At the Brainfreeze, Cat and Luen were starting to notice the place becoming busier as it headed towards midday. The morning coffee business had passed, and now kids were looking for their fix of sugary treats before heading out into the glorious California sunshine.
The take-away business was really taking a hammering in the better weather. No sooner had Cat served one customer, than another was in her face throughout the day. She looked to Luen, who was just as busy.
"Are you sure Theo and Gia are on an important errand?" She groaned. "We could really use the help."
"Sorry Cat, it's just us." Luen replied. He knew fine well where they were, and what they were doing. Theo had brought in the whole team to help out with the assault on the plant. He was a little concerned when Theo told him that his team were going to be coming out of retirement for a time, but he figured it was best that they take care of the possible threat of a new mutant army before Vrak managed to create it. If that happened, he had a feeling then their retirement would have to be a whole lot less temporary. "I'm sure they'll come back when they can."
"I never knew there was so much that went into running a cafe." She replied as she took another order, starting to scoop ice-cream into a container. "Ernie always made it look so easy."
"Tell me about it. If I live to be a hundred, I'll never figure out how RJ and Fran manage by themselves." He replied. "Sorry, that was six dollars sir."
Back at the plant, the Ranger teams made their way into position a short way from the plant. The four teams had worked their way through the forest, making sure that they kept the noise to a minimum. They still had no idea what they'd be facing inside the plant. Casey, Gia and Jake all arrived at their final checkpoint, within eyeshot of the plant's perimeter. Casey smiled as they arrived.
"Well, it looks like we're first." He commented, tapping Gia on the shoulder. "Tigers rule right?"
"Woods are our natural hunting ground." Gia replied with a smirk. "So, what are we up against?"
"It looks like two mutants at the door." Casey informed her. "As near as I can tell...we have a crow and...a pigeon."
"Even one mutant's a tall order." Jake replied. "Where's everyone else?"
"We're in position." Lily chipped in, taking up position with RJ and the Elephant Ranger. "It looks like we've got a clear run at the North entrance, but RJ thinks there's something off."
"Probably best to trust our instincts on that." Troy added, as he, Theo, the Bat Ranger and Emma got to their position. "Noah, what's your status?"
"In position." Noah added as he, Jordan and the Shark Ranger finally arrived. Noah pulled out a large device. "Spider might have been good with improvised explosives, but this thing should be more than enough to take care of a lab."
"Um...OK, where did you get that?" Jordan asked him, eyeing Noah suspiciously.
"It's just something I whipped up in my garage." Noah told him. Jordan just shook his head.
"I don't know what's scarier, the fact that you can make plastique in your garage, or that you did it in an evening." Jordan stated.
"Alright Dominic, whenever you're ready, let her rip!" Troy ordered. On the rocky outcrop overlooking the plant, Dominic readied his blaster.
"Alright, here we go." He answered, firing off a salvo and blasting down a wall at one end of the plant. Mutants started to spill out in a panic, some of them fleeing into the woods. Bluefur came staggering out with Biggs and Vrak, looking up and seeing Dominic in the distance.
"A Ranger!" He roared, pointing up. "You dare...?"
"Yeah, I dare." Dominic called back. Bluefur gestured to the Crow and Pigeon mutants.
"I don't care who this new Ranger is, bring me his head!" Bluefur snarled. The two mutants unfurled their wings and took Bluefur and Biggs both snapped around as they heard a battle cry. Casey, Gia and Jake all broke cover, rushing towards them, carving a path through Loogies as they went. They snapped around to see Lily, RJ and the Elephant Ranger flanking them, while Troy, Theo, the Bat Ranger and Emma all dropped in on them from above.
"It's an ambush!" Biggs screamed. "Fall back..."
"The big one's mine!" Jordan called out as he rushed into the fray, slamming into Bluefur and carrying him through a wall, into the plant. The Shark Ranger attacked Biggs, keeping him at bay, while Noah took advantage of the confusion and ran inside, carrying the bomb. Vrak saw him, and ran in after him.
"Hey Casey, it looks like my team was the first in!" Troy called out as he held off his attackers. "I guess that means dinner's on you!"
"Whatever." He responded as he powered up his Jungle Chuks, sending energy waves out, blasting down his opposition. "What say we survive this first?"
"Sounds like a plan." Jake responded.
Back at the Brainfreeze, Cat and Luen were still getting over-run by customers when Quinn came in for the lunchtime order for the wildlife centre. She rushed over to the counter.
"Give me the remote!" She called out.
"Um...why?" Cat asked.
"Haven't you guys heard? There's a major Ranger battle going on at the old chemical plant!" She rushed out. "There's a news copter shooting footage live!"
Cat gave Quinn the remote for the large screen TV, allowing her to turn it to the news channel. Just as she had said, there was an aerial view of the battle.
"Wait...that isn't just our Rangers." One of the other customers stammered. "That's...that's the Jungle Fury Rangers!"
"Turn it up!" One of the others called out, taking a seat. Cat and Luen watched as the customers all turned, their eyes glued to the screen.
"They're...they're going all out." One of the customers stated. "They've gone right into the Toxic Mutants' territory!"
"That's insane!" Someone else shrieked.
"Come on, it's the Jungle Fury Rangers, they kick ass!" One of the older customers stated. "They took out that huge dragon thing a few years back. I'll bet you the biggest sundae in the place that they take down all the mutants today!"
"Are you serious? Against every mutant there is?" Someone else asked him. "They'll be lucky to make it out alive!"
"I'll take that bet." Someone else stated.
"Please, the Megaforce Rangers are way better. If anyone's going to finish this, they will." Someone else stated. "I'm betting they take down the last mutant."
"Hey, did any of you see what the Robo Knight just did to Bluefur?" One of them asked. "I call first blood to him!"
"OK, you guys HAVE to start showing Ranger footage in here more often." Luen told Cat as he took some more orders. "This is great for business!"
He noticed that Cat wasn't paying attention, her eyes glued to the screen. He just went over, waving a hand in front of her face.
"Cat?" He asked.
"Sorry, I was just...um..." She stammered, shaking her head. "Sorry, I'll get back to work."
In the plant, Noah made his way through, ducking an errant blast as Jordan and Bluefur kept each other busy. He knew he probably wouldn't have long, and he needed to be sure that the lab was destroyed. It wasn't enough to just bring down the building; he needed to be certain that nothing was left.
The plant was large, and it was difficult to navigate, since it had been abandoned long ago, and much of the structure was aging, and some of it was broken and crumbling. The battle outside, and the stress placed on the building by Bluefur's battle with Jordan didn't help matters.
Seeing some heavy duty piping heading the same direction, a thought occurred to him. The furnace rooms! They were the most heavily structured areas of the building. Any of the existing power cables would run through there. It was a natural place to put the lab, being the most protected section of the plant.
He made his way through, using his Shark Bowgun to blow the door off the furnace rooms. As he made his way inside, he found that he had called it. He had found Vrak's lab. As he clamped the first block of plastique to some lab equipment, Vrak blasted him across the room, smashing him through some lab equipment. Noah struggled back to his feet.
"I always suspected that Admiral Malkor spent too much time worrying about the Red Ranger." Vrak commented. "Even that fool Creepox was obsessed with him; it was easy to get him out of the way. I didn't even have to lift a finger, just point him in the right direction, and he ran to his own doom."
"Yeah, people who go after Troy tend to end up that way." Noah replied. Vrak was about to take the block of plastique, when he noticed something and withdrew his hand.
"A motion trigger?" He asked. "So, I was right, you aren't here for the mutants after all, this is all about my research."
"It's armed." Noah told him. "You can try and remove it if you want, but I wouldn't recommend it."
Vrak just glared at Noah. He knew that the process of creating new mutants would be a huge threat to the Rangers, that was why he had protected it so jealously. Unfortunately, as part of his plan to keep himself indispensible, he had ensured that only he had access to his research. Everything he had on his process was in the lab.
He looked up as Noah sprinted to another part of the lab, diving to avoid another power blast. He clamped another block of plastique to what appeared to be a computer bank. He saw some large blast doors, and figured that was where they had kept Tarantaulus. It seemed likely that was a vital part of the process. He rushed in, being carried through by a blast that his suit only barely kept at bay. He saw the pod before him, and clamped the final block of plastique to it. He then pulled out a detonator, and grabbed it, pressing in the lever. He held it up for Vrak to see.
"I'm guessing you're not the kind of guy that likes to share credit." Noah told him. "Which is why I'm betting you haven't risked backing up your data anywhere else in case Malkor managed to find it."
Vrak just paused as he heard this. Noah was right, he couldn't risk keeping the details of his process on the ship, in case Malkor or one of his followers figured out how to access it and use the process themselves. It was only through virtue of the fact the mutants had no grasp of such advanced technology that he could risk keeping the data here. He aimed his weapon at Noah.
"I wouldn't do that, this is a dead man switch." Noah told him. "I let go of this lever, the plastique blows and we both go with it."
Vrak weighed up his options. Noah had played the situation perfectly. It was pointless to try and attack, it would only result in both of their destruction. Noah ran from the room, at which Vrak followed him. He ducked as Jordan flew overhead, slamming into a girder and falling to the ground.
"Jordan, we're hot!" Noah called out. "Time to book!"
Jordan just yelled in frustration. His battle wasn't going well. Bluefur, the most powerful of the Toxic Mutants was more than he could handle, and he knew it. He'd spent the last several minutes being battered from pillar to post. It angered him that he couldn't get the job done. It was the first time he had faced Bluefur since he had taken control of the Robo Knight Armour.
"Jordan, let's go!" Noah called out again. Pounding a fist into the floor, Jordan got up and ran. Vrak wasn't far behind them, closing the blast door to the furnace room, and looked to Bluefur. Seeing him run, Bluefur could guess that it was an indication he should do the same.
"Everyone out!" He roared as he ran from the plant. The mutants all scattered, as did the Rangers. Shortly afterwards, a huge blast could be heard, which shook the whole area. Dust billowed out from the plant, filling the air.
"Whoa, you weren't kidding about that plastique." Jake complimented his friend, helping Noah to his feet. Noah just shrugged.
"If something's worth doing, it's worth doing big." Noah replied.
"The mutants are running, but they'll be back." Casey replied, seeing that they had left behind a legion of Loogies to cover their escape. "Dom's tough, but..."
"Go and help him, we'll finish up here." Troy interrupted him. Casey just nodded, at which his team ran off to catch up with Dominic.
Back at the Brainfreeze, the customers cheered as they saw the mutants fleeing into the woods. One of the customers just shook his head in disbelief.
"What are they doing out there?" He asked. "The mutants are getting away!"
"Did you see how many there are?" Luen responded as he gestured to the screen. "I'm sure if they could have finished them, they would have."
"The Jungle Fury team have cornered a couple of the mutants." Someone stated. "It looks like..."
Just then, the crow and pigeon mutants exploded. There was another huge cheer from a large section of the crowd. Others just groaned, preparing to pay up on their bets.
"Look, those bat things." Cat gasped. Before long the crow and pigeon mutants towered over the forest.
"Well, now we finally get to see the current Rangers in action." Someone said with a smile. "Bring on the Zords!"
Cat just watched the screen, seeing the news footage starting to focus on the huge mutants now. She couldn't see what was happening to the current team. Luen just threw a dish towel at her to attract her attention.
"Cat!" He called out. "People want stuff!"
"Kay kay." She replied, starting to get back to work.
Back at the site of the battle, Troy and the others were busy with Loogies when the mutants grew. Gia got onto her communicator.
"Gosei!" She called out. "We need..."
"Hold off for a minute." Troy told her with a smile. "Something tells me they have this covered."
"They...they still have Zords?" Jake stammered. "But...I thought most of the old teams Zords were destroyed!"
"It appears not all of them." Gia replied with a smile as she pointed to the skyline. The Rhino Steel Zord, Wolf Pride Megazord and Jungle Master Megazord all came into view. "I count three Megazords!"
"So, the old timers get one last rodeo." Noah responded.
"It looks like it." Troy answered as the last of the Loogies fell. "Come on guys, how often do we get to learn from the pros?"
At the site of the battle, the Rhino Steel Zord grabbed the leg of the pigeon mutant, slamming him into the forest floor as he tried to take to the air. It readied its sword.
"Got to admit, it's been a while, but it feels good." Dominic commented, readying the control dagger.
"You said it." RJ agreed, slamming kicks into the crow mutant, crippling its wings with the shin blade.
"Let's see if I still have it." Dominic called out as he powered up his blade. "Rhino Steel Blade!"
He cast the energy symbol, paralysing the pigeon, before one final slash destroyed it utterly. He smiled and held up the control dagger.
"Oh yeah, the Rhino's still got it." He said with a grin.
The Jungle Pride Megazord smashed the remaining mutant, powering up their massive fists. As it exploded, they all called out in excitement.
"You know, I don't miss Dai Shi, but you've got to admit, it feels good to be back in the game." Casey stated. "I don't think Troy will mind me stealing his line, but Rangers, that was a Mega Win."
After the battle, the Rangers all arrived in the Brainfreeze, finding the place packed. Gia and Theo took off their jackets, heading for the counter.
"Wait, aren't you going to join us?" Casey asked. "I mean, we do have to celebrate..."
"And we have a business to run." Theo reminded him. "Luen and Cat will probably need a break."
"Oh, come on, surely you can stay for a few minutes." Casey replied, putting an arm around Gia. The Yellow Ranger just looked to the others, before removing his arm.
"OK, for one thing, I'm only 17." She reminded him. "And for another...I already have a girlfriend."
"Wait a...oh." Casey replied. "Well, who knows, maybe in another reality?"
"Maybe." She answered. "In this one, you'll have to make do with buying my friends a round of shakes to start."
"What?" He asked.
"My team reached the plant first remember?" Troy teased him. "Time to pay up."
"Me and my big mouth." Casey stated. "OK, so...what's everyone having?"
As they all ordered, Theo noticed that Emma was staying away from Noah, and that he was also very quiet. He could see the way he looked at her; it was something he was all too familiar with. He looked to Luen.
"Sorry to do this to you bro, but would you mind?" Theo asked. "I have something I need to deal with."
"Sure." Luen sighed. "Go do your Ranger thing."
Theo went to Noah, and tapped him on the shoulder, before gesturing to the back. Noah just followed him, taking him into the store room.
"You did well today." Theo complimented his successor. "Your plan went well."
"Yeah, it worked out better than I expected." Noah answered.
"Listen, stop me if I'm out of line here, but do you mind if I give you some advice?" He asked. Noah just shrugged.
"Sure." Noah replied. "Anything you can tell me that helps..."
"It sucks what you're going through with Emma." Theo interrupted him. "But seriously, you need to just let it go."
Noah just looked at him.
"What..."
"Look, I know what it can be like to watch someone you love with someone else." Theo told him. "You know Lily?"
"Yeah." Noah responded.
"Well...we've been friends for...like...forever. For a long time, I wanted a lot more from her than that." Theo began to tell him. "It was only after we were finished with Dai Shi I finally plucked up the courage to ask her out."
"And she was with RJ?" Noah asked him. Theo shook his head.
"Not exactly, in fact...we went out for a few months. We even moved in together. For a while we were even talking about getting married." Theo informed him. "But, in time, I messed it up. I never believed I was good enough for her. I always wondered why she was with me when she could have anyone. I just got insanely possessive and jealous whenever she was around anyone else. In the end, she just couldn't take it anymore and broke up with me. She said she just couldn't live with me anymore and moved in with RJ."
"Ouch." Noah commented.
"For a long time, I was so angry and bitter; I thought RJ was taking her away from me." Theo continued. "I ended up losing two of my best friends over my jealousy. It was a long time before I was able to realise that RJ never took her from me. I drove her away. It took a long time, and we're friends now, but it's not the same. Sometimes, I think it never will be."
Theo just looked to Noah sympathetically.
"I can't tell you what'll happen in the future between you and Emma, or what won't." Theo told him. "The one thing I can guarantee though is that jealousy is something that will very quickly leave you without friends. Take it from someone that knows, if you think things suck now, it'll only get worse if you don't let it go."
He patted Noah on the shoulder.
"I...I need to talk to them." He replied sadly. "But not today. Today, I guess it's kind of cool that we have another team to hang out with."
"Hey, there is such a thing as too much time with your own team." Theo warned him. "We all lived together when we were active. Trust me; RJ's place isn't that big."
"That sounds like there are stories there." Noah chuckled. Noah just smiled.
"Oh, there are stories alright." Theo told him, putting his arm around him as they headed back into the main room.
Gia was working hard with Cat and Luen, taking care of the last of the customers. Now that the news footage was over, most of the kids were getting back to their outdoor activities. Cat came over to Gia with something in her hands.
"Here." She announced, handing it over with a big smile. "I made this for you."
Gia just looked at it. It was a sundae, but it was made only of banana ice cream, with stripes of chocolate sauce over it. One scoop at the end was decorated with chocolate buttons for ears, and raisins for eyes and a nose. Pieces of banana made the legs and tail, making the whole thing look like a tiger. Gia just looked at it for a moment, smiling.
"Um...thanks Cat." Gia replied. "This is...really something."
"I thought you'd like it." Cat answered. "I made it with you in mind."
"I can tell you put a lot of work into it." Gia stated.
"I know you like tigers, and I know you like yellow." Cat stated, before drawing closer. "And I think the yellow spandex is really flattering."
Gia just froze, and looked to Cat as she heard her say this. She just saw the way Cat was looking at her, and knew it was already too late to be convincing if she denied it. She looked around.
"Cat, can you stay after work?" Gia asked her. "There's something I think we need to talk about."