After leaving the orphanage, Summer made her way towards the high school. Spending time with Ziggy and the kids at the orphanage had been a lot of fun, and she felt a lot more at ease than she had in quite a while, though it had also given her an epiphany. She had yet to see Jennifer again and apologise to her.
She still felt guilty about the way she had yelled at her the last time she had seen her. Because of the nightmares, she hadn't been sleeping well and her mental state had been badly affected. When she told Jennifer about the dreams, her former cell mate had advised her to get help.
Of course because of her pride, Summer had refused, and had taken Jennifer's genuine concern for her welfare as an insult. She thought that seeking professional help would be a sign of weakness, and she hated to think that Jennifer thought of her as helpless. Of course since then she had accepted the fact that she really did need help getting over what Ronan had done to her. She could finally see that Jennifer had only been trying to look out for her, and that she had treated her unfairly.
As she arrived outside the school, she saw Jennifer sitting out in the quad with her lunch, and made her way over. She knew that Jennifer always ate her lunch outside. Being claustrophobic, she was unable to stay in the cafeteria while it was full of students. Her panic would get the better of her, and so she opted instead to bring lunch with her or go for take-out. Summer approached the tiny librarian, giving a little cough to attract her attention.
"What have you got today?" Summer asked her.
"Grilled chicken and mayo sub." She answered. "You're looking a lot better than the last time I saw you."
"Can I sit down?" Summer asked her. The woman formerly known as Mouse just shrugged and gestured to a space next to her, inviting Summer to take a seat. Summer sat down and breathed a little sigh.
"I wanted to say I'm sorry." Summer told her. "I know you were just looking out for me. I shouldn't have shouted at you."
She looked to her friend apologetically and smiled.
"You were right, I did need help. I'm seeing a therapist now." She continued.
"You are?" Jennifer asked in response.
"It became pretty clear that my problems were worse than I thought." Summer confessed. "At first I was scared to sleep, I kept seeing him when I did, so I started using pills to keep me awake. Then I started to become confused and disorientated because I was so tired all the time, that's what was wrong with me when I was here the last time."
"You were pretty out of it." Jennifer agreed. "You were barely able to keep your eyes open."
"Well after that, I realised that I needed to sleep, but I was still afraid, I knew I'd only be able to sleep for a couple of hours before I saw him again, so I decided to get a little extra help. I took some sleeping pills to help me." She continued, recalling what happened. "I had another nightmare and started screaming. Ziggy came to see what the noise was and shook me awake. I was still so out of it because of the meds and I was still scared because of the nightmare. I was so confused and afraid that I thought Ziggy was Ronan and I attacked him. My friends had to restrain me to stop me from strangling him to death. After that, I realised that I couldn't beat this thing on my own."
"You don't have to try and deal with everything on your own." Jennifer reminded her. "Your friends will help you. Didn't you learn that from the prison?"
"I know I should have just trusted them but I was so stubborn and scared and...I really thought I could deal with it myself. I just didn't want them to think they needed to rescue me all the time." She replied. "I didn't want Dillon to think I needed to be saved."
Jennifer gave her a little grin and shoved her playfully.
"You mean Mr tall dark and brooding?" She teased the Yellow Ranger. "In case you haven't noticed, he kind of likes rescuing you, and by the way you brighten up when you see him, I'm beginning to think you kind of like being rescued by him."
"I just want more from our relationship than that." Summer told her. "I want to have a normal, healthy relationship, not a saviour that keeps running to the rescue. I just don't want Dillon to wake up one day and wonder why the hell he's going out with the girl he needs to be rescued all the time."
"Summer, you are easily your own harshest critic." Jennifer stated as she gulped down a mouthful of her sandwich. "You need to stop being so hard on yourself. You need time to come to terms with this. I'm sure Dillon understands that."
"Speaking of which, I should really be getting back." Summer responded, getting up to leave. "I really am sorry."
"It's ok, I understand." Jennifer replied. "Just...don't give up on this."
"I won't Mouse." She responded. "See you around."
Back at the Garage, Scott had barely finished listening to the flight recorder when Dillon's car came roaring back into the main garage. He quickly ejected the disk and concealed it in his inside pocket as they got out of the car.
"Hey Flynn." He greeted him, making sure he dried his eyes before he got close enough for them to notice that he had been crying. He still got upset every time he heard Marcus' voice on the disk. "How's Sam?"
"If the doctors are right she'll be starting physiotherapy next week." Flynn said in an unusually cheerful voice. Not that any of the others could blame him, but he had been in very low spirits since Sam had been injured.
"What?" Scott asked him a little surprised. "Next week?"
"Apparently our favourite cybernetic psychopath paid her a little visit and injected her with something that's helping her heal faster." Flynn explained. "The doctors have said she's taken months off her recovery time, and she should make a full recovery."
"Wait, Tanaya 7 helped Sam?" Scott asked him with a little disbelief in his voice. "Why would she do that?"
"We don't know." Dillon answered. "Right now all we can do is not look a gift horse in the mouth and concentrate on preparing for Venjix's next attack."
"Well that should be easier on one account." Dr. K announced as she came down the stairs from her lab. "The series Blue exoskeleton has passed its tests with flying colours. The repairs are complete."
"It looks like the Blue guy's back in business boys!" Flynn declared cheerfully.
"Good, we can use all the help we can get." Scott replied. "I'll be in my room, call me if you need anything."
"So, fancy a game of pool to pass the time?" Flynn asked.
"Actually I was hoping we could go for that ride you promised me." Summer said softly as she arrived in the garage. She bit her lip a little nervously, looking into his eyes hopefully. Dillon gave her a little smile before turning back to the Blue Ranger.
"Sorry Flynn, I'll have to take a rain check." He told him. Flynn just shrugged.
"Hey, you can play me anytime." Flynn replied. "You two have fun."
Summer pulled on her crash helmet as she sat astride her motorcycle, taking a grip on the handle bars. Dillon finished putting on his own helmet and took his place on the bike behind her. As he put his hands around her waist, Summer felt the nerves creeping up in her. It wasn't the same as the other times she had panicked about being held. She could still feel a little discomfort creeping up in her, but she was able to push past it. Just as Dr. Young had suggested, it was an environment she was comfortable in. She was holding the handle bars, she was in control.
She started the engine, and took a deep breath to clear her mind, before pulling back on the throttle and peeling out of the Garage. She still wasn't completely comfortable, but she was able to try.
Flynn watched them go, and turned to Dr. K.
"So how about you doc? Would you like a game?" He asked her.
"I don't play." She told him curtly, before heading back up towards her lab.
"You don't play pool?" He asked her.
"I don't play games." She responded as she disappeared into her lab. Flynn just let out a sigh as he realised that was on his own.
"I guess I have been meaning to change the oil on my truck." He sighed, picking up his tool kit.
Meanwhile, Tanaya was wandering around the city of Corinth in disguise. She had been wandering now for some time, unable to bring herself to return to headquarters after her act of kindness.
She still didn't understand why she had been feeling badly about Sam. All she knew was that after performing the transfusion, she had felt considerably better about things.
She had been having several peculiar feelings recently. Some of them were becoming a little troubling now. She had been curious about the personal relationships people formed ever since she had kidnapped Sam in the first place. She had explained that she would have preferred to die than see the Blue Ranger being destroyed. She still didn't understand this strange concept of love. She didn't understand what could be stronger than the will to survive. She still didn't understand, even after she had kissed Sam. Apparently there was more to this than merely physical contact.
She also had curious feelings when she had attacked the Green Ranger, she couldn't stop thinking about the children.
The image of the little girl she had held hostage to encourage the Green Ranger to leave the orphanage still crossed her mind. She could still hear the noise she made, the pathetic, frightened little whimper, and she could see the tears running down her face. It had caused a strange tight, uneasy feeling in her chest. It just seemed wrong to harm her.
She still couldn't understand where these humans got their bravery though. Despite her obvious fear, the little girl had thrown a rock at her when she was beating the Green Ranger. It didn't make sense; he was clearly overmatched by her, even with his powers. The tiny girl was nowhere near a match for her, to attack her made no sense, and yet she had. When she grabbed her, the other child had attacked her too. There was something strangely admirable about these creatures, whenever they were threatened, they would come to each other's aid.
She remembered rounding on the two children, and feeling that same tightness in her chest returning. Even though they had attacked her, there was a part of her that just wouldn't allow her to attack them. There was something about the thought of harming them that seemed to disgust her.
She stopped by a playground as she realised that there were more children here. They were running around, laughing and playing. They seemed to be enjoying themselves. Watching a little boy playing catch with a man, presumably his father, she couldn't help but smile.
The boy missed one catch, and the ball flew towards her. Tanaya caught it as it came within reach. The little boy ran over to her and held out his hand.
"Can I have the ball?" He asked her. Tanaya found something curious, the child was not afraid of her. He wasn't screaming, he wasn't crying, he was...smiling. She gave the ball a soft throw which he caught, before turning and running back to resume the game with his father.
Her smile then slipped as a thought came to her. She didn't want to harm the children. She felt badly about harming Sam because she had done nothing to her. It was then that she came to the realisation that in truth she didn't have any real desire to harm humans at all. She didn't even know why she was supposed to destroy them. If anything, she couldn't think of any reason why she would. Unfortunately though, that was not her decision to make. Venjix wanted to destroy every living thing on the planet, and the aggressive virus had her completely at its mercy. Like it or not, she would have to destroy them.
She looked around as she heard the distinctive sound of Grinders advancing on the playground. People screamed and tried to run as they attacked. Seeing one of the grinders about to bring its weapon down in a destructive arc on a terrified, screaming child, she found herself attacking the Grinder, destroying the machine with dismissive ease.
"Get out of here." She instructed the child. An adult grabbed the little boy and ran away as Tanaya fought more of the machines. She knew that this was not a wise move, a conclusion that was quickly confirmed as her legs gave way under her and she fell to the ground. Venjix had activated the implant on her lower spine.
She tried to pull herself up, but she quickly lost the use of her arms as the second implant was activated. She lay on the ground, completely helpless as the Grinders advanced on the remaining children.
The roar of a motorcycle heralded the arrival of the Yellow and Black Rangers. Leaping from the bike, they plunged into battle against the robots, allowing the citizens a chance to escape. She saw a couple of Grinders make their way over to her, grabbing her and picking her up off the ground. As they turned to leave the battlefield, she figured that they had been given new orders by Venjix, to return his property, her, to the headquarters.
Dillon and Summer finished off what was left of the Grinders, finding the time to catch their breath.
"It looks like all the citizens got away." Summer stated, coming to Dillon's side. "It doesn't look like anyone was hurt."
"It's lucky we were in the area." He replied as he ran a hand through his hair. "Anyway, how about we get back to base?"
"I think that would be a good idea." Summer agreed, grabbing her helmet. "If Venjix managed to send Grinders into the city, we might not have to wait too long before we see an Attack Bot."
Dillon pulled on his own helmet, and took his place on the pillion as Summer fired up the engine. She pulled back on the throttle, throwing it back onto the road and speeding towards The Garage.
Back at Venjix's headquarters, the Grinders dragged Tanaya 7 back into the main chamber, presenting her to the computer. One of them grabbed her hair, pulling her head up and forcing her to look at the computer's electronic eye.
"You attacked my Grinders!" Venjix boomed in its emotionless, monotone voice.
"The people at that park are no threat to you." She said in response, unable to do anything about her current predicament. "The Rangers are your enemy..."
"ALL humans are my enemies!" Venjix interrupted her. "I will eradicate all life from this planet."
Tanaya didn't say anything. She knew that it was pointless to try and protest.
"You have not yet learned your place. Perhaps I should simply destroy you." Venjix suggested. "Of course then I would be denying myself a valuable resource. No, I shall send you into the city again, but first I need to think of a suitable target for you to attack. Until then, I will give you a little quiet time to reflect on your lack of loyalty."
Her chair rolled into the room, and the Grinders placed her into it, before the restraints snapped shut around her wrists and ankles.
"Since pain does not seem to curb your insubordinate attitude, perhaps a different approach is needed." Venjix suggested as a helmet was lowered from the ceiling by a mechanical claw. One of the Grinders took it, and approached her. "This is a sensory isolation unit. The implants stop you feeling anything below your neck when activated. While wearing this, your remaining senses will experience no stimulation."
The Grinder approached her, opening the unit and placing it over her head. As it was snapped shut, panic claimed her. Venjix had not lied when it described the unit. She could feel nothing. No sights, no sounds, no smells, no touch, she felt nothing. It was like the darkness of oblivion, only she was still conscious to experience it. She tried to scream, but she couldn't, the helmet wouldn't let her. She would be held in this hellish limbo until Venjix found a use for her. She knew her mind would not hold out forever, she had only just been sealed into the unit, and she was already desperate for any form of stimulation. Sorrow and fear filled her heart as she thought of what Venjix might force her to do. Obviously the intention was to break her, to force her to bend to its will and destroy her own. Whatever Venjix had planned for her, it was sure to be an atrocity, one she was sure she would never be able to forget.