Legal: I do not own Power Rangers or the associated names, places, characters, events etc. Anything not covered by these rights should be considered purely the creation of the author.

Rating: T – there will be some mild adult themes, including language, violence and adult storylines.

Friday was a strange day in Summer Cove. It was a strange day because feelings about Friday were a lot more mixed than they were in other cities. Normally, for about ninety percent or more of the country…the world perhaps, Friday meant the end of a week. It meant an end of work, of school, it meant a couple of days of freedom. This wasn't something that was lost on Summer Cove. Most of the kids did have a sense of excitement as they tried to think of what they planned to do with their weekend before they needed to return to school on Monday morning. Unfortunately, though, thanks to Cosmo, Friday also meant something else. Friday meant that was the day every A&E unit was preparing for admissions to triple, perhaps even quadruple. Police departments had more officers on shift than any other day of the week, and the fire department were preparing for carnage. Friday was the day that Galaxy Warriors aired, and naturally that meant Friday was also met with a sense of dread.

The Rangers, even before the rest of the city figured out the pattern, always dreaded a Friday, knowing that was likely when they would face another attack. While it did mean that they were rarely caught by surprise and that they could prepare in a way for trouble, it also put more than a little bit of a damper on the week. As per usual, as they came in, the Rangers were a little subdued and a little on edge, waiting for their inevitable call to battle, but in the meantime they all had lives to get on with.

"Oh, look, snap!" Hayley joked as she and Calvin arrived, carrying buckets with cleaning supplies, finding Brody also with a bucket. He just smiled.

"I guess great minds think alike." He responded. The first class of the day was Mrs Finch's Maths Class, and this week she had set the challenge of a business studies project. The class were to divide into teams of two and come up with an idea for a small business to run. While the kids did learn through maths basics of how economics worked, namely the difference between positive and negative numbers, she wanted to ensure that the kids also got a short, sharp dose of reality before any of them thought they were going to drop out of High School and become the next Steve Jobs or Bill Gates. Business had so many hidden costs, so many moving parts that people would never even think about that most new businesses collapsed within the first two years of opening, and a significant number only lasted a few months.

The challenge was simple, each of the pairs was to come up with a simple business and run it for a weekend, and they would be graded on their success. Usually most failed miserably by the time everything had been tallied up and it was more a case of grading who had lost the least money, but on one or two occasions a project had broken even. The Holy Grail however was to turn a profit. Any team that turned a profit would be allowed to keep that profit, and the one that made the most profit would also win a trophy. So far though, in the five years Mrs Finch had run the challenge, no one had ever turned a profit. That didn't mean that the students weren't all eager to be the first.

"So, we're doing a pet grooming service." Calvin told him. "You?"

"Car wash." Brody answered. "I just wish I could find that Benny kid, he's meant to be my partner for this."

"Who's Benny?" Hayley asked. Calvin just shrugged his shoulders.

"I thought you guys had been here for years!" Brody stated.

"That doesn't mean to say I know every kid here!" Hayley protested. Levi arrived as they were talking.

"Hey guys." He greeted them. "So, this is the future of American business is it?"

"No, this is starting small." Calvin told him. "We figured if we start with a minimal investment then it'll be easier to make that investment back and break from the red into the black."

"That's a sound strategy." Levi said, nodding his head. "So, you're going for the minimal outlay approach as opposed to speculate to accumulate. Probably not a bad approach for a business you only intend to run for a couple of days."

"Listen to the captain of industry here." Calvin taunted the Gold Ranger. "Sorry, I wasn't aware you were an economic whizz kid."

"Yeah, you're probably right." Levi stated. "I mean being a professional musician for five years of course I have no idea about marketing, advertising, promotion, distribution, sales, tax, payroll…"

"Shutting up now." Calvin conceded as the bell rang.

"Well, that's one way to end that awkward conversation!" Hayley said, grabbing her boyfriend. "Alright, we'll see you later Levi."

"No problem." Levi answered with a smile. "Good luck!"

Up on the Warrior Dome, Cosmo was getting things ready for his extra special broadcast. Friday was always the busiest day for him, getting ready for the show, tonight was an extra special event. Tonight, the warrior he was sending was no ordinary warrior. Tonight, he was dealing with Royalty, and he wanted to make sure everything was up to a standard fit for their guest.

Princess Viera had become the Ruler of the Lion Galaxy, succeeding her father upon his death on Cosmo's own show. He was a little surprised at first that he was contacted by her, but from what he had heard her succession had not been a smooth one. The Lion Galaxy, which always was pretty much in a perpetual state of war anyway at least had some kind of order under a strong ruler, as her father had been, but it had been his lust for glory and bloodshed that had been his undoing. Like all bullies, one day he had run into someone stronger and tougher than he was. Seeking a further trinket in the form of the Galaxy Warriors Championship, he had run into Galvanax, and had met a grisly end at his hands.

Viera was young, and from what Cosmo understood, did not inspire the same sense of awe and fear her father had. Many disaffected nobles and more than a few warlords with aspirations of legitimacy had become emboldened with the King's passing, and the Lion Galaxy had descended into complete chaos as neighbours waged war on each other for advancement. Viera had concentrated on trying to stabilize the schism and so hadn't even arranged her coronation yet, which many took as a sign of weakness more than as a sign of her desire to see peace, a concept that many in her home system found laughable. She had contacted Cosmo to arrange a battle so that she could prove her strength, which as yet many saw as largely untested. Cosmo was not about to pass up a show like that.

"You there, do you call that a buffet?" He asked. "We're catering to a PRINCESS! This isn't the Green Room! Take all of this slop and throw it out at once! I want the very best of everything!"

"Cosmo, I need to talk to you!" Wrench babbled as he rushed into view, waving a clipboard as he ran up to him. "The budget for this show is getting out of control! The carpet, the catering…we've already blown the budget for ten shows on this!"

"Wrench my boy, you are production, not finance." Cosmo reminded him. "You just worry about making the show look fabulous and I will worry about making all that red ink into black ink."

"But we're already over by…"

"Wrench, I don't CARE how much we're over budget by!" Cosmo told him. "The studio audience tickets are going for a thousand Space Bullion a pop and they're still selling like hot cakes! The live pay-per-view pre-orders are in the trillions and that's before we even call action! You my boy need to calm down."

"There's…there's also the small matter of Lord Drillion." Wrench answered. He shifted a little closer. "We've tried to approach Princess Viera for the running order and he won't let anyone near her. He's already destroyed ten Basherbots!"

"Wrench, just give her some privacy." Cosmo answered. "She's a royal. If there's anything she needs no instruction in its public speaking."

"But…"

"Wrench, she's the ruler of the Lion Galaxy and she's bringing a bodyguard that has destroyed whole worlds." Cosmo answered. "Trust me, no one is going to care what she says."

"Cosmo!" Madame Odious called as she showed up. "The Champ wants to speak to you."

"Of course, I'll be right there." Cosmo assured her, before turning back to Wrench. "Wrench, I am telling you straight, this is a blank cheque. Whatever you want to spend on production, go ahead. I'll sign it off. Just make sure that show runs smoothly!"

As he walked away, Wrench just leaned against a wall.

"That's easier said than done with Drillion around." Wrench muttered, before returning to work.

Down on Earth, in Mrs Finch's class, the kids were all presenting their various business projects. The variation between the ideas ran the gamut from the surprisingly clever and promising, to some that were a little rushed or unambitious, to some that showed exactly why there were very few multi-millionaire business moguls under the age of 18.

"Sorry, I'm failing to understand…you're going to run a business…scooping up dog droppings?" She asked one couple. They started nodding furiously.

"Yeah, in my neighbourhood there are a ton of dog owners and a lot of them don't scoop!" One of them answered. "There's muck all over the place down there. So, we figure if we do it, then the place will end up a lot nicer and people will be happy!"

"I…see." Mrs Finch answered. She didn't doubt their story about the state of inconsiderate pet owners in their neighbourhood and how grateful people would be for someone to clean it up. Of course, she could only think that there was one glaring problem with their business plan. Namely, neither of them had seemed to consider the question who was going to pay them? "Well, good luck with that. Alright, Sarah and Preston, what do you have for us?"

Sarah and Preston looked to each other, before making their way out of the classroom. This caused a little bit of a stir since everyone else had pretty much had a very basic business plan that either only really required a brief explanation or required very little in the way of equipment. They were more than a little shocked as they wheeled a large trolley, covered in a white sheet into Mrs Finch's class. Mrs Finch leaned forward in her chair, clearly a little curious about this device as well. Sarah and Preston talked among themselves, trying to figure out which order they were going to speak in. Eventually they decided that Preston would lead off.

"Are you sick of cookies being a 'sometimes' food?" Preston asked the class, making the air quotes to put emphasis on the point. "Would you like to eat them for every meal of every day without making your mom mad?"

"Then dream no longer!" Sarah declared as he grabbed the sheet and whipped it off her machine. It looked like a giant E-Z Bake oven, with a pink exterior. Only there was a conveyer belt leading out of the side of it, and a giant cone on the top like a funnel. "Ta-Da! Allow us to present Sarah and Preston's Cookie Creator!"

"It's…a big E-Z Bake Oven." Victor scoffed. "Almost every five-year-old in town has one. What's so great about that?"

"Not every E-Z Bake Oven can do this." Preston said with a smile. "Tell them Sarah."

"Using a unique process of my own design, you can put any food you like in the top here." Sarah told them, pointing to the cone on the top. "And within moments a delicious, healthy cookie will come out right here!"

"So, no more will you have to decide between flavour and health." Preston said, using some of his stage presence. "Sarah and Preston's Cookie Creator!"

"So, this machine makes any food into a cookie?" Mrs Finch asked them.

"That's exactly right!" Sarah answered. "And just to prove it, I think a demonstration is in order. Who wants to try it out?"

Victor threw his hand up into the air and stood up before anyone else had a chance. Sarah rolled her eyes.

"Victor, what a surprise." She said sarcastically, looking to Preston. He was glad that they had run a test already. Sarah had predicted that someone would probably try out the claim that it would turn anything into a cookie and really put that claim to the test. Victor, she was sure, was just the kind of person that would try to trip them up in their initial presentation.

"Really?" He asked. "Delicious cookies from any food?"

"Well…yeah." Preston stated. "You know, anything edible. It won't work on asbestos or drywall or something like that."

"I highly doubt that." Victor stated.

"What, you think it WILL turn drywall into a cookie?" Preston asked, eliciting a laugh from the class. "Hey, the machine's good but it's not that good."

"Cute." Victor said in a withering tone as he snapped his fingers. "Bring me your lunch Monty!"

This caused a bit of a stir among the class, and Sarah and Preston looked to each other. Monty's lunches were pretty legendary in the school by this point. Back when he was getting bullied by Ace, and he was getting his lunch stolen, rather than confronting Ace about his behaviour, his parents had just started sending Monty to school with lunches no kid in their right mind would ever want to steal! Tongue, veal, kidney, sauerkraut, pickled cabbage, devilled eggs…Monty had grown accustomed to them but sure enough it would be the ultimate test for their machine. If they could make Monty's lunch palatable, then it would work on just about anything. Monty reluctantly brought his lunch box to the front of the class.

"Let's see, what's on the menu today?" Victor asked him. "Sardines."

The fish made a squelch as it dropped into the machine. Victor started looking around for other 'treats' that would test the rather bold claim that the machine would make ANY food into a delicious cookie.

"Broccoli." He declared, dropping pieces into the top of the machine. "And the piece de resistance, liver."

"Monty, dude, seriously does your mom hate you or something?" One of the kids asked as Victor tossed the meat into the machine. Sarah couldn't help gagging at the mere thought of it and was glad she didn't have to touch the vile thing. Instead, she just hit a couple of buttons to start up the machine. There were some noises, and soon the classroom was filled with some sweet smells that were surprisingly pleasant all things considered. After a few moments, a cookie rolled out of the conveyer belt, at which Preston picked it up with tongs, put it into a napkin and handed it to Victor.

"Here you go." Preston declared, hoping to pay Victor back at least a little for trying to mess up their report. Victor just turned to Monty instead.

"Here you go." He said, handing the cookie to Monty. The young kid took a tentative bite out of it, a little worried about the prospect of mixing his lunch with cookie ingredients. It was a little strange to think that a kid who once ate a whole carton of herring and red cabbage coleslaw would be worried about flavour. Everyone watched Monty, almost as though they were expecting him to explode, but after a few moments, he let out some contented sounds and looked to Victor.

"Say, this here is pretty good!" He commented.

"What?" Victor asked in disbelief. "Give me that!"

He took the cookie off Monty and tried it, and to his surprise, it really was pretty nice. He stared at Preston and Sarah in amazement.

"Hey, these are good!" He complimented them begrudgingly. Sarah and Preston both smiled and were about to hug, before stopping themselves and opting for a handshake, reminding themselves that they were in front of a class.

"Sarah, Preston, I think the public will really love your machine!" Mrs Finch complimented them.

"Thank you!" Sarah replied as she wheeled the device out of the way. Mrs Finch looked to Victor and Monty.

"And now, since you've managed to wait until everyone else has gone, and you've been kind enough to already make your way to the front of the class, let's hear what Victor and Monty have developed as a business idea." Mrs Finch stated, staring straight at Victor and Monty, who were currently still sharing the cookie. They both stared at her.

"Uhhhhhhhhh." Victor said rather eloquently. They had been hoping to ride out the class, that the bell would ring before they would have to present their idea. Victor had agreed to help Monty use the pictures he found from the relay race to try and track down his mystery dream girl.

"Well, um…see…the thing is…"

"We've…got to speak to a supplier!" Victor told her after stumbling to think of something to say.

"Yeah, that's right, a supplier!" Monty answered. "We have a business idea that is out of this world!"

"Well that's good." Mrs Finch stated. "So, what is it?"

"Um…" They continued to stare at each other and babble nonsensically, trying to think of a way to stall for time. Eventually the bell rang, much to their relief.

"Alright class, that's all for today." Mrs Finch stated. "I guess we'll just have to wait on a surprise from Victor and Monty, because as I'm sure you know boys, if you don't come up with a business idea, you both get an F! Class dismissed!"

As everyone started to get their things together and head for their next class, Monty looked to Victor.

"Victor, what are we going to do?" He whined. "We don't have a project!"

"I know Monty, we need something we can get a hold of right away, something that needs no prep time and something that doesn't need any start up capital." Victor stated, stroking his chin thoughtfully.

"I just wish we could have come up with something as good as that cookie thing." Monty grumbled. "I'm sorry about all that time we wasted Victor…"

"Monty, you're a genius!" Victor stated. Monty just stared at him.

"What?" He asked. "Wait, do you want to steal their cookie idea? Because I doubt I could make one of those things and I'm pretty sure it's against the rules…"

"Not cookies Monty, but what GOES with cookies?" He asked. "Follow me Monty, I have an idea!"

Monty didn't know what Victor was thinking, but right about now he didn't have any better ideas and so all he could do was follow his friend to what he hoped would be a business that would at least get them a passing grade.