SPD 2- “In My Father’s Shoes”
“OK Rangers, Mirloc has sent an alien to attack downtown. You have to get down there and stop him. Go, now.” Commander Tate said, “Wait, where is Cadet Tate?”
“Not…here sir.” Sage said.
“We haven’t seen him all day.” I added.
“Yeah, well we don’t have time to find him now.” Ava said.
“Let’s move!” Angie cried.
We took the SPD Jeep downtown and found the alien.
“Hey, ugly, stop right there.” I said.
“Nice one Bridget. Very intimidating.” Ava said.
“SPD? You really think you can stop me?” the alien asked.
“We’re sure gonna try.” Sage said.
“Let’s do it guys. Ready?” Angie asked.
“Ready!” we cried.
“SPD Emergency!”
“SPD 1, Red!”
“SPD 2, Blue!”
“SPD 4, Yellow!”
“SPD 5, Pink!”
“SPD 6, Purple!”
“Let’s take him down guys!” Angie said.
We fought the alien and weakened him
“Alright! Judge him!” Angie called.
“I got this one.” Sage said, “You are accused of disturbing the peace and conspiring to destroy the Earth. You are…guilty. Containment time.”
We contained the alien and reported back to SPD.
“Nice work Rangers.” Tate said, “Now will somebody please find Cadet Tate and have him report to me ASAP?”
“Yes sir!” we said as we took off in search of
I was searching the outside perimeter of SPD when I saw Skye walking up.
“Hey!” I waved.
“Bre, hey! What are you doing? Official SPD work?” she asked.
I nodded, “Yeah.
“What?
“Yeah. He wasn’t at training today, he didn’t answer a call to contain an alien…no one knows where he is.”
“Sometimes I wonder how that doof is my brother.” Skye sighed.
“You wanna help find him?”
“No, not really. I just came to see my dad.”
“Now may not be a good time.”
“Are you kidding? Now is the perfect time.
I laughed and shook my head. I wouldn’t know what that was like. Sage never messed up…if anyone messed up it was me.
Skye
~~~~
This was so great. I loved when
I walked into Daddy’s office.
“Daddy? Hey, hope I’m not interrupting.” I said sweetly.
“Hey baby girl. No, you’re not. I don’t suppose you’ve seen your brother today?”
“Not since breakfast. He doesn’t make a habit out of hanging out at my school.”
“Of course not. I just don’t know where he is. As his commander I’m furious, as his father I’m very concerned.”
“I’m sure
“I hope so. What’s up sweetie? How was school?”
“It was fine. I just wanted to come visit you. I didn’t have any homework today so I figured I could spend some time here. It looks like this is a bad time though.”
“A-squad Green is missing. It’s a little hectic.”
“You know
“You’re probably right.”
“I should let you get to work though. Is it ok if I ask Mom to take me shopping?”
“Yeah, sure…just don’t mention
I nodded, “Alright. Will you be home for dinner?”
“Don’t plan on it. I’m not leaving here until
“What about you?”
“I’ll eat here and if
“Alright. See you later Daddy.” I said as I went and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
“Love you Princess.”
“Love you too Daddy.”
See. Told you I could get something out of this.
Bridget
~~~~~~
I kept searching for
“
“Well, here I am.” He said softly, not looking up.
I went and sat next to him, “What’s wrong?”
“You try living up to the legacy of Sky Tate. He wasn’t just a great Ranger, he took over SPD!”
“You’re still sore about the Green Ranger thing?”
“Yes! Bridget, all my life all I ever wanted was to be like my dad…an ace pilot…a tactical expert…and Blue Ranger, later to be promoted to Red. When has a Green Ranger ever become Red? Angie and Sage would both have to quit or be promoted for me to have a chance.”
“Um, news flash, my dad started as Green and worked his way to Red.”
“Well…still!”
I sighed, “It’s not the end of the world.”
“You have no room to talk. You’re upholding your family legacy.”
“Purple Ranger? That’s a different kind of legacy. It’s required by bloodline…and it’s Sam’s legacy too and she’s Pink Ranger. You don’t see her complaining.”
“Because she didn’t want the legacy! Sam resents the Saturn Princess thing and you know it. I wanted my legacy! My grandfather was Red Ranger, my father worked his way to Red Ranger…what’s gonna happen to my kid? Will he be Yellow Ranger?!”
I sighed, “You’re making WAY too much of this. You’re a Power Ranger…you should be grateful. And Blue Ranger isn’t your legacy…Red Ranger is. Besides, the fact you’re a Ranger at all is carrying on your family legacy.”
“It’s not the same. Green isn’t Red…it’s not Blue. It’s…less than I deserve.”
“Obviously your father’s disagrees.”
“I can’t believe he gave Sage the Blue Ranger power.”
“Sage earned that and you know it.”
“Well, Sage can have it. I don’t want it…none of it.”
“Where are you going?” I asked.
“I don’t know. Some place that isn’t here. And you can tell my father I quit.” He handed me his Morpher and took off.
“
He was gone.
I sighed, this was just great.
~~~~~
After talking to Bridget I was really fired up. How dare my father do this to me! I deserved to be Blue Ranger! I wouldn’t stand for this. I marched myself into my father’s office.
“
“You can thank Bridget for finding me.” I replied.
“Noted.”
“We need to talk.”
“I should say so. You missed a battle. Your team mates had to cover for you in your absence. I expect more from my Rangers.”
“Oh, but I’m only Green Ranger. Why did you need me?”
“Dallas, no one Ranger is any more or less important. It’s a team effort. If you don’t know that then maybe you’re not ready to be a Ranger at all.”
“Oh, I’m ready. I’m beyond ready. You just jipped me. I deserve to be Blue Ranger. You owed me that!” I cried.
“Excuse me? Dallas Landon Tate, you are owed nothing. I was no more or less hard on you than any other cadet and you are owed nothing more than anyone else. I assigned Ranger Powers, with the exception of Bridget and Samantha, based solely on skill and dedication. If you want to know the truth it is your attitude that leads me to feel you’re not ready for a leadership role that Red or Blue requires.”
“Maybe if you looked at me as your son and not just as another cadet you’d see what I can do.”
“And maybe if you stopped looking at me as just your father and started to see me as your commander you’d realize you aren’t owed a damn thing. You walk around this academy like you’re somehow better than everyone else because your father is the base commander. You’re not any better. If you would start acting like a regular cadet and work to prove yourself like a normal cadet maybe you’d be Blue Ranger.” Dad countered.
“But…I’m your son.”
“I am aware…and that will never change…but when we walk onto academy grounds you are Cadet Tate and I treat you as such…however you refuse to stop treating me as ‘Dad’ and start treating me as Commander Tate.”
I looked down. Maybe he was right. “But I am a good cadet.”
“Yes, you are. You’re an amazing cadet. It’s why I chose you for Green Ranger. I just don’t feel you’re ready to be a leader…and as long as you have the attitude that you’re owed something you won’t be ready. As your father I would love to see you lead this team. Nothing would make me happier. As your commanding officer I realize that Sage and Angie are more prepared to lead this team at this time.”
I nodded, “I’m sorry.”
“It’s ok. I do understand. Honestly. It can’t be easy having your father as your commander but we have to find a balance for the sake of the team.”
“Agreed.”
“OK, so does that mean you’ll accept the role of Green Ranger?”
I nodded again, “Yes sir. I will be the best Green Ranger this academy has ever seen.”
“Good. I’m glad that is settled. Now, there is one more order of business…”
“Oh?” I asked.
“
“But this place has like 15 bathrooms.”
“15 for each gender. You’ll be cleaning the girls’ rooms too. That’s 30.”
“30 bathrooms?”
“Everyday for the next week…shower stalls too.”
“But I don’t even use the showers here.”
“And?”
“Do you have any idea how long it will take to clean 30 bathrooms everyday?”
“Let’s hope your fellow cadets are cleaner here than you are at home.”
“But…”
“Problem with your punishment
I sighed, “No sir.”
“Good, then you start tomorrow. You’re dismissed. Let’s go home. Your mother has to be worried sick by now.”
Dad and I went home. Sure enough Mom was worried sick. Skye was prancing around the living room showing off the new shoes she had talking Dad into letting her buy. Somehow every time I messed up Skye ended up with new shoes. After Mom went off on me about going AWOL then hugged the breath out of me I snuck up to my room and climbed out he window and lied down on the roof. I liked to look up at the stars. It was peaceful.
I was completely lost in my thoughts when I heard someone lie next to me.
“So I see you survived Uncle Sky’s wrath.” Bridget said.
I laughed, “Yeah. We’ll see if I survive his punishment.”
“Oh?”
“Cleaning all Academy bathrooms for the next week. That’s 30 in case you’ve never counted.”
“Oh, ouch.”
“Yeah…I guess I deserve it though.”
“You guess. No, you definitely deserve it.”
I made a face, “Thanks Bre.”
“Hey, it’s the truth. You were kinda being a jerk.”
“Yeah, I guess I was. Do you think the team will forgive me?”
“Yeah, I do. Well…everyone except Angie maybe.”
“She is kind of a hard case isn’t she?”
“Um, ya think? What’s her deal anyway?”
“She’s just…dedicated.”
“To a fault.”
“She’s good though.”
“She better be. She’s the Red Ranger.”
“Yeah…for now anyway.”
Bridget laughed, “Yeah.”
“I never did ask…how are you adjusting to life in New Tech?”
“I miss Reefside. I mean, it’s nice being around you, Skye, and my family…but I miss the rest of my family and my friends.”
“How much family do you have here anyway?”
“Not counting you and your family? Well, Sage of course and my cousins…Sam and Clarissa and my sister Kara.”
“What? I thought Kara was your cousin.”
Bridget laughed, “She is. She’s my sister too. Welcome to the thicket that is my family tree. It’s a really long story. I’ll tell you some other time.”
“Right…”
“So, you wanna go inside?”
“Not really. I want to look at the stars for a bit.”
“Want some company?”
I nodded, “Sure. I can live with that.”
Bridget smiled and we laid in silence looking at the stars.
So maybe Green Ranger isn’t what I had in mind…but Dad was right…I wasn’t owed anything…I’d work my way up…I’d earn it…I’d show everyone the kind of leader that Dallas Tate could really be.