Connections, a power rangers fanfic

" CONNECTIONS "

When he told them that he knew a guy, he hadn't really been lying...aside from the fact that the guy wasn't a guy at all. In fact, it was a gal. He knew of a few others who were familiar with Ranger technology, but he didn't want to get involved in the workings of the military. Not too mention that getting a hold of some guy named Billy, who wasn't even on the planet at the moment, didn't seem worth the trouble. After all, why put fourth all that effort when one had access to someone who knew the ends and outs of Ranger technology through their own family tree.

Of course, he hadn't meant to find out that his cousin was knee-deep in the Ranger biz. He just sort of...stumbled upon the knowledge one day. ...okay, walked in on, was more like it.

He'd been driving through California on his way back to Ocean Bluff after having spent some time in Nevada, and had decided to stop in Reefside to pay his cousin, Hayley, a visit. That, was his first mistake. Just popping in unnoticed. He learned soon enough that he should have called first. Or at least knocked.

"...power up!"

A bright flash of light blurred his vision the moment he stepped through the back door entrance to the Cyberspace Café. He blinked and was stunned to find four Power Rangers--one red, one yellow, one blue, and one black--in place of the four people he'd seen standing in front of the counter just moments before.

They quickly bolted out the front door, one of them shouting something a guy named Mesagog and needing Zords.

"Whoa."

A shriek sounding from his left and he turned, finding his cousin looking upon him in sheer horror.

"RJ!" She threw the dishtowel that had been slung across one of her shoulders at him, a finger extended and pointed at him threateningly. "What are you doing here?"

"Visiting, apparently," he answered, plucking the towel out of the air with ease. "Though, it appears I should have knocked. You know the Power Rangers?"

Hayley pressed a hand to her forehead. "Oh my God..."

"Judging from your not-so-thrilled reaction, I'll take that as a yes. And don't worry, I didn't see any faces. Just backs. And light. Then suits. I always wondered about that, how the Rangers became the Rangers. The whole...transformation thing makes a lot more sense than taking the time to pull on spandex. Not to mention--"

"Stop!" Hayley held a hand up, lips pursed together in thought and frustration. "Just...stop. You're not supposed to know this. No one's supposed to know this. It's part of the Ranger's Code of Honor."

"Wait," RJ squinted and pointed at her, "you're not...one of them, are you?" He made a face. "Please don't tell me you're the Pink Ranger."

Her answer was to seize the towel back from him and hit him with it.

"Ow! Okay. You're not the Pink Ranger. Purple, then?"

Hayley hit him again. "There's never been a Purple Ranger."

"There should be. It's an ignored color."

Their conversation had gone on from there, with RJ expertly provoking responses from his cousin to answer his questions. He learned that she was not a Power Ranger, but more their technical adviser. He'd been forced to meet the Black Ranger--a man he later learned was named Tommy, and had not only met his cousin in college, but had been one of the original Power Rangers that appeared in Angel Grove back in the early 90's--and swear to uphold the Ranger Code of Honor by not telling what he knew.

And so, even though he now had Rangers of his own, he didn't tell them where he'd gotten their powers hooked up to the Morphing Grid. Or even of the strange looks Hayley had given him when he requested that his Rangers' morphers be sunglasses, as opposed to belt buckles, watches, bracelets, and cell phones. Casey, Lily, and Theo didn't seem to complain.

He wondered why no one else ever thought of using sunglasses. No one ever suspected an innocent pair of sunglasses.

END.

03/19/2008