Disclaimers: Characters are owned not be writer of this particular fan fiction. Please do not sue me for I'm definitely not making any money off of this story and this is for amusement only.
Warning: Rated NC-17 for content and language.
Note: The former rangers have moved on in their lives but are pulled back into the game by a little gift left behind from an old "friend." While they fight for their lives yet again, they learn more about each other.
Age check: Billy, Tommy, Jason, Zack-27. Adam, Aisha, Rocky, Trini, Kimberly-26. Katherine, Tonya-25.
Acknowledgements: This one is for Shawn (Ozmandayus), for all the encouragements he has given me and for inspiring me to do this story with all this great writing. Thanks! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter Eleven – Reconnaissance & Reunions
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April 23, 2002 – 10:44 p.m. Berlin Time
ISS Warsaw Headquarters – New Science Unit
Warsaw Poland
Trini capped the containment jar and went to work on the next batch. If the others were going to go, she's going to give them a fighting chance to get back. She rubbed her hands together to get the blood flowing again. Working with chemicals meant that she's to wear gloves to protect her hands. She was taking a pretty big risk here.
Using what she has at hand, she was creating what she needed for the base formula until the new shipment of stuff can get in. One false move and this whole thing could blow up on her. She's got three good batches now and two more on the burner. She would at least try to get as many out as she could before tomorrow morning, when they had to leave for Cracow. The Russians promised the lens will be here by midnight and she had no doubt that it would be. The others had gone to bed already, resting up. Billy and Jason would stay up for the lens and get it fitted for tomorrow's mission.
In the mean time, she was going to give them weapons to use against the bad guys. Cause she knew that they would be coming after her friends as well as herself. She was worried; there was no doubting that. How did the creature even know that she was a former Power Ranger? Was there something left from the days past that allowed the bad guys to pick them out of a crowd? If so, putting the others in such close proximity to the creature could seriously endanger them.
"Trini?"
She looked over at Edward. "Yeah?"
"What are you doing? You look like doctor Frankenstein at his lab. Or maybe even Dr. Jackal?" Edward eyed the bubbling chemicals and test tubes with anxiety.
"Don't worry, nothing dangerous here but what is mix together. I knew those years of chemistry was going to come in handy one of these days." She looked at the three metal backpacks Edward was dragging behind him. "Is that what I asked for?"
"Yeah, exterminator gear." He looked at them with doubt. "Can I ask what they're for?"
"I'm hoping to give the guys an edge." She looked at the stuff. "Can we open the tanks? Did you empty them out?"
"Yeah, they're empty." Edward bent to open them. "Here, let me."
"I have just enough liquid Enteric that I think it might work." Trini muttered as she pried them open.
"Liquid what?" He looked at her. As much as he adored Trini, there are times he wished to hell that she wasn't so smart. It makes having a conversation with her very difficult. "Never mind, don't want to know."
"Can you get any more of these?"
"These are the only ones I can find on such short notice." Edward explained. She gave him a look that was pleading enough to have him sighing with resignation. "I'll see what I can do. Don't expect anything."
"I won't." She smiled at him sweetly. "Thank you, Edward. I don't know what we'd do without you."
He returned the smile. "Let's hope you guys never have to find out."
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April 23, 2002 – 11:04 p.m. Berlin Time
ISS Warsaw Headquarters – Agent Kimberly Hart's Quarters
Warsaw Poland
She was crying in Tommy's arms again. "God I've become like a watering pot these days."
He smiled in reaction. "You don't get to cry very often, do you?"
Kimberly took a deep breath and sighed from the soul. She felt so old for someone so young. "No, I guess not. International espionage agents don't get to cry on the job. Much too unprofessional of me."
He smoothed her hair back and sat down on the bed, patting the seat next to him. She looked ready to cry again. He wanted to take that pain away. The past few days have been rough on her. He could see that clearer that anyone else. It wasn't fair that she was taking all the worries of the world on to herself. It was too much like……. he almost laughed. It was kind of like him and Jason while they were leaders of the Power Rangers. Everything fell on them. "You are only human. We can all only take so much before our inner selves must seek release."
She gave him a watery smile. "Is that the Zen method of looking at my total emotional melt down lately?"
Tommy smiled and put his arm around her. "No, that's the Thomas Oliver method of saying that you don't have to be strong all the time for anyone. You need to relax and be yourself. I've seen what this job is doing to you, it's hardened you on the outside but you're still the same girl on the inside. The girl needs to cry even if the agent doesn't."
She nodded and put her head on his shoulder. "Don't go tomorrow, Tommy."
"Kimberly……"
"Please, I'm scared." Kimberly said in a whisper. "I don't know what's going to happen."
"No one does but it doesn't mean that we run from it cause we're unsure." Tommy turned to look at her. "But if you're not sure about this and want to stay here, we'd all understand. Nobody should have to face that thing. You don't have to come if you're scared."
She shook her head at him. "That's not why I'm scared." She touched his face, those wonderful planes that stayed with her on cold nights when she's on missions that meant life or death. "I'm scared of losing you."
He closed his eyes and let his face caress the hand that he now held to his cheek. She had wonderfully soft hands that were never meant to do work. "You won't lose me." His lips found hers a second later.
It was a sweet loving kiss, with all their emotions on the surface and bare for the other to see. It was lovely in a way that made the first flower of spring look like the last of the winter blizzards. Their hands could not touch enough. Their lips were not enough to taste the wonders of each other.
Clothes were shed unseen; nothing was important but getting beneath all the earthy trappings to the heart of the eternal beauty beneath it. Tommy's hands were frantic, fearing that she would ask him to stop now. That she would pull back, just as he was getting a glimpse of all the gods had bestowed upon her. Kimberly feared that he would come to his sense; realize that he wanted something more from what she was. They were both afraid, but both in so much need that they were unlikely to stop.
He got on the bed, pulling her toward him, lips never leaving. She tasted like peaches and cream, warm summer breeze and spring water after a hot day. She was all purity and wonder that he struggled to taste it all. Her soft body moved against his, urging him on with her need. He took and gave, needed and wanted to be needed. They were like a pair of dancers, twisting and turning, around and against one another.
She felt like the dark gloomy clouds that have settled over her life had parted and she was running in the sun again. He was fire and lighting to her senses; hot liquid bombs that exploded at the center of her being. She wanted, tasted, took what he offered and begged for more. She was floating up to the heavens and prayed that she never come down again.
Emotions poured and mixed with passions that have been dreamt but never fulfilled. It was magic and he was the magician.
She touched the strong steady arms that held her to gently, with such infinite care. He took care of her; he wanted her.
Tommy thought he could see the gates of heaven through her eyes. "Kimberly."
Her name never sounded so beautiful as when coming from his lips.
They came together like two pieces of the same puzzle.
They loved in a way that would cheapen it with words. It was a reunion of not just the body but also the soul. It was perfect.
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April 24, 2002 – 1:38 a.m. Berlin Time
ISS Warsaw Headquarters – New Science Unit
Warsaw Poland
The kettle shrieked in protest and Trini ran to grab it just as Jason, Edward and Billy walked in. She cursed fluently at burning fingers while the men watched with amusement.
"What are you making now?" Edward asked as he took a seat to watch.
"Tea." She said as she turned to them. "Want some?"
"Tea? No thanks." Edward said as he reached for the huge pot of coffee the night staff was keeping for the doctor. "Load me up with java any day."
"Tea is healthier for you." Trini said as she poured the water onto the three tea bags in the giant cappuccino cup she was using.
"Who wants to live forever?!?"
She rolled her eyes and offered some to Jason who shook his head, then some to Billy who declined as well. "Well, have you boys finished?"
"Yeah." Billy took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes. "Everything is fitted and ready. Tanya already as the specs for it. They're as ready as they're ever going to be."
Jason frowned at the collection of containment barrels and exterminator gears. "What have you been up to?"
"Giving them an edge." She said as she sighed. The formulas were ready, or as ready as she could get them under such short time. "I'm still waiting for the shipment of stuff. But this is the best I can do with what I have now. I'm hoping it's enough to give them time."
"Well, whatever may come. They can handle it, they've always been fighters." Jason said watching her close her eyes in fatigue. "Go to bed, Trini, you need to sleep."
"No, I've got one more thing coming along." She smiled reassuringly at him. "I'll sleep once they are on their way. I won't have anything to do anyways since I'm out of supplies, my team is decimated, and I need more information before doing anything else."
"In other words, you would have nothing better to do than to sleep." Billy said with a smile.
"Oh shut up." Trini muttered and rolled her eyes.
"Like I said," Jason smiled. "Workaholic."
Billy choked on the soda cracker he had been munching on and coughed. When he could finally draw a breath, he laughed. "Oh god, you too?"
Jason rolled his eyes. Edward shrugged and laughed. Trini sighed the sigh of a much put upon woman.
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April 24, 2002 – 8:55 a.m. Berlin Time
ISS Warsaw Headquarters – Conference Room
Warsaw Poland
Fifteen men plus Colonial Daniel Jackson had decided to accompany them to Cracow, some of them felt like they had a score to settle with the creatures. This time they knew to blow them up and not riddle them with bullet holes that did absolutely nothing. Unfortunately, this was a reconnaissance mission, chances of them blowing anything up was slim.
"Okay guys, we move out in five." Kimberly said. She hated having to work with GI's due to the very simple reason that she never gets any respect from them due to her petite size. But she's always found a way around it. "This is a recon mission and we will not be engaging the enemy if possible. At the moment, science team is working on a solution to our problems. But we need to know what we're dealing with so that is what we're going to do. This is so we know the position, strength and weakness of the creature. Military personnel will be under Colonial Jackson's orders but this is a joint operation. Don't step out of line. We do this quietly and quickly. Any questions?" She waited. When no one spoke, she nodded to Colonial Jackson.
The colonial was just about to give the fallout order when Edward came rushing in. "Oh good, you're all still here and I don't have to feel like complete ass for having fallen asleep on the job. Guys, if you'll all just come this way please. Dr. Kwan has a little surprise for you."
The former Rangers exchanged glances of anticipation while the military boys looked on with apprehension. Unfortunately Trini didn't help the situation any when she caused a small explosion at her worktable just as they walked into the room.
Trini jerked back in time to avoid getting her eyebrows burned off. But the stench of the chemical was enough to have her feeling rather nauseated.
"Trini, you all right?" Kimberly asked as she rushed over.
"Fine, fine." She waved her off and tried to get some of the smell away from her. "So much for plan B, I guess we'll just have to stick with plan A."
Colonial Jackson frowned. "Was that the surprise?"
Edward choked on his coffee. "Um…no."
Trini moved over to the eight extermination gears and pointed to them. "Okay, so you all know that I came up with a base level formula that allowed me to, putting it in layman's terms, melt the enemy. The problem with it is that I didn't have the materials yesterday to duplicate the stuff."
"But you do now?"
"Not exactly." She pointed to the crate load of chemicals and micro-frig toward the side. "It occurred to me that no one said that it had to be exactly the same, after all it is my formula. So I spent most of last night substituting or chemically creating the ingredients I needed. They're not perfect but they work. Unfortunately, they are also about twice as strong as the original."
"That's unfortunate?"
"Yeah." Trini grabbed the containment gloves she's been using all night. "This stuff will do to you the same as the acids from the creatures will. It's dangerous guys, highly dangerous. You all have to be in military gear, and I'm talking about the whole shebang. Including face gear cause if they blind you, you are dead."
"But what you have in those gears will kill them."
"That's the point." She looked at them seriously. "I didn't have a lot of time or a lot of materials to work with so I could only produce enough for six packs of Base-Toxikon, they are labeled with the red biohazard stickers. The blue contaminants stickers are for something else." She moved to the last two packs. "These are filled with a special formula that will help to neutralize that effects of the creature's acids. Once it's sprayed on the creature, its body's acidity level drops to almost zero. You can shoot the hell out of it or blow it up and the pieces won't hurt you at all. The red spray is set to spray a direct line, it's not a lot so use sparingly. And the blue sprays in a mist. You need to cover the creature first."
"What in the blue anyways?"
Trini shrugged her shoulders. "Some of this, some of that. Sucrose, talc, alginic acid, cimetidine, formotidine, nizatridine, and other fun stuff."
"Won't the acids eat out of the casing?"
Trini's eyes went wide. She laughed with delight. "I'm glad you asked that. I coated all the cases with liquid enteric; hydrocloridic acid can't eat through it. I only had enough for the cases or I'd soak you all in the stuff. It would probably kill you but at least the acid can't get to you."
Kimberly rolled her eyes at Trini and nodded her thanks. "Is that it?"
"That's it. Good luck guys!" She gave Kimberly a quick hug before going back to her workstation.
Kimberly looked over at Colonial Jackson who nodded his head. "Okay guys, let's move out!"
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April 24, 2002 – 9:45 a.m. Berlin Time
ISS Warsaw Headquarters – Science Unit
Warsaw Poland
Jason found her in the lab just as he suspected that he would. "Trini, what are you still doing here?"
Trini's brows were wrinkled with concentration as she looked over the notes and at the rather muddy green liquid being boiled over the Bunsen burner. "I think if I add Methyl Bromide to the original formula, it would become something a little more deadly. Now if the creature that we're thinking of is a plant creature with a digestive system of a carnivorous animal, then we're looking at a different kind of formula here. What works on the extensions or foot soldiers may not work on the main guy. After all the foot soldiers are just a little part of…."
Jason stopped everything from speech to thought with a very simple and very effective method that had what's left of the science team smiling with appreciation. The doctor looked slightly dazzled when he finally let go. "You need to sleep. Your work is done for the day. You've been up all night to make sure the recon team gets when they need now it's time that you get what you need. Say good night, Trini."
She nodded to the others and allowed Jason to lead her off yet again. It was nice that he took such good care of her when she forgets herself at times like this. She's been known to work herself sick because she no longer pays attention to the happenings around her when her mind is occupied with other business.
"You know, you should've been around when I was working on my doctorate."
He looked back at her. "Why?"
"I use to get sick a lot cause I forget to eat or sleep when I was in the middle of an experiment." She grinned at him when he rolled his eyes. "I can't help it."
"What happened to all the training you got on self control when you were studying martial arts?" Jason asked as he pulled her into the room and shut the door behind her. "What happen to peace and harmony of being?"
"Went out the window when compared to the reproduction of micro-silphones and the effects it had on organic materials." Trini said with a quick laugh.
Jason wondered about the woman at times. "You and your work!"
"You're going to tell me there are times when your floor plans aren't more important than day to day things like showers and occasional trips to the market."
"Showers and market trips aren't anything compared to bodily needs." He pulled the thin t-shirt over her head. It was the first time since they arrived in Poland that she's worn casual clothes instead of the very proper suits of a professional. "Jeans and tees? What happened?"
"I figured if I have to work all night, than I'd rather do it comfortably." She said as kicked off her sneakers. "Besides, you can't get on your hands and knees when you're in a three thousand dollar Armani suit."
"Three thousand dollars?" He looked at her with wide eyes. "That's what your suits costs?" He never saw her as a spend thrift but never as a frivolous person either.
"Some of them." She shrugged. "Of course most of them are gifts from people."
"People give you clothes?"
"You'd be surprised what people give you when you have a Nobel Prize hinging from the wall." She blinked. "I wonder what I did with that thing?"
Jason laughed. "You don't know what you did with your Nobel Prize Award?"
She shrugged. "I never wanted the darn thing in the first place."
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April 24, 2002 – 10:33 a.m. Berlin Time
Prefeitura (Translation: City Hall)
Cracow Poland
"Area secure."
Colonial Jackson nodded to Agent Hart. "It's all yours." Then he headed back outside with his men.
"Okay Tanya, the GI boys have Red Rover at the entrance of the cave. You're up!" Kimberly said as Tanya sat down in front of the monitor with the controls in her lap.
"Camera on, lights on, controls set, and here we go." They all watched as the monitor lit up dimly. The rover moved slowly at first through the first three chambers without anything detected.
"Can we up the lights a little?" Tommy asked as the monitor grew dimmer.
"Yeah," Tanya said touching the controls. "Thank you Jason and your dimming light scheme." She up the lights and allowed them to see more rusty color rocks that were of no interest.
"Hey, turn to the right." Zack said pointing to a corner on the monitor as they entered the fourth rock chamber. "What's that?"
"It looks like…." Adam squinted at the screen. "It looks kind of like….. oh man."
"It's a finger." Kimberly murmured as she made a face.
Tommy looked at the screen and frowned. "Where are the bodies?" They all looked at him. "There were thirty six men that went in. Only one came out. If there is a finger here, where is the rest of the body that finger should be attached to?"
The others turned a particular shade of green. Zack finally said it. "Just once, once is all I ask, I wish Trini was wrong."
"Me too." Kimberly shook her head and picked up the phone. "I didn't tell the directors about Trini's theories, looks like I have to now."
"Look at all that blood." Adam commented. "I've seen some pretty horrific murder scenes but that's just…. God, how could anyone do that?"
"It's not human." Tommy pointed out quietly as Tanya continued to move the rover through bloody puddles from days before. "Do we have sound on this thing?"
"The old camera didn't but the digital one does." Tanya turned up the volume though in the silent chamber it did nothing. "Billy hooked up the mic. before we left. Said that the feed would be slower but it would be worth it."
"Are they getting this at the base?" Kimberly asked as she cover the mouthpiece with her hand.
Tanya glanced at the laptop monitor next to the video monitor she's set up. "They should be."
Kimberly nodded her thanks and turned back to the phone. "London office should be getting it soon. We're scrambling it through the Warsaw office." She continued to murmur description and answered questions as the others watched the monitor for anything.
Tommy caught it first. "Tanya, turn up the volume."
It was high pitched and horrible. The team exchanged glances of apprehension as the microphone picked up the howling of a man in extreme pain. The rover continued to move, Tanya cut the lights down as they came closer to the where the sound was emanating from. The small machine whirled and moved its way over rocky surfaces until it got a humongous chamber.
The chamber itself was huge but the monster that occupied it was much more intimidating. It was massive, green and purple in color, swirling together but never mixing. Its skin looked to be like the bark of a tree, rough and hard. It reminded the former Rangers of Jaba the Hutt from "Star Wars," only ten times bigger and thirty times more disgusting and dangerous. It was sightless like its creations but not mouth less. It had a mouth all right, so monstrous that it took up nearly a third of its body. Lined with teeth on all sides in rolls that appeared to be crested with old blood.
"Kill the lights!" Tommy said but it was too late. One of the creature's creations must have sensed the movement from the rover. It turned this way and rumbled with its master in anger just before one long tentacle arm lashed out at the rover. It didn't do as damage as they had thought but the acid was already eating away at the prototype, which had not been designed to withstand the acidity that could burn human flesh in seconds. The picture held for only a few more seconds before it went dead.
Kimberly took a deep breath. "Well, at least we got to see the monster at its lair."
Tanya nodded silent. "Yeah and what a monster it is."
Zack got up from his position on the ground. "Okay, at least we got the pictures. Now let's head back and see if…" The ground shook like mad, making them all fall over and crash.
"What the…" Adam grab the edge of the table but it was no help. They were sitting on top of the beast and the quakes were at the most intense here.
"Kimberly!" Tommy tried to grab her before she went under but it was too late. Her legs gave out and she slide along the tilting room until she crashed her back against the wall. She cried out as she felt something pop from her shoulder.
Tanya screamed as the monitor hit her leg cutting through her clothes and creating a long ugly gash from her knees to her ankle. The walls were the next to begin to become a concern as it cracked and pieces began to fall.
"Ahhh….." Zack's face contorted in pain as his legs got caught underneath the falling sidewall. He had tried to roll way but it was too late. Something gave away in his leg and he knew it was broken. "Get out of here, this place is coming apart!"
Just as Tanya was about to shout her agreement, knowing that she could not possibly move with the cut gushing blood everywhere, the quake stopped. They all held their breath as they waited for the room to settle itself.
Then the real horror began.
The rat-tat-tat of automatic weapons was the first sign that they were not out of danger yet. Tommy got up and scrambled to Kimberly who whimpered in pain as he tried to move her into a sitting position. "Oh baby," he looked pained as he examined her arm. "You've dislocated your shoulder."
She nodded. It was what she had guessed. "Can you pop it back in?"
He nodded but was reluctant. The pain of realigning a shoulder was horrible. But it had to be done and he had to do it, to his sweet Kimberly. "I'm sorry, baby."
Kimberly clinched her teeth and nodded her head.
Tommy grabbed hold as gently but as firmly as he could. He watched her face for a moment then jerked the arm back into place. She screamed as if someone had stabbed her with a knife. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." Tommy murmured as he hugged her to him. His heart bleeds for her pain.
"It's okay." She whispered in a panting voice. "Go check on the others."
"Guys?"
Adam was bent over Tanya, blinding her wound with an extra shirt that she had packed just in case. Ever fashion conscious Tanya thanked her lucky stars that she did.
Zack was slowly crawling out from under the crumbling wall. His leg was at an odd angle.
Tommy helped him the best he could. "Oh man, Zack." He knew that it was going to hurt like hell to fix that leg. And for a dancer, it was the worse possible nightmare.
"It's okay," Zack said with a forced smile. "I think it was a clean break."
"We have to splinter it." Tommy explained while breaking off the legs of a table. "I'm so sorry about this."
"Hey, don't be." Zack forced himself to breath through his mouth. The pain was causing his vision to swim like crazy. "Not like any of us didn't expect this."
"Adam!" Tommy called to his friend who had finished with Tanya and was leaving her to Kimberly. "I need you to help me hold this steady."
The combined undershirt of the three men served to bandage Zack's leg up. Tommy had given him a brief examine, it had been a clean break. With rest and a good cast, Zack should be up and dancing again in six months.
"Tommy!" Kimberly called out to him. "You and Adam, you need to go check on the boys outside."
The sound of battle appeared to be decreasing now. There were no more cries of agony or pain. The machine guns were still going but no more human cries.
Adam and Tommy arrived outside to see seven of the fifteen army boys they had arrive with unloading their guns on three of the creatures still standing. All over place, there were melted puddles of former foot soldier of the monster they had just spied on.
Tommy could tell the boys were trying to kill but the monsters, though staggering, were not down for the count yet. "Need any help?"
"Don't these guys quit?!" One of the men shouted back as he reloaded his gun.
"We use the stuff that the doctor gave us. We got ten but ran out of the stuff. These three won't go down."
Tommy could tell that this was not going to go away and they have wounded in need of attention. "Did you spray them with the neutralizing stuff."
"Yeah, they're covered with it, that's why we're still shooting."
Adam and Tommy exchanged looks before turning to them. "Blow them up."
"You heard the man, blow them!"
Three grenades, three dead monsters. It was a good day to be a soldier.
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September 30, 2002 - This chapter has been altered from the original format to comply with FanFictions.Net's new ratings rule.