A Darker Shade of Red (Time Force/Power Rangers, T, Chapter 13: Reunion)
-Rubbing at her eyes- I'm trying to get sleepy, 'cause I need to get up and go somewhere tomorrow. This would probably work better if I wasn't sucking on hard candies and reading Supernatural fic.
I are genius. ^_^V
Fandom/: Power Rangers Time Force, slight crossover with S.P.D. (In Bright Skies universe)
Characters/: Alex
Pairings/: Alex/Jen, Lucas/Trip, Katie/OC, Wes/Eric
Rating/: T
Disclaimer/: Saban/Disney/Whoever sure didn't write *this* into the series. The plot comes purely from my own warped little mind, and the characters are merely borrowed from them for my own amusement. Lucky you.
Summary/: The legacy of Wesley Collins and Eric Myers didn't just affect the past - it affected the future. One thousand years after they became Rangers, one person is still struggling against the corruption of Time Force and the heritage he never wanted.
Warnings/: People used for scientific experimentation, corrupted Time Force, character with self-image issues
Author's Notes/: This is most definitely one of my favorite chapters for this story so far. Alex is potentially OOC, but I believe it still works when you consider the plot and everything that's happening. So ... bring on the Alex Torture! -Grins maniacally-
The news reports that began to show up during the end of the week were sickening. Time Force proudly displaying the return of the long-lost Quantum Morpher, its Quantum Ranger, and the brave young man who had been chosen to use it. They played him up as a hero, someone hand-picked by Time Force to protect their city. Every interview had him standing quietly, solemnly, behind the podium as yet another Time Force officer went on and on about how much work had gone into the recovery of the morpher, how strong this new Ranger was, how proud of him they all were.
And the public was eating it up.
The Rangers were naturally suspicious. Lucas wanted to know why they'd brought out the Quantum Morpher *now*. Katie was worried about why they were making such a big production of it, and tended to go off on tangents about her newest theory. Jen watched the news avidly, studying every nuance of behavior from the officers being interviewed and Ben himself. What she was hoping to find, Alex wasn't really sure. Trip seemed to be more concerned about how they were going to be able to talk to Ben than anything, and Alex hadn't called the other three yet on the glances they would exchange whenever he brought it up.
All Alex could see was his brother, bright blue eyes closed off in a way they'd only been when they were being watched. His normally rumpled blond hair was now short and neat, something that didn't fit him at all. And his face ... he looked so young. How old was he now? He couldn't even remember how old they'd been when ... when Ben was ....
Was *he* really twenty-one now? The last time he'd seen Ben alive, they'd been the same age. And now his brother was so much younger than he was, looking closed off and proper in a way he never had. It wasn't right. Wasn't *Ben*.
Which was why he made sure the others were all sound asleep the night he snuck out of Jen's parents' house to find his brother.
****
It didn't escape his notice that no one had approached him the moment he set foot on Time Force property. No matter how careful he was, there was no way they didn't know he was here. Which meant they were waiting for him to find Ben.
Which meant there was something wrong, and Blakemore was gleefully waiting for him to see what it was.
He didn't care. He knew he should have, knew Jen and Trip, maybe even Katie and Lucas, would be furious with him for coming here at all, let alone walking into what was obviously some sort of trap. Some part of him even acknowledged that he should be scared of what he was going into. Blakemore was probably going to have him attacked the moment he was in range, and gloat over his success before shipping him off to some remote corner of Time Force where he'd only be allowed out of his cell in order to bring in criminals.
He sighed quietly to himself, shaking his head. Too much time with Trip and Katie. His imagination was working overtime on him.
The truth was that trap or no, there was one reason he was here, and one reason only: Ben. He'd already failed his brother once; he wasn't going to abandon him just because there was a possibility of getting hurt in the process. A high possibility, granted, but not enough to keep him away.
None of his passcodes had changed, and there were no locks to keep him away from any part of Time Force. Guards he passed merely nodded in acknowledgement, and he found himself wondering if they were being paid to keep their mouths shut, or just not aware that he really shouldn't be here. Blakemore never so much as showed himself, which set Alex more on edge than it probably should have.
His first stop was the training rooms, and he wasn't sure whether to be pleased or not that it was the right guess. A lone man was beating the stuffing out of a large punching bag, focused on his task with a determination that made Alex wonder if he'd even been noticed. The man's form was perfect, and he looked to be in fantastic shape. Odd, considering how Ben had looked the last time he'd seen him.
The ringing sound of the bag swinging back and forth stopped abruptly, and the young man turned to face him.
Time seemed to stop for a few minutes as Alex forgot how to breathe. His brother was standing in front of him. Whole and perfect, sweaty and breathing hard, blond hair tossed in every direction. His face was older than it should have been, his eyes harder, but he was *there*. He was *alive*.
He didn't remember what made him do it, didn't even remember moving, but suddenly they were directly in front of each other. Slowly, hesitantly, he reached out to touch the other's shoulder. It was solid under his fingers when he gripped it, and he swallowed hard, trying to blink back tears and failing. His hand trailed up to his face, tracing along that square jaw line as his eyes burned those bright crystal blue eyes into his memory all over again. "Ben," he choked out at last, his voice barely a whisper.
Something in Ben's eyes softened a little, and Alex threw his arms around him. Ben was shorter than he was now, just enough to make things awkward, but he didn't care. He squeezed him until it hurt, trying to keep in the sobs as he kissed the top of that blond head - something he'd never been able to do before. He whispered his brother's name over and over, rocking back and forth slowly as his eyes burned.
He didn't know how much time passed until he heard a surprisingly deep voice murmur "A, I can't breathe ... "
He released him immediately. "Sorry. I ... sorry," he muttered, feeling flustered. But his eyes fell on his brother's face again, and he found himself cupping it between his hands, pressing his forehead against the other boy's. All the words he wanted to say caught in his throat, and he pulled back just enough to place another kiss on Ben's head instead.
"Ugh." Ben made a face. "Freak much?"
The phrasing was odd, and it made him pull back a little more to stare at him. "What?"
"Since when are you so emotional?" Ben wanted to know, reaching up to scrub at his forehead where the last kiss had been placed.
He stared at him. "Since I just found out that my brother is still alive," he said softly. His voice cracked a little at the end, and he swallowed hard.
Ben frowned, glancing away. "I guess I can give you that," he sighed, but something in his tone still seemed off.
He blinked hard for a moment, reaching up to run a hand over Ben's head again. He tried to speak, swallowed, and shook his head. "I just ... I can't believe this. I thought you were ... "
Ben shrugged a little. "I never really was. They said they were just waiting for the day I was ready to wake up again. Once I did, they used this ... thing, and well ... " He took a step back, his expression brightening as he gestured to himself. "I mean, look at me! I'm all better!"
All better. Alex scrunched his eyes shut for a moment, willing the tears to go away. Is that what they call it now? "You look ... you look good," he managed at last, forcing a rather sickly smile to his face.
"Sorry." For a moment, Ben actually sounded a little guilty. "I guess this hasn't exactly been easy on you."
You think?!
"No," he said instead, after an awkward pause. "It hasn't."
There was another uncomfortable silence, and at last Ben managed a smile. "So ... Geez, look at you. How old are you now, anyway?"
"Twenty-one." He hesitated. "How ... how old are you?"
Ben scowled, folding his arms irritably. "Fifteen," he grumbled. "I go to sleep and wake up to find out my twin is six years older than me. That is so not fair."
"Fifteen?" Alex hesitated. "But ... you were - we were twelve when - "
"Yeah, apparently they aged me up a bit when they were healing me." Ben shrugged, unconcerned. "Something about side-effects for preteen Rangers."
"Side-effects for - " Alex cut himself off, staring at Ben in indignation. "What, *now* they care how old you are?!"
"Hey," Ben said sharply. "They were doing me a favor, okay?"
"A *favor*?" Alex gaped at him. "They're the ones who did it to you in the first place!"
"It wasn't their fault no one could predict the way the morpher would react - "
"Are you *kidding* me?!" His fists clenched until they ached as he struggled for control of his temper again. He took several deep breaths, trying to force himself to be calm. "Ben, they were *experimenting* on you. We were lab rats. They don't care about how the morphers affected us, they never have."
There was a long silence as Ben stared at him, at last letting out a slow sigh. "They said you might react like that," he said eventually.
He blinked. "What?"
Ben shook his head like he hadn't heard him. "I didn't want to believe it, but ... I guess they really did get to you."
He frowned. "Who got to me? What are you talking about?"
"The other Rangers," Ben said simply. "They've been brainwashing you into thinking Time Force is your enemy."
The world seemed to be closing in on him, his breath echoing harshly in his ears. "Ben, no," he heard himself whisper. His eyes felt wet. "Don't do this."
"I'm not doing anything, Alex." Ben was frowning at him now, and his eyes seemed to have closed off again. "You're the one who's acting weird."
"I ... I'm not - " He shook his head, closing his eyes again for a moment. "Ben. Time Force is the reason we suffered for so long. They're the reason you went into a coma for *nine years*. You can't ... you can't be choosing them over me."
"It's not their fault I was too weak!" Ben insisted. He shook his head, shoulders trembling. "It ... That doesn't matter anyway. I'm stronger now. I can handle it."
"It doesn't work like that, Ben!"
"Yes, it does! It has to!"
He flinched back, staring at his brother. "Ben ... Ben, *please*," he pleaded softly. "Don't ... don't leave me alone again."
Again something seemed to flicker for just a moment in the other's eyes, but it was gone before Alex could even try to identify it. "You don't need me, Alex," Ben muttered after a moment, almost too soft to be heard. "You're stronger than that. And you have the Rangers now."
Alex shook his head, feeling desperate. "They're not *you*! I only have one twin!"
Ben's jaw clenched briefly. "But you have another brother."
Great, they told him about Trip, he groaned silently. "He's not you," he reminded him.
A soft, bitter laugh escaped the teen. "But he's enough," he mumbled. He shook his head, at last looking up to meet Alex's eyes. "I'm not leaving Time Force, Alex," he said shortly. "They gave me my life back. They gave me ... *me*." His eyes flickered down to the morpher resting innocently on his left wrist before drifting back up. "And I'm not going to give that up. Not even for you."
His chest felt like it was being squeezed impossibly tight. "Ben ... " he whispered. "Ben, you don't know ... What if they hurt you again? What if they - "
"You should go," Ben cut in. His eyes were cold and hard now. "I don't want to have to call security on you, Alex."
He never calls me Alex. That was Trip's nickname, he realized distantly. "Ben, why are you doing this?"
"I'm doing what has to be done," Ben informed him. His eyes narrowed. "Now get out. Your team is probably waiting."
I don't care about my team! I care about *you*! he screamed silently. But there was no forgiveness in those eyes, and somehow he found himself nodding slowly. "Okay," he said softly.
He found himself stopping in the doorway to look back at where Ben had already turned to his punching bag again. "For whatever it might be worth ... I ... I'm so sorry," he choked out.
Ben paused briefly before attacking the bag again.
Alex closed his eyes and tried to keep himself from running from the building.
****
Jen was waiting for him on the front porch steps when he returned.
They stared at one another for several minutes. She didn't ask, didn't yell, and he didn't explain. But somehow he knew she already understood.
Then she held her arms out to him, and he collapsed to his knees, clinging desperately to her and burying his face in her lap as he cried.
I are genius. ^_^V
Fandom/: Power Rangers Time Force, slight crossover with S.P.D. (In Bright Skies universe)
Characters/: Alex
Pairings/: Alex/Jen, Lucas/Trip, Katie/OC, Wes/Eric
Rating/: T
Disclaimer/: Saban/Disney/Whoever sure didn't write *this* into the series. The plot comes purely from my own warped little mind, and the characters are merely borrowed from them for my own amusement. Lucky you.
Summary/: The legacy of Wesley Collins and Eric Myers didn't just affect the past - it affected the future. One thousand years after they became Rangers, one person is still struggling against the corruption of Time Force and the heritage he never wanted.
Warnings/: People used for scientific experimentation, corrupted Time Force, character with self-image issues
Author's Notes/: This is most definitely one of my favorite chapters for this story so far. Alex is potentially OOC, but I believe it still works when you consider the plot and everything that's happening. So ... bring on the Alex Torture! -Grins maniacally-
The news reports that began to show up during the end of the week were sickening. Time Force proudly displaying the return of the long-lost Quantum Morpher, its Quantum Ranger, and the brave young man who had been chosen to use it. They played him up as a hero, someone hand-picked by Time Force to protect their city. Every interview had him standing quietly, solemnly, behind the podium as yet another Time Force officer went on and on about how much work had gone into the recovery of the morpher, how strong this new Ranger was, how proud of him they all were.
And the public was eating it up.
The Rangers were naturally suspicious. Lucas wanted to know why they'd brought out the Quantum Morpher *now*. Katie was worried about why they were making such a big production of it, and tended to go off on tangents about her newest theory. Jen watched the news avidly, studying every nuance of behavior from the officers being interviewed and Ben himself. What she was hoping to find, Alex wasn't really sure. Trip seemed to be more concerned about how they were going to be able to talk to Ben than anything, and Alex hadn't called the other three yet on the glances they would exchange whenever he brought it up.
All Alex could see was his brother, bright blue eyes closed off in a way they'd only been when they were being watched. His normally rumpled blond hair was now short and neat, something that didn't fit him at all. And his face ... he looked so young. How old was he now? He couldn't even remember how old they'd been when ... when Ben was ....
Was *he* really twenty-one now? The last time he'd seen Ben alive, they'd been the same age. And now his brother was so much younger than he was, looking closed off and proper in a way he never had. It wasn't right. Wasn't *Ben*.
Which was why he made sure the others were all sound asleep the night he snuck out of Jen's parents' house to find his brother.
****
It didn't escape his notice that no one had approached him the moment he set foot on Time Force property. No matter how careful he was, there was no way they didn't know he was here. Which meant they were waiting for him to find Ben.
Which meant there was something wrong, and Blakemore was gleefully waiting for him to see what it was.
He didn't care. He knew he should have, knew Jen and Trip, maybe even Katie and Lucas, would be furious with him for coming here at all, let alone walking into what was obviously some sort of trap. Some part of him even acknowledged that he should be scared of what he was going into. Blakemore was probably going to have him attacked the moment he was in range, and gloat over his success before shipping him off to some remote corner of Time Force where he'd only be allowed out of his cell in order to bring in criminals.
He sighed quietly to himself, shaking his head. Too much time with Trip and Katie. His imagination was working overtime on him.
The truth was that trap or no, there was one reason he was here, and one reason only: Ben. He'd already failed his brother once; he wasn't going to abandon him just because there was a possibility of getting hurt in the process. A high possibility, granted, but not enough to keep him away.
None of his passcodes had changed, and there were no locks to keep him away from any part of Time Force. Guards he passed merely nodded in acknowledgement, and he found himself wondering if they were being paid to keep their mouths shut, or just not aware that he really shouldn't be here. Blakemore never so much as showed himself, which set Alex more on edge than it probably should have.
His first stop was the training rooms, and he wasn't sure whether to be pleased or not that it was the right guess. A lone man was beating the stuffing out of a large punching bag, focused on his task with a determination that made Alex wonder if he'd even been noticed. The man's form was perfect, and he looked to be in fantastic shape. Odd, considering how Ben had looked the last time he'd seen him.
The ringing sound of the bag swinging back and forth stopped abruptly, and the young man turned to face him.
Time seemed to stop for a few minutes as Alex forgot how to breathe. His brother was standing in front of him. Whole and perfect, sweaty and breathing hard, blond hair tossed in every direction. His face was older than it should have been, his eyes harder, but he was *there*. He was *alive*.
He didn't remember what made him do it, didn't even remember moving, but suddenly they were directly in front of each other. Slowly, hesitantly, he reached out to touch the other's shoulder. It was solid under his fingers when he gripped it, and he swallowed hard, trying to blink back tears and failing. His hand trailed up to his face, tracing along that square jaw line as his eyes burned those bright crystal blue eyes into his memory all over again. "Ben," he choked out at last, his voice barely a whisper.
Something in Ben's eyes softened a little, and Alex threw his arms around him. Ben was shorter than he was now, just enough to make things awkward, but he didn't care. He squeezed him until it hurt, trying to keep in the sobs as he kissed the top of that blond head - something he'd never been able to do before. He whispered his brother's name over and over, rocking back and forth slowly as his eyes burned.
He didn't know how much time passed until he heard a surprisingly deep voice murmur "A, I can't breathe ... "
He released him immediately. "Sorry. I ... sorry," he muttered, feeling flustered. But his eyes fell on his brother's face again, and he found himself cupping it between his hands, pressing his forehead against the other boy's. All the words he wanted to say caught in his throat, and he pulled back just enough to place another kiss on Ben's head instead.
"Ugh." Ben made a face. "Freak much?"
The phrasing was odd, and it made him pull back a little more to stare at him. "What?"
"Since when are you so emotional?" Ben wanted to know, reaching up to scrub at his forehead where the last kiss had been placed.
He stared at him. "Since I just found out that my brother is still alive," he said softly. His voice cracked a little at the end, and he swallowed hard.
Ben frowned, glancing away. "I guess I can give you that," he sighed, but something in his tone still seemed off.
He blinked hard for a moment, reaching up to run a hand over Ben's head again. He tried to speak, swallowed, and shook his head. "I just ... I can't believe this. I thought you were ... "
Ben shrugged a little. "I never really was. They said they were just waiting for the day I was ready to wake up again. Once I did, they used this ... thing, and well ... " He took a step back, his expression brightening as he gestured to himself. "I mean, look at me! I'm all better!"
All better. Alex scrunched his eyes shut for a moment, willing the tears to go away. Is that what they call it now? "You look ... you look good," he managed at last, forcing a rather sickly smile to his face.
"Sorry." For a moment, Ben actually sounded a little guilty. "I guess this hasn't exactly been easy on you."
You think?!
"No," he said instead, after an awkward pause. "It hasn't."
There was another uncomfortable silence, and at last Ben managed a smile. "So ... Geez, look at you. How old are you now, anyway?"
"Twenty-one." He hesitated. "How ... how old are you?"
Ben scowled, folding his arms irritably. "Fifteen," he grumbled. "I go to sleep and wake up to find out my twin is six years older than me. That is so not fair."
"Fifteen?" Alex hesitated. "But ... you were - we were twelve when - "
"Yeah, apparently they aged me up a bit when they were healing me." Ben shrugged, unconcerned. "Something about side-effects for preteen Rangers."
"Side-effects for - " Alex cut himself off, staring at Ben in indignation. "What, *now* they care how old you are?!"
"Hey," Ben said sharply. "They were doing me a favor, okay?"
"A *favor*?" Alex gaped at him. "They're the ones who did it to you in the first place!"
"It wasn't their fault no one could predict the way the morpher would react - "
"Are you *kidding* me?!" His fists clenched until they ached as he struggled for control of his temper again. He took several deep breaths, trying to force himself to be calm. "Ben, they were *experimenting* on you. We were lab rats. They don't care about how the morphers affected us, they never have."
There was a long silence as Ben stared at him, at last letting out a slow sigh. "They said you might react like that," he said eventually.
He blinked. "What?"
Ben shook his head like he hadn't heard him. "I didn't want to believe it, but ... I guess they really did get to you."
He frowned. "Who got to me? What are you talking about?"
"The other Rangers," Ben said simply. "They've been brainwashing you into thinking Time Force is your enemy."
The world seemed to be closing in on him, his breath echoing harshly in his ears. "Ben, no," he heard himself whisper. His eyes felt wet. "Don't do this."
"I'm not doing anything, Alex." Ben was frowning at him now, and his eyes seemed to have closed off again. "You're the one who's acting weird."
"I ... I'm not - " He shook his head, closing his eyes again for a moment. "Ben. Time Force is the reason we suffered for so long. They're the reason you went into a coma for *nine years*. You can't ... you can't be choosing them over me."
"It's not their fault I was too weak!" Ben insisted. He shook his head, shoulders trembling. "It ... That doesn't matter anyway. I'm stronger now. I can handle it."
"It doesn't work like that, Ben!"
"Yes, it does! It has to!"
He flinched back, staring at his brother. "Ben ... Ben, *please*," he pleaded softly. "Don't ... don't leave me alone again."
Again something seemed to flicker for just a moment in the other's eyes, but it was gone before Alex could even try to identify it. "You don't need me, Alex," Ben muttered after a moment, almost too soft to be heard. "You're stronger than that. And you have the Rangers now."
Alex shook his head, feeling desperate. "They're not *you*! I only have one twin!"
Ben's jaw clenched briefly. "But you have another brother."
Great, they told him about Trip, he groaned silently. "He's not you," he reminded him.
A soft, bitter laugh escaped the teen. "But he's enough," he mumbled. He shook his head, at last looking up to meet Alex's eyes. "I'm not leaving Time Force, Alex," he said shortly. "They gave me my life back. They gave me ... *me*." His eyes flickered down to the morpher resting innocently on his left wrist before drifting back up. "And I'm not going to give that up. Not even for you."
His chest felt like it was being squeezed impossibly tight. "Ben ... " he whispered. "Ben, you don't know ... What if they hurt you again? What if they - "
"You should go," Ben cut in. His eyes were cold and hard now. "I don't want to have to call security on you, Alex."
He never calls me Alex. That was Trip's nickname, he realized distantly. "Ben, why are you doing this?"
"I'm doing what has to be done," Ben informed him. His eyes narrowed. "Now get out. Your team is probably waiting."
I don't care about my team! I care about *you*! he screamed silently. But there was no forgiveness in those eyes, and somehow he found himself nodding slowly. "Okay," he said softly.
He found himself stopping in the doorway to look back at where Ben had already turned to his punching bag again. "For whatever it might be worth ... I ... I'm so sorry," he choked out.
Ben paused briefly before attacking the bag again.
Alex closed his eyes and tried to keep himself from running from the building.
****
Jen was waiting for him on the front porch steps when he returned.
They stared at one another for several minutes. She didn't ask, didn't yell, and he didn't explain. But somehow he knew she already understood.
Then she held her arms out to him, and he collapsed to his knees, clinging desperately to her and burying his face in her lap as he cried.