Rose sniffled, looking around at the carnage that had once been Mr. Hartford's Dreams Take Flight Fundraiser. This was all her fault, if she'd just kept her mouth shut in the first place, none of this would've happened… and if Mack had quicker reflexes and if Dax could get his stupid bouncing under control…
She watched as Tyzonn barely managed to avoid being impaled by a vegetable skewer that Zhane threw at him and winced amongst her sniffles. Cassie gave her a sad look and began rubbing circles on her back while a surprisingly frantic looking Andros struggled to get Dax to stop bouncing around. Carlos was currently chasing Will around one of the few upright tables and dodging the dinner rolls that Ashley was trying to throw at Ronny, but missing.
The other guest from the party (asides from a few amateur photographers who were certain they could sell the pictures of this for a few thousand dollars) had fled the scene or taken cover long ago.
"There, there, Rose." She assured. "Eventually everyone will figure out what happened and we'll all laugh about it."
"But I feel so stupid, if I'd just kept my mouth shut-"
"Who knows how media are going to take your statements? You couldn't have known."
There was a small yelp as Carlos finally caught up with Will and the upright table was no more, flipping as the two landed on it.
Dana glanced over to see Mack and TJ looking absolutely mortified at what had happened while Carter, Chad, Joel, Ryan, and Kelsey attempted to break up the other fighting rangers, which was proving to be quite difficult as no police officers wanted to get within ten feet of former Power Rangers looking for blood.
"Yeah but-"
"No buts." Dana scolded. "You couldn't have known." She looked over at Mack, who had a bleeding nose that he was trying to clean up with the sleeve of his jacket. "Oh… I should probably go check that out."
The incident which had set the whole chain off had been a few weeks earlier. Rose was still unused to cameras following her around and the former Overdrive Ranger had been cornered and asked if she knew any other former rangers. Innocently she'd replied "Yes", and left it at that. She could never have predicted how the media outlets ran with it.
Suddenly everyone that was serving food, walking beside, or had family relations to any of the Overdrive Rangers was under suspect of being rangers. Cameras and investigative teams had been sent everywhere from Angel Grove to Ocean Bluff trying to track down people who personally knew the former ranger team.
Immediately Operation Overdrive went into damage control. Adam had explained to them, that as a team with a public identity, it was their duty to make sure things like that didn't happen. Keep the focus off of the teams with secret identities by doing whatever was necessary. Lightspeed Rescue frequently showed up at places to throw off reporters, as well as the Space Rangers, and even Mystic Force used influence once in a while. It wasn't as effective though, since their team wasn't as well known as the others since they were only a few years old.
The team had sat down together for the first time as non rangers to figure out what the hell they could do.
"We need a scandal." Ronny had suggested, being the one with the most experience with the media. "It'll take the focus and put it back on us."
"Like a sex tape?" Dax asked, causing five other pairs of eyes to turn and look at him oddly. He flushed. "Sorry, just thinking out loud."
"We don't want it to be that type of scandal." Mack sighed.
"Well, what about a feud?" Will suggested. "It's big in the hip-hop world, and it does get media attention."
"Who could we feud with?" Rose asked doubtfully, as Tyzonn's eyes lit up.
"Wait, what about another ranger team? That would get a lot of coverage."
"The Space Rangers have the same colour scheme as us." Ronny added, "That would fuel stuff in the media, we could each chose one to fight with."
"We'll have to tell them though." Will added, remembering media coverage he'd seen of TJ Johnson… he was a big guy…
So it was agreed, start a feud with the Space Rangers… not a real one mind you, but one that would get the focus back on them and wouldn't look like Operation Overdrive was panicking over what had happened. Of course the Space Rangers agreed to help them out, and soon the media circus of the century had begun. A few "candid" photos and quotes here and there and the whole world believed that two teams of "golden" Power Rangers, absolutely hated each other.
It started small. Snubs when they were at the same event, a few cold shoulders in the media, and avoidance when the other team was mentioned in interviews. Then it grew.
Being ranger teams, they were generally invited to the same events, so it turned into an abrupt push while walking passed a member of the other team, clipped conversations, rude comments, challenges, once escalating to a full out yelling match between Will and Carlos that was stopped only by the respective Pink Rangers holding the respective Black Rangers back from each other.
But then something happened.
Tensions between the two teams really started to rise. Suddenly the feud that was supposed to only be for the cameras started happening off screen as well. Words that were said only to be quoted in magazines started to be taken seriously, and all at once the whole thing fell apart.
Andros stayed away from the whole thing, not really caring enough about the fight to challenge Mack to anything. But TJ wasn't the same and soon Mack didn't know what to do. Reports swirled around the teams, going unnoticed by the main members, the only ones remembering that this whole thing was supposed to be a ruse seemed to be Rose and Cassie.
The rest had been caught up in the hype they created.
Things had come to an awkward truce right before the fundraiser, both Mack and TJ agreed to back off of each other more, since they were the ones the media was mainly focusing on. The fundraiser was for a children's organization after all, so it made no sense for this faux feud, (whether that was it was or not) to be acted out there. It was also highly publicized that Lightspeed Rescue would be attending as well, and there was no need to involve another team in this. The reason that it had been started had been achieved long ago…
Members of the media had been invited as well and they decided that it would look better if there was no real interaction. Both teams were on edge already and it was no place or time for a fight to break out.
Things had been going well during the dinner, Mack, Andros, TJ, and Carter had been seated at the same table, and the three who were involved in the whole thing started to relax and in low voices explain the original intent to Carter who was clueless about the feud in the first place. In fact, both Mack and TJ apologized for some of their more rude comments and actions, and it appeared two of the "leaders" of the whole thing were at peace and maybe the whole thing could rest.
However, the other colours were scattered amongst tables, sitting by their colour, and there were some very unfriendly looks being thrown around while poor Lightspeed Rescue tried to figure out what was going on and didn't get the message.
Both dinner and speeches had gone well, with the food being served without a hitch. Drinks, including the soda most of the Overdrive Rangers were drinking, however, were available only if you went to retrieve them yourself from the large table with an intricate ice sculpture in the shape of a plane with a smiling face. Both Mack and TJ had decided to retrieve more drinks at the same time, and as luck would have it, the same time as a few reporters, complaining to each other about the lack of action from each ranger team.
"Maybe they're faking it." One of the two women said, reaching for a plastic glass in the shape of a small wine glass. "I mean, the reds seem to laughing with each other."
"And the pinks are friendly too, hey, maybe we were close before, you know? I mean, I was sent to Blue Bay Harbour, and I swear I was this close" The darker haired woman gestured with her red, manicured nails. "to getting their identities, but then my boss pulled me back to cover this silly feud."
However, only TJ's hearing was good enough to pick up on this conversation, and he turned back to Mack, nervously.
That was a little too close for comfort.
"I think I'll suggest it to my boss, maybe he'll send me back there, unless there's some sort of spectacle later." She continued and TJ glanced over at the younger man beside him. There was no time to really plan anything out or reactions wouldn't look too believable.
He looked over at Mack and tapped him on the shoulder, causing him to turn around and face TJ. "I know we just made up and all, and I really am sorry about this, but it's for the good of the others." In one quick motion he punched Mack in the nose.
The newer ranger was stunned by this turn of events and stumbled into the table as his nose began to bleed, knocking the smiling plane off of the table, causing it to shatter when it hit the ground. "What the fuck!" Mack yelled, before clasping his hand over his mouth, startled by his own language.
Apparently, so was Andrew. "Mack!" He called, eyes wide, watching his son get to his feet.
"Hit me," TJ growled under his breath, as Mack gave him a look, half filled with anger, and half with bewilderment.
"Excuse me?"
"Hit me, they're going to think we're faking otherwise." He gestured with his head over to the two women who were looking at former rangers, almost drooling at the paycheck they could get if they covered this well.
Still unsure, but recognizing the two women from high profile news networks, Mack proceeded to kick TJ in knee, before following it up with a shot to the head that he was sure TJ could have blocked if he really had wanted to. It appeared however, like he was only trying to put on a show.
"Mack!" Andrew called again, weaving through tables, trying to get to the two rangers. "Mack! What are you doing?"
TJ responded with a tackle that took both rangers off their feet, and nearly crashing into the table Ronny was sitting at. Silently TJ prayed Cassie or Rose would step in like they did with Carlos, no such luck.
The yellows, not realizing a truce between the two reds had been reached earlier, began yelling back and forth at each other.
"What the hell!" Ronny snapped, "Why did he just do that? You're leader is a violent idiot!"
"Well he was obvious provoked by yours, who only is a ranger because daddy can afford it!" Ashley snapped back, the amount of tension being released in the room surprised everyone, and some of the calmest of the feuding rangers became irrational and violent.
"Oh that is it!" Ronny shrieked, throwing her napkin down on the ground and jumping on top of the table.
"Bring it on!" Ashley fired back, while Kelsey attempted to keep her in her seat by grabbing her ankle as he went up. Instead it caused her to trip and spill all of the wine glasses over the rest of the guests at the table.
"Oh crap…" Cassie remarked, sinking into her seat, Rose shared the same thought, exactly.
Soon battles popped up all over the fundraiser as security attempted to get the rangers apart from each other. They stopped after Ronny kneed one in the groin and flipped him over her shoulder. Will vs. Carlos and Zhane vs. Tyzonn added to Ronny vs. Ashley while Cassie and Rose stayed, frozen to their seats and TJ and Mack stopped, only to gape in awe at the chain reaction their "fake" fight had started.
Dax, had no quarrel with Andros, but being the devoted team member he was, attempted to help Ronny by super-jumping over various tables to get to her while guest fled from the scene and Andrew curled up on the ground somewhere, bawling his eyes out. But it was apparent super-jumping wasn't a good idea in such and enclosed space and he kept ricocheting between the ceiling and floor. This prompted Andros to start following the bouncing ranger around, trying to stop his genetic powers.
After the shock had worn off, Lightspeed Rescue began trying to pry the various fighters apart, with Dana attending to the odd injured guest and Carter taking a fire extinguisher to what had at one point been a candle and had turned into a small blaze on the carpet.
Eventually Lightspeed, with Mack and TJ's help managed to get everyone under control and Andros did get Dax to stop bouncing, however the Blue Ranger had landed rather roughly on his stomach to achieve this, and he was moaning in the corner while he recovered.
"This is silly!" Dana snapped. "You should all be ashamed! You're rangers! We're supposed to be a family! Now apologize, all of you!"
Ronny glanced over at Ashley, rubbing the back of her neck. "I… I kind of forget what we were fighting about."
Ashley nodded. "I think I got caught up in all the media attention. We haven't had this kind of coverage since we revealed ourselves in Angel Grove."
"Stress." Rose explained.
Slowly, all of the rangers apologized to each other, for the bloody nose, the vegetable skewer, the rude comments, everything. TJ explained his full reason for starting the whole fight by punching Mack in the first place, and the others agreed, they probably would have done something similar (Mack however, was slightly disturbed by the fact all of them would have been quite willing to punch him in the nose).
"My dad's going to kill us." Mack groaned as Dana handed him a spare wetnap that she had in her purse, to help him clean up his face.
"You have to admit, the look on his face was priceless though." Will added, and Mack nodded, a small chuckle escaping.
"Come on, let's go back to the ship." Cassie suggested.
"You can all come." TJ added. "We can get you guys some real drinks… after this huge mess, I think we all need them…"
"Yeah!" Ronny exclaimed happily. "Except Mack, he's underage… by a lot more than the rest of us."
"What? You're like sixteen?" Carlos asked. "So that's only five years left."
"Try nineteen years left." Ronny teased as Mack rolled his eyes.
"What? You're two years old?"
"It's a long story."
"You can tell us."
"No thank you. I think we can all clearly see what happens when one of us talks too much."
Rose winced. "Sorry."
"I'm just teasing."
The twelve Overdrive and Space Rangers exited, leaving Lightspeed Rescue by itself, looking at the trashed room. Carter looked over and saw another small fire, quickly putting it out with the extinguisher in his hand.
Joel rolled his eyes and pulled off his bowtie. "See why I hate these things?"
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