Title: The True Meaning of Hero
Author: DemonicangelGREED
Summary: After watching his mentor and best friend die, Ziggy ran out into the Wastes where he met a old survivor who taught him what love and family were truly about. After a terrible accident Ziggy meets Dillon and goes back to the city he ran from.
Warnings: Slash fic, will eventually be Dillon/Ziggy, cage fighting and murder.
Pairings: Dillon/Ziggy
Chapter 5
It was a week after Ziggy had become the Green ranger and he could honestly say that it was like nothing he'd ever done before. He would wake up in the mornings as early as ever, he'd cook, then go train a bit, then he'd sit down and eat with the team, then go see Doc K-who had turned out to be a girl!-and then Scott would pull him into training, then Dillon would have a go, Then Flynn would make him help him with the mechanics and finally Summer would take him to train...again.
At this time he was hiding from Flynn. He loved mechanics but whenever the blue ranger got him to work on Summer's bike he would freeze up and remember Cid, and he really didn't want those memories at least not today.
Sighing the Green ranger rested his forehead against the cool window, he had no idea what was wrong with him but maybe not sleeping well was a sort of condition for being a power ranger, he knew Dillon didn't sleep well but he had a valid excuse, and as far as Ziggy knew the other rangers had no problems sleeping whatsoever.
"Ziggy...Lad where re ya" Flynn's voice echoed through the garage.
The green ranger shivered and hugged his knees to his chest to try and get smaller, if he had the date correct today would have been Jak's birthday, and he really didn't feel like doing anything but remember his old friend.
Ziggy sighed and stood up; he knew the blue ranger would never give up, not until he had a valid reason as to why he wasn't working. But as he moved to leave his hiding spot, he was taken over by a pounding force inside his head.
"Gah!"
Ziggy clutched his head as his head pounded with the force of a jack hammer. His eyes stung like he was starring right into the sun and it felt as if someone was tearing his mind apart. This was new, and the green ranger knew that it wasn't a side effect from his bonding with the morphor. After a moment of the overwhelming pain shooting through him Ziggy decided to stay still until it faded away.
A few more moments passed and finally the pain began to fade away, or at least it faded until it was at the point where the young ranger could open his eyes and let out low moan and open his eyes. Thankfully it seemed that his eyes had turned back to normal as he could look straight out without his head feeling like it was about to explode.
"Series Green. Report to the lab immediately" Doc K's voice flowed out of his morphor
Ziggy winced as his hearing was still tender and then let out a ragged breath "Just...a sec doc" he said breathlessly.
A moment paused and the young ranger swore that the good doctor had actually given up for once and let him be, "Ranger Green, why is your heart beat so high?"
Ziggy groaned and rested his head on the floor; the damn woman had looked up his statistics, "Just have a little headache that's all" he said as he pushed himself to his feet.
"Considering you are meant to be in the lab now, when you arrive I will check you over" K said in that tone of her that brooked no argument from any of the rangers.
"Yeah okay doc" Ziggy said and then followed the wall out to the stairs.
K looked over Ziggy's scans and frowned as she once again found the anomaly in the boy's genes. There was no way that what she was looking at was real, the project had been scrapped years ago, not only that but none of the subjects had survived: not even the scientists did. The young woman sighed and waited for her green ranger to arrive patiently.
A few moments passed and a very pale and shaken Ziggy stumbled into her lab, after greeting her, the young ranger walked over to stand in front of his case and gazed deep into her own eyes. "What's up doc?" he asked casually.
K rolled her eyes and then turned back to her screen "Morph" she ordered stiffly.
Ziggy sighed and then weakly said there catchphrase and then allowed the series Green ranger suit to take over his body and sooth all his aches, "Okay what next" he asked still a little tired from his run in with what he was now calling his headache from hell.
The young genius stared at the stats in from of her and gulped and then rushed to Ziggy's side "What happened to you in the last ten minutes Series Green!" she demanded cruelly.
Ziggy took a step back and held his hands in fear "I just got a headache! I swear" he said
K glared at the suited up ranger and then stomped her foot "That was no headache, from the readings I just took from your bio-scan, your biological make-up went into overdrive almost tearing itself apart" she gritted out.
Ziggy was about to say something when the alarms sounded in the base making Ziggy sigh in relief "Gotta go Doc, we'll continue this later!" he shouted and then jumped into the fury where Dillon was waiting.
K bit her lip as her rangers filed out and then turned back to her screen and swallowed nervously "Statistic report on Bio-make-up or Ranger Green?" she asked her machine tentatively.
"Bio-make-up influx of recessive lupine genes, dominant genes were being taken over by lupine genes. This in-flux caused Ranger green with physical stress as his body fought for control" the computer relayed back to her.
The scientist nodded and then bit her lip secretly dreading her next question "How would you rate Ranger Green's condition?"
"Extremely unstable: his lupine genes react to certain emotions, fear, anger and sorrow. It would be dangerous to send the green ranger out into battle"
K's head shot up and then gave the garage entrance a pained glance "Oh just perfect" she whispered.
The battle was horrifying, there were grinders everywhere, Tenaya and Crush had accompanied them and were making it there mission to fight them. What was worse was the headache which had never truly disappeared had come back in full force and was now making it hard for Ziggy to focus.
"You seem distracted Green ranger" Tenaya commented as the green ranger missed the chance to strike her unprotected side.
Ziggy growled deeply in his chest making the android stop for a moment and stare at him. The young ranger stopped, he had never growled, he didn't even know how to, but suddenly he froze when he heard Summer's pained cry. Suddenly the headache worsened and Ziggy clutched his head and let out a roar when suddenly the pain stopped and it was as if something snapped inside him, the pain was gone and he was surrounding by a warm comfortable haze, then it was as if someone had put him into overdrive. All he could feel was a burning furious anger at everything around him.
Tenaya took a step back at the green ranger who was now hunched over and letting out a rumbling growl. Never before had she heard such an animalistic sound come from a human before, and it unnerved her. "Green Ranger?" she asked
Ziggy's head shot up and then his foot followed striking the girl in the face. Tenaya flew across the field and before anyone could blink the young boy was in the middle of a group of grinders who were all grabbing him trying to keep him down, Tenaya looked up from her spot on the ground and gave the green ranger a confused look, the boy wasn't fighting like he was before, the young fighter had always been swift and agile but now he was making it look like he was dancing across the ground and he was cutting down his opponents like they had personally offended him in a way, when the entire fight he had been busy with her. Snarling within his helmet Ziggy bunched his muscles and dropped into a crouch before swinging his leg out and sweeping them off their feet.
The other rangers watched as Ziggy slashed his way through a group of grinders and then Crush was in front of him, and Ziggy stood unmoving his shoulders vibrating and a deep sound coming from his throat.
"What are you" Crush said in interest.
Ziggy didn't answer and instead leapt up and kicked the attack-bot in the face and then fell to the ground in a hunched over crouch before shooting forward and impaled his hand through the bot's chest and ripped out a few wires. Crush sparked and then hit the young ranger away giving him a wild look.
"Tenaya were leaving, a new variable has arisen" he barked and then raced off.
The green ranger let out a snarl and was about to chase after him when Scott grabbed his shoulder to hold him back "Ziggy stop!" he shouted.
But it was as if he was in a haze and all he saw was another grinder, so with a speed none of them thought the younger man possessed Ziggy lashed out with the bit of metal in his hand and struck Scott's chest making him cry out in pain as he received the shallow cut. The scent of blood filled the air and when it reached Ziggy he snapped back into reality.
"Guys" he whispered and then everything came rushing back to him, and he turned his horrified gaze to Scott who was looking at him in shock "I'm so sorry" he whispered and then collapsed his body shutting down and his suit disappearing.
Dillon rushed forward and caught his friend and then stared at him in shock "What the hell happened?"
"Rangers! Bring Ranger Green back to the lab immediately" Doctor K voice snapped at them "I fear that he has done some real damage to his body"
Dillon for once didn't question the younger woman's orders and pulled Ziggy closer to him before rushing over to his car. He had no idea what had just happened to his friend but he knew that it hadn't been normal for the young man to snap like that and he wanted to know why it happened.
When Ziggy came to, the first thing he realized was that he was lying on the ground, and secondly he noticed he didn't have his morphor on. Opening his eyes Ziggy whimpered as the bright light stung his eyes. As he looked around he gulped when he notice he was in the solitary confinement room, and then the memories came back.
"Scott!" he shouted and slammed against the door, he needed to know if he hurt the red ranger.
"He's awaken sir" a stiff voice said from behind the door "He's calling for your son"
Ziggy gulped and stepped back as he felt footsteps coming towards him, he knew the man coming to see him was Coronel Truman, Scott's father and that scared him a little. A few seconds later the door flew opened and the stern military commander stepped forward a glare etched into his features.
"Sir I-"he began but was cut off when a normal black material jacket landed at his feet.
The colonel looked at him with disgust and then hurled him to his feet "Leave" he hissed "Go back to the Cartel's and your little dog fights"
Ziggy paled, he didn't know that the Coronel knew about them, he didn't want anyone to know about them. "Wait sir if I could explain" he said in a small voice.
"Explain!" the man snarled and threw him out of the room "Explain what! That you went berserk, that you attack your own team leader?" he spat.
Ziggy climbed to his feet and fingered his jacket in his hands "I have no idea what happened" he said almost coming to tears.
"I do" The colonel said not noticing the rangers who were slowly entering the room "You tried to be the good guy, the innocent one, but you're not!" he growled
The young man winced, he wasn't innocent not by a mile, but he was trying, he was trying real hard to try and get better but he didn't know what he was supposed to do "What do you mean" he whispered.
"You are a criminal Mr Grover" the Coronel said simply "Your place isn't with the rangers, it's with that Cartel's family of yours"
A loud gasp filled the room and Ziggy whipped his head around and froze when he saw all the rangers starring at him in shock. Scott was looking at him in disbelief, Flynn was shaking his head, Summer had a hand to her mouth, Doc looked shocked even horrified and Dillon looked like his whole world had been crushed.
"Guys" he started only to be stopped by the Coronel once again.
"Look at them Ziggy, really look at them" he said in a stern voice "Do they have the same amount of blood on their hands as you do?" The former green ranger swallowed and shook his head sadly. "Then leave and let them find someone more...innocent and trustworthy to be a part of their family. They can't trust a killer"
Ziggy gave his family one last look and then smiled sadly "I'm sorry" he said and then rushed out of the room and then out of the garage.
Dillon watched his friend go and then felt an anger he didn't know he could feel surge up at the sight of the Coronel looking very pleased with himself. In fact he was about to punch him in the face when a loud smack filled the room. Dillon blinked a couple of times to make sure what he was seeing was real but as sure as he was breathing what he saw was real: K had just slapped the Coronel right in the face.
"How dare you" she said plainly
Scott glared at his dad and shook his head in disgust "Dad seriously" he muttered.
The Coronel gathered all his wits and leveled his glare at the young genius "I was protecting your little team from a thieving, murdering mob member" he hissed "You should be thanking me"
Dillon leveled his own glare at the colonel and was about to say something when the doctor held up a hand to stop him "I want you to leave Coronel Truman" she said coolly "I have to debrief my rangers and now find a way to reset the irreversible DNA bond that the Series Green morphor has with Ranger Green" she said before turning around and swept out the door.
The Coronel stared at the group of fighters in front of him and then turned and walked out of the room with all the grace and poise that the military had drilled into him. The other rangers turned to one another and finally broke down at the loss of their green ranger.
Of course, it had to be scheduled to rain the day he'd been kicked out of the garage, Ziggy thought as the water beat down on him as he shuffled through the rain. The young man couldn't stop the stabbing pain that was aimed at his heart when he thought of the looks the other rangers had given him when they had finally found out his secret: they had been horrified.
"Ziggy?" a shocked voice said
The young man looked up in shock at the limo parked alongside him, but then he had never felt so relieved when he saw Fernso Bob staring up at him. The mafia boss took one look at his terrified and wet form and then smiled before he swung the limo door open.
"Come on. I'll take you home" he said kindly.
Ziggy felt the tears well up in his eyes and then climbed into the limo and buried his face in Fresno's lap. "I'm so sorry I was gone so long" he cried.
Fernso looked down at the crying boy and then ran a hand through his wet hair "Don't worry about that anymore. Your home now" he said and Ziggy couldn't help but agree, at least it was the place where he belonged.
Ziggy lifted his head up and then smiled at the man who had given him everything he could have needed and the man who had given him a family. "I'm home" he said nodding.
A whole week had passed since he had re-joined the Scorpions and Ziggy couldn't help but notice how it was as if he hadn't missed anything. The higher members still treated him like a brother and then lower members were in awe of him.
"Ziggy, we're holding a fight tomorrow" Fernso said at breakfast that morning.
The young man froze and then swallowed his mouthful and then nodded "Oh okay. Do we know who the challenger is?" he asked.
"The Sparta's" the elder man said snorting "They believe that we are weaken because you haven't been with us for a few months"
Ziggy chuckled weakly and then looked down at his food suddenly feeling sick. The idea of getting back in the cage scared him a little. "I can't wait" he whispered.
"Oh I was thinking that maybe afterward you could get your mark" Ziggy's head shot up and he gazed at his boss in shock. "What" Fernso asked in defence "You are old enough now" he said lacing his fingers together.
The former ranger nodded dumbly, he knew what getting the clans tattoo would mean. He knew that as soon as he got it he wouldn't be able to leave, he would never be able to go back to the rangers but as far as he knew they wouldn't want him back even if he begged.
Rion stared at the young man in front of him and couldn't stop the frown that flowed across his face, he loved Ziggy: he had cared for the young man ever since he had been seven years old. He knew when he was scared, when he was upset and when he was angry, and at this moment: the kid was terrified.
Melting back into the shadows, the mobster snuck out of the mansion and jumped on his silver and black bike. Then without any warning he sped out of the courtyard and towards the more mechanical part of the city, he had to see the rangers he had to explain why Ziggy had become a part of their family.
Doctor K glared at the screen in front of her with anger, apparently according to her readings, all her rangers including Dillon had become weaker since Ziggy had been forced to leave there team, and at the rate there skills were dropping it seemed that they would be killed in the next few days.
Just before she was about to call her team in she heard a loud engine on the outside speaker and when she turned to see the video and saw a handsome if slightly older man jumping of a bike and marching towards the garage doors.
"OPEN THE DOORS!" the man demanded "I'm here about Ziggy!"
Without even thinking about it K had the doors opening and she was walking out of her lab to meet with the man who had rudely barged his way through her defences. When he was visible Doc K had to admit that the man looked extremely educated, in his smart pants and his jacket he wasn't lacking in the looks department.
"How can I help you?" she asked in a kind tone.
The man who up until then had been looking around him turned his gaze on her making her stiffen slightly "Call you rangers down" he ordered.
The doctor nodded and then pressed the intercom button and cleared her throat "Ranger I need you down in the ranger room...someone is here with news of Ranger Green" she said in a shaky voice.
It took all of three minutes for the four rangers to arrive in the ranger room and look at the man sceptically who in turn was gazing at them with a small smile on his face. "Hello rangers" he said politely and then motioned to the table that was never used.
Realising that the motion was out of politeness that rangers and K sat down at the table leaving the chair at the head of the table for their mysterious guest, who when seated laced his fingers together and stared down at the table seriously.
"I guess you are all wondering who I am?" he started and then looked at each of the rangers who struggled to meet his intense gaze "Well my name is Rion Greensworth and up until Ziggy turned thirteen I was his guardian"
"What?" Flynn said in shock, they had all figured that Ziggy had a caretaker when he was in the Mafia but they had all thought that it had been his parents.
Rion nodded and ran a hand through his already messy hair "Yeah I guess I should start at the beginning yeah?" The rangers nodded and even Dr K seemed interested in what was about to happened and sat forward a little more in her chair.
"It all began" Rion said a wistful look spreading over his face "When Ziggy would have been seven years old" He said and then nodded as if agreeing with himself.
Dillon looked over to Dr K who was starring at Rion in shock, "Does that mean that Ziggy was with you for eleven years" he said as he quickly did the math.
Rion nodded and then sighed "Fernso and I found Ziggy when he was just seven years old pick pocketing some old lady" he said and then laughed "He had the lightest fingers we had ever seen" he said fondly.
"Why was he stealing at that age?" Summer said in shock.
The mobster looked at the girl as if she didn't know anything. "Ziggy was raised in an orphanage, the elder kids would teach the younger kids how to survive and when they got older they would teach the next generation. Ziggy was a natural at it" Rion said shrugging.
"Could you continue with the story?" Dr K snapped getting frustrated at the way Rion kept getting off topic.
Rion chuckled and then nodded "Sorry" he said smiling at Dr K and then cleared his throat once again "Anyway, we found him looking through this old lady's purse. Fernso Bob was interested in him so we took him back to our mansion"
Scott nodded and then looked around at his team making sure they were paying attention and then focused back on their visitor.
"The kid got into his heart I dunno, but when we got back Ziggy was welcomed into the family" Rion said shrugging and then let out a tired sigh "That's when the kid's life was turned upside down" he said in a sad voice.
"His Lupine genes?" Dr K whispered.
Rion nodded and then rubbed his mouth with his hand in a nervous gesture "I didn't know what Fernso was planning at first" he explained "You see as a kid Ziggy was very weak, he was more prone to being able to pass as dead then a healthy seven year old"
Flynn frowned and looked over to Dillon who shrugged, that defiantly wasn't the Ziggy they knew. "So once Zig turned about nine Fernso had enough and the three of us went to this lab not too far from here actually" Rion said and then ran his hands through his hair, "I don't know exactly what happened to Zig in there but when he came back he was totally changed"
"Changed how?" Summer asked
"He was faster, more agile" Rion said and then looked down at his hands "Every day until he was thirteen Ziggy was given this bright green and silver tonic, I had no idea what it was for until the day he turned thirteen. That's when Fernso announced his big plan for his youngest member"
"What?" Dillon asked
Rion looked at each of them before he rested on Dillon "Cage fighting" he said plainly.
Summer gasped and shook her head, Scott's fists tightened and Flynn looked ready to punch something. Dr K took charge and cleared her throat before motioning him to continue. Rion nodded and then gazed at his hands.
"It was around this time that I was removed as Ziggy's guardian. I don't really know what happened to him after that. But I do know that about four months ago he was sent on a mission with his mentor Jak and then disappeared why we found Jak's lifeless body and an entrance to the wastes" Rion said sadly.
Summer swallowed and nodded "Thank you" she said "But why did you tell us all this?" she asked
"Because after tomorrow night Ziggy will forever be tied to the cartel...and I can tell he doesn't want that" Rion said in a strong voice.
Dillon sat forward and gave the man a hard stare "What do you mean he'll be tied?" he asked icily.
Rion though wasn't intimidated "Because the day after his big fight tomorrow Fernso Bob is going to get him the family tattoo, and once you have that there is no going back" he said
Summer nodded and then slapped the table "We've got to save him then" she said her tone brooking no argument.
The others quickly nodded and Rion smiled happily "I thought you guys would say that"
"So you made a plan then?" Dr K asked interested.
Rion nodded and then turned to Summer "If I'm correct your full name is Summer Landsdown, the daughter of the Landsdown multimillionaires?" he asked her, the yellow ranger nodded and he gave her a serious gaze "Then this will fall heavily on your shoulders and your ability to act as rich and papered as you can be"
Dillon put a hand on her shoulder and then looked at Rion "I'm going to" he said.
Rion looked at him and then back to Summer and then nodded "It could work"
Fernso looked at the beautiful woman in front of him and felt his face stretch into a large smile, it had to be a Landsdown, with her golden hair and superior brown eyes it could be no one else.
"Ah miss Landsdown" he said warmly and then looked at the black garbed bodyguard behind her "And guard"
The man didn't react just stepped closer to his charge who just inspected her nails "I heard that you had a form of entertainment that I could enjoy" she said in a bored voice.
The mob boss nodded and then lead her into his house "Oh yes my champion is fighting tonight" he said happily "He has been absent for a while but he's returned to us" he added.
Summer hummed in acknowledgment and allowed the man to pull her into a professional looking arena with a steel cage in the middle of the room. "Rion!" Fernso called happily.
The man walked over to them and bowed to Summer who nodded her head in return and then turned back to Dillon "Be on your guard" she whispered.
Fernso lead them to a front table and sat her down before allowing Dillon to sit next to her "So Miss Landsdown, what lead you to my place. The last I heard you were preparing for your engagement" the mob boss said making conversation as drinks were placed down in front of him and the heiress.
"Yes well, I've become very bored and Dillon heard about this...event and told me I might enjoy it" Summer said giving the room an assessing look.
The Mob boss nodded and was about to say something when the lights dimmed and the cage was lit up "Here we go" he whispered clapping his hands.
Dillon looked over at Summer who nodded tensely the real show was about to begin. "Ladies and gentlemen welcome back to our humble abode" a young man said as the MC. Dillon nodded to Rion who had sat himself down next to him in recognition.
"We have a problem" the mobster hissed.
The black ranger turned and fired him with a stern glare "What!"
Rion nodded and slipped him a piece of paper which he immediately read:
Welcome back fight-Ziggy vs. battlers of fighter of Sparta family, round robin tournament
"What does this mean" Dillon asked lowly
The mobster swallowed as the first competitor entered the room in nothing but a pair of shorts and tapped hands. "It means that Ziggy will fight until he can't any more-it's a stamina fight" he said and then turned back to the arena while Dillon turned pale white.
"Now for the young fighter you've all been waiting for: the champion of the Scorpion Cartel: Ziggy QuickStirke!" Summer sat up a little straighter as a large snarl filled the room and a heavy drum beating song filled the air.
"Here's my boy" Fernso said happily.
The two rangers watched in horror as Ziggy wearing nothing but neon green and black fighting shorts and tapped knuckles entered the cage making the crowd cheer. Summer dutifully clapped along with the crowd and watched as the youngest ranger turned to his opponent in the ring. The MC explained the rules and then a bell dings.
The other fighter didn't even have time to react before Ziggy's foot connected with his jaw sending him into the air. The crowd cheered and Summer felt sick as Ziggy proceeded to beat the guy up. Of course the boy wasn't without injury himself but compared to the other guy Ziggy looked like he had gone a round with a feather.
After the competitor was out cold Summer swallowed and turned to Fernso and smiled "He's very good" she said to him.
Fernso nodded and was about to say something when a group of Grinders jumped into the ring followed by Tenaya seven who was smiling smugly.
"Ah so this is where you are little ranger" she said and eyes Ziggy who was starring at her defiantly.
Dillon surged up and jumped to his friend's side making him gas "Dillon!"
"Not now" the black ranger growled.
Tenaya Seven smirked and leapt forward onto Ziggy and engaged him in combat while the spectators fled apart from Summer who was fighting herself. Rion herded Fernso Bob out of the room and spared one last glance to Ziggy and smiled sadly "Goodbye kiddo" he whispered and then pushed his boss to safety.
"I must say Master was very interested by your little berserker moment last week" the attack bot said as she slammed Ziggy into the cage "So he told me to tell you, that's he's going to watch you" she said before slamming into the cage once more before letting go.
"Grinders enough!" she called "We're leaving"
Dillon watched silently as the attack bot and her drones disappeared before rushing to Ziggy's side "Zig you okay" but the kid was out cold.
"We should get him home" Summer said warmly as she ran a hand through the boys hair "It's about time he came home don't you think?"
Dillon nodded and picked the boy up before he walked out of the mansion to where his Fury was lying and laid him kindly on the backseat "When you wake up next Zig, your gonna be someplace safe" he promised.
When Ziggy opened his eyes he was shocked to see the ceiling on the garage starring back at him, taking a few calming breaths he slowly sat up and almost cried when he saw Dr K sleeping at her computers.
"Hey Doc" he called out making the girl's head shoot up.
When the young woman saw him awake she gave him a small smile and then pressed a button on her computer "Everyone, he's awake" she said with a hint of joy in her voice before she walked over to him.
Flynn was the first on inside the lab and had him in a bear hug before he could blink, the next person he saw was Summer who kissed him on the forehead like a mother would, next was Scott who clapped him on the shoulder and told him he was a part of a family right here. Last person who came to him was Dillon who smirked down at him and ruffled his hair. That was when Ziggy's tears fell: he was home.