"Ladies and gentlemen, time for a moment of amazement from master magician, Presto-Change-O," Preston announced. He was standing on a box in the middle of the main hallway at school, twirling a black and white wand between his fingers and running his free hand across the rim of his top hat.
From a nearby table, Victor rolled his eyes. "More like Presto-Lame-O," he murmured loud enough for everyone to hear.
"Go, Preston!" Nym encouraged.
Brody looked hopeful as he turned to his friends. "Let's hope this show is more…"
"Hopeful?" Nym asked as Brody trailed off.
Brody smiled. "That works," he agreed. The last few shows had been bad, not bad in terms of presentation, but Preston had been so nervous he messed up his spells or revealed how the trick worked. It had taken him a while to find his stride and by the time he did, people had left.
"Behold an entirely empty hat," Preston called, taking off the top hat and showing it to the crowd. He didn't tilt it too far, so not many people could see inside the rim. They had to take his word for it.
Nym glanced at Victor as he stood. She leaned forward in her seat, ready to intervene if needed, but was held back as Aidan placed a hand on her shoulder. He shook his head. As hard as it would be to see Victor tear Preston a new one, interfering wasn't the solution. In another situation, it could be what blew her cover as an undercover defender.
"Hey, you can't -" Preston protested as Victor ripped the hat from his grasp.
"Empty hat, eh?" Victor asked. He reached inside and lifted out a white rabbit.
Preston hesitated as the crowd started to boo and hiss in displeasure. "A rabbit," he gasped, trying his hardest to maintain his cool. "Amazing."
But the crowd wasn't taken in by the ruse. He flushed with embarrassment and lowered his gaze as the bell sounded, while students headed off to their next round of classes.
Preston stepped down from the box and shuffled off towards his locker, while Victor made his way back to Monty. They both sniggered.
"Hey, don't sweat it, Preston," said Nym, jumping from her seat and making her way to her friend. She reached over and scratched the rabbit behind the ears. "Just keep practising, and soon, even people like Victor Vincent will be stunned by what you can do."
Preston heaved a heavy sigh and set the rabbit back in its cage. "I hear what you're saying," he said. "I just… I've been practising magic since I was five years old. Ever since my parents took me to a magic show. The magician made this dragon bracelet," he pulled back his sleeve, "appear on my wrist, and I was mesmerised ever since. I've always aspired to be just like him. I keep trying, but my tricks never fool anyone."
"Kali always says, if you believe in magic then you'll always find it," said Nym. "It's how she and her team connect with their magic way back when. All they had to do was believe in it."
"But Kali was born to the magical realm," said Preston. "Magic was a part of who she was."
"So was Nick," said Nym. "But it didn't work for him straight away. Uncle Xander, Aunt Maddie, Aunt Vida, and Uncle Chip were also raised in the human world. They had to believe in magic for it to work."
Preston glanced up at Nym. Her face was bright and her eyes glimmered with hope as she spoke. His heart swelled and he couldn't help but smile. "You think so?" he asked.
"I know so," said Nym. "I believe in you, Preston. You're capable of anything, as long as you believe."
A light scratching came from his locker. Confused, Preston turned and removed his top hat. He reached inside and pulled out a white rabbit, this one was a lot smaller than the other from this morning.
"Aw, cute," Nym cooed, taking the bundle of fur. "See, that was flawless."
Preston shook his head. "I didn't do this," he said, confused as a second rabbit popped out of his hat. He scooped it out and handed it to Nym.
"What do you mean you didn't?" Nym asked. "It came from your hat, and you were trying this trick when Victor interrupted."
"Yeah, but this," he pointed at the cage next to him, "is my rabbit. I don't where these two -" he broke off as a third head, this time brown, popped over the rim of his hat, "three, came from."
Nym squeaked as Preston added the third rabbit to her arms. "Oh, careful," she squealed.
"Gotcha," said Aidan, scooping up a rabbit. With him was Brody, and he took another.
Nym smiled gratefully at them.
"This is magic," said Aidan. "Not the smoke and mirror stuff you normally perform, but real magic."
"Real magic?" Preston, Nym, and Brody repeated.
Aidan nodded. He turned to Nym. "Can't you feel it?" he asked.
Nym shook her head.
"It's okay. It takes some practice," said Aidan. He eyed Preston cautiously. "I'm curious to know how you suddenly have access to real magic. I mean, it's great, don't get me wrong, and Kali will be proud. But it's happening to soon."
"What is?" Preston asked.
Aidan shook his head. "First, I think you should go see Mick and Kali," he said. "We three," he motioned to himself, Nym, and Brody, "will take these three cuties to a pet store."
"But" Preston protested.
"Trust me, Kali will know what to do," said Aidan. He turned to his brother and Nym. "Come on."
Nym smiled and waved to Preston as they parted ways.
~X~
"How could you tell that Preston was using real magic?" Brody asked Aidan. They had just dropped the three rabbits off at the pet store and were now heading towards the local forest to get back to Rootcore.
Aidan glanced at his brother. "I could sense it in the air," he said. "Kali taught me how to sense magic when I was younger."
"She seems to have taught you a lot," said Brody. "Do you remember anything that dad taught you?"
Aidan furrowed his brow. "Of course I do," he said. "But dad taught me to be a Ninja, Kali taught me to be a mystic. They're two very different techniques."
"I don't see much of a difference," said Brody.
Nym cocked her head. "You sound sour," she said.
"Sour?"
"Yeah. Like, you're upset at Aidan for finding someone to care about him when your dad was gone," said Nym. "But you're also angry at Kali."
"I'm not angry at Kali," said Brody, shaking his head. "I'm annoyed. She's just swooped in and taken over our training without asking."
"Who else was supposed to train us?" Aidan asked. "She's a veteran and the Hellhound. She has more than enough experience under her belt to know what she is doing, not to mention her connections throughout the Morphin Grid."
Brody shrugged. He did understand that Kali had more experience, and she was more than capable of making sure they succeeded in their goal of stopping Galvanax and his cronies, but she wasn't a Ninja. They needed someone with Ninja training in order to be Ninja Rangers. In his mind, someone who trained in magic, someone who's first and foremost defence was magic, didn't know how to be a Ninja.
"Kali has Ninja abilities, too, you know," said Nym, reading Brody's face. She didn't need to know what he was thinking to realise what he was getting at. "She graduated the Wind Ninja Academy after fighting Lothor."
"She sped through her Ninja training," said Brody. "A Ninja trains for years and years. She learned everything in a year. She's hardly a reliable source of Ninja information."
"Maybe not, but she has Ninja connections," said Nym. "She's still in contact with the Ninja academies, even the one your dad trained at - the Elemental Academy in Summer Cove. They hold the Hellhound in high esteem. She can call on them if and when she needs them."
Brody sighed. He knew he wasn't going to get Nym or Aidan to see his point of view, they were too indoctrinated to Kali to see anything outside of what she wanted them to see.
Aidan suddenly stiffened.
Brody stopped and frowned at him. "What -?" he started.
"Something's coming," Aidan answered. "Something big and bad."
Throwing out her hand, Nym wrapped her fingers around a surprisingly large fly that was buzzing nearby. She opened her palm, revealing a spy cam crushed in her palm.
"That belongs to the Warrior Dome," said Brody. He looked around, his gaze sweeping the area.
A crash of thunder hit nearby and the tree took off in the direction of the noise. They turned a corner and found their path blocked by three four creatures, one of which was so large he took up the entire block.
"Galvanax," Brody whispered.
Nym glanced at Aidan. Brody had described Galvanax as big, but neither of them guessed he was this big.
"Call the others," Aidan whispered to Nym. She nodded and withdrew to a safe distance, raising her comms and contacting Rootcore.
Once satisfied that Kali would do the rest, Nym returned to the brothers.
"Ten years ago, I spared your life," Galvanax said, staring at Brody. "Gave you a home on my ship, and this is how you repay me? By stealing my Nexus Prism and it's power stars?"
Brody shook his head. "You make it sound like you did me a favour," he said. "You destroyed my home ten years ago. Took my father from me, took me from my brother. You imprisoned me on your ship. As for the Nexus Prism? It belongs to no one, and the power stars. This one," he held up his red star, "will help me destroy you."
Galvanax laughed. "You're a fool," he mocked. "You don't stand a chance against me."
"Maybe not alone," said Brody. "But I'm not alone anymore."
Appearing out of thin air, Preston, Hayley, and Calvin arrived beside their friends.
Preston did a double take and glanced sideways. "That's Galvanax?" He asked. "He's ridiculously big."
"That's what I said," Nym muttered.
"What are we supposed to do?" Calvin asked.
"A Ninja never shows fear," Brody replied,
Calvin nodded.
Nym turned to Aidan. Showing fear wasn't a negative trait, it showed that they were human, and Kali always told them that being afraid was a normal response. So why was Brody telling Calvin to not show fear?
Aidan shook his head. He wasn't sure what Brody's problem was, but now was not the type to confront him about it.
"So you're Galvanax, huh?" Hayley asked. She strutted forward, hands on her hips. "The Champion of Galaxy Warriors?" She scoffed. "You look more like a chump, to me, if I'm honest."
"Chump?" Galvanax roared. He grit his teeth and clenched his fists as he stepped forward. A delicate hand on his shoulder stopped him in his tracks.
Nym watched as a fox-like creature stepped up to Galvanax's side. The form reminded her a lot of Rune's Nighlok half.
"Odius," Brody told Nym as she cast a confused look in his direction.
Nym nodded and smiled her thanks.
"Enough!" Galvanax snapped, shaking Odius off him. He stabbed a finger at Brody. "You, Red Ranger. You are the traitor I'm after. You stole from me, not these pipsqueaks. When you're ready to fight me mano-a-mano then we'll settle this. But, for now, meet Slogre!"
The turtle-like monster that hadn't said anything until now, jumped up and down excitedly. "Ready to get shell-shocked, Rangers?" he asked.
"Don't disappoint me," Galvanax warned. There was a crash of thunder and he, Odius, and Ripcon disappeared.
Slogre crept forward.
"Ready?" Brody asked.
"Ready!"
"Ninja Spin!"
Calling on her sword, Nym ducked under Slogre's arm and spun on the spot. She aimed the serrated edge of the blade at his shell but he turned swiftly and caught it.
"What the -?" Nym gasped. For a slow-moving reptile that had been abnormally fast.
Catching her wrist, Slogre lifted Nym into the air and threw her over his shoulder. She whined and collided with Hayley and Calvin has both tried to catch it.
"Get a taste of this, Rangers," Slogre said, spraying them with a greenish liquid.
Nym groaned and pressed a hand to her head. "What was that?" she asked, blinking slowly.
"I don't know," Hayley said. Her vision had blurred slightly but cleared fast enough. "I feel weird, though."
"He sprayed us with something," said Calvin. "I hope, whatever it is, isn't contagious."
Slogre laughed and stomped towards the trio. "Try and stop me now," he challenged.
"Leave them alone!" Preston shouted, racing forward. He stopped in front of his friends. "Time for a little magic. Dragon's ire, raging fire!" he flexed his fingers and unleashed a blue flaming dragon into the air.
The flames wrapped around Slogre causing him to scream. "Ouch!" he whined, jumping around in an attempt to put out the fire.
"How do you like my magic, turtle face?" Preston asked.
"I don't like it!" Slogre shouted. He run forward, jumped over a fence, and disappeared beneath the surface of a nearby lake.
Preston laughed as he demorphed and stared at his hands. He had performed real magic and used it in battle. When he had returned to Rootcore and told Kali, she had been stunned but impressed, just like Aidan had said she would. She had then turned to Mick who had revealed it was the Ninja Steel, mixed with Preston's belief that had caused his magic to become a reality. Kali had warned him about using it in public but give the go-ahead for him to use in as a Ranger.
"Hey, you guys okay?" Aidan asked, running over. He wrapped an arm around Nym as she stood, shakily.
"I think so," Nym said, rubbing her eyes. She suddenly felt exhausted.
Calvin nodded as he helped Hayley stand. "We'll survive," he said.
"Did you guys see what I just did?" Preston asked, approaching. "That dragon was amazing!"
"Yeah, I must admit, it was pretty cool," Nym grinned. She paused and shrugged. "I mean hot."
The others chuckled.
"You know, I think I'm ready to show the world some real magic," said Preston.
Nym turned to Aidan.
"Preston, I don't think that's a good idea," said Aidan. "It's against Mystic law to perform magic in front of non-magics. Mum won't be impressed."
Preston waved him off. "Kali already said it was fine," he said, chuckling. "Don't worry. I won't expose the Mystic Realm."
He walked away before anyone could stop him.
"This is not going to end well," said Nym.
~X~
Later that afternoon, Preston stood once again on a box in the middle of the main hallway. He looked out at his audience. "Prepare yourselves for some fantastic magic! But first, I need a volunteer. Victor, how about you?"
Victor stood, despite Monty trying to stop him, and approached Preston.
Preston removed his hat and presented it to the room. He then handed it off to Victor. "Would you tell everyone what's inside?" he asked.
Victor rolled his eyes. "It appears to be empty," he said.
Preston waved his wand and muttered several random words, while Victor looked bored.
Aidan glanced at Nym. "You sure you're okay?" he asked, lowering his voice. Calvin and Hayley had already left. Their energy had dropped considerably since the battle with Slogre, and neither were sure if they were coming down with something.
"I don't know," Nym said, shaking her head. "I feel fine, just tired."
"You don't look fine," said Brody.
"What do you mean?"
Brody reached across the table and wiped a bead of sweat from Nym's face. "Is it normal for dragon's to sweat?" he asked.
"No," said Nym, shaking her head. She raised a hand and brushed the finger across her hairline. When she pulled it away, her eyes widened at the layer of skin that came away. "What's happening to me?"
Aidan stood and held out his hand. "Let's get you back to Rootcore," he said. "Mum will know. Brody…"
"I'll keep an eye on Preston," said Brody. "We'll meet you at Rootcore once he's -" he broke off as a roar emitted from the front of the room.
People screamed and as the trio looked around, they were stunned to find a Hellhound head snarling at Victor. The terrified teen shoved the animal back into Preston's hat and threw it at the boy in blue.
"I think it's safe to say that mum knows about Preston," said Aidan.
"We need to get out of here," said Nym.
Aidan nodded. "Brody, get Preston and meet us outside," he said. He scooped up Nym, despite her protests, and carried her from the building.
~X~
Preston shrugged himself from Brody's grip. "I don't understand," he whined. "Why didn't my magic work?"
"I told you that mum wouldn't be impressed," said Aidan. "That's why Victor pulled a Hellhound from the hat. It's mum's way of telling you she knows."
Preston frowned. "But I'm not hurting anyone," he said. "Why would she interfere?"
"Because you're giving people a glimpse into a world that could unlock so many doors," said Nym. "There is so many reasons why Kali made the rule that says no one can show magic to non-magics, unless in the state of emergency."
Preston cocked his head at her. "Are you okay?" he asked. "Why is Aidan carrying you?"
"Because he's overprotective," Nym muttered.
Aidan shook his head. "Slogre did something to you, we don't know what," he said. "I'm making sure you get out of view of people. We need to find Hayley and Calvin, they were hit by Slogre's mist, too."
Brody nodded and raised his arm. His comms snapped open and he opened a link between himself and Hayley. "Guys, respond," he said.
"Helllllllp!" Hayley's voice called.
Brody looked to his brother. "They're in trouble," he said.
"But where are they?" Preston asked.
Aidan removed his phone and snapped it open. "Mum, we need help," he said into the receiver. "Hayley, Calvin, and Nym were hit my mist and something bad is happening. Nym's skin is shedding, and it sounds like Hayley and Calvin are in trouble, but we don't know where they are."
"Vida and Chip are on their way to Hayley and Calvin," said Kali. "Bring Nym back to Rootcore. Brody, Preston, I'm sending you the coordinates of Slogre. Hold him off until Aidan gets there."
Brody's comms link beeped and a series of numbers appeared on the screen. He looked to Aidan.
"Go," said Aidan. "I'll meet you there."
"But -"
Aidan didn't heed his brother's protests and disappeared in a flicker of gold.
Brody sighed and turned to Preston. "Come on!" he said, taking off.
~X~
"… I got three power stars," Slogre said to a buzzcam. "I would like to take this opportunity to thank my friends, my family, my dog, my…" he broke off and turned to the sound of approaching footsteps.
"Hold it right there, fish face!" said Brody. The coordinates that Kali had sent led him and Preston directly to where Slogre was in the centre of town. He was holding the white and yellow power stars in his hands.
Slogre grinned with anticipation. "Fantastic!" he gushed. "More Rangers!"
"Hand over the power stars, now!" Preston demanded.
Slogre laughed. "I was just about to say the same," he said. "Hand over your power stars."
"Use your magic," Brody whispered.
Preston hesitated. "But… it didn't work at school," he said.
"Just try it!" Brody insisted.
Preston sighed and reached in his jacket. "Observe," he called, pulling out a scarf. It was a multi-layered scarf attached to one another. "It's completely ordinary until I do this!" he threw the scarf at Slogre and, with a burst of magical energy, wrapped around him. Pinning his limbs to his side.
Without needing to be told, Brody darted forward and snatched the power stars from Slogre's hand. Once he had returned to Preston, he nudged him and grinned. "Good job!" he said.
"It worked great this time," said Preston. "But why doesn't it always work?"
Brody furrowed his brow. "Maybe your magic isn't broken," he suggested. "Maybe you were using it for the wrong reasons?"
"What do you mean?"
"My dad taught Aidan and I great Ninja skills," Brody explained. "But he also warned us to never use them for personal gain." He sighed. "Kali also warned us what would happen if we used our abilities for anything but defending the innocent. Remember the Dark Wish story?"
Preston nodded. Kali had told them about the Dark Wish incident where she and her teammates had become careless with their magic, using it for every day struggles which resulted in them losing it after they lost Jenji in a fight. They had to travel to another dimension to get a tribunal to reverse the wish, but had failed, only to late realise that in order to win they needed to admit their mistakes.
"It's why Kali changed the law so that no magic can be performed outside the mystic realm," said Brody. He may not have been Kali's biggest fan, but he was starting to realise why she did many things.
"You think my magic only works when I am helping others?" Preston asked, struggling to hold Slogre within the confinements of his scarf.
"You were showing off at school," said Brody. "Your magic went crazy, right?"
"Yeah. But it worked against Slogre when I was…"
"Helping others."
Preston sighed. He squeaked as he stumbled back after Slogre snapped free of the scarves.
"Let's show fish-face a trick of our own," said Brody. "Power Stars, lock in!"
~X~
Aidan looked over at Hayley and Calvin. They weren't only talking slow but their movements were slow, too. "What happened to them?" he asked his mother.
"I don't know," said Kali. "Whatever Slogre sprayed them with is interfering with their metabolism."
Aidan looked back at Nym. She was laying on a table, a blanket pulled up to her chin and she was shivering. "What about her?" he asked.
"Whatever is happening to Hayley and Calvin is happening to her, too," said Mick. "But differently. Hayley and Calvin are human, so they're only slowing down. Nym, however, is a dragon. Her human side is slowing down, meaning her body isn't generating heat at a quick enough pace to stabilise her dragon side, and since dragon's are reptiles they need a certain temperature to function."
"Why is her skin peeling?" Aidan asked.
"It's another function of her dragon side," Mick said. "Reptiles shed their skin to keep cool but needs a certain temperature to do it successfully. Subconsciously, Nym is shedding her skin to balance her internal temperature, but because of Slogre, it's not working properly."
"She's slowly panicking," said Kali. "If we don't find a way to heat her up, and fast, she'll transform."
"But I'm here," said Aidan.
"It won't matter," said Kali, shaking her head. "This is an internal panic. She's too slow to recognise anyone or thing. She'll transform before realising you're here."
Aidan stared at Nym. "What can I do?" he asked.
"Destroy Slogre," said Kali. "We'll keep an eye on these three, and I'll use magic to stabilise Nym for as long as I can."
Leaning down, Aidan pressed his forehead against Nym's. "Hold in there," he whispered. "I'll be back as soon as I can." He kissed her head and then took off to help Brody and Preston.
~X~
"Element star, Fire attack!"
"Element star, Water attack!"
Slogre huffed and puffed as he was hit from all sides by the two spells. The fire burned his skin while the water cooled him. He glanced from side to side as Preston and Brody closed in, each one powering up their swords for another attack.
"Nice try," Slogre panted, shaking the last of the water from his shell. "This won't last long."
"You're right," said Aidan, jumping over his brother and Preston. He summoned his zord and slammed it into the ground just inches from Slogre. "Earth attack!" he commanded.
There was a rumble beneath the surface and several vines burst forth, wrapping themselves around Slogre and locking him in place.
"Let me go!" Slogre demanded.
"Not a chance," said Aidan. He turned his element star to Metal and stepped back, glancing to his right as Brody and Preston joined him. "Mum says destroying Slogre will help the others."
"Then let's do it," said Preston.
Brody nodded.
"Red, Blue, and Gold Ninja Spirit," the three rangers called, powering up their swords. "Steel slash, Ninja Spin!" They rushed forward, becoming blurs as they sped through Slogre, slashing and raking their swords across his body and shell. "Final attack!"
Slogre howled as he stumbled away. He fell to one knee and exploded.
As the air cleared, Aidan raised his arm. "Mum, did it work?" he asked.
"Hayley and Calvin have returned to normal," Kali replied.
"And Nym?"
"She'll be fine."
"Will be?" Aidan asked. "Is she not now?"
There was silence over the line.
"Just get back here as soon as you can," said Kali.
~X~
By the time Aidan, Brody, and Preston made it back to Rootcore, Nym was awake. She was sitting in a chair, wrapped in a blanket, and drinking hot chocolate while Hayley and Calvin sat around her. They too had hot chocolate, but for different reasons to Nym.
The minute he entered the main room, Aidan made a beeline for his best friend and knelt beside her. "Are you okay?" he asked, cupping her face.
"I am now," said Nym.
"What happened?"
Nym shrugged and looked to where Kali was writing in a journal. She looked up at the silence and found everyone staring at her. "I don't know completely what happened," Kali admitted. "I'll do research into it. But from what I can tell, Nym's dragon half tried to fight off what Slogre did, resulting in her human half suffering. As a shifter, Nym is uniquely balanced, and when that balance is thrown into disarray, a lot of things can happen. Unfortunately, your human half is a lot weaker than your dragon half, and therefore will take the brunt end."
"What does that mean?" Nym asked. "That I'm going to continue shifting when something bad happens?"
"Not necessarily," said Kali. "But it does mean you aren't out of the woods yet. Like I said, I'll continue to do research. However, I do want you to train with the Pai Zhuq. I have set up a consultation with Casey, he'll be here tomorrow."
"Why the Pai Zhuq?" Mick asked.
"The Pai Zhuq specialise in maintaining a connection with one's animal spirit," said Kali. "I want to see if there is a disconnect between Nym's human and dragon halves. If there is, they'll know what to do."
Nym looked down at her chocolate.
"In the meantime, I think you should take it easy," added Kali. "I'll allow you to continue your undercover operation if you promise not to overdo it."
"I promise," Nym said.
Kali smiled and then turned her attention Preston. "Now for you," she said, raising an eyebrow.
Preston gulped. "I'm sorry," he said. "I know, I failed you. You warned me about the dangers of using my magic in front of people, and it almost got people hurt. But I learned my lesson. If I use my magic to help people, it doesn't go astray."
"You broke a mystic law," said Kali. "I should be banishing you from the Mystic Realm. Unfortunately, the Ninja Steel is also to blame for your magic's inconsistencies, so you'll get off with a warning."
Preston sighed in relief.
"But only one," said Kali. "Ninja Steel or no, next time I won't be so lenient. Magic isn't a just smoke and mirrors, and it isn't a toy. It's a serious weapon in the fight against evil. Use it for personal gain and it will come back and bite you in the ass."
Preston nodded in understanding.
"While I'm not severely punishing you by banishing you," Kali added. "You will receive a punishment that fits the crime. I want you to clean this room without magic."
Preston's eyes widened. "But that could take all night," he said.
"Best get started then," said Kali. She snapped her fingers and a bucket, mop, dustpan, and brush appeared in the centre of the room. "As for the rest of you, go home. You've had a long day and deserve the rest. Daggeron will meet you tomorrow for your morning training regime."
As Kali left, Preston looked around at the others. "I owe you all an apology," he said. "I shouldn't have been showing off my magic and helping you instead. I hope you can forgive me?"
"Of course we forgive you, Preston," said Nym, smiling up at him.
Preston returned it.
"But we're not helping you clean Rootcore," said Aidan. "Mum will only revert it back to the way it is if she finds out we helped."
"She's mean," said Preston.
"Probably," Aidan agreed. "But her punishments always fit the crime." He turned to Nym. "Come on you. Let's get you to bed."
He scooped her up and disappeared through a side door.
Calvin turned to Hayley and held out his hand. The wished Preston luck and left through the Dragon's mouth.
Preston sighed and turned to Brody.
Brody shrugged. "I'll help you," he said. "I don't care much for what Kali has to say."
Preston smiled. "Thanks, Brody," he said, and the pair set to work.
From the shadows, Kali watched with keen interest. She knew Brody had issues with her, although she wasn't sure why. But hearing him confirm her suspicions only caused her to wonder more about what she had done to upset him.