'Winter Warmth' (PRTF, Katie/Trip, #65, rated K)
Title: Winter Warmth
Fandom: Power Ranger Time Force
Characters: Katie/Trip
Prompt: Teammates (#65)
Rating: K
Disclaimer: Not mine
Summary/Warnings: And the plot finally starts. I'm not sure if said plot actually works, but um, I guess we'll see?
Word Count: 1,166
Author's Notes: No spoilers, no warnings
“I have to admit, I am impressed by how well you’re doing, Trip,” the young man said as he leaned forward in his chair. "Most escapees wind up on the streets-- if they’re lucky. But you have a job and an apartment and a computer and a laptop--”
“Okay, I get it. You’re impressed.” Trip folded his arms across his chest. Considering his past with this person (not to mention what he could do), there was no point in pretending that he wasn't angry-- or terrified. “If you think you can make go back, you can’t. I ran away for a reason.”
“Yeah, I know. It took me nearly a month to find you. You did a really good job hiding yourself, you know? You managed to create a whole identity for yourself, and I almost didn’t recognize you with the green hair.” When the man stood up, Trip took a cautious step back. “It's even more amazing when you consider that you did more than a few things that could have messed you up, like keeping your real name... although the Regis as a surname thing is something new.”
Trip pretended to relax. “Well, Trip isn’t too uncommon as a name. Unlike, say, Bridge.”
“You got me there.” Bridge gave him an easy grin as he went to the windows, making sure that the blinds were closed. It was about then that Trip decided that enough was enough.
“You need to tell me why you’re trying to make me go back. Now.”
Bridge’s smile faded-- that was never a good sign. “Well, Trip, I would tell you why I’m trying to make you go back, but I’m not trying to make you go back. Read my mind if you don’t believe me.”
Trip sighed and then closed his eyes, concentrating. “You’re telling the truth.” He wasn’t sure if he was happy about that or not. “So… why are you here, then?”
“I came here to give you a warning.” Bridge kept his gaze fixed on the closed blinds. “It’s Cruger. He’s gone missing.”
Even though he and Commander Cruger had never exactly been on the best of terms, Trip felt something cold go through him with those words. “You’re kidding. I mean… it’s Cruger. He practically lives at his office.”
“Then he’s moved without so much as leaving a forwarding address.” Bridge tapped a gloved hand against the side of his face. “All we really know for sure is that he’s gone, and that someone named Grumm has taken his place as Commander.”
The name sounded vaguely familiar. “Wasn’t he the feds’ liaison?”
Bridge nodded. “Yep. There was a lot of speculation from people that the feds had more than a little to do with him getting the job.”
“And those people disappeared along with Cruger.”
“Exactly,” Bridge confirmed. “Which is why people aren’t as willing to discuss the latest rumor.”
Trip knew he was going to regret asking, but… “Which is?”
Bridge leaned towards him, his voice low. “That Grumm is looking for Cruger.”
“But Grumm has a small army of super powered individuals. If Cruger’s out there, he would have found him by now… unless Cruger doesn’t want to be found?”
“Exactly.” Bridge made his way to the kitchen.
Trip sat on the arm of his couch. “I’m still not sure what any of this has to do with me-- and no, Bridge, I don’t have a toaster, or bread, or anything that could remotely be considered buttery.” The last part was added hastily when he realized his Bridge was opening the fridge door.
“You don’t? Then you must not be doing as well as I previously thought.” He shut the door. Bridge played with his gloves before looking Trip in the eyes.
“Since Grumm’s search isn’t going well, he’s going to resort to more desperate measures soon. And I can’t think of anything more desperate than capturing a rogue telepath and making him do the searching for me.”
If Trip had felt cold before… “But I’m not that strong a telepath. You’re better at it; shouldn’t he be going for you?”
“I’m better at reading auras, but you’re the one who can find someone in a city full of people. Not to mention your other ability.”
Trip stared at his hands for what felt like forever. “So what am I supposed to do about this? Just run away again?”
“It’s something to consider. In fact, it’s what I’m really hoping you’ll wind up doing.”
“… I can’t.”
Bridge looked at him with wide eyes. “Why not?”
He didn’t want to say it out loud, but there really was no point in lying to an old teammate-- especially when the old teammate was an expert telepath. “There’s this girl.”
Bridge’s eyes went a little wider. “Weren’t you the one who couldn’t talk to a girl without getting all stammery and hard to understand?”
“I’m as surprised as you are,” Trip said with a shrug. “We’re not anything official… but I can’t leave her.”
There was a long, unpleasant silence after that… and then Bridge sighed heavily. “Trip, I’m not trying to tell you what to do. I’m just trying to let you know what’s happening.” He left the kitchen and shrugged back on his dark jacket (which had been draped over the computer chair). “So I’ll let you know this: Grumm will do anything to get someone with your skills. Even kill a civilian.”
Then the door shut behind him, leaving Trip alone.
--
Good-bye…
Katie looked around her bedroom groggily. She could’ve sworn that she’d heard Trip… but he wasn’t there. She decided that it must’ve just been a dream and she fell back on the pillow, slipping back into sleep.
--
He couldn’t believe that he was doing this again.
Well, you better start believing it soon. Bridge may be a lot of things, but a liar is not one of them, Trip reminded himself as he stared at his one-way bus ticket to Angel Grove. Once he got there, he’d take a bus to Stone Canyon, and then… he wasn’t sure yet. The actual location didn’t matter, as long as he kept Grumm’s attention on him and his latest escape, not Katie.
Katie…
Just thinking about her hurt, but he couldn’t get his mind off of her. He kept reminding himself that this was for her, that this would keep her safe… but it was only a small comfort.
But he couldn’t dwell on that now. He had to keep going until he was sure they had given up, and then maybe… maybe… he’d look her up. Find out if she was okay. He could never see her again, not with something this big hanging over his head, but he would like to know if she was all right--
There was a sudden, terrible pain… and then nothing.
“The target has been neutralized, Commander Grumm,” the woman whispered into her communicator. “We’ll be returning to base shortly.”
Fandom: Power Ranger Time Force
Characters: Katie/Trip
Prompt: Teammates (#65)
Rating: K
Disclaimer: Not mine
Summary/Warnings: And the plot finally starts. I'm not sure if said plot actually works, but um, I guess we'll see?
Word Count: 1,166
Author's Notes: No spoilers, no warnings
“I have to admit, I am impressed by how well you’re doing, Trip,” the young man said as he leaned forward in his chair. "Most escapees wind up on the streets-- if they’re lucky. But you have a job and an apartment and a computer and a laptop--”
“Okay, I get it. You’re impressed.” Trip folded his arms across his chest. Considering his past with this person (not to mention what he could do), there was no point in pretending that he wasn't angry-- or terrified. “If you think you can make go back, you can’t. I ran away for a reason.”
“Yeah, I know. It took me nearly a month to find you. You did a really good job hiding yourself, you know? You managed to create a whole identity for yourself, and I almost didn’t recognize you with the green hair.” When the man stood up, Trip took a cautious step back. “It's even more amazing when you consider that you did more than a few things that could have messed you up, like keeping your real name... although the Regis as a surname thing is something new.”
Trip pretended to relax. “Well, Trip isn’t too uncommon as a name. Unlike, say, Bridge.”
“You got me there.” Bridge gave him an easy grin as he went to the windows, making sure that the blinds were closed. It was about then that Trip decided that enough was enough.
“You need to tell me why you’re trying to make me go back. Now.”
Bridge’s smile faded-- that was never a good sign. “Well, Trip, I would tell you why I’m trying to make you go back, but I’m not trying to make you go back. Read my mind if you don’t believe me.”
Trip sighed and then closed his eyes, concentrating. “You’re telling the truth.” He wasn’t sure if he was happy about that or not. “So… why are you here, then?”
“I came here to give you a warning.” Bridge kept his gaze fixed on the closed blinds. “It’s Cruger. He’s gone missing.”
Even though he and Commander Cruger had never exactly been on the best of terms, Trip felt something cold go through him with those words. “You’re kidding. I mean… it’s Cruger. He practically lives at his office.”
“Then he’s moved without so much as leaving a forwarding address.” Bridge tapped a gloved hand against the side of his face. “All we really know for sure is that he’s gone, and that someone named Grumm has taken his place as Commander.”
The name sounded vaguely familiar. “Wasn’t he the feds’ liaison?”
Bridge nodded. “Yep. There was a lot of speculation from people that the feds had more than a little to do with him getting the job.”
“And those people disappeared along with Cruger.”
“Exactly,” Bridge confirmed. “Which is why people aren’t as willing to discuss the latest rumor.”
Trip knew he was going to regret asking, but… “Which is?”
Bridge leaned towards him, his voice low. “That Grumm is looking for Cruger.”
“But Grumm has a small army of super powered individuals. If Cruger’s out there, he would have found him by now… unless Cruger doesn’t want to be found?”
“Exactly.” Bridge made his way to the kitchen.
Trip sat on the arm of his couch. “I’m still not sure what any of this has to do with me-- and no, Bridge, I don’t have a toaster, or bread, or anything that could remotely be considered buttery.” The last part was added hastily when he realized his Bridge was opening the fridge door.
“You don’t? Then you must not be doing as well as I previously thought.” He shut the door. Bridge played with his gloves before looking Trip in the eyes.
“Since Grumm’s search isn’t going well, he’s going to resort to more desperate measures soon. And I can’t think of anything more desperate than capturing a rogue telepath and making him do the searching for me.”
If Trip had felt cold before… “But I’m not that strong a telepath. You’re better at it; shouldn’t he be going for you?”
“I’m better at reading auras, but you’re the one who can find someone in a city full of people. Not to mention your other ability.”
Trip stared at his hands for what felt like forever. “So what am I supposed to do about this? Just run away again?”
“It’s something to consider. In fact, it’s what I’m really hoping you’ll wind up doing.”
“… I can’t.”
Bridge looked at him with wide eyes. “Why not?”
He didn’t want to say it out loud, but there really was no point in lying to an old teammate-- especially when the old teammate was an expert telepath. “There’s this girl.”
Bridge’s eyes went a little wider. “Weren’t you the one who couldn’t talk to a girl without getting all stammery and hard to understand?”
“I’m as surprised as you are,” Trip said with a shrug. “We’re not anything official… but I can’t leave her.”
There was a long, unpleasant silence after that… and then Bridge sighed heavily. “Trip, I’m not trying to tell you what to do. I’m just trying to let you know what’s happening.” He left the kitchen and shrugged back on his dark jacket (which had been draped over the computer chair). “So I’ll let you know this: Grumm will do anything to get someone with your skills. Even kill a civilian.”
Then the door shut behind him, leaving Trip alone.
--
Good-bye…
Katie looked around her bedroom groggily. She could’ve sworn that she’d heard Trip… but he wasn’t there. She decided that it must’ve just been a dream and she fell back on the pillow, slipping back into sleep.
--
He couldn’t believe that he was doing this again.
Well, you better start believing it soon. Bridge may be a lot of things, but a liar is not one of them, Trip reminded himself as he stared at his one-way bus ticket to Angel Grove. Once he got there, he’d take a bus to Stone Canyon, and then… he wasn’t sure yet. The actual location didn’t matter, as long as he kept Grumm’s attention on him and his latest escape, not Katie.
Katie…
Just thinking about her hurt, but he couldn’t get his mind off of her. He kept reminding himself that this was for her, that this would keep her safe… but it was only a small comfort.
But he couldn’t dwell on that now. He had to keep going until he was sure they had given up, and then maybe… maybe… he’d look her up. Find out if she was okay. He could never see her again, not with something this big hanging over his head, but he would like to know if she was all right--
There was a sudden, terrible pain… and then nothing.
“The target has been neutralized, Commander Grumm,” the woman whispered into her communicator. “We’ll be returning to base shortly.”