The Reluctant Ranger

Nicole frowned down at her homework, trying to power through the workload her professors thought was acceptable for a week of downtime.  It wasn’t an unreasonable amount for self study, but some people were grieving, or traumatized.  She didn’t get a pass just because she was there, neither did Grace for that matter.  It was all due on Monday, though some professors would be more lenient than others. 

At least there weren’t many fields that actually studied the Rangers or Sylans in any depth.  Most of those were advanced courses on theoretical physics, energy waveforms, or any other words that Becca sometimes casually threw out like Nicole would understand them.  Sure, her best friend might be one of the brightest up and coming researchers, but that didn’t mean Nicole absorbed much knowledge by proximity. 

The thing was, after going out and rescuing people from the fires, Nicole was going more than a little stir crazy.  She wanted to get back out there but she had no idea how to go about it without falling back on running around and hoping to stumble upon another emergency.  That felt a bit too much like patrolling in the superhero comics, which was why it was being held as a last resort.  

Maybe she could try to track down Chief Grayson over in Maple Grove, but that would inevitably result in her being outed as a Ranger.  Nicole wasn’t ready to make that leap just yet.  Hell, she wasn’t even ready to tell Rebecca, and that girl may as well have been her sister.  Continuing to keep such a secret from her didn’t sit well with Nicole, but there were a few outed Ranger teams out in the world and it never ended well for them, at least in her opinion.  She didn’t need that sort of attention or spotlight on her life. 

Not that she thought Rebecca would out her, but she’d also be asking her best friend to keep a major secret from her boyfriend.  That was a burden Nicole wasn’t ready to drop on her shoulders, especially since she had already neglected to tell her right away.

Maybe she could go down to one of the stations anyway, in street clothes, maybe ask around about classes she could take for first aid and emergency care.  That could even open up a window for her to eventually start volunteering.  Nicole took one more look at her remaining homework, scoffed, and grabbed her belt and pouch before heading out the door. 

Just as she hit the campus proper, she had a thought and a moment later Grace answered her text, offering to join her for a ‘spontaneous outing’.  She hadn’t talked to any of her fellow Rangers about the prior night, and surprisingly, it barely scored a passing mention on the news.  The fires got a two minute segment on the morning show, and a passing mention on a local news site, and exactly one picture of her had made it to the press.  Funny enough, it was her cradling the boy as she handed him back to his mother. 

She’d bought a paper during her morning jog just so she could pin the cutout on her wall, someday.  Nicole knew she would need to wait until she finally got the nerve to tell Becca and Colin before making a display that either painted her as the Black Ranger, or as her creepiest fangirl in the city.

Then again, creepy fangirl was probably a good cover. 

It took a few minutes, but Grace was quick to come out to greet her, waving as she approached.  “Nicole!  Thanks for rescuing me from that boring ass essay.” 

“No problem,” she said with a shrug.  She tried to ignore that Grace was wearing a black shirt, and hoped that she did the same when it came to her own red tank top.  “Was going a bit stir crazy myself, especially after last night.” 

“Last night?” Grace asked, tilting her head in thought.  “What happened?  You okay?” 

Nicole blinked before she realized what she said sounded worse than it was.  “Oh, nothing bad, just went out for a late jog, ended up coming up on those apartment fires last night.” 

“Apartment fires?” 

Sighing, Nicole pulled out her phone and the bookmarked article and passed it to her friend.  “Yeah, I ended up helping with the search and rescue.  They got a good picture of me with one of the kids I pulled out.” 

Grace scrolled the article, her eyes lighting up at one point, then she apparently reached the comments, and proceeded to burst out laughing.  “Oh my god, that is adorable.” 

Nicole snatched her phone back, only to see a new video.  She hit replay and was treated to one of the cats she’d pulled out, swatting her helmet. 

She didn’t even realize that someone was recording that. 

Nicole’s shoulders slumped as her head dropped.  “Great, knowing my luck that will go viral.” 

Chuckling, Grace patted her on the back.  “There’s worse things to go viral over.  Remember that one asshole in Texas?” 

Nicole grimaced, as it was a reminder that people didn’t become a Ranger because they were paragons of humanity.  No, even the phobic assholes sometimes got picked, then they couldn’t keep their mouth shut while in public.  It brought to question the voice that had claimed her to be worthy.  Did that man hear the same call to action? 

Had Grace? 

Nicole hadn’t mentioned the voice to anyone just yet for fear that she alone had heard those words being spoken.  That she was so desperate for validation she hallucinated the entire thing.  Last night had been the first time she felt like she earned those words, and she was desperate for more of that feeling.  A sense of purpose that was fulfilling beyond scrapping a few machines once a week. 

“So, you mentioned plans?” Grace asked after a moment, a smirk on her lips as she leaned in close.  “I’ve got the afternoon free which means I’m all yours.” 

Grace punctuated the statement with a wink that had Nicole looking away to hide the warmth on her cheeks that inadvertent phrasing inspired.  It took a moment to school herself, even as Grace stepped back with a soft giggle. 

“Well, I wanted to look into what it takes to become a proper fire fighter,” Nicole said, clearing her throat to make sure the next words she spoke carried the meaning she meant for them.  “I felt more fulfillment from helping those people than I did from fighting the Sylans, fucked as that sounds.  Going out there and helping those who can’t help themselves?  It felt more like what a Ranger should be.” 

“That’s some deep thoughts,” Grace said, crossing her arms as she looked up to the overcast sky.  “Well, why the hell not?  You picked out a station to swing by to ask around?” 

“Yeah, I have one in mind.  Care to give me a lift?” Nicole asked before tossing out her own quip.  “Or should we go for a bit of an afternoon run?”

Chuckling, Grace waved for her to follow.  “Come on, we’re burning what passes for daylight in these parts.” 

Nicole followed Grace to her car, hopping in the now much cleaner passenger side.  It was funny, she was all but certain running would be faster, but would only invite more questions and some uncomfortable answers if they both showed up on foot.  No, driving was unfortunately safer, even if she still had trust issues after the accident that claimed her grandparents, yet left her unharmed.

Grace put on some heavy metal, but kept the volume low as they pulled out onto the streets, her GPS already set for the destination.  It was a wonder the invaders hadn’t taken all the satellites out with their opening salvo given how reliant upon them humanity was.  They only hit military targets during the initial incursion, the first Ranger team being a group of National Guard in New York, defending Manhattan as the civilians retreated. 

That actually seemed to be a recurring pattern with emerging Ranger teams, helping to repel an attack in progress, and it fit their own experience.  Both she and Grace had been actively fighting to protect others when the Power came to them, for whatever that meant.  She only hoped she could earn that honor before she fell in the line of duty. 

One particularly upbeat metal song came on, the lyrics so outlandish that she couldn’t help but laugh.  Grace smiled, head moving with the beat and lips silently following along.  The enthusiasm was infectious between the pair and by the time the second chorus began, they were both animatedly singing along with the lyrics. 

Though she only knew a few of the words, it was freeing and fun.  The next song was no less infectious, though of a completely different style and band.  Their antics continued until they were pulling into the parking lot of the Maple Grove station, their windows rolled down and the music now blaring loudly enough that several of the firefighters stopped to watch the pair with more than a few amused smiles.  Nicole didn’t even care to hide her embarrassment as the music cut off and they got out of the car, still laughing at their own antics. 

Nicole was a bit disappointed that their fun had ended, but it wasn’t like she couldn’t just do so again once they concluded their business at the station.  Grace batted at her playfully, and she let herself stumble slightly rather than respond with a display of athletics that would draw far more attention than she wanted. 

She learned that lesson the hard way back in high school.  It turned out that people don’t care if you’re on the gymnastics team, showboating in the halls was frowned upon, even when someone trips you and the alternative was a painful face plant into the floor.  Pushing that frustrating thought aside, Nicole walked up to the approaching man.  He was fit and deeply tanned, wearing a tight fitting shirt with a department logo on the chest.  He had a few tattoos along his muscular arms, but none appeared to be distasteful.  His black hair was trimmed into a near military buzz, longer on top than the sides and he was clean shaven.  There was something about him that was familiar, but she couldn’t place it.  Was he one of the firefighters she spoke with the prior night?

“Good afternoon, ladies,” he said, his voice deep and firm, with a hint of an accent that she couldn’t place.  Definitely not a local, or at least not locally raised.  “Is there anything we can help you with?” 

Grace snorted, though Nicole was a bit confused as to why.  “Cute leading line, but you’re barking up the wrong tree.” 

Rather than seem offended, his smile just grew wider.  “Good to know you won’t accost any of these innocent boys, but I’ll make sure to warn the ladies.  So, what brings you here?” 

Swallowing, Nicole knew she needed to take the lead.  “I was hoping to take a few classes on first aid and crisis response.” 

He nodded, though his expression dimmed slightly.  “All good skills to have.  Are you looking for the basics or something more expansive?” 

“Uh, can we start with the basics?” Nicole asked, her voice faltering a bit.  Dammit, she was a Ranger, she should be more confident!  “I’d like to eventually learn some more advanced stuff, but the basics work for now.” 

He nodded, his expression brightening once more.  “Great!  I take it your friend would like the same?” 

“She would,” Grace said, her voice amused.  “My friend here had a close experience recently, and wanted to be better prepared in the event something else happened in the future.  I had the afternoon free and this gives me an excuse to put off that essay my history professor wants done.” 

“Ah.  Well, you’ve lucked out then,” he said, gesturing back at the others.  “I’m actually visiting from out of state.  I’m a crisis trainer based out of New York, and given the recent involvement of a Ranger with search and rescue, I figured it was a good idea to get the locals trained on how to handle having potential support.” 

Nicole very carefully kept her face neutral as she listened.  It hadn’t even been twenty four hours and he was already off the plane, ready to teach the people that responded to the same fire she did? 

“Impressive turn around,” Grace said, her voice echoing Nicole’s own suspicion.  “Must have been quite the red-eye flight.” 

Nicole nodded, looking closer at his shirt, sure enough, it wasn’t for the local precinct like she assumed, but rather one of the New York ones.  More specifically, it was the same precinct that hosted the New York Rescue Rangers, and one of the few unmasked teams not under the government’s thumb.  With that connection made, she now recognized him from her manic research following the fire.

The man grinned wider as he eyed them a bit more critically.  There was nothing lecherous about his gaze as it swept over them, even if he did linger on their shirts. 

“Bit of advice,” he said, his voice now much quieter.  “From one Ranger to another, dressing in your colors is more than a little on the nose.” 

“Called it,” Grace said with her trademark smirk.  “Though, you’re wrong about the colors.” 

That got a smile out of Nicole as well, even if she had just been outed as a Ranger.  “Yup.  I’m the local Black Ranger, she’s Red.” 

“It was the hair, wasn’t it?” Grace teased with a grin. 

“Ha!” he exclaimed, slapping his thigh.  “Good show then, though still a bit too close.  I’d recommend you focus on clothes that are decidedly more neutral than the obvious in the future.  Now, want to fold in with the boys and girls over there?  I wasn’t kidding about being here to teach classes, and I was actually hoping to reach out to you the next time you showed up.  So this works out splendidly!” 

Nicole and Grace shared a look and Grace shrugged.  Nodding, Nicole turned back to the out of state Ranger.  “Sure, our afternoon is free, though classes will be resuming soon.  The sooner we can get through things, the better.” 

“I can always work on more one-on-one stuff on your own time,” he said.  “For now, we have a quick CPR refresher lined up, some general emergency first response medical care, then we’ll get into more fire related stuff as the evening draws closer.” 

“Sounds good,” Nicole answered.  It seemed she was going to get exactly what she hoped for, and Nicole found herself looking forward to the lessons to come.  “When do we begin?”

“Right now,” he answered before pausing and offering out his hand.  “Oh, introductions, how rude of me.  Lieutenant Carlos Jimenez of the Bronx Precinct.  Better known as the Gold Rescue Ranger.” 

“Grace Evans, Red Ranger.” 

She reached out, shaking his hand as well.  “Nicole Hayes, Black Ranger.” 

He nodded.  “You’ll want to come up with a name for the team soon, before the media saddles you with one.  Or in your case, some company tries to sue you for infringement.  Trust me, sponsorship isn’t always worth it.” 

That warning brought Nicole up short.  Sure, they were fantasy themed, with clear inspirations and archetypes in their Ranger suits, but could some company really try to sue them over it?  Stupid question, of course they could, companies sued over stupid shit all the damn time. 

“Thanks for the advice,” Grace said, looking back towards the waiting firefighters.  “How do you want to introduce us?” 

He hummed, glancing back over his shoulder.  “They haven’t gotten the best look at you yet, so you could morph, but that is probably ill advised since you did just drive up in a car and all.” 

“They will probably figure it out anyway,” Nicole said with a grimace.  “Especially with you being an open Ranger and all, so maybe we should just own it?” 

Grace blinked, biting her lip as she looked back at her car.  “Okay, just hand me your phone so it doesn’t get drained again, we can leave them in the car, and I can park it somewhere a few blocks away if you’re serious about this.” 

“Good precaution,” Carlos said with a toothy grin.  “Alright, you take care of that, I’ll keep them distracted, and you can join when ready.” 

He turned and started walking with purpose, his voice picking up as he did.  Nicole turned to face Grace.  “Are you okay with this?”

“Not entirely,” she admitted.  “Still probably the best option so people don’t ask too many questions.” 

“Unfortunately,” Nicole said.  “I should have thought this through a bit more.” 

Grace shrugged, getting back in the driver’s side as Nicole took her own seat once more.  “I don’t think either of us expected them to send an actual Ranger like this, or at least not so soon after our debut.” 

“All of the above,” Nicole said, setting her phone to airplane mode before stashing it in the glove box.  “At least we won’t have to pretend to just be limited to normal human parameters.” 

“That is one advantage to all this cloak and dagger stuff,” Grace said, then she smirked.  “Which should suit you just fine, miss Rogue.” 

“Says the Corsair,” Nicole shot back with a smile of her own.  “Maybe we should refer to each other by our supposed classes rather than color while we’re in uniform.  Might keep things clearer.” 

“Not a bad idea,” Grace said.  She drove for less than five minutes before pulling into a parking lot near a small park.  “This should be good enough.” 

Nicole didn’t see any reason to disagree, so she hopped out of the car, stretching as she did.  She barely caught Grace watching her out of the corner of her eye.  Oh, her shirt had ridden up, showing off her overdeveloped abs.  Nicole hurriedly straightened back out, tugging her shirt down in the process.  She hated just how masculine she still looked, and despite her efforts to not work out, it seemed the Ranger powers were content to push her to some twisted ideal. 

“Well,” Nicole said, eager to change the subject.  The park was deserted, so she figured it was safe enough.  “Roll the Dice.”

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