The disclaimer saying I don't own any Galaxy Rangers characters (except for a handful I made up) has gone off to jump on some giant bouncing balls somewhere. More fun and fluff and other stuff!

Supertrooper Play Date

"Look Zachery it's only been a few days since the kids all met each other," Shane told his friend. "Of course there's going to be tension." Shane, Zach, Niko, Darkstar, Eliza and Stingray were having a casual meeting about the Supertrooper children and their future.

"Ryder and Noah were wrestling in the hallway!" Zach grunted.

"You're lucky that's all they were doing," Darkstar said. "You don't know how vicious Supertroopers can be with each other sometimes."

"Can't wait until they all move in together with you two," Zach groaned. "That's going to be a handful. I mean Noah's still with Niko, the girls are with Eliza and me and Goose has Ryder and Billy. I mean the girls aren't so bad. They seem to get along great with Jessica and Little Zach."

"I can't thank you enough for watching them. It's just for a few days more until the wedding," Darkstar said. "The day Stingray and I actually legally get married we can officially take them into physical custody and we'll all move in together in that large apartment down the hall from you two."

"It's not a bother at all. And I'm glad we're going to be so close," Eliza smiled. "The children really like us and our kids."

"And you are going to work with us," Darkstar said. "Eliza you've already taught me so much about being a mother and taking care of a baby in such a short time. And now with the other kids moving in…"

"It's nothing," Eliza smiled. "Really. It makes me feel needed again."

"They've been through a lot," Niko said softly. "It's going to take a long time for them to learn how to trust again. Especially the boys."

"Tell me about it," Zach let out a breath. "Noah and Ryder do nothing but yell at each other and give each other dirty looks."

"Please, for Supertroopers that's nothing," Stingray scoffed. "They haven't even bitten each other. When they start trying to chew each other's ears off, then I'll worry."

"It's a dominance issue," Shane explained. "They're trying to figure out where they stand."

"Huh?" Zach asked.

"Let me break it down for you," Stingray said. "Among Supertroopers there's always some kind of hierarchy of who's stronger than who, even if they have to get along on a mission. Noah's older and slightly better trained but he's an outsider. Ryder has been protecting his sisters and at the top of the pack for so long…"

"No offense Stingray but the Supertrooper way sucks," Zach gave him a look.

"He's right," Shane said. "We have to break some of the Supertrooper conditioning. Especially when it comes to that way of thinking."

"It's an Alpha male situation," Niko said. "That's not going to be easy for us to teach them how to break the habit."

"Maybe we don't," Shane had an idea.

"What? You're gonna let them kill each other?" Stingray asked.

"No. I mean maybe we're not the ones best suited to solve the problem?" Shane said. "I learned a lot about being human and a Galaxy Ranger from being around the other rangers. Maybe the best way for the Supertrooper Kids to learn how to get along is being around other kids?"

"You're talking about Little Zach, Jessica and Billy aren't you?" Darkstar realized. "It makes sense."

"Okay so how do we get them to do this?" Stingray asked.

"Leave that to me," Shane smiled.

"You really think this is gonna work?" Jessica asked her brother as they went into the nearby room with Billy.

"It makes sense if kids have problems with each other then they'll listen to other kids," Zach Jr. shrugged. "Besides. We're their friends."

"Nothing like being thrown in a cell together waiting impending doom to bring people together," Billy smirked. "From what I understand about Supertroopers, I don't think Noah and Ryder really hate each other."

"Are you sure? Because they've been yelling and fighting a bit," Jessica asked.

"Technically they were wrestling," Zach Jr. said.

"It's just a hunch I have. I mean they're Supertroopers. If they really hated each other they would have made some holes in the wall or something by now," Billy said. "I think Goose is right and this is about dominance. They're just trying to figure out how they fit in together. I mean you and your brother fight too don't you?"

"Yeah but not like that!" Jessica blinked as they opened the door. The girls were cheering on as both boys literally butted heads with each other.

At least they would have if Buzzwang hadn't got caught in the middle. "Boys! Please! Don't….AAAAAAH!"

"Ooh! That's got to hurt," Zach Jr. winced "Android or not…"

"Out for the count," Hari said as Buzzwang fell down.

"Good thing Supertroopers have hard heads," Dea remarked.

"Not so good for the robot," Mata said.

"Daisy…Daisy…" Buzzwang babbled. "I think I'll go off line for a while. Oooh! Birdies…"

"THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT! MY FAULT? IT'S YOUR FAULT!" Both boys yelled at each other and kept yelling at each other.

"Okay…What would Goose do in a situation like this?" Zach Jr. sighed. Then he realized. "SHUT UP THE BOTH OF YOU!"

All the kids turned and looked at him. "Uh please?" Zach Jr. gulped.

"If you are trying to imitate a Supertrooper you are doing a lousy job of it," Noah rolled his eyes.

"Well I had to get your attention somehow," Zach Jr. grumbled. "Why are you two fighting this time?"

"He's trying to boss us around like he's in charge!" Ryder snapped, pointing at Noah. "But he's not!"

"All I did was tell those insane sisters of yours to stop throwing things at the walls!" Noah pointed at the dents in the walls.

"But it's fun to do that," Hari pouted.

"You don't tell my sisters what to do! That's my job!" Ryder snapped.

"You were throwing against the walls along with them!" Noah shouted.

"What were you throwing anyway?" Billy blinked.

"Just some of these balls," Dea pointed to some of the toys scattered in the room. "You have to wind up really hard to make a good dent."

"The object is to get the biggest dent and I was winning!" Mata pouted. "It was bad enough the robot was having a hissy fit but then Noah gets all whiny too!"

"Uh I don't want to take sides but I think in this case Noah may have had a point," Billy blinked.

"Supertroopers sure have a weird way of having fun," Jessica blinked.

"Look Goose sent us here to try and sort out your…disagreements," Zach Jr. said to them.

"How are you going to do that?" Ryder scoffed.

"By talking instead of fighting," Jessica said.

"No seriously, how are you going to do it?" Dea asked.

"Come on guys, at least try this!" Zach Jr. grumbled. He involuntarily flinched as he saw his face in a mirror on the wall. He still was not used to the star shaped scar on his face.

Dea noticed it. "What's wrong? Did you see something you didn't like?"

"Sorry. I'm just not used to looking at myself like this," Zach Jr. shrugged as he pointed at his eye.

"Tell me about it," Ryder snorted, indicating his own scar. "But at least your scar doesn't make you look like a crazy person."

"You don't need a scar for that," Noah grumbled. Ryder glared at him. "This is stupid."

"I'm just saying that after all Goose went through the least you guys can do is try and talk about it instead of beating each other up," Zach Jr. said. "I mean it's not exactly a huge sacrifice or anything. What do you have to lose?"

"You guys could always go back to fighting if talking fails," Jessica added.

"They have a point," Ryder looked at Noah.

"All right! Fine! We'll try it the non violent, non fun way," Noah grudgingly sat down with the rest of the kids. "So how exactly does this work again?"

"You just talk," Zach Jr. said. "Tell us how you feel and why."

"Sounds simple, I'll go first," Ryder said.

"What a shock. A Kilbane wanting to be first at something even if it is lame," Noah muttered under his breath.

"I am not him!" Ryder shouted. "I will never be Ryker! Stop blaming me for stuff he did!"

"I am not blaming you! I just won't let you walk all over me!" Noah shouted. "Your brother tried that and it didn't work and I'll be damned if I let you do it!"

"And I'm not letting you just push me around because you had troubles with Ryker which was a lifetime ago!" Ryder fumed. "I've taken care of my sisters forever and I don't need someone else telling me to do it!"

"Excuse me! I'm the one who had years of his life stolen from him and just dumped in another time!" Noah fumed. "And then I find out that the kid I used to baby-sit is bigger than me and in charge and I'm considered weak because of my size!"

"I don't think anybody thinks you're weak Noah," Billy said. "You're just a kid. Like us."

"See that's where you are all wrong!" Noah snapped. "I am not a child! I'm a Supertrooper!"

"A Supertrooper child," Dea gave him a look.

"I'm older than Goose, Stingray and Darkstar for crying out loud!" Noah shouted.

"Yeah but you're not very mature about it," Jessica said.

"Who asked you?" Noah growled.

"Back off!" Ryder snapped.

"Oh what? I can't talk to her now?" Noah growled.

"Not like that you can't!" Ryder growled back.

"Yeah this is working out great," Hari rolled her eyes.

"HOLD IT!" Zach Jr. shouted. "Okay we are all getting off track here. Noah what you're basically saying is that you feel powerless and because you're considered a kid. And let's face it. That is what you are no matter how old you really are. And Ryder, you're concerned about your place in the group because you've been the one responsible for your sisters for so long."

"Like I'd really want to be in charge of this group," Noah grunted.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Dea snapped.

"It means I did my duty baby sitting and I'm done with it!" Noah shouted.

"Well nobody asked you too!" Ryder shouted. "I can look after my sisters fine without your help! And if you don't want to be in charge why are you challenging me?"

"Because there is no way I am going to follow orders of anyone named Kilbane!" Noah snapped.

"This is about that insane lunatic?" Ryder shouted. "I'm nothing like him!"

"Actually you are," Noah said. "You are both stubborn, hot headed and whine like crazy over every little thing!"

"I do not whine!" Ryder yelled.

"Yeah right!" Noah shouted.

"This is so not going well," Jessica groaned.

"What was your first clue?" Dea asked sarcastically.

"KNOCK IT OFF!" Zach Jr. shouted again. "This isn't getting us anywhere!"

"Face it, Foxx," Noah said. "Supertroopers aren't meant to get along. We weren't trained to."

"You mean you were never trained to work as a team?" Zach Jr. asked.

"That's different! Missions are one thing but socializing is another," Noah said. "Back at Wolf Den there was only one rule. Survive. Even at the cost of everyone else."

"We weren't exactly given different lessons at our base," Hari said.

"Yeah we weren't taught to like each other either but the four of us somehow managed," Mata added.

"Only because you were abandoned!" Noah hissed. "You had no choice but to rely on each other since you weren't considered good enough!"

"So were you!" Ryder snapped.

"You're right," Noah sulked. "I wasn't good enough. I was expendable. I was weak."

"You weren't weak," Dea said. "Just the fact that you're alive and here shows how strong you are."

"She's right!" Ryder said. "The Controllers were wrong about us. They didn't think we had what it took to survive. That we would be only good as cannon fodder. But we survived. We survived on a hostile planet for over two years before Goose and the others rescued us! And we did it by working together. Even when Dea got really sick and could barely take care of herself we did all we could to take care of her."

"Why did you?" Noah asked.

"Because she risked her life and got sick to protect us," Hari said. "If we didn't acknowledge that it would be…wrong."

"And why did you risk everything to save them Dea?" Zach Jr. asked.

"Because…Because there was no other option for survival," Dea frowned. "I knew even if I didn't make it the rest of my team would. But I never wanted to be a burden to them."

"So what? You're saying we should have left you to die? We couldn't do that! I couldn't do that," Ryder said. "We were all we had! We were left to die! To just let you die…It would have been wrong! I didn't understand it then but I do now."

Ryder sighed. "The only reason we all survived was because we had each other. Even the weakest ones of us helped give the rest strength. I don't know. Taking care of all of you…made me feel good. Even though I knew I could do nothing much…Just doing little things like getting food and water. Helping you rest…It made me feel like I was doing something right."

He looked at his sisters. "You three drive me crazy sometimes. But I'd rather be driven crazy than stay sane alone. Like it or not. We're all we have."

"No, you've got more than that," Zach Jr. said. "You have Goose. And Niko, my parents, and Doc and Waldo and Zozo…"

"Darkstar, Stingray and us," Jessica said. "I mean we're friends right?"

"Uh yeah we are," Ryder blinked at her. "I guess…"

"Do de do do…" Buzzwang chirped.

"And Buzzwang when he works…" Billy looked at him.

"A real Supertrooper is not supposed to need anyone," Noah grumbled.

"Don't you get it Noah?" Billy asked. "These guys are in almost the exact same position you're in. They've been through hell and had their world turned upside down too. And they're just as frustrated as you are as being considered a kid."

"How do you know what it's like to be considered weak and powerless?" Noah asked bitterly.

"Uh because we are kids too," Billy rolled his eyes. "Duh!"

"Yeah all kids have felt like that one way or another," Jessica said. "I know how scared and angry I was when my mom was taken from me and there was nothing I could do to get her back."

"It really hurts when you have to depend on other people, even if they do care about you," Zach Jr. said.

"And when you don't have anyone it's hard," Billy said. "At least with Goose you know you're not alone and he's always looking out for you."

"I never thought of it like that," Noah thought.

"It seems to me that Noah wasn't as lucky as the four of you," Zach Jr. said. "He was all alone. But it doesn't have to be that way Noah. It doesn't have to be about who's in charge."

"But if no one is in charge, how does this team work?" Hari asked.

"You guys are supposed to be a family," Jessica said. "Not a team. Okay sometimes I get a little miffed when my brother gets a little overprotective and tries to throw his weight around because he's older but…Well losing a mother for over two years really helped bring us closer together."

"Sometimes I really needed someone to talk to," Zach Jr. admitted. "We just learned to lean on each other instead of fighting."

"I didn't have anyone either," Billy said. "I was so angry and alone…But then Shane came into my life. And for the first time in my life I felt like I had a big brother looking out for me. And I liked it."

"Big brother?" Hari asked.

"Well my dad made Goose so we're sort of like brothers," Billy scratched his head. "And since my dad also made you…We're brothers too."

"That's an interesting turn of logic…" Noah gave him a look.

"It makes sense to me," Ryder huffed.

"I suppose it's a theory…" Noah said. He looked at Ryder. "Perhaps we should consider a truce of sorts?"

"I don't really want to fight you," Ryder admitted. "I just don't want you ordering me around. Or my sisters."

"That seems fair, considering you have seniority. I mean you have been with them longer," Noah said. "But I am not a subordinate."

"Technically you're both Goose's subordinates, if I understand Supertrooper hierarchy correctly," Zach Jr. said. "Is that right?"

"He is," Ryder realized. "Goose is the leader."

"And his second in commands are Darkstar and Stingray," Noah nodded. "Technically that does make us equals. Unless they give us orders to tell us who is in charge of particular missions."

"All right then, now we are getting somewhere," Zach Jr. let out a breath. "You know Goose got turned into a kid for a day. Seriously, there was some kind of lab mix up and all of the sudden he was ten years old and totally hyper!"

"Yeah we went to an amusement park with him and he totally wrecked the place," Jessica snickered. "It's kind of funny now that I think about it."

"What's an amusement park?" Hari asked.

"It's a place where there are rides and games and you get to play and stuff," Jessica explained.

"Goose hated being a kid but once he got into it, he had a lot of fun. A bit too much fun but still…" Zach Jr. said.

"Noah can I ask you something?" Billy asked. "What was Shane like as a kid?"

Noah thought. "Not much different than he is now. He never complained no matter how hard things were. Always fought even when he knew he couldn't win. Always tried to be the best. He was a model Trooper."

"Really?" Billy asked. "Well I still think it sucks that Commander Walsh wouldn't let him or the other Supertroopers be kids."

"What's so great about being a kid anyway?" Noah asked. "What exactly is the value of it?"

"Well…" Zach Jr. smirked. "I can think of one thing…"

"What the hell is this place?" Noah stared at the surroundings.

"It's called a Ricky Raccoon Pizza Parlor," Jessica explained.

"It looks like the ninth circle of Hell," Dea winced at all the lights and gaudy decorations.

"This isn't the same place your Dad trashed isn't it?" Billy asked.

"No, that was the one across the street," Jessica said.

"What exactly are we supposed to do here?" Ryder winced at the loud sounds.

"You play," Niko told him. Shane, Doc, Zach, Eliza and Stingray were with them supervising.

"Play what? Torture victim?" Noah asked. "I've already done that!"

"To act like a kid and play," Jessica said.

"Supertroopers don't do that! I don't know how to do that!" Noah asked, slightly terrified.

"Think of this like a second chance," Billy said. "You have a new name and a new start in life…Why not look at things in a new way?"

"It couldn't hurt to look around," Dea shrugged. The kids cautiously inspected the games.

"You sure this was a good idea?" Doc asked.

"They need to learn to be children," Zach said. "What better place than a kid friendly environment?"

"Is that what this is?" Stingray groaned. He watched as the kids started to snack on some pizza and drink some soda. He took a sip as well. "At least the food is halfway decent."

"Wait, what is that drink?" Doc pointed.

"It's soda. I got some for everyone," Stingray said.

"You let Supertrooper kids drink soda?" Shane shouted. "Are you out of your mind? Stupid question!"

"Why? What's wrong with that?" Stingray asked.

Ten minutes later.

"WHEEEEEEEEEEEE!" Mata rode a costumed raccoon character around the place. "GIDDYAP HORSEY!"

"I AM NOT A HORSE! I AM A RACCOON!" The poor person trapped in there screamed. "OW! STOP BITING ME!"

"WHACK! WHACK! WHACK!" Noah and Ryder shouted with delight as they mercilessly pummeled the whack a mole games into pieces.

"Ha ha ha ha!" Dea laughed hysterically as she ran around covered in tickets. "I am the Lizard Queen! Ha ha!"

She was also carrying a small rubber mallet which she used to hit everything and everyone in sight. "AAAAH! HELP ME! HELP ME!" Some waitresses screamed as they ran from her.

Hari was laughing insanely as she fiddled around with the wires of the animatronics animals and they started to explode. "Watch that head fly!" She cackled.

Everyone else just stared at them. "Oh dear…" Niko blinked.

"So that's why they aren't supposed to have soda?" Stingray blinked.

"Yeah," Shane said. "Us too."

"GET HER OFF! GET HER OFF!" The poor raccoon was screaming as Mata hung onto him.

"Uh shouldn't we be trying to stop this?" Niko asked.

"Niko, we're Galaxy Rangers," Zach gave her a look. "We uphold law and order on the frontier and fight some of the worst space criminals imagined! We've rounded up genetically mutated cattle, dinosaurs, monsters and all sorts of dangerous creatures nearly every week of our lives!"

BOOOOOOM!

WHAM!

"HA HA HA HA!"

"In other words there is no way we are going anywhere near them until that sugar high wears off," Zach winced as a metal moose head slammed into a wall.

"Great plan big brother," Jessica groaned. "Bring them here!"

"Well at least Noah and Ryder are getting along," Zach Jr. blinked.

"DIE GOPHERS DIE! HA HA HA!"

"Yeah that might be an even bigger problem," Doc winced. "I think it's safe to say we are going to be banned from Ricky Raccoon's for life!"

"I think I just figured out raising kids is gonna be harder than I thought," Stingray groaned.

"I think I just figured out why you all got banned from the other Ricky Raccoon place," Eliza groaned.

"I think I just figured out why they used small cattle prods on us kids back at Wolf Den," Shane groaned.