(New) The Reluctant Ranger Chapter 69

Much larger changes to this chapter that set up a swifter resolution to the volume.

The Progenitor’s teleportation wasn’t instantaneous to those within the effect.  They had attempted to explain it before, something about being accelerated to near the speed of light caused some form of time dilation.  It didn’t make any sense to her, but no doubt Becca would dig into the math with the same fervor that she always did. 

If Rebecca wasn’t the most educated human on Earth by the end of the month, Nicole would eat her scarf.  That girl could devour knowledge and never seemed to forget anything she learned, and now she was in one of the greatest archives of knowledge in the local star system.  The Sylan might have more general knowledge, but Maraline seemed certain that the Progenitors were still more advanced when it came to the source technology.

The dilation of time did give Nicole a moment to think, even as she watched the blur of red light that represented her girlfriend trail around her in a gentle spiral.  Putting everything on her shoulders wasn’t healthy, and the more that Nicole pondered things, the more she realized how she had all but forced Grace to let her come with. 

That part hurt, but lives were in danger.  The conversations to come would be worth it if they returned in one piece.  Their friends’ lives were worth more than their relationship, and the cold math of it sank deep into Nicole.  She didn’t want to think like that; reducing her friendships and love to cold calculus. 

Then there was the second stream of color winding around her own, a pale blue where Maraline streaked towards Minneapolis.  The Sylan had outlined several likely scenarios her mentor would employ, and how best to counter them.  She didn’t like it, but there were too many variables to rely on only one set of plans when it came to an enemy with millennia more experience than they could muster. 

Any further thoughts on the matter were pushed out of Nicole’s mind as the ground rushed to meet them.  The sprawling expanse of Minneapolis grew by the second.  Their twin trails of light danced past a jet taking off from MSP; no doubt giving everyone inside the scare of their lives.  Even with five years of alien invasions, air travel hadn’t been interrupted.  The lack of infrastructure disruption was simply another subject to discuss with Maraline when the world wasn’t falling apart around them.

Nicole’s second planned landing went smoother than her first, and she reached out to grab Grace’s hand without hesitation.  Her girlfriend did the same and the pair shared a look of resolve.  

The ache in her chest was still there, but it had ebbed somewhat in the past fifty odd minutes since she woke up.  It would have to be good enough if they were going to pull through the next hour.  Nicole had no doubt that she would need to draw upon the Source once again, and that should have scared her more than it did.  She had enough things on her plate as it was. 

After the broadcast, it was safe to assume their identities were shot to hell and back, no doubt the connections were being made by people with too much time on their hands.  It didn’t matter, her identity was already flimsy as hell and known to more people than she would have wanted already. 

With a sigh, Nicole reached out and took Maraline by her elbow, attempting to mimic the grip she had seen some law enforcement use while working with the fire department.  It didn’t need to be perfect, but she still needed to sell it.  Maraline was cuffed in a set of heavy police shackles, not that they could contain her all that well.

The surgery to remove the implants the Syla had given her wasn’t without issues.  Chief among them was her adaptation and reliance on their functions.  Her heart didn’t beat properly without assistance and her bones were completely replaced with bio-engineered creations that were infinitely stronger than organic contemporaries.  Many of those components had to be replaced with near identical components. 

She wasn’t as overly powerful as before, but that didn’t mean that Maraline was helpless.  It also meant that it wouldn’t take much for the Sylan to realize that she was compromised if they bothered to check those systems closely. 

“I do hope this works,” Maraline muttered, wiggling her wrists.  “Such flimsy restraints will not fool Guiana for long.” 

“They don’t need to last under scrutiny,” Nicole said, taking a deep breath.  “We just need them to be convincing enough for what we have planned.” 

Her girlfriend nodded, then brought her watch up.  “Roll the Dice!” 

Crimson flashed, heralding the Red Ranger’s form.  She then took Maraline’s arm in hand and began to walk her towards the place where Guiana was holding their teammates.  It wasn’t far from where they landed, but hopefully Guiana hadn’t noticed their arrival, only the flash of light that would herald the transformation.  

The plan was simple enough, depending on how things went.  Either Maraline would be traded over where she would then break free once the others were safe, or she would turn on them and rejoin Guiana before she made an opening to rescue their friends.  The entire plan was a major show of trust, both from her, and Maraline. 

“There’s the helicopter,” Grace said, her helmet gesturing towards the distant aerial.  That Guiana hadn’t destroyed it yet spoke to her wanting this to be a spectacle.  She wanted the world to witness the end of the Rangers that stood against their greatest generals.  “I wonder how everyone’s reacting?” 

“Likely with less surprise than we would think,” Nicole said.  “Too many people know us, and we haven’t exactly been subtle at times.  It’s a wonder that the fight with Bartran didn’t out all of us wholesale.” 

Sure, they had Sinclair to thank for that, but even the best efforts would only go so far in the face of public exposure.  Their secret was out, and there was no point in trying to hide it anymore.  Nicole had come dressed in combat gear, not that she was actually up for a fight so soon after suffering backlash, but she was prepared for the pain if it became necessary.

Turning down the street, signs of the recent battle came into full view.  Damaged buildings and torn up roads were the least of the things that drew the eye.  Dozens of automatons littered the space, but two blocks down stood their reason for coming.  Guiana eyed them with contempt, and Nicole breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of her teammates reasonably intact. 

They continued their approach, escorting Maraline closer to the waiting General.  Only when Guiana raised a hand did they stop.

“That’s far enough.” 

Dozens of the same machines they fought on the farm made themselves known, the gold patterns on their shoulders glinting ominously in the moonlight.  The most disturbing part was how they all stood at rough attention, flanking both sides of the street.  It was a clear show of force, a reminder that they were the ones on the back foot in this negotiation.  If they wanted to hit Guiana, they had to go through dozens of their best machines to do so.

Finally getting a good look at her friends, Nicole had to wince at their condition.  Jeff was by far the worst off, with his left arm hanging at his side, his elbow bent the wrong way.  Without the Progenitor’s healing that would likely be debilitating for the rest of his life.  Kayla had some cuts and scrapes, and a torn sleeve had tied off one particularly bloody wound on her shoulder.  Then there was Devon who seemed to struggle to catch his breath even at rest.  Had he taken a bad internal hit?  There was no way for her to know without actually checking him up close. 

“Send Maraline over, or these three die,” Guiana said.

Nicole stood her ground and crossed her arms.  “No deal.  We have no guarantee that our friends will remain unharmed without our leverage.” 

To accentuate the point, Nicole drew her dagger and held it to Maraline’s throat. 

Guiana laughed, shaking her head.  “Oh, this is pitiful.  Do you honestly think either of you have power here?  You’re one Ranger between yourselves.”  As though to prove her point, she shoved Devon over and kicked him.  He grunted, but didn’t let the pain show.  “I am perfectly content to torture them to death in front of you, if that is your prerogative.” 

“Sorry,” Grace whispered. 

Then she backhanded Maraline, knocking her to the ground.

“Two can play at that,” Nicole said, pulling Maraline back up.  “You have three hostages to our one.  Send someone over as a show of faith or we’re leaving.” 

“You would abandon them?” Guiana asked with a manic grin.  “So cruel of you!” 

Nicole shook her head.  “Not at all.  I just don’t see a point in playing this game if you’re going to kill them anyway.” 

“You’re certainly more clever than most of your race,” Guiana said.  “Very well, their lives are pointless either way, now that their morphers are destroyed.  A pity, but the data we have gathered from our last meeting was more than sufficient to complete the model.” 

A cold sweat broke out along Nicole’s spine as she considered the implications.  If the Progenitor’s theories were correct, then they were on the cusp of the entire war tipping into true open conflict.  If that was the case, then saving her friends just got a lot more complicated.

With deflating shoulders, Nicole took a steadying breath.  “Fine, Maraline for my friends.”

“Consider it done,” Guiana said, much to Nicole’s surprise.  Then the Sylan paused as a wicked grin came to her purple lips.  “On second thought, I want Red’s Morpher too.  Your status as a team of one is rather hilarious, but I know better than to underestimate my foe.”

“No dice,” Grace said.  “This is the only thing keeping you from killing all of us right here and now.  I’d rather keep the last shred of insurance I have if it’s all the same.” 

“Then pick a friend to die,” Guiana said with a casual shrug. 

Devon coughed, spitting blood aside as he did.  “Don’t we get a say in this?”

Guiana kicked him, sending him sprawling to the ground.  “Silence.  Trash like you don’t get a voice at this table.” 

It took everything Nicole had to not lash out.  The Source roiled within her, threatening to slip her control.  Ever since morphing in that cave, the power had come so easily, as though it was eager to help her whenever she might need it.  Now it was right there, almost asking permission to reach out and save her friends. 

“Honor the arrangement,” Maraline said.  “Do not disparage yourself with such petty trickery.” 

“Oh,” Guiana said, her eyes narrowing towards the former General.  “Do you still have sympathy for your pet Ranger?  One would think that being held by them might break you of such trifles.” 

“When one has all the power, is it not our place to show it?” Maraline asked, pulling against her restraints.  “Do not lower yourself with petty ultimatums.  These humans will be dead from age long before either of us.  Why torment them so?” 

“Because I find it enjoyable?” Guiana said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the universe.  “Pests deserve to be exterminated, and these lab animals have outlived their usefulness.  Why shouldn’t I take pleasure in their end?” 

“Disgusting,” Maraline whispered before looking back up, her glare full of defiance.  “Why did I ever look up to you?  What did I see in the woman who all but raised me?  Where is the caring figure who gifted me that beautiful harp?” 

Guiana’s expression softened, though it wasn’t what Nicole expected.  Rather than something caring or parental, all she saw there was pity. 

“I taught you what it meant to be Sylan.  To seek betterment for yourself and our Empire.  The humans were to be your proving ground, so I made sure you would understand them.  Now I see that I performed the task too well.” 

She sensed it before it happened, the blade appearing in Guiana’s hand in a flash before it came down and pierced Kayla from behind.  She barely had a moment to comprehend what had just happened as she looked down at the bloody tip of metal protruding from her chest.  Then Guiana ripped it away, and Kayla fell. 

Jeff screamed, but Nicole couldn’t hear it over the blood roaring in her ears.  Grace charged forward, axe appearing in hand and Guiana had the nerve to smile just as their blades connected.

The smirk was immediately wiped from the bitch’s face as Grace bowled her over with the force of the blow.  The Red Ranger didn’t let up, grabbing hold of the Sylan General and slammed her head down into the concrete and kept going.  A hundred feet down the way and Guiana rallied, bringing a leg up to kick Grace away.  She took the hit, her forcefield barely sparking as the momentum was bled off with a few expert twists that would make any gymnast jealous. 

Nicole would know.

It was one thing to hear that Grace’s morpher was upgraded, it was an entirely different matter to see those upgrades in action.  Her girlfriend was completely unruffled, and decidedly pissed if her rigid posture was anything to go by.  For once, Nicole wasn’t eager to jump between her and a threat. 

“Well now, someone found their claws,” Guiana said with a grin as she wiped a smear of blood across her face.  Shit, Grace had actually scraped her skin raw, not that the Sylan seemed to mind.  “Not an anomaly, but hitting as hard as one.  Now I really want that morpher of yours.” 

“Then try and take it,” Grace said.

The Sylan General burst into motion, her blade going right for Grace’s neck.  Her axe moved just enough to catch the blade on the haft, Guiana’s eyes dilated ever so slightly, and the dance was on.  Shockwaves ripped through the air with each clash, and Nicole could only smile as she watched her girlfriend keep up, no matter how much she wanted to jump in and help.

Grace asked for an opportunity, and she had some sort of upgrade from The Progenitor that was giving her confidence.  Yet, Nicole couldn’t help but fear that it was a false confidence borne of a major power increase.  That same experience had helped push Nicole further, and nearly cost her everything when that power became too much to control. 

It was intoxicating, even as it tore Nicole apart. 

The morphers had limitations built in to prevent that according to Rebecca, which should prevent Grace from suffering similar backlash.  The real danger was in the feeling that came from wielding such power.  Nicole knew it well, but Grace always had more self control.

She just needed to trust her girlfriend. 

That didn’t mean she was going to remain idle.  Maraline was free of her restraints and the pair were rushing over to the others.  Jeff and Devon were attempting first aid on Kayla, but one look was all it took for Nicole to know that things weren’t looking good for her.  The blade had pierced from her shoulder and came out around her stomach.  Each of the Rangers had first aid training at Carlos’s insistence, but none of them lived it like Nicole. 

“Don’t worry,” Kayla said weakly.  “It’s worse than it looks.” 

“Move,” Nicole said, pushing Jeff away knowing full well how much that would hurt him.  Jeff was clearly a bad influence on his girlfriend, but right now she needed everyone to be serious.  “Both of you, go find me clean cloth or a monster of a first aid kit.  The next few minutes are critical.” 

Jeff stared blankly at his girlfriend, but Devon had more sense and grabbed him.  They were gone just a moment later, heading for a nearby convenience store.  At the same time, Nicole pulled a pack of tampons from her pouch and began to unwrap them and shove each into the wound.

“Don’t want him to see me die?” Kayla asked, wincing as Nicole worked. 

Nicole clamped down tighter on the wound, getting a hiss out of the woman.  “Shut up, I’m trying to keep you alive here.” 

“G—got it,” she wheezed.

What was needed was to teleport her back to the Progenitor ship, but that would mean tipping off Guiana that they had the capability.  She needed to get Kayla stable enough for the transport, then they could take her back.  But first, they would need a distraction if there was going to be any hope of saving them.

Fuck, she was going to have to reveal her ability to morph unassisted if they were going to save Kayla.  Which meant she needed to make herself a target, one that would be too tempting for Guiana to ignore.

The vulnerability would be too tempting for the General, and that was when Nicole would draw on the Source and give Kayla that chance.  She would only get to use that trump card once, and Nicole was planning to get the most mileage out of it that she could manage.  Be it in this battle or the next. 

Guiana was as swift as ever, her motions a struggle to track even with Nicole’s Source enhanced vision.  Despite that, Grace was keeping up with her every action, blocking a heavy strike and flowing into a seamless parry before retaliating with a thunderous hammer blow of her greataxe.  If the stakes weren’t so high, Nicole would be taking the time to appreciate how much ass her girlfriend was currently kicking. 

A ducked blow flowed into a shoulder check that sent Guiana stumbling back.  The General regained her footing almost immediately, but Grace was upon her, swinging her axe with both arms.  Guiana bent back to avoid the lethal strike, then flipped to the side to avoid the follow up.  As Nicole watched the dance her eyes narrowed. 

If Nicole hadn’t fought Guiana before, she might even think that Grace was winning. 

That wasn’t the case, not with how much Guiana was holding back.  Each close call could hardly be called such, not when Nicole knew from experience what the woman was capable of.  Those near misses were calculated, with the woman matching her speed to give the impression of a disadvantage. 

Worse, Nicole couldn’t tell if Grace was pulling a similar trick or not.  There wasn’t any time to practice, to find their new limits, or become comfortable with their new capabilities.  Nicole had spent days training under The Progenitor’s watchful eye, and she still struggled to thread the eye of the needle and push herself right to the limit. 

Grace had no such training.  She may as well be freshly morphed and right back at the Renfaire for all the experience she had fighting at this new level.  The difference maker was that Guiana had centuries of experience pushing herself to these extremes and beyond.  Each exchange was just a hair faster, moves that Nicole could follow at the start were becoming strained, and Grace was pushing herself to match them each time. 

Did Grace even realize she was doing it? 

That thought was almost enough to get Nicole to jump in, but she refrained from doing so.  It wasn’t time, not yet.  At any point Guiana could stop holding back and strike out at any of them.  Nicole needed to be ready to step in and protect them if that happened. 

Her role was to be the unexpected trump, and she needed to play it properly. 

Even as Nicole watched the battle, it became clear that the objective of this fight needed to shift away from their old standards.  Much as it hurt to consider, fighting to win was not their current goal.  They could lose this engagement so long as they managed to get everyone back to The Progenitor’s ship in one piece.  Just watching Grace fight was enough to convince her of that.  If their entire team were that capable, they could hold off any of the enemy Generals, maybe even defeat them, but only if they were together. 

As nice as that thought was, it would be for nothing if Jeff died now, or Guiana managed to pick off another.  The morpher upgrade had been accomplished in under thirty minutes on a first attempt.  Unfortunately, Guiana had destroyed the other morphers.  Looking at the broken remains, she quickly scooped them up and dropped them in her pouch.  If anyone could get them working again, it would be Rebecca.

It sickened her to consider running; to leave the city at the mercy of the Sylan General, but they were out of options.  The city could be devastated in that timeframe, but the end result… 

Nausea rippled through Nicole as she considered the lives on the scale.  How many children would be subject to the very fate that nearly broke her?  The entire city would blame her team for failing them when they were needed most.

Who was she to place lives on the scale and judge their weight? 

The frantic pace of the battle continued to escalate in minor increments, and once clean blocks were now near misses that sent sparks flying as the kinetic barrier was stressed by the glancing impacts.  Grace wasn’t keeping up as well as she could anymore, and Guiana’s smirk was growing. 

“What’s wrong, little kitten?” Guiana taunted, now blocking Grace’s strikes with ease.  “What happened to those adorable sharp claws of yours?” 

Grace said nothing, continuing the damning dance as more sparks shot into the air from each exchange.  The others were now far enough away that Nicole was considering making herself a tempting target, but her gut told her it wasn’t yet time.  She was missing something important, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. 

The warmth of the Source was growing from a minor irritation into something that demanded her full attention to keep from giving in to the temptation it offered.  She knew that she could turn the tide of the battle in an instant, but then they lost that major advantage.  Several advantages now that she thought of it. 

Guiana didn’t know for sure that Maraline had defected in truth.

The Sylan weren’t aware of The Progenitor.

Any attempt to teleport away would reveal too much.  Their arrival might have been noticed, but there was no reason to give them the answer wholesale.  No, information security was the name of the game, and Nicole needed to play along.  Tactical advantages in this war were rare, and they had secured several. 

It was up to her to ensure they kept them. 

But at what cost? 

“Hey,” Kayla said, her voice weak.  “It’s okay.  Do what you need to.” 

It didn’t feel okay, but they were running out of time.  She offered the dying woman a weak smile, then gave Maraline a significant look.  “Do what you can for her.” 

Then, Nicole did the stupid thing and shifted, turning her back on the battle.

Guiana must have seen the opening, and Grace hadn’t missed the lapse in the General’s focus.  She moved faster than ever, demonstrating she too had been holding back, pressing that slim advantage even as Nicole closed the distance.  It was well timed, and against any other opponent it would have been devastating.

This wasn’t any ordinary foe.

Guiana blurred into motion, deflecting Grace’s improved speed in a flash of steel and a kick that sent Grace reeling.  Then she practically blurred as the distance was closed between them.  Maraline tried to get between them, but was backhanded away with contemptuous ease.  This was the woman that she fought all those weeks ago, the woman that came so close to ending her life.  It was clear that she was determined to finish the job, just as Nicole had hoped she would be.

The Source pulsed through her veins as Nicole reached for her daggers, knowing she wasn’t fast enough to match the General.  What she was doing went directly against her promise to Grace, but there wasn’t another option, not if they wanted to save Kayla’s life. 

Nicole was too slow.  Guiana swatted her blades aside in a blink.  Nicole didn’t know the woman well enough to say if it would be a toying strike, or something debilitating.  Hell, Guiana could escalate and go straight to a fatal strike and there wouldn’t be much that Nicole could do in that situation.

Grace had almost caught up, and no doubt she would try to take the hit for her.  She would be the one injured, and they would be down one of their only fighters.  All to keep an advantage in a war they were losing.  Tactically it was sound, and intellectually she knew it to be the right call.  Was their fragile relationship really worth preserving in the face of all there was to gain?  Was it worth sacrificing to ensure a temporary advantage? 

How was that even a question? 

Guiana’s blades struck in slow motion with a strike that Nicole knew would end her involvement in the battle before it had begun.  Nicole had made her choice, and this was where her gamble would either pay off or blow up in her face. 

Guiana’s blade came down and Grace screamed.