Star Command had a problem and it was Nebula's headache. The admirals were on the surface of Morph dealing with far more concerning matters that were classified. Star command was locked down, no one was allowed in, no one was allowed out. The subject of this lock down was prowling through the halls, searching, quietly. Not a LGM was in sight nor to be heard. A full twenty-two hours since the incident that resulted in the capture of a mad doctor who had been wanted over the last six years over medical malpractice, ethics violations, terrorism, tyranny, resisting arrest, assaulting Space Rangers, impersonating Evil Emperor Zurg, kidnapping, and holding a entire home owner association board hostage.
This threat was far more dangerous than a mad doctor could ever be, mad doctors were either misguided or well intention extremists, doctors who had a nervous breakdown and successfully apprehended then taken in for treatment. Nebula peered out the corridor observing the target, a tall Hallanus decorated in white fur with a black furry neck collar that had a hood with cat ears. The eyes glowed a soft yellow against the dark, Star Command was cloaked in darkness. The commander's fired at the target then stepped back upon
Nebula ducked into the lab then approached a machine then typed in a command. The door was yanked open behind him as the commander gave the authorization. The LGM hid beneath the individual berths holding on to one another as they trembled in their spots.
"Surrender."
The commander looked from the computer then back.
"First, let go of that poor kid. He's a terrible avatar to use."
"Graz-vuh-drj is adequate."
"But not for long. He is dying. That's why the Space Rescue Unit rescued him and brought him here, he's the son of a diplomat, and just because, he is the closest relative to your old avatar doesn't mean you're gonna be here long."
"Handing him over is not acceptable."
"Why?"
"Experience has taught us to be weary of those who claim to help and leave destruction behind. Once this body is freed, you will talk him out of it, we will be extinguished, we are the protector of the village, and you are a threat."
"The days of protecting that village are over, it's not a village, it's a entire city, and they can defend themselves."
"Laughable." The Hallanus floated closer. "Ma I prove my capabilities upon your injured one? This body, this host, this avatar, can be taken care of."
"Ruining lives out weighs being used as a slave for a being that calls itself a omnipotent omniscient being-which you're not!"
"This proof will do." The Hallanus drifted a hand over the patched up injury then a soft red glow emitted on the white gauze. "Remake, reconstruct, reborn."
Nebula looked toward the distant resting figure then his eyes widened as he stepped back.
"You picked the wrong one." Nebula said.
The Hallanus looked toward the commander.
"Hmm? There's another?"
Abruptly, Warp bolted up then punched out the Hallanus with a pained scream and panted as the Hallanus was thrown clear across the room then landed, the glow vanishing from their eyes, then there was coughing.
"Good work, Darkmatter, on short notice." Nebula congratulated the Space Ranger.
Warp's eyes were stung in tears, hissing, looking toward the commander, confused.
"Did I hit someone?" Warp asked, groaning, grimacing, and wincing. "Tell me it wasn't Mira."
"You didn't punch Mira." was the commander's assurance bringing out relief from the Space Ranger. "Happened to punch the right person."
"Oh, wow." Warp said as the commander lowered his attention.
"LGM, MAKE THAT BOY BETTER!"
The LGM used the claw to lift the young man on to the nearest berth then got out medical equipment and began to properly treat the young boy as the captain fell back with a thud.
"I was supposed to be discharged today." Warp complained then looked toward his arm that was covered in his blood that felt numb. "Can I at least be able to relearn to use this arm quick enough to pick up the kids?"
"Think that's entirely possible."
"Thanks." Warp held up a bloody finger that trembled. "And sir, permission to pass out?"
"Granted." Nebula looked toward the Ipsedan in amusement, warmly.
And Warp passed out.
The three Junior Rangers waited, and waited, and waited. It had been nine weeks since they had seen Warp and the others, those who were pursuing other interests such as other commitments made with their companions that varied. It began to lightly rain above their heads as they folded their arms, waiting. Kore peered out from the office observing the three Junior Rangers seated on a log eating a prepacked lunch not minding the rain as though it weren't raining at all. Kore Chill got up to his feet then took out the umbrella and approached the kids then tapped on their shoulder. The children were guided inside the Junior Ranger headquarters, then peered out the window, waiting for the vehicle. Kore Chill grew quite concerned for the Space Ranger who wasn't showing up, then gazed toward the emergency contact on file, and back.
Kore was certain, the Space Ranger would show up. He was having some issues on a Ranger Mission, that much was certain. Being a Space Ranger came with hours that consumed an entire life and severed it from space civilians leaving only the opportunity to make friends among fellow Rangers. Kore was familiar with that, watching it slowly consume her nephew, Super Chill's son, over four years after entering the academy. It started long before that, during his time as a Junior Ranger. It was still strange to consider that she didn't see Raptor Chill as often as she used to a few years ago, knowing he was still around but . . . things were different. There were things he wanted to talk about, but couldn't.
She had seen plenty of parents who were Space Rangers pick up their children, sometimes on time, and sometimes very late. She made three hot chocolate mugs then handed the warm cups over to the children by resting them on the table behind them. Quark turned around, sniffing the air, then poked Chari's shoulder until she turned toward Quark then looked where his attention was transfixed. Oort was already on it drinking the mugs, the notably silent Lightyear, hardly easy to notice unless he opened his mouth and then he wouldn't stop talking from there. It was unusual for a parent not to pick up a child from Space Scout Camp. Kore was getting tempted to call Star Command and get her concerns all smoothed out regarding the Lightyear children's caregiver. A loud honking caused the children to set their mugs on the counter then make a run for it.
"Bye, Miss Chill!"
Kore waved them off.
"Bye, Lightyears."
The children ran in the rain toward the blue van with a glowing gold interior against the dark gray theme lingering in the air as the side door slid open.
"How was the Space Scouts camp?" Warp asked as the children leaped into the van.
"Awesome!" Chari announced.
"I lost a finger!" Quark whined as the door slid close.
"It's paralyzed for a few days," Chari said, nonchalantly. "Quark poked at an animal at Star Command which Kore Chill instructed not to."
"Why do you have a scar around your eyes?" Quark asked as he looked at the mirror reflecting the Space Ranger's face.
"What scars?" Warp put on dark shaded sunglasses. "I don't see any scars." he popped some kisses into his mouth. "Sounds like you got the scars." Warp grew a big devious grin then added as he drove off with a laugh then looked aside spotting teenagers driving a hot ride beside him, honking at him, roaring with laughter, speeding ahead of him, then looked toward the kids behind him. "Hold on to your seat belts, we're racing!"
"Woohooo!" Chari cheered.
"NooooooOOoooo!" Quark protested as the van sped after the teenagers. "That's illegal!"
Warp saluted the teenagers, then sarcastically waved, leaning against the open window while rain poured into the driver side as he passed by them then turned his attention upon the road.
A week passed, Fisher landed at the front lawn of the stacked house alongside Warp with bright lights emitting from the windows against the darkness of the rooms. The two exchanged a look then approached the doorway of the house. From within one of the upper rooms, Quark was cleaning up his messy room, reluctantly. He looked underneath the bed for stray items then dragged over his toy broom, brushing the miscellaneous junk from out beneath the bed then withdrew the broom and tossed it over his shoulder where it landed in the corner of the room upside down and became slanted.
The boy arrived to the other side of the bed, brought over small colorful cubbies with handles. He moved his old toys into the box that featured heavily science fiction related content then paused spotting Mufasa, Mufasa's little brother Taka, and the wimpy cowboy. He gazed down upon the small trio recalling fondly the places they took him and how they had been his friends when engaged in missions against Evil Emperor Zurg. Speaking of who, did he actually have an Evil Emperor Zurg or did he make Zurg out of trash?
He gazed until finding a pile of trash consisting of a red cape, long metal wiring with purple fabric wrapped around it, it looked like he had done only the arms, the chassis, but not the legs with only two long broad wires left out exposed, and improvised helmet that the LGM made after losing the actual helmet a few years ago when there was a 'bring your kid to Star Command' day. that He moved the wimpy cowboy into the box along with the lion king toys. He stood up to his feet then sat on the edge of the bed with a scowl looking down at what had once been. He looked down at the trash searching for the lower half of the toy. The boy set the toy on the edge of the bed at the sound of his name being called from down stairs then picked up the wimpy cowboy, a old habit that resurfaced, ran down the stairs in a series of thunderous stomping down the stairs following the others.
"Dad!"
The five children sent the recently returned Space Ranger down to the ground and the wimpy toy was dropped then slid under the desk alongside the doorway.
"Wow, there are THREE of these little twerps?" Fisher asked.
"Five, Nelani." Warp said as the mass of children giggled.
"Difficult to count with all those purple hoods." Fisher as she giggled at the kids.
"Oooooh, you got awesome scars!" Gamma pointed out as he poked at the big scar around Warp's eye and Chari waved the sunglasses in the air with triumph.
"Where did you get that scar from?" Chari asked.
"Zurg, obviously!" Quark said.
"Today's Wednesday!" Hoichi said.
"And he's had it since last week!" Chari added.
"Who gave you it? A new tyrant?" Oort asked as the Space Ranger began to laugh. "Or a hyena!"
"GET!" Warp waved his hand in the air then pointed toward the couch.
The kids bolted over to the living room then piled on, Quark tipped sideways a frame revealing a burn scar from a irresponsible use of a toy weapon then came back and covered it up as Warp was getting up to his feet then made a bolt into the living room.
"Kids." Fisher said.
"Like to stay?" Warp asked as he turned toward her.
"Nah." Fisher replied then started to turn away. "This is your thing," she motioned toward the children. "Captain. Not mine."
"Good luck with Zurg." Warp said.
"Ah, think you're a wise guy, why would he be interested in a rookie like me?" she was very amused by him as she came to the open doorway then shifted toward the Space Ranger. "Not as good as Buzz Lightyear."
"Don't have to be as good as him or better than him, it's having the fortune to be there on the front lines nearby when Zurg is attacking a world and making the right decisions, Nelani." Warp began to explain to the Space Ranger who leaned against the doorway of the house and folded her arms. "Might not get in the need to know circle and that's fine."
She looked toward him.
"Being outside of it, what's it like?" Fisher asked.
"It was nice . .." he looked back, fondly for a moment, then back toward her. ". . being in the dark."
"Then this career will be a long and entertaining one." Fisher leaned forward then patted her chassis.
"Zurg is a handful, one on one, even when he is facing other Space Rangers, you can be that random Space Ranger one day and not attract his interest in the slightest, and you know as I do it happens, it's happened numerous times over the last two years." he pointed a finger toward as he continued then sighed lowering his hand. "And you need that luck, because it's new ground that has yet to be broken." he shrugged, smirking, then set his hands on his hips. "Who knows what happens after tonight, you could make it or break it, your career ending can end albeit unexpected. . . ."
"Like Buzz Lightyear." Fisher finished for Warp.
"The best and last advice that I can give you is to have some hope that things will turn out okay." Warp said.
Warp approached her then held his hand out for Fisher to shake.
"Prefer not to, respectfully." Fisher said as she held her hands in front of her chassis then shook them, apologetically.
"Okay, be that way, rookie." then he added, looking at her, growing a broad grin, lowering his hand, sporting a short lived laugh. It was a callback to the first day they had met. "Respectfully."
Fisher flew off into the sky as Warp watched her. Warp turned back toward the doorway sporting Oort peering out curiously, and concerned at once, then the older Space Ranger beckoned the young boy back into the house. Warp returned into the house with the door closing behind him then approached the living room. He walked backwards, picked up the wimpy cowboy, then set him on to the living room counter. The Space Ranger took out a chair then sat down facing the crowd.
"I have some important news to share. . ."
"Are you and Drilla getting married?" Chari asked.
"Drilla isn't interested in me like that." Warp added as he shook his hands and laughed. "We are friends."
"That is what Kore Chill said about the guidance counselor Anegla and they were smooching while we sold cookies." Quark said.
"And they got lost." Oort was chuckling.
"When did this happen?" Warp's ridges where his eyebrows were growing back were hunched together.
The children exchanged a glance then back toward the Space Ranger.
"Last year." Gamma said, casually, as the other children were in various positions of contemplating. "You were busy educating Nelani about keeping a eye out for someone and the dangers of not, you used me as a example, and we found them making out at in the shuttle port."
"Are you ..." Hoichi had a big gulp with skin becoming white as Space Ranger armor. "dying?"
"Negative." Warp said as he shook his head.
"Then what?" Oort asked.
"I am transferring over to the Space Rescue Unit." Warp said.
"That sounds like another name for the Space Rangers Corps." Quark noted.
"Is everything doing well in the Senate and the budget?" Gamma asked, concerned.
"Are we going to move eventually?" Hoichi was gradually becoming frantic as Chari grimaced.
"Well kids..." Warp clapped his hands together then grinned broadly. "You know how coast guards rescue people in trouble at the sea like firefighters running into the fire to save a life at the risk of this own, medics risking their lives into danger to war torn environments or certain danger to save a life, how police force come in and disarm shooters with tasers or creative thinking?"
The children nodded at once.
"The Space Rescue Unit are Coast Guard but are more like Space Rangers."
The children gasped, surprised, at first speechless. Warp grew a broad grin in response.
"Since there aren't many rescue missions compared to Space Ranger missions, that means that I am working part time and be around more often than before." Then he added a laugh. "Zurg is some other Space Ranger's problem starting..." He looked at his wrist watch then back toward the children. "tomorrow morning."
"What day is it today?" Gamma asked.
"Thursday." Warp replied.
"Woooohooo!" Oort cheered.
"Yaaay!" Hoichi exclaimed.
"You are going to throw Zurg off his usual schemes by not being there!" Quark bellowed. "He's gonna curse your name out one last time!"
"Wooopeee!" Chari hopped on the couch throwing her hands in the air.
Warp smirked, affectionately, then laughed at the celebrating children as his shoulders shook and the edges of his cheek ached.
"Did the nanny bot make dinner yet?" Warp asked.
"It's already done, she shut down a couple minutes ago, something about waiting for it to cool down to serve." Chari replied.
"I think she was making ribs." Gamma said.
Buzz awoke with a start, panting, sweat dripping down his skin. He extracted the black suit off his figure then set it aside where it remained standing in idle mode as he went toward the bathroom and dropped the cowboy at the edge where the two rooms connected then turned on the cold water. He felt hot, a little too warm, watching the water pour through the shower head. He took a step in then slipped in and fell into the shower landing on the side of his face, twitching, then propped himself up with struggle and sat there looking at his hands that were covered in his own blood. He had blood on his hands in the tiring battle against Evil Emperor Zurg.
He remembered the Rangers who had died because of him over the last decade. He remembered them, the ones that he found barely clinging to life and those who had survived their encounter with the Evil Emperor who decided to spare them for reasons. He remembered finding Raptor Chill in that condition, wounded gravely, rescuing him, arm on Buzz's shoulder, flying out of the small resistance pocket that Zurg had invaded and was erasing by one destructive blast at the time by way of ion blaster, hornets, and by Dreadnought. He remembered holding a cadet, shortly after the fall, dying in his arms, holding his hand, scared, confused, angry, and sad, and bewildered that everything had changed quite suddenly. He remembered the young woman, Cadet Rayville, assuring her that everything was going to be okay, that when she woke up the Evil Emperor would be defeated and the Galactic Alliance would be rebuilding. A decision of his lead to her being in the same room as the Evil Emperor.
And then Buzz broke, remembering how comforted she were, remembering her smile, remembering how the fear and distress had vanished off her features, she was just a kid when the academy had been attacked. He remembered the bodies of the young Space Rangers, young men, littering around the academy, armed with improvised weapons due to lacking their wrist lasers, putting up a brave and noble fight destroying a number of hornets. He remembered finding the survivors ranging from school children to first year cadets and second year cadets huddled in the basement clinging to each other. Buzz recalled deciding what was to happen next; reunite the children with their parents.
Buzz remembered Kore Chill approaching him a couple of hours afterwards. The Space Ranger recalled her informing him that the Junior Rangers were alive and well per the invasion protocol. He remembered the frightened children asking when their parents were coming to pick them up, their parents were never going to pick them up, targeted, killed, by Evil Emperor Zurg's hornets. Buzz remembered evacuating the Junior Rangers from Morph and getting them to the Alpha Quadrant, he remembered the distraction plan (which had been pulled off successfully) that lead to Rayville's death. He remembered dropping the Junior Rangers off at what would later become the Star Command Resistance Residential area.
Buzz broke, sobbing in the shower with his arms wrapped around his legs beneath the rows of water cooling him down. He sobbed, and sobbed, and cried, and cried, until his chest was sore and ached and he couldn't weep no more. Buzz got up to his feet then turned the shower off and sat there, miserable.
His ankle ached as did every part of him ached in the cold.
Guilt. Shame. Sorrow. Blame. Regrets. Stress.
Buzz sat there to dry as he began to feel better then slowly drifted off.
Warp withdrew out of the Space Ranger suit then slid it into the metal box that had been purchased a couple years ago. He smiled to himself, looking down upon the uniform, fondly. He closed the box, locked it, with a key, then stepped back setting his hands on his hips gazing toward the box that was set on the dolly. The dolly withdrew the box, turned it away, then moved it into the truck. The Space Ranger leaned against the doorway watching the dolly be moved in with the box as he smiled, fondly. He waved at the movers, moving it to storage, right where it belonged.
It felt different, it was different, it was like watching a piece of the past be taken away, a symbol of it, a part of it. It was strange not to be in it after all these years since graduating the academy and wearing it. Personally, it was like saying good-bye to the Ranger who had been Buzz Lightyear's partner, who had betrayed the Space Ranger, who had aided in the death of said space ranger, and grieved for it quite dearly. The pain was easier to live with, easier to swallow these days, the dark void still as present as before in the environment where the Space Ranger had once flourished. Was this how it felt? A happy ever ever after? Feeling like it weren't at that moment. This was only a transition into a new phase of his life into someone new. All without the baggage of Evil Emperor Zurg's stain in his career? He knew it would be different then with a different slate that hadn't been touched by Zurg's presence.
He watched the truck fly off.
"Good-bye." A small one for the past that no longer existed then turned around and shrieked. "Chari!"
"Quark wants you to give this toy Zurg to the next kid that you rescue."
"Why isn't he giving this himself?"
"He is a little too concerned about it being bright down here and being unable to sleep right away afterwards."
"Anything else?"
"Oh and this guy, too."
"This little old guy?"
"He's over the sheriff."
"Aren't you interested in him?"
"He's for little kids. A kindergarten toy."
"Go back to bed, Chari."
"Nightie." Chari waved then walked up the stairs.
Warp looked down upon the cowboy.
"He's growing up..." Warp looked on, concerned then smiled looking inside. "Sure thing, buddy."
It was the first thing in the morning. The children awoke to the scent of bacon being cooked. Within a flurry of moments, the children came storming down the stairs to find individual plates waiting for them with sunny side eggs and sausages and pancakes and bacon set on them. Sometime after finishing breakfast, Warp went upstairs, retrieved the box in which the cowboy was placed in among the other toys the children had over the years discarded all over the house and didn't ask him if he knew where they were. He set the box on to the bed, peered in, nostalgically, surveying the old toys. Time for the past to move on to become a kid's new present. It was time to donate them. He closed the box, descended down the steps, then set the box on to the counter, approaching the kids.
"Who wants to play Lego Galaxy Wars with me after I get back?"
The children turned toward him then waved their hands in the air frantically as the Space Ranger set his hands on his hips and laughed.
"ME! ME! Me! ME!"
He exited the apartment gazing around. He came back inside for his phone, turned on the nanny bot, then went to the blue van. The van door closed, he drove backwards out, looking out the window instead of referring to the dashboard monitor displaying what was behind him. He poked back in once the van was in the middle of the road. He set the box into the passenger seat then got into the driver seat and closed the door behind him.
He turned on a rock song, driving out, turned on the GPS, set in the destination, then drove on. The Space Ranger bobbed his head along to the song as he passed by Buzz Lightyear who was driving a Go Kart racing against another individual. It wasn't quite a long drive for the Space Ranger. He arrived to the place in question, drew the attention of the owner of the house by pressing the doorbell, Sergeant Dal'chek.
"Hell-Oh, what is that box for?" Dal'chek asked.
"The Toys For Tots program." Warp replied, smugly. "Kids grow up fast, they're not interested in action figures or barbies."
"Ooooohh," Dal'chek then grimaced. "that's not until December."
"Call it getting a head start." Warp held the box out.
"Did the commander tell you that I oversee it this year?" Dal'chek asked.
"The commander wasn't the one who told me." Warp assured Dal'chek. "it was Mira."
"Blabber mouth." Dal'chek scowled over the Ipsedan's amusement.
"Affirmative." Warp bore a smirk. "These are old toys." Warp opened the box then set the old make shift Evil Emperor Zurg toy. "I am not quite sure about this toy. . uh. . . it used to have a toilet roll for the skirt but it degraded. Not sure whether it's worthy to donate though."
"It's very pointy, sir." Dal'chek said.
"And?" Warp asked.
"We can't hand pointy things to tots." Dal'chek said, reluctantly.
"Craters." Warp's features fell in dismay.
"Can't take it." Dal'chek said. "Can take that box, though."
"What if I made some alterations to it?" then he added. "To the toy."
"That's a big risk of it breaking apart and a toddler getting hurt," Dal'chek pointed toward the toy. "this wasn't made to be a toy by a company; it was made by a child, it's for kids not toddlers."
"You mean to say . . ." Warp began to say, tightening his grip on the toy, irritated. "this ornery thing . . ." he looked upon the toy with an unhappy demeanor. "is stuck with me."
"Yes, sir." Warp's features hardened as he took it very personal. He shook off the very real Evil Emperor but not the toy. "You're stuck with him."
"Then these toys are luckier." Warp handed the box over to Dal'chek. "They're safe to play with."
"Darkmatter, do you want your name on the file?" Dal'chek asked.
"Negative, sergeant. . . not mine." Warp looked upon the toy in his hand then looked up toward the Sergeant. "Buzz Lightyear."
"Sure, can write in his hand writing." Dal'chek looked toward the box then up toward the transferred Space Ranger and grew a kind smile. "His hand writing is very classic and easy to do."
"Thank you."
Warp turned away then returned to his vehicle, set the Evil Emperor Zurg toy beside him, then looked toward the small toy, exasperated, sulking, then drove off.
Evil Emperor Zurg noticed the Space Ranger was nowhere to be seen in the middle of his current scheme, instead, there were other rangers. Ranger Fisher and her newly assigned partner Ranger Dafferdale were unexpected foes. Upon the demise of the evil scheme, Zurg departed the area cursing at them-he didn't really like Dafferdale, something was off about her, he didn't know what, it was this sixth sense about her that bothered him. Once the Dreadnought was far away from the Rangers relatively unscathed, the Evil Emperor stood up to his feet then began to laugh that alarmed the grubs. The grubs looked one by one at the direction of the Evil Emperor.
"Nagging a Space Ranger once to retire,"
he put his claws on his chassis with a pleased sigh.
"Ahh, is this how it feels,"
he walked away feeling like he were floating.
"A significant accomplishment like this cannot be thwarted?"
The Evil Emperor rubbed his claws together as his shoulders trembled
"OOOOooohh this is sooo eeeevvil."
Zurg clenched his claws as he laughed.
"Though, next time, I might have to drill it into the next nemesis's head to retire while they still can or worse; ending the fun on an easily avoidable note!"
Zurg shuddered as he rubbed the bridge between his optics. Just like Buzz Lightyear.
"Oh well! Party at the local school gymnasium on Planet Z! Everyone is invited!"
"Evil one, we don't have one big enough for that kind of party."
"Then the stadium!" Zurg as he turned away. "Or I can throw the party at the barren rocky planet where the creatures are currently in hibernation for a thousands of years and nothing can wake them up and we can leave party trash behind! Except for plastic ring wrapping, that'll choke them. Too evil!"
Zurg stretched his arms out as he approached the doorway of the chamber leading to the bridge.
"They're going to wake up in five years!"
He lowered his arms then shook his claw.
"If there's a new villain, tell them that I'm getting changed to my partying model. Can't be evil today, satisfaction is triumphant, full right now, no thank you, thank you very much!"
The door closed behind him then everyone turned their attention toward their station until a loud whoop came from the door across from them that sounded suspiciously like the Evil Emperor.
It was approximately two days later, Nebula was walking down the hallway with a young man who donned the dark gray and neon green space suit. They passed by several LGM, Space Rangers, and visiting guests along the way. The young Space Ranger lacked hair with silver antennas, black tattoos covering his head, their eyes were insect like in nature, with a human jaw and very human mouth standing out against the insect eyes. He was roughly the height of the height of the commander as the antennas drifted in the direction of the passer bys if only briefly then resumed pointing in the direction that the two were going.
"Rookie Van Selling, you've asked to be assigned to the Rescue Unit."
"Aye, sir." Van Selling confirmed with a nod.
"Any reason why?" Nebula looked toward the rookie.
"When I was a kid. . ." Van Selling began to explain. "my mom died being a Space Ranger, she rescued me before that, high stakes, in the battle against Zurg. And I wanted to save lives, wherever they may be, be somebody's hero for five minutes and not die over it."
"Your mother?" Nebula was quite perplexed. "I don't recall a Captain by that name."
"She was a rookie," Van Selling laughed as he replied. "she sabotaged her career multiple times," he shook his hands bearing a fond expression. "Intentionally." He had a giggle over it. "Pops said that she never wanted to be on the front lines against Zurg, it's how, how she got transferred to a Ranger Station for some duty. Claimed that Zurg was going to be out to get her."
"What was her last name?" Nebula asked.
"Van Selling."
"Don't recall having a rookie Van Selling before you came in." was his reply, apologetic. "
"It's fine." Van Selling said, soothingly. "she was the kind who wanted to be forgotten, she wanted to be a average Ranger, and she got it, her station was a magnet for the weird, rescuing civilians a number of times, she liked that part."
"Ooooh, that rookie," Nebula smacked his forehead then groaned. "I gave her personal files to her parents, she was a very strange person."
"My pops says that she was a introvert. . . and she had to come out of her shell when Zurg arrived at her station for one of his evil schemes." Van Selling's voice lowered down to that of pity. "Sent him packing at the cost of her life."
"She sent him packing? She didn't. He left, she was a moat of a annoyance, you know, he didn't like being bothered by Rangers who were incompetent."
"That's my ma." Van Selling said, affectionately.
"Was she really that incompetent intentionally?"
"Pops says that she was."
"A special kind of chaos that Zurg hates."
"He does. . . "
"Anyway, how do you feel about having a partner who's older than you?" Nebula asked.
"Really good about that, we can both learn from one another." Van Selling noted.
"Right this way." Nebula pointed in toward the chamber.
Van Selling walked into the chamber then screamed, stunned, then collapsed to his side as Warp was eating a to-go bowl of Cosmic Chili in the rec room. Warp loomed over the table then leaned back, lifting a brow, gazing down upon the passed out Space Ranger then looked up toward the commander.
"He's going to be a real doozy." Warp said, bemused.
Four months passed, and Buzz's sprained ankle didn't bother him as it once had getting better. He wore a space suit, his Space Ranger suit held in the closet, in an apartment that he had rented and acquired a job that meant fetching strange creatures as part of animal control. If Ozma had heard of this, she would be laughing seeing one of the greatest Space Rangers of all time devoting his time to capturing animals and taking them somewhere safe. Some days, he had to struggle to catch the creatures. The wound on his face had long healed, along with taking medication that erased the scar. Nana's words lingered in his mind, "If you have to go, dear, then you have to go." that she had said as he played an online game during his recovery and had to part from it to take care of himself. He hadn't heard her laughter like that in years, it was nice to hear her voice, nice to see her, alive and well, aging.
Nana's words had a point to them. He had to go back. There was no doubt about it. He admired the green, turquoise, gold, and red space suit then took his hot rod and flew off into the sky with his helmet activated. He arrived at Star Command's shuttle port, parked the vehicle, then hopped out. He took a deep breath then exhaled. He walked through the area passing by the Space Rangers who largely ignored him as he entered the corridors searching for the commander. With much trial and error, he found the commander at the training deck overseeing rookies and cadets training with his arms folded. Buzz was reluctant to break the peaceful scenery but he took a single step forward then the commander turned toward him.
"Another story?"
Buzz forced a smile.
"Depends what kind of story that you're referring to, sir."
The commander grimaced then turned toward the screen.
"Reporters don't know what Space Rangers face out there in the field."
Buzz approached the commander.
"They can try to understand, commander."
The commander laughed as he turned toward him.
"Think it's scary with Zurg? Zurg is the tip of the iceberg, we've taken down dictators, tyrants, evil kings, evil queens, and other figures," the commander shuddered at what crossed his mind. "There's more frightening things out there."
"Once facing a Evil Emperor as evil as Zurg, everything pales in comparison."
"He's eccentric." Nebula countered. "He's tame compared to most evil around here." Buzz became surprised at the comment. "As much as I hate him, gotta admire him," he pointed toward the training deck with his thumb and a hand on his hip then looked on with amusement into the room in amusement watching Raptor Chill crash to the ground with a thud. "We wouldn't be deflecting the worst kind of threats from the Galactic Alliance and it's people if he never showed up."
"That's a twisted deal, sir."
"A deal? It's not. Never made it. Never agreed to it. Never wrote it. Not a bad status quo, though, but the bit about losing Space Rangers to him, that's never an easy thing. . . Over the last five years, we've lost three Space Rangers in the field." The commander turned back toward the Space Ranger. "In fact, you look like one of the brightest Space Rangers who died ten years ago."
"Funny thing about that, Commander. . ." Buzz replied as his voice slowly changed to his own, his demeanor changing in mere seconds, his shoulders rising up. "I am Buzz Lightyear, acting resistance commander, ex-captain, the one who authorized the creation of the Universe Resistance Unit."
"The last time that I let another Buzz Lightyear in..." Nebula's guard rose.
"Things are very different here." Buzz finished.
"And we can't be entirely sure that you're good." Nebula warned the Space Ranger. "A very risky wild card. So you really can't be a Ranger here."
"Ooooh." Buzz grimaced, wincing inwardly. "Evil Buzz Lightyear."
"Met him?" Nebula looked at him, skeptically.
"Negative." Buzz said.
"But you know about him." Nebula pointed out as the Space Ranger smirked.
"Only what I would do if I were interested in being evil." Buzz confessed, looking aside, enviously, but quite with fondness in who he fantasized about slowly over the last ten years which grew in increments. "And I came here with the intention of going home, commander, not to be a Space Ranger here."
There was no disappointment, regret, or shame about the circumstance that lead him to say that, but, it brought a certain horrifying look from the commander.
"Can never replace him. . ." Buzz clenched his hands as he continued. "Never." his demeanor was stiff. "More than willing to prove that I am a variant of your Buzz Lightyear, do any test, but my preference is to keep my identity classified."
