Walking Into Danger With Eyes Wide (PR RPM) part 3

[estinose]

Part 3 of a hopefully 10-part fic.


Walking Into Danger With Eyes Wide Open
Part 3: This Old Jacket With Tales To Tell

"Ziggy, team meeting." His father poked his head into the kitchen where Ziggy was figuring what sauce he wanted to put on his spaghetti when he made dinner that night.

"Okay, see you later," he said automatically. Sophie, his little sister, was off at a friend's house, so he didn't have to watch her while their parents were out.

He was still going through the cupboards when he realized his dad and mom were standing in the doorway, as if expecting him to do something.

"You want me to make dinner for when you get back?" he asked. It wasn't a problem, he liked cooking.

"Actually," his mom said, "You're coming with us."

Oh, yeah. He had a morpher, courtesy of his past self. He was supposed to be a Ranger. Didn't feel like one, though. "Oh."

He was going to have to be a grownup far faster than he was really expecting to have to be. But then again, his original self had been barely an adult himself, a mere eighteen when he'd activated his morpher. A teenager as well.

His mom and dad were in their team jackets, which was a bad sign, and his mother was holding a third. He gulped and stepped away from his preperations. "That, um, mine?"

She held it out for him. "Yeah."

Taking it, he looked at the small patch on one breast. It said "PROJECT RANGER" and "RANGER OPERATOR SERIES GREEN" on it, and Ziggy couldn't help but think of what had happened to the last time someone had worn this jacket.

He wasn't ready to put it on quite yet, so he just held onto it. Yeah, he'd come to the meeting, but he wasn't ready to claim his morpher and his past at the moment.

Looking up, he realized his mother was looking at him sadly. "I remember when Ziggy got his jacket," she said, wiping a tear. "Remember, Scott? That's when we took that photo. He was so proud...."

"So am I," he said, feeling like he shouldn't have the jacket. It wasn't his, except it was, like everything else had seemed lately.

His mother reached out and hugged him. "It's okay, Ziggy. Everything's going so fast now. We never thought we'd be reactivated, either."

Gulping again, he held onto the jacket and followed his parents out.

* * *

The team meeting was held at the McAllistairs' house. He easily recognized his parents' teammates - Gem and Gemma, the twins; Gemma's husband Flynn, and Dillon. Doctor K, who had mentored the team was there too, as was Tenaya, Dillon's sister. Everyone else on the team was wearing their team outfits, either sweatclothes for the twins, or their team jackets. Doctor K was in her labcoat, while Tenaya was casually dressed.

Shivering in the cold, he slipped on Ziggy Grover's jacket. He wasn't comfortable, but at least it would keep him warm.

"That's eerie," Dillon said, and Ziggy realized that Dillon was staring at him. "Why'd you bring him along?"

Ziggy knew why they'd done it intellectually, but he wouldn't mind slinking out of there. This was not a place where he should be.

"Because we need him." His father's voice was firm. "And you can't form your megazord without his zord, remember?"

Oh, yes. One of the megazord configurations, Ziggy remembered, was made up of the Green and Black Rangers' zords, along with a third. In fact, if he remembered correctly, the Green and Black Rangers had worked together a lot, which meant that he was going to be paired with Dillon. A lot.

"Look," Ziggy's mom said, taking a step towards Dillon, her tone pleading and her arms out. "I know it hurts, Dillon. I don't want to be tossing my son into this fight, either. But he's the only one that can activate the morpher."

"You don't know how I feel, Summer," Dillon said flatly. "I lost Ziggy that day. You really expect me to work with his doppelganger?"

"Yes, actually, we do." His father stepped forward. "It's not Ziggy's fault for what happened. He's a member of this team and you will work with him." Ziggy shivered again, but not because of the cold. His father was using his "I'm in command, you will obey me" tone that Ziggy tried not to be on the receiving end of.

Ziggy forced himself to stay where he was. "I can't help how I look," he said, recalling what Benny had said, "But I want to live up to his legacy. I want to be the best partner I can be to you."

Dillon took one look at him and walked off, leaving and slamming the door behind him. "Dillon!" his father yelled, but Dillon ignored him.

"Did I say something wrong?" Ziggy asked, looking at the assembled group.

"Um..." his mother said, looking at his father like they were going to have to explain something difficult.

"Well, lad," Flynn told him, "It's rather that... Dillon and Ziggy shared a bedroom for a reason, you see."

Ziggy was sure that was somehow important, but he wasn't sure why. The others were looking at him expectantly, as if they expected him to get what he wasn't getting. "They were roommates?"

Gemma piped up. "Ziggy and Dillon were boyfriends."

"Oooh." It must have seemed a betrayal to Dillon, to have to work with a person who was his boyfriend but wasn't anymore. There was history in there he wished he knew, just because it was a potential minefield. And he didn't have any clue of where the mines were.

"And they had-" Whatever Gem was going to add was muffled by Flynn's hand.

"It's not your fault, Ziggy," Flynn told him warmly.

"Indeed." Doctor K was standing up, looking annoyed. "This immaturity on Dillon's part should not be taken as a critique of your presence among us. The danger we face will not wait for him to resolve his issues."

"I'm going to get Dillon," Ziggy's mom said, heading out the door.

"I can't believe someone was insane enough to reactivate Venjix," Flynn said. "Didn't they remember what we'd gone through before?"

So that's what had happened. The computer virus that had tried to destroy all organic life, and nearly succeeded, was active again. The Rangers were needed, called back to duty to fight an enemy they'd fought before.

He fingered the patch on his jacket and wondered if he could do what he was being called to do.

Comments

[senmut]

Bravo!

[estirose]

Thanks!