CAMERON'S POV
"IS THIS REALLY GONNA WORK?" i skeptically ask summer, already unsure with her way of convincing the guys. she and i were standing in front of a large tv near the kitchen, as summer was messing around with its controls, while i was leaning against the counter, 'supervising.'
she gives me a deadpanned look, causing me to raise my hands in defense. "my plan didn't work at all, so i'm not 100% sure on yours succeeding either."
"that's because you don't know how to talk to guys," she replies flatly.
going silent, i look away for a moment, trying not to show how offended i was from her comment. i can understand her being persistent during the most dire situations, but she didn't need to jab at me like that. i mean, she's not wrong about that, but still, a little backhanded.
i look back at summer, and i believe she was put off by my sudden silence, because she turns around to look at me with a confused expression. i had an unamused look on my face, despite trying my hardest not to bust out laughing at her panic.
fully realizing what she said, she quickly backtracks. "i mean, you didn't convince them properly."
i raise an eyebrow. "and you did a better job than me? you were the one doing most of the talking," i chortle, before grabbing a vhs tape from off the counter, then waving it next to my face.
"at least i presented something useful," she retorts, grabbing the tape from my dominant hand, her hair swishing around from her movements. "you just stood there, and made jokes about his hair for 10 minutes."
"dillon's or scott's?"
summer sighs, turning around, and walking over to the large tv sitting on the countertop.
she turns on the tv, before inserting in the vhs tape, which automatically swallows the tape smoothly, securing it inside the player. (a/n: i know this description sounds weird, but i had a tv like this growing up, so that's the best way i can explain it 🤷🏽♀️)
seconds later, the tv screen shifts to static, and summer promptly turns around to look for something. 'the remote,' i thought, and i turn around to grab the rectangular device from the counter.
"looking for this?" i call out, lifting the object in my hand.
she looks at me for a moment, and snaps her fingers in recognition. i hand her the remote, and she thanks me, before turning around to face the television. i think she was messing around with the buttons, trying to get the recording to play.
"i'm surprised," she suddenly says.
i furrow my brows in confusion. "about what?"
"that we hadn't lost this thing already," she gestures to remote, pulling up a video with the thumbnail of corinth city prison's cafeteria.
i shrug. "i wouldn't be surprised if scott accidentally 'misplaces' it."
she chuckles, and plays the recording on the screen.
it was footage from a security camera that faced the cafeteria, and it was displaying dillon, the prisoner that we met hours earlier, practically wiping out a group of inmates, while holding a tray of what looked to be strawberry jello.
further right on the screen was a scrawny, curly-haired guy, holding up a chair as a shield, mostly out of fright than actual self-defense or protection.
i gasp, realizing that it was the same guy i approached previously at the lot before he got arrested.
the same guy that was with me during the invasion a year ago.
i know it sounds like i'm not making sense, but i know it's been a long time, and i know a lot of things have changed since then. yet, i just wonder if he still remembers what he did, let alone, me. . .
or maybe i'm wrong. maybe that's not the guy who was with me that night. maybe i'm just looking too into this.
i just sigh loudly, feeling my thoughts go haywire inside my head. i can feel summer's concerning gaze through my peripheral, but i ignore it, not trying to make it seem like a big deal.
though, if i had the chance, i could probably identify him, and confirm my suspicions. maybe, if i can just find out his name. . .
"cameron?"
i flinch from summer's voice, placing my right hand on my chest. "don't startle me like that!"
summer's face remains the same as before, concerned. "is something wrong? i paused the tv for a minute, because you were staring off into space."
i furrow my brows, before looking up at the television. it was now paused, as summer said, but the thumbnail was showing dillon enjoying his dessert, as the cafeteria was scattered with broken chairs, displaced food, and prisoners knocked out cold.
i let out an 'oh,' now remembering where i was. "i see."
summer shakes her head, still retaining that worried look. "anyways, what do you think?" she asks, using the remote to point at the screen.
i look at her for a moment longer, and then, at the frozen screen.
and before i knew it, a wide smile was breaking out on my face.
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THIRD PERSON POV
TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT, summer and cameron present that same tape from corinth city prison to flynn and scott.
this particular time, however, the video was taped from a different camera that overlooked a large hallway leading to the cafeteria. it was now displaying dillon, who was once again, beating up a good number of prisoners, before tossing them like ragdolls down a spiral staircase.
it was a pretty intimidating sight, as expressed by flynn, who was staring at the screen in surprise.
"sweet mother molasses," he says aloud, his voice overflowing with wonder, and a bit of fear, at dillon's capabilities.
on the other hand, scott, who was quietly sitting next to him, looks downwards in unnoticeable regret.
he realized that he was wrong about dillon's usefulness to the team, and that further refusing to consider summer and cameron's suggestions, which were more like pleads, for him to be ranger series black? it made him feel worse.
but, granted, he had his reasons to be doubtful of dillon.
he wasn't going to just accept anybody to operate top-secret, bio weaponry like that, and potentially put it in the hands of someone with unimaginable intentions. he always thinks about the repercussions of anything before even considering the advantages, as a leader would.
however, this was a very desperate time for the rangers, and for corinth city.
and they were in dire need of someone like them.
someone who had the physical and mental capacity to handle being series black, and who was willing to defend not just the last city on earth, but others who can't defend themselves, from venjix.
and dillon arriving past the city gates was like a miracle waiting to happen.
after a momentary pause, summer triumphantly sighs at the screen, before pausing the video, not seeing the point in playing it any longer. she confidently turns around, and walks over to flynn and scott, a proud grin resting on her pretty face.
from a little ways behind her was cameron, who was quietly leaning against the wall with the embedded television set. her arms were folded across her chest, as she had a victorious smile on her face.
despite being the one that came up with the initial idea, and being there to assist summer in any way she possibly could, she understood that most of the effort had to go to her. no one was more passionate than summer landsdown when it came to recruiting dillon as ranger black.
"impressive enough for you?" she asks, mocking a statement that scott had made earlier about dillon.
quickly shifting his regretful facial expressions, he looks over at flynn, possibly for some sort of rebuttal, only to be met with him eagerly nodding his head, more than convinced to have dillon on the team. this action prompts the red ranger to look down for a moment, then look back up at the yellow ranger, a faint, understanding smile forming on his face.
and without thinking, he quickly sneaks a glance at cameron, who was preoccupied with analyzing the paused screen to notice him looking at her. he thought that he was seeing things, but he could've swore he caught her smiling for a split-second, before her face went neutral again.
she quickly turns around to face his direction, forcing himself to wipe the smile from his face. he looks away from her direction, his face feeling like it was set on fire.
in that moment, it got him thinking that maybe, just maybe, that dillon wasn't the only person that he misjudged before.
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AFTER MAKING A UNANIMOUS DECISION, summer and cameron confidently lead scott and flynn into the eerie, yet familiar sight of dillon's cell in corinth city prison.
although the girls managed to convince the guys about recruiting dillon, they were still nervous about the outcome of the situation. meaning, they already got the guys on their side, but they're worried about what dillon will say about it.
whether he'll want to consider being a power ranger or not was up to him, but realizing that thought when crossing the threshold of the dimly-lit area, it sent a new wave of anxiousness over them.
it was daunting to realize how close they were to either beating venjix or succumbing to his violent network of terror.
and it was all riding on dillon's final answer to a special proposal that they had for him.
with that being said, summer and cameron reenter the tiny cell with flynn and scott following closely behind. at the moment, dillon was sitting soundly in front of that same desk, multiple layers of chains keeping him secured in that same chair.
a few guards were standing around the silent prisoner, their large blasters aiming right at him, contrasting with the layers of thick chains, and unnoticeable, heavy duty handcuffs on both wrists and ankles, literally keeping him immobile.
obviously, they were ordered by the higher-ups to keep a close watch on dillon, but it's possible that they went overboard securing dillon's spot in that cell permanently. to them, there was a wandering possibility that he would try something, or realistically, accidentally make a false move, while on night duty.
hence, the extra, yet unnecessary security measures they put him in.
and from an outsider's perspective, it didn't make him look like a normal prisoner, but a wanted criminal in solitary confinement.
weirdly enough, if the situation itself didn't sound so funny to cameron, she would've probably been shitting bricks at the mere sight of him.
"love the interior decorating," she jokes, looking between dillon and the military officers with amusement, "who's the designer? you still got her card?"
"very funny," he grimly says, briefly forming a thin-lipped smile, before his eyes naturally avert to summer's. cameron grins in response, unknowingly causing flynn to raise an eyebrow at her demeanor around him.
and for a minute, he wondered what she and summer were really talking about with dillon, while he and scott were still at the garage. as badly as he wanted to find out, he had to refrain from doing so, and decidedly made a mental note to ask cameron about it later. right now wasn't a very good time for added interrogation.
god knows that dillon has had enough of that.
"dillon," summer starts, immediately smiling at him, despite the topic they were about to discuss, "this is scott. . ."
"scott truman, team leader," he continues for her, his usual smile resting on his face.
then, summer gestures over to flynn. "and this is—"
"flynn," he simply answers. "just plain flynn."
she smiles slightly, before continuing. "and on the far left is—"
cameron opens her mouth to introduce herself, but gets immediately cut off by a knowing dillon, who surprises everybody with his answer. "cameron, i know."
summer deeply furrows her brows, as flynn and scott share a confused look. even cameron was a little shocked by him knowing her name, since she never had a chance to introduce herself earlier.
she truly believed that he was only wrapped up in summer, and how fast he could get himself out of prison without getting caught.
"it doesn't matter anyway," he dismisses, refocusing his attention on summer. "why are you all here?"
summer blinks for a moment or so, before quickly getting her mind back on topic.
"well, there is one more person i'd like you to meet," she continues, watching as flynn opens a laptop, and places it on the table, "the man behind all the ranger technology you see."
flynn pushes the monitor right in front of dillon, right as the scientist's logo appears on the small screen. "greetings, dillon. my name is doctor k."
he scoffs, not knowing if he should be annoyed or amused. "man, i thought i was weird. you guys beat me by a mile," he jokes, looking at the four rangers in disbelief.
immediately, cameron places a hand over the left side of her chest, internally sighing in relief. she was grateful that she wasn't the only one who reacted similarly at first introductions.
it didn't go unnoticed by summer, though, but she doesn't comment on it.
meanwhile, scott and flynn just stare at dillon, visibly offended by his reaction. "doctor k?" he repeats, trying to wrap his head around the concept of a talking computer. "that's too much, you guys are just. . ."
". . .the only chance you have of ever getting out of this place," scott smirks, crouching at eye-level with him.
dillon snidely grins back. "and what do i have to do?" he asks, like it wasn't the most obvious thing ever.
cameron decides to interject. "well, get out of jail, first of all—" she abruptly stops when flynn jabs her in the ribcage, right as scott shoots her a glare to shut her up.
dillon shakes his head, before continuing. "and what else? by-taking in your little freakshow?"
flynn snorts, despite the irritated look on his face. "not exactly."
that's when summer leans forward, her face suddenly turning neutral. "you have to join us," she says in a serious tone. cameron nods in agreement, the light-heartedness on her face completely replaced with concern, and a tinge of desperation.
dillon looks away for a moment, now actually considering the idea of joining the rangers, before his brief silence was broken by scott.
"so, what's it gonna be, dillon?" he asks, successfully bringing his attention back to him. the others wait in anticipation for the prisoner's response. "are you in," scott says, "or are you out?"
dillon takes one final look at all of them, not missing cameron's brief, hopeful smile, before he answers. "well, now, that all depends."
he glances at the many officers keeping their blasters pointed at him, and the many layers of chains restraining him from doing anything but breathe cautiously.
and judging by the position he was in, he most likely made his decision already, and just waited for an opportunity to escape.
and that couldn't be more obvious than the answer he gives them. "do i get to pick my own color?"
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last edited: 08/09/2024