Fic: 'A Question of Trust' (Power Rangers RPM, gen, G, 1/1) Title: A Question of Trust Fandom: Power Rangers RPM Characters: Summer, Dillon Word Count: 643 Rating: G Spoilers: 'Ranger Green' Challenge: N/A Warnings: N/A Disclaimer: No one mentioned belongs to me. Summary: Summer tries to figure Dillon out.
A Question of Trust
"So Ziggy's a thief," murmured Summer, as she and Dillon headed out of the facility to join the battle.
"Yeah, I don't know," said Dillon.
She gave him a sideways look. "You don't know?"
"That doesn't really sound like Ziggy, does it?"
"He did steal the Green Rev morpher," she pointed out. "Hi, Tim, how are you doing?" She nodded at one of the guards as they passed, and he tipped his chin at her in return. It occurred to Summer that she didn't get out much: she knew prison guards by name and, up until a few days ago, had been taking orders from a computer screen bearing only one letter.
If Dillon thought her exchange with Tim was odd, he didn't say anything. Instead, he said simply, "He was trying to protect it from that crazy chick. He was trying to do you guys a favor."
"Us," she corrected. "You're one of us now, remember?"
Dillon didn't answer that, and she wondered just what it'd take to get him to admit that he was a part of the team. What it'd take for him to ever get him to even think it.
"So you think Ziggy's innocent?"
"I think he's Ziggy," was all Dillon seemed willing to offer. He wrenched the key in the ignition, the car absolutely roaring to life around them like some prehistoric beast. Summer had to raise her voice to be heard.
"And he's got a black mark against him from every crime cartel in Corinth."
"So do a lot of people. I bet your friend back in prison there isn't making any friends with the few guys you've managed to put away."
Ah, so he had noticed.
"I think the people who the cartels actually like are the ones you should be looking out for. Not Ziggy."
"Why are you so quick to defend him?" she wondered aloud. "How did you guys meet, again?"
Dillon grinned at his windshield. "He held me at gunpoint."
Summer gaped at him, completely failing to see why he was acting like this was a good thing. Dillon took his eyes off the road in the wake of her silence, guessing correctly that she was at a loss for things to say. In the back of her mind, she had to ask when he'd managed to figure out how to read her silences, especially since he still seemed hesitant about admitting she was a teammate.
"It wasn't a real gun."
"I don't understand."
"Ziggy... well, Ziggy's a lot of things. He's the kind of guy who'll do what he has to. But even he knows there's a line, and he won't cross it. He'll hold me at gunpoint, but he won't actually hurt me. He's a lot of things, but I don't think he's a bad guy."
"So you think he's innocent?" she repeated her earlier question.
Dillon dared to look at her again. This time it felt more like she was being stared down and sized up. "I think he did whatever he had to do. And no, I don't have a problem with that." After a beat, he said, "Are we gonna have a problem?"
Summer dug deep down and foudn that her only real objection was the loyalty he was showing to Ziggy, the loyalty she still didn't think she could expect of him. Then again, there was a vibe there she couldn't quite explain. But if fumbling, barely competent Ziggy stuck around, maybe it meant Dillon would, too. Just to keep an eye out on the cartel runaway who'd held him at gunpoint.
Maybe she was wrong. Maybe she should just have been grateful that Dillon stuck around at all, no matter the reason.
"No," she said. "No problems."
Dillon pulled to a screeching, spinning halt by the battle site. "All right," he said. "Let's do this."