Chapter 25
"Again!" Nadira yelled angrily, hitting Fly-tag across the face with her closed fist. "Five months of training and you are still as weak and useless as you were in the beginning!" she chided.
"I am a butterfly!" Fly-tag complained. Nadira kicked her in the side.
"That's a lame excuse!" she yelled. "Now do it again!"
Bunnistein and the other female mutants regarded Nadira with anger. Fly-tag had gotten the worst of her, but they all had had their share of the pink haired mutant. Fly-tag kicked the Cyclobot they had been practicing with, and it didn't even seem to feel her kick. She gathered some of the anger she was feeling and kicked the Cyclobot, this time with an angry yell to match. The robot fell on its back, an electric shock running up and down its body.
"That's enough for now," Nadira announced. "Get out of my sight, you worthless wimps."
The young female mutants began to move back to the clock tower, and they met the male mutants that had been training with Ransik, on the way. Centauricon approached Fly-tag, who looked devastated. Her head was low and her shoulders were drooping.
"Hey, butterfly, what's wrong?" he asked.
"I'm a butterfly, Centauricon," she said sadly. "Butterflies aren't dangerous."
"I think you can be very dangerous when you want to," he assured. "You just need to focus."
"I don't want to learn how to be dangerous," she said.
"You have to," he said forcefully. "Think about it this way." He bent so only she could hear him; he was considerably taller than she was. "You need to be dangerous to the bad guys."
She looked at him smiling. "I think you're right," she agreed.
"I'll tell you what," he began. "I'm a very strong and resistant horse, so how about I help you train a little extra so you can catch up?" he offered, along with his hand.
"I'd love that," she answered, shaking his hand, which she didn't fail to notice, was warm and soft. Like his smile, she thought, and then blushed.
****************************
"What about that one?" Wes asked, pointing at a beautiful wooden crib, which was painted white and had beautiful carvings.
"It's too elaborate!" Jessica complained, her hand instinctively running around her now big pregnant belly.
Wes groaned. "They're all too simple or too elaborate," he complained. "Why don't you pick one?"
She turned on her heels slowly, looking at all the cribs around her. "Look at that one," she suggested excitedly. Wes looked in the direction she was pointing and saw why she was so happy. It was the perfect crib for their baby, who now, in their six month of pregnancy, they knew was almost certainly a girl.
"It's perfect," he commented aloud, putting an arm around his wife's shoulders. She turned her face and kissed him.
"Let's get it," she ordered. "I want to take a look at the baby clothes before going home."
"Don't you think this is enough for now?" he asked, kissing her cheek. "You should rest."
"I'll rest the last month, when everything is set. Right now, we have to prepare everything, and it has to be quickly, we only have three months left."
"Okay, okay," he agreed, looking around for an employee of the store.
"By the way, the Brazilians want one more meeting before selling," she announced, changing the topic brusquely.
"Now what?" Wes said tiredly.
"They didn't say, but I think they are still uncertain about the contract. They still want to make some changes, but the people in Legal have advised us not to accept those changes, because they would affect us negatively," she explained.
An employee approached them, and Wes began asking for the price and such of the crib. Jessica wandered around the store and found the baby clothes. She began to look through them, and Wes joined her a little later.
"Look at this," she said, showing him a pretty pink romper-suit, with white collar. "Isn't it adorable?"
"Yes it is," he said. "What about this one?" he suggested, showing her a minimal purple and white pajama.
"Oh!" Jessica moaned, delighted. "I love it!" she commented.
He chuckled and, as she kept looking at both sets of clothes, he looked at her. The pregnancy suited her. She looked more beautiful than ever. He walked to her and hugged her tightly. She rested her head on his shoulder.
"I love you so much," he said.
"And I love you, Wes," she said, surprising him the short version of his name. "I'm so lucky to have you," she told him.
**************************************
Jen pressed herself tighter against her husband's naked body, enjoying the different textures of his skin and the sheets.
"I missed this," he admitted.
"Me too."
"How long has it been?"
"Three months, two weeks and four days," she answered. "Not that I've been counting."
"Of course not, why would you be counting?"
"I wasn't," she said, closing her eyes. As she did, objects began to lift from the floor and land again all over the room.
"Jennifer," Alex began. "What are you doing?"
"I'm training, it's been a while," she answered drowsily. "I've learnt a couple of new tricks lately."
"Which ones?" he inquired.
"Well, now I can have a connection with several people at once, and keep them all sort of monitored, while following the most important one," she said.
"For example?"
"Right now, I have a connection with you, with Wes, and with Katie," she said. "But the one I have with you is the most important one," she added, kissing his chest.
"And exactly what is that good for?" he asked drowsily.
"This way I can know if they are okay or not. If I sense fear or tension, I make their connection the most important one, so I can know exactly what's going on and how can I help."
"And exactly how do you know what's happening to them?"
"With the help of my new trick," she answered happily. "Right now you are looking at the ceiling, with your eyes half closed," she explained. Surprised, he looked down at her to see if she was looking at him, but she still had her eyes closed. "And now you are looking at my face, because you want to know if I'm looking at you. I can also tell you are smelling the shampoo I used this afternoon, that you feel the sheets are cold, you are listening to my voice and to the fountain outside, and tasting a metallic flavor that was left there by the pill you took for a headache."
"How did you do that?" he demanded, amazed.
"My new trick," she answered simply. "I can experience the world through your senses if I want to. I tried for a little while we were making love, but it was too intense, feeling what I was feeling and what you were feeling at once. I almost lost it."
"You never cease to amaze me," he declared.
"Is that the eighth wonder of the world talking?" she joked.
*************************************************
Wes handed Jessica the sundae she had asked for. "I'm going to get as fat as a cow," she told him as she thrust the spoon in the ice cream and then brought it to her mouth.
"You're not," he assured her, smiling. He also took a bite of his own sundae.
They looked at each other silently, enjoying their ice cream, Wes throwing glances at the bags next to them every now and then. "I'll call Philips to come and pick that up, okay?" he said, and pulled out his cell phone while his wife nodded silently. "Philips? It's Wesley; we are in the ice cream shop at the mall, yes, the one I always go to. We have a serious amount of bags here, would you please come and pick them up?" he waited for an answer, said, "Thanks," and hung up.
Jessica was looking around the mall distractedly. He touched her hand with his, to call for her attention. "Anything else you feel like doing?" he asked.
"No," she answered absently. "Not really."
"Is everything okay?" he asked, worried.
She gave him a smile. "Yes, Wes, everything is fine," she assured him.
How could she voice her fears of being a terrible mother to him, who seemed ready to be the best father in the world? How could she tell him she had dreamt of herself hurting their child? No. She couldn't tell him, he would hate her for thinking such a thing. But she knew she had to tell someone, or she would go insane.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a great commotion around the bank branch in the mall. People were running and staring, pointing at the bank, and some women were crying in sudden hysteric attacks. Wes stood up and craned his neck to take a better look at what was happening.
"Mutants," he said. Jessica moved to stand up too, but he held her down. "No, they haven't seen us, let's stay here and wait. Perhaps they will leave without seeing us."
"Aren't you going to try to stop them?" she asked.
"No, It would tip them to your presence here," he explained.
"But, those people."
"You are the most important thing for me, baby," he told her, looking into her eyes. "I'll call the others and they'll come, but I'll stay here, protecting you."
She nodded. She was scared, and she didn't want her husband fighting these monsters.
*****************************
"Mutants," Jen said, getting dressed at full speed.
Alex imitated her. "Where?" he asked.
"In the mall, where Jess and Wes are," she told him, grabbing her officer glove and throwing him his.
"Call the others," he said. She nodded, and put on her morpher and brought it to her mouth. "Guys, mutants at the mall, teleport there," she said.
"Ok, Jen, on our way," Trip answered.
Alex was studying the city map, finding the mall and the coordinates to it. He put his finger on it, shared them with the team, and they teleported to the mall.
"Over there!" Katie pointed, towards the bank. They all turned.
"Let's do this!" Alex called.
"Time for Time Force!" they said as one and they were engulfed by their protective suits.
"Let's go!" Jen ordered and they all ran towards the bank.
**********************************
"Very good," Nadira told the mutants that were carrying the money. "This worked out just fine, so far," she added.
The young mutants threw glances at each other. Their orders were to rob the bank and leave. But Nadira seemed to have other plans. She made her nails grow and shot the guard an energy blast, killing him.
"Now, it's your turn," she said, turning to the young mutants. "You," she pointed at Fly-tag, who threw a mortified glance at Bunnistein. "Get that woman over there," she ordered.
Fly-tag just stood there, staring at the woman, who crouched away from her, terrified. She raised her hand, ready to shoot her, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. The Power Rangers entered the bank in that moment, and they aimed at the group of mutants. Nadira grabbed Fly-tag by the wrist and she shot the woman at last. The poor lady fell on her back, apparently dead.
"Freeze! You are under arrest!" Alex yelled. Nadira turned to him and pointed at him with her nails, ready to shoot him, but Jen moved her nails back at her face.
"I'd watch where I point those things if I were you," she warned the mutant.
"We'll get them later," Nadira told her students. "Let's go," she ordered and they teleported away.
Trip ran to the woman and Katie ran to the guard and began to check for vital signs. "I've got vitals!" Trip yelled, and pulled out the first aid kit of his glove.
"This one is lost," Katie declared. "Somebody, call a doctor!" she pleaded.
Alex moved closer to Jen and asked. "What the hell was all that about?"
"I don't know," she answered. "But I think this is the result of what they have been doing for the past months."
"Yes, they've been training," Alex said.
"And they're not done yet, we are in for a long, hard fight, Alex."
"They're in for an even harder one," he promised. "We won't let them win."
"No way in hell," Lucas agreed. "I thought Nadira had changed, but obviously I was wrong."
To be continued.
"Again!" Nadira yelled angrily, hitting Fly-tag across the face with her closed fist. "Five months of training and you are still as weak and useless as you were in the beginning!" she chided.
"I am a butterfly!" Fly-tag complained. Nadira kicked her in the side.
"That's a lame excuse!" she yelled. "Now do it again!"
Bunnistein and the other female mutants regarded Nadira with anger. Fly-tag had gotten the worst of her, but they all had had their share of the pink haired mutant. Fly-tag kicked the Cyclobot they had been practicing with, and it didn't even seem to feel her kick. She gathered some of the anger she was feeling and kicked the Cyclobot, this time with an angry yell to match. The robot fell on its back, an electric shock running up and down its body.
"That's enough for now," Nadira announced. "Get out of my sight, you worthless wimps."
The young female mutants began to move back to the clock tower, and they met the male mutants that had been training with Ransik, on the way. Centauricon approached Fly-tag, who looked devastated. Her head was low and her shoulders were drooping.
"Hey, butterfly, what's wrong?" he asked.
"I'm a butterfly, Centauricon," she said sadly. "Butterflies aren't dangerous."
"I think you can be very dangerous when you want to," he assured. "You just need to focus."
"I don't want to learn how to be dangerous," she said.
"You have to," he said forcefully. "Think about it this way." He bent so only she could hear him; he was considerably taller than she was. "You need to be dangerous to the bad guys."
She looked at him smiling. "I think you're right," she agreed.
"I'll tell you what," he began. "I'm a very strong and resistant horse, so how about I help you train a little extra so you can catch up?" he offered, along with his hand.
"I'd love that," she answered, shaking his hand, which she didn't fail to notice, was warm and soft. Like his smile, she thought, and then blushed.
****************************
"What about that one?" Wes asked, pointing at a beautiful wooden crib, which was painted white and had beautiful carvings.
"It's too elaborate!" Jessica complained, her hand instinctively running around her now big pregnant belly.
Wes groaned. "They're all too simple or too elaborate," he complained. "Why don't you pick one?"
She turned on her heels slowly, looking at all the cribs around her. "Look at that one," she suggested excitedly. Wes looked in the direction she was pointing and saw why she was so happy. It was the perfect crib for their baby, who now, in their six month of pregnancy, they knew was almost certainly a girl.
"It's perfect," he commented aloud, putting an arm around his wife's shoulders. She turned her face and kissed him.
"Let's get it," she ordered. "I want to take a look at the baby clothes before going home."
"Don't you think this is enough for now?" he asked, kissing her cheek. "You should rest."
"I'll rest the last month, when everything is set. Right now, we have to prepare everything, and it has to be quickly, we only have three months left."
"Okay, okay," he agreed, looking around for an employee of the store.
"By the way, the Brazilians want one more meeting before selling," she announced, changing the topic brusquely.
"Now what?" Wes said tiredly.
"They didn't say, but I think they are still uncertain about the contract. They still want to make some changes, but the people in Legal have advised us not to accept those changes, because they would affect us negatively," she explained.
An employee approached them, and Wes began asking for the price and such of the crib. Jessica wandered around the store and found the baby clothes. She began to look through them, and Wes joined her a little later.
"Look at this," she said, showing him a pretty pink romper-suit, with white collar. "Isn't it adorable?"
"Yes it is," he said. "What about this one?" he suggested, showing her a minimal purple and white pajama.
"Oh!" Jessica moaned, delighted. "I love it!" she commented.
He chuckled and, as she kept looking at both sets of clothes, he looked at her. The pregnancy suited her. She looked more beautiful than ever. He walked to her and hugged her tightly. She rested her head on his shoulder.
"I love you so much," he said.
"And I love you, Wes," she said, surprising him the short version of his name. "I'm so lucky to have you," she told him.
**************************************
Jen pressed herself tighter against her husband's naked body, enjoying the different textures of his skin and the sheets.
"I missed this," he admitted.
"Me too."
"How long has it been?"
"Three months, two weeks and four days," she answered. "Not that I've been counting."
"Of course not, why would you be counting?"
"I wasn't," she said, closing her eyes. As she did, objects began to lift from the floor and land again all over the room.
"Jennifer," Alex began. "What are you doing?"
"I'm training, it's been a while," she answered drowsily. "I've learnt a couple of new tricks lately."
"Which ones?" he inquired.
"Well, now I can have a connection with several people at once, and keep them all sort of monitored, while following the most important one," she said.
"For example?"
"Right now, I have a connection with you, with Wes, and with Katie," she said. "But the one I have with you is the most important one," she added, kissing his chest.
"And exactly what is that good for?" he asked drowsily.
"This way I can know if they are okay or not. If I sense fear or tension, I make their connection the most important one, so I can know exactly what's going on and how can I help."
"And exactly how do you know what's happening to them?"
"With the help of my new trick," she answered happily. "Right now you are looking at the ceiling, with your eyes half closed," she explained. Surprised, he looked down at her to see if she was looking at him, but she still had her eyes closed. "And now you are looking at my face, because you want to know if I'm looking at you. I can also tell you are smelling the shampoo I used this afternoon, that you feel the sheets are cold, you are listening to my voice and to the fountain outside, and tasting a metallic flavor that was left there by the pill you took for a headache."
"How did you do that?" he demanded, amazed.
"My new trick," she answered simply. "I can experience the world through your senses if I want to. I tried for a little while we were making love, but it was too intense, feeling what I was feeling and what you were feeling at once. I almost lost it."
"You never cease to amaze me," he declared.
"Is that the eighth wonder of the world talking?" she joked.
*************************************************
Wes handed Jessica the sundae she had asked for. "I'm going to get as fat as a cow," she told him as she thrust the spoon in the ice cream and then brought it to her mouth.
"You're not," he assured her, smiling. He also took a bite of his own sundae.
They looked at each other silently, enjoying their ice cream, Wes throwing glances at the bags next to them every now and then. "I'll call Philips to come and pick that up, okay?" he said, and pulled out his cell phone while his wife nodded silently. "Philips? It's Wesley; we are in the ice cream shop at the mall, yes, the one I always go to. We have a serious amount of bags here, would you please come and pick them up?" he waited for an answer, said, "Thanks," and hung up.
Jessica was looking around the mall distractedly. He touched her hand with his, to call for her attention. "Anything else you feel like doing?" he asked.
"No," she answered absently. "Not really."
"Is everything okay?" he asked, worried.
She gave him a smile. "Yes, Wes, everything is fine," she assured him.
How could she voice her fears of being a terrible mother to him, who seemed ready to be the best father in the world? How could she tell him she had dreamt of herself hurting their child? No. She couldn't tell him, he would hate her for thinking such a thing. But she knew she had to tell someone, or she would go insane.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a great commotion around the bank branch in the mall. People were running and staring, pointing at the bank, and some women were crying in sudden hysteric attacks. Wes stood up and craned his neck to take a better look at what was happening.
"Mutants," he said. Jessica moved to stand up too, but he held her down. "No, they haven't seen us, let's stay here and wait. Perhaps they will leave without seeing us."
"Aren't you going to try to stop them?" she asked.
"No, It would tip them to your presence here," he explained.
"But, those people."
"You are the most important thing for me, baby," he told her, looking into her eyes. "I'll call the others and they'll come, but I'll stay here, protecting you."
She nodded. She was scared, and she didn't want her husband fighting these monsters.
*****************************
"Mutants," Jen said, getting dressed at full speed.
Alex imitated her. "Where?" he asked.
"In the mall, where Jess and Wes are," she told him, grabbing her officer glove and throwing him his.
"Call the others," he said. She nodded, and put on her morpher and brought it to her mouth. "Guys, mutants at the mall, teleport there," she said.
"Ok, Jen, on our way," Trip answered.
Alex was studying the city map, finding the mall and the coordinates to it. He put his finger on it, shared them with the team, and they teleported to the mall.
"Over there!" Katie pointed, towards the bank. They all turned.
"Let's do this!" Alex called.
"Time for Time Force!" they said as one and they were engulfed by their protective suits.
"Let's go!" Jen ordered and they all ran towards the bank.
**********************************
"Very good," Nadira told the mutants that were carrying the money. "This worked out just fine, so far," she added.
The young mutants threw glances at each other. Their orders were to rob the bank and leave. But Nadira seemed to have other plans. She made her nails grow and shot the guard an energy blast, killing him.
"Now, it's your turn," she said, turning to the young mutants. "You," she pointed at Fly-tag, who threw a mortified glance at Bunnistein. "Get that woman over there," she ordered.
Fly-tag just stood there, staring at the woman, who crouched away from her, terrified. She raised her hand, ready to shoot her, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. The Power Rangers entered the bank in that moment, and they aimed at the group of mutants. Nadira grabbed Fly-tag by the wrist and she shot the woman at last. The poor lady fell on her back, apparently dead.
"Freeze! You are under arrest!" Alex yelled. Nadira turned to him and pointed at him with her nails, ready to shoot him, but Jen moved her nails back at her face.
"I'd watch where I point those things if I were you," she warned the mutant.
"We'll get them later," Nadira told her students. "Let's go," she ordered and they teleported away.
Trip ran to the woman and Katie ran to the guard and began to check for vital signs. "I've got vitals!" Trip yelled, and pulled out the first aid kit of his glove.
"This one is lost," Katie declared. "Somebody, call a doctor!" she pleaded.
Alex moved closer to Jen and asked. "What the hell was all that about?"
"I don't know," she answered. "But I think this is the result of what they have been doing for the past months."
"Yes, they've been training," Alex said.
"And they're not done yet, we are in for a long, hard fight, Alex."
"They're in for an even harder one," he promised. "We won't let them win."
"No way in hell," Lucas agreed. "I thought Nadira had changed, but obviously I was wrong."
To be continued.
