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Dillon had gone missing in the middle of the night.
Again.
Of course there were other times before this. Sometimes Ziggy would be woken up from his own thoughts or bad dreams to an empty bedroom, the bed beside him completely unoccupied. He'd always try to call Dillon but to no avail, meaning each time the green ranger would have to leave the garage during the pitch black of night to search for his friend.
Whenever Dillon would leave he'd always take the Fury with him too, leaving Ziggy with no vehicle and having to walk around the entirety of Corinth City.
Well, it wasn't like he was permitted to driving in the first place with him officially failing his driver's test for the 5th time.
Most of the time he'd search around the city square to find Dillon staring into his stopwatch, listening to the music, thinking on things Ziggy could only guess. Other times he'd spot his car parked on the side of the road on some random street. Nevertheless, no matter where he'd find the other, he'd always scold him for coming out during the late hours to find him each time.
This time was no different.
"Why are you out here, Zig?"
Dillon stared into the running water of the fountain in the city square, taking note of the almost silent footsteps behind him despite already knowing it had to be Ziggy.
"Looking for you, I mean what else would I be doing?" Ziggy responded.
Dillon looked at him, clearly not very pleased. "I told you already not to bother, what don't you understand about that." Ziggy could tell he was more agitated about the matter than he was previous times, but he just wanted to make sure the other was alright, what doesn't he understand about that?
"What, so my best friend goes missing in the middle of the night and I'm just supposed to do nothing?" He asks with a hint of nervous shakiness to his voice.
"What's the point?" Dillon retaliates in an aggressive manner. "You know I'm gonna be back by the morning so why come out looking for me!?"
"But I DON'T know that do I?" Ziggy's voice was now starting to crack a little, his voice raising in pitch as he tried to get his point across in an almost desperate manner. "I mean what if one of these days I wake up and you're just... gone? You promise that you'll come back but what if I expect you to be there in the morning and you just up and leave Corinth like it's nothing? You can't just disappear on me randomly, especially during the night, and expect me not to be suspicious or worried!"
"Well maybe I wouldn't need to disappear randomly if you didn't cling to me twenty-four-seven! I can't get any time to myself with you around, it's like you can't function with me around, you're annoying me!" Dillon spat out before realising what he had just said to the other.
He considered apologising for a moment but before he could think about it the other ranger had already faced away from him and started walking him, moving his arm up to his eyes to presumably wipe away the tears threatening to spill out of his eyes.
Dillon merely just watched him walk away speechless, punching the statue inside fountain whilst cursing at himself once Ziggy was out of his sights.
Hours later, Dillon drove back into the garage as it hit morning hours. The sound of the engine alerted Summer's attention as she watched Dillon drive in, handing him one of the smoothies Flynn had made. "No thanks." He passed up. "Not feeling it right now, give it to Doc instead." Summer gave him a judging look but decided to go along with it, setting the drink aside for Doctor K.
"Were you out all night?" She asked him, not remembering the other man leaving this morning.
"Sort of." He answered. "Had some things to think about, you seen Ziggy?"
"Not since yesterday, he's not in the garage. I checked already." She told him.
"Do you know where he went by any chance?"
"What do you mean?" The blonde asked in return. "No-one but the twins left or entered the garage this morning. I woke up extra early so I think I would've known if Ziggy went anywhere, but he wasn't here when I woke up earlier."
What?
Dillon turned around to face Summer. "You mean....he didn't come back?"
"Not that I remember. Why?"
Shit..!
Dillon jumped back into this car, slamming his foot down and racing out of the garage as quick as he could to search for his friend.
City Square?
Nope.
The Orphanage?
Nope.
The black ranger couldn't find the other anywhere.
He was stupid, he upset Ziggy in the middle of the night and left him to wander around Corinth alone.
Wait.
Alone.
Night.
Oh no..
The Cartels got him..
Shit! Of course they did! They've been trying to get their hands on Ziggy ever since he re-entered the city. Night time would be the perfect chance to grab him.
Dillon kept his focus on the other ranger as he drove towards the abandoned warehouses that mainly the Scorpion Cartel would carry out their business in. If they had Ziggy, it would be the perfect place to hide him.
"Ziggy, Ziggy, Ziggy...." One of the higher-ups chanted, addressing the ranger currently tied to a wooden chair though making no efforts to escape. "Y'know...I thought you were smarter than to wander around at night time? Didn't your mommy teach you not to be out passed your bedtime?" He laughed, mocking the other.
"You already know I grew up in an orphanage, Trax."
The Cartel Admin, 'Trax'' laughed again. "Oh yeah, how'd I forget? How silly of me." He commented, pacing around the warehouse. "You know, Zig"
Ziggy looked up at him again as he continued talking. "You seem awfully close with that cyborg ranger guy." He mentioned. "You might not care what we do to you, but I'm sure you'd care if we targeted him, or that poor little orphanage, hm?"
He continued laughing before hearing a loud thud and the sound of Trax hitting the ground with a large thud. Ziggy was almost near the verge of passing out due to both the exhaustion and th injuries he'd suffered at the hands of the other cartel members. He could hear an outbreak of shouts now, was it Dillon? No, he couldn't imagine Dillon coming to rescue him after their earlier argument. The shouts reduced to silence before Ziggy could make up his mind, and just as he was about to see his saviour. Everything went dark.
Upon waking up, Ziggy tried to shift despite the immense pain he was under.
"Don't move." Dillon said. "You've got some bad wounds, just rest."
Was he in their room? Did Dillon drive him all the way back here half way across the city?
"Why'd you rescue me?" Ziggy wondered, he thought Dillon didn't want to be around him.
Dillon looked at him with a judging look. "Do you seriously believe I would just let the mob grab you and not do anything about it you idiot?"
"But you said-"
"I didn't mean what I said" he made clear. "I'm sorry, I just didn't want you out at night, it's not safe, and this was the exact reason why. Each time you come out looking for me I fear that the mob might have gotten you before I could. I don't want your death on my conscious Zig."
"But, what if you leave-"
Dillon turned to him again. "I wouldn't do that. I'm not gonna leave you here on your own to deal with the mob Ziggy. I'll stay here and protect you, I swear. I already failed to protect my sister once, it's not gonna happen again." And upon saying that, Dillon pressed his lips against Ziggy's gently to silence him.
"I love you Zig, please rest, okay?"
"... Alright fine, only because you asked nicely."