Cat: Hey all! In the last chapter there was a slight issue, Ethan made a reference to growing flowers online. He actually named the website, but apparently didn't like that too much and took it off, I apologize if this bothered/confused anyone. Also, Merrick will not be present in this fic, I am sparing him the craziness while he continues his struggle to find his place in the world.

Sunwinged: What about the putties?

Cat: Right. The putties are Lord Zedds, but it doesn't play to big of a role. Also, I just found out that the breaks I was putting between switching locations/times weren't showing up online. I'm gonna try a few different ones and hope that they work instead.

Sunwinged: As for Kim, yes, she can be anyone's friend, and we do see a lot of that. She plays a pretty big role later on.

Disclaimer: Something witty here.

"Now I get why you were so eager to get here." Max said, when they were through explaining the encounter to the guys. Initially they'd had some trouble getting them away from their computer, but eventually, through persistence and the occasional threat, they'd managed it.

"But what were they?" Taylor asked.

"Putties." Dr. O replied through the water.

"So, we're getting attacked by clay?" Conner asked. Tommy nodded.

"Do you have any idea who their leader is?" Shayla asked.

"None." Tommy admitted.

"Well, it can't be the Master Org." Cole offered.

"Or Mesogog." Conner added.

"I've been in contact with Andros, he says he'll investigate this further. Until then, be on your guard." Tommy's face vanished and Haylie's replaced it.

"Jason and Trini are working on a teleportation system. They'll be joining you as soon as it's finished."

"And what about Kimberly?" Kira asked suddenly. Haylie glanced around furtively and dropped her voice.

"She and Tommy are kinda having a thing right now. It's not official or anything but…" Haylie smiled devilishly. Kira decided that she didn't want to know.

Flashback

"Are you and Tommy dating?" Trini asked bluntly.

"No. And if you need help getting Kimberly and Tommy back together, I'm here." Haylie offered casually. Trini marveled at her.

"You really do know everything!"

"I try." She responded. "Anyways, do you have a plan?"

"Actually yes. Are you in?" Haylie nodded and the two conspirators leaned closer together.

"Right, so is Jason clear on the plan?" Haylie asked. Trini nodded. "Good." It was six am and they were both standing outside Haylie's Cyberspace, staring at the stack left by the delivery truck several hours ago.

"Let's do this."

Haylie whipped out her cell phone. "Come on Tommy," she coaxed as the phone rang. "Pick up. Pick up pick up pick up." And he did.

"Who is this?"

"It's Haylie."

"It's six in the morning." He responded groggily.

"I need help."

"It's six in the morning."

"The delivery truck was late. It's just now leaving." She lied.

"It's six in the morning."

"I'll never get everything put away before I open."

"It's six in the morning." Haylie switched from pleading to outright ordering, a tactic which she knew worked very well on the tired Ranger.

"Tommy Oliver. This is your long time friend call you for help. How many times did I stay up with you during school because you couldn't study alone?" She reminded him. Tommy flinched. He was in for it now. "Or what about that paper?"

"You had to bring up the paper."

"Oh yes. So get your butt down here Mr." She ordered and hung up.

"Is he coming?" Trini wondered.

"He'll be here."

"Great. I'll handle Kim." Haylie passed off the phone.

"Hey Kim, it's me." Trini intoned.

"Trini? What are you doing up?"

"Haylie just called. Apparently someone was late or something down at her restaurant and she needs help getting things put away."

"Call Jason." Kimberly suggested with a moan.

"I already did. No answer." She had honestly called him, to remind him to cover for her, but Jason was such a sound sleeper that he really hadn't awoken.

"So just walk down the hall and grab him." Jason and Trini had been staying in the same hotel. However, when they went to book a room for Kim the only one available was to share with Trini, a smoking room. Somewhere along the line the ex gymnast had developed severe asthma and had ended up sleeping in the lobby before the night manager threw her out. She was staying at a different hotel across town where no one minded if she slept in the lobby. (She had a non-smoking room now of course, she'd just asked out of curiosity)

"I tried." That wasn't technically true, but it seemed to do the job. Kimberly groaned heavily.

"I'm coming."

Twenty minutes later Tommy staggered into the storage room where the three girls were quickly shelving drink mixes and spoons. He entered the room with nothing more then a grunt.

"Well good morning to you too." Trini said loudly. She had to admit that the room was starting to feel very cramped. It fit one person easy, two without too much trouble. Three was slightly more awkward, especially with all the stiff from the delivery laying all over the floor. Four people, and Trini was starting to feel slightly claustrophobic.

"Good mornings are for daylight."

"Don't you feel good, helping out a friend?" Trini wondered. Tommy glanced up at Haylie.

"If I say 'no' does it make me a bad person?"

"Yes." Haylie informed him curtly as she slipped through the door.

"Hey! Where are you going?" Tommy shouted.

"I think we might have left something out back." She called over her shoulder.

"More stuff?" Kimberly groaned.

"Oh! That reminds me." Trini lied. "I've got something in the car I wanted to show you. Be back in a sec." And she too left. Just on the other side of the open doorframe, backed up against the wall so neither unsuspecting victim could see, Haylie grinned at her partner in crime.

"Ready?" She asked. Trini nodded and pushed the door shut. Haylie pounced on it, locking it carefully.

"What the hell?" they heard Tommy shout. The two girls giggled softly. Trini wondered briefly how long it was going to take before the two realized that they'd been tricked.

"Sorry you'll be loosing so much business." Trini apologized. Haylie shrugged.

"This is so worth it."

Trini grinned her agreement and glanced down at her watch. "Meet you back here in an hour?"

"Then we'll see if they've worked things out or not." Haylie agreed, grabbing her keys.

End Flashback

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

"Kira?" Conner asked groggily. Kira was pacing franticly.

"Do you realize what time it is?" Ethan wondered. Kira turned to them.

"You know what?" she asked.

"I think that they're a lot more worried about us then they let on."

"Who?" Ethan asked, the fact that it was two AM was showing clearly on his face.

"Dr O, Haylie, Shayla, Jason, everyone!"

"And what exactly makes you think they're worried?" Conner asked.

"Do you realize just how many rangers they've been in contact with since this whole things started?" Kira asked. It was clear by their faces that they hadn't.

"Four different generations!"

"So?" Conner asked.

"Don't you think it's a little weird that they're that obsessed with keeping us safe from monsters as pathetic as cogs and putties?" Obviously Conner and Ethan didn't.

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

"I'm bored." Conner complained. "What do you guys do all day?" Eaglezord was circling easily overhead. And the sun was high and everyone was feeling hot and lethargic.

"Honestly? Not much." Max replied.

"Great." He said dryly.

"I really hate to agree with him, trust me, I really, really do, but…"

"What do you guys normally do?" Alyssa asked, searching for a possible cure for their boredom.

"Hide from reporters." Kira answered instantly.

"Okay, well, what did you do before that?" Taylor asked.

Kira and Conner glanced at each other. "Fight evil and do homework." They answered in unison.

"Come on." Taylor urged. "You must have done something besides that. Look at Ethan, he's doing fine." They glanced over to where he was propped up against a tree, his computer in his lap.

"Wait until he runs out of battery."

"Well, at least that would be interesting." Conner said.

"Until he realizes that there's no place to charge it out here."

"He could just charge it in town." Danny informed them.

"Wait. We're allowed in town?" Conner asked.

"Yes. Why wouldn't you be?"

"Yes!" Conner shouted. "I'm free! I'M FREE!" He began dashing in the direction of the exit.

"Wait! I'm coming with you!" Kira called after him. Their outing was put on hold instantly by the warning cry of the Eaglezord. It pulled up of it its circle and flapped insanely into the distance.

"Something's goin down!" Taylor shouted and everyone jumped up in a mad dash through the woods after the bird.

"Still bored?" Cole asked.

"I wasn't bored to start with!" Ethan reminded them as they broke into a clearing with a crash. Eaglezord was flying after a large shape, screeching warnings and threats. Conner wasn't sure, but he thought that he saw another shape flying off in the opposite direction, but then he blinked and it was gone. He decided it was better not to mention it because the other Rangers already thought he was stupid, they didn't need to think he was imagining things as well. Ethan looked after the yellow eagle and groaned.

"We'll never catch them." He panted.

"Oh yes we will." Alyssa said happily, and Red Lion loomed over them.

"We're following Eaglezord!" Cole announced. "Come on." It was without a doubt, one of the most thrilling trips Kira had ever taken. They were moving almost faster then the eye could see, carried far by the zord's long legs. They reached the cliff from the day before, and stopped. Two zords were battling it out below. Or more accurately, one zord was assaulting another.

"Eaglezord?" Taylor cried in shock and fear. However it wasn't shock or fear that held Kira motionless.

"Pterazord?" She asked, her voice quiet with disbelief and excitement. Yes! She shouted mentally. Haylie had finally done it, she'd managed to repair all of the zords in the battle with Masogog. The Pertazord, Tricerazord, and Tyranozord had been the base of the megazord, and therefore the most heavily damaged, and Haylie had had doubts about whether they could be fixed. However, it seemed that her utter genius had won out in the end and Kira's favorite zord was whole again.

The pterazord rolled over in midair upon hearing her friend's voice and squawked a greeting. Eaglezord seized his opportunity and pecked sharply at the other zord's eyes. Pterazord cried out sharply and plunged into the water below. Eaglezord dropped into a sharp dive when Red Lion let out a mighty roar. Eaglezord pulled up clumsily, and Sharkzord pushed Pterazord back to the surface, and she promptly took to the air.

Kira and the other Rangers gathered on the ground, as all the island's zords collected. Much to Conner and Ethan's delight, Both Tyranozord and Tricerazord were present, as were Ank, Tigerzord, and Bisonzord. Red Lion looked from Eagle to Ptera and growled.

"He's asking what happened." Cole translated quietly, then listened to Eagle's reply. "He says that Pterazord attacked him and flew off, but Pterazord insists that she didn't." Red Lion muttered irritably. "He tells them that they should just apologize to each other and forget about it. It was a misunderstanding on both parts." Tyrano stepped forward and roared. "He asks why Pterazord has to apologize for getting attacked." Red Lion's response didn't need translating. He leapt, lighting quick, from the rock and slashed Tyrano violently across the muzzle.

"The Lion is king of the jungle." Ethan chanted, as though drilling it into his memory. "The Lion is king of the jungle."

"What are you doing?" Danny asked, oddly blunt.

"Reminding myself to never piss off the Red Lion." Ethan answered and Danny seemed to understand.

"While you're at it, remind yourself to never piss off Taylor."

"Thanks for the tip." Said Ethan sincerely.

"What was that for?" Conner asked loudly. Tyrano was glowering, and preparing to attack.

"Never piss off the Red Lion!" Ethan hissed at him. Conner had tuned Ethan out much earlier that morning when he had been trying to get him involved in the chat room he was sponsoring about Blue Rangers and had simply forgotten to tune him back in. As such he didn't hear the geek's very good advice.

The Red Lion eyed him, then seemed to decide that it wasn't worth it. He spun around on his heels and stalked off. With him gone, the zords disbanded. Ptera flapped up to Kira happily, and Kira embraced the tip of her nose.

"How ya doin girl?" She asked.

"So then, you definitely think that the Eaglezord attacked her for no reason?" Taylor guessed icly. Kira turned sharply.

"I didn't say that. I'm just happy to see her is all. But it's like Red Lion said," Kira told her friend, "It was just a misunderstanding on both parts." Taylor raised an eyebrow.

"Oh really? And what gives you that idea?"

"Eaglezord was looking pretty beat. He was really scratched up, and from what we saw, Pterazord didn't lay a feather on him."

"So?"

"Something attacked Eaglezord. And it wasn't Pterazord. Can we agree on that much?"

"If Pterazord really wasn't what attacked Eaglezord, then what was it?" Taylor asked.

"Mysterious Cog-Putty-Man?" Kira suggested. And she was completely correct.

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

A figure, shrouded in shadow, raised a hand to welcome back his faithful zord. The white and black creature looked very pleased with himself. "Good job." The figure said. "The division of the island has begun. It won't be long now."

Cat: The plot thickens!