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The Reluctant Ranger - Interlude Devon
🕑 Added 2024-11-09 07:59:38 +0000 UTCIt was difficult to remain a God fearing man in the modern world, made all the more so in the face of demons posing as invaders from the stars. He’d held firm, taken solace that God had sent chosen warriors to defend the people. He’d believed he lived in the end times, that he was destined for glorious purpose in God’s perfect plan.
That poor woman was going to die, and he was powerless to prevent it. So, he did what he could to protect the girl about to die in front of him all while frantically praying for salvation from the demons before him. Then he was chosen to be a Ranger, God’s chosen Paladin at that, and all his beliefs were solidified in one crystal clear moment.
Or at least, he thought it was. Now everything he believed was thrown into question. Was it some test that God was sending him? To allow two homosexual women to become Rangers defied his beliefs, but His plan was perfect…
God didn’t make mistakes, and Devon wasn’t one to question the divine will of his creator. He’d prayed and listened for any sort of guidance, and a news broadcast had drawn his eye. The remains of the machines they had fought were being stored by a corporation ahead of the Federal inspections, one that had a major fire just days earlier. It was worth looking into, and so he had morphed and gone to check out the location, because God would guide him.
Looking down from atop a building, he spied the storage area where the remains of the Mutant and machines were left in storage. Sinclair Industries had signs all across the area designating that it was a restricted area, yet that wasn’t stopping the group that was currently sorting through the salvage. There were two dozen people down below, but the ones that stood out were those wearing heavy cloaks with hoods.
“Confirmed blue band,” one of the figures stated.
They were holding up a severed arm of one of the machines, sheared at the shoulder roughly. Likely Grace’s work if Devon had to wager. The part was handed off to another worker who brought it over to a waiting truck. He knew his silver color would stand out against the clear night sky, yet there was little he could do about it.
The Mutant was almost completely stripped of flesh, the cybernetics within were all that remained of the hulking beast that had so easily swatted them aside. Each of those parts were being carefully harvested for unknown purposes.
Devon couldn’t help but think that Nicole would be far better suited to the work, and a pain blossomed in his chest thinking about the poor girl that was lost to her own sins. He knew that reaching out in kindness would only be met with resistance, he’d encountered it time and again in school.
Those thoughts wouldn’t help him in the moment, so he could only leave it in God’s hands. As if taunted by those very words one of the figures looked up and Devon was greeted by the visage of a yellow helm glaring up at him. A Ranger, and one he didn’t recognize from any of the teams he could find online.
The hooded cloak was thrown aside, revealing their uniform beneath. The make of the uniform was of a military styling, generic enough to not stand out, yet still striking in how it commanded attention. And all of it was directed at him. Four more cloaks were discarded, and a multitude of colors greeted him.
He was moving before he even realized it, jumping from one building to the next. Five against one were odds he didn’t want to face, not if he could help it. He didn’t have a phone to contact his team, and was hesitant to do so besides given the terms they parted on.
Devon didn’t dare look back, knowing the mystery Rangers were in pursuit. Their boots impacted gravel behind him, and he feared they would catch up. He was hardly the fastest among his team, Nicole held that honor for distance and Jeff for close quarters, yet he was still faster than Kayla and Grace could move over the rooftops.
He muttered a silent prayer to guide his feet as he continued his harried escape from the unknown threat. That was when the first flash of searingly bright light shot past him, the attack resembled his own blade beam enough to give him pause. This time he did look back, and each of the enemy Rangers held a rifle of some sort, wholly different from conventional design.
Whatever they were, he knew better than to risk using his barriers to defend against them. Strong as they could be, he had never tested them against a continuous assault from heavy energy attacks. Yet another weakness he needed to cover with the rest of his team the next time they trained together.
All of that was assuming he did manage to get away, even as he summoned his shield and affixed it to his back. His cape crumpled in closer, no longer flowing freely behind himself and it was well timed as a shot impacted the sturdy defensive weapon. He stumbled despite the bulk of the energy being dispersed by the suit and shield.
It was enough for the other Rangers to overtake him.
His sword appeared the moment he willed it, his shield flashed, already secured to his left arm as he gripped the blade with both hands. The five enemies surrounded him in an instant and Devon took a defensive stance that he’d been practicing. Each enemy Ranger kept their rifles on him with military precision. It was clear this wasn’t a group of random people brought together in a crisis, these Rangers had training far beyond what he had. Devon knew when he was outmatched, and only mercy would see him delivered from the situation.
“I don’t suppose we could talk this out?” He asked.
Yellow stepped forward, and it was only then that he realized that their leader was a woman. “That certainly depends. Do you intend to interfere with our operations?”
That brought him up short. Would they really let him go if he looked the other way? A small part of him knew that the rest of his team would have spat defiance, but he was pragmatic enough to know when he stood no chance.
“As long as you aren’t a threat to the people of this city,” Devon said, the words bitter on his tongue, “I can look the other way.”
Yellow’s helmet tilted as the person underneath regarded him for a moment as he continued to cast his mind for solutions. Silent prayers for deliverance came with them, but if this was his time, then there was nothing he could do about it.
“Then we have an arrangement, Silver Ranger,” Yellow said, raising an open hand into the air before closing it into a fist. The others lowered their weapons and moved into formation around their leader. “Keep to it or there will be consequences.”
The mysterious team then departed, retreating back across the rooftops. Devon waited until they were out of sight, then dropped to his knees, weapons vanishing into silver motes of light as he looked to the night sky, devoid of stars save the one claimed to be the Sylon’s ship. The star that would one day be ripped from the heavens in the final battles of the coming war.
“Thank you God, for delivering me once more.”
***
It was hard to believe that mere hours ago he had fought a running battle to escape from a group of Rangers out to silence him. They had no assurances, yet he knew they had some way of enforcing the terms of their agreement. It worried him, and so he had reached out to the only person he could confide in, the very woman that he had saved when the power came to him. She’d readily agreed to meet up with him at one of his favorite fast food place, though she’d been a bit of a temptress about it until he explained why he wanted to go over things in person.
“That is concerning,” she said with a frown. “Do you think we’re in danger?”
Devon shook his head. “Only if I act against them.”
“Then what’s the problem?” she asked. “Though, with the issues you’re having with your team, maybe you should consider moving to Kentucky and joining the Knight Rangers.”
He considered it, but despite the shared religious background he knew they would reject him the moment the morph was dropped. They rejected the core teachings to embrace hate, pretenders to the faith.
“You know why, Tiff,” Devon said.
“I told you, call me Nia,” she said, fluttering her eyes a bit. “Everyone calls me Nia.”
He smiled wistfully, it was fun to tease her a bit. “Yes, because there were two of you in the class and the nickname stuck.”
It was a cute story, one he enjoyed hearing from the girl he had saved. Most wouldn’t let a nickname follow them into adulthood, but Nia had owned it to the point she even changed her legal name once she became an adult.
“Don’t tell me you’re still hung up over those dykes,” Nia said with a huff.
“I’m just struggling to reconcile that I was chosen and so were they,” Devon admitted. “Why would God pick me alongside sinners like them?”
Nia huffed, shaking her head. “Does it matter? You’re a Paladin of God, hold your head high and know that it will be YOU that smites His chosen foes. Everyone knew that God’s enemies would pretend to be aliens, it’s right there in the scriptures.”
He’d heard the sermons, knew that she was right, yet some doubts were inevitable. Grace was a spectacular woman in all regards, yet she held tight to her sins, and unless he was reading things incorrectly, Nicole was much the same. Two mighty Rangers, warriors sent to defend humanity from the Enemy.
Lesbians, the both of them.
That wasn’t even discounting Jeff, who was all too eager to prove himself less of a man by singing along with girly stuff. He’d been proud of it, and none of the girls had admonished him. Why were so many willing to debase themselves and forget their roles? Was Jeff truly so childish? And what did it say about Kayla who seemed to approve of it?
Devon knew he was lucky to have Nia in his life, to help him work through his feelings. She had been there when he first transformed, watched it happen, and was keeping his secret. They had attended church together following the attack, and again over the afternoon. He was still dressed in his Sunday casual, a nice polo and khaki pants. Sure, he had a suit and tie, but that was a bit much for a normal service.
Oh how he had wished to stand up and declare himself one of God’s chosen before the whole congregation, to show how his faith was rewarded. Yet, he promised he wouldn’t and held his tongue as the others discussed what it would mean to be public Rangers. Devon had to admit that they had a point.
“I just worry,” Devon said, deflecting a bit.
Nia chuckled. “There’s nothing to worry about. Come what may, I’m confident you will prevail over every obstacle.”
If only he could believe the same. Nia hadn’t fought against the machines or the Mutants, and Devon knew that he hadn’t fought some of their worst monsters just yet. He’d poured over the footage of conflicts that led to Ranger deaths, and he had seen a glimpse of what the invaders could bring out if they truly wanted a team eliminated.
The image of the four-armed monster carving through Rangers like they were made of paper would haunt his nightmares for years to come. As much as Devon wanted to believe that he was special, an agent of God, that beast gave him pause. Worse, it had a name.
Commander Bartran, the mightiest the enemy could send to face them. It was little wonder the Church had adopted his likeness to represent all that opposed God. Only the White Ranger had ever managed to openly oppose him, and he had gone missing following the battle and many presumed the man dead.
“I hope so,” he said simply, returning his focus to his meal.
***
“Sometimes I forget just how degenerate this city can be,” Nia said, glaring at a passing pair of men.
Devon eyed them, wondering if they were a couple or not, unable to completely tell but he also didn’t want to start an argument with her. How could he when half his team seemed to play for the other side? Sure, he could leave, join one of the Ranger teams that fight in the name of God, but that would mean uprooting himself from his home.
He wasn’t sure he could do it.
“A true den of sin,” Nia continued, huffing as she looped her arm through his. “Perhaps you will be able to help change that once you’ve beaten back the enemy back into Hell.”
Doubtful, but through God anything was supposed to be possible.
Looking around the neighborhood, Devon wasn’t terribly impressed. Nia couldn’t afford the most lavish of areas and instead had an apartment downtown in St. Paul. He could see obvious gang members on street corners, tags designating that it wasn’t safe for good people to be out and about. Worse, he knew that his own skin color would make police think he was one of them.
They were watching them as they walked, and Devon couldn’t help but be nervous about the whole thing. Would one of them follow, thinking the pair to be an easy mark, or would they recognize the danger in attacking a random person? That first day after they gained their abilities, he had walked through the worst parts of the city, hoping someone would jump him.
Not one person had risked it.
Instead, Nicole went out and rescued people from a fire, setting an example that only brought him further shame now that he knew she lived in sin. She was selfless to a fault, and Grace had joined her the next day, making national news for helping save dozens of people from a high rise blaze that could have been so much worse without their help.
How could he compare to someone like that?
As if fate itself had been tempted, Devon caught sight of someone trailing behind them. He didn’t want to accuse them right away of following, yet his own instincts were telling him there was a danger in the air, a threat of coming violence. It was a familiar feeling, having hung in the air during the standoff with Maraline and persisted through the end of the battle with the mutant. It wasn’t until hours later that the feeling fully abated.
Did he warn Nia? Would she overreact and give away that he was aware of the coming threat? Would that dissuade those attempting something or only serve to encourage them? Devon knew that he would morph if it came down to it, Nia’s safety was more important than any of his secrets.
Carefully, he cast his eyes around him, watching for anything else amiss. If the guy was following them, others might be waiting for the opportune moment to strike. Nia’s purse would be the obvious target, as would their phones. His watch, that would be another target. There was no way anyone would realize it was more than a smart watch, but those were still worth money.
Carefully he pulled his own phone from his pocket and typed a quick message on it.
Nia, we’re being followed. Look offended and take my phone, put it in your purse then smack me.
He then held the device out, letting his girlfriend read the message.
“Ha, very funny,” Nia scoffed, then she looked up and noticed that his expression was stone cold. He caught the spark of fear blooming in her eyes as she took the phone with shaking hands and placed it in her purse. Absently she seemed to remember to smack him, but there was no force to it.
“Don’t worry,” Devon said, letting his hand brush over the watch that doubled as a morpher. “I won’t let any of them lay a hand on you.”
Nia was trembling as she nodded, her steps faltering even as he placed a steadying hand on her back. Up ahead he caught sight of three others, one of which was watching them intently. His eyes then flicked to the man behind them and the thug had the gall to smirk.
“Duck behind that car as soon as I take my hand away,” Devon said, glaring at the men ahead with unblinking determination. “Mind the silver flash.”
The lead thug stepped forward, reaching behind himself for a weapon and Devon withdrew his hand. Nia stumbled slightly, but dove for cover. The instant that he caught sight of the handgun, his fingers were already in place.
“Roll the Dice.”
Silver light bloomed and raw Power rushed through his veins even as his skin was coated in an armor that felt both thin and impenetrable. It was intoxicating and the closest thing he had felt to being in the presence of God. His sword flashed in hand, shield already affixed to his arm as he stood defiant in the face of the would-be muggers.
He fully expected the muggers to run at the sight of a Ranger, yet they didn’t even flinch. The one with the gun frowned for a moment, but otherwise didn’t show any signs of distress. Devon didn’t know what to make of it, but as long as Nia stayed out of the way then he wouldn’t need to break anyone while defending her.
“You know,” the man said, smirking. “I didn’t think it would be that easy to bait one of you, or to get a bite on our first casting.”
Devon only had a moment to process those words as a flash of blue rippled behind him. He turned sharply, and where their tail had been stood a Ranger in blue, their own uniform more of a military style jacket. Further flashes followed and his heart sank as he realized he’d been the one played. Four Rangers, all in mismatched uniforms stood around him, leaving him completely outnumbered.
A thud announced another arrival, and atop the car that hid his girlfriend, a Yellow Ranger stood up from her crouched landing.
“Silver of the Minneapolis Rangers,” a woman said, her voice distorted by the helmet. “It would seem we have business with you.”
Sweating under his helmet, Devon regarded the assembled Rangers and knew he was outmatched. If he tried to fight, there were good odds that Nia would get caught up in the struggle, and she didn’t have powers to fall back on.
“What is it you want?” Devon demanded.
Yellow shook her head. “Oh, it isn’t what we want, but rather, what you want. Tell me, Ranger, what is it that you seek from the power you have been given?”
The image of a crowd cheering for him flashed across his mind, the faithful recognizing him as one of the chosen of God. That had been his dream for the last five years, and yet, it somehow felt hollow now. He’d been shown what it meant to be a Ranger, to stand with the people, to fight against the Enemy. Much as he might disagree with Nicole’s lifestyle, he could still commend her ethics and the resolve she had that allowed her to stand up for them so resolutely.
He lifted his head, glaring as best he could from under the helmet. He let his conviction speak for him, borrowed as it might be, he still held it as his truth. “I want to help people.”
The Yellow Ranger stood for a moment, their form unnervingly still. He wondered if they would fight him, and he didn’t appreciate the odds that such a fight would mean for him. He could hope that Nia was on his phone contacting his team, but they hadn’t talked about what to do in a situation like this before.
The Yellow Ranger then moved, her head shaking slightly. “How disappointing.”
And just like that all five of the Rangers took off at a sprint in different directions, leaving him alone with a surprising lack of onlookers on the street. Not wanting to risk discovery, he quickly dropped his morph and hurried over to Nia’s side.
“Hey, it’s over, you’re safe,” Devon said, making sure to telegraph his movements enough that she wouldn’t startle as he put his hands on her shoulders. She still jumped at his touch, which hurt to see. “Shh, it’s okay. They’re gone.”
He pulled her close, looking around as he wondered just what he should do about the situation. If nothing else, he would need to talk to his team, which would mean addressing the entire mess of a situation. He wanted to stand firm against their sin, yet…
It would be a total betrayal of his team if he did so, and would leave the city vulnerable to the Sylan threat. He couldn’t do that, which meant he needed to swallow his pride and make peace with them despite his misgivings.
Devon would do just that, and perhaps he could prove himself enough of a paragon of humanity to win one of them over, to show them God’s light and love.
All he could do was pray for them, come what may.
