Power Rangers: Public Enemies
Chapter 9: The gathering of the hunters
"I'll need a team for this." Taylor breathes in deeply, then exhales. "I need at least two more with me."
"You… want us?" Max is shocked and nervous. "No… please no. Not me…"
"Why not?' Taylor asks, exuding an uncharacteristic patience.
"Please… I hate the idea." Max is trembling. "I don't think I should…"
"None of us like the idea of hunting down the Power Rangers." Cole keeps his gaze away from meeting Taylor's. "After all… they're our buddies. Why can't the Army hunt them down? They're the ones who want to put them in jail…"
"The Army can't stand up to them." Taylor looks away.
"So? Good for the Rangers, then." Danny rubs his hands nervously. "It looks like the Government will soon learn that the Act was a mistake."
"Oh? You think the Government will simply roll over and beg for forgiveness?" Chad Lee enters the room where the Wild Force had gathered. "It's not that easy."
"What do you mean?" Alyssa asks, bewildered. She does not ask how he knew they were having this meeting.
"The Government, especially the President, are now seen as heroes of the common people. Us? We're seen as the jerks who accidentally caused the mess. And what do we have running around in our backyards? Six people, with enough power to topple the Government, killing soldiers." Chad Lee explains, walking around the room, always facing the Rangers. "What we've got now is the worst Public Relations situation to have ever befallen the Rangers. And it seems that it just keeps getting worse."
"I was asked by the US Armed Forces to create a team of Power Rangers, to stop the Rangers of Mu." Taylor rubs her forehead in frustration. "I need at least a team of three to do this."
"A team of three?" Chad seems surprised "You'll be lucky to get at least one more person to volunteer to help you out."
"Yeah… wait, why are you here!" Taylor asks, finally asking the obvious question.
"I came to volunteer, of course." Chad explains. "You know, unlike the rest of the Rangers, the Lightspeed Rangers didn't need to register. But we did anyway, mostly as an act of good faith. So, of course we were approached to hunt down these 'rogues'. What the Government didn't count on was the fact that we believe in Once a Ranger, Always a Ranger. We took it to a vote, it was unanimous. We won't hunt down our fellow Rangers."
"So why the hell are you volunteering?" Danny asks, bewildered. "You just said!"
"I have my reasons. So, shall we?" Chad finishes his explanation. His eyes seem focused and ready.
"I… I order you to state your intentions, soldier!" Taylor finally puts to use her military background.
"Fine… I wish to get them to give themselves in." Chad rubs his temple, frustrated. "I want the people to believe that these six are simply acting out in self defense. I have faith that the courts will give them the lightest sentence possible."
"You really think the Government will do that?" Cole is bewildered. "Aren't the Power Rangers public enemies now?"
"We won't be if a group of Power Rangers acts in defense of the Government." Chad Lee responds. It is obvious he has planned the whole thing through.
"…I have reason not to trust you." Taylor sighs in defeat. "But right now, I have a job to do. So come on, lets go find at least one more Ranger to help us."
"Oh, I already did that." Chad Lee exit's the door, and motions to Mack to enter. Mack enters, though it is obvious he is hesitating to even be there.
"Hey." Mack looks down on the ground, ashamed of himself.
"Soldier, I don't need someone who looks down on the ground instead of facing forward." Taylor lifts his head up, and gives him her dominant glare. "Get the hell out of here."
"But… I need to do this!" Mack objects. He suddenly lifts his head up and meets Taylor's eyes. His own eyes reflect his determination. "I have to do this!"
"Why?" Alyssa looks at Mack sympathetically. She knows about how he was forced to turn in the Mystic Force and Jungle Fury teams.
"Rose, Ronny and Dax… they're suffering because of this." Mack's eyes are tearing up. "My best friends… they haven't done a damn thing! But everyone insists on treating them like garbage!"
"And what the hell do you think you can accomplish?" Taylor gives him no sympathy.
"If an Operation Overdrive Ranger helps out the government, our reputation will improve…" Mack speaks with much conviction. "If our reps improve, then Rose, Ronny and Dax can finally live their lives in peace!"
"Especially Rose?" Cole lifts an eyebrow, knowing of Mack's relationship with the Pink Ranger. "Hey! What about Will?"
"Anyway, that's why I want to help you." Mack ignores the Will question.
"I gotta admit… I can't do any better at the moment." Taylor sighs in defeat. She walks out of the room, motioning to Chad and Mack to follow her. "I'm the leader of this team. We work for Uncle Sam now, so no slouching."
Making their way towards Fort Walpurgis, Chad Lee thinks back to the events that had occurred that very morning…
"Hello Rangers." A man greets the Lightspeed Rangers.
"You! What are you doing here?" Carter asks the familiar man, bewildered by his presence.
"Yesterday, as you know, three Rangers have been declared traitors of America. There are also various reports of several 'rogue' Rangers defying the Government." The man smiles.
"Yeah, they asked us to help hunt them down. We said no." Carter folds his arms. Kelsey, Joel, Dana, Chad and Ryan stood behind him.
"A dumb mistake. Listen… I need one of you to help Taylor Earhardt hunt down the rogues." The man ceases to smile.
"The hell! I thought you…" Chad never got to finish that sentence.
"I am well aware. Believe me, this is for the good of not just the Rangers, but of America itself. Do you seriously believe that the US military, which has trouble defeating one monster, can stop six Rangers?" The man extends his hand to emphasize his point.
"A soldier's already lost his life." Kelsey points out. "I mean… how many more can die too?"
"No one knows. Which is why…" The man allows the Rangers to come to the desired conclusion.
"We have to help…" Carter gulps. This is not easy. "So… let's go get our morphers."
"We only need one of you. Who volunteers?" The man asks. The six Rangers look at each other.
"I will." Chad Lee steps forward. "I won't let my teammates do something they are not comfortable with."
"No Chad, I will!" Carter protests.
"Chad will do nicely, Carter. Don't worry…" The man goes on to give the Rangers words of reassurance.
Chad snaps out of his thoughts. The trio of Rangers was now face to face with General Wade Miles.
"This it, huh?" General Miles grins knowingly. "I expected precisely this number… as well as these specific colors. Anyway, here are your morphers."
Genera Miles hands over Taylor's Growl Phone and Mack's Tracker. Mack gulps, but puts aside his nerves. He hasn't been the same since this man had forced him to give away the locations of those he once called closer than brothers.
Over in Washington, DC…
"Ladies and Gentleman of Congress, for this reason is that I approved of this method." George Sears concludes his speech.
"Mister President! You can't trust the Rangers! They are the ones that caused the Crisis!" Senator Ernest McCarthy yells out at the top of his lungs.
"Mister President… our military is more than enough to take care of six individuals. Don't you have faith in our boys in uniform?" Senator Patricia Jones, R-Alaska looks at President Sears daringly.
"We cannot afford any heavy losses!" George Sears defends his decision. "We got out of the Crisis specifically by knowing what dollars to spend! Do you have any idea what a Military campaign against the Rangers would cost?"
"Ok then, Mister President, how about this? Let us give your Rangers… three days. If in three days they don't succeed, we will unleash the Military might of the US on these rogues." The head of Congress says. "And just to be sure, we will place their former teammates under US surveillance."
"What? House arrest?" George Sears is bewildered.
"No, they will be detained in Piedra del Diablo." Ernest McCarthy explains.
"You can't do that!" George Sears slams his fist on the podium. "It's unconstitutional!"
"This is a State of Emergency, mister President." explains the head of Congress. "The Constitution is taking a backseat at the moment."
Over in Karol's café…
"So, they came already?" The man who had earlier spoken with the Lightspeed Rangers asks General Miles.
"Yes." General Miles, who was incognito, hides behind a magazine.
"I just saw a special report on TV. They have a deadline now." The man says.
"America can take on the Power Rangers." General Miles says.
"You don't want that." The man smiles. He folds his newspaper, and leaves.
"At least we have a plan B." General Miles finishes his orange juice, and leaves.