A/N: Guess who's back? Had a fun vacation, and I'm back to writing. Hope you enjoy it.

Legal: I do not own Power Rangers or the associated names/places/characters/events etc. Anything not covered by these rights are to be assumed to be purely the creation of the author.

Rating: T-there will be some adult themes.

The Summer was continuing, and by now, the heat was becoming an issue. It was growing in intensity, which in California was really saying something! People who normally didn't have much to worry about were succumbing to heatstroke and sunburn, meaning that doctors offices were seriously busy. Stores, cafes and restaurants were selling bottles of water by the caseload, and things were showing no signs of changing any time soon. It was so swelteringly hot, that instead of crowding out, the park and the streets practically emptied around midday, with people relying on air conditioning to stop themselves from suffering.

Out in the woods, under the heavy blanket of foliage to block out the worst of the heat, the Rangers were training. Well, they were trying to train, but as the sun reached its highest point, most of them were taking longer and longer breaks. The warm air made breathing a bit more of a chore, and so exhaustion was an issue, which was exactly the reason that Troy wanted them to work hard. He doubted that the Warstar would have conquered so many worlds if a little heatwave would discourage them, and so he wanted them to all be ready if they had to fight a major battle in these conditions. Gia was sitting on her trademark leather jacket, which she found herself wearing less and less these days due to its unfortunate habit of just making the heat and the sweating worse. Even then, her t-shirt was showing distinctive signs of damp, and her hair was significantly darker. She slugged some more water, grateful that Tensou was able to teleport them a steady supply so they didn't need to head back into town.

Noah was sitting a little way off, but it was an improvement. He was actually back to spending time with the group. He and Emma generally only exchanged a few words here and there, a sure fire sign that he hadn't yet plucked up the courage to resolve things with her. Gia and Emma both knew about his feelings for her, and they knew he'd struggled to be around her now she was with Troy. He seemed to be alright with Troy, which she had a little trouble deciding whether that was an indication that he hadn't told Troy, or if he had, and they'd cleared the air. Unfortunately, without doing the same for Emma was causing her friend no end of anxiety. Seeing Emma hand him a bottle of water, before coming back across to her, she couldn't help feeling badly for her. Emma took a lot of things to heart, and it pained her to know that she had caused Noah pain, even if she had no intention of doing so, or any idea she had. She sat with Gia, on her denim jacket. She gulped down some water, wiping sweat from her brow.

"Still nothing?" Gia asked. Emma just sighed and nodded sadly. "Emma, you can't keep beating yourself up over this."

"I just...I really hate what this has done to him." Emma told her. "I really...I just want everything back to the way it was."

"Well, if experience is anything to go by, I stopped believing things can be 'how they were' months ago." Gia answered. "Maybe all you can hope for is a slightly different friendship with him."

"I know, it's just...I guess it just sucks that it's taking so long." Emma answered. "I was hoping that it would get easier."

"It will." Gia assured her.

"Well, can it get easier a little quicker?" Emma asked rhetorically. Just then, she winced as Jordan came crashing to the ground a little way from them.

He, Jake and Troy were all still sparring in a three way contest. Jake, by virtue of his years of soccer, was used to playing a long and strenuous game in multiple climates. The Harwood team had played and trained right throughout the year, meaning they'd have to endure winter cold, and summer heat. Troy...well, he was just...Troy. Nothing stopped him from training. If he was able to stand on his own two feet, he would be the first one to start, and the last to finish.

Jordan kipped up back to his feet as Jake came in for another attack, and launched into a vicious kick to the ribs, doubling him over. Jake just rolled out the way, leaving them to it.

"OK, this is getting a little intense for me." Jake admitted breathlessly as Gia handed him some water. "God, this heat is killing me!"

"It's killing all of us." Gia replied, slapping a hand on his shoulder.

"Still, it's not all bad." Emma replied. They both looked at her, a little confused. "It does have certain advantages."

As the sparring match continued, Troy and Jordan's clothing was completely matted to them. As Jordan managed to pull a grapple by grabbing Troy's t-shirt, it was only the dampness that allowed him to slip out. Troy took the cue to prevent that happening again by taking off his shirt and throwing it aside.

"I take it you're enjoying the view?" Jake teased her. Emma just bit her lip and nodded.

The match hit a turning point as Troy managed to catch Jordan in a choke hold. Jordan struggled against it, and all his recent frustrations came to him vividly. In his last battle, he had been handed a decisive and humiliating defeat by Bluefur, the master of the Toxic Mutants. Although he'd had his fair share of tough battles, he had never really found himself hopelessly outmatched. Bluefur had taken everything he threw at him, and proceeded to lay waste to him. It was only the Rangers going into retreat as Noah activated the bomb that prevented him from suffering worse.

It was as Troy went with his every motion, denying his every attempt to release the hold that his mind just hit a red mist. All he could see was Bluefur laughing at him, treating him with contempt. In a swift move, he elbowed Troy hard in the ribs, winding him, before grabbing his arm, rolling through with it in a hard throw, taking Troy to the ground. He just didn't stop though, ending up on top of Troy.

It was as the first fist slammed into the side of his face, that Troy realised he was in trouble and covered up. His experience in Martial Arts was the only thing preventing Jordan's onslaught causing him serious harm as he continued to pound away, finding Troy's forearms in the way at every juncture. Eventually, the others pulled the two of them apart.

"Jordan, what the hell?" Troy demanded. He had trained with many Martial Artists, so he was no stranger to taking a few shots, but this wasn't the first time they'd had to have words with Jordan. Unlike Troy and Gia, who had learned from Martial Arts instructors in dojos, Jordan had learned his from a Special Forces combat instructor on military bases his dad was posted to. He had been taught, for the most part, full contact, and about disabling an opponent quickly and brutally. It was a different thing from what they knew, and while it did have its advantages, preparing him for the war in a way some of the others hadn't been, it was a little tougher getting him out of that mindset. "We've talked about this!"

"Sorry." Jordan replied quickly, before going aside to get some water. He pulled off his shirt, and gulped the water, before coming back. "So, back to..."

"Wait, that's it?" Emma asked. "Jordan!"

"Look, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done it." Jordan reiterated. "Now, Troy, how about..."

"I think maybe we've trained enough for now." Troy replied. "Maybe we'll hit the community pool or something. This heat is making us..."

"You think this is hot? Try training in Kandahar." Jordan stated.

"Look, we're all tired; we're all baking alive, maybe we should call time for now." Noah suggested. "I know I could do with some time somewhere with aircon."

"Second." Jake replied wearily. As Emma and Gia both nodded, Jordan realised it was pointless to protest. Although he was desperate to go on, to find and eliminate any weakness that Bluefur could exploit, he could see that he was outnumbered. He just sighed.

"I guess I'm heading home." He replied. "I'll see you guys later."

As he walked off, Emma just looked to Troy.

"Are you...?"

"I'll be fine." Troy interrupted her, watching as Jordan disappeared into the woods. "It'll probably bruise up in a little while, but I'll live."

"This isn't the first time he's lost it." Gia commented.

"Come on, he's getting better." Noah answered. "Maybe it's like Troy said, this heat makes everyone crazy."

"It wasn't you he punched in the face." Emma said abruptly, before backing off as she saw Noah looking at her. Perfect, this was exactly what she didn't want, to find herself picking sides between him and Troy. "I mean..."

"Like I said, it got out of hand, but I'm fine." Troy assured her, picking up his shirt. "Now, where are we going? Community pool?"

"Uh...not likely." Noah said sadly, pulling out his wallet and looking inside. "Allowance day isn't until next week."

"So get a job like any other teenager." Jake said with a shrug. Noah just looked at him wearily.

"Yeah, so says the guy whose dad earns my whole family's annual salary in the first two quarters." Noah answered. Jake just shrugged.

"Well, it was only a suggestion." He answered. "So...Brainfreeze?"

"I guess our options are limited." Emma agreed. "Besides, I'm sure Gia would just LOVE to go there."

Gia just punched her in the shoulder and glared at her. Emma was only teasing, and was careful not to blurt it out to the others, but Gia still told her everything. It was only days ago that Cat had told Gia that she was in love with her for the first time. It was a huge thing for Gia, who was so thrilled, she had to tell someone. Emma, although delighted for her best friend, just couldn't resist a few such carefully-placed comments.

"OW!" Emma whined. "Haven't we seen enough Ranger on Ranger violence today?"

"Well, ice-cream does sound good." Jake replied. "Do you think Gosei would mind us teleporting there?"

"I think that comes under his 'don't abuse your power for personal gain' rule." Noah suggested. "If we start walking now, we'll get there just after the lunch rush."

Elsewhere, at the site of the old chemical plant, Vrak strode into the centre, finding mutants scurrying around, performing a number of vital repairs. The plant, having been built for manufacturing dangerous chemicals, had mostly survived structurally speaking, but Noah's rather generous use of plastique explosives had left the place a complete mess. Even out here in the main chamber, what Bluefur liked to think of, and insisted his underlings referred to as his "Throne Room", was charred, and much of the structures that he viewed as twisted artwork to decorate the haven that was the centre of his "Kingdom" was obliterated. The entire furnace area had been completely destroyed, but by virtue of being built to withstand blasts, it had taken the brunt of the damage, and left most of the building intact. Bluefur was directing the cleanup operation as he heard a hush. He turned slowly, finding Vrak dragging the corpse of one of his mutants, one that seemed to have been a groundhog at one time.

"You...you have a lot of nerve to show your face in here!" Bluefur snarled as he approached. "Your creation failed, your experiment was destroyed, my home has been left in ashes, and you DARE to come into my throne chamber uninvited and dragging the body of one of my guards?" Bluefur roared as he stood, towering over Vrak, flexing his muscles. Vrak just dropped the body.

"He said I couldn't speak to you, even though it is a matter of some importance." Vrak commented, dropping the corpse on the floor. "It was unfortunate, but unavoidable. Perhaps he would make a handsome cloak?"

Bluefur just held up a hand as some mutants closed in. Even Vrak knew he was playing a dangerous game. The mutants had a kinship, a brotherhood, a kind of connection that was alien to the Warstar. They were united in being unnatural creatures that should never have existed in the first place. They were all united in being shunned by all creatures, even those that at one time had been their kin. They were united in a way that made them dangerous even beyond their individual strength. Any mutant would rush to defend another regardless of the foe. Vrak killing one of their own was bad enough, but to insult and demean the act was tantamount to a declaration of war. The mutants though still followed Bluefur's instruction and backed off, even though only a single motion would lead to every one of them tearing him apart within seconds.

"Explain your presence quickly." Bluefur put down bluntly. "I may change my mind."

"I know that my experiment was not fully developed, and its destruction has delayed it." Vrak began. In truth, it had decimated his plan. He had kept none of his research on the Warstar flagship. He had kept none of his data or equipment there, fearful a similarly ambitious comrade would steal it and make him obsolete. The destruction of his lab had effectively destroyed everything of his work that wasn't in his head. Realistically, it could take years for him to recover the point where he was, never mind improve it to the point he wanted to. "However, I have come again to advise you in strategy, and humbly suggest a plan of attack to rid ourselves of our mutual..."

"Oh do shut up!" Bluefur snapped. "If your head was any further up my rear you'd be able to tell me what I had for my last meal!"

"Sire..."

"The last battle, while a disaster, was also very educational." Bluefur told him. "I personally faced their mightiest weapon, their Robo Knight, and frankly, I was not impressed."

"With all due respect..."

"With NO due respect, so far all your plans have accomplished is the destruction of my throne room!" Bluefur interrupted him, panning his arm around. Since his throne room had been built in the ruins of a disused chemical plant from parts he'd scavenged from several dumps, in all honesty Vrak didn't notice the difference, still Bluefur was still enraged by it. "I think it is time for one of my plans."

Just then, a door flew open, and six figures made their way in. The fact that none of the mutants thought twice about them being there indicated that they were mutants, but that was the only way to tell. All of them wore roughly-made robes that covered them from the floor, all the way up, ending in a hood that shielded their faces in shadow. They had their arms laced inside their sleeves, hiding their hands. They all looked the same with the exception of some personal trinkets that were also clearly home made. Chains wrapped around their waists and necks carried all manner of broken glass bottles, pieces of scrap metal, sparkplugs, engine parts. The one at the head of the group had a necklace made from thick, heavy string, which bore the mud-splattered head of a child's doll, with one eye missing, and clumps of its hair ripped out. Vrak had studied human culture, and as they arrived and fell to their knees before Bluefur, he saw similarities to something he had seen before. With the exception of the scrap decorations and matted, filthy robes, their style and behaviour appeared to be like that of some cult. As they brushed past him to stand before Bluefur, he recoiled in disgust, struggling to keep his stomach contents as he smelled a horrendous odour of rotting flesh, and filth that he didn't even want to contemplate. They fell to their knees, parting their arms and flapping their arms to make their sleeves cover their hands, before pressing their heads to the floor in reverence. The one at the head, the one with the doll's head amulet, merely bowed his head forward a little.

"Vrak, I would like to introduce you to The Brotherhood." Bluefur announced with a smile. "They will succeed where you have failed. You can concentrate on continuing your discussions with your Admiral about our dominion over this planet once we are through with the humans."

"Them?" Vrak asked, looking to the cloaked mutants. "You think they...?"

"Does the alien messenger doubt your wisdom or our strength my Lord?" The lead cultist asked. Bluefur just looked to Vrak.

"I would question the same Priest." Bluefur stated. "What of it Vrak?"

"They...they are..."

"We are The Brotherhood." Priest stated, like that was explanation enough. "All who stand opposed to us die."

"I think you may have underestimated..."

"Underestimation is your talent, not ours." Priest stated, standing and pointing towards Vrak. His robe fell back enough to expose his hand, which was gnarled, grotesque, bony and seemingly only barely covered in a filthy, leathery flesh. It looked like the hand should not have been capable of moving, since he could see no evidence of muscle beneath the taut skin, but could see darkened veins of an unnatural colour. Its fingers ended in nearly six inch long claws that were yellow and grimy. "If you would like a demonstration..."

"That won't be necessary, besides, the Admiral would only send another envoy, and he may be even more irritating." Bluefur stated. "I believe this climate will be ideal for your particular...talents."

"It will indeed My Lord." Priest replied as he bowed reverently. It was only then that his followers got up, keeping their heads bowed. "Oh, there is just one thing."

He pointed to the corpse of the Groundhog mutant.

"Are you going to eat that?" Bluefur just waved it off, at which the cultists hefted the body onto their shoulders, and left, following Priest. Vrak just shook his head in disbelief, but he knew better than to question it. He instead just chose to leave before Bluefur changed his mind and called off his order that he not be touched.

The Rangers all got to the Brainfreeze, finding the place pretty well packed. One of the effects of the heatwave was that people had gained an insatiable appetite for ice-cream. As they got in, the others found a table, while Jake and Gia went to order. Gia had kind of a sneaky way of ensuring they got quick service, even when it was busy. It was just one of the fringe benefits.

"Hey, you guys are here!" Cat screeched, running over to hug Gia. Jake just chuckled nearby and sat on the edge of a table. Only months ago, Gia would probably have called him out on something similar, using flirting as a way to get speedy service he wasn't entitled to. He was genuinely happy that Gia had found someone that made her happy in a way he knew that he wasn't entitled to.

As Cat started to make up Gia's order, catching up as she did so, he noticed Theo smiling and picking up a microphone.

"Alright ladies and gentlemen, we have a very special surprise for all of you!" Theo announced as Luen tried to calm the crowd. "Back where he belongs, the one you all know and love, give it up for the Hero of Harwood Mall, Ernie!"

The customers all turned to the door just as Ernie arrived, walking on crutches. His injuries from the nail bomb were extensive, and he was clearly still a long way off being back to full health, but everyone knew how much he loved the place, and didn't doubt he would be back in his own home as soon as the doctors would allow him to leave. He was limping heavily, and his expression showed how much effort it took to walk, but he smiled as he came back into the shop. Everyone cheered and applauded as he walked in.

"It's so good to be home!" He announced as he took in their cheers. Gia walked over towards him, unable to believe what she was seeing. She had visited him a couple of times in hospital. It meant the world to her that he had risked himself to save her and Cat when he saw the bomb. She just stood, staring at him, her lip quivering, her eyes watering up, and her mind unable to find anything of meaning to say. Instead, she just wrapped her arms around him, taking him in a huge hug. Cat joined her, having also been saved by him as everyone cheered.

"I can't believe you're back." Gia whimpered. "Are you...I mean...shouldn't you be...?"

"I have spent quite enough time in bed." He told her, holding the girls tightly. "Believe me, it will be a while before I am getting behind that counter, but it's good to be home."

"It's good to have you home." Gia replied, beaming brightly.