Fic: Reporting Live - Passing the Torch (5/6)
Title: Reporting Live
Chapter Title: Passing the Torch
Rating: PG
Summary: Jimmy Jameson thought the only things worth reporting on in Angel Grove were the martial arts tournaments. But that was before Rita attacked.
Word Count: ~1,100
Disclaimer: Power Rangers belongs to Saban!
Continuity: Passing the Torch
Notes: This part 5 of the Power Rangers Press Conference fic . Chapters should go up on Wednesdays. Many thanks to harmonyangel, queenriley and lielabell for the beta.
Chapter 1 - The Power Rangers
Chapter 2 - The Green Ranger
Chapter 3 - The Destruction of the Thunderzords
Chapter 4 - The Zeo Rangers
The Turbo Rangers approached Jimmy and the other reporters awkwardly. There was something off about all of their body language - they were definitely unaccustomed to speaking with reporters. They were stiff, and something about the way they moved just felt wrong to him. Everything was wrong.
Then it hit him - the team had changed again. There had been a change right when they had become Turbo Rangers, where the Blue Ranger had switched again. After being the longest running Ranger, that color was switching pretty often now. There was something odd about Blue Turbo - while the Blue Ranger had gone back to being the one who could give the technical answers, it was almost like the other Rangers were shielding him from Jimmy's questions, only really letting him answer when there was some sort of technical explanation that was beyond the rest of them. Jimmy never could make up his mind if the other Rangers were protecting the Blue Ranger, or if they were ashamed of him.
But now it seemed that the Blue Turbo Ranger was the senior member on the team. Everyone else was new.
This could have been his story. Jimmy could easily have found out everything he needed to know about the Power Rangers. He could probably find out their identities and all of their secrets if he wanted to. Since it was fairly obvious that these new Turbo Rangers were not the same ones he had spoken to only a few days before.
"Rangers!" he called, getting their attention so that they walked over to him. "Do you care to comment on why you've suddenly changed your lineup?" he asked. He'd lowered his voice as they approached, so that none of the other reporters could hear. He really didn't want Lois Brant figuring out what he'd just realized. She'd eat these Rangers alive.
Just like he could, if he wanted to.
It was a story. It was the story, if he was honest with himself. It was everything that he'd been working for the last two years. The secret identities were an instant ticket to fame and fortune. It was the story that every reporter wanted to get. But somehow getting that story just felt wrong.
The Rangers all froze. "We don't know what you're talking about," the Pink Ranger began, but the Red Ranger shook his head and she quieted down.
Jimmy just smiled. "I've been dealing with the Rangers since day one," he told her. "I've learned to identify you guys whenever you switch. And I'm telling you, four of you aren't the same Rangers I was talking to just last week."
The Rangers glanced at each other. "Can we not discuss this here?" the new Red asked.
"If you still know where my office is," Jimmy said. "I'll meet you there in half an hour, and we can discuss this before I go to print." He tried to sound a little threatening, to try and make sure that they would come. He really did want to talk to them about it.
He just wasn't sure if he wanted to print it.
*
As Jimmy waited for the Rangers to show up in his nice corner office, he thought about what he should do. He should print the article - the people had the right to know that they were being protected by a new team. There were all sorts of articles he could get out of the story - speculation as to why the old team had left, whether or not the new team would be able to protect them, retrospectives on the careers of the old Rangers... there were so many things that he was already itching to start writing them. But something was holding him back.
The Rangers protected the city. They had never truly let them down before - whenever it had seemed like the Rangers were beaten, they had always come back better than before. It would be irresponsible of him to publicly doubt the new team - they had already beaten one monster without many problems. It would send the city into a panic. The citizens of Angel Grove had proved how resilient they were, how much they could overcome, but that was because they had faith in their protectors. Shaking that faith in them could have detrimental effects on the city.
And honestly, he owed the old team one. They had saved his life. Not just by saving the city, but they had personally saved him from a Cog attack. Somehow he felt that it would be wrong of him to expose them like that.
The familiar noise and light show meant that the Rangers had teleported into his office. He stood up and extended his hand to them. None of them took it. In fact, they didn't look pleased with him at all.
"Calm down," he told them, as he lowered his hand. "I'm not going to expose you, or your predecessors. But if it was this obvious to me that you were new, well, Lois Brant is a lot meaner than I am. And she won't sit on a story just to protect you."
He winced as he said it. The idea of sitting on this story was still hurting him. But he had a greater responsibility, to the community, and to the Power Rangers themselves.
The posture of the Rangers relaxed. "Thank you," the Red Ranger said. "We didn't realize how obvious we were."
Jimmy shrugged. "I've been watching the Rangers since the very beginning," he pointed out.
"The older Rangers said that you've been fair to them before," the new Yellow Ranger said. "The Evil Green Ranger, for example."
The Power Rangers respected his reporting. He stood up a little bit straighter.
"I was just telling the story," he said, suddenly realizing how much he must have impressed the Rangers with his reporting back then. He wondered if that was why the Pink Zeo Ranger had gone to the trouble of teleporting him to the hospital that day, but he doubted it. The Rangers would have done the same thing for anyone, not just someone that they respected.
"So," he said. "Can we talk about the switch for a moment? Off the record, of course," he added hastily. "And then I'll give you some tips on handling the Angel Grove press."
The Rangers all relaxed a little, and then they began to talk.
Chapter 6 - Countdown to Destruction
Chapter Title: Passing the Torch
Rating: PG
Summary: Jimmy Jameson thought the only things worth reporting on in Angel Grove were the martial arts tournaments. But that was before Rita attacked.
Word Count: ~1,100
Disclaimer: Power Rangers belongs to Saban!
Continuity: Passing the Torch
Notes: This part 5 of the Power Rangers Press Conference fic . Chapters should go up on Wednesdays. Many thanks to harmonyangel, queenriley and lielabell for the beta.
Chapter 1 - The Power Rangers
Chapter 2 - The Green Ranger
Chapter 3 - The Destruction of the Thunderzords
Chapter 4 - The Zeo Rangers
The Turbo Rangers approached Jimmy and the other reporters awkwardly. There was something off about all of their body language - they were definitely unaccustomed to speaking with reporters. They were stiff, and something about the way they moved just felt wrong to him. Everything was wrong.
Then it hit him - the team had changed again. There had been a change right when they had become Turbo Rangers, where the Blue Ranger had switched again. After being the longest running Ranger, that color was switching pretty often now. There was something odd about Blue Turbo - while the Blue Ranger had gone back to being the one who could give the technical answers, it was almost like the other Rangers were shielding him from Jimmy's questions, only really letting him answer when there was some sort of technical explanation that was beyond the rest of them. Jimmy never could make up his mind if the other Rangers were protecting the Blue Ranger, or if they were ashamed of him.
But now it seemed that the Blue Turbo Ranger was the senior member on the team. Everyone else was new.
This could have been his story. Jimmy could easily have found out everything he needed to know about the Power Rangers. He could probably find out their identities and all of their secrets if he wanted to. Since it was fairly obvious that these new Turbo Rangers were not the same ones he had spoken to only a few days before.
"Rangers!" he called, getting their attention so that they walked over to him. "Do you care to comment on why you've suddenly changed your lineup?" he asked. He'd lowered his voice as they approached, so that none of the other reporters could hear. He really didn't want Lois Brant figuring out what he'd just realized. She'd eat these Rangers alive.
Just like he could, if he wanted to.
It was a story. It was the story, if he was honest with himself. It was everything that he'd been working for the last two years. The secret identities were an instant ticket to fame and fortune. It was the story that every reporter wanted to get. But somehow getting that story just felt wrong.
The Rangers all froze. "We don't know what you're talking about," the Pink Ranger began, but the Red Ranger shook his head and she quieted down.
Jimmy just smiled. "I've been dealing with the Rangers since day one," he told her. "I've learned to identify you guys whenever you switch. And I'm telling you, four of you aren't the same Rangers I was talking to just last week."
The Rangers glanced at each other. "Can we not discuss this here?" the new Red asked.
"If you still know where my office is," Jimmy said. "I'll meet you there in half an hour, and we can discuss this before I go to print." He tried to sound a little threatening, to try and make sure that they would come. He really did want to talk to them about it.
He just wasn't sure if he wanted to print it.
*
As Jimmy waited for the Rangers to show up in his nice corner office, he thought about what he should do. He should print the article - the people had the right to know that they were being protected by a new team. There were all sorts of articles he could get out of the story - speculation as to why the old team had left, whether or not the new team would be able to protect them, retrospectives on the careers of the old Rangers... there were so many things that he was already itching to start writing them. But something was holding him back.
The Rangers protected the city. They had never truly let them down before - whenever it had seemed like the Rangers were beaten, they had always come back better than before. It would be irresponsible of him to publicly doubt the new team - they had already beaten one monster without many problems. It would send the city into a panic. The citizens of Angel Grove had proved how resilient they were, how much they could overcome, but that was because they had faith in their protectors. Shaking that faith in them could have detrimental effects on the city.
And honestly, he owed the old team one. They had saved his life. Not just by saving the city, but they had personally saved him from a Cog attack. Somehow he felt that it would be wrong of him to expose them like that.
The familiar noise and light show meant that the Rangers had teleported into his office. He stood up and extended his hand to them. None of them took it. In fact, they didn't look pleased with him at all.
"Calm down," he told them, as he lowered his hand. "I'm not going to expose you, or your predecessors. But if it was this obvious to me that you were new, well, Lois Brant is a lot meaner than I am. And she won't sit on a story just to protect you."
He winced as he said it. The idea of sitting on this story was still hurting him. But he had a greater responsibility, to the community, and to the Power Rangers themselves.
The posture of the Rangers relaxed. "Thank you," the Red Ranger said. "We didn't realize how obvious we were."
Jimmy shrugged. "I've been watching the Rangers since the very beginning," he pointed out.
"The older Rangers said that you've been fair to them before," the new Yellow Ranger said. "The Evil Green Ranger, for example."
The Power Rangers respected his reporting. He stood up a little bit straighter.
"I was just telling the story," he said, suddenly realizing how much he must have impressed the Rangers with his reporting back then. He wondered if that was why the Pink Zeo Ranger had gone to the trouble of teleporting him to the hospital that day, but he doubted it. The Rangers would have done the same thing for anyone, not just someone that they respected.
"So," he said. "Can we talk about the switch for a moment? Off the record, of course," he added hastily. "And then I'll give you some tips on handling the Angel Grove press."
The Rangers all relaxed a little, and then they began to talk.
Chapter 6 - Countdown to Destruction