Lee walked into the Rangers' base to see that Mover, George and Kit were at work operating the consoles. "What are you up to?", he asked sarcastically. "Trying to plan a surprise birthday party."

"Damnit, 6 months of preparation down the drain with only 4 weeks to start over.", George commented, laughing as he and Lee fist bumped each other. "As it happens, we were working on a new Zord for your Super Hydro powers."

"Thanks to the Engine Cell technology, we were able to give this one a more refined AI than our previous efforts with the Safari Zords.", Mover explained. "We also gave this one a beast mode and a vehicle mode, thanks to some tech leftover from Grid Battleforce after Squid Ink Inc. destroyed them."

"But we're currently running into some issues.", Kit said, before he turned on the screen to show the Zord bay. The visual on screen was a red, robotic lion smashing several targets and training dummies rather violently. "Namely, with the AI."

"What's up with the AI?", Lee asked.

"The AI program created for the Rescue Lion Zord is struggling to process fully with the limited hardware used to create it.", Leo answered. "Only fragments of the code could be uploaded properly, and they resulted in the Zord becoming feral."

"We"re working on fixing it.", Kit insisted.

"Well good luck with that.", Lee said. "I was just popping by to let you know I'll be headed out to the woods. George, you remember Caroline Bush, right?"

"From high school.", George realised. "How is she?"

"She's now a troop leader at Scouting America.", Lee answered. "Her troop's out in the woods, but she forgot some vital equipment for the trip. So she's asked me to deliver it personally. Want to come?"

"I'd love to, but I think you're aware of my prior arrangement.", George said as he indicated the Rescue Lion crashing into the camera. "I need to fix this mess, and I doubt that Kit wants to take a break from this situation."

"Thanks for your time.", Lee said as he turned to exit. "Maybe I'll have more luck with Anna or Bobby."

One phone call later.

"Sorry Lee, duty all day.", Bobby said, almost apologetic. "And I can't get someone to cover me either. So maybe check back tomorrow if it isn't urgent."

Another phone call later.

"Luckily for you, it's my day off.", Anna said to Lee. "And I know those woods like the back of my hand, since I was in the Girl Scouts." Lee asked her the obvious question, causing her to blush. "I don't want to talk about it. Let's just go and meet up."

A short time later, Geo and Rev arrived to the base. "Oh, Moe gone out?", Rev asked.

"No, he's still here.", Kit answered. "He's just in the Zord bay trying to control our newest, unruly asset."

"How's that going?", Geo asked, as he saw Mover's back slam into the wall so hard one of his wheels poked through. "Right, never mind."

"What exactly is the issue?", Rev asked. "Can't we reprogram it to listen to us?"

"We'd love to, but the AI's code is incomplete.", Kit shook his head. "We need to perform a second upload of an AI code in order to fully program it to obey."

"Noted.", Leo blurted out, as his eye lost its light and retracted.

"Oh sure, go out at a time as bad as this.", George fumed. "Well, maybe there's something in the technical specifications we can use. Grid Battleforce managed to work this thing out."

"And I'll help keep the kitty at bay.", Rev nodded as he leapt into the Zord bay through the window and enlarged to giant size, before grabbing onto the Rescue Lion. "Bad kitty."

"Thanks for the help, Rev.", Mover nodded. But then Rescue Lion transformed into a fire right by folding up its legs and retracting its head, while flipping the ladder over to the other side. "Aw scrap." He and Rev were then sent flying by a torrent of water from the hose.

In the woods, at a campsite near the river, a young, fair-haired woman saw her phone ringing, which she nervously picked up. "Hello?"

"C.B? It's me, Lee.", came the response from the other end. "Me and a friend are making our way to you now."

"How far away are you?", C.B asked, allowing some worry to enter her voice.

"We're at the edge of the woods now.", Lee answered. "We should be getting to your position within the hour."

"Please don't take too long!", C.B emphasised. "You might run into some cats not native to this area. They've set up a tent of their own. A very oppressive one. Well, have a safe trip. Bring the Power to you and all that."

As she hung up the phone, Grillion came over to peer down on her. "Who were you talking to?"

"Just a friend.", C.B insisted. "I called him to come over before you arrived and started messing around."

"Hey!" A new Automobeast, primarily yellow with two bulky red shoulder pads as the exception, and with a pointed head that had a fiery face protected by a grill stepped forward. "I am doing anything but messing around here. Every kid needs a good horror story at camp. I'm just making them live through it."

"There there, Camp Fright.", K.P said as she came over and patted the monster on the back with the hand that wasn't holding Meowbile. "I think your abilities are good for our current money acquiring scheme."

"And so is dis friend of hers arriving.", Meowbile pointed out. "Nonna dese kids have cell phones, so we can't call deir parents, and dis lady locked her phone so we can't use dat."

"But we can get something out of whoever just called her.", Grillion pointed out. "Which makes our guest here a mere piece of bait. So let's put her in a scary story too."

"One campfire tale coming right up.", Camp Fright laughed as he blasted C.B with a beam from his face, which caused her entire body sans her head to be trapped inside a tent, with her eyes being shut as she began to moan. "Unpleasant dream."

At the edge of the woods, Lee put his phone away to face Anna, who had shown up in stereotypical explorers clothes. "How is she?", Anna asked.

"She gave me some hints they were under attack by the Star Kats.", Lee answered. "What they want with a load of camping Scouts, I don't know."

"But I assume they"ll be expecting the two of us to show up.", Anna pointed out. "Even if they don't know were he Rangers right now, the numbers are against us, with three of our five man band out of the picture."

"But I think we can bring along a new challenger to even the odds.", Lee suggested as he took out his Shift Morpher and pressed the pedal.

Back at the Ranger base, as Mover and Rev struggled against the new Zord, Geo's Control Morpher started beeping, wih him pressing the right button. "What is it?", he asked.

"We've had a Mafia report out in the woods.", Lee's voice came from the other end. "And we think they might be expecting a Ranger to show up when we get there. So we need some interference running done."

"On it.", Geo nodded as he hung up the call. "Rev, we're on call now."

"Alright.", Rev nodded before he assumed his vehicle mode, with Geo leaping inside and morphing. "Sorry Mover, but duty calls." He then zoomed off through the gateway to the Hyper-Dimensional Road.

"Oh sure, leave me alone with the crazy cat.", Mover bemoaned as the Rescue Lion moved to attack the gateway, smashing it to pieces. "That's not good."

But before the Lion could pounce again, it reverted to the fire rig form, with a smaller fire truck transforming from its head and emerging from the combination to plug into the wall. "What just happened?", Kit asked.

"Oh it's nothing. Just unplugging the main core of the Rescue Lion Zord to do some necessary uploads to keep it from tearing this base into scrap metal.", a new female voice emerged from the terminal.

George was confused. "Wait, you're not Leo. And how do you know what's happening?"

"Correct assumption, Team Member George.", the new voice said in response. "I am Leo-2, a backup unit designed to function if the original Leo was ever shut down or had to leave the terminal. This is my first assignment. I look forward to working with you in the future."

"Woah, back up.", Kit spoke up. "Leo's gone from the terminal? Where'd he go?"

Before he could receive a straight answer, the smaller fire engine plugged back into the main rig, as the Rescue Lion resumed its animal mode. "Upload complete.", a familiar voice came from the mech. "Hello again."

Everyone was shocked by this. "So Leo uploaded himself into the Zord's Ai CPU?", Mover asked. "Well it does seem to have improved upon the issue of his random attacks."

"Right.", Leo nodded. "And in my new form, I look forward to - to -…" He then let out a howl of pain, as he collapsed to the floor, trying to clutch his head with his paws.

Out in the woods, Rev emerged from the Hyper Dimensional Road, returning to normal, while Geo leapt out. "So, is this the place they wanted us to go?", Rev asked.

A group of Robolts emerged from behind the trees. "Yep, this is the place.", Geo said as he took out his Control Morpher. "Game on." He then ran in to battle the Robolts, punching one back before tripping a second up with the handles of his Control Morpher. He then wrestled the third of the four to the floor, before the fourth pushed him back. "Time I took you out." He then fired an energy arrow that took it out.

"So we have someone wandering away from camp.", Camp Fright said as he arrived on the scene. "Looks like I'll have to trap you in a camping story of your own. He fired his beam, trapping Geo in a tent. "Shouldn't have triggered our silent alarm."

"Oops, egg on our faces.", Rev called out, as he turned around, beginning to run away. "I'll just go now."

"Not so fast.", Camp Fright declared as he blasted Rev, putting him in a tent. "We can't allow for any witnesses to give the game away early."

"Well good luck with that.", Rev declared. "Because you seem to have overlooked our friends breaking in through your front door."

"What?", Camp Fright gasped. "Well, looks like we need to move things up." He turned to a second group of Robolts. " over the kids to the industrial district. We're moving on to phase 2."

Back in the woods, Lee and Anna approached the entrance to the camp. "Are you sure the Star Kats have taken this place over?", she asked. "The place looks deserted."

"Exactly.", Lee nodded. "This place is supposed to be busy with campers. If it's empty, then something must've happened to them." He then stepped on a leaf, which caused a net to emerge from the ground beneath heir feet, trapping the two in it. "I knew it, a trap."

"And you fell for it." Grillion and K.P emerged from the shadows, with the latter holding Meowbile. "Now then, we'll be taking your phones, Mr…" K.P stopped herself in shock when she saw who was in the net. "P-P-P-Power Rangers?"

"Alright, your jig is up.", Anna stated. "What are you planning with those kids?"

"The scheme we planned was to hold those kids until we could get their parents to wire us some cash in exchange for their return.", Grillion explained.

"But none of da kiddies had phones, and da lady in charge wouldn't let us use hers", Meowbile continued. "Guess we'll hafta use yours."

"Good luck with that scheme.", Lee responded. "None of these kids come from rich families. Otherwise, they wouldn't be signed up for the Scouts, since that would require rich parents to want them to learn values. That was your first mistake."

"Oh?", K.P asked. "And what was our second?"

A flash ensued, with the net falling down, revealing that Anna had morphed and pulled out her Wheel Saber to cut through the net. "You forgot to take our gear off us." She then cut through the three tents nearby, releasing C.B, Geo and Rev. "Where are the kids?"

"That's what I'd like to know.", C.B said as she got up. "Nice to see you showed up with your Rangers, L.K."

Lee was shocked by this, but quickly composed himself. "When did you know?"

"Well the fact you go off the radar for years and then come back into public events around the same time new Rangers with exactly your aesthetic show up? Seriously, who else has visors in the shape of a circle?", C.B pointed out. "I've known for weeks, but I've not said a word to anyone."

"Good to know we can trust you.", Rev nodded. "Now then, back to business. Where'd you hide the kiddies, kitties?"

"They're at the industrial park.", K.P admitted. "Technorg took time out from whatever they're working on to watch over them."

"That's all we needed to know.", Lee decided. "Anna, get C.B out of here. Rev, alert Mover and the others of what's happening. Geo, you're with me. We've got some kids to rescue."

Back at the base, Mover went over to the collapsed Leo. "Leo, are you okay?"

Then Leo got up, knocking Mover back, before growling. "Must… destroy… Mafia…!" He then turned and ran towards a shaft in the wall, which opened to reveal a pathway through which the Zord ran, folding up its legs, rotating its tail and transforming its head to resume the form of a fire rig, which drove onwards.

"What just happened?", Kit asked.

"It appears that Leo was altered by the upload process enough that he was overwhelmed by the Zord's programming and ran out of the emergency door.", Leo-2 recounted, cheerfully.

"Which means he's out there in the city.", George realised. "We need to move to stop him before he does too much damage."

"I'm afraid that will have to wait.", Rev's voice came over the radio. "There's trouble at the industrial district. Lee and Geo will need your help." The call then ended.

"Looks like I'm dealing with the runaway cat.", Mover decided. "You guys get to the industrial district. And call up Bobby on the way."

"Alright.", George nodded as he and Kit ran out. "Let's go."

"Right.", Kit nodded.

At the industrial district, Lee and Geo pulled up in the latter's car, coming face to face with Technorg and Camp Fright. "So. Only two Rangers showed up to save the children.", the former noted. "Looks like you don't consider us important enough to thwart our scheme."

"Two's more than enough to take you down.", Geo said, confidently. "Besides, there's two of you, and I'm guessing you're about to step away, Technorg."

"You'd assume correctly, Violet Booster.", Technorg nodded. "Camp Fright, take care of them." They then teleported out.

"Well, you two had better bring it.", Camp Fright hissed as he summoned a staff with a pair of tongs on it.

"Oh we will.", Lee said as he and Geo took out their Morphers, both going through their sequences. "Ready!"

"Set!"

"Morph!/Log In!" In a few seconds, both were morphed into their Ranger forms, charging in to do battle.

"Time to cook your goose.", Camp Fright announced as he fired charcoal from his face section at the pair, who rolled out of the way.

"Formula Arrow!", Geo called out as he fired his weapon at Camp Fright, who deflected it. Lee took the opportunity to slash at Camp Fright with his Wheel Saber, before throwing a kick at the monster. Geo then moved forward to add a kick of his own, before both hit him with their weapons.

"Looks like we've got a little locked together.", Lee said as he and Camp Fright locked their weapons together.

"Time for you to go to sleep.", Camp Fright hissed as he summoned energy tents from the sky, which the two Rangers slashed and shot at. "Now to heat you up." He then fired balls of flame at the pair to send them flying.

As Lee knocked the fireballs away, Geo locked his Control Morpher with Camp Fright's weapon, which was on fire and caused heat to conduct to his suit. "Woah, this is stifling."

"Oh yeah, feel the burn.", Camp Fright laughed as he sent a flaming Geo flying backwards. "And now I'll bug your friend." He summoned energy cicadas to launch at a surprised Lee, who struggled to beat back the projectiles. "And now you'll be trapped in my tent with the kids for eternity!" He drew a triangle, which caused a tent to appear over Lee's head.

But before it could land, Geo fired two shots to tear it to shreds. "Steering Strike!" He brought the shots hurtling back past a ducking Lee to hit Camp Fright, knocking him over. "Now you can cool this hothead down.", he said to Lee.

"Good idea.", Lee said as he took out the Super Hydro Blaster. "Hydro Up!" Cocking the gun three times, before pulling the hammer, Lee assumed his power up form. "Red Hydro Booster!" He then ran in to face a recovering Camp Fright.

"Cool this!", Camp Fright yelled as he launched a torrent of flame, which Lee ducked to dodge, before jamming his weapon into Camp Fright's chest, sending the monster flying via a torrent of water.

"Acceleration Boost!" Lee moved behind Camp Fright at super speed, launching a powered kick that sent the monster rolling the other way. He then fired two shots before running in to punch his foe. He then dodged his foe's staff, before blocking it. "You'll have to try harder than that." He then kicked the monster to the floor.

"Now I'm really fired up.", Camp Fright said as he set himself on fire, before charging at Lee.

But Lee simply stood his ground, dragging his weapon across his wrist to trigger the two shoulder cannons on his armour. "Extinguish Blasters!" The two forces were locked in a stalemate, until Lee won out, sending Camp Fright flying into the air. He then cocked the weapon three times. "Hydro Nova!" He pointed the weapon upwards at the falling Camp Fright, hitting him with enough force to knock him to the ground, mortally wounded.

"All campers should get up at the crack of dawn.", Camp Fright cried out as he exploded.

As Lee posed triumphantly, Meowbile appeared. "Gigantify!" He fired his beam to enlarge Camp Fright.

In the city, Bobby was running in response to a message over the police radio. "Calling all units! A mechanical lion has been seen running through downtown, please consider it dangerous and approach with caution."

"I'm on my way.", Babby radioed back, when he saw the figure of Camp Fright emerging in the distance. "On the other hand, this might be more important." His Siren Morpher appeared and transformed him instantly into the Black Ranger.

Elsewhere, as the Star Kats looked on at their monster growing, Meowbile noticed something behind them. "Hey, are we hirin'? 'Cause dere's a big cat comin' our way."

Grillion and K.P turned around to see the Rescue Lion bearing down on them, pinning the pair to the ground. "Destroy… Mafia…", Leo hissed.

"Hey, that looks like one of the Rangers' Zords.", Grillion realised. "Except for the whole 'being alive' thing."

"Then perhaps he should leave us alone and go to where the Rangers are.", K.P suggested.

"Sorry, I've got a mission programmed. To stop you from harming people in danger by any means necessary."

"Den what about dem kiddies?", Meowbile asked. "We still gots them under our claws. Don't you goodie goods want 'em free?"

But what the Lion said next shocked all three of them, letting them know they were in danger. "Why should I care?"

Back at the scene of the fight, Technorg walked forward. "And this time, I will even the odds in our favour." They turned to a group of Robolts behind them, who backed away, terrified. "Don't be terrified, I have a gift for you." Technorg removed a handful of screws from their pockets, and sent them boring into the heads of the Robolts to make them grow giant as well. "And now I'll heat things up." They pressed button on their weapons to fire a ball of energy into a building the Robolts were surrounding, creating a cage of pipes around it.

The captured kids were teleported inside the building, seeing that they were surrounded by wreckage. "Now let's light this fire.", Camp Froght declared as he used his staff to set the building, and everything in it on fire.

"Somebody help us!", one of the captives called out. "Please save us."

The cry was heard by Leo, as he was about to scratch the Star Kats. "Ahh, I have to… save the people… That's my priority.", Leo growled as he turned and ran off.

The other 4 Rangers arrived on the scene. "Hope we're not too late.", Anna asked.

"I think we're in time to see things heat up.", Kit said, pointing out the burning building.

"The new Rescue Lion should be able to help.", George said as he handed a Zord module to Lee. "If he'll listen."

"We can only see.", Lee said as he took the module, inserting it into his Morpher. "Summon Rescue Lion Zord!" Lee found himself descending an energy fire pole and landing inside a unique cockpit, with him plugging his Shift Morpher into the steering wheel. "Lock In!"

The Rescue Lion proceeded down the road in its vehicular form. "Good to have you onboard with me, Lee.", Leo's voice, now much raspier than before, stated to him.

"Good to be aboard, Rescue Lion.", Lee responded.

The Zord approached the giant villain group, who were shocked by its arrival. "Where'd that come from?", Camp Fright asked.

"Water Shoot!", Lee said as he pressed the pedal of his Morpher, causing the Rescue Lion to spray water from the ladder, knocking the Robolts back.

"Ahh, that's cooling.", Camp Fright chattered as he was also sprayed. Eventually the force of the water blew the giant Robolts away.

"And now for the kids.", Lee said as he flicked a switch, causing the cockpit of the Zord to detach into the smaller fire truck, which Lee then revered onto the main rig's ladder.

"Now extending to appropriate distance.", Leo announced as the ladder raised the smaller fire truck to the top of the burning building.

"Thanks.", Lee called out as he leapt out, using his shoulder hoses to douse the flames surrounding the kids. "Follow me, kids.", he called out, with all of them nodding as they ran after him into the groove opened in the smaller truck.

"Time to bury you and your ambitions.", Camp Fright laughed as he began trying to push the burning building onto the Rescue Lion Zord. But the vehicle moved out of the way before he kicked the building into rubble.

Lee stopped to release the kids to run away. "Now we can focus on putting this guy out.", he said.

"Right.", Leo's voice responded. He tried moving forward on wheels, only to get stuck multiple times. "Time for our mode change."

"On it." Lee flicked a lever into position, causing the lion legs to unfold from the sides, with the ladder flipping 180 degrees to become a tail, while the cab transformed into a lion's head. "Lion Battle Mode, ready!"

"Let's go!", Leo called out as he leapt up the pile of rubble.

"Tiem for you to be burned out.", Camp Fright called as he blasted the Zord with flaming rings. But the Rescue Lion leapt through them to blast and slash at Camp Fright..

"Don't forget about us.", Bobby said as he and the others took out modules and their Morphers. "Summon Zords!"

Within minutes, the Vision Van, Blue Mountain, Crimson Saber and Battle Dozer Zords had arrived on the scene, and plugged into the Lion Zord's ladder to transform. "Zords, combine!" The Mountain and Saber Zords attached to the front legs, with the Van splitting in two to take up the hind legs the Dozer forming a hammer tail. "Lion Assault Megazord, ready!"

The now powered up Leo pounced on his prey. "Lion Assault Strike!" He then attacked Camp Fright with all of his new weapons.

"Looks like camp's been dismissed.", Camp Fright cried out as he exploded, after which the Lion Zord detached its weapons to stand triumphant atop the mountain made of rubble.

Much later, Lee and Anna brought Caroline into the base. "Are you sure we should be doing this?", George asked. "She is a civilian, and Agent Malcolm won't like us sharing secrets with her."

"She's also a civilian who knows about our whole operation.", Anna pointed out. "And besides, this was part of our agreement to keep her quiet. That and those selfies we took with the kids."

"Well I'd have done that anyway.", Kit interjected. "You know, build up the other kind of PR we're associated with."

Lee then took C.B's blindfold off, allowing her to view the base. "Wow. This is… amazing. How was this place built?"

"Not team detected.", the voice of Leo-2 intoned. "I will not answer her request."

"Come on, it's a good question.", Anna pointed out. "One we'd all like to know."

"Fine then, since you asked so nicely.", Leo-2 responded, in a snarky tone. "This base was created from taking Mover's ship and making some modifications to add human appropriate living facilities and communications arrays. Plus a portal to the Hyper Dimensional Road."

"A portal that's currently broken.", Mover added as he came in, wheezing. "I had to use my own body to send the Zords over, and that took a lot out of me. So until we can get it fixed, we can't rely on any of our auxiliary Zords other than the Rescue Lion."

"Sorry about that.", Leo said sheepishly. "I had trouble adapting to my new body."

"But you still came through when it counted.", C.B said as she went over to kiss the screen to the bay Leo was resting in. "Thanks for saving the kids."

"No problem.", Leo nodded. "I was just doing my job."

"Welcome to the team, Leo.", Lee said. "And you too, Leo-2."

"Thank you.", both Leos said in unison.