Once a Ranger... (Charles)

The dark streets of San Malraus felt harder then usual tonight... The cold rain spattering against the pavement made for a chorus of dull thuds on the roof of the cruiser. The sound pulled the man in the passenger seat into a sort of trance... His eyes glued to the hot coffee in his hands... When did he start drinking coffee?... It was bitter, bad for you, and to hot... But most importantly it was for "Adults", yet he couldn't get enough of the stuff.

Did that make him an Man?... No

Quietly he looked out the window at the night and the passers by. Some he knew by name, others he merely knew their faces... But each and every one of them was etched into his mind. They were the people he served, the ones he had dedicated his life to. The last two years of his life he had given to them as more then a silent protector, but as a true guardian...

Did that make him a Man?... No

Even before that he had given them his life as their unwanted hero in the night, and their unknown protector in the darkness. Thinking back to those days he realized... just how dull his life had become. The two arguing voices in the back of his mind were still there, and the power of the Red was still present in his heart... but he had nothing to do with them, much less anything worth using them on. Though... he ad accepted that... Accepted that his adventure into the unknown was over and that he was to live a normal life.

Did that make him a Man?... No

A sudden crackle came from the dashboard radio.

"Attention all Squad Cars, we have a high speed pursuit in progress on Miller heading north about to cross Duglous, please respond,"

Jack's eyes lit up... High speed pursuits were his FAVORITE! OH OH! He could imagine he like Ban in the first episode of DekaRanger! Wait... Wait... Deep breath... Calm.


Jack nodded and grasped his walky talky "Dispatch we acknowledged, Car R.R-40 ready to give chase." Jack turned to his companion in the other seat, funny... though he looked nearly identical to the first day they met, Jack could still tell he grown...

"Ready partner!? Jack pulled at his collar to loosen it...Did they really need to make these uniforms so tight? Though... they did come with some perks...

Two years have gone in the blink of an eye... They passed him by just like their car had been passing by various street lights and people, faceless, merging with the grey... Yes, the grey, that was the color of concrete, and of his body. Or was it more silver? It should've been gold.

It was really sad how quickly it seemed to pass, almost like he just woke up all of a sudden staring like that into the passing faceless blobs in the rain, like this was a dream, and his real life was still back in that ripped world of Azores two years ago. But he knew, he was sure he had done much in the two years! Always with his Ranger Red, his trustworthy right hand...

Then why, what was missing now? The blinking red eyes in the reflection held no answer. Was there even an answer, or was it all subjective to his, now more human mind? Data was inconclusive, incomplete, corrupted...

Don't take it the wrong way, he loved his job, this ublic service of his, it was a beautiful thing! Even better how he could share it with Red. These thoughts were just a passerby themselves. They would be gone by tomorrow, maybe even before they left the car later after patrol. Although... something really was missing... Wonder if Red felt the same way...

Instinctively, he turned to Jack as he thought about it. He was muttering something, wasn't he? Sitting like that behind the wheel, coffee in his hand... It was unsafe. Next time, he would make sure to prevent such a situation. All in all, however, his friend changed, but it was all good. Everything changed and it was all good. Yes, everything was as it should have been-good.

And that was when the radio sounded.

A chase, huh? A smile ran across the robot's face. Good, Jack loved those. It would be fun to watch him grip the wheel like he always did, determined and sure, never faltering. As he grabbed the walkie-talkie to let the station know they had received the message, Charles settled himself straight, buckled tight in his seat, looking ahead.

"Y'think it'll be necessary for me to intervene again?" He nodded and answered Jack's question. "I mean, not that I have an issue with jumping from cars... But the later inquiries are always a problem."

"As cool as that was last time... I don't think dad-er... The Chief would be very happy about you going full ham again. Don't get me wrong he's good at faking a story to the press but you can only explain away so many cars torn in half... Naw this time we do it by the book!" Jack turned the ignition and nearly tore the vehicle out of park. As the tiers squealed he felt a rush of excitement wash over him"Let's go into the action! Deka Vehicles!"

The car burst from the ally it was hiding in and roared onto the streets like a caged animal finally set free from it's cage. Jack disregarded the blaring horns shouts of protest as the cruiser fishtailed before finally straightening out and rocketed down the pavement, leaving nothing but a thick black skid-mark and the confused populous behind.

"Ya know Partner...I've been thinking..." Jack's calm down did nothing to ease his crazed eyes as he weaved in and out of traffic, "Is it just me... Or dose it feel like something, I don't know, BIG is about to happen?" As the car approached Miller Jack did his best to calm his frazzled mind and remember that he was an Officer now, not some hot headed punk. Visibly calmer, his driving would even out as they turned onto Miller and joined the chase.

"Sure, but don't forget to fasten your seatbelt!" Charles said as Jack took off with the car.

He had been used to chases like this. Jack never seemed to get enough thrill out of playing with his 'awesomeness'. And it was because of that that he spoke no word about any of that, and merely sat quietly and let the physics toss him around in his seatbelt left and right as they turned. Soon, like usual, Jack's rush would wash away and they would continue on their way. That was how it's always been, heheh.

"Hmm? What do you mean, something big? Are we going after someone important?" Charles asked.

"No idea partner... It's just this feeling I have, call it paranoia if you will, but  I just can't help but shake this feeling that for the first time in two years... we might need to dust off our 'Skills'... if you know what I mean." Jack grit his teeth as he weaved his car through his fellow cruisers. Each honked at him as he did, no doubt pissed at the new hot shot who refused to let anyone else get into any action. Not that they could really do anything about it... he was the new Chief's son after all.

"Alright Charles, when we get up behind him I want you to shoot out his tiers! Think you can take make the shot?" Jack smirked as he glaced at the stoic man at his side.

"Ooooh, you're talking about Personas!" Charles said, fiddling with the gun he pulled out of the pocket in the car door. "Right, well, I can't say I've felt it, but I don't know." He jumped up in his seat as the car bumbed in the turn, but kept staring forward. "You do seem to be getting awfully excited, so something really must be up in the air." The gun clicked before Charles pulled it up and held it upward next to his face.

"And yes, I can make the shots, no problem. The only reason why I missed and we had to pull that stunt last time was because someone had to test out their 'special' bullets, right?" He smirked and glanced over at Jack.

"I can just feel it man! My Red Legacy is itching for action and I think it;s gunna get it!" Jack let out a heroic yell as he dropped his foot onto the gas, slamming it to the floor and jerking the cruiser forward. Behind his bravado, however, this feeling he had scarred him... The events of two years ago where not something he held with a wistful nostalgia. He knew people died, he knew that Nilo died because of the event. Yet... When he thought of the prospect of a reason to summon his persona again...

He couldn't help but feel excited...

"Energy pellets! They're different then bullets! I'm telling you they're the future of law enforcement. And they would have worked if the gun hadn't exploded..." Jack mumbled as they collided with the escaping perp's rear bumper. With a grunt Jack pulled back a little to give Charles a clear shot "And I fixed your hand afterwords... so it's all good man!"

"Right, right. I wasn't complaining. But it ain't the gun's fault it exploded, you know?" Charles rolled down the car window still playfully smirking and popped his head outside, his hair blowing in the wind and rain as they raced the roadrunners. With a flick of his thumb, he set the safety off before tucking the gun outside as well and pointing it at the car's tires.

The shot would be easy. Not even the rain nor the wind would have an impact on his precision, they weren't nearly strong enough for that. Just moment away from making the shot, his torso swaying like that sticking out of the vehicle yet his arm firm and steady, he waited for the perfect opportunity... before pulling the trigger. Only he didn't, because something hairy and fuzzy decided to pop up onto his nose from above, effectively surprising him into miss the tire by an inch and pulling back up into the car before grabbing it with two fingers and dropping it onto the back seat. "Bad girl, that's dangerous!" He said to the 2 year old possum that gazed back at his strictly extended index finger with her beady eyes. He then turned to Jack with a frown on his face. "I told you it wasn't a good idea to bring Gao II on the patrol with us!"

"Maybe the gun was just faulty...." Jack mumbled to himself... His pride severely wounded and his ego sufficiently bruised. Charles has gotten quite a bit... more human over the past two years. With that new found humanity under his belt his levels of snark and wit skyrocketed to the point where he could match or even surpass Jack's in everyday conversation... Not that that's saying much... Though compared to where he was a few short years ago it was quite impressive.

Jack's eyes nearly popped from his skull as Gao II dropped onto Charles's head... Ok in hind sight maybe he was right."Oh come on Partner! You know he just wants to help.... And if we're gunna ever get to be a K-9 Unit we have to show the force we can handle animals. Besides, how could you say no to that face," Jack chuckled as he reached back to pat the possum who was currently PLAYING possum, "And It's not like we're not gonna get another shot, so no harm no fou-... wait... Do-Do you smell gas?" Jack blanked as his slowly looked to where Charles's bullet hit, and the small trickle that was barely visible in the night. "Oh.... fuck...."

"Jack, swearword! And don't you dare change the subject here, we're talking about a serious problem here! Keep Gao II out of our job! Since when do we even wanna become a K-9 unit? Besides, a possum is not an adequate substitute for a dog in any manner or exercise! And, as her daddy, I must take proper care of her and I can't do that if her uncle keeps letting her tag along on dangerous patrols, right!?" Charles took the gun in his hand and started waving it at Gao playing possum on the back seat.

"What did we say about guns? Guns! Equal! Bad! Especially if..." He waited for a few seconds for her response. She just kept laying there. "...kept in vicinity of uncle Jack! Come on, it's simple to remember!" Half satisfied with the miniscule effect his waving had on the confused animal, but seeing it wasn't going anywhere, Charles turned back to Jack. "Now, what was so important that required you to swear in order to emphasize it?"

"Well for one, K-9 units get a bigger squad car and more payed days off to take care of the dog and I think we could both agree to that sense we could always get like... I don;t know Nagisa or Bleaz to look after it. They like Dogs right? and Second...Charles... You and I both know he has no idea what you're talking about... He's a Possum, a ruggedly handsome and genius Possum granted, but a possum none the less. I don't think it can understand English..." Jack sighed losing focus on the oncoming catastrophe. A full ten seconds passed before Jack remembered that he should be panicking.

"OH RIGHT! I swore cus I think that shot hit the-" Jack was rather rudely interrupted by a sudden, loud, and grotesquely large plume of fire exploding from the back of the perp's car engulfing most of the rear end of the vehicle in flames "Gas tank..."

The perp's car began to swerve and screech through lanes as the driver panicked and tryed to put out the flames... how he thought randomly spinning the wheal was going to help was beyond anyone... Inevitably his frantic driving flung him clear off the road and into a nearby lamp post, effectively ending the chase. Jack slowly pulled the cruiser to a stop and stared at the burning car for a moment, mouth agape.

Fortunately for Jack's Jobs, the driver forced his door open and flung himself onto the ground to get away from the blaze. Quickly he scrambled to his feet to attempt to prolong his freedom, but only  found that his newly shattered tibia was to broken to support his weight and fell to the ground once more. "Oh see he's fine! We're good..."

"I'm sure she can understand me. She just doesn't want to." Charles focused forward when he heard the front car explode and flames engulfig their view of it. "Oh..." He said, before quickly picking up Gao II and holding her tight in his hands. He whispered to her. "See what happens when you play with guns? Fire! Animals don't like fire, right... Yeah. I'm just raising you properly, don't complain." The possum seemed unfazed by the view as Charles still held it as they exited the vehicle to follow after Jack.

"You know, this wouldn't have happened if you'd listened to me." He then held Gao II up and towards the wrecked car and the criminal that crawled out from inside it. "See, guns bad. Criminal bad. Listening to Uncle Jack rather than daddy bad." He turned to Jack, standing there illuminated by the fires in the rainy night. "Luckily for him, he doesn't seem to be able to continue this. Hmhm. Now go cuff him."

"Hey! I'm the fun uncle! You can't just deprive your children of hanging out with their fun uncle, that's just rude and oh my god I just realized what I'm arguing about..." Jack sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose to try in vain and prevent the headache he knew was brewing just under the surface. Tonight had really gone to shit in like five minutes... how weird is that?... Regardless this would not change what had to be done. Jack had a job to do and by Jove he was gunna do it... Wait... Who the hell is Jove and why dose every do things in his na-Wait... Getting off track. Gatta cuff this guy.

"Alright! It's Judgement time!" Jack struck a pose as other cruisers puled up to the scene and his fellow officers began to surround the burning vehicle "Some one call an ambulance, this man is hurt and needs treatment. Once he's well we can book em..." Carefully Jack would help the defeated man to his feet as he slapped the cuffs on his wrists. "Your lucky I'm not a real DekaRanger..." Jack mumble to the confused man as he walked him away from the burning car and into the awaiting ambulance.

"Yeah, yeah. You're gonna be glad that I was so strict with you once you grow up." Charles spoke once again to the possum, who just blinked twice before starting to scratch lightly at her daddy's wrists, at which he put her up on the top of his head with a slight smile and turned to Jack and the arriving police officers.

"Another job well done." He said, watching the ambulance take the criminal away. "And there's even more pros to this situation. For instance, if we ever meet him again, we'll know where to strike. I believe you get what I'm saying. The tibia." The ambulance vehicle, now loaded with the man, drove off into the rain. There were only a few things comparable to the sensation of finishing a work day, the robot thought to himself, as silence befell around them.

"...so, what do we do now? This guy didn't seem like a big-shot. That means it wasn't the big event your Ranger-senses felt coming. Hmmm." He put a finger on his chin, the possum rubbing herself into his hair. "It really might be that it would have something to do with the Personas."

As Jack watched the ambulance drive off he felt little if any satisfaction. It's not that he didn't find his work fulfilling or felt his "hobby" wasn't worth doing... No it was more like something was missing... That sense of wonder and adventure that he had known those long two years ago. At the time those days seemed so horrible... so dangerous and so stressful, yet now looking back... It was also when he felt the most alive. The fact that he missed it on some level genuinely worried the young officer as he felt the rain soak into his uniform.

He was pulled from his trance by Charles's question... "H-Huh?..." Jack didn't know what to say. It may not have been the intent but his words stirred something deep down... What do we do now? "I don't know Charles... I want to say "I just hope I'm wrong"... But I'm not sure if that would be true... Bah, whatever happens, we'll just take care of it like we did last time. Right Partner?" Jack would chuckle and flash his trademark grin. "But for now... Lets head back to the station then head home... My butts getten wet."