The Star Spangled Man With The Plan
Posted on Sat Jul 22nd, 2023 @ 5:42pm by Ciestra & Damien McGinnis
Edited on on Mon Aug 7th, 2023 @ 4:47pm
1,865 words; about a 9 minute read
Mission:
The Invasion
Location: GPF Press Room
Timeline: 0900 Hours, November 28th 2050
Damien paced up and down the green room of the GPF headquarters press center, his Ranger costume on, minus the helmet, which sat on the small coffee table with a jug of water and a pair of glasses. He felt less than comfortable here and honestly could think of nothing he wanted less than to be paraded in front of the world as some kind of mascot. It reminded him of an old Captain America movie with Chris… Something or other, the last name escaped him.
He took a seat on the gray sofa by the coffee table, pouring himself a glass of water and taking a sip. He was sweating. Honestly, he’d been less anxious when he’d been at the Megazord controls, and he was decidedly not a pilot. Still, at least he’d been guaranteed absolute privacy in the green room; outside of the Director, Malcolm, the Commandant and a few other people in GPF hierarchy, it had been decided that the identities of the Rangers was an absolutely need to know matter, and the majority of people didn’t need to know. It was kind of a relief; their identities being plastered over the press would only mean people they cared about, like his own father, would have targets painted on their backs. Still, he couldn’t help but feel anxious.
Ciestra walked the man pacing back and forth for a moment before she sat down herself. This was the least favorite part of her role; facing the media and knowing one wrong phrase or wording and they would eat her and everyone else for breakfast, dinner and tea. “If you pace a path in the floor, Red Ranger, people are going to be annoyed. Our media chief has spent a lot of time getting this center how he likes it..” She commented lightly seeing as no one else was speaking up.
“Easy for you to say.” Damien replied, downing the remainder of his water and pouring another glass “You’re not the one who's about to be paraded in front of the world as some kind of PR stunt. Why couldn’t it be Kilena you put in here? Or Spencer or Ellie or basically anyone else really. Or hey, if it has to be the Red Ranger, why couldn’t it be a dude in a mockup of the suit? That would have been great and then I’d not be sat here anxiously drinking water and worrying about how the hell I pee in the suit… Shit, I’d not even thought about that until right now…”
“You red rangers have made yourself the leader and you are now in the collective consciousness as that persona so there is no one else who can assist in calming that collective consciousness.” Ceistra said dryly as a well groomed man came into the room and nodded. It was time to go out there and face the media and more.
“You do not know me but I am Fraser Ashana. I am the media chief for Galactic Patrol Force. I will point to people and get them to ask questions. If they ask questions that are a risk to security I will reject them and move on. They are fully aware of what they can and cannot ask.” He explained. Fraser was an embodiment of sophisticated elegance. Standing at an impressive height, he possessed a strong, athletic build that exudes both confidence and approachability with would explain why at just over 30 years old he was the GPF media chief. His posture was impeccable, reflecting a sense of self-assurance and poise. With chiseled features, his angular jawline, high cheekbones, and a straight nose add a touch of rugged masculinity to his overall refined appearance.
“Cool.” Damien said with a sheepish smile as he picked up his helmet and put it on, saying as he stepped through the curtain towards flashing cameras “Showtime.”
Ciestra said nothing as followed behind the small group to the stage and the chairs that were there.
Damien waved slightly as he walked onto the stage, before taking his seat, sitting there and looking out over the sea of faces and cameras set up in front of the stage, waiting for someone to speak.
"Welcome esteemed members of the media, and valued citizens, thank you for gathering here today. As the dust settles after the intense battle that has unfolded and the occupation of a founder world, we stand before you to provide an account of the heroic events that transpired and why Power Rangers have been sanction in our laws again.” Fraser started standing at the podium. “We recognize the importance of keeping you informed, and we are grateful for your presence here as we shed light on the aftermath of this extraordinary encounter. With utmost gratitude and a sense of duty our Red Ranger is going to join us on stage and share their experiences and triumphs in the face of adversity..."
“Hi everybody.” Damien said sheepishly as he rose from his seat and walked towards the podium “I’m the Red Ranger and I’ll be your super hero today. So, I guess we’ll just open the floor straight up to questions?”
“Yes Lusius - Alliance News Network.” Frazer started pointing to an old looking man who barely reach three foot tall.
“Some critics argue that the Power Rangers' actions attract more powerful enemies to the city. How do you respond to such claims and maintain your dedication to protecting the people now that Rangers are no longer illegal?” A green tinged man asked from the back of the room as he was pointed to.
“Erm, yeah, I guess that’s true.” Damien shifted slightly, standing rigidly at attention “I guess we just try to make sure that, whatever we do, we try to remember that, while we’ve got these powers that make us pretty tough, most people don’t. First and foremost, we try to protect the people, and if more bad guys come out of the wood work while we do, we double down on our efforts.”
“Yes… Rosanna - London Times.”
“Hi Rosanna. Love the suit.” Damien said “What’s your question?”
“We noticed some civilians assisting during the final battle to regain control of Earth. How do you view the importance of the community's involvement in times of crisis?”
“Honestly?” Damien said, beginning to relax slightly as he leant forward, gripping the podium tightly before releasing at the sound of the metal beginning to buckle “Sorry… What was I saying? Right, the whole community involvement thing. At the end of the day, like I said, we’ve got these powers and other people don’t. As far as I’m concerned, that makes those people the real heroes here. I’m just a guy in… I’m told it’s not spandex, but I can’t remember the whole scientific explanation for the suit, sorry.”
“Are there any injuries among the team after the final battle?” Another media outlet asked quickly not giving much time to regroup thoughts.
“To answer that question would be to give any enemies who may see this insight into our current state, and that’d be a hell of a mistake from a strategic point of view.” Damien replied, pointing to another reporter with their hands up “Yeah, next question?”
“With the battle over, what are your plans moving forward? How are you preparing for when they try and return?”
“Again, that’d be kind of stupid of me to answer.” Damien said, chuckling slightly as he rubbed the back of his head “Now I’m not about to tell you who I am under here, but I’ve got a reputation as kind of a goofball and even I think it’d be silly to start telling you battle plans going forward, wouldn’t you agree?”
“Congratulations on your victory! Can you give us an overview of the battle and how you were able to overcome the enemy?”
“Teamwork. It’s kind of the Power Rangers’ whole deal.” Damien noted, resting his forearms on the slightly buckled podium “Since their first recorded appearance in Angel Grove in the 1990s, all the Power Rangers have done is embody a spirit of teamwork and cooperation that I hope my team can live up to going forward.”
“Many cities sustained some damage during the battle. How do you plan to assist with the recovery and rebuilding efforts?” A human asked. She had seen some of the damage and it had been a question that many people had been wondering.
“Anyway we can.” Damien said, sighing as he lamented “Unfortunately, due to the nature of what we do, I can’t commit to anything specific because honestly I can’t promise we’re not going to be called away for a giant robot deathmatch somewhere.”
“How are you handling the media attention and public scrutiny that comes with being superheroes?” A camera asked, revealing that the press conference was being broadcast in many places all at once.
“By not telling anyone who I’m dating at the moment.” Damien laughed slightly “Honestly, the whole reason I’m stood here in the helmet is to deal with that attention and scrutiny. I don’t know how many of you read comic books, but I grew up on them. My Grandpa had an old box of them he gave to my Dad who gave them to me. There was an old Spider-Man comic, Civil War. It involved Spidey revealing his secret identity, a decision that eventually led to his Aunt May, a character who was effectively his Mother, being shot by a sniper hired by one of his enemies. Hence we’re dealing with the attention and scrutiny by not inviting it into our private lives. Next question.”
“Many people are curious about the Kaldor Imperium motivations. Can you shed some light on why they chose this particular location and time for their attack?” A man asked who was covered in fur and spoke with a slight lisp.
“I could, but I’m afraid it’s classified.” Damien replied “Like if I tell you, I’m pretty sure I then spend the rest of this war in a jail cell and no one wants that.”
The fur covered man inclined his head and looked around at the many hands that were still up. It had been worth a try for his readers as Fraser came to the podium and took over again he sat back down. “I am sure there are many questions still to ask but the red rangers had answered enough that were requested not to be asked due to public safety. The courage, skills, and valour displayed by our team during this battle exemplify the essence of what it means to be a ranger and defend us and every other world under the alliance. If no one else has questions we can move on to asking the GPF Director questions.” He said firmly as the Director rose and joined him at the stand watching as a flurry of questions started for her own interrogation.
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