Theme: #33 – Reaction
Summary: Dillon's thoughts in his last few minutes in the burning factory with Summer. It was now or never.
Word Count: 576
A.N: Ugh this scene. This ridiculously frustrating scene. Being cockblocked once in two minutes is bad enough – especially by a giant flying whale zord spouting water – but for it to happen twice? Anyway, I thought I'd write this one more from Dillon's perspective which was a nice change. I'm not going to embarrass myself by telling you how many times I have watched this scene since it aired almost three years ago…let's just say…a lot.
Disclaimer: I'm just playing with them for a little while. I don't actually own any of the characters.
The heat from the fire was almost unbearable. His search was already hopeless. As more debris fell, there was a faint note of panic in Summer's voice, "Dillon…no. If we don't get out of here-"
"You're right. You need to go now." Dillon could have kicked himself. Of course Summer had followed him – she always would. If anything happened to her it would be his fault, and that was something he could not deal with.
"I'm not leaving here without you!" There was anger there now.
"Why are you always trying to save me?" Dillon yelled. Her determination to save him was going to get her killed. My fault. My fault. My fault. He had never understood Summer's attempts to help him. She had ensured his release from prison, she had been the first of the team to accept him, she was doing all she could to help him find his sister and to save himself from the virus. Why?
"Because you're worth saving!" He had not expected that answer. Him? What was worth saving about a man with no past and no future? He was a threat to everyone – Venjix was slowly taking him over. There was no time to deliberate her answer. More flaming debris became dislodged from above and Dillon instinctively made a grab for Summer, pulling her out of harms way. It had been a reflex. Just as he had reached out to grab her when Teneya had altered the city's ventilation only a few weeks before. Just as he had stopped the Grinders on the day they first met from destroying her zord. It was not a conscious decision. She was in danger and he had protected her as a reflex. Dillon held tight to her much smaller frame, his arm pinning her to him around the chest.
There was something in the pit of his stomach that kicked up his heart rate. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew the adrenaline was not from panic at suddenly being trapped.
"Looks like neither of us is leaving." This was it then. They were both going to die and it was his fault. It was now or never.
Summer turned her head and he loosened his hold on her enough for her to turn entirely to face him. His arms were still tight around her. The look on her face was the only indication he needed to continue. Closer and closer they came – it really was now or never.
As if being woken from a particularly deep sleep, freezing cold water cascaded down upon them. Summer cried out with the shock of it. And then they were laughing; utterly euphoric that the danger was gone. They were safe.
But when Dillon looked back down, the look in Summer's eye had not changed. Every reason he had ever given himself not to get involved with Summer went out of his head at that moment. All he wanted to do was show her how much he wanted her. They were much closer this time.
"A flying whale!" Again, they were snapped back to reality. This time by Gemma's melodic voice as she and Gem bounded towards them. Without hesitation Dillon and Summer removed their arms from around each other. No need to advertise to the twins what they had interrupted. Their intrusion had also reminded Dillon of why he had come back in the first place. He needed to find his sister.