What Really Happened When Carter Came To Get Cole
Where Carter is a stalker and we all know the Ranger who would point it out. With special appearances from many old faces.
Hints of TaylorXEric plus others/SOAverse/During Forever Red.
DISCLAIMER: We do not own Power Rangers, just the ridiculous plot line. We wished we owned them, but we don't. :)
CHAPTER ONE
Stalkers
Carter Grayson pulled the Rescue Rover up near a group of five young adults (aka the Wild Force team). He waited a few seconds before approaching.
"Cole Evans, Red Wild Force Ranger?" He said, meeting the eyes of the brunette man. The man looked at him, confusion and suspicion dancing over his eyes, before looking around at those surrounding him for answers. Their faces revealed none and so he looked back to the tall blonde in front of him.
"How do you know who I am?"
"Carter Grayson, Lightspeed Rescue Red Ranger. I've been sent to recruit you; the fate of the world rests on your shoulders." Carter replied, seeing slight relief in the short mans eyes.
"And the jacket or dodgy car didn't give that away." The blonde woman rolled her eyes. Carter looked at the woman with something akin to indignation on his face before narrowing his eyes further.
"Well I didn't see anyone else saying anything."
"Maybe because it was quite obvious." She retaliated, lips curling into a slight smirk, "It is embroidered on your jacket after all."
Carter arched his brows slightly, pursing his lips into a thin line, "If it was obvious, why couldn't you answer the question?"
"You know, I'm pretty sure I just answered that," she threw back, smirk still present. And, of course, she couldn't help the smugness that flashed in her eyes when she saw his eyebrow twitch.
"Who are you anyway?"
"So you know his full name and position but you don't even know who I am? So, what are we, spare parts(?)" She asked, her words laced in sarcasm in a scoff. He had the decency to look a little embarrassed as he looked away for a moment. She let him sweat a moment before taking pity on him. "Taylor Earhardt, Yellow Wild Force Ranger."
"Considering you didn't know my name, and don't forget I am a Red Ranger, I shouldn't have been expected to know your name. I also guessed you were the Yellow Ranger from the fact you're one, wearing yellow and two, are with the Red Wild Force Ranger." The look on Taylor's face dropped, a flush of red crossing her cheeks but not from embarrassment, purely from anger.
"Just because you're a Red Ranger doesn't mean you are above anyone else."
"I wasn't insinuating that. I was purely stating that as a Red Ranger I was surprised you didn't know who I am." Cole bit his tongue to prevent the laugh he was holding back from escaping; Taylor visibly stiffened as a little more anger added to the mix of emotions inside of her.
"Actually, you kinda did insinuate that since you just said that you were surprised since you're a Red Ranger. And you may be a Red Ranger but that doesn't mean you're instantly more important than any other colour." Taylor's eyes narrowed as she slapped his retort right back in his face. Cole winced at the tongue lashing Carter was receiving whilst the others had small grins on their faces as they tried to hold in the 'OOOHH's they so badly wanted to let out.
Indignation coloured Carter's features once again. "I wasn't insinuating that. I work with five brilliant people who were the other colours along with the Lost Galaxy Rangers and Time Force Rangers." Carter refused to give in to the woman who still held a look of hatred in her eyes, "Have you heard of them or are they out of your spectrum of knowledge?"
Alyssa and Danny sank to the ground, whilst Max remained standing to the left of Taylor, who was now fuming from Carter's latest comment.
"My spectrum of knowledge? You are a fine one to talk seeing as you didn't know who the rest of us are."
"I came here for Cole, not to have an interrogation from the Pride of Colours Party." He cleared his throat, "I suggest you pipe down and let the adults talk."
"Please, this coming from the man who approached Cole like he was a stalker. Great career choice, by the way (!)" She felt smug as she saw his eyebrow twitch. "Now, I'm sure all your coworkers are saints, considering what they have to put up with," she gave him a look and his eyebrow twitched again. "But I fight evil with my family and they're just as skilled and qualified, if not more, and I have fought with the Time Force Rangers before so don't bother trying to pull the 'you've never met another ranger team' routine 'cause it's lost what little value it may have had."
"I'll have you know that one of my team grew up with demons from the age of six and is now one of the greatest Rangers to date." Carter narrowed his eyes once again, trying to keep calm to avoid raising his voice, "His sister is one of the youngest Rangers yet and is training to be a doctor, clearly my team are just as skilled and qualified like your family." A glint of rage crossed Taylor's eyes causing Carter to feel slightly smug as he finally had her. "Your team deserve a medal for putting up with you, if you were on my team then the Captain would have straightened you out within a week. I also wasn't going to play the 'you've never worked with' card, I was stating the people I'd worked with. I wouldn't class myself as any better than any of the Rangers, unfortunately including yourself."
"One of our Rangers has been learning to fight since she learned how to walk and is attending university and has a good five extracurricular's. Another, our Red, his parents were killed by their friend and our enemy and was raised in the jungle. Our sixth Ranger was trapped in a tomb for three thousand years and was under the curse of a wolf org mask and had no memories of his past life. And I was in the Air Force, I give out respect where it's deserved and where it's been earned, no more, no less," she shot him a look.
At this point, Max had joined the others sitting on the ground and Cole was currently running a hand down his face in an almost exasperated manner. "Our Green Ranger is known as the 'Sky Cowboy' as a stunt pilot. My Pink Ranger, as well as training to be a doctor, has been training in the military since she could walk. Our Blue Ranger is one of the best in water, trained with animals and under martial arts expertise of one of the greatest dojo masters in the United States. The Yellow Ranger climbs cliffs in her spare time and is a sports junkie. All our technology is designed by-"
"Here we go." Max intercepted, lying back on the grass and staring at the sky, "My piece of cake is bigger than yours."
"One of the greatest minds of her generation. Our Titanium ranger faced the curse of the cobra, risking his life to save the whole of Mariner Bay. I'd prefer that you learnt to stay quiet and out of arrangements that do not involve you."
"I'm sorry, but I seem to remember this starting off with you-" Taylor was interrupted as a car pulled up and a man in a dark uniform and red beret walked out.
"Guys, what are you doing? I thought we were supposed to be doing something right now. Hey Taylor! Why are you guys sitting on the ground?" He looked, confused, at Alyssa, Danny and Max. They looked at each other and shrugged and he ended up giving his own accepting shrug in response.
Taylor seemed to completely disregard Carter then, "Hey Wes."
"Wesley." Carter nodded in the direction of the man, "I'm trying to get this ignorant woman to stop arguing so I can take Cole-"
"Ignorant?" Taylor sneered, "This is coming from Mister 'I'm a Red Ranger how do you not know who I am'."
"We're on a deadline Carter." Wes rolled his eyes, watching both Rangers keep contact, a look of disgust in both their eyes, "If you could just-"
"Perhaps if you weren't such an irritating, stubborn person who would prefer to pick a fight then let the world be saved, I'd be able to do my duty and get the Wild Force Red like I was instructed to by Tommy Oliver."
"You know, that's funny 'cause I'm pretty sure, and I've said this before, this originated from you and here you are still pulling it along," she rolled her eyes as she almost scoffed at him.
"This originated from you starting about my jacket and, I quote, 'Dodgy Car'."
"That was your mistake Taylor," Wes attempted to hold back a grin that was pulsating forward, "He's very protective over that Rover."
"That Rover has saved a lot of peoples skin a number of times!" Carter frowned at Wes, silently wishing that Wes would help him out rather than side with Taylor, "It has a protective shield, lasers and a few other things thanks to Mrs Rawlings. Does your car do that?" His lip curling into a smirk, "Oh that's right, you don't have one otherwise Cole could have driven himself."
"I do have a car, actually, and Cole wouldn't have been able to drive it even if I let him because he doesn't actually know how to drive," she established, shooting him a look.
The four sitting on the floor nodded in agreement and Cole, who had inched over to the Rover and was now sitting in the drivers seat, pinched the bridge of his nose and said in an irritated tone, "If I could drive, I'd have left without you long ago."
"You'd need the address." Carter called over his shoulder, "And get out of my seat."
"Someone has Rover issues..." Max uttered under his breath, Wes choking back a laugh whilst Alyssa attempted to bury her head into Danny's shoulder to hide the smile.
"Just forget about it Carter and go; Andros will be-" Wes tried to amend and put Carter back in focus but paused as he saw a most peculiar sight.
It was rather... amusing.
He pursed his lips together in a weak attempt at stopping the bemused grin that wished to make itself known. The others soon followed the blondes gaze and found themselves watching a quartet of bulky, brightly coloured motorbikes riding towards them in a line. The Wild Force Rangers looked at the vehicles with something bordering between incredulity and amusement whilst Carter watched, somewhat confused. They soon pulled up towards them and Taylor caught a good look at their jacket's.
"Please tell me that your 'greatest mind of her generation' did not create that," she gestured towards the bikes. "Because, if she did, your standards are set way too low and those things are a serious let down."
"Carter Michael Grayson." The blonde woman climbing off the pink bike shouted over, slowly the four rangers approaching the group, "You said you'd be gone an hour, it's been two and you know we needed the Rover."
"She still is the greatest mind of her generation, those bikes helped take down Vypra in her Vyprarri." Carter shot back at Taylor before turning his head to face Dana Mitchell, "I would've probably been back by now if this idiot-"
Dana winced slightly, locking eyes with Taylor, "You said something about the Rover right?" Another smirk crossed Taylor's face as she bit back a sneer that was forcing itself forward, her eyes trailing across the three Rangers who were leaning against the Rover before returning to Dana.
"And who are you exactly? Besides a part of his team."
"Dana Mitchell, Lightspeed Pink Ranger." Dana stated before looking back at her coworkers, "Chad Lee, Lightspeed Blue Ranger, Kelsey Winslow, Lightspeed Yellow Ranger and Joel Rawlings, Lightspeed Green Ranger." Dana looked back at her, "and you?"
"Taylor Earhardt, Yellow Wild Force Ranger," she motioned to the rest. "Alyssa Enrille, White Wild Force Ranger, Danny Delgado, Black Wild Force Ranger, Max Cooper, Blue Wild Force Ranger and Cole Evans, Red Wild Force Ranger-"
"Who should be coming with me-"
"How do you not see how stalkerish you sound?" She asked, somewhat incredulously.
"Hey." Dana scowled, "He's only trying to do his job, how about you let him get on with it."
"Finally." Cole groaned from the drivers seat still, "I've been waiting for ages."
"Then maybe you should learn to control your team." Carter called back over his shoulder, Dana pressing her lips together to control a giggle she knew would be badly timed.
"My team is fine, you shouldn't have dragged this on in the first place!" Cole yelled back, indignantly.
"Thank you Cole!" Taylor yelled out. "And I'm not actively trying to stop him from doing his job, he could've gone long ago if he wanted, I am just stating that he comes across as a stalker and I'm certain that was Cole's first thought too," they all looked to the aforementioned brunette who shrugged slightly whilst nodding in agreement.
"I take it then you are incapable of reading." Dana stated, pushing Carter backwards a few steps so she was now in front of Taylor, "'Lightspeed Rescue'. 'Rescue Rover'. Doesn't that sound very stalkerish?" Dana looked back at Kelsey who laughed, shaking her head in disagreement, "And if you say something about his car, Carter is stubborn enough-"
"Thanks for that Day."
"To argue back until he's won." Dana then turned to look at Cole, "And he has a point, if you can't control certain members of your team, you will fail."
"Well, first off, I didn't say I thought he was a stalker, just that he sounded and came off as really stalkerish, and secondly, no he doesn't because if we were to fail because of, as you so eloquently put it, 'certain members'," she quoted sarcastically. "Some of us would be quite dead considering I was the first to be chosen as a ranger, Cole being the last. So, seeing as we're alive and going and, dare I say, winning, I think we have a very good team dynamic going." She concluded with a smirk.
"Evidently you're not winning though are you? If Carter, and Wes from what I can see," Dana waved briefly at Wes before continuing, "Are being called back into action you are failing. Do remember our team actually has saved their town and our demons are back in the tomb." She crossed her arms over her chest and not breaking eye contact with Taylor for more than a second to blink, "I was the first to be chosen which invalidates your argument. Why don't you go run a few laps to cool down and then come back when you've learnt some god damn respect; how I wish my father could be in charge of your team, he would've trained you to be respectful and obliging rather than ignorant and ostentatious."
"Oh, is that how you got your morpher? See, that makes so much more sense now," Taylor shot back with a smirk as Dana's face flushes with anger and slight embarrassment. "And we happen to be currently in commission so whatever they're being called back for, it hasn't got much, if anything, to do with the Orgs and, hey, its not like any of you were called back either."
"You gotta admit Dana, she's got you there," Chad pointed out calmly.
Dana shot him an indignant glare, "Whose side are you on?"
"That's funny, I don't remember picking a side," he replied, placidly.
"Are you saying that I only received my morpher because of my dad Chad? Because if you are then you are an-"
"He isn't saying that Dana." Kelsey said, glaring at Chad to remain silent, "And we know we weren't recommissioned, like Dana said, our demon's are gone. Our last group mission was a year ago with the Time Force rangers."
"I received my morpher because I deserved it with my medical training, field training and combat skills." Dana turned her back to Taylor and aimed the next part, in a whisper, to Kelsey, "I wonder who she slept with to get her morpher." Kelsey broke into a small grin, Joel chuckling too.
"I followed a giant eagle to a floating island in my fighter jet where I was given my morpher by a princess," she stated blankly. The Lightspeed rangers stared, confused and unsure how to react, sans Chad, who watched with a smile at the explanation as Wes and the other Wild Force Rangers had little grins on their faces.
"Fighter jet?" Dana turned back on the spot once she had regained her composure, "I take it you were apart of the Air Force? Then you should have been trained to show respect and-"
"Okay, claws away kitty-cats." Wes stated, returning to his feet, "How about we forget this little meet up, Cole go with Carter, and Dana and Taylor apologise and get going." Being met with a glare from both women, Wes' cheeks slowly flushed a bright red, similar in colour to his Beret.
He was thankfully saved from further embarrassment as the sound of a fifth motorcycle came into earshot...only to be met with a rather strange sight; although Wes and the Wild Force Rangers would describe it as ridiculously amusing as well, whilst contemplating how they hadn't burst out in laughter at the mere sight.
In came riding in on yet another ludicrous, bulky, but this time red coloured, motorcycle was the Quantum Ranger. But perhaps the most comical part of the whole scene, was the tall Titanium Ranger who was, at that moment, squished in a tiny silver sidecar, wearing a very put out expression. As the pair pulled up near the group, they could've sworn they heard him muttering something along the lines of 'even when he's not there, I have to ride in that bloody godforsaken thing'. Eric nodded at them and sent a meaningful smirk to Taylor, who sent her own back, holding a hidden conversation with the raven haired man.
"So, what exactly is happening here, considering I sent Wes to see what was going on a good hour or so ago." It may have been worded like a question, but the stoic man said it like a statement.
SAM: Hiii~! We're posting on New Year's! SOAverse has officially launched.
GREG: BOOM! It has landed! *Rainbow of coloured explosion*
SAM: Hope you enjoyed the fireworks:p So, that was the first chapter of 'What Really Happened When Carter Came To Get Cole'.
GREG: We did say there would be some old faces; bet you weren't expecting Ryan in a sidecar though, huh?
SAM: Ah yes, I love that. So did you see the argument coming? And what did you think of it?
GREG: What about Lightspeed's little attack on Carter? Dana defending her Red valiantly.
SAM: Well I suppose we should give you a fair warning and tell you that characters may be quite OOC, but that's just the way we've written them-mainly for comedic purposes.
GREG: Don't let their over exaggerated (at times only!) personalities put you off reading the rest of the SOAverse; honestly, they are still kinda like themselves but not at the same time, as you can probably see from this past chapter.
SAM: Yeah it's a pretty good introduction to that.
GREG: We hope you liked it and please do review :3 we'll happily take any suggestions!
SAM: Yash! Suggestions or questions, we'd love to hear from you! Should we bribe them with cookies?
GREG: No, you remember last time when we opened cookies..*shudders* Too soon, too soon!
SAM: Wait what are you..OMAGAWSH NOW I REMEMBER-Let's. Not. Go. There. How about chips?
GREG: Chips will do; you can't lose your arm by bribing with chips... Unless, you know, is a chip fiend..
SAM: No chips are safe. So yeah! Chips shall be given for your reviews! We hope you enjoyed this and have a happy new year! C:
GREG: And we'll see you next Friday for the next part! Happy New Year!