The Rangers arrived at the battle site, finding a scene of abject chaos. There was a veritable army of Basherbots rushing around the streets, forcing people to flee for their lives. In the midst of it all though, was Ripcon, standing in the middle of the street, without so much as his sword drawn, waiting for them.
He quickly noticed them, and his gaze found the Red Ranger, locking onto his long-time rival. He stood silently, watching as the Rangers approached.
"I'm glad you finally got my invitation Rat Bait!" Ripcon greeted the Red Ranger, staring him down.
"Call them off Ripcon!" Brody yelled back. "You wanted us, and we came! These people have done nothing to you!"
"I don't think so." He responded. "You see, I've been waiting a long time for this, and now that I've got you here, I intend to make the opportunity count. I know that you care about these people, so you'll have to stop the Basherbots. You can't be in two places at once, but your team..."
"Go take care of the Basherbots." Brody interrupted him, looking to his team.
"But Brody..."
"Just go!" Brody reiterated. The others didn't want to leave him, but if they didn't then large numbers of fatalities were inevitable. This had been Ripcon's only concern. Unlike many other monsters, he cared as much about the way he won as he did about winning. As the rest of the team reluctantly split off to take care of the Basherbots, running into nearby buildings to prevent them pursuing people trying to get to safety, Brody drew his Ninja Star Blade. Ripcon gripped the handle of his katana, and drew it, the distinctive hiss of its blade leaving the scabbard ominously filling the air as he gripped the handle with both hands.
"Ten years is a long time Rat Bait." He told him. "I've been itching to do this since the day your father..."
"I've been waiting for this just as long!" Brody screamed at him. They both adopted a guard, glaring at each other unblinking. A can rolled along the street, which by now was almost silent, save for the faint sounds of battle inside the buildings, rattling as it came along the street. Brody fixated on Ripcon, the one who dragged him from his home ten long years ago as the can finally came to rest. They both let out a huge cry, and rushed at each other, their blades connecting in a shower of sparks and ringing out throughout the street. A grudge match a decade in the making was finally underway.
In the Ranger Base, Levi was focusing on the Ninja Power Star in his hands, channelling energy into it, hoping that they weren't already too late. No one was under any false impressions how powerful Ripcon was. They already knew that it was possible their current arsenal would simply not be enough to take him down, and that every second count.
"That's it Levi, just keep focusing." Mick told him, holding onto Kody's collar to ease the dog. Aiden was sitting in the corner, watching all of this as he waited for his opportunity. If he acted now, he could stop the Rangers from developing a new and powerful weapon, but that wasn't his intent. With Levi here, there was no guarantee that he could defeat him, and ultimately may be forced into retreat before he achieved his true objective. If he just waited until Levi left to take the new Power Star to the Rangers, then they would have their shiny new weapon, but return to find their base in ruins and the rest of their arsenal gone.
"Sarah's rabbit is acting very strangely." Redbot commented, inspecting the animal in its cage. It was very skittish, and seemed to be rushing about, almost as though trying to escape. It would periodically run into the side of the cage furthest from Aiden, almost like it was trying to break out.
"One problem at a time Redbot." Mick told him. "With Ripcon out there, a skittish rabbit is the least of our worries."
Mick did notice it was odd behaviour though, and couldn't help thinking about the fact he was still holding back Kody, who had started barking furiously at Aiden. He knew the odds were it was nothing to be concerned about. Kody had been a stray, taken off the streets when he was young, and so there was a very real chance that he had a story that involved a lot of trauma that they didn't want to imagine. There were any number of reasons that Aiden would remind Kody of something that had caused him very real harm. He shook his head and returned his thoughts to the task in hand.
"Mick?" Levi asked as his energy started to dissipate, and he could feel the Ninja Star starting to vibrate. "I think this is it."
"It is." Mick told him. "Alright, now just stand back, and throw it into the Nexus Prism...oh, and watch out, it comes out fast!"
Levi took up position, and launched the Ninja Star as hard as he could into the Nexus Prism. It started to glow and spin as it offered its power to the weapon, to convert it from a mere shuriken into a weapon if incredible power. Levi got into position, preparing to receive it.
Back at the site of the battle, Ripcon and Brody engaged in a deadly dance of blades that was both awe-inspiringly beautiful, and also terrifying to behold. Brody had to try hard to keep his mind clear as ten years of hatred bubbled up from the pit of his stomach, threatening to take over. Ripcon was far too dangerous, too deadly to allow his emotions to just get the better of him.
Their blades sparked as they collided, energy lighting up the street with every deadly blow. They finally parted a little way as Brody managed to catch a kick to Ripcon's leg, staggering him, but the creature was fast enough to roll out of the way before he could follow up. Brody had to pull back from his attempt to press on as Ripcon swung his blade in a wide, horizontal arc, aiming to force some space. Both of them just stared at each other, catching their breath.
"Not bad Rat Bait." Ripcon complimented him, drawing his second sword. "It looks like you actually learned something in ten years."
"You'll see how much soon enough!" Brody warned him as he rushed to the attack once more. Ripcon's use of two swords did limit the power of his strikes, but it meant that Brody now had to defend from more than one direction at a time, and the pace picked up significantly.
Driving him towards a wall, limiting his movement, Ripcon increased the pressure, forcing Brody to look for an escape from his concrete prison. Ripcon managed to hook his Ninja Blade with one of his swords, ripping it from Brody's grasp, at which Brody, with no sword to protect him from further attack, tried to use the wall to spring over Ripcon to escape. The horned creature managed to catch him as he attempted this though, striking him down onto the concrete. Brody watched as he advanced on him.
"You did well Rat Bait." Ripcon told him, raising his blades. "When you meet your dad, tell him he taught you well!"
As he brought the blades down though, they rebounded of f something that flew in between them, imbedding itself in the wall. Ricpon stared at it.
"But...that's not your sword!" He stated. Brody didn't let the opportunity go to waste. He sprung up, kicking Ripcon hard in the face as he did, and snatched the sword out of the wall.
"No, it's Preston's!" Brody said, seeing Preston in a window high above them, still battling with Basherbots to keep them from the residents. Brody managed to score a driving stab right to Ripcon's hip, which cut him deeply. The creature staggered back, his hand straying to the wound. Brody cartwheeled over to his own discarded sword and snatched it up too. "And you're not the only one that can fight with two swords!"
"You're going to pay for that!" Ripcon screamed at him as he rushed back to the attack.
Back in the Ranger Base, Levi and Mick were both still waiting on the new Power Star, while Redbot dealt with the workbench. Mick had to work quickly on the star, and so he hadn't had much of a chance to clear up and return the workshop to its usual state.
Aiden kept an eye on Redbot as he swept up the filings and off-cuts of the Ninja Steel into a pile on the workbench, before grabbing Dane's Martial Arts trophy and opening it up. Watching him sweep it all back into the trophy, he smirked. He could hardly believe it, all this time and they still hid the Ninja Steel in the trophy. They hadn't thought to get it somewhere more secure or put it in a less conspicuous place. Clearly they had relied on their secrecy, the fact that the no one knew where the base was, much less the Ninja Steel and hadn't thought to figure out a more secure way to store it. Watching Redbot put the trophy aside, he reasoned it would only make his job simpler. He wouldn't even need to figure out a way to carry it, the Rangers had already provided him with a convenient box to carry it in.
"Mick, I think this is it!" Levi said as he saw the Nexus Prism speeding up and glowing more brightly. The Ninja Fusion Star fired out quickly, into Levi's outstretched hands, which he drew into himself to absorb the force. Mick came over to inspect their work, and smiled as he saw it.
"The Ninja Fusion Star, the most powerful star we've ever created!" He marvelled. "Levi, you need to get this to Brody right away!"
"Don't worry, I'll make sure he gets it!" Levi answered as he grabbed it and ran from the base. Mick smiled, knowing that Levi would do everything he could to make sure the Rangers had the power they needed to bring Ripcon down once and for all. While his own issues with Ripcon weren't as personal as Brody's, Mick had suffered at his hands across his captivity and the thought of Ripcon finally meeting his end caused him no small amount of joy.
He spun around as he heard something, and saw Redbot fall to the floor, and stop moving. He saw Aiden with a blaster in his hand, and his eyes grew wide.
Kody threw himself at Aiden, but he was much too fast, and struck him hard, sending the loyal dog flying across the room with a heart-breaking whine. Kody hit the ground and stopped moving. Mick went over to him, checking he was still breathing, but glared at Aiden as he saw him.
"You...I was right...I was right all along!" Mick gasped. "Why?"
Aiden didn't answer, instead pulling the trigger. Mick's world faded to darkness.
Back at the site of the battle, Brody and Ripcon were both feeling the exhaustion of the battle beginning to become a factor. They both managed to land a blow or two on the other, but were never quite able to land that once deciding blow that would finish the battle off. Brody drove both of his swords into the ground, slapping Element Stars into them and setting them spinning, before snatching up the blades again.
"Ninja Element Star, Steel Slash!" Brody called out, running for Ripcon. The monster powered up his own blades.
"DOUBLE BLADE DOOM STRIKE!" He yelled, firing off the attack when Brody was almost right on top of him. The two energy attacks exploded against each other, sending both of them to the ground. Brody's ears were ringing as he tried to pull himself up, and he could hardly focus, but he could see that Ripcon had taken a hit that was just as hard. More importantly, he could see that another thing had turned in his favour. As Ripcon was getting up, Preston and Calvin grabbed his arms, holding him in place.
"What the...?"
"We finished off your friends!" Preston yelled at him.
"Brody, do it! Take him now!" Calvin screamed at him. "I don't know how long we can..."
His words were oddly prophetic as Ripcon threw them both over onto the ground.
"You think you can tip the balance?" Ripcon asked. "What you don't realise is I've been holding back an advantage too!"
He grabbed his coat and whipped it off, throwing it at Calvin and Preston. It seemed like an odd thing to do, until it hit them. Both of them were borne off their feet and hit the ground hard. The concrete cracked under them and they both struggled, unable to get up.
"I...I can't move!" Preston protested.
"What the hell?" Calvin asked. Ripcon stared at Brody, who was starting to back up a little. Ripcon mopped some blood from his mouth.
"I take my training very seriously. 24/7." He told him. "That's why I wear weighted clothing."
"Weighted clothing?" Calvin gulped. "You mean to tell me he's been handicapping himself this whole time?"
Sarah and Hayley arrived, coming to Brody's side. Ripcon just smiled.
"If you give up now I'll grant you all a clean death!" He promised them. "It's been a long time since I've needed to remove that to defeat an opponent. You should take some pride in that!"
"Sorry, giving up isn't in our playbook!" Brody told him as they all launched into the attack once more.
In the yard outside the Shop Class, Levi skidded to a halt as he realised something. He had removed his own Power Star to grant the energy Brody needed to the Ninja Fusion Star. He had left it behind in the Ranger Base. He considered his options, before getting on his Ninja Comm.
"Brody, we've got the Ninja Fusion Star." Levi told him. "It's coming in hot!"
With that, he reared back his hand, and launched it into the air, knowing that it would track to its intended target. He turned around and headed back into the Ranger Base.
"Say Mick, I forgot..." He stopped as he saw Mick, Redbot and Kody all lying on the floor. Standing by the workbench, he could see Aiden standing with a blaster. In his other hand, he was holding the trophy, containing the Ninja Steel. Levi could see what was happening, but he could hardly believe it. He didn't WANT to believe it. The team were so overjoyed to see how happy Brody was to have Aiden back they wanted to believe in him. Levi knew that Brody would be heartbroken to see what he could, but in his heart, all he could feel was rage. "Put the Ninja Steel down!"
"I don't think so!" Aiden called back, opening fire. Aiden was only just able to dive into cover, the blasts narrowly missing him. He picked up a screwdriver which had fallen on the floor, and twirling it around, he threw it like a knife, where it lodged into Aiden's arm. Levi didn't waste the opportunity and ran, rugby tackling him straight over another work bench, scattering tools and the Ninja Steel all over the floor and sending Aiden's blaster skidding across the floor.
The traitorous Aiden kicked Levi in the face as the Gold Ranger tried to grab him, scrambling to his feet and heading for the door to escape. Levi shook off the attack and got to his feet, taking off after him. He didn't even care about the fact in his hurry to pursue he had left his Power Star behind. Aiden had betrayed them all, and he was determined he was NOT getting away!
Back at the site of the battle with Ripcon, things were really heating up. Without the additional weight of his coat, Ripcon was indeed significantly stronger and faster, not being encumbered by an additional weight, meaning that even now that three Rangers free to fight against him, he was more than able to keep pace.
"DOUBLE BLADE DOOM STRIKE!" He called out, levelling all three of them. He was struggling now, trying hard to catch his breath, many injuries plaguing him from the three on one assault, but he could taste his victory within his grasp.
"I've always hated you Rat Bait. If it were up to me, I'd have crushed you underfoot the day we captured you!" Ripcon told Brody as he approached. "But then that would have denied me this battle! So I guess I have to thank Galvanax for that!"
"If you're going to finish us, get on with it!" Brody told him as he saw something glinting in the air. He had heard Levi's message and knew it was coming. He watched Ripcon powering up his ultimate attack once more, and snatched the Fusion Star out of the air, slapping it into his sword.
"DOUBLE BLADE DOOM STRIKE!" Ripcon yelled.
"NINJA FUSION STRIKE!" Brody called out, spinning it in his sword. The other four Ninja Star Blades flew into the air, spinning around, forming a shield between him and Ripcon that completely dispersed the power. Ripcon could only watch in horror, knowing he had given that last strike pretty much everything he had left within him, believing the battle was over. The swords spun around Brody as energy surrounded him, and he rushed at Ripcon impossibly quickly, rushing through him with a strike, before ramming the sword into the ground. He snatched another out the air, slicing Ripcon's remaining horn from his head, before ramming it into the ground as well. He snatched two more, performing an x-shaped slash across Ripcon's chest as he rammed the last two into the ground, surrounding him in a circle, which shone with energy, sending a column up into the air, restraining him. Ripcon struggled, but could not do anything to free himself.
"I can't move!" He screamed. Brody took the last sword and stood before him, gripping it tightly. He ripped off his helmet, glaring Ripcon right in the eyes.
"It's over Ripcon!" Brody yelled. "When you see my dad, tell him that Galvanax will be joining him soon enough!"
With that, the four swords surrounding Ripcon flew out of the ground, and fused with the one Brody was holding, creating one sword, which extended high into the air with a massive energy blade. Bringing it down in one strike, Brody sliced Ripcon from head to crotch in one blow. Ripcon stared at him, before pitching backwards and exploding on the ground. Brody turned to the nearest Buzz-Cam, staring straight into it.
"Galvanax, you're going the same way!" Brody told him. "Show's over, Ninjas WIN!"
With that, he crushed the Buzz-Cam in his hand, destroying it utterly.