Power Rangers: Public Enemies
Chapter 12: The Pagliacci Joke.
Birds don't sing in the ruins of Angel Grove anymore. Children don't laugh here anymore. Fish don't swim here anymore. People don't buy drinks here anymore. Dogs don't wander around here anymore. No one lives here anymore. Nothing does, not even plants. The wind howls silently, the sole visitor to the ruins of what just three years ago was a happy and bustling city.
"Huh…" Billy takes a cigarette to his mouth. It starts to rain, putting out the flame. "Ha, God doesn't want me to smoke. Figures."
"You know it's bad for you." Kat Manx takes away the soggy cigarette from his mouth, and flicks it away. "Maybe the Miracle Water of Aquitar might be keeping you alive, but it doesn't make you Immortal."
"Heh. Life's too short to worry about cancer." Billy observes the old ruins from the top of the hill. His eyes water somewhat.
"I know… when Emperor Grumm destroyed my hometown… I felt the same way." Kat places a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"How pathetic. Look at this. He thinks he can rebuild. He thinks the rubble can be hidden." Billy looks at another cigarette in his hand. "This rain wants to keep me alive. Alive for what?"
"What are you talking about?" Kat looks at him.
"It's a joke. Once a Ranger, Always a Ranger. Sickest joke I've ever heard." Billy tries lighting his second cigarette. It does not work. "The rest of my life was decided the day Zordon gave me that Power Coin."
Kat breathes in the moist air. The wind howls across the ruins. "God, the very idea that three years ago, children…"
"I heard a good joke once." Billy finally manages to light his cigarette. "Man is in tears. He goes to doctor."
"Is this really the best time?" Kat raises an eyebrow.
"Come on, it's good." Billy flicks away his soggy cigarette. "He says 'doctor. Life is too cruel, my life is meaningless.' He bursts into tears again."
Kat crosses her arms Billy continues. "Doc says 'cure is simple. Pagliacci is playing tonight. Go see a showing, that will cheer you up'. Guy says 'But doc, I am Pagliacci!' Hah, good joke."
"I'm not laughing." Kat's gaze is fixed on the ruins. "That was a terrible joke."
"You just don't understand it." Billy tries lighting a third cigarette.
"No, it was just plain terrible. Especially considering the circumstances." Kat crosses her arms and turns her back to him.
"I find it very fitting." Billy breathes in the moist air. "Considering it relates to us Rangers oh so much."
"How so?"
"Hahahaha, you've never noticed?" Billy tries lighting another cigarette. "Tell me Kat, what has every Ranger team had in common?"
"I don't follow."
"We've all been civilians first. Save for the Lightspeed Rangers, Time Force and MAYBE the Galaxy Rangers, every Ranger team has had one thing in common. We were all teenagers when we got the call. And we all answered the call. If we weren't teens, we were adults, with our lives already in full swing. And we put all that on hold, fighting monsters, saving lives." Billy scratches the back of his head. He sees his wrinkled hands, gets a bottle of water, and drinks. His wrinkles disappear.
"That's a good thing!"
"No, it isn't. Teens are not supposed to pick up weapons and fight monsters. Teens aren't supposed to give up their time, skipping on their responsibilities, or their growing up, fighting someone else's battles. They're…"
"Will you cut the crap!" Kat slaps Billy. "Name one Ranger who's suffered from being a Power Ranger! Just one!"
"Trini Kwan." Kat's eyes bulge out at how quickly Billy answered her question. Actually, she never expected an answer at all. "Trini died because she was a Power Ranger."
"How?" Kat's eyes are starting to water.
"2005 didn't see any active Ranger teams. So, we all thought the forces of evil had given up for the moment. But Count Dregon, somehow, managed to escape the Abyss of Evil. The original five Power Rangers, myself included, decided to team up once more… for old time's sake. We were joined by the Masked Rider for this one… he and Trini were becoming an item, you see… Dregon… he… killed her… Dex died too… two heroes died that day. And no one ever knew." Billy lights throws away his soggy cigarette. "The weather here won't let me smoke."
"Why didn't anyone know? Didn't you tell anyone?" Kat is shocked.
"It was decided that… if any of the other Rangers knew about… they'd lose their spirits. At the time, it was decided that it was best for future teams to not have to worry about one of theirs dying. Jason, Kimberly and Zack decided that, if any future Rangers held back, for fear of losing one of their own… It could be disastrous."
Kat slaps him again. "That's a TERRIBLE idea! What the hell was wrong with you!"
"It was not the best decision, I know. But it was the one we made as a team. We only ever told Tommy. He… took it like we did."
Kat's misty eyes continue gazing at the ruins. She is absorbing all this information in.
"Listen… this has got to stop. The idea of recruiting teenagers, or anyone else for that matter, to ask them to put their lives on hold and on the line… it has got to stop."
"So.." Kat looks at him. "You think having any more Power Rangers is a bad idea?"
"I believe that being a Power Ranger should be a full time job. We need fully trained individuals, not some kids who learn on the fly. Like what Lightspeed was." Billy looks at his last cigarette.
"That is what SPD is for." Kat looks at the last cigarette as well. She was ready to snatch it away if she had to. "Hey, what was up with that joke?"
"You hate not knowing." Billy chuckles. "It's a piece of dark humor. The punch line is the question 'Who does the clown turn to when he feels sad?' Likewise, my question is Who do the Power Rangers turn to, when they need help?"
"Another Ranger team?" Kat was starting to understand Billy's point.
"And who does that Ranger team turn to when THEY are in trouble? Another Ranger team? And that one? And the next? How, may I ask, would the Wild Force Rangers been able to defeat Dai Shi?" Billy chuckles, but soon starts grabbing his chest in pain.
"I don't know… hey, you ok?"
"I'm fine." Billy takes out his water bottle, drinks, then sighs in relief. "Each ranger team is far too specialized."
"You are worried about facing someone you might not be able to defeat."
"He already came. Baal, that… demon. It took every. Single. Ranger team to defeat Baal. His defeat was a fluke, really. I still don't understand how we managed to defeat that… thing… It took all our effort, and we STILL only managed to keep the destruction limited to just Angel Grove."
"So? You saved the world."
"But not Angel Grove. Millions lost their homes. Thousands lost their lives. I don't know about you, but I don't call that a good day." Billy puts his cigarette away. "I ought to quit smoking."
Billy and Kat turn to leave. He suddenly grabs his chest in pain. She holds him, as they head towards his ship.
"Kat, listen… I need to go back to Aquitar for a while. There's someone I was supposed to meet today. Could you go in my name?" Billy is relieved when she agrees. He gets in his ship, and leaves for Aquitar.
"This Water is what keeps me alive." Billy looks at his last bottle. "Zordon… is this how you imagined my life would turn out when you recruited me? Did you ever stop to think… we could die? And what would you have done… if we did?"