Ranger Adoption; G; Justin and Zack
So, I was thinking about Justin from Turbo and I realized that this poor kid didn't really have a team. He was sort of in the middle of two teams: What was left of Zeo and what would become Space. So, I figured that it would have to be hard on the kid and Akume in particular agreed. So, here's that fic I promised you a while ago, Akume!
Zack headed over to where the younger man was sitting alone. He wasn’t too surprised over it once he’d seen all of the teams reacting when the Red Rangers had returned from their mission to stop Serpentera. He’d been happy to see his old friends and former teammates as well as meet the newer Rangers. Though, to Zack, nearly everyone was a newer Ranger. Yet, everyone else had seemed to have a team to go to. Even Wes and Eric, while part of a broken team, seemed to blend in with Wild Force well enough. Not this young man, though. He didn’t seem to have a team.
It hadn’t take Zack long to realize that Turbo itself had been split directly into two teams: Zeo and Space. Turbo was a broken team in itself. It wasn’t really just one team, but two and unfortunately, that meant that the youngest member had been left alone. Zack sat down and stared out with him. “Want to talk about it?”
“No,” the other answered. Zack smiled a bit. He didn’t actually think it would be easy to talk to the seventeen-year-old.
“They have food,” he tried again. Justin just glared up at him. “And games.”
“Team based games,” he muttered. “I don’t have a team.”
Zack inwardly patted himself on the back for his good instinct. He glanced over to see the various teams again. “You know,” he mentioned casually. “We have two yellows anyway. And Billy wasn’t able to come.”
“So?” Justin asked in a sulk. Zack tried not to smile.
“So, we could use a Blue,” he answered. “And I don’t accept no for an answer.”
Justin glared up at him and then looked back out. “Stop.”
“Can’t,” Zack answered. He shrugged and grinned. “Not good at it. Come on, it’ll be fun.”
“I’m not an original Ranger,” Justin informed him. Zack looked thoughtful for a minute and then shrugged.
“You are now,” he decided. Justin couldn’t help himself from looking over at the first Black in surprise.
“What?” He asked and Zack grinned.
“You are now. I’m adopting you. Come on,” he answered.
“I don’t think it works that way,” Justin informed him. “What will your teammates say?”
“At first? They’ll tease me about strays or something,” he answered, brushing it off. “And then Kim will tell us how cute it is. Jason will just smile and shake his head in amusement. Trini will probably just smile and hand you some food. Aisha will probably get as excited over it as Kim.”
“They won’t be mad?” Justin asked and Zack shook his head.
“Nah,” he answered. “So, you coming?”
Justin picked himself up warily. “You sure about this?”
“Of course!” He answered happily. “Besides, we’re from a broken team too, you know. Other than Trini and I, the others have had other teammates. Jason was both Original and Zeo for a bit. Kim and Billy went through several teammates, Billy especially. Aisha even had Kat for a new teammate. Not like you though.”
“Yeah,” Justin answered. “Noticed.”
Zack paused and shrugged. “So, now you have two too. Turbo and Mighty Morphin’. Plus, no one else can say that they represent an entire team on their own. That’s unique.”
Justin looked at him, not sure what to think before he laughed. “Tommy was right. You are nuts.”
Zack paused and smiled at Justin. “Probably,” he agreed as he finally led him over. The others looked up and Zack’s smile turned into a grin. “Guys, this is Justin, the blue Turbo Ranger. I adopted him, okay?”
True to his word, the others started acting exactly as Zack had insisted they would. He stayed closer to Zack and the older Ranger frowned a bit. He’d definitely have to work on self-esteem issues with him. But after being abandoned so many times, he couldn’t blame the kid. “Thanks,” he heard Justin mutter softly and he nodded.
“No problem. You good?” Zack asked and at the tentative nod, Zack grinned. “Good. I’ll be right back.”
“Where are you going?” Justin asked.
“Oh, for a little walk. Nothing special,” Zack answered as he backed up, heading toward Zeo’s section. “Oh Tommy… is there something you’d like to tell me?”
Tommy took one look at Zack, another at Justin who was eating with the others, and bolted. Zack chased after. Justin blinked a few times and glanced at the others who seemed perfectly calm about it. “Is he always like this?”
“Nope,” Kim said with a grin. “Sometimes, he’s worse.”
Justin nodded at that and gave a tentative smile. He didn’t mind that. Big brothers were supposed to be insane after all from what he’d heard. He’d just gotten one that was slightly more crazy than most.
Zack headed over to where the younger man was sitting alone. He wasn’t too surprised over it once he’d seen all of the teams reacting when the Red Rangers had returned from their mission to stop Serpentera. He’d been happy to see his old friends and former teammates as well as meet the newer Rangers. Though, to Zack, nearly everyone was a newer Ranger. Yet, everyone else had seemed to have a team to go to. Even Wes and Eric, while part of a broken team, seemed to blend in with Wild Force well enough. Not this young man, though. He didn’t seem to have a team.
It hadn’t take Zack long to realize that Turbo itself had been split directly into two teams: Zeo and Space. Turbo was a broken team in itself. It wasn’t really just one team, but two and unfortunately, that meant that the youngest member had been left alone. Zack sat down and stared out with him. “Want to talk about it?”
“No,” the other answered. Zack smiled a bit. He didn’t actually think it would be easy to talk to the seventeen-year-old.
“They have food,” he tried again. Justin just glared up at him. “And games.”
“Team based games,” he muttered. “I don’t have a team.”
Zack inwardly patted himself on the back for his good instinct. He glanced over to see the various teams again. “You know,” he mentioned casually. “We have two yellows anyway. And Billy wasn’t able to come.”
“So?” Justin asked in a sulk. Zack tried not to smile.
“So, we could use a Blue,” he answered. “And I don’t accept no for an answer.”
Justin glared up at him and then looked back out. “Stop.”
“Can’t,” Zack answered. He shrugged and grinned. “Not good at it. Come on, it’ll be fun.”
“I’m not an original Ranger,” Justin informed him. Zack looked thoughtful for a minute and then shrugged.
“You are now,” he decided. Justin couldn’t help himself from looking over at the first Black in surprise.
“What?” He asked and Zack grinned.
“You are now. I’m adopting you. Come on,” he answered.
“I don’t think it works that way,” Justin informed him. “What will your teammates say?”
“At first? They’ll tease me about strays or something,” he answered, brushing it off. “And then Kim will tell us how cute it is. Jason will just smile and shake his head in amusement. Trini will probably just smile and hand you some food. Aisha will probably get as excited over it as Kim.”
“They won’t be mad?” Justin asked and Zack shook his head.
“Nah,” he answered. “So, you coming?”
Justin picked himself up warily. “You sure about this?”
“Of course!” He answered happily. “Besides, we’re from a broken team too, you know. Other than Trini and I, the others have had other teammates. Jason was both Original and Zeo for a bit. Kim and Billy went through several teammates, Billy especially. Aisha even had Kat for a new teammate. Not like you though.”
“Yeah,” Justin answered. “Noticed.”
Zack paused and shrugged. “So, now you have two too. Turbo and Mighty Morphin’. Plus, no one else can say that they represent an entire team on their own. That’s unique.”
Justin looked at him, not sure what to think before he laughed. “Tommy was right. You are nuts.”
Zack paused and smiled at Justin. “Probably,” he agreed as he finally led him over. The others looked up and Zack’s smile turned into a grin. “Guys, this is Justin, the blue Turbo Ranger. I adopted him, okay?”
True to his word, the others started acting exactly as Zack had insisted they would. He stayed closer to Zack and the older Ranger frowned a bit. He’d definitely have to work on self-esteem issues with him. But after being abandoned so many times, he couldn’t blame the kid. “Thanks,” he heard Justin mutter softly and he nodded.
“No problem. You good?” Zack asked and at the tentative nod, Zack grinned. “Good. I’ll be right back.”
“Where are you going?” Justin asked.
“Oh, for a little walk. Nothing special,” Zack answered as he backed up, heading toward Zeo’s section. “Oh Tommy… is there something you’d like to tell me?”
Tommy took one look at Zack, another at Justin who was eating with the others, and bolted. Zack chased after. Justin blinked a few times and glanced at the others who seemed perfectly calm about it. “Is he always like this?”
“Nope,” Kim said with a grin. “Sometimes, he’s worse.”
Justin nodded at that and gave a tentative smile. He didn’t mind that. Big brothers were supposed to be insane after all from what he’d heard. He’d just gotten one that was slightly more crazy than most.