Destiny Rewritten
"What do you mean you caught the microwave on fire?" Jen half yelled, half laughed into her cell phone.
"I don't know. I was making a baked potato and it just kind of went up in flames." Her sister, Jessie, replied on the other end.
"Please tell me that you took it out of the aluminum foil first." Jen begged her.
There was a long silence followed by, "Well, not exactly."
"Jess, you can't microwave aluminum foil! It's aluminum, as in metal. You don't put metal anywhere near the microwave." Jen groaned. "I swear, as smart as you are, I really wonder about you sometimes. You greatly lack in the common sense department."
"I resent that!" Jessie said.
"Now, honey, do I need to come and take away all of the sharp knives so that you don't hurt yourself?"
Jen and Wes had bought a house not long after they had returned back from the past and had been married. It took some persuading, but they convinced Admiral Logan to let him come back with them. After all, he was the one who saved the future.
"You know what? You can kiss my butt!" Jessie told her, half laughing.
"I would if I could find it." Jen joked.
Jessie gasped into the phone. "I am so hanging up on you for that."
"I was kidding." Jen laughed. "Did you do any damage?"
"No, I caught it in time." Jess replied.
"Good. Still, I worry about you being there by yourself." Jen explained.
"Jen, really, I'm fine. And besides, it's not like I can't kick almost anyone's ass that walks through that door." Jessie bit into her apple. She had decided to choose something else that didn't require much preparation for her snack.
"That's true, but you're my little sister. I worry. It's what I do." Jen said.
"Yeah, yeah." Jessie shrugged.
Jessie was one of the strongest and most skilled fighters in Time Force. Being the leader of the Academy, she should be. She lived in the apartment that she and Jen shared by herself now, ever since Jen had moved in with Wes about 3 months ago. She really wasn't alone much though. Blake visited a lot. They had been dating for over a year now, but he had never stayed overnight. They had both agreed on that rule in their relationship.
"Captain Dawson." The crackling voice from headquarters sounded from his COM system.
"Dawson. What's the problem?" Blake asked as he turned the corner onto the next street in his patrol car. His shift had just ended.
"There was an armed robbery at 5th and Kef. They aren't sure if the guy is gone or not." His receiver buzzed slightly as the call was coming through.
"All right, I'm on my way now. Requesting back up." Blake flipped on his lights and adjusted his seat belt, speeding off down the street. It looked like he would be working some overtime tonight.
"They're on their way."
When Blake arrived at the house at 5th and Kef Street, he could see the broken down door and a few pieces of broken furniture inside the doorway. Another officer was escorting the family across the street to a patrol car for their safety. Blake grabbed an extra blaster from his cruiser and started for the first responder.
The two men saluted each other.
"Grey, what happened here?" Blake asked.
"The family had gone out for dinner and when they returned home, the door was broken down. They called Time Force and when I got here, he shot at me a few times." The tall, thin lieutenant reported.
"Did you see him leave the house yet?" Blake asked him.
"No, sir." Grey replied.
"Okay, keep a check on the perimeter. When my back-up gets here, brief them and then tell them to wait on my signal." Blake gave him his orders and then started for the house.
His boots crunched on the gravel ground as he drew his blaster and approached the darkness of the foyer. His senses were on high alert as he stepped up and into the doorway. Surveying his surroundings, he gave the foyer the all clear and made his way into the living room. His blaster leading the way, he saw nothing there either. He reached the kitchen next and saw a shadow slip into the next room.
"Freeze! Time Force! You're under arrest!" Blake shouted.
The figure kept moving and Blake went after him. He dodged a shot that was sent at him and fired one of his own back at him. It hit its mark on his back, but it didn't seem to phase him. When he reached the other end of the house, he stopped and turned to face Blake. It was clear that it was a mutant.
Blake came to a halt about fifteen feet from him, his blaster still locked on the mutant. "I'll tell you again, Time Force! You are under arrest!"
"That's what you think!" The mutant said and charged him.
Blake fired three shots. They all hit their mark, however the mutant just kept coming. Blake blocked a hit and placed a kick into his side, the mutant crumpled slightly and counter punched Blake in the stomach. Blake took the shot and tried to punch the mutant in the chest, but he anticipated this and grabbed his fist in mid-air. The mutant flipped Blake in a somersault and the captain landed on his back with a thud. He rolled out of the way just as the mutant brought his foot down to pin him. The mutant fired at Blake and hit him in the shoulder. He gasped with pain and fired at the mutant's face. It hit and it took the mutant aback. Blake saw his opportunity and threw several punches and kicks at him. The mutant struck him back in the ribs and threw Blake back a bit. Blake charged him again. There were punches and kicks flying from both sides, but Blake finally found his weak spot and sent him crashing to the ground. He jumped on top of him and pinned his hands behind his back and began to cuff him.
"Move in." He called into his headset and within a matter of seconds there were three officers at his side.
"C'mon, move it." They yelled to the struggling mutant as they led him outside.
Blake took a minute to gather himself and took a look at the damage that had been done, then he continued out the door as well. He was greeted by a dark night filled with the lights and sounds of Time Force. The mutant was being put in the patrol car and a few of the officers were talking to the family. He saw another patrol car pull up and the driver get out. Blake smiled as he saw Jessie come rushing up to him. She hugged him.
"I heard the call." She said when they separated. "Are you okay? You're bleeding."
Jessie was a little on edge with armed robberies. He didn't blame her though, he would be too if that was how his parents had been killed.
Blake saw his shoulder. The blaster had left a gash, but nothing serious.
"It's nothing, I'll be fine." He assured her.
Morning dawned bright and early the next day, too early. The alarm clock beeped, pulling Wes out of his dreams. He rolled over and hit the snooze button; the face of the clock read 5:24 a.m. Wes pulled the covers over his head and tried to go back to sleep. He felt Jen pull the covers off of his face and kiss him.
"C'mon Wes, get up." She smiled.
"No…" He groaned. "It's too early."
"Maybe you shouldn't have stayed up so late last night." Jen grinned at him.
"Yeah, well…wait a minute." Wes looked at her. "How come you're not tired?"
"Because, I don't sleep in until 10 on the weekends. I'm used to getting up at this time." Jen kissed him again and got out of bed and headed to the bathroom.
"But it's dark outside. That's a crime. No one should have to get up until the sun is up at least." Wes heard Jen turn on the shower.
"You have to be up early anyway." Jen's voice was a little muffled from the flow of water. "It's Commencement Day at the Academy. Didn't you say that you wanted to stop by there?"
"Yeah." Wes replied.
It was quiet for a little while after that and Jen figured that Wes had gone back to sleep.
"Wes, get up!" Jen shouted from the bathroom. She didn't hear the bathroom door open.
All of a sudden, Jen screamed as she felt an icy cold blast of water come from nowhere. She heard Wes laughing and saw him crouched down on the floor. He had filled a cup full of ice water and dumped it over the top of the shower onto his wife.
"Wesley Collins! I am going to kill you!" Jen poked her head around the door of the shower and Wes fell over onto his side laughing.
"I'm sorry, Jen. I couldn't help it." He said in between fits of laughter.
"Yeah, I bet you're sorry." Jen splashed him. "That's the third time you've done that this week!"
Jessie had arrived at the Academy an hour earlier than usual so that she could make sure that everything was set up for the day. Today was Commencement Day, the day when the Academy took in around 35 or so new students. Jessie would lecture them about the importance of Time Force and what they do. She would then put them through a physical test to determine their training schedules and then they would go through a skills test to figure out what their strengths and weaknesses were. She would then make up their classes and pick out her group of elite students. She loved this day and hated it too. She had to get the students to mind her and it usually wasn't a problem, but there were always those few who gave her problems.
Wes had been working all day with paperwork and other office work, which definitely wasn't his favorite part of his job. He had already done his patrol early that morning so that he could have the afternoon to stop by and see the new kids that Jessie got this year. He laughed. He remembered when he had come back to the future; Admiral Logan made him go through the Academy. Logan had told him that everyone in Time Force had to go through that Academy and that wasn't going to change anytime soon. He did have to hand it to Jessie though; she was a tough teacher. It didn't matter to her that he was a ranger; she treated him just like everyone else. It was kind of embarrassing to him, being the only person that old. Most of the students were around the ages of 16 or 17 and depending on their abilities and skill level, they would graduate anywhere from 1 to 4 years. He only had to stay there for about a month, but he had to have that certificate before Admiral Logan would assign him to Captain status and let him continue as a ranger.
He looked at his watch and saw that it was almost 4 p.m. 'Dang it.' He thought. 'I'm going to miss them.'
Wes locked up his office and hurried down the hall to the elevator. He had to go down to the 11th floor and catch the connecting tram that would take him over to the Academy. There was no way that he would make it in 5 minutes.
Jessie smiled. It had been a successful day. She had gotten everyone through their tests and placed them all where they needed to be. No one failed the physical test either, so she didn't have to refer anyone for a year; she hated having to do that. She surveyed the room. All of the weapons that she had the students practicing with were lying all over the floor. She had told the students to go to their dormitories early and get some sleep. They would be sore enough tomorrow without having to stay later and help her pick up everything. Jessie began tossing bow staffs and nun chucks into separate piles so that she could store them properly in the weapons closet. The regular students only used bows and nun chucks; she saved the other, more dangerous weapons for her elite students. They used things like the chain whip or the quarterstaff, very rarely would she let them practice with actual sabers. Those were saved for demonstrations mostly.
"Do you need a hand?" Wes asked coming through the door into the familiar training room.
"Hey, Wes. Sure, if you don't mind." Jessie smiled.
"No problem." He bent down and tossed a nun chunk into the pile. "I was actually hoping to see some of the new kids in action."
"I let them go early. I worked them pretty hard today." Jessie replied flipping a bow up with her foot and catching it with her hand.
"I remember. I thought I was in good shape until I made it in here. You kicked my butt." Wes laughed.
Jessie did too. "Hey, it's my job."
"I bet I could beat you now though." Wes dared.
Jessie laughed harder. "I highly doubt that Wes. You may be older and bigger than me, but I overshadow you in experience and skill."
"Is that a challenge?" Wes asked playfully.
"I tell you what, I'll even be nice and let you pick your own weapon." Jessie picked up another bow staff.
Blake and Jen had walked in a few minutes before and took a seat in the bleachers when they heard the trash-talking between the two family members.
"This is going to be good." Jen smirked.
"Wes is so going down." Blake laughed.
"Oh, I know. He doesn't know what he's getting into. Especially, fighting her with a bow staff. She mastered that in about three days." Jen said.
Wes lined up opposite Jessie on the mat in the center of the room. He spun his bow around once in his hands. Jessie laughed and took off her jacket, leaving a tight fitting, long sleeved black shirt behind.
Wes made the first move, charging at Jessie. She easily counter attacked him and knocked him in the ribs. Wes stumbled back, a little winded.
"Are you still sure that you want to do this?" Jessie asked coolly.
"You bet." Wes charged her again, spinning he caught the back of her knee, knocking her down. He smiled proudly, but was then quickly knocked down by Jessie's bow. The battle was on. They flew at each other, bows hitting hard.
"C'mon Wes!" Blake shouted.
"Kick his butt Jess!" Jen yelled.
Jessie whipped her bow around and caught Wes in the back sending him a few feet forward. He retaliated by swiping at her head. Jessie ducked and took out Wes's feet—he landed hard on the ground with a thud. Jen and Blake cheered at the unsurprising outcome and met them on the mat.
Jen helped Wes off of the ground.
"Ouch…" He held his butt as he rose to his feet.
"Honey," Jen was trying to hold back her laughter. "I told you never to pick a fight with someone that you couldn't handle."
"Good try, Wes." Jessie shook his hand.
Jessie tossed her bow back into the pile and walked over to Blake.
"C'mon, let's get out of here. I've got something I want to show you." Blake told her.
"I can't. I've got to get all of this cleaned up." She replied.
"We'll get it for you, Jess. Go on." Jen told her, picking up Wes's bow from the ground.
"Yeah, don't worry about it." Wes replied.
"No, Jen, it's okay. I'll finish up here, then we'll go." Jessie said.
Jen smacked her in the butt with the bow she held in her hands.
"I said go! We got it. Besides, wasn't that always the rule when we were here, loser cleans up?" Jen smiled.
"Yeah, I guess." Jessie replied.
"Thanks guys." Blake chimed in and took Jessie by the hand.
When they had left, Jen smiled at Wes.
"Way to go babe, the plan's working so far." Jen hugged him.
"Yeah, but the sad part was, I didn't let her beat me. She actually did kick my butt." Wes said.
"Well, I could've told you that was going to happen." Jen laughed.
