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 Twelve – Reactions and Plans
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April 24, 2002 – 1:43 p.m. Berlin Time
Prefeitura (Translation: City Hall)
Cracow Poland
"Okay, we've got six wounded and six dead. There are nine of us to take the rest of the team back to base." Tommy looked at the men. Colonial Jackson was among the dead and there was no one in the situation of command. Kimberly had passed out shortly after Tommy had helped to relocate her arm. Tanya and Zack are both wounded with heavy leg damage. And Adam has always taken orders from Tommy. Looks like Mr. Oliver was back in the drivers seat whether he likes it or not. "Okay, let's load the dead into the back and placed the wounded in the front. I don't want to but we've got to stack the bodies. All the equipment we brought, minus the rover, goes back. You three get the stuff still in the building. You four start loading the dead. Adam and I will move the wounded. Let's go people."
It took them an hour to sort things out and another half an hour to put thing back in order. The last quake had done major damage in the area. But the city of Cracow had been evacuated long since. They have what they came for but paid for it at a much higher price than they expected. Now it was time to clear out of there.
Kimberly moaned when Tommy lifted her. Her shoulder was turning into an awful bruise and there were cuts on her face and arms. He had a pretty good idea what kind of condition her back was going to be come tomorrow morning considering the hit she took on it.
Adam was helping Zack up when Tommy returned to help. A fallen wall had broken the dancer's leg but it had been a clear break and should mend nicely. In the mean time, he looked to be in a lot of pain.
"How are you holding up, Zack?" Tommy asked as he looped on arm over his shoulder and helped him over to one of the two waiting vans.
"I feel like shit but that's okay cause we accomplished something today." Zack smiled for their benefit but really, he just felt like tossing his cookies.
"You'll be back in your bed in no time." Adam said as he helped move Zack's bandaged leg. "One of the doctors at the base will be able to cast that thing and get it healing."
Zack nodded his head and lay back to rest. He's had a rough day. And he had no doubt his people at the dance company was going to kill him.
Adam frowned as they approached Tanya, who was slumped to the side. "I'm worried about her. She lost a lot of blood during the quake."
"She'll make it." Tommy said with a look of determination. He's never lost anyone on his watch before and it wasn't about to start now. "We will all make it."
"Yeah," Adam nodded and smiled at Tanya. "We'll be okay."
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April 24, 2002 – 2:01 p.m. Berlin Time
Underground Caverns
Cracow Poland
They've killed my children, my runners. They've hurt them.
The pain, the pain, the pain. Need more energy.
Only six left now. Only six left. Must have more food
Must make more runners. Runners to find the Power Rangers. Runners to find food to make energy to make Runners.
The creature's mouth opened and closed as he dropped the last of the food source screaming down his throat. He truly wished they would not scream so when they go. It was very noisy and very annoying. There was no escape, why do they fight?
He needed more, need much more.
"Go. Food. Now." The ground shook with his words. And the runners went far to get them.
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April 24, 2002 – 2:25 p.m. Berlin Time
ISS Warsaw Headquarters – Dr. Trini Kwan's Quarters
Warsaw Poland
She snuggled close as she slept. He watched with infinite fascination as her breath came in and out. She was so sweetly innocent when her features were smooth with slumber. The world of reality slips away and she allows herself to become a child again in those hours when nothing was there but her own mind. He loved that. He loved to just watch her and her quiet beauty.
The murmur from her lips as she turned left a smile on his lips. It was the first time since he's arrived here that she's slept with no nightmares to wake her. It was nice, this quiet sleeping. He won't mind being able to do this for the next fifty or sixty years.
"What are you thinking?" Trini asked, her eyes still misty from sleep. She had awoken to him simply leaning on his elbow, staring off into nothingness.
Jason smiled down at her. "I was just thinking how beautiful you are when you sleep."
She smiled then pouted. "So I'm not beautiful when I'm awake?"
He leaned in and kissed those sweetly pouting lips. "Not as beautiful as when you're asleep," he teased and earned a fist in the side. "Ouch. See?"
She turned her back on him and watched the window. His arm crept its way around her, pulling her back against him. It was wonderful to wake in his arms. No one could ever make her feel as safe as Jason does. "Hum…." He kissed her neck and nibbled on her ears softly.
His body ached for her. Ached to possess her again. It was strange. Sex has never been really a dominating force in his life before. Sure, he was a guy and he enjoyed sex as much as the next guy does. But he's never felt the overwhelming urges as he does now. Every fiber of his being longs to be connected to her. The very thought of her was enough to arouse him.
Trini turned on to her back and reached up with one hand to caress his face. Their lips touched tenderly in small light kisses that were sweeter than ripen berries in the sun. He teased her mercilessly with little nips on her mouth, soft sweet caresses of the tongue and warm kisses. He was like…..like a man in love. Her mind reeled at the thought that this wonderful, generous, strong, gentle, tender man would love someone like her. It felt impossible.
He breathed in her scent, powdery fine and wonderfully feminine. His hands touched the smooth skin bared by the thin tee shirt he loaned her for sleep. He would spend all day in bed just touching her softly, teasing that wonderfully agile body to heightened arousal. She was so responsive to him, to his kiss, to his touch. She seemed to come alive under him, like a winter flower that bloomed in the sun.
She moved restlessly against him but he wanted to simply taste. And he did. Small kisses on her lips, jaw, neck. He touched her gently, shoulder, arms, fragile wrist, fingers. His body settled on hers gently, not urgent but just comfortable. He wrapped her in his warmth and she sighed in content.
He watched her face as he moved his hand along her arms. Feeling the muscles turn to liquid under his fluttering touch. She was wonderfully femininely soft compared to his male firmness.
The hands that cupped her face were rough in texture but gentle in application. He pulled her toward him, kissing her fluttering eyes shut. He could see the confusion in them. He wanted to explain but didn't know the right words. They weren't going to have sex this time, they were going make love, slow and easy, truly become one.
Gentle delicate hands came to rest on his shoulders. She was shivering, not from cold but from fear. This was different; it was so dearly beautiful and strange, nothing she's ever felt before. Her heart felt full, and so ….. so complete that she couldn't breath. She could feel tears come to her eyes but she didn't want to cry. This was stunning, too beautiful for words. Her voice was like the gossamer wings of a butterfly, there but not completely there. "Jason." The whispering tone caused him to shutter.
"Shh….. Just let me love you." His kisses were soft and gentle. His hold on her was light but firm. He wanted this night to be in her memories forever. And they will have forever.
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April 24, 2002 – 2:45 p.m. Berlin Time
ISS Warsaw Headquarters – Conference Room
Warsaw Poland
Billy closed his eyes and rested his glasses on the glass table before him. He had cleaned up and sent the last of the pictures over. Tommy had just phoned with news of the team. They would arrive within an hour and would need a medical team here.
"Billy?" Katherine Hillard looked at the tired man and felt her heart contract. "What's wrong?"
"They were attacked." Billy's voice was heavy and his sigh was heartfelt. "They were doing the recon and it felt their movements and…. They were attacked."
Kat came over and put her arms around him. He sighed and leaned into her "It's okay."
He pulled back angry. His eyes glittering bright with unexpressed rage. "No, it's NOT okay. They should not have to defend themselves against things that have no right to be breathing the same air we do. It's not all right that the body count just went up to two hundred and sixty-four. It's not fair that kids are left without parents and wives without husbands. It's not right. It's not okay!"
She said nothing but stood there and allowed him to rage at her.
His eyes closed in pain. "I'm sorry, Kat. I didn't mean to….. I was completely out of line there. I'm sorry."
She said nothing yet. Her arms came around him again, pulling him into her embrace. "Nothing is fair in this world. Not when you have evil like Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd. You are allowed to be angry at them. You are allowed to be angry at everything that they've done. You never have to be sorry because unnecessary pain makes you angry."
He sighed against her shoulder. He pulled back to smile at her when he found her lips pressed against his. Eyes wide, he thought for a moment that he's entire world had just been turned upside down. Kat was pressing herself against him, letting him feel every inch of her body, telling him just what she felt.
When she pulled back, his eyes were still wide with shock. She let go abruptly. And took a step back. "I….I…." She couldn't get the words pass her lips. Instead, she turned and fled.
Billy stood here dumbfound.
When Rocky walked in few moments later, he was still standing there. "Hey Billy, what's going on?"
He frowned. "That's what I'd like to know."
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April 24, 2002 – 4:19 p.m. Berlin Time
ISS Warsaw Headquarters
Warsaw Poland
"Let's get them in there."
"Move, move."
"Get the gurney!"
"Tommy!" Rocky rushed down the stairs of the ISS Headquarters. "What happened?"
"I'll explain later." Tommy nodded to another soldier as they carried the bodies in. "Right now, I need doctors."
"We set up an emergency medical center in the back." Rocky said as he helped Zack out of the car. "Let's get everyone over there now. How are you doing man?"
There was a fine sheen of perspiration on Zack's upper lip. He was clinching his teeth has he moved. "Don't ask."
More people came out to help and eight medical doctors rushed out to greet their newly arrived patients. People milled around but personnel kept non-essential people from the medical area. The others ended up waiting for news on their friend in the Conference room. Someone had to be sent to find Jason and Trini, who have yet to leave their room since entering it earlier in the morning. Tommy loathed disturbing his friends, especially knowing that Trini had worked through the night for them.
Trini and Jason came rushing through the room ten minutes later, disheveled and frantic. "What happened?"
Tommy stood up as Trini came charging toward him. He was saved from being run over by a quick-handed Jason who grabbed her from behind. "Easy girl. Let the man talk."
"We were attacked." Tommy explained. Then proceeded to tell them everything that's happened since they left for Cracow. He didn't give any details of what they saw but the look on his face was enough to say that it was more horrible that they could have imagined. He looked pained at he describe the quake, the tilting falling building, the wounded and the dead. "So we're now just waiting for the doctors to tell us how everyone is."
Trini sat down and shut her eyes. Jason put his arm around her and let her lean against him. "It's going to be okay."
"Hey Dr. Kwan?" One of the soldiers stood up.
Trini looked over at the eight surviving team members of the squad that went to Cracow. Her heart went out to them. They've lost so much. "I'm sorry to hear about your friends and your commander. It must be…."
"We're soldiers, madam. We knew the risk." He glanced at the others who all nodded to him. "We wanted to thank you for the stuff you gave us."
Trini blinked for a moment, not comprehending what they were talking about.
"That Base-Tox-whatever…. the red spray you stayed up all night to make." He nodded to make her understand. "We wanted to thank you for it. If it hadn't been for you, we'd all be dead now. You saved our lives and we wanted to thank you." The others nodded their thanks at her.
Trini smiled at them and tried to blink her tears back. But failed miserably as she ended up crying, burying her face into Jason's shoulder. He smiled and patted her back. "What she means is you're more than welcome."
The men nodded and seemed to understand. It was an emotional day for them all. Women just tended to show it more in the form of tears.
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April 24, 2002 – 5:16 p.m. Berlin Time
ISS Warsaw Headquarters – Katherine Hillard's Quarters
Warsaw Poland
She lay curled on her side with the blankets pulled her around. She felt sick to her stomach. What the in the world possessed her to kiss him like that! God, what must he think of her?
It was like walking into a dream only to realize it was a nightmare. His eyes! They were so shocked, as if she was a completely stranger to him. She doubted if she had turned into a bright purple dinosaur in front of him, he could not possibly have been more stunned.
What the bloody hell was she thinking!
The knock on the door was soft but insistent. Katherine sighed and got up. It was probably Tanya returning from the reconnaissance mission. She hoped that it went well and she had not been hurt.
The last person she wanted or needed to see at the door was Billy Cranston. She almost shut the door in his face. "Hi, I thought maybe we should talk."
Talk? The bloody man wanted to talk? "Sure." She opened the door wider and let him in.
The last thing she wanted to do was talk. Her humiliation was complete enough as it is. She did not need him to spell it all out for her.
"Kat," Billy started but stopped. It was a lot more awkward that he thought it would be. Then again, he never was very good at these social situations. "Listen about this afternoon."
"You don't have to say anything, Billy." Kat shook her head. "I know that I took liberties and that I shouldn't have. I just wanted to know if there was anything in there at all. And guess that I…"
"Kat, stop!" Billy wanted to try to calm the situation down before Katherine burned up into ciders; she was so red. "First of all, it wasn't that it was wrong, just the timing was bad. I wasn't exactly in the right frame of mind when you kissed me. I was thinking of my friends."
"I know and I thought that…."
"And you should have asked."
"What?"
"I'm not just a piece of meat. If you wanted to kiss me, you should have asked." Billy shrugged. He wasn't sure where that came from but it did, and it was how he felt. "The kiss was nice, but it was just not the right time for it. I'm not a very social person, Kat. You should know by now. I take things a hundred times slower than most people. Where as couples get to bed on their third date, I'm not even sure if we should be holding hands. You just came on too strong."
She was stunned. It never occurred to her to find out what the right approach was when it came to Billy. "I'm sorry."
Billy nodded. "I know. I just thought we should talk so that there was no awkwardness between us."
She nodded. "So…"
He smiled. "So we go out on a date once this is over and take it from there, okay?"
Leave it to logical minded Billy to take over at that moment. She smiled. "Okay, I can handle that."
"And no more sudden kisses like that. It fried my brains for a moment there."
She laughed. "Okay, always ask permission first. Got it."
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April 24, 2002 – 7:56 p.m. Berlin Time
ISS Warsaw Headquarters – Conference Room
Warsaw Poland
"Can we zoom in on the right there?" Trini asked as she took a deep breath.
"Not without losing about twenty percent of the clarity." Billy replied but went ahead and did it anyways.
"Wait, wait," Jason called out. "Go back three frames. One more. Now enhance the color. There!"
"What?" The others wanted to know.
"It's rock, he's laying half on a bed of rocks." Jason pointed out.
"So?" Rocky wanted to know.
The ever quick minded Trini picked it up first. "So it's on unstable foundation."
"Bingo!" Jason said with a smile. "We architects tend to pay attention to how things are set up. Foundation is the key to every good house."
"I love architects!" Trini said with a big grin.
Tommy laughed. He was sitting in the conference room with Billy, Trini, Jason, Adam, Kat, and Aisha going through the footage taken on the reconnaissance mission. Kimberly, Zack, and Tanya were all sleeping soundly in their own beds after getting checked out, put into casts and slings and other assortment of medical tortures. They would all recover, only very slowly. The other three officers were diagnosed with two first-degree burns from not handling the Base-Toxikon as carefully as Trini instructed them to, and one broken arms from a fall. Over all, they were lucky.
They had all agreed that fresh eyes were needed for the stuff, so ones that didn't get to go were getting a first hand look at the footage. Edward the scavenger with his hundred different ways of coming up with things somehow managed to find a computer projector and a white screen for them. It made the whole experience a lot easier when they didn't all have to crowd in front of a monitor. Billy did the computer imaging while the others made notes and observations. After an hour at this, they were tired and ready for break when Jason, the every observant architect, found a weakness.
"Okay, so he's on an unstable settling. Can we use it?" Tommy asked.
"Depends on what we want to do." Jason said with a look that said that your guess is as good as mine.
"We need to find someway of destroying this thing without destroying the city on top with it." Rocky stated the obvious. He was beginning to become anxious.
"Blow the thing up would appear to be the only way to kill it." Billy noted as he pull the image back, fixing the color and clarity as he went.
Aisha nodded slowly. "But we don't want to contaminate the whole area of Cracow.
"Well, considering this thing is underground, we shouldn't worry too much about his remains burning their way to the surface." Trini said as she yawned. "Acidity level it carries can't possibly be strong enough to eat through iron deposit rock minerals."
The others all turned to look at Trini was poured herself another cup of coffee. She was definitely going to have to cut back on the stuff. Plus this headache wasn't too great.
"How do you know that?" Rocky asked with a face. Sometimes it was very difficult to talk to Trini when she threw out things like that from out of nowhere. "We didn't get any rock samples."
Trini rubbed eye. "Didn't need to. It's well known that Poland's lower lands are heavy with iron deposits. And if the color of these pictures are accurate, the heavy redness of the rocks would indicate it."
"And when did you have time to study geology?" Adam asked though he didn't doubt her. The amount of things Trini knew never ceased to amaze him.
"I spent two months in Egypt a year ago doing research for one of my books." She shrugged her shoulders delicately. "It was something I picked up along the way."
Aisha sighed. "Okay, note to self: think long and hard on starting a writing career."
The others laughed as they continued to study the photos.
Edward knocked softly at the door and poked his head in, not wanting to disturb them too much. "Knock, knock."
"Hey, Eddie." Trini called out. "What's up?"
"I bought food. The chief thought maybe you guys might want to have dinner." Edward motions to people behind him to bring in trays of stuff. "Trini, you have people around here that just absolutely adores you."
"Thanks."
"Oh wait," Edward called out, as Trini was about to reach for a dinner roll. "Doc, you've got something special."
"Huh?"
Edward brought in a large tray with a heavy bowl on it. "This is rabbit stew, the most nutritious meal one can have this side of the continent. Courtesy of the G3."
"What?" She looked at him as if he's gone out of his mind.
"Unit three of the United States Army wanted to show their appreciation to you by making this stew especially for you." He smiled sweetly at her with an aren't-you-just-the-most-precious-thing look. "I think a couple of the boys have a crush on you."
Trini smiled weakly. "That was awfully sweet of them."
"Well considering you took a huge risk in experimenting with chemicals, stayed up all night, put your health at risk just so they'd have something that actually works on those suckers for them, a little stew was nothing." Edward pointed out.
"That's Trini," Aisha laughed with amusement. "She draws them in by the flocks."
She sighed and dug into her stew. "It's not like I won't have done it for anyone else."
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April 24, 2002 – 10:25 p.m. Berlin Time
ISS Warsaw Headquarters – Conference Room
Warsaw Poland
"Okay, can we use the formula on him?" Tommy asked after another hour of going around in circles on how to get into the place undetected. It was a question they simply didn't have an answer for at the moment. So they simply abandoned it for now. "I just want to know if there's another option than to blow the thing sky high and possibly risking structural damage to the area."
Trini winced as she shifted in her seat. "I'd have to make enough to fill the whole Atlantic Ocean to kill that thing."
"Okay," Billy crossed out a line on the list he's been making. "Plan A is out."
"How about we cover this guys with the neutralizer you made?" Rocky asked. "If we can get it on him, maybe we can blow him up then and not worry about the rest."
Adam nodded his head. "And then we can go back in at a later time and do the clean up."
Aisha shook her head. "You're assuming that the neutralizer even works on this guy. Look at the skin on this thing. I've seen porcupines with softer skin than that."
"Well it stands to reason that if it works on neutralizing the foot soldier, who are an extension of it, then it should took on him." Adam pointed out.
"But the foot soldiers don't have the same kind of structure as this guy. You're comparing the foot to the toes." Aisha argued. "No, I think we need another way. Even if we /can get in there to do this."
Tommy held up his hand. "Let's not worry about the logistics of how to get in right now. We'll get into that again later. Let's figure out how to destroy it first."
"Okay," Billy looked up from his typing. "What if we can detonate a bomb over the creature and use that bomb itself as a carrying case for the neutralizer, assuming the thing actually works on a creature of this proportion."
Kat nodded her agreement. "I agree. If we can simply use the technology we have and carry the chemical weapons at our disposal, then we can get this thing before it does any more damage to the area. We all agree that it has to go. We cannot have these earthquakes continue, Poland cannot withstand much more of this."
Tommy was writing things down as they went. The argument began again as Aisha played devil's advocate as agreed upon. It went back and forth for sometime, more coffee and tea was needed for the night.
Jason was sitting quietly by the side as the guys argued. Trini had turned thoughtful again. Her eyes were glued to the screen in front of her. There was a look in her eyes that said that her mind was turning around on something. Something they are probably not going to like. She's got the little wrinkle on her forehead whenever an idea or thought bothered her. It was there now and Jason was going to hate himself for it later if he didn't get her to sound it out. "Spill it Trini."
The others looked at him then at Trini, who looked startled. Her mind had been so preoccupied with her own thoughts that she didn't realize that Jason had been studying her. But she should have learned by now, he's always watching over her. "Nothing."
"No, you had that look. What is it?" Jason insisted. She was not going to get any good rest tonight if she allowed the thought to shimmer and sit.
Trini shook her head at him. "Nothing."
"Trini…."
"It's too dangerous and impossible to do." Trini said with a sigh. Her cup was empty again. Not wanting anymore coffee, she headed for the tea.
"Trini," Adam looked at her serious. "Whatever it is, share it. We can use whatever you have on this."
She sighed and leaned against the side table. "I was just thinking of what Aisha and Billy said. The skin of this thing is thick, hard and wooden like. Now, what do you do when you get a stump of an old tree and you have to get rid of it. You change the biology of it from the inside; pour salt in. It rots the core and the tree crumbles. If we can get a strong neutralizer into its system, we can blow it up without any problems." She tapped her chin. Her mind was in scientist mode now and not really paying attention to the reactions of her friends. "But it would have to be a strong formula in an even stronger container that can go through him very quickly without being effected by his acidity level. Or instead of neutralizer, we simply pour Base-Toxikon in and let it eat him inside out, cause you can't possibly be that hard inside as well as outside. That's just not how nature works. Of course this is a creation of Zedd and Rita so anything could go." She shrugged slightly. "But that's just my thought."
The others exchanged looks. The thought of going from the inside had never even entered their minds. By using the ideas of Billy and Aisha all rolled into one big massive, rather complicated plan, Trini may have just come up with the best way to deal the problem.
Tommy nodded at the others. "Okay guys, looks like we have a plan."
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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.