Time had past and Sever had not stopped thinking about the human's kindness. Vandels were warriors by nature, they didn't show mercy so why didn't he kill the subspecies when it could have been so easy. He stood there letting him bandage his arm. He sat with the bandages in his hand, he wondered what the purple one was doing now on Earth. Stanford was in the garage working on his car with the radio turned up, he was listening to la vie en rose by louis Armstrong. Something about the song soothed him when he was overwhelmed. As he slammed his hood shut he failed to notice the scorpion that had wandered on his car. He only noticed when it was too late that the creature had been crushed. Stanford gasped and dropped the to he had in his hand.

"Oh wow a Paruroctonus boreus!" Stanford jumped he hadn't heard Sherman walk up behind him. "Oh sorry…I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's fine…uhm what were you saying?" Stanford smiled slightly up at him.

"That scorpion is the Paruroctonus boreus, the Northman scorpion." Sherman pointed at the scorpion's remains.

"Is it deadly?"

"Not typically to humans. They are not known for stinging us, and their venom is actually quite mild although you might have a reaction to it."

"….oh." Stanford put a hand on the back of his neck,

"hey man are you okay?" Sherman frowned noticing how timid his friend seemed.

"Yep I'm…I'm fine." Stanford assured him.

"You sure? You know I'm here to talk if you need it."

"….I know and I'm fine. Honestly."

Sherman simply nodded in response still frowning slightly. Despite the fact he'd heard the sirens hundreds of times this time it made him jump. Everyone rushed to their cars and Stanford quickly scrapped away what was left of the scorpion before climbing into the reverb following closely behind the rest of his group. The battle zone they traveled to was an overgrown greenery, a jungle with twisted tracks attached to trees whose branches twisted about like wicked claws. Stanford stared blankly, he heard someone mention the key but he couldn't comprehend what was being said. He couldn't hear anything, his breathing became shaky as he gripped the steering wheel tightly.

"Stanford…Stanford!" Sherman yelled, "s-sorry did you hear Vert?"

"…uh no I-I didn't."

Sherman pointed to where the battle key stood upon a tall tree, "there's the key…are you feeling okay?"

Stanford watched as a portal opened for the vandals, "there's no time Sherman!" He sped away and chased after the vandals who raised them to the key.

Vert made it close to the key when the tree lips attached to the bridge he was on began to move, Vert yelled as he was moved away from the key. It was as if the trees had minds of their own.

'They know what you did.' He told himself as a branch extended to smack the Reverb, "Stanford look out!" Agura warned.

He was pushed off the bridge and fell to another one under it. "Are you okay dude?!" Zoom called out,

"Yeah…fine." Once they had assured his safety his friends drove off and Stanford was left to find a way back up.

Stanford traversed up a twisty path that seemed to lead to another bridge. He watched as Vert was moved away from the key yet again, the bridges seemed to move at random but Stanford felt as if the trees were not on battle force 5's side. 'It's my curse' he told himself feeling guilty as Agura used a tree trying to avoid the bridges and was shaken off. She fell but caught herself before she hit the ground. Stanford struggled to focus on what he was doing, Stanford tried to fire a shot at Krocomoto but missed several times. He shot the tree and it shriveled letting go of the bridge Zoom was on thankfully the chopper flew up into the sky, he went to get the key but a branch grabbed the chopper and tried to pull him away. It was like the key was being guarded by the forest, no one had yet gotten close except for Sever who yelled in excitement of his victory.

"No!" Stanford exclaimed,

Stanford tried to cut the shark but nearly slid off the bridge as he watched the vandals retreat to their portal. Stanford without hesitation followed after them, Vert and the Cortez brothers followed. Vert stopped his car and suggested they make a plan but Stanford had already decided their fate.

"They are gonna open the portal to earth! This is all my fault!" Stanford whined,

"…uhh how is this your fault?" Spinner questioned.

"I'm cursed and now the team is cursed! It's out to get me! They won because of me!" Stanford panicked,

"What curse? What are you talking about?"

Stanford told them everything, he hung his head in shame as he spoke fidgeting with his fingers as his eyes darted around fearful that the vandals would return. After Stanford was done Sherman and Vert looked at each other, concern plastered all over their faces. Vert blinked several times attempting to make sense of what he was hearing.

"Okay so…let me get something clear- and this is not to make fun of you but I'm just trying to fully understand." Vert said with a puzzled look across his face, "your saying that because of the ghost of a bird…that you didn't not kill-"

"I didn't save it!" Stanford exclaimed fearfully.

"Right that you didn't save…because you were eight and now your cursed to be at odds with nature." He said crossing his arms, "but you own horses, peacocks and dogs back at home?"

"…I'd appreciate it if you didn't talk to me like I was stupid." Stanford huffed turning his back to his leader.

"Stanford Im not I'm just trying to understand where this is coming from." He tried to reach out to him but he moved away from his touch.

"You don't believe me! I'll prove it to you!" Before anyone could respond the Brit took off in a random direction of the Vandel jungle.

"Wait- Stanford! Stanford!!"

"We need to get him back fast Vert! There's a storm coming!" Sherman shuttered,

Stanford kept running, he wasn't sure where he was going but he just ran until he felt like he needed to stop. He saw the sky darken around him. "It's like that then…well if this is what I deserve then do what you must but leave my friends out of this!"

The crack of lighting made him quiver but he stood tall running deeper into the forest. He was now drenched in rain, he knew something bad would happen to him that night. He expected as much but as long as he was away from his friends it wouldn't effect them. 'It doesn't want to hurt them. It only wants me.' He told himself pushing wet hair from his eyes. From a distance a large figure watched over him, hiding behind a tree Sever listened to the human scream at the sky. He wondered what purpose his war cry served. Stanford dropped to his knees and begged for forgiveness now Sever was very confused. Mud now dirtied his shiny purple jump suit, Vert called for him through his watch and he simply switched it off. The storm drew closer and the trees shook around him as if they'd be pulled from the ground. Lighting struck one of these treats and a branch tore free. Sever yelled out for him to be careful but he didn't even see the branch before it struck him.