Ziggy was at the orphanage, helping Ms. Foster with some redecorating. It had now been a full day since the mission out of the dome. So far the shields were still overcharged, and now the propane build up caused by them stopping it not once, but twice, meant that gate 19 was no longer an option, burning constantly. Despite wanting to go and look for her, he was trapped in here with the others meaning that, presuming she was still alive, Tenaya was on her own.
He had come over to the orphanage to take his mind off things since he knew that leaving the city was currently impossible, so as much as he wanted to help her, all he was doing by hanging around the Garage was thinking about her and driving himself insane. The others had asked him what was wrong, all except for Dillon and Flynn. Dillon was worried about her naturally, despite the whole situation still being awkward between them, she was his only family. Flynn didn't need to ask, he already knew that he was in love with her. He had been supportive, and offered comfort, but there wasn't much he could do without revealing his feelings to Dillon. He appreciated it, but right now all he needed was to know she was alright and to know she was safe.
The screwdriver he was using to tighten up the screws on the kitchen unit slipped, grazing his hand, causing him to bite his lip. Even at his age, he still loved and respected Ms. Foster too much to break the rules she insisted on and swear in 'her house'. If nothing else, just like her he didn't want the kids picking up any of his bad habits. He went to the sink and ran the tap, running it under water to clean the cut. Ms. Foster came in, finding him tending to it.
"Ziggy, are you alright?" She asked him. He just nodded without saying a word. He had barely said anything since he had arrived, just going straight to work. She was worried about him, but then she always had been. It didn't matter how old he got. Any time she looked at him, she still saw the little boy she had raised since infancy.
"Ziggy please let me have a look at it." She begged him sympathetically. He offered her his hand, allowing her to inspect it. "This doesn't look like anything more than a little scratch, it'll be alright."
She paced the room as he went back to work, looking down at him.
"You know I notice that Tenaya isn't here." She told him. "The kids were asking after her, I think they really like her."
Ziggy didn't answer her, or even look at her as she said this. He was too lost in thought, imagining what could have happened to her, or what he would do if he had lost her after only recently being able to admit how much she meant to him.
"In my experience the kids are a pretty good judge of character." She told him. "I kind of like her too."
"She's missing." He told her. "I have no idea where she is."
"Ziggy, I'm so sorry to hear that." She whispered. "I know you had feelings for her. I could see it in you from the moment I saw you together."
"I just wish I knew what happened to her." He told her, feeling a couple of tears beginning. "Not knowing is driving me crazy."
"Ziggy, I didn't only see what you felt for her." She told him. "I could see that the feeling was mutual. That was why I was so pushy about trying to get you together."
"I really love her mom." Ziggy told her, wiping his eyes. "I want her back!"
"I know you do." She murmured, holding her 'son' closely. "It's natural to feel that way, but it's just like you to try and go through these things alone."
She released him slightly as the door opened, and Chas knocked gently. Ms. Foster almost cursed him for that. Ziggy was in no condition to see anyone.
"I wanted to talk to Ziggy." He told her.
"its fine Helen, I'll talk to him." He told her. "What can I do for you?"
"Have you read this morning's newspaper?" He asked him. Ziggy shook his head. It was hard for him to care about anything right now, much less the newspapers. Chas put it down, pointing to the front page.
"Charity match in doubt?" Ziggy asked him. "Chas fails on first promise?"
"Ziggy, my dad's starting the games early." He told him. "He's trying to make this charity match fail so that it'll look like I can't deliver on my promises. Ziggy...he doesn't care about the charities that are relying on this match."
"What do I have to do with this?" He asked him. Chas smiled a little.
"Dad's already been paying off members of the professional league to give the match a miss." Chas told him. "The Rockets are last year's champions. That's why I booked against them. If I didn't have a contract, I know they'd pull out too."
"It says here you're a player short." Ziggy remarked.
"That's what I wanted to ask you." Chas replied. "I know that the publicity of having a Power Ranger on our team is bound to put ticket sales through the roof."
"Dillon would be better." Ziggy commented. "Or Scott..."
"Everyone would say the game wasn't fair if Dillon played, hell someone would probably die!" He replied. "Ziggy...I wanted to make you an offer. We're hoping for a huge gate. I'm willing to put some of it to this place. How about 2 percent?"
"Five!" Ziggy snapped. "Five and I'll do it."
"Deal." Chas replied, shaking his hand.
"The table's finished Helen." Ziggy told her. "If you'll excuse me, I should go."
With that he left. Chas smiled as he went, but his expression soon changed as Ms. Foster stood up and slapped him as hard as she could.
"Who the hell do you think you are?" She demanded angrily. "You want him to help you advance your political career?"
"I...I only wanted the charity game to go ahead." He told her, shocked by her reaction.
"Ziggy's never even SEEN a game of Lightningball, never mind played in one!" She informed him, putting her hands on her hips defiantly. "He has no idea how brutal it is!"
"It's a friendly match for charity." Chas assured her. Ms. Foster just rolled her eyes at him.
"You do know who manages the Rockets right?" She asked him.
"Robert Taylor." He answered.
"Otherwise known as Fresno Bob!" She yelled at him, by now turning red with the strain of her anger. "Because he's a Ranger he can't go after Ziggy in the street, but he had a major score to settle! On the field it'll be free game! They're not only a professional team; they were the champions last year! Ziggy will be hurt!"
"I didn't know." He gasped. "I'll ask someone else..."
"It's too late for that. Ziggy loves this place; he'd gladly lay down his life for it!" She told him. She got right into his face. "If anything happens to him, I swear I don't give a damn who you are. There isn't a force on earth that'll stop me from ripping you limb from limb!"
Chas just nodded in understanding and left the orphanage without another word. Ziggy didn't advertise his past with the Scorpion Cartel. Having been in the military Chas knew he had been a member, though he didn't know that Fresno Bob actually had something against him. The details of his departure were only known by one or two people. Now he had something else to worry about. As much as he wanted to do the right thing by the charities that were relying on this game and fulfil his political promises, he never wanted to put anyone in danger in the process.
In the cave, Tenaya's screams rang out as D46 tortured her mercilessly. At this point in time, he had resorted to burning her with powerful acid.
"You know, I'm starting to actually believe you don't know where we are." He told her. "I'm actually beginning to believe we're safe."
"I told you that I don't work for Venjix." She murmured in a weak, hoarse voice. As a result of the implants, he did not tire as quickly or easily as a normal human, and so the torture had been going on for close to 16 hours. "I don't want the people in your care to die. If anything I want to help them."
"Help them?" He snorted in response. "How could you possibly help them?"
"I know where Corinth is." She told him. "If you let me go I'll take you there."
"You lie!" He sneered at her in disgust. "If we let you go you'll just lead us to one of the factories to be enslaved again. That or have us destroyed."
"What do I have to do to convince you?" She asked him wearily. "You're one of the D-series units too. You know our pain threshold. You know that you've worked me over..."
"You might just be an exception." He interrupted her. "Perhaps you are a masochist and enjoy it. Maybe you're a masochist and actually enjoy it? Maybe Venjix saw fit to remove your pain centres altogether."
"You're never going to believe me no matter what I say, are you?" She asked him. "You've already made up your mind that you're going to destroy me."
"I saw all of my brothers and sisters being released." He told her factually. "The first 43 were the Dregs. They're mindless, worthless monsters. We simply avoid them; though will destroy them as soon as we do not have Venjix to worry about. 44 to 50 were the 'success' stories."
He held up a couple of blood-stained jackets, showing them to her.
"I've already taken out 47-50." He informed her. "44 disappeared off the grid after he was lost in a transport accident, but that only leaves you and me."
"If I'm going to die anyway, why should I help you?" She asked him.
"Like you said, I know your pain threshold." He replied. "I will destroy you, it just won't be...efficient."
"You know, you claim to be human." She told him. "I know what that means. I know I can't cause this kind of pain."
"You'd be surprised what a human can do." D46 told her. "I'll be back later."
Tenaya just felt what little strength she still had leave her as he walked out. She felt like she had nothing left. She was all but dead; it was only a matter of time before her torturer became her executioner. It was then that her head perked up. She heard something unusual, though something that affected her. A little girl was crying, and she was nearby.
"Who's there?" She asked. "Please, come out so that I can see you."
Sure enough, a little girl, perhaps around 7 years old, poked her head out from behind a rock. She was blonde, with icy blue eyes that were filled with tears.
"It's alright, I won't hurt you." Tenaya assured her, rattling the chains securing her wrists. "Please, come on out."
The little girl took a few nervous steps out of her hiding place, though nowhere near close enough for Tenaya to touch her. She was terrified, and was giving her wary looks.
"The General says you're bad." She told Tenaya. "I shouldn't be talking to you."
"Why did you come in here?" Tenaya asked her.
"Some of the other kids were being mean to me." She replied. "One of them threw my dolly into the wasteland."
"I can understand why you were upset." Tenaya said sympathetically.
"The other kids are always mean to me!" She complained loudly. "They say I'm small and weak and..."
"You found your way in here past an armed guard." Tenaya reminded her. "That isn't weak. That's smart."
"I found a little hole nearby." She told her. "No one else knows about it."
"Why were you crying?" Tenaya asked her. "I didn't hear you earlier."
"The General is good to us, he keeps us safe." The youngster told Tenaya. "I thought he was nice."
"You don't anymore?" Tenaya asked her. The little girl sobbed a little e harder.
"I saw him being nasty to you." She replied. "I never thought he would do things like that. I never thought he would hurt someone that way."
"Come a little closer." Tenaya beckoned her. "Sometimes people do bad things when they think they're doing the right thing."
"How can that be the right thing?" The little girl asked her, walking closer. "I heard you crying. He was hurting you..."
"Yes he was. He was hurting me." Tenaya told her. "He thinks I'm going to be a danger to you and so he's making sure I'm not."
"I'm bad sometimes." The girl told her. "Mommy sometimes spanks me but she never does things like that."
"Do you know what always makes me feel better?" Tenaya asked her. "I always feel better when Ziggy hugs me."
"Ziggy?" The girl asked her. "Is he your boyfriend?"
Tenaya almost forgot her pain and smiled as she heard this. It was probably not the most appropriate title for him; they had only really told each other what they felt a short time ago. That didn't stop it sounding good to her though.
"I would like to say so." Tenaya replied weakly. "Yes, I would say he is."
Tenaya looked to her and smiled.
"I can't hug you, but...maybe hugging me would make you feel better?"
The little girl moved over slowly, before reaching her side, and then threw her little arms around Tenaya's chest. She rested her head against her chest, listening to her heartbeat's soothing rhythm.
Just then, she heard footsteps. She moved a little to rouse the girl's attention.
"He's coming back." She warned the little girl. "You're not meant to be here."
"He's going to hurt you more isn't he?" She asked her. Tenaya nodded.
"It's alright, I'm tough." She said with a wink. "I'll be fine."
"No you won't." The little girl sighed.
"I promise you that I'll be fine." Tenaya told her. "Just...don't get found. Hide where you were before. I don't think your mommy would like you being in here."
"You promise you'll be alright?" The little girl asked.
"I promise." Tenaya replied. "I would cross my heart but...well...my hands are otherwise occupied."
The little girl ran away, concealing herself in the rocks nearby before D46 came back. This time he was accompanied by two guards carrying a large tank of water.
"You know, I always knew I could hold my breath longer than normal." He told her. "Maybe it would be interesting how long."
"Oh joy." Tenaya breathed sarcastically.
As she watched the guards restrain Tenaya's hands behind her back, the little girl felt a sense of foreboding. She watched in horror as D46 grabbed her hair and held her head underwater, looking at his watch.
"Leave me with her guys." He instructed the other guards. "It looks like I'll be here a while."
Chas arrived back in his apartment shortly after another interview, finding Brie sitting on the couch, holding a pillow to her chest, sobbing loudly. She looked up as she heard the door closing.
"Chas, it isn't true I swear it." She assured him. "I swear it on my life; I swear it on the baby's life..."
"What are you talking about?" He asked her. Regretfully she handed over the evening newspaper.
"I can't believe he did this." He sighed. "Brie, I'm so sorry, I don't care what he does to me..."
"Chas, I was a bit of a party girl, you know that but I swear I always had my limits!" She screeched as tears streamed down her face. "You're the only man I've ever loved. I saved myself for you, you believe me don't you?"
"Brie, I'm really sorry." He repeated as he held her closely. The article was an expert piece of character assassination. He knew that Brie had a past, but who didn't? Of course this was different. If one were to read this...
"Chas, the baby is yours." She told him. "I know it. You're the only one I've ever..."
"Brie, I believe you, that isn't what upsets me." He assured her. "I trust you. I know you'd never betray me. What hurts me is seeing you like this."
"They've quoted people I thought were my friends!" She screeched. I can't believe they'd betray me like this!"
"He won't get away with this, I promise you." Chas told her, looking deeply into her eyes and resting a hand gently on her abdomen. He smiled at her. "I expected him to sink low, but trust me. When he's bringing my child into it, I will not let it stand!"
Back in the cave, D46 left again after his latest bout of torture. Tenaya by this time was close to the end. Despite her courage and her resilience, he had been working her over hard. She let out a low moan as she slumped down, almost hoping that this time it would be over.
"Pssst!" She heard a little way off. She lifted up her head, opening the one eye that wasn't swollen shut, looking towards the hiding place of her little friend. She looked up from the rock, making sure "The General" wasn't watching and rushed over to her.
"You lied." She whispered. "You said you'd be alright."
"Your general had other ideas." Tenaya said in a laugh, hoping to ease her nerves. "He wanted to play a little longer."
"This isn't fair!" She whimpered, reaching into her pocket. "He shouldn't do this to you."
With that, she unlocked the chains securing Tenaya's feet. She looked at her in amazement.
"You're a nice lady. He shouldn't be so mean." The little girl told her, unlocking the chains around her wrists. Tenaya hugged her warmly in thanks. "No one as nice as you can be bad."
"When I run, the others will chase me." She explained. "You stay out of the way and don't get caught alright?"
The little girl nodded.
"What's your name?" Tenaya asked her.
"Hope." She replied. "Mommy said we needed it, so she called me hope."
"Your mommy was right." Tenaya replied, hugging her once more. "Take care and don't get caught. Take care Hope."
Tenaya ran out of the cave, finding one guard on the right side of the opening. She took him down with a single punch, before leaping off the cliff face to the sand far below. She ran as fast as she could as the other guards realised she had escaped.
"How the hell did she get away?" D46 demanded as he arrived, seeing her disappearing over the horizon.
"We don't know General Truman." The guard replied as he stood up, stroking his chin.
"Pack everything up and move out!" Marcus ordered as he ripped off his mask and helmet. "Now she's escaped, there's no way we can risk staying here."
