A/N: Actually, I have no idea what "Universal Soldiers" is! I'm guessing it
has something to do with bringing soldiers back to life or something . . .
anyway, thanks for the reviews, and I'm glad you're enjoying the story!
***
"S-Sienna . . . ?"
There was no doubt, she was the woman he had given his boyhood innocence to, the one he had shared many thoughts and nights with; she stared at him and nodded briefly, then said: "We need to retreat and wait for reinforcements to arrive."
"Yeah," Alex gasped.
He staggered alongside Sienna as they ran for cover, leaving Brickneck behind even as he laughed at them and taunted them for running; Alex was out-of-breath and obviously pained by the time they collapsed. Sienna robotically opened her First Aid Kit and unzipped Alex's jacket once he demorphed, blood was flowing steadily and seeping through his turtleneck.
"Are you . . . " Alex swallowed and took a few deep breaths before continuing: "Did they revive you . . . like the others?"
"'The others'?" Sienna said.
"The soldiers," Alex said, wincing as she cleaned out the gash on his stomach. "They were killed on duty and somehow . . . Time Force brought them back."
"Yes," Sienna said, "that's what happened to me."
"Amazing . . . " Alex's voice trailed off, he gasped harshly and she looked up at him, her expression one of concern.
"Are you in a lot of pain?"
"Some." He hesitated for a long moment, his breathes were unsteady. "Do you . . . remember me, Sienna?" he asked quietly.
Sienna finished bandaging his wound and sat back, resting against a tree and pulling her legs up so she could wrap her arms around her knees; she waited for what felt like an eternity before she gave him an answer:
"Yes, I remember you."
"You remember . . . everything???"
"We were lovers," Sienna recalled, surprising Alex with her bluntness. "Old friends from school."
Alex winced at her tone, she wasn't the same woman at all, those weren't Sienna's eyes staring at him and looking through his body onto some faraway place. He reached over and placed his hand on hers, trying desperately to find the girl he had once been so close to. She stared at him blankly, no emotion in her deep blue eyes that now focused so intently on him.
"You don't . . . " Alex paused, trying to figure out how to say aloud what he felt inside. "Back then, you loved me, Sienna."
"I'm sorry," Sienna said, "I remember loving you . . . "
"I understand," Alex said, "you're not really her anymore, are you? You just have her body . . . and her memories . . . "
'The truth hurts,' Alex realized as they watched reinforcements arrive. "There they are," he said, "let's get back to work." Sienna got to her feet quickly and helped him up, eying him cautiously before asking: "Are you well enough to fight?"
"Yes," Alex told her.
He morphed and they hurried up to the others, where Cpt. Logan awaited them; Alex's suit hid any injuries, so Logan didn't make him sit out during the fight, to his relief. He needed something to take his mind off Sienna, and Brickneck was the perfect escape; he launched himself into battle, more wary of Brickneck's strength.
"You foolish Ranger!" Brickneck snarled, striking out at him as they met again. "Why did you come back?"
"I'm not leaving," Alex said through clenched teeth, "until I bring you in!"
"Then you'll never leave!"
Alex slashed Brickneck across the chest with his Chrono Saber, then again, sending the mutant to the ground; but Brickneck quickly got to his feet and kicked Alex in the stomach. The Red Ranger doubled over in pain and Brickneck took his chance: He jumped forward and grabbed Alex by the throat, in a familiar way that sent chills down his spine. The day Sienna and the others were killed, he was being held up by Ransik in the same way, unable to help his comrades as they were killed in front of him.
"I told you, Red Ranger," Brickneck laughed, "you are no---"
But as he spoke, a laser lit up the sky as it struck the mutant's back ad forced him to release Alex, who fell to the ground gasping for air. He swallowed hard, trying to pull himself together long enough to capture the mutant; he stumbled to his feet as Brickneck did the same, and they faced one another as equals, both battle-weary and in pain.
Alex snatched his badge and held it up:
"In the name of Time Force . . . I place you under arrest!"
He grabbed the injured Brickneck and stuck his hands through the handcuffs, the mutant still struggled, but in his weakened condition he posed no threat; he shoved Brickneck toward the waiting security officers, then painfully walked back to Cpt. Logan.
"Well done, Lieutenant," Logan said, "Brickneck was a major player in Ransik's team."
"It's a good thing we got him," Alex said, breathlessly.
"Get some medical attention now, Lieutenant," Logan said, "I know you took quite a beating over there."
Alex raised his wrist and demorphed with a flash of red, revealing a torn- up uniform smudged with blood, Logan winced and reached over to pat Alex's shoulder with a small smile. "Good job," he said. Alex nodded a little and saluted him, then turned and walked away, soon joined by Sienna.
"Have you received any medical attention?" she asked.
"Not yet," Alex admitted, "I'm going."
"Good," Sienna said.
She accompanied him to the tent set up for soldiers in need of medical help, a field nurse ran a scanner over his body and quickly patched him up well enough till he got to the space station; then he headed out to discuss the battle with Logan. Sienna stood in the tent and watched him disappear into the crowd, wondering what their night would be like . . .
***
Alex walked down the corridor of the space station and entered his quarters with Sienna, gesturing to the uncomfortable-looking couch against the wall. "Sit down," he said, "I'll get you a drink. Still like iced tea?"
Sienna looked back at him as she sat down. "I don't know," she said, "I don't have to eat or drink now, so I haven't."
"Well, I'll pour you a glass anyway," Alex said, "just for old times sake." He poured a long glass and handed it to Sienna, smiling sadly. "It's incredible . . . how Time Force brought you back. How does your family feel about it?"
"I haven't seen them," Sienna said.
"Really???" Alex blinked. "But you remember them . . . you know they're your family."
"It isn't the same now," Sienna said, "it would be more painful for them to see me now, than to think I was dead."
"Are you sure?" Alex questioned, "I'm relieved to know you're alive and well."
"But I'm not," Sienna said, "Sienna is dead. Like you said, I am her body. Nothing else."
Alex flinched as he sat down, facing her and staring at her with wide eyes full of confusion and wonder. "I guess so," he sighed, "I just can't get it through my mind, that it's not really you. How do you feel about this? I mean, holding someone else's body."
"I don't think about it," Sienna said, "I didn't steal her body."
"I know," Alex said, sipping his drink.
"Maybe I should go---" Sienna offered.
"No!" Alex said, desperately, "please . . . not yet." He stood with her and grabbed her arm pleadingly, they were barely inches apart now, and could feel the other's breaths on their faces. He stiffened, then pulled her close and kissed her passionately; to his surprise, she kissed him back and willingly let him pick her up and carry her to the couch, where he gently lay her down. She landed on her back, staring up at him with a familiar look in her eyes.
"Sienna," Alex whispered.
"Alex . . . "
She unzipped his jacket and pulled it off eagerly till his scarred chest was revealed, bearing chiseled abs and broad, tight shoulders. He leaned closer and kissed her neck tenderly, pleased when he received a gentle moan in return; she pulled him against her and lifted her legs up around him, begging him in a way so irresistable to his long-denied need.
"Why are we doing this?" Sienna questioned, softly. "For 'old times sake'?"
Alex's hands trembled as he cupped Sienna's face with them, tears stinging his eyes while memories of her death flooded his mind . . . and then another face blocked hers . . . Jen.
"Jen!" he gasped.
He got up quickly and stood with his arms folded across a sweaty chest, breathing heavily; Sienna sat up hesitantly, obviously bewildered by his behavior. "Who???" she asked.
"Jennifer," Alex sighed, "she's . . . um, a girl at the Academy. One of my former students."
"She's a cadet?"
"Sienna, I---" Alex turned back to her "---we haven't done anything not befitting an officer and a cadet, I'm not stupid. But I care for her too much to do this . . . it was just such a surprise, you being here with me . . . "
"Did it occur to you, Alex," Sienna said, "that maybe you don't want her anymore?"
"I do!" Alex insisted, "Sienna, please, don't do this to me. I don't love you, I-I never did. I love Jennifer, I want to wait for her."
"I was only asking," Sienna said, calmly. "But I should go now."
Alex watched in silence as she straightened her uniform and did her hair, she showed no signs of discomfort or hurt at his rejection. She looked at him briefly before walking out the door, leaving him alone in the middle of a dark, cold room . . .
*****
Dear Jennifer . . .
I've told you about Sienna, I know. Well, by some miracle performed by Time Force itself, she is now living once again---and back in my life. It's not the same anymore, she isn't herself now, and we're not romantically involved like before. I just thought you'd like to know.
And I wanted to tell you I don't think it's a good idea for me to be seeing you anymore, you're very young, even if you weren't a cadet, and I shouldn't be involved with you. I'm sorry, I know I hurt you and I honestly never meant to, that was never my intention. Maybe in time it could work, but for now, we need to stay safe. And stay away from each other.
I love you, Jennifer . . .
Alex.
***
"S-Sienna . . . ?"
There was no doubt, she was the woman he had given his boyhood innocence to, the one he had shared many thoughts and nights with; she stared at him and nodded briefly, then said: "We need to retreat and wait for reinforcements to arrive."
"Yeah," Alex gasped.
He staggered alongside Sienna as they ran for cover, leaving Brickneck behind even as he laughed at them and taunted them for running; Alex was out-of-breath and obviously pained by the time they collapsed. Sienna robotically opened her First Aid Kit and unzipped Alex's jacket once he demorphed, blood was flowing steadily and seeping through his turtleneck.
"Are you . . . " Alex swallowed and took a few deep breaths before continuing: "Did they revive you . . . like the others?"
"'The others'?" Sienna said.
"The soldiers," Alex said, wincing as she cleaned out the gash on his stomach. "They were killed on duty and somehow . . . Time Force brought them back."
"Yes," Sienna said, "that's what happened to me."
"Amazing . . . " Alex's voice trailed off, he gasped harshly and she looked up at him, her expression one of concern.
"Are you in a lot of pain?"
"Some." He hesitated for a long moment, his breathes were unsteady. "Do you . . . remember me, Sienna?" he asked quietly.
Sienna finished bandaging his wound and sat back, resting against a tree and pulling her legs up so she could wrap her arms around her knees; she waited for what felt like an eternity before she gave him an answer:
"Yes, I remember you."
"You remember . . . everything???"
"We were lovers," Sienna recalled, surprising Alex with her bluntness. "Old friends from school."
Alex winced at her tone, she wasn't the same woman at all, those weren't Sienna's eyes staring at him and looking through his body onto some faraway place. He reached over and placed his hand on hers, trying desperately to find the girl he had once been so close to. She stared at him blankly, no emotion in her deep blue eyes that now focused so intently on him.
"You don't . . . " Alex paused, trying to figure out how to say aloud what he felt inside. "Back then, you loved me, Sienna."
"I'm sorry," Sienna said, "I remember loving you . . . "
"I understand," Alex said, "you're not really her anymore, are you? You just have her body . . . and her memories . . . "
'The truth hurts,' Alex realized as they watched reinforcements arrive. "There they are," he said, "let's get back to work." Sienna got to her feet quickly and helped him up, eying him cautiously before asking: "Are you well enough to fight?"
"Yes," Alex told her.
He morphed and they hurried up to the others, where Cpt. Logan awaited them; Alex's suit hid any injuries, so Logan didn't make him sit out during the fight, to his relief. He needed something to take his mind off Sienna, and Brickneck was the perfect escape; he launched himself into battle, more wary of Brickneck's strength.
"You foolish Ranger!" Brickneck snarled, striking out at him as they met again. "Why did you come back?"
"I'm not leaving," Alex said through clenched teeth, "until I bring you in!"
"Then you'll never leave!"
Alex slashed Brickneck across the chest with his Chrono Saber, then again, sending the mutant to the ground; but Brickneck quickly got to his feet and kicked Alex in the stomach. The Red Ranger doubled over in pain and Brickneck took his chance: He jumped forward and grabbed Alex by the throat, in a familiar way that sent chills down his spine. The day Sienna and the others were killed, he was being held up by Ransik in the same way, unable to help his comrades as they were killed in front of him.
"I told you, Red Ranger," Brickneck laughed, "you are no---"
But as he spoke, a laser lit up the sky as it struck the mutant's back ad forced him to release Alex, who fell to the ground gasping for air. He swallowed hard, trying to pull himself together long enough to capture the mutant; he stumbled to his feet as Brickneck did the same, and they faced one another as equals, both battle-weary and in pain.
Alex snatched his badge and held it up:
"In the name of Time Force . . . I place you under arrest!"
He grabbed the injured Brickneck and stuck his hands through the handcuffs, the mutant still struggled, but in his weakened condition he posed no threat; he shoved Brickneck toward the waiting security officers, then painfully walked back to Cpt. Logan.
"Well done, Lieutenant," Logan said, "Brickneck was a major player in Ransik's team."
"It's a good thing we got him," Alex said, breathlessly.
"Get some medical attention now, Lieutenant," Logan said, "I know you took quite a beating over there."
Alex raised his wrist and demorphed with a flash of red, revealing a torn- up uniform smudged with blood, Logan winced and reached over to pat Alex's shoulder with a small smile. "Good job," he said. Alex nodded a little and saluted him, then turned and walked away, soon joined by Sienna.
"Have you received any medical attention?" she asked.
"Not yet," Alex admitted, "I'm going."
"Good," Sienna said.
She accompanied him to the tent set up for soldiers in need of medical help, a field nurse ran a scanner over his body and quickly patched him up well enough till he got to the space station; then he headed out to discuss the battle with Logan. Sienna stood in the tent and watched him disappear into the crowd, wondering what their night would be like . . .
***
Alex walked down the corridor of the space station and entered his quarters with Sienna, gesturing to the uncomfortable-looking couch against the wall. "Sit down," he said, "I'll get you a drink. Still like iced tea?"
Sienna looked back at him as she sat down. "I don't know," she said, "I don't have to eat or drink now, so I haven't."
"Well, I'll pour you a glass anyway," Alex said, "just for old times sake." He poured a long glass and handed it to Sienna, smiling sadly. "It's incredible . . . how Time Force brought you back. How does your family feel about it?"
"I haven't seen them," Sienna said.
"Really???" Alex blinked. "But you remember them . . . you know they're your family."
"It isn't the same now," Sienna said, "it would be more painful for them to see me now, than to think I was dead."
"Are you sure?" Alex questioned, "I'm relieved to know you're alive and well."
"But I'm not," Sienna said, "Sienna is dead. Like you said, I am her body. Nothing else."
Alex flinched as he sat down, facing her and staring at her with wide eyes full of confusion and wonder. "I guess so," he sighed, "I just can't get it through my mind, that it's not really you. How do you feel about this? I mean, holding someone else's body."
"I don't think about it," Sienna said, "I didn't steal her body."
"I know," Alex said, sipping his drink.
"Maybe I should go---" Sienna offered.
"No!" Alex said, desperately, "please . . . not yet." He stood with her and grabbed her arm pleadingly, they were barely inches apart now, and could feel the other's breaths on their faces. He stiffened, then pulled her close and kissed her passionately; to his surprise, she kissed him back and willingly let him pick her up and carry her to the couch, where he gently lay her down. She landed on her back, staring up at him with a familiar look in her eyes.
"Sienna," Alex whispered.
"Alex . . . "
She unzipped his jacket and pulled it off eagerly till his scarred chest was revealed, bearing chiseled abs and broad, tight shoulders. He leaned closer and kissed her neck tenderly, pleased when he received a gentle moan in return; she pulled him against her and lifted her legs up around him, begging him in a way so irresistable to his long-denied need.
"Why are we doing this?" Sienna questioned, softly. "For 'old times sake'?"
Alex's hands trembled as he cupped Sienna's face with them, tears stinging his eyes while memories of her death flooded his mind . . . and then another face blocked hers . . . Jen.
"Jen!" he gasped.
He got up quickly and stood with his arms folded across a sweaty chest, breathing heavily; Sienna sat up hesitantly, obviously bewildered by his behavior. "Who???" she asked.
"Jennifer," Alex sighed, "she's . . . um, a girl at the Academy. One of my former students."
"She's a cadet?"
"Sienna, I---" Alex turned back to her "---we haven't done anything not befitting an officer and a cadet, I'm not stupid. But I care for her too much to do this . . . it was just such a surprise, you being here with me . . . "
"Did it occur to you, Alex," Sienna said, "that maybe you don't want her anymore?"
"I do!" Alex insisted, "Sienna, please, don't do this to me. I don't love you, I-I never did. I love Jennifer, I want to wait for her."
"I was only asking," Sienna said, calmly. "But I should go now."
Alex watched in silence as she straightened her uniform and did her hair, she showed no signs of discomfort or hurt at his rejection. She looked at him briefly before walking out the door, leaving him alone in the middle of a dark, cold room . . .
*****
Dear Jennifer . . .
I've told you about Sienna, I know. Well, by some miracle performed by Time Force itself, she is now living once again---and back in my life. It's not the same anymore, she isn't herself now, and we're not romantically involved like before. I just thought you'd like to know.
And I wanted to tell you I don't think it's a good idea for me to be seeing you anymore, you're very young, even if you weren't a cadet, and I shouldn't be involved with you. I'm sorry, I know I hurt you and I honestly never meant to, that was never my intention. Maybe in time it could work, but for now, we need to stay safe. And stay away from each other.
I love you, Jennifer . . .
Alex.