Rocky-Centiback looked to the bigger bug, but Tommy saw something odd. The big bug started squirming in the bigger bug’s arms, trying to get out.

“Where am I? What’s going on!? What….what have you done to me!?”

Tommy watched as Centiback struggled to keep his hold on his new recruit, only to have him squirm out of his grasp.

“What do you think you’re doing Maggot!?”

“Get away from me!”

Rocky-Centiback pulled a football from his back and thrust it towards Centiback’s chest, but a heavy kick from the bigger bug sent him flying back in a shower of sparks, crashing far away. Rocky-Centiback groaned in pain and rolled on the ground, looking towards Tommy.

“Tommy! Help me! This guy…he tainted my coin! You have to take the coin out. Hurry before the pads suck me in again!”

“That’s it! I’m benching you kid!” Centiback shouted as he pulled his own football out. Tommy, seeing his friend in danger, acted quickly. The ranger flipped back onto his feet and pointed Saba at Centiback, firing a laser that struck the football. The ball exploded in Centiback’s hands, sending him reeling back from his protégé. Seeing his chance, Tommy rushed over to Rocky-Centiback and kneeled beside him.

“Hold on Rocky! This will only take a second.”

Rocky-Centiback looked at the ranger with his red eyes. He was now able to recognize him without seeing him as an enemy.

Help me Tommy. I don’t…want to be this way anymore. These muscles, the warm inviting pads…it’s addicting. Please.

Tommy rolled Rocky-Centiback onto his back and looked at the power coin. He saw the coin had become dark and the emblem changed to a centipede wrapped around a football. He carefully placed the tip of Saba’s blade to the power coin to try and pry it out. But just as he started, a voice boomed.

"Time for the handoff kid! The game is on the line!"

Rocky-Centiback suddenly felt a surge of football frenzy wash over him. With one swift movement, he thrust the football resting in his hand right into Tommy’s arms.

“Handoff!”

The football exploded on contact, sending Tommy flying once more from Rocky-Centiback. The white ranger landed with a sickening thud, his senses scrambled from the play. Centiback charged in and rejoined his pupil, pulling him up to his feet with a bright grin.

“We scored! That’s one to nada for the visiting team! Good job kid!”

“Just like we practiced, right coach?” Rocky-Centiback replied, beaming happily. The two monsters gave each other a heartfelt chest bump before they turned their attention back to Tommy.

“Hey Rookie. How about playing a nice game of kill the carrier with your friend over there?” Centiback suggested.

Rocky-Centiback wheeled about and faced Tommy, grinning happily as he ran through the coach’s plan in his mind.

“You got it coach!”

Tommy forced himself up again, staggering a little from the many impacts. He felt himself getting weaker and weaker, but the mental shock was worse. He thought his fried had come back, but it was all a ploy. He had to face the idea that there was no way to reverse the transformation. The white ranger looked to the two insects and saw Rocky-Centiback draw another football. Not wanting to get struck again, he went to raise Saba, but Centiback was faster. Without a moment to lose, the big bug brought his magic whistle to his lips and blew.

“*Tweeeet!* No weapons on the field!”

Tommy’s body suddenly seized up and he stood there stunned. Panic slowly started to set in, but was driven home when Rocky-Centiback hurled his football.

No, not this again! Tommy thought as he struggled to move. With amazing speed, the football struck Tommy right in the chest, but didn’t hurt or explode. A second later, his body relaxed again and he was able to move.

“What the heck was that?” Tommy thought out loud. He glanced down at where the football struck and his eyes widened at the sight. The football was stuck to his uniform. It didn’t pierced the suit, but just seemed to have bonded itself to the fabric. Paniced by this possible new threat, Tommy quickly grabbed the football with both hands and tried to yank it off, but the ball would not yield. Worse than that was when he tried to let go, he found his gloves had now bonded to the football.

“He’s got the ball kid!” Centiback pointed out from a distance. “Go get him!”

With a bright grin, Rocky-Centiback charged at his former teammate. With the ranger momentarily distracted by the football, Rocky-Centiback was able to strike with ease. Leaping into the air, he tacked the white ranger with tremendous force, smashing him into the ground while lying on top of him.

“ And the receiver’s sacked!!” Centiback cheered happily from a distance. Tommy’s senses blanked out of a moment before restarting again. The wind was knocked out of his lounges and he tried his best to take in air, but Rocky-Centiback’s weight only made it harder. Looking up at the insect, he saw his old friend beaming down on him, getting a rush from the attack.

“See how tough I am?” The bug said with a slightly arrogant tone. “A whole team of you won’t stop me. There’s no way I’m taking these pads off. Just wait. Maybe coach will let you on the team and you can see how wonderful it is.”

Tommy grunted and struggled under the quarterback. He was able to get his breath back during Rocky-Centiback’s taunts, but it did him little good in that situation. He tried harder and harder to move, but without the use of his hands it was getting difficult. But there was more to it than that. He felt as if the weight on him was increasing, getting heavier and heavier. Tommy looked at the football glued to his chest and saw a white energy being leeched from his body and flowing into the football. From the football, it flowed into his opponent. Rocky-Centiback began to grow larger a little bit at a time; his grunts were turning into little moans of pleasure as he soon realized the change himself. He could feel the soft centipede skin underneath his pads start to harden, protecting him further. The pain from both Tommy’s attacks and Centiback’s attack disappeared almost immediately and his muscles began to pulse from the energy, growling thicker and larger the longer he had his opponent pinned. Tommy watched in horror at how Rocky-Centiback was acting under the euphoric transformation.

“I’m going to squeeze you dry.” Rocky-Centiback told him in a soft whisper, completely consumed by the growing power. Centiback traced his whistle with his claws as he watched from a distance. Finally, he stepped forward.

“Recruit! It’s half time. Take a break.” He ordered forcefully. Rocky-Centiback looked over his slowly expanding shoulder to his coach. He wanted to keep going, but the thought of disappointing his new father was enough to get him off Tommy. Tommy gasped for air and tried to stand up, but his legs wobbled under the strain and forced him back to the ground.

“Looks like you know how tough our team is now, power punk.” Centiback said with a taunting tone.

“But you took all that and you still wanna come get us. That takes guts kid. I like you! That’s it, I’m making you part of the team.”

Tommy let out a sharp “No!” of defiance despite his weakened state, but this only served to reinforce Centiback’s desire to bring the ranger under his control.

The quarterback lifted his magic whistle up towards his lips menacingly, making Tommy stop in his tracks in anticipation for the blow.

“We don’t need no 90 pound weakling on this team kid. You wanna join, you gotta bulk up. Lucky for you, I love helping little maggots turn into big bugs. Since those legs of yours are shaking, we’ll start with them. And I know just the thing to pick you up!”

In one swift movement, the centipede put the whistle up to his lips and let out a long, loud tweet. Tommy felt himself jerk upwards as his body suddenly acted on its own. The ranger shot up to his feet and stood erect in place, unable to move a single muscle.

‘That whistlehe’s controlling me with that. I…I feel weird. All the pain from those attacks, they’re gone! My legs don’t even feel weak anymore. Actually, I feel pretty good. No Tommy, don’t think like that!! I’ve got to destroy that whistle and get Rocky out of here!’

A suddenly flash of light on the ground brought Tommy back to reality. Looking down, he saw there was a long red line painted on the ground traveling from the tips of his toes all the way to where Centiback stood. The bulky bug let out a loud laugh to the ranger.

“We got a good way to bulk up those legs of yours.” He said with a smile. “It’s called Plyometrics. It’ll make it so you can zoom across the field and back without breaking a sweat. Now, bunny hop maggot!”

*Tweet!*

A sudden surge of energy erupted in Tommy. Without his consent, his feet came together and he started to hop in a zigzag motion along the line. Every time his feet struck the ground, he bounced again to the other side, making his way towards the monsters. As he jumped, Rocky-Centiback was cheering him on, excited to watch this embarrassing act.

“Alright Tommy!” Rocky-Centiback shouted with gusto. “Keep going buddy! Make those legs burn!”

The white ranger was not as happy as his former friend, but at the same time he felt something. It was a warm, pleasant tingling sensation that ran up from the tips to his toes to his pelvis each time he pushed off. He wanted to see what was going on, but the muscles in his body were following Centiback’s commands, not his. With a few more hops, Tommy landed right in front of Centiback with only a few inches between him. He could clearly see the sadistic smirk underneath the bug’s faceguard as he tried in vain to pull away.

“Not bad, maggot,” the quarterback commented, raising the whistle to his lips again. “Now bounce back and do it again!

*Tweet!*

Before he could protest, Tommy started bouncing again, this time jumping backwards in a zigzag pattern. He hopped and hopped and hopped, feeling the tingling get stronger with each jump. As soon as he hit the starting point, he bounced back to Centiback and reversed again. The pain had returned to his legs and now burned twice as strong as before as he jumped in rapid succession.

As soon as his feet landed at the start to the line, he regained control over his body and fell onto his back, panting. Across from him, Rocky-Centiback was clapping his claws and cheering happily while Centiback crossed his arms and nodded in approval.

“That was pretty good maggot!” Centiback commented, “You’re just what this team needs. You look good like that! I bet those cleats are roomier than those boots were, huh?”

Tommy lifted his head up and looked at the football bug, confused by his choice of words. But when his eyes looked down to his legs, it all became clear. The bottom half of his uniform had transformed into large cleats and padded football pants, the same color and design as the monsters before him, but without the rows of insect legs running down them. What’s more, his feet had grown at least two sizes larger and the muscles in his legs had ballooned, each one heavy and pulsating with power. Tommy then looked at his power coin and noticed that there was now a dark spot of tarnish on it when it was just clean gold before.

“No! Get this thing off of me!”

The white ranger reached and grabbed onto the padded pants, trying hard to pull them off in his panic. But when he pulled, they gave him no slack, remaining tight against his pumped up legs. When he couldn’t pulled them off, he tried to kick off the cleats on his feet, only to see that they weren’t going anywhere either.

‘What the hell’s going on!?’ Tommy thought as he tried to keep himself calm, ‘The pants stretch, but aren’t coming off my legs. And these cleats have a lot of room on them, but I can’t kick them off. It’s like the clothes are fused to my skin like that football was! I have to get that whistle! I have to stop this!’

Mocking laughs rang out from humanoid insects standing across from him, their hearty chuckles and friendly backslapping not helping the stress of the situation.

As he laughed Centiback strolled over towards the ranger, gazing down on the battered ranger. His sharp teeth gleemed with a mocking grin, nodding as a smile grew at the corner of his mouth as he stood looming over the frozen ranger. He liked this kid, not for just how tough his body was, but also for his gutsy attitude. He would really make a fine addition to the team, Centiback thought as he flexed his muscles.

“Give it up kid! Once you put on some real pads, you never want to take them off!”

Centiback suddenly lowered his shoulder and crashed into the ranger with full force, wrapping Tommy in his arms and tackling him to the ground. Defenseless to even lift a finger to stop it, the white ranger slammed into the ground hard, making him see stars in front of Centiback’s grinning bug face hovering over him.

Centiback let out a hearty laugh as he stood up from off of Tommy.

“Nice one coach!“ Rocky-Centiback cheered on as he pumped his fist, enjoying the show.

Centiback gave a thumbs up to his son and crouched down, takingTommy’s hand into his claw. With a strong jerk he pulled Tommy up to his feet, dusting him off a little in a show of sportsmanship.

As Tommy stood there, the ranger basked in the glow of the sensations flooding his body. The warm feeling of blood pumping into his expanding muscles felt amazing. Blinking, the ranger looked at the large insect standing before him, compelled to take in the buff bug’s body as he eyed it up and down. He felt a wave of admiration as he looked over the Centibacks’ bodies, along with a small spark of envy. A voice inside Tommy told him to fight it, but his competitive spirit was quickly drowning out all other thoughts.

‘This guy is huge! Why can’t I have arms like that? I bet if I were that strong, I’d never have a problem beating a monster again. Maybe is I let him train me some…no! What am I thinking? I have to get myself together.’

Suddenly able to move again, the white ranger jumped back from the Centiback, landing with a bit of a wobble due to the change in his weight. With a loud “Hyyaaaah!” Tommy rushed forward, raising his right leg to land a heavy kick and striking an unprepared Centiback on the chest with a shower of sparks. Centiback‘s cleats dug a trail in the dirt as he was pushed back a foot from the sheer force of the blow, Tommy’s bulked up legs serving to let him deliver crushing kicks. The big bug took the attack in his chest pads and stood there, a sour frown quickly replacing his toothy smile.

“That’s offside rookie! A mistake like that would cost us five yards in a real game. Drop and give me twenty maggot!”

*Tweet!*

Once again Tommy’s body reacted on its own, dropping down onto his palms and starting to do push-ups. Each pump pushed a surge of energy out of Tommy and new centipede energy came flowing in in. He could feel his muscles stretch and expand with each push-up, pressing against his uniform as they bulged and swelled with power. His ranger suit creaked and stretched to accommodate the new mass, and after 20 pushups Tommy was as bulked up as a professional bodybuilder.

Inside, he knew it was unnatural to be so big, but he couldn’t resist the addictive rush that each rep brought him. Able to feel each muscle as it pumped and expanded Tommy’s thoughts started to drift to his new body, imagining himself growing to Centiback’s size…no, bigger! The thoughts were addicting, reinforced by the rush of each pump of his arms. As he slowly gave in to his insatiable desires, his red uniform began to darken, and with each rep while his power coin became darker and dirtier. Tommy felt more and more compelled to exercise, realizing that he was now doing the pushups voluntarily rather than being forced by the whistle.

‘No….have to…stop….’ the weakened thoughts of the rangers clung by a thread as the overwhelming flood of testosterone-laden energy threatened to take over his mind completely.

Centiback stood over the ranger, watching his slow transformation with a fatherly pride. He really liked the spirit this kid had, in fact it was just making it that more fun to bring under his will. With each push-up Centiback’s antennae glowed, draining the ranger’s energy and feeling his own body swell with power, a pure power that only rangers with the toughest spirit possess. With his arms crossed, he chuckled happily as Rocky-Centiback joined him with a congratulatory pat on the back.

“This is great coach!” The transformed ranger said with a laugh. “We’re going to have another quarterback on the team. The rangers don’t stand a chance!”

“No, I’ve got something else in mind for this maggot.” Centiback said with a wicked grin.

With one last push-up, Tommy’s arms finally gave out and he fell to the ground with a loud thud. With a grunt he rolled back onto his feet and lifted himself up, dazed from all the tainted energy already pumped into him.

“Now you’re doing it maggot!” Centiback said happily, admiring the bulked up ranger. “Now we just got one more exercise for you. After this, you’ll become our special player and join our team permanently. Sounds good, doesn’t it rookie?”

“No! I won’t do this!” The white ranger shouted in protest, but without realizing it he was actually nodding his head yes to the quarterback’s offer.

Centiback knew that he wanted it. With a bright grin, the centipede monster gathered golden energy into his antenna and fired it out, striking the ground beside Tommy.

In a flash of light, a large barbell set appeared beside the ranger. The weights on the barbells were painted bright red with drawings of centipedes around the rims. On the inner ring was the weight painted in bright red.

“This is my special Centiback weight set,” The big bug informed. “Customized specifically to pump the upper body. A few reps with this baby and you’ll hatch into a real centipede. You’ll be the biggest, strongest bug there ever was! So go and give her a pump. Sound good?”

Tommy stared at the weight set. Centiback’s words echoed in his mind, mixing with the football frenzy that had already been instilled through his recent training. The more effort he put in to fight the attraction, the more he was succumbing to it. To be the strongest, undefeatable, it was like his life’s dream. With a slight smile, Tommy walked to the weight set.

Sitting on the bench, he removed his helmet to reveal two small red antenna stalks poking out of his skull. Tossing the ranger helmet aside, Tommy laid on his back and grabbed onto the barbell in his hands. With an exhale he lifted it off, finding it surprisingly light. A slight tingle ran down his arms and into his body, alerting the ranger of the powerful energy inside the weights.

‘No! Stop! This is exactly what he wants! If I do this, I’ll change more. I’ve got to…I’ve got to get bigger, stronger! It’s for the team! I’m going to be stronger and take us all the way to the super bowl! I can…no! Fight it! Fight…’

A loud, long tweet from Centiback’s whistle interrupted his thoughts and filled Tommy with a sudden football frenzy. Without a struggle, he lowered the weight to his chest and pushed it back up. The tingling grew to a powerful warming sensation that flowed through his arms and into his chest, spreading into his shoulders and back. Tommy couldn’t help but let out a soft “Hmmmmmm” of pleasure, unable to deny that it really felt good.

‘That…wasn’t too bad. I’ve…got to stop. But…maybe one more…’

Tommy lowered the weight and lifted it again, this time getting a stronger wave than before. Without another thought, he continued the exercise. Each press gave a stronger and stronger sensation, making Tommy only want to do more. The waves that flowed into his body traveled to his muscles, transforming them with their energy and bulking them up even more. The frenzy soon affected his uniform, darkening it from red to a Centiback maroon as pads began to grow over the contours of his ever increasing frame.

As he started to get broader, Tommy body grew taller as well to compensate. The ranger was lost to the frenzy, unaware that the weights on the barbell were growing with each rep, pumping more of Centiback’s energy as the weight increased.

With each rep, Tommy’s thoughts of stopping went further and further away as his mind was filled with the pleasure of centipede energy. His mental processes became slower and slower as his body grew, soon sprouting small centipede legs along his arms and legs to match his antennae buds. The spreading shoulder pads quickly completed their growth, covering the ranger in thick armored padding that made his head look small in comparison. The ranger markings faded, replaced by a giant number “00” inscribed on his chest and shoulders. The name “Oliver” appeared in white on the ranger’s back and left pectoral as thin white ranger gloves bulked into clones of Centiback’s football gloves, making the barbell easier to grip.

“Whoa! Look how big he’s getting!” Rocky-Centiback said as he and his new bug father watched the transformation. Tommy’s eyes glowed red and black scales had grown across his forehead and nose, while his bottom teeth were becoming longer and more pointed.

Centiback was beaming happily, noticing how much his new son was starting to look like his papa. The sound of the Tommy’s grunting, panting and groaning was music to Centiback’s ears. Fatherly pride swelled up inside him as he watched the ranger become bigger and buggier, each massive muscle pumping Centiback‘s own essence though his bloodstream and quickening the transformation.

Even with his pumped up body, Tommy was starting to get tired. His head felt like it was full of jello, but a simple but powerful thought pervaded in his mind. ‘Win.‘ So much was conveyed in this thought, being the strongest, the best, being ready for every opponent and doing whatever it took to win. Never accepting defeat no matter what. Pushing with every ounce of your will until your muscles ache. As the ranger tired the thought of giving up started to creep up. His body pulsing with power, he refused to accept that he was done.

‘Gotta win…‘ *pump* ‘gotta be the best…‘ *pump* ‘the strongest…‘ *pump* ‘biggest…‘ *pump* ‘biggest bug…’ *pump* ‘win for coach!’ *pump* ’protect Centiback!’ *pump* ’Touchdown…win!’

Each rep with the heavy weights burned in his muscles as Tommy opened himself to Centiback’s raw power in an insatiable desire to bulk himself to the extreme. He felt his human side fading, growling contentedly as deep down he knew the true power was Centiback power. With a primal growl, Tommy shoved the bar up as his hands popped out into long segmented claws.

Centiback flexed his muscles as he felt the last of the ranger’s human energy drain from his body and flow into the centipede.

“Great job there maggot! One hundred reps! A new Team Centiback record!” Centiback pumped his claw as Tommy felt a surge of energy from making his papa bug proud.

“Whaddya say DeSantos? Think it’s time for this maggot to hatch into a full-fledged Centiback?” the big bug said, walking over and putting an arm on Rocky’s shoulder pads to admire Tommy’s physique.

“Oh yeah coach! My little bro really earned his football helmet there!” Rocky said, turning to Centiback and pumping his fist. “With him blocking for me, there’s no way anyone will stop us from marching all over the field!”

Centiback felt Tommy’s sapped power surging through him as he held the ranger’s white tiger helmet in his claws. Suddenly his antennas started to glow, quivering with a bright yellow energy that flashed up fired at the helmet, engulfing it in a brilliant golden light. Centiback’s pure essence flowed into the helmet and within seconds the it began to warp, changing from a solid helmet into an official Centiback team helmet. The facemask grew in with twice as many bars protecting the face, a heavy duty mask denoting a lineman’s position.

“Alright kid, that was awesome! Now get over here!”

Putting the weight back on the stand, a massive half-bug Tommy got off the bench and took heavy steps towards the two monsters, giving them both a chance to admire his progress. He was now a foot taller than the papa bug himself and much broader, the weight training bulking up his physique to the point where his former body was no longer recognizable. Tommy’s head almost looked tiny atop of his massive shoulders and he wore a dazed, blissful expression on his centipede face as his foot-long antennae twitched happily. Tommy looked down at the two bugs curiously, flexing his muscles and letting out pleased ‘mmmmm‘ noises.

“Coach…?” The ranger spoke out, his voice now much deeper and more gruff than it had been before. There was a slow tone in his voice, almost as if he were struggling to think of the words. But this didn’t bother Centiback at all.

“Yes my brawny centipede, I’m your coach and your new daddy!” Centiback said with pride as he grabbed Rocky in an affectionate headlock “And this guy here’s your little brother.”

“Team…mate?”

“That’s right!” Rocky-Centiback replied. “We’re teammates now! Brothers! Just…look how huge you are. Nothing can get past you!”

Tommy looked down at Rocky-Centiback and smiled, giving a happy but dimwitted chucke. He reached a thick arm out and patted the little bug’s head with his claws, rubbing his helmet between the antenna and getting a playful laugh out of him.

Centiback crossed his arms and grinned, feeling more and more fatherly pride. At the same time, he felt stronger than ever, having gained more power from Tommy’s transformation and now being a foot taller than he was when Tommy started.

“Alright, listen here big bug,” Centiback spoke up, taking Tommy’s attention away from his new brother and back to him. “We’re going out to get some more teammates and then we’re going to take the other team down!”

“Touchdown!” Tommy responded positively, nodding and pounding his claw into his fist.

“Your job’s to protect your little brother and I. Don’t let anyone bring us down!” The bug continued. “Think you could handle that? Think you can carry Team Centiback all the way to the finals?”

With that, he held up the converted Centiback football helmet to Tommy.

Those words did the trick. Tommy let out a loud shout of joy as he stared at the helmet, pumping his fists into the air full of joy from being presented this prize.

Tommy crouched down, bowing his head to Centiback obediently. With a hearty laugh, Centiback slowly placed the helmet onto Tommy’s head, letting it fuse to his massive shoulder pads.

Tommy felt a massive surge of energy as he pounded his pads and grunted happily. Rocky and Centiback watched as his power coin transformed, turning completely black and changing the image from a falcon to a centipede wrapped around a football. Tommy-Centiback and let out a loud roar of joy as the power of his new body flowed through him.

“Now what are we going to do?!” Centiback and Rocky-Centiback shouted in unison.

“Win!!” Tommy-Centiback shouted back with enthusiasm, the row of centipede legs running down his body popping out all the way.

“Who we going to beat!?”

“Rangers!” Tommy-Centiback shouted again, spikes coming out of his chest pads and his claws growing out to their full reach.

“And how are we gonna beat them?”

“Tackle!” Tommy-Centiback roared, jumping in the air and landing with a ground-shaking thud.

Not being able to stand it anymore, Centiback formed a red football with a picture of a centipede in his hands and tossed it to the new lineman. Catching it eagerly, the ball grew bigger in the new bug’s claws as it poured its energy into Tommy.

Finally, Centiback stepped forward and put his whistle to his lips, knowing that one final blow and the ranger would be his forever.

“Welcome to the family, son! I just know you’re going to make Team Centiback proud!”

*Tweet!*

As the combination of Cenitback’s physical and mental energy flooded into him, the skin beneath his uniform became hard and segmented as the last of his human features disappeared beneath thick centipede scales. Tommy’s teeth grew long and sharp and his eyes glowed bright red with a Centiback‘s passion.

“Alright team! I think it’s time we carve out a bit of home turf. I think Angel Grove High’s football field will make the perfect headquarters for our lair!” Centiback said with a wicked grin, his two loyal players nodding and pumping their fist excitedly.

With one final primal shout from the three, they slammed their fists into the ground and teleported away in a flash of red light.

Description
Centiback’s Big Comeback
(A Power Ranger Fanfic)

By: Nibblah Frog & TK Tigerkat

Chapter 3 - The Rookie

Hours had passed since Rocky had left from the group. While Tommy and Kimberly didn’t really believe he could get to the school in time, they knew it wouldn’t have taken him so long to return. The entire group knew that something was up. Billy had tried contacting the red ranger though the wrist watch communicator, but could get nothing but static. His cell phone and home phone numbers were used as well, but each was a dead end. Aisha even contacted the school to see if Rocky had come by, but none of the remaining staff had seen him. While their concern was at an all time high, summons from Zordon sent it though the roof. In an instant, the rangers teleported to the Command Center and stood before the ancient ethereal wizard.

“Zordon, we can’t find Rocky anywhere.” Tommy announced as he stepped out of the group. “His phone, his communicator, nothing works.”

“I am aware of this Tommy.” Zordon responded, nodding simultaneously. “I do not wish to say this, but the connection between the Ape power coin and the morphing grid vanished some hours ago. Since then, we have tried to get in contact with Rocky and determine his location. However, all of our attempts have failed.”

“His connection disappeared?” Billy questioned. “You mean his coin was destroyed or taken to another dimension?”

“No.” Zordon answered. “If it were destroyed, a spike of energy would have been detected. If it had been taken to another time or dimension, we would have been able to detect faint signals though the morphing grid. The connection simply disappeared. While I can’t say for sure, I believe that his coin may have been linked to a new source of power. If so, this would have grave adverse affects on Rocky as Ninjor made these coins to connect with the life force of its owner.”

“There’s more bad news.” Alpha 5 reported. “We have detected massive energy from a monster. It’s stronger than we have seen before. Ay yi yi! We can’t even figure out what monster it is or where it’s located. The energy is shielding it from the viewing globe.”

“So this monster may have done something to Rocky?” Adam figured. “We have to find him!”

“But that may be what the monster wants.” Billy said, looking to the black ranger.

“But we don’t have a choice.” Aisha added. “If we can’t find him any other way, we have to look around. It would be better than waiting around and doing nothing while something terrible might be happening to Rocky.”

“I agree with you Aisha.” Zordon spoke. “You would have to divide into teams to cover more ground. When one of you find any monster activity or find Rocky, immediately contact the others. I advise you to summon Ninjor as well, as his strength will be needed for this mission.”

“You’re right Zordon.” Tommy said with a nod, raising a fist into the air. “Ninjor, we summon you from on high!”

In a bright flash of blue energy, the ninja master appeared before the rangers.

“What can I assist you with rangers?” The blue warrior asked with an excited voice.

“Rocky’s gone missing and there’s a strong monster loose.” Kimberly informed. “We’re sorry to bother you, but we need help finding him. He could be really hurt.”

The ninja smiled beneath his helmet at the pink ranger.

“Don’t you worry! With me around we’ll find Rocky and defeat that monster before bath time!”

“Kim, you, Aisha, and Ninjor go search the town and the park.” Tommy ordered. “Billy, you and Adam go the school. That’s where Rocky said he’d be. I’ll head out into the mountain and see what I can find. If you see anything, call right away.”

The rangers nodded to their leader, agreeing completely.

“Good luck rangers.” Zordon spoke up. “May the power protect both you and Rocky.”

“Thanks Zordon.” Tommy said before the three groups activated their watches and teleported away while Ninjor vanished in a puff of smoke.

In a flash of white light, Tommy appeared in the mountains far from Angel Grove. When he reformed, he was already inside his Ranger uniform, ready to defend at the first sign of attack. He stood on the top of a small hill, looking out in the distance for any sign of trouble. From past experience, he knew that monsters usually came here in order to remain unseen. He hoped it would be the same this time. Seeing nothing suspicious, Tommy proceeded down from the hill and trekked his way down the mountains until he reached a small plateau.

Just as Tommy started across the plateau, he saw something hurtling towards him out of the corner of his eye. The ranger spun around and saw the object was a familiar oversized football with a grinning sharks face only a foot away. Tommy crossed his arms in front of himself instinctively and knew full well what would happen when he was struck. The football struck his arms and exploded, sending the white ranger flying through the air and crashing hard on the ground. With pain coursing through his arms, Tommy picked himself up and looked at the area. His uniform had protected his skin from being burned, but his communicator was reduced to nothing more than melted plastic and sparking wires.

“And it’s good!! The rookie just advanced his team to the fifty yard line!”

Tommy wheeled about and let out a soft “no way” when he saw the Centiback monster, only this time there were two of them with one at least a foot taller than the other. The larger Centiback put a claw on top of the little one’s helmet and rubbed the space between his antennas.

“Good shot kid! Now let’s advance on ‘em!”

“Right coach!” The smaller Centiback replied, his antenna wiggling at the affectionate gesture.

The sight baffled Tommy. The voice of the smaller Centiback was deeper, but he instantly recognized it. When the monsters moved forward, his eyes landed right on the “DeSantos” located on his left pec, confirming his fear.

“Rocky!” The ranger shouted out. “Rocky, what happened to you!?”

The Rocky-Centiback gave a sharp toothed grin at the response, not bothered at all from his former friend’s reaction.

“Isn’t it great?” He said with glee. “Coach said I had talent and trained me. I was worried, but he’s really a great guy!”

“Rocky, we need to get you back to the Command Center! We need to reverse this!” Tommy urged, stunned by how happy Rocky was in this situation. Rocky-Centiback only laughed at Tommy’s offer.

“Reverse it!? Your helmet’s on too tight. You don’t know how it feels to be bulked up like this. I can feel power rushing through every muscle. Wearing this uniform is like getting a deep massage, keeping me nice and warm while protecting me from harm. I feel like I can do anything, beat anything! I’m not giving this up!”

“That’s the spirit!” Centiback cheered, giving Rocky-Centiback a hard slap on the back. Tommy had to take a step back. He couldn’t believe what was happening. Rocky was completely gone, fully absorbed in the pleasures of the pads. Centiback looked over to Tommy and grinned.

“Time to score a touchdown kid! Let’s show this 90 pound weakling how real centipedes play!”

“Right coach! Down, set, hike!”

Rocky-Centiback charged at the white ranger, moving incredibly quick despite his abundant mass. Tommy was still stunned by the situation and couldn’t react fast enough. The insect slammed into Tommy with the force of a charging bull, ramming him with his spiked shoulder pads and sending the white ranger flying in a shower of sparks. Tommy slammed into the ground with a loud thud. The impact knocked the wind out of him and he laid there dazed, but the ranger soon recovered and stood up again.

“Rocky, I’ll get you out of this.” He said with teeth grit. “I’m sorry! I’ll knock you out and take you back by force if I have to!”

“I’m marching into your red zone ranger!” Rocky-Centiback replied as he advanced, his words showing how distant he was. “It’s only the second down! You’d need on hell of a defense to beat me.”

Centiback crossed his arms as he watched his pupil take on the white ranger. A surge of fatherly pride shot through him as he saw how strong his new player was. At the same time, he knew how tough the white ranger was from rumors. Centiback’s eyes fell on the red whistle dangling around his thick neck. He could feel an urge to blow it, to mix his energy with Tommy’s and start his transformation. But he blew off the thought because he wanted to see his “son” in action.

“Don’t get cocky!” Centiback advised. “It’s only the first quarter!”

“Got it coach!”

Rocky-Centiback crouched into a set position, eyes firmly locked on Tommy.

“Down, set, hike!”

Rocky charged again, going full speed at the ranger. But while he was quick, the white ranger was quicker. As soon as he got close enough, Tommy side stepped the monster, narrowly avoiding his thick shoulder while simultaneously drawing Saba from his belt. With an almost overwhelming wave of guilt, Tommy slashed Saba along the bug’s back horizontally, sparks showering from the strike. Rocky-Centiback let out a painful shout and stumbled forward, his cleats keeping him from falling over. Centiback’s antenna twitched at the sight and a low growl came from his throat after seeing his protégé getting hurt. The urge to jump in magnified, but he kept himself still.

“That’s illegal use of weapons ranger!” The monster shouted. Tommy ignored the coach’s words. His focus was entirely on his former friend. Rocky-Centiback dusted himself off and faced Tommy again.

“Third down, but I can still score!” He shouted as he pulled a spiked football from his back. Rocky-Centiback hurled the ball full force at the white ranger, but the warrior was prepared. Tommy raised Saba up and a red laser beam fired from his eyes, striking the football in midflight and detonating it far from him.

“Rocky, snap out of it!” Tommy shouted. “We’re friends! Don’t do this!”

“I won’t let coach down!”

In a fit of rage, Rocky-Centiback pulled another football out and hurled it at Tommy. As soon as the all left his claws, he reached back and drew another and another. Three footballs flew at Tommy, but he retains his composure and fired a beam at each football, destroying them in flight and leaving nothing but a cloud of smoke in the air. Suddenly, Tommy burst through the smoke and delivered a strong slash to the bug’s midsection. The impact sent Rocky-Centiback flying back, landing with a loud thud on the ground. The football monster cursed as he lay on the ground. He had only recently joined Team Centiback and he was not as tough as his father yet. Even with his pads protecting him, the flesh underneath was still soft and weak despite being as bulked up as he was.

The white ranger moved towards the fallen monster, trying to think of a way take him back to the command center despite having lost his watch. These thoughts distracted him from the large football rocketing towards him. The ball struck him square on the back and exploded, sending him flying far from the bug. As Tommy laid on the ground, he saw Centiback charge up to Rocky-Centiback, trying to help him up.

“Come on kid! We’re close to a touch down!”

Rocky-Centiback looked to the bigger bug, but Tommy saw something odd. The big bug started squirming in the bigger bug’s arms, trying to get out.

“Where am I? What’s going on!? What….what have you done to me!?”

Tommy watched as Centiback struggled to keep his hold on his new recruit, only to have him squirm out of his grasp.

“What do you think you’re doing Maggot!?”

“Get away from me!”

Rocky-Centiback pulled a football from his back and thrust it towards Centiback’s chest, but a heavy kick from the bigger bug sent him flying back in a shower of sparks, crashing far away. Rocky-Centiback groaned in pain and rolled on the ground, looking towards Tommy.

“Tommy! Help me! This guy…he tainted my coin! You have to take the coin out. Hurry before the pads suck me in again!”

“That’s it! I’m benching you kid!” Centiback shouted as he pulled his own football out. Tommy, seeing his friend in danger, acted quickly. The ranger flipped back onto his feet and pointed Saba at Centiback, firing a laser that struck the football. The ball exploded in Centiback’s hands, sending him reeling back from his protégé. Seeing his chance, Tommy rushed over to Rocky-Centiback and kneeled beside him.

“Hold on Rocky! This will only take a second.”

Rocky-Centiback looked at the ranger with his red eyes. He was now able to recognize him without seeing him as an enemy.

Help me Tommy. I don’t…want to be this way anymore. These muscles, the warm inviting pads…it’s addicting. Please.

Tommy rolled Rocky-Centiback onto his back and looked at the power coin. He saw the coin had become dark and the emblem changed to a centipede wrapped around a football. He carefully placed the tip of Saba’s blade to the power coin to try and pry it out. But just as he started, a voice boomed.

"Time for the handoff kid! The game is on the line!"

Rocky-Centiback suddenly felt a surge of football frenzy wash over him. With one swift movement, he thrust the football resting in his hand right into Tommy’s arms.

“Handoff!”

The football exploded on contact, sending Tommy flying once more from Rocky-Centiback. The white ranger landed with a sickening thud, his senses scrambled from the play. Centiback charged in and rejoined his pupil, pulling him up to his feet with a bright grin.

“We scored! That’s one to nada for the visiting team! Good job kid!”

“Just like we practiced, right coach?” Rocky-Centiback replied, beaming happily. The two monsters gave each other a heartfelt chest bump before they turned their attention back to Tommy.

“Hey Rookie. How about playing a nice game of kill the carrier with your friend over there?” Centiback suggested.

Rocky-Centiback wheeled about and faced Tommy, grinning happily as he ran through the coach’s plan in his mind.

“You got it coach!”

Tommy forced himself up again, staggering a little from the many impacts. He felt himself getting weaker and weaker, but the mental shock was worse. He thought his fried had come back, but it was all a ploy. He had to face the idea that there was no way to reverse the transformation. The white ranger looked to the two insects and saw Rocky-Centiback draw another football. Not wanting to get struck again, he went to raise Saba, but Centiback was faster. Without a moment to lose, the big bug brought his magic whistle to his lips and blew.

“*Tweeeet!* No weapons on the field!”

Tommy’s body suddenly seized up and he stood there stunned. Panic slowly started to set in, but was driven home when Rocky-Centiback hurled his football.

No, not this again! Tommy thought as he struggled to move. With amazing speed, the football struck Tommy right in the chest, but didn’t hurt or explode. A second later, his body relaxed again and he was able to move.

“What the heck was that?” Tommy thought out loud. He glanced down at where the football struck and his eyes widened at the sight. The football was stuck to his uniform. It didn’t pierced the suit, but just seemed to have bonded itself to the fabric. Paniced by this possible new threat, Tommy quickly grabbed the football with both hands and tried to yank it off, but the ball would not yield. Worse than that was when he tried to let go, he found his gloves had now bonded to the football.

“He’s got the ball kid!” Centiback pointed out from a distance. “Go get him!”

With a bright grin, Rocky-Centiback charged at his former teammate. With the ranger momentarily distracted by the football, Rocky-Centiback was able to strike with ease. Leaping into the air, he tacked the white ranger with tremendous force, smashing him into the ground while lying on top of him.

“ And the receiver’s sacked!!” Centiback cheered happily from a distance. Tommy’s senses blanked out of a moment before restarting again. The wind was knocked out of his lounges and he tried his best to take in air, but Rocky-Centiback’s weight only made it harder. Looking up at the insect, he saw his old friend beaming down on him, getting a rush from the attack.

“See how tough I am?” The bug said with a slightly arrogant tone. “A whole team of you won’t stop me. There’s no way I’m taking these pads off. Just wait. Maybe coach will let you on the team and you can see how wonderful it is.”

Tommy grunted and struggled under the quarterback. He was able to get his breath back during Rocky-Centiback’s taunts, but it did him little good in that situation. He tried harder and harder to move, but without the use of his hands it was getting difficult. But there was more to it than that. He felt as if the weight on him was increasing, getting heavier and heavier. Tommy looked at the football glued to his chest and saw a white energy being leeched from his body and flowing into the football. From the football, it flowed into his opponent. Rocky-Centiback began to grow larger a little bit at a time; his grunts were turning into little moans of pleasure as he soon realized the change himself. He could feel the soft centipede skin underneath his pads start to harden, protecting him further. The pain from both Tommy’s attacks and Centiback’s attack disappeared almost immediately and his muscles began to pulse from the energy, growling thicker and larger the longer he had his opponent pinned. Tommy watched in horror at how Rocky-Centiback was acting under the euphoric transformation.

“I’m going to squeeze you dry.” Rocky-Centiback told him in a soft whisper, completely consumed by the growing power. Centiback traced his whistle with his claws as he watched from a distance. Finally, he stepped forward.

“Recruit! It’s half time. Take a break.” He ordered forcefully. Rocky-Centiback looked over his slowly expanding shoulder to his coach. He wanted to keep going, but the thought of disappointing his new father was enough to get him off Tommy. Tommy gasped for air and tried to stand up, but his legs wobbled under the strain and forced him back to the ground.

“Looks like you know how tough our team is now, power punk.” Centiback said with a taunting tone.

“But you took all that and you still wanna come get us. That takes guts kid. I like you! That’s it, I’m making you part of the team.”

Tommy let out a sharp “No!” of defiance despite his weakened state, but this only served to reinforce Centiback’s desire to bring the ranger under his control.

The quarterback lifted his magic whistle up towards his lips menacingly, making Tommy stop in his tracks in anticipation for the blow.

“We don’t need no 90 pound weakling on this team kid. You wanna join, you gotta bulk up. Lucky for you, I love helping little maggots turn into big bugs. Since those legs of yours are shaking, we’ll start with them. And I know just the thing to pick you up!”

In one swift movement, the centipede put the whistle up to his lips and let out a long, loud tweet. Tommy felt himself jerk upwards as his body suddenly acted on its own. The ranger shot up to his feet and stood erect in place, unable to move a single muscle.

‘That whistlehe’s controlling me with that. I…I feel weird. All the pain from those attacks, they’re gone! My legs don’t even feel weak anymore. Actually, I feel pretty good. No Tommy, don’t think like that!! I’ve got to destroy that whistle and get Rocky out of here!’

A suddenly flash of light on the ground brought Tommy back to reality. Looking down, he saw there was a long red line painted on the ground traveling from the tips of his toes all the way to where Centiback stood. The bulky bug let out a loud laugh to the ranger.

“We got a good way to bulk up those legs of yours.” He said with a smile. “It’s called Plyometrics. It’ll make it so you can zoom across the field and back without breaking a sweat. Now, bunny hop maggot!”

*Tweet!*

A sudden surge of energy erupted in Tommy. Without his consent, his feet came together and he started to hop in a zigzag motion along the line. Every time his feet struck the ground, he bounced again to the other side, making his way towards the monsters. As he jumped, Rocky-Centiback was cheering him on, excited to watch this embarrassing act.

“Alright Tommy!” Rocky-Centiback shouted with gusto. “Keep going buddy! Make those legs burn!”

The white ranger was not as happy as his former friend, but at the same time he felt something. It was a warm, pleasant tingling sensation that ran up from the tips to his toes to his pelvis each time he pushed off. He wanted to see what was going on, but the muscles in his body were following Centiback’s commands, not his. With a few more hops, Tommy landed right in front of Centiback with only a few inches between him. He could clearly see the sadistic smirk underneath the bug’s faceguard as he tried in vain to pull away.

“Not bad, maggot,” the quarterback commented, raising the whistle to his lips again. “Now bounce back and do it again!

*Tweet!*

Before he could protest, Tommy started bouncing again, this time jumping backwards in a zigzag pattern. He hopped and hopped and hopped, feeling the tingling get stronger with each jump. As soon as he hit the starting point, he bounced back to Centiback and reversed again. The pain had returned to his legs and now burned twice as strong as before as he jumped in rapid succession.

As soon as his feet landed at the start to the line, he regained control over his body and fell onto his back, panting. Across from him, Rocky-Centiback was clapping his claws and cheering happily while Centiback crossed his arms and nodded in approval.

“That was pretty good maggot!” Centiback commented, “You’re just what this team needs. You look good like that! I bet those cleats are roomier than those boots were, huh?”

Tommy lifted his head up and looked at the football bug, confused by his choice of words. But when his eyes looked down to his legs, it all became clear. The bottom half of his uniform had transformed into large cleats and padded football pants, the same color and design as the monsters before him, but without the rows of insect legs running down them. What’s more, his feet had grown at least two sizes larger and the muscles in his legs had ballooned, each one heavy and pulsating with power. Tommy then looked at his power coin and noticed that there was now a dark spot of tarnish on it when it was just clean gold before.

“No! Get this thing off of me!”

The white ranger reached and grabbed onto the padded pants, trying hard to pull them off in his panic. But when he pulled, they gave him no slack, remaining tight against his pumped up legs. When he couldn’t pulled them off, he tried to kick off the cleats on his feet, only to see that they weren’t going anywhere either.

‘What the hell’s going on!?’ Tommy thought as he tried to keep himself calm, ‘The pants stretch, but aren’t coming off my legs. And these cleats have a lot of room on them, but I can’t kick them off. It’s like the clothes are fused to my skin like that football was! I have to get that whistle! I have to stop this!’

Mocking laughs rang out from humanoid insects standing across from him, their hearty chuckles and friendly backslapping not helping the stress of the situation.

As he laughed Centiback strolled over towards the ranger, gazing down on the battered ranger. His sharp teeth gleemed with a mocking grin, nodding as a smile grew at the corner of his mouth as he stood looming over the frozen ranger. He liked this kid, not for just how tough his body was, but also for his gutsy attitude. He would really make a fine addition to the team, Centiback thought as he flexed his muscles.

“Give it up kid! Once you put on some real pads, you never want to take them off!”

Centiback suddenly lowered his shoulder and crashed into the ranger with full force, wrapping Tommy in his arms and tackling him to the ground. Defenseless to even lift a finger to stop it, the white ranger slammed into the ground hard, making him see stars in front of Centiback’s grinning bug face hovering over him.

Centiback let out a hearty laugh as he stood up from off of Tommy.

“Nice one coach!“ Rocky-Centiback cheered on as he pumped his fist, enjoying the show.

Centiback gave a thumbs up to his son and crouched down, takingTommy’s hand into his claw. With a strong jerk he pulled Tommy up to his feet, dusting him off a little in a show of sportsmanship.

As Tommy stood there, the ranger basked in the glow of the sensations flooding his body. The warm feeling of blood pumping into his expanding muscles felt amazing. Blinking, the ranger looked at the large insect standing before him, compelled to take in the buff bug’s body as he eyed it up and down. He felt a wave of admiration as he looked over the Centibacks’ bodies, along with a small spark of envy. A voice inside Tommy told him to fight it, but his competitive spirit was quickly drowning out all other thoughts.

‘This guy is huge! Why can’t I have arms like that? I bet if I were that strong, I’d never have a problem beating a monster again. Maybe is I let him train me some…no! What am I thinking? I have to get myself together.’

Suddenly able to move again, the white ranger jumped back from the Centiback, landing with a bit of a wobble due to the change in his weight. With a loud “Hyyaaaah!” Tommy rushed forward, raising his right leg to land a heavy kick and striking an unprepared Centiback on the chest with a shower of sparks. Centiback‘s cleats dug a trail in the dirt as he was pushed back a foot from the sheer force of the blow, Tommy’s bulked up legs serving to let him deliver crushing kicks. The big bug took the attack in his chest pads and stood there, a sour frown quickly replacing his toothy smile.

“That’s offside rookie! A mistake like that would cost us five yards in a real game. Drop and give me twenty maggot!”

*Tweet!*

Once again Tommy’s body reacted on its own, dropping down onto his palms and starting to do push-ups. Each pump pushed a surge of energy out of Tommy and new centipede energy came flowing in in. He could feel his muscles stretch and expand with each push-up, pressing against his uniform as they bulged and swelled with power. His ranger suit creaked and stretched to accommodate the new mass, and after 20 pushups Tommy was as bulked up as a professional bodybuilder.

Inside, he knew it was unnatural to be so big, but he couldn’t resist the addictive rush that each rep brought him. Able to feel each muscle as it pumped and expanded Tommy’s thoughts started to drift to his new body, imagining himself growing to Centiback’s size…no, bigger! The thoughts were addicting, reinforced by the rush of each pump of his arms. As he slowly gave in to his insatiable desires, his red uniform began to darken, and with each rep while his power coin became darker and dirtier. Tommy felt more and more compelled to exercise, realizing that he was now doing the pushups voluntarily rather than being forced by the whistle.

‘No….have to…stop….’ the weakened thoughts of the rangers clung by a thread as the overwhelming flood of testosterone-laden energy threatened to take over his mind completely.

Centiback stood over the ranger, watching his slow transformation with a fatherly pride. He really liked the spirit this kid had, in fact it was just making it that more fun to bring under his will. With each push-up Centiback’s antennae glowed, draining the ranger’s energy and feeling his own body swell with power, a pure power that only rangers with the toughest spirit possess. With his arms crossed, he chuckled happily as Rocky-Centiback joined him with a congratulatory pat on the back.

“This is great coach!” The transformed ranger said with a laugh. “We’re going to have another quarterback on the team. The rangers don’t stand a chance!”

“No, I’ve got something else in mind for this maggot.” Centiback said with a wicked grin.

With one last push-up, Tommy’s arms finally gave out and he fell to the ground with a loud thud. With a grunt he rolled back onto his feet and lifted himself up, dazed from all the tainted energy already pumped into him.

“Now you’re doing it maggot!” Centiback said happily, admiring the bulked up ranger. “Now we just got one more exercise for you. After this, you’ll become our special player and join our team permanently. Sounds good, doesn’t it rookie?”

“No! I won’t do this!” The white ranger shouted in protest, but without realizing it he was actually nodding his head yes to the quarterback’s offer.

Centiback knew that he wanted it. With a bright grin, the centipede monster gathered golden energy into his antenna and fired it out, striking the ground beside Tommy.

In a flash of light, a large barbell set appeared beside the ranger. The weights on the barbells were painted bright red with drawings of centipedes around the rims. On the inner ring was the weight painted in bright red.

“This is my special Centiback weight set,” The big bug informed. “Customized specifically to pump the upper body. A few reps with this baby and you’ll hatch into a real centipede. You’ll be the biggest, strongest bug there ever was! So go and give her a pump. Sound good?”

Tommy stared at the weight set. Centiback’s words echoed in his mind, mixing with the football frenzy that had already been instilled through his recent training. The more effort he put in to fight the attraction, the more he was succumbing to it. To be the strongest, undefeatable, it was like his life’s dream. With a slight smile, Tommy walked to the weight set.

Sitting on the bench, he removed his helmet to reveal two small red antenna stalks poking out of his skull. Tossing the ranger helmet aside, Tommy laid on his back and grabbed onto the barbell in his hands. With an exhale he lifted it off, finding it surprisingly light. A slight tingle ran down his arms and into his body, alerting the ranger of the powerful energy inside the weights.

‘No! Stop! This is exactly what he wants! If I do this, I’ll change more. I’ve got to…I’ve got to get bigger, stronger! It’s for the team! I’m going to be stronger and take us all the way to the super bowl! I can…no! Fight it! Fight…’

A loud, long tweet from Centiback’s whistle interrupted his thoughts and filled Tommy with a sudden football frenzy. Without a struggle, he lowered the weight to his chest and pushed it back up. The tingling grew to a powerful warming sensation that flowed through his arms and into his chest, spreading into his shoulders and back. Tommy couldn’t help but let out a soft “Hmmmmmm” of pleasure, unable to deny that it really felt good.

‘That…wasn’t too bad. I’ve…got to stop. But…maybe one more…’

Tommy lowered the weight and lifted it again, this time getting a stronger wave than before. Without another thought, he continued the exercise. Each press gave a stronger and stronger sensation, making Tommy only want to do more. The waves that flowed into his body traveled to his muscles, transforming them with their energy and bulking them up even more. The frenzy soon affected his uniform, darkening it from red to a Centiback maroon as pads began to grow over the contours of his ever increasing frame.

As he started to get broader, Tommy body grew taller as well to compensate. The ranger was lost to the frenzy, unaware that the weights on the barbell were growing with each rep, pumping more of Centiback’s energy as the weight increased.

With each rep, Tommy’s thoughts of stopping went further and further away as his mind was filled with the pleasure of centipede energy. His mental processes became slower and slower as his body grew, soon sprouting small centipede legs along his arms and legs to match his antennae buds. The spreading shoulder pads quickly completed their growth, covering the ranger in thick armored padding that made his head look small in comparison. The ranger markings faded, replaced by a giant number “00” inscribed on his chest and shoulders. The name “Oliver” appeared in white on the ranger’s back and left pectoral as thin white ranger gloves bulked into clones of Centiback’s football gloves, making the barbell easier to grip.

“Whoa! Look how big he’s getting!” Rocky-Centiback said as he and his new bug father watched the transformation. Tommy’s eyes glowed red and black scales had grown across his forehead and nose, while his bottom teeth were becoming longer and more pointed.

Centiback was beaming happily, noticing how much his new son was starting to look like his papa. The sound of the Tommy’s grunting, panting and groaning was music to Centiback’s ears. Fatherly pride swelled up inside him as he watched the ranger become bigger and buggier, each massive muscle pumping Centiback‘s own essence though his bloodstream and quickening the transformation.

Even with his pumped up body, Tommy was starting to get tired. His head felt like it was full of jello, but a simple but powerful thought pervaded in his mind. ‘Win.‘ So much was conveyed in this thought, being the strongest, the best, being ready for every opponent and doing whatever it took to win. Never accepting defeat no matter what. Pushing with every ounce of your will until your muscles ache. As the ranger tired the thought of giving up started to creep up. His body pulsing with power, he refused to accept that he was done.

‘Gotta win…‘ *pump* ‘gotta be the best…‘ *pump* ‘the strongest…‘ *pump* ‘biggest…‘ *pump* ‘biggest bug…’ *pump* ‘win for coach!’ *pump* ’protect Centiback!’ *pump* ’Touchdown…win!’

Each rep with the heavy weights burned in his muscles as Tommy opened himself to Centiback’s raw power in an insatiable desire to bulk himself to the extreme. He felt his human side fading, growling contentedly as deep down he knew the true power was Centiback power. With a primal growl, Tommy shoved the bar up as his hands popped out into long segmented claws.

Centiback flexed his muscles as he felt the last of the ranger’s human energy drain from his body and flow into the centipede.

“Great job there maggot! One hundred reps! A new Team Centiback record!” Centiback pumped his claw as Tommy felt a surge of energy from making his papa bug proud.

“Whaddya say DeSantos? Think it’s time for this maggot to hatch into a full-fledged Centiback?” the big bug said, walking over and putting an arm on Rocky’s shoulder pads to admire Tommy’s physique.

“Oh yeah coach! My little bro really earned his football helmet there!” Rocky said, turning to Centiback and pumping his fist. “With him blocking for me, there’s no way anyone will stop us from marching all over the field!”

Centiback felt Tommy’s sapped power surging through him as he held the ranger’s white tiger helmet in his claws. Suddenly his antennas started to glow, quivering with a bright yellow energy that flashed up fired at the helmet, engulfing it in a brilliant golden light. Centiback’s pure essence flowed into the helmet and within seconds the it began to warp, changing from a solid helmet into an official Centiback team helmet. The facemask grew in with twice as many bars protecting the face, a heavy duty mask denoting a lineman’s position.

“Alright kid, that was awesome! Now get over here!”

Putting the weight back on the stand, a massive half-bug Tommy got off the bench and took heavy steps towards the two monsters, giving them both a chance to admire his progress. He was now a foot taller than the papa bug himself and much broader, the weight training bulking up his physique to the point where his former body was no longer recognizable. Tommy’s head almost looked tiny atop of his massive shoulders and he wore a dazed, blissful expression on his centipede face as his foot-long antennae twitched happily. Tommy looked down at the two bugs curiously, flexing his muscles and letting out pleased ‘mmmmm‘ noises.

“Coach…?” The ranger spoke out, his voice now much deeper and more gruff than it had been before. There was a slow tone in his voice, almost as if he were struggling to think of the words. But this didn’t bother Centiback at all.

“Yes my brawny centipede, I’m your coach and your new daddy!” Centiback said with pride as he grabbed Rocky in an affectionate headlock “And this guy here’s your little brother.”

“Team…mate?”

“That’s right!” Rocky-Centiback replied. “We’re teammates now! Brothers! Just…look how huge you are. Nothing can get past you!”

Tommy looked down at Rocky-Centiback and smiled, giving a happy but dimwitted chucke. He reached a thick arm out and patted the little bug’s head with his claws, rubbing his helmet between the antenna and getting a playful laugh out of him.

Centiback crossed his arms and grinned, feeling more and more fatherly pride. At the same time, he felt stronger than ever, having gained more power from Tommy’s transformation and now being a foot taller than he was when Tommy started.

“Alright, listen here big bug,” Centiback spoke up, taking Tommy’s attention away from his new brother and back to him. “We’re going out to get some more teammates and then we’re going to take the other team down!”

“Touchdown!” Tommy responded positively, nodding and pounding his claw into his fist.

“Your job’s to protect your little brother and I. Don’t let anyone bring us down!” The bug continued. “Think you could handle that? Think you can carry Team Centiback all the way to the finals?”

With that, he held up the converted Centiback football helmet to Tommy.

Those words did the trick. Tommy let out a loud shout of joy as he stared at the helmet, pumping his fists into the air full of joy from being presented this prize.

Tommy crouched down, bowing his head to Centiback obediently. With a hearty laugh, Centiback slowly placed the helmet onto Tommy’s head, letting it fuse to his massive shoulder pads.

Tommy felt a massive surge of energy as he pounded his pads and grunted happily. Rocky and Centiback watched as his power coin transformed, turning completely black and changing the image from a falcon to a centipede wrapped around a football. Tommy-Centiback and let out a loud roar of joy as the power of his new body flowed through him.

“Now what are we going to do?!” Centiback and Rocky-Centiback shouted in unison.

“Win!!” Tommy-Centiback shouted back with enthusiasm, the row of centipede legs running down his body popping out all the way.

“Who we going to beat!?”

“Rangers!” Tommy-Centiback shouted again, spikes coming out of his chest pads and his claws growing out to their full reach.

“And how are we gonna beat them?”

“Tackle!” Tommy-Centiback roared, jumping in the air and landing with a ground-shaking thud.

Not being able to stand it anymore, Centiback formed a red football with a picture of a centipede in his hands and tossed it to the new lineman. Catching it eagerly, the ball grew bigger in the new bug’s claws as it poured its energy into Tommy.

Finally, Centiback stepped forward and put his whistle to his lips, knowing that one final blow and the ranger would be his forever.

“Welcome to the family, son! I just know you’re going to make Team Centiback proud!”

*Tweet!*

As the combination of Cenitback’s physical and mental energy flooded into him, the skin beneath his uniform became hard and segmented as the last of his human features disappeared beneath thick centipede scales. Tommy’s teeth grew long and sharp and his eyes glowed bright red with a Centiback‘s passion.

“Alright team! I think it’s time we carve out a bit of home turf. I think Angel Grove High’s football field will make the perfect headquarters for our lair!” Centiback said with a wicked grin, his two loyal players nodding and pumping their fist excitedly.

With one final primal shout from the three, they slammed their fists into the ground and teleported away in a flash of red light.