Waking up with two girls sprawled across her was not something Nicole ever expected in life, but she was all too happy for it given the circumstances. Becca’s head was in her lap, Nicole’s own fingers tangled in her hair from where she had been gently stroking her friend’s head. Grace’s arm was still slung over her shoulder, but her girlfriend’s face was buried in said shoulder and half her shirt was damp with drool.

  Even with the superior healing that Kelly insisted she still possessed, there was more than a little stiffness from the position. Nicole could only imagine how bad Becca would have it if she spent the whole night there. That left her with a bit of a conundrum as she didn’t want to wake either of them.

  She started by gently coaxing Grace’s arm up and over her shoulder, setting it on the back of the sofa, then lifting her head away from the rather damp perch it had been resting upon. Nicole couldn’t help but smile at the sight, even if it did mean she would need to change before getting to bed properly.

  With her girlfriend untangled, lifting Becca was much easier. Nicole put one hand under her head and another under her knees and lifted, giving her just enough room to get to her feet and keep Becca’s head aloft. From there, she carried the tall girl with an ease that could only come from the enhancements she still possessed. She’d done it before, the first time Becca came stumbling back to the dorm drunk along with some of her friends, including their designated sober girl who had done her job admirably despite the underage drinking.

  It was almost nostalgic carrying her back into her room and tucking her in. Nicole wasn’t about to try and get her changed into pajamas, but she was grateful that shoes didn’t need to be removed. Becca was very much a boot girl and those things tended to smell ripe after a full day.

  Once her friend was tucked in, she brushed a few loose hairs from her face and Becca muttered something incomprehensible that brought a smile to Nicole’s own. Once she was content that her friend was nice and cozy, she turned, planning to return to the living room and do the same with Grace, but her girlfriend was already standing in the doorway, a bit bleary-eyed, but otherwise alert and grinning.

  “That was sweet of you,” Grace said, pulling Nicole into a hug before she kissed her on the forehead.

  “How much did you see?” Nicole asked, fighting off a fierce blush.

  Grace hummed, pulling her along and towards Nicole’s own room. “Since you put my arm on the couch. I didn’t want to spoil things for you, so I just played along.”

  Nicole found herself pouting, but still snuggled up against her girlfriend as they slipped into Nicole’s own room. Nicole made sure to change shirts, then as she looked down at the one she had just removed, eyeing the damp spot that still discolored the cloth. She grinned back at her now red-faced girlfriend as she tossed it at her.

  Grace caught it and promptly pulled the shirt close, snuggling it like a teddy bear while sticking her tongue out at Nicole.

  “Brat,” Nicole muttered, not really meaning it.

  It actually felt a little strange to call the much taller woman a brat, given she always imagined someone small when tossing out that insult, even if it was a minor one.

  “Your brat,” Grace said, kissing her cheek. “Now and always, for as long as you will have me.”

  Tears pricked at Nicole’s eyes, the tenderness and sincerity of those words hitting her like a sledgehammer, or one of Bartran’s punches. Somehow she knew that a normal person with a sledge probably wouldn’t do much damage to a Ranger so long as they had time to morph. Nicole wasn’t certain how durable she might still be, but that was a question to answer later.

  Tangents aside, Nicole snuggled closer to her girlfriend, relishing the warmth spreading through her from that statement. How did someone answer something like that? She considered some corny lines, or other such cliches, and really, what was wrong with one of the classics? It wasn’t like it lost meaning just because a bunch of people agreed that it worked, she would just need to put her own spin on it.

  “Then you had best strap in for the long haul,” Nicole finally answered. “Because I don’t plan on going anywhere without you, even if we’re going into hell itself.”

  Because in the end, what was war except for another hell? Nicole would fight at Grace’s side, no matter what came, and they would see things through to the very end.

  Together.

  Waking up the following morning brought with it something Nicole hadn’t expected, a complete lack of pain. It was as if the horrific events had never happened and it was almost impossible for her mind to truly wrap around that fact after so many days in an experimental hospital deep underground. The only thing that truly grounded her was the sound of Grace’s soft snores beside her.

  Nicole snuggled up with her, checking her phone for a moment for any messages. The group chat was mostly people checking in that they were home safe before turning in. It was barely ass AM in the morning, which meant she was probably the only one awake anyway. The next thing that caught Nicole’s eye was an email from the Director of the college that excused her from classes for a week, no doubt courtesy of Sinclair.

  Another favor that the man might call in at any moment.

  Nicole considered trying for more sleep, but she knew that wouldn’t happen. Instead she just laid back and let herself soak in the presence of her girlfriend and the fact that both of them had survived an event that should by all rights have ended in their deaths. Bartran was powerful, and fast enough to handle most Rangers on his own, but Guiana was something else entirely.

  And Nicole had matched her.

  Whatever time it took for them to recover, they would seek her out again regardless of if she could morph or not. Nicole wouldn’t be ready, that much was clear. She could try to run, but that would be a betrayal of her duty as a Ranger, powers or no.

  “You think too loud,” Grace grumbled, her eyes still shut. “Brain off, sleep more.”

  A soft chuckle spilled forth from Nicole, her hand coming up to gently cup Grace’s cheek. Her girlfriend seemed so peaceful and vulnerable in that moment, but Nicole knew that she could spring up into violence in an instant. Such was the truth of being a Ranger, even one who no longer held her full might.

  “Sorry. I’ll try to think less for you.”

  “Cheeky,” Grace muttered.

  “Just remember you have classes,” Nicole whispered. “You’ve already missed a few days as it is.”

  “It’s the weekend,” Grace said.

  Nicole winced, double checking her phone for confirmation. “It’s actually Monday.”

  “Noooo!” Grace groaned, pulling a pillow over her face.

  After a hearty breakfast only made possible by waking up ungodly early, Nicole was left with little to do with her time. Grace and Becca both had classes in the morning and while Nicole considered heading for hers even with the exception, it sort of felt wrong to do so. Instead, Nicole had done something she hadn’t in a while, she’d added to her everyday belt.

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  The blades that Grace had made for her weren’t technically legal to carry in the city, but given the threats that might come for her, Nicole would rather take the risk than be unprepared for an attack. Nicole had also thrown her duster on to conceal the blades hidden along her back in a twin scout carry. The leather coat was a warm comfort in the face of the late fall chill.

  Soon winter would hit in full, and Nicole was not looking forward to potentially facing the Sylan without her suit to protect her from the bite of nature. At least the campus was peaceful while classes were in session, and it also presented an opportunity.

  The gymnastics building should be vacant for another hour, which would be perfect for seeing how her abilities still stacked up. Stepping inside, she flicked on the lights and grinned. She would once again have the place to herself for a while. Nicole ran through her stretches, but intended to keep her normal clothes and weapons on. If someone complained about boots on the mat… Well, she could deal with that later.

  Nicole also took a moment to set up her phone and hit record. It would be good to go over things with her team later. Plus, Grace would appreciate the show, even if it didn’t show off her muscles all that much. Nicole still struggled to understand what Grace saw in her, but she could only trust that her girlfriend was being honest.

  “We meet again.”

  Nicole turned quickly, the air around her whistling as she spun to face the sudden voice. The instructor, Tanya, stood off to the side, a bemused smile on her face as she stepped out into the open. Tanya’s eyes trailed over the outfit that was entirely inappropriate for a floor routine, but that smile didn’t falter.

  “Interesting choice in outfit,” Tanya continued. “I do wonder what you might be getting up to in my gymnasium dressed like an assassin on the prowl.”

  Nicole shrugged, turning so Tanya couldn’t see her face. “I wanted to practice some self-defense stuff in my Renfaire gear, figured this would be a good place given how cold it is out.”

  “Oh, of course!” Tanya said, clapping her hands once. “Don’t mind me, I’ll just be over here to make sure you don’t slice up my mats with those knives you think are hidden.”

  Nicole rolled her eyes, knowing that Tanya knew more than she was letting on. Nicole had checked the footage the news played, and someone got a decent shot from a helicopter when her morph broke. It wouldn’t be enough to get a proper ID, but the red hair was rather distinctive even in the heavy rainfall.

  That Nicole now stood before someone with an eye for performance in a fair portion of the outfit her Ranger suit had modeled itself after would only make it worse. If she was to be busted, better to own it than try to back out and run away.

  The daggers stayed holstered as Nicole fell into one of the routines she had done the day she met Tanya, keeping herself close to human limits to start. It would still make for a decent marker for her abilities, even without pushing herself to the fullest. The routine went off easily as it had before, even with the mismatched gear weighing her down.

  “You sure I can’t talk you into competing?”

  Nicole shook her head, knowing that the requests would never end, not as long as she appeared so compelling. She could just out herself, which would put the questioning to a conclusive end, but that also meant another potential end to her already limited anonymity.

  Starting another recording, she fell back into another comfortable routine. The moment some leering guy showed up, she would probably leave, but while it was just the two of them she would show off a bit. Once again, there was no difficulty in doing even the most difficult of her old sets, which took a lot of the enjoyment out of doing so.

  Maybe she should try to come up with some new routines that took her new strength and speed into account? That could provide the challenge that was now lacking. Finishing yet another routine, she couldn’t help but avoid the calculating gaze of the gymnastics instructor and former Olympian.

  “I have my reasons,” Nicole said, taking the opportunity to rotate into a handstand, and when that proved too easy, she shifted to one arm and started doing push ups. “Think about it. I’m on medical leave, yet nothing is wrong with me, and I insist I can’t compete. Why is that?”

  “I’d say it’s fairly obvious,” Tanya said with a shrug, taking a seat against the wall. “I mostly want you on the team to push my other idiots into trying harder, even if you can’t compete.” Then, Tanya smirked. “As an aside, the doors are all locked if you want to truly cut loose.”

  It really shouldn’t have surprised Nicole that the woman figured things out. Competing at the level she had, there were likely other Rangers that tried to worm their way into events they shouldn’t, and leave it to a master to pick those out when they cropped up.

  “I can’t cut loose,” Nicole admitted through grit teeth. “You no doubt saw the stunt I pulled, well, it had consequences.”

  Tanya frowned for a moment, then her eyes shot wide. “No shit? But the stuff you just did—”

  “Are well above human baseline?” Nicole asked, her eyes burning as she forced a smile. “Some things can’t be taken as easily.”

  “Don’t tell me you still intend to fight,” Tanya asked in a near whisper.

  In answer, Nicole drew her daggers and launched into one of the combat routines she had barely practiced since finding it online. She really needed to get in touch with some instructors, including that HEMA thing that Jeff mentioned. Despite the inexperience, Nicole’s actions were swift and decisive, striking at machines that only existed within her mind’s eye.

  “Shit,” Tanya said, drawing Nicole’s gaze. “It’s funny, when we first met I had my money on you being the Red Ranger.”

  Nicole couldn’t help but chuckle. “Sorry to disappoint. It would be a bit on the nose for the ginger to be the Red Ranger though.”

  Tanya tapped her chin, seemingly deep in thought. “Think there have been Rangers that fell into racial stereotypes before?”

  “Probably,” Nicole said, lining up for a new display, her blades stowed once again. As funny as it might have been to reveal that the original White Ranger was a black man, the fact he still lived was supposed to be a secret. “I’m going to push myself a bit here, just don’t panic if I hit the mat hard.”

  She’d need to be careful, because Nicole suspected that she could jump higher than the ceilings even as she currently was. Actually, were there any routines that would benefit from her enhancements beyond the aerial stuff? So, she did exactly that, rolling into a floor routine with as many flips as she could, only she added impossible heights to them.

  There was a thrill to that, even if it was easier than ever to pull off. Watching the world twist around her at speeds that should have blacked her out, stalling out twenty plus feet off the ground only to come tumbling back to the earth in a controlled fall. It was thrilling, even if there was no real danger.

  Just for giggles, on one such jump, she touched the ceiling, then let herself fall back to the mat with a heavy thump. She was laughing even as Tanya came running over, Nicole’s phone in hand.

  “Damn girl,” she said, offering her a hand that wasn’t really needed. “That was cool as shit.”

  “Fun too,” Nicole admitted, getting back to her feet with a quick kip up. Nicole reached for that mental switch that would dismiss her transformation almost reflexively, only to pause as it caught up with her that she wasn’t transformed. That didn’t help how she flinched reflexively, as if anticipating crippling pain once more. Seeing Tanya’s concerned visage, she smiled softly. “Hopefully that passes in time.”

  “I saw the footage, and it really should have clicked that it was you in hindsight,” Tanya said, handing Nicole’s phone back. “It’s just like getting back into things after an injury. You’ll get there.”

  It was true. Anyone that competed had injuries from what they did that had to be overcome, and the pain stayed fresh in the mind despite everything being all healed up. Nicole knew it was all in her mind, but that didn’t make it any less traumatic for her. Another fight would come, and she would feel that hesitation, and she would move beyond it.

  Because that’s what heroes do.

  “Maybe I will pop in to help motivate your slackers,” Nicole said, gathering her things. She would probably go for a run after, that way she didn’t waste a shower before meeting up with Grace for a double date with Colin and Becca.

  With her phone back in hand, Nicole snapped another selfie, sending it off to Grace as she did. She was a lot less self conscious than she was when they first met, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t blushing up a storm at the thought of her girlfriend getting excited over pictures of her. That voice that whispered insults once said in the open wasn’t as loud as it once was, but that didn’t mean it had fallen completely silent.

  It was just that certain compliments whispered in heated moments were much harder to ignore. That thought alone brought heat to her cheeks and a smile to her lips, even as the blushing emoji reply came in.

  “So, when do I get to meet this girlfriend you’re showing off so much for?” Tanya asked with a knowing smirk. “She’s got to be something special.”

  “You have no idea,” Nicole said, grabbing her bag. “I’ve said it often, but she looks pretty good in red.”

  Tanya belted out a jovial laugh, giving Nicole a firm slap on the back as she did. “You really don’t do things by half, do you?”

  Images flashed through Nicole’s mind, from her disastrous morph, all the way back to when she stood up for Becca, and everything in between. Whether it be good or bad, she really did throw herself completely into whatever came her way. Grace included.

  “Damn right I don’t,” Nicole said, and departed for her date.

  Bonus Chapter incentives!

  Royal Road centric as that is where I'm wanting to push at the moment. So, here's the incentives as they stand! Getting 5 more positive ratings, with at least one written review among them will see another bonus chapter land. (Progress is at 2 positive reviews, one of which was written)

  Patreon where you can find advance chapters and more!