AN: Okay, firstly this piece was inspired by a piece of fanart currently on my website, Amour Divin, by the amazing artist and friend RangersRomance. I adore it, and you should definitely check it out and give her some comments. Secondly, this is a total crack piece. Really, I was laughing so hard while writing it… I hope it brings you as much joy to read as it did for me to write! And come on people! REVIEW! I shouldn't have to remind you!
Cyber Hunter
Cam knew something was wrong as soon as he entered Ninja Ops. His usually serene room felt strange, and that was attributed to the fact that Hunter was there, sitting in his chair.
He expected to see Hunter hanging around Ninja Ops more often than not these days, but Hunter tended to respect his personal space. Sitting in his computer chair was not like Hunter. Or maybe it was. The more time Cam spent with the crimson ranger the less he found he knew about him.
Still, Hunter's wardrobe was reason for alarm. Cam wouldn't put it past Hunter to dress like that on a dare, or perhaps just to freak Cam out. And admittedly, the ripped dark red vest was kind of appealing.
"What are you doing?" Cam asked as he walked up behind Hunter. Hunter turned around in his chair with a big grin.
"Yo, Cam man! What is up, home sizzle-dizzle?" Hunter stood and gave him a nice big hug, smacked him on the back and popped his gum.
"What's wrong with you?" Cam asked immediately, taking a step back. He raised an eyebrow at his boyfriend as he gave him a quick once over.
"Nothing, man! I'm just chillaxin!" Hunter told him happily as he continued to pop his gum.
"Okay." Cam gave Hunter a calculating look. "I'm going to assume this is some kind of joke at my expense. Very funny. Now stop."
Hunter doubled over laughing. "Aw, dude, you just crack me up! You're so funny!"
"Hunter…" Cam began, watching his collapsed boyfriend. "Are you sure you're feeling okay?"
"Okay? Awe, Cam, I'm better than okay!" Hunter told him enthusiastically, reaching out to place his hands on Cam's shoulders. "You're here."
Cam blushed. That was way too sappy for Hunter, but he appreciated the compliment. He heard footsteps coming down the entryway, and he smirked at Hunter. "You'd better start acting normal," he told him quietly. "Because the others won't put up with you like-"
"The hell?" He heard Hunter's voice, but Hunter wasn't talking. Cam turned to see Tori, Dustin, Shane, Blake… and Hunter standing at the entrance. He turned back to the other Hunter in front of him. Quickly he pushed his hands off his shoulders and took a step back.
"This is awkward." He heard Blake mutter.
Normal looking Hunter stepped forward angrily. "What is this? Cam?"
Cam shook his head, feeling embarrassed for reasons he didn't understand. "I thought he was you!"
Hunter looked at him skeptically. "You though that was me?"
"I don't put anything past you these days." Cam explained. Hunter rolled his eyes and turned to his doppelganger.
"Who the hell are you?" Hunter demanded. The other Hunter gave him what was probably supposed to be a sexy smirk.
"I'm you baby." Hunter2 gave him two gun-shaped fingers. "With more sex appeal."
Hunter's jaw dropped, Cam's eyes widened, and behind them Tori dissolved into giggles. Cam didn't know what to do. Luckily, at that very moment CyberCam chose to appear.
"Way to go babe!" CyberCam declared as he stepped forward and wrapped an arm around Hunter's doppelganger.
"Oh, god." Cam squeezed his eyes shut. It all fell into place, and he knew what had happened.
"What is going on?!" Hunter demanded furiously.
"Just what is looks like!" CyberCam declared. "Meet CyberHunter!"
"Yo!" CyberHunter affirmed triumphantly.
"Oh, this is good." Shane said from the stairs, and Hunter shot him a glare.
"Did you create him?" Hunter asked CyberCam.
CyberCam shrugged. "Nobody said I couldn't have a toy of my own."
Hunter looks scandalized. "Okay, firstly, I am not Cam's toy!" Hunter said calmly. "It is, so completely the other way around."
Cam smacked his forehead with his hand as the others giggled behind them.
"Secondly, nobody gave you permission to create another hologram!" Hunter could probably have been angrier, but Cam didn't know how. "Right, Cam?"
"I've had this nightmare." Cam stated dejectedly.
"Cam!" Hunter reached out and shook his shoulder. "Focus."
"Technically, there isn't anything in his programming that says he can't do it. Obviously, a lack of judgment on my part." Cam shook his head.
"Oh, he's getting deleted!" Hunter stated as he headed for Cam's computer.
CyberCam squealed. "You wouldn't! That's so cruel! You can't take him away from me!"
"Watch me!" Hunter growled from the consol. CyberCam latched onto CyberHunter.
"If you kill him, you'll have to kill me too!" CyberCam stated dramatically.
Cam just wanted to melt away right there. Everybody in the room knew that CyberCam was programmed to be him, only less closed off. And he had a feeling he was never going to hear the end of this.
"Well, you know what they say, dude." Shane sniggered as he stepped towards CyberCam. "It's better to have loved and lost than to," his statement was interrupted by loud giggles from Dustin. "Than to never have loved at all!"
Shane doubled over laughing. Cam wanted to kick him. Many times.
"I told you CyberCam was a bad idea!" Hunter grumbled from Cam's computer chair. "Will you get over here and help me with this?"
"I don't know bro." Blake chuckled, studying CyberHunter. "He's a pretty good likeness of you. Sure you want to delete him?"
"Shut up, Blake." Hunter ordered.
"Come on, Hunter. You can't delete him now." Tori had gotten her giggles under control, and she came over to place a sympathetic hand on Cam's shoulder.
"Who's going to stop me?" Hunter demanded as he hit some more buttons. "Damn it, where are his protocols anyway?"
"Creator dude!" CyberCam pleaded pathetically. "Do something! For god's sake, control your man!"
Tori stifled a giggle at his side, which was better than the three other rangers were doing. Dustin was officially on the floor, Blake was close, and Shane was bracing himself on his knees. All were chortling loudly.
Yeah, he was definitely never going to hear the end of this.
"Hunter." Cam was desperate to get out of the room. "Let's talk." He stepped towards Hunter and started yanking on his arm.
Hunter gave him a disapproving look. "Now?"
"Now." Cam confirmed. "Computer: freeze CyberCam." Just like that, CyberCam froze exactly where he was.
"Yo? Babe?" CyberHunter said in a worried tone.
"And CyberHunter." Cam amended. CyberHunter froze, too. Cam dragged Hunter out of the room and down the hall. They stopped when they were out of earshot of the others.
"Did you do this to mess with me?" Hunter demanded as soon as Cam turned to him.
Cam couldn't decide whether to be amused or scandalized. "Of course not!" Cam defended. "CyberCam did it completely on his own! This is the first I've seen of him."
"And you really couldn't figure out that wasn't me?" Hunter asked skeptically. Cam gave him a meaningful look. "Oh. Right. Guess that was kind of what it was like when we thought CyberCam was you, huh?"
"You think?" Cam answered. "Hurts, doesn't it?"
"A little." Hunter admitted. "Granted, I wasn't locked in a closet."
Cam sighed as he watched his boyfriend. "What are we going to do with him?"
"I'm all for deleting him." Hunter told him flat out. "You could reprogram CyberCam not to remember any of this, and not to do it again. Of course that doesn't work on our friends, but I handle them."
Cam smirked. "Doesn't that seem…"
"Oh, don't you go soft on me now." Hunter warned.
Cam continued anyway. "A little heartless?"
"Oh, come on, where's my ruthless-no-mercy-boyfriend?" Hunter demanded. Cam grinned.
"He only comes out at night." Cam teased. Hunter scoffed.
"That I believe." Hunter sighed. "You want to keep him now, don't you?"
"I could change a couple of things in his protocols to make him less obnoxious, and to make them less affectionate in public." Cam offered casually. Hunter sighed.
"How much less obnoxious?" He wanted to know. "And how many of these things is CyberCam going to make? One for everyone on the team?"
"That would be kind of amusing. But that's the first thing I reprogram." Cam told him with a nod. "No more doppelgangers."
"Agreed." Hunter said. "How can CyberCam want the things you want?" Hunter asked abruptly.
Cam looked at him.
"You didn't program liking me into his programming, right?" Hunter asked, taking a step towards Cam. "So how does he like CyberHunter so much?"
Cam shrugged. "He's an advanced program. They grow and change just like we do."
"Have you got any idea how scary that is?" Hunter placed his hands on Cam's hips.
"I created it. I know." Cam agreed.
"You're brilliant. A bit crazy, but totally brilliant." Hunter leaned in as he whispered this and gently pressed his lips to Cams.
Cam kissed him back, letting his arms rest on top of Hunters.
"And you know," Hunter whispered against his cheek a moment later. "CyberHunter did have a pretty good look going."
Cam grinned. "Don't get any ideas." He warned playfully.
"How are we ever going to go back in there now?" Hunter wondered as he let his head fall to Cam's shoulder.
"We'd better, before the others figure out how to unfreeze our doubles."
Cam advised. Hunter was heading for the room before Cam even realized he was being dragged along.
They walked back into the main room, where all the rangers seemed greatly subdued.
"Oh, hey dudes, perfect!" Dustin exclaimed. Cam sighed as he saw his father sitting in front of his computer. "We were just like explaining things to sensei."
"Oh, hell no." Hunter groaned. He turned back around and headed back the way they had come. Cam caught him and turned him back around.
"This is half your fault." Cam told him as he steered him back towards their frozen doppelgangers.
"How do you figure?" Hunter looked at him curiously.
Cam grinned. "You kissed me first."