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Chapter 1: Here We Go Again“- and it appears four brightly colored figures have come out of nowhere to fight this new threat while Supergirl continues to remain occupied in the Bay Area.”For a moment Maggie stood frozen, gaping at the TV in disbelief. There, for all the world to see, was an ongoing live stream of a battle happening near one of National City’s many public parks. The combatants appeared to be grunts composed of various plants and soils against four humanoid figures in monochrome suits of alien armor.Except Maggie knew that armor.Even if the coloring was slightly different and the designs changed every time, Maggie would recognize that armor anywhere.Any Ranger worth their title would.Power Rangers.A new team. In National City. Fighting on her turf. Suddenly the itchy feeling she'd been getting across her connection to the Grid the last few days made sense.She'd been able to sense the newest team's formation even if her connection was weak enough and far enough away she couldn't tell at the time what it was.The Indigo Ranger took a nasty hit and was sent flying off screen into the woods. Maggie winced in sympathy. She knew from experience just how painful those types of blows could be.“3 latte's for Maggie.”A bored voice snapped her from her thoughts. Moving forward Maggie retrieved her coffees from the teller and moved along. On the TV the news anchor commented on the sudden formation of a giant robot to fight an equally giant plant monster.Maggie didn't need to hear any more. She new the drill. The new kids would win.They didn't have any other option.It was nearly a week later and almost a dozen high schools into a list of fifteen based entirely on where the fighting took place that Maggie found them. This school was a stone's throw away from both a historical cemetery and one of the National Parks that edged up against National City. Plus there was an out of service subway line only a half mile away.Plenty of places people avoided on principle unless you were looking for somewhere to hide a secret facility.Maggie had spent the day following that initial news broadcast researching to see if there'd been any other fights she might have missed while distracted by the DEO or her girlfriends. When she found none, she didn't know if she was relieved or disappointed.They really were a baby team.Looking at them now from the cover of her squad car, Maggie couldn't help but reflect on her own Ranger days. Her teammates would probably laugh themselves silly when they heard what she was about to do.Not that they wouldn't do the same in her shoes.Still, she was a Red. And that meant taking care of your team. Even if they didn't know it, these new kids were already a part of her team.A glance at the kid in red told Maggie some stereotypes held true. But thankfully not all. Shorn brown hair on the sides with the top about an inch long and slicked sideways. Red Letterman's jacket slung over the back of the chair as she leaned forward, weight on her elbows listening to one of the others talk.To Red’s left was a broad shouldered kid wearing a yellow tank, a black smiley face centered on it. His skin was much darker than Maggie's own, his head completely shaved. With his hands thrown causally behind his head his posture screamed relaxed. Yet even across the street Maggie could see the tension in his frame.Opposite from Red was a bespeckled fellow in a smart forest green polo. This was the kid talking, explaining something from the way he was gesturing towards the table. A more lithe frame complemented the polo as well as the neatly trimmed haircut.The last kid was the one blocking Maggie's view of the table, and from this angle Maggie made no assumptions about their gender. A purple bandana hid any hair from view while a grey hoodie hid every defining feature beyond their tanned neck.Upon crossing the street Maggie was close enough she to feel the underlying buzz of the Grid picking up tempo.There was no doubt. These were the new kids.The four straightened up from their various positions around the picnic table at Maggie’s direct approach. Clearly at least one of them expected trouble. If they were anything like Maggie was when she'd first become a Ranger, they were all just waiting on the other shoe to drop.Subconsciously Maggie smoothed a hand over her shirt. She'd opted for a red button up herself, figuring it was better to approach in civilian clothes rather than in her detective uniform. Not that driving her squad car was very subtle. But as her bike was in the shop, she didn't have much other choice for transportation.When she was just out of arm’s reach away, Maggie stopped. Four sets of eyes were trained on her as they silently evaluated her reason for being there. Her own doubts about what she was doing reared their ugly head as she took in just how young the four looked.She forgot just how young high schoolers really were.Did they really need her help? Her extra baggage of dating two high ranking secret agents and being on first name basis with Supergirl? Would she even be able to help them? What did she know about mentoring kids anyways, what with her tragic past?Before her doubt could eat at her further one of them spoke.“Nice shirt there. You break out the collars every time you come to a park or is this time special?”Maggie fought back a groan. If Lucy found out about this she'd never let Maggie live it down.“As a matter of fact, my girlfriends quite like this shirt. They better since we got matching ones. Although they never quite understood why I insisted we each got certain colors. Then again, they also never had to go through what my team did. Never had to go through what you’re going through now.”The kids shifted in their seats. She could read the uncertainty in their body language, the mix of suspicion and confusion. Green was looking at her through narrowed eyes, evaluating her. Red was rather flummoxed, mouth opening and closing as she tried to think of a comeback and failed. Yellow and Indigo were at least attempting poker faces. Only Indigo was successful.After the silence dragged on longer than Maggie felt necessary, she sighed. Hands ended up shoved in her back pockets to keep from fidgeting - a twitch she'd thought she'd mastered by the time she left high school.It must be all the old memories making her antsy.Before she could decide what to say Indigo broke the silence. “Who the fuck are you?”Immediate cries of “Ace!” rang out from the kid’s teammates. Maggie couldn't help the small laugh that escaped at the paranoia.“Just somebody who has been in your shoes and thought they may be able to help. Rao knows my team needed all the help we could get.”They shifted again, exchanging glances.“Why should we believe you? Trust you? How'd you even find us?”Green’s tone was sharp, guarded. A little higher than Maggie expected. He watched like a hawk through his spectacles.It was Maggie's turn to shift her weight as she debated doing something she hadn't needed to do in a while. However, after meeting the eyes of everyone in the circle in front of her, she knew it was probably the quickest way to earn their trust.Taking a deep breath Maggie closed her eyes and mentally reached out for the Grid.The moment she made contact four sharp inhales came from the kids in front of her. Opening her eyes she saw that the items in the table she'd overlooked in favor of their wielders were glowing faintly. Four fangs of slightly different shape and design lay on the table, each tinted a different color. The red fang glowed slightly brighter and longer than the other three before they all returned to normal.Smiling softly Maggie couldn't stop the wave of nostalgia.“Call me Maggie. Detective Maggie Sawyer of the NCPD at your service.”The gaping expressions were totally worth the likely panicked messages from her team currently making her phone vibrate in her pocket.Maggie offered to buy them all lunch, as a chance for them to vet her and her to get to know them. And also to make sure they were getting enough food to eat. As much as Maggie tried not to think too much on her Ranger days, she'd always remember the gnawing hunger that came from being a high schooler with limited funds for food.It was as they were waiting on their food that her team got too impatient and called her. Well, Ethan called with Trent and Kira being joined in once she picked up. Excusing herself, Maggie stepped away to soothe her teams panic.“I'm fine, no need to worry.”“What happened?”“Of course we’re going to worry!”“Why'd you need to connect to the Grid anyways?”Maggie sighed softly before smiling, glancing at the booth. “I needed to verify my identity.”“Verify your-”“To who?”Trent started the question but Kira cut over him, a smirk coming across in her tone. Kira suspected something, and Maggie's hesitation was only encouraging her suspicion. Glancing at the four youth at the table, she caught the discrete glances in her direction as their food was delivered.Decision made with but a thought, Maggie pulled the phone away from her ear and pressed the button to switch to a video call. Immediately the faces of her team formed, a smile spreading across her lips at the sight of her old friends. It'd been a while since they'd all seen each other. Since they'd all been able to talk at the same time.Taking a deep breath to still her nerves, Maggie appraised her team. Satisfied they were all wearing their primary color in an obvious way, she returned to the table. For once her team stayed quiet while waiting to see what she was doing. Retaking her seat Maggie held her phone next to her, screen facing the kids.“Everyone, these are the new kids. New kids, meet my team.”For a moment there was silence as both groups gaped in surprise. Then Kira’s voice came through the phone speaker. She promptly ruined any aloofness Maggie had tried to build with her heckling. A heckling Trent and Ethan readily joined in on.“I knew it! Only you, Mags, would be crazy enough to go track them down!”“You crazy Red you. Please tell me you're not going to go all Dr. O on them.”“What's this Sawyer? I thought you agreed with your girls about not having any kids?”Maggie's cheeks lit up a faint red as she buried her face in her free hand and groaned.“Why do I put up with you fools?”“Aww come on Mags, you know you love us.” She could hear Trent's grin without even needing to look at her phone.“Now,” Kira said in her professional voice, causing Maggie to roll her eyes just as the males of her team likely were, “introduce us properly! What are everyone's names, zord animals, hobbies. Fill us in!”Having unburied her head during Kira’s demand, Maggie’s 'oops’ expression was clear to see.“Oh come on Sawyer! You don't even know their names yet! What did you do, just walk up and offer to feed them?”“She did, actually.”The cool voice if the Indigo Ranger cut through the banter. A quiet descended over the table for a moment before Ethan sighed.“Well come on you useless Red, ask them.”Maggie grinned sheepishly at the four kids. Before she could open her mouth, however, the kid’s Red beat her to it.“I'm Rachel. This is Yugi, Greg, and Ace. We’re the Mountain Storm Rangers.”Maggie nodded at Rachel in thanks before introducing her team.“You already met me. That's Kira with the yellow sun hat, Trent in the white tank top, and Ethan with the blue jean jacket. We also had Dr. Tommy Oliver as our mentor and Black Ranger on occasion. Collectively we were the Dino Thunder Rangers.”A chorus if hellos and nice-to-meet-yous followed.In the end the two teams spent over an hour chatting while Maggie and the new kids ate. An incoming call from Alex reluctantly brought the conversation to a close. Maggie let the first call go to voicemail as the two groups said goodbye before answering the second. Knowing it could be work related she once again excused herself from the table to take the call.“Sawyer.”“Hey sexy, how's your shift going? We miss you.”“I checked ABC and they’re marathoning Despicable Me tonight. We know you’ve been dying to see the sequel. Wanna make it a date night?”A flush rose up the back of Maggie's neck as she realized what this was. Alex was likely eating lunch with Lucy and they'd decided to call together. The flush climbed higher when Maggie glanced back at the table and saw four sets of eyes watching her with mixed expressions of amusement and interest.“Babes not right now. I'm out for a volunteering project with some high schoolers. I'm off duty at 5, you know this.”Maggie resisted rolling her eyes at the end but it was a near thing. She always appreciated them checking in with her to see if anything had changed. It was just occasions when they decided to be flirty and she was in public that she had issues with.A snort sounded over the phone.“High schoolers? Mags what did we decide about kids?”This time Maggie did roll her eyes.“Really Luce? I'm not adopting them, despite popular opinion. It's just a mentorship program.”“Really?” Alex, bless her, actually sounded genuinely interested, “any chance we can meet them at some point?”Eyeing the four from the corner of her eye, Maggie smiled softly. The teens had returned to amusing themselves, only occasionally glancing back in her direction. Maggie could only hope their conversation had turned to lighter topics than the pressure of being Rangers.“Yeah, I'd like that. Today's only the first day though, so probably not for a little while. Give me some time to get to know them before introducing them to you two crazies.”A smirk graced Maggie's lips at the twin protests. They talked a little longer, catching up on each other's days so far before Maggie hung up. Returning to the table she couldn't help the slight blush when four knowing smirks were directed at her.“So, girlfriends huh? Seems like Red does mean Romance.” Rachel looked way to pleased with herself as she wiggled her eyebrows.Maggie blushed, stammering as though she was back in high school herself, “Oh-Kay. The colors do have meaning but not like THAT.”The teens exchange triumphant smirks with each other at Maggie’s expense. No further comments were made, but several pointed looks were directed at Maggie’s growing blush. Internally she fought a groan. There was a reason she didn’t deal much with kids.
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Chapter 2: Important LessonsFor the next several weeks Maggie continued to meet with the rookie team at the same park or nearby. Some things were told to her willingly. Others, well, she was a detective for a reason.Ace being non-binary was told to her along with the request to use they/them pronouns. Maggie made a mental note to invite Vaz at some point after learning that.Greg being trans was something Maggie figured out for herself, something she was sure the kids wouldn’t tell her unless absolutely necessary. She understood though. She’d spent enough time at shelters to have no excuse for not understanding.Discovering that Rachel had issues at home was more of an accident than them intentionally telling her. It was also when the teens finally trusted her with contact information. Phone numbers and addresses. She’d given them hers the second time they met. The only reason she waited that long was to teach them how to recognize the presence of someone connected to the Grid first.Yugi having issues with both school and bullies was a mix of her detecting and him telling her privately. She’d been formally setting up the mentorship program between her Precinct and their school when she followed the sound of fighting and the Grid to him. When she asked, after, he admitted the bullying was mostly centered around his learning disability and his heritage. He also claimed the bullying was getting better now that the others were spending more time with him.Maggie wanted to believe him, she did, but she also knew what it was like to not want to burden others with her issues.She knew what it was like to think she didn’t deserve help or support.Nearly two months after meeting them Maggie was finally invited to their lair.The fight that day had been bad. Really bad.Yugi met her at the park, at the table where she first approached them. They’d told her just the other week that was also where they’d first met - right before the first fight and the day they transformed for the first time.He led her through the park to a small service building then beyond that to a small clearing near the base of the first mountain. It made sense, she couldn’t help but think, that the base would be hidden in the mountain. Angel Grove’s was after all.By the time they made it to the others, though, Maggie was mentally cursing the need for hiding bases in the middle of nowhere.Ace and Greg were finishing patching each other up. Rachel lay unmoving in the single cot shoved in the corner. The sloppily done bandage around her head told Maggie exactly how bad that hit to the head during the fight had been. Red instinct having driven Rachel to jump in the way of a blow meant for a teammate.Years of training kicked in and Maggie immediately switched from sort-of-friend and mentor to professional with formal training.“What are your injuries and what treatment has been given? Start with Rachel.”There was no please. There was no time or reason for one. She was the expert here. She had the authority to help. They knew that or they wouldn’t have asked her here. If they didn’t they were certainly about to learn it.There was a pause of surprise before Greg started to rattle off everything he knew.Maggie nodded along as he spoke. Occasionally she’d ask questions but mostly she just listened as his listing of injuries became a recount of the fight itself and their perspective of it. The other two chimed in periodically but for the most part they just let Greg talk.The mood was much too somber for any playful banter over the order of events.Wrapping the final part of a bandage around Rachel’s head, Maggie did her best not to show what she was thinking. It was far easier than it probably should be. Motioning at Yugi, she had him prop Rachel up slightly as she dug around in her bag for the high-level pain medication she’d brought.It was the silence that informed her of the completion of the story.That same silence let her hear their quiet shuffling as they waited for a response.Carefully Maggie shook Rachel’s shoulder. She could have let the girl sleep and made her swallow the meds while she was out, but Maggie wanted her to hear this too. Once Rachel had taken the meds Maggie stepped back, away from the teens so that she could see them all. Rachel was groggy but Yugi understood he was to keep her awake for this part.Taking a deep breath, Maggie counted to seven before letting it out. Once she felt ready she opened her eyes and spoke. It was a lesson she’d hoped they’d be able to avoid.“Today you learned a valuable lesson. Sometimes you don't win. Sometimes you barely escape with all your lives and sanity intact. Sometimes you don't even manage that.”Maggie paused to take in their expressions.“At least one of you will be kidnapped. There’s a good chance someone gets mind controlled before all this is over. One of you may even die. If that happens we’ll do everything we can to bring you back, but... there's no guarantee we can. Trust in the Grid. When all seems hopeless that's really all you have left.“Some Rangers will tell you that attachments are an unacceptable risk. That to have an attachment is to risk exposure. To risk exposing the Rangers to civilians. To risk giving the enemy a weakness to exploit. You already know my situation. Attachments are what gives you a reason to survive unbearable odds. Attachments are what give you a reason to come home.“I know you don’t all have the best home life. I know I didn’t when I was in your shoes. Some days it seemed like this wasn’t worth it. I was lucky. When I got kicked out of my home and thought there was no reason to go on my aunt gave me a new home. My team gave me a new home. Now, you are also my team. So I hope you remember that the next time you find yourselves in a fight as bad as this one.”Maggie met each of their eyes when she was done. Once she was certain they got the message, she sighed and pulled forward the duffel she’d dropped in the corner upon arriving. Turning she headed for the exit. Just before the door closed Maggie called back over her shoulder another direction.“Get cleaned up. I'll be back in an hour with food.”Silence echoed behind her.It took her longer than an hour, but she messaged the group chat that she got held up.Lucy had noticed the raided first aid kit and emergency supplies.Alex had rerouted on her way home to check on Maggie at the Precinct only to learn Maggie wasn’t there.It took quite a bit of convincing for her to get them both to stay home, to not come rushing over to help her care for the teens after a story about bullies and concussions and friends standing up for friends. Her girlfriends really were some of the softest most caring souls. Maggie had every intention of showing them just how thankful she was that they cared about her side projects even if she wasn’t allowing them to help.But that would have to wait until after Maggie had a talk with a certain team mentor she had yet to meet.Dropping off the stack of pizzas and bags of takeout that rivaled one of Kara’s orders, Maggie marched further down the hallway.There’d been only one other door to the first room of the base and Maggie was pleased to see that she only had to walk through two more rooms and down a hallway to find what she was looking for.The control room.Or at least, the room in which the mentor lived given this team had a non-human Grid mentor.The large, oval room was quite impressive at first glance. A large mural took up most of the wall opposite the door.The scene depicted looked like one found in nature magazines, all lush forests and strong mountains with several different types of animals visible. The details were impressive for all it was carved out of the very stone that made up this base.Spinning to look at the wall in which the door sat, Maggie found the evidence that this was, indeed, the room she needed.The back wall had two carvings on each side of the door.A bear.A fox.A hawk.A panther.Situated as though in the paws - or talons - of each animal was a small indent the size of the fangs each team member carried with them.A fifth carving watched her from its perch above the door. This one, however, moved when Maggie looked at it.“ Who are you? ”Although there was no visible source, Maggie heard the voice all the same. Carefully she watched the carving for further movement. When nothing happened she decided to play along until it was her turn to ask the questions.“Maggie Sawyer. A friend. A mentor. Who are you?”“Asking questions already? You Reds’, always straight to the point. ”“I’m retired.”“Ah. But see, that’s where you are wrong little Red. You can never truly retire. Not from the Ranger Corps. Not from the Grid.” This time as the voice spoke Maggie couldn’t help but feel her breath catch. The carving moved, blatantly this time, as though stretching after a long nap. Strutting was the best word for the way it moved across the space at the top of the wall until it settled in the center of the mural. The animal carving would have blended in perfectly as part of the picture if not for the swaying tail hanging off the side of the mountain cliff.“So, you are their mentor then?”“In a sense. I am as much their mentor as the four spirits carved behind you are. We are here to serve, to protect just as you are. We are merely... bound... in other ways. ”Maggie felt her pulse speed up. This conversation was heading in a direction she was really, really not liking.“You-” Maggie stopped, reevaluated her words and her life choices. “You want to elaborate any further on that?”The carving seemed to purr in amusement, or as much as an echo through the grid could purr.“Oh little Red. I cannot wait to work with you more. ”Maggie swallowed her next question. She wasn’t ready for the answer. Nodding more to herself than to the carving, she pivoted to leave.“Right. Thanks for the information. I’m going to go check on the kids.”“When you are ready, I will answer. ”Maggie didn’t look back, but she could feel that ridiculous purr echoing through her connection as she walked back to the others. Thankfully it seemed to fade the further towards the surface she went.Overall, Maggie’s rather low expectations were actually surpassed. Although considering she had the walking rainbow of a disaster known as Dr. Oliver as her mentor, finding that out was actually a relief.She really, really hoped she didn’t turn out like him by the end of this.
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Chapter 3: AdjustingMaggie dived behind a car to dodge another rock the size of her torso. She just knew her team was going to skin her alive. That, of course, was dependent on her girlfriends not killing her first for bailing on their lunch date to go fight monsters she wasn’t supposed to even be near.It was also dependent on a certain caped wonder not getting it into her head to come join the fight.Thankfully over the last several fights Supergirl had been otherwise occupied or unavailable, but Maggie knew it was only a matter of time before Kara tried to ‘help’. Although thinking of Kara ‘helping’ still left a bitter taste in Maggie’s mouth, she knew the super meant well.Kara just needed a firm reality check every now and then to bring her back to Earth.A reality check Maggie had been preparing the new kids to be able to give.A warning from the Grid had Maggie moving again. Moments later the car she’d hidden behind was sent rocketing off the curb and into the building behind it by the Green Ranger’s body.Seeing two minions coming towards the still stunned Ranger, Maggie intercepted. She’d have bruises from this, but the content hum running through her veins meant she didn’t even notice as she located the gem in the minion’s torso and swung. Before that one had finished breaking apart she was blocking blows from the second and aiming a kick straight to the focal point.If in that moment she had a sharper connection to the four Rangers around her than before, she ignored it.“Find the focal point on the little guys and it’s easier to destroy them.”Greg nodded and Maggie could feel the echo of awe coming through the Grid. She ignored the increased awareness just as she ignored the soft purrr echoing in the back of her mind.Instead she ran off to help another stranded civilian while Greg rejoined his team in time for the boss to arrive.Later she’d pause while she changed after breathlessly apologizing to her girls and being fussed over in their worry. Later she’d wonder at how small and faint the bruises she received were. Later she’d try not to think about her healing rate increasing, her strength increasing, her appetite increasing, and just what it all meant.Later she’d realize she already knew the answer to the question she wasn’t ready to ask.“Do the kids know?” The words were spoken before Maggie finished clearing the threshold. Her ca- the final carving looking up from where it lounged on its back in the grassy section of the mural.A pulse of amusement and patience echoed through her connection to the Grid. Maggie rolled her eyes and elaborated. “Do the kids know that the voices they hear in their Zords are represented on these walls?”“In a sense, yes. They were told the spirit of their respective bond would guide them as they fought. Are they aware said spirit is more? Perhaps. If they asked the right questions. ”Maggie growled slightly in annoyance before reminding herself to relax. There was still time. There was no pressure. Her Dino Gem was still with her, still connected to her even if the connection was slowly becoming secondary to whatever this was.No sound came through the Grid but Maggie could tell it was watching her. Studying her. She paced and it allowed her time to gather her thoughts.“What do I call you?”A pleased purrr with a smidge of surprise. Good.“Soulfire. It is the closest translation in your language. ”Maggie nodded, opened her mouth to respond only to stop at the sound of her phone ringing. She checked it to see a call from Lucy. Right. Twelve o clock.She ignored the call and sent a quick auto response - in meeting will call back - before a shift in her connection had her look up.Soulfire watched her with serious eyes, no longer laying about but sitting proper. Intimidating if Maggie had been anyone else and hadn't had to tame raptors at the age of 18.“Do not fear little Ranger. You will find no condemnation from me. They are our strength. Our anchor. Our Pride. You will see. ”Maggie held its gaze for a moment before she turned and left to call her girls. If the teens promised to behave and stick to a cover story she may even put them on speaker.She had every intention of never finding out what Soulfire meant by that. Unfortunately, past experience told her she likely wouldn't have a choice in the matter.
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Chapter 4: Keeping CoverMore and more of Maggie’s time was spent with the teens. She had proven herself to them, both in knowing their secret and in holding her own on a battlefield without morphing. In turn the teens began to show her more of themselves, more of their dreams and fears, more of the world how they saw it.Every time she met with them she became more and more their official mentor rather than the local help she’d originally intended to be.Needless to say, she was becoming very attached.Which meant she couldn’t help but be worried over the DEO trying to locate the team. The first conversation Alex and Lucy had brought her in on had established the fact that the DEO realized they were staying for good. At that point the team had been seen fighting in National City’s parks and around the nearby mountain range for several weeks. From there the conversations diverged into what parameters to include when it came to trying to identify these potential rangers.Some of the parameters were hilarious.Some of them were a little too accurate for Maggie’s comfort.So she.. contributed.Their biggest mistake was they were looking for adults. But the rest of the suggestions had actual potential based on known Ranger skills. People with weapons training, hand to hand training. People with contact to combat exposing organizations - both legal and illegal. People who’ve had past contact with Rangers or lived in known Ranger regions.Maggie happily contributed people with conceal-carry and open-carry licenses. People with renowned motorcycle handling skills and those with training for large vehicles like tractors and eighteen wheelers.She even threw in the idea to look for active environmentalists, since the team was named for the nearby mountains.For a while it seemed the DEO was so busy chasing down leads that they were getting nowhere. Until an unexpected consequence came to light, one Maggie really should have seen coming considering how brilliant her girlfriends were.Maggie got home first. She set her stuff down, turn on the news and checked her phone. She had a text from her girlfriends saying work ran late, but they'd be home soon, and they were bringing takeout. Maggie decided to set the table while she waited.Once Alex and Lucy got home the trio were quick to settle down for food. For several minutes the only sound was chewing, before enough food had been consumed that conversation could begin.When Maggie asked about their day, Alex immediately groaned. Lucy rolled her eyes but she was clearly holding back an amused smirk."Uh... everything okay?""Yeah. Fine. Just those stupid Power Rangers, making my life complicated." Maggie raised her eyebrow and looked to Lucy for an explanation."What Alex is probably trying to say is that she and Winn came up with a new script that uses all the data we've been collecting to point out the Power Rangers to us."Maggie’s gut churned a little but - due to Alex's clear frustration - she wasn't too worried when she spoke, "Well, that sounds like a good thing. A fast way to discover the Power Rangers identities. So why does Alex look that frustrated?""Because," Alex responded, "this program is supposed to come up with Power Ranger suspects, and then rate them from most likely to least likely of being a Ranger, all based on their background and on how many of our parameters they fit.""Okay… what's the problem?""The problem is that this thing came up with dozens of suspects, yet didn’t rate any of them as more than 38% likely to be a Power Ranger, with the only exception of its first suspect, which ranked as 97% likely to be a Power Ranger.""97%!? Wow! Who is it?""You."Maggie's mouth dropped open. Lucy mistook her reaction for disbelief and busted out laughing.Alex just groaned and buried her head in her hands. "I know. It's ridiculous."Lucy snorted, "C'mon Danvers, your sister is Supergirl. You know secret identities are a thing. How can you be sure that our girlfriend isn’t moonlighting as one of Earth's most colorful protectors?""Rule number one of secret identities Lane," Alex snapped, "we have seen Maggie with us while able to account for all of them.""I mean," Maggie said, deciding to just roll with it, "you guys do know I'm friends with M’gann, right?"Lucy snorted before breaking out into a fit of laughter. Alex just glared at her. Maggie knew if her team ever found out about this they'd never let her live it down. She honestly couldn’t decide if the teasing would be worth sharing the craziness that just happened.Alex’s script may be onto something, and not in a good way.
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Chapter 5: RevelationsFrom the moment the team had been formed Maggie knew Supergirl would try to contact them, to join them during their fights. Kara was just so eager to help, so sure of her own strength that Maggie knew it would be hard for Kara to accept that her help wasn’t wanted. That her helping could, in fact, do more harm than good.Thankfully, a combination of several different factors kept Supergirl from showing up at a Ranger fight for several months. Simultaneous battles, Kara’s day job, the speed at which some Ranger battles happened and even sheer luck all played a role.But Maggie - and the rest of the team - knew luck didn’t last.The fact that Maggie wasn’t there herself when it happened was both a relief and a terror. Maggie had talked with the kids, coached them on logic and examples and history for them to use to show Kara just why she needed to let them handle the Power Ranger related fights just as they let her handle the other fights. To explain how she could help in small ways if she refused to leave completely. But to also emphasize how important it was that she stay out of the actual fight.Even if it looked like they were losing.Win or lose they had to do it on their own, without her help.Kara, in her stubbornness, took some convincing.In the end it took a monster reforming around Kara's fist to get her to hear what the Ranger’s were saying. It took a Ranger doing the exact same move without the monster reforming for her to believe them.However, just because Kara listened didn't mean she was happy about it.In the following weeks Maggie regularly heard her complaining to Alex about not being able to help. Maggie reminded her that the cops often wished she would leave them to their job as well, they just didn't have super powers of their own to stand on equal footing with her.Kara, predictably, wasn’t too happy about that either. Still, it did have the desired effect of her cutting the complaining a little whenever Maggie was around.Maggie figured that was the best she would get.Maggie arrived at game night with a mix of trepidation and relief. She was running late due to a case that ran long. Arms full of extra snacks and alcohol, she was extremely grateful to the kind soul who opened the door on her first knock. However, only a few steps inside had her almost regretted coming at all.The subject of debate was once again the newest Power Rangers.With a groan she headed for the kitchen area. Alex could bemoan their lack of progress all she wanted to Winn and Lucy’s sympathetic ears, Maggie wanted no part in it. A thud signaled the closing of the door before another pair of hands reached out to grab some of the bags.Glancing over Maggie saw it was Vaz. A grateful smile accompanied the release of some of her burden and together the pair began to unpack the fresh snacks. Beers and wine immediately went into the fridge as did the veggie platter and the meats and cheeses. Crackers and the other non-perishables were left on the counter as glasses and plates were pulled from the cupboards.Alex had bemoaned the change from pizza and takeout to healthy options at first, but Kara would eat anything and Lucy firmly supported having healthy snacks. Out maneuvered, Alex had begrudgingly accepted, the rest of the gang falling in line behind her.Now as Maggie and Vaz worked to prep the food, Maggie couldn’t be more relieved for an excuse not to join the conversation in the main area.A particularly loud groan and soft thud signaled Alex exclaiming defeat, likely collapsing onto the couch and Lucy’s lap as Maggie had seen her do dozens of times before. It was the comment loud enough to be heard across the room that had Maggie stiffening ever so slightly.“It just doesn’t make sense. How can people with so many qualifications just fly under the radar? They would have had to learn it all somewhere in order to do what they do as Rangers.”“Babe you’ve been trying to figure this out for months. It’ll be there tomorrow, let’s talk about something else tonight okay?”Maggie tuned out the rest of Lucy’s efforts to distract Alex and focused instead on controlling her heart-rate and her breathing. Just because Kara wasn’t there right now didn’t mean the superheroine wasn’t listening from whichever quick rescue mission she’d likely sailed off to before coming over.“It’s simple really.” A soft voice next to her had her jumping, hands reflexively going for weapons not currently in reach.“Wha-?”“It’s simple.” Vaz stared Maggie dead in the eye as they spoke, their voice barely above a whisper, “The Rangers don’t have the certs yet. No high schooler has that much training when they start.”For a moment Maggie could swear her heart stopped even as her knuckles clenched into fists. Her fight-flight-freeze instinct kicked in automatically at a perceived threat, long term friend or not.Maggie had seen too many friends mind-controlled to react any differently.“Relax. I’m not going to tell them that their entire algorithm is useless.”Deep breath. Inhale through the nose, exhale through the mouth.“How long?”“A week. How’s that mentorship program going?”The blood in Maggie’s veins froze, her glare taking on a lethal tint. Vaz raised their hands in caution, glancing around to make sure no one had noticed them yet.“Chill mama bear, I’m a friend remember?”Maggie held their gaze a few more seconds before closing her eyes and forcing herself to begin calming down. Reacting too strongly would only draw the attention of the others, well within hearing distance. Even still, she couldn’t help the annoyed mutter that escaped her lips.“I’m not a bear.”“Uh-huh. Then what are you? Cuz the silver seeping out just a bit ago was definitely something.”Maggie’s eyes flew open. This time when she gaped at Vaz, there was no immediate defensive reaction, only pure surprise.“Sil-silver?”“Yup. And I know that isn’t one of the current four so-”“Hey! Are you two going to finish getting the snacks ready or do we need to come help you?”Once again Maggie found herself tensed for conflict. Vaz immediately held a calming hand up at their waists, hidden from the others by the center island. Shifting slightly to look past Maggie, Vaz called the answer for both of them.“Don’t worry ma’am, foods almost ready. We were delayed since we couldn’t hear ourselves think over the sound of your stomach.”A roar of laughter followed Vaz’s comment.Tension broken the two dropped the topic and finished prepping the food. Now that attention was back on them, it wouldn’t do to try and continue it. Still, Maggie couldn’t help but wonder what Vaz had seen that was silver.
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Chapter 6: History Likes to RepeatMaggie had just sat down with Alex and Lucy to watch a movie after dinner on one of the rare nights they were all off when she got the call. Her connection to the Grid had felt weird for a few hours before hand but she mostly ignored it, focused instead on her girlfriends. As Ace frantically explained what they knew, the feeling suddenly made sense.Rachel had been kicked out.The blood in Maggie’s veins froze as her own past came roaring to the surface.More than that, Rachel had been followed. Ambushed by homophobic idiots while on the phone with the team trying to figure out where to go, what to do. Her phone was no longer answering. No one knew where she was.When she hung up, Maggie couldn’t help the broken look she sent her girlfriends. She couldn’t stop the lost feeling from overwhelming her as something she thought she’d dealt with was brought roaring back to the surface.History liked to repeat itself.In seconds Alex and Lucy were there. Arms securing Maggie to the present. Words of reassurance, of comfort, of hope were whispered in her ears. They’d go look for her. All three of them.The other two may not have been able to meet the teens who had stolen most of Maggie’s free time, but they already knew a lot about them from Maggie’s stories. They’d already seen photos and talked with the teens on the phone when Maggie let them. Even video chatted once. Shitty schedules were the only reason they hadn’t been able to meet them yet - Lucy and Alex wanting to meet them together.They would find Rachel. Together.She wouldn’t have to go through it alone like Maggie had.It was nearly an hour later that they finally found the teen.To start, Maggie had lead them to where Rachel had last been, near her former home. The trio spread out and began asking around if anyone had seen or heard anything. Eventually they found a lead and regrouped, following the route Rachel would have likely taken to reach her supposed destination.Then Maggie had frozen.Just stopped mid step.Moments later she bolted down a side alley and was off at a much faster pace than either of her girlfriends expected. They followed this invisible trail for several blocks before Maggie ducked into another side alley.Following her into the alley the pair noticed two things instantaneously.None of the people around them seemed to notice the alley, eyes just glossing over it. As they slowed their approach they could feel an itchy sensation that made them want to look away. Yet the moment they stepped into the mouth of the alley the feeling left. Suddenly the people walking down the main road didn’t seem to register anyone was there in the alley.Fear, worry, and suspicion coiled in their guts.Looking into the alley proper they found Rachel in a crumpled heap on the ground, Maggie gently pulling the girl’s head into her lap heedless of the blood. The whispers were faint, but the closer they got the easier it became to hear what was being said.“...found out… tried hurt… couldn’t… that’s-” a bloody cough “-that’s when..”Maggie shushed her, her hands moving over the teenager’s body with a stability and certainty that showed how frequently she used the ability to evaluate injuries. Rachel shook her head just slightly. Both Lucy and Alex knew the desperate feeling of wanting to tell the story while it was fresh.“Sent… sent the gang… they just- just kept going. Until couldn't.… They… took it… challenge.”It was only because of how well they knew her that Alex and Lucy spotted the quake in Maggie’s jaw muscle, the tremor in her hand, the shifting of her shoulders. This time Maggie put a finger to Rachel’s lips to silence her.“Rachel.”The teenager fell silent. Even from a few paces away her pupils were noticeably having issues dilating properly. A concussion.“I’m here now okay? Coach has you. I won’t let them touch you again okay?”Blearily Rachel nodded. Her eyes were beginning to stay more closed than open.“I’m going to heal you now, okay? I need you to focus for me, can you do that?” Rachel’s eyes flew open and she tried to struggle upright despite Maggie’s firm grip on her hip and shoulder.“But-”“Shh. It’s okay. The Grid will protect us. My girls will make sure we’re safe. Now focus.”Lucy and Alex exchanged a glance. They hadn’t even been sure if Maggie knew they’d kept up with her. She had the best awareness of the three of them sure, but she’d made no sign of acknowledging their presence before then.A sudden flash of red light drew their attention back to the two on the ground.Red light was streaming from Maggie’s now glowing hands down into Rachel’s body. They blinked and suddenly white- no, silver was twining it’s way into the light coming from Maggie’s hands. The red continued to bridge the gap between the two, spreading to cover Rachel’s body in its entirety, but the silver-The silver began to creep up Maggie’s arms until it coiled around her chest.For several moments no one moved.Then the lights faded and oxygen flooded their lungs again.Maggie slumped forward, a hand hastily thrown out to catch herself before she landed on Rachel. The other two rushed over to help. What they saw was a mostly healed and sleeping Rachel with a now exhausted Maggie.Looking up at their concerned faces Maggie winced, her eyes pleading with them.“Take us home? We need sleep. Food. Rest.”Lucy and Alex nodded through their disbelief. Any further questions were cut off as Maggie fainted and they both scrambled to catch her. With little other option the two worked in tandem to sling a person over each other’s shoulders and begin the long walk home.Not once on the entire trip home did anyone acknowledge or even notice their presence on the sidewalk.
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Chapter 7: In for a PennyMaggie woke with a gasp. Moments later a wave of concern washed through the Grid. She responded automatically with reassurance before her conscious brain caught up with her subconscious.Her connection to the Grid hadn’t been this strong in years.Panic and confusion began to swarm her thought process before her eyes landed on the sleeping form of Rachel on the couch. Memories of what happened rushed back and with it the awareness of Lucy and Alex sitting in the kitchen quietly watching her.A small wave of guilt coiled in Maggie’s stomach even as anxiety took root in her rib cage.There would be no more lying to them now.She’d have to tell them she was a Ranger. Or at least talk around it until they figured it out for themselves, per the rules. She knew it wouldn’t be hard for them to figure it out. Alex’s little program already had, much as Maggie had convinced Alex it was wrong.It wasn’t.The program was sound, just unable to provide the desired result. Instead of finding the active team the program was able to find Inactive Rangers. Not that Lucy or Alex knew that. Only Vaz had figured it out.At least until now.“Maggie.”Lucy’s voice was soft. Closer than the kitchen. Reluctantly pulling her gaze from inspecting her cuticles, Maggie found her girlfriends waiting by the edge of the bed. Alex with a tray of food. Lucy with a steaming mug of fresh coffee and Maggie’s phone.A phone that was currently vibrating in the pattern Maggie had set to signal an incoming call from a Ranger.With a deep breath Maggie willed her hands steady before taking the phone, scooting backwards in bed so she could lean against the headboard.“Sawyer.”Immediately the worried voices of her team - her old team - came through on a group call. Maggie let them ramble their worries and panic and fear about her passing out as she nodded at Lucy and Alex her permission for them to join her on the bed. They both nodded, setting their burdens on night stands before climbing on the bed to snuggle Maggie.Maggie savored the contact. Her fear of their possible rejection once they talked still bubbled under the surface. For a moment she sat there, content. The voices of her oldest friends washed over her as the warm bodies of her girlfriends on either side of her kept her anchored.Then Trent cracked a joke. One of the most common jokes in the book when it came to Maggie among her team.
“You crazy Red you.”
“Silver, actually.”Silence. Lucy and Alex kept quiet, both having felt the tension that Maggie was suddenly radiating.“Wha-”“It’s Silver now. I- I really am becoming just like Dr. O.”Two sets of arms tightened around her at the slight wobble in her voice. The silence from her team stretched on another beat before-“No. You’ll always be our Red, Maggie. Always. Even if you end up a walking rainbow like Dr. O, you’ll always be our Red first.”It was Kira who spoke first. Who spoke with the wisdom of a Yellow to soothe a teammate’s worries. Trent and Ethan were quick to follow with their own reassurances, their own comments and jokes.Maggie breathed a sigh of relief at their acceptance of her. She knew it had been a silly fear, that her team would always back her through thick and thin. It wasn’t like this was the first time a Ranger had been reactivated on a new team.It was just that Maggie had a bad track record when it came to being abandoned by loved ones.“So have you transformed yet? What’s the new suit look like?”The bubble of relief popped.Maggie froze even as two sets of arms tensed around her middle. One set forced itself to relax moments later. The other squeezed her tighter briefly before also relaxing.For a moment Maggie had trouble breathing as dozens of scenarios ran through her mind. So many ways to play this off, to avoid the subject or dodge around it. She’d let them listen in thinking her team would help calm her. She knew she needed to tell them eventually. She knew they’d figure it out eventually. She’d just hoped she’d have a little more time to come to terms with it herself before having to have the conversation with her girlfriends.Rachel choosing that moment to both wake up and then roll off the couch with a yelp proved to be a welcome distraction.“Have to go guys. Little Red just woke up.”“Alright. But don’t be a stranger.” “We love you Mags, don’t forget that.”“Talk to you later Red. Say hi to Little Red for us!”“I will. Bye.”Mechanically, Maggie hung up the phone. Watching Rachel’s scramble to untangle herself from the blanket definitely helped cheer her up a bit. It reminded her of simpler times. She couldn’t fight the twitching of her lips when the teen finally managed to free herself and, upon doing so, proceeded to throw the blanket back on the couch with a look of utter disgust.“Need some help there, Little Red?” Rachel jumped at the voice, a blush covering her cheeks and ears.“Nope. All good, Coach.”Finally turning to look at them Rachel’s expression went through a range of reactions at what she saw. Maggie, her mentor and role model, sitting up in a massive bed with two gorgeous women curled up on either side of her. Maggie saw the exact moment a smirk replaced the look of awe on Rachel’s face and had to bite back a groan of annoyance.A groan of any kind right now would just fuel the teen’s teasing.“Jeez Coach, how’d you find a bed that big?”Maggie’s eyes narrowed even as she fought the blush rising up her own cheeks. Twin snorts of amusement from either side of her were the only reason Rachel was spared retaliation.“Careful kid. Both of them can still kick your ass into next week, powers be damned.”Lucy laughed and disentangled herself from around Maggie. As she passed over the lukewarm coffee, she added her own snark.“Yeah, because I’m the one who regularly spars with Supergirl.”Alex flushed and buried her face into Maggie’s side. Whatever complaint she made was muffled by the sudden growl of hungry stomachs. Maggie and Rachel exchanged a sheepish laugh.“Come on kid.” Lucy said, already taking control of the situation. “Your food’s at the center island. Danvers, stop being a useless gay and give Sawyer her tray.”As Alex set about fulfilling the request, Maggie couldn’t help but breath a small sigh of relief. They hadn’t talked yet. And they needed to. But at least for the moment it appeared nothing would change.The next few hours were kept lighthearted. They would need to talk about what happened with Rachel as well, figure out where the teen would be staying now that she’d been kicked out, but that could wait as well.For now Maggie could shove that ball of anxiety at the thought of losing this to the back of her mind and focus on simply savoring it while she had it.The introductions had gone smoothly, and things in the apartment stayed fairly calm. Relaxed almost. Of course, no one could ignore the pair of elephants in the room forever. With the sun having moved from one side of the bay windows to the other, Maggie knew the questions had to be asked.If Rachel was anything like she had been as a teenager, she’d be hoping the adults would simply forget about it. It would leave Rachel to tough it out on her own, but also meant Rachel wouldn’t owe anything to anyone for her survival. If Maggie had to guess the teen was already planning on heading for the Ranger hideout.That just wouldn’t do.“Rachel.”Maggie’s voice was soft, but against the backdrop of happy eating there was no way for Rachel to hide the way her spine instantly straightened or her head ducked closer to her ice cream.“How do you want to do this? Want me to ignore the why and go straight into living arrangements? Or wait till I have the full story before putting out arrest warrants for several members of your neighborhood?”The pout came out in full with the petulant teenager angle.“Aww come on Coach. Can’t you wait till I finish my ice cream?” Maggie rolled her eyes. There was maybe two scoops of half melted ice cream left.“Not gunna work Little Red, I know all your tricks.”Rachel scoffed, “Sure ya do.”A beat. Then two. Maggie let the pause grow as she debated how much to share. Alex and Lucy were no doubt listening despite the cover of hand washing dishes. They knew some of what she was going to say but… there were several reasons she never talked about high school.“For all Hollywood claims high school is supposed to be the best years of your life, it’s a load of bullshit.” Rachel blinked, gaze drawn from a twirling spoon to Maggie’s own. Maggie met her stare and held it.“When you get kicked out at fourteen in a tiny homophobic farm town things tend to get tough real fast. My aunt did her best, but even in a brand new town far away from where it started the issues continued. Money was always tight. Lots of places refused to higher me for one reason or another so we had to make due with what we could. When senior year came and…” Maggie drew a deep breath, hands clamped around her own empty bowl.“I love my team - and I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything - but sometimes they just didn’t get it. They didn’t have to worry about maintaining a part time job around school already. And when the increased appetite hit they didn’t have to worry about where their next meal was coming from or going to sleep hungry because they could only afford two meals on the weekends before they got super powers and an apatite to match.“I may not know all your tricks, Rachel Del Monto, but I have been in your shoes. You’ll find as you get older that sometimes shoes wear the same even on different people. I had hoped by now you and the others would believe me when I offer to help.”When she finished Maggie stood, took her dishes to the two wonderful ladies in her life, and spent several moments just pressed up in the space between them while they continued washing the dishes. Lucy instantly leaned into her half embrace. Alex turned her head to place a soft kiss against Maggie’s temple. The two knew from experience that what Maggie needed right now was physical reassurance, the physical reminder of the here and now.For several minutes no one spoke. The triad stayed in their huddle. Rachel stayed at the kitchen island. Eventually a sigh broken the silence.“We-... I do trust you Coach.”Taking her cue, Maggie retracted her arms from around her ladies, brief squeezes of reassurance lingering in her wake. Softly she approached Rachel. When the girl didn’t look up Maggie carefully moved her hand into Rachel’s line of sight before wrapping it over the one Rachel had clamped around the bowl.“Then will you let me help you? I understand if you say no, if you decide you’d rather spend the night or a few in the cave, gather your thoughts and pick a course of action. But if you’d rather somewhere else I have a friend with a habit of collecting strays. I think they made it to four dogs before their wife put her foot down and told them no more dogs. Now they have two birds, a turtle and several cats as well as the dogs.”The attempt at levity worked if the twitch of Rachel’s lips meant anything. Still the teen wouldn’t raise her gaze.“Tell ya what. You can sleep on our couch again tonight and tomorrow I’ll have Vaz come over with Erin for brunch. Let you three meet each other. If you feel comfortable with them great. If not, you’re welcome to our couch for as long as you need."Rachel stared at Maggie for several blinks before turning her gaze to Alex and Lucy. When no denial came from them she shrugged.“Okay. Let’s meet all your crazy friends Coach. But only if the others can come over too.” A groan slipped out before Maggie could help it.“Deal, but you’re coming shopping with me. We don’t have near enough food in this place to feed that many people, let alone Rangers.”“Deal.”