A flat, ever-present hum slowly filled her ears, accompanied by the sporadic yet constant small bumps that mildly shook the hard seat on which she rested. Or at least tried to anyway.
Slowly, her vision filled with the sight of the cramped metal compartment she was in, bathed by a soft, crimson light. It illuminated the steel walls in a dim reddish hue, and made more pronounced the shadows cast by the pipes, wires and frames that made up the interior of this vehicle. In this monochrome space of muted light and shadow, one could almost see human shapes blended into the subtle interplay, revealed only by the disruptive outlines of their own dark edges.
Smooth ride.
Only with this thought did the haze lift from her eyes, and she found herself in a less surreal world: inside a Nareevan Army transport aircraft. And only then did she notice the dark face in front of her, staring with those piercing eyes of contempt straight back at her, and the deep, gruff voice that accompanied their intention.
“Well Princess, you awake yet? Or do I need to administer Mouth to Mouth?”
Oh yes, she wasn’t planning on dozing off again after hearing that.
“How kind of you Sergeant Griggs, maybe I can repay you with my knee-slammed-on-your-balls right after?” She replied smiling with no trace of malice, her words to the contrary.
“And - I’m - GLAD - to - hear – that, Prin - cess!”
Part irate, part proud yet part indifferent the Sergeant’s deliberately broken inflection sent the entire complement of one freshly awakened woman and her two other female companions sitting straight up, a sign that whatever he had to say, they had to listen. And listen they would do as they watched him stand rock solid in the middle of the aircraft’s corridor with his arms behind his back, in blatant disregard of whatever shakes, vibrations and bumps the aircraft violently threw at him.
“In FIVE minutes we’ll be arriving at the insertion point by the Muraean border, which means I’ll finally be rid of you lot!” he began as he paced across them.
“However, the reason I’m so freaking HAPPY right now is because you sorry lot will finally do me and my roughnecks some very GOOD with your end of the bargain, and in return I’ll drill you three broads into what happens next.”
“You’re to be kicked out MY airplane and left to rot in the desert with whatever it is you’re supposed to be banging with. You have One – Hundred – and – Sixty – Eight – Hours to do your pitiful thing and get back to LZ. We ain’t running charity here, so if we don’t see your booties by then we’re hanging you out to dry and make some new stinkin Muraean “FRIENDS”! Are we UNDERSTOOD on that matter?!?!”
“Tousen Da!!” She countered with a cocky toothy grin, fuelled by the burning confidence in her wide open eyes as she thumped her thumb into her chest.
“Who do you think we are?!”
And the challenge was met with Grigg’s own nutty grin.
“I don’t care who you’re supposed to be, but all I know is-“
The loud, monstrous groaning of the descending ramp dwarfed the loud, blaring klaxons that signaled its opening, revealing the infinite darkness beyond, where the earth and the sky blend into an indistinguishable mass of black.
“-you’re getting out of here!”
With much pride she stood up and grabbed unto the overhead railing, staring at the darkness with the burning flame of resolve in their eyes, the tenacity to cut through that darkness no matter the cost.
And she turned to her two friends behind her - Mayura, stretching her arms out in front of her, and Julie, desperately hanging on to the rails – both watching that night sky with the same eyes as her, the eyes of the Burning Adventurer’s heart.
Only one thing left to ask.
“Mayura, Julie, ready?”
Both girls looked at each other, and smiled in unison.
“Always read-”
“HOLD IT LADIES!!!”
If there was anything Asagi Colwell hated the most, it was interruption, with Griggs doing just that, and he wasn’t finished.
“NO POWER RANGER SH** ON MY WATCH!!! This is a BLACK Op for a reason, and it ain’t cause of my skin!”
“Obviously…” Julie interjected.
“You’re white.”
“DAMN RIGHT I AM!”
With the Sergeant’s last words, Asagi looked to the sighing Julie on her left, then to the nervously laughing Mayura on her right, showing them the disdain on her face…
“You heard him girls. No Power Rangers…”
… that slowly smiled…
“But we’re not Power Rangers…”
… then grinned…
“We are…”
… and finally beamed with glee, as they jumped out with the booming unison of three passionate voices!
MADOUKISHI SENTAI!!!
BELKARANGER!!!!
-----
… leaving one most pissed off Sergeant Griggs in their wake.
“… idiots…”