It had been over a month. The mood in the Hub was grim. Bickering had erupted more and more often in the absence of the "mother" of the team, and patience was growing thin. Though they dared not say it aloud, the team was growing apart. Stanford simply denied the obvious missing piece of the pentagon. Zoom trained constantly, taking out the pain of losing who he had come to know as his mother away from home. Spinner appeared unaffected, putting on a cheery face for the sake of the team, but Sherman had caught him teary-eyed more than once. The eldest Cortez was more mature than they would ever really know. The younger was doing his best, but he was bearing the heavy weight of replacing both their second and first in command.

Vert was clearly depressed. No more than a word had been communicated in weeks. At first, it was subtle. He entered BattleZones; he taught them strategies, secured Keys. But the silence had grown. Training was on hiatus; Vert's time spent at the computer with Sage, analyzing any possible rip in the fabric of the Multiverse that would allow them passage to Vandal. His searches were fruitless, and he knew it, too, but the one thing that kept him going was the small flutter of hope still left in his heart. Every Stormshock alarm jolted their leader out of his vegetative state, sending him racing into the BattleZone. Not for the Key, no. The Key had no meaning to him if he couldn't secure it with her at his side. He searched for Vandals, for portals, for chances. None were revealed. The Sark had been overly ambitious as of late, appearing in every Zone. Even the ringing of his blades on Sark steel brought no emotion, no feeling of success. Without her, he was nothing.

"Stormshock opening in T-minus four minutes!" Sage's voice announced, holding a distinct note of hope. Heads perked up, and not for the prospect of a battle.

"Maybe this one…" Sherman muttered to Spinner, who nodded as they entered the eye of the storm. Sherman glanced uneasily over to Vert. His ocean blue eyes assumed a darker color in the past month, and were locked with laser-like intensity in front of him. Sherman knew that he would immediately leave them to search for Vandals, and they would be alone in their search for the Key. It was a pattern all had noticed, and none had commented on. It was better to leave their leader to himself.

"Anyone got anything?" Stanford asked, trying to cover it as an inquiry about the key, but they all read between the lines.

"Negative." Sherman answered, when they heard a loud clamoring in the distance.

"Zoom!" Sherman's pulse quickened in hope as Spinner deployed their ramp.

"I'm on it!" The scout exclaimed, launching into the air with renewed vigor. Stanford secretly crossed his fingers.

"It's the Vandals!" Zoom cried, and they shamelessly rejoiced. Never before had those words been said with such happiness. Suddenly, there was a blur of red, and Vert had soared past them, heading straight for Kalus with his hands clenched and hatred in his eyes. He sliced through their ranks, causing mayhem amongst the beasts, but he had only one goal: the portal. Eyes locked, team, mission, and the pain forgotten, he sped into it, his heart racing with hope.

"Vert! Wait!" Voices, ringing in his ears, but he heard nothing but the roar of the portal as it sucked him in.

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Foot on the gas; he flew out of the portal, eyes taking in everything but only searching for her. He acknowledged that he was in the heart of the jungle and immediately headed for the stronghold. He knew his team had fallen behind, but with some guilt, he didn't wait. He needed to see her.

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"Ugh! Vert!" Stanford groaned as the red vehicle drove out of their sight. "Not again."

"He's always leaving us!" Zoom screamed angrily, kicking at the base of a tree trunk. "Why does he care about her more than us?"

"Zoom, it'll be okay," Sherman tried, but the young teen was raging.

"Ever since Agura left, he hasn't cared about any of us! All he ever does is sit and stare at screens!" Zoom was losing control.

"Zoom-" Sherman exited the Buster.

"I just want her to come back!" He sobbed into the Cortez's chest. He hated being the youngest, and Agura had understood that. Sometimes, it felt like she and Vert were the only ones who understood; who treated him like a real teammate, not just a nuisance. And now, both had left him.

"We'll find her." Sherman comforted. "I promise."

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Vert desperately pushed his car harder, nervous anticipation taking the place of logic. He sped over the dirt, his vision blurred with desperation. The car hit a series of bumps, nearly sending the man flying, then it was lifted into the air. Trapped. He desperately pressed buttons, pulled levers, anything to rip the coarse, thick ropes of the net that had ensnared him. They wouldn't give, and he accepted defeat, waiting for the Vandals to come. Head down, his stomach jumped into his throat as the ropes were slashed from above, and the car hit the ground.

"What the…?" He murmured, watching someone, or something, descend gracefully from the tree. He could distinguish a vaguely humanoid appearance, but the features were hidden by what seemed to be a covering made of bark, grasses, and other indistinguishable materials. The creature dropped down from the lowest branch, crouching on the ground. Vert slid back his cockpit, preparing for a fight, when the figure removed its hood, and his knees went weak.

"Agura?"