The Reluctant Ranger Chapter 31 - Back in the Saddle

Recovery had taken some time, but Nicole was finally back in the saddle, or rather, the passenger seat of a rumbling fire truck as they tore out of the station and towards the latest blaze to warrant a call.  Grace sat next to her, the pair already morphed and ready for whatever they were being summoned to combat. 

There was still an undercurrent of fear whenever Nicole donned her Ranger attire, but she was coming to terms with it.  The transformation didn’t hurt, even when she anticipated the surge of raw agony that it inspired a memory of each time she drew upon the power.  Whatever it was that had happened that day, Nicole hadn’t been able to replicate it.  Her phasing power couldn’t leave a weapon fused inside an object like she had with Bartran no matter how she experimented.  

There hadn’t been a mutant attack in three weeks since the battle, globally, and Nicole couldn’t help but wonder if Maraline had something to do with that reprieve.  Whatever the truth was, she wasn’t about to jinx it by voicing her concern over the lapse in attacks the world over.  If anything, she was enjoying the reprieve it allowed for her own recovery.

“You up for this?” Grace asked, her voice full of concern. 

Nicole nodded along, her hood shifting with the motion.  “I think so.  I don’t feel any discomfort, and the panic attacks have gotten manageable.” 

She hadn’t had one since her time on the gymnastics mat, and was hoping to keep it that way.  Nicole wasn’t sure what they were in for, the driver had only been given the address and a code for a house fire of some sort.  She really needed to memorize all the different codes and key phrases that the department used, but between being laid up and school, she didn’t have much time to devote to her secondary job. 

Hell, it was her first day back in the station and she was hoping to ease back into things dammit!  The smoke on the horizon was always the first thing to come into view when approaching a fire, and this time it was out the passenger window before turning down a street towards the blaze. 

The approach led them along a lake and it was soon clear that the fire was one of the lakeside homes that usually sold for more than Nicole would make in her lifetime.  Cresting the hill that overlooked the wide expanse of the lake, the home came into view and her stomach sank. 

They were the first truck on the scene, though a lone patrol vehicle was also present, with a frantic pair gesturing towards the home as they screamed at the officer.  Both had graying hair, with the man slightly balding and the woman was more fit than she would have expected from the hair color.  Probably the result of personal trainers and a strict diet.

Much as Nicole wasn’t a fan of the police as a whole, this lone officer couldn’t do much of anything to help in the situation and was keeping his cool in the face of two very irate people.  She had to commend that and would tell him as much once the situation was contained. 

Grace was first out of the cab, skipping any hoses or gear, and approached the presumed owners.  Nicole was only a step behind, letting the other fire fighters get the gear ready.  As Rangers, they could get in there and respond to things that would take heavy prep and gear for a normal member of the crew. 

“I need the situation summed up,” Grace said to the officer, her tone authoritative in a way that Nicole certainly appreciated.

“Our home is burning!” the woman screeched. 

Nicole held up a finger in her direction, but her focus was on the officer, hopefully making it clear who she expected to give the breakdown.  Thankfully it seemed to have worked and the man pulled his wife close. 

“Kitchen fire gone wrong,” the officer said.  “A grease fire started and someone,” his eyes briefly flicked towards the woman, “sprayed it with water from the sink.  It spread quickly from there.” 

Yeah, that would do it all right. 

“Any children or pets?” Nicole asked. 

“Flufflekins!” the woman wailed.  “He’s still in there.” 

The name inspired instant sympathy for the poor animal, though she reserved judgment about how the woman might have treated the animal.  Flames were shooting out of the windows around the right side of the home, near the rear.  Likely the kitchen area, and they hadn’t spread far from there though it was only a matter of time. 

“Carter,” Grace yelled.  “Grease fire in the kitchen, focus on containment.  We’re heading in to find their cat.” 

“You got it,” the woman yelled back, already attaching a hose to the nearest hydrant.

Trusting that the rest of the crew would be able to handle the grunt work, the pair moved towards the house, clearing the distance in a blink.  Nicole opted to phase through the wall, but Grace summoned her axe and swung.  The wall didn’t stand a chance, and soon both were inside.  The smoke was thick, and the fire was rapidly spreading, but that was of little concern to either of us. 

“I’ll check the upper floors,” Nicole yelled.  “Don’t forget to look under the furniture.” 

“Not my first pet rescue,” Grace answered. 

A month ago that statement would have been surreal, but now it was just a fact of life.  With a solid jump, Nicole phased through the upper floor, landing with a soft thump.  The flames were starting to spread from the kitchen into the upper floors, but hadn’t yet hit critical mass.  She had a few minutes to search the building for a hidden cat.

The biggest problem was that cats liked to hunker down in what they considered their ‘safe space’ and try to ride out the danger.  If spooked it could turn into a race across the house in a tour of their favorite hidden corners.  Dogs were easier in most cases, assuming they weren’t smaller than a sportsball.

Nicole focused on the open doors, figuring the cat would have access to those rooms more readily than something closed.  She did her best to be thorough, but there were so many places a cat might try hiding in any home, and this one had so much ‘collectible’ clutter laying everywhere. 

“Oh what fresh hell is this?”  

Did the woman really need five hundred dolls?  Especially ones that had creepy glass eyes that were just a little too close to uncanny that it was setting off all the warning bells in her head.  It was like walking into the set of a horror film!  Nicole did her best to suppress the instinctive urge to leave and instead began looking to see if the cat was hidden in the mess of shelves, all lined with dolls that looked like they were one possession from spinning their heads across the room. 

Well, at least the nightmares would be a welcome reprieve from all her current terrors about a certain Sylan commander and her brush with death.  Unfortunately, the cat wasn’t among the dolls and Nicole moved on to the next room, or she would have if Grace hadn’t shouted from downstairs.  The fire was spreading, and the sounds muffled her yell, so Nicole let herself drop through the floor and hurried over to where her girlfriend was standing triumphant with a cat held aloft.  The orange tabby was fighting to get free, with wide pupils and fur standing on end.  The poor thing was terrified, but it was safe.

With a nod, Nicole summoned a fistful of her energy blades and tossed them at the nearest window, blowing it out explosively.  Grace didn’t need to be told twice and the Rangers escaped the home with all haste.  The rest of the crew was just starting to get water on the blaze, and it was abundantly clear the house was a total loss. 

At least an innocent animal wouldn’t suffer in fear only to die a horrific death.  The cat was wrapped in a blanket and passed back to the woman who was crying sloppy tears as she clutched the cat close.  With that taken care of the pair of Rangers stepped away, taking a moment before they joined the rest of the crew in containing the flames.

“Next time you can take the upstairs,” Nicole said.  Grace turned and Nicole could almost picture the confusion on her face.  “Creepy doll collector.” 

Grace cracked, first with an aborted snort, then full on belly laughter.  Nicole only rolled her eyes, glad that the woman was still too busy fussing over her rescued kitty to notice that the Rangers were finding humor in such a bleak situation for their family. 

Rolling her eyes, Nicole let out a huff.  “I’ll throw you in the room when we go back in.” 

“You can try,” Grace said with a teasing lilt.  “It’s always cute when the kitten shows her claws.” 

“That is not going to be my nickname,” Nicole grumbled, doing her best to not give her girlfriend more teasing fodder. 

Grace simply pat her atop her hood.  “Face it, you’re a black cat with claws, my little rogue.  It’s a perfect nickname.” 

Rather than dignify THAT with a response, Nicole turned and made her way back to the crew.  She grabbed her specialty equipment, all designed and built by Carlos’ team in New York for their own unique needs and abilities.  That he had made sure that their department got two sets was rather considerate. 

“Lost another one?” 

Nicole turned to glare at the smirking woman that had spoken, one of the veteran members of the crew.  “You’re insufferable sometimes, Natasha.” 

That only served to make the woman grin wider.  “Oh come now Nikki, it’s great that you two are still at the playful teasing stage.  Keep that up and you’ll have a healthy relationship for years to come.” 

“Speaking from experience?” 

The woman shrugged, then moved to help attach the sprayer nozzle to the pack.  “I’ve been married since it was legal here, so I’d like to think I know a few things.  We still tease each other all the time.  Trust me, it’s healthy.” 

“If you say so,” Nicole murmured. 

“I KNOW so,” Natasha said.  “Treat her right, let her treat you right, and you’ll still be standing a decade from now.” 

She had to bite back her first response, that she almost certainly wouldn’t be alive in another decade, and not just because of her suicidal ideation.  No, it was the state of the war.  Sure, she’d dealt the enemy commander a debilitating blow, but it hadn’t been lethal.  Something told her Maraline would have made contact again had Bartran died. 

Grace stepped over a moment later, probably having heard the entire conversation, but she had the decency to pretend she hadn’t been listening in.  Once geared up the pair got back into the blaze, working from the inside to quell the inferno while the crews on the outside did their best to put out the flames from the outside.

*** 

“Admit it, it felt good to get back out there,” Grace said, flopping on the couch in Nicole’s dorm.  Becca was in the kitchen, watching with amusement as Nicole mirrored the motion, only instead she landed on Grace’s lap.  Her girlfriend huffed and began to open her mouth to say something but Nicole just pressed a finger to her lips.

“You called me a kitten, so I’m going to lounge like one,” Nicole countered the wordless protest.  “Just accept your fate.” 

Becca was losing the battle with her own chuckles as Grace smirked, then licked the finger.  Nicole deftly then wiped it across her girlfriend’s nose before letting her arm flop back.  The fire had been swiftly contained then extinguished and the assessor even suggested that much of the house could be salvaged if a proper contractor handled the renovation work, so all in all it had ended up being a good first day back at the job. 

The steady paycheck would help too, what with her parents insurance now tying up her funds in court AGAIN.  It was a never ending stream of bullshit, but at the very least she had a source of income that let her feel like she was making a difference in their dying world.

She also had people in her life that made it worth sticking around, and they were worth fighting to keep safe.  Nicole wouldn’t pretend that she was all better, but things weren’t as doom and gloom as they once were.  She had reasons to look forward to the coming dawn, and one of those was currently looking down at her with a mischievous glint in her eye. 

Even knowing what was coming hadn’t prepared her as fingers moved faster than most eyes could perceive and attacked her weakest points.  Nicole squealed and flailed, but Grace kept her pinned in place with well executed maneuvers that kept her from being able to counter the assault in any way that wasn’t blind flailing and shrieking laughter and a falling lamp.

At least until Rebecca’s voice cut through their moment. “You break our couch, it’s coming out of your pocket.” 

Grace stopped her assault, but left her fingers in place, ready to resume, even as Nicole took the opportunity to catch her breath.  “How would it be my fault?”

“Really, Grace?” Rebecca asked, gesturing to her hands.  “Nicole can nearly bench a truck even without her powers, what do you think would happen if her arm smacked the coffee table?” 

“It would bre—” 

“It would break!” Grace declared.  “So, none of that in our joint living room where all the extremely fragile furniture is just waiting for a Ranger to shatter it!” 

Nicole tried to keep a straight face, she really did, but it cracked and she was once again laughing at the antics of her best friend.  Things weren’t perfect, but that was okay, she would keep living and striving for tomorrow.