Back to School... Maybe? (Open)

Naomi hadn’t seen this high school in years. She wasn’t even sure she was at the right building. It was like looking at some mysterious place that wasn’t real anymore. Still, she felt like she had to do this. Besides, it’s not like she was going back. She was checking the place out. Yeah. She just had to make sure it was going to be okay to go here. She hadn’t gone to any classes in a few years, so she wasn’t even sure she’d know all the things she was supposed to. Why was she even trying to check this place out, she wondered. Then she remembered. If she wanted to get a respectable job, she would at least need a high school degree. Sure, she could keep doing what she was doing, but she wanted more than that. She didn’t want to have to hide behind a fake name for what she did most of the time. She wanted to know her clients and for them to know her. Face-to-face and whatnot. Okay, maybe that was looking at it with rose tinted glasses, but she was thinking along those lines. She wanted something real. The only way she could get that, was to start here. Well… not really. She had been taking courses online (as per her mother’s wishes) and getting the same amount of information as anyone at this school. Why was she really here then? Maybe it was because she didn’t want to leave any regrets. She didn’t want to run away from her troubles anymore. This place, going inside and seeing if she could come back, was the first step, “It’s alright. I’ll be fine…” She muttered under her breath.

Ahhhh, the midday patrol... nothing like it! The sun is high in the sky, the birds are chirping, the wind blowing past him making the perfect wooshing sound that made it sound like he was running much faster then he really was.. Yes the midday patrol was one of Jack's favorite times of day. He would always take his lunch hour off and patrol the school grounds for any form of suspicious activity. What counted as suspicious? Well the usual of course. Thugs, pedos, demons, aliens, tax collectors, you get the idea. Jack had, however, recently added shadows to the list of "Evil Evilness That is Evily Evil". Granted he had never seen a shadow and had no idea what to do if he were to run into one... but he assumed he'd hit it until it exploded into a shower of sparks. Sound forethought... however... for the first time today's patrol actually seemed to pay off... While checking the front of the building, Jack saw someone standing outside just... looking at the school... weird... She was dressed rather oddly on top of this. Double weird... Jack would have to be smart about this... who knows who she could be... she could be a terrorist come to destroy the school... or a Demon come to off him before he could reach his full potential as a Red Ranger! Or an insurance saleswoman!... Jack needed to use most of, no... ALL his cunning if he was to defuse the situation before it got out of hand...

"Excuse me," Jack said approaching the girl,"Can I help you with something?"

Yes... cunning....

She took in another deep breath to calm her nerves. Maybe it wasn’t too late to turn around and go home. She didn’t have to go back to school. Her online courses were working just fine for her. In fact, they were probably better. If she stayed in the online program, she could go at her own pace instead of having to keep up with whatever the teachers assumed was enough time for a student. Yeah. She would just be heading out now. She was getting ready to turn around and leave when she heard somebody’s voice interrupt her grand escape. Darn, she’d been spotted. This was suddenly a very precarious situation and she needed to handle it with care, “Nothing in particular. I was just checking out the school.” She didn’t have a reason to lie. She was mostly just embarrassed that she got caught before she could flee. She was regretting her choice to come here without more of a plan. Maybe she could use this though, “Umm… you’re a student, correct? Could you tell me what you think of this school?” She just wanted to know if someone that actually went there liked it or if it was as bad as she remembered. She could probably calm her nerves some if she got a straight answer. Or they could potentially get worse. One way or another, she would form a more solid opinion.

Information? Ahhhh... Jack new her game... She wanted information about the schools structural weaknesses so she could send information to her demonic overloads to better plan an all out assault! Weill the jokes on her! This school is the home turf of the Featherman Rangers! And as such had no weaknesses in the slightest! Every inch was under the watchful eye of one Ranger, who would call on the others at any time if trouble reared it's ugly head!... And Jack would have done just that! If Charles' leg wasn't in the shop... Or if Kazuya wasn't busy studding during the lunch break...  or if Nilo hadn't asked him not to... But other then that the ranger's were in constant contact with one another! Always ready to jump at the drop of a hat...

"Yeah I'm a student. Been going here for a couple of years. Personaly I really like it,, it's got a lot of different classes and clubs you can join. Work load isn't to bad, and the campus is really safe.,I hear there's even a team of heroic champions defending the school! How cool is that?"

Now she'll think twice before invading Jack's school! HA!

"I'm actually on my lunch break. I could show you around if you want."

Everything this boy said seemed like the same generic information everyone said about schools. It was fun. They had good classes. They were part of clubs. They got homework. She had been looking for something more than the basics anyone could tell her. She was interested in this thing about heroes though. Was he talking about some vigilantes? Or, maybe it was just a bunch of crazy people playing dress up. Worst case scenario, they really were a bunch of heroes running around trying to save people. That concerned her for some reason. Those kids could get themselves hurt doing that, “Sounds like a good way to get themselves hurt.” She would say offhandedly. Unless they were all skilled fighters, it would be a stupid idea. Her eyes nearly lit up when the man said he could show her around, “Really? You would be willing to do that for me?” She couldn’t remember the layout of the school, so it would be a big help, “Oh, but I don’t want to take up too much of your time.” She was also worried about ending up somewhere she didn’t mean to. She didn’t want to run into someone from her past in there. Well, she probably wouldn’t see them anyway, “I mean, if you don’t mind, it would be nice.” That was her final answer.

Why dose everyone keep saying that... Jack was starting to get tired of people saying his rangers were gunna get themselves killed or hurt or just get in the way... They were Rangers for crying out loud! They save the day, not ruin it. It's kinda in the job description... Why couldn't people just accept that the rangers where here to save the day and love them like in the show... It's almost like people don't believe the Rangers matter... But naw.. that can't be it."Or a way to be awesome..." Jack would mumble under his breath.

Hmmm... she agreeing to his offer was not really part of the plan... not that he really had a plan... Like the rest of his life Jack was just sort of winging this. No matter! Possible intergalactic terrorist or not Jack had promised to help her out and by AbaRed he was going to do it! "Sure! No problem at all! What would you like to see first?" Jack would say leading her into the school. He'd let her chose where to go... and from there decide if her choices showed evil intent! Oh my what a clever Red Ranger Jack was....

She would raise a single eyebrow at the boy’s reaction. So that was it. He was one of those rangers running around into dangerous situations. She would shake her head, “Sorry. I like rangers just as much as the next person, but it isn’t a title to be taken lightly.” She had needed an event that began their adventures into the other worlds before she decided to give her entire team a set of colors, “Rangers risk their lives in order to protect the entire world. They fight bravely and nobly, even when all hope seems lost and even when they falter they must stand back up. A ranger isn’t just some title anyone can have. Being a ranger means you honestly risk everything you have for the better good.” She sounded passionate about what a ranger was. Or, at least that’s what it was to her.

“Rangers are the ultimate heroes against the ultimate evil. Unfortunately… In our world, even those that are not the ultimate evil will fight dirty and they are willing to kill.” That was the biggest difference between a show and reality. There was no guy that yelled cut right after the big action scene. Her eyes would be burning with passion when she looked back at the boy, “Unless you have that same burning ambition, despite the risks, I will not acknowledge that you are a real ranger. You can’t do it just to be awesome. You do it because it’s the right thing to do and you want to protect goodness everywhere.” As a green of her team, that was what she had decided. She could let these people have their fun and play, but she couldn’t accept them unless they were serious. After her little speech, she would think and point down one of the halls, “Can I just see the classrooms for now. That seems like the best place to start.” It was almost as if she hadn’t just gotten done saying what a ranger was to her.

W-What?... Did.. did she just... Jack stood Motionless as she gave her speech on what she believed a ranger to be... Jack had been wrong.. She wasn't some force of evil... No NO! The opposite... The exact opposite.. She... No it cant be, yet here is the proof right in front of him. Absolute irrefutable proof that Jack was not alone in his fight against the evils of the world. Not to say he didn't believe in his team... no, Jack had faith in each and every member of his team of rangers that the would gladly give their lives for the greater good of mankind. Though his selection methods seemed random at times, asking strangers and what not, he still hand picked his team from the masses... Truth be told he had several civilians try out to be rangers... but they had just wanted to play pretend or were merely in it for the fame... The ranger's Jack had now were the ones that he truely thought had the burning will to fight till the end... And yet... here she was... a shining example of what Jack saw in himself... who... who was she?

"I think you already know the answer to that question Red Ranger"

Golem was right... again... as always... sigh... Jack new exactly who she was...

"Wait... Tell me..."Jack stood in her path for a moment, fire burning in his eyes! His intense glare would shout to all who would listen his intense red hot soul! If she was truely a Ranger, like Jack knew she was, she would no doubt see his burning ambitions and iron will in his stare. This glare would convey more than words ever could, in a language that only those who knew the code of the Ranger would understand.,"Do you see these ambitions in yourself? Or am I wrong in assuming we share ideals...." Jack could feel the ranger suit undr his cloths... If need be.. he would show her his true form... Her reaction would dictate his.

She would take a step back when the boy decided to block her path. He seemed to want to ask a question, but he hadn’t needed to keep her from going forward to do it. That fact that he did that made her feel as if she had said something she shouldn’t have. She almost sighed with relief when it turned out he was just passionate about rangers. She still liked the rangers and she had high hopes for them, but she had to admit that the world she lived in wasn’t exactly the same, “I want to do what is right, even if it’s hard. Deep down, I want to protect those dearest to me and stop anything that may harm the world.” It was the reason she kept fighting, even when she didn’t want to, “I admit to not being a very good ranger though. I have the ideals of one, but I also have a bad temper and I’m a bit indecisive. Then again, I guess everybody needs their character flaws. Then again, I guess there have been plenty of rangers that weren’t perfect. The only thing that mattered was that they all wanted to save the world.” If she didn’t have one, there would be no reason for people to route for her so she could overcome it.

“Still, being a ranger is no small matter. If you aren’t dedicated to the cause you’ll only get hurt. Even if you are dedicated, you can get hurt badly. The difference is that one will wallow in their defeat while the other moves on and gets stronger.” He was likely just playing a game with his friends. Well, not a game, per se. They were probably some vigilante group. Maybe they wanted to be police when they graduated, she couldn’t tell. Besides, this conversation was mostly harmless. She hoped. Besides, it wasn’t often someone her age actually spoke about rangers so passionately. It made her smile.

"My my, I couldn't have said it better myself!"Jack smiled at her words. She did share his ideals... She reminded him of himself before the events of a few weeks ago. The same burning ideals and devotion to the cause that he felt even without knowing the true scope of the danger he was willingly putting himself in. In the few weeks sense the day Charles and Nilo had broken his world view, Jack's drive had only gotten stronger. He wasn't a fool though, he knew that things would only get tougher from here on out. The fact that he had awoken to Golem only made things more complicated. Sure he was able to defend himself now but... perhaps that would only make him more fool hardy in the coming battles... She however... Jack didn't know. She seemed to understand how to be a Ranger, and what it took. That it wasn't a game  no matter how much it seemed like it. Jack would smile and continue giving her a tour of the school.

"I think we can drop all pretenses now... We both know the other is a Ranger. What surprises me is that there is a team other then my own. I had a hard enough time finding enough people with the right sense of justice on my own, I can't believe you found enough for a second team. Heh... What Color are you?" Jack would lift up his shirt slightly to reveal the red spandex he wore underneath," My name is Jack, Jack Rannells, Red Ranger and the leader of the Neo Featherman Rangers, but seeing as how there's two groups... I may have to come up with a more specific group name... Mind if I bounce a few ideas off ya?" Jack was enjoying this conversation a lot! Who ever this chick was he was glad he had run into her.

So this guy understood what a ranger was. She was glad to hear that. Although, she wondered why he was ready to risk everything a ranger had to in order to protect the better good, “So, why did you become a ranger. Aside from wanting to protect the world, obviously?” It wasn’t often one met a ranger that was serious, let alone one that was her age. She was curious. She would go red when he called her a ranger. It wasn’t not true, but she wasn’t sure how she felt about anyone not on her team calling her that. She had tried to keep it a secret because she didn’t want to expose all of her friends to someone that didn’t understand what was going on. She would look towards the ground as she spoke, “Well, you just sort of find the people for the job.” Or you get tossed into a situation where you have no choice and you make the best of it, “I’m following standard protocol and wearing my color.” She would point at all the green in her outfit. Her eyes would widen when he showed off the uniform he was wearing underneath, “You have a real uniform? I wish I had thought of that. Then again, I don’t think I’m wearing enough clothing to cover it up.” She was dressed in such a way that there would be gaps everywhere where the uniform could show through, “But I don’t mind if you bounce team names off of me.” She didn’t even think her team had an official name. She seemed to be one of the few that openly embraced the idea of being rangers. Maybe Hyde played along every now and again, but he didn’t seem all too enthusiastic to her. She was just happy to talk to someone that understood the appeal of being a ranger.

Jack would stiffen slightly at her question... Why did he become a ranger?... that was a topic that was a slight sore spot for Jack. He became a ranger for one very specific reason. It wasnt something that he talked about a lot. Years ago he met a man at the New Years festival... A man in a white mask. He... He told Jack things, like the meaning of heroism and the importance of determination. Then... As quick as he came he was gone... Jack never saw the man again and began to think he didn't truly exist... But his teachings were  engraved onto his soul... This was something Jack like to tell people. For some reason, he wanted to keep the man in white for himself.,"I've always loved the show and well... I had to do something about this burning passion inside me.  heh"

"Heh! I made the suit myself! I always make sure to wear it at all times, never know when a shadow or some other monster will show up, and sense I can't really morph so yeah, heh." Thought he didn't notice it Jack had dropped "Shadow"... if Naomi didn't bring it up he would not take notice.

"Ok ok.. Hmmm How about... Featherman Rangers: Inner Self Defenders!" Jack struck a heroic pose and couldn't help but feel his heart ignite as he stood in all his Ranger Glory.

She hummed a little at his explanation, “I guess that makes sense, but it still seems like a stretch. I assume more people in that situation would just become police officers.” If there was something deeper to it, she wouldn’t pry. It was his little secret and she respected it. She would almost stop when he dropped the word Shadow. She almost didn’t even notice that he said anything since she was used to hearing the word as of late, but this kid shouldn’t have known about them. If he did, that meant… She didn’t even want to think about that. He was another person with supernatural powers? She wasn’t sure how to handle that. She wouldn’t say anything directly, but she still had to comment, “Be careful what monsters you fight. Some of them are worse than others.” And some spit fire and lightening into your face. She would shake her head at his name I idea, “It sounds like it fits the mold, but what does it mean?” She thought names had to have more meaning than that. You couldn’t just stick words together and create gold.

"Pfffft.... Police... when was the last time you saw a police officer fight off an intergalactic demon or emperor? Never! Sure if I just wanted to stop petty crimes for the rest of my life I could be a police officer like my dad, but I want more! I want to save the world! To write a new epic with my life that will be remembered through the ages, because I know I'm the only one who can." Jack had honestly considered being a police officer... but he felt it was just thinking to small. As a Ranger he could do all the things the police do, AND fight off monsters and robots from space. As far as he was concerned he was getting the best of both worlds with his current gig.

"Trust me, I know..." Jack said somberly in response to her warning. He knew. The shadows were going to be stronger then any thug... But that;s what Golem was for!,"Well, The more I get to know my rangers I'm finding out that their strength comes from within... A force that goes beyond what they show everyday to the passers by... Their inner selves that only comes out when it is needed. That plus defender makes a good name! Don't ya think?" Jack would wink and chuckle to himself.

She would put her hands on her hips and stare at the guy, “Excuse me, but police risk their lives every day in order to protect us. They don’t do it for the fame or the glory, and honestly, they get screwed over all the time. They may not be rangers in name, but many of them have their hearts in the right place. Don’t ever say that all they do is stop petty crime. If you’re father is an officer like you said, then you should at least know that much.” She respected police, even if she knew they weren’t all good. Many of them were though, and they were fighting everyday for people they didn’t know and that didn’t know them. She would turn back and continue walking, taking notice of the school as she went. She would give him a sideways glance and a smile, “Trust me, you don’t know everything yet.” Perhaps she was trying to drop the hint that she had a Persona of her own. As much as she didn’t want other people getting involved and endangering their own lives, but she couldn’t leave him to figure out everything on his own. If he hadn’t dropped the word Shadow, she wouldn’t have thought to bring it up. Now, she needed to make sure he wasn’t going to jump straight in and get into a mess that was too much for him to handle. She just hopped that if he got it, he wouldn’t say those words out loud again. But, she would go back to helping him with his naming problem, “Well, I suppose it makes sense when you put it that way. It still feels like a long name though.” Then again, every team had a long name. It came with the territory.