The mood in Zandar was very different the following morning. What was meant to be a time of celebration had ended with a terrible tragedy. Although the official announcement was yet to be made, Prince Phillipe had sent out word that he was going to formally address the nation later that day. People had already heard rumours and given the quiet in the streets as decorations were taken down it seemed most already guessed that what they had heard was true. Prince Harold, the Prince and ruler of Zandar, was dead.

Phillipe had been prepared his whole life for this moment. He had the finest tutors and all the training that the vast coffers of the Royal House of Zandar could afford, but it didn't take away the fact that he had watched his father die. Instead of being able to simply mourn and prepare a funeral, there was a lot of other responsibilities he had to take on. Succession was a particularly unfeeling affair when all was said and done. Technically speaking, Phillipe became the reigning Prince the moment his father died, and while the funeral of the previous Prince would be a priority, the coronation of the new ruler was usually only a short time afterwards.

The Ninja Steel Rangers were in their rooms packing for their journey. Another cruel twist as far as they saw it was that they all had to go home to be back in time for the new school term starting. What was meant to be the experience of a lifetime had, unfortunately, ended with them having to return home while a friend was hurting. Sarah shoved the last of her clothes into her case, jamming it down forcefully before trying to close the case.

"I can't believe this happened." Hayley said in what she instantly regretted as possibly one of the most redundant statements anyone had probably ever said. "Maybe Principal Hastings would understand if we came back a day or two late."

"Phillipe insisted we should go." Sarah told her. "I offered to stay on for a bit but he said that we need to get back to things as soon as possible. If Drakkon's after the Ninja Super Steel then we really need to make sure we get it first."

"I know, I just really feel badly for him and Margaret." Hayley sighed. "They were meant to be going on their honeymoon and instead…Phillipe's taking the reins of the whole nation."

"I guess that's the part the storybooks never mention about being a Prince or a Princess." Sarah mused sadly. "I don't know what I'd do if, God forbid, something happened to mom or dad but the idea of going back to school or going back to work straight away…I don't know if I could do it."

"I definitely don't envy him." Hayley agreed. Just then, there was a knock on the door and it opened slightly.

"Is it alright if I come in?" Calvin asked.

"Its fine, we're nearly ready." Hayley assured him. The Yellow Ranger came in, followed closely by Preston and Ivan. Calvin and Preston already had their cases with them. "Ivan, how is he?"

"Duty is in his blood." Ivan told them. "As a knight, I had to see many of my friends fall and continue without them. Though admittedly it rarely gets much easier. He will have plenty of distractions, not to mention support."

"We should probably still talk to him before we go." Sarah suggested.

"I'm afraid that duty is also your burden." Ivan told her. "That is why I am here."

"We just got an update from Brody." Preston told them. "We're not the only ones that had a crazy vacation."

"Yeah, I know about my mom's accident." Hayley told him. "I got a text from Trevor."

"Your mom's been in an accident?" Calvin asked. "What happened, is she OK?"

"Trevor said she's pretty shaken up and she's in the hospital but he told me I could see her when I get back…" Hayley answered, before catching onto something. "Wait, if you didn't know about the accident, what are you talking about?"

"Our not-so-jolly green friend is back." Preston told them, showing them some footage on his phone. "Brody and Levi managed to drive him off, but not before he wasted some Senatorial candidate and his entire security crew."

"Great, that's just what we need." Sarah groaned. "Where the hell do these psychopaths keep coming from?"

"Brody wants us back, ASAP." Calvin told them. "He said that we need to get the Super Ninja Steel and start rebuilding our arsenal before he shows up again."

"That would be where I come in." Ivan told them. "I have summoned the Ptera Zord. It is the fastest way for us to get you back to Summer Cove. We should leave immediately."

"But Phillipe…"

"Rest assured, His Highness knows full well who his friends are. He knows he is in your thoughts and you are only a call away." Ivan said, placing his hand on Sarah's shoulder. "But he, perhaps more than any of us, knows that duty and responsibility knows no empathy."

"We'll check in on him when we can." Hayley said to her. Sarah turned back to her case, before knee-dropping on top of it, and snapping shut the clasps.

"There's no way I'm letting what happened here happen anywhere else." Sarah declared, picking up her case. "If Super Ninja Steel is what we need to stop it, then I guess we're off meteorite hunting."

Back in Summer Cove, in a gated community in one of the more affluent areas of the city, Mick was in the kitchen, whistling contentedly as he prepared breakfast. Although he had loved being home in the Lion Galaxy once again, getting a chance to re-acquaint himself with family members and loved ones he hadn't seen in over twenty years since he had volunteered to be sold as a slave to spare his father that fate, he had to admit there was a lot about Earth he had come to love, and the food especially was one such thing.

He checked on the bagels which were gently toasting to a gentle brown as he finished juicing up some fresh oranges. He didn't even notice as Jennifer came in.

"What's all this?" She asked with a bright smile on her face. Mick just looked between her and the food. He looked for a moment like one of her students who'd been caught in the act of some kind of misdeed, something that amused her.

"Oh, um…you weren't meant to see this." Mick rushed out. "We have kind of a custom where I'm from that after you…you know…spend the night with someone…you're meant to make breakfast and deliver it to them in their bedroom."

Jennifer just chuckled. It was unbearably cute.

"Well, perhaps that's a custom more people could pick up here." She suggested, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Though…that does mean technically you owe me a couple of…"

"Well to be fair we didn't actually leave the bedroom for…" Mick tailed off as he noticed something on the news. He turned up the volume.

"…Is still reeling from the death of Senate hopeful William Tracker in the wake of the surprise return of the Psycho Green Ranger!" The newscaster announced. "We warn you that this upcoming footage shot by a bystander on the scene may be distressing to some viewers. As you can clearly see, Psycho Green, who hasn't been seen in some time and was thought destroyed has returned, as have the Ninja Steel Rangers. People are already debating hotly…"

Mick turned off the TV and sighed. Jennifer nodded in understanding.

"It was a nice couple of days." She stated.

"I'll get going, I need to get to the farm." Mick told her, rushing for the door.

"Mick…"

"I'll see you at the school and…"

"Mick."

"I promise I'll tell you everything…"

"MICK!" She called out, before pointing down. Mick looked to his dressing gown.

"Ah, good point!" He replied. "Um…you didn't happen to see what I did with my underwear did you?"

Over at the Marx house, Trevor was getting ready for work. He didn't really feel much like going back to work. He wanted to spend every moment he could at Laura's side, but he was assured she was getting the best care at the hospital, and she promised to call him when she could be discharged so he could drive her home.

He was in the Living Room, waiting for Spike to pick him up. With Laura's car still in the shop and his own now a twisted lump of metal in the impound, Spike had offered to get the cruiser and come to him. He stood, sipping coffee as he stared into a mirror.

He could still remember the attack on the rally. He could remember the screams as people fled for their lives. He could recall seeing the men standing between him and Tracker, defiantly defending him to the last. He could remember being in exactly their position more than once, both in the military police and then on the force when he returned to the US. A part of him wondered if those men really knew the kind of man they were protecting, if they would have risked their lives if they knew the kind of monster Tracker really was. The news was on the television, recounting the events of the previous day, and showing the pictures of the victims. Many of them had been named and were being given acclaim for their bravery standing up to Psycho Green. Some of the pictures showed the families of the men that had the misfortune to choose the wrong person to protect.

"Does it matter?" Psycho Green asked in his head. "They chose to stand with him. They knew how that could end."

"Those men, they were doing their job." Trevor whispered. "They didn't all choose to protect Tracker. They were assigned to him."

"They knew the risks." Psycho Green continued. "Sometimes, people get hurt if they get in the way."

"That's not the way the world should be!" Trevor stated. "Some of those men hurt Laura, but…could all of them have been involved?"

"They surely knew what kind of man Tracker was." Psycho Green continued. "They still chose to remain."

There was a knock on the door and Trevor snapped back to reality. He put his mug down on the table and headed to the door, expecting it to be Spike. However, when he got there, he saw a scrawny guy, a little taller than himself, with deeply pockmarked skin and gelled black hair. He was wearing an off-the-rack suit in a kind of hideous lime green with a white shirt and a red silk tie. Trevor just stared at him.

"Can I help you?" He asked.

"Mr Marx?" He asked. Trevor just nodded. "Hi, um…I work with Mrs Marx. I head up her department. I'm…"

"Keith." Trevor interrupted him. "Laura's told me a lot about you."

"Yes, we were all dreadfully worried when we heard about the accident. Dreadful situation." He told him with the kind of sincerity that Trevor would expect from Hayley when he talked to her about the Superbowl. "I was just wondering…did she have any of the files on her?"

"Files?" Trevor asked. It took a moment for him to realise what he meant. Laura was meant to be taking some accounts files over to a meeting at the Tien Plaza when her car was run off the road. He looked to Keith, and he stammered for a second, his mind not quite able to keep up with his thoughts fast enough to come up with a response before he finally picked up on one thing. "Laura's fine by the way."

"I'm sorry?" Keith asked.

"Laura, my wife, your colleague, she's fine." Trevor told him. "I presume you meant to ask how she was."

"Oh…yes, yes of course, of course, I'm very glad to hear that." Keith responded. "But about those files…"

"Files?" Psycho Green's voice flared in his mind. "A woman could have died and he's asking about files?"

"Are you kidding me?" Trevor asked him. "Are you seriously on my doorstep asking about files when someone who works for you was almost killed?"

"Mr Marks, I'm sorry, I…I didn't mean any harm." Keith said, backtracking in his words. "I merely wanted to know if…"

"Didn't mean any harm? He doesn't care about your wife." Psycho Green told him. "It would probably not matter to him if she had died."

"My wife was cut out of the car by a fire crew! The car and everything from the scene was taken to the precinct!" Trevor said in a slow, deliberate voice as he held his temper, trying to ignore the voice in his head. "They're still investigating the accident, so everything from the scene is considered evidence."

"Evidence?" Keith asked.

"They'll be released once the investigation is over." Trevor told him. "Now, I have to get to work."

"After the investigation…how long will that take?" Keith demanded petulantly. Trevor had heard Laura talk at length about Keith and his self-importance. He had honestly hoped she exaggerated, but hearing the man now he could believe all the stories he had heard.

"This man is slime." Psycho Green stated. "Slime to be scraped from your boot!"

"It will take as long as it takes." Trevor told him, pushing Psycho Green to the back of his mind.

"Listen, I need those records, we're about to close a deal that is worth millions!" Keith told him. "If this falls through because of you…!"

"Listen, I can sympathise with your position but harassing me on my doorstep is not going to get you anywhere!" Trevor snapped at him. "Now, please leave my property!"

"You really don't get it do you? I probably earn your salary in a MONTH! I pay taxes, I pay your wages! YOU work for ME!" Keith demanded. "Now take me to the precinct and get me my files or I'll…"

Trevor grabbed him by the jacket and started to back him off his doorstep. He glared at him angrily.

"I said, get the HELL off my property before I arrest you for trespassing!" Trevor snapped, throwing him off his doorstep. Keith just stared at him in amazement.

"You dare put your hands on me?" He asked. "I'm going to call your precinct right now and have you brought up on…"

Trevor had enough, coming across and grabbing him, throwing him in a high arc all the way to the curb. Keith started to get up, but Trevor was already over by his side, grabbing him and hoisting him to his feet. He grabbed him and drove him hard against his car, his face twisting into complete rage.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, WHOA!" Spike called out as he skidded the cruiser to a stop and got out, running across to Trevor. He tried to pull him off, but Trevor's strength was incredible, way too much for Spike to be able to shift without serious force. "Trevor what the hell is going on?"

"This piece of shit is more concerned about his stupid account than Laura!" Trevor told him.

"Dude, let him go!" Spike begged him. "Seriously, I've got no doubt this guy deserves it, but look around!"

Trevor looked around and noticed his neighbours were all now on their lawns, staring at the scene unfolding, no doubt attracted by the commotion. Trevor just let Keith go, at which he backed away a couple of paces.

"Go to the cruiser." Spike told him. Trevor just glared at Keith, but walked away slowly, heading for the cruiser. Spike looked back to Keith and pulled out his notepad, scribbling down some details.

"Go to the precinct, ask for Ellie Thompson. Explain what you're looking for and she'll see you get the forms you need to fill in." Spike told him. "I can't guarantee how quickly you'll get what you're looking for, but it should help speed along the process."

"Your partner just assaulted me!" He whined. "I'm pressing charges!"

"Are you seriously the dumbest piece of shit alive?" Spike asked him. "The guy's wife is in hospital! You were on his doorstep whining about paperwork! Do you think anyone at the precinct is going to have the slightest bit of sympathy for you?"

"Everyone saw…"

"Did anyone see Trevor assault this man?" Spike called out. All of the neighbours just shook their heads. It was completely out of character for what they were used to seeing from him, but by now enough of them had heard about Laura that they were willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. Trevor was one of the friendliest neighbours anyone could ask for so they weren't going to side with a stranger over him. Spike looked back to Keith. "Go and ask for Ellie Thompson. After that, you'll just have to wait like everyone else sir!"

With that, Spike went to the cruiser, where Trevor was already in the passenger seat. Spike looked to him.

"Dude, you could have…"

"I don't want to hear it Spike!" He interrupted him. "Just drive."

"Look, if you want to…"

"DRIVE!" Trevor barked. Spike just nodded and started up the engine. Trevor looked to the side mirror, seeing his own face staring back at him, but in the reflection he didn't see his eyes. He saw a bright green glow.

Over at the Romero Farm, Brody, Levi, Dane and Redbot were in the new Command Centre. They had already started work on the scans, working to calibrate the new systems and make sure they were working properly. They knew that the asteroid containing the Super Ninja Steel had crashed into some nearby mountains, but that was somewhat akin to saying the deckchair you were looking for was somewhere on the QE2. With the system only just back up and running they had a lot of work to do to make sure the scanners worked properly so they didn't end up walking for miles in completely the wrong direction.

"You parked your Ninja Star Cycle…behind the Griffin family barn." Brody stated. Levi just sighed and shook his head.

"Not even close bro." He answered. "Let's face it, we might be ninjas but neither of us is particularly great at this."

"I'd help where I can but most of my programming isn't compatible with these systems." Redbot told them. "I was built more for construction and labouring work."

"Don't look at me." Dane said, holding up his hands. "The last computer I owned was an Amstrad!"

"Mick and Sarah made all this look so easy." Brody complained.

"They'll be back soon." Levi assured him. Just then, they heard a strange sound of engines. "You hear that?"

They all went outside, looking up into the sky. With a huge shriek, the Ptera Zord came zooming overhead. Four brightly coloured streaks fell from it, before landing in the yard. They smiled to see the other four Ninja Rangers standing before them. They all de-morphed and turned, waving as the Ptera Zord circled around, before blasting off in the opposite direction.

"Wow, Ivan wasn't kidding about how fast that thing is!" Sarah stated. "Next time I travel, I'm booking a seat on Ptera Airlines!"

"Yeah, it's just as well this place is in the middle of nowhere." Levi said sarcastically. "Real subtle form of transportation you have there. A giant gold Pterodactyl!"

"Come on man, we just wanted to get back as quickly as we could." Preston told him. "We missed you guys!"

"Unfortunately the hugs and tears are going to have to wait." Dane reminded them. "We've kind of got more pressing matters to worry about."

"Drakkon!" Sarah, Preston, Calvin and Hayley said at the same time as Brody and Levi said "Psycho Green." They both stared at each other.

"Psycho Green?" Sarah, Preston, Calvin and Hayley asked at the same time as Brody and Levi asked "Drakkon."

"You mean…the Drakkon that Wrench was talking about?" Levi asked. "He's real?"

"I honestly wish he wasn't." Preston stated. "We need to get to work and fast."

"We've had a few problems setting up the sensors…"

"I'm on it!" Sarah said, heading for the workshop. By the time they arrived, Sarah was already hard at work.

"Man, you guys are not kidding, you are NOT good at this!" She muttered.

"Hey, we rebuilt this place in a few days AND rebuilt Redbot!" Brody complained. "Cut us some slack!"

"Alright, I'm re-calibrating the sensors, we should be up and running soon…" She told them. Just then, there was an alarm. "What was that?"

"Perimeter alarm." Brody told her. "We had an uninvited guest a while ago so we set up some laser tripwires. I just wired them into the system."

"One of them has triggered." Levi stated. "Come on, this way!"

The Rangers all ran out, following Levi as he led the way. They went a little way into the woods, circling around in a wide arc, hoping to catch the intruder off-guard. They found a man in strange, high tech armour of an alien design heading towards the farm. He was carrying a blaster rifle.

"I think you might be a little lost!" Levi taunted him as the team powered up their blasters behind him. "Most visitors come to the front door!"

The stranger put down the blaster and held his hands up. He started to turn around.

"Slowly!" Hayley warned him. "Take off the helmet!"

The man slowly lifted the helmet off, giving them a nervous grin.

"Um…hi!" Mick said nervously. "Surprise!"

The Rangers all rushed to his side, hugging him tightly. None of them expected to see him again, but with the odds against them stacking up, they were delighted for every friendly face they could get.