Hello, everyone. This chapter is over 8k words; the longest chapter I've ever written, so I hope it makes up for the wait. Is anyone else excited to see Dr. K again in Beast Morphers? I know I am.
Chapter 19
"So, are you ever going to tell her?" Jenny asked Pamela. They were sitting together on the gym, watching Harriet and the rest of the cheerleading squad practice a new routine.
"Tell her what?"
"That you're in love with her."
Pamela put her hand over Jenny's mouth. "Keep your voice down!"
Jenny removed her friend's hand from her face so she could speak again. "What? It's the truth. You've been into Harriet since they moment you met her. Why not just tell her?"
"Jeez, I don't know. Because she doesn't feel the same way? Because she has a boyfriend? Because she's STRAIGHT? Are you nuts?!"
"Now you're the one being loud." Jenny pointed out. "It was just an observation. You two would be so cute together. And we all know James doesn't deserve her. He's obnoxious and nowhere near as cute as you."
Pamela rolled her eyes. "I'm not cute."
"Oh, stop being so modest. You totally are. And you should tell Harriet how you feel. You never know."
"I'm not in love with her." She denied. "And even if I were, I'd never tell. Nobody in this world would be stupid enough to fall in love with me. I'm a mess, and I'll always will be."
Jenny frowned, unsure of what to say. Comforting Pamela was something she had never been good at.
Pamela didn't blame her. She knew she was too much sometimes. It was almost impossible for her not to say something to bring the mood down.
"You deserve to be loved just like anyone else." Jenny whispered.
"Pamela?! Are you okay?! Oh my God, I'm gonna call the others!" Summer's exasperated screams brought Pamela back to reality. She was on the floor, and Summer had both of her hands on each of her shoulders. The Yellow Ranger helped Pamela get up and led her to the closest bed.
What the fuck did just happen? "I think I fainted."
"Yeah, you were out for like two minutes, but it felt like an eternity." Summer explained, letting out a sigh of relief. "I'm so glad you're awake. But we should go to Dr. K so she can check up on you."
"I'm fine." Pamela said. "I don't even remember what made me faint in the first place."
Summer continued to have that 'I'm worried about you, let me help' look on her face she always had and sighed. "I think it was because I told you about Dillon. How he's infected with a virus Venjix put in him."
Pamela's heart sank. Oh, fuck... so I didn't imagine that after all? "S-so what's gonna happen to him? Is he gonna be okay? You said there's no cure!"
"There isn't one for now, but Dr. K is working on one." Summer was now sitting next to Pamela on the bed, grabbing both of the Pink Ranger's hands. "We should try and stay positive."
"Stay positive?" Pamela spat, letting go of Summer's hands and leaving the bed. "How can we stay positive when our friend might become a mindless zombie? How? Do the others know about this? What did Scott say? He's the leader, so maybe he has a plan! His dad could help too, right? Right?!"
Summer stood up, grabbing Pamela by the shoulders. "Pamela, slow down, please. You need to calm down. Dr. K is informing the others about Dillon's situation as we speak. If anyone can find a cure to save Dillon, it's her. You just need to trust her. Trust all of us."
Jesus, does her Maria Fucking Brady attitude ever drop? How does she always know how to handle things? If we call saying 'stay positive' handle...
"You're asking me to trust you, and yet you didn't hesitate on asking to go with Dillon when Dr. K told him he needed to take some tests."
The Yellow Ranger was now staring at her with a confused expression. "What are you talking about?"
Pamela blushed furiously, embarrassed about the jealously she was suddenly feeling. "You and Dillon..."
"Me and Dillon? Pamela, there's no me and Dillon. We're friends, and I worry about him. And I thought you said you didn't like him..."
Jesus, what's wrong with me? I'm so stupid. Her cheeks were still burning, and tears now threatened to spill from her eyes. "I-I lied." She finally admitted. "I do like him... a lot. And for a m-moment I thought you and him..."
"Oh, Pamela..." Summer wrapped both of her arms around her, so Pamela did the same.
"You're just so beautiful and so capable and so smart." The Pink Ranger sobbed. "And you don't even have to try like I do."
Summer caressed Pamela's hair, hoping to calm her down. "There's nothing going on between Dillon and me. When I first met him, I did feel something towards him... and I think I still do. But I'd never do anything, now that I know you like him, too."
Shit... she likes him too?! So I was right!
The girls were no longer hugging now. Summer grabbed Pamela's face with her hands and looked right into her eyes. "I can now see how much he matters to you. You should tell him how you feel. There's always a chance that he might feel the same way. You never know."
You never know.
You never know.
You never know.
Those were exactly the same words Jenny had once said to her about Harriet. But Pamela had refused to listen. Even to this day, she continued to tell herself that she no longer had feelings for her friend, and that her feelings didn't matter.
Except I do still have feelings for her. And my feelings do matter. Right? Maybe that's another reason why I don't want to do anything about Dillon. Because I'm scared I'll end up feeling like I'm betraying Harriet somehow. Even though we were never together, and I never told her the truth... I'll always wonder how things would have turned out if I had.
But she's gone now. Harriet, Jenny, and Alex... they're all gone. I don't know if they're alive or dead, but I do know that they're gone...
And Summer was right there. Listening to her, comforting her... behaving like a true friend. Pamela had been taking her for granted. "Thank you." She whispered. "But I'd rather not say anything for now."
Summer nodded and gave her another hug. "It's okay. Your secret is safe with me." The Yellow Ranger looked at Pamela up and down and noticed her injuries. "Why don't you shower so I can later take you to Dr. K? So she can see if everything's okay with you. You look hurt."
Pamela was about to object, but she figured it was best to stop acting like a child. "Okay, I'll go right now."
Once the Pink Ranger got in the shower, she began gently rubbing soap all over her body, making sure not to hurt herself, since her body was still very sore from the earlier fight.
Pamela could feel Mandy's body behind her, her tongue licking her neck and her hands playing with her breasts. They had been in the shower together for the last twenty-five minutes, and neither of them was planning to leave anytime soon.
Pamela hadn't planned on ever seeing Mandy again after their first time together, but the blonde waitress was hard to say no to.
Mandy turned her around, and Pamela's back was now against the glass. "What are you thinking about?"
"You, of course." A lie. She was thinking about Harriet, and about the things she'd love to do with her. Mandy was stunning, but she had nothing on Harriet. So when Mandy's fingers started teasing Pamela's most private area, she closed her eyes and pictured her beautiful friend.
"I used her." Pamela murmured as she finished cleaning herself up. "I used her because I was too chicken to tell Harriet the truth. And I used Duncan too, for the exact same reason. Because I couldn't bring myself to tell Dillon how I felt... I still can't."
After Pamela was done with the shower, she put on a black top, pink jean shorts, and black boots. She tied her hair up in a ponytail and put on the pink bracelet and necklace Ziggy had given her, as well as a pair of white plastic pearl earrings.
Once she was ready, she slowly walked down the stairs, eager to see how Dillon was doing.
He was, predictably, sitting in his car and looking at his pocket watch. Summer was assisting Dr. K in her lab, and Scott, Flynn, and Ziggy were nowhere in sight. Perhaps they went out to get some groceries.
"Can I join you?" Pamela asked Dillon, lowering her head so she could look at him properly.
He stared at her with those big brown eyes of his, making Pamela feel naked under his gaze. "Okay."
She sat on the passenger seat with her legs crossed and her hands on top of her knee, facing the dash. Neither of them said anything for a while.
What should I say to him? 'I'm sorry you have a deadly virus that might take over your body and turn you into one of Venjix's minions?' 'I'm sorry I'm so useless than I can't do anything to help you?' Or maybe I should just tell him, 'hey, want me to get on top of you and fuck you until we both ran out of breath?' Okay, that's definitely not an option...
The Pink Ranger's cheeks burned with lust at that mental image and she began regretting getting into the car with him in the first place.
The Black Ranger continued to listen to the melody of the watch, but Pamela could feel his eyes were now on her. I better say something now...
"I heard about what happened... you know, the virus?" She turned to face him. "I'm really sorry."
Dillon shook his head. "It's not your fault. Dr. K says she's working on a cure."
"And do you trust her?"
"I don't know." He admitted. "I'm not really sure who I can trust."
Ouch. Pamela couldn't hide the disappointment those words made her feel. "Oh, alright..."
"I do trust you, though." He reassured her, putting the watch away. "More than anyone else here. You know that, right?"
She almost rolled her eyes. "Actually, I don't. You never told me."
"Okay, but I'm telling you now. I trust you, Pamela."
Pamela gave him a grateful smile, which he returned. Dillon hardly ever smiled, so she made sure to appreciate the sight. She was still blushing furiously, and for a second she could have sworn his cheeks had turned red, too.
"Have you been able to remember something?" She blurted out. "Has listening to the watch's music helped?"
"I still can't remember anything." Dillon admitted. "Not who I am, not where I'm from... nothing."
"I'm sorry."
"Stop apologizing. None of this is on you."
"Well, I can't help it..." Pamela said, rubbing the back of her neck. "You're a good person, and you don't deserve any of this."
At this, Dillon's eyes widened. "You think I'm a good person?"
The Pink Ranger chuckled. "Well, duh. You're a Power Ranger who is always saving people. Heck, you saved me and you didn't even know me."
"I only stopped the car because I thought you were cute." He said playfully, and Pamela's jaw dropped. Son of a bitch!
"So that was the only reason, uh?" She smacked his arm, making him laugh. "I was a mess covered in dirt! How could you find that cute?"
"Okay, okay!" He raised his hands in surrender. "I didn't think you were cute, I actually thought you were hot."
UGH! What the fuck should I do? "Y-yeah, w-well..." Pamela stammered, struggling to respond. "T-thank you, I guess. I'm glad you found me attractive."
Dillon smirked, putting his hand on top of hers. "I still think you are."
Oh, boy. Oh, boy. Oh, boy. Despite her nervousness, the staring contest between them continued, and Pamela was sure Dillon had noticed how red her face was right now.
She wanted nothing more but to grab him by the jacket and devour his lips, but a knock on Dillon's window cut off that thought. The Black Ranger removed his hand faster than you could say RPM, and Pamela let out a long, exasperated sigh.
"Hey, guys!" Ziggy's voice echoed in their ears. "The guys and I brought burgers! Get out of the car before we eat them all!"
Oh, fuck! Seriously?!
"Yeah, we'll be right there!" Dillon snapped, unable to hide his frustration. He was obviously upset that he and Pamela had been interrupted, and she found comfort in the fact that he shared her disappointment.
Ziggy was taken aback by Dillon's angry demeanor, so he turned around and left them alone.
Unfortunately, his interruption had completely killed the mood, and Pamela felt like crying out of frustration. We were so, so close...
"We should go and eat..." She said, opening the passenger door. "I'm starving. You coming?"
"No, I'm fine." A lie. No, you're not. "I'm not hungry."
"Okay, whatever." Pamela left the car and shut the door. She joined Ziggy, Scott, Flynn, and Summer on the dining table.
"Hey, you doing better?" Summer asked her. "I spoke to Dr. K, and she says you can go to her if you aren't feeling well."
"I'm still a bit sore, but it's nothing serious." Pamela said, grabbing one of the burgers. "I don't need to see her. I'm fine."
Summer didn't appear convinced, but let it go. "Okay, if you say so."
"Is Dillon going to join us?" Scott spoke up.
"Nah, he had an angry reaction when I invited him." Ziggy said between chews. "I don't blame him. This whole virus thing must be exhausting."
"Aw, mate, stop speaking with your mouth full!" Flynn protested. "You are not twelve."
"Sorry." Ziggy apologized. "Old habits die hard."
"Do you think guys think Dr. K will be able to cure Dillon?" Pamela asked. She wanted to believe that the young doctor was going to be able to create a cure on time, but negativity still ran through her veins.
"I don't know, but we have to stay focused and keep calm." Scott replied, using his 'fearless leader' voice. "Dr. K was able to create the Power Rangers. I'm sure she can come up with something to help Dillon."
The Red Ranger had a point. Dr. K had created the complicated technology that allowed the Power Rangers to exist and fight Venjix. All Pamela and her teammates could do was continue to fight the virus and trust Dr. K. But that is far from simple, isn't it?
A few days later, Dillon and Scott had arranged to have a race to see which one of them was the better driver. The whole thing made Pamela think of The Fast and The Furious, but she figured it was a good idea that could serve as a distraction from the chaotic life the Rangers led. It had been a long time she had done something fun like watching a movie or going to a bar, so this would have to do for the time being.
The Pink Ranger had volunteered to be the flag girl and wore a white lace tie front crop top that had flowers on it, her RPM jacket, a denim mini skirt with a black belt, and a pair of bright pink heels. Her hair was loose, and she had put on a fuchsia velvet choker, a pair of pink heart-shaped hoop earrings, and a pale pink pearl bracelet.
All the clothes and jewelry she had been able to wear were thanks to the money Colonel Truman had given to each of the Rangers as a reward for doing such a great job. He had explicitly stated that they should only use it in case of emergencies, but Pamela had selfishly spent it all in a shopping spree.
In a way, this change in her had allowed her to feel closer to Harriet, who had always taken care of her appearance... not that she didn't need to. She was beautiful no matter what she wore. Another reason Pamela had taken advantage of the money was because her aunt had never been able to buy her many things. Not that Pamela blamed her, it wasn't her fault, but still... she had been given a lot of shit at school for sometimes wearing the same clothes for three days straight.
But despite the fancy clothes she had now and the stares she got from people, Pamela remained insecure about her looks, especially when she stood next to Summer.
She has feelings for Dillon. What if he finds out and picks her over me? This is so silly, we aren't in high school... and Summer is my friend... but Dillon... I can't help but worry... ugh, why am I like this?!
Pamela stood between the boys' cars with the black and white flag in her hands while they were getting their engines warmed up. Summer, Ziggy, and Flynn stood close to the scene, excited for what was about to happen.
Dillon winked at Pamela and she rolled her eyes, smirking. You're making this even harder for me, Dillon...
"Okay, guys, it's almost time..." The Pink Ranger started. "In 5, 4, 3, 2, 1... NOW!" She waved the flag enthusiastically and the race began.
Pamela watched as the Red and Black Rangers raced around the desert, silently cheering for the boy she had feelings for. She had great respect for Scott, but Dillon was the one she was rooting for.
She could hear the other Rangers arguing and making bets, but paid no mind to them. Her focus was now on Dillon and his car, Fury. Come on, Dillon, come on...
All he had to do to win is get to the finish line Ziggy had drawn with a large stick. But before one of them could be declared winner, both boys suddenly stopped before either of them could cross the line.
"Um, what the hell?" Pamela yelled. "Why did you guys stop?"
Dillon and Scott got out of their cars and began walking towards something, ignoring the other Ranger's questions. Pamela went after them, wondering if something was wrong.
Tenaya.
The dark-haired robot was clapping, mocking all of them. "Very, very impressive race. But you see... I prefer my battles to have a more permanent outcome."
"I don't care how powerful or deadly you think you are, Miss Tenaya 7." Ziggy spoke up. "But there are six of us and only one..."
Before the Green Ranger could finish his sentence, multiple grinders came out of hiding and ready to ambush them. A Venjix attack bot could be seen standing on top of one of the mountains, but it remained still.
"You spoke too soon, Ziggy." Pamela said as the boy counted the grinders. "Way too soon."
"Well, now this isn't fair!" Ziggy complained.
Pamela and her friends went after the grinders, with the exception of Dillon, who ran directly towards Tenaya.
The Pink Ranger shoved her fist into the chest of the grinder closest to her, causing it to stumble backward and trip. She then grabbed another grinder's arm and swung it so it crashed into the grinder that threatened to grab her from behind. Pamela proceeded to defend herself from the grinders by punching them and kicking them with her heels.
It'd be easier if I just morph. "RPM, GET IN GEAR!"
Pamela used her Glowing Staff to beat every single grinder that got in her way. Summer and Flynn teamed up to take out grinders together, and Scott and Ziggy did the same. Meanwhile, Dillon was still fighting Tenaya with everything he got. He was doing well until Tenaya gave him a kick that sent him straight to the floor. The Pink Ranger decided to go to his aid, hoping she'd be able to distract Tenaya so Dillon could finish her off, at least for the time being. Venjix's main minion was too tough to be defeated so easily.
She grabbed Tenaya by the hair, twisting her braids, knowing that'd piss her off.
"You little bitch!" Tenaya headbutted Pamela so hard that the Pink Ranger ended up on the floor, right next to Dillon. "Isn't this sweet? The desperate princess coming to the brooding prince's rescue? It'd be so poetic if you two died together." The evil robot laughed, pointing her blaster at them. "But today is not the day. To be continued!" She fired her weapon at them, causing an explosion that sent Pamela and Dillon flying away, crashing violently against the ground and demorphing.
Dillon was the first to stand up, offering a hand to Pamela. She took it and he lifted her up. "You didn't have to help me, you know? I had it under control."
"Oh, yeah, you totally did." Pamela said sarcastically, pushing a few strands of hair out of her face. "Just be grateful Tenaya ran away before she could kill us."
Dillon opened his mouth to speak when Summer, Ziggy, and Flynn walked past them.
"There is no way you took out more grinders than me." Summer told Flynn.
"You just don't want to pay up." The Blue Ranger claimed.
Pamela grinned, amused at her teammates' antics. Dillon fought back a smile.
"I'll wait for you in the car." Pamela said, turning away from the boy in front of her. She hopped inside Fury and put her feet on the dash. This is SO going to piss him off. When the Black Ranger got inside and saw what she was doing, his expression was priceless.
"Pamela, what the hell are you doing?" He pointed at her heels. "Feet off, right now!"
The Pink Ranger smirked, rolling her eyes. "This is just payback for you not saying 'thank you' after I tried to help you."
"Okay, thank you." He gritted his teeth. "You happy now? Remove your feet!"
She stuck her tongue out at him and did as he asked. Dillon sighed and started the car. "Why are you acting like a brat?"
"I'm not!" Pamela denied. "I was just messing with you."
"Well, you can mess with me if you want, but leave my car out of this."
Pamela nodded. "Fine."
Dillon drove in silence, while Pamela's left thumb caressed her morpher. Once they had made it back to the garage, the Black Ranger spoke up. "You look amazing, by the way."
A shiver bolted down her spine, taking in what Dillon had just said. I want you so badly right now. Fuck, fuck, fuck. I think he wants me too! "T-thanks."
Dillon's smile was smug as he admired Pamela's appearance. "You're welcome."
The Pink Ranger licked her lips and left the car before something could happen. She wanted to kiss him, but she was still afraid of several things. Afraid of losing him to Venjix, afraid of losing him to Summer, afraid of him deciding she wasn't worth it... I'm a coward. Nothing but a coward.
Later that night, Pamela was so tired that she ended up falling asleep without changing. She was deep in her sleep when she was woken up by Summer leaving their room.
"Ugh, why?" Pamela whined into the pillow. The Pink Ranger was beyond frustrated with her friend for waking her up and ended up following her downstairs to see what she was going to do.
Pamela found the Yellow Ranger pouring milk into a glass and staring at one of the computer screens that was displaying Scott and Dillon's Ranger profiles. She didn't miss the smile on Summer's face as the blonde fixated on the screen.
Summer took a sip of her milk, and Pamela was about to make her presence known when a noise startled her. "Fuck!" She screamed. "Dr. K, you scared me!"
The young doctor was going through the things inside the refrigerator and ended up taking a bowl that contained who knows what.
Pamela was taken by surprise when she saw that Dr. K was wearing pajamas and blue dog slippers. I don't think I've ever seen her without her lab coat before.
"I understand your dilemma." Dr. K said to Summer.
"Sorry, what dilemma?" Summer wondered with a nervous tone.
"You find Ranger Series Red attractive because he represents the guy who can give you solid security. The boy next door: trustworthy, responsible, the kind you take home to mother."
Wait, what?! Summer has a thing for Scott? Where did that come from?
Summer rolled her eyes and sat on a chair while she listened to Dr. K's rant. Pamela stayed where she was, watching as the young doctor used the content of the bowl to make herself a sandwich.
"At the same time, you're hopelessly drawn to the excitement and danger of Ranger Series Black." Dr. K added. Now this made Summer turn around, while Pamela shifted uncomfortably. "The tortured and mysterious bad boy you think you can save."
"I don't think you..." The Yellow Ranger started.
"However, when it comes to Ranger Series Black, you also can't help but feel like you'd be betraying Ranger Series Pink if you ever choose to act on your feelings."
Pamela's eyes widened, and she and Summer exchanged awkward glances. "Excuse me, what are you talking about?" The Yellow Ranger asked.
It was a pointless question, considering that both Ranger girls had already admitted to each other how they felt about Dillon. They just hadn't expected Dr. K to be aware of those feelings.
She's always babbling about science and doing nerd stuff that you forget she's a teenage girl, too.
"I'm talking about the undeniable fact that both of the female Series Operators share an unconditional attraction towards Ranger Series Black. Now the questions are, which one of you likes him the most, and which one of you will do something about it?"
But before either girl could say anything, the alarms went off. Saved by the bell.
"WARNING. SHIELD LEVELS DECREASING".
Scott, Flynn, and Ziggy rushed down the stairs while Summer put on her RPM jacket. I left mine upstairs, damn it!
"Rise and shine, Dillon!" Scott called out for the Black Ranger, who was nowhere in sight. "Let's move!"
Dr. K and the Rangers gathered to look at the computer screens. "Massive shield failures!" The young doctor exclaimed. "Something is manually overriding the shield controls!"
Colonel Truman appeared on one of the screens. "Dr. K, our instruments are showing that the city shields are being shut down... from inside your lab!"
A noise coming out of Dr. K's lab startled them, so they all ran inside to see what it was.
The room was filled with smoke and there was a person tearing the equipment apart.
"DILLON?!" Pamela and Summer yelled at the same time.
The Black Ranger briefly turned his head, and Pamela could see that there was something different about him. I mean, duh there's something different. He's acting like a mindless zombie! He went back to destroying everything around him; computer screens, cables, anything he could get his hands on.
"What are you doing?!" Flynn asked.
"Can't you see he doesn't know what he's doing?!" Summer retorted.
"Oh, I know what he's doing and I'm gonna stop him!" Scott declared, running towards the Black Ranger. Flynn, Ziggy, and Summer followed immediately, and the four of them took turns to fight him.
Pamela stood helplessly, watching as the others did their best to try and stop Dillon. I need to do something right now! But I don't want to hurt him! It all seemed hopeless, as he was too strong and was able to shove all of them away with no effort.
Dr. K took the opportunity to grab her scanner and use it to check what was happening to the Black Ranger. "This radical level of mind control must be from a remote flash device. Scanning commence." But Dillon broke the object in half with his hand before Dr. K could complete the analysis. "Scanning interrupted." The young doctor said, frustrated.
Dillon pushed Dr.K out of his way, but fortunately Ziggy managed to catch her before she could hit the ground. The Green Ranger grabbed Dillon, stopping him from moving.
"Check it out, check it out!" Ziggy said with glee, letting go of Dillon and moving his hands enthusiastically. "Our friendship is so meaningful, his deep feelings for me are overriding the program and making it impossible for him to..." His speech was cut short when the Black Ranger punched him in the chest and sent him to the floor.
That action made Pamela snap out of her trance. Oh, fuck this! She ran towards Dillon and grabbed him by the jacket, staring deep into his now red eyes. "Dillon, snap the fuck out of this! This isn't you! Come on, please!"
Her plea was pointless. Dillon grabbed Pamela by the wrists and twisted them, causing her to let go of the jacket and scream. He then spun her around and shoved her against the wall.
"It hurts..." Pamela cried as tears began to stream down her face. She watched as Scott grabbed Dillon from behind.
"The back of his neck!" The Red Ranger managed to shout before Dillon pushed him out of his way. Scott proceeded to grab him by the shoulders while Summer removed the controlling device with a ninja-like kick. Ziggy ran towards where the device had landed and grabbed it, while Dr. K returned to the computers and began to type.
"Restoring shields." The young doctor announced.
Dillon's body faced the ground while Scott held him steady.
"What the...?" Dillon wondered grumpily, feeling the Red Ranger on top of him. "Why are you hugging me?" At last, the Black Ranger had returned to normal.
Finally.
Pamela let out a sigh of relief, but she couldn't bring herself to celebrate. Her wrists and her back were in pain, and she was sure there would be bruises later.
Dillon and Scott let go of each other, and the Black Ranger's eyes landed on Dr. K's feet. "Doc... what's with the slippers?"
Yeah... that's the real Dillon.
The Pink Ranger removed the tears from her face, struggling to get up. Flynn noticed her and offered her a hand. "Thanks." Pamela said gently as the Blue Ranger helped her up.
"You alright, lass?" Flynn arched an eyebrow. "You took some pretty bad hits."
Pamela shook her head. "I'll be okay, don't worry. What about you?"
"Oh, I'm strong as iron, there's nothing that can break me!" He joked, and while Pamela didn't laugh, she gave him a tiny smile.
Dr. K ordered Dillon to lay in the lab bed so she could analyze him, and put several restraints on him while Pamela and the other Rangers circled him. "I suppose you're gonna tell me this is for my own protection?" The Black Ranger asked.
"Hardly, it's for us." She responded, returning to one of the computers.
"Doctor, is that really necessary?" Summer asked.
"Yeah, it was this thing that was doing it." Ziggy added, holding the controlling device. "Not him."
"I'm afraid is not that simple." Dr. K explained. "If you look at these latest read-outs of Ranger Operator Series Black..."
"For the love of Odin's beard, woman, would you just call him Dillon?" Flynn cut her off.
"Is there a reason you won't call us by our real names?" Ziggy wondered.
"There's a reason for everything." Dr. K said dramatically, walking towards a different computer. Pamela wished she was smart enough to understand what the hell the Doctor was doing.
The young girl turned to the Rangers "When the remote bug was activated, it downloaded an acceleration upgrade into the viral hardware already growing inside Ranger Black." Dr. K pressed one of the buttons of the lab chair.
"Acceleration upgrade?" Summer asked.
"The Venjix hardware inside him is now taking over his biological being at a rate 50 times greater than it was before."
Pamela felt tears were approaching again, and turned away from the others so they couldn't see her cry. Why is this happening? Why? Dillon doesn't deserve this!
"How long do I have, Doc, before I change to a machine completely?" The Black Ranger asked.
"There is no telling at what point the infection will cause you to lose control over your own actions." Dr. K shrugged. If this was her way of showing concern, it was a weird one.
"Hold on." Flynn spoke up. "We all saw that Venjix attack bot this morning. That's what must have activated the device."
"Flynn's right." Summer said hopefully. "If we could get ahold of that thing's circuit board, we could hack it and download the acceleration program."
"It still would not stop the spread of the virus." Dr. K maintained.
"Ay, but it might slow it down." Flynn said.
"Look, how are you gonna find it?" Scott questioned. "That thing is long gone by now."
"We lure it back." Ziggy suggested. "We lower the shields. Venjix will think Dillon did it, and he'll send everything he has, including... that thing."
"I hate to admit it, but that might actually work." Flynn opined.
"It's worth a try, and we got to do something!" Ziggy insisted.
"Look, people, we'd be taking a huge risk." Scott pointed out.
"What we would be doing is putting the entire city and the fate of the human race at stake..." Dr. interjected. "... all for Ranger Operator Series Black."
"Dillon." Summer said firmly. "All for Dillon."
So she didn't lie when she said she had feelings for him, uh?
Pamela continued to face the wall until she heard the sound of keys. The Pink Ranger turned around and saw Summer trying to free Dillon from his restraints. She walked towards where the Yellow Ranger was, the sound of her heels echoing all over the lab. "I'll free him." Pamela said, taking the keys out of Summer's hand.
The Yellow Ranger's eyes widened, looking like a lost puppy. Pamela mentally cursed her for being so pretty, even when she looked confused. It's not fair.
"Well, Ranger Pink. I guess this pretty much answers the two statistical questions the three of us were discussing earlier, does it not?" Dr. K said sternly.
Pamela shrugged, pursing her lips. Yes, I guess it does. She used the keys to get Dillon out of those restraints, and he jumped out of bed faster than you could say feelings.
"Thanks." The Black Ranger said quickly without looking at her. Dr. K and the Rangers watched as he stormed off the room without saying another word.
"I think that's his way of showing his appreciation for us." Ziggy said, breaking the silence.
"Just go back to your daily routine, guys." Scott suggested. "I'll deal with Dillon."
"And what exactly are you planning to do?" Pamela blurted out, facing the Red Ranger. "Because from where I'm standing, all I see is a mentor who doesn't care about that one of her Rangers is in serious danger and a team leader who appears to agree with her!"
"Hey, I care about Dillon the same way I care about everyone else on this team!" Scott wailed. "And I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure nothing bad happens to him or to any of us."
"Something bad has already happened to him. To me, to you, and to everyone here." Pamela said with a tear streaming down her face, and Scott's expression softened.
Fuck. I didn't want them to see me cry.
"Look, lass, why don't you come with me and I'll make you a smoothie? It'll make you feel better." Flynn offered, putting a hand of her shoulder.
"Okay." Pamela murmured, following him to the kitchen. "Do you need any help?"
"Absolutely not." He stated. "Go sit in the living room and I'll bring it to you."
"Why are you being so considerate, Flynn?" Pamela asked. "Not that I don't appreciate it."
The Blue Ranger sighed, taking a step closet to her. "Because we're friends, and because I don't like watching pretty lasses like you cry."
Pamela grinned and covered her face with her hands. "So cornball."
"It's the truth, isn't it?" He grinned back. "Now leave, so I can work my magic here."
The Pink Ranger laughed and went to sit in the living room, making herself comfortable in one of the couches. She sat with her legs opened, which wasn't exactly lady-like, but she didn't care.
Dillon is in danger and I don't know how to help him. I've already lost so much. Mom and dad. Jenny, Harriet, and Alex. I still have aunt Robin, but I barely see her anymore. I can't lose Dillon. I refuse.
"Penny for your thoughts?" A sudden voice said. Ziggy.
The Green Ranger sat next to her, but Pamela's gaze didn't leave the floor.
"How are you doing? With everything, I mean."
"It just isn't fair, you know? What Venjix is doing to Dillon is horrifying. I can't imagine how he must be feeling. First, he loses his memories, and now he might be losing his free will."
"Yeah, it really sucks. But I dare say he's luckier than most."
Pamela turned to give him a puzzled look. "What the hell do you mean?"
"I-I mean that he's got us." Ziggy explained quickly. "He's got you, and he's got me, and a whole team that's willing to help him."
"Except for Dr. K." Pamela mumbled into her hand.
"I'm sure the Doc will come around..." Ziggy started. "And if she doesn't then... well, I'm sure you'll find a way."
The Pink Ranger snorted. "Me? What makes you think that I'm capable of fixing whatever technological madness is going on inside Dillon?"
"I-I..."
Ziggy's stammering was cut short when Flynn appeared with a strawberry smoothie in his hand.
"Who told you that pink was my color?" Pamela teased, grabbing the glass.
"Hey, how come I don't get one?" Ziggy protested. "I'm upset about Dillon too! I have every right to have a smoothie and..."
"Alright, alright!" Flynn raised his hands in surrender. "Follow me into the kitchen and I'll make you one" He winked at Pamela. "You're disturbing the lass."
The Pink Ranger smiled at him in appreciation and began drinking the smoothie as she watched the two Rangers walk away from the living room. She finished it as quickly as possible and ran to Dillon's room.
"Dillon, are you there?" She knocked a few times. "I just wanna see if you're okay! I can hear the music coming out of that pocket watch of yours!"
No response.
Pamela continued to knock until she got tired of waiting. She tried opening the door, but it was locked.
"Oh, so you're gonna make things difficult, uh?" The Pink Ranger sighed. She sat outside his bedroom, with her back facing the door and hugging her knees. "Look, I'm sorry. I don't wanna push you or anything... I don't really like talking about things either. But I just needed to let you know that I'm really sorry about what you're going through. You don't deserve any of it, and if I could trade places with you, I totally would."
She wasn't used to this... feeling vulnerable, expressing her feelings out loud. But what other choice did she have?
Dillon, can't you see that I care about you?
Still no response. Pamela closed her eyes and began to sing quietly.
"Every time I try to fly, I fall
Without my wings, I feel so small
I guess I need you, baby...
And every time I see you in my dreams
I see your face, it's haunting me
I guess I need you, baby..."
Pamela bit her lip, feeling her cheeks heat up once again. Everytime by Britney Spears was one of her favorite songs, but perhaps it hadn't been smart to sing such romantic lyrics to Dillon. She stood up and ran her hands through her hair, stepping away from the door when the Black Ranger's voice startled her.
"Thank you." Was all he said. Those two little words were more than enough to make Pamela smile brightly. You're welcome. She hugged her arms to her chest and went to her room.
The next morning, Pamela woke up feeling a bit better. She showered and put on a sleeveless floral print backless flare dress and a pair of pink shoes. This time, she made sure to wear her RPM jacket.
The Pink Ranger walked downstairs to see if she could find Dillon, and she did... but he what he was doing made her let out a yelp. "What the fuck?!"
Dillon was inside Fury, getting ready to leave. The problem was that his wrist chained to Scott's. Pamela and the other Rangers watched the scene before them in awe.
Just when it appeared that Dillon was going to drive away and drag Scott with him, he stopped. "I really hate you, you know that?"
"Yeah." Scott raised his hands. "Yeah, I know."
The Black Ranger got out of the car. "Now... let's have the spare."
The spare? So they already lost one key?!
Scott nodded and turned to Ziggy. "That, uh, that was the spare. I accidentally swallowed the original during my, uh, charity magic show last month."
"You had a charity magic show and you didn't invite me?!" Pamela shouted. "Why the hell not?!"
"Uh, it was actually kind of a private event, just me and some kids, you didn't miss out anything extraordinary!" The Green Ranger insisted, rubbing the back of his neck. "Please don't be mad at me! I didn't think you'd be interested."
The Pink Ranger glared at Ziggy while Scott smiled gleefully at Dillon. "Looks like it's you and me, Dil."
Pamela didn't even know what to think. So Dillon was going to leave? Looks like my stupid singing didn't help as much as I thought it would. God, he must think I'm such a loser right now. First Summer removes the controlling device from Dillon's body, and now Scott chains himself to him to keep him in the garage. Why am I the only one here who is always failing at helping Dillon? She pouted like a child and went back to her room. The Pink Ranger grabbed her sketchbook and two bottles of tequila she had hidden in her bag. Time to drink and draw!
Dr. K announced via com that she had lowered the city shields, so the Rangers could go forward with Ziggy's plan. Maybe she does care about Dillon after all. Pamela doodled at least six pages full of hearts while she drank, humming the song she had sung to Dillon yesterday. She had locked herself in the room, so Summer wouldn't see what she was doing.
Once she was out of vodka, the Pink Ranger dropped her pencil and grabbed her cellphone to put on some music. The first song on her playlist was Genie in a Bottle by Christina Aguilera. Pamela focused on the lyrics, singing along and dancing around the room.
Pamela moved with her eyes closed, picturing Dillon and all the things she'd like to say and do to him. She felt envious of Scott and how he was now chained to the boy she wanted. What I'd give to be close to Dillon right now...
The Pink Ranger danced for what it felt like forever and ended up passing out in the bed, her face hitting her sketchbook. She woke up two hours later, but refused to move.
Pamela wanted to speak to Dillon, but now that he was chained to the Red Ranger, that was impossible. "Ugh... I can't talk to him with somebody else standing there!"
She heard someone trying to open the door and scoffed. Summer.
"Pamela?" The Yellow Ranger called out. "Why is the door locked?"
"None of your business!" The drunk Pink Ranger spat. "Go away!"
"Go away?! Pamela, this is my room, too!"
"Pamela, this is my room, too!" The Pink Ranger mocked. "Well, I don't care! What do you want, anyway?"
"I just wanted to see how you were doing!"
Pamela sighed, touching her forehead. Always the Sunshine Barbie. She left her comfy bed to open the door for the Yellow Ranger.
"What's wrong? Are you okay?" Summer wondered, entering the room. "You look... weird."
"What every girl wants to hear." Pamela said sarcastically, sitting on the bed and biting her lip. "What do you want, blondie? Here to put me in my place?"
"Are you drunk?" Summer asked, completely shell-shocked.
The Pink Ranger raised both of her arms. "You got me!"
The Yellow Ranger suspired, looking at Pamela with concern. "We can't let Dr. K see you like this. She'd suspend you. Let's get you in the shower so you can sober up."
"Oh, you wanna get me in the shower, uh?" Pamela teaser her. "You saucy little minx!
The blonder Ranger's cheeks reddened. "You know what I mean!" Rolling her eyes, Summer took Pamela's hand and dragged towards the bathroom.
"I don't want to shower!" Pamela protested. "I already did it like two hours ago! You'd be wasting water!"
"Okay, fine!" The Yellow Ranger gave up. "Just wash your face and comb your hair... make yourself presentable. I'll go get you a glass of water."
Pamela took a few step closers to Summer to whisper in her ear. "Yes, momma."
"Yeah, okay, okay." Summer pushed Pamela inside the bathroom and closed the door. The Pink Ranger did as she was told, but she was still pretty drunk. The Yellow Ranger brought her a glass of water, which she drank in one long sip.
"Feeling better?" Summer asked.
Pamela snorted. "Yeah, I'm fine, blondie."
The Yellow Ranger shook her head, both amused and irritated by her friend's behavior. She accompanied Pamela back to their room and went to get some sandwiches.
"Okay, so this is what we're going to do." Summer said as she put Pamela's sketchbook and pencil away. She grabbed the empty bottles of tequila and threw them in the trash can. "You're going to eat, get in bed and stay here for the rest of the day. If somebody asks for you, I'll just tell them that you're dealing with a rough period. The guys won't question it since they always act stupidly when it comes to women's problems and Dr. K will probably let it slide... this time." The Yellow Ranger studied Pamela while she ate like a dog. "Don't ever do this again, okay? We're in charge of saving the world. I understand wanting to drown your sorrows, but drinking two bottles by yourself? That's irresponsible." Even with her authoritarian voice, Summer still managed to sound angelic.
"M'kay." Pamela said between chews. "I'll stay here."
Summer let out a sigh of relief and left Pamela alone in their room. The Pink Ranger spent that fine Friday sleeping her worries off, even though chaos would end up returning once she woke up.
The following morning, Pamela was woken up by the Ranger Alarm. She screamed into her pillow, the loud noise disturbing her ears.
"Morning, sleeping beauty!" Summer greeted. The blonde was already out of bed, ready to go downstairs. "Your time off is over!"
The Pink Ranger was about to tell her to fuck off, but figured it'd be best to go with her and get this mission done quickly so she could go back to sleep.
The girls ran into Flynn and Ziggy, and the four of them found Scott and Dillon on the floor, still chained to each other.
Pamela let out a chuckle. It was funny seeing the two most serious Rangers in such an amusing position. If she didn't know them, she would have thought they were a couple that was into some kinky stuff.
"We're going out." Summer said as she abandoned the scene.
"I guess the chain gang's staying here, then." Flynn added, following his friend.
"Chain gang." Pamela repeated, laughing. "Sounds like a sex cult."
"Would you like to join?" Dillon asked rather smoothly and Scott gave him a disgusted look.
Pamela stopped laughing and rolled her eyes, blushing. "Oh, you think you're so cheeky, don't you?" Before Dillon got a chance to respond, the Pink Ranger went after Flynn and got in the back of his Hummer. Ziggy joined them a few seconds later.
This was the first time Pamela rode with the Blue Ranger, and he turned out to be a manic driver just like Dillon and Scott. Why do guys drive like lunatics?
The Rangers morphed and went after the attack bot, who used its electrical powers to send them flying. They began fighting the grinders and Pamela wanted nothing more than to go back to bed. Her head was spinning and dealing with the hangover and she was positive she was going to throw up soon.
The Pink Ranger fought sloppily, tripping on her own feet and getting hit by the grinders several times. Fortunately, the others were too busy to notice. At some point, Ziggy managed to overpower the Lighting Bot, but he got distracted and the thing got away.
Pamela and her friends got blasted by the attack bot again, and this time the hit caused her to demorph and pass out on the floor.
When the Pink Ranger regained consciousness, she felt something next to her head. Pamela smiled, realizing what it was... or rather who it was. She closed her eyes and waited for the car to stop.
Pretending to still be unconscious, she got picked up by Dillon and wrapped her arms around his neck. The Black Ranger carried her bridal style through the garage, and Pamela took the opportunity to bury her face on his neck, her whole body warming up due to their closeness. She resisted the urge to plant a kiss on his skin. I wish we could stay like this forever.
Dillon carefully placed her in the bed on Dr. K's lab. Unfortunately, Pamela couldn't deny the pain and discomfort in her stomach any longer, so once the Black Ranger let go of her, she jumped out of the bed and thew up in the closest trash can.
"Ugh, that's disgusting!" Ziggy exclaimed. "You're lucky she didn't throw up on you, dude!"
"Or worse, in your car." Scott added.
Pamela continued to throw up, trying not to get any vomit in her hair or her earrings. Summer and Flynn worked on the computers to find a way to help Dillon by using the Lighting Bot's circuit board. Looks like they didn't need me to defeat it, after all. She turned around when she hard Dillon groaning.
Summer stopped typing to check up on him. "Dillon, are you okay?" He shoved her out of the way, his eyes now turned red.
"Not again!" Pamela and Scott yelled at the same time.
Scott proceeded to grab Dillon by one arm while Summer grabbed the other, and Ziggy bent down his knees to grab the Black Ranger's leg.
"Can you please get that circuit thing to work?" Ziggy asked Flynn, who was still typing on the computer. Pamela decided to take action and held Dillon by the shoulders.
"I can't, it's all encrypted." Flynn replied, frustrated.
"Encrypted? How long is it gonna take to crack?" Summer asked. It was getting harder and harder to keep Dillon steady; he was way too strong and Pamela and the others were getting tired.
"I can't." The Blue Ranger said. "Not without the base code."
"Base code?" Ziggy asked.
"The original code used to program the Venjix virus." Flynn explained.
They couldn't contain Dillon any longer, and he pushed all of them out of his way. Pamela's face hit one of the tables so hard that her lip drew blood.
Ziggy tried to get hold of Dr. K's blaster, but Dillon took it from him and pointed it at all of them.
"Dillon, stop, please!" Pamela pleaded. Dr. K, who had been standing silently by one of the monitors the entire time, started typing speedily. All of a sudden, the Black Ranger dropped the blaster and his back hit the ground. Summer went back to the computer to see what had just happened.
"The virus has slowed back to its original growth rate."
Pamela went to Dillon's aid and helped him get up. "I'm getting really sick of asking this, but..." He sighed. "What happened?"
"What just happened is that I entered the base code for the Venjix virus." Dr. K spoke up, getting everyone's attention. "I know it because I wrote it. I'm the one who released it. Everything that's happened, everything you've all been through... it's all my fault."
Pamela took the younger doctor's words in, feeling anger, betrayal, resentment, and sadness take over her. Wait, what? So everything that's happened... it's her fault? Robin almost dying? My friends being gone? My house and my parents' graves getting destroyed? How did she... why? I thought she was our friend...
"You lying little bitch!" Pamela cried out. "How could you do this?!"
Cliffhanger... I'm evil! Dr. K, you're in trouble! So Pamela and Dillon are getting closer and closer. I know many of you are probably eager to see them kiss (and do more *winks*), but all in due time. I have a lot of more ideas for flashbacks of Pamela's life; such as her high school days, stuff with her parents, her old friends, and so on.
Aunt Robin will be showing up again soon, and I'm also thinking about having Pamela bond with Flynn and Scott a bit more. Oh, and Gem and Gemma still need to make their appearance... I love those two, and you can bet Pamela will have interactions with them, too.
The coronavirus pandemic is really scary, so I hope everyone is taking precautions and staying safe. Please leave me a review!
