Weeeee! Here's more! I'm terrible at Victor and Trini's relationship!
No, this wasn't happening. Trini wasn't on a magical carpet, flying through New York City with birds constantly ramming into them. Actually, yeah…she was. She just didn't want to open her eyes. Not when her stomach was hurting from Sushi, she was way too high in the air for her own liking, and her body heating powers were fading away. She really needed to get a handle on her powers. Unfortunately, Chase noticed.
"You okay there, Trinket?"
"No." She answered numbly.
"You cold?"
"No."
"You sure?"
"No."
"You're not sure? Are you just saying no?"
"No."
"You know, you're mood's been swinging back and forth lately ever since you and Jake-."
"Shut up." Trini snapped as she looked at him. "I don't like him. He's being a bitch and all grump and shit."
"Do you know why?"
"I don't care."
Just as more birds stumbled onto the group, Nico cried out, "Hang on, everybody! Obviously, I guess."
One of the birds smacked Chase in directly in his face. He slapped it away as Trini bursted out into laughter.
"Ugh! Hang onto what!" He exclaimed. "You couldn't summon an enchanted helicopter for us!"
"That's not how the Staff of One Works, Chase. For it to conjure up a spell, first I have to conjure up, like, painful memories." Nico smacked at the birds. "I try to think of something I feel guilty over or hurt about and it just pops up."
"Speaking of Dark arts, if we're going into battle, you think you can evolve Old Lace into something more Prehistoric and less…adorable?" Gert asked; ducking from the flock.
"Don't worry, Gert. The spell should wear off by its own soon." Nico assured.
"Wear off?" Gert perked. "So what happens if our magic carpet hits its expiration date?"
"Might as well! We're going the wrong way!" Victor shouted over the map. "Trust me; I've been studying Manhattan since I was born. Our cathedral is uptown."
"We're not going to the Cathedral, Vic." Nico stated.
"Why not?"
"Because we need to go after the damn orderly who beat the shit outta Tandy!" Trini answered. "God only knows what he's done to her at the hospital."
"Yeah! So shouldn't we go back to tell Cloak that we found his imposter?" Victor gambled.
"No time, Maps." Gert cut.
"Yeah, it's just like I said, who knows what this freak has done to Dagger while she's in a coma."
"What about Jake and Molly? Shouldn't we have the whole team if we're gonna be taking on a new Super Villain?"
"Does he ever stop asking questions?" Chase spat.
"The five of us can handle it, Vic." Trini assured.
"Besides, Molly's been through a lot. And Jake's been PMS-ing lately. So they deserve a night off." Nico added.
Wolverine was out in the snow. Jake couldn't help but laugh.
"For the love of-Not more super-kids." Iron Man groaned as he looked back.
"Don't underestimate her, Iron Man. Just wait for her to attack-."
"Or you could attack me." Jake stepped forward. "She's a kid. She got scared. So don't get near her again."
"Or else what?" Captain America held his shield up.
"Or I'll punch your face off." Molly raised her fist.
"Or I'll have an early breakfast." Jake bared his fangs.
"Holy…you're a-."
"Jake is right." Cloak interrupted Iron Man. "I am the one you want."
"Cloak, get out of here. Molly and I will handle these Tools." Jake stepped forward.
"Yeah!" Molly pumped her fist.
"Thank you, you two. But I am tired of running." Cloak insisted.
Jake lowered his fist. "Oh, man can I relate to that."
"Wise choice, son." Captain nodded. "We just want to help you get to the bottom of this. Now if you could just take off your cloak-."
"Cap, wait." Iron Man intervened. "I'm getting a priority one transmission from L.C. and S.W. They just said they spotted Cloak…In Dagger's hospital room."
Captain turned to Iron Man. "What?"
"My Imposter." Cloak explained.
"Come on! We gotta kick fake you's butt!" Molly jumped down from the pew.
"You're right." Cloak nodded. "Only a coward would surrender now." He reopened his cape. "Thank you, Father. For everything." He disappeared with Molly and Jake.
"I'm a grown man!" The impostor Cloak shouted as he seeped through the ceiling and onto the roof of the Hospitals.
"Yeah," Gert replied, "The evil ones usually are."
"I…I don't recognize any of you from the Official Handbook of Superheroes." He turned around to face the group. "Are you new?"
"Oh please. New York, New Wave, New Avengers…'new' is just another way of saying old." Nico shoved her staff forward. "Sunburst."
A neon red light shot from the Staff and crashed into Mantz's chest. He collapsed onto the floor with Dagger.
"Well that sucked." Trini crossed her arms. Yeah, now she was freezing.
"Anticlimactic." Victor nodded in agreement.
"Just because Karolina's gone doesn't mean we're out of Star Power." Nico commented.
"I think if I knew how to use my powers we'd have plenty of 'star power'." Trini shuddered.
"Yeah, except I absorb light, Idiot." Mantz growled as he climbed up. "It only makes me stronger!" A large tuff of smoke blew from his cloak and clashed with Gert; knocking her to the edge of the building.
"Um, falling…falling!" She cried as she gripped onto the edge; to no avail.
"Gert!" Chase cried.
Without thinking, Trini jumped off, too.
"What the hell are you doing, Trinket!" Chase shouted.
"Saving your Girlfriend!" Wings ripped through her skin just as she grabbed onto Gert's jacket. The pain was unbearable but worth saving Gert over. Though, she was pretty sure her back was bleeding.
"You…You have wings?" Gert gawked.
"I swear, if you make a Maximum Ride joke, I'll drop you." Trini narrowed her eyes. "Vic, could you help me down here? I really don't wanna use my wings to fly up there."
"Lazy-."
"They ripped from my skin, Gert."
"Oh, then that must hurt."
"It's between, 'I'm gonna kill myself' pain and 'I'm going into shock'."
"Sounds pleasant."
"Fairly."
Gert jumped. "Uh, I think Lace is growing."
"Does that mean Nico's dead?" Trini cocked a brow.
"We're not that lucky." Victor joked as he fell towards the girls, bending the metal underneath them to create a small bridge to hold them. "How's that?"
"Well, I don't-." Trini collapsed in front of Victor; passing out. Her wings disappeared.
"What the hell?" Victor reached down for her.
"She's probably in shock and passed out from the pain." Gert answered.
"Tandy!" Cloak called as he appeared on the roof of the hospital. "You're alive!"
"Yeah, a little head's up before you go all teleport-y on us again!" Jake growled.
Molly glanced around. "Where's Trini and Gert…and Old Lace?"
"What about me?" Victor questioned as he floated to the top with the metals; carrying an unconscious Trini in his arms.
"We're fine. But Trini's gonna need someone serious Tylenol when we get back." Gert jabbed her thumb at Trini. "Besides, a dozen Squad cars just pulled up."
Cloak opened his cape to allow the teens to get inside and return home.
"Yeah, Wolverine and Mister America will probably be here soon!" Molly urged.
"Whoa, you met those guys?" Victor gaped.
"Uh-huh." Molly nodded. "But they're stupid. Superheroes are for little kids, Victor. Come on, I'll teach you on the way home."
That caused Jake to laugh even harder than before.
Los Angeles
Underground Bunker
"How's that?"
"Better."
"So, I've been, you know…noticing stuff." Gert tilted her head to the side as she placed another ice pack on Trini's back.
"Oh, god. I swear, if you say something about Jake and me, I'm gonna-."
"I'm talking about Victor. Clearly, Jake is pissed about you for some reason- I don't wanna get into it-but Victor's been pretty…well, he's listening to you a lot more than he's listening to any of us."
"We kinda have a lot in common, you know." Trini turned to Gert. "I mean, it's not every day you meet someone who's being used for evil."
"Uhm…knock, knock?" Victor knocked on the open door.
"And Doth shall appear." Gert smirked as she got off the bed. But not before smacking Trini in the tender part of her back.
"Fuckin…fuck you, Gert!" Trini tossed a pillow at her.
"Oh, is this a bad time…because-."
"Relax, Jitterbug, she's just topless. Nothing you can't handle." Gert patted his shoulder.
"She's-?"
"Oh grow a pair." She shoved Victor into Trini's room.
"Uhm, I can come back later."
"Why are you always so nervous around me?" Trini asked abruptly.
"Hey, you get all blushy around me sometimes." Victor pointed at her.
"It's your charm. It always gets me." Trini rolled her eyes. "What are you here for?"
"Is Jake mad at me?"
"What?"
"He keeps giving me dirty looks. And, I know I'm not really welcomed around here much. But…he really seems to hate me." Victor rubbed the back of his neck.
"I didn't know you cared so much, Astro Boy." Trini pushed a pillow over her breasts as she sat up. "But if you're gonna talk to me, push these against my back because I'm still on fire."
"You know, I think you want me to either be nervous around you or find you attractive." Victor took the ice packs from her hand and placed them against her back.
"Why can't I have both?" She shrugged.
"Well…I think that Jake's mad at me…because of you…"
"Rephrase that."
"He's jealous?"
"There we go."
"Is he?"
"Probably."
"Probably?"
"Well, I don't like him that way. And he wanted to…well…start a relationship with me…"
"Oh…"
"Yeah. I don't…not with him." She shook her head.
Victor cocked his head to the side. "You know, you don't have a lot of shoes."
"Changing the subject. Nice." Trini nodded. "I don't like wearing shoes much."
"You were wearing them when we met."
"I was wearing boots. Boots are comfortable."
"You were also nicer when we met."
"I was still in my skin. Well, trying to get out." Trini tipped her head. "I was always quiet and fragile."
"You don't wanna be that way?"
"I'm done being that way." Trini chuckled. "Welcome to empowering woman hour."
Victor smiled. "At least you're not being a weakling damsel in distress."
"At least we get a hot guy to come a save us."
"You can keep your hot guy." Victor waved his hand.
Trini chuckled. "Hey…wanna sleep in my bed tonight?"
Bonus Story!
Runaways Vs. X-Men
Hollywood Boulevard
Los Angeles
"Maybe we should put up some flyers or something." Molly shoved her hands in to her pants.
"Yeah, that should play great with the locals, Molly. 'Lost: One telepathic Deinonychus genetically engineered by evil time travelers in the 86th Century." Victor mocked.
"My parents were from the 87th, actually." Gert crossed her arms.
"Well, you never know. It's Los Angeles. Anything can happen." Trini shrugged.
"Chase, how many times have I told you not to leave the Leapfrog's hatch open when we're Crime-Fighting?" Nico growled as she glanced back at Chase.
"Hey, it's not my fault. It's Gert stupid pet." Chase shrugged.
"What did that have to do with the hatch?" Jake looked up in confusion.
"He's right." Gert crossed her arms and closed her eyes. "This is all my fault. I tried to raise Old Lace to be like me…and now she really is."
"Jewish?" Chase questioned.
"Don't you get it, Old Lace is a runaway, just like the rest of us!" Gert waved her hands.
"Yeah, but we ran away because our parents were all, like, villains." Molly reasoned.
"Whatever, we have to capture Old Lace before the sun comes up and she gets hungry enough to start snacking on the stupid tourists." Nico warned.
"Whoa, check it out!" Victor gasped. "I found Wonder Man on the Walk of Fame. He used to be a Superhero." He was kneeling over the star.
"Curious, he also happened to be an old friend of mine." The group panned up to see the X-Men standing in front of them.
"Isn't it marvelous when the Stars align?" Beast stated.
"That's…that's the Beast!" Victor was practically squealing. "Awesome."
"Keep you knickers on, Mancha." Jake ordered as he crossed his arms.
"Hat girl's the one I tussles with in NYC." Wolverine stated. "She's the Belle of the Ball."
"Tussles? If you count getting clocked out of a church tussling then we have two very different definitions, my friend." Jake waved his hand.
"Leave me alone, Wolverine!" Molly spat. "I…I don't like you anymore! You smell like barfed-up hair!"
"What do you guys want with her?" Nico growled.
"My name is Cyclops. My friends and I are instructors at the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning." Cyclops introduced. "And two of our students ran off. Not to mention, we train people like Molly Hayes."
"Yeah, no way I'm going back to that boring ass place, Old Timer." Trini waved her hand. "And I doubt Jake would go willingly."
"We're not old, you rotund abomination." Emma insulted. "We're evolved."
"Please, it's more dangerous more for our kind now more than ever." Colossus crossed his arms.
"Here comes the whole lecture." Trini rolled her eyes.
"Your comrades belong with us now, in a safe environment where they can be taught to use their powers to make the world a better place." He continued.
Jake snorted.
"You people have been at it since you were kids, right? But the planet is just as screwed up as it's always been." Nico narrowed her eyes. "Give me one reason why we should turn Molly, Trini, and Jake over to the League of those who can't do?"
"I'm afraid this isn't a negotiation. You aren't these kid's legal guardians, you're truant teens." Cyclops argued. "Colossus is right. Trini and Molly need structure and discipline, not to mention the kind of positive vision that helped us become who we are."
"What I need is for your psychic to stop trying to get in my head!" Trini shouted; her eyes began to glow.
Emma grabbed her head; groaning as she gripped onto Colossus. "Ah!"
"What did you-?" Cyclops started.
"Is that how you recruit kids? You try to get inside their heads and force them to join your little Power Pack?" Nico swung her staff; smashing it against Cyclops' visor. It flew off, allowing his powers to fire off throughout Boulevard.
"So much for not starting a fight." Trini commented as she crossed her arms; sitting next to Gert.
"Well, wake me up when the fight's over." She groaned.
"Oy, tell me about it." Kitty seeped through the rubble and walked over the girls. "One of you the token pacifist of your group?"
"Not exactly. Pacifists are like vegans. I'm more a vegetarian." Gert answered. "I enjoy fish and occasional mauling."
"Amen to that." Trini raised her hand. "And I'm not exactly one to stray from a fight."
"So, you can turn intangible?" Gert tilted her head.
"Since I was about your age." Kitty answered.
"And you have a pet dragon?"
"Lockhead. Crazy, huh?"
"Yeah. Crazy…" Gert sighed.
"Why did you leave, Trini?" Kitty turned to Trini. "I thought you liked the institute."
"It was fine and all…" Trini shook her head. "But I didn't feel…"
"At home?" Kitty answered.
"Yup…." She nodded.
"That is quite enough, children!" Emma called out as she walked through the rubble; Old Lace behind her. "And I'm directing that at both sides of this inane little battle."
"Old Lace!" Gert squealed. "How'd you find her!" She ran up to Old Lace.
"Your filthy animal found me." Emma sneered. "When looking for lost souls, perhaps we would all do well to remember that it's best to stay put and wait for them to come to us. Isn't that right, Scott?"
"Emma, these kids are important." Cyclops placed his hand on her eyes.
"As is your policy of never forcing mutants to join our cause. When Ms. Hayes, Ms. Alfonso, and Mr. Hunter are ready, they know exactly where they're welcomed." Emma guided him away. "Until then, 'if you love someone,' and all that, yes?"
"Now everything's cool?" Jake cocked a brow as the X-Men waved good-bye.
"No, because we gotta clean this shit up." Trini threw her hands toward the rubble and flames.
"What…What just happened?" Gert looked back.
"I don't know…" Chase started. "…but guess who totally stole Cookie Monster's glasses."
"Whew, for a second there, I was worried we almost learned something." Gert commented.
"That was close." Trini swiped her hand across her forehead.
Chase waved his head around, "Ooo! Looks at me! I'm a big and furry nerd!"
Whooo! Okay, so there was that. No, Trini and Vic didn't have sex.