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

Rating: T – there will be some adult themes.

Noah was at his locker, sorting some books and assorted items into his bag as Jake arrived by his locker, looking surprisingly sad for a student on a Friday afternoon at Harwood High School. While all the other students were incredibly high-spirited, looking forward to the weekend ahead, and all the plans they had made, dates, sports games, parties...or even just lounging around in front of the television, Jake's plans were decidedly limited. It was the first weekend since he had been grounded for a fortnight for assaulting another student. While he still believed that Dean deserved everything he got, and a lot more for spreading Gia's secret before she was ready to confide in people, he still regretted the fact that it restricted his ability to hang out with his friends.

"Hey." He sighed dejectedly. "Want to come over this weekend?"

"Really?" Noah asked. "I thought you were grounded."

"I am, but mom and dad decided that it would be more of a punishment if I spent my weekend studying." Jake informed him. "They know you always push me when I study. As long as I promise no video games or leaving the house, I think they'll probably be alright with you coming over to make sure I work."

"Well, I'd love to visit, but I'm afraid I have some plans of my own." Noah told him. Jake watched as she loaded some circuit boards into his bag.

"Extra credit project for Mr Farley?" Jake asked him. Noah just shook his head.

"Not this time, actually this stuff is for Tensou." Noah informed him. Jake just frowned.

"Wait, Tensou?" He asked. "What, is he sick or something?"

"He's a robot, he doesn't get sick." Noah reminded him, shaking his head gently. "No, he just contacted me out the blue and said he had seen the programme I wrote to hack Dean. He then asked me to get this stuff and meet him at the command centre this weekend."

"Why?" Jake asked him.

"I guess I'll find out." Noah told him. "Sorry I couldn't be more helpful."

Just then, they saw Gia and Emma arriving. There were a few students giving them some looks, and a couple of whispers, but on the whole things were dying down. Since Gia had confronted almost the whole student body, demanding that they say anything they had to say to her face, she had very effectively disarmed them of the power of their words. Showing them that she could withstand the barbs being thrown at her, they had started to back off. While she still heard some things being whispered, the fact was that now she wasn't reacting to it, they were starting to get bored, and were starting to look for the next scandal.

"Hey guys, are either of you free this weekend?" Jake asked them. "Come on, I'm going to be locked up at home all weekend! Can someone come over and study with me so that it doesn't completely suck?"

"Sorry, but I'm kind of busy." Gia said regretfully. "I'm moving."

"You're...you're moving?" Jake asked. "Isn't that a little extreme? The other kids..."

"Don't worry, I'm not leaving town or anything." Gia told them, looking to Emma who smiled sweetly.

"I talked to my dad and explained what happened." Emma informed them. "He said that Gia can stay with us."

"Ernie's great and everything, but his apartment isn't exactly huge." Gia told them. "He understood when I told him."

"Well, I'm glad things worked out for you." Jake said sincerely. Just then, the doors opened and his dad walked in, looking a little sour. Jake just sighed.

"Well, that's the warden." He sighed. "I guess I'll see you guys next week."

"Unless there's a monster attack." Noah told him. Jake just nodded. While he knew it would only risk further punishment, he knew that his responsibility as a Ranger had to come first. He could face the wrath of his parents later.

"You know I'll be there if I'm needed." Jake assured them, before heading over to his father. Gia just looked at the others.

"Well, I have to go and get my stuff from Ernie's." Gia added. "I'll see you back at yours."

"I'll see you there." Emma replied. Noah just looked a little surprised.

"You're not going with her?" He asked. Emma just smiled.

"I would, but one of the Freshman kids in the nature club told us he's found something amazing." Emma explained as she started to walk with him. "A Hallderman Click Beetle."

"Seriously? That's amazing!" Noah asked her. Emma just took a step back, looking a little surprised. "They aren't normally native to these parts."

"You...you know that?" She asked. Noah just shrugged.

"Just because I'm happier with a computer than a nature hike doesn't mean I don't appreciate other branches of science." Noah explained. "They don't normally do well in this climate though."

"That's why the kid captured it. He's keeping it so he can control its environment, keep it somewhere it can be happy." Emma explained. "Obviously I'd prefer it if it could be released back somewhere with its own kind, but this is the next best thing. He agreed to let me take pictures of it for our database."

"I didn't know you were into that kind of thing." Noah teased her, kind of payback for her presumption that he wouldn't know what the click beetle was. She seemed to take it as what it was and nodded.

"It means we don't have to use paper." She said with a smirk. Just then, they saw Troy coming towards them, reading a book. Because of this, he didn't see where he was going, and almost walked into another kid. It was one of the local bullies, Calvin, and his huge, hulking side-kick Dirk. They, like the other kids, had been quick to get on Gia's case about the fact she was gay, but now that she wasn't giving them the satisfaction they wanted by rising to their taunts, they were looking for new targets. Troy looked up as he almost bumped into the smaller of the two, Calvin.

"Sorry." He muttered, before stepping aside. Dirk did likewise, getting into his path. Troy just looked up as Calvin came into view, meaning that he was now between the two bullies. He put his book away.

"Hey wait." Noah said as he saw Emma about to intervene. He could see by the look on her face that she was intent on stepping in to help, but he didn't see the need. Troy had shown them more than once that he was more than capable of handling himself.

"There're two of them." Emma pointed out. "Besides, we already have one Ranger grounded for another week, the last thing we need is a second going the same way."

"Trust me, Troy's got this." Noah told her. "He's cool as ice."

Troy just took a deep breath, and looked Calvin straight in the eye.

"Can I get past please?" He asked. "This corridor's big enough for all of us."

"Do you know what we call new kids around here?" He asked him. "Fresh Meat!"

Dirk jsut stood, chuckling mindlessly. Troy took a deep breath and focussed. Just as he had always been trained, he had every intention of using violence only as a last resort, but that didn't stop his instincts kicking in. Dirk was significantly bigger, so he had every intention of taking him down quickly before he could do too much harm. As for Calvin, he was about the same height, but was a little skinny. He wasn't as much of a threat as Dirk. Troy realised that Calvin was the brains of the outfit, not that that was saying much, and so he figured that facing him down was the way to go. He just made sure he kept track of where Dirk was in case he tried to get the drop on him. Calvin saw the way he was looking at him.

"What's wrong new kid? You gonna cry?" Calvin asked him. Troy just glared at him.

"Look into my eyes." He stated. "Do you see any tears?"

Calvin didn't know what to do. With Dirk by his side, people generally didn't stand up to him. Having a guy bigger than many linebackers standing right behind him tended to instil fear in the people he taunted, but not Troy. He could tell that Troy had called him on his veiled threat. Now, he had two choices, he could actually try his luck, something he was hesitant to do, or walk away, hopefully without appearing too weak. He just sneered.

"This kid's boring me." He snorted. "Come on Dirk."

As they both left, Troy went to his locker, where Emma and Noah were waiting. Emma was smiling, completely impressed. She had been worried that Troy would get into trouble, or that he would get hurt if Dirk and Calvin had chosen to attack him. In the end though, he had managed to end the situation without a single punch needing to be thrown. She was finding it hard not to stare at him.

"Dude, that was totally awesome. You were like Nightwing or something!" Noah complimented him. "How do you stay so calm?"

"I used to get bullied as a kid, that's why my parents put me into Karate in the first place." Troy told them. "My first sensei always told me that bullies are kind of like dogs."

"Dogs?" Emma asked, looking a little confused.

"Yeah, you don't see a Doberman or an Alsatian barking at everything that moves." He explained. "Because they're strong enough to know they'll be safe. Something like a Jack Russel though...it's scared of other dogs. It knows it could get hurt, so it makes as much noise as possible, draws attention to itself so that all the other dogs know it's dangerous."

"It puts on a show." Noah concluded. Troy just nodded.

"The ones that make the most noise are always the ones with the least confidence that they can get what they want without making others more scared than they are." He continued. "Often, if you face up to them, they'll be the ones that back down. They're too scared to back up their threats."

"What about when they are?" Emma asked him. Troy heard a wail from down the hall, and Dirk's distinctive brainless laugh.

"You know what a Black Belt is?" Troy asked Emma and Troy just nodded. "By the time I was fourteen, I had four."

He rounded the corner, finding that Dirk and Calvin had indeed found a new victim. He looked like a Freshman, short and just a little chubby, with glasses. He was jumping around between the bullies, reaching for and trying to catch a yellow and clear plastic container they were throwing around.

"Hey, give that back, you'll hurt it!" He whined. "There's a live bug in there, you'll hurt it!"

"Eugene?" Emma called out, seeing the kid. She suddenly started to feel her anger rising, making her way over a few paces behind Troy. Eugene was the kid from her biology club, which meant she knew what was likely to be in that container. "The Click Beetle!"

"Aw...you gonna cry, cry baby?" Calvin asked him. Eugene just stared at him, close to tears. Calvin just seemed to take a sick satisfaction in the torment he was causing. At least, he did...up until his wrist was caught in a powerful grip and twisted sharply. He could feel it bending a way it was clearly not meant to go, and felt intense pain. He looked up, seeing Troy as he snatched the container away.

"Don't!" Troy warned Dirk as he was about to move. "I'll break his wrist long before you get to me."

He then just turned to Calvin.

"Just because you're bigger, doesn't make you better." Troy told him, shoving him away. Calvin just held his wrist, which was in intense pain. "No matter how small, everything deserves respect."

"Whatever freak show." Calvin replied as he and Dirk walked away. "We'll be back for you later, when you don't have the babysitter kid."

As they left, Troy handed the container back to Eugene.

"Thanks." He said gratefully.

"No problem kid." Troy told him. "Say, what is that anyway?"

"It's a Hallderman Click Beetle." He told him.

"They're really rare, especially in these parts. I think this might be the only one in Harwood County." Emma told him, coming over to Eugene. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'll be OK, thanks to him." He replied. "The container isn't broken, and the beetle doesn't seem to be hurt."

"Then, maybe we can go and take those photos I promised." Emma answered.

"Well, I have training to do." Troy stated, looking to Eugene. "Have fun kid."

"I need to be going too." Noah told them. "Ten...uh...dad won't wait forever."

As they both left, Emma put her arm around Eugene and took him away. She cast a long look down the hall.

"What a guy." She whispered softly. Eugene just looked up at her.

"Are you into him or something?" He asked her. Emma just tried to hide her face with her hair.

"Let's just get those pictures taken and write up some notes." She told him. "The sooner we can get him back to your tank, the better."

Meanwhile, on the Warstar ship, Creepox came into a room, finding Vrak tending to some wounds. Although he had pulled out before the Rangers could do too much harm, he had taken some damage. Creepox just leaned against a pillar, watching him tend his injuries.

"Well, it looks like your buddy Dizchord did a really good job of helping put the Rangers in their place." He taunted him.

"Careful Creepox." Vrak snarled. "I may be injured, but after being humiliated like that..."

"Humiliated? I'll say. You have no idea how hard I laughed." Creepox chuckled. "I don't know what was funnier, watching you getting blasted clean across the city, or the way our lord dressed you down in front of everyone! I had to record the whole thing so I could watch it again and again and..."

"That is enough Creepox!" Vrak snapped, getting up. "I may have failed in that last endeavour, but I have still done much more than you ever have! You're just too obsessed with your petty grudge with the Red Ranger! You are doing nothing to further our cause!"

"Oh, but I am." He stated. "Once I take out the Red Ranger, the strongest of them, the others will fall in short order."

"Big words." Vrak sneered. "But that is all they are. At least I have put my money where my mouth is. I've put myself on the line, and have the scars to prove it. What have you done lately?"

"Funny you should ask." He answered. "As it happens, I have something in mind."

With that, he turned and left the room. Vrak went back to tending his injuries.

"Well, this could work out well for me." He stated. "If he actually succeeds, then I can launch my own attack. If he fails...well, at least I won't have to compete for my master's favour."

Back in Harwood County, Gia was in Ernie's apartment, gathering up her possessions. There wasn't much, she hadn't had much time to pack when her father had decided that his prejudice was more important to him than his daughter.

In some ways, she felt a little guilty about leaving. Ernie had been willing to take her into his home when she had no one else to turn to. Leaving like this almost felt like she was being ungrateful, but the fact was that Ernie's apartment wasn't big enough for both of them. As she packed up the last of her things, she zipped up her bag, and made her way into the main apartment, finding Ernie waiting for her.

"Do you have everything?" He asked her. Gia just nodded.

"Ernie, I don't want you to take this personally." She said apologetically. "You took me in when I had nowhere to go. You have no idea what that meant to me."

"Anything I can do to help." Ernie said with a smile. "I understand, a teenage girl needs her own space. This apartment was never an ideal solution."

"I just...I really am grateful." Gia stated. "If there's anything I can do..."

"Just keep coming to visit." He insisted. "I'd like to know you're doing alright."

Gia reached in, hugging him tightly. Ernie returned the gesture gratefully. As they parted, Gia looked at him.

"It's a shame you don't have a family." She told him. "You'd have been a great dad."

"Thank you." Ernie replied, forcing a smile. He hadn't told Gia about what had happened to his own family. He knew that there was no way she could have known, she couldn't have meant anything by what she had said. "I hope you are happy."

With that, Gia shouldered her bag, hugged Ernie one last time and left. Ernie just watched her go, hoping that she could find some peace in her life. Between the upheaval in her family, and the fact he had already figured out the responsibilities she had as a Ranger, he knew that for someone so young, she had a lot weighing on her. He could only do what he could to try and ease some of the burden, and right now, letting her go and stay with a friend was the best thing he could.