The Reluctant Ranger

“Ah, good timing,” Carlos said as Nicole and Grace arrived.  The other firefighters goggled a bit at the sight of two Rangers casually walking up to their station.  “As you can see, we have two Rangers joining us.  Anyone who thinks they might have a hint at who these two are, lose them now.  Learning a Ranger’s identity can be dangerous, both for you and them.  As for why I know…” 

He brandished some strange device that looked a lot like a cell phone.  “Emergency Rescue!”  A flash of gold light followed and there stood one of the most well known Rangers in the country.  “I have some experience in that matter.  My identity is public, theirs is not.  Respect that.”  

He got a few nods in response. 

His uniform bore a passing resemblance to a firefighter’s coat, and the helm looked like it had a rebreather built into it.  She knew from her own helmet that it was all for show, her own rogue styling had no functionality, they just bore a resemblance to the outfit she was wearing at the time of her first morph.

“Alright, first up is a CPR refresher for the lot of you,” he said confidently before looking over his shoulder at Nicole and Grace, “and what is likely a first course for the newest Rangers in town.” 

Nicole nodded, she hadn’t done a CPR course since her first year of high school and honestly didn’t remember much of anything from it.  It hadn’t been a high priority given she was barely a teenager and was more focused on her gymnastic career.  At least until it crashed quite spectacularly when she messed up her shot at the nationals. 

It was almost ironic that she could probably dance circles around the Olympic level athletes now that she was a Ranger, even without the transformation.  Her midnight run had proven that rather conclusively.  

The regular staff of the station stepped up to a couple of dummies and started the usual compressions, followed by rescue breaths.  A couple of them were familiar from her early morning research while waiting for the adrenaline to fully bleed off.  Of note were two women that almost certainly were featured in a rather steamy calendar she happened upon.  

Nicole frowned under her helmet as she watched them get to work, realizing the problem after several moments. 

“We aren’t going to be able to practice that part,” Nicole said as everyone delivered two rescue breaths. 

Gold hummed, tapping a finger on his crossed arms.  “Stick around after, I’ll walk you both through it with helmets off.” 

“Strength control will be important too,” Grace added.  “We could easily crush a ribcage.” 

“Quite true.  That will come down to learning to control your strength even under duress.  Don’t worry, learning CPR is more of a last ditch emergency measure for a Ranger.  You never know when you might have to perform it on a teammate who took a bad hit from a mutant.”

And there was a sober reminder of what awaited them, and what Nicole was attempting to escape from by working with the fire department.  Sure, she knew that being a Ranger would give what remained of her life purpose, but that didn’t mean she would rush to that inevitable end.  She wanted to do everything she could beforehand to make sure it had meaning.

That problem was put out of mind as she paid attention to the instructions and soon enough it was her turn.  Chest compressions were done, gently, because she had the strength to punch clean through the dummy, and the concrete for that matter, while morphed.  Even with that, she still cleared the airway properly, but the actual breath portion was skipped for her demonstration of skill. 

“Alright, next up is emergency first aid,” he declared.  “We’re going to watch a short video on common injuries you’re likely to encounter in the field.  Contrary to what most believe, the ambulance isn’t the first vehicle to arrive on the scene of an emergency call.  We are.  So pay attention, because once the video is done each of you will then practice bandaging those wounds as well as applying pressure to GSWs and other traumatic injuries.  I’d say this class isn’t for the squeamish, but all of you will likely see worse if you make it a year into this career.” 

That he didn’t make an exception for the two of them went without saying.  She had already seen worse at the Renfaire, and there was no doubt more blood in her future no matter how good she proved herself to be.  Just the thought of it sent a shiver of revulsion and dread down her spine. 

The video itself wasn’t tame.  It would give kids nightmares, but she had indeed seen far worse in the last week.  A few of the locals even paled when one of the shotgun wounds were shown.  Nicole wished she hadn’t seen worse, but automata slicing a man down the middle was hard to top on the gore scale. 

Then, the scene shifted to just that, the aftermath of some attack in New York playing back with dozens of dead littering the ground.  People were moving through the mess of gore, checking each corpse but Nicole knew that they were dead. 

“That was likely a familiar sight to the Rangers, am I mistaken?” 

Nicole shook her head.  “Saw worse at the Renfaire.” 

“I thought as much.” He said with a nod before returning to the presentation.  “As firefighters, you likely won’t see death on that level, but there is always a chance all the same that you’ll be called to the site of a massacre such as this one.  Those of you that responded to the Renaissance Faire last week can attest to that.  That is the world that we live in, and it is better to be prepared all the same.  You are the front line, fire response often beats the EMTs by minutes.  Police don’t get hands on unless there are no other options and even then have no duty to act.  Corrections Officers have more in common with you than the police, so keep that in mind.” 

So much of the presentation wouldn’t apply to them, but Nicole still paid close attention, because it was knowledge that might prove valuable in the future.  Grace was surprisingly attentive for having been roped into things, asking questions that Nicole hadn’t thought of, but made sense once she spoke.

“Your weapon is an axe, which is somewhat fitting for this line of work,” Gold said.  “Just don’t break down doors without ensuring you won’t be the cause of a catastrophic back draft.” 

One of the older women among those being recertified winced, likely having a rather poignant example of why that wasn’t a good idea.  Given she wasn’t sharing it, Nicole was afraid to even ask. 

A young man raised his hand and Carlos gestured for him to speak.  “Do those warnings even matter when you’re a Ranger?  I saw Blackie over there take a backdraft like a champ last night.” 

Nicole glared at the man through her helmet even as one of his crewmates slapped the back of his head. 

“Dude, you can’t call her that!” 

“What?” he demanded, rubbing where he had been struck.  “We saw her earlier, it’s not like she’s actually black, so it’s cool.” 

“I’ll make sure you have an appointment with HR to learn why that was the wrong answer,” a stern voice said.  Nicole turned and was surprised to see Chief Grayson hanging back behind the class along with several others.  It shouldn’t have been a surprise that others might have decided to sit in for the class even if they didn’t need to, what with three Rangers in attendance.  “I believe engine three needs a good, thorough, polish.  I suggest you get on that.” 

Taking the hint, the kid jumped from his seat and hurried off.

Carlos hung his head for a moment, no doubt sighing in exasperation. 

“I won’t be answering any questions about being a Ranger,” he said after taking a moment to himself.  “I am an open Ranger, which is rare among us.  I doubt your own local Rangers will be so candid.  I didn’t have the luxury of coming into my powers somewhere off camera.  There were dozens of witnesses and too many cameras besides.  I never had the choice.” 

“I’m sorry,” Grace said, drawing eyes to her.  “I know what it’s like to have unwanted attention, though not to that scale.  I’m sorry you have to deal with that.” 

Nicole wondered what that was about, wishing she knew more about her newest friend.  They hadn’t talked nearly as much as she would have liked, and Nicole wanted to change that.  She didn’t have many people in her life, and if they were going to be Rangers together, then why not get to know her teammates before she lost her life in the line of duty? 

Gold turned back to address the assembled firefighters when a shrill ringing sounded across the building.  Everyone sat perfectly still for a brief instant as it took a moment to register what that ringing meant.

“Don’t just stand there!  Gear up!”  

There was a shared look among them before Grayson began snapping off orders lightning quick and the firefighters scrambled to follow them.  Gold joined in, following along with the jargon and codes that went right over Nicole’s head. 

After a moment, Gold turned, addressing Nicole and Grace.  “You feel like getting more hands-on experience?” 

Nicole almost replied, her excitement bubbling just below the surface, but she remembered she wasn’t alone and wasn’t just speaking for herself.  “Want to go be a hero?” 

Grace turned, and not for the first time Nicole found herself lamenting that the Ranger uniforms hid her friend’s face.  It was so hard to read people without facial expressions to go off of.  Still, she could imagine her friend watching her with eyes that were all too knowing. 

“Yeah,” Grace said, her helmet nodding.  “Let’s go!” 

Nicole turned back to Gold.  “Rangers lead the way.”

“Damn right we do,” he answered, then literal lights began flashing on his helmet.  Huh, she had thought those were just for show.  “I’ve got the address, let’s show them the meaning of haste.” 

Nicole grinned, because she sure as hell could appreciate a good reference. 

 

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They ran ahead of the engine, smoke already billowing across the horizon.  She was easily blowing past traffic, the speed that her legs carried her defying explanation.  No human should be able to move like a Ranger could, further reinforcing the otherworldly nature of their abilities. 

Nobody actually knew the origin of Ranger powers.  There was speculation that some conquered civilization had developed them and somehow followed the invaders to their next target to help seed a resistance.  That was the leading theory, though Rebecca didn’t seem to buy it.  There were other crackpot theories of course, like the Ranger abilities being from some multi-dimensional entity that was using human imagination and ingenuity to test something, but that came across as more cosmic horror than she wanted to entertain. 

Plus, she was fairly certain she read that book once. 

One of the many skyscrapers that decorated the Minneapolis skyline was gushing black smoke, marring the afternoon sky.  At least four floors were ablaze near the top of the building, and it was spreading.  Her stomach sank when her enhanced vision let her see the people in the windows, then her heart stopped when someone jumped.  Nicole was forced to watch with startling clarity as the woman fell, her clothes smoldering with small flames still clinging to what remained.  Her hair was almost burned away completely, and her face was a splotchy red of burnt skin. 

She vanished behind a nearby building, but Nicole didn’t need to see it to know that she was dead.  Worse, those who had been standing at the windows with her soon followed, all plummeting to their deaths.  

Gritting her teeth, Nicole pushed herself, pulling ahead of the Gold Ranger and jumped five stories in a single bound.  Nicole landed atop one building, rolling to control her momentum before phasing through an AC unit, thankful that she had been in the shade to do so.  Once she was back upright she changed back, keeping her momentum going as she ran forward, aiming for the building itself. 

She jumped, the sensation of soaring through the sky a momentary thrill.  It wasn’t to last, she reached for that sensation once more, then shifted at the apex of her leap despite being in the open sky.  The shift had fought her, almost rejecting her internal plea, but it came sluggishly.  It was enough to allow her to sail the two remaining blocks and through the wall of the burning skyscraper.  

Inside was a hellscape of black smoke and licking flames.  Cubicles crumbled under the intense heat, office furniture melted into puddles.  The charred bodies… 

It was sickening, but she had to press on, to save those she could.  There were still floors above that needed to be cleared.  Swallowing the rising bile, Nicole jumped straight up, phasing through the floor as she did.  She continued up until she passed all the way up to the first floor that wasn’t already burning.  

With bulging eyes, Nicole looked around at the sight of two dozen people typing away on their laptops as if nothing was wrong.  The power was out, but they continued as if nothing had happened.  Why the hell weren’t the workers attempting to evacuate?  Fucking hell, she could see the smoke and flames right outside the gods be damned windows! 

Granted, Nicole hadn’t checked the stairwells, and it wasn’t likely that the people that managed to reach them would head up rather than down, but still, for these people to just be sitting around as if it were another Thursday?  Surely they didn’t think the alarms were false… 

“Attention dumbasses!” she yelled, startling many of them.  “In case you weren’t aware.”  She pointed back to the windows behind her.  “The building is on fucking fire!  So get up off your collective asses before you turn to charcoal like the last three corpses I passed on my way here.” 

Okay, that was probably a bit over dramatic, but Nicole had zero patience for whatever stupidity she was witnessing.  She did not need to see any more people die today, especially not because of whatever the middle management looking sleazeball was marching over to try and sell her.  

“Excuse me, you’re disrupting the company’s workflow,” he said in that tone that was meant to intimidate but was only ever successful if they actually had authority over you.  “I’m going to have to ask you to vacate the premises or I’ll be calling security to remove you.” 

Too bad she had to be heroic and couldn’t just throw him out the window. 

“Call them,” she said firmly.  “They’re probably a bit busy at the moment.” 

To prove a point, she summoned a dozen glowing knives in her hands and flicked them to the window behind her.  The glass exploded and the draft immediately sucked in a thick plume of black smoke through the opening.  The manager paled rather quickly as he tried to maintain his imperious stare. 

He blinked first. 

She shoved him aside, uncaring that he fell on his ass, and marched over to the first row of desks and hopped up on the closest one.  She tried not to take any satisfaction when she heard the laptop under her boot crunch and silently hoped it wasn’t the employee’s personal machine. 

“The fires have reached the floor beneath your feet and are still spreading.  Check the emergency exits, follow your plans and MOVE YOUR FUCKING ASSES!” 

The office workers jumped and did as they were told, bolting towards the clearly marked fire exits.  Nicole nodded, looking back at the simpering middle manager.  “Get the other floors moving before the fire spreads further, I’ve got more important things to do than to babysit a simpering piss ant.” 

She then phased herself, dropping through the floor.

He might not listen, but hopefully the word would spread before she finished a cursory sweep and doubled back to ensure that everyone made it out that still could.  Her feet hit solid ground, the carpet having long since burnt to ash. 

The fire was spreading rapidly through the generic office spaces, and Nicole moved, searching for any people that might not have been able to get away from the advancing flames.  She made her way straight to the restrooms, phasing through the door as she did and found them devoid of flame, but filled with smoke.  She passed through the stalls, head on a swivel checking each room in a hurry. 

The floor plans were simple enough, keeping the plumbing centralized for cost saving and simplicity in construction.  She dropped to the next floor and repeated her search and found her first person.  He was unconscious but breathing so she moved him away from the door and pulled his shirt over his face.  Nicole knew she needed to finish the sweep before she got one man down from the thirty-somethingth floor.  

He was the only one she found as she cleared the last restrooms beneath the burning floors, which she wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing.  She tried to put the bodies out of mind, having seen too many for such a contained blaze.  Something had to go catastrophically wrong for so many people to die in a fire that only covered four floors.  Those questions would be left to the investigators, she had a civilian to exfil.  Not knowing the exact procedure for a Ranger bringing someone out of a burning building, Nicole slung him over her shoulder in a fireman’s carry and tried to think of what options she had 

Nicole didn’t feel the flames, her suit protecting her from the worst of the blaze, but her charge wouldn’t last five seconds in that level of heat.  She needed a way to create an exit, and the only idea coming to mind was more than a little crazy, and would put others at risk if she hadn’t been as thorough as she thought. 

Time was her enemy here, and she couldn’t brainstorm every possibility, so she opted for the drastic.  She summoned one of her daggers, the otherworldly blade cutting through concrete like Styrofoam as she carved a hole through the inner wall and pried it free.  The new portal opened into the elevator shaft, which was free of flames, but dense with rising smoke.  She adjusted her grip on the unconscious man and hopped into the void. 

Nicole grabbed hold of the cable, the friction sending sparks flying as she used it to control her descent.  It didn’t take long to hit the bottom of the shaft, which was still halfway up the building.  At least from there she could find an exit route that wasn’t engulfed in an inferno that would cook a man alive in mere seconds.

There was an emergency release for one of the doors just above where she came to a stop, the release working smoothly and soon she was moving through more cubicles towards the stairs.  She pushed into the stairwell and found it nearly packed with people moving to get out.  Those close froze at the sight of her, and she quickly realized there would be no getting out that way, not if she wanted to continue to help with the recovery efforts. 

Plan B.

She turned, running towards the window and tossed more daggers, shattering the safety glass.  Nicole grit her teeth and jumped through, holding tight to her charge as she fell towards the street below.  The wind whipped her cloak, the hood somehow not flying back from her helmet despite the speeds involved.  Nicole’s feet hit the ground with a heavy impact, the invisible field that protected her costume rippled as her legs flexed to bleed off as much of the force as they could. 

Asphalt splintered into spiderweb cracks around the small crater she formed, more than a few people jumped away from her arrival point.  Thankfully most of them were fire and ambulance crews, not cops, so no risk of someone getting jumpy there.  She would have smiled sheepishly if things weren’t so dire.  

Grace arrived in a blur of red, her form as imposing as ever.  “Ambulances are set up this way, Rogue.” 

“Got it, Corsair,” she answered, moving to follow.  “Is Gold there or is he coordinating elsewhere?” 

“He’s not far,” she said.  “How bad is it up there?” 

Nicole glanced back up at the blaze, which was starting to get some water on it now that the trucks were in place.  “The floors on fire are cleared, far too many bodies, unfortunately.  This guy wasn’t far behind them.”

They stopped at one of the ambulances and she handed him over to the paramedics who got him laid out.  Nodding as they got to work, she stepped away, looking for the bright gold that would signify the man that no doubt had taken charge of the scene.  She found him a moment later, gesturing along with a bunch of others in fancy uniforms, one of which Nicole recognized as Chief Grayson. 

“That maneuver was insane,” Grace said, elbowing her gently.  “Looked cool as fuck too.” 

Nicole’s cheeks heated as she actually thought about what she had done.  It probably did look pretty damn cool now that she thought about it.  Looking off at the camera crews already set up, she had a feeling that she would be able to catch it on the evening news once the situation was under control.

“Flatterer,” Nicole said with a grin. 

Grace shrugged, following along.  “Only speaking the truth.” 

Nicole did nothing to hide the smile that brought, not that anyone else could see it.  Still, she could bask in the praise of her teammate later.  There was still work to do, and she was determined to do everything in her power to do what she could to save as many people as possible. 

“Chief, Gold!” Nicole called out.  “Point us where we can do the most good!”

Grayson gave her a tired smile even as Gold nodded. 

“Link up with engine seven, they’ll get you kitted out.” 

Nodding, Nicole and Grace moved with purpose.  They had work to do.

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