The air was thick with dust and heat as the battle raged on. As explosions went off, more dust was thrown into the air, making visibility almost impossible beyond a few feet. Trevor was barely able to get out of the way as another of his comrades fell at his feet.

Although he and his unit had taken The Ghosts by surprise, they had not earned their reputation and high price tag with mere acts of butchery. The Ghosts only recruited from former members of some of the world's most elite Special Forces units. Even with the advantage of numbers Trevor knew that taking them on would be a difficult fight. The only reason they had managed such a telling opening onslaught was because The Ghosts were under the impression that Trevor and his unit were there to arrest them for war crimes. That ship though had long since sailed.

Screams rang out and then died off suddenly. The air reeked of smoke, ash and death. Casualties on both sides were mounting up, but by now Trevor couldn't allow what they had done to go unpunished, even if it meant he never left this place. He heard a metallic clank and could see a grenade landing near him. Unable to take the chance that it wasn't a flash-bang, he leapt off the rooftop he was perched on just as it exploded, the blast propelling him through a lean-to on the opposite side of the street.

He finally came to rest inside what looked like it was some kind of shop. He tried to get up, but his arm gave out under him, and the searing pain informed him it was broken. Worse, looking to his M4, he could see that it was now in a couple of different pieces. He saw a masked fighter clad in black coming through the door and rushed him, driving him into the wall, while pulling his automatic with his one good arm. He unloaded a couple of rounds into his chest, but knowing him to be armoured quickly took the time he was stunned to put the gun under his chin and fired another couple of rounds.

There was a huge yell as another came from the side, kicking Trevor's gun from his hand, before grabbing him in a deadly choke, looking to break his neck. Trevor's salvation came in the form of his trusty kabar, which he managed to pull from its sheath, before thrusting it over his own shoulder into the man's eye. He released Trevor with a howl of pain, but Trevor wasn't giving him the chance to fight back. He brought the knife down into his neck again and again, dropping him to the floor.

Trevor took a moment to catch his breath. There was an uncomfortable quiet now, it sounded like the battle was over. Of course, sometimes that was the most dangerous time, the time when everyone thought the fight was over until they happened upon an enemy they hadn't accounted for. He picked up his pistol again, and resolved to go looking for others, whether it was some surviving Ghosts, or the remains of his own unit. He didn't even get as far as the door before he ran into another enemy. He was knocked clean off his feet by a shotgun blast, landing on the floor, his Kevlar vest barely having saved him. Trevor looked up to see the man coming towards him, cocking the gun for his follow-up shot.

This was it, this was the end, he was sure of it. His assailant had him dead to rights, but that was when he saw a beam by his right foot. The building hadn't been in the best of repair before the battle, but now it was a miracle it was standing at all. If he was going out, he was going to make sure he got every last one of these murderous criminals with him. He kicked out, knocking the pillar down and bringing the roof down on both of them.

Some time passed, how long he wasn't exactly sure, but as he started to get his bearings, he could see his attacker was in a bad way, but no less determined. He was trapped under debris, but trying to crawl his way out to reach his weapon. Trevor managed to free himself first and sloped over to the man, kicking his gun far from his grasp, before kicking him in the chest, turning him onto his back. Picking up the nearest thing he could find, a large block of wood, he stood over the man.

"You bloody psychopath!" The Ghost rasped, staring up at him. "You couldn't leave well enough alone could you?"

"I have kind of a thing about murderers!" Trevor told him.

"Both out teams are DEAD!" The Ghost yelled at him.

"How many have you murdered?" Trevor demanded. "How many?"

"You know, I lost count." The man replied. Trevor's blood was boiling as he stood over him.

"Take off your mask." Trevor told him.

"What?" He asked.

"Take…off…your…mask!" Trevor reiterated, his vision starting to blur in and out as his head started to spin. He daren't give the man any reason to believe he was on his last legs. He didn't know how much he had left in him, but he was determined before it was over to see the face of this monster. The man grabbed his mask and pulled it off. Trevor couldn't say anything as he stared at him.

"What were you expecting? Horns? A goatee? Fangs?" The man taunted him. Trevor didn't really know what to expect, but it wasn't this. It was….just a man. Heavily bruised and cut, but a normal man. Back home he'd probably walk straight past him in the street. "You wanted a monster?"

"You ARE a monster!" Trevor yelled at him. The man stared straight at him and started to laugh. Trevor's temper exploded into a violent rage and he brought up his boot, stomping it down into the man's face. He smashed his heel into his face again and again as his strength started to fail. By the time he finally collapsed and passed out, he was just driving fragments of bone into the ground.

Trevor woke with a start, drenched in sweat, and looked around in a panic. How had he got here? The last thing he remembered was being on the ship. He struggled to breathe and the room started spinning.

"Trevor?" His wife asked, having been woken by his sudden movement. She didn't get an answer from him. She sat up next to him, placing hands on him gently in a reassuring way as she tried to reach him. "Trevor?"

He looked around and saw her, and realised he was back at home, somehow in his own bed. It was night, and he had no idea what had happened in the time that had elapsed in between. He struggled to breathe, and he could see the worry in her face as she clung to him.

"Trevor, look at me!" She told him. When he still didn't seem to respond, she went into the table next to the bed, rummaging around for something. She grabbed a paper bag and emptied it out, handing it to him. "Trevor, breathe into this!"

Laura had seen Trevor having turns before. They had never been this bad before, and it had been some time, close to a couple of years in fact, since she had really seen him having a full-blown panic. That didn't make it any less terrifying or troubling to see. Trevor held the bag over his nose and mouth, taking some deep breaths to try and calm down.

"Trevor, it's alright. You're here, you're safe, you're with me." She said to him in a soothing mantra. She looked into his eyes as he started at her.

"I'm calling the doctor." She told him. Trevor started to shake his head. "Trevor, I don't care what time it is, when you wake up in the middle of the night barely able to breath you call a damn doctor!"

Trevor grabbed her hand as she reached for the phone. What exactly would he tell a doctor? How could he possibly explain what was happening to him? He took the bag away from his face, gulping some breaths as he did so.

"Laura, it's…it's just a turn." He told her. "I'll be fine."

"Trevor, this isn't a…"

"Please." He said to her, putting his arm around her. "I'll be fine, you're here. I promise."

"It's no wonder you're on edge, all that stuff that's been going on at the department." She grumbled. "You've got to believe if that Sterling ever comes here…"

"Please, I promise…I'll be alright." Trevor told her.

"Well…" She wasn't convinced, Laura always worried about those she cared about. It was one of the things he loved about her. "Alright, but I'm calling the department and telling them you're not coming in tomorrow…"

"…Laura…"

"…and you better not move one inch from this bed!" She insisted. Trevor knew better than to push the matter with her. Besides, perhaps a day of bed rest would do him some good. He just nodded.

"I promise." He told her, pulling her into himself and wrapping his arms around her. "I promise."

With that, he lay down on the bed. It was some time before he was finally able to get back to sleep.

The following morning, over at Summer Cove High, Mick and Redbot were preparing for a busy day ahead. They had been tracking the comet and it was now within a few hours of coming into range. The Rangers knew that their arsenal was almost at its apex, and the thought of melting down old weapons didn't really appeal to them. Most of their arsenal had saved their lives more than once, and while Brody had assured them that discarding obsolete weapons was something that shouldn't cause any real concern, and had demonstrated the point by melting down his own father's ninjato, the others weren't so sure that all of the weapons had given their all just yet.

The fact that there was now a new source of metal with similar properties gave them all something that had been in something of short supply lately, a renewed hope. The prospect that this metal seemed to carry a more powerful source of energy was all the more tantalising as a prospect, and it wasn't an exaggeration to say that there was very real hope that this could well be the turning point in the war they had all been waiting for.

Principal Hastings watched as Mick and Redbot darted around, putting together supplies for the team.

"So, let me get this straight, you're going to send one of my teachers and five of my students on a space ship to catch an asteroid?" She summarised. Mick just looked at her.

"Yup." He answered as though she had asked if he was going to send them to pick up litter or run an errand to the supermarket.

"An asteroid?" She reiterated. "As in…a massive chunk of ice, rock and metal that is speeding through the galaxy at thousands of miles an hour."

"That's about the size of it, yes." Mick answered. She just shook her head.

"Oh, is that all?" She asked him. "I suppose that's alright then, nothing can go wrong there at all can it?"

"Look, Jennifer…"

"I'm not saying this…Super Ninja Steel isn't important or anything, I'm perfectly certain it is." She told him. "But you have to understand why I'm a little concerned that you're basically telling me that you're going to send a bunch of kids into orbit as a human catcher's mitt in the biggest game of intergalactic softball in history!"

"You don't think this has me worried?" Mick asked her. "Those kids are the closest thing I have to kids of my own. I've raised Brody almost all my life."

"I'm not saying you don't care about them." Jennifer answered as she realised what her objections had to sound like. "I'm just asking…is there maybe another way to do this? One that doesn't involve planting them in the direct path of an asteroid larger than a battleship?"

"Believe me, I've calculated and re-calculated and thought and rethought every idea I've ever had all night, and this is the one that's got the best chance of success." Mick told her. "If they get that asteroid, this could be what finishes off Galvanax for good."

"Well, do they even need it?" She asked him. "They've done fine without it up until now. Why take a gamble like this so close to the end?"

"Because it IS so close to the end!" Mick answered. "They could go out and face Galvanax right now. Hell, they might even win, and I pray that they would. But why not send them out there with the best chance possible?"

Jennifer looked to him as he pulled a little closer to her.

"Believe me, if I thought this wasn't the plan most likely to succeed, they wouldn't be going." Mick assured her. "I believe in them."

"Well, I guess…I believe in you." She replied, before pulling in and kissing him softly. "So, what do you need me for?"

"I need you to cover for them." Mick answered.

"I'm getting kind of good at that." She said as she looked to him. "So, what's the story?"

"I've already got it figured out." Mick said, handing her a flyer. "I printed these up and left them lying in a few strategic locations so people will…think they probably just forgot about them but not really remember not seeing them."

"Stone Canyon Peace Conference?" She asked. "We're going to say they went to a peace conference?"

"That's right!" Mick replied. "Come on Redbot, let's check those rations one more time!"

"PEACE CONFERNECE?" Jennifer called after him. "Who's going to buy a lame ass story like that?"

Up on the Warrior Dome, Galvanax was preparing to make his move. He had messaged Cosmo to set up a special broadcast. While it was true that as Champion, he had to face anyone who had satisfied the criteria for being considered a contender, as champion, it was entirely at his discretion to call for the battle more or less whenever he wanted. While Cosmo would eventually schedule a bout and give the rightful contender their shot at the title, it was also within Galvanax's remit to decide he wanted to fight earlier.

The whole ship was in a buzz as people were frantically trying to get a broadcast ready. All hands were on deck preparing for the spectacle to come. Wrench was already in the production booth quite literally whipping the 'interns' there into action to make sure everything was ready, while Cosmo was negotiating a special live broadcast that would take up virtually every channel broadcasting.

Galvanax watched them all preparing from his chambers, smiling.

"I've been waiting a long time for this." He growled. "I haven't forgotten how they challenged my invincibility the last time. I've been resting on my laurels for far too long. Now I finally have a worthy foe to crush beneath my heel!"

"And you will look spectacular as you do it!" Odious said, looking to their prisoners. "Don't you agree?"

"Oh…yeah…you totally will." Monty rushed out.

"Absolutely." Victor said, nodding frantically. They of course hoped that the Rangers would be victorious, but they didn't want to risk angering their captors before the match. Only Viera stayed defiant.

"The Rangers are going to kick your arse!" She stated firmly.

"Perhaps you forgot what happened when I fought your father…"

"My father was a blood-mad, foolhardy, arrogant moron that got everything that was coming to him!" She snapped in response. Although she had loved her father, she was under no illusions as to the tyrant he was. She had seen his atrocities all her life, and it had been one of the things that had spurned her to believe that there was a better way. "You're no different! The only thing inevitable about those who pursue a life of bloodshed is sooner or later it's theirs that stains the ground!"

"Uh…Princess?" Victor said meekly. "Could you kindly NOT piss off the giant walking gold psychopath?"

"Your faith in your friends is misplaced." Galvanax told her. "As for my end, when it comes, I won't even notice. Whatever happens, it will be glorious!"

As he picked up his naginata and the Mega Mag, he strode out the door. Monty just stared in amazement.

"Now THAT is a dude with problems!" He commented. Odious grabbed him, yanking him to his feet.

"Alright, enough of that!" She told them. "Now it's time for you to make yourselves useful!"

She pressed a button, opening a panel in the wall, where another device was being built, another Mega Mag, though several times larger and more powerful than the hand-held one Galvanax had.

"Get to work!" She ordered them. "Galvanax doesn't even realise how close his glorious end is!"

As she left to attend to other matters, leaving Kudabots to guard them, Monty, Victor and Viera started to get to work.

"Are you really sure about this?" Monty asked.

"Monty, Odious is a sociopath, she'll kill us no matter what happens!" She told him flatly. "At least this way the Earth has a chance."

"And us?" Victor asked her.

"That's….a different matter." She conceded uneasily. "Are you sure about your device?"

"Are you sure you can…you know?" Monty asked. She just gulped.

"I guess we're all about to find out the hard way."

Meanwhile, down at the school, Principal Hastings came into the Ranger Base as Mick and Redbot were putting together the last of the equipment the Rangers would need.

"I've got Clint cordoning off this corridor, no one will be looking for anyone up here." She told Mick. "I told him some story about essential maintenance…"

"That should keep people away, good thinking." Mick told her. "I sent the alert to the Rangers, they should be here any minute."

"Mick…"

"Look, I know you don't like this, but…"

"Mick…"

"If we head out really quick, we could be there and back before Cosmo or any of his guys even notice…"

"MICK!" She called out, pointing to the table. Mick looked around to where the Ninja Stars were all sitting out for inventory. They were all starting to shake and move on the table.

"What in the world?" Mick asked. Just then, one of them flew to the wall at lightning speed, lodging into it. The others all started to take flight, forcing them to take cover.

"What's going on?" Jennifer asked.

"Mick, I'm picking up an incredible magnetic force!" Redbot told him.

"Magnetic?" Mick asked. They all covered up as the wall finally gave in, flying out in a hail of dust and debris. As their vision cleared, they could see a hole in the wall, and through the hole, standing in the distance, was Galvanax holding the Mega Mag. Mick just gulped.

"Well, the good news is you aren't lying about maintenance work." Mick told her. "The bad news…I think we just ran out of time!"