Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers Ninja Steel

Brody was on cloud nine. It had been ten years since he had last seen his brother and their last memory together hadn't been the best. His father had just found the Ninja Steel when they were attacked. Brody had been in his yard training and Aiden had been inside working with their father. When Brody was in trouble, his father ran out to help him and tasked Aiden with the responsibility of hiding the ninja steel. Aiden ran off, and Brody watched his father die before he was taken prisoner on Galvanax's ship.

Since that day, Brody had made it his mission to be reunited with his brother. Finally, that mission had come to an end. Aiden was standing right next to him.

"The base is this way," Brody told his older brother as they climbed over the rubble that was their school. Most of the structure was still intact, but the inside of the building had fallen in on itself. Since summer was approaching anyways, the school didn't bother finding somewhere else to take the students, extending summer vacation.

Fortunately, when the Rangers created their base, they had reinforced everything, meaning the Ranger base was the only part of the building to remain, despite how it looked on the outside.

"Mick! RedBot!" Brody called out as he walked in, excited to show off his brother to his two best friends. "This is Aiden!"

Mick's face was pale as he looked to Aiden and RedBot froze. Aiden put his hands up defensively.

"I know. I know," he said. "Last time I was here…"

"Brody, are you sure this isn't a trick," Mick said, pulling the red Ranger away from Aiden so they could whisper. "This brother of yours already attacked our base. He works for Madam Oedius."

"That wasn't his fault," Brody shook his head and gave Aiden a pat on the back, "Tell them, bro."

"Madam Oedius captured me after I hid the ninja steel," Aiden nodded, and looked to Mick, RedBot, Sarah and Kelly. They were all the ones he needed to convince. If they could learn to trust him, the rest of the team would follow right behind. "She trained me to be her warrior, and threatened me if I didn't do what she said."

"We know what Madam Oedius is like," Brody explained to Mick and RedBot, "She's probably crueller that Galvanax."

"She's a lot sneakier about it," Aiden nodded his head. "She's made me do a lot of things that I regret, especially lately, but if I wanted to survive, it needed to be done."

"Just like us," Brody said to his friends. "I mean, you remember some of the things Galvanax had us do, remember?"

"What happened with that bomb, going after those babies, that was the last straw," Aiden said and shifted his attention over to Kelly and Sarah. "I couldn't bring myself to hurt anymore people. I decided I couldn't live with myself if I did, so I risked it all trying to escape."

"Bullshit," Sarah muttered. Aiden approached her.

"I know you don't believe me. I know I did some really bad things to you, to your girlfriend, but I'm here now and I want to make up for all of it."

"You don't have to make up for any of it," Brody shook his head. "Aiden, I'm just glad you're back."

"Brody…"

"Sarah, he's my brother."

"And he just so happens to show up now?" Sarah asked. "And if he really did escape, like he said, why isn't Madam Oedius coming for him? We made it all the way back to the base without incident?"

"Madam Oedius tried to have Sarah killed when she let me go," Kelly pointed out. "And it wasn't like I could really offer her anything else. I'm not exactly the warrior type."

"She might come after me still," Aiden said. "Madam Oedius is calculating and patient. She won't dive right into an attack without a plan. That buys us some time, too."

"We can catch up," Brody smiled. "I can show you around the city, take you back to the house and you can get to know all my friends."

Brody looked to the other Rangers but instead of being met with smiles and welcomes for Aiden, he noticed they were all looking conflicted. "Guys…"

"I don't trust him," Sarah shook her head. "You do what you want, Brody, but if he's around, I'm not."

"Sarah, come on," Brody frowned. "This is my brother! If your dad came back, you wouldn't be questioning it either."

"My dad didn't kidnap my girlfriend, poison me, throw bombs at babies and kill a Silver Guardian," Sarah said. "Your brother did that. And I think before we forgive him, we need to demand answers."

"I complete under…" Aiden started to say, but Brody silenced him and glared at Sarah.

"You have no idea what Galvanax and his followers did to me and my family," he growled. "You have no idea what it's like being a prisoner on his ship. Aiden did what he needed to survive. I don't think it's right for us to blame anything on him."

"Fine, Brody, you do what you want," Sarah said. "Show him our base, tell him our secrets. Give him a freaking Power Star for all I care. Until he proves to me that he can be trusted, he's not on my team."

"Then you're not on my team," Brody said. He turned to his friends, "Right?"

"I… uh…" Calvin, Preston, Hayley and Levi looked to each other, uncertain what to do. On the one hand, they had to trust that Sarah, Kelly, Mick, and RedBot were right, and that Aiden was the one who had been causing them so much trouble lately. Not to mention, he had admitted to everything Sarah had accused him of. On the other hand, he was Brody's brother, and they could understand that being a prisoner, he would have had to do some unthinkable things just to survive.

But now, they were being asked to pick sides between two of their friends. It wasn't fair.

"Guys," Brody pleaded. "It's Aiden. It's my brother."

"We just want to be a team," Levi stated.

"I've lived with Madam Oedius and Galvanax for ten years," Brody said and he turned to Mick and RedBot for support. "I know what they can do. We all do. We have to believe my brother."

"If he's even your brother," Sarah pointed out. "It's been ten years, Brody."

"Take that back!" Brody shouted.

"I know this is what you want! I know that if this were my dad, I'd want to be convinced right away, but Brody…"

"You have no right to insult my brother like that!"

"I don't want to leave it up to his word," Sarah said. "Brody, he's already attacked us!"

"He had to!"

"I never would!"

"You're doing it right now!"

"Okay!" Kelly shouted and positioned herself between Brody and Sarah as both their tempers raised. She hoped, given that she was injured, both sides would want to back away from each other a little bit, since they were getting close. She turned to Sarah, "Why don't we just head home? Hayley, you said there was a spare key somewhere, right?"

Hayley didn't give an answer, and in her silence, she glanced over at Aiden questionably. Brody caught the look and crossed his arms over his chest.

"So you don't trust him either?"

"It's just… Sarah made some good points too, Brody," Hayley said and hoped that including too would soften the blow for the red Ranger. "I know he's your brother but… he did do some really… questionable stuff."

"Madam Oedius made him do it! She's tricky like that," Brody turned again to Mick and RedBot. "Come on, you guys. Back me up here."

"Brody, it wouldn't hurt to run a few tests, with Aiden's consent, of course," Mick suggested.

"Come on…"

"I'm okay with tests," Aiden said. Brody pointed to him.

"Would he really agree if he couldn't be trusted?"

"Run the tests, Mick," Sarah said. Brody held up a man and put himself between Mick and his brother.

"No! You guys, come on! This is Aiden! This is my brother!"

"If you're so sure, let us check!"

"I have faith, Sarah!"

"Guys, stop it!" Kelly called out again and this time grabbed her girlfriend. "Sarah, let's go!"

"Your faith is blind," Sarah muttered and Kelly hit her with her crutch.

"Stop it," she demanded and left the base with Sarah. Brody turned to his brother.

"I can't believe her. Aiden, I'm so sorry…"

"No sweat," Aiden shrugged his shoulders and smiled at his brother. "I did do some pretty bad stuff for Madam Oedius. I get why she's doubtful. I just hope I can prove her wrong."

He turned to the rest of the Rangers with a bright smile, "I know you have your doubts. After everything that just happened, it's only natural. I really hope I can prove you all wrong."

He put his arm around his brother, "I'm back now, though, little brother. I'm here to stay."

"I can't wait," Brody smiled.