Ripcon arrived at the cannery late at night. It had shut down quite some time ago, and it looked like the informant had chosen this spot specifically because it was unlikely no one would ever come here. They would never be interrupted, meaning if the informant did genuinely have anything, they could discuss it freely without any danger of being interrupted.

He stopped to sniff the air...an unfortunate choice. Having been a tuna cannery, even one that had been abandoned some time ago, it still had a distinctive stench that was overpowering. He wouldn't be able to tell if he was alone or if there was an army waiting for him. The darkness made it hard to see, and so he was well aware he could be walking into an ambush. He had always factored that into his decision to go. He closed the door behind him and moved cautiously, keeping to the light. While it would allow any attacker to see him easily, he hoped it would give him at least some warning if someone was coming for him.

"Hmm. Who would want to meet me here?" He asked aloud, playing up to the role of the dutiful prey, while keeping his hand on the hilt of his sword. He hoped if he looked the part of the unsuspecting victim then he could trigger some overconfidence in any intended ambush.

"Ripcon!" He heard, causing him to whip around, looking to locate the voice. Whoever called him knew the building echoed making it hard to locate a noise, and they were playing games with him. It was a dangerous move considering Ripcon's lack of patience.

He turned another direction as a stack of cans fell down, but he didn't see anyone. He started to make his way over, sticking to the light, before he saw someone stepping out into the light to meet him. He took a moment to recognise him, but when he did, he immediately went for his sword.

"You? You're the Red Rangers's brother!" He called out, levelling a katana his way. "Why did you summon me?"

"Why do you think?" He asked him.

"You ninjas are always up to some trick or other." He commented, looking around. "I wouldn't put it past you to have the Rangers here ready to..."

"We're alone." Aiden told him. "But just so you know, if I wanted I could have an army hiding here and you wouldn't know about it until it was too late."

"Why do you think I have this?" Ripcon asked, raising his sword. Aiden just smirked.

"That won't be necessary." Aiden told him. "I want to destroy the Rangers."

"What?" Ripcon asked. Now he really was confused. He didn't claim to care much about humans, but from what he had seen of them thus far, they were loyal to family and friends. The idea that Aiden, who had only just returned, would want to destroy the only people protecting his planet seemed a little dubious to him. He checked around to see if he could see anything. "Why would you do that?"

"I have my reasons." Aiden told him. Ripcon just tightened his grip on his sword.

"If you expect me to believe you, then..."

"I've spent ten years on the streets because of this." Aiden told him. "All you care about are the Power Stars and the Ninja Steel. The way I see it, once you have those, there's nothing of value here on Earth, right?"

"Right." Ripcon stated. "So you would really betray...?"

"Betray?" Aiden sneered. "Ten years I've been fending off sickos and stealing what I had to just to survive. Where were the ninjas to help me? The way I see it, they turned their backs on me."

"So what are you offering?" Ripcon asked him, sheathing his sword, but keeping his hand on the hilt.

"They already trust me, they've already shown me where their base is, but the Ninja Steel is still hidden." Aiden told him. "I need you to create a distraction, to keep the Rangers busy while I search for it. Once I find it, you can personally deliver the Ninja Steel to Galvanax. In return, once you have what you want, you all leave Earth forever."

"Why would you just give...?"

"My father was obsessed with the Ninja Nexus Prism. He was selfish keeping it here when it brought dangers like you to this world." Aiden interrupted him. "That's what cost him his life, and now threatens billions more. You get what you want, you leave, and the war ends without a single drop more blood being spilled than is necessary."

"What about the blood of the Rangers?" Ripcon asked him. Aiden smiled.

"They didn't do me any favours, and they continue to put the world at risk just so they can play hero. If that's how they want to throw away their lives, who am I to stop them?" Aiden answered. "I just want everything to do with that Nexus Prism gone as far from Earth as humanly possible. It's already taken enough from me!"

Ripcon thought a lot about what Aiden had said. He could sense bitterness in his words, and there was a logic to what he was saying. There wasn't really much of interest on Earth for Galvanax and Cosmo. They really didn't care what state they left the Earth in once they had the Prism, the Power Stars and the Ninja Steel, so in a lot of ways, Aiden just giving those to him did make a certain amount of sense. He knew that trickery was a ninja trait, and he was well aware of the fact that if Brody had been taught by his father, then Aiden probably was as well. The only question was, was his bitterness and self-preservation instinct really strong enough to cause him to betray all those that had believed in him? He looked back to him as he made a decision.

"It's a deal." He told him. "But you can't tell anyone, there are traitors and spies everywhere!"

As he left, Aiden just started laughing.

"No shit Sherlock." He chuckled.

"Traitors? I'm hurt, I think he was talking about me!" Madame Odious said as she stepped out of the shadows, where she had been overseeing the whole deal. Aiden just looked to her.

"Fooling him was almost too easy." Aiden responded. "He hates you so much, he can't see when an offer is too good to be true."

The following morning, Sarah was at the school early with Preston, helping him get ready for the talent show. Levi had suggested it as a way for students who didn't necessarily get the chance to shine in normal school activities to show what they could do and get the spotlight for once. Sarah had been an assistant of sorts to him for a while now, and was only too happy to help him with tricks, but this would be her first time in a full show in front of an audience, and she wanted to make sure she was up to the task. Most importantly, she wanted to make sure she looked the part.

"Oh come on, just a peek?" Preston asked.

"No, I'm telling you Preston, you'll see my dress when the show starts!" Sarah replied with a smile. "You wear a pretty dope suit, I can't exactly be your glamorous assistant in jeans and a t-shirt can I?"

"You could be my glamorous assistant wearing anything." Preston answered.

"Awww Preston!" She gushed, stroking his cheek gently with her hand. "Flattery will get you nowhere, you'll just have to wait!"

"Well...what if I have to adapt my tricks?" He asked her.

"Excuse me?" She asked him.

"You practiced the tricks in your normal clothes." He told her. "What if...um...some stray material gets caught in the handcuffs on the escape trick? Or if there isn't enough clearance for..."

"Preston, I know all your tricks, and I've made sure that the outfit will work with all of them." She assured him.

"But what if..."

"Believe me Preston, when some of your tricks involve fire, explosives and even a chainsaw, I'm taking no chances either." She assured him.

"Well, in the meantime, how about I show you something?" He asked her.

"You want to do a new trick? On the DAY of the show?" She asked him. "Preston are you...?"

"Trust me, you'll like this!" He told her. "Close your eyes."

"How can you show me something if I close my eyes?" She teased him. She saw the look on his face and closed her eyes. She sat and waited as she felt something warm and furry being placed into her hands.

"OK now, open them." He told her. Sarah opened her eyes, finding a white rabbit, with a pink ribbon tied around its neck in her hands.

"Um...that's not much of a trick." She told him. "And as much as I love seeing Aloha Mora, I've seen your rabbit a few times."

"Well, that is NOT Aloha Mora." He said with a smile. "It's not my rabbit, it's yours."

"Wait...what?" She asked. "Mine?"

"I...know you've been through quite a bit lately with your dad in the hospital and everything." He said awkwardly. "And I remembered how much you liked the other rabbits we gave away so one of the times I was at your place rehearsing, I got talking to your mom and she said it would be OK, if you got one."

"This...this is mine!" Sarah rushed out for clarification. "Is this like when...?"

"It is one of the magic rabbits, but no it's not a new one." Preston assured her. "I went to the store and bought her. The stuff for keeping her will be in your room when you go home."

"This...this is mine?" She screeched. "Oh Preston, she's adorable! Thank you!"

She kissed his cheek and wrapped an arm around his neck, before releasing him and beginning to fuss over her new rabbit.

"Oh my God, look at her nose, and her little whiskers, she's so cute!" She gushed as she cuddled the rabbit. "Oh thank you Preston! I'm...I'm going to go put her somewhere safe until after the show!"

She kissed him again and skipped away cheerfully. Preston stared after her, at which he heard someone clearing their throat. He looked around to see Calvin and Levi standing, with a sandwich board that was painted to advertise the talent show.

"Wow, that was so smooth Presto." Calvin said with a smile on his face. "I mean really, nice."

"Yeah, she's been through a lot lately." Preston told them. "I just...thought that would be a really nice thing to do."

"Yeah, such a nice thing to do." Calvin said as he looked to Levi. "Say Levi, do you know any other guys that gave a pet to a girl he wasn't dating?"

"Nope, only them and guys that WANT to be dating those girls." Levi responded with a knowing smirk. Preston just looked to both of them.

"Me and Sarah? Really?" Preston asked them. "You think I want...? You guys have been watching way too much TV or reading too many books or something."

"Oh come on, we've all seen the way you two are together!" Calvin said as he reached over and shoved him. "All those times you go off just the two of you, the way you keep letting her take you on hoverboard rides even though anyone with eyes can see you're terrified any time you do."

"Seriously, guys..."

"Dude, the only reason you're even a Ranger is because you followed her!" Calvin reminded him.

"She also does spend a lot of time with you practicing those tricks." Levi continued with the teasing.

"She's my assistant!" Preston answered. "You guys are just crazy."

"Oh, so you're telling us you don't think she's hot?" Calvin asked him.

"Oh come on, how can I possibly answer that?" Preston protested.

"You don't spend like eighty percent of your free time with her laughing?" Levi asked him.

"Oh, and I suppose he doesn't think she's smart or funny or..."

"Guys...all of that's true, but seriously...I just gave her a rabbit!" Preston protested. Levi and Calvin just looked to each other, before nodding knowingly. "Guys, seriously..."

"Seriously Preston, if you are just friends, that's absolutely cool." Levi answered. "But in my experience, if you do want to go out with a girl, your odds of going out on a date with her go up by about a hundred percent if you actually ask her."

They both picked up the sandwich board and headed outside.

"Guys, seriously, she's just a friend!" Preston called after them. He picked up his stuff and headed down the hall to put his things away in his locker while he went for a snack. His friends were crazy, they were looking for stuff that wasn't there. Sure, he liked Sarah and he enjoyed hanging around with her but that was all it was, wasn't it?

Outside the school, Calvin and Levi set down the sandwich board advertising the talent show as Aiden and Brody arrived, sprinting up from the parking lot. They were both carrying guitars, and were both grinning brightly.

"Nice." Calvin said as he set up the sandwich board, looking to the Romero Brothers as they arrived. He rested his elbow on it as they got to the top of the stairs.

"You've got some tough competition." Levi commented as he saw them with their guitars. "Presto Chango is making an appearance with his glamorous assistant."

"Not to mention Hayley's doing some tricks with Kody." Calvin informed them. "You guys will not believe the stuff she's been practicing lately."

"Isn't a dog training act kind of a cheat when you can actually talk to the dog?" Levi asked. Calvin just furrowed his brows.

"She did start before she got her power, but...that is an interesting question." Calvin commented. "Oh, but there's no way I'M asking her, I know when to keep my mouth shut."

"How about you Levi?" Brody asked. He just shrugged.

"Nah, I'm not taking part. It's against the rules." He told them.

"Because you're a professional?" Calvin asked him.

"Strangely no, it'd be fine if I was just a professional singer." Levi told them. "But teachers aren't allowed. It'd be considered unfair since Mrs Finch and Principal Hastings are judging."

"So are you the third chair?" Brody asked. "Are you Simon Cowell?"

"Oh hell no." Levi remarked. "After all the years I spent having recording studios telling me I sucked, I can't do that to anyone else. Tom's got a tough streak though, so I've asked him to sit in as third chair. I'll just have to have fun in the audience."

"Well I guess we'll have to provide the musical act for the evening then, right bro?" Aiden asked with a smile. Brody looked elated as he turned to explain to Calvin and Levi.

"We're singing a song my dad wrote for us when we were kids." Brody explained to them, with the kind of carefree smile that they could hardly remember ever seeing from him before. "We were young, mom had just died, and he...he wrote this song that he would sing for us any time we were feeling down or any time we thought about her to remind us that no matter what happened or where we ended up we were always going to be family."

"Wow, that's pretty amazing." Levi commented. "Brody was really coming along in class, I look forward to hearing it."

"Well, we better get going bro. We need to practice." Brody told him with a smile. "We really want to make dad proud!"