In her dorm room, Zoey was sitting on her bed, clutching a pillow. Ben, Betty and Roxy had come to the room once they heard about her being cut. Ben and Betty had pretty free reign in the base. They didn't strictly speaking have job titles, they just kind of went wherever they were needed to help, and sometimes just wherever they wanted to work. Since their dad was General Burke, it wasn't like most people were going to argue if one of them just turned up and asked if there was any busy-work to do. On a military base, there was usually something to do and people had become pretty adept at finding the jobs they could give them that would have the least risk of catastrophe. Roxy had come as soon as the assessment was finished.

Zoey had managed to stop crying, mainly because life had taught her there was little point. She had tried all she could, begged with everything in her being, but the decision had been made. Her journey to become a Ranger had come to an end, and there was precisely nothing she could do about it.

She could hardly believe that only a few short months ago she had no idea what the Ranger initiative even was. There hadn't been a team of Power Rangers in over 20 years, and so the tales of their exploits had fallen mostly into the realm of legend. People knew that they had existed, there were extensive records of what had happened in their adventures, but it had been so long that most people had created so many stories it was a little difficult to know what was true and what was not. She had originally signed up as a way to get funding for her college education, but as time went by, she was becoming more and more excited about the prospect of becoming a Power Ranger. Now, as the lump still on her forehead testified, the door had been well and truly shut in her face.

"Well, the swelling's starting to go down." Roxy commented as she removed the damp cloth from Zoey's forehead. It had swollen up to about the size of a golf ball, but now it was starting to go down. It was still pretty noticeable but it at least looked like a human forehead once more. "Are you sure you don't want to go to the medic? You hit that door pretty hard."

Zoey just shook her head wordlessly. She didn't want to make a fuss. She had already made herself look like she couldn't be relied upon as a Ranger, the last thing she wanted to do now was make it seem like a little boo boo on her head was going to make her run crying looking for a band-aid. She somehow doubted that the Rangers in the past did much crying over a few bruises and scrapes.

"Zoey, I really think you should get it checked out." Roxy told her. "I heard your skull hit the door from the opposite side of the exam hall."

Zoey just looked to her, at which Roxy backed off. She knew Zoey well enough to know that she wasn't going to be swayed. Betty stepped forward, taking Zoey's hand.

"So, have you talked to Commander Shaw?" Ben asked her. Zoey gulped and nodded.

"I've still got a job in the laundry if I want it." Zoey told them. "The admissions for new courses are a couple of months away so I can start a new diploma then. Commander Shaw said she'd be fine letting me stay here."

"Well, that's good, right?" Betty asked her. "That's kind of what you came here for in the first place isn't it?"

"I guess so." Zoey muttered. It was true, when she first came, she only cared about getting a diploma. The labour market was tough going without a college level education at least, and unless she wanted to be swimming in debt for years after her course, the military was one of the few ways she could get it funded. She'd managed to get this far; she'd managed to get close enough that she could almost see herself in the Spandex…or whatever it was those Ranger suits were made of. She'd let herself build up her hopes, and now it was just another dashed dream. "I…I also like the idea of working here. I mean, this is the forefront of the environmental revolution that's going to save the world, right?"

Betty nodded and patted her on the shoulder. Zoey appreciated that her friends wanted her to look on the bright side, even if right now she really didn't want to do anything other than curl up in a ball and feel sorry for herself.

"Well, if you aren't going to go and see the medic, is there anything else you would like to do?" Roxy asked her. "I have a pretty extensive collection of rom-coms."

"Thanks, but…I really don't feel much like doing anything." Zoey told her. "Or…you know…company. No offence."

"Zoey, sitting in here by yourself isn't going to do you any good." Ben told her. "We all thought you were going all the way. We know this has to be a disappointment, but you're…you're like us. You don't stay down when you've been kicked."

"Yeah, that's right." Betty agreed. "You get knocked on your butt, you get right back up, dust yourself off and get right back to it!"

"Guys, I appreciate the sentiment, but I really just want to be alone right now." Zoey told them.

"No, this pity-party is officially over." Roxy told her, grabbing Zoey and hauling her up out of the bed. "If you're not going to the medic, you're coming to Riptide with us."

"Roxy, I really don't want…"

"Zoey, you are not sitting here with the lights off crying into a pillow." Roxy told her bluntly. "Now, I know you're not going to go to the medic, but one way or another you're coming with us to go have some fun, so you have two choices. Go and get changed, or I can drag you there in your pyjamas."

"OK, OK, I'm going!" Zoey replied wearily, getting up to go and get changed. She knew when Roxy was in a mood like this, she wasn't going to be denied, and the odds were she was completely serious about taking her to Riptide in her pyjamas.

"Night out? That'll be great fun!" Betty shrieked. "Come on Ben, we need to go get changed too. We'll borrow a truck and meet you out front!"

"We'll be right out!" Roxy called after them, before picking up her phone. She dialled Ravi, but all she got was his voicemail. She was a little surprised that he wouldn't take her call, but she figured he must be in the gym or studying or something. She'd have loved Ravi to go with them, but she figured the most important thing was that they cheered Zoey up. She could always catch up with Ravi later.

In another part of the base, Commander Shaw was in her office, discussing the day's results with the rest of the panel.

"Look, I know that knowledge is a part of this, I'm just saying I was hoping to see something with a little more action." Jason commented.

"Well, it did do its job, we've cut another three candidates." Carter replied with a shrug.

"Yeah, but when was the last time you needed a pen and paper in the field?" Jason asked him. "I don't know how things worked in your day, but when I was a Ranger, there weren't too many monsters giving us written exams."

"You don't need to worry, there'll be plenty of action to come." General Burke assured him. "In fact, tomorrow should be right up your alley. We have a full day of melee combat assessments."

"Now you're talking!" Jason said with a smirk. "It's not too late for me to sign up right?"

"It's about 25 years too late." Angela chuckled. Jason just glared at her.

They all looked around as they heard a knock on the door. Well, calling it a knock was somewhat charitable. The door and the wall were shaking under the pounding. They all looked to the door, seeing through the glass that it was Nate that was outside. Commander Shaw just sighed.

"Come in Nate!" She called as she gestured him inside. She looked to the others. "Would you mind giving me the room?"

"It's alright, we were about to adjourn anyway." General Burke assured her. "I was going to show our illustrious guests around. Show them the coolest spot in town."

"Really?" Angela asked. "I hope its somewhere we can eat, I skipped lunch today while Nate was showing me the…"

"Oh, you don't need to worry, Riptide gym has a fantastic range of healthy food!" General Burke assured them.

"The coolest spot in town is a gym?" Jason asked with a smile on his face. "I think I'm going to like it here!"

With that, they filed out, leaving Nate and Commander Shaw alone in the room. She just closed the door, but turned to look at him, more than a little annoyed with the rather impudent way he had demanded her attention. If it was anyone else, she'd likely have already sent them to a provost sergeant for disciplinary action. However, even though it was Nate didn't mean she was going to just let it go without comment.

"Can I ask why you're trying to break my door down?" She asked him.

"I just heard you cut Zoey." Nate snapped. Even if he hadn't pounded on her door like he was trying to smash it, his face completely gave away how he felt on the matter. While his notes and his suggestions were taken into account, he was not on the panel that made the decision who would become Rangers. If he had been, he'd have fought tooth and nail to keep her in the program.

"Yes, that is correct." Commander Shaw told him.

"Why did you do that?" He yelled at her. "Zoey is one of the best candidates we have! She was strong, she was…she was smart, she was caring…"

"Nate, this isn't about that." Commander Shaw told him. "She was late for the test…"

"So what?" Nate demanded. "She works twice as hard as anyone else on the base! If we had three of her we'd have our Rangers right there!"

"Nate, we have to hold everyone to the same standards." Commander Shaw pressed on. "Her grades were barely acceptable, and her conduct was below acceptable standards. I can't make exceptions."

"But you HAVE to!" Nate demanded.

"I'm sorry Nate, but my decision is final." She put down flatly.

"If you don't let her back in…" He started to say, before seeing her glaring at him. He was about to reconsider, but he was determined to stick to his guns. "Then…then maybe I'll just stop making the Ranger tech!"

"Nate…"

"You can't force me to work here, and I'm sure there are other places that will be only too happy to hire me and benefit from…"

"NATE!" She yelled, cutting him off. He was bowled back a little by the tone of her voice. It wasn't often Commander Shaw yelled at him, she was, among other things, something of his carer on the base. She was given legal responsibility for his welfare in his parents' absence. "I will NOT be threatened!"

"But…"

"Your technology and your intellectual property are the legal property of Grid Battleforce!" She reminded him. "Now, you may not like the fact that Zoey was cut, and believe you me I wasn't either!"

"You…you weren't?" He asked.

"We all have our lists Nate. Just like you, and General Burke, hell, probably like the rest of the panel, I've already been looking at the candidates and deciding who I want on my team, and believe me, Zoey had a lot of the qualities I was looking for."

"Then why did you cut her?" Nate asked.

"Because I can't let my personal feelings on whether or not I like someone as a person over-ride the fact that they are not qualified for the position!" She told him. "Now, I give you a lot of leeway on this base Nate. Your room, your entertainment system, the ice-cream machine, I am willing to overlook a lot, but when you question my command, that is something I am NOT willing to tolerate!"

Nate just backed down a little. He realised he'd overstepped the line by quite a long margin. He'd tried to threaten Commander Shaw to let Zoey back into the program. She came over to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"I like her too. She's an exceptional young woman, and she still wants to help, which is why I've ensured she has a position on the base as long as she wants it." She assured him. "But she will not be a Ranger. Something she has accepted, and that I've had to as well. I'm afraid you're going to have to as well."

Nate just nodded sadly, before starting to head for the door.

"Nate!" She called after him. He turned back towards her. "For what it's worth, I wish things could have turned out differently too."

With that, he left the office, heading back to his lab. He was disappointed that Zoey couldn't be one of his Rangers, but he had fought her corner as strongly as he could. In the end, even his threat was empty. He knew that the world and its safety was more important than one person, no matter who that person was.

In another part of the base, Ravi was in his dorm room studying. This wasn't unusual in and of itself, pretty much any time he wasn't training or spending time with Roxy, he was studying. However, this time he wasn't just studying tech manuals or strategy guides, with a selection of stationery to highlight the most important things he needed to know, this time he only had one Grid Battleforce book on his desk. The brand-new Ranger code of conduct.

He was always a stickler for the rules. He had always been in a military family, and rules and regulations were very important. Everyone had to abide by the rules, even the ones they didn't agree with or in some cases didn't make any sense. It was possible to disagree with the rules and work to get them changed while still obeying them. No matter how silly he thought the rule was, he couldn't just break it just because he didn't like it.

He read the rule over and over again. 42 C. It was a rule that strictly forbade Rangers from dating other Rangers.

The reasoning behind it was the Priority of Life protocol. It was not always possible to save everyone, and so a very strict hierarchy was put in place how they prioritised how to determine who was to be saved in the circumstance where difficult decisions had to be made. They were meant to place the priority on saving non-combatants, innocent bystanders, then their team mates, and lastly themselves. Of course, there was no way that they could completely eliminate bias in people's decisions. After all it was only human nature that someone would save a friend that they worked with and saw on a daily basis before a complete stranger, but they wanted to try and train that instinct out of people. In the case of personal relationships though, it did muddy the waters.

The thing they wanted to avoid more than anything was the possibility that when push came to shove and someone had to make a choice, they would abandon their position and their duty if someone they loved was in danger. It was not hard to understand why someone would do everything they could to save their partner, even if it meant abandoning their mission, and that was what they were hoping to avoid. Ravi understood what the rule was for, but he didn't think it was necessary. As much as he loved Roxy, he didn't think he would just let others suffer and die for her. At least, he didn't think he would. Roxy…Roxy wasn't exactly helpless, nor was he. With their training, they could look after themselves, so was it even an issue?

He had read the rule over and over again, trying to find if there was some loophole in it. He had heard that there were certain ranks in the military where it was forbidden from officers having relationships with enlisted soldiers, but if an enlisted soldier was already married to or in a relationship with another enlisted soldier and then became an officer then the relationship would be allowed to continue. He had looked up some military conduct texts, even legal documents to see if there was some way that the rule could be determined to be unfair, an unreasonable curtail on personal liberty or even illegal, but he didn't know if it could stick.

He just closed the book and threw it across the room in frustration. He didn't know if he could maybe talk to his mom about it. After all, he hadn't even told his mom about Roxy. She had always told him that she wanted him to be happy, and the one thing he was sure about was that Roxy made him happier than he had ever been. Maybe if she saw that, he could convince her to…

Then another thought came to him. He couldn't do that. Asking his mom to change the rules to suit him? That was exactly the kind of thing Blaze and his idiotic followers always said that he would do. They already kept saying that he only got where he was because his mom ran the program. If she quite literally changed the rules to suit her son, how would he ever be able to hold his head up and say he deserved to be a Ranger?

He didn't know what he was going to do about the rule, he hadn't even talked to Roxy about it. He wasn't even sure she knew about it yet. He didn't know how he was going to begin to discuss it with her. The only loophole he could see was that the regulation only forbade Rangers from dating EACH OTHER. It didn't say that Rangers couldn't date anyone that wasn't a Ranger. If only one of them became a Ranger, it was possible that the rule wouldn't be an issue at all. It was still possible that one or both of them wouldn't be chosen, but it still played on his mind what would he do if they did both get chosen?

He got his feet and started pacing the room, kicking his waste-paper basket in a fit of temper. Sometimes he hated the rules, but he couldn't break them just because he didn't like them, he just had no idea what to do about it.

Over at Riptide, Zoey was slurping a milkshake while the others watched on. She forced a smile as she looked to them.

"Thanks guys, you were right." Zoey told them. "This is totally better than just sitting in the dorm feeling sorry for myself."

"What can I say? I'm a genius!" Roxy congratulated herself.

"Yeah, this is great." Betty said as she spooned some strawberry ice-cream out of her milkshake. "You see? It's not so bad."

"I know, and I'm grateful to you guys." She told them. "I was in a real mood and…and I can always rely on you guys to help me out of that."

Zoey rolled her eyes as they heard another cheer going up from another corner. She was about to turn to glare at the noisy group in another part of the gym. Blaze and a bunch of his fans had come in to celebrate making the cut. She couldn't help feeling like it was rubbing her face in it a little. She couldn't begrudge them being happy at getting so far, she knew she'd probably be doing the same thing.

"Another round of shakes and fries all around!" Blaze called out, getting a huge cheer.

"Just remember, one soy shake here!" One of them called out.

Zoey was glaring, shaking her head as she saw Blaze tipping a glass in her direction. It just made the lump on her forehead throb even more intensely as she remembered seeing his stupid, smug face on the other side of the glass after she'd bounced off the door. Roxy took Zoey's hand.

"Just ignore them." She told her.

"I'd love to." Zoey sighed. "But I still have a splitting headache."

Roxy just grabbed her head, leaning across the table and kissed Zoey right on the lump on her forehead.

"There you go." She said cheerfully. "Does that help?"

"A…a little I guess." Zoey responded, finding it hard not to laugh that Roxy had decided to kiss her boo boo better. It was tough to stay mad when Roxy was around.

On the other side of the room, Blaze was hosting his own little party, ensuring he was the centre of attention. Just as he was receiving the order from the waiter, he could see General Burke coming in with Carter, Angela and Jason.

"Wow, now this place I like!" Jason commented loudly as he looked around. "This really is just like home!"

Blaze was happy to see that the panel was there. He was nothing if not an opportunist, and he loved thinking that he could get to see him in a good light. As he was dolling out the shakes, he saw that they all had red straws, except for one which had a green straw, likely so the waiter would know which one was the soy shake. He saw the party was too busy digging into fries, and took the opportunity to switch the green straw with the red one in one of the other shakes.

It didn't take long for his plan to come into effect. One of the cadets took a long slurp of his shake, completely unsuspecting of the fact it wasn't what he ordered. He suddenly let out a loud groan and ran from the room, heading for the bathrooms.

"What's his problem?" One of the others asked. Blaze took this opportunity to switch the straws quickly as another cadet went for his shake. By the time the first came back, all he saw was someone drinking a shake with a green straw.

"You OK man?" Someone asked. He stormed over to the table, glaring at the completely innocent cadet, who as far as he could see had taken his soy shake.

"You asshole! You took my shake!" He roared.

"What?" He asked.

"I'm lactose intolerant dipshit!" He yelled. "Dairy makes me sick! I was just puking my guts up!"

"It's not my fault you picked up the wrong shake." The other said.

"They always put a green straw in my shake!" He yelled, pointing at his shake. "YOU took my shake dickhead!"

"Wait, this isn't…" He didn't get to answer though, the first cadet snatched the shake from him and threw it straight in his face. The splash got several others at the table, and as they moved to avoid the splatter, the table was shaken and food and drink was scattered everywhere. Before long, the first punch was thrown and the whole scene descended into chaos.

"Hey, hey, HEY!" Blaze called out as he started to grab and separate the cadets. Jason and Carter quickly got involved as well to help separate numerous cadets who were at each other's throats.

"That is ENOUGH!" General Burke snapped. "I have NEVER been so furious with cadets under my command in all my life!"

"He started it!" The first cadet snapped angrily. "He took my soy shake and…"

"I don't want to hear it!" General Burke yelled. He looked around at the cadets, quickly ascertaining which ones had been involved in the fight. "You four. Consider yourselves cut from the program!"

They started to protest angrily, but General Burke just called them all to attention.

"All of you, back to the base NOW!" He demanded. "You have embarrassed yourselves and me enough for one day!"

As they were starting to file out of the Riptide, Jason looked to Blaze.

"Hey, kid." He said, raising Blaze's attention. "I saw what you did. Good job trying to split that up. Not everyone would get involved."

"Just trying to do my bit." Blaze replied humbly. Carter nodded and patted Blaze on the shoulder, before following General Burke out of the gym. Blaze got a cocky little smirk on his face. He never did miss an opportunity to rub the right shoulders, and this opportunity had just fallen right into his lap.