Getting Stronger

"We all need to become stronger, Jack." -Raina, before revealing her new armor to Jack

Raina wakes in severe pain, her body still revolting over the last battle. She goes with Jack to the workshop to work on some new ideas he has. Raina also spends time designing and creating armor for herself. The challenge is to make armor that while durable is light so that it will not hinder or slow her movements. In the afternoon, Jack gets an idea and excuses himself, but Raina continues her work.

Eventually, Grim finds her and inquires to what she is doing. Raina shows him the armor and remarks that it is still too heavy and she can't figure out how to make it lighter without sacrificing integrity. Grim picks it up and responds that the armor feels light to him. Grim then exclaims that he finished enchanting their items and leaves to go get hers. Raina puts on a pair of sunglasses that act as a summoning device for it and summons her armor on. Grim remarks that she looks much tougher before offering her the brooch. Raina puts on her brooch and thanks Grim before taking off the armor and resuming her "normal" look.

The two talk and Grim starts to talk about his new relationship with Kalius when Rusty interrupts. Amused, Raina tells Rusty how glad she is to see him all right and Grim goes to fetch Rusty's, now enchanted, mask. They discuss how John is growing more determined to get them all. Grim says that its just because John hates him, but Raina adds that John believes that their rebellion will stop with her death. Grim ends her worries over that by stating, "You won't die, I won't let you."

They decide to go ahead and keep training, but Raina states that her body still hasn't recovered and that she has things to work on in the workshop still. Before long, Jack shows up with his arm bandaged. Raina moves to greet him and tells him that Grim has finished with their items. Jack nods and then says that he needs to talk to her about something. Relaxed, Raina asks what he needs. Jack talks about how he hates being taken down so easily in battle and should be able to protect his friends and especially the woman he cares about better. Raina responds that he's not as weak as he thinks and that they all need to become stronger, showing him her new armor. Jack is impressed by the outfit and states that she looks very attractive in it as well. He then explains that he's developed a new technique. Having discovered in the RWZ that he could turn on all of someone's pain receptors at once, he experimented with and was successful with turning them off on himself as well.

Raina is stunned, instantly able to see all the ways this could go wrong. Parallel happens to contact her right then as well, and she tells him what Jack is doing. Parallel responds that he's attempted it in the past with less than satisfactory results. However, Jack refuses to be dissuaded and shows her his arm, revealing the terrible burns on it gotten from holding it in a fire. Neither he nor her had felt the burning. Raina however, is hurt that Jack hadn't even talked to her about it before going through with it. Jack responds that he knew she wouldn't like the idea and thus hadn't wanted to mention it. Resigned, Raina goes with him to the medbay to start treating the burns.

While they're there, Raina proposes allowing Jack to take some of her blood to increase his healing ability to compensate for the damage he would sustain with his pain turned off. Jack refuses and Raina looses her temper and storms off. Forgetting herself, she heads to the training area, but stops when someone she doesn't recognize comes through the entrance. Pissed off, Raina unsheathes her claws but is subdued when Rusty comes and defuses the situation. In no mood to be hospitable, Raina stalks to the training area and forces her taxed body to go through training in her new armor. This action is quickly regretted when her body gives out, reminding her that her bones were still recovering. The two cool off and Jack comes to tend her as they talk and apologize.

Eventually Grim, Rusty, and a newcomer Keen Frost appear. Grim and Rusty are giving Frost a tour of the base. They find the two lovers in the training area and tease them about being a fixture in the base. Raina threatens to throw something at Grim if she could move. Briefly concerned, Jack explains that Raina just overdid it in training. Rusty then demonstrates that a friend of Grim's has strengthened him so that he won't fall apart after a hit or two. They then move off to continue the tour and Raina insists on getting up to join them. She leans heavily on Jack, but manages to make it to the magic room.

Eventually Frost offers his help in their "war" and Raina warns him that it'll be dangerous since "John plays for keeps." They talk for sometime longer, explaining their convictions on why John must be stopped. Frost then manages to determine that Raina and Jack are mentally linked. Mentioning a weakness to psionics, Jack offers to help him build defenses against them. Raina then suffers a bout of pain and Jack takes her to bed to rest after bidding Frost farewell.