AN Originally part of Chapter two. I decided, once I hit eight pages, that it would become its own little chapter.
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Trinity held back a scream of pain as her back was jolted. Dammit, she'd been through torture and hell and back, so why did this hurt? Oh yeah, because it was on her body, not her soul. She hated being human sometimes...Okay, almost all the time. This, of course, was just one the times she hated it most.
She tightened her arm around Jonas's shoulders, wishing to yell at him to move his damn arm from around her waist. She had her entire back burned to slithers by hellfire! Not a good time to play touchy feely! She didn't, though, if only keep secret how bad she was hurt. Rule number one of life : keep weakness a secret...Which just reinforced the fact she was stupid for not fighting him taking her to their 'base'.
The huge sub-basement was still the same, with high technology and crappy furniture in pink, white, yellow, blue and red. The three huge monitors still showed five parts of the city and the area around it, still switched every ten seconds. The huge leather chair was still huge and leather. Nothing had really changed since she'd ventured down here two years ago.
"I see you brought a friend, Red Ranger." Kira said, standing and smiling at Trinity like she were her own child or an old friend...Oops, wait, she was technically the former of those two.
"Jonas," The Red Ranger corrected, and cut Kira off when the former yellow ranger opened her mouth. "He's seen you, he can track us down. 'Sides, he probably knows who we all are anyway."
Trinity held back a laugh at her foster mother's scowl. "He's correct," The male voice coming from her still bothered her, as did being called a 'he'. "You are the former Yellow Dino Ranger, you husband is the former White Dino Ranger. Christopher is the Blue Firebird Ranger and Lauren is the Pink Griffin Ranger." She let amusement leak into her voice, "I even know that you have an adopted daughter named Serenity, a husband who's bee married before, and your two best friends are Ethan and Connor, Blue and Red Dino Rangers respectably."
"And how," Now Kira was pissed, and wasn't trying to hide it, "Do you know all of that?"
She felt Jonas holding his breath under her arm. "Would you believe I'm omniscient?" A slight joke, though she kept her voice straight and flat. Let them squirm for a bit.
Kira was once again cut off by Jonas. "Look, he's hurt. He took a huge blast of fire from some girl named Flair, and need major help. I doubt he can even stand on his own."
"I can stand on my own." Her growl went unheard as Kira whirled into action. The nearest bed, one of three that were actually cots, had its sheets thrown back and a pillow thrown on the end. Kira was rummaging in the drawers of the medical cabinet as Jonas lowered her to a sitting position on the bed.
The former yellow ranger pulled out a kit and swirled to Trinity, waving a hand at the suit. "Unmorph, or I can't help you." It was truly a demand, and Trinity had never gotten along well with orders.
"I'd rather you didn't help me," She snapped, pain making her irritable. "It'll heal fast enough, and you would only make it worse."
"Un. Morph." Kira growled, setting the kit on the bed and popping her hands on her hips. "You help us, we help you."
"You can help me by teleporting me to my preferred destination." She snapped back, standing for intimidation factor. Of course, with her luck, it wasn't meant to be. She let loose a gasp of pain and her legs went out from under her once more. Jonas caught and lowered her down.
"You need serious medic help," He said gently, letting loose his morph. "How about a trade? I let my morph go, now you can let your go. No one will harm you, I swear."
She rolled her eyes at him, even though he couldn't see. "How about no? Look, I'll repeat, you can help me by getting me where I want to go."
"And that will happen once we take a look at the burns." Kira interrupted, looking fierce in her frustration. If Trinity were, well, Trinity and not the Silver Ranger, she'd be grounded forever. Good thing she wasn't a teenager at the moment, and was instead a scary superhero. She snorted a laugh at that.
She opened her mouth to snap back when another voice entered the fray. "Jonas! Where the hell were you? We barely defeated the monster without you there!" Lauren tore off her helmet and glare at him, and Trinity realized that at the angle the blond was at, the Silver Ranger wasn't visible.
"Lauren..." Jonas started, making a 'kill' motion with his hand. Lauren ignored him, and to Trinity's amusement, started yelling about irresponsible leaders.
It was Chris who finally got her to shut up, and with a kiss at that. His mouth sealed over hers for a second, and the shrieking stopped. As soon as he went up for air, Lauren started talking again. Did she ever shut up? "What the hell, Chris? I like kissing you, I do, but I was busy yelling at our wonderful leader!" The last bit was sarcastic.
"Do you ever SHUT UP?" Trinity finally yelped, her voice harsher and louder than she intended it to be, since she was 'male' at the moment.
Everyone was silent, then Jonas went into a full blown laugh. Kira was holding back a laugh herself, and Chris seemed to be fighting it, though you couldn't see much, as his helmet was still on. "What..." Lauren started, finally realizing that there was a four active ranger in the room. "Silver Ranger?" It was a bit of shock.
"He took a fire bomb for me, and he's hurt," Jonas finally got out, exasperated. Chris took off his helmet then, watching all of them. "I stumbled upon a new enemy and almost got myself roasted. I got away with minor sunburns, but the Silver Ranger got in between me and a killing blow."
Chris blinked wide eyes at the Phoenix Ranger, then looked back at Kira and Jonas. Lauren was still in a bit of shock. "And he's still awake, and sitting up? Why didn't anyone help him!" Chris had been the medic of the ground, and the one with biggest temper.
"Because he refused it!" Kira snapped, throwing her hands up. Jonas just nodded, looking a little helpless. Guys seemed to do that a lot. They either got mad, or got this look of helplessness on their face. Apparently Jonas was the latter.
Lauren wasn't in shock any longer. "You refused medical treatment? Why?" Trinity winced. She hadn't been around them in so long, she had forgotten how loud Lauren could get.
"Because I don't need. Also, there's that pesky little thing called secret identity." Sarcasm at its best, she thought lovingly. "Just because you guys made this little club doesn't mean I have to be in it."
"No, you don't, but that doesn't mean we'll let you leave," Trent said from the doorway. Once more with the teenage eye roll. It seemed they were having a house meeting down here, and she bet they didn't even know it. No, she knew they didn't know it.
"You think you can stop me?" This time she didn't try standing, but she did make her voice as growly as it could be. "You, a former ranger, think you could stop me, a ranger who's been active for years?" Okay, two years, but that wasn't the point.
"No, but I think the current Rangers could. Not only are you outnumbered, but you're injured." Trent pointed out as he came down the stairs. Then he turned towards Kira and heaved a sigh, "I was working when the school called. Trinity skipped again."
Trinity watched in amusement as Kira's face flushed in anger. The woman turned to the four rangers watching and smiled a bit. "Normally, I'd hate to leave an injured ranger and guest down here, but I really need to call the school and find out where Trinity is."
Not daughter, not my child, Trinity thought bitterly, then pushed the thoughts aside. Now was not the time. She nodded, "Go ahead. I've heard you have is rough with her, and have by apologies."
Kira hesitated then nodded, following Trent. "Try and heal him!" She called over her shoulder before vanishing. The door shut behind her and there was silence. Then Lauren walk over and sat on the bed next to Trinity, letting the Griffin morph go. Chris did the same, without the sitting.
"You know about Trinity?" At her nod, Lauren continued. Maybe she was just trying to get a safe topic out, but Trinity couldn't help but want to slap the other woman as her mouth moved. "Well, she's worse than you've probably thought. Comes home later, skips school, hangs out with gang members and stoners. Probably a drugie, too, come to think of it."
Jonas winced and stepped in, "Enough, Lauren. I doubt he wants to hear an over dramatized story of a kid who needs help." Trinity was about to thank him until the last part came up.
Now she wanted to hear more of what they thought of her. Maybe, or rather really was, masochistic, but she wanted to know, dammit it all. "No, no, I want to hear more. Tell about the trouble this girl gets into."
Chris smiled and sat on a bed across from her. "We call her the Brat, Lauren and I, for good reason. Maybe she's not so bad, or wouldn't be if she didn't act superior all the time." He shook his head, "Take, for example, yesterday night, or rather, early this morning. She come home from school for about three seconds, rides off on her motorcycle, which she isn't supposed to be using until she's eighteen, and tells no one. Finally, at three in the morning, she comes sneaking back into the house."
She had been busy saving a young couple's life. Xales had attacked the parking hangout where more kids made out. She didn't speak, though, as Lauren butted it. "Okay, so Kira and Trent stayed up the whole night, or at least Kira did, waiting for her. Trinity comes in, and what does she do? Start a fight!" Lauren snorted. "I mean, jeez, Trent and Kira give her everything, including a car and a motorcycle for an early eighteenth b-day present, and she treats them like dirt." Another head shake from Lauren. "God, how I'd love smack that girl one."
There was silence, and Trinity was about to offer her the chance at a fight when Jonas spoke. "On the other hand, she's spend only two years with us, and the rest on the streets. I figure, hey, she's gonna have issues." He shrugged, "She's really not that bad, just not very trusting. Hell, neither was I when I first came here. The foster system sucked, and I'm betting her life was worse." He blinked and took a breath, "I figure she's doing the best she can at the moment."
Trinity was about to speak when Chris started up again. "And maybe he's right, but somehow, I don't think so. I mean, I've seen kids who've been through worse down at the shelter," He volunteered at the street shelter sometimes, "And all of them are nicer than her. Hell, at least they say hi."
Lauren was about to comment when Trinity finally got out what she had been wanting to say, "I agree with Jonas, at least a bit." There was silence and she kept on going, "Maybe she really does appreciate what Kira and Trent are doing, but hey, like you said, the foster system is tough, the streets even worse. She's probably never had a thing come free in her life, and is wondering what she's gonna have to pay, give up, for this."
There was quite for a second, and that was when she noticed Trent and Kira at the top of the steps. With the voice magnifier and warp system, they had to have heard what they were all saying if they had been there long. She hoped they hadn't been. It would really suck if they started going all parent-y now.
Kira came down and cleared her throat. "They, um, well, she ditched her third period class and her truck is gone." It was actually parked in a lot nearby, but they didn't know that. "They think she'll skip the rest of the day and come straight home later."
"I'm gonna go back to work," Trent said after a second, then vanished through the doorway again. Jonas dropped to the bed that Chris hadn't taken, and Lauren moved to sit beside her boyfriend and rest her head against his shoulder.
"Well, I for one am gone." Trinity said, standing. Her rapid healing had already knotted the broken skin together, and she could almost feel new skin building. Of course, even with rapid healing, it would take about three days to heal completely, and then at the least.
"Oh no you don't!" Kira said, followed by Lauren and Chris's, "No way!" and "Like hell!" She felt Chris grab her arm, but quickly broke the hold.
"Look, I channel the power of the Phoenix, which has healing properties. Its already mostly healed," She gave a little white lie. She stood up and stretched, ignoring the searing pain. It wasn't nearly as bad anymore...Okay, it was bad, but not mind-numbing or pass out bad.
"He's right," Jonas's agreement started everyone, including her. "And we do have to let him leave." He held a finger up at everyone, and she suddenly realized why is was leader. He had the aura to make people shut up and listen, "He will come by tomorrow and prove that he's not in mind numbing pain."
Everyone stared at her, waiting. "Fine," She grudgingly agree. "But I leave now."
Jonas nodded, and the others sighed in relief. "Yeah. There's a tunnel opening; if you feel up to it, you can use the bike."
"But..." Kira was cut off when Lauren blocked the older woman's mouth with her hand. "Nope," The pink ranger said, "That's the best we're getting. We'd best be happy." Chris didn't say a thing, but Trinity could tell the two agreed.
"See ya." She gave them a little wave as she made herself move to her bike. She winced as she swung a leg over, glad that no one could see it.
A second later, the tunnel opened and she was gone, a light roaring from her bike the only thing that was heard.