A Present Surprise

Present time

For someone his age, Wrinkles was still pretty agile. He propelled himself using his fire ability to boost his speed and pushed Scrubs down into a soft pile of mouldy pillows hidden behind a mountain of garbage. The sprite was the most fragile among them. Danny the Accelerate was already far away from the site.

As the chaos that happened momentarily began to subside, Wrinkles peered from behind the trash barrier. A woman lay beside the baby. From the look of the uniform she was wearing, she probably was a nurse. The exact same burnt markings surrounded the floor where she laid.

"Odd, a time hopper?" Wrinkles thought.

Time Hoppers were those who could bend time, they too were from higher clans. She could not be just a nurse. Wrinkles approached the unconscious figure. He paused as he reached down to check her pulse, but suddenly stepped back in alarm.

The two boys stared at him wide-eyed.

"It can't be. After all these years! But she hasn't aged a bit," he says to himself.

"What's wrong, gramps?" Danny asked.

"I knew this woman once, long ago. Haven't seen her for over nine years. Her name is Dolores," before old man Wrinkles could finish his sentence, Dolores got up and grabbed his hand.

"Aaarrrhhhh," old man Wrinkles gave a surprised yelp.

It might have been a reflex reaction but she was very strong. He thought that she had crushed some of the bones in her arms. In desperation, he accidently activated his flames ability which began to burn her hand.

He might not have seen Dolores for many years but he knew her abilities well. She was a Muscle Bulker. Yeah, it wasn't the coolest of names but that was what the clans called people who could had the strength of an elephant on steroids.

Besides Dolores, he had encountered other Bulkers before. Bulkers, no matter how strong they are, were no match for a Flamer's ability. As long as Flamers kept their distance, they could easily burn a Bulker to a crisp. It wasn’t really his attention to torch her arm. A little burn would heal quickly but a broken arm would not.

Quickly he let his flaming arm flare up. He felt her grip loosen as she let go of the heat caused her some pain. Instinctively, she pulled her hand away before damage was done.

“Sorry about that,” Wrinkles said apologetically, looking at her slightly scorched arm.

Then to he noticed something strange. Skin was slowly growing back on the red exposed flesh on her arm. It was as though she was healing at an incredible rate.

"Great flying fires! Impossible!" he shouted in surprise. She had super healing too? The last time they met, he did not think she had such an ability. In fact, if he had recalled, she was missing her right ear, due to an injury in one of the missions she had taken together with her. Missions. Yes, those secret missions which he hoped to have erased from his mind. From a past that, he wasn’t too proud off.

He looked at her ear. To his amazement it was there. Like she never had such an injury before. What had happen these past years? Had she gain some sort of new powers? Was it even possible? Or did the people they had worked for have something to do with it. Correction, she. He did not want anything to do with them anymore.

Suddenly the baby began to cry. Dolores began to loosen her grip and he quickly shook his arm free.

There was a look of recognition on Dolore’s face.

"Alexander?"

Wrinkles nodded. That was his name, ages ago. He had not used that name for a long, long time.

"Is the baby alright?"

"Yes she is, but now what is important is to get you both to the hospital," he quickly replied.

A looked of fear suddenly flooded her eyes. "No please.., no hospital, no police. They will know. Trust no one," Dolores begged before passing out again.

Nobody said anything for a while. Then Scrubs, looking at Wrinkle's arm which was on fire like an orange ruby crystal that seemed to glow like magma, broke the silence.

"Are you alright old man?"

"Oh...well, this strange thing," Wrinkles dusting his arm. The flames disappeared.

"Pretty impressive for a low level flamer," Danny said, scratching his thing thoughtfully.

Danny zoomed over and poked the unconscious woman.

"Well looks like you’ve been quite busy, Alexander," grinned Danny before feeling a burning sensation on his behind.

"O wow, wow...you old geezer!" Danny yelled.

"Joke like this once more and I will make sure you won't be sitting for a week,"

Wrinkles glared angrily.

"But on a serious note, we better bring these two to safety. Also to get my arm look at," he said looking wondering if any bones were broken.

"So who is going to carry the freaky lady with weird powers? I can't carry her, that's for sure. She might accidently crush me in an unconscious fit. Us sprites are really weak," Scrubs protested

Wrinkles looked at his hand.

"No worries then. We can make a stretcher,"

Danny eyed him suspiciously.

"Why not just call an ambulance?"

"No, we can't. Didn't you hear what she said," Wrinkles firmly argued. He gave Danny a stern look which made the young boy back down.

“Oh come on, maybe she is on the run from the authorities. She could be crook, or even a kidnapper!” Danny said, looking at the baby.

“No, I know Dolores. She wouldn’t stoop to something that low. If anything she’s a loyal and dedicated soldier,” he said.

“A soldier? How do you know that?” Scrubs said.

Danny looked suspiciously at Wrinkles.

“Were you in the army too, Alex… I mean old man,” he said.

“Mind your own business, unless you want a badly burnt behind,” Wrinkles said.

“You’d have to catch me first,” Danny said about to zoom around.

“Guys stop arguing. The lady really needs help,” Scrubs said.

Wrinkles nodded.

“Always the sensible one eh, young Scrubs,”

“So where to then old man?” Danny said.

"We can't bring her to the hospital but I know a place we can go," Wrinkles said uneasily.

He took a deep breathe.

“But whatever happens, promise me that you won’t ask any questions,”

“Ok,” Scrubs nodded, but his fingers were crossed behind his back.

“I can’t make no such promise,” Danny said, as they help put Dolores on the makeshift stretcher.

Wrinkles shrug, and they hurriedly made their way out of the park into the dark streets of night.