Luna's story: Chapter 3 Safety

Luna giggled as she ran towards out of her house, followed by her mechanical feline who easily kept up to the rushing girl. Quickly Mac stepped out of the house and waved to Luna.

“Make sure to check up every hour!” he called.

“I will!” she cried as she half ran half turned to call back before resuming her sprint.

“Have fun! And stay SAFE!” Mac cried before she vanished around the corner.

“And be vigilant.” He sighed before returning back into the house.

Luna laughed and sprinted towards the shore, Lynx barely able to keep up due to Luna’s amazing speed.

“ROWR!!” Lynx yowled, catching Luna’s attention, stopping her at an off road path entrance.

Luna smirked as Lynx caught up with her, a disapproving grovel coming from her as she did.

“Oh you little hiss miss, you can worry later! Besides nobody can see.” She giggled.

Lynx hissed and bumped her leg towards the path.

“Oh alright!” she laughed and continued her run, ignoring the irate Lynx that followed.

Luna laughed before they came to the forest and slowed down as she wove her way through, leaping over logs and dodging low branches. She stopped when she came to a fallen tree trunk that was over a small brook and looked back as Lynx caught up.

“Gonna cross that?” she smirked.

Lynx looked at the brook and growled but climbed on the trunk and quickly glided across before turning to look at Luna.

“Show off.” She smirked and just ran across, almost falling when she neared the other side before leaping off and over Lynx.

“Hah! Those practices really do help!” she laughed as she continued to run.

Lynx groveled and ran after Luna, easily leaping over logs and creeping through dense brush with barely a sound before catching up with Luna.

“So just because I’m blocked you think you can beat me? HAH! Let’s race!” she laughed and dove forward, her feet barely touching the ground as she soared ahead.

Lynx’s ears perked in surprise and she bounded faster, trying to keep up before she became highly alert and yowled out in warning.

Luna looked ahead and realized the tree line broke ahead before she leapt out and skidded to a stop, barely stopping in time to avoid a disastrous end at a steep cliff.

“Whoa!” she gasped and looked as Lynx trotted up to sit beside her.

“Uh thanks.” She gasped, looking nervously at the water.

Lynx growled and turned away towards the opening of a cave.

Luna looked and grinned.

“Oh right, this will be fantastic!” she giggled then ran up to it before pausing at the entrance, suddenly hesitant.

“Frankie should be joining us in about an hour, so why not make the best of it and explore a path ahead?” she suggested.

Lynx huffed and made a quick yowling yip towards the cave.

“You’re right…we should wait.” She said nervously and went to sit by the cliff and sat on the very edge, clutching the cliff edge nervously as she looked at the sky.

Lynx cocked an ear and sat next to her, vexed.

Luna glanced at Lynx nervously before she sighed.

“I know, it’s an hour…but I just don’t feel right going in there without Frankie…or a searchlight.”

Lynx grunted made a small yipping meow and began to lick her paw.

“Right…I’m scared of the dark…as if THAT were possible.” She smirked before slowly glancing down at the water below.

Luna suddenly gulped and pulled her knees up and scooted back a few inches before sitting cross legged.

Lynx stopped licking her paw and cocked her other ear before meowing at Luna.

Luna shot a glare at her.

“NO I am Not afraid of water…or…heights…I’m fine.” She growled.

Lynx grunted and pawed at the ground before backing away and sitting a few feet back as if unsettled by the water as well.

Luna looked at her and smirked.

“But I know…YOU are!” she giggled then lay on her back and swung her legs in laughter before calming down and resuming her sitting.

Lynx growled and cocked an ear, as if listening to something nearby.

Luna turned and cocked her head in the same direction her ear was but heard nothing but the sound of birds and the wind. Tapping into her special abilities she listened harder and cupped a hand to her ear. She heard the sound of faint laughter and of a ball bouncing, she used her natural mapping abilities to triangulate the area of the source and realized it came from the fire house.

“Oh it’s just Cody and his family on their family picnic, he said he’s on his dad’s team this time.” She grinned, thinking of the image of her and Ethy dominating the court against Mac.

Lynx gave a low rumbling growl as she sensed something was amiss.

Luna, pulled out of her happy thoughts, turned to Lynx, confused.

“What is it?” she asked.

Lynx yowled and leapt at her, gripping her shirt in her teeth and began to pull her back from the cliff.

“Hey! What are you-?” she started only to feel the reason Lynx was so forward too late.

The ground shuddered under her before it gave away and Luna screamed as she fell, managing to grip a low growing root and gripping it as her seat tumbled to the rocks below. Luna squeaked as both her fears melded into one and she began to make a pull up only to stop once she realized it weakened her root and sat there, clutching it fearfully. She glanced up at Lynx as she yowled down to her, swiveling her head to get better looks at her while she paced the edge.

“L-Lynx! G-get help!” she cried, trying her best not to tremble or weaken her grip as she closed her eyes.

Lynx made a yowl and a grunt before she turned and ran, leaving Luna as she sprinted towards the firehouse.

_@_@_@_@_@

Cody laughed as he tried to block Graham as Kade faced off with Mr. Burns who was trying to keep Dani in his sight as well.

“Kade I’m open!” she called just before Kade made a pass towards her.

Chief Burns leapt back and caught the ball before making a shot to the hoop, ringing it before it flew away. Cody turned from Graham and caught the ball before tossing it to the hoop, landing it in with a single swoop.

“That makes it 3 to 2.” Mr. Burns smiled.

“Considering our odds how are they beating US?” Kade asked grumpily.

“I just practice more, plus Luna loves the game and has been getting me to practice with her.” Cody explained before catching the ball as Kade tossed it at him.

“Alright, super star, get past me.” He smirked as he checked the ball with Cody.

Cody smiled and began to bounce the ball when a sound averted his attention and Kade grabbed the ball.

“Hey!” Cody called as Kade made ready his shot only for a piercing yowl to ruin it and it flew into the bushes.

“Hey!” Kade complained, turning towards the sound.

“What gives?”

Everybody looked to see as Lynx bounded up to the group before skidding to a stop in front of Chief Burns and circling around him before butting his legs forcefully.

“Whoa, whoa!” he called, surprised by its actions.

“A haywire modification?” Graham suggested.

“Where did it come from?” Dani asked as it turned to Kade next and ran around his feet, forcing him to go on one foot to avoid it.

“Yeah whatever it is it’s beginning to REALLY tick me off!” he snapped, stomping at it as it avoided him by a hair.

“No wait, it’s Luna’s invention, she called her Lynx.” Cody said, looking nervously as it hissed and circled him before bumping his feet like it had the Chief.

“No worries, a quick spray from the hose should-.” Kade started only for Lynx to stop and give a mighty yowl, running to the hose and clawing through it before he could turn it on.

Once she was done demolishing the hose she before ran back to Cody, grabbed the cuff of his pants and started tugging them towards the woods furiously.

“Hey! Let go!” he called.

“What does it want?!” Kade said angrily as he held the destroyed hose in his hands before grabbing a watering bucket and approaching it.

Cody frowned at it in confusion when he seemed to realize something and motioned for Kade to stop.

“Wait Kade! What if it’s trying to tell us something?” he said.

At those words Lynx let go and stomped a paw, yowling as if to confirm his statement before running off to the road and pausing by it, expectant.

“I think Luna is in trouble!” Cody said worriedly.

“She said she was going to go cave exploring with Frankie by the cliffs.” He said before running into the firehouse and grabbing his communicator pad and looked at the screen.

“Uh oh, dad, we need to get to the Caveman’s Cliff.” He said, showing him the screen.

“Rescue Team, roll out!” he said and everybody rushed to their vehicles and drove off.

Lynx jumped aboard the Chief’s car with Cody and sat on the dashboard, looking ahead expectantly as they hurried away, soon followed by Kade and Dani with Graham.

“Chief Burns, what seems to be the situation?” Chase asked.

“Luna has fallen off of a cliff and needs our help.” Chief explained as he drove, moments later they arrived and Chase transformed, staying back from the unstable cliff as Chief Burns and Cody peered down.

“Luna, hold on! We need you to remain calm and don’t let go, Somebody is going to be lowered to help you.” He called down.

Luna looked up, her eyes clasped shut before she forced them to open.

“I-I’m scared!” she cried.

Chase turned and looked to see the others catch up and their vehicles transform.

“So how do we do this?” Heatwave asked.

“Safety Code says an air rescue is best for this situation.” Chase explained as Kade was tied to a rope held by Blades.

“Hang on.” Blades called before lifting him carefully into the air and flying him towards the cliff.

Chief directed Blades and Dani while Cody spoke to Luna, easing her as Kade was lowered.

“This will be over soon, you’ll be alright.” Cody said.

Luna sobbed as Kade appeared beside her, hand reaching out.

“It’s going to be okay, just reach for me and I’ll grab you.” He said calmly.

Luna whimpered before looking up at him, shaking her head in fright when the root quivered and bent down as it began to break.

“Come on!” he said, more forcefully.

Luna trembled and slowly reached for him and he eased her as he reached back.

“It’s okay, now just a little further.” He said, leaning towards her.

At that moment the branch cracked and Luna’s hands snapped back to it in time for it to swing down and slam her against the crumbly wall and hang there, quivering in wide eyed fear.

“Dani! Lower Kade further down!” Chief said through his communicator.

“On it!” she said and lowered him to Luna’s level.

“Listen, I know you’re scared, just reach for me so I can pull you up.” Kade said, an edge to his tone.

“I-I CAN’T!” she cried, sobbing into the branch as it began to crackle again.

“Yes you can! Just reach!” he ordered, reaching towards her, almost touching her.

Luna quivered and turned to him, the branch twisting as she did.

“It WILL be okay.” Kade assured.

Luna’s bottom lip trembled before she slowly reached out and grasped his hand, just as the branch broke and she lost her grip and began to fall.

She screamed only to be cut off as he grabbed her hand and held on tightly as she grabbed with her other hand.

“Dani! Bring me up!” he ordered and they were both quickly hoisted up to safety before being set down next to Mr. Burns and Kade undid his harness.

“Well done Luna, you’re a strong girl.” Chief soothed a she gave her a shock blanket to cover her shaky shoulders.

“I-I didn’t k-know…” she trembled.

“I-I-how?” she trembled before burying her face into Chief Burns’ chest and sobbing.

“I want my daddy!” she sobbed.

Seconds later Mac drove up and hurried to Luna, who ran towards him and into his arms.

“I’m sorry! I wasn’t being safe!” she sobbed.

“It’s alright, shh, it’s okay.” He soothed, picking her up and rocking her as she wrapped her arms tightly around his shoulders.

Lynx stood by them and looked up as he soothed her, cocking her head to the side curiously at the display.

Mr. Burns Walked up to Mac and nodded towards him, saying it all without speaking.

Mac returned the gesture and smiled with relief before turning back to his truck with Luna before they both drove away, Lynx with them.

“Great job, Team.” Chief Burns said as he turned to his group.

“A rescue completed perfectly.” Chief said.

“If I didn’t know better this girl should have known not to play at the edge of a cliff.” Heatwave growled.

“Agreed, safety code dictates playing near hazardous areas should not logically be a safe idea.” Chase agreed.

“Don’t blame her, she didn’t know, besides with where she came from I could understand.” Cody defended.

“What do you mean? What could POSSIBLY be a reason she would do something like that?” Blades asked.

“Mac said Luna was rescued by her sister from an abusive family, Luna said her family was strict and extremely military. She said she had never even been outside the house until her sister came and took her away.” Cody explained.

“But with a house so full of rules why would she not understand basics like permission and not to mention her obliviousness to parent opinion.” Graham stepped in.

“Maybe she thought since she was out of that home rules didn’t matter anymore and so she forgot them all.” Boulder suggested.

“That could explain why she is as she is but right now she’s in need of a proper dose of safety.” Dani said.

“Yeah, and a few minutes in the corner.” Kade sniffed.

“Luna may have grown up in a house without freedom but she has it now and she needs to be helped in choosing the right paths now that they are available, we just need to lend her a helping hand.” Chief assured.

At that moment Frankie arrived on her scooter and looked at the group in confusion.

“Hey, what’s going on?” she asked.

“You could say we had a bit of a cliffhanger.” Kade joked only to earn glares from the team.

“What did I say?”